DOVER — Colorful crosswalks downtown with a Dover 400 logo and banners on City Hall are signs the city's quadricentennial celebration in 2023 is coming soon.
The Dover 400th committee announced it is hosting a ticketed event, the First of the 400th Gala, to kick off the new year on Saturday, Dec. 31 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. A fireworks display will light up over downtown at 9 p.m., and the gala will offer drinks, food and dancing at City Hall. A champagne toast to the city’s 400th anniversary will be held at midnight.
“The First of the 400 Gala will be special,” Dover 400th Executive Director Jeanette Poulin said. “It will kick everything off. We’re hoping the bell atop City Hall will be working by then, so we can ring in the new year at midnight.”
The Dover 400 Committee is a group of appointed volunteers who have been planning the 2023 calendar of festivities since 2018. In June 2021, Dover 400 hired Poulin to serve as its executive director to play a key role in planning and executing events, as well as leading major fundraising efforts.
“2023 is a banner year for Dover, and we plan to celebrate that to the fullest,” Poulin said. “This is a historical milestone for Dover. So much has happened over the 400 years since Dover’s founding. These events honor the past and celebrate our future.”
Dover Mayor Bob Carrier said that the new crosswalks are "just the start of an exciting series of things to come.
“Our efforts are really ramping up,” Carrier said. “We are proud of our history and where we are today. There’s a lot to celebrate and look back on.”
Early summer is when a number of Dover 400 events are scheduled.
June 24: A celebration on the water with a boat parade, Merry Mac Regatta, and gondola rides at Hilton Park.
“The Dover on the Water event will help tell the history of how settlers came into Dover at Hilton Park,” Poulin said.
June 25: Vintage baseball game matching Dover against Portsmouth, which is also celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2023.
July 1: Downtown block party and historical interactive walk through Dover.
“We will invite all of our businesses and merchants from Dover to fill Central Ave., much like we do on Apple Harvest Day,” Poulin said. “At Henry Law Park, we will host a historical interactive walk through Dover’s history.”
July 2: Parade. More details to come.
July 4: The fireworks celebration is planned to be bigger and better in 2023.
“On the Fourth of July, there'll be spectacular fireworks over Dover, which will be shot off simultaneously in two different locations,” Poulin said.
Poulin said she hopes the anniversary will engage longtime, new and former residents.
“We want to honor anyone with ties to Dover for their contribution in where we are today,” Poulin said. “We’d love for people to come visit and be a part of our celebration. There is something for everybody.”
The Dover 400 committee has put a lot of effort in gathering public input over the last four years in an effort to ensure the city’s celebrations meet residents’ expectations. “The community really had a voice in deciding how we should celebrate, and that is really special,” Poulin said. “I have an amazing team of volunteers and board members that are helping pull this all together. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.”
