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New England Events – June 2011
Hello Summer – we’re ready! The boats are in the water, the beaches are warm, and the outdoor stages are set for summertime evening concerts. Head to a “chowderfest” in Newport harbor, see a race up the highest mountain in the northeast, or head to Boston’s famous Harborfest for fireworks and fun.
For more New England events in June, check the individual state web sites at the bottom of the page.
June 3, 2011
Providence, Rhode Island
WaterFire is a highly unique public art experience that has attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Rhode Island’s creative capital city of Providence. The event is based on an original artistic installation of bonfires lit on the three waterways passing through downtown Providence. On select evenings throughout the year, WaterFire creates a magical artistic event celebrating earth, air, fire and water. Amidst the flicking firelight of 100 bonfires, stroll through Waterplace Park and enjoy music and entertainment from around the world.
June 3 – 4, 2011
Boston, Massachusetts
In one of many Boston Pops events for 2011, virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Ellis Hall joins Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops on June 3 and 4 for a celebration of the big sound of Motown. The former lead singer of Tower of Power will electrify Symphony Hall with the funk, soul, and R & B hits of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and more.
June 3-4, 2011
Seaport World Trade Center – Boston, Massachusetts
The 4th annual American Craft Beer Fest (ACBF) is the east coast’s largest celebration of American beer, featuring over 100 American brewers and over 400 beers. Tickets are $45 per session (service fees apply) and include: entry into one session, access to over 400 craft beers, all 2oz beer tastings, compostable tasting cup, and fest guide. All attendees must be 21+ w/ valid ID. No minors.
10th Annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend
June 3 -5, 2011
Brattleboro, Vermont
The Strolling of the Heifers aims to connect people with healthy local foods and with the farmers and producers who bring it to them. The centerpiece of the weekend is the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade which features up to 100 heifer calves, along with cows, horses, goats, tractors, bands and more. Sunday features the inaugural Tour de Heifer, a trio of scenic farm-to-farm bicycle rides tailored to all levels of cycling ability, with routes ranging from 6 to 60 miles. The routes feature incredible views, farm and woodland terrain, New England villages (one with a covered bridge) and much more. The Tour de Heifer raises money for grants that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in farm and food enterprises.
Burlington Discover Jazz Festival
June 3-5, 2011
Burlington, Vermont
The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival fills Burlington’s downtown with sounds of jazz, blues, funk, swing and Latin music. For 10 days, the entire city comes alive with a mix of concerts, street parties, cruises on Lake Champlain, meet-the-artist sessions and workshops. With an estimated 45,000 in attendance, venues for ticketed and free events include the majestic Flynn MainStage, intimate FlynnSpace, bucolic Waterfront Park, the bustling outdoor pedestrian mall Church Street Marketplace, and lively City Hall Park, bars, clubs and restaurants throughout the city. Past headliners have included greats such as Sonny Rollins, Diana Krall, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Béla Fleck, and more.
June 4-20, 2011
Franconia Notch – White Mountains, New Hampshire
Come view the beautiful blooming lupine fields in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Tour the fields by foot or horse-drawn wagon. Visit the many museums and attractions: Sugar Hill Historic Museum, New England Ski Museum, Franconia Heritage Museum, The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, and the Frost Place. Festival events include art exhibits, concerts, walking tours, an open-air market, specialty dinners at local inns, and a variety of promotions at local businesses. The 7th annual Fields of Lupine Art Show is planned for June 6-7 at Sugar Hill’s Historic Meetinghouse. Your ticket to take part in the events is the Fields of Lupine Festival Tour Book, which includes a calendar of events, local map, descriptions of participating businesses, and discounts at local businesses. Some Festival events may require an additional cost; see booklet for details.
Piscataqua Waterfront Festival
June 4, 2011
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Celebrate Portsmouth Harbor and Great Bay with music, maritime artisan demonstrations, free museum tours, hands-on children’s activities, boats, booths, displays by area businesses and non-profit organizations, and a sale of heirloom plants from the Moffatt-Ladd garden. The festival is designed to heighten awareness of Portsmouth’s maritime history, contemporary water quality issues, boat building heritage and opportunities, marine management, water recreation, and conservation.
Knorr Great Chowder Cook-off
June 4, 2011
Newport, Rhode Island
The power is in your spoon to crown the new titans of chowder! Come to this legendary international chowder championship now in its 30th year. Enjoy all-you-can-eat samples of various traditional and exotic chowders from across the country and beyond, and vote for the best in three categories: Clam, Seafood and Creative. Three world champions return this year to defend their title: Tony’s Cedar Key Clam Chowder (Cedar Key, Florida), Michael’s Seafood (Carolina Beach, North Carolina) and The Boat House (Tiverton, Rhode Island). Enjoy three stages of live island-vibe entertainment, kids’ activities and plenty of new surprises to commemorate the festival’s 30th year (like the Clamcake Eating Challenge!).
