(Richmond) The Virginia War Memorial will host the annual Commonwealth’s Patriot Day Ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 11 a.m. to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
This special and solemn ceremony will honor and remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks – including many fellow Virginians – and recognize the courage of the first responders and military personnel who worked to save lives at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Arlington, and the crash site of the downed jet aircraft in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The ceremony will feature distinguished speakers, patriotic music, and special tributes including the reading of the names of those that lost their lives here in Virginia at the Pentagon.
Prior to the ceremony, musician and US Army veteran Jim O’Ferrell will present a concert in the Memorial’s E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater at 10:30 a.m. Members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend and participate in the concert and ceremony and should arrive by 10:15 a.m. to be seated.
Following the ceremony, at 12 noon, attendees can visit “Patriot’s Way,” a display of first responder and military vehicles on 2nd Street, which is adjacent to the Memorial, and meet the men and women who continue to serve our communities. Visitors are also invited to view the 9/l1 remembrance exhibit in the Memorial’s Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center. The Memorial’s award-winning documentary about the 9/11 attacks, “A New Century: A New War,” will be shown continuously in the Reynolds Theater throughout the day.
Admission and parking at the Virginia War Memorial are free. The Memorial will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 11. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org or www.dvs.virginia.gov.
