MA250

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum® presents ‘Revelry on Griffin’s Wharf’!
2025-07-02 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Congress Street 306, Boston, Massachusetts, 02210, United States
For One Night Only! The Sons and Daughters of Liberty return for an evening of history, games, merriment, and all things “Boston Tea Party”! The evening concludes with a special waterfront viewing of the Boston Harborfest fireworks from “Griffin’s Wharf” at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Costumed museum interpreters will engage and educate through interaction and activities including knot tying, feather quill writing lessons, colonial games such as Nine Men’s Morris, Road to Boston, and Shut the Box. Guests will have access to 18th-century replica vessels Eleanor and the brig Beaver to throw tea crates into Boston’s historic harbor! Join us in Abigail’s Tea Room to taste the five tea blends that were at the center point of this iconic event. Beer, wine, clam chowder, and an assortment of cookies and scones, along with many other items, will be available for purchase.
Tickets available in-person at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum®: $15 for adults and $10 for children.
Perfect for families!
Boston Harborfest fireworks begin at 9:15pm.

Vineyard Preservation Trust presents: Martha’s Vineyard: A Revolutionary War Refuge Historic Edgartown Walking Tours – Highlighting the Revolutionary War’s Impact on the Island
2025-07-01 10:30 - 2025-09-06 12:30 | Vineyard Preservation Trust, Old Whaling Church, Main Street 89, Edgartown, Massachusetts, 02539, United States
Martha’s Vineyard: A Revolutionary War Refuge
Martha’s Vineyard, known for its whaling heritage and maritime culture, played a unique and often overlooked role in the Revolutionary War. As a fiercely independent community it was both a refuge and a target, caught between British occupation on the mainland and the growing struggle for American independence. Join us for a walking tour of historic downtown Edgartown and discover the lasting impact of this pivotal time through the lens of the Trust’s historic properties. Tours offered seasonally Tuesdays-Saturdays 10:30am, July 1 – September 6. Tour image by Ray Ewing, courtesy of the Vineyard Gazette.
Tour Highlights Include:
The Cooke House (1766): The Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s historic property was home to generations of the Cooke family and the site of Great Harbor’s custom’s house. Learn how Edgartown’s residents’ livelihoods were altered by the conflict and how the infamous Grey’s Raid – the British seizure of nearly 10,000 sheep in 1778–forever altered the course of the island’s history.
The Old Whaling Church & Dr. Daniel Fisher House (Circa. 1840): Discover how the Revolutionary War impacted the whaling industry on the island.
Gen. Benjamin Smith Home/The Vineyard Gazette Building (1760): View the original home of Captain Benjamin Smith, a Patriot militia commander on Martha’s Vineyard. Now housing the Vineyard Gazette, one of the nation’s longest-running independent newspapers, this historic building reflects the island’s Revolutionary past and its ongoing role in public discourse.
The Vincent House (1672): What is a broad or a kingboard? Discover the significance of the Eastern White Pine trunks highly prized by the British Empire for their role in securing naval dominance – and how colonists cleverly hid these boards from British authorities.
And much more!

