From gardening to textiles to fish and the ships that help bring them into the shore, Plimoth Plantation has a fun schedule of upcoming events for June and July. * Denotes family-friendly event created with kids in mind.
The Plimoth Knitter’s Club – for those needling some fun!
Every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Plimoth Knitters’ Club is a weekly knitting club hosted by Plimoth Plantation’s Colonial wardrobe department. The group meets by the fireside on Thursday evenings in the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center, providing a cozy and interesting club setting, while offering opportunities for new challenges and the fun camaraderie only fellow knitters can provide. Plimoth Plantation’s Historical Clothing and Textiles department relies almost solely on volunteer knitters for stockings, hats, mittens and garters used in the museum’s authentically reproduced living history sites. Knitting club members will be instructed in 17th-century methods, and supplied with yarn and patterns to complete a variety of historic projects. In return, each Plimoth Knitters’ Club Member is responsible for annual dues of $20 and will commit to knitting at least three items per year, which will be used on site as part of Plimoth Plantation’s historic programs. Once a month a representative of the museum’s Historical Clothing and Textiles Department or an outside expert will lead a meeting and hold a discussion on the particular 17th-century pattern distributed that evening. It is requested that members attend at least one meeting per month. Be sure to join the club today by contacting knitting@plimoth.org.
The Plimoth Plantation Garden Club
Saturdays, 8 to 9 a.m., and Wednesdays, 5 to 7 p.m.
Be a part of Plimoth Plantation’s rich gardening history by becoming a member of the new Plimoth Plantation Garden Club! Meet and socialize with other local gardeners, learn from Museum staff, tend and maintain an exhibit garden in the English Village with fellow club members and receive special invitation and exclusive garden club benefits. For more information or to join the Plimoth Plantation Garden Club, e-mail volunteers@plimoth.org and include “Garden Club” in the subject line, or call 508-746-1622, ext. 8203.
Worship in Plimoth Colony – An interactive program
Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and Mondays at 10:30 a.m.
June 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28
July 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 31
Feel like a part of the congregation, as guests are encouraged to follow the drumbeat to the Fort/Meetinghouse, for this brand new half-hour program providing visitors with a brief explanation of the way the Ruling Elder William Brewster led early Colonial worship in Plimoth Colony. Plimoth Plantation Colonial interpreters, assisted by contemporary museum guides, will provide this unique living history experience in the English Village. Discover the distinctive features of worship practiced, and required, by the founders of Plimoth Colony; experience psalm-singing from the Ainsworth Psalter, and hear a short reading from the preferred “Geneva Bible.” Questions about the early Colonial church are always welcome at these interactive services. And listen closely to the murmurs in town. You might be surprised to hear that not everyone in Plimoth Colony shares the same religious views as the reformers!
Flag Making at Mayflower II
*Every Saturday in June and July, 10 to 11 a.m., (weather-permitting)
During this hands-on activity, guests will have an opportunity to learn about the history of the flags exhibited onboard Mayflower II and have a chance to make an English flag to take home. Free with admission.
Knot Tying at Mayflower II
*Every Saturday in June and July, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., (weather-permitting)
This pier-side activity gets museum guests hands-on with knot tying, using the same types of knots sailors would have used on the high seas in the 17th century. Try a hand knot tying with maritime staff at Mayflower II.
A New Colonial House Under Construction – Waddling and daub and thatching
*Monday to Friday throughout the months of May and June (most mornings and afternoons, weather permitting)
Last season Plimoth Plantation’s Colonial artisans began construction on a new house in the 17th Century English Village. Most mornings and afternoons this month, the artisans will continue their work either by mixing and applying wattle and daub (mortar) to the walls of the house, or thatching the roof. The wattle is made up of saplings trapped behind lathe in each wall panel, which creates a framework on which to apply the daub. The daub is made of clay, earth and a binder such as straw and is often mixed by “trodding in the pit,” or by tromping barefoot onto the pile. Thatching is the roofing process on the Colonial house. The roof will be layered with a fleeking coat of reed applied to lathe running across the rafters. A base coat of various materials laid on top of the fleeking is used to build up a thickness, all topped with a finished coat of cattail. Stop by to hear more about these two phases of the project and see the process of Colonial house construction in action.
