Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council

“The Light of Seven Days”: An author event with Mass Book Award-Honoree River Adams
2025-03-12 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Chelmsford Public Library, Chelmsford Public Library, 25 Boston Rd, Chelmsford, MA, 01824, United States
Join the Chelmsford Public Library for a special event with Mass Book Award-honoree River Adams! River will share their acclaimed and richly textured novel, The Light of Seven Days.
Living with her Babby after her parents’ death, 10-year-old Dinah Ash is invited to train at Leningrad’s legendary Vaganova Ballet School. In the world of elite dance, she works hard, falls in love, and weathers the Soviet Union’s ubiquitous antisemitism, but despite an impressive talent, she quickly learns that dancers of her “profile” don’t make prima ballerinas. Love of Leningrad, ballet, friends, family, and books sustain Dinah until history intervenes.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan, the rise of perestroika, and a re-emergence of Nazism leave her vulnerable and exposed. Realizing escape is her only option, she applies for refugee status in America. Dinah’s adjustment to life in the US is a test as much of her identity as of her perseverance. Is who she is something Dinah can forge on her own? Or is identity imposed by upbringing, public opinion, and the myths of our cultures? As Dinah struggles with the questions of religion, race, and worth, her choices and the people she encounters will determine whether the dream of a better life can survive the weight of the past.
This program is sponsored by the Mass Book Awards Speakers Bureau and is presented in collaboration with the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
River Adams (they/them) grew up in late Soviet Russia, pursuing a career as a concert pianist, and came to America at the age of 19 as a Jewish refugee. They graduated from Delaware County Community College in Pennsylvania, earned their BA at Rosemont College and their MTS at Harvard Divinity School, then returned to Philadelphia to teach religious studies and work as a medical interpreter for Russian-speaking patients. Today, having earned an MFA from Emerson College, they live in Massachusetts; care for their noisy family of eight humans, two dogs, and a cat; and write. They are the author of many published short stories and essays and a biography of Leonard Swidler, There Must Be YOU (Resource Publications, 2014). Their debut novel, The Light of Seven Days (Delphinium Books, 2023) was named finalist by the National Jewish Book Awards and an honor title by the Massachusetts Book Awards.
For more information, visit their website: riveradamsauthor.weebly.com

Concord’s Secret History (World Premiere Screening)
2025-04-12 20:00 - 21:30 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
April 12 – 8PM
April 14 – 2:30PM
World premiere of new documentary about the history of slavery in the region surrounding Concord, Massachusetts, in co-production by Kogainon Films (USA) and GTVdocs (UK). The documentary reveals a long-suppressed secret, set in Concord, Massachusetts—the birthplace of the American Revolution, where the first shots were fired on April 19, 1775. While Concord is often celebrated for its role in the fight for freedom, few are aware of the untold stories that extend beyond its borders. The film also explores hidden narratives from both Medford and Harvard University, offering a richer, more complete picture of the region’s colonial past.
The premiere will take place in Concord on April 12, 2025 at The Umbrella Arts Center, followed by distribution to over 500 PBS member stations across the United States via PBS+. After the screening, the filmmakers and historians involved in the project will participate in a facilitated talk-back, providing an opportunity for deeper engagement and discussion.
Partners: Concord250, Concord DEI, The Umbrella Arts Center

Concord250 Event: Concord Triptych Film Screenings
2025-05-17 15:00 - 18:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
May 17, 2025, 3PM
The Umbrella Arts Center Main Stage Theater 144
Five Sisters Productions and the Tufts University Half the History Film Project return to The Umbrella Arts Center to present a program of three locally shot short films about impactful women in Concord history.
The featured films will be:
Margaret Lothrop and the Wayside (Premiere screening with new score)
Ellen Garrison: Scenes from an Activist Life (Return engagement)
Women of the Old Manse (Sneak peek)
Related family activities include FREE optional childcare (space pending) with teacher-led thematically related crafts during the screening, and a table display of Rise Up!, a new children’s book by Barefoot Books on revolutions and protest in U.S. history.
Partners: The Umbrella Arts Center, Tufts University Half the History Film Project, The Robbins House, Barefoot Books, Concord 250, The Old Manse
FREE

American Fiction - The Umbrella Film Series
2025-05-21 19:30 - 21:30 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Enjoy the best of classic, independent, and foreign films curated by The Concord Film Project, with pre-show dinner options.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025 at 7:30pm
In this acclaimed satire, Monk is a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own — a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Dramedy/Satire
Directed by Cord Jefferson (2023)
1 hr 57 mins
Rated R
Film Tickets: $10
Optional pre-ordered dinner at 6:30; Film tickets and additional concessions available at the door.
Delicious meal options are available as an add-on from Adelita! Pre-show dinner options from Adelita are an additional $31; the deadline to order meals is Tuesday, May 20 at 12:00pm; dinner quantities are limited.

A River Transformed Walking Tour
2025-06-16 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-06-17 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-06-23 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-06-24 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-06-30 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-07-01 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-07-07 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-07-08 14:00 - 15:30 and 5 more dates | Lowell National Historical Park – Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John Street, Lowell, 01852, United States
Discover how the power of the Merrimack River was harnessed into textile production in the 19th century. This tour combines a walk along the riverwalk accompanied by a park ranger with a guided visit to the River Transformed Exhibit at the Suffolk Mill.
June 15-August 31, 2025
Monday and Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Visitors should plan for a 75-minute tour, all of which will be spent on your feet. Visitors can expect to walk as much as 1.5-miles on paved paths and are encouraged to bring water. This tour meets and ends at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John St.)
This tour is free. To reserve your spot, call (978) 970-5000 or check in at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum front desk.
