Plimoth Grist Mill Announces 2026 Herring Run Festival
Annual event celebrates spring migration, science, and community
Plymouth, Massachusetts (April 2, 2026) – Plimoth Grist Mill, a Plimoth Patuxet Museums living history exhibit, is pleased to announce the return of its annual Herring Run Festival, to take place on Saturday, April 25, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. The free, family-friendly event will take place in Brewster Gardens and celebrates the seasonal migration of herring through Plymouth’s waterways.
Festival activities will include live herring counts, hands-on educational experiences, alewife-inspired art, games, live music, and opportunities to learn about local conservation efforts. “Each spring, the herring run offers a powerful reminder of our connection to the natural world,” said Kim VanWormer, Deputy Director of Education and Public Engagement. “This festival invites the community to experience that migration up close while taking part in hands-on science and stewardship that support the health of our waterways.”
Community exhibitors will play a central role in the Herring Run Festival, creating a dynamic environment where visitors can learn how to support healthy ecosystems and help protect river herring, eels, and other local species. “Our event partners bring so much depth and energy to the festival,” said Mathew Tate, Plimoth Grist Mill Miller. “Through these exhibits and activities, visitors can learn simple, meaningful ways to protect local waterways.”
While this year’s Festival will be held in Brewster Gardens due to ongoing construction along Town Brook, attendees are encouraged to visit Plimoth Grist Mill to learn more about the brook’s ecology and its vital role in powering mills over the centuries.
Admission to the Herring Run Festival is free. The Festival is funded in part by the Town of Plymouth Promotions Fund. A full list of exhibitors and participants is available at: https://plimoth.org/events/herring-run-celebration.
Plimoth Patuxet Museums is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through the Sunday following Thanksgiving Day. Mayflower II—currently undergoing routine maintenance at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard—is anticipated to return to State Pier later this Spring. Stay tuned for updates.
About Plimoth Patuxet
Plimoth Patuxet is one of the Nation’s foremost living history museums. Founded in 1947, the Museum creates engaging experiences of history built on thorough research about the Indigenous and European people who met along Massachusetts' historic shores in the 1600s. Major exhibits include the Historic Patuxet Homesite, the 17th-Century English Village, Mayflower II, and Plimoth Grist Mill. A private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational institution, Plimoth Patuxet is supported by admission fees, donations, memberships, and revenue from educational programs, gift shops and dining. Plimoth Patuxet receives support from private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston, and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from early spring through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For more information, visit plimoth.org. Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X/Twitter.