Merrimack Valley Magazine

Fall Outdoor Fun – Your Guide to the Merrimack Valley

September 20, 2021 by Kristin Cole

New England’s fall season attracts worldwide visitors for good reason. The cool, crisp air paired with incredible color-changing leaves enhances any outdoor activity, from hiking to fall festivals to apple and pumpkin picking.

Fall is the perfect season to get outdoors, so we’ve made this list of great fall activities in the Merrimack Valley to inspire you to get outside and embrace that which makes our area so unique.

The best way to keep track of everything noteworthy going on in the Merrimack Valley is to follow Merrimack Valley Magazine on social media, regularly visit MVMag.net and subscribe to our free daily newsletter, Merrimack Valley Today.

FESTIVALS

Notch Oktoberfest
Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens
Sept. 25
TheTrustees.org
It’s time to dust off your lederhosen and visit the Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens for the 3rd annual Oktoberfest. Stevens-Coolidge will team up with Notch Brewing for this event that will feature German fare, desserts, and cold session beer, as well as the musical talents of an authentic German band.

Topsfield Fair
207 Boston Street, Topsfield, Mass.
Oct. 1-11
TopsfieldFair.org
Popcorn! Candy Apples! Cotton Candy! Carnival rides! Offering family fun for decades, the Topsfield Fair is among the most popular in New England. For just over a week, the fair features plenty of food, beverages, carnival rides and games, face painting, farm animals, live music, souvenir markets, and more exciting events. Whether you’re looking for a cute date idea or taking the family out for some fun, the Topsfield Fair is an event that people of all ages will enjoy.

Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival 2021
Downtown Newburyport
Oct. 10-11
Come to downtown Newburyport on Sunday & Monday of Columbus Day weekend for the annual Fall Harvest Festival. Enjoy great food, live music, and family fun while celebrating autumn’s arrival. Explore downtown shops as well as craft vendor booths from artisans all over New England.

The Town and the City Festival
Downtown Lowell
Oct. 22-23
TheTownAndTheCityFestival.com
The Town and The City Festival is a music festival in downtown Lowell that will feature over 40 performances spanning multiple genres. Named after bestselling novelist Jack Kerouac’s “The Town and the City,” the festival will also include a musical tribute to Kerouac himself, and will take place in event spaces, bars, cafes, and galleries throughout downtown Lowell including Zorba Music Hall, Christ Church United, The Luna Theater at
Mill No. 5, Academic Arts Center, Warp & Weft, Gallery Z, Smokehouse Tavern, The Old Court and more.

Nature: A Walking Play at Appleton Farms.

Outdoor Activities & Events

Nature: A Walking Play
Appleton Farms, Ipswich, Mass.
Sept. 10-19
TheTrustees.org
“Nature: An Outdoor Walking Play” celebrates the dynamic connection between humanity and the natural world. This immersive and family-friendly performance tells the tale of Emerson, Thoreau, and their mutual love of the natural world. This event offers a deeply thought-provoking opportunity to experience a live performance in beautiful and historic outdoor settings.

Vintage Bazaar: Harvest Edition
Wolfsburg Farm, Holderness, N.H.
Oct. 2-3
Just minutes away from the beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfsburg Farm in Holderness, N.H., will be hosting the Vintage Bazaar: Harvest Edition, a two-day vintage and hand makers harvest festival. The event will feature over 135 curated booths with antiques, vintage finds, architectural salvage, rusty junk, repurposed goodies, indie crafts, and more. Visit the Bazaar to also enjoy live music, food trucks, hard cider, fall brews and more.

Yoga in the Gardens
Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, North Andover, Mass.
Mondays & Saturdays through September
TheTrustees.org
Relax and refresh with yoga in North Andover’s Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens. This outdoor yoga program will teach you breathing techniques to calm your mind, postures to balance and stretch your body, and relaxation to soothe your soul. Surrounded by the changing leaves and fall breeze, this is the perfect setting to connect to the earth and find peace in nature.