June
Fabrics, textiles and clothing varieties can tell a story. This month Plimoth Plantation weaves textiles, accessories and embellishments into the activities across museum sites.
Sail Making Demonstrations at Mayflower II
*Every Thursday in June, 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.
Visit with Plimoth Plantation’s maritime artisan staff as they demonstrate sail making techniques used to create the current suit of sail used on Mayflower II. Take a stitch or two and help staff members complete their current project. Hands-on participation is welcome and encouraged. Free with museum admission.
Native Weaving and Dyeing Demonstrations
*Saturdays and Sundays, June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27, 1 to 4 p.m.
Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Indigenous Program presents demonstrations of Native weaving and dyeing techniques at the Wampanoag Homesite from 1 to 4 p.m. See how Native people used natural by-products of their surroundings to create beautiful handcrafts.
Native Porcupine Quill-Work Demonstrations
*Saturdays, June 5, 12, 19 and 26, all day
Visit Plimoth Plantation’s Crafts Center on Saturdays this June to see Native artisans using porcupine quills to traditionally decorate and embellish deer hide skins.
Meet The Author! “Felix and His Mayflower II Adventures”
*Saturday, July 17, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., at Mayflower II
Meet the Captain of Mayflower II and children’s book author, Peter Arenstam, for a signing of his books, including “Felix and His Mayflower II Adventures” and the Nicholas series of books.
Father’s Day, Model Boat Making Workshop
*Sunday, June 20, 2 to 3 p.m.
Let your imagination set sail in this fun “Do It Yourself” class with dad, led by the captain of Mayflower II, Peter Arenstam. People ages 5 and up will enjoy designing and building a model boat from pre-cut shapes provided. Participants will compare how their model boat sails with models of other 17th-century vessels: an English shallop or a Native mishoon. This program is for children accompanied by an adult. Free with museum admission, however, reservations are encouraged; call 508-746-1622, ext. 8245.
Patuxet Café’s Father’s Day BBQ Luncheon
*Sunday, June 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Treat dad to a day at the museum and have a special lunch in his honor as Plimoth Plantation presents the Father’s Day Barbecue Lunch in the courtyard of the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center. No reservations are required. The menu includes: New England clam chowder, barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, roasted corn salad, pasta salad, garden salad, brownies, congo bars and a bottled soft beverage. The cost is $18 for adults and $9 for children. Contact 508-746-1622, ext. 8365 for more information.
A Colonial Court of your Peers
Thursday, June 24, 3 to 4 p.m.
Experience a court scenario representative of actual cases brought before the Colonial court in early Plymouth Colony. Uncover the real-life conflicts of the Pilgrims and discover the Colonial-era resolutions decided in Plymouth’s court. Free with museum admission.
Teacher Appreciation Day
Saturday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A teacher’s education never ends…take a break from the kids and let Plimoth Plantation be your classroom today. Teachers and their families are invited to join in Plimoth Plantation’s 14th annual Patuxet Strawberry Thanksgiving celebration. Experience this special celebration of Wampanoag culture and visit the museum’s sites. Teachers can meet members of Plimoth Plantation’s education staff to learn about their educational resources, and attend free guided tours and informational sessions on topics such as “How to Get Funding for Field Trips” and “Teaching about Native People.” Each teacher will receive a free copy of the museum’s popular Teaching Thanksgiving: an Educator’s Guide to Teaching about the “First Thanksgiving” (a $19.95 value) and, on this day only, receive a 10 percent discount on all items in the museum’s shops and a 20 percent discount on educational materials. Free admission for teachers and 50 percent off admission for family members (up to one adult and one child. Additional adults and children visit at regular admission rates.) It’s an A-Plus way to spend your day.
