Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council

Valley native returns to Andover Bookstore with Ivy League book May 21 at 2
2023-05-21 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Andover Bookstore, 74 Main Street, Andover, MA, 01810
On Sunday, May 21 at 2 PM, join Ivy League author (and Andover native) Matt Robinson at Andover Book Store (http://andoverbookstore.com) as he discusses his book on the Ivy League (www.lionstigersbulldogs.com) and the lessons he learned from writing and publishing it.
In addition to the talk, Matt will also offer Tr-IVY-a© questions and the chance to WIN a copy of the book. There will also be delicious snacks from the likes of Red Chocolate (https://www.red-chocolate.com).
For those who enjoy discussing books, history, sports, and those who have (or want to have) ties to the Ivy League, the event is sure to be fun and informative, so please join us!

Concord River Whitewater Rafting
2023-05-21 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-21 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-20 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-20 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-14 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-14 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-13 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-13 09:00 - 12:00 | UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, 50 Warren St, Lowell, MA, 01852, United States
“Squeeze into a wet suit, hop into a raft, and hang on! Whitewater rafting on the Concord River in Lowell happens only on weekends in April and May, when rain and snowmelt swell the river, producing Class III and IV rapids. This urban river run, a mere 1.7 miles long, is a high-octane ride over three sets of rippling rapids, including Twisted Sister, a massive bronco-busting wave. Trips include professional guides from Zoar Outdoor; the proceeds support the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust.” – Boston Globe Magazine
Come join us for early spring whitewater rafting on the Concord River, just 30 minutes north of Boston, Massachusetts. This urban whitewater gem plunges over three major class III-IV rapids – Twisted Sister, Three Beauties, and The Middlesex Dam. When the water level is right, Three Beauties becomes an intensely fun surfing hole. Surfing involves paddling upstream into a wave or hole with the goal to fill the boat with water, splash the entire crew, or maybe even have the boat stand on end. We run this section twice on each Concord River rafting trip and welcome adventurous rafters 14 and older. Participants on this trip may be required to swim aggressively wearing a personal flotation device in rocky, fast whitewater.
A portion of the proceeds from this trip benefits the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, working to preserve green space in the city of Lowell.
The Concord River rafting trip is a spring trip only. This trip runs on select weekends, April through May. Additional weekday trips are available for groups of 12 or more. Please call the office for more details and availability.
We meet at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, located at 50 Warren Street in Lowell, MA about half an hour north of Boston. There is parking available at the Lower Locks Garage next to the hotel.

“My vicinity affords many good walks”; A Saunter Exploring Thoreau Farm’s Biology & History
2023-05-21 11:00 - 12:00 | 115 Merrimack Street, Lowell, 01852, United States
Although Henry Thoreau spent only the first 8 months if his life living in his grandmother’s farmhouse, he would return to Virginia Road time and again throughout his life to visit the scenes of his early childhood.
Join Biologist Amity Wilczek and Historian Richard Smith for a walk around the Thoreau Farm property as they explore the biological and historical importance of the Virginia Road landscape. How has the area changed since the pre-Colonial era? What plants and animals did Thoreau see in the 19th Century and how have invasive plants and climate change altered the world that Thoreau knew?
Amity Wilczek is an evolutionary ecologist and educator who taught at Harvard and Brown before transitioning to Deep Springs College, where over 10 years she served as Herbert Reich Chair of Natural Sciences, Academic Dean, and Vice President. Her work on plant responses to changing environments has appeared in Science, PNAS, Ecology, American Naturalist, and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society among others. Nearly all of her research involves substantial collaboration with undergraduate and pre-PhD co-authors. Amity currently lives in Concord, Massachusetts and serves as a trail steward of the Emerson-Thoreau Amble for the town.
Richard Smith has lectured on and written about antebellum United States history and 19th-century American literature since 1995. He has worked in Concord as a public historian and Living History Interpreter since 1999 and has portrayed Henry Thoreau at Walden Pond and around the country. Richard has written six books for Applewood Books and is a regular contributor to Discover Concord Magazine.

Exhibition: A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library
2023-05-21 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-20 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-19 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-17 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-16 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-14 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-13 10:00 - 16:00 and 2 more dates | Concord Museum, Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
In honor of the Concord Free Public Library’s 150th anniversary, the Concord Museum and the Library have collaborated on a special exhibition featuring the Library’s art collection. Featured objects will include paintings by Washington Allston, N.C. Wyeth, May Alcott Nieriker, Charles Hovey Pepper, Alicia Keyes, and Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts, among other artists, as well as sculptures depicting noted Concord authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott.
The exhibition will also highlight Concord’s artist communities, local art collectors, the history of institutions promoting public access to works of art, and the stories of specific artists who lived and worked in Concord.
Curator tours will be offered Friday, March 24, at 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Friday, March 31, at 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.
Become a Concord Museum member today to visit this new exhibition for free!

The Marcia Ball Band
2023-05-20 20:00 - 22:00 | Belleville Congregational Church, 300 High Street, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Rollicking, playful, good-time blues and intimate, reflective balladry…her songs ring with emotional depth.” — Rolling Stone
“Marcia Ball plays two-fisted New Orleans barrelhouse piano and sings in a husky, knowing voice about all the trouble men and women can get into on the way to a good time.” — The New York Times
“Fifty years have passed in a flash,” says pianist, songwriter, and vocalist Marcia Ball of her long and storied career. Ball, the 2018 Texas State Musician of The Year, has won worldwide fame and countless fans for her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse party every time she takes the stage. Born in Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisiana, her deep Acadian heritage and a lifetime of absorbing Gulf Coast rhythm and blues is evident in her original songs and the classics she chooses to cover. This has made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all over the world. With each new release, her reputation as a profoundly soulful singer, a boundlessly talented pianist and a courageous, inventive songwriter continues to grow. Her love of the road has led to years of soul-satisfying performances at festivals, concert halls and clubs.
Beer and wine available from Bent Water Brewing and Lucille Wine Shop. Snacks provided by Belleville Congregational Church.
Doors open at 7:00 pm. Additional information at www.bellevilleroots.org

Tours of Thoreau Farm, the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau
2023-05-20 11:00 - 16:00, 2023-05-13 11:00 - 16:00 | 115 Merrimack Street, Lowell, 01852, United States
Take an inside look at the restored 1730s house listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse/Henry David Thoreau Birth House. Locally, it is also known as “Thoreau Farm.” Tour includes the lovingly restored second-floor room where Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817. Visits to the house are by guided tour only. Come learn about the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau and consider lessons about living deliberately that we can learn from his legacy.

Emerson-Thoreau Amble Walking Tour
2023-05-20 11:00 - 12:30 | Concord Museum, Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Celebrate Emerson’s birthday (May 25) and follow the footsteps of writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau! Enjoy the spring weather and learn about the friendship of two notable observers of nature from a museum interpreter.
1-mile walk, mostly flat terrain, rain or shine. Meet at the Concord Museum.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
In partnership with the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association.
Register online in advance at https://concordmuseum.org/events/emerson-thoreau-amble-walking-tour-2023/

Watercolor Landscape Workshop
2023-05-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Concord Museum, Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Unleash your inner artist in a watercolor paint night at the Museum! This special evening begins with a visit to the exhibition A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library, where the instructor will introduce a selection of paintings that exemplify artistic inspiration from the New England landscape. In the second part of the workshop, observe a watercolor demonstration and experiment with brushes, washes, and mark-making as you create a landscape of your own. Bring a friend or make a few as you discover the fun of watercolor.
In partnership with the Umbrella Arts Center.
Register online in advance at https://concordmuseum.org/events/watercolor-landscape-workshop-2/

REV 250 Informational Session
2023-05-17 07:00 - 11:00 | Burlington Marriot

Fun Family Outdoor Yoga
2023-05-16 10:30 - 11:00 | Discovery Museum, Discovery Museum, 177 Main St, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Join us with your family to move your body in healthy ways and connect with nature while doing outdoor yoga! Yoga improves physical and mental strength and can also improve self-awareness and mental focus. Kelly Western, professional yoga instructor, will lead this caregiver & child yoga class that incorporates balance, strength, stretching, and mindfulness in the context of connecting with nature.
Yoga mats available. (Optional: Bring your own yoga mat or beach towel.)
Inclement weather may result in changes to the program, or cancellation.

Mother's Day Brunch at the Chateau Merrimack
2023-05-14 11:00 - 13:30 | Chateau Merrimack, 160 Pawtucket Boulevard, Tyngsborough, MA, 01879, United States
Mother’s Day Brunch at the Chateau Merrimack in Tyngsboro, MA.

Art in the Park with Mary Hart: Wise Owls
2023-05-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Lowell National Historical Park Boott Cotton Mills Museum Counting House, 115 John Street, Lowell, 01852, United States
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month join us and create majestic owls based on a kite design from Thailand. Participants will trace, cut out, color and decorate this owl using heavy paper, markers and oil pastels, colorful streamers will be attached with help from the instructor.

An Evening with Robert Pinsky, Former US Poet Laureate
2023-05-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Concord Museum, Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Robert, Pinsky, Poet Laureate of the United States from 1997 to 2000 joins us for a reading and conversation on writing, teaching, and poetry’s place in the world. It was said of Robert Pinsky in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, “No other living American poet—no other living American, probably—has done so much to put poetry before the public eye.” Robert Pinsky will be in conversation with his dear friend and award-winning poet, Gail Mazur, and will read from his latest poetry collection Jersey Breaks.
This Forum will take place at the Fenn School, 516 Monument St, Concord MA 01742
Register online in advance at https://concordmuseum.org/events/an-evening-with-robert-pinsky/
