New England Events – April 2011
Get ready for the unfolding of Spring in New England with a wide range of April events — a daffodil fete on the island of Nantucket, a pirate party in Connecticut, Earth Day and Easter celebrations, the Boston Marathon, and many more!
For more New England events in April, check the individual state web sites at the bottom of the page.
5th Annual Privateers’ Bash at the Connecticut River Museum
April 2, 2011
Connecticut River Museum – Essex, Connecticut
Come in costume and relive Riverfront history at the fifth annual Privateers’ Bash, a playful nod to the privateers who made their wealth by relieving foreign ships of their valuable cargo during the War of 1812. Live music and dancing will fill the exhibit galleries while a pig roast by Big Daddy’s Texas Style Bar-B-Q, hors d’oeuvres provided by local caterers, rum punch, grog, and a premium rum tasting will satisfy the palette at this year’s spirited cocktail-style gathering. There won’t be a shortage of treasure with chances to win products and services donated by local organizations and prizes awarded for best costumes. Proceeds benefit the Connecticut River Museum.
Old Deerfield Craft Fair
April 2-3, 2011
Village of Old Deerfield – Deerfield, Massachusetts
As a juried craft fair, the Old Deerfield Craft Fair selects its exhibitors for their quality. The wonderful variety of crafts includes quilts, baskets, wood carvings, pottery, dolls, dried flower arrangements, teddy bears, decoys, tin, theorem, stenciling, jewelry and more. The Old Deerfield Craft Fairs have been among the highest ranked shows in Massachusetts and New England by Sunshine Artist Magazine, for 25 years a major publication of the arts and crafts movement in the United States.
Daffodil Days at the BlithewOld Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
April 9 -May 1, 2011
Bristol, Rhode Island
Celebrate spring at this beautiful thirty-three acre estate on Narragansett Bay with a spectacular display of more than 50,000 daffodils. Blithewold is one of the finest garden estates in New England with diverse gardens, specimen trees, and a 45-room English style manor house, all chronicling the rich social history of one family over a span of more than 80 years. Blithewold is located on Narragansett Bay, 25 minutes east of Providence and 60 minutes south of Boston. It was named in Yankee Magazine’s 2010 Best 5 Public Gardens in New England.
The Great International Beer Festival
April 9, 2011
Providence, Rhode Island
The 5th Annual Great International Spring Beer Festival offers two great shows of live music, food and unlimited sampling. Show Hours: Saturday 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm. Ticket Price: $37.00 – Adults.
Craftopia
April 10, 2011
Hope Artiste Village – Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Craftopia is day of art, craft, food, and fun that showcases the work of 70+ independent artisans. Shop for handbags, one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories, paper arts, fine arts, bath and body products, housewares – choose from many unique local and handmade finds.
The 23rd Annual Bud Light Reggae Fest
April 14 – 17, 2011
Sugarloaf Resort, Carrabassett Valley, Maine
This annual spring party draws thousands of spring skiing and reggae enthusiasts to the mountains of Maine. This year’s event features eight performing bands and a new Friday night “Reggae Rave,” plus headlining artist Mighty Mystic performing in the King Pine Room on Saturday night, as well as six hours of free outdoor music during the day on Saturday by Soul Rebel Project, Roots of Creation, and iLa Mawana. Reggae bands Spiritual Rez, Royal Hammer and Fitzie Niceness & Soul Union will also perform in the Widowmaker Lounge throughout the Festival.
45th Annual Vermont Maple Festival: How SWEET It Is!
April 15-17, 2011
St. Albans, Vermont
This festival celebrates the state of Vermont’s signature product: pure Vermont maple. It offers maple exhibits, cooking demonstrations, sugarhouse tours, and a maple buffet. Enjoy Main Street entertainment, pancake breakfasts, fiddlers’ and youth talent shows, a carnival, an historical museum, delightful downtown shops, and a Grand Parade.
2011 St. Johnsbury World Maple Festival
April 15-16, 2011
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
The St. Johnsbury World Maple Festival celebrates the history and heritage of the Maple Syrup Industry, and St. Johnsbury’s status as the Maple Center of the World. A street festival will be held on Saturday. Entertainment will be provided all day long and the streets will be lined with over 75 craft and food vendors. The event will culminate with the crowning of the 2011 World Maple Syrup Champion. Festival Admission is free!
