Falling for February: Love, Adventure, and Charm North of Boston
January 28, 2025February brings a celebration of love, culture, and the unique charm of the North of Boston region! This month is perfect for romantic getaways, exploring scenic spots, and enjoying exciting local events like Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival and the Merrimack River Eagle Festival. Whether you’re savoring fresh seafood by the coast, strolling through art exhibits, or cozying up in quiet corners and discovering the hidden gems in our vibrant towns, February is brimming with opportunities to create unforgettable memories. Read on to see all that this wonderful month has in store!
Jan. 29–Feb. 2: Amesbury Winterfest, Downtown Amesbury
Amesbury Chamber of Commerce presents another weekend of winter fun in downtown Amesbury from January 29th to February 2nd. The five-day winter-themed event includes fun for the whole family, with crafting, s’mores bar, live music, guided walk, Charm Bar party, and more! Don’t let the colder weather keep you cooped up inside, head out get festive!
Feb. 1: Winter Blues Festival, Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury
Celebrating its 15th year the 2025 New England Winter Blues Festival welcomes the hippest harmonicat the world has ever known, Rick Estrin (Rick Estrin & the Nightcats), harmonic legend Jerry Portnoy (Muddy Waters Band, Eric Clapton Band) bonafide harmonica genius Jason Ricci (Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind, Desoto Tiger), the smooth yet monsterous Sugar Ray Norcia (Sugar Ray & Bluetones, Roomful of Blues) all backed by the powerhouse band The Wicked Lo-Down.
Feb. 3: Clase Azul Tequila Dinner, Mile Marker One, Marblehead
Since 1990, Clase Azul has been celebrating art and making fine tequila from the Jalisco Mountains. Join Mile Marker One for a 3 Course Dinner paired with Clase Azul tequila and learn of the rich history of the tequila and art which make Clase Azul unique.
Feb. 6: Creating a Cut Flower Garden Workshop, Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, North Andover
Join Stevens-Coolidge’s own horticulturist, Kaela Robinson, for a workshop class that will take you from planning and sowing, to cutting and arranging from your very own cut flower garden. Kaela will show you step-by-step how to create the perfect ‘Cut and come again’ cutting patch from start to finish, covering everything from how to assess your site and choose your color palette to how to choose plants to balance flower and foliage and how to plan your ‘spring’ and ‘summer’ schemes. Participants will leave ready to build and nurture their own cutting garden and with some annual seed packets to get started.
Feb. 7: Robert Corcoran presents “Enslaved People & Wenham,” Wenham Museum
Wenham Museum will host a presentation by local historian Robert Corcoran on “Enslaved People & Wenham” on February 7 at noon. Corcoran’s presentation is part of the Museum’s free Brown Bag Lunch series. Corcoran’s presentation will include material from his book of the same name, providing an overview of Wenham’s 18th– and early-19th century history of enslavement.
photo by John Andrews/Creative Collective
Feb. 7 & 8: Ice Sculpture Potion Party, Witch Pix, Salem
Witch Pix is brewing up some frosty fun for their 10th Anniversary and you’re invited to the frolicking. Enjoy a free Cauldron Ice Sculpture Photo Op where you can snap magical pics that’ll have your friends under your spell with Sparklers wands Included; plus magical potions for your taste buds; hot and cold beverages for all; cool vibes, warm hearts, and lots of magic! Bring your friends, your smiles, and your witchy spirit!
Feb. 7–9: Salem’s So Sweet, Downtown Salem
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 23rd year, the signature elements of the festival include a Friday night kickoff party, 30 ice sculptures sprinkled around the downtown, two nights of illuminated sculptures, a “Chocolate Hearts” game with prizes, live music, and sweet specials and promotions at local shops and restaurants throughout the city. It is Salem’s sweetest time of year!
Feb. 8: Clicquot in the Snow, Beauport Hotel, Gloucester
Join the Beauport Hotel for a night of bubbly champagne and cozy chalet-style charm at our Veuve Clicquot Pop-Up Champagne Lounge – their annual “Clicquot in the Snow” event, returning by popular demand. It’s a winter wonderland of glam-meets-coastal bliss, so pack your finest après-ski vibes (or just a really cute scarf) and let Veuve Clicquot bring the extra sparkle. Gather friends for another fun evening in the Beauport Pavilion Foyer, transformed into a stylish “apres-ski” chalet-like Champagne Lounge – for one night only!
Feb. 8: Love Letter Artisan Market, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem
Spread the love during Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival at this enchanting Valentine’s marketplace! Co-produced by Love Letter Confections and Creative Collective, this curated shopping experience brings together the region’s most talented artisans and makers for a day of local love. Take part in a free photo booth, make your own candle station and more!
Feb. 8 & 9: Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating, Smolak Farms, North Andover
Celebrate the season of love with Smolak Farm’s Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating Event! Decorate festive cookies and sip on warm, delicious hot cocoa. It’s the sweetest way to spend time with your little one. Tickets: $15 (per child and one adult) Includes: A cozy cup of hot chocolate Animal feed for our friendly farm animals 4 sugar cookies to decorate and enjoy All the supplies you’ll need to create your cookie masterpieces Three times are available: 10am, 11:30am and 1pm. Bring your creativity and join the fun!
February 15: Merrimack River Eagle Festival, Joppa Flats Education Center, Newburyport
Join Mass Audubon at a popular viewing area to spot Bald Eagles along the Merrimack River and learn about behaviors such as soaring, fishing, and showing courtship displays. Using sound effects, props, and group role play, you’ll stay active and warm outdoors as you and your family learn together. Three date and time choices!
Feb. 15: Antje Duvekot & Vance Gilbert, Firehouse Center for the Arts
Originally born in Germany and transplanted to the US as a young teen, Antje Duvekot began to hone her observational skills through a lens of biculturalism when she picked up a guitar during that move. Some years later, the confessional folk of Dar Williams and Ani DiFranco gave her license to share her observations, no matter how personal, in her first emerging songs. Vance Gilbert is considered by many to be an integral part of the national folk scene – and one of the originators of the finally recognized R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover-sub-genre – this Boston-based stalwart was born and raised in the Philadelphia area.
Feb. 15: 250th Anniversary of Leslie’s Retreat Forum and Discussion, Pickering House, Salem
Join the Pickering House for an afternoon discussing one of the lesser-known skirmishes of the early Revolutionary War. Colonel Timothy Pickering was present on that day and at his home 250 years later, we’ll gather together local historians and pull out objects from our archives and more as we discuss the events of that storied day and Pickering’s role in it. Check out more events that celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution as part of the Massachusetts 250 initiative here.
Feb. 15 & 16: Lego Train Weekend, Wenham Museum, Wenham
Calling all LEGO fans – the Wenham Museum is excited to welcome the LEGO Train back this February! Come see a rainbow colored, L-gauge model train speeding along a brick track as it races by soaring skyscrapers, country cottages, mountainside ski slopes and much more. The LEGO Train is designed with the highest degree of precision (and a sense of humor!) by the New England LEGO Users Group (NELUG).
Feb. 16: Winter Wildlife Walk, Crane Beach, Ipswich
A CraneOutdoors Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. The dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. They offer one of the most accessible dune landscapes in New England and trails that provide a firsthand look into the delicate and ever-changing dune habitat. This includes numerous lookouts offering stunning views of Choate Island and the varied ecosystems of Castle Neck, including Pitch Pine forests and naturally occurring cranberry bogs.
Feb. 22: The Wizard of Oz, Ultimate Ozzy Experience, Larcom Theatre, Beverly
Wizard of Ozz has been setting New England stages ablaze with their electrifying Ozzy Osbourne extravaganza, The Ultimate Ozzy Experience. Featuring the most iconic OZZY/Sabbath songs of all time, their music is irresistibly infectious. The band’s performance is as tight as it gets, delivering OZZy metal classics with unwavering confidence, groove, style, and attitude.
Feb. 22: Adult 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! Experience a stroll along Appleton’s country farm roads and past several historic landscapes to the Appleton maple grove. You’ll learn some of the history of maple sugaring as well as the science behind what makes maple sap run in their trees. The stroll concludes with a visit to our sugar shack where you will see and taste firsthand how collected sap becomes delicious Appleton maple syrup!
Feb. 22: Fashion in the Season of Revolution: A Panel Discussion and a Revolutionary Reenactor Promenade, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) invites you to step back in time with Fashion in the Season of Revolution, a dynamic exploration of the intersection between style, society, and conflict in the Revolutionary era. This engaging program, presented in cooperation with Leslie’s Retreat 250, offers a unique blend of scholarship, storytelling, and immersive experience, combining a thought-provoking panel discussion with a vibrant Revolutionary reenactor promenade.
Feb. 23: Last Day to Skate at The Rink, MarketStreet, Lynnfield
Don’t miss your chance to hit the ice at The Rink at MarketStreet! Enjoy $10 admissions and free skate rentals every Wednesday for the remainder of the season (excluding 2/19 for February Break).
Feb. 27: Los Lobos, Cabot Theatre, Beverly
In the last 50 years Los Lobos have created an unprecedented body of work, a true legacy of greatness. In addition to performing thousands of live shows, they’ve recorded 17 studio albums, 7 live LPs, 3 compilations, 2 EPs, 2 DVDs, and contributed 40+ guest appearances on their friends’ recordings — all garnering 5 Grammys, an Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction, the ALMA Richie Valens Pioneer Award, NEA and Hispanic Heritage Foundation Honors, Congressional recognitions, plus countless “Keys to the City” and “Los Lobos Day” celebrations and more! Don’t miss your chance to see one of the tightest, one of the best, one of the most prolific bands ever right here on the North Shore!
