Thanksgiving Point's Eat Like a Pilgrim

/ 21 November 2015 / 0 Comments

Thanksgiving Point hosted my family for their annual Eat Like a Pilgrim event. I feel like there are a million Christmas themed events but there really aren’t that many events that celebrate Thanksgiving. It was so nice to take a step back from all the Christmas prep and celebrate the spirit of the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Point’s Eat Like a Pilgrim event is an actual re-enactment of the first Thanksgiving that took place in 1621 at Plymouth Colony. This re-enactment is the only Thanksgiving re-enactment outside of New England!

When we first walked in, we were impressed by the decor. They had really made it feel like the first thanksgiving. We felt like we were outdoors amongst the Pilgrims and Native Americans. We arrived a little early so we had time to check out the displays before dinner. My girls loved the animals skins and Native American jewelry most of all.

When it came time to eat, Governor William Bradford lead us in a religious song and then a prayer. After a few moments of awkwardness as we tried to figure out how to eat, Governor William Bradford gave us a few tips. He let us know that we could stop looking for our forks because the pilgrims only used spoons, knives and their fingers. He also taught us that our napkins should be worn like bibs. The bibs didn’t last long on our kids, or ourselves really.

The food was delicious. Simple, just like it would have been almost 400 years ago, but delicious still. We were all fans of the creamed corn. My little 14 month old had an entire adult serving. We also really enjoyed the turkey. I’m not a huge turkey fan but I loved their turkey. It was moist and flavorful. I didn’t even notice until just now that there wasn’t any gravy or cranberries.

I was really excited when I discovered the salt dish on the table. Because the food was simple and historically accurate, it needed salt. I even salted the butter on my bread. I guess I would have never survived as a pilgrim.

My kids favorite part of the meal? The cold apple cider. They each had 5 glasses at least! It was pretty yummy. I wished they had served water too though. After a few glasses of apple cider, you just need some water.

After our meal, we were able to explore the various pilgrims activities. At each station there were pilgrims there to teach and help.

My little crafter loved making a corn husk doll.

We also visited the goat and the sheep. My kids were even brave enough to try the goat’s milk. My 3 year old described it as, “kinda yummy”. I love when my kids get a chance to try something outside their comfort zone.

After dinner and games we all danced together. The big group dance moved a little too quickly for our little kids so they danced beside our table instead, and loved every minute of it.

We had such a great time at Thanksgiving Point’s Eat Like a Pilgrim.

It was so nice to take a minute to remember all the sacrifices that have been made for us to live in this amazing country.

Brittney

Hours

November 20, 21, 23, 2015

Helpful Tips

Eat Like a Pilgrim takes place at the Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point. Your ticket won’t tell you which building so remember this.
Make sure to ask for a highchair for your little one. We had to ask a couple times before someone was able to get us one. The first time we asked, they said they didn’t offer them so just make sure to talk to the right person. Our server was the one to hook us up!
There are a few private tables but mostly Eat Like a Pilgrim is a family style eating experience. Things like bread, butter, salad, dressing, and cold apple cider are spread across the table. One party sits right next to another party so it can get awkward when you feel like you are using another party’s butter. We figured out later on tho that if you don’t feel like your party has something, just ask one of the servers and they’ll bring you your own.
There really isn’t anywhere to put your coat, except under your chair. So if you can stand walking from the parking lot to the barn (a 2 minute walk at most) leave your coat in the car.

View some of our other Thanksgiving Point posts.