Beverly 400+, an all-volunteer nonprofit, announced extensive plans to commemorate the city’s 400th anniversary in 2026. The organization’s goal is to celebrate Beverly’s rich history, embrace its diverse community, and create a lasting legacy of history, art, and community for future centuries.
The initiative has significant public and private support, including “Old Planter” sponsorships of $50,000 or more from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Beverly, and Historic Beverly, a key community partner.
Additional major sponsors are Beverly Hospital, Campbell Funeral Home, Cummings Center, and Endicott College, which is partnering with Beverly 400+ to bring the travelling Vietnam Wall to Beverly to start off the 61st Annual Beverly Homecoming festival in August.
The yearlong celebration kicks off with “Beverly at 400: A Celebration of our Past, Present, and Future, a Community Conversation” at The Cabot on January 14 at 6 p.m., when Beverly 400+ joins local partners Historic Beverly, Beverly Homecoming, and Beverly Main Streets for a free conversation about the year’s planned events, ways to get involved, and opportunities to help shape the celebration, and the Beverly 400+ Stories Project will be introduced.
The rest of the year will feature a robust slate of events, including:
- January 17: 400th Anniversary Kickoff: Winter Wonderland Festival, a free family fun
event at Lynch Park - February, March, and April: Beverly in the Movies! Filmfest at The Cabot, featuring The
Proposal, The Tender Bar, and CODA - March 7: Trivia in the Round at North Shore Music Theater
- June 8: The Making History Golf Tournament, open to the public
- A citywide Scavenger Hunt throughout the month of June
Visit https://beverly400.org/events/ for the full list of events and schedule updates.
In addition to the events, a Legacy Project is underway to memorialize the city’s history at Independence Park and create an art and historical space for citizens and tourists. This project will be funded through grants and a sponsorship from Beverly Rotary and completed by the City of Beverly.
The organization was founded by Ward 1 City Councilor Todd Rotondo, who serves as president, and led by an all-volunteer executive team that includes Beverly residents: Vice President Medley Long III, Secretary Julie DeSilva, and Treasurer Bill Alpine. The board of directors includes a dedicated group of Beverly community volunteers, city employees and elected officials, and business people. They are Lindsay Barth, Heather Beaulieu, Rob Chapman, Bruce Doig, Brandi Johnson, Martha Lewis, Betty Spak, Al Temkin, Sydney Sweeney, Lorinda Visnick, Gin Wallace, and Mayor Mike Cahill, Ex Officio. There are also several volunteer committees made up of dozens of Beverly people eager to help make the celebration great.
