Liberation and Freedom Days events in Charlottesville Liberation and Freedom Days events in Charlottesville By Rachel Hirschheimer | March 1, 2021 at 5:11 PM EST - Updated March 1 at 6:37 PM CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Events are being held the first week of March to honor Liberation and Freedom Day. Roughly 53% of Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents were enslaved during the Civil War. Now, thereâs a week dedicated to honoring these people through a series of events to celebrate the day they were set free by Union troops in 1865. âPlease keep in mind that Liberation Day actually is the 3rd [of March], which is Wednesday. There will be ringing of church bells on that day to mark the time that the Union troops came marching through to free the enslaved community,â community activist Don Gathers said.