Burying Ground Tour 3: Sawyer Hill and Newburyport's Road to Revolution
2025-06-29 18:30 - 19:30 | Sawyer Hill Burying Ground, Curzon Mill Road, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950, United States
Join Bethany Groff Dorau for a fascinating journey through history as we explore the Sawyer Hill Burying Ground. Discover the stories of the men and women who played a vital role in the Revolutionary War.
Sawyer Hill Burying Ground has been the final resting place for many of the Newburys’ dearly departed since 1695. The three-acre cemetery’s oldest stone is from 1705 and belongs to Mrs. Hannah Bartlett, grandmother of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Moses Little, hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill, also rests here, along with numerous other men and women who lived through the American Revolution on “the Plains” in the west end of Newbury.
Important: Please wear comfortable shoes and bring water. The tour involves walking on uneven terrain. Meet outside the rest rooms at the Maudslay State Park parking lot (parking fee).
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Forty Acres & The American Revolution; Stories of Independence & Servitude
2025-06-29 14:00 - 16:00 | The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, River Drive 130, Hadley, MA, 01035, United States
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum presents Forty Acres & The American Revolution; Stories of Independence & Servitude, a public talk with three leading scholars: Friederike Baer, a historian of 18th-century Hessian soldiers, Marge Bruchac, a scholar of local Indigenous histories, and Charmaine Nelson, director of the Slavery North project at the University of Massachusetts. Together, these scholars expand the narrative of the American Revolution and the many folks who lived and worked at Forty Acres during the Revolutionary Era, including enslaved, indentured and free persons. The talks will be held in the Museum’s Corn Barn on Sunday, June 29th at 2 pm. The program is free and open to the public.
The accompanying exhibit, Forty Acres & The American Revolution; Stories of Independence & Servitude, commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American revolution by sharing new research on the lives and labor rooted in Hadley through the Revolutionary Era. This exhibit connects those that were enslaved or indentured at Forty Acres to Fort Ticonderoga, the Green Mountain Boys, the Scottish Highlands, Prussia and beyond, widening our view of the Revolutionary battlefield. The exhibit is free, and open to the public Saturday to Wednesday 1pm-4pm through October 2025.

Trumpeters of Sedition: How the Printing Press created a Revolution
2025-06-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Museum of Printing, 15 Thornton Ave, Haverhill, MA, 01832, United States
Gary Gregory, proprietor of the Printing Office of Edes & Gill, will talk about the role of the printing press in the American Revolution. Printed pamphlets, broadsides, and newspapers energized the revolution, and it was the printing press that produced the Declaration of Independence. Gary will use his replica of an English Common Press, a wooden hand-press that now resides at the Museum of Printing, to demonstrate the technology in use at the time of the American Revolution.
“This event is funded in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) through the Massachusetts 250 Grant Program. This program supports the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution through programs that highlight historic themes of revolution and independence, celebrate significant ‘firsts’ in Massachusetts and commemorate the state’s past 250 years.”

Gallery Tour, "Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington"
2025-06-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
After years of tension between Great Britain and its North American colonies, the events of April 19, 1775 broke long-held bonds and ignited the American Revolutionary War. In an unprecedented moment, ordinary people in Lexington made extraordinary choices. An entire community—women, men, black, white, young, old, enslaved, and free—helped spark a revolution.
Today, 250 years later, Americans continue to remember April 19th as a moment when everyday people shaped history. Join museum staff for a guided tour of “Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington.” The exhibition explores the events of April 19th with images, objects, and an in-depth look at this watershed event and how it has been remembered.

Newburyport’s Road to Revolution Parade
2025-06-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Newburyport City Hall, Pleasant Street 60, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950, United States
10 AM Downtown Newburyport

Militia Encampment to Re-enact Revolutionary Way Activities in Dartmouth, MA
2025-06-28 - 2025-06-29
Living History Comes Alive on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the “Akin Farmstead” at 762 Dartmouth Street in Dartmouth, MA. This two-day event sponsored by the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust, Inc. (DHPT) will include a militia encampment on site to re-enact Revolutionary War activities in old Dartmouth. Additionally, DHPT’s popular seasonal event, “Never Idle Hands–Living in Early America,” will be held on Sunday, June 29, and will include new and returning participants who will be on hand to showcase: 18th century cookery; demonstrations of early woodworking techniques using antique tools and other artisanal craftmaking; participate in an archaeological dig on site and view archaeological finds from the property; learn about apple cultivation in the 1700s. Opportunities to engage with Revolutionary era re-enactors. Tour the 1762 Akin House and learn about the Akin families’ contributions to the War of Independence; music by the Buzzards Bay Buccaneers, and more. Children are welcome to play games as the young ones did during this period in history.
Stop by during the course of these two days! Free and open to all!
We cannot make this event possible without the generosity of the participants and reenactors who bring you living history at the Akin House. We thank them all!
This event also sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Stay tuned for updates!

