Where else can you visit a living-history museum that recreates life in 1627, go on a whale-watching cruise and take tea in an authentic Japanese garden? It has to be the region South of Boston, where Massachusetts is alive with history, beaches and quirky little surprises.
In Plymouth, “America’s Hometown,” you’ll get a glimpse of Plymouth Rock — and of the Pilgrim way of life at Plimoth Plantation. For a more contemporary adventure, set out for a whale-watching expedition from Plymouth Harbor.
Duxbury is home to fabulous beaches, and to the Art Complex Museum, where you’ll find an eclectic mix of Asian and American art, Shaker furniture and a Japanese tea garden.
Venture further south to New Bedford, and experience coastal life via the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Not far away is Seaman’s Bethel, a chapel for seafaring families and one of the features that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
Transportation
Southeastern Regional Transit Authority
DATTCO
Commuter buses between Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts
MBTA
Public transportation via Commuter Rail between Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts
Plymouth & Brockton Bus
Regularly scheduled motorcoach service between Logan Airport, downtown Boston, the South Shore, Plymouth and all of Cape Cod, including Hyannis, Provincetown, and intermediate towns. Year round service.
Brockton Regional Transit Authority
BAT’s fixed route service connects neighboring communities and the Central Business District in Boston, as well as major industrial parks, three colleges, medical facilities, shopping centers and area commuter rails. Service is offered seven days a week. Weekday service to the MBTA’s Ashmont Station begins at 4:50 a.m. and ends at 12:30 a.m. Weekday service in the City of Brockton and neighboring communities begins at 6:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. with reduced service on Saturdays and limited Sunday service.
Events and Festivals
Summer
Taunton Riverfront Festival
Weir Riverfront Park, Taunton
Riverboat tours, food, children’s activities and live entertainment.
508.821.9347
Day of Portugal Festival Weekend
Acushnet Ave. to Bullard St. to Beetle St.
New Bedford celebrates its deep cultural ties with Portugal in the city’s north end. Fun-filled weekend of delicious food, music and the culture of Portugal. Includes traditional religious procession of St. Anthony (patron saint of Lisbon) from historic St. Anthony of Padua Church. Many Azorean artisans will exhibit and demonstrate their wares. Also featuring three stages of entertainment, carnival and 5-K road race.
508.990.3703
Annual Whaling City Festival
Features dozens of international food vendors, over two hundred craft & flea market dealers, six staging areas of entertainment, a custom car & truck show, and so much more…
508.996.3348
Brockton Fair
Early-July
Plenty of unique events for the whole family. Horse racing, demolition derby, figure 8 racing, stock car football, fireworks, big bear show, magicians, petting zoo, puppet and livestock shows.
Patuxet Strawberry Thanksgiving
It’s a Native tradition to celebrate the first harvest of the new growing season: Strawberries! Native people gave thanks regularly for harvested gifts like the strawberry. Come see mishoon (Native canoe) races along the Eel River at 11:00 AM, as well as singing and dancing that precedes the races at 10:00 AM, as Plimoth Plantation celebrates a festive Strawberry Thanksgiving! Strawberry shortcake and chilled strawberry soup are on the menu at Plimoth Plantation’s Patuxet Café today, as we enjoy the fresh new fruit of spring.
Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth
Marshfield Fair
Late August
Oldest agricultural fair in the state; old-fashioned fair with a midway and evening entertainment; games, fireworks, musical acts, arts and crafts, monster trucks and more.
Fall
Apple Peach Festival
Acushnet
This festival is a celebrated tradition that brings thousands of visitors to town for the delectable apples and peaches grown right in Acushnet. Vendors sell fruit and vegetables on the roadside. Musical entertainment and activities for the kids.
New Bedford Chowder Festival
Custom House Square, New Bedford
Downtown New Bedford, Inc., is a non-profit organization representing all downtown stakeholders: property owners, business people and residents. Their goal is to make the heart of New Bedford an economically healthy, welcoming, vibrant place to work, live, shop, dine and visit. Among other things, to promote their goals, Downtown New Bedford Inc. sponsors a number of special events, including “Taste Our SouthCoast” and the “New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival.” These two festivals alone bring more than 6,000 people a year into the Downtown, many for the first time. They believe that everyone who attends an event of this type and leaves with a positive impression is likely to return to shop, dine and visit our attractions.
Fall River Carousel at Battleship Cove
Creepy Carousel
Special Halloween party geared to the younger children 12yrs. under Costume Contest, candy hunts, ghost stories & more.
