North of Boston

Gloucester Stage Company presents MOON MAN WALK by James Ijames
2026-09-16 19:30 - 2026-09-17 21:00, 2026-09-13 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-09-12 19:30 - 2026-09-13 21:00, 2026-09-11 19:30 - 2026-09-12 21:00, 2026-09-10 19:30 - 2026-09-11 21:00 (America/New_York) | Gloucester Stage Company, East Main Street 267, Gloucester, M, 01930, United States
Travel to the moon and back as Spencer revisits his childhood home in Philadelphia following his mother’s passing. With the help of the unfettered Petrushka, along with the haunting memory of his mother, Spencer dives into the mystery of his youth and uncovers the true identity behind his estranged father. Journey through time and space as we discover how our pasts shape, protect, and connect us all in this time-bending, regional premiere drama.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames and directed by Dawn M. Simmonsº, Moon Man Walk runs September 13 to 29. All performances are at the Natti-Willsky Performance Center – 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Showtimes are Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, with matinees Saturdays & Sunday at 2:00pm.

Country Fair at Cider Hill Farm
2026-09-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-15 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-14 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-13 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-12 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-11 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-10 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-09 09:00 - 17:00 and 3 more dates | Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury, M, 01913, United States
Join us Labor Day weekend for a quintessential New England celebration welcoming the season’s bountiful harvest! Enjoy summer apple picking, free tastings, hard cider, classic fair foods, fall flower cutting, old time-y games, free live music, tractor rides & more! See event schedule as we add more happenings to the line-up! Free admission (does not include pick-your-own tickets, food or drinks).

Closing Night: On the Ocean's Edge
2026-09-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Maeve Gilchrist | Seamus Egan | David Coffin | Trio Oko | Nuala Kennedy | The Rockport Celtic Festival House Band
In this jam packed evening we bring together some of the most cutting edge sounds from the Celtic World as well as local Cape Ann hero, David Coffin and the innovative new Harp Trio, Trio Oko.
In tonight’s performance we present a World Premier by the Irish singer and flautist, Nuala Kennedy. A four part suite of music inspired by the fire festivals which mark the seasons of the traditional Celtic Year: Samhain (Winter), Imbolc (Spring), Bealtaine (Summer) and Lunasa (Autumn). With poetry woven throughout, this world premier will be performed by Nuala with the incredible House band (Logan Coale, Maeve Gilchrist, Alan Murray and more) In the first act of the show, Irish Music Legend, Seamus Egan and Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist join forces with strings to perform tunes from their new album ‘Into the Ice’, a sonic retelling of the famous Shackleton expedition, through the lens of traditional Irish Music, electronics and prose. Prepare to be transported! In addition we have two more of Vivaldi’s seasons to round off the year, sing-along shanties with the inimitable David Coffin and all types of one-off collaborations including a harp duet and lush string arrangements of traditional Celtic tunes!

Words & Music: The Celtic Spirit
2026-09-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Join host Maeve Gilchrist and musical guests, Lindsay O Donovan, David Coffin, Seamus Egan, Edwin Huizinga, Nuala Kennedy and some special guests in this intimate hour-long celebration of the time-old relationship between words and music.
Location: Third Floor Reception Hall
During this meditative performance we ask our artists to share words of meaning: poetry and prose, personal stories and tales of the imagination. Set against a soundscape of songs, improvisation and melodies designed to move the spirit.

Vintage Base Ball
2026-09-13 11:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-06 11:00 - 17:00 | Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, 5 Littles Lane, Newbury, M, 01951, United States
It’s Base Ball, 1864 style at Spencer Peirce Little Farm! These fun, historically accurate games feature underhand pitching without gloves. A ball bounced once and caught is an out! Snacks, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase. Come and see for yourself how “America’s favorite pastime” was played in the 1860s. The teams competing are based on actual nineteenth-century baseball clubs from New England.
The Essex Base Ball Organization is a nonprofit “vintage base ball” group that plays the game as it was played in the 1860s. They are based out of Newbury, Massachusetts, and have four teams. They teach the history of baseball through games and demonstrations, offering youth clinics and lectures on baseball history at historical societies, libraries, and other civic organizations.
See HNE website for first pitch times; triple headers start at 11 AM, doubles at noon.

