MA250

Patriot Vigil (Minute Man NHP)
2025-04-17 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Minute Man National Historical Park, 74 Liberty Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
As darkness descends upon the North Bridge battlefield we invite you to come and reflect on the events of April 19, 1775 and the meaning of liberty. The evening ceremony will feature a lantern-light procession, poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on that “ever-memorable” 19th of April.
Ceremony 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm
Luminaria 7:30 pm- 9:00 pm
The path from the North Bridge Visitor Center to the North Bridge will be lighted with 122 luminaries to honor those who lost their lives in the battle.
Lantern light procession* starts at North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty St, Concord, MA
*To participate in the lantern-light procession, please provide your own REAL candle lantern. The procession will begin at North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty Street, Concord Ma. From there we will march down the quarter-mile path to the North Bridge where the ceremony will take place. Participants are welcome to wear 18th century clothing if they choose, but please do not bring muskets.
Parking:
North Bridge Visitor Center: 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
North Bridge Parking Lot: 280 Monument Street, Concord, MA
This event is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park

Concord250: One-Day Choir with Kenter Davies at the Armory
2025-04-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Concord Armory, Everett Street 91, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
Join friends and neighbors in this one of a kind collective choral event! Led and arranged by beloved NYC music leader Kenter Davies (who grew up in Sudbury!), we’ll explore harmony, free our voices, and build community through the song “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. There’s no auditions, no experience necessary, and no seeking of perfection, We’ll just be making music for music-making’s sake!
A timeless classic about the beauty of the natural world and the kindness we can afford one another as humans, “What a Wonderful World” feels more important than ever to sing. We’ll explore a choral arrangement of the tune featuring lush, jazzy harmonies.
During our time together we will:
○ Play singing games to activate our voices, bodies, and connection to one another
○ Work through the song section by section, infusing some musicality as we go
○ Discuss the lyrics of the song and what meaning we can find in it
○ Sing through the song a bunch and explore the different journeys it may take us on!
A week prior to the event, you’ll receive the sheet music and vocal demos arrangement of the song to use as a resource. You don’t have to be able to read sheet music, you can absolutely learn by ear! We encourage folks to arrive familiar with the arrangement, but there’s no pressure to learn everything in advance. We’ll fill in the gaps for one another as we explore and play along the way!
Wright Tavern Sing is a program sponsored by the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust. We bring communal music events to Concord that are accessible, joyful, and bring a sense of belonging and connection to the greater village. For more information, go to www.wrighttavern.org/sing.
Kenter Davies is a vocal arranger, music educator, and choral facilitator based in Brooklyn, New York. He dedicates his work to creating spaces where people can engage with music free from the pressure of perfection, but full of complexity and joy. He highlights the journey over the destination and firmly believes in making music for music-making’s sake.
Kenter facilitates One Day Choirs and other music events with the NYC-based creative community, Gaia Music Collective. He has led One-Day Choirs all across the country, celebrating the magic that diversity brings to group song.
GET YOUR TICKETS $10-$25
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Awards Ceremony (VO250)
2025-04-17 18:30 - 22:00 | Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, 02420, United States
Awards Ceremony and Kickoff for VO250 Program.
Awards Ceremony in place of the usual Saturday morning, typically held on the Battle Green.

Eve of the American Revolution, April 1775: What were they thinking?
2025-04-17 18:30 - 19:30 | Goodnow Library, Concord Road 21, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776, United States
Continuing our celebration of Patriot’s Week, join Goodnow Library and Sudbury250 for an in-person event, interactive event as we dive into what the last few hours would have looked like before America changed forever.
Pete Abair, local author of the historical fiction, Each Hath a Hand: A Rebellion at Dawn, 1775, will discuss the varying perceptions and motivations of key participants in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, 250 years ago. As they slept the night before, few in Massachusetts would have imagined the outbreak of war the next day. For the British Regulars who marched out from Boston to the town militiamen who gathered on Lexington Green and at the North Bridge in Concord, there was nothing certain about the day ahead of them. It is a story of sympathetic characters on both sides and a tumultuous beginning for a new nation’s rise.

