Latest Stories, Events, Activities, Camps & Recipes

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts

Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique.

Location: Appleton Farms

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Rockport Farmers' Market

The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday at Rockport Music in Downtown Rockport!

The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.

Location: Harvey Park - Rockport

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Creature of the Week at Maritime Gloucester

Come to Maritime Gloucester for a Creature of the Week Session on Cape Ann Massachusetts! Photo ©Bill O'Connor

Every week, we will highlight a different ocean animal that lives in our aquarium and can be found in and around Gloucester. Learn some interesting fun facts about the creature as you get up and close and personal through a meet and greet and a take-home craft. For kids aged 4-8.

Location: Maritime Gloucester

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Jan's Pitch for Breast Cancer and the Arts

Come to a vintage baseball match that raises funds for breast cancer research at Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury

Join the Essex Base Ball Organization in supporting Jan’s Pitch for Breast Cancer and the Arts to raise money for cancer research and to fund art education in inner city schools in Lawrence, Mass. Games feature teams from all over New England playing 1860s base ball.

Location: Spencer Peirce Little Farm

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Vintage BaseBall at Spencer-Peirce Little Farm

Come see how baseball used to be played at Spencer Pierce Little Farm. Photo: Matthew Muise Photography

It’s Base Ball, 1864 style at Spencer Peirce Little Farm! These fun, historically accurate games feature underhand pitching and no gloves are allowed. A ball bounced once and caught is an out! Snacks, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase. Come and see for yourself how this game was played in the 1860's. The teams playing represent actual teams that played in New England during the 19th Century!

Location: Spencer Peirce Little Farm

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Open House at the Amesbury Carriage Museum

Open House at the Amesbury Carriage Museum Massachusetts - a Trails and Sails Event

Join the Amesbury Carriage Museum & Industrial History Center for a family-friendly open house about all things automobiles! Amesbury, known as “carriage town,” also had a thriving early automobile industry. Makers including Pontiac, Durant, General Motors, Cadillac, Rolls Royce, and more chose Amesbury carriage makers to build their first automobile bodies. Come learn about this hidden history of Amesbury and see vintage and antique vehicles and artifacts from the early automotive era on display.

Location: Amesbury Carriage Museum

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Farmers Markets on the North Shore

You'll find locally grown food and much more at farmers markets on the North Shore, north of Boston Massachusetts.

The North Shore of Massachusetts, renowned for its fertile soil, is home to farms that produce an abundance of fresh, delicious foods. These can be purchased directly from the farms or at the local farmer's markets, where the experience is more than just shopping—it's about community. On a sunny Saturday morning, families can explore these vibrant markets, filled with colorful produce, homemade jams, fresh bread, and artisanal crafts.

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Castle Hill Picnic Concert - Soul City

Soul City will perform at the Trustees of Reservations' Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts. You will dance. Resistance is futile.

Looking for a fun family outing on the North Shore of Massachusetts? Don't miss the Thursday Night Picnic Concerts at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich! These concerts offer a perfect opportunity to enjoy quality time with your loved ones in a beautiful and exclusive setting on the North Shore. Pack a picnic dinner, bring your kids, and get ready to dance the night away under the stars on the Grand Allée. While you're there, explore the stunning landscaped grounds and have fun with the family-friendly "Eye Spy" game. It's an evening filled with music, laughter, and unforgettable memories for the whole family! Advance ticket reservations are recommended but not required.

Location: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

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Carriagetown Car Show

Hundred of Classic Cars will be at the Carriagetown Car Show in downtown Amesbury Massachusetts, a Trails and Sails Event

Come to Downtown Amesbury to look at hundreds of collector cars. All the downtown streets will be closed to regular traffic while the Hot Rods, muscle cars and antique vehicles take over the streets. Special interest vehicles will be displayed on the Bullnose along with other interesting vehicle history. All are welcome, Families encouraged. Rain date: 9.24.2023

Location: Downtown Amesbury

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Powow Scenic Vista Hike

Take a Trails & Sails hike to the top of Powow Hill in Amesbury Massachusetts!

Come join the Lake Gardener Improvement Association for a guided up Powow Hill. We will hike to the top of Powow Hill, the highest point on the Essex County seacoast! Hike through hundreds of acres of unspoiled greenspace to reach the summit vista, from which you can see three states and the Atlantic! The approximately hour-long hike will bring you from the beach at Lake Gardner to the summit. And the summit is within easy walking distance of the restaurants, brewpubs, and shops of downtown Amesbury!

Location: Lake Gardner

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A Landmark Summer Experience at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts prepare students for success in the fall and beyond.