Celtic Céildh
2026-09-12 21:30 - 23:00 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Grab a drink at the bar, bring your dancing shoes and join host Maeve Gilchrist for an exhilarating evening of fiddle music and dance! Enjoy the traditional session hosted by Abbie MacQuarrie along with some surprise special guests. And be prepared to grab a partner and dance as Abbie teaches some easy-to-learn traditional Ceili-dances. Pure-drop fun!
Location: Third Floor Reception Hall

Strings on Strings
2026-09-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Maeve Gilchrist | Copley Street | The Fretless (with special guest Madeleine Rogers) | Edwin Huizinga and William Coulter (Fire and Grace)
A string focused extravaganza of a night where we hear music from the world-class, pure-drop traditional sounds of Boston-based band, Copley Street (Joey Abarta, Nathan Gourley and Owen Marshall) next to Baroque fiddler extraordinaire, Edwin Huizinga and guitarist William Coulter play their jaw-dropping distillations of Vivaldi’s four seasons.
This evening will bring us the joy of Spring and the visceral excitement of Summer as we hear these two instruments cover an entire orchestra’s worth of texture, melody and soul. In the second half of the concert we bring back Canada’s award-winning quartet, The Fretless, this time joining forces with the stunning vocals of Madeleine Rogers. This pan-Canadian group is reinventing the meaning of string quartet and bringing the sounds of their respective string cultures into indie territory, garnering new audiences, new sounds and creating a whole new horizon. Pulling it all together, Rockport’s Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist will bring her harp, poetry and context to each act to turn this whole evening into an unforgettable story of songs, tunes and concerti!

Chantey Sing
2026-09-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Bring your voices to a boisterous Chantey Sing with David Coffin. Sing along on the chorus of a hauling, stamping, heaving, capstan, what-have-you chantey. Let’s rattle the rafters!!

Salon Session
2026-09-12 11:00 - 12:30 | Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport, MA, 01966, United States
Come meet our 2026 commissioned composer, Nuala Kennedy and hear about the nuances of writing new works through the lens of traditional Irish Music. Hear Edwin Huizinga and William Coulter describe the Creative process of distilling Vivaldi’s famous Four seasons in all its orchestrational nuance down to two instruments: guitar and fiddle! Bring your own questions. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet some of our 2026 artists up close and have some of your questions answered! Hosted by Maeve Gilchrist.

A Band of Brothers - More than just and Allman Brothers Tribute
2026-09-11 20:00 - 22:00 | The Cut, 177 Main Street , Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
18+, Positive I.D. Required
“A Band Of Brothers” isn’t just an Allman Brothers tribute band; they’re a powerhouse, uniting the top-tier talent of the East Coast. The brainchild of ace Boston guitarists Ryan Taylor and Johnny Trama, this collective, more than a mere homage, harness the Allman Brothers tradition as a vehicle to bring a unique and exciting experience every night. The ensemble features artists from an array of bands including – North Mississippi Allstars ,Dickey Betts and Great Southern, Pink Talking Fish, Neighbor, Dub Apocalypse, Peter Wolf’s Midnight Travelers, Dickey Betts Great Southern, Slightly Stoopid, Sonya Rae Taylor, Band of Killers and more.
Matt Zeiner began his professional music career touring with Matt “Guitar” Murphy, who exposed him to a fusion of blues and jazz. His career took a significant turn in 2000 when Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band recruited him as a keyboardist and vocalist, leading to a fruitful collaboration and tour.
Ryan Taylor on slide guitar spearheads the band with his exceptional talents. His journey, steeped in the rich musical traditions of Austin and Nashville, saw Ryan honing his craft the old-fashioned way.
Johnny Trama on guitar conjures up riffs and rhythms that speak volumes. His journey through the realms of rock, soul, and blues, playing with icons like Bettye LaVette and Jesse Dee, has armed him with a mystical musical prowess.
Jesse Williams on bass is an alchemist of groove, spinning each note into a rhythmic tapestry. His Grammy-nominated escapades with the likes of Duke Robillard and Joe Louis Walker have endowed him with a bass prowess that’s both fluid and formidable.
Tom Arey behind the drums is nothing short of a powerhouse, orchestrating beats and fills with the finesse of a seasoned composer. His tenure with Peter Wolf’s Midnight Travelers has honed a style that’s explosive yet eloquent, much like the Allmans’ own percussive legends.
Brendan Tommaney on percussion is a true artist, painting rhythms with a palette of beats and textures. Educated at the New England Conservatory of Music and seasoned with groups like Pink Talking Fish, Tommaney brings a jazz-infused sensibility that adds depth and dimension to the band’s sound.
Paul Wolstencroft on keyboards crafts melodies that mesmerize and transport. His tenure with Slightly Stoopid has given him a swagger that shines through each performance, weaving a spell of harmonies and counter-melodies that elevate the band’s tribute from mere replication to a reimagined homage.

