Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council

‘Contradictory Place’: Cotton Mills Alongside Anti-Slavery Efforts in Lowell Massachusetts a Film Screening and Discussion
2024-02-24 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Join us for a screening of the documentary film ‘Contradictory Place’: Cotton Mills Alongside Anti-Slavery Efforts in Lowell Massachusetts featuring Prof. Robert Forrant of the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Public Historian Maritza Grooms. The film describes the extraordinary anti-slavery efforts taking place in the mid-19th century in Lowell. Forrant and Grooms visit the sites that still exist in downtown Lowell where abolitionist activity occurred and where freedom seekers operated businesses.
The forty-minute film was written by Robert Forrant and Maritza Grooms, produced by former Lowell Telecommunications Executive Director Wendy Blom, and edited by former Lowell Telecommunications News Director Caroline Gallagher.
The film screening at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center 246 Market Street is free and open to the public. It will take place on Saturday, February 24 at 2pm, with a Q&A discussion with the film creators following the screening.
Free parking is available at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at the LNHP Visitor Center.

Eco-Film Series: "No Time To Waste"
2024-02-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Celebrate legendary 100-year-old park ranger Betty Reid Soskin’s inspiring life, work and urgent mission to restore critical missing chapters in America’s story. (52 mins.)
The 2024 Eco-Film Series is presented by the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust on the last Tuesday of every month, January through June. This free series is offered annually in partnership with the Lowell Film Collaborative and are screened at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.
The 2024 line-up covers topics such as: historic enemies uniting to save the Dead Sea, mushroom harvesting on public lands, a 200-mile trek on the L.A. aqueduct, and the extraordinary lives of Steward Udall and Betty Reid Soskin.
All events in the Eco-film series can be rsvp’d through the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust. They can also be reached by phone at (978)934-0030 or by mail at LP&CT, PO Box 7162, Lowell, MA 01852 (street: 660 Suffolk St., Suite 335, Lowell, MA 01854).
Lowell National Historical Park visitors may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.

Lowell Mill Girls (Walking Tour)
2024-03-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Who were the “Mill Girls”? Join a Ranger for a walk-through downtown Lowell to learn about some of the first workers in the textile factories of Lowell. Discover the choices, hardships, and opportunities that were afforded to the Mill Girls by exploring downtown Lowell.
The walk will cover 0.75 miles of walking and will involve up to an hour of walking and standing. This event is free and open to all.
(Free parking at 350 Dutton Street in the Hamilton Parking Garage. Pick up a chaser ticket at the Visitor Center front desk to use when exiting the garage).

Discovery Museum Speaker Series Event: How To Have Brave Conversations that Build Empathetic Kids
2024-03-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Discovery Museum, Discovery Museum, 177 Main St, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
In her role as Chief Executive Officer and President of The CAYL Institute, Dr. Valora Washington is at the epicenter of current thinking about the biggest issues facing kids and families. She joins us to speak about one that is front of mind: Helping adults have the brave conversations that develop kids’ sense of empathy over judgment, and respect the complexity of the world we live in. Dr. Washington will help us understand why keeping children “in a bubble” is not a reasonable option in today’s world, and how choosing to be a powerful parent (or caregiver, or grandparent, or teacher) is one of the greatest gifts we can give the children in our lives.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 7pm – 8pm
Speaker: Valora Washington, Ph.D., CEO & President, The CAYL Institute; former Vice President, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Location: Live, via Zoom webinar

Author and Historian Marion Gibson Discusses "Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials"
2024-03-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
In Partnership with the Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
We are so fascinated with witches and witchcraft, so we are taking this opportunity to discuss both with historian and author Marion Gibson about her book, “Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials”. This book is a fascinating, vivid global history of witch trials across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, told through thirteen distinct trials that illuminate the pattern of demonization and conspiratorial thinking that has profoundly shaped human history. So, grab your morning tea (or afternoon tea, depending on where you are) and join us for this fascinating conversation.
Please register for the event by visiting the library website and to receive participation information.

Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective
2024-03-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Inhabitants follows five Native American Tribes across deserts, coastlines, forests, and prairies as they restore their traditional land management practices.
Film duration – 76 min
Free parking at 350 Dutton Street in the Hamilton Parking Garage. Pick up a chaser ticket at the Visitor Center front desk to use when exiting the garage).

