President Calvin Coolidge

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Winter is ready to fall upon the quiet village of Plymouth Notch. Before the snows deepen, join the residents of the village as they celebrate the holiday season. The Coolidge birthplace will be festooned with fresh greenery as it would have been during Christmastime in Calvin Coolidge’s childhood. The greenery continues throughout the village where wreaths don the doors of the homes. Throughout the day pianist Steve Morse will perform everybody’s favorite holiday tunes on Grace Coolidge’s piano in the Museum and Education Center. At 1:00 p.m. a tree lighting ceremony will call into remembrance the moment President Coolidge threw the switch on the very first lit National tree in 1923. Immediately following, the warmth of the village’s Union Christian Church will welcome visitors for a time of caroling as Steve plays the pump organ.

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sure to be a family favorite, the Fall Festival in Plymouth Notch will feature many popular fall activities. Enjoy a hayride with Farmer Fred, taste multiple varieties of Vermont-grown heritage apples, and watch cider pressing. Fall foliage in Plymouth traditionally reaches its peak in early October. With luck, the maples growing across the 360-degree hills surrounding Plymouth will be at their brightest. The Plymouth Fire Department will be cooking up BBQ chicken dinners for sale on site. Please support our local community.

Free Event

2:00 PM

University of Vermont Professor David Feurzeig will perform compositions for solo piano. David’s performance in Plymouth is part of his “Play Every Town” state-wide tour to promote climate-conscious travel and give back to communities. David will visit all 251 towns in Vermont by driving his electric vehicle which is charged using a solar panel at his home. He’s on a carbon-free mission to demonstrate that finding fun activities doesn’t require extensive journeys or plane travel. David will be performing on Grace Coolidge’s White House piano in the Museum and Education Center and Admission is free. A light reception will follow the performance.

Free Event

August 31 – September 1

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Stars from Vermont and internationally known musicians team up for the 19th annual Plymouth Folk and Blues Fest. This lively two-day, outdoor festival will feature the music of Hayley Reardon, Jay Psaros, Sister Speak, Rick Redington & Tuff Luv, Todd Thibaud, and Mikahely. Bring a lawn chair and picnic and enjoy the pure country air of historic Plymouth Notch. This event is free, and donations are appreciated. Non-perishable food donations will be collected in support of the Vermont Food Bank.

Free Event

7:00 PM

Pack a picnic! Summer is at its peak in the historic village of Plymouth Notch. Harold Lloyd’s 1925 silent comedy film, The Freshman will be screened in the historic Wilder Barn at the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. Come early to explore the grounds, picnic, and purchase concessions in the Cilley General Store. Folding Chairs will be available, but visitors are encouraged to bring a comfortable lawn chair. This event will be held rain or shine and admission is free.

June 12-October 16

10AM-5PM

The Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site’s resident farmer will be on hand each Wednesday to demonstrate historic farming tools and techniques.  Visitors may witness such activities as sheep shearing, rye harvesting, blacksmithing, or cider pressing, and if lucky, will have an opportunity to meet Fred’s special farmyard animals.

In August 1924 Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone visited President Coolidge in Plymouth Notch as part of a leisurely car trip throughout New England. The meeting was highly publicized because the president was campaigning for the 1924 election and the automotive entrepreneurs were touting the superiority of their products. Amateur actors will reenact the meeting using the quotes recorded by 1920s journalists who witnessed and documented the occasion.

11:00 AM

The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation in partnership with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the District Court of Vermont will host a naturalization ceremony at the Calvin Coolidge State Historic site.  New citizens to the United States will take an Oath of Allegiance before a federal judge, receive a certificate of naturalization, and immediately have the opportunity to register to vote and attain a passport. Members of the public are welcome to witness this joyful and moving ceremony.

Free event

2:00 PM

Jennie O’Brien and Abigail Charbeneau will perform popular 1920s music for mezzo soprano and piano.  Jennie shares many of the same passions as Mrs. Grace Coolidge for whom the musicale concerts are named. Mrs. Coolidge was an educator at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA and had a strong appreciation for music. Similarly, Jennie shares her own passion for music as a teacher of voice, theatre arts, vocal ensembles, and independent living skills at Perkins School for the Blind. Admission to the concert is free and a light reception will follow. Funding for this performance is provided by the Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation.

The historic village of Plymouth Notch celebrates the 152^st birthday of President Calvin Coolidge and the 248^th birthday of the United States.  The Coolidge site will open for the day at 10:00 a.m. and the celebration will kick off in the historic Union Christian Church with an interview of author Diana Carlin and Jenny Coolidge Harville, great-granddaughter of Calvin and Grace Coolidge.  Carlin is the author of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s history-making women and will speak about the legacy of First Lady Grace Coolidge.

Following the presentation, a processional will take place at 12:00 p.m. led by the Vermont National Guard. The procession will depart from the village green and walk 0.4 miles to the cemetery for the laying of a wreath at the President’s grave. Free cake will be served in the village immediately following the ceremony.

Throughout the day the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation will be hosting the Coolidge Cup, a national speech and debate competition.  Members of the public are highly encouraged to listen in as young orators from across the country make their voices heard.  For additional information please visit https://coolidgefoundation.org/debate/coolidge-cup/.