MA250

Mansfield's 250th Grand Parade
2025-05-17 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Massachusetts
Mansfield is hosting its 250th Grand Parade on Saturday, May 17th starting at 11am. Community partners, sponsors, and onlookers will line the streets of Mansfield’s Downtown area to delight in the sights and sounds of our Grand Parade in celebration of our beloved hometown’s 250th Anniversary. Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion, generously sponsored by our Pillar of the Community Sponsor: Bluestone Bank.

"Spies Among Us" year long exhibit opening on February 6th 2025
2025-05-17 10:00 - 14:00 | 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!

Hingham's Revolutionary Weekend
2025-05-17 - 2025-05-18 | Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA, 02043, United States
Keep the revolutionary spirit alive with the Hingham Historical Society! Join us for Hingham’s Revolutionary Weekend May 17-18, 2025, celebrating ordinary people who did extraordinary things and unwittingly became authors of American History. To commemorate this incredible milestone, the Hingham Historical Society, Discover Hingham, the Town of Hingham, and the Hingham Militia have partnered to launch the inaugural Hingham Revolutionary Weekend! This family-friendly event, with a special MBTA ferry service from Boston to Hingham, will feature guided tours, fife and drum performances, bell ringing, Springham!, a Taste of Americana pop up, kite flying, and more games and activities for revolutionaries of all ages. The weekend culminates in the 250th commemorative reenactment of the Battle of Grape Island, the oft overlooked “second” battle of the American Revolution.

Paul Revere's Bike Ride for the Concord Museum
2025-05-17 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Paul Revere’s Bike Ride for the Concord Museum will be held on Saturday, May 17th to mark the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.
Registered participants will enjoy a recreational ride through Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Bedford, and Carlisle. Starting at the Concord Museum, cyclists can choose to ride a 21.3- or 32.4-mile loop on paved roads, passing many historic sites including the North Bridge, the Lexington Green, and the Paul Revere capture site. A post-ride party with food, drink, and entertainment will be held on the Museum lawn at the end of the Ride.
All net proceeds from the events will support the Museum’s educational programs, making it possible for more than 14,000 school children to learn from the Museum’s unique collection and expert educators.

Concord250 Event: Period Music Concert
2025-05-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord, 01742, United States
Musicians of Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street will offer a concert of music from the 18th c at the church on Friday, May 16th at 7:30 PM. Performers will include musicians from Concord, and surrounding towns. Music performed will be by composers whose music may well have been performed in and around Concord at the time of the historic battle, including those from Europe and the Colonies, including William Billings of Boston.

Concord250 Event: “Freedom, Courage, and Love” Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital
2025-05-16 19:30 - 21:00 | TriCon Church, Walden Street 54, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
Concord250 Event: “Freedom, Courage, and Love” Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital
May 16 @ 7:30 PM
Tanya Bartevyan Piano Recital: “Freedom, Courage, and Love”
Featuring: Florence Price Piano Sonata in E minor, Beethoven Pathetique Sonata, and other works.
Mass Cultural Council

Sacred Rebellion: Congregationalists in Revolutionary Massachusetts
2025-05-16 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-10 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-09 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.

Abigail Adams as performed by Sheryl Faye
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Adams Free Library, Park Street 92, Adams, Massachusetts, 01220, United States
Join us for an evening with Abigail Adams as performed by Sheryl Faye.
Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m. at Adams Free Library (92 Park Street, Adams, MA 01220)
Join the Friends of The Adams Free Library in celebrating the life of Abigail Adams, the first First Lady to reside in the White House, with her husband, President John Adams, in November 1800.
Sheryl Faye becomes Abigail Adams, the woman who instructed her to “Remember the Ladies… if particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a Rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
Light refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. in the Lower Level.
Performance will begins at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Room
Tickets are $20.00 with limited seating. (NO Tickets will be sold at the door)
Tickets may be purchased at the Adams Free Library front desk, or by contacting Ed or Pam St. John 413-743-5603 or by email at estjohn1@roadrunner.com

Letters from Chelsea and the Siege of Boston
2025-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Governor Bellingham Cary House, Parker Street 34, Chelsea, MA, 02150, United States
Join us for a presentation by Mimi Graney at 6:30 p.m.
During the Siege of Boston, as war and hardship consumed the city, Chelsea became an unexpected refuge. This presentation brings the crisis to life through firsthand accounts that reveal the uncertainty, fear, and resilience of those caught in the turmoil. At the heart of these accounts are the letters of Colonel Loammi Baldwin, who reported directly to General George Washington while overseeing the flood of desperate civilians escaping Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry. Baldwin’s correspondence provides a vivid record of the refugee movement, the surveillance of British ships, and the challenges of defending Chelsea during this pivotal moment in the Revolution.
About Mimi Graney
Mimi Graney is a trustee of the Bellingham Cary House and formerly worked for the City of Chelsea where she focused on public art and local initiatives for community building and economic development. She is the author of Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story of an American Icon, which traces the history of Marshmallow Fluff while exploring broader themes of American culture, industrialization, and advertising.