Where: Fall river Carousel and Battleship Cove
5 Water St. Fall River, MA 508-678-1100
When: 3-5pm $10
National Cranberry Festival
Early October
Take a guided tour of the cranberry bogs by train or fly over the bogs in a helicopter. There will be plenty of things for the whole family with rides, craft displays, music and food.
Edaville Railroad, South Carver
Thanksgiving Week Celebration
Celebrate the quintessential Thanksgiving experience at Plimoth Plantation. Be among the thousands who make the annual pilgrimage to the museum to share in the holiday spirit. Visitors will explore the Plantation’s multiple sites, which include the Wampanoag Homesite, the 1627 English Village, the Crafts Center and Mayflower II.
America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration
Late Novermber
A classic hometown parade with marching bands, festive floats and fife and drum corps. The parade travels through Plymouth center and the waterfront.
Plymouth
Winter
Lights On! Taunton
Taunton Green and various venues
The single largest annual event in the city, celebrating a 90-year-old tradition of the lighting of Taunton Green. Twenty performance sites located throughout downtown will host a variety of local and regional talent, from amateur to professional, as well as kid-friendly attractions such as horse-drawn hayrides and trackless train & Santa’s grand arrival. Sponsored by the Heart of Taunton. The fun begins at 5:30. 508.880.4960
Pearl Harbor Day at Battleship Cove
Ceremony begins at 12:55 pm, the exact hour of the Japanese strike. Located on the Battleship Massachusetts, the service will include wreath-casting rites and several Pearl Harbor survivors will share their perspectives on Pearl Harbor and its timeless relevance.
508.678.1100
Holiday Festival of Lights
The largest holiday lights display in New England. Antique and replica trains travel through illuminated displays and cranberry bogs on this 5.5 mile ride.
Edaville USA, South Carver
Drowned Hogs Weekend
Last weekend in January
On Friday enjoy the Drowned Hogs Ball; On Saturday take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean at Nantasket Beach and on Sunday it’s the Soup & Chowder Festival. Nantasket Beach, Hull
Spring
Taste Our SouthCoast
Custom House Square, New Bedford
Downtown New Bedford, Inc. our downtown business organization, whose mission it is to make downtown a better place to live, work and visit, presents its Fourth Annual Taste Of SouthCoast, a family fun event.
Maple Festival
Mid March
Join us for a sweet day as we explore maple history, culture, and tasting. Enjoy the process from start to finish! Help us tap the trees for sap and then watch how the sap is boiled into syrup. The day will include woodland walks for tapping, sweet treats, and fun crafts & activities for the children.
South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell
Annual Festival of the Arts
Late May
Local artists show off their talent at this exhibit and juried show sponsored by the North River Arts Organization. Art as well as crafts are for sale along with fun activities for the entire family
Marshfield
Attractions
For Fun
New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone:(508) 997-0046
The Children’s Museum in Easton
9 Sullivan Avenue
No. Easton, MA 02356
Phone:(508) 230-3789
Massachusetts Golf Museum
300 Arnold Palmer Boulevard
Norton, MA 02766
Phone:(774) 430-9100
Battleship Cove
70 Water St.
Fall River, MA 02721
Phone:(508) 674-3533
Demarest Lloyd State Park
Barney’s Joy Road
Dartmouth, MA 02748
(508) 636-3298
Fort Phoenix Beach State Reservation
Green Street
Fairhaven, MA 02719
(508) 992-4524
Horseneck Beach State Campground Reservation
Route 88
Westport, MA 02790
(508) 636-8816
Edaville USA
Rt. 58
South Carver
877-332-8455
Dead of Night Ghost Tours
Plymouth
508-866-5111
Plymouth Rock Trolley
Plymouth
508-747-4161
Brockton Rox Professional Baseball
Campanelli Stadium, Brockton
508-559-7000
For Enrichment
New Bedford Festival Theatre
5 Dover St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 991-5212
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
P.O. Box 2053
New Bedford, MA 02741
Phone:(508) 999-6276
Zeiterion Theatre
684 Purchase St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone:(508) 997-5664
Rotch Jones Duff House & Museum
396 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 997-1401
FullerCraft Museum
455 Oak St., Brockton
508-588-6000
Plimoth Plantation
Water St., Plymouth
508-746-1622
Hull Lifesaving Museum
1117 Nantasket Ave.
781-925-LIFE
Mayflower II
State Pier, Plymouth
508-746-1622
Art Complex Museum
189 Alden St., Duxbury
781-934-6634