Foliage Hikes & Drives

Winnekenni Park
347 Kenoza Avenue, Haverhill
CityOfHaverhill.com
Haverhill’s first public park, Winnekenni is a hilly, city-owned conservation area of more than 700 acres. Situated around Kenoza Lake, the park is within a few miles of downtown Haverhill and includes approximately 10 miles of easy to moderate walking trails. One can enjoy fall foliage on a walk, from the playground, on one of the many benches and picnic areas, or near the beautiful Winnekenni Castle.

Methuen, Lawrence, Salem, N.H., and Windham, N.H., Rail Trails
There are many things to love about rail trails: they’re pet-friendly; often well-paved; framed by wildflowers and forests that turn beautiful colors in the fall; available for walkers, runners bikers, roller-bladers and all of the above; and some can let you walk across multiple towns, cities and even states in an afternoon. Locally, hop on the Methuen portion of the rail trail on Railroad Street, or you can explore the Salem and Windham, N.H., rail trails by entering the parking lot on north Broadway at the Windham Town line (3 Rockingham Road). Whichever rail trail system you choose to explore, they offer great fall scenery and smooth travels suited for outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities.

Maudslay State Park
74 Curzon Mill Road, Newburyport
Located right next to the Merrimack River, Maudslay State Park features 19th century gardens and plantings, rolling meadows, towering pines, and one of the largest naturally occurring stands of mountain laurel in Massachusetts. With trails framed by beautiful scenery, this area is the perfect place for a walk, bike ride or picnic.

Weir Hill
North Andover, Mass.
Fonat.org/WeirHill
North Andover’s Weir Hill is a 60-acre oak and hickory forest located on the shores of Lake Cochichewick. There are plenty of hills, streams and wet meadows to keep hikers of all levels entertained, in addition to an abundance of plant and animal life. In the fall, leash-up your four-legged friend and head to Weir Hill to enjoy a “woodsy ascent” into the beautiful changing leaves of the hickory and oak trees.

Merrimack Valley Paddlers
MVPClub.org
If you’re interested in enjoying the fall scenery from a different point of view, consider joining the Merrimack Valley Paddler’s club. The club is made up of an informal group of paddlers who hit the water together on a regular basis and organize training trips for all levels. They paddle into the fall, so it’s not too late to join!

Views Through the Windshield
93 North, 495 North / South
If you live in or near the Merrimack Valley, chances are you are familiar with two of the main highways nearby: 93 and 495. I have always found that going for a drive on one of these highways is one of the easiest ways to enjoy fall foliage, especially if weather, injuries, allergies or other circumstances prevent you from venturing into nature. When driving up 93 north from Andover towards Windham, the highway is framed by beautiful changing colors that are just as picturesque as they are alongside a lake or in a park. Just remember to drive safely!

Art! Culture! Feasts! Festivals!

July 10, 2021 by Digital Manager

Your Summer Guide to the Merrimack Valley

Expect a surge of people exploring the Valley, eager to enjoy summer and recover from the stresses of life during the pandemic, but be prepared for last-minute changes. Always call or visit the webpages of the following organizations to make sure you have the most up-to-date information.

It would be impossible to put together a complete list of all the great things happening in the Merrimack Valley during the warm months — a number of local event organizers were still developing plans for the 2021 summer season at the time of publication. The best way to keep track of everything noteworthy going on in the Merrimack Valley is to follow Merrimack Valley Magazine on social media, click here and subscribe to our free, weekly art and entertainment newsletter, Eight Great Things To Do This Weekend.

ART, MUSIC, CULTURE

Learning to Look: The Addison at 90
Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover
Through Dec. 31
Addison.Andover.Edu
Filling the Addison’s first floor galleries, “Learning to Look: The Addison at 90” features celebrated favorites, lesser-known gems, and new acquisitions that bring to life the Addison’s storied history and ongoing commitment to groundbreaking artists. With an installation that allows objects to speak across time and media, this exhibition includes masterworks by artists such as Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, McArthur Binion, Carrie Mae Weems and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.