Fall Fridays! Live Music & Hard Cider Series at Cider Hill Farm
2026-09-11 14:30 - 17:30 | Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury, M, 01913, United States
Kick off each fall weekend from 9/4-10/23 with free live music from 2:30-5:30 pm. Enjoy the outdoor hard cider bar (non-alcoholic sparkling cider available) and grab some farm snacks in the farm store. The farm store is open daily until 6 pm. Apple picking open daily through mid October! See the music schedule: https://www.ciderhill.com/farm-events/live-music

Spiritualism Tours by Candlelight at Hammond Castle Museum
2026-09-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Hammond Castle Museum, 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
From John Hays Hammond Jr.’s attempts to communicate with supernatural entities using a Faraday Cage to Irene Fenton Hammond’s extensive astrological writings under a mysterious pen name, this 55-minute, fully-guided specialty tour sets the stage for a fun and informative seasonal experience unlike any other. The dramatic, Gothic-inspired architecture of the Museum and the twilight atmosphere are enhanced by the light of handheld electronic lanterns throughout your tour.
New in 2026: Extended Hours and Midnight Tours
For the first time, Hammond Castle Museum is offering its popular Spiritualism Tours by Candlelight during extended late-night hours–including a midnight tour–on October 22nd and 29th—a one-of-a-kind experience for those celebrating the Halloween season on the North Shore!
Admission:
July, August, & September: $27.50.
October: $35.
Museum Member savings apply.
Please be mindful when processing your reservation to select the correct reservation date and corresponding admission price.

En Plein Air Sketch Classes with Sue Wheeler
2026-09-10 13:00 - 15:00 | Hammond Castle Museum, 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
From stick figure doodlers to first-rate talents, join us for a seaside, En Plein Air sketch class with Sue Wheeler of Arts Abound in Magnolia. All skill levels are welcome! This two-hour session includes a 30-minute beginner sketch lesson. All you need to bring is a sketchbook, pencils, a ruler, and an eraser. Please note: watercolors, pastels, oils, or acrylics are not permitted on the Museum grounds.
Attendees who wish to tour the Hammond Castle Museum after this class are entitled to a 20% discount on a self-guided tour. Tour tickets may be purchased in the Museum Shop before 2:30 pm on the day of this class.
Class Schedule:
Thursday Plein Air Sketch classes: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
May:14
June: 11
July 23: (6 – 8 pm)
August: 6
September: 10
October: 8
Saturday En Plein Air Sketch classes: 9:30 am- 11:30 am.
May: 9
June: 20
July:18
August: 1
September: 5
October: 3
All classes are $25 each. Museum Member savings apply.
Weather-dependent; classes may be canceled, and reservations will be refunded if necessary.
About Sue Wheeler:
Sue has a lifetime of making art through various mediums from delectable pastries to abstracts in pastels, watercolor, and acrylics. She enjoys using her creative flair in quilting and interior design as well.
Sue graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor’s in business with a focus on hospitality management and earned an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America. Following her tenure as a pastry chef in New Hampshire, Sue returned to school for a certificate in graphic design and put her talents to use as a designer in the book publishing and art publishing industries in Vermont. In early 2019, Sue opened her own gallery and studio, Arts Abound in Magnolia Village, MA, as an artistic haven for local artists. Through the gallery, over 30 artists featured their creative works, ranging from paintings, hand-painted silk scarves, silver jewelry, and more. Sue also ran many workshops and classes featuring many of the artists. Often, Sue would work late into the night, painting in her Arts Abound studio. After closing the gallery in 2022, Sue continued to offer the often sold-out painting classes, taught by some of the Arts Abound artists.
Sue has studied under numerous artists to learn watercolor, acrylic painting, cold wax & oil, and collage. Her goals for the Hammond Castle Museum sketch classes are to engage those who are new to the world of art and reinvigorate those who haven’t picked up a blank canvas or sketch pad in a long time. Sue’s philosophy on the creative process encourages you to be less concerned about the final product and instead to enjoy the journey of creativity and get lost in the moment. Once you find yourself in your work, you may just be surprised!