Community Conversations: Education
2024-04-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
The City of Lowell has always put quality education for everyone in the forefront. Join us for an evening of exploring what education is, was, and can be, and how it contributes to the vibrant community that we enjoy.
Guest speakers include:
Frank Clark, education ranger at Lowell National Historical Park and the Tsongas Industrial History Center
Greg Haas, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Greater Lowell Technical High School
Caroline Rowe, Lowell Managing Director for International Institute of New England
Community Conversations explores a wide variety of topics that are relevant to our contemporary communities with strong foundations in our past.

Common Ground film showing at Luna Theater
2024-04-21 19:00 - 20:30 | The Luna Theater, The Luna Theater, Mill No 5, 250 Jackson St 4th floor, No. 490, Lowell, MA, 01852, United States
A hopeful and uplifting story of the pioneers of the “Regenerative Movement” who produce tremendous quantities of nutritionally dense food and are working to balance the climate – all while bringing our entire ecosystem back to life. The film explores how Americans from different walks of life, different political backgrounds, and different parts of the country share one thing in common –the very soil beneath their feet. The film investigates the power of “regenerative” farming systems –from large to small-scale farmers who are the champions of soil health as the key to unlocking more (and healthier) food to feed America and the world.
Cast includes Laura Dern, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mamoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, and Donald Glover.
Tickets: $14 for Premium seating, $12 for Students/Seniors, $10 for Barstool seating Tickets on sale: https://lunalowell.com/movies/common-ground/
Sponsored by 350 of Greater Lowell. Panel discussion to follow film.
“FASCINATING.” – RogerEbert.com
“AIMS TO SPARK A CULTURAL AND POLITICAL MOVEMENT.” – Forbes
“THE KEY TO SAVING OUR PLANET MAY BE IN THE SOIL.” – Film Inquiry
“NEEDS TO BE SEEN BY EVERYONE.” – Digital Journal
YouTube Trailer: https://youtu.be/6-M4Hq0MKFA?si=HNW7Q99Mfu1HUrJz

Eco-Film Series: "Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty"
2024-04-30 18:30 - 20:00 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
A visually stunning journey through US environmental history. The film is a captivating story that intertwines US history, politics, tribal policy, and environmental justice and activism. – 73min
The 2024 Eco-Film Series is presented by the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust on the last Tuesday of every month, January through June. This free series is offered annually in partnership with the Lowell Film Collaborative and are screened at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.
The 2024 line-up covers topics such as: historic enemies uniting to save the Dead Sea, mushroom harvesting on public lands, a 200-mile trek on the L.A. aqueduct, and the extraordinary lives of Steward Udall and Betty Reid Soskin.

Lowell Walks: Hamilton Canal District
2024-05-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Join historian Richard Howe for a Lowell Walks: “Hamilton Canal District – Past, Present, and Future” on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 10 am. Join Register of Deeds Richard Howe on this tour of the Hamilton Canal District. Historically home to the Lowell Machine Shop and several large textile mills that made Lowell a powerhouse of production during the Industrial Revolution, today’s ongoing development of the Hamilton Canal Innovation District is key to Lowell’s present and future as a thriving mid-sized city in Post-Industrial city.
Lowell Walks is a series of guided walking tours of Lowell. The series seeks to support community voices as they share their historical knowledge, experiences, and unique perspectives on a diverse range of topics that can broaden or understandings and deeper our appreciation for the city of Lowell. Tours are about 90 minutes, are free, and include a moderate amount of walking. No reservations are necessary, and tours are conducted rain or shine.

Eco-Film Series: "Reflection: A Walk with Water"
2024-05-28 18:30 - 20:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Reckoning with the reality of a changing climate, filmmaker Emmett Brennan walks 200 miles next to the Los Angeles aqueduct in search of a vision for humanity worth living for – what he discovers has everything to do with water. – 79min
The 2024 Eco-Film Series is presented by the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust on the last Tuesday of every month, January through June. This free series is offered annually in partnership with the Lowell Film Collaborative and are screened at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.
The 2024 line-up covers topics such as: historic enemies uniting to save the Dead Sea, mushroom harvesting on public lands, a 200-mile trek on the L.A. aqueduct, and the extraordinary lives of Steward Udall and Betty Reid Soskin.

