Events Calendar - 2024

Find a multitude of fun events and great things to do, including weekend events, throughout the year, like music; festivals; comedy; outdoor fun; boat cruises; excursions for families and kids; food, wine and beer tastings. Weather is no problem; lots of things to do happen indoors.
Be sure to check out the listings of year-round Fairs & Festivals throughout New England. See also, Great Things to Do.

Please remember to check about health & safety guidelines with each venue before purchasing tickets or attending an event.

Arts & Crafts Shows Children & Families Festivals Food, Wine, Beer Health & Fitness Music Outdoor Activities Performing Arts and Theater Shows & Exhibits

We welcome the events that are open to the public. Click here to Submit your Event for FREE

Make Memories Galore in Hampton Beach, NH in 2024! Click for beach cams & more information.

Get your Tickets for Tanglewood, the Summer Home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - Click Here!

See You in Plymouth this Summer! Visit our Destination Plymouth page!

Arts & Crafts Shows

Maine Pottery Tour 2024 — ME

May 4, 2024 - May 5, 2024 70+ locations all over Maine (See website for exact locations) 70+ locations all over Maine, ME

This self-guided tour is a delightful way to spend a weekend. More than 70 pottery studios across the state will open their doors, welcoming visitors to step into the world of handcrafted ceramics. The Maine Pottery Tour offers a chance to meet the artists and chat with potters to gain insights into their creative process and inspiration. Discover a treasure trove of functional and decorative ceramics, perfect for your home or as special gifts.

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday
Free

Maine Pottery Tour 2024

May 4, 2024 - May 5, 2024 Various locations Various locations, ME

The annual Maine Pottery Tour is a self-guided tour where visitors can meet potters in their studios, peek in the kilns, see demonstrations, and shop for handmade pottery. Dozens of pottery studios around the state will be participating. Organized into six regions, several studios can be visited in a single outing. Participating studios, special events, and interactive maps of each region are available at MainePotteryTour.org.

Varied

Pride Makers Market 2024 — Biddeford ME

Jun 16, 2024 - Jun 16, 2024 Sacred Profane Brewing, 50 Washington Street Biddeford, ME 04005

The Pride Makers Market will be indoors and feature 13 vendors/artists, two food trucks (including an ice cream truck!), live music/DJ, drinks, and a full service kitchen by Sacred Profane. All ages welcome.

1-5 p.m.
Free

Block Island Ferry - 866.783.7996 - Click Here to Sail Away!

Sunset Cruise & Harbor Views! - See Plymouth, MA!

Find Great Theater and Music throughout New England on our Performing Arts pages!

Children & Families

Blithewold Home-School Days 2024 – Bristol RI

Jan 30, 2024 - May 28, 2024 101 Ferry Road Bristol, RI

On the last Tuesday of each month through May, there will be fun (and educational) hands-on learning at Blithewold estate. This year they will offer programs in science, history, and art. Between sessions, there is plenty of time to enjoy a nice picnic or run out some energy on the Great Lawn. The programs are designed for ages 8 – 13. Adult chaperone required. Reservations are required.
Monthly Program Topics: April: Architecture; May: Science of Kites. Dates: April 30, and May 28.

10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
$18 nonmember; $6 additional nonmember child
401-253-2707

Star Wars Character Breakfast – Saint Albans VT

May 4, 2024 - May 4, 2024 50 Kingman Street Saint Albans, VT 05478

May the 4th be with you! Join some of your favorite Star Wars characters at The Depot for a character breakfast with games, activities and prizes. Plus take your own photos with the characters! Limited reserved seats/tables available. Non-alcoholic beverages included. Alcoholic drinks not included but will be available for purchase.

9AM-11AM
Kids (12 & Under), $13; Adults, $18
443-798-5380

We're Grape-ful for Fall on the CT Wine Trail!

