Beverly 400+

Beverly 400+

Beverly 400+ | Celebrating 400 Years of Beverly, MA

About Beverly 400+

Beverly 400+ is a nonprofit community initiative dedicated to commemorating the 400th anniversary of Beverly, Massachusetts — a city first settled in 1626. The organization’s mission is to honor Beverly’s rich history, celebrate its diverse community, and inspire a collective vision for the centuries ahead. Through a full year of events, legacy projects, and storytelling, Beverly 400+ is turning a historic milestone into lasting momentum.

Our Experience

Beverly 400+ brings together civic leaders, business owners, historians, and community volunteers united around a shared love of this city. The organization’s leadership includes city councilors, chamber veterans, communications professionals, and longtime community advocates. Additionally, Beverly 400+ partners with organizations across the region — from Historic Beverly and the North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau to Endicott College and the Ohketeau Cultural Center — to deliver a truly citywide celebration.

Core Offerings

• Signature citywide anniversary events and celebrations
• Historic walking tours and educational programming
• Legacy infrastructure and green space projects
• Community storytelling and oral history collection
• Cultural and arts programming
• Veterans recognition events
• Family-friendly community gatherings
• The B4 Podcast — behind-the-scenes coverage of the anniversary year

Signature Events

Beverly 400+ has curated a robust calendar of events throughout 2026, ranging from neighborhood walking tours and film screenings to a citywide scavenger hunt, Porchfest, Harborfest, and a Holiday Parade. Highlights include the bringing of the travelling Vietnam Wall to Beverly, an Indigenous Peoples PowWow at Endicott College, and a Garden Party at Beverly Common celebrating the city’s identity as the Garden City. Moreover, the Historic Battle of the Hannah and Nautilus Reenactment offers an immersive look at Beverly’s pivotal role in early American naval history.

Legacy Projects

Beverly 400+ is leaving lasting marks on the city through two community legacy projects. The Revitalization of Independence Park, funded through the City of Beverly Community Preservation Act, brings new life to a beloved public space. In addition, the Beverly Commons Pollinator Garden creates a living, growing legacy designed to support pollinators and beautify public space for generations to come.

What’s Your Story, Bev?

One of the most personal initiatives of the anniversary year is the Beverly 400+ Stories Project — an open invitation for anyone to share a true story about Beverly. Written stories, audio recordings, and video submissions are all welcome and will be archived permanently through Historic Beverly. It is a community memory project as much as a celebration.

The B4 Podcast

The B4 Podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of the anniversary year, featuring conversations with board members, community partners, local historians, business owners, and volunteers. New episodes explore everything from Beverly’s maritime heritage and affordable housing to local media, tourism, and the arts.

What Makes Beverly 400+ Special

Beverly 400+ is not just a party — it is a community-wide reckoning with four centuries of history, culture, and shared identity. The initiative is inclusive by design, grounding its celebrations in a formal land acknowledgment honoring the Naumkeag and Pawtucket bands of the Massachusett Tribal Nation. Furthermore, its legacy projects ensure that the anniversary year leaves Beverly with something tangible and enduring long after the celebrations conclude.

Contact

Email: info@beverly400.org
Mailing Address: PO Box 3060, Beverly, MA 01915
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram

Beverly 400+ is where four centuries of history meet a community ready to celebrate — and a city with its best chapters still ahead.