Governor Bellingham Cary House Museum Open House and Historical Talk
2025-04-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Governor Bellingham-Cary House Museum, 34 Parker St, Chelsea, MA, 02150, United States
Chelsea artist Max Pro explores personal and cultural ties between Chelsea and the Caribbean in a compelling presentation on the history of Cuba. The Cary family, whose historic home serves as the backdrop for this event, lived in Chelsea while also overseeing plantations in Grenada and other Caribbean islands. Their story is intertwined with the contradictions of colonial trade and enslavement within the aspirations for freedom and prosperity that shaped the American dream. This talk highlights contemporary immigrant experiences between these two regions.
About Max Pro
Max Corona, also known as Max Pro, was born and raised in Chelsea, where his family has deep roots, with his grandparents having migrated from Cuba. Max’s artistic journey began at the age of four when he first watched his mother draw a flower. From there, his art continued to grow, and his creative journey expanded. An avid member of Chelsea’s community, Max has contributed several public art pieces around the city. After spending 15 years in the healthcare industry, he discovered peace, solitude, and therapy through his art.
Max’s artwork incorporates a wide range of materials, including recycled items, and is inspired by colors that evoke memories of nature, aiming to spark meaningful conversations. His love for comic books and time travel has greatly influenced his creativity.
About the House
This building and the acreage surrounding the Governor Bellingham Cary House have been witness to over 350 years of American history. From the beginning of European settlement in the early 17th century, when it was a bountiful place full of natural resources to the 21st century, bustling city that now exists, it has evolved and survived.
The Cary family and their extended household lived here from the 1760s until the beginning of the 20th century. Their home, known lovingly as “the Retreat”, was a bucolic oasis remembered fondly by both family and friends alike. At the start of America’s War of Independence, and most notably during the Siege of Boston from April 19, 1775, to March 17, 1776, the property was used by the newly formed Continental Army as they assisted refugees escaping Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry, engaged in surveillance of British ships, and defended Chelsea during a pivotal moment in the Revolution.

Reading Frederick Douglass Together at the Norton Public Library
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Norton Public Library, East Main Street 68, Norton, Massachusetts, 02766, United States
Frederick Douglass – who was born into slavery in Maryland’s tobacco fields and liberated himself at the age of 20 – was a legendary Massachusetts resident. We’re celebrating the famous abolitionist and stirring orator who drew crowds of thousands of listeners worldwide. JOIN US as we take turns reading aloud his blistering 1852 speech to the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.”
Still bearing the physical scars of bondage – Douglass’s existence and his first-person account of the daily cruelty and violence perpetrated by enslavers who were also Christian men and upstanding citizens made it impossible for many to continue to turn a blind eye to slavery’s horrors.
The Anti-Slavery Society at the Corinthian Hall invited him to give a feel-good speech about progress and Douglass instead delivered a uniquely American call to justice, entrusting them with the unsparing truth he spent his lifetime overcoming and studying slavery was an abomination and all people had a moral call to join in ending it.
Douglass’s clarity and bravery ring through the years, echoing in this speech, that begins with admitting he was never so nervous to give a speech as he was on that day – which is surprising as Douglass had already both named the plantation he was enslaved on and the man who enslaved him, even though these admissions further endangered his physical safety and hard-won freedom.
The life and works of Frederick Douglass continues to shape our understanding of America. Douglass forces us to reckon with the legacy of slavery and the promises of democracy. To quote Douglass: “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the future.”
Presented by the Norton Cultural Council and Mass Humanities, join us at the Norton Public Library Thursday, April 17th at 5:30 PM to raise our voices and read this amazing piece of history. Questions, email nortonmacc@gmail.com or sign up to be a reader.

Patriots' Day Community Sing-along and Flash Mob Performances
2025-04-17 17:30 - 18:10 | Depot Square, Depot Square, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Come join this fun Lex250 community sing-along of our very own Lexington Patriots’ Day song, to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy! Musicians from our Lexington High School orchestra, band, and choir, together with elementary and middle school musicians will lead the crowd sing-along outside Cary Hall, at 6pm. Come earlier to watch flash mob performances from 5:30 p.m.

♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Stow Council On Aging, Great Road 509, Stow, MA, 01775, United States
Musical Ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll (aka Paul Revere) is a Massachusetts Certified Teacher with decades of teaching experience. The Paul Revere & Friends™ INTERACTIVE performance is in full compliance with the goals of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework [3.T6]. The INTERACTIVE learning experience includes “the beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (April 1775) … and the roles of Revolutionary leaders such as Paul Revere…”

♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | 509 Great Road, Stow, MA 01775, Great Road 509, Stow, MA, 01775, United States
Paul Revere is coming to the Stow Recreation Center… no, not really. Kevin Driscoll and his ventriloquist puppets become ♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™ for the 1:00 PM 4/17/25 family friendly FUN at the Stow Recreation Center.

Ken Burns | The American Revolution
2025-04-17 12:00 - 13:30 | Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, 02420, United States
Filmmaker Ken Burns to Share Early Look at His New Documentary “The American Revolution” in Lexington and Concord

Filmmaker Ken Burns to Share Early Look at His New Documentary “The American Revolution” in Lexington and Concord
The Lex250 Commission and the Concord250 Executive Committee today announced that documentarian Ken Burns will visit Lexington and Concord on April 17 to discuss his new film, “The American Revolution,” timed to the start of the War of Independence on April 19, 1775.
Burns, who will be joined by co-directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, along with historian Rick Atkinson, author of “The British Are Coming,” will participate in two events with panel discussions that day: one from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington and another from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord.
To find out more, visit Lex250.org.

The American Revolution: An Evening with Ken Burns Presented by the BSO & GBH
2025-04-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Symphony Hall, Massachusetts Avenue 301, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join Ken Burns, GBH, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, on April 16, 2025 at 7:30pm at Symphony Hall to preview his new film, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. The event will feature musical performances, selections from the documentary, and a behind-the-scenes conversation with Burns, his co-director Sarah Botstein, and three historians featured in the film: Vincent Brown, Philip Deloria and Maya Jasanoff. The music, curated by Grammy Award-winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman, will be performed by Gandelsman and Grammy Award-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens along with other instrumentalists, drawing on the soundtrack for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION and the historical backdrop of key moments and themes depicted in the series. The six-part, 12-hour documentary series, directed by Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, premieres on November 16, 2025 on GBH and explores the country’s founding struggle and its eight-year War for Independence. This event is currently SOLD Out.

Remembrance of April 19, 1775 - A Celebration of the Acton Minutemen
2025-04-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Discovery Museum, Main Street 177, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Event starts at 6 PM until 8:30 PM at the Discovery Museum, Acton.
Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank and the Discovery Museum. A 21+ event celebrating Acton’s Minute Men. Featuring light apps and Acton 250 Committee’s Isaac Davis Brown Ale in collaboration with Dirigible Brewing Company, Littleton, MA.
6:45 Presentation 1, on Upper Floor: The Acton Minute Men Story, The Davis Minute Company on April 19, 1775
7:45 Presentation 1, on Upper Floor: Minute Men Muskets and Clothing, Boy Scout Line of March History

Remembrance of April 19th 1775: A Celebration of the Acton Minute Men
2025-04-16 18:00 - 20:30 | Discovery Museum, Main Street 177, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Join the Acton 250 Committee for this 21+ after-hours event celebrating the Acton Minutemen! We will be featuring the Acton 250 Isaac Davis Brown Ale from Dirigible Brewing, food and more! FREE ADMISSION! Acton 250 Merchandise will also be available for purchase. Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank with support from the Discovery Museum.
For more Acton 250 information visit https://www.actonma.gov/250.

♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™
2025-04-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Billerica Council On Aging, Concord Road 25, Billerica, MA, 01821, United States
Musical Ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll (aka Paul Revere) is a Massachusetts Certified Teacher with decades of teaching experience. The Paul Revere & Friends™ INTERACTIVE performance is in full compliance with the goals of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework [3.T6]. The INTERACTIVE learning experience includes “the beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (April 1775) … and the roles of Revolutionary leaders such as Paul Revere…”
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Billerica Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a State agency.