Today's Events
Upcoming Events

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay | Thread

Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the 25th Annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay Exhibit September 8-29 featuring 50 site specific sculptures by local artists addressing this year’s theme, ‘Thread' within the magnificence of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Look for the large green trail head...

Where: Maudslay State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Trails & Sails

Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in...

7:00 am to 10:00 pm

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The Lady of Salem: Maritime Art

Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative...

Where: Destination Salem Visitors Center, Where: Downtown Salem

8:00 am to 10:00 pm

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Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School hosts the 15th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree . The exhibit will open in early September with more than 50 temporary works on display in addition to the 20 pieces in the permanent collection of Pingree School. The exhibit ...

Where: Pingree School

8:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Self-Guided Tour of the Patton Homestead

Visitors are invited to engage in a self-guided audio tour created by the Wenham Museum for the Patton Family Archive and Town of Hamilton. Participants may come to the property at their leisure. A kiosk housing the QR code, and start of the tour, is located in the lower, gravel parking lot;...

Where: Patton Homestead

8:30 am to 5:00 pm

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Rockport Farmers' Market

The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.

Where: Harvey Park - Rockport

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

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Haverhill Farmers' Market

The vibrant, colorful Haverhill Farmers Market is where local farmers and food producers meet to sell directly to the community. Established in 1978, the Haverhill Farmers Market mission is to provide access to farm-fresh products and promote local agriculture, as well as serve as a social...

Where: Haverhill Farmers' Market

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

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Andover Farmers' Market

The Andover Farmers Market is a vibrant hub connecting local farmers, artisans and the community through the joy of local food. Whether you come for carrots or conversation, it is a place to nourish the body, mind and spirit.

Where: South Church in Andover

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

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Marblehead Farmers' Market

The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...

Where: Marblehead Farmers' Market

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Visit the Saugus Iron Works Museum

Learn about the history of iron making at the Saugus Iron Works Museum. Exhibits include artifacts excavated during the archaeological dig performed on-site in the 1940s-1950s.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

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Music Together - Saturday

Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...

Where: Grace Episcopal Church in Salem

9:15 am to 11:15 am

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Second Saturday at Lynn Museum

Join the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us the second Saturday of each month from 10 am – 2 pm for free admission to the Museum! View our latest exhibitions, grab a take-home art kit for the family, enjoy special activities, and purchase one-of-a-kind Lynn merchandise...

Where: Lynn Museum and Historical Society

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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Shipyard Open House

Essex Shipbuilding Museum invites families to enjoy complimentary admission to the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum and explore the Shipyard!

Where: Essex Shipbuilding Museum

10:00 am to 3:00 pm

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Endicott Park Truck Day

This family fun event features hands-on opportunities for childrento explore, climb and touch trucks, emergency vehicles, heavy machinery, farm equipment and more! This is one of the largest toucha truck events in New England, with over 100 vehicles on display.

Where: Endicott Park

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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Visit the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum

Discover Manchester-by-the-Sea’s history, architecture & art through our exhibits, tours & collections.

Where: Manchester Historical Museum

10:00 am to 3:00 pm

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Farmstead Cheese Tour

Visit Valley View Farm to learn about Essex County's largest farmstead goat cheese maker. See nubian goat herd, learn about cheesemaking, see the cheese cave and sample cheeses. Cheese and farm products available to purchase.

Where: Valley View Farm

10:00 am to 1:00 pm

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Beverly Airshow 2024

Families are invited to the Beverly Regional Airport for a weekend of fun! Come for an action-packed day featuring six amazing live performers, remote control aircraft displays, and static and military aircraft exhibits. Watch skydivers at noon and enjoy a variety of food trucks on site. Take a...

Where: Beverly Airport

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

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CoastSweep Cleanup at Collins Cove Beach

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, Salem Sound Coastwatch encourages volunteers to come to Collins Cove Beach to help in the statewide effort to keep the Massachusetts coastline clean. COASTSWEEP is the annual statewide cleanup of Massachusetts coastal and riverine environments. Over more than...

Where: Collins Cove Beach

10:00 am

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Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...

Where: Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham

10:00 am to 10:45 am

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Second Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

The Museum is free all day for Cape Ann residents* on the second Saturday of every month in 2021! The second Saturday of every month is free for Cape Ann families. Pre-registration and timed tickets are required.

Where: Cape Ann Museum

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.

Where: Halibut Point State Park

11:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Farm-Forest-Ice Cream Hike

Come to Marini Farm for a group hike through the forest to White Farms for an optional ice cream. The group will hike the same route back. Approximately two hours.

Where: Marini Farm

11:00 am to 1:30 pm

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Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

11:00 am

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Long Hill Garden Tours

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants it’s most known for. In addition to learning about what plants are in bloom as well as the rare and unique species in our collection, you...

