April Awakens Spring in North of Boston!

Hero image: Courtesy of Cider Hill Farm Amesbury

As the days grow longer and the air fills with the scent of blooming flowers, springtime brings a fresh wave of excitement to the North of Boston region. The landscape transforms with vibrant colors, and a season of adventure unfolds!

From rugged coastal hikes to strolling through charming seaside villages, there’s something new to discover at every turn. Seasonal businesses and farms reopen, whale watches set sail once again, and a fresh season of exploration begins.

Take a step back in time with visits to historic sites and local farms, indulge in the freshest seafood at waterfront restaurants, or simply soak up the sunshine on our sandy beaches. Spring is calling—come embrace the season with us and uncover all the hidden gems waiting to be explored North of Boston!

April 1: Jake Ryan Flynn: Being Alive, Benefiting Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District Theater: Ferrini Dramatic Arts Center, North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly

Hamilton Wenham’s Broadway veteran performer JAKE RYAN FLYNN takes center stage in Being Alive, his debut one-man show brimming with humor, heart, and the raw honesty of growing up in the spotlight. With riveting, vulnerable, and soul-stirring music, Being Alive is a heartfelt farewell before he takes flight into the world—one final encore for the places, spaces, and community that shaped him. Don’t miss this unforgettable night of music, laughter, and reflection.

April 2: Story-Time & Craft Wednesday, Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport

Spring is the perfect time for outdoor story time and craft-making! This brand new family event is an extension of the Newburyport Arts and Culture Shanties Program and will take place each Wednesday in the Pop Up Park on Merrimac Street – where the Shanties are currently located. Come join the fun this Wednesday and see what it’s all about!

April 3: Genticorum, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport

Renowned for their boundless energy, exceptional musicianship and captivating stage presence, Genticorum has thrilled audiences for years with their award-winning Celtic-inspired folk music. The trio has won multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as Juno and ADISQ nominations, and has earned a reputation as a leading voice in the evolution of Québécois traditional music.

April 4: Rocky Neck Now 2025: A Celebration of Creativity, The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, Gloucester

Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is thrilled to kick off the 2025 exhibition season with Rocky Neck Now, the much-anticipated annual members show. This dynamic exhibition brings together an exciting and diverse collection of recent works from 92 RNAC artists, offering a stunning reflection of talent, vision, and artistic passion. With pieces spanning painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more, visitors will experience a rich and varied exploration of contemporary creativity—from bold abstracts to evocative realism.

April 5: Maple Strolls, Appleton Farms, Ipswich

Visit the historic maple stand and sugar shack at Appleton Farms and learn all about maple sugaring, its history at the farm and in New England, and how you can try your hand at it at home!

April 6: Children’s Witch Hat Decorating, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem

Decorate a magical witch hat in the color of your choice with craft gems, stickers, ribbon, tulle and a charm.

April 7: DenCITY Soulcase & Open Mic, Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre, Lynn

Step into a space where creativity flows freely and community thrives. DENCITY brings you an evening of authentic artistic expression, smooth vibes, and genuine connection at the historic Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre in Lynn’s Central Square.

April 10: Bonsai Workshop, Deacon Giles Distillery, Salem

Beginner workshops are perfect for you to grab your friends, grab a drink and come make tiny trees! Learn the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while enjoying a night out with friends. The teachers will introduce core concepts and guide your experience as you pot, prune, and design your very own bonsai tree.

April 10: The Secret Sisters, Shalin Liu, Rockport Grammy-nominated duo The Secret Sisters brings their signature harmonies and heartfelt storytelling to the stage, featuring songs from their critically acclaimed new album, Mind, Man, Medicine. Hailed as “a masterpiece,” their fifth release blends country-folk roots with soulful melodies and introspective lyrics. Experience an evening of spellbinding music as Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle explore life’s joys, challenges and the beauty of human connection.

April 11: Jacob Jolliff, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport

After wowing audiences as part of Béla Fleck’s band in 2022 and then with his band in 2023, mandolinist Jacob Jolliff returns to Rockport.

April 13: BEETLEJUICE JR., North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly

The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in BEETLEJUICE JR the frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon. Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life.

April 16 – 17: Scenes – The Billy Joel Experience, Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport

Formerly known as Cold Spring Harbor, Scenes – A Billy Joel experience, has been performing throughout New England and beyond since 2013. Their mission from the beginning was never to play impersonator, but instead celebrate and recreate the music of Billy Joel to the highest and most authentic standard, bringing people the $400 Billy Joel concert experience, for a reasonable price that all fans can afford! From specific piano sounds that Billy uses himself, to the Billy Joel classic Ray Ban sunglasses, this show is not to be missed!