Canterbury Shaker Village Spring Herb and Garden Day
June 4, 2011
Canterbury, New Hampshire
Canterbury Shaker Village is a historic site and museum celebrating the Shakers, a religious group who came to America to worship freely. Canterbury Shaker Village is one of the most intact and authentic surviving Shaker community sites. On this day, Canterbury Shaker Village and the New Hampshire Herbal Network join together in a celebration of herbal traditions. Enjoy a day of workshops, activities, garden walks and an herbal market fair.
Pullman Parade at Hildene: The Lincoln Family Home
June 4, 2011
Hildene Estate Manchester, Vermont
Hildene’s Pullman car, Sunbeam, comes to town after four years of restoration in South Carolina! Join the parade and celebrate in the festivities. In the heyday of the nearly 100-year history of the Pullman Company, more than 100,000 people across the U.S. overnighted on Pullman rail cars every day. The original builder/owner of Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln who was the son of America’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, headed up the Pullman Company when the Sunbeam car came off the line in 1903. It was also a Pullman Car that carried Abraham Lincoln’s body from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois following his assassination in 1865.
Mystic Seaport’s 32nd Annual Sea Music Festival
June 9-12, 2011
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic Seaport is proud to host its 32nd annual Sea Music Festival, one of the world’s premier sea music events. More than 5,000 people gather each year to hear Mystic Seaport’s Chantey Staff along with a solid core of performers carry on classic musical traditions of the golden age of sail. Listen to music from maritime cultures around the world, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Australia, Iceland, Poland, Netherlands, France, Canada and Africa, as well as native peoples within the United States.
June 10-11, 2011
Star Island – Isles of Shoals – New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Seacoast will come alive in early June as a fleet of racing yachts from coastal New England vie for honors in the Gosport Regatta, the resurgence of a vintage sailing race around the Isles of Shoals first held in the late 19th century. The premier regional pursuit race also kicks off the summer conference season at Star Island, one of the rocky, wind-swept Isles of Shoals, located six miles off the coast of Rye. Star Island is a recreation destination for day and overnight guests who travel to the island by ferry, charter, or in their own boats.
International Festival of Arts & Ideas
June 11-25, 2011
New Haven, Connecticut
The mission of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas is to create an internationally renowned festival in New Haven of the highest quality. The Festival’s ambitious music, dance, and theater programs fill New Haven with renowned international stars, newly-discovered artists, and a number of U.S. and world premieres each season. The eclectic ideas program offers a mix of serious, controversial, and whimsical topics, all designed to inspire new ways of thinking. The Festival also features plenty of family-friendly events. It continues to make more than 80% of Festival events free to the public, including some of the most prestigious opera, jazz, classical, rock, folk and fusion music in the world.
June 11, 2011
Warwick, Rhode Island
In June of 1772 brave colonists from Rhode Island burned the British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee, in what has become recognized as the first overt action leading to the American Revolutionary War. For the past 46 years the village of Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, has commemorated this act with its annual Gaspee Days Celebration. Now in its 46th year, this is one of the most exciting and patriotic parades in the country, featuring colonial fife and drum corps, Civil War era units, modern day drum and bugle corps, and more.
Harwinton Antiques & Design
June 11-12, 2011
Harwinton Fairgrounds — Harwinton, Connecticut
The largest antique event in Connecticut with approximately 400 quality dealers offering an array of antiques and vintage collectibles under tents; with fine food concessions. Formerly the Farmington Antiques Weekend, this new location features more than 100 indoor vendors as well as plenty of room for outdoor vendors.
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Kids Pirate Festival
June 11-12, 2011
Vergennes, Vermont
Swashbuckle your way back to the era of discovery and exploration! Kids get creative with dramatic play, sing-alongs, and make-and-take crafts for the whole family. Enjoy exciting, pirate-themed activities and live performances. Build your maritime skills, orient your way around the museum grounds on a treasure hunt, and meet some colorful characters from the past!
10th Annual CAPE COD Maritime Festival
June 11-12, 2011
Cape Cod Maritime Museum – Hyannis, Massachusetts
Come celebrate the rich nautical history of Cape Cod. Explore The Black Dog Tall Ship Alabama and other vessels. Enjoy live entertainment, and colorful and exciting exhibits: boat builders, nautical artisan demonstrations, local artists, environmental and educational activities, historical exhibits, children’s entertainment (face painting, ocean murals, maritime crafts), and – of course – fresh local seafood. The festival is open to the public; there is no admission fee, but donations, gratefully accepted, directly benefit the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, its exhibits and programs.
16th Annual International Festival of Arts & Ideas
June 11-25, 2011
New Haven, Connecticut
An internationally renowned festival featuring world-class artists, thinkers, and leaders who engage with a diverse audience to celebrate and build community. Designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2010 by the American Bus Association (ABA). Most events are free.
Progressive’s Laconia Motorcycle Rally
June 11-19, 2011
Laconia, New Hampshire
This is the 88th year of “America’s Original Riding Rally” in which bikers can look forward to breathtaking motorcycle rides through winding roads, stunning lake vistas and historic roads like the Kangamangus Trail. There will be headlining bands and concerts all through the Lakes Region so you can quench your thirst for some good music. Enjoy events that include “ The Ride to the Sky” up Mount Washington, Hillclimb/Drag Races at Gunstock Mountain Resort and a new short track race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Plan on attending some of the Gypsy Tours that will be held during Motorcycle Week that bring you on some great rides around the state of New Hampshire. Bikes rentals are available at Laconia Harley-Davidson and HK Powersports (Laconia) as well as Manchester Harley Davidson.
Maine Windjammer Association Schooner Gam
June 13, 2011
Mid-Coast Maine
It’s the 75th anniversary of the Maine Windjammer Association, the largest fleet of traditional sailing schooners in North America. Kicking off the season of festivities on June 13th, the Schooner Gam will include a raft-up of the entire Windjammer Association fleet, with a special anniversary ceremony, guest speakers, grog toasts, flag-raising, live music and a cannon salute. All passengers sailing during this cruise will be invited to tour more than a dozen traditional windjammers that will be tied up side by side during the event.
Tanglewood British Motorcar Festival
June 17 – 19, 2011
Lenox, Massachusetts
A Weekend Celebration of the British Lifestyle and all Great British Motorcars and Motorcycles including back roads driving tours through scenic areas and over the top of Mount Greylock (the highest peak in Massachusetts). An evening street party will be hosted by the Town of Lenox, complete with a live British Tribute Band and street vendors.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Road Course – Motorcycles | Loudon Road Race Series
June 17-19, 2011
Loudon, New Hampshire
The longest-running motorcycle event in North America returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 88th running of the Loudon Classic. During this historic event, two-wheeled fans can enjoy three days of side-by-side racing by the professionals of the American SportBike Racing Association; the experts, amateurs and novices of the Loudon Road Race Series, the fan-favorite sidecar racers from the Sidecar Racers Association, and the United States Classic Racing Association. The 1.6-mile road course is famous for a variety of elevation changes and its challenging 12-turn layout. The legendary “Bowl” is one of the most exciting turns in road-course racing. All races will run rain or shine!
Annual Quechee Hot Air Balloon, Crafts, and Music Festival
June 17, 18 and 19, 2011 (Father’s Day Weekend)
Quechee, Vermont
The longest continuously running Hot Air Balloon Festival in New England features over 20 hot air balloons, with flights scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 17th; 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 18th and Sunday, June 19th (always weather and wind permitting). Balloon rides will be available to purchase on our website prior to, and during the event. Featuring continuous music and entertainment for all ages, and over 60 craft artisans and commercial vendors. Children’s activities include train rides, a bungee jump, an inflatable climbing wall, slide and tunnel; craft activities, and face painting. And of course there will be festival food, a beer and wine garden, and more surprises!
Cape Ann Artisans Spring Studio Tour 2011
June 18-19, 2011
Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Cape Ann Artisans is celebrating their 28th Annual Studio Tour Weekend. This self-guided tour along the scenic coastline of Gloucester and Rockport presents a unique opportunity to meet fourteen professional artists and see their work in the setting in which it was created. The work represented includes: pottery, painting, sculpture, photography, mosaics, weaving and jewelry. Several of the artists will be demonstrating their working process during the tour. Brochures with route maps will be available at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the Rockport Information Booth on Rte 127 and at each of the artisans. A bright magenta Studio Tour banner will mark each location. Download a brochure at: www.capeannartisans.com
Strawberry Festival at Smith’s Castle
June 18, 2011
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Smith’s Castle is a house museum and one of the oldest structures in Rhode Island. The land was the original site a trading operated by Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island and a well-known Baptist theologian. The land is also a national historic site known for the many Native American artifacts found nearby.
