Massachusetts Holiday Events & Activities 2011

For a direct link to the 

Official Tourism Site of Massachusetts Holiday Calendar of Events:

 Following is a sampling of events taking place in Hawaii during November and December, 2011. For a complete listing and up-to-date schedules and contact information, visit the state’s tourism website by clicking button above.

Lunch & Learn — Plimoth Plantation’s Lunchtime Lecture Series — Nov. 3. Times: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. Plimoth Plantation is delighted to present: Becoming the Pilgrims; Adventures in Colonial Role-Playing led by Colonial Interpretation Director, Dr. John Kemp. Dr. Kemp has been a fixture in Plimoth Plantation’s English Village for over 20 years and has portrayed everyone from John Billington to William Brewster. (He even served as the colonial representation in our Museum logo). Located in the Accomack building, on the grounds of Plimoth Plantation, this lecture will begin promptly at noon. A brief Q&A will follow. Participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch. To reserve a seat, please email croy-branigan [at] plimoth [dot] org. FREE. Location: Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02362. Contact: Ben Emery. Phone: (508) 746-1622

Sean Ashby — Nov 4. Times: 8:00 p.m. Chances are, if you’ve had a radio on today you’ve heard his guitar playing. As one of North America’s go-to guitarists, Sean Ashby has played and recorded with Sarah McLachlan, Delerium, Ginger (former Grapes Of Wrath),and many more. Ashby, is a singer /songwriter/guitarist/producer who released his debut album “Brass and Gold” on Black Sparrow/Universal in April of 2008. Location: Mocha Maya’s, 47 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Contact Name: Chris King. Phone: (413) 625-6292

Colonial Military Exercises — Nov 11. Join us in the 17th Century English Village! Throughout the day, there will be a range of military demonstrations and opportunities to learn first-hand about the experience of New England’s first colonial militia-men. Witness the men of New Plimoth as they practice military exercise. In the early years of New Plimoth Colony, all men between the ages of 16 to 60 years served in the militia. Watch as one of the squadrons takes their turn in practicing at arms! Location: Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02362. Contact Name: Ben Emery. Phone: (508) 746-1622

An Evening of Illumination — Nov 12. Times: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Experience the charms of a New England evening in much the same way as early New Englanders did. Enjoy a guided tour around the Common, with shops and homes lit only by the glow of candles, oil lamps, and firelight. Samples of Village-period food and drink will be served at the Bullard Tavern, where music and entertainment await to top off the evening. Location: Old Sturbridge Village, One Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566

Complimentary Cooking Class at the Jacob Hill Inn — Nov 11-13. Times: 3:00 p.m. on Friday until 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Enjoy a complimentary hands on cooking class with any two night stay at the Jacob Hill Inn. Choose from cooking with wine or beer, bread making 101, flavors of Italy, and many more. Check our website for details. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, reservations must be booked directly with the Jacob Hill Inn. Location: Jacob Hill Inn, 120 Jacob St., Seekonk, MA 02771. Contact Name: Eleonora & Bill Rezek. Phone: (508) 336-9165

National Indian Pudding Day — Nov 13. Times: All Day. Plimoth Plantation celebrates this tasty bicultural treat that would never have happened if it were not for the combination of Native corn meal and Colonial spices. Learn more about this ugly, yet delicious New England dessert and try a sample. Celebrate National Indian Pudding Day with Food Historian Kathleen Wall. Join Wall at 1:30 pm, in the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center for a walk and talk to the 17th Century English Village. Learn all about the history of Puddings and the importance of the Colonial and Wampanoag cultural influences, coming together in Plymouth to create Indian Pudding. At 2 pm, the real action begins in the Pilgrim houses — where a bag pudding, a hasty pudding and pudding in guts, will be demonstrated 17th-century style. Discover the important evolution of Indian Pudding today! Also, take home a copy of our famous recipe and taste warm Indian Pudding available at the Patuxet Cafe©, throughout the day. Location: Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02362. Contact Name: Ben Emery. Phone: (508) 746-1622