Recalling the Revolution in New England - Dublin Seminar 2025
2025-06-27 - 2025-06-28 | historic deerfield, 84B Old Main Street, Deerfield, Massachusetts, 01342, United States
Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife: Recalling the Revolution in New England
June 27 – June 28 at Historic Deerfield (in Deerfield, MA) and on Zoom
The Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife’s 2025 gathering, Recalling the Revolution in New England, will be held June 27–28 at Historic Deerfield. The conference keynote will be provided by Dr. Zara Anishanslin of the University of Delaware, author of the forthcoming book The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists who Championed the American Revolution. Learn about the broad range of ways the people of New England have looked back on the nation’s founding —and what they forgot, or chose to forget, in the process. We will explore how the peoples of the region have commemorated, memorialized, documented, invoked, fictionalized, and even forgotten the American Revolution through the Bicentennial period.

Untold Stories of Women’s Suffrage
2025-06-26 19:00 - 21:30 | Arlington Friends of the Drama Theatre, Academy Street 22, Arlington, Massachusetts, 02476, United States
The 250th anniversary of men gaining a voice in their governance and securing the right to vote is well celebrated — yet needs its companion story of the women’s fight for these very same rights! This Thursday, come see an inspiring choral performance and film portraying the history of women’s suffrage, co-sponsored by the Arlington Friends of the Drama, Cantilena Women’s Voices and the League of Women Voters of Arlington.
The evening begins with How Long Must We Wait, a documentary film by Jaclyn O’Laughlin about the arduous 72-year battle that women fought to achieve the right to vote in the United States, which culminated the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920.
In the second half of the evening, the voices of suffragists come to life in the production of Lifting as We Climb, a work composed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this constitutional amendment. Eight guest readers narrate the history of the fight for equality, voicing the words and ideas of many of the activists of the movement, interspersed with a moving choral accompaniment provided by Cantilena, Women’s Voices and members of Voices Rising. It reveals the hidden struggles and contributions made by African American women, reminding us that that there is still much work left to be done in the fight for women’s equal rights and for democracy.
An informal talk back and reception follow the program. Reserve your ticket ahead of time by going to afdtheater.org The event is free; donations are welcome. It will be broadcast live by ACMi. For questions and details, contact: info@afdtheater.org

Innovation Trail - Cambridge's First Walking Tour
2025-06-26 17:00 - 18:30 | 50 Broadway, Cambridge, 50 Broadway, Cambridge, 02142, United States
Join us on Thursday, June 26th at 5 PM for a special post-work tour of The Innovation Trail, supported by the City of Cambridge and MA 250.
Cambridge’s Kendall Square area has long been a hub of innovation, decades before the Massachusetts Institute of Technology moved there in 1916, and centuries before the square became a center of biotechnology research and software development. Join Michael Kuchta and Karen Weintraub, Cambridge residents and the co-authors of Born in Cambridge: 400 Years of Ideas and Innovators, on a walking tour of Kendall Square.
Learn about such Cambridge innovations as the sewing machine, the yellow highlighter marker, the first long distance telephone call, and Polaroid’s instant photography. You’ll hear stories about the Human Genome project, the Apollo Guidance Computer, mRNA-based vaccines and the Cambridge innovators who brought them into being. Come explore the lesser-known history of Kendall Square on this fascinating 90-minute walking tour.
We’ll start at the Boston Marriott in Kendall Square, just above the Kendall Square T station. If you are interested in STEM and entrepreneurship, you won’t want to miss this tour! Please dress for the day’s weather, and please tag us in any photos that you post on Instagram or other social media: @bostoninnotrail.
These tickets are free thanks to generous support from the City of Cambridge and MA 250. Space is limited, so please cancel your order if you are unable to make it so that someone else can use that ticket.