Maple Dinner for The Rocks Estate
April 16, 2011
Village House – Franconia, New Hampshire
With maple sugaring season in full swing, The Rocks Estate is teaming up with reclaimed local “Chef Joe” Peterson and New Hampshire’s own Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey to offer a maple dinner, proving that maple is not just for pancakes anymore. The dinner will be April 16 starting at 6 p.m. at the Village House in Franconia , Chef Joe’s headquarters. The maple dinner is a fundraiser for The Rocks, which serves as the North Country Conservation and Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Cost is $35 per person, with $10 from each dinner donated to the educational programs offered year-round at The Rocks.
The 45th Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race
April 16, 2011
Kenduskeag, Maine
Cars and trucks with empty boat racks parked beside rivers and streams is a sure sign of spring in Maine. The 16-mile Kenduskeag to Bangor race is Maine’s largest spring paddling event for canoeists and kayakers. It is the largest paddling event in New England and one of the largest in the USA. Hosted by the Bangor Department of Parks & Recreation, the 16.5 mile race begins in the Town of Kenduskeag and ends near the confluence of the Penobscot River in downtown Bangor.
Wells Reserve EcoDay
April 16, 2011
Wells Reserve at Laudholm – Wells, Maine
The Wells Reserve at Laudholm encourages healthy habits for you and your planet. As Earth Day nears, get active, be fit, and go green. EcoDay features a green expo and wellness fair, fitness and recreation vendors, Laudholm 5k run, volleyball tourney, beach cleanup, guided nature walks, environmental groups, food, music, and fun. Family friendly and free. The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve is 2,250 acres of protected land, a restored saltwater farm called Laudholm, and a natural haven. And it’s open for the public to enjoy every day.
6th Annual ECHO Earth Weeks’ MudFest
April 16-24, 2011
ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center – Burlington, Vermont
Slide on down to this ten-day celebration of Earth Day and Mud Season, featuring muddy activities and games — including the “Mud Fling” from ECHO’s top floor to a bulls-eye below — free ice cream, and “Muddy Music at Noon.”
Connecticut Spring Barrel Tasting
April 16-17, 2011
Haight-Brown Vineyards – Litchfield, Connecticut
Come to Connecticut’s Oldest Winery and taste what’s new for the spring. The Barrel Tasting is your chance to taste new vintages, right from the vat. Sessions will be held in small, intimate groups and led by the winemaker himself. Guests enjoy live music and appetizers. Cost: $30.
Patriot’s Day Weekend at the Minute Man National Historic Park
April 16-18, 2011
Lexington & Concord, Massachusetts
Each year in mid-April, thousands of people flock to historic Lexington and Concord and Minute Man National Historical Park to celebrate Patriot’s Day. Patriot’s Day is a special Massachusetts State holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775. The holiday (Officially observed on Monday, April 18, 2011), and the entire weekend is celebrated with parades, reenactments and commemorative ceremonies. On Saturday, March 16, Minute Man National Historical Park, in partnership with hundreds of Colonial and British re-enactors, celebrates the opening battle of the American Revolution with a day full of exciting living history activities. On Monday, March 18, the Town of Lexington honors the start of the American Revolution with a battle reenactment of the early-morning engagement between the town’s militia and the British regulars. The Lexington Parade will be held at 2:00pm.
April 18, 2011 (Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts)
Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of the world’s best-known road racing events with over 20,000 participants. Amateur and professional runners flock to Boston from all over the world to compete on the hilly terrain. The race starts west of the city in Framingham and ends in Boston. Approximately 500,000 spectators line the 26.2-mile course each year, making the Boston Marathon New England’s most widely viewed sporting event
Party for the Planet – Roger Williams Park Zoo
April 17-22, 2011
Roger Williams Park Zoo – Providence, Rhode Island
Roger Williams Park Zoo has planned a packed week of green‐themed fun and activities for school vacation week for many students in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Zoo’s annual “Party for the Planet” is one of its most popular events and offers families a great way to greet spring with a fun visit to the Zoo that’s complemented by a full schedule of earth‐friendly activities, performances, demonstrations and more. The Party for the Planet caps off on Sunday, April 19, with Rhode Island’s largest Earth Day celebration. The highlight of the day is an environmental fair featuring displays, activities and giveaways from dozens of environmental organizations from around Rhode Island.
