Concord, MA

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Apr

ReenactmentFeatured

Patriots' Day Parade and North Bridge Reenactment

North Bridge, Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord

Concord's annual Patriots' Day commemoration features a dawn salute, a parade through the town center, and a dramatic reenactment of the April 19, 1775 fight at the North Bridge, where colonial minutemen exchanged fire with British regulars in what Emerson later called 'the shot heard round the world.' Hundreds of costumed reenactors, fifes, and drums bring the morning's events to life at Minute Man National Historical Park.

FreeHeld on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April (Massachusetts state holiday). Events begin at dawn and continue through midday.More info →

Apr

Exhibition

Concord Museum Patriots' Day Program

Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord

The Concord Museum hosts special Patriots' Day programming centered on its renowned collection of Revolution-era artifacts, including one of the two lanterns hung in the steeple of Boston's Old North Church and items related to the April 19 alarm. Curated gallery talks, family activities, and presentations explore the town's role in the outbreak of the Revolution.

Museum admission fees applyHeld on or around Patriots' Day weekend in April; check Concord Museum website for exact dates.More info →

Apr

Guided Tour

Minute Man National Historical Park Annual Lantern Ceremony and Battle Road Trail Walk

Battle Road Trail, Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord and Lexington

A guided commemorative walk along the historic Battle Road Trail retracing the route of the British column's retreat from Concord to Lexington on April 19, 1775. Park rangers and volunteers in period dress narrate the running battle at key locations along the five-mile trail, offering first-person accounts and tactical analysis of the day's fighting.

FreeUsually held Patriots' Day weekend in April; confirm dates with Minute Man NHP visitor center.More info →

Jul

Ceremony

Independence Day Celebration at Minute Man National Historical Park

Minute Man National Historical Park, North Bridge Visitor Center, Concord

A Fourth of July observance at Minute Man National Historical Park featuring ranger-led talks, musket and artillery demonstrations, and living-history interpreters portraying colonial militiamen and townspeople. The program connects the events of April 1775 in Concord and Lexington to the Declaration of Independence thirteen months later.

FreeTypically held July 4; contact the park to confirm schedule as programming varies by year.More info →

Oct

Lecture

Concord Festival of Authors — Revolutionary Lecture Series

Concord Museum and historic venues in Concord center

Held in conjunction with the broader Concord Festival of Authors, this lecture series at the Concord Museum and other historic venues features historians and authors discussing the American Revolution, the town's role in the conflict, and the legacy of Concord's thinkers from the Founders through the Transcendentalists. Past topics have included the Provincial Congress meetings at Wright Tavern and the hidden arms caches of 1775.

Varies; some events free, some ticketedTypically held in October; contact the Concord Museum or Concord Free Public Library to confirm dates and speakers.