Patriots Weekend: Concord250 Events & More!

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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 :

 

 

Umbrella Spring Arts Classes Registering Now

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The Umbrella Arts Center has announced open registration for its Spring arts classes, workshops and independent studio times.

This Spring class session will be held in The Umbrella’s recently constructed education facilities at 40 Stow Street, including new classrooms, dance studio, makerspace, and a newly redesigned and expanded ceramics wing.

Among the many class offerings this session are popular favorites including oil and acrylic painting, watercolors, pencil illustration, sewing, glass fusing, woodworking, photographic design, creative mindfulness, Latin and Club dance, and ceramics for all ages and skill levels — from pre-schoolers to adult independent professionals.

In addition, The Umbrella will resume its School Vacation Week program this April for kids Grades K-8. “Artistic Solutions Stop Pollution” will get the creative sparks going with hands-on projects in Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, 2D & 3D Mixed Media, Performing Arts, Workshop and more.

To view all available classes and workshops, visit https://theumbrellaarts.org/education

CONCORD250 EVENTS

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Concord250 Events

A Fight for Freedom: Patriots of Color Walking Tour FEB 22 1pm

Concord250 in collaboration with Minuteman National Park , The Robbins House  and the Concord Visitors Center launches this new walking tour .

 

In celebration of Black History Month this  inaugural tour will be free to the public and all ages are welcome.

 

https://visitconcord.org/visit/walking-tours/

 

A Fight for Freedom: Patriots of Color Walking Tour FEB 22 1pm

 

Between twenty and forty colonists who fought along the Battle Road on April 19, 1775, were of African descent or Indigenous . Although excluded from required militia service prior to the war, these individuals of color were the first of many to take up arms between 1775 and 1783.

By the end of the conflict, an estimated 5,500 African and Indigenous  men served on the colonial side.  Unfortunately, systemic racism and historical bias have erased or buried many records of Black and Indigenous people who played a prominent role in the founding of the United States.

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 the incredible stories of the individuals who risked everything during their struggle for liberty, equality, and freedom for all.

 

In celebration of Black History Month  the tour is being offered free of charge .

 

Tour meets at the North Bridge Lower Lot at 1pm on THU Feb 22.  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 maye be made to The Robbins House here:  https://robbinshouse.org/donate/

 

Learn More about Patriots of Color HERE

 

https://robbinshouse.org/wp-content/uploads/PatriotsofColor-web.pdf

 

https://www.nps.gov/mima/patriotsofcolor.htm

 

 

“Enemies to their Country?” Concord Town Meeting, January 10, 1774

Wednesday, January 10, 2024
6 PM- 7 PM
Goodwin Forum Main Library

READ MORE

250 years ago, in the wake of the now famous Dec 16, 1773 “Boston Tea Party,” the people of Concord took steps that would lead them down a dangerous path toward rebellion. On January 10, 1774, Concord took up an article in town meeting to write a response to a letter from the Boston Committee of Correspondence that warned about the evils of the new Tea Act and the need to resist “in a most zealous and determined manner…” In the same meeting, those in attendance also considered an article “not to consume any tea in our respective families – and if agreed to – then to see if the town will adjudge those who will afterwards sell or use any tea in their families as enemies to their country…” 
What did they mean by using the word “enemies”?

What would such a measure do to their community?

Join Minute Man NPS Rangers as they unpack this significant moment on the evening of the event 250 years ago . They will lead an interactive discussion about responses to dissent and disagreement at times of political crisis and explore the nature of protest in American History.

Co-Sponsored By Town of Concord 250 Events, Minute Man National Historical Park, the Friends of Minute Man National Park, and The Concord Free Public Library.

Registration is recommended but not required. This event is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Beyond 1775: Concord and the Massachusetts National Guard

 

 

Special pre-Veteran’s Day tour, Nov. 9, 2023, 10 a.m. – a chance to be taken into the special collection of the Concord Armory to see rare artifacts and how materials are preserved.

Be one of the first to explore Concord’s 1915 armory and learn about the near 400-year history of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the oldest component of the United States Armed Forces. Hear stories of remarkable service and view the objects that witnessed war. The tour will also offer participants a special glimpse into the Massachusetts National Guard Museum while it prepares to open to the public. Concord may be famous for April 19, 1775, but its service to the Commonwealth and Nation continue to this very day.  

