This State House Ceremony will honor the Pilgrim forefathers and Native people who are immortalized in the historic founding of Plymouth Colony. The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Pilgrim families, and Wampanoag families will be in attendance. Additional, invited participants include the Governor and State Legislators, Federal Legislators, Representatives of The UK, The Netherlands, The Ancient and Honorables, and more.
The Wampanoag Ancestors Walk will be led by the Wampanoag tribes of Massachusetts. Placards will be carried with the names of the original 69 villages of the Wampanoag Nation. Participants will pay homage to Massasoit and King Phillip and will stop at designated sites to bless the spots where Wampanoag ancestors walked. The walk will conclude with a drum ceremony and homage to Native souls, followed by a reception.
The Official Maritime Salute pays tribute to the Pilgrims’ journey on board the Mayflower from Plymouth, England, to the site of Plymouth Colony in the new world. A regatta of wooden ships, yachts, work boats, official vessels, and pleasure craft will culminate in a traditional New England lobster dinner on the waterfront. Military fanfare and maritime programming will be part of the day’s festivities.
Stay tuned for more information on how YOU can register your boat to be part of a special Parade of Lights during the event!
TICKETS ON SALE FOR INDOOR PORTION OF EVENT VIA THIS EVENT PAGE THIS MARCH. Please contact Plymouth 400 office with any questions.
The Opening Ceremony of the Plymouth 400 Commemoration will be unlike any event in our lifetime! We will be kicking off Plymouth 400 in grand style with a procession (stepping off at 10:30AM at the intersection of Lincoln and Sandwich Street) through downtown Plymouth that will be local, national, and international in scope.
Led by the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, America’s premiere fife and drum corp, this historic procession representing 400 years of history will include veterans and active-duty military, prestigious historic military units, Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, and the Honourable Artillery Company of London, the US Air Force Drill Team and Color Guard, Pilgrim descendant groups, renowned college and high school drum corps along with military drum corp units, reenactment groups including the New Plimoth Gard, the Salem Trayned Band, the Pisquatau Scouts, the Kentish Guards, the Golds Dragoons, and more!
The procession will lead to Memorial Hall for the indoor portion of the event featuring speakers, dignitaries, military demonstrations, and live performances. This is a ticketed event and limited seats will be available for advanced purchase. Keep an eye on Plymouth400inc.org and watch our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on tickets which are expected to be available in March. The one and a half hour event will feature historical content, music by the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra and a Plymouth student chorus, visual narratives, spoken perspectives from Wampanoag leaders, and national and international dignitaries to create a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. The Plymouth 400 Legacy Time Capsule will be introduced, and the first items will be placed inside by special guests. Honoring the past and celebrating the future, each of the commemoration themes – exploration, innovation, self-governance, religious expression, immigration, and thanksgiving – will be presented in creative ways. Invited participants include state and federal officials, representatives of the UK, The Netherlands, colony partners, and many more.
For those not attending the Memorial Hall Ceremony, there is a special luncheon and watch party being offered by Hotel 1620 Plymouth Harbor. As with the Memorial Hall ceremony, follow our website and social media for ticket information. Several other local businesses and organizations will also be offering watch parties during the event.
The Plymouth Waterfront will also come alive with activity. Join us right next to Plymouth Rock and see the Massachusetts National Guard – US Army 101st Field Artillery, reenactors, live musical performances by the Lambert High School Marching Band, the Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, University of Massachusetts Minutemen Marching Band, the Colum Cille Pipe Band, and more. These historical, educational and entertaining performances will take place from 11:00AM-2:00PM at Pilgrim Memorial State Park.