Historic Songs of the American Revolution
2025-06-26 16:00 - 17:30 | The Bidwell House Museum, Art School Road 100, Monterey, Massachusetts, 01245, United States
As part of the Revolution 250 series of events happening throughout 2025 and 2026, the Bidwell House Museum is excited to partner with The Berkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead to present a concert of music from the Revolution. You can see this concert at Arrowhead on June 25th, the day before our concert on the 26th.
The history of the American Revolution is detailed with many battles, conferences, and personalities. But it was also a time of patriotism, inspiration, and song. This musical program includes nine historic songs, and will give a brief narrative of the history of this war through song. The concert will last about one hour.
Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle are award winning songwriters and singers and live near the Adirondacks in upstate New York. As a duo, they have been performing for fifteen years, and tour both regionally and nationally. Together they play originals and favorites with a variety of instruments such as guitar, fiddle, banjo, and harmonica, and in many settings such as festivals, concert series, livestreams, and community events.
Due to space limitations, pre-registration is required for this event and tickets will not be sold at the door.
Tickets will be $15 for members and $20 for non-members

The Revolution in Concert: Evelyn Harris
2025-06-25 18:30 - 20:00
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum commemorates the anniversary of the American Revolution with an outdoor concert series of period and revolutionary music, The Revolution in Concert, held in the Museum’s sunken garden. Evelyn Harris and Yasmeen Williams, powerhouse vocalists and founding members of Sweet Honey In The Rock, with pianist Ailey Verdelle, comprise the 13th Horace Clarence Boyer Memorial Gospel Concert to perform stirring interpretations of the African-American song canon including spirituals, freedom songs, jazz, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel and blues.
Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m., picknickers are welcome at 5 p.m.. Tickets are available at the door, $12 adults, $2 children, cash only please. 130 River Drive, Hadley, MA 01035

Fighting for Freedom: Black Cambridge from the Revolution to the Early 19thC
2025-06-25 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-06-25 08:00 - 17:00 | First Church in Cambridge, Garden Street 11, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Fighting for Freedom: Black Cambridge from the Revolution to the Early Nineteenth Century
Join us for an illustrated talk with Leslie Brunetta and Paula Paris and learn more about Cambridge’s Black Patriots!
Wed. June 25, 2025, 6:00PM
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
in the Margaret Jewett Hall
In celebration of Massachusetts250 by the Cambridge Historical Commission, Cambridge Black History Project and First Church in Cambridge, Congregational.

The British Soldiers of April 19, 1775
2025-06-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Memorial Library, Main Street 486, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Please join the Acton 250 Committee for its next speaking event featuring historian and author Don N. Hagist on Monday, June 23 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM in The Acton Memorial Library’s Meeting Room, 486 Main Street, Acton, MA. Don will share lesser-known narratives from the Revolutionary Era, including the lives of British soldiers who engaged the colonials on April 19, 1775 and maintained the Siege of Boston for the following year.
Don is managing editor of Journal of the American Revolution (allthingsliberty.com). His historical studies focus on presenting an accurate picture of individual soldiers and their families, especially those of the British army who served in America. This research is done using exclusively primary sources, mostly from archives in North America and Europe. He is a consultant for the PBS documentary The American Revolution produced by Ken Burns, and has written several recent books including Noble Volunteers: the British Soldiers who fought the American Revolution (Westholme, 2020), The Revolution’s Last Men: The Soldiers behind the Photographs (Westholme, 2015) and These Distinguished Corps: British Grenadier and Light Infantry Battalions in the American Revolution (Helion, 2022). Don is an engineering consultant and technical editor, and also writes for several well-known syndicated cartoonists.
Remote Participation: A recording will be available at Acton TV https://actontv.org/ and on our website https://www.actonma.gov/250 where you’ll find all programming information and a link to our commemorative store.
Generously supported by the Acton Lions Club.

Juneteenth Gathering at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters
2025-06-22 12:30 - 15:30 | Longfellow House-Washington Headquarters, Brattle Street 105, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Gather for Juneteenth to honor those who endured slavery and seized freedom on Brattle Street 250 years ago, their descendants, and the long history of Black freedom activism in Cambridge and beyond.
This free, all-ages event is marking its fourth year in 2025! Denise Washington (#Pop-Up Poetry Series), a descendant of Darby Vassall, has curated the Juneteenth Gathering at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters NHS each year. Join us for the Juneteenth Gathering, A Denise Plays Hard Event, featuring poetry, music, historical displays, family activities, and refreshments. All are welcome!

