Patriots’ Day Information

/0 Comments/in /by

From The Concord Visitor Center:

North Bridge and parade updates

Be sure to join us for Patriots’ Day but be aware of these important updates:

The North Bridge Fight Commemoration scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, April 15, is cancelled this year because of recent flooding and current flooding conditions across the causeway.

The town of Concord’s annual Patriots’ Day parade is still scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday and will include a ceremony at the North Bridge.

Check out the Patriot’s Day full schedule, from parades to reenactments!

Highlights:

Patriot’s Day Parade

Minuteman National Park events

Patriot’s Day at the Concord Museum

Patriots Weekend: Concord250 Events & More!

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

April 13, Saturday 

A Fight for Freedom: Patriots of Color Walking Tour 

10AM

 In this 90 minute walking tour we will examine the known history and stories of these Patriots of Color who fought for freedom locally both during the American Revolution and beyond. Minuteman National Park, Robbins House and Concord Visitors Center staff will lead this tour examining the incredible stories of individuals who risked everything during their struggle for liberty, equality, and freedom for all.
Tour meets at the North Bridge Lower Lot.  All ages are welcome.
This walking tour  is  co-sponsored by Minuteman National Park, The Robbins House,  and The Concord Visitors Center as a Concord250 Event
Donations in support of Black History Month in Concord may be made to The Robbins House here:  https://robbinshouse.org/donate/
Learn More about Patriots of Color :

From Pasadena to Concord: Telling The Whole Story

2:00—3:30 PM

 

For 129 years, Black educator and activist Ellen Garrison lay unsung and forgotten in an unmarked grave in Altadena, California’s Mountain View Cemetery.

Ellen Garrison, native daughter of Concord, was the granddaughter of a freedman who fought in the Revolutionary War and spent years traveling alone through the South to teach formerly enslaved people how to read and write, protected only by a paper “passport” to show she was a free person.

The residents of Altadena knew little of this hidden history, but they were willing to learn, listen, and honor this heroine in their midst. Veronica Jones, Vice Chair of the Town Council, decided to act. Ms. Jones has a deep passion for uncovering hidden histories. Through her work with the Altadena Historical Society, she spearheaded the placement of headstones on the graves of Ellen Garrison, her husband, and her sister. Additionally, two scholarships are awarded to local Altadena students in memory of Ellen Garrison. Thanks to the Altadena Historical Society and Veronica Jones, Ellen Garrison is celebrated every year on Juneteenth, honoring the hidden histories of Altadena.

This process her community has gone through creates lasting change and deeper inclusion for all segments of her community. Veronica will share their journey and lessons learned and discuss how this work can impact us all, no matter where we live.

Veronica Jones is a retired life-long resident of Altadena, California with vast experience in community development. She has worked extensively on public safety, infrastructure improvements, community-police relations, economic development, diversity and inclusion, and re-establishing relationships with local, state, and federal government. She is highly regarded in her community as a change agent, promoting integrity and economic growth.

 

Please visit The Robbins House and the Altadena Historical Society to learn more.

This event is co-sponsored by Robbins House, Concord250, and The Concord Free Public Library’s William Munroe Special Collections.

LINK

 

Concord Band performs its annual Spring Pops

51 Walden presents the Concord Band performing its annual Spring Pops concert as a fundraiser for 51 Walden building renovations. The concert will be held on Saturday April 13, 2024, at 7:00 pm on the music stage of the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center in Concord.

The program will feature a guest artist, Ukrainian soprano Olga Lisovska, singing opera and popular solos including The Kyiv Waltz and George Gershwin’s Somebody Loves Me.

 

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

3:00- 5:00pm

Ellen Garrison Day in Concord 

 

 

Come join us and celebrate and afternoon of words, music, art and song as we Stand up for Ellen on the anniversary of her birth at the Concord Armory!

 

MONDAY, APRIL 15, PATRIOTS’ DAY

Patriots’ Day Pancake Breakfast at First Parish

 

8:30-11:00 Patriots Day Parade and North Bridge Ceremony

https://concordma.gov/1159/Patriots-Day-Parade

 

 

Patriots Day at the Wright Tavern

 

 

 

Patriots’ Day at the Concord Museum

Enjoy free admission to the Museum and visit the immersive April 19, 1775 gallery to see the “One if by land, two if by sea” lantern hung in the North Church to signal Paul Revere on his midnight ride. During your visit, participate in drop-in activities to learn about life and craft in the colonies. Sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation.

