Celebrate Summer’s Peak with Iconic Events, Music, and Coastal Charm
July 28, 2025hero image courtesy of Len Burgess
August is here, and with it comes a vibrant mix of seaside tradition, music, and celebration across the North of Boston region. Explore what August has in store:
July 26-August 3: Newburyport Yankee Homecoming
Yankee Homecoming is now the longest continuously running celebration of its kind. Highlights include a brewfest, Olde Fashioned Sunday, waterfront concerts and workouts, family day, heritage tours, art and craft shows, a Coast Guard open house, parade, and fireworks.
August 1: Waterfront Reflections: Gloucester’s Harbor Village Walking Tour, Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester
This walking tour looks at changes in Gloucester’s Harbor Village as it advanced from the home of a few to the workplace of many during the late 18th to early 20th centuries. A mix of structures past and present, heroes, art, and waterfront activity all inform the picture of the diverse and vibrant community that emerged along the shore of Le Beauport, the beautiful port. Photo Credit: CAM docent leading walking tour, CAM staff photo.
August 2-3: Roaring Twenties Lawn Party
Presented by Boston Swing Central and The Trustees, The Roaring Twenties Lawn Party is a celebration of vintage and dance culture. Attracting thousands of guests in Gatsby-esque apparel, this retro picnic features live music and dancing, performances, antique automobiles, lawn games, a vintage fair and more! Image credit: The Trustees.
August 4-29: Boundless: The Art of the Book, The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, Gloucester
This dynamic exhibition explores the rich and ever-evolving world of the book as an art form. Featuring artist books, altered books, and book illustration, “Boundless” showcases imaginative approaches to storytelling, visual poetry, personal narratives, and inventive book structures. Visitors will encounter works that range from the traditional to the avant-garde—books that hang, twist, stand, open like advent calendars, or defy conventional forms altogether. The exhibition presents a wide array of techniques, including letterpress, etching, monoprint, painting, photography, and mixed media. Through these varied practices, artists explore themes of memory, imagination, identity, and the contemporary moment. “Boundless” features contributions from a distinguished group of 29 artists, including local creatives, university faculty, and artists affiliated with book arts communities throughout New England and beyond—Boston, Philadelphia, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine. Featured image: Sarah Parella, News Cycle
August 7-10: Summer BloomFest, Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, Andover
Celebrate the height of summer in full floral splendor at Summer BloomFest! Nestled in the heart of North Andover, Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens welcomes you to in a weekend of botanical beauty, seasonal charm, and family-friendly fun. Join us Thursday 8/7 – Sunday 8/10. Stroll through our gardens in peak bloom, bursting with vibrant color and fragrance. Enjoy our daily garden tours, self-guided house tours, and interactive activities for all ages. During this festival style event, visitors will have access to the gardens and the opportunity to participate in our daily activities included as part of your admission.
August 9-10, 16-17: Peach & Sunflower Festival, Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury
Cider Hill Farm is celebrating all things sunshine, flowers and peaches! The multi-weekend event features cut-your-own farmhouse bouquets, free live music, hard cider bar, tastings, activities, hayrides, food trucks, peach treats, and pick-your-own peaches. RSVP now to get it on your calendar and then purchase pick-your-own peach tickets and cut-your-own flower tickets later or when you arrive!
August 12: Grease, North Shore Music Theater, Beverly
Dust off your leather jackets, pull out your poodle skirts, and step back in time to the 1950s to hand-jive the night away with GREASE! In this all-new production, relive the timeless story of bad boy Danny and new girl Sandy as they fall in love in the original high school musical featuring the irresistible songs,“You’re The One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” and many more from the hit movie and Broadway musical!
August 16: Long Hill House & Garden Tours, Long Hill, Beverly
Visit Long Hill’s breathtaking gardens and stately historic house for a guided tour. Enjoy the rich history of this grand country estate, home of the Sedgwick family, as you learn about the elegant lifestyle of wealthy Bostonians on the North Shore, and the artisans who created it. The tour takes you through the Federal-style house and the spectacular gardens, with terraces, statues, fountains, and pagodas, each section filled with unique perennial flowers from around the world. Highlights of the tour include a room filled with stunning 19th century Chinese wallpaper, the evolution of the stunning Sedgwick gardens, and the hidden connection between the house and an old Southern antebellum mansion.
August 19: Lucia di Lammermoor, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport
Donizetti’s tragedy returns to cinemas, starring soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Javier Camarena in this 2022 performance of Simon Stone’s gripping, modern-day staging. Riccardo Frizza conducts. By Donizetti. Originally transmitted May 21, 2022. Expected runtime: 2 hours, 44 mins (164 minutes)
August 21: Line’s End Free Show, The Cut, Gloucester
The Cut Live has a FREE show every third Thursday! August’s show is Line’s End. 21+, Positive ID Required. Come dance! Seating is first come, first serve. Doors at 6pm. Show at 7pm
August 23: Plein Air Watercolor Landscape Sketching, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
Celebrate Making History: 200 Years of American Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with an al fresco introduction to watercolor sketching! The session begins with a guided tour led by Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, PEM’s George Putnam Curator of American Art, who will offer an exclusive look at the iconic works in the exhibition. Afterward, participants will engage in a creative workshop led by artist Jessica Yurwitz of Slow River Studio. This class is perfect for beginners with no painting experience, or those returning to art after a break. All supplies are provided, and participants will take home essential materials so they can continue painting at home.
August 23: Riverfest Music Festival
The perfect festival for music fans of all ages, Riverfest at Salisbury Beach is free to attend and is a rain-or-shine event. Enjoy a beer garden and the restaurants and arcades on the Broadway Boardwalk at Salisbury Beach. Photo courtesy of Riverfest Salisbury Beach.
August 28: Coffee & Conversations: What is a Schooner?, Cape Anne Museum, Gloucester
Up to the early 20th century, schooners were the workhorses of the Gloucester fisheries under sail. But visitors to the Cape Ann Museum have often asked, “What exactly is a Schooner?” This presentation will provide an easy-to-remember definition of a schooner and will show its evolution from a small inshore fishing boat to an extreme racing type. Ship models from the Museum’s collection and photos will illustrate the presentation. You are invited to join us every Thursday for a unique experience. Led by a CAM docent, these deep dives into a single artwork or object from the Collection will begin with conversation, a short presentation and complimentary coffee at the Carlson Education Center, followed by a special trip to the James Center to view the object being discussed. No special knowledge needed! Just a curiosity to learn more in a small group setting and enjoy a unique experience. Image Credit: Willard E. Andrews, model of the Henry W. Longfellow, 2013. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum. Gift of Willard E. and Linda Andrews, in memory of Kay Ellis, 2016.
August 27-31: Gloucester Schooner Festival
Every year schooners from all over travel to Gloucester to race and to show off their beauty and grace both under sail and as a dock-side attraction. This capstone to the summer is steeped in history and jam-packed with events and opportunities to get up-close and personal with these beautiful ships.