Festivals

Veterans' Stand Down Initiative 2024 — Worcester MA

Jun 21, 2024 - Jun 21, 2024 69 Grove Street Worcester, MA 01605

Through the Stand Down Initiative, the largest Veteran-focused resource fair in Central MA, veterans are connected with the assistance programs they need to live healthy and fulfilling civilian lives. There will be over 100 service providers from all walks of life – both public and private sector – ready to accommodate veterans’ needs. For more information on how to become a sponsor, provider, or pre-register, visit veteransinc.org/events or contact (800) 482-2565 or email StandDown@veteransinc.org.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
FREE
800-482-2565

Food, Wine, Beer

Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast 2024 – NH

Apr 18, 2024 - Apr 27, 2024 Portsmouth, NH

Calling all food lovers and adventurous eaters! The Seacoast is hosting a 10-day culinary event featuring special three-course prix fixe menus at nearly 30 participating restaurants for lunch and dinner. This is a fantastic chance for both locals and visitors to explore new flavors and support local New Hampshire businesses at the same time. Don't miss out on this delicious opportunity!

Various times

Taco Tour Manchester 2024 – Manchester NH

May 2, 2024 - May 2, 2024 54 Hanover Street Manchester, NH 03101

More than 20,000 visitors are expected at this year's Taco Tour Manchester, known by many as the best day of the year in downtown Manchester, NH! Attendees consume as many $3 tacos as they desire for four hours at the “World’s Largest Taco Tour.”

4 p.m.
Free
603-792-4107

Health & Fitness

Providence Marathon – Providence RI

May 5, 2024 - May 5, 2024 30 Exchange Terrace Providence, RI 02903

Make your mark at the 16th Annual Providence Marathon & Half Marathon! The event returns on May 5 for another exciting run through the heart of Rhode Island’s capital city! Save the date and choose from the full marathon or half marathon courses, which feature a run through historic downtown sites, beautiful views of the Providence River, and charming New England neighborhoods. Don’t wait to register — this race sold out well before race day in 2023. Sign up today!

7:30 a.m.
$69-$89

Music

Tanglewood 2024 Season

Mar 15, 2024 - Aug 25, 2024 297 West Street Lenox, MA 01240

Set in an exceptionally beautiful part of the Berkshires, in a place where the best of the current generation of artists gather to celebrate everything music has to offer, the concerts, workshops and discussions at Tanglewood create memories to last a lifetime. Friends and families gather on the lawn, or inside the Serge Koussevitzky Music Shed with its world-famous acoustics, to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra, world-famous solo artists and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Smaller programs play out throughout the property, where eclectic artists both perform and discuss their work, educating audiences and mentoring students. A vast array of programs, from John Williams Night to an evening celebrating Bernstein and Brahms, will be presented from late June through Aug. 31. Come experience Tanglewood and begin a new summer tradition.

Various
888-226-1200

Berklee College of Music Singers Night 2024 – Boston MA

Apr 30, 2024 - Apr 30, 2024 Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, MA, MA 02115

Each semester, more than 120 voice students at the Berklee College of Music audition for the opportunity to be cast in Singers Night, one of the Voice Department’s premier shows. Don't miss this high-energy concert featuring the students who were chosen during this process, performing solo and in small groups.

8 p.m.
$12 in advance; $17 day of show

Brandenburg Concertos – Cambridge MA

May 2, 2024 - May 4, 2024 45 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA 02138

Revel in the splendor of J.S. Bach’s complete Brandenburg Concertos, the best of the Baroque. From the clarion call of the trumpet in No. 2 to the tour de force harpsichord solo in No. 5, there’s always something new to discover in this much-loved collection. Handel +Haydn’s endlessly dynamic concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky joins principal keyboard Ian Watson to co-pilot the ensemble from within. This is historically informed performance at its finest: masterfully performed and passionately shared. Please note: Thursday and Friday performances will be at Sanders Theatre located in Harvard’s Memorial Hall. Saturday’s performance will be held at NEC’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115).

7:30 p.m.
Range
617- 262-1815

Outdoor Activities

#RIWalksChallenge -- Statewide RI

Mar 4, 2024 - May 31, 2024 Many hiking trails Statewide, RI

Organized by the RI Land Trust Council, this great event for adults, families and kids challenges people to explore hiking traisl throguhout the state. Hidden along 34 trails are steel sculptures inspired by nature. Each cunning creature has a QR code for you to scan and track your progress, and when you have found all 34 you will be eigible for prizes. The events website has trails where you can find a creature and a printable checklist of 30 creatures. Create an account to track your progress.

all day; every day
Free

Performing Arts and Theater

August Wilson’s “Fences” -- Providence RI

Mar 21, 2024 - Apr 28, 2024 Trinity Rep, 201 Washington Street Providence, RI

In segregated 1957 Pittsburgh, former Negro League baseball player Troy Maxson is now scraping by as a sanitation worker. Once a towering figure in his community, he now only exerts control over his wife and two sons. Troy’s desire to protect his loved ones from oppression grows warped by his stubbornness and pride. “Fences” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

