EVENTS CALENDAR
​August Gallery Talks: Slavery and Freedom in Northampton, 1654-1783
Select Thursdays and Saturdays in August | No pre-registration necessary
During the month of August, museum educator Emma Bresnan will offer four gallery talks about our current exhibit, Slavery and Freedom in Northampton, 1654 to 1783.

Each 45-minute talk will reveal more about the lives of enslaved individuals, their choices about family and freedom, the legal arrangements that kept slavery in place, and how enslaved labor fueled the Northampton and regional economy.

Admission is by pay-what-you-wish donation. No pre-registration necessary.

Dates:
Thursday, August 13, 5:00 pm
Thursday, August 20, 5:00 pm
Saturday, August 22, 3:00 pm
Saturday, August 29, 3:00 pm
SOLD OUT
Exploring Northampton Series
From Elwell Island to the Boundary Waters (of Hatfield)
​Paradise City Dragon Boat with Laurie Sanders, Co-director of Historic Northampton and Naturalist
Saturday, August 22, 2026 | 9 to 11 am
Take in the beauty of the Connecticut River in a dragon boat and learn about the rich natural and cultural history in the stretch between Elwell Island and the boundary of Hatfield. The outing will begin with a paddling lesson by members of the Paradise City Dragon Boat team, followed by a paddle with commentary by co-director and naturalist Laurie Sanders about the environmental and human history of this part of the Connecticut River.

This is an active outing. Participants are expected to be fit enough to paddle and to handle themselves in the boat. For ages 18+.
 
Sliding scale: $25–50.
Limited to 20 participants.
Registration required.
 
Learn More & Register​
​Registration now open.
The Hull/Hawley Plays: The Widow's Land & Hold These Truths
September 17 - October 4, 2026
Staged in the Shepherd Barn, Historic Northampton
The Hull/Hawley Plays - The Widow's Land and Hold These Truths - will be staged in the restored historic 1805 Shepherd Barn September 17th - October 4th.
To mark the nation's 250th anniversary, Historic Northampton presents two new plays. These one-act dramas take us into the lives of two Northampton residents in the years just before the American Revolution.
 
The Widow’s Land by Betel Arnold
In 1765, Bathsheba Hull, a Black woman living with her children in her home on an island in the Mill River, receives an eviction notice from Town officials.

The Widow's Land follows her fight for her home, her position as a free woman in colonial Northampton, and her children’s future.

 
Hold These Truths by Harley Erdman
In May 1774, Massachusetts is on the cusp of rebellion and ready to call for the first Continental Congress to be held in Philadelphia. Joseph Hawley, a Northampton lawyer and prominent Patriot, is nominated to represent Massachusetts.

Hold These Truths explores Hawley’s life, his political ideals, and his struggles with depression as he decides whether to accept the nomination.


Learn More & Register
Produced by Plays in Place
Content Advisory: The plays are recommended for adult audiences.
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Mass Cultural Council
​Card to Culture
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive free or reduced admission
​to Historic Northampton's events, public talks, and programs.
Historic Northampton is proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier. 
To access this benefit, EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders can select the CARD TO CULTURE option on the event registration page.  Some exclusions apply.
Learn More about Card to Culture
Past Events and Programs
​at Historic Northampton