My Trip to See Come From Away in Gander, Newfoundland

My mother had a big birthday coming up, so I asked her what she wanted. Without skipping a beat, she said, “I want to go to Newfoundland.”

For those unfamiliar, Newfoundland is an island province off the east coast of Canada. There were a few places she specifically wanted to visit, and as I started researching, I saw that Come From Away had a two-month run at the Arts & Culture Center in Gander and I knew that had to be one of our stops. I’d seen the show before but having the opportunity to see it in the city where it’s set was something I couldn’t pass up.

We flew to the Rock (Newfoundland’s affectionate nickname) and drove to Rocky Harbour, within Gros Morne National Park. I’d been to the capital city of St. John’s before, but this was completely different: forests with a blend of coniferous and deciduous trees, roadsides with wildflowers and grasses, and small fishing villages dotting the coast. The views were spectacular.

After a bit of exploring, we went for dinner at a local restaurant. Chatting with the server, we mentioned our plans included seeing Come From Away in Gander. Her eyes lit up and she said she’d seen it a couple of years prior and absolutely loved it. People at the next table chimed in and said they were visiting Newfoundland for the first time and Come From Away was on their itinerary, too.

The next day, on a tour of L’Anse aux Meadows—which features the archeological remains of a Viking encampment built by Norse explores over 1,000 years ago—we met a couple from New Hampshire who shared that they’d seen Come From Away the previous week. I’m starting to sense a theme.

Most of the people we encountered had Come From Away plans. On a boat tour of the glacier-carved Western Brook Pond, one group had just seen it, another had tickets for the weekend. At the Twillingate NWI Dinner Theatre, the couple we were seated with raved about how special it was.

When we got to Gander itself, there was a palpable buzz in the air. Checking into our hotel, a busload of guests arrived from another city for Come From Away. Seeing how the desk agent promptly gathered the required paperwork and keys, and boarded the bus, it was easy to tell that this was a common occurrence.

With a few hours until showtime, we decided to stop by the Gander airport which had an incredible aviation history, even prior to 9/11. Back in the earlier days of air travel, planes flying between the United States and Europe would stop in Gander to re-fuel, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. For a time, with its four runways, Gander’s was the largest airport in the world. The terminal’s mezzanine has an installation featuring photos and artifacts from its storied history, including a piece of girder from the World Trade Center.

Before the performance began, company manager Kayleigh Pike took the stage to share special details about the Gander production. The team reached out to community members connected to Gander on 9/11 and asked if they could send a crocheted “granny square,” which they would stitch together for use as a set piece. Expecting about 100, they received well over 2,000. In addition to the large onstage blanket draped as the backdrop, the squares were displayed throughout the theater.

They introduced a woman who was working at the Gander Airport on September 11 who shared her story about that day and the days following. I figured a few select locals were chosen to speak throughout the run but found out later that a different person addressed the audience before each performance, telling their stories about that day and its impact on them. It was very moving to hear a firsthand account of how those in the town came together to greet and support the almost 7,000 unexpected guests.

The show really seemed to hit differently. The funny parts were funnier, the emotional parts more touching. It was as though the energy from the Ganderites was in the air making me see and hear things more acutely than when I’d seen it the first time. I may be “from away,” but I felt like an Islander that night.

Come From Away in Gander is more than just a musical. The show is not only a boon for the city but provides an economic boost for the whole province. “It’s our bread and butter,” a representative from our hotel told me, mentioning that they welcomed roughly 250 tour groups with 20-50 people per group during the show’s two-month run. Not all are specifically there to see Come From Away, but most are.

With the 25th anniversary of that fateful day coming up in 2026, the town and the show will likely have a special commemoration planned. There is no doubt the kind and friendly people of Gander, and across the province, will be ready to welcome an influx of from aways, all of whom have a newfound interest thanks to this lovely musical.