Strawberry Thanksgiving
*Saturday, June 26
It’s a Native tradition to celebrate the first harvest of the new growing season: Strawberries! Strawberry shortcake and chilled strawberry soup are on the menu at the Patuxet Café today, as you enjoy the fresh new fruit of spring. Native people gave thanks regularly for harvested gifts like the strawberry. See mishoon (Native canoe) races along the Eel River at 11 a.m., as well as singing and dancing that precedes the races at 10 a.m., as Plimoth Plantation celebrates a festive Strawberry Thanksgiving.
July
Both fish and ships were distinctly important in the 17th century. Whether it be for trade, travel or sustenance, the Native Wampanoag and Colonial English settlers paid close attention to the fish and ships in Cape Cod Bay. This month, experience activities and events having to do with fish and ships in the 1600s and how they are still relevant today.
Mayflower II open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
*Daily, July through August
During the summer, evenings on Plymouth’s waterfront are alive with energy from local residents and visitors from far away. In order to be a part of the excitement, Plimoth Plantation presents extended hours onboard Mayflower II, (5 to 7 p.m.), creating evening enjoyment on board the historic ship.
Shakespeare as it was intended
*Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in July and August, 8 p.m.
See Shakespeare’s plays performed as they were in England in the 17th century. Until 1662, women were not allowed to act on stage. Instead, female roles were played by young men dressed as women. The Plimoth Plantation Players are six men, authentically performing abridged versions of some of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays. The abridged versions were traditionally done when small companies of traveling actors took the show on the road and headed out of London to the country towns – the actors each playing multiple roles. The all-male cast will present “Romeo and Juliet,” “Twelfth Night” and “The Tempest” – a Shakespeare play with possible ties to Plimoth Colony. The performances begin at 8 p.m., in the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center. Call 508-746-1622 for today’s performance time and location. Tickets are $12 per person and $8 for Plimoth Plantation Museum members.
Flag Making at Mayflower II
*Every Saturday in July, 10 to 11 a.m., (weather-permitting)
During this hands-on activity, guests will have an opportunity to learn about the history of the flags exhibited onboard Mayflower II and have a chance to make an English flag to take home. Free with admission.
Knot Tying at Mayflower II
*Every Saturday in May, June and July, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., (weather-permitting)
This pier-side activity gets museum guests hands-on with knot tying, using the same types of knots sailors would have used on the high seas in the 17th century. Try a hand knot tying with maritime staff at Mayflower II.
*Native Wampanoag Summer Camp Adventures for Kids
Session 1: Monday, July 5, to Friday, July 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Session 2: Monday, July 26, to Friday, July 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Session 3: Monday, Aug. 2, to Friday, August 6, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
“From the Circle of Life Comes All Creation”
Participants will start off the week getting to know each other and discovering the values, geography and artifacts of the indigenous Wampanoag people. Throughout the week, participants will explore the resources, community, food and skills of the Wampanoag through all kinds of fun and hands-on activities, including building a fish weir and a lean-to, making cordage from milkweed, making clay pots, playing traditional games like Wampanoag football, and cooking ashcakes with berries.
The camp week culminates with a closing celebration for families from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, which includes a traditional Wampanoag meal. Awards will be given out, as well as photos to remind children of their memorable week.
Participants bring their own lunches and snacks. The program is presented by experienced museum staff from Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Indigenous Program Education Department. The cost is $285 per child; $235 for Plimoth Plantation Museum members.
*Colonial English Summer Camp Adventures for Kids
Session 1: Monday, July 5, to Friday, July 9, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.M
Session 2: Monday, July 12, to Friday, July 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Session 3: Monday, July 26, to Friday, July 30, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Hey Kids…Ever wonder what it would have been like to live as an English child in 1600s Plymouth? Experience it at Plimoth Plantation! Kids 8 to 11 are invited to spend a historical and fun-filled week experiencing the life of an English Colonial child. Each day children will tour the museum’s sites, then change into Colonial clothes and travel back in time. In authentic houses on the museum’s Colonial Education Site, they will learn to talk, work, cook and play as a Colonial child. Children will have time each day to work on their own project, an authentic 1600s-style ball or a poppet (doll). On Friday afternoon parents are invited to the museum to see what their “Colonists” have learned, and to share a meal of authentic Colonial foods.