Lowell Summer Music Series
Boarding House Park, Lowell
Through mid-Sept.
LowellSummerMusic.org
Nationally known artists such as Tower of Power, Richard Thompson, Rhiannon Giddens, Ani DiFranco and Los Lobos perform at Lowell National Historical Park’s Boarding House Park throughout the summer.

New Hampshire Music Festival
Various locations, N.H.
Through July 31
NHMF.org
Enjoy a collection of concerts focused on the Granite State’s cultural richness and diversity. Chamber music and family concerts abound both indoors and out. Patrons will again have the chance to enjoy the festival’s “From the Heart” livestream performances from their own homes or attend these chamber concerts in person.

Newburyport Chamber Garden Concert and Lecture Series
Various locations
Through Aug. 15
NewburyportChamberMusic.org
A series of intimate chamber music concerts, lectures, open rehearsals and family programs in and around the city of Newburyport.

Prescott Park Arts Festival
Prescott Park, Portsmouth, N.H.
Through mid-Sept.
PrescottPark.org
Visitors can enjoy food, music, films, children’s entertainment and theater at Prescott Park, which overlooks the scenic Piscataqua River in downtown Portsmouth.

Old Crow Medicine Show
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton, N.H.
July 9
CasinoBallroom.com
Known for their high-energy, punk-tinged take on bluegrass and folk, OCMS is much more than “Wagon Wheel” — their catchy song made famous by Darius Rucker and in pre-pandemic karaoke bars across the nation. If this show sells out, and it probably will, head over to the Casino Ballroom website to see what else lies ahead this summer: Buddy Guy, Aaron Lewis, George Thorogood, Joss Stone, and more are on the calendar.

Buster Keaton Films With Live Music
The Rex Theatre, Manchester, N.H.
July 15
PalaceTheatre.org/Rex-Theatre
Relive the golden age of silent film at the Rex. “Sherlock Jr.” and “Our Hospitality” star one of the greatest Hollywood comic actors of all time, Buster Keaton. Live music is provided by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based musician and composer who specializes in creating live music for silent film screenings. Over the past 15 years, he has accompanied more than 1,000 screenings in New England, around the nation, and in Europe.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury
July 30-31
BlueOceanHall.com
The Jukes have more than 30 albums on their resume, thousands of acclaimed live performances across the globe and a vibrant legacy of classic songs that have become “hits” to their large and dedicated fan base. Last year, the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes released the acclaimed “SOULTIME!,” their first new studio recording of all original material in five years. The record celebrates the transformative power of ’70s soul music and represents a return to — as Southside sings — “just letting the music take us away.”

Nicole Keller
Methuen Memorial Music Hall
Aug. 4
Methuen, Mass.
Streamed live on MMMH’s YouTube channel, the show features works by Sowerby, Price, Hampton, Shearing and Wilson, performed by Nicole Keller. Keller is a solo and chamber music recitalist, adjudicator and clinician on the organ and harpsichord. She specializes in eclectic programs suited to instrument and audience with a desire to expand the listener’s horizons, pairing familiar sounds and genres with less familiar ones. She has concertized in the United States and abroad in venues such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, Notre Dame in Paris and The Kazakh National University for the Arts in Kazakhstan.

Godspell
Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport
Aug. 13-29
Firehouse.org
The Firehouse presents “Godspell,” live at Smolak Farms, in which a small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games and storytelling techniques. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville is employed as the story of Jesus’ life dances across the stage. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus’ messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life.

Maudslay Arts Center Summer Concert Series
Maudslay State Park, Newburyport
Aug. 8-29
MaudslayArtsCenter.org
Whether you’re sitting under the stars on a moonlit evening or lounging on a blanket on a Sunday afternoon, the Maudslay Arts Center Summer Concert Series provides the perfect setting for your entertainment pleasure. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and their own chairs. Performers this year include New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Amanda Carr and Donna Byrne.