Recurring daily; see website for showtimes

The Great Gatsby – North Dartmouth MA

Apr 25, 2024 - Apr 25, 2024 UMass Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747

Literature to Life takes on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic work as their newest title in their Signature Performance series! Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20s, this story about dreams, love, and American idealism follows Nick Carraway and his interactions with mysterious millionaire neighbor Jay Gatsby and his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.” Adapted and directed by Kelvin Grullon. We're on the road while the Zeiterion undergoes a major renovation and restoration! This performance will be at UMass Dartmouth, Main Auditorium, 285 Westport Road, North Dartmouth.

7 p.m.
$25
508-994-2900

Shen Yun 2024 -- Providence RI

May 10, 2024 - May 12, 2024 Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI

Shen Yun dancers, musicians, and stage crafters open a door to a civilization of enchanting beauty and enlightening wisdom. Each performance consists of 20 pieces, quickly moving from one legend, region, or dynasty to the next and following stories ranging from the traditions of court ladies of the Tang dynesty to battlefield heroics.

Friday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.
$180, $150, $120, $90

Newport Dance Festival 2024 — Newport RI

Jul 17, 2024 - Jul 21, 2024 Great Friends Meeting House, 21 Farewell Street Newport, RI 02840

Newport Contemporary Ballet presents the Newport Dance Festival on its festival stage on the lawn of the Great Friends Meeting House. Each evening the performance features a unique lineup of dances drawn on the talent, artistry, and unique styles of the festival’s five visiting dance companies and Newport’s resident Newport Contemporary Ballet. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. Guests are invited to bring their own picnic, blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy world class dance in an outdoor, social setting.

7:30 p.m.
Lawn: $39; Reserved Chair: $49
401-847-4470

Cirque du Soleil presents OVO – Boston MA

Jul 20, 2024 - Jul 28, 2024 Agganis Arena, 102 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA

Cirque du Soleil returns to Boston with its high-energy production, OVO, which portrays a day in the life of insects. The miracle of biodiversity is performed through a continuous display of color, light and acrobatic movement. When a mysterious egg appears in their midst and opens, insects react with wonder and love.

July 20, 7 p.m.; July 21 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; July 25, 7 p.m.; July 26, 7 p.m.; July 27, 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m.; July 28, 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.
$50-$185
800-450-1480

Shows & Exhibits

MA Chapter of The American Rhododendron Society Show & Sale — Boylston MA

May 18, 2024 - May 19, 2024 New England Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive Boylston, MA 01505

The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society Show brings you a show that will immerse you in the world of rhodies! Rhododendron, lovingly known as “Rhodies,” are a genus of woody plants native to Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. They grow in temperate deciduous forests often along hillsides and mountain slopes. The event includes fabulous rhododendron flower displays, educational lectures and workshops, and opportunities to purchase unusual and rare rhododendrons, azaleas, and other compatible plants grown by society members. As a portion of the event, rhododendron flowers grown by society members will be entered into competition, grouped, and judged by type. A guided informational tour of the show’s entries will help you learn what qualities to look for in your own flowers. Bring your questions! Expert growers will be on-hand to help you learn more about all things rhododendron.

Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday
Included in General Admission ($0-$19)
508-869-6111

Naulakha Estate & Rhododendron Tour – Dummerston VT

Jun 2, 2024 - Jun 3, 2024 Naulakha Estate, 481 Kipling Road Dummerston, VT

Peek into Kipling's Vermont! The Landmark Trust invites you to tour historic Naulakha, home to Rudyard Kipling during his writing prime. Explore the house (his desk awaits!) and gardens, sure to be bursting with blooming rhododendrons. Visit the Stables Museum and wander the grounds, including the clay tennis courts – some of Vermont's first! Pack a picnic and soak in the stunning views. This year there will be a Cocktail Party June 2 at 5 p.m. for an even more exclusive and intimate experience of this special property. Tickets will include all the same access as daytime tickets with the addition of delicious hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, Scott Farm hard cider, wine, and beer.

See website for available tour times
Self-guided tour: $25/person; Evening Cocktail Party: $75/person