Quantcast
 
 



Massachusetts 250 Events Calendar

Welcome to our Massachusetts 250 Events Calendar! Explore can’t-miss events, historic experiences, and celebrations across the state. Plus, visit our Celebrate Massachusetts 250 page for additional information and tips.


Massachusetts 250th Celebration Events

Find the dates you plan to travel or simply search the full events list below.

Children & Families Historic Parades & Fireworks Performing Arts and Theater
We welcome the events that are open to the public. Click here to Submit your Event for FREE

Children & Families

February Vacation Week at the Museum

Feb 16, 2026 - Feb 20, 2026 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740

Travel back in time during February school vacation week with a week full of themed activities, crafts, stories, and movies at the New Bedford Whaling Museum! Kids can explore the museum, including the Lagoda whaling ship, interactive Kid’s Corner, Sailor’s Nook pretend play area, sand table, whale skeletons, and more.

Daily Themes & Highlights
Monday, Feb 16 – 250 Years Ago: Revolutionary War & Forging Independence | Building a Nation
Inflatable Whale, Storytimes, Silhouette Crafts, Butter-Making Activity
Costume Parade & Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Tuesday, Feb 17 – Get to Work!: New Bedford’s Industrial History & Energy and Enterprise
Storytimes, Weaving Crafts, Suncatcher Activity
Costume Parade & Movie: Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken

Wednesday, Feb 18 – Island Adventures: Cape Verdean Culture & Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community
Inflatable Whale, Storytimes, Cape Verdean Lace Crafts, Community Quilt Activity
Costume Parade & Movie: Luca

Thursday, Feb 19 – Smile for the Camera: History of Photography & “Look Pleasant, Please”
Storytimes, Photo Collage Crafts, Sunprint Activity
Costume Parade & Movie: Muppet Treasure Island

Friday, Feb 20 – Thar She Blows!: New Bedford’s Whaling Industry & The City that Lit the World
Inflatable Whale, Storytimes, Scrimshaw Crafts, Candle-Making Activity
Costume Parade & Movie: The Goonies

🎟️ Tips: Visit multiple days with a New Bedford Whaling Museum Membership for free museum admission and movie discounts.
10:00AM - 4:00PM
508-997-0046

Children’s Drop-In Activity Day: Exploring the American Revolution & Falmouth’s Past!

Feb 19, 2026 - Feb 19, 2026 Palmer Avenue 55, Falmouth, MA 02540

Step back in time for a fun-filled day discovering the history of the American Revolution and Falmouth’s unique role in our nation’s early story! Families are invited to drop in anytime to enjoy hands-on activities, crafts, and games inspired by colonial life.

Activities Include:
  • Colonial Coloring Station: Learn about the “Boy in the Boat” and color his adventure
  • Historic Hopscotch & Jump Rope: Try classic childhood favorites enjoyed for generations
  • Colonial Games: Play traditional games like Fox and Geese and see how children passed the time in the 1700s
  • Arts & Crafts: Make take-home crafts inspired by local history and daily colonial life
This relaxed, family-friendly event is perfect for curious kids of all ages. Drop in, explore, create, and play while learning about the people and events that shaped Falmouth—and America!
10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Free
508-548-4857

Historic

Revolutionary War Transcription Event

Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 20, 2026 https://massachusetts250.org/event/revolutionary-war-transcription-event/ Upton, MA 01568

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary by helping uncover the stories of our nation’s first veterans! The National Archives and the National Park Service invite you to become a citizen archivist by transcribing Revolutionary War Pension Files—over 2 million documents detailing the lives of more than 80,000 patriots and their families.

This special event, co-hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and the Upton Historical Society, will provide:

Insights into wartime pensions and the lives of local Revolutionary War veterans

Hands-on training from rangers on how to access and transcribe pension records online
A chance to contribute to preserving America’s history during the Semiquincentennial

⚠️ Note: Capacity is limited

Join us to help bring these vital records—and the stories of early Americans—to life!
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
508-529-6600

Hingham’s Black Revolutionaries

Feb 22, 2026 - Feb 22, 2026 Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA 02043

How did Hingham’s free and enslaved Black residents experience the American Revolution? Join local historian Paula Bagger as she uncovers previously untold stories of service on the battlefield and the home front, highlighting the vital contributions of Black Hingham residents during this pivotal period.

About Paula Bagger

Paula Bagger is a leading historian of Hingham history and recipient of the Judith Kimball Award (2024) for her decade of service to the Society. Her research has focused on artist Prince Demah, people of color in Hingham, and Hingham’s 1776 census return. A long-time volunteer since 2007, Paula has also served a five-year term as President of the Society. She is an attorney, arbitrator, and mediator with expertise in business and commercial disputes, and holds an A.B. in History from Harvard and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Explore the lives and stories of those who fought and contributed to the Revolution in ways often overlooked by history.
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

A Journey to Find an Ancestor and Honor His Faith in Diversity

Feb 22, 2026 - Feb 22, 2026 South Road 16, Bedford, MA 01730

In honor of Black History Month, join Jane Woolsey Gropp of Lexington as she shares her journey uncovering the stories of her Revolutionary War ancestor, General John Glover, and the Marbleheaders—a group of fishermen and sailors from Marblehead whose bravery helped shape the American Revolution. This diverse group included free African Americans and Native Americans, forming one of the first integrated institutions in America.

Gropp’s research led her to commission the painting “An Appeal to Heaven,” which honors both her ancestor and the largely forgotten Black Patriots who fought for a freedom not yet fully theirs. During the talk, she will discuss the interrelationships depicted in the painting, including Washington, one of his enslaved men, and other key figures from the Revolution.

Event Schedule
2:00 PM: Doors open for social period and refreshments
2:15 PM: Brief Society announcements followed by the guest speaker

Discover the hidden stories of the Revolution and the people who helped secure a new nation.
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
781-275-7276

“Expansive Histories of the American Revolution” Free Virtual Lecture Series

Feb 22, 2026 - Feb 26, 2026 Memorial Street 16, Deerfield, MA 01342

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Historic Deerfield invites you to a free virtual Winter Lecture Series exploring the American Revolution as a global, complex conflict that reshaped life across the colonies. These lectures go beyond politics to examine the war’s effects on Native nations, free and enslaved Black communities, and daily social, cultural, and economic life.

Lecture Schedule
  • Lecture 1: Sunday, January 25, 2:00 PM — Dr. Woody Holton, Professor of History, University of South Carolina 
  • Lecture 2: Sunday, February 22, 2:00 PM — Dr. Kathleen DuVal, Carl W. Ernst Distinguished Professor of History, University of North Carolina
  • Lecture 3: Sunday, March 29, 2:00 PM — Dr. Paul Staiti, Professor of Fine Arts, Mount Holyoke College
All lectures are free and presented via Zoom webinar. Join distinguished scholars as they illuminate often-overlooked aspects of this foundational conflict.
2:00 pm (Feb 22) / 3:00 pm (Feb 26)
Free
413-774-5588

Teaching 250 Years of Immigration

Feb 25, 2026 - Feb 25, 2026 North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA 01970

As the United States approaches its Semiquincentennial, this free webinar invites K–12 educators to explore how immigration has shaped the nation from the Revolutionary era to today. Co-hosted by The Immigration Learning Center and the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University, the session blends historical content, data literacy, and practical classroom strategies to support inclusive and inquiry-based teaching.

What Educators Will Learn
  • How revolutionaries abroad expanded the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through their own independence movements
  • How to identify, analyze, and evaluate immigration-related data across U.S. history
  • Practical classroom strategies and ready-to-use resources to integrate immigration history into existing curricula
This session provides tools for educators to bring immigration as a core part of the American story into the classroom in the lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary.

📍 Format: Online webinar
🎓 Audience: K–12 educators
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
978-744-1692

Indigenous Identity, Diplomacy & Sovereignty in the American Revolution

Feb 26, 2026 - Feb 26, 2026 Boylston Street 1154, Boston, MA 02215

Explore the often-overlooked perspectives of Indigenous peoples in New England during the American Revolution. This free virtual event examines how Northeastern tribal nations navigated the conflict to protect their sovereign interests, with some choosing to fight and others engaging in diplomacy with both British and American leaders.

Featured Speakers
  • Lorén Spears: Discusses the experiences of the Narragansett people, Indigenous service in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, and themes of unfreedom and sovereignty
  • Christine DeLucia: Reflects on how Indigenous communities in Revolutionary-era New England lived, labored, resisted, and organized
Gain a deeper understanding of the roles and experiences of Indigenous individuals and nations during this formative period in American history.
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
617-536-1608

Black Women at the Center of Revolution

Feb 26, 2026 - Feb 26, 2026 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the American Antiquarian Society presents a panel discussion with distinguished Black women historians exploring how the nation defines “revolution” and whose struggles are recognized as revolutionary.

Moderated by Deborah Hall, CEO of YWCA Central MA and founder of the Worcester Black History Project, the panel will examine how Black women have pursued freedom through social, political, and legal activism over the past 250 years—from early petitions and collective resistance to organized movements for justice and liberation.

Panelists
  • Patrice R. Green, Curator for African American and African Diasporic Collections, Schlesinger Library
  • Kyera Singleton, Executive Director, Royall House and Slave Quarters
  • Angela T. Tate, Chief Curator & Director of Collections, Museum of African American History
The discussion will challenge traditional narratives of revolution, exploring questions such as:
  • What makes a revolution truly revolutionary?
  • How have Black women’s visions of freedom, rooted in community and collective survival, reshaped political change?
  • Why have these revolutionary acts often been erased, minimized, or reframed?
Join this free program in person or online to engage with critical perspectives that illuminate the contributions of Black women to America’s evolving story of freedom and justice.
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Free

Parades & Fireworks

Evacuation Day Boston 250

Mar 17, 2026 - Mar 17, 2026 Outside Fort Independence - Castle Island, South Boston - 2010 Wm. J Day Blvd. Boston, MA 02010

The Massachusetts Independence Day event is intended to be a grand-scale event celebrating the departure of the British Army after a ten-month siege and commemorating the service and sacrifice of thousands of men and women who supported the siege of Boston. This event will feature: A Parade & Review, Presentation Program, Flyover, 21 Gun Salute and Reception.
9AM - 5PM
Members $5/Non Members $10 Children free

Performing Arts and Theater

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment

Feb 17, 2026 - Feb 17, 2026 East Broadway 646, Boston, MA 02127

Bring the magic of opera to your neighborhood! Boston Lyric Opera presents Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment, a one-act, English-language adaptation of Donizetti’s beloved comic opera. Follow the story of a young girl raised in a military regiment, brought to life by three performers and a pianist through singing, staging, and narration.

This interactive 45-minute performance introduces audiences to the art of opera in a fun and engaging way. Designed for all ages, it is especially ideal for children ages 5–12. Experience how music, acting, and movement combine to make opera come alive!

Voices of Revolution: Celebrating America’s 250th

Part of Boston Lyric Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season and the statewide MA250 commemoration, the Voices of Revolution initiative uses music and storytelling to rediscover the stories of America’s beginnings. This program highlights both iconic and overlooked voices, celebrating the past, reflecting on the present, and inspiring the future.
10:30 am - 11:15 am

The Barzillai Lew Project – A Duke Ellington Concert

Feb 20, 2026 - Feb 20, 2026 Central Street 240, Lowell, MA 01852

Discover the story of Barzillai Lew, a remarkable Revolutionary War hero whose legacy inspired Duke Ellington. In 1942, Ellington composed a piano piece in Lew’s honor, influenced by stories he encountered while studying with pioneering historian Carter G. Woodson. The original musical score, recently digitized from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, has been adapted for a modern concert experience.

Join us for an evening of music featuring Ellington’s tribute alongside several original compositions, performed at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center at Middlesex Community College.

About Barzillai Lew
  • Born a free Black man in 1743 in Groton, Massachusetts
  • Served as a renowned fifer in the colonial regiment of Captain Thomas Farrington
  • Fought in the French and Indian War and at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)
  • Purchased the freedom of his wife, Dinah Bowman, a pioneering African American pianist
  • Raised a family of 13 children, including notable abolitionist Lucy Lew
  • His legacy continues through descendants such as Harry ‘Bucky’ Lew, the first African American basketball player
This historical and musical celebration illuminates the life of a largely forgotten hero whose courage and artistry helped shape both American history and culture.
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
800-818-3434