250th Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment
2025-06-22 08:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Stage Fort Park, Hough Avenue 24, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 01930, United States
The 250th Anniversary Reenactment of The Battle of Bunker Hill aims to accurately portray the events and faithfully represent the people involved in the conflict of June 17, 1775. Our mission is to celebrate and commemorate the actions and sacrifices of the men and women of all sides of the Battle of Bunker Hill through careful research, public demonstrations, civic engagement and educational outreach. Through these means, we endeavor to increase understanding of the Battle of Bunker Hill, and to bring to life the stories and voices of those long gone or purposefully excluded: when you see us, think of them.
The event takes place at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA. Visit https://discovergloucester.com/250th-battle-of-bunker-hill-reenactment-in-gloucester-ma/ for information on parking and shuttles to the event.
Though we would love to have Bunker Hill 250 happen in Charlestown, there just isn’t a location in the city where it would be geographically possible to hold such a program. We encourage all participants to visit the Bunker Hill monument and museum (located at: Bunker Hill Museum Address: 43 Monument Square, Charlestown, MA 02129).
Recreating the Battle
The first pitched battle of the American War for Independence was fought in stages. Our reenactment of the battle will do the same. The recreated battle will be broken up into a series of vignettes and lectures, as well as the tactical demonstrations. Beginning each morning, Colonial forces will race to build fortifications atop the hill as the Royal Navy bombards the American position to soften its defense in preparation for amphibious assault. British soldiers will then be ferried to the beachhead before charging the American lines – attacking the hill three times before taking it through bitter combat.
Before and after the tactical demonstrations, interpreters portraying specific historical figures will give context to the events of June 1775, detailing how the battle transformed their lives and our nation. Between each action, visitors will have the opportunity to meet reenactors and learn about the perspectives of the people they portray.
Event Schedule:
Saturday, June 21
The Navy Approaches:
Half Moon Beach
8 – 11:30 am
As the battle looms, the waters around Charlestown neck fill with Royal Navy vessels, sent to bombard the fortifications into submission and land troops for the eventual assault.
Join Royal Navy sailors and the crews of the tall ships Story, Ardelle, Isabelle, and Lynx, as they discuss the roll of the navy in the Battle of Bunker Hill as well as 18th century warfare.
Civilians Under Siege & the Military on the Move
The Marketplace
All Day
The citizens of Boston were able to observe the Battle of Bunker Hill from the rooftops and hills of the City. They had been under British occupation since the enforcement of the Boston Port Act a year earlier had shut down nearly all commerce to the town causing many to leave.
Interpreters will explain civilian and military life in Massachusetts in the 1770s. Through a diversity of perspectives across race, gender, class, and politics, you will learn about the dynamic lives of 18th century Bostonians, British military officers, and Provincial leaders.
The Preparation:
The Redoubt
9 – 10am
In the evening hours of June 16th, 1,200 American soldiers leave their camp at Cambridge to cross the neck onto the Charlestown peninsula. These hardened men from the country took on the work of fortifying Bunker Hill. As dawn broke, British cannons from ships and Cobb’s Hill (Boston) open fire to try to halt the work.
Join the soldiers as they construct the fortifications with hand tools from the period. Learn about the backgrounds and motivations of these Americans.
The Landing
Half Moon Beach
10 – 11am
General Gage forms British soldiers from the Boston garrison to land on the tip of the Charlestown Peninsula and form for a plan to drive the American’s from their fortifications on the Hill. As the British soldiers land, sharpshooters from Charlestown take pot shots at them. In response British soldiers set fire to Charlestown to drive off the sharpshooters, additionally using the smoke to mask their movements.
Watch as British sailors and soldiers from Boston land in the harbor in 18th century boats on the Charlestown Peninsula (Half-Moon Beach) forming for their assault on the American positions.
