In 2020, the nation will recognize the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims, who first landed in Provincetown, settled in Plymouth and eventually founded what today is America. Interactive events, exhibits and commemorations are being planned throughout the year, acknowledging this important piece of history from both the Pilgrim and Wampanoag perspectives.

Here are some key 2020 events to put on your calendar:

April 24, 2020
Plymouth 400 Commemoration Opening Ceremony (Memorial Hall, Plymouth)
This grand kick-off will be a cross-cultural spectacle of historical content, visual & performing arts, and special guests.

May 21, 2020
Mayflower’s Plymouth Homecoming (Pilgrim Memorial State Park, Plymouth)
Expect fanfare and festivities as the beloved Mayflower returns to her berth after a multi-year restoration. On May 23–25, Plimoth Plantation welcomes visitors onboard to explore this full-scale reproduction of the vessel that brought the English colonists to the Wampanoag homeland. Buy tickets at sailingmayflower.org.

June 27-28, 2020
Maritime Salute to the 400th (Plymouth Harbor)
This parade of sail in and around Plymouth Harbor pays tribute to the Pilgrim’s journey aboard the Mayflower. A regatta of wooden-masted ships, official vessels, work boats, native mishoons and pleasure craft will culminate in a traditional New England lobster dinner.

August 1, 2020
The Wampanoag Ancestors Walk (Downtown Plymouth)
Led by people from the Wampanoag tribes of Massachusetts, the walk pays homage to Massasoit and King Phillip, and includes stops at designated sites to bless the spots where their ancestors once walked.

September 10-14, 2020
Mayflower Sails Into Provincetown (Provincetown Harbor)
The Mayflower is set to arrive in the Provincetown port on Thursday, September 10. Mayflower’s visit coincides with the arrival of 1,500 members of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD), and the iconic ship will be part of the daily historical reenactments of the Signing of the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor in 1620. The culminating event will be a Sunrise Toast and Bon Voyage to the Mayflower on Monday, September 14, when she journeys back to Plymouth.

September 19-20, 2020
The Embarkation Festival (Downtown Plymouth)
This grand cultural and arts festival will honor the traditions, cuisine, and music of not only the original settlers and Wampanoag people, but the diverse immigrants who followed and contributed to the fabric of American life.

November 11, 2020
The Annual Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument (Provincetown)
One of Cape Cod's most beautiful annual traditions, the monument lighting celebrates the Pilgrims’ First Landing in the New World in Provincetown on November 11, 1620.

November 20-25, 2020
Thanksgiving Week 2020 (Plymouth)
Festivities include special concerts on November 20, America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade on November 21, a “One Small Candle” Ceremony November 22, and the Illuminate Thanksgiving main event on November 25.

December 8, 2020
Eastham: Beyond the First Encounter (Nauset Regional High School, Eastham)
A recognition of the “First Encounter” on December 8, 1620, when the Wampanoag tribe and Pilgrims interacted for the first time at Eastham’s bayside beach.

Ongoing
“Our” Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History is an educational exhibition created by Wampanoag tribal members from Aquinnah and Mashpee. Multiple “chapters” highlight critical elements of Wampanoag history, and the exhibition will travel regionally to various educational and cultural institutions in 2020.Key SitesVisitors can retrace the first footsteps of the Pilgrims in the New World by visiting dozens of historical landmarks on Cape Cod and in Plymouth, including Provincetown’s Pilgrim Monument, which commemorates the Pilgrims’ historic landing, and Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum telling the interwoven stories of two distinct cultures - English and Native.

To find a list of historically significant sites on Cape Cod to add to your 2020 itinerary, please visit CapeCod-2020.com.

For more information on the 2020 celebration, visit Plymouth400Inc.org, Provincetown400.com and EasthamtheFirstEncounter.org.