Witness the brave Acton Minutemen company in an encampment outside the Museum as they drill with muskets to prepare for battle, cook over a firepit, and demonstrate colonial
spinning and sewing. Supported by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

Beware of a Red Coat from the British Army roaming the galleries looking for Provincial rebels. Talk with him about the experiences of the Red Coats on April 19, 1775. Supported by
the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.

 

Check out the line up of events at Minute Man National Historical Park

Photo: Amanda Pollock, Minuteman National Historical Park

 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

 6 to 7:30 pm Concord, There Is More To Our Story 

 

 

FRIDAY & SUNDAY,  APRIL 19 & 21

A Fight for Freedom: Patriots of Color Walking Tour 

10am

 In this 90 minute walking tour we will examine the known history and stories of these Patriots of Color who fought for freedom locally both during the American Revolution and beyond. Minuteman National Park, Robbins House and Concord Visitors Center staff will lead this tour examining the incredible stories of individuals who risked everything during their struggle for liberty, equality, and freedom for all.
Tour meets at the North Bridge Lower Lot
All ages are welcome.
This walking tour  is  co-sponsored by Minuteman National Park, The Robbins House,  and The Concord Visitors Center as a Concord250 Event
Donations in support of Black History Month in Concord may be made to The Robbins House here:  https://robbinshouse.org/donate/
Learn More about Patriots of Color :

 

 

Read about 250 Concord Trees

/0 Comments/in /by

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American
Revolution, Concord is planting 250 trees. This living monument,
coordinated by the Concord250 Permanent Memorials Subcommittee,
celebrates Concord’s revolutionary past, as well as its aspirations for the
future.

Below are answers to some questions about the project.

Where will the trees be planted?
Sites have been identified all over Town, including on school campuses. Some trees will
be planted as individual street trees, and in other places, where space allows, trees will
be planted in small groves.

When will the trees be planted?
Planting will take place over three seasons, starting in the fall of 2024, continuing
through spring 2025 and wrapping up in the fall of 2025.

What kinds of trees will be planted?
A working group has compiled a list of suitable trees, all of which are native to the
northeastern United States. Every planting site will be assessed to make sure the tree
that’s being planted is the best choice for the conditions at that site.

How will you make sure the trees are maintained?
A contractor will be hired to do most of the 250 Trees work. The contract will cover
procurement, installation, monthly monitoring for one year, and watering and warranty
for two years.

How much will this cost?
We won’t know exactly how much the project will cost until it goes to bid in the summer
of 2024. A single street tree may cost as much as $1,600 to purchase, plant, water and
maintain for the first two years, but savings can be found in planting smaller trees in
off-street locations.
Town Meeting voters will be asked to commit $125,000 in Community Preservation
Funds, and an additional $125,000 is anticipated to come from American Recovery Plan
Act (ARPA) funds.

Do you need to raise additional funds?
Yes! At this time, it is best to direct such gifts to the Concord250 Corporation, a nonprofit
organization that has been established for the purpose of receiving gifts of financial
support for the 250th.
Checks can be made out to the “Concord250 Corporation” and mailed to:
Concord250 Corporation
PO Box 250
Concord, MA. 01742
In doing so, please make sure the donor specifies the gift is made for the specific
purpose of supporting the 250th Tree Planting Initiative.

How will the 250 trees be identified?
Each street tree will be kept watered with a “gator” bag, and we plan to affix decals to
each of the watering bags to identify them as Concord250 trees. In addition, tree
planting sites will be shown on the Town’s Geographic Information System, and a book
with the tree information will be created and appropriately archived.

Is there anything else I can do to help?
If you have room on your property, you can plant a tree, too! We’re challenging
Concordians to plant 250 trees of their own as a match to the 250 public trees that will
be planted.

More questions or to let us know you’re planting a tree?

Email 250ConcordTrees@gmail.com

 

The Concord250 Permanent Memorials Subcommittee is raising funds to help plant 250 trees across Town between the fall of 2024 and the fall of  2025. Can you help?
We won’t know the total project cost until contractor bids come in during the summer of 2024, but we know the cost will be higher than the $250,000 anticipated to come from Community Preservation and American Recovery Plan Act funds. A single street tree may cost as much as $1,600 to purchase, plant, and maintain for two years until it is established.

Gifts of any size are appreciated!
$50 – Will fund two gator watering bags
$175 – Will fund one small tree for planting in a grove
$350 – Will fund one large street tree
$700 – Will fund four small trees for planting in a grove
$1,600 – Will fund the purchase, planting, and two years of maintenance for one large street tree
$5,000 – Will fund a very large “signature” tree

Checks can be made out to the “Concord250 Corporation” and mailed to:
Concord250 Corporation
PO Box 250
Concord, MA. 01742

In doing so, please make sure the donor specifies the gift is made for the specific purpose of supporting the 250th Tree Planting Initiative.