Theater in the Open
Maudslay State Park, Newburyport
Date TBD
TheaterInTheOpen.org
Due to ongoing efforts to current pandemic guidelines, Theater in the Open is reimagining its 2021 season to allow for smaller groups to gather to see live performances. They will open this season slightly later than usual, but as of press time, opening day yet to be announced. Visit their website for more info.

FEASTS & FESTIVALS

Summer Fun 2021
Nashua, N.H.
Through Sept. 10
NashuaNH.gov
Enjoy outdoor concerts, fireworks, live theater, children’s entertainment and the annual Fairy Tale Festival.

Yankee Homecoming
Downtown Newburyport
July 30 – Aug. 8
YankeeHomecoming.com
Since 1958, this old-fashioned festival has offered a chance to reminisce about times past. At the time of publication, organizers were still unsure what this year’s celebration will be like. Past year’s activities included a brewfest, fireworks, art exhibitions and more.

Haverhill Restaurant Week
Haverhill, Mass.
Aug. 20-26
HaverhillsRestaurantWeek.com
The Greater Haverhill Chamber hosts its annual Haverhill Restaurant Week. Past participants have included Barking Dog Ale House, Peddler’s Daughter, The Hidden Pig and many more. To find the latest information on this year’s event, visit their webpage or follow the Destination Downtown Haverhill page on Facebook.

Feast of the Three Saints
Common Street, Lawrence
Sept. 4-6
ThreeSaintsInc.org
Don’t miss this lively Italian street festival in honor of Sts. Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino. Events include free concerts, a torchlight parade and a procession of the saints.

The Bread & Roses Heritage Festival
Campagnone Common, Lawrence
Sept. 6
BreadAndRosesHeritage.org
While plans for this festival are still in the works, if it happens in 2021, this free, family-friendly event will feature live music, dance performances, drama and poetry. The Bread & Roses festival presents an opportunity to learn about the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike and to celebrate Lawrence’s diversity.

Eight Great 6/27/19

June 27, 2019 by Jaden Mendola Leave a Comment

ONE: Join Wendee Glick this Friday at Gallery Z in Lowell as she performs standards from the Great American Songbook, as well as Broadway and pop music from the ’60s to the ’80s.

TWO: The Native American Summer Moon Pow-Wow will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 29 and 30, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Endicott Park in Danvers, Mass. The event is open to the public and will feature the renowned Aztec Indian Dancers who will perform ancient Aztec dances that honor centuries of indigenous culture and traditions. There will also be arts, crafts and traditional foods for sale, as well as storytelling and other traditions that are part of this popular cultural event. For more details: (617) 642-1683 or mcnaa@aol.com

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THREE: Visit The Stevens-Coolidge Place this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. for the Summer Picnic Concert: an evening of food, drinks, dancing. Featuring live music from rock/funk group Mother Ton.

FOUR: The Amesbury Carriage Museum is hosting their “Driving Through History” fundraiser, organized to support the museum’s educational programs this Saturday, June 29, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Amesbury Chevrolet showroom.

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FIVE: The Country Beach Jam at Salisbury Beach will be taking place this Saturday from 3 to 10:30 p.m. Enjoy a fun, country-filled afternoon followed by a night of fireworks.

SIX: On Saturday night, June 29, at 7 p.m., the excitement of the 2019 Drum Corps International tour comes to Lawrence as the East Coast Classic, New England’s premier drum corps show, makes its return to Veterans Memorial Stadium.

SEVEN: Drive in with your crew or roll in alone to the Southern New Hampshire Cars and Coffee show this Sunday from 9 to 11 a.m. Grab some local coffee and show off your sweet, summer rides at The Coffee Factory in Salem, N.H.

EIGHT: This Sunday, check out comedian, impressionist and ventriloquist Terry Fator at the Hampton Ballroom Casino and his cast of characters including Winston the Impersonating Turtle, the World’s Greatest Elvis Impersonator, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Vicki the Cougar, President Donald Trump and annoying neighbor Duggie.

