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The public is invited to a “Coffee and Conservation – Volunteer Meet and Greet at Pilgrim Hall” at (where else) Pilgrim Hall Museum,75 Court St., on Monday, March 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. And yes, you read that right – “Coffee and Conservation” because volunteers will learn about the history and conservation process of two “monumental” paintings that have been displayed in the museum for 150 years or more. Over time, the paintings have collected decades of grime, soot, and other damage, so they need to be repaired.
The paintings in need of restoration are “Departure of the Pilgrims from Delfshaven” by Charles Lucy and “Embarkation of the Pilgrims” by Edgar Parker after Robert Weir. Tour and Program Coordinator Natalie Orrall said both depict the Pilgrims leaving Holland to travel to North America.
“Delfshaven is the port in Holland that they departed from,” said Orrall. She said the paintings are huge (Lucy’s is about 9-by-14 feet and Parker’s just a little smaller) and of historical significance. The Parker painting is a copy from a work by Weir that hangs in the rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Olin Conservation Inc. was commissioned to conserve these paintings on-site. The process will be open for the public to view when work begins in late May. Volunteers will be trained to serve as guides for visitors who want to observe the process, between May and August.
Orrall said the meet-and-greet session will include light refreshments and information about the project, which is part of the museum’s much larger ongoing restoration effort.
If you’re interested in attending, contact Orrall at natalie.orrall@pilgrimhall.org or 508-746-1620 ext. 7.
Monday, March 17
Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., reopened for the season on Saturday, March 15.This year, in commemoration of Massachusetts 250 (marking the nation’s 250th birthday), the museum will recognize the anniversary with its “Revolutionary Ideas Started Here” initiative. Visitors can explore the museums’ four historic sites. The Mayflower II on State Pier helps tell the story of harrowing transatlantic journey made English colonists in 1620. The 17th-Century English Village provides a picture of the worldview, faith, and lives of the Pilgrims. The Historic Patuxet Homesite offers an experience of the history, heritage, culture, and the lives of the Wampanoag and other indigenous peoples of this region. The Plimoth Grist Mill explores the environment and the agricultural and technological evolution of Plymouth Colony. Find out more about Plimoth Patuxet programs and events here.
Plimoth Cinema in the visitors center at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, 137 Warren Ave., is now showing “Black Bag,” a well-reviewed spy thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. An intelligence officer faces the choice between loyalty to his wife – suspected of betraying the nation – or allegiance to his country. The sci-fi film “Mickey 17” will continue through Thursday, March 20. Starting Friday, March 21, the “The Actor” will be showing. It’s a crime mystery involving a New York actor with amnesia stranded in 1950s Ohio. Show times are 4:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.50, $11 with a club card, $10 for seniors or members, and $8.50 for seniors with a club card.
Sip a wine while decorating cookies at a St. Paddy’s Day Cookie Decorating Class from The Pineapple Cookie Company at Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St., from 7 to 9 p.m. You’ll be provided all the necessary supplies for decorating cookies – icing, tools, and a box to hold the final product. Registration is $65 via Venmo to @ThePineappleCookieCo with “Cookie Class 3/17” as the memo. More details are available here.
Tuesday, March 18
A discussion on the book “The Future of Alzheimer’s” with author Sharon Ricardi will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Fehlow Meeting Room at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Ricardi’s book offers various perspectives on the disease and hopes for a cure. Attendees will receive a free copy of the book, which she will be happy to sign. Registration is encouraged. You can do so here
Thursday, March 20
In honor of Women’s History Month, join a book talk titled “Women’s History and the Imagination,” from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. The talk features three women authors – Dawn Tripp, Allegra Goodman, and Joan Wickersham – and is sponsored by the Plymouth Public Library Foundation and Book Love. The authors will share their insights into the power of storytelling, the women who inspire their writing, and how their works bring new perspectives to contemporary literature. The event is free, but registration is required. You can do so here.
Friday, March 21
Florida bluesman Selwyn Birchwood will perform at the Spire at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. Birchwood, a guitarist, lap steel player, songwriter, and singer, “sets a course for the future of the blues with his visionary, original music” according to his record label, Alligator Records. Birchwood calls his style “electric swamp funkin’ blues.” Tickets are $28.80 and $32, and you can get them here.