Still Here: Houses of Our Patriots
2024-06-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720
The second event in the Acton 250 series “Still Here: Houses of Our Patriots” will be a presentation about the Nathaniel Edwards House, 328 Pope Road, on Monday, June 10 at 7PM. at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main St Acton, MA 01720. The speaker will be the house’s co-owner, David Hardt, who has done extensive research on this mid-18th century center-chimney building. For more information and to register: https://tinyurl.com/HardtHouse to attend in person or via Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/Acton250-ZOOM. Please find all Acton 250 programming at http://www.actonma.gov/250.

Eco-Film Series: "Up on the Mountain"
2024-06-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
“Up on the Mountain” follows Southeast Asian refugees, Latino immigrants, and rural Americans on a year-round migration to harvest wild mushrooms in the American West. It aims to shine light on race and class inequities in natural resource policies and on the resourcefulness of disenfranchised communities.
The 2024 Eco-Film Series is presented by the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust on the last Tuesday of every month, January through June. This free series is offered annually in partnership with the Lowell Film Collaborative and are screened at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.
All events in the Eco-Film series can be rsvp’d through the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust. They can also be reached by phone at (978)934-0030 or by mail at LP&CT, PO Box 7162, Lowell, MA 01852 (street: 660 Suffolk St., Suite 335, Lowell, MA 01854).
Lowell National Historical Park visitors may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.

Lowell Walks: LGBTQ+ History in Lowell
2024-06-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
Join local historian Resi Polixa and literary scholar Heather Barrett for a Lowell Walks: “LGBTQ+ History in Lowell” on Saturday June 29th, 2024, at 10am. Walk through the city and learn how the diverse layers of Lowell’s LGBTQ+ community intertwine with the lives of mill workers, immigrant families, and Lowellians. Explore how the LGBTQ+ community in Lowell shaped the changing social and political landscapes of this city’s past and present.
Lowell Walks is a series of guided walking tours of Lowell. The series seeks to support community voices as they share their historical knowledge, experiences, and unique perspectives on a diverse range of topics that can broaden or understandings and deeper our appreciation for the city of Lowell. Tours are about 90 minutes, are free, and include a moderate amount of walking. No reservations are necessary, and tours are conducted rain or shine.
Lowell National Historical Park visitors may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.

Woburn Summer 2024 Outdoor Movie Series: Kung Fu Panda 4
2024-07-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Library Park, Woburn, Library Park, Harrison Ave, Woburn, MA, 01801, United States
Movie begins at Dark. Family Night at Library Field
We suggest you arrive early to pick out space on the lawn. Feel free to bring snacks & drinks with you, but in an effort to help keep our parks clean please make sure you take all your trash with you when you leave! Please also be respectful of others watching the movies by keeping talking to a minimum while the movie is showing! Movies that begin at Dark start around 8pm and we suggest you get there around 7:30. Movies with times associated start on time as they are shown on an LED screen. *Movie selections are subject to change per availability.

Woburn Summer 2024 Outdoor Movie Series: Toy Story
2024-07-23 18:00 - 19:00 | City of Woburn, Liberty Park, Harrison Avenue, Woburn, Massachusetts, 01801, United States
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We suggest you arrive early to pick out space on the lawn. Feel free to bring snacks & drinks with you, but in an effort to help keep our parks clean please make sure you take all your trash with you when you leave! Please also be respectful of others watching the movies by keeping talking to a minimum while the movie is showing! Movies with times associated start on time as they are shown on an LED screen. *Movie selections are subject to change per availability
Toy Story: Starts at 6pm
Homeward Bound: Starts at 7:30pm

Woburn Summer 2024 Outdoor Movie Series: Homeward Bound
2024-07-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Library Park, City of Woburn, Harrison Avenue, Woburn, Massachusetts, 01801, United States

Sunday Stroll Walking Tour: Lexington Celebrates!
2024-08-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Buckman Tavern, 1 Bedford St, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Parades, pageants, and pandemonium have defined the many commemorations of the 1775 Battle of Lexington and the first shots of the War for Independence. Over the centuries, thousands of people have descended upon the Battle Green to welcome Revolutionary War heroes like the Marquis de Lafayette on his tour of America in 1824. The anniversaries of the battle offered them a glimpse of President Grant in 1875 and a word from President Ford in 1975. On this land, protestors have sat and monuments have been built to the fallen. Join a Lexington Historical Society educator as they illuminate 250 years of stories full of crowds, chaos, and celebrations!
Starting and ending at Buckman Tavern, this tour explores areas around the Lexington Battle Green. The tour is 1 hour long and covers about a 1/2 mile on flat ground.
$10 members, $15 nonmembers

