Things to See & Do

Join the Concord Museum an evening with Megan Kate Nelson as she explores the captivating lives of women and men moving through the American West—Indigenous peoples, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Canadian and Asian immigrants—in the nineteenth century. Her new book, The Westerners, tracks the attempts of many Americans to remove these individuals from history, through a frontier myth that lionized individualism and conquest and celebrated white settlers traveling west in search of prosperity.

Minute Man Arc is hosting its 22nd annual Minute Man March! The one-mile, inclusive walk through Concord Center raises funds and awareness each year for the nonprofit’s life-changing programs supporting over 1,400 adults and children with disabilities in Middlesex County. An outdoor celebration will have food, music, silent auction prizes, and activities for all ages.

Half-bat, half-boy, ripped from the tabloid headlines, and thrust into the spotlight! In this camp horror comedy, a misunderstood monster seeks a place to belong. Taken in by a veterinarian, endeared to his adopted sister Shelly, and reviled by the locals, mild-mannered “Edgar” searches fiercely for a place he can truly be himself. Set to an eclectic pop-rock score by Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde, Heathers the Musical), Edgar’s wild journey is a hilarious satire and an offbeat fable for the outsider in all of us.

Join the OARS Team and community members from across the watershed for a day of impact. Gather at your chosen site along one of our three rivers with your OARS staff and board site leaders to pick up trash and debris, restoring habitats and supporting safe access to our waterways. Cleanup equipment will be provided by OARS. All volunteers must register in advance and sign a volunteer waiver to participate.

Celebrate the harvest with The Food Project! Join us for Shindig, our intergenerational Harvest Festival Fundraiser, full of music, dancing, delicious food, a beer and cider garden, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, and more! Enjoy a fun fall afternoon on the farm while empowering young people to make changes in their community by building a sustainable food system.

Join OARS, Concord Free Public Library, and award-winning author and systems educator Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney for a lively book club conversation about how nature avoids waste and prevents pollution, free and open to all as part of OARS’ Egg Rock Readers book club. Drawing on renowned ecologist Thomas Crowther’s Nature’s Echo and Sweeney’s new children’s book, Do Bees Pee?, we’ll explore nature’s brilliant closed-loop designs, how living systems heal and regenerate, and how to share these ideas with the next generation.

Join the editors and essayists of Thoreau & Philosophy for a conversation exploring Thoreau as one of America's most profound philosophical thinkers. Beyond his literary and naturalist legacy, Thoreau’s work engages philosophical questions that remain deeply relevant today, shaping conversations about ethics, freedom, society, and the environment. Together, the panelists share how situating Thoreau in a philosophical context allows one to more fully appreciate the depth of his thought.   Co-sponsored by the Thoreau Alliance.

Have a favorite book with torn pages, a loose cover, or minor binding issues? Bring it to our Book Repair Workshop and learn simple mending techniques with book conservator Luisa Granitto. Participants can bring one or two books for hands-on practice repairing torn pages and loose hinges using archival materials. You’ll also learn how to make an archival “phase box” to protect a family heirloom.

What do a masterfully crafted brew and a brilliant piece of music have in common? More than you might think. Presented by Keith Kirchoff, founder of Original Gravity and curator of the evening’s musical program, and Allen Quinn, brewer and co-owner of Armory’s Tomb, this interactive event explores the fascinating connections between sound and taste. Together, they will guide audiences through a series of carefully selected beer and music pairings, sharing insights into the brewing process, the artistry behind the music, and how each enhances the other.

On the opening day of Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us, join us for a unique Forum with renowned artist Dion in conversation with Ruth Erikson, Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, to discuss Dion’s collaboration with the Museum for his newest special exhibition.