REVERE — It may have been a day late, but there was plenty to celebrate at Revere Beach Tuesday night.
Revere Beach marked its 125th anniversary as the first public beach in the United States with a fireworks celebration that was attended by city and state officials including Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Brian Arrigo.
The festivities had to be postponed a day due to rain on Monday.
On the spot’s 125th birthday, Arrigo, who grew up in the Oak Island neighborhood and as a kid was always hanging out at the beach, reflected on its continued role in the city.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” said Arrigo, who described the beach as the heart and soul of the city. “Revere Beach for 125 years has been the home to families, to folks that are enjoying themselves and enjoying recreation; we want to continue that for another 125 years.”
Even though it was an overcast day, the beach boulevard was packed with people ready to celebrate. There were games to be played and residents were able to take in a live music performance on the boulevard.
A COVID-19 vaccination station was also present at the event. As soon as 7 p.m. hit, a line was already taking shape at the “Community Care Van.” Revere’s Board of Health said that it wanted to advise residents to remain vigilant about COVID-19 and urged those who haven’t been vaccinated to do so at the event.
Baker used his remarks at Tuesday’s event to make a special announcement on how the nation’s first public beach will be honored in future years. Moving forward, July 13 will be Revere Beach Day in Massachusetts, he said.
Baker pointed out that it’s hard to comprehend just how much it means to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the beach.
“In some respects, this is an extraordinary landmark, an extraordinary milestone and a big statement about many generations of those who have lived, grown up and worked in Revere and made sure that this jewel along the Atlantic Ocean and the East Coast would stay a jewel for over a century,” said Baker.