Lanterns & Luminaries with Ken Burns
2025-04-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Old North Church, Salem Street 193, Boston, MA, 02113, United States
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the “two if by sea” lantern signal, Lanterns & Luminaries 2025 will be a unique event filled with commemoration, inspiration, and celebration. Filmmaker Ken Burns will accept the Third Lantern Award, which is presented annually to an individual who embodies the values symbolized in Old North Church’s iconic signal lanterns: leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship.
With Ken’s much-anticipated film, “The American Revolution,” scheduled to air on PBS in the fall of 2025, we cannot think of a better person to honor with the Third Lantern Award in this anniversary year. Ken’s documentaries and approach to filmmaking have been an inspiration as we bring the past to life for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. His films demonstrate time and again that recounting history is not simply a retelling of events and facts — it is finding the human story, the universal experiences that allow us to put ourselves in the shoes of those who lived decades or centuries ago. His masterful storytelling and willingness to face America’s complexity and contradictions head-on have been the platonic ideal we strive for in our interpretation of Old North’s three centuries of history.
For questions about our sponsorship opportunities, which range from $2,500 to $50,000, contact Nikki Stewart at nstewart@oldnorth.com.

Reconstructing the Voice of James Stevens: A North Andover Revolutionary
2025-04-15 18:00 - 20:00 | North Andover Historical Society, 800 Massachusetts Ave., North Andover, 01845, United States
Doors open at 6 p.m./Presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Join linguist and NAHS facilities manager, Antoine Trombino-Ponte as he explains his reconstruction of the voice of James Stevens, through James’ diary, which he began on April 19, 1775.
Antoine Trombino-Aponte is the Facilities Manager at the North Andover Historical Society as well as an Educator at the JFK Library, Boston, where he oversees the development & facilitation of K-12 and adult programming. He strives to develop museum programs that connect local history to a variety of extra-disciplinary topics including linguistics, literature, pop culture, and more. As a graduate of Bridgewater State University with a B.A. in English and a minor in History, with a focus in English historical linguistics, Antoine’s academic interests range from archaic language texts & translation, and folk myth & culture, to rhetorical & creative composition, and music & poetry. Coupled with a background in historical crafts & reenactment, Antoine has fostered a commitment to bringing an all-inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to museum education.

British Landing Site & Pub Trivia
2025-04-14 18:00 - 23:30 | Centanni Park and Lamplighter CX, North First Street 110, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02141, United States
Learn about the landing site of the British regulars on the night of April 18, 1775, and then gather at Lamplighter CX for a fun evening of pub trivia with a focus on the American Revolution.
Visit the landing site of the British troops in East Cambridge, then raise a pint at LamplighterCX to celebrate the Revolutionary ideas on which our country was founded. Test your knowledge of Revolutionary history with King Trivia!
A historic night of Pub Trivia. Patriots and Loyalists welcome.
6 p.m., Meet at Centanni Way near Second St., East Cambridge, MA 02141
7 p.m. Trivia at LamplighterCX, 110 N. First St. East Cambridge, MA 02141

Concord's Secret History. Premiere Afternoon Screening
2025-04-14 14:30 - 16:30 | umbrella arts center, Stow Street, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
The documentary reveals a long-suppressed secret, set in Concord, Massachusetts — the birthplace of the American Revolution, where the first shots were fired on April 19, 1775. While Concord is often celebrated for its role in the fight for freedom, few are aware of the untold stories that extend beyond its borders. The film also explores hidden narratives from both Medford and Harvard University, offering a richer, more complete picture of the region’s colonial past. The premiere will take place in Concord on April 12, 2025, followed by distribution to over 500 PBS member stations across the United States via PBS+. After the screening, the filmmakers and historians involved in the project will participate in a facilitated talk-back, providing an opportunity for deeper engagement and discussion.

