Plimoth Grist Mill®: Herring Run Festival Success

Plimoth Grist Mill® was pleased to work with partners throughout the community as it hosted this year's Herring Run Festival in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Herring run grist mill guests

Every Spring, tens of thousands of alewife herring throughout the North Atlantic find their way to Plymouth Harbor. They swim past Mayflower II and into Town Brook. They then travel upstream, past the Plimoth Grist Mill®, to Billington Sea where these protected fish reproduce. This migration is known as a "herring run".

On April 27 hundreds of community members gathered at the Plimoth Grist Mill® and along Jenney Pond Park for 2025's Herring Run Festival. Family-friendly activities included herring counts, alewife art, games, live music & more.

Education and Exhibitors

The Museum is beyond grateful for the many exhibitors who partnered with us for this year's Herring Run Festival. These incredible community organizations not only work to help the environment, but to create hands-on activities to engage learners of all ages.

Hands on learning plimoth patuxet
  • Citizens Climate Lobby and League of Women Voters
  • Climate Action Net Zero Committee
  • Community Land and Water Coalition
  • Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe
  • Herring Ponds Watershed Association
  • Juniper + Pine Indigenous Collective
  • Manomet Conservation Sciences
  • Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
  • MassSave
Boy counts herring
  • NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
  • Ocean River Institute
  • Open Space Committee
  • Plimoth Patuxet Museums Historic Patuxet Homesite
  • Plimoth Patuxet Museums Membership
  • Rescue Plymouth Wildlife
  • Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance
Hawk wildlife demonstration
  • Standing Quiver Singers and Dancers
  • Sustainable Plymouth
  • Town of Plymouth Dept. of Energy & Environment - Fish Ladder
  • Town of Plymouth Dept. of Energy & Environment - Wildlife Trailer
  • Whale & Dolphin Conservation
  • Wildlands Trust
  • Wildlife Warriors

Food and Entertainment

Thank you to the incredible musicians and food vendors who helped make our festival an unforgettable experience. Your talent, energy, and dedication brought the event to life—filling it with amazing sounds, delicious flavors, and a spirit of community.

  • Cara Brindisi
  • Gillis tavern
  • Independent Fermentations Beer Garden
  • Kono Pizza
  • Wilde Flour Baking and Catering

Herring Run Livestream

Watch live as herring exit the fish ladder and help scientists estimate the population size by virtually counting the fish
Watch the livestream

Did You Know?

Herring played a crucial role to the people who lived along theses historic shores in the 17th century. You can learn more about the role of herring in Wampanoag culture and lifeways, and in the history of Plymouth Colony, when you visit Plimoth Patuxet Museums.