The Portsmouth NH 400 Legacy Committee completed one of its most visible and most dramatic projects in December: the installation of artist Sijia Chen’s stainless steel sculpture, “Endeavor” in the newly-established sculpture garden in the Bohenko Gateway Park in Portsmouth NH.

The year 2023 served up quite a celebration for Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary! As the celebration draws to a close, the PortsmouthNH400th, Inc. management team is looking back at a vibrant year filled with community events and memorable moments.

The Portsmouth NH 400th (PNH400) Management Team is delighted to announce that CSX, one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers and has made a significant financial commitment to be a PNH 400th Anniversary community sponsor.

The much-anticipated Portsmouth NH 400 Legacy sculpture project is entering the exciting phase of completion as the anniversary year winds down. The Portsmouth Department of Public Works has begun site preparation for artist Sijia Chen’s signature sculpture, “Endeavor” with installation expected in the next few months.

Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. announces plans for The Great Portsmouth NH 400 Community Picnic, to take place on Sunday, October 1st, from 12 noon to 3 pm at Leary and Central Fields. The event is free and open to everyone in and involved in the Portsmouth community, providing food, entertainment and lawn games/activities for kids and families on the field.

Anyone looking for an easily-portable, giftable and unique memento of the Portsmouth NH 400 anniversary – and those planning to collect all of the PNH400 collectible merchandise – can now add the PNH400 Challenge Coin to their lists.

Portsmouth NH 400 continues its year-long celebration with two marquee events in late July and early August - a Venetian-style Masquerade Ball and an old-fashioned Carnival - which will pay homage to the spirit of the displaced residents of Portsmouth’s lost but not forgotten Little Italy, the vibrant North End neighborhood displaced by urban renewal and redevelopment in the 1960s. The Masquerade Ball, which will fund free admission to the Portsmouth NH 400 signature event, Little Italy Carnival, takes place Saturday, July 29, 2023 from 7 to 11 pm at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club in downtown Portsmouth. Tickets for the Masquerade Ball are on sale now.

Calling all Portsmouth homeowners! You can now apply for a historic plaque to place proudly on your home, identifying a prominent owner and the date the house was built. The Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth NH 400th, the Friends of the South End and the Citywide Neighborhood Committee are collaborating on this Historic House Plaque Program for 2023.

“Baseball’s History and Evolution” is the highlight of a day of free family fun at Portsmouth’s historic Leary Field as Dover and Portsmouth join forces to celebrate their respective 400th anniversaries.

“Service Credit Union is truly a luminary when it comes to showing others the way to demonstrate their community spirit, underscoring the word ‘service’ in their name,” said PNH400 Managing Director Valerie Rochon. Rochon and Community Engagement Officer Susan Labrie explained that the Luminary Sponsor commitment of $25,000 enables operational and logistical planning to advance the PNH400 signature events in 2023.

On July 27 as a flotilla of local boats welcome the tall ships arriving for Sail Portsmouth 2023, there will be a Blessing of the Fleet from Four Tree Island. Representatives from multiple faiths and the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People will extend their blessing to the passing fleet.

While visiting Portsmouth and leading several in-person and online community engagement programs, artist Sijia Chen collected suggestions for Portsmouth-centered maritime themes and images to help her create her signature papercut designs that will be incorporated in “Endeavor.”

Ya wanna be in a parade?

On March 2, 2023, Portsmouth NH 400 (PNH400) announced the selection of Sijia Chen as the artist whose concept was selected unanimously by the PNH400 Sculpture Review Team as the first work intended for the Bohenko Gateway Park legacy sculpture garden.

In 2023, the Department of Public Works will celebrate the City’s 400th anniversary by planting 400 trees: 100 that are part of the usual annual enhancement of the City's urban forest, an additional 100 trees donated by Portsmouth Rotary to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023 and 200 more trees that will be made available for local residents to plant at their homes or businesses.

The Portsmouth NH 400th (PNH400) Management Team is delighted to announce that Two International Group has made the commitment to be a PNH400 Beacon-level sponsor.

In a unanimous vote at their October 3 meeting, the City Council approved the PNH400 Legacy Project plan to place sculptures in the park adjacent to Market Street Extension.