The Cape & Islands in the Revolution – Little Known Facts & Events
2025-05-15 16:00 - 17:30 | Falmouth Museums on the Green, Palmer Avenue 55, Falmouth, MA, 02540, United States
The Cape & Islands in the Revolution – Little Known Facts & Events
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 4pm
Museum on the Green Falmouth Historic Society
The Revolutionary War was a period which was not only centered in the well-known venues of Boston Philadelphia, New York State, Virginia, and beyond, but also included key events and individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands who played important parts in the fight for Independence. This special presentation on a lesser-known topic will feature highlighted events and people from the period 1761 (end of the French and Indian Wars) to 1783 (the Treaty of Paris) as they unfolded on and involved people of the Cape and islands. Included also will be details on the Battle of Falmouth of April 1779. David Martin, Editor of a new book, “The Cape and Islands in the American Revolution—The Antecedents, the Rebellion, and the Conflict”, will provide the presentation, and the book will also be available for purchase.

Plymouth in the Revolution Lecture Series 2025
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Plymouth Public Library, South Street 132, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02360, United States
Two hundred years ago, on 19 April 1775, American history changed. Colonial forces faced the British army at Lexington & Concord … and won. Word spread rapidly, and two regiments of Plymouth “Minute Men,” led by Colonel Theophilus Cotton, rallied to the Patriot cause. For the next six years, Plymoutheans participated in America’s battle for independence.
Although not the site of any great battles, nor the home of any triumphant generals, Plymouth is filled with the stories of the lawmakers and lawyers whose rhetoric inspired the Patriot cause, of the men who risked their lives and livelihood in military service, and of the civilians who kept the home fires burning, as well as of the Americans who, valuing loyalty above all, continued to support the King. They illuminate the complex and fascinating history of Massachusetts’ earliest town, as it embraced the movement for American independence, and the lasting impact it made on the Town’s historical landscape.
April 2: Stephen O’Neill – Plymouth’s 1749 Courthouse: Revolution in the Courts
April 9: Peggy Baker – Benjamin Warren’s War: A Plymouthean in the Continental Army
April 30: Patrick Browne – “Patriotism in a High Degree Zealous”: Ephraim Spooner & the Home Front
May 7: Mark Schmidt – Choosing Sides: Loyalists in the American Revolution
May 14: Donna Curtin – Dr. James Thacher & Plymouth’s Revolutionary Generation

Siege of Boston 250th Special Anniversary Tour
2025-05-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Massachusetts
Join Hub Town Tours as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Siege of Boston, the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. We will explore life in and around Boston during its occupation by British troops in 1775 and highlight the efforts of Provincial forces led by General George Washington. This 2.5-hour walking tour will travel along the Freedom Trail and follow in the footsteps of Colonial Bostonians, all of whom grappled with the difficult – yet essential – question of loyalty or rebellion to crown and country. As we travel past historic landmarks from Revolutionary Boston, your guide shares the gripping story of a small colonial town careening toward war with the British empire.

Historic Clothing Parlor Talk: “Clothing of the Revolutionary Era”
2025-05-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Hedge House Museum, 126 Water Street, Plymouth, MA, 02360
Part of a series highlighting pieces from our Historic Clothing Collection which is undergoing considerable conservation work this year. This discussion will explore examples of the styles and fabrics of the late 18th century, revealing how fashion reflected social status and the daily challenges of life during the Revolutionary Era.

Reimagining Paul Revere: A Conversation with Narragansett Artist and Community Activist Sage Carbone
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Arlington Historical Society, Jason Street 7, Arlington, MA, 02476, United States
Join us for a special viewing and discussion with Boston-based artist Sage Carbone about her Indigenous beadwork reimagining of Cyrus Dallin’s Paul Revere statue. This piece was commissioned by the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum for display in the Euro-American Figures Gallery with the support of a grant from Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture. Carbone will share how her art relates to her efforts to elevate the histories and perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Greater Boston today through such work as the Indigenous Languages Visibility Project in Cambridge and annual Red Sox Native American Celebration.
Sage Carbone is a member of the Northern Narragansett Tribe and has Nipmuc and Mi’kmaq ancestry. This program is offered in conjunction with Freedom’s Way Hidden Treasures program and Arlington 250. Carbone views the semi quincentennial as an opportunity to envision what the next 250 years could look like when we engage with history in ways that lift up everyone.
Registration is not required.
This program is offered by Woburn Public Library as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.

