Beverly's 400th anniversary year ends downtown, inside traditions the city already had. The 2026 Beverly Holiday Parade, held since 1947, is themed "Celebrating 400 Years of Beverly." Beverly 400+ is helping present the Memory Tree lighting on Rantoul Street, alongside the Beverly Veterans Council and Beverly Vietnam Veterans. Historic Beverly is hosting a talk on four centuries of Christmas.
The quickest way to plan the rest of the year is by street. Cabot Street has the theaters, the history house and the parade route. Rantoul Street has the tree and the second night of the Stroll. From Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December, the calendar keeps going back and forth between the two.
Thanksgiving weekend stays on Cabot Street
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year. Every evening of the weekend that follows has something downtown.
On Friday, November 27, The Cabot hosts Darlene Love at 8 p.m. On Saturday, November 28, the Larcom Theatre presents its Holiday Pops Concert with the Dirk Hillyer Festival Orchestra at 7 p.m. On Sunday, November 29, the parade steps off at 1 p.m.
You don't have to wait for the long weekend for the theater side of the season. The Cabot's holiday 2026 lineup starts with An Evening with Peter Billingsley and A Christmas Story on Sunday, November 15, at 7 p.m. After that comes MUSE: A Salute to Holiday Divas on December 2 at 7 p.m. Canadian Brass closes it out on December 21 at 8 p.m.
For the history behind the anniversary, Historic Beverly hosts "The Spirit of Christmas Past: Four Centuries of Christmas in America" on Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 3 p.m. at John Cabot House, 117 Cabot Street. Historian Ken Turino leads the program. Historic Beverly's museum reopened July 8 after a brief closure, with a reimagined installation on Beverly's role in the American Revolution.
The parade carries the anniversary down Cabot Street
The Beverly Holiday Parade covers 1.7 miles. It starts at Beverly High School, comes down Cabot Street, stops at the Viewing Stand at City Hall, and finishes at Beverly Depot. Participants gather at the high school, 100 Sohier Road, at 11 a.m. If the weather forces a postponement, the rain date is Sunday, December 6. The committee promises at least 24 hours' notice on its website and Facebook page.
This year's grand marshal ties the parade to the anniversary directly. Todd Rotondo is a Ward 1 City Councilor and the founder and president of Beverly 400+. He also runs Salerno's Italian Pub & Eatery with his brother, Michael. So the man leading the 400th-year parade down Cabot Street is the same person who started the organization behind the 400th.
If you'd rather watch from home, BevCam and YouTube will carry the parade live, hosted by Al and Francine Temkin of Al Temkin Productions. Sponsors this year include Beverly 400+, TruNorth Bank, Salem Five, Institution for Savings, Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency, Historic Beverly and Flash Fitness Beverly.
Sunday evening moves to Rantoul Street
The parade ends in the afternoon. A few hours later, the day's second event takes place on the other corridor. The Beverly Memory Tree lighting runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on November 29 at Odell Veterans Memorial Park on Rantoul Street.
The tree carries ornaments with the names of members of the Beverly community who have died. Veterans receive a special ornament marking their service. Beverly Main Streets says the tree stays on display in the park through December, and 2026 is its third year. Ornament orders were due by November 11.
On November 29, the parade starts at 1 p.m. on Cabot Street and the tree lighting starts at 5 p.m. on Rantoul Street.
December gives each street its own night
Beverly Main Streets builds the Downtown Holiday Stroll around the same two corridors. Friday, December 11, celebrates businesses on Cabot Street and nearby streets. Saturday, December 12, does the same for Rantoul Street. Both nights run from 4 to 8 p.m. Participating businesses are being asked to stay open late and light their storefronts and sidewalks with twinkle lights, garland or seasonal inflatables.
The makers' market is in the basement of The Bower on Friday, December 11, from 4 to 8 p.m., and a Saturday market is possible. The Bower is ADA compliant, with both stairs and an elevator down to the basement. Artists, makers and bakers who want a table can apply until November 17. The vendor fee starts at $50 and rises to $75 for applications submitted on or after November 8.
Here is the season, laid out by street:
| Date | Time | Where | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 15 | 7 p.m. | The Cabot, Cabot St. | An Evening with Peter Billingsley and A Christmas Story |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | 2 to 3 p.m. | John Cabot House, 117 Cabot St. | The Spirit of Christmas Past |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | 8 p.m. | The Cabot, Cabot St. | Darlene Love |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | 7 p.m. | Larcom Theatre | Holiday Pops Concert |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | 1 p.m. | Cabot St. to Beverly Depot | Beverly Holiday Parade |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | 5 to 6:30 p.m. | Odell Veterans Memorial Park, Rantoul St. | Beverly Memory Tree lighting |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | 7 p.m. | The Cabot, Cabot St. | MUSE: A Salute to Holiday Divas |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | 4 to 8 p.m. | Cabot St. and nearby streets | Holiday Stroll, night one |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Seven private homes | Historic Beverly Holiday House Tour |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | 4 to 8 p.m. | Rantoul St. and nearby streets | Holiday Stroll, night two |
| Mon., Dec. 21 | 8 p.m. | The Cabot, Cabot St. | Canadian Brass |
Saturday, December 12, runs from morning to night
Of all the dates, December 12 is the easiest to fill. Historic Beverly's Annual Holiday House Tour opens seven private homes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. An hour after the tour ends, the Rantoul Street night of the Stroll begins.
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Holiday House Tour, seven private homes
- 4 to 8 p.m.: Holiday Stroll, Rantoul Street and nearby streets, with participating storefronts open late and lit
- Possible: a second makers' market at The Bower, which Beverly Main Streets lists as still to be decided
That same Saturday is also on the Beverly 400+ calendar, so the anniversary's last listed events fall in the same weeks as the city's usual December plans.
Some tables along Cabot Street have changed since summer
The Friday Stroll and the parade route both pass a stretch of Cabot Street that looks different from a year ago.
Daniella's On Cabot, an Italian restaurant at 252 Cabot Street, won the reader-choice award for best new restaurant in Northshore Magazine's 2026 Best of the North Shore dining list. The magazine lists it as part of North Shore Hospitality Group.
Graze Craze, a charcuterie catering shop, opened in a 600-square-foot space on Cabot Street, as Patch reported on September 29. The franchise owner is Leshelle Lucas, who opened it with support from her husband, Rian. The shop makes meat-and-cheese, vegetarian, dessert, brunch and wine-pairing boards, and it keeps Tuesday through Saturday hours. That covers both Stroll nights and a holiday house party.
One storefront has closed. Kitchen Table, the restaurant and bar at 392 Cabot Street, closed during the week of October 7, according to Patch. Its owners thanked their diners and described cooking from scratch with ingredients sourced from local farmers and growers.
The anniversary will leave things behind as well. The Garden City Quilters made a Beverly 400 commemorative quilt, which the City Council accepted. Historic Beverly will display and store it while City Hall is renovated. The Beverly 400+ Stories Project lets Historic Beverly add the stories it collects to its permanent archives.
Living near Cabot Street or Rantoul Street means a lot of this season is within walking distance. If you're thinking about how a downtown Beverly address fits your plans for next year, M|E Collective would be glad to walk those blocks with you and talk it through. Book an Appointment whenever it suits you.
