Great Ways to Celebrate Gatsby’s Centennial
“Can’t repeat the past? . . . Why of course you can!” —Jay Gatsby
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald was on a roll in the early 1920s: he married the love of his life, published his first two books, and then followed those up with the release of The Great Gatsby. The 1925 novel, a snapshot of the high life during the Jazz Age, would prove to be his most enduring and impactful work, regularly appearing on literary, publisher, and popular culture lists of the best American books of all time.
April 10 marks the one hundredth anniversary of The Great Gatsby’s publication, and people all around America and the world are ready to celebrate the momentous occasion with some early twentieth-century vibes. If you’re interested in joining them, you have a myriad of options to choose from throughout the months ahead. There’s so much to do and see, in fact, that you might just understand what the novel’s protagonist, Nick Carraway, means when he says that he’s “simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
Eat, drink, and be merry
Considering the novel’s theme and settings, it seems appropriate to begin with a rundown of where to attend a Gatsby-esque get-together. Here are just a few to mull over—they’re all truly the bee’s knees.
Gatsby (Washington, DC)
A few restaurants out there indulge in a 1920s feel, but this eatery and gin joint in the nation’s capital takes the cake: it goes all out, from its swinging decor to its keen food and drink names. Get a little bougie with a duck, pork, and foie gras version of the classic hot dog (appropriately named Hot Duckity Dog!), or indulge in a glass of Greta’s Punch, a fruity cocktail with a touch of gingery heat.
The Great Gatsby Party (eight locations)
You’ll have a rip-roaring time at one of these parties held throughout the year and across North America. Here you can celebrate the era big time with high-class food, a drink menu fit for a speakeasy, entertainment such as live music, aerialists, and stilt walkers, and guys and dolls galore dressed in three-piece suits and flapper fashion.
Great Gatsby Festival (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
Speaking of garb, this style-focused early-August festival at the Tallac Historic Site has been feting the novel for almost four decades. Between its tea, live jazz performances, lawn games like sack races, and vintage fashion show, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to the twenties for a weekend. You might even see a Model T!
Live the novel
If you aren’t the partying type, there’s always savoring the work itself. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in transforming Fitzgerald’s book into various forms of entertainment, which will surely make for a copacetic evening.
On Broadway (New York, NY)
A hit musical, The Great Gatsby, starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, started bringing its take on Fitzgerald’s tale to life in 2024. Be sure to get your tickets early for a lively, exhilarating performance you won’t soon forget.
At home
Unsurprisingly, the novel has become an audiobook favorite with several narrations available, including one by actor Jake Gyllenhaal. To further get into the centennial spirit, you could also watch the 2013 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio or an older version with Paul Rudd (2000) or Robert Redford (1974).
Live its history
Are you more interested in getting to know the man behind the novel? Dash off to places where he lived and gained inspiration to write his seminal novel.
The F. Scott Fitzgerald House (St. Paul, MN)
Here’s where it all began: the author’s birthplace. Listed as both a National Historic Landmark and a Literary Landmark, this Victorian building is well worth a visit. Nearby, you can also see similar structures in which he and his family lived as well as where he went to school.
The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum (Montgomery, AL)
Visit the house where the couple stayed for a spell in the early thirties, which its current owners dub “the only museum dedicated to the lives and legacies of F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald in the world.” As a registered historic home, it retains much of its original decor; you can even stay in one of two second-floor suites named after each Fitzgerald.
Gatsby’s Gold Coast Mansions (Long Island, NY)
In addition to being locales for Hollywood movies and more, this historical trio of jaw-dropping destinations is thought to be the inspiration for Fitzgerald’s novel. Take your pick or see them all: Sands Point Preserve is the grounds for three century-old mansions, Old Westbury Gardens is a twenty-three-room English manor house set on two hundred acres, and historic Oheka Castle, a French-style château located on the highest point of Long Island, offers unmatched luxury accommodations in addition to tours.
With Great Gatsby celebrations popping up across the country this year, consider visiting one of these swell places to get a taste of the roaring twenties—or see if anything local is happening in your area to celebrate the occasion. Even better, take some time to curl up with the novel to discover (or rediscover) what all the fuss is about and be taken back to American high society as it was a century ago.