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MORE FUN AROUND THE VALLEY

July 3

Monarch Story Hour

The Stevens-Coolidge Place | North Andover, Mass. | TheTrustees.org

July 6

4th Annual Americana Rhythm & Roots Festival

Newburyport Waterfront Park | Newburyport, Mass. | NewburyportWaterfrontTrust.org

July 21

Ring of Honor

Lowell Memorial Auditorium | Lowell, Mass. | LowellAuditorium.com

July 30

2nd Annual Red Heat Tavern and Burtons Grill & Bar MDA Golf Classic

Butter Brook Golf Club | Westford, Mass. | (978) 549-8681

Living Madly – Rites of Spring

May 6, 2019 by Emilie-Noelle Provost Leave a Comment

Spring always seems to sneak up on me. One day I’m carving the Thanksgiving turkey, and the next thing I know daffodils are popping up in the yard. It’s almost as if the world shrinks down to the size of my house sometime during the cold, dark months of January and February, and by late March anything beyond it feels almost like alien territory: I can see the grass turning green and the sun shining, but I need a bit of a push before I can again begin living life outside my four cozy walls.

As the young leaves rustle in the breeze and the days continue to get warmer and longer, I’ve thought about how, for thousands of years, people have celebrated the arrival of spring in part as a way to help each other overcome the urge to nest in place that seems to settle in during the course of a long winter, a compulsion that can, at least for me, become a habit that’s difficult to break.

Most of the world’s major religions have long observed springtime holidays and rituals centered on the idea of rebirth. Christians have Lent followed by Easter. In Judaism, there is Purim and Passover. Hindus in South Asia celebrate Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors. The ancient Mayans observed the return of the Sun Serpent on the spring equinox, and the ancient Greeks celebrated the Festival of Dionysus — the god of wine, fertility and rebirth — every March.

Many nonreligious springtime festivals around the world also commemorate new life, including May Day in Europe, Nowruz in Iran, Baba Marta in Bulgaria, and the New Year’s celebrations in April in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia and Thailand. Modern springtime festivities like the Canadian Tulip Festival, held in Ottawa each May, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, held during late March and early April in Washington, D.C., have helped keep the tradition of celebrating spring’s rebirth relevant in an increasingly diverse and secular world.

Because my wedding anniversary is in mid-April, travel has served as one of my springtime rites for many years. As my husband, Rob, and I have often taken a short vacation to celebrate the occasion, I’ve found that there’s nothing like spending time in a new place and meeting new people — seeing how they live their lives and generally make things work for themselves — to help me remember that the world really is larger than my living room.

Rob and I also host our families for Easter dinner every year. It’s a tradition that our daughter, Madelaine, and her cousins have grown up with and one that we all look forward to. After not seeing many people in our family since Christmas, it’s always nice to have a chance to catch up and enjoy each other’s company.

I also look forward spring cleaning and organizing. It might sound a bit nuts, but there are few things I love more than touching up the paint on the woodwork, washing and ironing the curtains, and getting rid of things we don’t need that have somehow accumulated over the winter. Cleaning the house this way always gives me a feeling of freedom and lightness that makes anything seem possible.

It’s common for people to target New Year’s Day for the start of a self-improvement project or a fresh workout routine., but I think doing things like this in the springtime makes a lot more sense. Does anyone actually feel motivated to start eating more salads or jogging a few miles after dinner when it’s 10 degrees outside and the sun sets at 4 p.m.? It’s much better to wait until May, when the breezes are warm and scented with flowers.

After thinking about it all winter, I started work on my third novel this spring.

In her 1996 book “Under the Tuscan Sun,” author Frances Mayes wrote, “… life must change from time to time if we are to go forward in our thinking.” I think spring has always been the best time for changing and moving forward, even if it’s just leaving the house to go for a walk and say hello to the neighbors.

Contact Emilie at eprovost@mvmag.net