Springfield, MA

Local Events

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

Upcoming This Year

Oct

Festival

Springfield Museums Heritage Festival and Colonial Craft Demonstrations

Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA

The Springfield Museums host a heritage festival and educational programming that includes colonial-era craft demonstrations, lectures on Revolutionary-era Springfield, and family activities exploring the region's 18th-century history. Programs connect the city's industrial and military heritage to its founding-era roots as a key supply center for the Continental Army.

Museum admission fees applyTypically held during fall programming season; contact Springfield Museums to confirm specific dates and offerings each year.More info →

Earlier This Year

Jul

ExhibitionFeatured

Springfield Armory National Historic Site Living History Programs

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory Square, Springfield, MA

The National Park Service hosts seasonal living history and interpretive programs at the Springfield Armory NHS, featuring costumed interpreters demonstrating Revolutionary-era musket production, military drill, and the armory's founding role in George Washington's vision for American arms manufacturing. Programs explore the site's origins as a Continental Army arsenal during the Revolution.

FreeLiving history programs typically occur during summer months, especially around Independence Day and weekends; check NPS website for specific dates each year.More info →

Jan

Ceremony

Shays' Rebellion Anniversary Commemoration

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory Square, Springfield, MA

Programs and talks commemorating the January 1787 assault on the Springfield Arsenal during Shays' Rebellion, when Daniel Shays and his followers attempted to seize the federal armory. Park rangers and local historians lead guided walks of the Armory Green, discuss the causes of the uprising among debt-ridden Revolutionary War veterans, and explore how the crisis helped spur the Constitutional Convention.

FreeTypically held on or near the January 25 anniversary of the 1787 arsenal confrontation; contact Springfield Armory NHS to confirm dates.More info →

May

Guided Tour

Court Square Historical Walking Tours

Court Square, Springfield, MA

Guided walking tours of historic Court Square and downtown Springfield led by local historians and volunteers, covering the town's role as a center of Revolutionary-era civic life, the site of colonial-era courts that sparked Shays' Rebellion protests, and the history of the First Church of Christ. Tours highlight Springfield's transformation from a colonial river town to the arsenal of the new nation.

Free or small donationWalking tours typically offered spring through fall; contact the Springfield Preservation Trust or Springfield Museums for scheduled dates.

Sep

Lecture

Armory Lecture Series: Revolutionary Springfield

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, 1 Armory Square, Springfield, MA

An annual lecture series hosted at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site featuring historians and scholars discussing topics related to the American Revolution, the founding of the Springfield Armory by order of General Washington in 1777, early American arms manufacturing, and the legacy of Shays' Rebellion in shaping the U.S. Constitution.

FreeLectures typically scheduled during fall and winter months; check the Springfield Armory NHS events calendar for specific dates.More info →