Peabody Essex Museum To Celebrate Year Of The Snake, Leslie's Retreat

SALEM, MA — The historic Peabody Essex Museum of Salem is commemorating two cultural and historic experiences next month with the Lunar New Year "Year of the Snake" festival and a fashion event celebrating the 250th anniversary of Leslie's Retreat in Salem.

The Year of the Snake festival will be on Feb. 15 with the museum open for general admission from 1 to 5 p.m.

Activities include a scavenger hunt, art making and guided tours of Yin Yu Tang. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, with this year's PEM program focusing on Chinese cultural traditions.

On Feb. 15, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, there will be a commemoration of "Leslie's Retreat" — the first armed resistance to British authority leading up to the American Revolution.

On Feb. 26, 1775, British Lt. Col. Alexander Leslie's attempted seizure of colonial weapons in Salem was resolved peacefully through negotiation just weeks before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

While bloodshed was narrowly avoided in Salem, the confrontation was the first active resistance by the colonists during the war.

Salem 400+ will host a series of events over the course of the week, including a forum and discussion at the historic Pickering House on Feb. 15, a special speaking program and tours at St. Peter's-San Pedro Episcopal Church on Feb. 22, and the PEM event "Fashion in the Season of Revolution: A Panel Discussion and Revolutionary Reenactor Promenade" from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 22.

This program in the Morse Auditorium begins with curator Petra Slinkard introducing a distinguished panel of experts. Presentations include Paula Bradstreet Richter exploring Abigail Adams' petticoat from PEM's collection, Dr. Kimberly Alexander discussing Revolutionary-era shoe fashion, and Dr. Emily A. Murphy examining dress in living history interpretation. The event culminates with Henry Rutkowski sharing personal insights on reenactment attire, followed by an up-close viewing opportunity with reenactors.

The day culminates with the Revolution Ball at Hamilton Hall from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

On Feb. 23 at Old Town Hall, a special free presentation "In Open Rebellion" will be held from 3 to 5 pm. exploring the tensions in Salem during General Gage's governorship and examining questions about liberty and freedom in colonial America, including the perspective of enslaved Africans in Salem.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)