Tour meets at 91 Everett Street Concord 

 This tour is provided in partnership with the Massachusetts National Guard Museum. 

Endorsed by Concord 250 Committee

concord 250 logo

 

Concord and the Vietnam War

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2023

2:00—4:00 PM

Goodwin Forum, Main Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742

Concord and the Vietnam War

Concord and the Vietnam War: Vietnam Veterans Recount the Protest They Staged at the Old North Bridge in 1971 and How it Led to One of the Largest Mass Arrests in Massachusetts History 

On the opening night of Memorial Day Weekend in 1971, men wearing fatigues began to gather at the Old North Bridge in Concord to protest the ongoing war which they had just returned home from fighting. Their plan was to camp overnight and then march all the way to Boston Common. Photographs of them crossing the bridge were splashed across the region’s newspapers. For the liberal press, these were the new Minute Men.

On a panel moderated by Elise Lemire, author of Black Walden and Battle Green, Vietnam, three Massachusetts Vietnam veterans recall why they chose to stage their protests against the Vietnam War at New England’s most storied battlefields, their decision on the second day of the march to emulate Thoreau by occupying the Lexington Battle Green without permission, and their reception in Concord when they were tried in Middlesex Court for civil disobedience.  This panel with Vietnam veterans Bestor Cram, Christopher Gregory, and Lenny Rotman, will explore the role of memorialized battlefields, the principles of civil disobedience, and the role protest can play in healing moral injuries.

Ellen Garrison Day – Friday, April 14, 2023

The Concord Select Board declared April 14, 2023, “Ellen Garrison Day” to honor the contributions of Concord resident Ellen Garrison.  Ellen was born on April 14, 1823 in Concord, the granddaughter of Patriot of Color, Ceasar Robbins.  Ellen lived a life dedicated to the struggle for civil rights until her passing in an anti-slavery community in Pasadena, California, where she is buried alongside other anti-slavery activists.

Learn about Ellen and her life of activism by clicking on the proclamation and join to community for a celebration in her honor on Friday, April 14, 2023.

“Stand up for Ellen” Friday, April 14, 2023 at 6 p.m.

12 Monument Square, Concord, MA, followed by a reception at the Town House, 22 Monument Square.  If you can’t be there in person, the event will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/live/vlSBkbSZ-7c?feature=share

  • Music
  • Living History
  • Arts and performance
  • Dedication, celebration, and cake
  • Free, open and suitable to all ages!

This is the FIRST Official Event of the Concord 250 Celebration!

For the first time in 200 years, on April 14, 2023, Concord will publicly honor and celebrate the birth of one of its most inspirational daughters, Ellen Garrison and showcase the 1841 visit of Frederick Douglass to Concord!

Presented by Robbins House and is the first event of Concord 250 celebration. Free and suitable for all ages. Located at Holy Family Church and Concord Town House.

Thanks to the kind offer of collaboration and support of people all over Concord, this event will create an opportunity for a celebration of the legacy and importance of the African American story as central the story of the town. This event allows for public visibility and exposure to help more members of the community learn about and honor a history that may be new to them, but is essential for them and their understanding of Concord’s role in securing freedom for all people.

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Free Screening & Talk: GLORY

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The Umbrella Arts Center is proud to partner with the Town of Concord DEI Commission and Concord Visitor Center to celebrate the sacrifice of Concord’s native son, George Washington Dugan, who served in the Massachusetts 54th during the Civil War.

On Friday, July 14 at 7pm, join us for a free public screening of the Oscar-nominated film Glory, about one of the Union Army’s earliest African-American regiments in the American Civil War. It stars Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment’s commanding officer, and Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman. The screening will be followed by a talkback guest historian, author and living history interpreter Marvin Alonso Green.

Free and open to the public. The Umbrella is ADA accessible and offers free parking.

This screening is part of “Glory for George,” a townwide, weekend-long celebration of the life and legacy of George Washington Dugan, with events at the Concord Free Public Library, Monument Square, the Old North Bridge at Minute Man National Historical Park, The Robbins House, and Concord Armory.

 

See https://theumbrellaarts.org/performing-arts/films-umbrella

New to town, new parents or just want some new experiences?

