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Fan and follow us!
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Header Photos
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C lockwise from top left: Boston Bluegrass annual Joe Val Festival;
North Adams Fall Foliage Parade; Pilgrim girl at Plimoth Plantation, credit Don Teague; Central Massachusetts; American Textile History Museum in Lowell
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Massachusetts is rich in arts & culture, so it's no surprise that exciting events, exhibits and festivals are held in the state's 16 regions all year long. Find out more!
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We Love February...
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| | Lunar New Year Celebration, MFA in Boston |
And not just because of Valentine's Day, when tourists flock to our romantic restaurants, hotels and cozy hideaways. We welcome School Vacation Week in February, when families roam through Massachusetts enjoying our culture, history, museums and outdoor beauty. Finally, February ushers in Black History Month and Chinese New Year, two fun ways to celebrate the state's diversity and cultural richness. And more good news: 2016 is a leap year, so we get to love February for 29 straight days!
Plan your next getaway to Massachusetts!
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Featured Region: Central Massachusetts
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Exciting things are happening in February in Central Massachusetts! Escape the cold weather and be inspired at Tower Hill Botanic Garden's Winter in Bloom exhibit, featuring extraordinary flower exhibits, displays by leading floral designers, hands-on exhibits, guest speakers, activities for all ages and more each weekend from February 5-28. Old Sturbridge Village kicks off the cold weather season with WinterFest 2016 February 13-21 beginning with Chocolate and Valentine's weekend. See demonstrations of processing chocolate by hand and learn about the local woman responsible for the popularity of sending valentines in the United States. The festivities continue with President's Day celebrations, school vacation activities, including hands-on crafts and winter performances and finally an antique sleigh rally with more than 20 horse-drawn sleighs! Find more information on Central Massachusetts. |
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Franklin County
| |  Historic Deerfield will hold a series of one-day Open Hearth Cooking classes on Saturdays from February 6-March 19! Hearth cooks will teach a variety of cookery techniques and lead discussions on 18th- and early 19th-century food preparation, preservation technology, seasonality, diet, and the availability of local and imported foodstuffs. While the food is cooking, a visit to a kitchen of a historic house is part of the experience. Afterwards, sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Find more information on Franklin County. |
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Greater Boston
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Film Festivals at the ICA, MFA and ArtsEmerson present the best of contemporary world cinema. Musical options include top female country artist Carrie Underwood, Bruce Springsteen, finding your own corner of the sky in Pippin, and Rain takes you back to a time when all you need(ed) was love. The Culture of Luxury in the Golden Age is on view at the PEM and Diane Simpson's elegantly constructed sculpture can be enjoyed at the ICA. Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Magic, the Boston Wine Expo celebrates the grape from 200 wineries and Chinese New Year commemorates the Year of the Monkey. Big Air at Fenway is a snowboarding and freeskiing event where worldwide athletes will compete. Find more information on Greater Boston. |
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Cape Cod
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 On February 5-7, the 10th Annual Boatbuilders Show on Cape Cod returns to the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis! Explore a large selection of unique, custom and limited-production boats in wood and fiberglass. On Saturday, February 6th, the quaint Osterville village of Barnstable sweetens the season with Osterville Chocolate Fest. And the Cape Symphony Orchestra lines up the best of the best February 20-21 for its "Country Legends" Southern fest, including hot Nashville recording artists Rachel Potter and Patrick Thomas! Find more information on Cape Cod. |
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Hampshire County
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Northampton's annual Four Sundays in February begins with western Massachusetts winter tradition The Silver Chord Bowl (2/7). Following events include world famous Alloy Orchestra accompanying the 1926 silent film Son of the Sheik (2/14), June Millington-A Rock 'N Roll Retrospective in Story, Picture and Song (2/21), and closing variety show The Really Big Gong Show (2/28). Additional events include KidsBestFest film festival (2/15-19) and special screening of I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2/12). Find more information on Hampshire County.
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Johnny Appleseed Country
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What's your passion? From antique purses to vintage toys, collectors throughout Johnny Appleseed Country have rooms, attics, even small museums, filled with intriguing bits of ephemera and nostalgia. Love flying? Swing by the Top Fun Aviation Toy Museum in Fitchburg to explore the history of air travel from a fun perspective. View nesting dolls from around the world at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton. Or visit Templeton on February 27, when collectors share their passion with visitors at the Cabin Fever Collectors Show! Find more information on Johnny Appleseed Country.