The Flanking Attack
Cressy Beach
1 – 2 pm
While the British Marines make a frontal assault on the redoubt as a faint, the elite soldiers of Gage’s force (Grenadiers and Light Infantry) attempt to flank the American fortifications by attacking down a beach on the Mystic River. These soldiers charge down the beach opposed by New Hampshire soldiers under Stark at a rail fence. The New Hampshire soldiers give an incessant fire which shatters the attack and drives back the Grenadiers and Light Infantry.
Watch as Britain’s elite soldiers assault American flank positions (Cressy Beach).
The Main Assault
Bunker Hill
4 – 5 pm
With the flanking attack on the beach broken, General Howe rallies the Marines along with the remaining Grenadiers and Light Infantry to make a head-on assault at the amin redoubt and rail fence of the American line. They are slowed in their advance by the numerous farmers’ fences, taking heavy casualties and fall back. Major John Pitcairn of the Marines is fatally wounded by Salem Poor. Howe has his men drop their packs and advances in column to negate American artillery fire. The advance in a final assault. The Americans, having run out of powder, begin throwing rocks in a desperate attempt to slow the British. Out of powder and overwhelmed the Americans flee the hill. General Joseph Warren of the American forces is killed in this final assault.
Watch as American militia soldiers defend their fortifications against the attacking British soldiers.
Sunday, June 22
The Navy Approaches:
Half Moon Beach
8 – 11:30 am
As the battle looms, the waters around Charlestown neck are filled with Royal Navy vessels, sent to bombard the fortifications into submission and land troops for the eventual assault.
Join Royal Navy sailors and the crews of the tall ships Story, Ardelle, Isabelle, and Lynx, as they discuss the roll of the navy in the Battle of Bunker Hill as well as 18th century warfare.
Civilians Under Siege & the Military on the Move
The Marketplace
All Day
The citizens of Boston were able to observe the Battle of Bunker Hill from the rooftops and hills of the city. They had been under British occupation since the enforcement of the Boston Port Act a year earlier had shut down nearly all commerce to the town causing many to leave.
Interpreters will explain civilian and military life in Massachusetts in the 1770s. Through a diversity of perspectives across race, gender, class, and politics, you will learn about the dynamic lives of 18th century Bostonians, British military officers, and Provincial leaders.
The Preparation:
The Redoubt
9 – 10am
In the evening hours of June 16th, 1,200 American soldiers leave their camp at Cambridge to cross the neck onto the Charlestown peninsula. These hardened men from the country took on the work of fortifying Bunker Hill. As dawn broke, British cannons from ships and Cobb’s Hill (Boston) open fire to try to halt the work.
Join the soldiers as they construct the fortifications with hand tools from the period. Learn about the backgrounds and motivations of these Americans.
The Landing
Half Moon Beach
10 – 11am
General Gage forms British soldiers from the Boston garrison to land on the tip of the Charlestown Peninsula and form for a plan to drive the Americans from their fortifications on the Hill. As the British soldiers land, sharpshooters from Charlestown take pot shots at them. In response British soldiers set fire to Charlestown to drive off the sharpshooters, additionally using the smoke to mask their movements.
Watch as British sailors and soldiers from Boston land in the harbor in 18th century boats on the Charlestown Peninsula (Half-Moon Beach) forming for their assault on the American positions.
The Main Assault
Bunker Hill
1 – 2 pm
With the flanking attack on the beach broken, General Howe rallies the Marines along with the remaining Grenadiers and Light Infantry to make a head-on assault at the amin redoubt and rail fence of the American line. They are slowed in their advance by the numerous farmers’ fences, taking heavy casualties and fall back. Major John Pitcairn of the Marines is fatally wounded by Salem Poor. Howe has his men drop their packs and advances in column to negate American artillery fire. The advance in a final assault. The Americans, having run out of powder, begin throwing rocks in a desperate attempt to slow the British. Out of powder and overwhelmed the Americans flee the hill. General Joseph Warren of the American forces are killed in this final assault.
Watch as American militia soldiers defend their fortifications against the attacking British soldiers.