Painting the Town 250: Curators’ Talk & Reception
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Old Schwamb Mill, Mill Lane 17, Arlington, Massachusetts, 02476, United States
The Old Schwamb Mill is partnering with ArtsArlington to show examples of diverse public art projects to be installed around Arlington as part of the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution.
The artworks include 12 banners on light poles along Mass Ave., painted horses and utility boxes, sculptural pedestals, and a timeline project connecting past and present.
Public Arts Curator Cecily Miller will lead a discussion of the challenges, complexities and rewards of developing public artworks for Arlington 250.
See ArtsArlington.org for more information about the artists and other public art projects.
This program is offered by Woburn Public Library as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.

East Cambridge and the Revolution
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Centanni Park, 41 Second St., Cambridge, 02141, United States
Uncover the hidden Revolutionary War history of East Cambridge on this free guided tour! While often overshadowed by other historic sites, East Cambridge played a crucial role in the war, from the landing of British troops at Lechmere Point to the construction of Fort Putnam. Learn about Andrew Craigie’s post-war land transformation and how the neighborhood evolved into a center of industry and government. Discover how East Cambridge’s revolutionary spirit has shaped the city for centuries—join us for a journey through time!

Battle of Chelsea Creek Talk by Robert Allison and Jeff Pearlman
2025-05-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Governor Bellingham-Cary House Museum, 34 Parker St, Chelsea, MA, 02150, United States
Join us for a historical presentation on the Battle of Chelsea Creek, presented by Robert Allison, Professor at Suffolk University, and Jeff Pearlman, at 11:30 a.m.
Robert Allison is a Professor of History, Language and Global Culture at Suffolk University. He’s one of the coordinators of The Revolution 250 Advisory Group that is overseeing commemorations across Massachusetts of the American Revolution. He is the author of numerous publications including books on The Boston Tea Party (2007), The Boston Massacre (2006), and A Short History of Boston (2004). He is president of the South Boston Historical Society and is involved with several museums and historical societies in Boston.
Jeff Pearlman a city historian in Revere and a member of the Revere Society for Cultural and Historical Preservation as well as the Colonial Society of Massachusetts. Mr. Pearlman is currently an adjunct professor at Salem State University. He previously taught public school in Revere for 36 years.

Boston 101 Historical Walking Tour
2025-05-10 11:00 - 12:30 | Boston Common, 139 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
Boston conjures thoughts of Paul Revere, the Boston Massacre, and the start of the American Revolution. Take our walking tour and learn from a certified historian about these famous events that led to the birth of our nation. You’ll also learn about Boston’s humble beginnings in the 1630s, its growth through the 1600s, and the colonial times of the 1700s. This fascinating tour will discuss many famous citizens, Patriots, and events that molded the city of Boston through its first two centuries. You’ll walk through history. You’ll walk amongst old buildings. You’ll walk in the footsteps of those who yearned to start a new country.
(Meet at Boston Common Tablet (aka Blackstone Tablet) at the corner of Park and Tremont Streets. The guide is wearing a Black and Yellow Tri-Corner hat and will be holding a sign with the tour name. Near Park Street Subway Station. Tremont St opposite Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02108, USA)

Innovation Tour - Cambridge Firsts in Kendall Square
2025-05-10 11:00 - 12:30 | 50 Broadway, Cambridge, 50 Broadway, Cambridge, 02142, United States
Join us on Saturday, May 10th at 11 AM for a special 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.

Burying Ground Tour 2: First Parish and Newburyport's Road to Revolution
2025-05-10 10:00 - 11:00 | First Parish Burial Ground Newbury, Massachusetts 1A, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01951, United States
Newbury’s First Parish Burying Ground is the final resting place for dozens of local families who experienced the American Revolution as soldiers, sailors, and citizens. Come meet them and hear their stories as part of Newburyport’s Road to Revolution series!
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Burying Ground Tour 2: First Parish and Newburyport's Road to Revolution
2025-05-10 10:00 - 11:00 | First Parish Burial Ground, Massachusetts Route 1A, Newbury, 01951, United States
Join us for an exploration of the people who shaped Newbury’s Revolution!
Newbury’s First Parish Burying Ground is the final resting place for dozens of local families who experienced the American Revolution as soldiers, sailors, and citizens. Come meet them and hear their stories as part of Newburyport’s Road to Revolution series!
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong Opening Reception
2025-05-09 17:30 - 20:00 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Co-curated with Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley (Nipmuc), Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong is an exhibition that highlights regional Indigenous history and contemporary textile arts practices through a fiber basket woven by Brittney Peauwe Walley that highlights a little-known history of King Philip’s War.
Join us for a talk with the artist, opportunity to visit Chemacheg Menuhki, and a reception.
The reception is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Register in advance to reserve a space.
Chemacheg Menuhki: Paddle Strong is funded by the Coby Foundation and funded in part by Mass Humanities.

