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The Jordan Hospital Club’s (yes, we know it hasn’t been the Jordan for many years) Polar Plunge has encouraged people to jump in ice cold water for a good cause – to raise money for the Jordan Hospital Club Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth. This year’s Plunge will take place at Nelson Park on Saturday, March 1, is the place to try it out.
Kim Sims, one of the organizers who serves on the club’s advisory board, said every cent raised will go toward the cancer center. The Polar Plunge is in its 23rd year, and has raised more than $1.6 million for the cancer center at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. This year, the goal is a total of $60,000.
Not only is it a big fundraiser, Sims said it’s a “feel-good community event.” Attendees can park for free at a lot on Water Street, and there will be free shuttle service to and from Nelson Park and the Water Street and Benny’s parking lots starting at 10 a.m. Sign-in and registration will start at 10:30 a.m., and you can enjoy free food, including coffee, hot chocolate, fruit, and muffins. Live music will add to the festivities, along with costume judging and photos with Jordan the Polar Bear. Then there will be a countdown to the plunge at 12 noon.
At 12:30 p.m., attendees will head to the Plymouth Yacht Club, 34 Union St. for the awards ceremony. All donors, plungers, families, and friends are welcome and can enjoy a free lunch as well as a cash bar. Donors who give $60 will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt, and there are more incentives for higher donations. However, every donation – whatever the size – helps.
Sims said she has done the plunge (the actual getting-in-the-freezing-cold water part) for many years. “It’s scary, fun, and invigorating all at the same time,” she said. “Also, it’s extremely emotional when you are plunging for someone.” Often, plungers will honor someone with cancer – or someone who has passed away from cancer.
If you want to plunge, donate, or do both, go here.
Monday, February 17
“I’m Still Here,” continues through Feb. 19 at Plimoth Cinema at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave. Show times are at at 2, 4:30, and 7 p.m. The Brazilian drama captures the struggles of a family under the military dictatorship in the 1970s. On Thursday, Feb. 20, “I’m Still Here” will continue at 2 and 4:30 p.m., and “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” which chronicles the legendary band’s career, will screen at 7 p.m. “Oscar Nominated Shorts” – featured three categories – will screen at 2, 4:30, and 7 p.m., at least through Thursday, Feb. 20. You can check the website for times and categories each day. Tickets are $12.50, $11 with a club card, $10 for seniors or members, and $8.50 for seniors with a club card.
Tuesday, February 18
Create a Mardi Gras mask for Fat Tuesday celebrations, at Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Artist Nora Cannon will help you design a festive mask while you sip wine. The event is part of the Mardi Gras festivities brought to you by the Plymouth Center for the Arts. Tickets for the mask-making event are $35 and you can get them here.
Author Paul Clerici will give a presentation on the Boston Marathon in the Fehlow Meeting Room at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Clerici has written three books on the history and figures of the marathon. He will be available for book signings at 5:30 p.m., followed by a multimedia presentation from 6 to 7 p.m. There will be a Q & A session afterward. You can register here.
Wednesday, February 19
Take the kids to see the 2013 Disney hit “Frozen” at the Spire at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 1 p.m. The Snow Queen Elsa casts an icy spell, but her sister Anna teams up with a mountaineer named Kristoff and his reindeer Sven to break it. Children get in free, but adults pay $5. Grownups get tickets here.
Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., will welcome the public to “An Evening Lit by Fire: A Plimoth Patuxet Walking Tour,” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Learn about Wampanoag winter traditions by the glow of firelight. In the village, you’ll be welcomed into a cottage to be entertained with stories and songs. Tickets are $15 for museum members, $25 for general admission. You can get them here.
The Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., will host a paint night for anyone between 11 and 18 years old, from 6 to 7 p.m. Paint a jellyfish on canvas using paint or acrylic markers. There will be snacks, too. You can register here.
America’s Hometown Garden Club will be creating “petite arrangements” for Plymouth Meals on Wheels program recipients at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., from 6 to 8:45 p.m. (Sign-in is at 5:30.) The club’s meetings take place on the third Wednesday of each month at the library. Meetings are open to guests for a $5 fee.
Thursday, February 20
The Lobby Series at the Spire presents Northampton-based Lisa Bastoni at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Bastoni was a New England Music Award nominee in 2022 and 2023, a Boston Music Award Nominee in 2019 and 2020, and winner of 2019 New Folk at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Tickets are $15 and you can get them here.
