No place does Thanksgiving quite like Plymouth, where the history is synonymous with the town and can be sampled, celebrated and solemnly considered. From 17th-century feasts and a nationally recognized parade to music, waterfront festivities and a day of reflection, this week kicks off a host of events leading up to Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26.
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, during “Veterans Day Celebration with the 215th Army Band,” Plymouth will honor its veterans with a special day of remembrance, music and community at Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., beginning at 11 a.m. For information see the entry on the date below or go here.
Also, on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., historian Richard Pickering presents “Mayflower’s Legacy: Stories by the Sea and on the Land” at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave. The museum”s “New England Harvest Feast” follows Nov. 14 and 21 at 5:30 p.m., re-creating Pilgrim meals and historic foodways with music, storytelling and costumed performers. Reservations required. For tickets and information go here.
The Plymouth Philharmonic presents “An American Soundtrack” at Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., on Friday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. The pops concert celebrates America’s dance music, from ragtime and swing to the Charleston, jitterbug and Carolina shag, featuring music by Scott Joplin and Glenn Miller. Guest artists include conductor Neil Hampton and vocalist Philip Lima. For tickets go here.
The centerpiece of the weekend is the nationally recognized “America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade” on Saturday, Nov. 21, featuring 25 floats and more than 20 musical groups. Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, the historically chronological procession depicts American life from the 17th through 21st centuries, traveling from Plymouth Rock along Water, Main and Court streets. Opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. at Pilgrim Memorial State Park, 79 Water St. Waterfront festivities continue until 4 p.m., featuring a Beer & Wine Garden, Holiday Village, Children’s Pavilion, food trucks, live music and petting zoo. A drum and bugle corps alumni concert follows at Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., at 5 p.m. Free shuttles serve designated parking areas, including Kingston’s commuter rail station. For information go here.
On Sunday, Nov. 22, the waterfront hosts a Harvest Festival and the Farmers Market, continuing the holiday celebration along Water Street.
Back at Plimoth Patuxet, “Story of Thanksgiving” dinners begin Nov. 25, combining traditional meals with historical interpretation. Thanksgiving Day features a Homestyle Buffet with turkey, sides and desserts. Dining tickets include two days of museum admission. Some seatings are sold out. For tickets go here.
Ceremonies on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, begin with a “Pilgrim Progress” at 10 a.m., re-enacting the Pilgrims’ Sabbath procession. Costumed participants will march from North Street past Plymouth Rock, up Leyden Street to Burial Hill, where a brief worship service recalls the original fort and meetinghouse. At noon, the National Day of Mourning, organized by United American Indians of New England, gathers Indigenous people and supporters at Cole’s Hill to honor Native ancestors and challenge traditional Thanksgiving narratives.
Visitors can also explore Mayflower II, Plimoth Patuxet Museums and Pilgrim Hall Museum during the holiday period, experiencing the region’s history from multiple perspectives. Whether visitors are gathering for a feast, watching the parade or reflecting on the holiday’s complicated history, there are many ways to experience the holiday season. Plan ahead and make reservations early.
Monday, Nov. 9
“You Can See Everything” continues at Plimoth Cinema, 137 Warren Ave. The critically acclaimed new film, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, takes viewers inside the world of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks before she begins serving her federal prison sentence for fraud. With extraordinary access to Holmes, her partner Billy Evans and their family, the filmmakers explore deception, manipulation and the slippery nature of truth. Released by A24, the film has earned widespread critical praise. For information go here.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
A murder mystery set along the South Shore takes center stage at Book Love, 7 Village Green South, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Author Mark Ciccone discusses “Murder on the Bay,” a whodunit that begins when a wealthy investor is found dead in an oyster shed in Duxbury Harbor. Police rule the death accidental, but his nephew suspects otherwise. Parts of the novel take place in Plymouth. The evening includes a talk, Q&A and book signing. For information go here.
Wednesday, Nov. 11
“Mayflower’s Legacy: Stories by the Sea and on the Land” – Richard Pickering, deputy executive director and senior historian at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., explores the continuing legacy of the Mayflower and Plymouth’s early history at 7 p.m. The presentation examines the people and events that shaped the community. For information go here.
“Veterans Day Celebration with the 215th Army Band” – Plymouth will honor its veterans with a special day of remembrance, music and community at Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., beginning at 11 a.m. The celebration includes lunch at noon, followed by a 1 p.m. performance by the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. For more than six decades, the ensemble of citizen-soldiers has performed for audiences at home and abroad, carrying on the Army’s musical traditions while celebrating service, patriotism and community. The event also commemorates the 100th anniversary of Memorial Hall’s opening, making the occasion particularly meaningful in a building dedicated to those who served. For information go here.
Thursday, Nov. 12
Take a “Mindfulness Hike at Halfway Pond” and enjoy Plymouth’s woodlands during a guided hike with Wildlands Trust programming coordinator Amy Burt from 9 to 11 a.m. Participants will explore the Halfway Pond Conservation Area while practicing mindfulness. Meet at Wildlands Trust Stewardship Training Center, 549 Mast Road. For information go here.
