Celebrate Columbus Day in Portsmouth

Columbus Day, a nationally recognized federal holiday, falls on Monday, Oct. 8 this year. While it is an opportunity for some to sleep in on a Monday, the holiday itself is also interesting, and a great time to celebrate and shop.

Columbus Day remembers Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the “New World." The voyage was victorious when land was first spotted on Oct. 12, 1492.

There are no official Columbus Day events happening in Portsmouth on Monday. City Hall, the Portsmouth Public Library and the Connie Bean Recreation Center will be closed along with Portsmouth schools. The Spinnaker Point Recreation Center will have normal hours. State offices and federal offices, such as the U.S. Post Office, will also be closed.

For those who crave some acknowledgement of the discovery of America, but don't believe Columbus was the first explorer to find it, there is always the Leif Ericson Parade in Durham. This year's parade will be held on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the claim that the Viking explorer was the first European to discover North America.

For many others, Columbus Day Weekend is all about leaf-peeping and taking a drive up to the White Mountains to view New Hampshire's fall splendor. Just two hours from Portsmouth, drives along the Kancamagus Highway, Crawford Notch State Park and Franconia Notch State Park yield breathtaking vistas. The New Hampshire Office of Travel and Tourism's web site has a complete listing of all of the fall harvest and fall foliage related events happening this weekend.

The day is also considered a celebration of Italian heritage, as well as a huge shopping day in the U.S. 

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is responsible for making the holiday a federal one in 1937.

What is closed on Columbus Day? Most banks, government offices and the U.S. Postal Service will be closed to observe the holiday.

Tell us: What are your plans for Columbus Day? Shopping? Relaxation? Celebration?