Celebrate America 250 at 11 North of Boston Events

Sponsored by Visit North of Boston. Excerpted from the free guide: 250 Ways to Explore, Discover, and Celebrate North of Boston.

This summer, the nation will party like it’s 1776 (but with air conditioning . . . and with more all in “liberty and justice for all”). Get out your powdered wig, dust off your breeches or corset—or, you know what? Just do you. Because this eventful 2026 is all about independence. We flagged these 11 commemorations in North of Boston cities and towns where the revolutionary spirit lives on. And where a cold Sam Adams is never terribly far away.

Topsfield

Citizens of this agricultural town bravely helped fight back the British at the Lexington and Concord battles, and the Topsfield Historical Society is devoted to researching and memorializing their heroism. The society’s 57th Strawberry Festival takes place June 13, 2026, on the town’s common. Their Parson Capen House, a prime example of First Period architecture dating to 1682, overlooks the common, and tours of the house are offered during the festival. Children’s games, music performances, and arts and crafts round out the fun. Plus, there’s the true hero of the festival: strawberry shortcake.

North Andover

This colonial town’s contributions to the fight for independence are brought to life at the North Andover Historical Society. Aspirations of Ordinary People—The Stories of the American Revolution from a Local Perspective, an exhibition that runs through December 31, 2026, is part of REV250, a series of programs dedicated to shining a light on the Revolutionary record.

Beverly

Ken Burns’ six-part documentary, The American Revolution, features the exquisite military scenes that now hang in Beverly’s 1781 John Cabot House as part of its American Revolution: A Story of the War in 28 Paintings. The public showing runs through July 4, 2026.

Haverhill

Visit the Museum of Printing to see “the most lethal weapon of the American Revolution,” a replica of a colonial-era printing press, Saturdays until November 2026. In addition to receiving an on-request demonstration of the machine, guests will learn how The Declaration of Independence was printed (before the signed, handwritten version) using movable metal type—in other words: how printing created the United States.

Newburyport

Yankee Homecoming is an annual summer tradition that began in 1958 to celebrate New England’s heritage. Week-long festivities include walking tours of historical sites, nightly waterfront concerts, a veterans luncheon, cornhole competitions, a kids talent show, and Coast Guard tours (the Coast Guard was born in Newburyport), and culminate with a parade and fireworks. This year’s Yankee Homecoming, July 25 to August 2, 2026, will be a Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Gloucester

The annual volunteer-run Gloucester Fishtown Horribles Parade tackles a political or cultural topic with themed floats and costumes. The procession, slated for July 3, 2026, ends with a bang of pyrotechnics over Gloucester Harbor, the same harbor that played a starring role in the Battle of Gloucester early in the American Revolution.

Marblehead

The Fourth of July is always a star-spangled fete in this seafaring town. The harbor is brightened with flares ignited along the coastline, and combustibles burst in air as part of the town’s annual Fireworks and Harbor Illumination. Anticipate a banner spectacle for America’s 250th.

Each third weekend of July (July 18 to 19 in 2026), Glover’s Marblehead Regiment, a reenactment troupe, marches from Fort Sewall to the beach, as they imagine Revolutionary soldiers would have done in response to British ships stalking the harbor. The occasion is bedazzled with fife-and-drum music, children’s activities, butter-making demos, and sea shanties. And, yes, muskets will be fired.

Salem

In May, the country’s oldest continuously operating museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, debuts an exhibition about Salem printer Ezekiel Russell’s involvement in circulating the Declaration of Independence, including a modern interpretation of the nation’s founding document. Pressing Importance: Salem and The Declaration of Independence is on view May 2, 2026, through July 25, 2027.

Honoring America’s Semiquincentennial and Salem’s quadricentennial, the 18th annual Salem Arts Festival takes place June 5 to 7, 2026. The family-friendly event casts a spell over attendees with unexpected pop-up art displays; a live mural slam; and theater, music, and dance performances.

The annual Salem Heritage Days festival will salute Witch City’s 400 years and the USA’s 250th birthday in 2026. Forward-thinking pursuits include planting shade trees to beautify the city and combat climate change. And on August 1, 2026, a Salem Through the Centuries parade will entertain with chronologically organized floats and bands that represent periods of Salem’s evolution.

Celebrate Our Past, Meet Our Future

Download your free guide, 250 Ways to Explore, Discover, and Celebrate North of Boston, then get on the road to adventure in this storied region, where the revolutionary spirit lives on at innovative restaurants, inns, and attractions.

Laurie Bain Wilson

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