Patriots' Day 2026
2026-04-20 | Concord Center, Walden Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Concord will celebrate Patriots Day on Monday, April 20th.

2026 Patriots’ Day Parade and Celebration

The Concord Patriots’ Day Parade is one of the nation’s oldest celebrations of the first shot of the American Revolution, attracting visitors from around the world.
Concord will celebrate Patriots’ Day on Monday, April 20th but events are happening beginning April 17.

Patriots’ Day Weekend in Concord:
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026:
Patriot Vigil: 7:45-8:30PM, North Bridge
SUNDAY, April 19:
Dawn Salute
Muster at Buttrick Hillside at 5:45am,
6am Dawn Salute
Church bells at the First Parish toll at 6:00 AM to sound the alarm.
“Dr. Prescott” arrives at the North Bridge after riding across the fields calling out the warning to towns and villages that the Regulars were on the march and that their destination was Concord. The Concord Minutemen fire salutes and the Concord Independent Battery fire several volleys from the field at the Old Manse.
MONDAY, April 20:
9 AM Patriots’ Day Parade
12-4 PM Block Party
3 PM: Patriots Day Battle – CCHS vs. Lexington High School Baseball Game at Emerson Field

Concord Public Schools April Recess
2026-04-20 - 2026-04-24 | MA

Patriots' Day Battle
2026-04-20 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Emerson Field, Concord, MA, United States
Bring the family and support the local nine as the CCHS and Lexington HS baseball teams play their annual Patriots Day Battle rivalry game on Monday, April 20. First pitch is at 3:00 on Emerson Field. There will be festive and special touches throughout the game, including a Minuteman salute to start the game and wiffle ball for kids after.

Admission is free and donations in support of Folds of Honor will be collected during the game.

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(The )Magic(al) (Is/of )Here: Large-Scale Paintings of Local Flowers by Maggie Stanley
2026-04-21, 2026-04-23, 2026-04-25, 2026-04-26, 2026-04-28, 2026-04-30 | Concord Main Library, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
April 3-30 in the Munroe Gallery at the Concord Main Library. See library website for daily hours.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of local flowers as we await their blooming in later spring and summer.
Most of the paintings in this show are based on photographs taken on walks throughout Concord, including at Great Meadows, the Buttrick Estate, Concord Community Gardens, the “wisteria house” across the street from the Main Library, and even the Keyes Road municipal parking lot.
Many of the works were created in 2024 for Flora(l) Portals, my solo show in the skylit atrium of the Morse Institute Library in Natick, MA. Because the pieces were hung from balcony railings and viewed from a distance, I used canvases ranging from 3 to 6 feet in height—hence the name of that show, as some of the paintings are almost the size of doors.
I’m a largely self-taught artist, born and raised in Massachusetts, with my childhood spent in Arlington, Sudbury, and then Concord, where I now reside. Although I’ve worked in multiple mediums, my main focus the past few years has been floral paintings on textured canvas, which I started while in Lois Andersen’s Monday Night Painters group at The Umbrella Arts Center. I am ever-appreciative of Lois, the camaraderie of the group, and the variety of local trails and publicly-accessible gardens that provide such an abundance of beauty. I hope my art can convey some of that beauty to others, no matter the season, and encourage exploration when the conditions are right!
www.maggiestanley.net

Wild & Scenic Film Festival
2026-04-22 - 2026-04-26 | MA
To celebrate Earth Day and OARS’ 40th anniversary, we are bringing the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Concord, where 3 remarkable rivers meet and America’s roots run deep. In partnerships with friends and local organizations, we are hosting five days of community-focused events in and around Concord Center, including film screenings, art installations, guest speakers, outdoor walks, and a 3-day cross-town scavenger hunt. Join us for an inspirational, educational, always wild, and sure to be scenic five days in Concord!

Medication and Sharps Takeback
2026-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Concord COA will sponsor an opportunity for the proper disposal of any of your expired or unneeded medications. We will accept prescription and over-the-counter medications in pill or liquid form. Additionally, we will have a small sharps collection box for used needles. Discarding them at the COA will ensure that they will be disposed of in an environmentally safe way. There is no charge for this event and there is no need to make an appointment.

