PROVINCETOWN – The iconic Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown is beginning the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s first landing in Provincetown in 1620.
The Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact in Provincetown Harbor before making landfall and spending five weeks at the tip of Cape Cod before migrating to Plymouth.
Today, the monument houses the Provincetown Museum, which exhibits the diverse history of the community including the Pilgrims, the Wampanoag people, the Portuguese people and their history in the fishing and whaling industries, the arts and cultural scene of the town, and the LGBT community.
The construction of the monument began in 1907, when Teddy Roosevelt laid the first cornerstone of the 252 foot monument.
The Pilgrim Monument, which is the oldest non-profit on Cape Cod is helmed by executive director Dr. David Weidner and Board President Courtney Hurst.
In the last two years the duo has overseen important initiatives.
One of which is the Bradford access project which involves the building of an incline elevator that will bring visitors from a new entrance on Bradford street up the hill to increase accessibility and to further connect the Pilgrim Monument/ Provincetown Museum community.
The summer will be busy for the monument with many special events.
This year for the first time the monument will be celebrating Autism awareness month. Starting on April 2nd and continuing through May the monument is lit up blue beginning at 7 PM.
“We look at the pilgrim monument as a beacon of light, a beacon of tolerance, a beacon for pilgrims to continue to come to our shores every day, so we’re looking for things that engage our community and engage our world”, said Weidner.
“The Pilgrim monument stands for community stands for tolerance and we want people to be aware. Autism is a serious condition and more people need to know about it, so we thought it was important to light the monument blue.”
Fundraising will also be a major focus in the upcoming weeks to raise money for the 400 year pilgrim landing anniversary festivities.
“I am right starting two big exciting fundraising events”, said Weidner.
On Saturday April 27th there will be a Garden Party fundraiser at the Inn at Cook Street from 2:30-4:30 PM.
“We’re going to have some wonderful food from Farland provisions, and some amazing cocktails provided by Truro Vineyards,” said Weidner.
The next week, Provincetown 400 will be hosting the 102 Mayflower Pilgrims Dinner at the Crown an anchor.
“There is going to be a fabulous menu with cocktails, a raw bar, three course meal, and best of all live entertainment. The Ladies of night a drag performance group are going to put their own twist on the story of the Mayflower”
The dinner takes place from 6-10 PM.
Some of the money raised from the two events will go towards bringing the replica of the Mayflower to Provincetown in September of 2020.
Provincetown is expecting 500,000 additional visitors for the anniversary commemorations.
By WILL MOORE, CapeCod.com
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