Thousands of ballots have been cast, the results tabulated, and now we present the winners of the 2017 Merrimack Valley Magazine Awards. This spring, the top picks in all categories were chosen by our readers via our online voting platform. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote and congratulations to all the winners!

Outdoor Performance Venue
Lowell Summer Music Series at Boarding House Park
This summer enjoy the tunes of Graham Nash, the David Grisman Sextet, Rosanne Cash and more at this popular concert series. Concerts are held on the grounds of Lowell National Historical Park’s Boarding House Park, a beautiful setting bursting with local history. Enjoy on-site concessions and don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket.
40 French St.
Lowell, Mass.
LowellSummerMusic.org

Indoor Performance Venue
Blue Ocean Event Center
A quick look at this summer’s concert calendar tells you why Blue Ocean scored this MVMA — Rusted Room, Roomful of Blues, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Delta Rae are set to take to this seaside stage in the months ahead. As anyone will tell you who has seen big performers at this small venue, there’s not a bad seat in the house.
4 Oceanfront North
Salisbury, Mass.
BlueOceanMusicHall.com

Festival
Lowell Folk Festival
Music lovers rejoice! This free annual festival kicks off at the end of July with three days of nonstop tunes. Along with music from around the world, enjoy craft demonstrations and ethnic food stalls scattered throughout Lowell’s downtown. Watch street performers, let the kids run free in the family activity area and dance the night away.
Lowell, Mass.
LowellFolkFestival.org

Activities for Big or Little Kids
Canobie Lake Park
Features such as 85 different rides and attractions, tax-free shopping and the Yankee Cannonball traditional wooden roller coaster likely earned Canobie Lake Park this MVMA. Children of all ages enjoy the thrills, while more contemplative guests admire the park’s history, which stretches back to 1902.
85 N. Policy St.
Salem, N.H.
Canobie.com

Museum
Boott Cotton Mills Museum
As visitors enter the museum, they walk back in time. Witness a full-scale replica of Industrial Revolution-era weaving looms as the roar of the machines adds to the immersive experience. Operated by Lowell National Historical Park, the museum is a testament to the lives of the people whose labor originally built the city.
115 John St.
Lowell, Mass.
Nps.gov/lowe

Stop by next week for the winners in our final category, ‘Milestone: Longevity in Business.”

The 2017 MVMAs are sponsored by: