DANVERS — The Danvers Family Festival will cap its 30th anniversary with its annual fireworks festival on Friday, July 3.
This year, the display will be bittersweet, as organizers pay tribute to the man they called "Master Blaster," Donnie Barnett, who oversaw the display in Plains Park until he died from cancer last fall.
BEVERLY — Eat a lobster. Run a road race. Dance to salsa music. Enjoy music by the ocean.
That's the enduring concept of Beverly Homecoming, the 10-day summer festival from July 31 through Aug. 9 that will mark its 43rd season this year. The event has become a summer staple of community life in Beverly since its inception in 1966.
Peabody's International Festival turns 26 this year.
The Sept. 13 event celebrates the city's rich ethnic past and present in music, dance and food — and lots of it. The festival runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but arrive early if you plan to eat.
Nearing its 50th anniversary, Salem Heritage Days celebrates Witch City's rich history with a jam-packed festival of fun for residents and visitors alike.
For 10 days this summer (Aug. 1-10) the city will host concerts, games and kids events at affordable prices. While Heritage Days was developed as a celebration for residents, visitors young and old can enjoy the festivities — even the dogs are invited.
The Marblehead Festival of Arts is synonymous with fireworks, street performers and outdoor concerts, but those are not the only attractions. Theater is also an integral part of the festival, as it has been for many years.
SALEM — Local, live jazz, blues and funk return to Salem this summer for the weekend-long Salem Jazz & Soul Festival.
The two-day concerts at Salem Willows are free and family-friendly and draw crowds that bring chairs, picnic lunches and stay for the day.
IPSWICH — The North Shore is steeped in history, and its residents are justifiably proud of their ancestors' roles in the founding of this country. Nowhere is that more true than Ipswich, which boasts more First Period (1625-1725) homes than any town in America, and they're still serving their original purpose.
BEVERLY — Beverly Arts Fest is more than just a day devoted to showcasing area paintings, photography, jewelry and other crafts.
It's a chance chow down on food from local restaurants, gather around street performers, listen to some live music and appreciate art as a whole.
Get in touch with nature this summer at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, Mass Audubon's largest preserve.
With more than 10 miles of interconnecting trails winding through forests, meadows and wetlands, there is plenty to explore. Members can rent canoes from May through October and float down the eight-mile stretch of the Ipswich River that runs through the sanctuary and camp on Perkins Island. Cabins, located close to the sanctuary's office and program facilities, are available to rent. Each cabin sleeps four.
Ongoing
Glen Magna Farms (Danvers)
Home of Danvers Historical Society. The gracious and distinctive country estate of the Peabody and Endicott families for 145 years of the 18th and early 20th centuries. The house and restored gardens are open daily for events and scheduled tours. Gardens and grounds open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to dusk; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon unless posted for private functions. House and garden tours with boxed lunches held Wednesdays at 11 a.m. through Oct. 14. Admission $20; rain or shine. Tour the grounds, National Historic Landmark Derby Summerhouse and mansion. 978-777-1666 or www.danvershistory.org.
SALEM — The Peabody Essex Museum hosts a major exhibition this summer that is sure to draw large crowds.
"The Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes" features paintings by Dutch and Flemish artists from 1550 to 1700. Works by Simon de Vlieger, Hendrick Minderhout and Caspar van Wittel not only span the major themes of Dutch painting but provide a visual record of the Dutch rise to power as a sea-trading nation.
No boat? No problem.
North Shore residents are far from landlocked this summer. There are various ways to get out on the water — even if you don't own a personal watercraft.
Whether it's hopping aboard the Salem ferry for a day in Boston or renting a kayak off Salem Willows or Lynch Park in Beverly, there are ample chances to hit the water.
The eighth annual Trails and Sails event is on deck for an extra weekend of fun this summer.
Shining a spotlight on the region's maritime history, the Essex National Heritage Commission has expanded to two weekends of free activities for locals and visitors including hikes, walks, sails, paddles, guided tours and open house visits.
Hamilton's traditional New England bandstand, the focal point of the eighth-annual Sundays in Patton Park concert series, will keep the town's musical tradition alive this summer.
The free seven-week series will kick off June 21 with "Broadway in the Park," showcasing local talent and show tune favorites. All concerts begin at 5 p.m. Sundays, unless otherwise noted, and continue until 7 p.m.
The Topsfield Fair is a nearly two-century-old institution that features classic combinations of a petting farm, fried dough and fairway games in its run from Oct. 2 to Oct. 12.
But for the second year in a row, the Topsfield Fair will feature Animal Planet television celebrity Jeff Corwin, who could bring vipers, crocodiles and other exotic animals not typically seen on the fairgrounds. Tickets to see Corwin run $15 each or four for $48.