Woburn Summer 2024 Outdoor Movie Series: Migration
2024-08-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Library Park, Woburn, Library Park, Harrison Ave, Woburn, MA, 01801, United States
The movie begins at dark. We suggest you arrive early to pick out space on the lawn. Feel free to bring snacks & drinks with you, but in an effort to help keep our parks clean please make sure you take all your trash with you when you leave! Please also be respectful of others watching the movies by keeping talking to a minimum while the movie is showing! Movies that begin at Dark start around 8pm and we suggest you get there around 7:30. Movies with times associated start on time as they are shown on an LED screen. *Movie selections are subject to change per availability.

Woburn Summer 2024 Outdoor Movie Series: DC League of Super Pets
2024-08-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Library Park, City of Woburn, Harrison Avenue, Woburn, Massachusetts, 01801, United States

Sunday Stroll Walking Tour: Hancock Street Architecture
2024-08-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Buckman Tavern, 1 Bedford St, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
When the Battle of Lexington was fought in 1775, Hancock Street was a country lane with just two houses. The next 150 years saw many houses built with various architectural styles. Come take a stroll and learn about the Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Gothic Revival homes that populate the street today.
Leaves from Buckman Tavern rain or shine, total walking distance about one mile.
$10 members, $15 nonmembers

Lowell Walks: Mill Girls & Boarding House Keepers
2024-08-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
With the construction of a new mill city, a large labor force was needed to fill minimum wage positions being rapidly created. The boarding house system allowed mill agents sent out into the New England countryside to recruit a new workforce of young women with promises of paid work, available food, shelter, and the care and supervision of a boarding house keeper.
Join a ranger for the upcoming Lowell Walks, a guided walking tour. Tours are about 90 minutes, are free, and include a moderate amount of walking. No reservations are necessary, and tours are conducted rain or shine.
All tours will meet the ranger at the park Visitor Center (246 Market Street). Lowell National Historical Park visitors may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.

Lowell Walks: Portuguese in Lowell
2024-09-14 10:00 - 11:30 | Portuguese American Civic League of Lowell, Central Street, Lowell, Massachusetts, 01852, United States
Join researchers and archivists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Portuguese American Digital Archive, Nikki Tantum, Gray Fitzsimons, and Nicole Catarino on a walk around the Back Central neighborhood. In the late 1800s, increasing demands for cotton cloth production provided jobs and opportunity for the first Portuguese immigrants arriving in Lowell. In the decades that followed more Portuguese immigrants moved to the city and wove their lives and cultures into the neighborhood of Back Central, creating a new community that still exists today.
This walk will highlight these stories just as the photography exhibit “The Portuguese in Lowell: The Familiar and the New” does, but through a different lens. This exhibit highlighting photographs captured by Pedro Letria is on display at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum through February 2025.
Join us for this upcoming Lowell Walks event, a guided walking tour. Tours are about 90 minutes, are free, and include a moderate amount of walking. No reservations are necessary, and tours are conducted rain or shine.
Free parking is available where the tour meets: Portuguese American Civic League of Lowell, 512 Central Street.

1774 and All That: Reflections on a Long Year of Revolution
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Concord Museum, Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
On September 19, 2024, the Concord Museum will commence its highly anticipated fall forum series with a special discussion featuring Mary Beth Norton, renowned historian and award winning author of the landmark text 1774: The Long Year of Revolution. This exciting event marks the beginning of a series of programs hosted by the Concord Museum leading up to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
Norton will explore the pivotal period leading up to the American Revolution and the dramatic events that occurred between December 1773 through April 1775, including the Boston Tea Party and the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
In 1774: The Long Year of the Revolution, Mary Beth Norton chronicles the 16 months, during which colonists loyal to King George III began discordant “discussions” that led to their acceptance of the inevitability of war. Norton will be joined in conversation by the Society of Colonial Wars of Massachusetts to discuss this transformative era and its impact on American history, highlighting its significance in leadup to the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.

