Plimoth Plantation Offers Free Admission to Plymouth Residents for the #i{craft}history Celebration on 9/27 & 28

Plimoth Plantation announces the grand opening celebration of its renovated Craft Center and the all-new Plimoth Bread Company to be held September 25-28, 2014. Open to the public, the launch includes a full slate of fun and activities for everyone. The theme of the grand opening is #i{craft}history which seeks to engage the public to learn about many forms of craft that are integral to a living history museum, as well as those that enrich our lives. On Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28, Massachusetts residents can purchase half-priced Heritage passes for admission to Plimoth Plantation, Plimoth Grist Mill, and Mayflower II—a discount never before offered by the museum. As part of the celebration the museum will also offer free admission to Plymouth residents.

Yankee Magazine is the media sponsor of this grand opening that will explore and celebrate all types of craft makers through exhibits, demonstrations, and presentations. The weekend also kicks off a #i{craft}history campaign to encourage the public to spotlight their own artistic contributions by using the hashtag #icrafthistory throughout the museum’s social media channels. The museum’s opening celebration will showcase Plimoth Plantation’s renowned group of artisans, skilled in the historical crafts and technologies that so vividly re-create the look and feel of the 17th century on its outdoor living history sites.

In addition to the reinstallation of the Plimoth Plantation artisan exhibits in a new space, the event will bring together distinctive guest craftspeople across a wide range of disciplines to demonstrate and teach diverse skills. Weaving, furniture inlaying, rug hooking, beer brewing, and scrimshaw are just some of the special exhibits guests can visit. Plimoth Bread Company, the museum’s brand new bakery, will make its debut with its new wood-fired clay oven and a variety of 17th-century baked goods including a signature bread created by Food Historian and Baker, Tani Mauriello, Ph.D.

Live music will play throughout all museum sites during the weekend, starting off with a performance by the Groovalottos – a funk and Jazz band – on Thursday night. Other highlights include a distinguished lecture series, an Imagination Station with kids’ activities like wampum and sgraffito pottery making, a fundraising event involving squash bowling, a special Breakfast with the Baker, and much more. Food-related activities, music, and other special programming will be happening all weekend. For a full description of the celebration’s events or to purchase tickets, please visit http://icrafthistory.org.

The Craft Center renovation has been funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund—a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional funding for the project was generously provided by the Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation, and a number of private donors.

History in the Baking

A museum that has brought history to life for nearly seven decades has given rise to a one-of-a-kind exhibit—the Plimoth Bread Company.Inspired by Plimoth Plantation’s Colonial foodways and hearth cooking program, Plimoth Bread Company offers museum-goers an opportunity to view demonstrations of 17th-century baking techniques and to taste and purchase the bread that is baked in our wood-fired clay oven.

In keeping with Plimoth Plantation’s educational mission and living history approach, Plimoth Bread Company is designed to be an interactive exhibit where bread making is explored and interpreted through historical, cultural, scientific, technological, and philosophical perspectives. The bakery’s programming as well as the baked good themselves reflect both Native and English food culture. Guests will witness history in the baking through daily demonstrations, special events, classes and workshops and opportunities for hands-on participation all year-round.

Step inside the charming carriage house that is home to Plimoth Bread Company and you will find bread made with the finest ingredients, free of anything artificial, and of the highest quality and freshness. Each of our breads, pies and tarts is created from or inspired by an authentic 17th-century recipe. Hand-crafted using traditional techniques, all of our delicious products are relevant to the unique Plimoth experience.

About Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plantation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and a living museum dedicated to telling the history of Plymouth Colony from the perspective of both the Pilgrims and the Native Wampanoag people. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (Exit 4, Route 3 south) and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week, from the third Saturday in March through the end of November 2014. Plimoth Plantation is a private, not-for-profit educational institution supported by admission fees, contributions, memberships, function sales and revenue from a variety of dining programs/services/specialevents and Museum Shops. Plimoth Plantation is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.plimoth.org.