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The good news is you’re in the right place…

Concord has numerous clubs and organizations that offers a wide variety of experiences and opportunities to meet people, get involved, learn new things, be active and intellectually stimulated!

 

New (or new in last few years) to Concord-Carlisle area? Consider signing up for Concord Carlisle Neighbors Club. Concord-Carlisle Neighbors is a social organization whose membership welcomes new families moving into these towns.  CCN provides social support and planned activities to help individuals and families adjust and feel part of life in their new environment. CCN also connects long term residents with each other to strengthen the community network. They host all sorts of events – something geared for every age.

 

Are you new to Concord with young kids or a new parent living in Concord? Concord Family Network is a non-profit, volunteer-run group of local parents, based in Concord, Massachusetts working to unite, inform, and engage local families with young children (birth-6 years).  CFN organizes many opportunities for member families to connect and have fun in a safe environment throughout the year from hosting casual parent and child events, meetups, and parties, to partnering with other location organizations and doing community outreach. 

 

Maybe you’re not new to town but interested in meeting new people or trying new things? Pursue your interests or learn something new!

Joining a local riding club is a great way to enjoy the best cycling the region has to offer.  Check out this riding club that is based here in Concord!

Concord Runners is an informal group of (men and women) runners and walkers, who meet every Saturday morning at 8:00am at Monument Square in downtown Concord, MA.  (map) The runs are typically 5-6 miles; the walks are generally 2-4 miles.

Pickleball – learn to play with other adults!

Love gardening or want to learn more? Look into Concord Garden Club and West Concord Green Thumbs.  How about joining a community garden?

Concord Rotary Club

Concord Lions Club

Concord Council on Aging 

Do you know about Monday Contras: Dancing at the Scout House

The Thoreau Society

How about signing up to usher a show at The Umbrella?

Learn about book groups and discussions at Concord Library!

Take a class… so many to choose from in town – something for every interest and age:

Concord Art

Concord-Carlisle Adult Community Education

Concord Conservatory of Music

Concord Recreation

Umbrella Arts

Attend a speaker event or workshop:

 

Concord Museum

Concord Public Library

Walden Woods Project

Here are some organizations that offer activities & classes for kids:

 

Concord-Carlisle Youth Football

Concord-Carlisle Youth Soccer

Concord Youth Baseball / Softball

Concord Carlisle Youth Basketball

Concord Carlisle Youth Lacrosse

Concord Carlisle Youth Hockey

Concord Winter Futsal

Girl Scouts

Concord Public Library

Concord Recreation

Concord Youth Theater

Umbrella Arts

National Charity League

 

Volunteering is a great way to connect to the community and meet some people. Here is a list of local organizations to get you started:

Art for All

Community for Restorative Justice

Concord CAN (Climate Action Network)

Concord-Carlisle Community Chest

Concord Education Fund

Concord Family Network

Concord Land Conservation Trust

Concord Museum

Concord Players

Concord Prison Outreach

Concord Public Library

Cooperative Elder Services

Council on Aging

Dignity in Asylum

Emerson Hospital Auxiliary

Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

Gaining Ground

Household Goods

Minute Man ARC

National Charity League 

OARS

Open Table 

Rotary Club of Concord

The Umbrella Arts

Town of Concord Board and Committees

Village Art Room

The Walden Woods Project

West Concord Green Thumbs

Youth Sports

Want to get the lay of the land? Or take houseguests on a tour?

Check out the terrific tours offered by The Concord Visitor Center and Concord Tour Company

 

Celebrate Concord’s 386th Birthday and all-new Concord Museum Celebration

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WE’RE MAKING HISTORY (Literally)!

CONCORD’S BIRTHDAY AND THE ALL-NEW CONCORD MUSEUM!

In celebration of Concord’s 386th Birthday and the opening of the Concord Museum’s 16 new permanent galleries, the public is invited to a week of activities including Forums, Gallery Talks, Encampments, and Family events starting Labor Day, September 6 through Sunday, September 12, 2021.

The week-long celebration includes free Museum admission for all Concord residents and the opportunity to see the newly renovated Museum first-hand on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the public is invited to a panel discussion “Concord Farms: Resilience, Revolutionaries, and Renegades” on the history of agriculture in Concord that is both informative and celebratory as we help spread the word about the resilience of the Concord farmer. On Wednesday, September 8 join Jacqueline Jones, the president of the American Historical Association and Concord resident, in a conversation about her prize-winning books including: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to the Present.