Questions? Email 250ConcordTrees@gmail.com

 

 

Concord Celebrates Women’s History Month!

/0 Comments/in , /by

Flipping the Script: The Women of the Manse

These are the stories of the women of the Old Manse – vital, complex, and essential – who lived in the Old Manse from the time of the Revolutionary War through 1939. In this tour, we flip the script and explore the history of the Old Manse not from the perspective of a few famous men, but from the perspective of the many women who lived there and whose stories, often forgotten, shaped history and still resonate today.

Tour groups are set with a limited capacity and we recommend booking in advance to secure your spot.

Saturdays and Sundays at The Old Manse

 

 

 

Tender Sensibilities: Concord & Women’s History

Join historian Richard Smith and Nikki Turpin , President of the Robbins House, as they lead a lecture / discussion highlighting and celebrating a selection of women reformers from Concord history, including Ellen Garrison, Abba May Alcott and Helen Thoreau.

March 24, 12-1:30pm

Co-sponsored by the Friends of Walden Pond and Concord 250 Executive Committee.

Concord250.org

 

 

Women of the Great Field: The Robbins and Garrison Women and their Neighbors

March 26, 6-7:30pm

Join us for a Women’s History discussion with The Robbins House on the history of the women residents of the Great Field, a predominantly African American and indigenous area of Concord in the 19th century. Hear some of the stories and accomplishments of women like Lydia Bay, Fatima Robbins, Susan Garrison and others who lived and worked on the periphery of the town in the 1800s. This event is generously cosponsored by The Robbins House: Concord’s African American History and The Concord Free Public Library

Concord250.org

 

 

 

 

Concord Free Public Library

Author Talks with the Concord Women Writers: Short Stories

Each week this month the library is showcasing authors from Concord. These Women Writers share their work and experience as women creators. Read about the March 20th event with  essayist and short story writer Emily Rubin and short story and creative nonfiction writer Tracy Winn. 

 

Author Talks with the Concord Women Writers: Poetry and Children’s Writing

 

March 27, multimedia poet Ros Zimmermann, and systems thinker and children’s writer Linda Booth Sweeney will be the featured authors.

 

Music & Invention: A Concert and Lecture with Tod Machover and Friends at Concord Conservatory

/0 Comments/in /by
Join us when we welcome internationally acclaimed renowned composer, inventor, and educator Tod Machover of the MIT Media Lab for the MUSIC & INVENTION CONCERT AND LECTURE on Friday, March 8th, 7:30 pm!

Explore how music and invention interact and influence each other.

Concord, MA—February 6, 2024: How does music inspire new ideas and inventions? How do composers use invention to create new sounds and experiences? How does music reflect and transform the world we live in?

These are some of the questions that will be addressed at the Music & Invention Concert and Lecture, presented by the Concord Conservatory of Music (CCM) on Friday, March 8th at 7:30 pm. Join renowned composer, inventor, and educator Tod Machover of the MIT Media Lab to explore the multi-faceted relationship between invention and music. Performed by CCM faculty artist, pianist Yoko Hagino, guest violinist Charlie Lovell-Jones, guest cellist Ariana Falk, and graduate students from the MIT Media Lab, this promises to be a wild ride of music and celebration of bold but beautiful ideas.

Featuring works by J.S. Bach, Frederic Rzewski, Liza Lim, Marianne Amacher, Pauline Oliveros, and three recent compositions by Machover, including the U.S. Premiere of Resolve Remote for violin and electronics. Witness how a musical idea can develop into a full-length composition, how music can mirror and adapt to its environment, and how composers can challenge and expand our listening habits.

From bow-and-string to new interactive interfaces and from AI to singalong, please join us for a very unusual evening of sounds and ideas that will spark imaginations, open minds, and bring delight. Whether you are interested in classical, experimental, or electronic music, you will find something to appreciate and enjoy.

Get your tickets today at ConcordConservatory.org. We thank our Lead Sponsor, Emerson Health, and our Supporting Sponsor, Middlesex Savings Bank, for making the 2023-2024 CCM Concert & Lecture Series possible. The Series is also supported in part by a grant from the Concord Cultural Council and Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council, local agencies that the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, supports. Thanks to our sponsors, we can bring quality and diverse concerts to our community.