Visit on June 18 to savor Smith’s Castle’s celebrated strawberry shortcake and pay homage to the humble wild strawberry – a favorite of the early colonists and the native Narragansett. Enjoy a day filled with fun family entertainment.
South Berwick Strawberry Festival
June 18, 2011
South Berwick, Maine
This volunteer festival gets bigger and better every year. Enjoy strawberry shortcake or strawberries on ice cream under the tents, or choose from the many food tables. There are crafts and jewelry for sale by many vendors, live music and entertainment throughout the day, and childrens’ rides and events. Nearby, visit the beautiful Hamilton House, a restored Georgian mansion, owned by Historic New England, situated on a bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River, once a crucial point in the shipping business of the New England colonies. Or see the home of writer Sarah Orne Jewett , famous for capturing the history and flavor of the region.
June 18 – 19, 2011
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, a major publication of the arts and crafts movement in the United States for 25 years. Deerfield was New England’s north-westernmost outpost during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Now this historic town is home to Historic Deerfield and streets of beautiful homes.
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
June 18 – August 28, 2011
Becket, Massachusetts
America’s longest running dance festival, this event features more than 160 free and ticketed dance performances including world premieres, U.S. debuts, and live music from around the globe. Highlights include the U.S. debut of 3e Étage: Soloists and Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet; the dancers and master musicians of performing authentic Argentinean tango; Big Dance Theater in the U.S. premiere of Supernatural Wife; Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s classically trained dancers and adventurous choreography; and the 30th anniversary celebration of Mark Morris Dance Group. On March 2, 2011, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival received the National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, in a ceremony at the White House.
60th Annual Travelers Golf Championship
June 20-26, 2011
Cromwell, Connecticut
This event attracts the world’s best golfers to compete for a $6 million purse in the Northeast’s only PGA Tour, featuring exciting golf action, popular Celebrity Pro-Am, an interactive Fan Zone and family friendly events. The Championship is held at the TPC River Highlands, a par 70, 6,844 yard course in Cromwell, Connecticut, 10 miles south of Hartford, Connecticut.
3rd Annual Quahog Day
June 21, 2011
Hyannis Harbor – Hyannis, Massachusetts
The all-important question: “How’s the weather going to be on the Cape this summer?” – will again be answered by a hard-shelled mollusk on the First Day of Summer 2011! The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, curious Cape Codders, visitors, and a star-studded Quahog cast – will gather to celebrate the Third Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day. The Quahog weather prediction will include live entertainment by Johnny Vance and the Outsiders, and will be followed by a festive Quahog Day bash at the nearby Cape Cod Maritime Museum. Quahog Day will also kick off a week of Quahog-related activities across the Cape, including a stuffed quahog eating contest, special discounts and menu offerings, and more.
49th Annual Windjammer Days Festival
June 21-22, 2011
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Summer officially starts in Boothbay Harbor when Maine’s historic windjammer fleet sails into town. Events include a waterfront pancake breakfast, parade of sail, ship crew competitions, windjammer and U.S. Coast Guard Station tours, an antique boat parade, street parade, activities for children and fireworks over the harbor.
America’s Easternmost Bicentennial Celebration
June 21 – July 9, 2011
Lubec, Maine
The town of Lubec, Maine, will celebrate its 200th birthday this summer June 21 – July 9. America’s easternmost town will mark its Bicentennial with public concerts, a parade, a week-long art auction and a celebration at the popular candy cane-striped West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.
Climb to the Clouds and Mount Washington Auto Road’s 150th Anniversary
June 22-26, 2011
Mt Washington – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire
The Mt. Washington Climb to the Clouds, first ran in 1904, is one of America’s oldest motorsports events. The 7.6 mile Auto Road is one of the ultimate challenges for driver and automobile. The serpentine tarmac and gravel road is lined with trees and dramatic drop-offs as it winds its way up Mt. Washington – the highest summit in the northeastern U.S. at 6,288 feet. As part of the Mount Washington Auto Road’s 150th anniversary, the legendary Mt. Washington Climb to the Clouds Automobile Hillclimb will be returning June 22-26, 2011 as a major motorsports event. Organized by Vermont SportsCar and sanctioned by RallyCar, the 2011 Climb to the Clouds will be a 5-day festival of motorsports that hopes to attract a 70-car competition field filled with some of the best drivers from around the world competing for “King of the Hill” honors. Besides the Climb to the Clouds, many other events and celebrations are planned for the entire year to mark the sesquicentennial of America’s Oldest Manmade Tourist Road.