Massachusetts Community Militias
2025-04-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA, 01923, United States
A casual discussion and 20-30 minute film. Presented by Heritage Films.
Typically, the 2nd Monday every month, Noon – 1 p.m.
Tapley Memorial Hall 13 Page Street, Danvers, MA.
Free Admission. Donations appreciated. Bring your lunch!
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.
Danvers Historical Society: 978-777-1666 or E-mail to connect@danvershistory.org

Concord250: Weaving an Address
2025-04-14 09:00 - 2025-06-14 21:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, Stow Street 40, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Exhibition: April 14 – June 14, 2025
Opening Reception April 14, 6 p.m.
The Umbrella Arts Center in historic Concord Center will commemorate the semiquincentennial of the American Revolution and “the shot heard round the world” with an ambitious outdoor/indoor public and gallery art exhibition, Weaving an Address, curated by artist Marla McLeod.
For the first time, Weaving an Address combines The Umbrella’s popular Art Ramble public art installation, on view April 15 through October 7 at Brister’s Hill in nearby Walden Woods, with an indoor exhibition (on view April 14 through June 14) in The Umbrella’s Allie Kussin Gallery. The exhibition features site-specific work by eight prominent Black artists combining sculpture, fiber art, installation and live performance inspired by little-known experiences of historical Black inhabitants of Concord and its Walden Woods.
Featured artists in the exhibition are Sharon Chandler Correnty, Ifé Franklin, Stephen Hamilton, Whitney Harris, Ekua Holmes, Perla Mabel, Marla McLeod, Kimberly Love Radcliffe, and Anthony Peyton Young.
Outdoors, large-scale work will be installed on Brister’s Hill, named for Brister Freeman, an enslaved man who won his freedom by serving in the Revolutionary War and then bought the property and lived there along with other formerly enslaved.Indoors at The Umbrella, inter-related fiber artworks will weave narratives from fragmented pasts to offer a vision of how history shapes the present and influences the future.
Supporting community activities include an opening reception on April 14, monthly curator talks, a processional with artist Ifé Franklin, and participation in the town-wide Revolutionary Concordians Trading Card program.
This exhibition is presented as part of the Concord250 commemoration, in partnership with The Walden Woods Project and The Robbins House, in association with Gather 2025, a month-long exploration and celebration of fiber and textile art in Greater Boston, and with permission of Concord Natural Resources Division.
See https://TheUmbrellaArts.org/Weaving for more information about special engagements, wayfinding, artist bios, and background to the exhibition.

Le Chapître de la Naissance de la Révolution Exclusive Dinner
2025-04-13 18:00 - 21:30 | The Inn at Hastings Park, The Inn at Hastings Park | Town Meeting Bistro, Lexington, 02421, United States
Embark on an exclusive culinary revolution! The Inn at Hastings Park, Boston area’s only Relais & Châteaux property located in historic Lexington, MA, and Executive Chef Alissa Tsukakoshi, in partnership with the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs of Boston a modern eight-course paired menu inspired by Colonial flavors, honoring the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an International Association of Gastronomy with nearly 21,000 members from around the world that brings together foodie enthusiasts who share the same values of quality, fine dining, the encouragement of the culinary arts, and the pleasures of the table. The esteemed group, which rarely opens its dinners to the public, is providing this exclusive opportunity at The Inn at Hastings Park for one night only.
The Inn proudly boasts two Chaîne des Rôtisseurs professional members: Proprietor Maître Hôtelier Trisha Pérez Kennealy and Director of Sales & Marketing Maître de Table Hôtelier Shiobanne Karampekios.
The evening commences with a spirited cocktail reception, serenaded by fife and drum, before unveiling a clandestine (shhh…) 8-course paired menu. In true Chaîne des Rôtisseurs tradition, the gastronomic journey remains a secret until seating. However, guests can anticipate a masterclass in modern New England cuisine, as Executive Chef Alissa Tsukakoshi and her team present a menu brimming with artistry and a few revolutionary twists.
Begins at 6:00 pm. $250.00 per person for Boston Bailliage members (includes taxes/fees) / $275.00 per person non-members (includes taxes/fees). All guests attending must be 21 years of age or older.