About CCM Concord Conservatory of Music: It is a community of people who are passionate about music education. CCM enrolls over 500 students annually and offers programs for all ages and abilities. As a non-profit school, CCM serves Concord, MA, and 17 surrounding communities. Its curriculum includes private instruction, group classes, and performance opportunities. Financial assistance is available.

 

 

Concord250 Essay Contest: Calling all Highschool Students living or attending school in Concord

/0 Comments/in /by

Still heard round the world

 

CONCORD250 ESSAY CONTEST

 

Calling all high school writers!  Compete in a short essay contest to receive a $500 cash honorarium to invest in your future! The top 5 submissions will get published and will receive a $500 cash honorarium.

If you like to write at all, please check out this fun topic and competition to help us celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and earn a Concord250 Certificate just for participating.

 

What is it?

Next year – 2025, Concord and the entire nation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolution—“The shot heard ‘round the world”.  It is possible that you might be living in Concord another 50 years from now to experience the Tricentennial commemoration in 2075.  What do you think life in America will be like?  What do you think will have changed 50 years from now? What will be the predominant features of life in the nation, physically or ideologically?  What will have happened to Concord? What will have drawn new residents to Concord, or what might have caused residents to leave? Any of these and all other topics can be the issues that you may look into to foresee and describe what will be known and common in the year 2075.  Your essay is to describe what will be. What do you think?

 

Who is eligible and what do I have to do?

Students in grades 9 – 12 who are living in Concord or attending school in Concord are eligible.

You have to write an essay of no more than 1000 words.

You have to submit your essay online here by April 30, 2024.

 

This sounds like a lot of work, is it?

Make it fun.  Interview relatives, neighbors or friends who lived in Concord 50 years ago and get a feeling of how much has changed in the last 50 years. Use your imagination to define your own vision of what you think life will be like 50 years from now. And 1000 words should only take a few hours spread over the next 4 months. But don’t wait to get started!

 

How does my essay get graded?

Use standard written English grammar and mechanics. Give details and examples as needed and cite sources for specialized information that is not your own. Your essay will be evaluated on its clarity, feasibility, use of plausible examples, supporting events, and original concepts.

Our evaluation committee will read your essay and will select from all entries received 5 entries that are judged to best develop and detail their vision of what will be, in accord with the criteria given above.

All entrants will receive a Concord250 certificate of participation and the top 5 selected entries will receive $500 honorarium and will be published.

In 2075, you will be able to reread your essay and realize how accurate your vision and prediction was!

 

We thank you for your willingness to participate and offer your thoughts and expectations on our future.

List of Concord’s Houses of Worship Holiday Services

/0 Comments/in , /by

Schedule of Services at Concord’s Houses of Worship

 

First Church of Christ, Scientist

7 Lowell Road, Concord

Sunday services 10:15

First Parish in Concord

20 Lexington Rd. 978 369-9602

Sunday services at 10 a.m.
Dec. 24 services

4pm:Rev. Paul Langston-Daley and music by the Gospel Choir

8PM: Rev. Seth Carrier-Ladd and music by the First Parish Choir

Holy Family Parish 

12 Monument Sq., Concord

Dec. 24 services at 4pm, 6pm and 10:30pm
Dec. 25 services at 9:30am

Kerem Shalom

December 13,  5-6pm: Chanukah Celebration at Rideout Park

 

New Life Community Church

221 Baker Ave.
Worship services Sundays 10:15 a.m.

December 24: 6pm service

 

Redeemer Presbyterian Church

1276 Main St. 978 254 7353

Worship services Sundays, 11 a.m.

 

St. Irene Parish

181 East St., Carlisle

Dec. 24 services at 4pm and 7:30pm
Dec. 25 services at 11am

Trinitarian Congregational Church

54 Walden St. 978 369 4837

Christmas Eve Services

5 pm Family Service

Congregational Carol Sing (at 4:50 pm)

Vocal solos and duets by Piper and Alden Harring.

Anthems by our children’s choir, with percussionist Carter Hack

8 pm Candlelight Service of Lessons & Carols

Prelude Concert (at 7:40 pm) featuring our choir and soloists.