Where: Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

11:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Essex Hertiage invites you to learn the true causes and events behind the Salem Witch Trials in our documentary film, then discover the myths during our walking tour. The Salem Witch Trials happened over 300 years ago, and it has been dramatized in books, documentaries, movies, and even TV shows....

Where: Downtown Salem

11:45 am to 3:00 pm

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Plumfest 2024

PlumFest is a non-profit volunteer-run organization incorporated as a Charitable Foundation to bring local musicians, island residents and visitors together to showcase the natural beauty and artistry that make Plum Island such a special place. As an early participant in the “porch-fest” movement...

12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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Open House at the Amesbury Carriage Museum

Join the Amesbury Carriage Museum & Industrial History Center for a family-friendly open house about all things automobiles! Amesbury, known as “carriage town,” also had a thriving early automobile industry.

Where: Amesbury Carriage Museum

12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Farm Days Festival

Join us for our Annual Fall Celebration at Appleton – Farm Days! Spend the afternoon exploring the farm, listening to music, enjoying great food & beer, hiking our trails, entertaining the kids and more. Please Note: Tickets are per vehicle, not per person, and include access to the farm and...

Where: Appleton Farms

12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

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Garden Tours at Stevens Coolidge Estate

Enter a world of early 20th-century country elegance and contemporary garden design all in bloom at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens. These expansive manicured gardens boast both plentiful European-inspired flower beds as designed in the 1920s, as well as newly installed gardens featuring...

Where: Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens

12:00 pm

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North Shore Concert Band Maritime Concert

Travel the high seas musically with the North Shore Concert Band (a POPS Concert Band) featuring 25 musician members of the Boston Musician’s Association Local 9-535 AFM. We will be presenting a FREE spectacular concert for ALL AGES “The Sea Around Us” featuring Maritime Music including Sea...

Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Visitor Center

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

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Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Site

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.

Where: Bradley Palmer State Park

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Saugus Iron Works Tours

Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

2:00 pm

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A Spiritual Quest Weekend at Hilldale Cemetery

Do you believe in Ghosts? If you do then join the Essex County Ghost Project and Witches Wonder fort a spooktacular evening of haunts and fun . The gates open at 6:30 pm and hunt starts at 7pm . We are exploring one of New England’s most Haunted historical sites . There have been reports of full...

Where: Hilldale Cemetary

6:30 pm to 10:30 pm

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Star Party with the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club

Come see the night skies through one of our volunteer’s telescopes! In addition to the moon (9/14 only) and Saturn well be showing off an assortment of binary and multi-star systems (imagine having 4 suns in your sky!), nebula, clusters, and galaxies, some of which are millions of light years away...

Where: Battis Farm

7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

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Sunday, September 15

Farm Days Festival

Join us for our Annual Fall Celebration at Appleton – Farm Days! Spend the afternoon exploring the farm, listening to music, enjoying great food & beer, hiking our trails, entertaining the kids and more. Please Note: Tickets are per vehicle, not per person, and include access to the farm and...

Where: Appleton Farms

12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

♦ Read More →

Vintage BaseBall at Spencer-Peirce Little Farm

It’s Base Ball, 1864 style at Spencer Peirce Little Farm! These fun, historically accurate games feature underhand pitching and no gloves are allowed. A ball bounced once and caught is an out! Snacks, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase. Come and see for yourself how this game was...

Where: Spencer Peirce Little Farm

12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

♦ Read More →

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.

Where: Bradley Palmer State Park

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Brocklebank Museum Open House

Visit the Brocklebank Museum, built in the late 1600s, with ties to the abolitionist movement and the famous Beecher family.

Where: Brocklebank Museum

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Where: Salem Maritime National Historic Site

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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Spirit of ’76 & WPA Murals Tours

Did you know the famous painting The Spirit of '76 painting resides at Abbot Hall in Marblehead?

Where: Abbot Hall

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Historic Port of Ipswich Tour

Join local history buff, Scott Jewell, on a walk around the town of Ipswich and learn about the fascinating history of its former bustling port. Once a hub of maritime trade and commerce, the fate of the port was intricately tied to the rise and fall of the town’s 18th century economy, and the...

Where: Downtown Ipswich, Where: Ipswich Museum

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Saugus Iron Works Tours

Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

2:00 pm

♦ Read More →

Monday, September 16

Trails & Sails

Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in...

7:00 am to 10:00 pm

♦ Read More →

Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay | Thread

Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the 25th Annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay Exhibit September 8-29 featuring 50 site specific sculptures by local artists addressing this year’s theme, ‘Thread' within the magnificence of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Look for the large green trail head...

Where: Maudslay State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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