50th Anniversary Celebration and Rededication
2025-04-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
The Museum of Our National Heritage opened on April 20, 1975. The museum, now known as the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, was a Bicentennial gift to the nation from the Scottish Rite Freemasons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Join us on Sunday, April 13, 2025, to kick off the museum’s 50th anniversary celebration!
This special event will feature a rededication of the museum as well as the opportunity to see the museum’s two new gallery exhibitions: “Looking Back, Moving Forward: 50 Years of Collecting” and “Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington.” This event launches a year of celebratory anniversary programming, including gallery talks, engaging lectures, and new exhibitions. Come celebrate with us as we begin our next half century!
Admission is free. Please register yourself and any guests in advance. Questions? Contact us at 781-861-6559 or info@srmml.org.

Opening of "Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington"
2025-04-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
This special event will open the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library’s newest gallery exhibition, “Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington.” This exhibition explores how ordinary Lexingtonians protested for their rights and helped fuel the movement for American independence, as well as how the choices made at Lexington in 1775 became an important part of our national story.
This event also launches a year of new programming, including gallery talks and engaging lectures about Revolutionary War topics. More information about the program for the day in the event link.

Barrett Farm Open House & Programs (Minute Man NHP)
2025-04-13 13:00 - 16:00 | Minute Man National Historical Park, 74 Liberty Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
On April 19th, 1775 a contingent of about 120, British Soldiers marched over the North Bridge to Barrett’s farm in search of military arms and supplies. During this open house program explore the interior of this 319 year old home, talk with park staff about military preparations in 1775, and learn the story of Rebeckah Barrett who went toe to toe with the British Soldiers searching her home.
Schedule of Events:
11:00 am- Military Supplies lecture (1 hour)
From cannons to salted fish, Concord became a major hub of military supply in 1775. Over the course of a few months the Barrett farm became a focal point of the logistics of war. Join Historian Joel Bohy for a special 250th anniversary lecture about the collection of Military supplies in Concord before, during, and after April 0f 1775. This lecture will require prior registration. Check back soon for more details
1:00 pm- Barrett Farm Open House
2:00 pm- Join the artillery program (30 Minutes)
See if you have what it takes to be an 18th century artillerist in this non-firing hands-on experience. Join a Park Ranger for an interactive program about 18th century cannons and their use on the battlefield.
4:00 pm- Site Closed
Parking:
Colonel James Barrett House: 448 Barrett’s Mill Road, Concord MA 01742
This event is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park

"Spies Among Us" year long exhibit opening on February 6th 2025
2025-04-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Golden Ball Tavern Museum, Boston Post Road 662, Weston, Massachusetts, 02493, United States
“Spies Among Us” will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House on Sunday, February 9th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The exhibit will recall the story of General Gage’s spies who visited the Tavern in 1775, explore examples of espionage on both sides, and examine the many ways of spying that were used during the American Revolution.
Spycraft played a pivotal role during the American Revolution, with both the Continental Army and British forces using intelligence operations to gain strategic advantages. The Golden Ball Tavern and its proprietor Isaac Jones, played host on a few occasions to British spies sent, by General Thomas Gage, to survey the towns that were scattered around the area from Boston to Worcester. This was just one of the British military’s tactics for keeping the Patriots in line. On the American side, espionage was essential in countering the British military’s superior resources and manpower.
The spycraft of the American Revolution was marked by its ingenuity, the use of civilian networks, and the blending of military and civilian espionage tactics. Though it was often risky and unreliable, intelligence-gathering operations played a critical role in the eventual success of the American cause, allowing the Continental Army to take advantage of British vulnerabilities and ultimately secure victory.
Join us as we introduce our new exhibit and our new Thursday opening hours. The museum will continue to be open every second Sunday of the month for our Second Sunday Open House Tours and will now be open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We look forward to welcoming you!