Discover how wildlife prepares for winter during “Nature in Fall with Mass Audubon” by a Mass Audubon educator at Manomet Branch Library, 12 Strand Ave., from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The program explores the seasonal rhythms of New England. For information go here.
In honor of Veterans Day, famed former Boston Globe photographer Bill Brett discusses his seventh book, “Boston Veterans Appreciated,” at Book Love, 7 Village Green South, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Featuring nearly 190 portraits of veterans, active-duty military personnel and their supporters, the book pays tribute to service and sacrifice. For information go here.
“Laszlo Gardony Quartet” – Jazz lovers can enjoy an evening with acclaimed pianist and composer Laszlo Gardony when his quartet takes the main stage at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 7:30 p.m. Presented as part of the Spire Lobby Series, the concert offers an opportunity to experience Gardony’s distinctive blend of jazz improvisation, lyrical melodies and contemporary influences. Gardony, a longtime professor at Berklee College of Music, is known for his expressive playing and inventive compositions. For tickets go here.
“Classic Rock Orchestra: Anthems of the ’70s and ’80s” – For anyone who still turns up the volume when Journey, Boston or Pat Benatar comes on the radio, Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., is offering a trip back to the golden age of arena rock at 8 p.m. Created by orchestrator Chris Eastburn and singer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Boucher, the team behind the popular “Piano Men – The Music of Elton and Billy,” the production features a six-piece rock band and vocalists Susie Pepper and Johnny Martinez. Expect familiar hits from Heart, Kansas, Stevie Nicks, Electric Light Orchestra and other rock legends. For tickets go here.
Friday, Nov. 13
Native American Heritage Month Film Screening: “Powwow Highway” – Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., screens the 1989 film “Powwow Highway” from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The comedy-drama follows two Northern Cheyenne men on a road trip exploring friendship, cultural identity and contemporary Native American life. For information go here.
See “Nervous Eaters + Life on the Other Planet” and take a walk through Boston rock history when the Nervous Eaters take the stage alongside a screening of “Life on the Other Planet” at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 7 p.m. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant rock scene in the 1970s, the Nervous Eaters developed a following with their raw, high-energy sound and became part of the city’s influential punk and garage-rock movement. The evening combines live music with film, offering a look at the creative spirit of a musical era that helped shape Boston’s rock identity. For tickets go here.
“Wild Horse Nine,” a darkly comic political thriller that unfolds against the dramatic backdrop of Easter Island, at Plimoth Cinema, 137 Warren Ave., through Nov. 19, at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Set shortly before Chile’s 1973 military coup, the film stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as two CIA agents sent on a mysterious assignment to the remote island by their bureau chief, played by Steve Buscemi. As the longtime partners confront their troubled pasts and present-day conspiracies, an unexpected friendship with two rebellious students threatens to unravel their mission. The R-rated film runs 1 hour, 58 minutes. For information go here.
Saturday, Nov. 14
Get a head start on holiday shopping at “West Winter Fest” while supporting West Elementary School, 170 Plympton Road, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Formerly Frosty Village Craft Fair, this community tradition features more than 80 artisans and vendors offering handmade gifts and crafts, along with a bake sale and raffle featuring donations from local businesses. For information go here.
At “New England Harvest Feast” – experience the flavors and traditions of early New England at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The immersive dinner-theater experience draws inspiration from historic New England foodways. For information go here.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of classic films from 1976 at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., at 2 p.m. This week’s showing is “All the President’s Men.” Academy Award winners Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in this true story as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, whose investigation of a seemingly minor break-in uncovers the greatest political scandal in U.S. history and leads to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. 1976, PG, runs 2 hours, 18 minutes. For information, go here.
Enjoy the “YellowHouse Blues Band Benefit for the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness,” a special fundraising concert at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 8 p.m. The band will perform in support of the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness, an organization working to address homelessness in the community. The evening offers an opportunity to enjoy live blues music while supporting efforts to help vulnerable Plymouth residents. For tickets go here.
Sunday, Nov. 15
“North American Open Exhibition” – Explore contemporary water-media paintings by artists from across North America at Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St. Presented by the New England Watercolor Society, the juried exhibition continues through Dec. 5. Sunday gallery hours are 1 to 4 p.m. For information go here.
Explore “Creature Feature: A Pine Barrens Alliance Fundraiser,” where art and conservation come together at Center Hill Preserve, 158 Center Hill Road, from 2 to 4 p.m. The Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance showcases wildlife artwork by Heidi Mayo and discusses initiatives to protect coastal pine barrens. Registration is limited. For information go here.
“An Afternoon with Eilen Jewell” will delight fans of Americana, country and roots music. Singer-songwriter Eilen Jewell brings her distinctive voice and storytelling to the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 3 p.m. Known for blending vintage country, blues, folk and rockabilly influences, Jewell has built a devoted following with songs that explore love, loss and the complexities of everyday life. Her understated vocals and evocative songwriting have earned her recognition as one of Americana’s distinctive contemporary performers. For tickets go here.
Julia Marie Davis can be reached at julia@plymouthindependent.org.