June 23-27, 2011
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Starting at the turn of the century many Italian families from Sicily settled in the fishing community of Gloucester. They continued many of the customs they had practiced in the old country; among these, paying homage to St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. This annual festival honors St. Peter and is a celebration of the community and its rich heritage. This festival includes an annual open air Mass at the Alter at St. Peter’s Square, followed by a procession and the blessing of the Italian-American fishing fleet. In the afternoon is the famous and entertaining Greasy Pole competition in which brave souls run across a grease-covered pole above the water trying to capture a flag. In the Seine Boat Races twelve man crews prove their strength and stamina by rowing against each other in old seine boats in a grueling mile long race.
Wanderlust Vermont: FOUR DAYS OF MUSIC, YOGA, AND NATURE
June 23-26, 2011
Stratton Mountain Ski Resort – Bondville, Vermont
Wanderlust is a one-of-a-kind yoga and music festival held several times a year around the U.S. in places with inspiring natural scenery. 2011 marks the inaugural Wanderlust Vermont event to be held at Stratton Mountain Ski Resort. Wanderlust is a mix of yoga classes, guided meditations, music performances, dance parties and other daytime and evening events for fans of music, yoga and environmentally and spiritually conscious living.
The Newport Flower Show
June 24 – 26, 2011
Newport, Rhode Island
The Newport Flower Show celebrates its 16th year as America’s premier summer flower show, with the theme Entertaining—Newport Style, celebrating the grace and sophistication that has raised entertaining to an art form in the City-by-the-Sea. Special guest lecturers include celebrity cake designer Sylvia Weinstock, and floral trend consultant Kevin Ylvisaker. Visitors will enjoy judged floral arrangements and horticultural specimens, lectures and demonstrations, shopping in the Oceanside Boutiques and Gardeners Marketplace, and an oceanfront café.
Wilco Solid Sound Festival
June 24-26
North Adams, Massachusetts
Wilco Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA (June 24 – 26, 2011) is a three-day music, art, comedy, film and interactivity festival featuring Wilco, Levon Helm, Sarah Lee Guthrie and more. MASS MoCA has teamed up with the City of North Adams to provide a basic, open field tent site within easy walking distance (a little over one half mile) from the festival and museum, downtown merchants, bars and restaurants.
13th Annual Stowe Wine & Food Classic
June 24-26, 2011
Trapp Family Lodge – Stowe
A weekend of wine tastings, pairings, cooking demos, auctions and a gala dinner! This year’s festival will be held at the Trapp Family Lodge, owned and managed by the von Trapps, one of the world’s best known and beloved musical families. The 2,500-acre resort with sweeping mountain views provides accommodations in an Austrian-style Main Lodge plus guest houses and villas.
21st Annual Rhode Island National Guard Open House and Air Show
June 25-26, 2011
North Kingston, Rhode Island
This airshow offers the finest aerial and static displays along with activities for people of all ages. The 2011 show will honor the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation and will feature the US Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s Fight Demonstration Squadron. Admission to the show and parking is free!
8th Annual Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Days
June 26, 12–4 pm
Statewide – Connecticut
Visit one or several of fourteen historic gardens across Connecticut. Each site offers special activities emphasizing their site. Programs and fees vary; hours are noon to 4 pm unless noted. Visit a site or two in your area, or make a day of it and head off to explore another part of the state. See the CHG Members web page for links to member sites and their Connecticut Historic Gardens Day activities.
June 26, 2011
Hyannis, Massachusetts
A Cape Cod tradition continues with WCOD cooking up its 30th annual “Chowder Fest” at the Melody Tent. It’s the recipe for a perfect day of sipping and slurping samples of chowder from many of the Cape’s best restaurants, all competing for the coveted “WCOD Chowder Bowl.” Bring the family and spend the afternoon savoring the “souper” seaside flavor of quintessential Cape Cod, while being serenaded by some of the best bands on the Cape. With advance tickets: $12.00/adults, $5.00 children under 10 years old. Day of event Tickets: $17.00 adults.
June 29-July 4, 2011
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Harborfest 2011 is a six-day long Fourth of July Festival that showcases the colonial and maritime heritage of the cradle of the American Revolution: the historic City of Boston. The award-winning festival strives to honor and remember the past, celebrate the present, and educate the future with reenactments, concerts, historical tours and much, much more. Over 200 Daily Events during the Festival are concentrated in Boston’s historic downtown and waterfront districts with sponsored Main Events on Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
Explore more New England events:
- Connecticut Events
- Maine Events
- Massachusetts Events
- New Hampshire Events
- Rhode Island Events
- Vermont Events
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