Stone Walls of New England with Kevin Gardner
2024-09-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library, Dracut, Arlington Street, Dracut, MA, 01826, United States
Kevin Gardner is a lifelong resident of Hopkinton, NH. Like a lot of independent rural Yankees, he’s been a jack of many trades, a builder, logger, writer, teacher, radio voice, even an actor and director.
For more than forty years he has been a stone wall builder in a family business widely known for traditional New England stonework, particularly for historic restoration of antique structures. In 2001 Kevin published The Granite Kiss: Traditions and Techniques of Building New England Stone Walls. His second book, Stone Building: How To Make New England Style Walls and Other Structures the Old Way, was published in May of 2017. He has also published poetry, songs, and essays, including “Land of Stone”, an examination of several historic sites in the Monadnock Region, in the 2006 anthology Where The Mountain Stands Alone.
From 1985 to 2010, Kevin was also an award-winning performance critic, feature writer, and producer for NH Public Radio. His pieces on arts, history and culture have aired on National Public Radio and the Christian Science Monitor broadcast network. In 2004, Kevin was a co-host of the nationally syndicated radio series Storylines New England, an interview and call-in program about our regional literature. He has written and produced other special programming for NHPR as well, including a 45-minute radio drama adapted by NH poet Julia Older from her own long poem, Tales of the Francois Vase.
Kevin is also a longtime professional actor, director, and teacher of theatre. He has taught at the New Hampton School, the NH Institute of Art, and at St. Paul’s School. Since 1999 he has been the Master Teacher of the course Shakespeare for Performance in St. Paul’s summer Advanced Studies Program. He is also a regular Guest Director at Plymouth State University, a former performance evaluator for the NH State Council on the Arts, and a frequent adjudicator of local, regional, and national theatre festivals. New Hampshire Magazine named him the state’s Best Theatre Critic in 2008.
Register at www.dracutlibrary.org/events if you want the Zoom link to attend remotely.

El Encuentro Latino Film Festival
2024-10-04 - 2024-10-05 | Nancy L. Donahue Theatre in Liberty Hall, 50 EAST MERRIMACK STREET, Lowell, MA, 01852, United States
El Encuentro Film Festival, presented by UNITAS, invites you to celebrate the vibrant world of Latino storytelling through film during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Join us on Friday, October 4th & Saturday, October 5th, 2024, at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Theater at Middlesex Community College in downtown Lowell, MA. This in-person festival is a dynamic showcase of both emerging and established Latino voices, blending creativity with culture.
With its deep roots in Latino independent film, El Encuentro is more than just a festival—it’s a celebration of artistic expression and cultural exchange. Attendees can look forward to exclusive film premieres, insightful conversations with filmmakers, and live performances that highlight the richness of Latino culture.
Tickets are available for $15 for the general public and $10 for students, and can be purchased via Eventbrite or at the door. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a cultural experience that bridges communities and amplifies Latino voices.

Into the Thaw
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Lexington’s Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Mass Ave, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
In 2024, Minuteman National Historical Park and Walden Pond were named as among the top 11 endangered historic sites in America, in part due to climate change. The alterations to our natural environment during the climate crisis have far-reaching consequences to the preservation of history as well as the natural landscape.
More than 40 years ago, the park ranger Jon Waterman took his first journey to Alaska’s Noatak River. Astonished by the abundant wildlife, the strange landscape, and its otherworldly light, he spent collective years of his life exploring Arctic North America on extended sea kayaking, packrafting, skiing, dogsledding, and backpacking journeys—often alone for weeks at a time. After three decades away from the Noatak, he returned with his son, and amid a now-flooded river bereft of the once-plentiful caribou, he was shocked by the changes. The following year, 2022, he took one final journey to film and document the climate crisis across the North in his new book, Into the Thaw (Patagonia Press) —the subject of his October 17 image-intensive presentation. A frequent National Geographic grantee and NEA Literary Fellow, Waterman (Lexington High class of 1974) is the author of 17 books.
This presentation generously sponsored by Lester E. Savage Real Estate
$10 members, $15 nonmembers