Sienna Wildfield of Hilltown Families — Nov 17, 2011. Times: 7:00 p.m. ”Hilltown Families: A Traveling Photography Exhibit Featuring Life and Landscape in Western MA” A traveling photography exhibit featuring images of life and landscapes in western Massachusetts will kick off celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the founding of Hilltown Families (www.HilltownFamilies.org), an online grassroots communication network for families. Featuring work by photographer and Hilltown Families’ founder, Sienna Wildfield, the show will travel to five different towns in 2011, showcasing images relative to the season and the host town. All images have been featured on HilltownFamilies.org over the years and the exhibit is a fundraiser for Hilltown Families, a community communication network that has been helping to connect people in western Massachusetts for over five years. All net proceeds from the sale of images will benefit the organization. Location: Mocha Maya’s, 47 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Contact Name: Chris King. Phone: (413) 625-6292

Castleberry Faire Arts and Craft Festival — Nov 25-27. Times: Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm. A true Thanksgiving Weekend tradition. Over 250 booths overflowing with American-made arts, crafts, specialty food sampling and live music. Handicap Accessible and ample Free Parking. Directions: From Route 93 take Exit 39. Admission $8.00 Adult, under 14 free. One Admission is good for all 3 days. Food sales benefit Aleppo Temple Shriner’s of Wilmington. Handicap Accessible and ample Free Parking. Location: Shriner’s Auditorium, Shriners Auditorium, 99 Fordham Road, Wilmington, MA 01887

Thanksgiving Weekend — Nov 24-27. Times: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Costumed historians at Old Sturbridge Village demonstrate hearthside cooking in early New England – roasting turkeys in a tin kitchen and also before the fire suspended on skewers and string to evenly rotate the meat. The Thanksgiving Day menu includes turnip sauce, stuffing, pies and Marlboro Pudding. Proper 19th century table manners required eating from one’s knife. After dinner, the men will demonstrate a target shoot, the 1830s entertainment equivalent of today’s Thanksgiving Day football games. For details: 800-733-1830; www.osv.org. Location: Old Sturbrige Village, One Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Jacob Hill Inn — Nov 20-Nov 27. Times: Check in at 3:00 p.m., Check out at 11:00 a.m. Stay three or more nights over Thanksgiving 2011 and join us for a special Turkey and Wine Dinner with all the trimmings, complimentary. Based on Rack Rates, no other specials or discounts. Must be booked directly through the Jacob Hill Inn. Location: Jacob Hill Inn, 120 Jacob St., Seekonk, MA 02771. Contact Name: Eleonora & Bill Rezek. Phone: (508) 336-9165

Worship In Plimoth Colony — An Interactive Program Highlighting 17th Century Services — Nov 3-Nov 27. Times: Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm and Thursdays at 2:30 pm. Feel like a part of the congregation, following the drumbeat and gathering in the Fort/Meetinghouse where museum guests are encouraged to join in a unique living history experience. The museum’s colonial interpreters, assisted by contemporary museum guides, will provide colorful and detailed explanation of worship practiced, and required, by the founders of Plymouth Colony. They will also lead psalm-singing from the 1612 Ainsworth Psalter, and offer a short reading from the preferred “Geneva Bible.” Questions about the early colonial church are always welcome at these interactive gatherings…and listen closely to the murmurs in town. You might be surprised to hear that not everyone in Plymouth Colony shares the same religious views as the reformers! Location: Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02362. Contact Name: Ben Emery. Phone: (508) 746-1622

Collected Poets series featuring special guests Peter Covino & Daniel Hall — Dec 1. Times: 7:00 p.m. Hall’s first book, Hermit with Landscape, was selected by James Merrill as winner of the 1989 Yale Series of Younger Poets competition.[1] Hall’s second book, Strange Relation, was selected by Mark Doty as winner of the 1995 National Poetry Series.[1] His latest book is Under Sleep. Daniel Hall was a judge for the James Laughlin awards.[2] He currently lives in Amherst, Massachusetts[1] and is Writer-in-Residence at Amherst College.[3] Location: Mocha Maya’s, 47 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Contact Name: Chris King. Phone: (413) 625-6292