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Martha's Vineyard
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 Experience a fun-filled, outdoor family adventure during Seaside Saturdays at 11 a.m. at the Long Point Visitor Center in Vineyard Haven. An Educator will be on hand to answer questions and assist with getting started on the right activity. Refreshments provided. An off-season treasure for birders and nature-watchers, Long Point is an important sand barrens ecosystem that encompasses beach, dune, and woodland, and uncommon sand-plain heath that is home to many rare plants, abundant birds and other wildlife. For information call 508-693-7662 or click here. Find more information on Martha's Vineyard.
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Mohawk Trail Region
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The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum celebrates Susan B Anthony's birthday on February 14th with a presentation by Professor Steven Bullock from WPI. Bullock will discuss "John and Abigail Adams: A Revolutionary Couple" and the "Remember the Ladies" letters. Spend Valentine's Day with your special someone with a unique opportunity and historic perspective. The event will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Adams Public Library, reception to follow. Find more information on The Mohawk Trail Region. |
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MetroWest
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Three days of round-the-clock indoor bluegrass! At the 31st annual Joe Val Bluegrass Festival February 12-14 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center, the Boston Bluegrass Union has lined up national and regional talent, expanded workshops, Kid's Academy, music vendors, and constant jamming. See the Traveling McCourys, the Gibson Brothers, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Spinney Brothers Special Consensus, and many more. Workshops for banjo, mandolin, fiddle, rhythm guitar, flatpick guitar, dobro, and more. Find more information on MetroWest. |
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Nantucket Island
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St. Patrick's on the Rock: Join the Shamrock Run - Beginning and ending at Cisco Brewery, this beautiful 4 mile course winds through the Miacomet Moors. Proceeds help benefit the Nantucket Safe Harbor for Animals. Visit Kitty Murtagh's - Nantucket's only authentic Irish Porter house, stop in for a warm Irish welcome, live music and a traditional Irish dish - corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie, and heartwarming lamb stew. Stop by Sweet Inspirations for our favorite Oreo cookie drenched in fine chocolate, hand-decorated with Irish spirit! Last but not least dance a Jig at the Chicken Box. Find more information on Nantucket Island.
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North of Boston
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Celebrate chocolate during the Salem's So Sweet Festival on February 5-7! Activities include the sell-out chocolate and wine tasting on February 7, chocolate samplings and chocolate-inspired menu items at restaurants throughout Salem, and the Golden Ticket raffle. Enjoy viewing ice sculpture installations all around downtown. Find more information about this delicious festival here! Find more information on North of Boston.
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Plymouth County
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A feast for winter-weary eyes, the 19th Annual Sea & Sky Art Show averages more than 70 works of art by dozens of talented artists from the South Shore and beyond, celebrating the beauty of our coastal environment. The show will run February 5-27 at Hull Lifesaving Museum. which is so much more than a museum. It's an essential part of the community, providing not only crucial lessons from our heritage, but life changing, and lifesaving, experiences. Don't miss the film "The Finest Hours", with scenes filmed on the South Shore, to gain a better perspective on lifesaving in our beloved Atlantic. Find more information on Plymouth County.
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Southeastern Mass
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 Herman Melville's classic tale Moby Dick is re-imagined by three actors using their bodies, props and a variety of musical instruments to create the sounds and sensations of life aboard the Pequod. Brimming over with music, wit and imagination, Theatre Triebwerk's adaptation has been hailed by the NYT as a 'luminous and engrossing' theatrical event. Playing Sunday, February 7th at Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $10, and are available online! Find more information on Southeastern Massachusetts.
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The Berkshires
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 Tanglewood is the celebrated summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra located in Stockbridge and Lenox, in the Berkshires of western MA. Each summer from late June through early September, Tanglewood presents BSO classical music and Boston Pops concerts, plus Jazz and Popular Artists concerts in a most spectacular setting on over 500 acres of lush green grass. The 2016 season is on sale now! Please visit tanglewood.org. Find more information on The Berkshires.
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Greater Merrimack Valley
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 15th Annual Taste of Nashoba Valley: Mark your calendars for the "must attend" event of the region - the Taste of Nashoba Valley! Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce anticipates approximately 40 vendors who in years past have offered everything from tender and tangy barbequed pulled pork sliders to crispy lobster dumplings to dense and chocolate-y whoopee pies. Event to be held on Tuesday, March 22 at Lawrence Academy (Groton). Tickets and more information at nvcoc.com. Find more information on Greater Merrimack Valley.
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Learn the story of Jupiter Richards, former indentured servant and the 18th century Springfield Armory's first African American worker. February 6, 2-3pm at the 