 

Drop by the Museum to experience the history of Concord’s incorporation as a town! Families can participate in activities that explore life and craft in the era of the 1600’s Concord from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

Free outdoor community activities are scheduled on the weekend! Meet baby lambs and a fluffy angora rabbit outside the Museum. Watch as their wool and fur are carded and spun into fine yarn with a master weaver at work at a loom. On Sunday, visit an encampment with the Acton Minutemen for cooking, music, crafts, and musket drills as the men and women prepare for battle.

 

The final phase of Concord Museum’s decade-long $16 million renovation project is culminating with the opening of renovated and interactive galleries and celebration starting on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. The ten newest galleries include a renewed focus on Concord’s famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, the women who led the effort to abolish slavery, and African Americans who lived in Concord before and after the Civil War.

Friday, 9/10:

11am: Henry David Thoreau Gallery Talk

2pm: Farming in Concord: History Learning Center Program

 

Saturday, 9/11:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Mill Brook Walking Tour 

2pm Getting a Living Gallery Talk

 

Sunday, 9/12:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Incorporating Concord Gallery Talk

2pm History Learning Center Program

For a full program listing of Family Activities visit www.concordmuseum.org

Sponsors: WBUR, Gourmet Catering and Middlesex Savings Bank.

 

 

CELEBRATE CONCORD’S 386th BIRTHDAY AND THE ALL-NEW CONCORD MUSEUM

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In celebration of Concord’s 386th Birthday and the opening of the Concord Museum’s 16 new permanent galleries, the public is invited to a week of activities including Forums, Gallery Talks, Encampments, and Family events starting Labor Day, September 6 through Sunday, September 12, 2021.

The week-long celebration includes free Museum admission for all Concord residents and the opportunity to see the newly renovated Museum first-hand on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the public is invited to a panel discussion “Concord Farms: Resilience, Revolutionaries, and Renegades” on the history of agriculture in Concord that is both informative and celebratory as we help spread the word about the resilience of the Concord farmer. On Wednesday, September 8 join Jacqueline Jones, the president of the American Historical Association and Concord resident, in a conversation about her prize-winning books including: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to the Present.

 

Drop by the Museum to experience the history of Concord’s incorporation as a town! Families can participate in activities that explore life and craft in the era of the 1600’s Concord from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

 

Free outdoor community activities are scheduled on the weekend! Meet baby lambs and a fluffy angora rabbit outside the Museum. Watch as their wool and fur are carded and spun into fine yarn with a master weaver at work at a loom. On Sunday, visit an encampment with the Acton Minutemen for cooking, music, crafts, and musket drills as the men and women prepare for battle.

 

The final phase of Concord Museum’s decade-long $16 million renovation project is culminating with the opening of renovated and interactive galleries and celebration starting on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. The ten newest galleries include a renewed focus on Concord’s famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, the women who led the effort to abolish slavery, and African Americans who lived in Concord before and after the Civil War.

For a full program listing of Family Activities visit www.concordmuseum.org

 

Sponsors: WBUR, Gourmet Catering and Middlesex Savings Bank.

 

 

 

 

TOWN-WIDE SURVEY – New Middle School Building

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The Middle School Building Committee invites you to participate in a TOWN-WIDE SURVEY on the design, function, and total project cost of a new middle school building. 

The project is currently in the Feasibility phase and as it moves into Schematic Design, community input is critical.

Please click here to share your feedback in a 5-10 minute survey.  The survey will be available through Monday, April 5, but we suggest you do it right away! 

It is critical that we collect feedback from as many residents as possible. Can you help us spread the word?  After you fill out your survey, please forward it to friends and neighbors.  While we can reach parents in the school district easily, we need broad input from the entire community.  In this effort, we ask for your help. 

Take the SURVEY, and Pass it On!  

Note: Even if you have already emailed the Building Committee, Select Board, or Finance Committee, please share your input here also as the survey is the most effective way of aggregating data. 

Thank you for your help in defining our community’s needs in a new middle school building!  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/surveycms