Music by the Lawson Family with Cheryl Shea, and flutist Emily Roos

11 pm   Candlelight Service of Lessons & Carols            

Prelude Concert (at 10:40 pm) of music for organ and flute (Emily Roos)

Duets by tenor Lucas Hickman and soprano Sage Stoakley

Trinity Episcopal Church

81 Elm St. 978 369 3715

Dec. 24, Christmas Eve –

10am Advent 4 Holy Eucharist

3pm Holy Eucharist with all ages pageant

5pm Holy Eucharist with Choir and Instruments

10pm Holy Eucharist with Hymns

 

West Concord Union Church

1317 Main St. 978 369 6309

Dec. 24 – No morning service

3;30pm Preludes begin

4pm; All Ages Christmas Eve Service

7:40pm: Preludes begin

8pm: Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

 

 

GRAND-SCALE Boston Tea Party Reenactment on December 16th

/0 Comments/in /by

“The most magnificent movement of all”

John Adams

Celebrate Our Commemorative Year With Us!
December 16, 2022 – December 16, 2023
The United States will commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 2023. The Boston Tea Party is one of the nation’s most iconic events and one that propelled America down the road to revolution.

The United States will commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 2023. Dubbed by John Adams as the “most magnificent movement of all”, the Boston Tea Party is one of the nation’s most iconic events and one that propelled America down the road to revolution.

In honor of this upcoming anniversary, The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is partnering with multiple organizations, communities, and businesses to create a series of collaborative, inclusive and commemorative programming throughout the entirety of 2023—culminating in a grand-scale reenactment on the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 2023.

  • Special exhibits, artwork, and public programs
  • Community and school outreach
  • Theatrical performances
  • Virtual presentations and webinars
  • Genealogical programs
  • Historical festivals
  • And much more!

Please stay tuned as details are finalized!

For the latest information and events, please visit BostonTeaParty250.org

WATCH IT LIVE! December 16th, 8pm

Visit these sites for more info:

Boston Tea Party Museum

 BostonTeaParty250.org

December16th-Live Stream

More details

 

 

 

 

‘Tis the Season of Giving!

/0 Comments/in /by

Open Table’s Family-to-Family Gift Bag Program

Spread JOY! Gather your family &  gather items for Open Table’s Family-to-Family Gift Bag Program. Give 12 Days of Joy from your family to another! Sponsor a family or senior this holiday season by building a gift kit over the first 12 days of December. A wonderful way to spread joy this holiday season and as a family, discuss and learn more about food insecurity and how it may affect our neighbors. 

The 4th ANNUAL CC Football Holiday Huddle Toy Drive  

Please consider donating an unwrapped new toy! The CCHS Football Team will collect the toys and will deliver them to the Concord Fire EMS Dept. Read more

 

Donate to the Holiday Gift Card Program

Concord’s Community Services, in collaboration with the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, invite you to donate a gift card to a Concord family in need. Gift cards from local merchants, supermarkets, restaurants, or big-box stores are all welcome.

 

COAT DRIVE  – Help share the warmth! 

Concord Funeral Home is collecting NEW or gently used winter coats to be donated to “Our Father’s House, Inc.” for those in need in central Massachusetts. Coat Drive runs until Dec . 15. Drop off: 74 Belknap St., Concord  collection box on front porch. 

 

Brighten the Night, through William’s Be Yourself Challenge (WBYC)

WBYC is a local nonprofit dedicated to community events that bring people together for authentic, meaningful connection. It was founded by a group of Carlisle moms trying to support their grieving kids in the aftermath of William Shaw’s sudden death in 2019. We strive to shine a light on mental health and grief awareness. Read more

 

New Year’s Dance Party

Celebrate at a New Year’s Eve local Dance Party, all proceeds will go to Open Table? Save the date!

 

 

 

GIVING TUESDAY: Some ways to give back this season

/0 Comments/in /by

Give to your Community!

Donate to the 2023 Holiday Gift Card Program

Now through December 8th

The Concord-Carlisle Community Chest invites you to donate a gift card, of any value, to a family in need this holiday season.

Gift cards to local merchants, supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, or big box stores are all welcome, and will be distributed to families in Concord, Carlisle, and at the emergency shelter.

Donations will be accepted through December 8th.

They can be brought or mailed to: Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, 19 Main Street, Suite #2, Concord, MA 01742

Questions? Please contact 978-369-5250 or jperrotta@cccommunitychest.org.

Buy “Holiday Fixins” Bags

Give the gift of Thanksgiving sides and desserts. These bags are available for purchase at Crosby’s Marketplace in Concord for $16.99 and include a box of stuffing, a can of gravy, a can of pumpkin, a box of pie crust, a can of cranberry sauce, salt, Bell’s Seasoning, and aluminum foil.

12 Days of Joy from Family to Family

Sponsor a family or senior this holiday season by building a gift kit over the first 12 days of December. Each day that you add a new item, your family can discuss and learn more about food insecurity and how it may affect your neighbors.