Events

Harvard professor, lawyer, and political activist Lawrence Lessig will be presenting his thoughts on what we need to do to protect our democracy at this critical time in our history. He is the author of several recent books including How to Steal a Presidential Election, America Compromised, and Republic, Lost v2: The Corruption of Equality...

Happy Birthday, Henry! Meet Thoreau on his birthday! Saturday, July 13, 12-2 pm Come and celebrate Henry’s birthday (a day late)! Local historian Richard Smith will portray Henry David Thoreau in the year 1847, age 30. He will receive guests at his house near the main parking lot at Walden Pond. This is an informal...

Full listing of Freedom’s Silhouette Companion Events:   Freedom Concert:  Terry Borderline and the Suns Date: Saturday, October 5 Time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM Location: Monument Square, Concord MA Join us for an electrifying performance by Terry Borderline and the Suns. This seven-piece band will perform a set of original songs about freedom, spirituality, nature, and social justice,...

Readers of all ages are invited to this special storytime, featuring three authors reading their latest Barefoot picture books: Marilyn Wolpin’s Bring Back the Babka!, Anna Staniszewski’s My Cousin’s Mermaid, and Ruth Horowitz’s brand new Barefoot title, The Midnight Mitzvah. Learn what inspired these stories and what they hope readers will take away, and enjoy...

Members Free | Non-Members $10 | Virtual Free Akhil Amar, preeminent legal scholar and author of The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, joins us for a timely conversation on the US Constitution, exploring the formative decades after its ratification and its resonance today.

Former Governor Charlie Baker and his long-time associate Steven Kadish discuss their method for getting past politics and delivering results in the public and private sectors. Their new book Results is not only about getting things done, but about renewing people’s faith in public service. Together they demonstrate that government can work, which is vital...

  Meet at the Concord Town House to celebrate an auspicious moment in our history:  March 29th marks 145 years to the day that Louisa May Alcott, famed authoress of Little Women and hundreds of other literary works, became the first woman of Concord to cast a vote in a Town election! Join in the excitement...

Join us for the book launch of the Concord Museum’s publication Eyewitness to Revolution: The American Revolution Collection at the Concord Museum. Written by David Wood, the book tells the story of the Revolution through the Museum’s unparalleled collection of objects related to the early days of the American Revolution. David will be joined in...

Documentarian Ken Burns will visit Concord on April 17 to discuss his new film, "The American Revolution," timed to the start of the War of Independence on April 19, 1775. Burns will be joined by co-directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and historian Rick Atkinson, author of "The British Are Coming," from 7 to 8:30...

This is a the Thoreau Society Annual Gathering Event Join a mini parade and meet a variety of spirits including Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, George Washington Dugan, Gandhi, MLK Jr. and more! Meet across from the Colonial Inn Contact trsoe@bentley.edu for more information

A few years ago, historian Elizabeth Herbin-Triant uncovered a long-hidden family secret: her family tree included one of Providence’s most prolific slave traders, Cyprian Sterry. Her research into Sterry’s life—marked by great wealth, a role at Brown University, and eventual ruin—led her to explore both her white and African American lineage. In Family Tree: A Reckoning,...

Join historian Zara Anishanslin and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston curator Erica Hirshler for a conversation about Dr. Anishanslin new book, The Painter’s Fire, which tells the gripping story of three revolutionary artists – Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright – who used their creative talents to challenge the British monarchy and advance the...

Join local author Ruth Madison to celebrate her newest novel, Waiting to Break. This deeply emotional contemporary romance explores themes of community, grief, family expectations, the dignity of choice, and what it means to be truly seen. Ruth will read from her novel, answer audience questions, and sign books. Copies of the book will be available...

Join Salem’s master storyteller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, for a frightful evening of thrills and chills in the gloomy shadow of his Concord haunts! The famous author performs his most frightening tales, as well as the terrifying works of fellow writer, Edgar Allan Poe. Stories include The House of the Seven Gables, The Cask of Amontillado, Annabel Lee,...

Maria Ressa is the co-founder of Rappler, the leading digital-only news outlet in the Philippines, known for its fearless reporting and its defense of press freedom. In awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize, the committee recognized her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” In this timely...

Join Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson for a timely forum on his forthcoming book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters. As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, Larson offers a powerful reexamination of the ideas, debates, and military turning points that made independence possible. From Common Sense to the Declaration itself, and from Boston to Trenton,...

Experience a one-of-a-kind installation of dozens of stunning story trees crafted by talented local volunteers and organizations, each featuring elaborate hand-made decorations inspired by a picture book. A centerpiece of the Museum’s community-focused programing, this popular annual event celebrates children’s books and a love of reading as families explore new story trees, sit and read together, or undertake...

OARS is starting a book club! Co-sponsored by OARS, The Thoreau Alliance, and Concord Free Public Library, join us for our first book event on March 5th from 6-7pm at the Concord Free Public Library for an engaging discussion of Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane. Dive deeper into the fascinating topic of environmental legal...