Belly Dancing Show with Celia After Pizza & Salad Lunch
2026-04-22 12:00 - 13:30 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Concord Council on Aging invites you to experience the art of belly dancing with Celia! Come for pizza and salad lunch then learn about the history of belly dance, and try some fun beginner moves. This program is funded by a grant from the Concord Cultural Council. Please RSVP to 978-318-3020 to sign up for both the lunch and the show.

Now accepting applications for the Williams Scholarships for Excellence in Music & Excellence in Visual Arts
2026-04-23, 2026-04-26 | MA
The Concord Free Public Library is currently accepting applications for its
Williams Scholarships for Excellence in Music & Excellence in Visual Arts.
The scholarships are named for an original benefactor of the Library, Charles
Williams, an enthusiastic supporter of higher education, music and the arts.
Each Scholarship is granted to a Concord resident completing high school or highschool equivalent and entering college the following Fall.
Williams Scholar grants vary from year to year, but typically range from $2,000 to $5,000 annually and are renewable for each consecutive year the recipient attends college up to 4 years.
Deadline for submission: May 1
Detailed information regarding applicant eligibility, as well as a
comprehensive FAQs, can be found on the Library website

Writing Workshop with CFPL Writer in Residence Danielle Bradley
2026-04-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join Danielle Bradley, the 2026 Concord Free Public Library’s writer-in-residence, for an evening of literary conversation and community that includes: writing prompts, practical advice, and inspiration for getting started. Whether you are an experienced writer, or someone looking to try something new, you are welcome to attend.
Danielle Bradley is the winner of the 2025 Simon & Schuster Books Like Us First Novel Contest and the 2025 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Her work appears or is forthcoming in literary journals, including Salt Hill Journal, Indiana Review, and Colorado Review. Her creative work has been supported with scholarships and residencies from Tin House, Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute, the Hudson Valley Writers Center, and Smith College.
The Concord Free Public Library is committed to providing everyone with unimpeded access to our resources, programs, and services. Learn more about accessibility at our libraries. You can also email our administration team or give us a call at either of our libraries to request additional accommodations.
The Concord Free Public Library’s programs are free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library and the Concord Free Public Library Corporation.

HAIRSPRAY Opens at The Umbrella Arts Center
2026-04-24 19:30 - 21:30 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow St., Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Umbrella Stage Company proudly presents HAIRSPRAY, directed and choreographed by Najee Brown. With big hair, big laughs, and even bigger heart, this joyous, high-energy musical proves that when we dance together, anything is possible.
Previews: Friday, April 24 & Saturday, April 25, 2026. Playing: Sunday, April 26, 2026 through Sunday, May 17, 2026 in Theater 144 at 40 Stow Street | Concord, MA
Hairspray, the Tony award winner based on the John Waters film, is a 1960s musical piled bouffant-high with revolutionary joy. Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on the Corny Collins Show has come true, but this determined teen won’t just do the twist and the mashed potato: she’ll use her star power to integrate Baltimore’s TV network to a swingin’ soundtrack! The Color Purple choreographer Najee Brown makes his Umbrella directing debut with this big-hearted celebration of what happens when everyone gets a chance to dance.
Shows run Sunday at 3:00 PM, Thursday & Friday at 7:30 PM, and Saturday at 8:00 PM (with an exception for a 6:30 PM performance Sunday, May 3).
Special KidCare Shows on May 3 and May 17 will allow parents an opportunity to attend a matinee performance while their child(ren) ages 5-12 engage in art activities inspired by the show in one of The Umbrella’s classrooms with an experienced teacher.
Dinner & A Show packages are available for all Thursday night performances.
Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan. Music by Marc Shaiman. Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman. Based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters.
HAIRSPRAY is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.org.

The Concord Players present Brigadoon
2026-04-24 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-04-25 20:00 - 23:00, 2026-04-26 14:00 - 16:00 | 51 Walden
While hunting in the Scottish Highlands, New Yorker Tommy Albright stumbles upon the picturesque village of Brigadoon, which seems like a place out of time. There, Tommy falls in love – not just with a beautiful lass named Fiona, but with the town itself. Only then does he discover Brigadoon’s secret: the village appears once every 100 years, for a single day, and the vanishes into the mist.
Will Tommy choose to return to his life in the modern world – or remain enchanted in Brigadoon forever?
Performances: April 24, 25, May 1, 2, 8 and 9 with matinees on April 26 and May 3 at 2:00 pm
Tickets: $28.00
For tickets and more information: concordplayers.org or call 978-369-2990

