Home » News » Plan Your Itinerary: America’s Hometown Thanksgiving 

There is no place quite like America’s Hometown, Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving. 

Known for being the site of the first New England colonial settlement by the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620, Plymouth is an ideal location to celebrate the town’s deep connection to American history and culture, particularly through the stories of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and the beginnings of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Here are some suggestions on how to spend your Thanksgiving weekend in America’s Hometown! 

Visit Plimoth Patuxet Museums & Experience a Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

Open from mid-March through the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day, the Plimoth Patuxet Museums offer a unique way to honor our ancestors by hearing the stories of the Indigenous people and English colonists who met along the historic site of Plymouth shores in the 17th century. 

Step back in time as you discover exhibits such as the Mayflower II, the Historic Patuxet Homesite, the 17th-century English Village, and the Plimoth Grist Mill. As you uncover our history, you will learn about The First Thanksgiving in Plymouth, where Chief Massasoit and 90 Wampanoag Indians joined the Pilgrims, and how the first settlers survived in the New World despite setbacks. 

Experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at the Plimoth Patuxet Museums when you register for “The Story of Thanksgiving” dinner, which includes a plated roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings, or the Thanksgiving Hometown Buffet, offering a classic Thanksgiving dinner buffet. Both options are being hosted at the Museum on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025. Register in advance. 

Explore all tickets, directions, and options for your visit. 

Experience America’s Hometown Parade the Weekend before Thanksgiving

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season than to start the day with America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Saturday before Thanksgiving! 

Parade Route and Timing

Opening ceremonies for the parade start at 9 am at the Pilgrim Memorial Park (Plymouth Rock), 79 Water Street. The parade itself begins at 10 am. It continues around Water Street, Main Street, Court Street, and ends at Benny’s Plaza at 179 Court Street. 

What To Expect

This historically accurate, chronological parade showcases America’s rich heritage, representing each century from the 17th through the 21st.

The parade features historically accurate floats, drum and bugle corps, and military bands from around the country. It will also feature bands such as the University of Massachusetts Amherst Minuteman Band and the Burlington High School Marching Red Devils. For a complete list of participants, visit America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. 

Parking & Transportation

America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade brings thousands of visitors to the area, so expect increased traffic and limited parking. Mass transit is always the best option to arrive at Plymouth’s downtown area. 

Parade organizers have arranged for free parking and shuttle bus options for visitors who want to attend the parade and go to-and-from the waterfront from 7 am to 3 pm the day of the parade. The shuttles will run every 15 minutes, with drop-off and pick-up at Lincoln Street, Plymouth, MA. Pick-ups/drop-offs will be from Exit 13 off of Route 3 to Obery Street and Exit 17 off of Route 3 to MBTA Commuter Rail Park on Marion Drive, Kingston. (Visit the Kingston Station MBTA site for times.) 

Be aware that there will be road closures in the waterfront area of Plymouth throughout the morning of the parade, including Water Street from Union Street to the Rotary at Town Wharf, as well as on side Streets for staging, including Brewster Street, Howland Street, Chilton Street, and Memorial Drive. 

For more Thanksgiving weekend activities and events in Plymouth, please explore See Plymouth online.