Westford Rev 250: The Westford Girls Scouts presents; "A Day for Doughnuts, April 19, 1775"
2025-04-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Westford Museum, 2 Boston Rd, Westford MA, Boston Road 2, Westford, MA, 01886, United States
Join us for “A Day for Doughnuts,” a one-act play set on April 19, 1775. This performance captures the last thing Colonel Robinson said before he left that morning: “Have the girls prepare dough knots and send them to the men for lunch.”
Olive Prescott, Lt. Col. John Robinson’s great-granddaughter, recounts the April 19, 1775 events, including her ancestor’s significant role on that celebrated day. In her narrative, Olive combines family memories, town records accounts, and local historians’ reports.
She describes how Huldah, Robinson’s wife, their three daughters, and their servant Anna prepared many doughnuts to feed over 100 men from Westford who were heading to fight in Concord.
Westford History proudly includes accounts of Lt. Col. John Robinson and the brave participation of the Westford Militia Companies in the colonial resistance and revolution on that important day in April 1775. The events at the North Bridge in Concord solidified Lt. Col. John Robinson’s status as a courageous American hero of liberty whose valiant actions contributed to securing our American freedom.
Suggested Donation: $10 per person

Prescott's Ride & The Lincoln Alarm (Minute Man NHP)
2025-04-12 18:00 - 21:00 | Hartwell Tavern, 35 Virginia Road, Lincoln, MA, 01773, United States
“LISTEN my children, and you shall hear. Of the midnight ride of…” Samuel Prescott?
On the evening of April 12, 2025 join National Park Rangers as we commemorate and explore the true story of the famous midnight ride 250 years ago. On April 19th 1775 a midnight alarm spread across Massachusetts about the impending march of British soldiers from Boston to Concord. In 1860, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized the story of Paul Revere and his midnight ride but what about the many other alarm riders that evening?
Contrary to Longfellow’s poem, Revere never made it to Concord. A British patrol captured Revere and others at the boarder of Lexington and Lincoln, Massachusetts near 1:00 am. Riding alongside Paul Revere, Concord local Samuel Prescott made a daring horseback escape and spread the alarm onward. Prescott returned to the main road near Hartwell Tavern, spreading the alarm to Lincoln before riding off to Concord. Join National Park Rangers for a nighttime open house and immersive 250th living history experience at Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
Schedule of Events:
6 PM- Hartwell Tavern Open House
Join Park Rangers and Living Historians and explore the true story of the midnight ride.
8 PM- Immersive Park Ranger Program
Experience the excitement of April 19, 1775, when the midnight alarm swept through Lincoln, Massachusetts.
9 PM- Site closed
Parking:
Hartwell Tavern Parking Lot: 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, Ma.
This event is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park

Walking Tour: Explore Revolutionary Hingham
2025-04-12 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA, 02043, United States
Huzzah! Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the “shot heard ’round the world” with a revolutionary tour. In this 55-minute guided walk, you’ll see surviving homes from the 1700s and discover how ordinary Hinghamites survived the tumultuous years before, during, and after the American Revolution. This tour is perfect for history lovers of all ages!

Start the Press! Celebrating the Newspaper That Sparked a Revolution
2025-04-12 12:00 - 16:00 | American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, 01609, United States
Join the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) for a free community open house commemorating 250 years since Boston printer and patriot Isaiah Thomas brought his printing press and newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy, to Worcester–a move that helped shape the American Revolution. Thomas’s original eighteenth-century press, which he named “no. 1,” is housed at AAS, the national research library of American history he founded in 1812. During the open house, visitors of all ages will be able to view “No. 1” and learn about its remarkable history, as well as try their hand at operating a full size, exact replica of the press. Other activities included guided behind-the-scenes tours showing how AAS stores and preserves its vast collections of original printed materials from before 1900, exploring and touching a variety of early American publications, and more. Complimentary refreshments will be available. All are welcome!
On April 16, 1775, printer Isaiah Thomas smuggled his printing press out of Boston to Worcester so it wouldn’t be seized by the British. Three days later the Battles of Concord and Lexington started the American Revolution. On May 3, 1775, with his press safely in Worcester, Thomas produced the first thing ever printed in the city: his newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy, which included his eye-witness account of the battles. The Spy became known as one of the most important newspapers in the colonies, instrumental in garnering support for the war for independence.
Thomas would later found the American Antiquarian Society, a national research library that collects and makes accessible to all more than four million original printed, handwritten, and visual sources from North America before 1900.