Concert with Anna & Mickey and Friends
2026-04-25 19:30 - 21:30 | First Parish Church, 20 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Get your tickets for April 25, 2026 – a public concert celebrating spring, social action, and a new documentary coming out this summer by Emmy-Winning Acton Documentarian Rob Whittlesey featuring the band “The Anna & Mickey Show.“
Tickets for this cabaret-style lively, inclusive, Folk-and-Americana concert are on sale now – this show SOLD OUT last year.
7:30 PM Parish Hall First Parish in Concord
Final scene for the documentary will be shot at this event!
Come spend a candle-lit hour and a half in the company of “Songs that Matter,’ complete with playful banter and some heartwarming stories-behind-the-songs..
TICKETS HERE

HAIRSPRAY at The Umbrella Arts Center
2026-04-25 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-04-26 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-30 19:30 - 22:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow St., Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Mah Jong Classes with Jean Olson begin
2026-04-27 13:00 - 14:30 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The Concord COA is offering another American Mahjong class for beginners led by Jean Olson. Learn the basics, get comfortable playing the game, and develop your strategy. You’ll have the chance to play the game with other players as you are learning. After you complete the class, you may join the COA Mahjong group that meets on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Call to sign up at 978-318-3020.
April 27 – May 18

Writer-In-Residence Danielle Bradley in Conversation with Alan Lightman
2026-04-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join 2026 CFPL Writer-In-Residence Danielle Bradley in conversation with celebrated local author Alan Lightman.
Danielle Bradley is the winner of the 2025 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award and a 2025–2026 Tin House Reading Fellow. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Salt Hill Journal, Indiana Review, Colorado Review, and Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, among others. Her writing has been supported by scholarships and residencies from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute, the Hudson Valley Writers Center, and Smith College. She holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an MFA from the MFA for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her debut novel, Crying in Baseball, is forthcoming from Avid Reader Press.
Alan Lightman is a novelist, essayist, physicist, and educator. Currently, he is Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Until 2003, he was senior lecturer in physics and John Burchard Professor of the Humanities at MIT.
The Concord Free Public Library is committed to providing everyone with unimpeded access to our resources, programs, and services. Learn more about accessibility at our libraries. You can also email our administration team or give us a call at either of our libraries to request additional accommodations.
The Concord Free Public Library’s programs are free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library and the Concord Free Public Library Corporation.

Annual Town Meeting
2026-04-27 18:30 - 20:30 | CCHS

Annual Concord COA Tea Party
2026-04-28 13:00 - 14:30 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
You are cordially invited to the Concord Council on Aging’s Annual Tea Party at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center on Tuesday, April 28th at 2:00 PM. It will be a delightful afternoon filled with classic tea-time charm. Guests will enjoy a selection of assorted teas, delicate finger sandwiches, and freshly baked sweets. As you sip and socialize, enjoy the live harp music of Susan Wright-Regan, whose performance will provide the perfect background for this festive gathering. This event is sponsored by Harvey’s Treasure Chest Gift Shop and is free of charge. Please call to reserve your spot: 978-318-3020. Pinkys up!

Concord Conservatory of Music Presents Monthly Jazz Jam
2026-04-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Concord Conservatory of Music, 1317 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Bring your favorite tune, your instrument, and open ears to CCM’s Monthly Jazz Jam, where faculty member Giuseppe Paradiso sets the stage for musical collaboration, exploration, and enjoyment, and provides a space where all jazz musicians will feel at home. This monthly gathering welcomes players of all levels to join the house rhythm section, request songs, and build new musical friendships.
Walk in or sign up in advance to provide background such as your instrument and playing experience, as well as any song requests you have.
Dates & Times:
Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm
April 28
Location:
Jam Suite at CCM 2
15 Junction Square Drive, Concord, two blocks from CCM.
Suggested donation: $10
Ages 16 and up

Ag Committee Spring Forum: Gardening Revolution in Concord
2026-04-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Concord Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Hear American Historian, Professor Robert A. Gross, talk about the Gardening Revolution in Concord- an exploration of land, literature, and liberty, including accounts of the Minutemen and transcendentalists. Free and open to the public on Thursday April 30th from 6pm-7:30pm at the Concord Library (Main Branch) in the Goodwin Forum. Please join us for this special evening celebrating Concord’s rich agricultural history!
