Now that it’s finally getting warmer and flowers are blooming, it’s time to emerge from hibernation. Thankfully, the North Shore makes it easy to do with festivals, shows, and events galore. If you’re not already chomping at the bit to get out and explore the area, these events are sure to get you excited. Some of our top picks: the annual Long Hill Plant Sale, a new exhibit at PEM, and Tulip Fest in Amesbury.
Spring BloomFest at Stevens-Coolidge House, North Andover
May 1-3
Running from Friday through Sunday, Spring BloomFest at the Stevens-Coolidge House in North Andover celebrates warmer weather with thousands of tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs in full bloom. Stroll through the gardens on your own or join one of the garden tours. You can also expect self-guided tours inside the historic house, a kids’ corner, yard games, workshops, and food vendors.
Shows at Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport
May 2–30
This May, Shalin Liu puts on singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy, the Boston City Singers Tour Choir, The Undercovers, Arneis Quartet, Howie Day, Boston String Academy, Rockport Music Youth Spotlight, Billy Childs Trio, John Pizzarelli, Skylark Clear Voices in the Dark, and Zaccai Curtis.
Tulip Fest at Cider Hill Farm
May 2–3, 9–10
On both the first and second weekends of May, head to Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury for its annual Tulip Fest, when 100,000 bulbs are set to bloom. The festivities include cut-your-own tulip picking, live music, an outdoor hard cider bar, food vendors, hayrides, and kids’ activities. Note that tickets—both to pick your own tulips and to enter the field—are available for pre-purchase online and usually sell fast!
34th Annual Long Hill Plant Sale
May 9
The annual plant sale returns to Long Hill in Beverly for its 34th year on Saturday, May 9. Open to the public from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., this local tradition features a curated selection of premium perennials plus coffee and pastries available for purchase. Members get early access to the sale at 9 a.m. And for an even earlier look, grab tickets to the exclusive preview party the night before and enjoy an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live jazz, and a silent auction geared toward gardening enthusiasts.
The Cabot’s Big Night
May 9
The Cabot’s annual fundraiser returns! This year it features a concert by Trombone Shorty attend the concert only, starting at 8:30 p.m., or snag VIP tickets for a lavish pre-show reception with food, entertainment, and open bar. This year’s honoree is Dave Masse, founder and CEO of AAM15 Management and a Beverly High School graduate, who has served on The Cabot Theater Board.
documentation, 2026. Peabody Essex Museum.
Photo by Kim Indresano.
Cheney, 1868. Marble. Gift of Elizabeth C. Roak and
Robert H. Roak, 2017.62. Bowdoin College Museum
of Art, Brunswick, Maine.
Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone at PEM, Salem
All Month
This spring, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem is featuring the first retrospective of acclaimed 19th-century Black and Indigenous sculptor Edmonia Lewis. Her vivid, naturalistic stone sculptures feature abolitionists and social reformers, engage with Indigenous identity and give new life to religious and mythological figures. The exhibit runs until June 7.