April 18: Free! Hard Cider Tasting Series & Cidery Tours, Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury

Visit Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury on the 3rd Friday of every month 4-6 pm from April – November. They’re pouring their signature blends and opening their hard cider making facility for you to explore. Meet the makers and sample internationally-awarded, estate cider. 21+ for tastings. For those that want to sip along, try their non-alcoholic sparkling cider made on the farm.

April 18 & 19: Revolution 250 Events, Lynnfield Historical Society

Head to Lynnfield for “Shadows of 1775” on Friday, April 18, at 7:30 PM at the 1714 Meeting House—a gripping play that shares Lynnfield’s role in the Revolutionary War through the voices of its militia and their families.

On Saturday, April 19, step into the past with hands-on activities starting at 10 AM, including hat-making and reenactor demonstrations. At 11:15 AM, witness the dramatic arrival of Martin Herrick warning of the British advance, followed by a militia march and a patriotic band concert.

April 19: Gang Of Four – The Long Goodbye Tour, The Cut, Gloucester

2025 will be the 45th anniversary of the release of ‘Entertainment!‘ in the US, and this will be the final year as a band. Wanting to go out with a bang and celebrate with their fans and friends on what will be their last US tour, Gang of Four will play two sets at each show: ‘Entertainment!” from start to finish in the first, and the best of the rest in the second. Come and join in, it’ll be a blast!

April 21, 2025: Patriots Day Remembrance 2025

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Patriots’ Day, and for the first time, the Danvers Alarm List Company is expanding its annual tribute to the brave Danvers men who fell at the Battle of Menotomy. On April 19, the public is invited to take part in a historic journey featuring trolley transportation, allowing attendees to travel alongside reenactors as they retrace the 16-mile march. At each stop, ceremonies, volley salutes, and engaging storytelling will honor the fallen and bring history to life. This unique experience offers a rare opportunity to commemorate Patriots’ Day in an immersive and meaningful way.

April 23: Facing Colonel Alexander Leslie, Tapley Memorial Hall, Danvers

Who was the “Leslie” of “Leslie’s Retreat”? — Why did he and his Regular Army troops march through the crowded and volatile metropolis of Marblehead to march into Salem? — And where in Marblehead did they land? Social and cultural historian Judy Anderson of Marblehead will introduce Colonel Alexander Leslie as a person, along with a few of the other individuals who were involved — most of whom were remarkably young! … She will also note who was NOT involved, contrary to common assumptions and portrayals of the tense confrontation on that cold February day. … Along the way, she will illuminate what Marblehead actually was in 1775, as opposed to what people think it was — especially in relation to Danvers and Salem. Because in 1775, all three were VERY different communities.

April 25- 27, 2025: Newburyport Literary Festival

Join a vibrant community of readers and writers who come together each year to bask in the love of reading. A celebration of literature, from fiction to poetry to non-fiction and biography, the festival features author readings, panel discussions, and book signings held in venues across historic Newburyport, Massachusetts.

April 26: Whale Watch with 7 Seas and the Peabody Essex Museum, 7 Seas Whale Watch, Gloucester

Join 7 Seas Whale Watch on their first boat trip of the season! April is a particularly active month for spotting whales, so bring your binoculars and your spirit of adventure as we journey out to sea with the expert crew and a seasoned naturalist. You’ll be joined by PEM’s Dan Lipcan, Curator of Draw Me Ishmael, Jane Winchell, Curator of Narwhal, and Jim McCoy, Essex County Ornithological Club president and seabird expert. We’ll bring along tales and fun props from both exhibitions and help you identify whales and seabirds!

April 26 – 30: Bare Bones Wood Carving Workshop, Calvo Wood Carving School, Gloucester

Here is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of woodcarving in 5 days from a professional!

April 28: “By the First Ship from Salem”: The Voyage of the Schooner Quero, April 28, 1775, Salem Armory Visitors Center, Salem

Join National Park Service staff and volunteers for a dramatic reading of the documents related to the voyage of Captain John Derby in the Schooner Quero.  This event highlights a little-known part of the opening of the American Revolution: the delivery of depositions, newspaper articles and other information to British politicians sympathetic to the American cause by a Salem ship captain in a Salem vessel.

April 30: Sea of Life, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport

Sea of Life is a collaborative project among three of the North Shore’s most prominent arts organizations: Rockport Art Association & Museum (RAA&M), The Orchestra on the Hill, and Rockport Music (Shalin Liu Performance Center). Connecting young aspiring visual artists with professional composers, the project will spur multifaceted community events celebrating the sea.