Hammered Dulcimer Concert
2025-06-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Paul Revere House, 19 North Square, Boston, 02113, United States
Award-winning musician Dave Neiman plays jigs, reels, and Baroque and Renaissance tunes that Paul Revere and his family may have enjoyed.

John Adams: The Colossus of Independence
2025-06-21 13:00 - 14:30 | Paul Revere House, 19 North Square, Boston, 02113, United States
Hear from John Adams himself as he discusses his earliest beginnings in Braintree through his days as delegate of the Continental Congress and foreign ambassador. Hear his opinions of his contemporaries and how he longs to be home with his “dearest friend,” Abigail, and their children. Mr. Adams’ singular wit is appealing to children and adults!

Harvard Square Bookish Ball
2025-06-21 11:00 - 16:00 | Harvard Square, 1350 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 02138, United States
This free, family-friendly extravaganza features literary tours of Harvard Square, treats, live music, and special book-themed promotions in our businesses.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, City and state officials launched the Massachusetts 2050 campaign in September 2024. Throughout 2025 and 2026, Massachusetts 250 (or MA250) will commemorate the many battles across the City of Cambridge and the state that led to America’s independence.
For 400 years, Harvard Square has been the epicenter of American literature, philosophy, and education. From the first printing press in North America to our beloved book stores today, the outstanding tradition of poetry and storytelling, from Anne Bradstreet to Allen Ginsberg, the Square has been home to all things book-related. Stroll between our current bookstores while hearing stories of the incredible literature that was written in and inspired by these streets. Acclaimed lawyer, author and politician, Richard Henry Dana Jr. (portrayed by Daniel Berger-Jones of Boston History Company) hosts these tours designed exclusively for the Bookish Ball.
The festivities begin at 11am on Harvard’s Smith Campus Plaza (located at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue) where you will be greeted by Elizabeth Glover, portrayed by Linda Peck. Glover established the first printing press in the Thirteen Colonies on Dunster Street, just around the corner! Enjoy some sweet treats and live music before grabbing your “Passport to Wisdom” and visiting Harvard Square’s five book stores: Lovestruck Books, Harvard Book Store, Harvard COOP, Grolier’s Poetry Book Shop, and Rodney’s Bookstore.

Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts
2025-06-21 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-20 11:00 - 16:00 | Congregational Library & Archives, Beacon Street 14, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
The Congregational Library & Archives presents a new in-person exhibition, “Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts.” The exhibition highlights the stories of Massachusetts Congregationalists drawn from the CLA’s important collections.
By the time the war began, many Congregationalists had embraced a theological justification for war and revolution. They believed that God favored them and that their cause was a morally justified, sacred rebellion. Through sermons, books, poems, songs, and letters, Congregationalists shared their stories, reflected on their moral obligations to each other, and debated questions of liberty and loyalty. But consensus was elusive, and implementation proved difficult and unsatisfactory to many, especially those on the margins.
These discussions shaped the legacy of Congregationalism and the way the Revolutionary War is remembered today, 250 years later.

Concord250 Event: Songs For A New World
2025-06-20 - 2025-06-22 | 51 Walden Concord Ma, Walden Street 51, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
Performances: June 20 – 22, 2025
A Special Presentation as our part of Concord 250
Get Tickets Now Learn More and View the Cast Meet Our Director
Directed by Jamie Cook
Music Direction by Ben Oehlkers
Step into the world of Songs for a New World, the first musical by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown. This electrifying production captures the essence of life’s pivotal moments through the eyes of compelling characters navigating love, ambition, and the pursuit of dreams. From the American Revolution to a precarious ledge 57 stories above modern day Fifth Avenue, each story unfolds a unique narrative that reflects the universal struggles and aspirations that define our lives. With its vibrant energy and relatable themes, it’s a celebration of resilience, hope, and the transformative moments that shape who we are.