Saturday, March 22
The Knickerbocker All-Stars will perform at the Spire at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. The nine-piece group celebrates the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s rhythm & blues, jump blues, swing, blues and soul, which made the Knickerbocker Music Center in Rhode Island a mecca of dance music from its start in 1933. Tickets are $22.50 and $25. You can get them here.
Sunday, March 23
The Plymouth Sunrise Rotary club will host a “Celebrate Our Heroes” event at Memorial Hall from 2 to 5 p.m. Matt Muratore will emcee the event. Chef Stephen Coe will provide appetizers. Special guests include Massachusetts Veterans Affairs Secretary Joe Santiago, state Senator Dylan Fernandes, and state representatives Kathy Lanatra and Michelle Badger. The event is free for all veterans – other attendees will be asked for a donation at the door.
Monday, March 24
A “Coffee and Conservation – Volunteer Meet and Greet at Pilgrim Hall” will be held at Pilgrim Hall Museum,75 Court St., from 10 to 11 a.m. See the lead item in this column for more information.
Stephen Collins will perform “Irish Voices” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fehlow Meeting Room of the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Collins will explore the cultural differences between the many Irish writers and their English counterparts in the “Norton Anthology of English Literature.” Yeats, Joyce, Heaney, McCourt, and other prominent Irish writers will be represented. Registration is encouraged, and you can register here.
Thursday, March 27
New England native Matt Cusson will perform as part of the Spire Lobby Series at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Cusson has toured with Christina Aguilera, Megan Hilty, and Dave Koz, and collaborated with legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Dua Lipa, and CeeLo Green. He earned a 2023 Grammy nomination for best arrangement of the song “How Deep Is Your Love,” and won the John Lennon Songwriting Award for two of his original songs. Tickets are $15, and you can get them here.
Friday, March 28
Plymouth Lions Charities will host its annual MarchVegas fundraiser at the American Legion Post 40, 199 Federal Furnace Road, starting at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the evening will fund scholarships for Plymouth High School graduates. Games will include Texas Hold’ Em, Blackjack, dice games, and betting on five horse races. There will be a “winner take all” raffle prize fort $250 worth of Mass. Lottery scratch tickets. Raffle tickets are $10 for one and $20 for three, and you can buy them here.
The 1620 Winery, 55 Cordage Park Circle, will hold a Wine Pairing Dinner at 7 p.m., with four courses of food – from the cheese to dessert – each paired with an award-winning 1620 wine. Tickets are $92.55 with fee, tax, and gratuity included, and you can get them here.
The Young Dubliners, a Celtic Rock band, will appear at the Spire at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. The band includes: Keith Roberts on vocals and guitar; Chas Waltz on violin, keys, and vocals; Justin Pecot on guitar and vocals; Dave Ingraham on drums; and Ethan Jones on bass guitar. Their songs have been featured in TV shows (like “Sons of Anarchy”) and they appeared twice on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Tickets are $35.10 and $39, and available for purchase here.
Saturday, March 29
The Plymouth Education Foundation will hold its 14th Annual Gala with awards presented at the Pavilion at the Pinehills Golf Club from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The Adele Manfredi Excellence in Education Award will go to former teacher Guy Roy for his dedication to math education in Plymouth. The Robert C. Betters Founders Award will go to the Unified Sports Program, which supports athletic teams for students with and without disabilities. The Visionary Award – new this year – recognizes Linda McAlduff for her integral part in creating the education foundation. The event will also include a silent auction. Tickets to the gala are $80, and you can get them here.
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Made in America” concert is set for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall. Ticket holders may opt to come at 6:30 p.m. for a pre-concert talk with the orchestra’s conductor Steven Karidoyanes. The concert will feature works by three of America’s most influential composers of the 20th century: Leonard Bernstein’s overture to “Candide,” Joan Tower’s “Made In America,” and Aaron Copland’s Symphony No. 3, which includes a rousing “Fanfare for the Common Man” finale. There’s also a pre-concert cocktail party at 6 p.m. for an extra $25. Tickets are $30, $40, and $65, and you can get them here or by calling 508-746-8008.