Yuletide at Storrowton — Dec 3-4. Times: 11am – 4pm. Our annual winter holiday festival! Tour Storrowton’s 19th century antique buildings, seasonally decorated by area garden clubs and florists. Musical and storytelling performances, kids’ crafts, ice sculpting, Early American craft demonstrations, an old-fashioned Santa, fresh baked goods, petting zoo, and caroling. Christmas Shop and Gift Shop open. Location: Storrowton Village Museum, Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089. Contact Name: Jackie Sullivan. Phone: (413) 205-5051

Holly Folly — Dec 2-Dec 4. Times: Friday thru Sunday. Holly Folly Headquarters will be located at the Old Firehouse (between Town Hall and Adam’s) on Commercial Street. Location: Provincetown, 3 Freeman Street, Provincetown, MA 02657

Yuletide by Lantern Light — Dec 7. Times: 6-8pm. Experience the magic of an old-fashioned winter evening as you take a self-guided tour of Storrowton’s cozy, seasonally decorated 19th century antique buildings – illuminated by lanterns and candlelight. Location: Storrowton Village Museum, Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089. Contact Name: Jackie Sullivan. Phone: (413) 205-5051

Yuletide Open House Tours — Dec 6-10. Times: 11am – 3pm. Tour our beautifully adorned 19th century historic buildings with a costumed interpreter. Reservations required for groups of 10 or more. Location: Storrowton Village Museum, Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089. Contact Name: Jackie Sullivan. Phone: (413) 205-5051

Kristim Hoffmann — Dec 10. Times: 8:00 p.m. Kristin Hoffmann is a singer/songwriter based in New York City. She began playing classical piano at the age of four, and never stopped, picking up opera and guitar as a teenager and going on to study at Juilliard Pre-College. For information on Kristin Hoffmann, please visit www.kristinhoffmann.com or www.myspace.com/kristinhoffmannmusic. Location: Mocha Maya’s, 47 Bridge Street, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Contact Name: Chris King. Phone: (413) 625-6292

Complimentary Dinner at the Jacob Hill Inn — Dec 9-Dec 11. Times: 3:00 p.m. on Friday until 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Enjoy a complimentary four course gourmet dinner with any two night stay at the Jacob Hill Inn. Preceding is a wine tasting from a select vineyard from the Coastal Wine Growers. Check our website for details. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, reservations must be booked directly with the Jacob Hill Inn. Location: Jacob Hill Inn, 120 Jacob St., Seekonk, MA 02771. Contact Name: Eleonora & Bill Rezek. Phone: (508) 336-9165

Complimentary Cooking Class at the Jacob Hill Inn — Dec 16-18. Times: 3:00 p.m. on Friday until 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Enjoy a complimentary hands on cooking class with any two night stay at the Jacob Hill Inn. Choose from cooking with wine or beer, bread making 101, flavors of Italy, and many more. Check our website for details. Cannot be cominbed with any other discounts, reservations must be booked directly with the Jacob Hill Inn. Location: Jacob Hill Inn, 120 Jacob St., Seekonk, MA 02771. Contact Name: Eleonora & Bill Rezek. Phone: (508) 336-9165

Christmas By Candlelight Celebrations — Dec 2-Dec 18. Times: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Evenings 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM. On nine special evenings in December visitors to Old Sturbridge Village can experience the magic of a candlelit New England village while learning about the real history of today’s Christmas traditions at OSV’s Christmas by Candlelight celebrations. Historic interpreters in costume will explain the origins of Father Christmas, sugarplums, Yule logs, Christmas trees, mistletoe and more. Guests can ride in a horse-drawn sleigh (snow permitting) or a horse-drawn wagon, sip hot cider, hear stories, see chestnuts roasting by an open fire and enjoy period music, carols and holiday songs. For details: 800-733-1830; www.osv.org. Location: Old Sturbridge Village, One Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566

For a complete and up-to-date listing of all the events and activities taking place in Massachusetts, please visit the state tourism website.

Photography Top: Sarah Musumeci / Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
Photography Thumbnail: Tim Grafft / Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism