Winter Lights at The Loading Dock Gallery
2026-01-13 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-14 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-15 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-16 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-17 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-18 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-19 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-20 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) and 4 more dates | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, United States
December is a festive time at The Loading Dock Gallery and we invite you to partake in the celebration of the seasons. Winter Lights has become an annual tradition of holiday shoppers as a source of unique, handcrafted, giftable art and holiday decorations presented by more than 30 local artists. Shop Local and Shop Small and find that unique and extraordinary gift that will make this holiday memorable.

The Chelmsford Children's Chorus "We Are Change" Concert
2026-01-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Chelmsford Center for the Arts, Chelmsford Center for the Arts, 1A North Rd, Chelmsford, MA, 01824, United States
Join us for evening of choral music at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts.
Our 2026 winter concert will feature our elementary and middle school singers. We are excited to perform the world premier of We Are Change, a new song composed by CCC Singers and Jim Papoulis.

Erin Ash Sullivan & Rupert Wates in Concert
2026-01-17 19:30 - 22:00 | Bedford Town Hall, 10 Mudge Way, Bedford, 01730, United States
The Bedford Cultural District’s New Song Music Series presents an evening of award-winning original music with Erin Ash Sullivan and Rupert Wates on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Bedford Town Hall.
Erin Ash Sullivan’s songs are known for their lyrical honesty and sense of place. Her 2024 release Signposts and Marks debuted at #4 on the FAI Folk DJ chart, earning praise from Americana UK as “a songwriter of the highest order.” A Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” artist, her style evokes the storytelling of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.
Rupert Wates, originally from London and now based in New York and Colorado, has earned more than 50 songwriting and performing awards. His eclectic acoustic style blends folk, jazz, and cabaret influences. Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange calls him “a prime figure in American music.”
Enjoy an intimate evening of masterful songwriting and inspired performance from two celebrated contemporary folk artists.

Live Greek & Middle Eastern Music and Bellydancing
2026-01-17 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-01-24 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-01-31 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-02-07 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-02-14 20:00 - 23:00 | Athenian Corner Restaurant, 207 Market Street, Lowell, 01852, United States
Live music and dancing featuring the Athenian Corner Ensemble

Join or Die...a film
2026-01-31 13:00 - 14:30 | Scottish Rite Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Join us at the museum at 1:00 pm for a screening of the 2024 documentary, Join or Die. In this Emmy-nominated film, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist–and former Lexington resident–Robert Putnam. Putnam’s groundbreaking book Bowling Alone and his research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis.
Flanked by influential fans and scholars, as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it? Learn more about the documentary here and join us in January!

February Open Studios
2026-02-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Western Avenue | Studios & Lofts, Western Avenue | Studios & Lofts, 122 Western Ave, Lowell, MA, United States
Shake off the winter blues and join us on Saturday, February 7th for Open Studios at Western Avenue Studios & Lofts. This is your invitation to step inside a thriving creative community where artists open their doors and share the work they love.
With 5 floors to explore, guests are encouraged to wander at their own pace, meet artists in their studios, see works in progress, discover finished pieces, and shop truly one-of-a-kind handmade art. From painting and photography to fiber, mixed media, and beyond, there is something to spark curiosity around every corner.
Open Studios is an easy, welcoming way to spend a winter afternoon, whether you are a longtime supporter of the arts or discovering Western Avenue for the first time.
Saturday, February 7th | 12–5 PM
Western Avenue Studios & Lofts
122 & 160 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA
This event is free and open to all. Friendly, leashed pets are welcome.

HEARTS AND FLOWERS | February 4 – March 1, 2026| Loading Dock Gallery
2026-02-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA, United States
This February, The Loading Dock Gallery invites the community to celebrate creativity, beauty, and connection with Hearts and Flowers, a vibrant mixed-media exhibition featuring work by Loading Dock Gallery artists and additional Western Avenue artists.
Filled with color, emotion, and the warmth of artistic expression, Hearts and Flowers showcases a juried collection of paintings, textiles, photographs, sculpture, and handcrafted art. Whether inspired by love, nature, or the quiet joy of winter, each piece offers a unique interpretation of the themes at the heart of the exhibition.
Visitors are invited to explore three rooms of artwork that highlight the depth and diversity of our local creative community. This show offers the perfect opportunity to support local artists while discovering meaningful gifts—just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Hearts and Flowers will be open weekdays 12–5:30 PM and weekends 10 AM–3:30 PM, February 4 through March 1. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 7, from 3–5 PM, coinciding with Western Avenue Studios’ Open Studios.
Loading Dock Gallery is part of Loading Dock Arts, Inc., a 501(c)(3). For more information, visit www.theloadingdockgallery.com.

Lowell’s Citywide “Kids Week” (Feb 14–22, 2026)
2026-02-14 - 2026-02-22 | Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, 115 Merrimack St, Lowell, MA, 01852, United States
Lowell Kids Week is a citywide free celebration with dozens of family-friendly activities hosted by area partners — museums, community groups, libraries, outdoor art, and more.
📌 Example Events (subject to confirmation as final schedule posts):
Hands-On STEM & History (Tsongas Industrial History Center) — STEM activities + historical exploration, part of the Kids Week lineup.
Art in the Park / Creativity Days — Artmaking stations at Boott Cotton Mills and other partners.
Valentine’s / Crafts & Story Time — Story time and themed activities for littles.
Garden-Themed Activities (Mill City Grows, Feb 17) — snacks + garden play with a fun twist.
📌 Calendar runs Feb 14 through Feb 22 with many free drop-in events across downtown Lowell, neighborhood cultural sites, and parks.

Historic tour & kids scavenger hunt
2026-02-17 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-02-17 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-02-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-02-19 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-02-21 11:30 - 12:30 | Public Health Museum, East Street, Tewksbury, MA, 01876, United States
The Public Health Museum is a non-profit educational and cultural museum. The Museum strives to preserve records and artifacts from our nation’s public health history; educate the public about the achievements and contributions of public health, and inspire people to build upon the past and continue to advance the future of public health.

The Barzillai Lew Project: A Concert of Modern Revolutionary Music
2026-02-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council, 240 Central Street, lowell, MA, 01852, United States
This February, history and music come together in The Barzillai Lew Project: A Concert of Modern Revolutionary Music, a powerful evening honoring one of the region’s most remarkable — and often overlooked — Revolutionary-era figures.
Presented by the Karayorgis Ensemble, the concert reimagines the legacy of Barzillai Lew (1743–1822) through modern jazz and improvised music, connecting Revolutionary history to 20th-century musical innovators and beyond.
Who Was Barzillai Lew?
Barzillai Lew was a free Black man born in Groton, Massachusetts, who became a celebrated fifer and drummer during the American Revolutionary War. He enlisted in May 1775 with Captain John Ford’s Company of the 27th Regiment out of Chelmsford and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill alongside roughly three dozen other soldiers of African descent.
Lew spent much of his life in what is now the Greater Lowell area, including Pepperell, Chelmsford, and Dracut. After the war, he purchased farmland in Dracut (now part of Lowell), raised a family of 13 children, and became a respected member of the community. He is buried at the Clay Pit Cemetery in Lowell, just off Pawtucket Boulevard.
As a musician of exceptional talent, Lew is considered one of the earliest documented Black American musicians in U.S. military history.

Poetry Corner featuring North Andover Poet Laureate Christa Lamb
2026-02-21 12:00 - 13:00 | The Purple Couch Bookshop, 350 Winthrop Ave unit 9b, North Andover, 01845, United States
Poetry Corner is back, featuring the return of our newest North Andover Poet Laureate Christa Lamb.
Christa April Lamb is a Massachusetts-based poet and writer whose work moves from close, intimate observation into embodied protest and participatory poems that invite shared responsibility. Shaped by neurodivergent perception, her poetry examines how language behaves under pressure — in the body, in relationships, and in the world. Her recent work engages directly with the present moment, including poems about democracy, voice, and interruption, alongside deeply personal poems about love, loss, and orientation. Christa is currently working on a memoir about growing up undiagnosed autistic and finding language for a life finally understood. She also serves as Director of Media & Communications for Revolutionary Valley, where she shapes stories rooted in place and history through language, design, and visual media.