Rocky Neck Art Colony presents Making an Impression: Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Vision
2026-09-10 12:00 - 17:00 | M
Gloucester, MA — Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is pleased to present Making an Impression: Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Vision, an exhibition featuring the work of 19 artists from Cape Ann and beyond exploring the rich and varied language of printmaking. Through both traditional and contemporary approaches, the exhibition showcases a diverse range of techniques, offering a thoughtfully curated selection that reflects the vitality and creative possibilities of the medium today.
For centuries, artists have developed innovative methods for creating multiple original impressions from a single matrix. In Making an Impression, participating artists employ a variety of printmaking processes, often combining techniques or incorporating additional materials to expand the expressive potential of their work. Together, these prints highlight the versatility, craftsmanship, and enduring relevance of printmaking as a contemporary art form.
The exhibition invites visitors to discover the many ways artists continue to push the boundaries of this historic medium while honoring its rich traditions.
The public is warmly invited to attend the Artists’ Reception on Sunday, August 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, meet the participating artists, and enjoy light refreshments in the gallery.
Exhibiting Artists: Lisa Barthelson (Boston area), Christine Beneman (Portland, ME), CoCo Berkman (Gloucester), David Brown (Rockport), Sandra Cardillo (Boston area), David Covert (Gloucester), David Curcio (Salem), Leslie Ann Eliet (Gloucester), Deborah Epstein (Cape Ann/Boston), Nina Fletcher (Cape Ann), Don Gorvett (Cape Ann), Barbara Grad (Boston area), Jane Keddy (Cape Ann), Catherine Kernan (Boston area), Denise Manseau (New Hampshire), Mary Rhinelander (Cape Ann), Julia Talcott (Cape Ann), Dorothea Van Camp (Boston area), Constance Vallis (Cape Ann).
About the Rocky Neck Art Colony
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, nurtures excellence in the arts through exhibitions, workshops, residencies and vibrant cultural events for its members and the public. On picturesque Rocky Neck in Gloucester, Massachusetts, RNAC operates three exhibition spaces, open to the public for free: The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck (6 Wonson Street); The Salted Cod Arthouse (53 Rocky Neck Ave.), a partnership gallery and café; and Cove Gallery (37 Rocky Neck Ave.), open seasonally in the former gallery of local artists Gordon and Judith Goetemann. Check the website www.rockyneckartcolony.org for hours, openings and special events. For more information, see the website or call 978-515-7004.

Jimmy Tingle: The "Radical" Middle- Why Would a Comedian Run for Office? Film Screening + Q&A
2026-09-06 19:30 - 22:00 | The Cut, 177 Main Street , Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Film Screening + Q&A with Jimmy Tingle
In this extremely relevant and provocative film Jimmy Tingle chronicles his fascinating transition from a life as a seasoned comedian featuring timeless clips from his set on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to his prescient commentary on Donald Trump while serving as a humorist for 60 Minutes II to his riveting address at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention as a candidate for LT Governor.
During the Q & A talk back Jimmy will continue to demonstrate his distinctive brand of humor,
passion and creativity to lift our spirits out of the theatre, into the streets and on to the polls.
Quotes and Reviews:
“Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, and Jimmy Tingle all spoke on the Sanders Theatre
stage at Harvard University, and I can guarantee you Jimmy Tingle got the most laughs… … gets my vote for Best Political Comedy film of the Year.”
– Paula Poundstone, comedian
“Government Matters! That’s why a comedian runs for office. Jimmy Tingle, with humor and cracking wit, uses common sense to protect the common good from those who would tear down its essential political structures. No Joke. This is Tingle at his best.”
– James Carroll, Author, columnist Boston Globe
“Excellent! Hilarious! Very meaningful and laugh-out-loud funny!”
– Steven Wright, comedian