Participants bring their own lunches and snacks and should wear sturdy leather shoes. Colonial costumes will be provided by the museum for use during the program. The program is presented by experienced museum staff from Plimoth Plantation’s Colonial Education Department. The cost is $285 per child; $235 for Plimoth Plantation Museum members. For more information or to register, call 508-746-1622, ext. 8359 or e-mail programservices@plimoth.org. For detailed information, visit www.plimoth.org/education/family/summer.php.
Navigation for Novices at Mayflower II
Thursdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join David Foxe, a 17th-century sailor, as he shares some of the tools and methods of navigating a 17th-century ship. Enjoy this opportunity to handle a variety of navigation tools such as charts, a cross staff, a chip log and more. Near the end of this one-hour program, Foxe will “come out of character” to field questions from a modern perspective. Free with museum admission.
Do it Yourself Navigation: How to Make a Clinometer
*Saturdays, July 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 3 p.m.
During this hour-long program participants ages 7 and up will receive a short introduction to some of the fundamentals of celestial navigation with a brief overview of some of the tools that were used. Participants will also be provided the materials and instruction to build their own clinometer, a tool used to measure angles and heights of distant objects. All necessary materials and instruction will be provided for this fun hands-on session held in a classroom at the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center. Explore the tools of exploration today free with museum admission.
In Defense of the Colony
*Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, 1 to 2:15 p.m.
Museum guests meet Governor Bradford in the Fort Meetinghouse in the 17th Century English Village to discuss an outline of the colony’s military affairs. Come examine the town’s artillery and learn about period weaponry.
Porcupine Hair Headdress – Honoring a Native military tradition
*Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, all day in the Crafts Center
Visitors are invited to meet Bob Charlebois at the Crafts Center today. Charlebois is of the Sokoki Nation, Odanak First Nation, Quebec. Porcupine Hair Headdresses are meant to look like the crest of a piliated woodpecker, which is a bird that is an extremely territorial defender of her children. Traditionally, this type of headdress was worn by men from Warrior Societies who had earned the right to wear it, by going into combat for their people. Today, Warrior Societies still exist as honoring societies for our soldiers who are serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Only a select few Native artisans have been trained to create these beautiful headdresses. Charlebois comes from a long line of artisans who have been creating them for generations. Today, he will be working on a porcupine headdress in the Crafts Center and will answer guests’ questions about this very important work.
*Sail Setting Activities on board Mayflower II
Wednesdays, July 7, 14, 21 and 28, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Assist Plimoth Plantation maritime staff setting sails aboard Mayflower II. Guests are encouraged to lend a hand every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m. during the month of July. Crewmembers will climb into the rigging, as staff discuss and guide activities from the deck. Haul on a halyard, brace a yard and get a feel for the teamwork required to sail a 17th-century square-rigged ship. Free with admission.
Native Maritime Days
*Saturdays and Tuesdays in July at the Wampanoag Homesite, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.
Eating seasonally was at the heart of the Wampanoag diet in the 17th century and Cape Cod Bay is full of delicious varieties of fish this time of year. Saturdays and Tuesdays this July, see fish of all kinds, including shellfish, cooked or roasted by the fireside at the Wampanoag Homesite.
Fish N’ Ships Festival at Mayflower II
Friday through Sunday, July 16 to 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the waterfront at Mayflower II for an enjoyable weekend of maritime fish and fun. On board the ship on Friday, experience chart making at 10 a.m. and learn maritime knot-tying at 3 p.m. On Saturday at 10 a.m., knot-tying is once again offered, and on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., experience 17th-century chart making.
Plimoth Plantation is a 17th-century living history museum located an hour south of Boston in Plymouth, (Exit 4, Route 3 south) and 20 minutes north of Cape Cod. The museum is a private, non-profit, educational institution supported by admission fees, contributions, memberships, function sales and revenue from dining programs/services and museum shops. Plimoth Plantation is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Federal Institute of Museums and Library Services, The National Endowment for the Humanities, private foundations, corporations and local businesses. For more information visit www.plimoth.org.