38th Annual Fishermen’s Festival
April 22-23, 2011
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Trap hauling, cod fish relay, old-fashioned fish fry, Miss Shrimp Princess Pageant, lobster crate race, and other contests. Boothbay Harbor, in mid-coast Maine, boasts the largest fleet of excursion boats on the coast for viewing lighthouses, seals, islands, whales, puffins, and fall foliage.
Easter Egg Hunt at Rosecliff
April 23, 2011
Rosecliff, Newport Mansions – Newport, Rhode Island
Bring the children to meet the Easter Bunny on the grounds of the stunning historic ocean-front mansion of Rosecliff followed by a delicious brunch. Reservations required.
Cambridge Science Festival
April 24 – May2, 2011
Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Cambridge Science Festival, presented by the MIT Museum, makes science accessible, interactive and fun with hundreds of events taking place around Cambridge each spring. For curious people of all ages! This is a celebration showcasing Cambridge as an internationally recognized leader in science, technology, engineering and math. Come explore MIT on April 30th!! Swing the lab doors open across the campus and join 160 different FREE activities – from blimp races to glass blowing. Who knows, you may meet an astronaut, Nobel Laureate or the creator of the World Wide Web!
Daffodil Festival Weekend
April 29 – May 1, 2011
Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
Come to the island of Nantucket from early-April to mid-May to see over three million daffodils of every variety along roadsides, in gardens, and filling window boxes. The highlight of the season is the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Daffodil Festival. The Antique Car Parade features over 100 daffodil-bedecked antique cars and ends with a Daffodil Tailgate Picnic. Other highlights include the Nantucket Garden Club’s Daffodil Show, The Annual Daffy Dog Parade, Children’s Daffodil Parade and The Daffy Hat Pageant.
Spring Farm Festival at Billings Farm & Museum
April 30 – May 1, 2011
Billings Farm & Museum – Woodstock, Vermont
A weekend of traditional spring farm activities, highlighted by sheep shearing and teams of horses and oxen plowing the fields. Visitor plowing, too! The Teago Volunteer Fire Department will provide lunch. Admission includes a children’s art show and the 26th annual spring button. Venture across the road to stroll the grounds of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park.
Belfast Free Range Music Festival
April 30, 2011
Belfast, Maine (mid-coast)
Come to this all-day festival to hear over 20 bands and solo artists from near and far playing everything from indie rock to jazz to alt country. Performances will take place across five venues in the downtown area: Roots & Tendrils, The Colonial Theatre, Waterfall Arts, Aarhus Gallery, and the American Legion.
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Aerospacefest 2011
April 29-30, 2011
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center – Concord, New Hampshire (central New Hampshire)
Human Space Flight & The Moon : Aerospacefest is an event that celebrates space science and aeronautics with numerous activities, demonstrations, speakers and exhibitors from all over the country. Visitors from all ages and backgrounds will have the opportunity to meet officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the New Hampshire Aviation & Space Education Council (NHASEC), the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, and other scientists and engineers from the fields developing new technologies for future space missions. Activities will include helicopter rides, rocket launching, games, and the premiere of an all new planetarium show.
Smith’s Castle Bridge to the Past and Opening Weekend
April 30 – May 1, 2011
Wickford, North Kingstown
Smith’s Castle is one of the oldest houses in Rhode Island and was the site of the original trading posts of Roger Williams, founder of the Providence Plantations. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 as Cocumscussoc Archeological Site because of the many artifacts and information founds on the grounds. Come to this house museum on its opening weekend of the season to see re-enactments and other festivities. Presented in collaboration with the Roger Williams National Memorial.
April 30, 2011
Oak Bluffs – Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
This ride offers routes for individuals and families. With the quaint charm and beautiful ocean views of Martha’s Vineyard, cyclists can choose from 25K, 50K or 100K routes. With each route, participants will enjoy the flavor of the island while the 100K features the cliffs of Gay Head, the beaches of Katama and the scenic views of East Chop. Ride the Vineyard will once again be presented in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club. 100K starts at 9 am – latest ferry leaves at 7 am 50K starts at 10 am – latest ferry leaves at 8:15 am 25K Family Ride starts at 12 noon – latest ferry leaves at 9:30 a.m. $35 entry; $250 fundraising minimum.
Explore more New England events:
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