Does that spring feeling in the air have you itching to get out of the house lately? Keep reading for some of our top happenings this April north of Boston. You’ll find live shows at venues, classes to launch your gardening season, and plenty of ways to keep the kids busy during April vacation week. Take advantage of all the North Shore has to offer this month with some of our favorite things to do.
Shows at the Cabot in Beverly – All Month
Seeing a show at the Cabot is always one of our favorite ways to get out and about on the North Shore, especially since you can combine it with dinner at one of Beverly’s fabulous eateries. Show highlights at the Cabot this month include Bostyx – The Ultimate Boston Styx Tribute, Band of Horses, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Laurie Berkner, Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, and Antonio Sánchez Trio, Crush – Dave Matthews Tribute Band, and The Doo Wop Project.
Gardening Workshops at Backyard Growers – April 4,11,15,22
In these workshops at their Gloucester location, the Backyard Growers team will introduce you to the Square-Foot Gardening Method, Growing Vegetables from Seed, and Container Gardening. Also, on April 4 there will be an Info Session about volunteering with Backyard Growers – no previous gardening experience required.
Boats in Bloom fundraiser at the Custom House Museum – April 17
The Custom House Maritime Museum celebrates the rich maritime history of Newburyport and New England with galleries full of ship models, documents, and artifacts that recently underwent a total renovation and reimagining. This April 17, support the museum with Boats in Bloom: A Spectacular Spring Floral Fundraiser. The museum will be decked out in floral displays for the night, and the $75 per person tickets include hors d’oeuvres and complimentary drinks.
April Vacation Camp at Appleton Farms – April 20 to April 24
During April vacation week, Appleton Farms holds a camp from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. til 3 p.m. Kids will learn all about how farmers plant crops and prepare for another season on the farm, while making new friends and learning about New England’s springtime environment. Each day will include a hike, a craft, a farm learning activity, and more. Also during April vacation week, the Trustees run a “Hide & Seek: Sprouts of Spring” self-guided program at the Stevens-Coolidge House in North Andover to discover the signs of spring.
April School Vacation Week at the Peabody Essex Museum – April 20,23,24
During April vacation week, visit the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem on Monday, Thursday, or Friday for special vacation events. On Monday, April 20, there will be a Live Animal Encounter with Joy Marzolf and a Drop-In Art: Mixed Media Woven Globe event. On April 23 there will be a Cedar Bark Mat Weaving Demonstration and an Explore Map Making with Essex County Greenbelt event. On April 24 there will be another chance for the Drop-In Art: Mixed Media Woven Globe event.
Plum Island Drift Gala, Blochaus Gallery – April 3
Plum Island Drift is having a gala opening night for it’s Federal Collection at Blochaus Gallery in Newburyport. Eric Steeves of Plum Island Drift has created a collection of sculpted whales that came from a stately home in Newburyport. Painted dozens of times since the home was built in 1850 they have a perfect blue-chippy-paint color, texture, and an amazing sense of character. It is likely that the boards used for the whale sculptures were living trees in the 1700’s or even older! The event will be held on April 3 at 5pm.
The White Linen Experience, Sogno, Woburn – By Reservation
April brings a new luxurious offering from Sogno in Woburn. The White Linen Experience, a book-ahead, tableside production. Just after water service (to make it more of a surprise), the guests table becomes the stage. A team of servers step in, clears everything in one clean sweep, and resets it from scratch, with white linens, polished silver, crystal, the whole thing, all done tableside and in full view of the rest of the dining room. Champagne arrives, followed by a few opening bites from the kitchen, then a full seafood spread for two, oysters, clams, and lobster. Guests then move into the regular menu at their own pace before the finale lands, a flaming Baked Alaska prepared tableside that closes the whole thing out with a bit of old-school dramatic flair. For more information and reservations: sognoitalian.com/white-linen-experience.
Opening Day at Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury – April 17
Help kick off their 48th season. The farm store, bakery and play areas officially open daily 8 am – 6pm. Plus, enjoy a free hard cider tasting 4-6pm on opening day. Food truck opening day will be on April 25 from 11am to 4pm. New this year at Cider Hill is a Farm-to-Table series for 21+ starting on June 18 with a Fire & Berries event. Chickens, bee observatory and goats arrive mid-May!