Friday, February 21
The Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation will host a free seal watching event at Ellisville Harbor State Park, 1861 State Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Park staff will be at the beach to help you spot seals basking along the shore at low tide. Although wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, there’s a good chance of seeing seals if it’s a sunny afternoon. Park at the main dirt parking lot and follow signs to beach, about a half mile. Hot chocolate will be available, as well as a few other beach exploration activities in case the seals are shy. Bring binoculars, if you have them. Children ages 8 and older must be accompanied by an adult. In case of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. For more information, call 508-272-9376.
Learn about saving sea turtles from wintry conditions at the Center Hill Preserve, 158 Center Hill Road, from 6 to 10 p.m. Rescue volunteer Lisa Meeks will give a presentation on the sea turtles. Meeks has been a National Marine Life Center volunteer for over a decade, providing care for and serving as a volunteer with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Sea Turtle Rescue team. The event is organized by the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance. Tickets are $10 and you can get them here.
The Montreal Guitar Trio will perform at the Spire at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. The trio, Sébastien Deshaies, Glenn Lévesque, and Marc Morin have been sharing their work for over 25 years. In addition to their three guitars, these multi-instrumentalists also sing and play the violin, mandolin, bass, accordion, and more. This concert will be dedicated to the memory of composer Ennio Morricone, who has been a significant part of the trio’s repertoire. Tickets are $25.20 and $28, and you can get them here.
Saturday, February 22
Pilgrim Hall Museum, along with the Plymouth No Place for Hate Committee – in partnership with the Bethel AME Church – will host a free African-American History Tour from 1 to 2 p.m. as part of Black History Month. The tour starts in Shirley Square in front of the historic Winslow-Warren House, where America’s very first published African-American author is believed to have lived before 1740. Pilgrim Hall Executive Director Donna Curtin will lead the tour, highlighting stories of Plymouth’s African-American residents from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The tour will conclude at the historic Bethel AME Church and Parsonage at 6 Sever St. Light refreshments will be offered at the church following the tour. Reservations are not required. Meet at Shirley Square at the head of North Street at 1 p.m. Expect vigorous walking with some stairs and inclines. For more information, contact 508-746-1620, ext. 3, or email membership@pilgrimhall.org.
The South Shore Food & Wine Expo takes place at Memorial Hall, from 1 to 8:30 p.m. The Grand Tasting includes wines, food samples from South Shore chefs, a commemorative wine glass, and access to various vendors. The Vintner’s Lounge Experience in another area of the event features small production and super-premium red and white wines from around the world, with live music. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $35 and $60 for the Vintner’s Lounge. You can buy them here.
The Boston-based Swinging Steaks will perform at the Spire at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Since they signed with Capricorn Records in the 90s, the band has played Americana music – blending rock, country, and roots. Tickets are $25.20 and $28, and you can get them here.
Sunday, February 23
An Afternoon with Marianne Leone at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St., will start at 1:30 p.m. and Leone will read and discuss a chapter from her new memoir, “Five Dog Epiphany: How a Quintet of Badass Bichons Retrieved Our Joy.” The memoir describes Leone’s and husband Chris Cooper’s journey of grief at the sudden loss of their 17-year-old son in 2005, and how they managed to find healing and joy by adopting a series of Bichon dogs. There will also be a showing of the short film “Nuts” that Leone and Cooper made during the pandemic. Tickets are $15 and available here.
“Sunday Fundays” at the Spire is back with the Shady Roosters from 2 to 5 p.m., with doors opening at 1:30. The event is presented by IndieFerm Brewing, and its beers will be on tap, along with kombucha and other beverages. Tickets are $5, cash only, at the door.
Friday, February 28
The Plymouth Marine Corps League will host the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima at the American Legion, 199 Federal Furnace Road, from 5 to 9 p.m. The event, which is open to the public, will include a presentation by a historian from the Cape Cod Military Museum. Also, World War II reenactors of Weapons Platoon Fox Company 2nd Battalion 5th Marines will provide a static display with WWII equipment for viewing. The league will hold a raffle fundraiser at the event to support the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball that will take place in November.
Saturday, March 1
The Jordan Hospital Club will hold its annual Polar Plunge at Nelson’s Field starting with sign-in at 10:30 a.m. See the lead item in this column for more information.
The Plymouth Masonic Lodge, 116 South Meadow Road, will present a comedy show at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Michael Petit will be hosting, and comics Matt Brown and Derrick Fonseca will do stand-up. Tickets are $35 per person and pizza is included, but you can also bring your own snacks. You can buy tickets here.
Get a jump start on spring gardening with a seed swap in the Fehlow Meeting Room at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., between 1 and 3 p.m. Bring seeds you saved and/or take home seeds available from the library. There will be a variety of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds available to get you started. Registration is not required.