Concord is a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world: literary pilgrims, Revolutionary War buffs, and nature lovers crowd our streets all summer long, right through foliage season.
But in 2020, many travelers want to steer clear of crowds, so we Concord-area residents have the place pretty much to ourselves. There was never a better time to enjoy the local attractions. In the words of our favorite townie,1 Henry David Thoreau, “It is worth the while to see your native village . . . as if you were a traveler passing through it.”2 The summer has brought ideal weather for fresh-air fun, and outdoor spaces are now welcoming visitors.
The Concord Museum’s Guild of Volunteers were heartbroken when COVID-19 restrictions cancelled their 31st Annual Garden Tour. This beloved tradition provides a peek behind the garden gate at some of Concord’s most stunning homes, and is a sort of unofficial opening of Spring in the town. It was a deep disappointment in the community to miss such an anticipated event.
Each year, thousands of people come from all around the globe to celebrate the events that gave birth to a new nation. The battles of Lexington and Concord are synonymous with freedom, liberty, and rebellion. The amazing reenactors, park rangers, tour guides, and museum docents in and around our community are all here to help and guide you as you experience the energy and excitement of the events leading up to that fateful day - April 19, 1775.
This year, for the 245th Anniversary of the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” there are many events planned in and around Concord during Patriots’ Day weekend. Here are a few favorites you won’t want to miss:
For my three siblings and I, growing up in Concord was idyllic. My parents loved raising their family in a small town and my mother, Cande, flung herself fully into the inner workings of it - joining boards of the Old Manse, the Concord Museum, The Fenn School and Nashoba Brooks School, and the CCHS Scholarship Fund. Into our teenage years, we were blissful beneficiaries of this close-knit town, but we’d soon find out just how important this community would become to our family.
The Crucolo Cheese Parade is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year and you won’t want to miss the festivities! Starting in 2010, Peter Lovis, owner of The Cheese Shop, began importing a 400-pound wheel of Italian cheese to Concord to help kick off the festive holiday season. Why? Well, as Peter says, “Who doesn’t love cheese?” The thousands of people who turn up each year to cheer on the parade would agree!
A love of books and reading is a lifelong treasure passed from adult to child, from generation to generation. The 24th annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature at the Concord Museum gives Concord’s renowned literary tradition a creative twist. From November 27, 2019 through January 5, 2020, the Museum’s newly renovated galleries are filled with 39 fanciful trees and wreaths, decorated with original ornaments inspired by acclaimed children’s storybooks and contemporary picture book favorites.
What was your first experience at your library? Was it a story hour? Or checking out your summer reading? With access to information now so freely available, we sometimes take it for granted, but it wasn’t always that way. Free and easy access to information, whether online or in a physical library, evolved from the beginnings of
the country.
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