Newburyport’s Road to Revolution, Part IV- Black Newburyporters
2025-05-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Newburyport City Hall, Pleasant Street 60, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950, United States
Explore the uncomfortable truth that, as Newburyport debated concepts of freedom and independence on the eve of Revolution, a significant number of Americans were not free. Thousands of African Americans were enslaved, up to 20% of the entire population of the colonies. In Newburyport, Black voices spoke up forcefully for their liberty and equality amid the revolutionary fervor, and helped turn the tide in Massachusetts against slavery. Some white revolutionaries bitterly characterized themselves as “slaves” of Great Britain and King George in Newburyport newspapers. “I need not point out the absurdity of your exertions for liberty, while you have slaves in your houses,” formerly enslaved man Caesar Sarter fired back.
Join a panel of noted scholars for a discussion of how Newburyport grappled with the promise and paradox of independence.
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

An Evening with Rick Atkinson
2025-05-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Massachusetts Archives & Commonwealth Museum, Morrissey Boulevard 220, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125, United States
The Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum is proud to welcome award-winning author Rick Atkinson for a conversation and signing of the second volume of his acclaimed Revolutionary War Trilogy, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charlestown, 1777-1780. The moderator for the conversation is Robert Allison, Professor, author, and Chair of the History Dept. at Suffolk University.
Rick Atkinson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seven previous works of history, including The Long Gray Line, the Liberation Trilogy (An Army at Dawn, The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last Light), and The British Are Coming, the first volume of the Revolution Trilogy. He has won numerous awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for history and journalism.
Copies of The Fate of the Day will be available for purchase at the event. The event also coincides with the new exhibit at the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum, Upon Such Ground: Massachusetts and the Birth of a Revolution, which examines the pivotal role Massachusetts played in our separation from Great Britain and the founding of a new republic.

Lancaster History Month Lecture: Lancaster in 1775
2025-05-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Thayer Memorial Library, Main Street 717, Lancaster, MA, 01523, United States
Join local historian Amy Brown as she discusses what life was like and what people were doing in Lancaster in 1775 as simmering tensions between the Colonies and England evolved into outright war. Were Lancastrians involved in the events leading up to the Revolution? Find out what mattered to Lancastrians during this important year in our history.
Registration Required: https://thayermemoriallibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/lancaster-history-month-lecture-lancaster-in-1775/
This program is offered by Thayer Memorial Library as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Learn more at freedomsway.org/hidden-treasures.

The First Naval Battle of the Revolutionary War – 250th Anniversary
2025-05-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, Fort Street 3, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, 02719, United States
Join us at Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the First Naval Battle of the American Revolution, fought just off our shores in 1775. This pivotal moment in history saw local patriots defending their waters against the British, marking the beginning of America’s fight for independence at sea.
Hosted by the Fairhaven Village Militia, this special ceremony will honor the bravery of those who stood against tyranny. Experience a piece of living history at the very site where these early revolutionaries took their stand!

The Great Debate Part 2: Patriots & Loyalists
2025-05-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Salem Armory Visitor Center, New Liberty Street 2, Salem, Massachusetts, 01970, United States
The year is 1775—tensions with the British Crown are rising, and one question is on every colonist’s mind: Would you fight for independence as a Patriot or remain loyal to the British Crown as a Loyalist?
Join us as our two historians face yet another Great Debate that divided colonists and even families during the American Revolution. David Goss will argue the case for Loyalists, and Charlie Newhall will argue the case for Patriots. Both sides will defend their beliefs about freedom, loyalty, and the future of the colonies.
The debate will be moderated by David Olson former Editor-in-Chief of the Salem News
Audience members will have the chance to ask questions, challenge perspectives, and even cast their vote at the end!
This program is part of Essex County Revolution 250 – an initiative of Essex Heritage in partnership with Massachusetts Rev250 and dozens of regional museums, heritage sites, and organizations, with the intention of raising awareness and highlighting the diverse stories of Essex County, Massachusetts residents, free and unfree, during the American Revolutionary period.
