Events

Visit the exhibition Revolutionary Legacies at Concord Museum. How have we remembered April 19, 1775, and the American Revolution over the past 250 years? Featuring commemorative ephemera, unique relics, artworks, personal objects, and contemporary works that respond to the Revolution’s legacy, this special exhibition asks what we choose to remember—and what has been left out—as the public looks back to the founding of our nation. 

Historian Rick Bell examines the American Revolution as a global turning point in The American Revolution and the Fate of the World. This forum explores how events in North America reshaped international politics, empires, and ideas about liberty, revealing the Revolution’s far-reaching and lasting consequences.

Presidential historian Harold Holzer explores Abraham Lincoln’s views on immigration in Brought Forth on This Continent. Drawing on Lincoln’s words and actions, this forum examines how debates over newcomers, belonging, and national identity shaped the 19th century and continue to resonate in America today.

Whether you’re new to the writings of Henry David Thoreau or a lifelong fan of his work, you’re sure to enjoy the Thoreau Farm Reading Group. The group meets once a month on a Thursday evening to discuss one of Thoreau’s essays. April 16 will feature “Moon and Moonlight,” May 21 will bring “A Walk to Wachusett,” and June 18 will delve into “Slavery in Massachusetts.”

Visit the Concord Museum on the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. Museum admission will be free, and the grounds of the Museum will be buzzing with a minutemen encampment with the Billerica Colonial Minutemen and Acton Minutemen, and family activities.   Free Museum admission is supported by Highland Street Foundation, and family activities are supported by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

To celebrate Earth Day and OARS’ 40th anniversary, we are bringing the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Concord, where three remarkable rivers meet, and America’s roots run deep. In partnerships with friends and local organizations, we are hosting five days of community-focused events in and around Concord Center, including film screenings, art installations, guest speakers, outdoor walks, and a 3-day cross-town scavenger hunt. Join us for an inspirational, educational, always wild, and sure to be scenic five days in Concord!

Poet Bonney Hartley (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians) presents an original poetry reading created for Revolutionary Legacies. Hartley will share the commissioned poem inspired by Museum objects and discuss her broader work, offering Indigenous perspectives on memory, belonging, and the Revolution’s unfinished promises. Supported in part by Mass Humanities.

With big hair, big laughs, and even bigger heart, this joyous, high-energy musical proves that when we dance together, anything is possible. Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on the Corny Collins Show has come true, but this determined teen won’t just do the twist and the mashed potato: she’ll use her star power to integrate Baltimore’s TV network to a swingin’ soundtrack! 

Join Alexander Cain, noted historian and author, for an immersive day-long tour tracing the pivotal sites of the 1775-1776 Siege of Boston! Trace the Continental Army's strategic movements and defensive positions around British-occupied Boston. You'll gain a deeper understanding of how the ragtag American forces effectively locked down the city and ultimately forced the British evacuation. Visit Prospect Hill, Bunker Hill, Washington's Headquarters and Cambridge Common, Fort Washington, Dillaway-Thomas House, and Dorchester Heights.

Don't miss a very special benefit concert, The Anna And Mickey Show. Starring Anna Huckabee Tull and Mickey Zibello, with Special Friends, Kristin Moore on Fiddle, Dave Carter on Guitar and Accordion, Noah Mendelsohn on Bass, Eli Zibello on Percussion, and Sage Miller, a First Parish Rising Vocalist! Come for an evening of joyful camaraderie that lifts our spirits while supporting important social justice work underway this year!