Sounds of Labor in Lowell: Agriculture and Early Industry
2024-10-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St, Lowell, MA, United States
What does the history of work in Lowell sound like, and how can you tell that story through music? Come be part of the musical composition process in the first of a series of workshops on the soundscape of Lowell through its many eras! Join contemporary composers working on new pieces specifically for Lowell National Historical Park as they explore the labor of the Agriculture and Early Industry eras. Attend a ranger-led talk, attempt hands-on activities, and have a chance to discuss the compositions in progress. No musical knowledge necessary!
Participants can plan to meet at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street). A guided tour will walk to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John Street) and attendees can expect about half a mile of walking.
Lowell National Historical Park visitors may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton St., Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.
This program is made possible through a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation, and with our programming partner, Mosaic Lowell. For more information on this project, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/lowe/getinvolved/supportyourpark/the-measure-of-work-sounds-of-labor-in-lowell-project.htm

Acton 250 Committee presents: One for the Revolutionary Road: Taverns and the American Revolution
2024-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, MA, 01720
Northeastern University Professor Malcolm F. Purinton discusses the role of the tavern in local society as the colonies headed into the American Revolution. There were few places more important in colonial and revolutionary America than local community taverns that played witness to local, regional, and national events in American history. Decisions made in these cozy environments had important and far-reaching consequences ranging from protest planning to actions such as the Boston Tea Party.
Recordings will be on our website and ActonTV https://actontv.org/on-demand/education shortly after the event. Please see https://www.actonma.gov/250 for all programming and don’t forget our commemorative store https://tinyurl.com/ACTON250STORE!
Generously supported by the Acton Lions Club and Acton Memorial Library.

Daniel O’Donnell Cary Memorial Hall
2024-11-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Lexington’s Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Mass Ave, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Daniel O’Donnell’s remarkable career has moved on to a new level with his success as a TV presenter, just another facet to his ever-expanding list of entertainment achievements.
The Donegal based singer, who is one of the most prolific and successful recording artists in the UK charts, is the only artist in the world to score a hit in the UK album charts every year since 1988, an unprecedented and unbroken 35-year span, and in doing so, he has outshone everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna, to U2 and the Rolling Stones.
Daniel’s latest “I Wish You Well’ released on 4 Nov ’22, entered the official UK Album Charts at #16, a great achievement in itself In a very competitive week, especially when you take into account that the main chart is collated from CD, Vinyl and Digital/Streaming sales, but not only that, in the CD-only Chart, Daniel entered at #5, ahead of Taylor Swift and The Beatles !! and entered the Independent Albums chart at #2.
Including this latest release, Daniel has now amassed 48 Top 75 albums, including 42 Top 40 albums, 30 Top 30 & 20 Top 10 albums, with 18 of the latter being this century, a feat that has not been achieved by any other recording artist, and has now sold well in excess of 15 million worldwide.
He has sold more than 4.6 million albums & videos / DVDs in the UK alone since the start of this millennium, and more than 6.6 million units since The Official Charts Company/Chart Information Network took over the running of the charts in 1994.
‘Daniel O’Donnell 60’, released in celebration of his 60th birthday in 2021, shot straight into the chart at #4, keeping good company with the likes of The Beatles, Adele and Coldplay. As with the ‘Daniel’ album before it, this recording was produced by legendary record producer Nigel Wright, who co-produced the recordings of many of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, including the film versions of Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, along with many artist albums and TV music shows.
Daniel has also achieved eight number one hits in the UK music video/DVD charts over the length of his career, makes regular appearances in the Billboard World Music Chart, received an honorary MBE from Queen Elizabeth, appeared on Top of the Pops, had his life celebrated on This Is Your Life, been given the Freedom of Donegal, has been inducted into Ireland’s Music Hall of Fame, and received multiple Entertainer of the Year/Person of the Year Awards in Ireland and the UK – to mention but a few of the many accolades.
Daniel also burst into superstardom in the USA & Canada back in 2002 with his first ever PBS special – The Daniel O’Donnell Show. That began a special relationship between Daniel and PBS that has now lasted some 20 years. Since that first airing, Daniel has had fifteen more specials, with ‘Daniel O’Donnell & Special Guests’ being his record breaking sixteenth, which was filmed at the Millennium Forum in Derry and which is currently still airing on many PBS channels throughout the USA. Daniel’s seventeenth special, is in he planning stages and should be aired sometime in the spring of 2023.
Daniel has always had very high viewership ratings in pledge drives across the USA for public service television, and as a result of this and his many other activities in America, his popularity there has grown substantially over the years.