Juneteenth Underground Railroad Tour of Beacon Hill
2025-06-19 10:00 - 12:30
Join Hub Town Tours on Juneteenth for a special Underground Railroad Tour of Beacon Hill. We will explore Boston’s role in the fight to end legalized slavery and celebrate local abolitionists that helped to lead America’s “Second Revolution.” This 2.5-hour walking tour will visit sites along the Black Heritage Trail, including abolitionist landmarks like the African Meeting House and the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House. We will delve deeply into the tumultuous years before the U.S. Civil War when 19th-century Bostonians grappled with the institution of slavery and demanded an end to racial injustice across their young nation.

Newburyport's Road to Revolution Part VI - Bunker Hill: Heroes & Cowards
2025-06-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Join us for Newburyport’s Road to Revolution Part VI – Bunker Hill: Heroes and Cowards! In this closing lecture of the Newburyport’s Road to Revolution series, join historian and author Alexander Cain for an exploration of the first engagement in which Newbury(port) troops play a significant role – for good or ill. While some local commanders distinguished themselves, others were disgraced, drawing the ire of George Washington himself.
The Battle of Bunker Hill was transformative for Newburyport, testing the mettle of the rebels, and setting the scene for the brutal years ahead. Using never-before-seen records and objects from the collection of the Museum of Old Newbury, we will learn how Newburyport and Essex County people experienced this bloody encounter and its aftermath.

The Revolution in Concert: Thea Hopkins
2025-06-18 18:30 - 20:00
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum commemorates the anniversary of the American Revolution with an outdoor concert series of period and revolutionary music, The Revolution in Concert, held in the Museum’s sunken garden. Thea Hopkins, acclaimed singer songwriter and member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Martha’s Vineyard, performs modern “Red Roots Americana,” capturing the scope and reach of Indigenous music in the 21st century along with a sprinkling of traditional, timeless tribal artistry. She was the Grand Prize Winner of the 22nd Great American Song Contest for her song, “The Ghost of Emmett Till”.
Concerts begin at 6:30 pm, picknickers are welcome at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the door, $12 adults, $2 children, cash only please. 130 River Drive, Hadley, MA 01035

“A STATE OF REBELLION” PART II: HONORING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL
2025-06-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Quincy Historical Society and Museum, Adams Street 8, Quincy, Massachusetts, 02169, United States
On Tuesday, June 17th, at 7pm at the Adams Academy, 8 Adams Street, Quincy Historical Society will host the second part of a program exploring life in Braintree during the first pivotal months of the American Revolution. The City of Quincy’s Directory of Historic Heritage and Resources, Bob Damon, and Quincy Historical Society’s Executive Director Emeritus Ed Fitzgerald, will be joined by New England Slavery Historian Kerima M. Lewis Ph.D to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Drawing from newly compiled archival records, this program will follow local commanders like Captains Elihu Adams, Silas Wild, and Seth Turner and their men from the April 19th alarm to their deployments as Braintree’s “eight-months” companies at Prospect Hill and Fort No. 2 and their part in the preparations for the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The presentation will also uncover lesser-known events like the Grape Island skirmish and examine the deep tensions within the town—including documented loyalist families who stood on the other side of the conflict. With vivid eyewitness accounts, such as Abigail Adams’s letters from the Braintree home front, and detailed muster records from the Massachusetts Archives, this program offers a richly detailed portrait of a Massachusetts coastal community at war.
This event, part of the Historical Society’s ongoing celebrations of Quincy400, is open to all and free to attend.

Echoes of Valor Concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell
2025-06-17 18:00 - 22:00 | Hatch Memorial Shell, Storrow Drive, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States
Echoes of Valor
Hosted by the Bunker Hill Monument Association
Echoes of Valor is a commemorative concert honoring the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the founding of the United States Army, and the service of America’s veterans. The evening features a performance by the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus, the official musical ambassadors of the U.S. Army.
The event begins with a ceremonial procession from the Edward Everett Statue in the Boston Public Garden to the Hatch Memorial Shell, featuring the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution, a United States Marine Corps Color Guard, and the USS Constitution Color Guard and ship’s complement.
The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Erika Tarantal of WCVB Channel 5 serves as Master of Ceremonies.
