Amesbury Days (June 25 to July 4), Marblehead Festival of Arts (listed for July 1 to 5, not confirmed for 2026) and Boston Harborfest (July 2 to 4) all overlapped on July 2 to 4 if the listed dates held. Harborfest had fireworks, historical reenactments, Chowderfest and live music. Marblehead was listed with outdoor concerts over the harbor and a street festival. Every event in this guide except Salem Haunted Happenings and Topsfield Fair had ended by September 30.
Boston and Cambridge
Boston Harborfest was the 44th annual Fourth of July celebration. Admission varied. Two other Boston events were free: Boston Pride Festival & Parade (June 6), a parade, festival and block party, and Boston Kite & Bike Festival (May 16), a family event at Franklin Park with kites, bikes, games and live music.
Along the Charles River, the Cambridge River Festival has typically been held on a Saturday in mid-to-late June; its 2026 date was not confirmed, and the festival is unverified. It was described as free, with world music, dance, public art installations and global food. The annual June ice cream festival Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, which benefits Dana-Farber, had no confirmed 2026 dates. In Revere, the free Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival (July 17 to 19) had 75+ food vendors and rides.
North Shore
Gloucester had two events. Gloucester St. Peter's Fiesta was free and had tentative dates of June 24 to 28, with fireworks and a greasy pole contest in the harbor. The 42nd annual Gloucester Schooner Festival was listed for Labor Day weekend, September 4 to 7 (not confirmed for 2026), with schooner parades, races, deck tours and fireworks.
In Rockport, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival (June 12 to July 12) ran five weeks at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, and the Rockport Celtic Festival (September 1 to 30, unverified) held traditional Celtic music performances at the same venue.
Salem has two events. The first, Salem 400+ Heritage Days Festival, was listed for August 1 (not confirmed for 2026) and was free, with a heritage parade, food trucks, craft beverages and an artisan market. The other is Salem Haunted Happenings (October 1 to 31), a month-long program of haunted houses, ghost tours, costume balls and a grand parade.
Merrimack Valley and Newburyport
In Newburyport, Yankee Homecoming ran July 25 to August 2 and was free, with live music and a parade. The Newburyport Chamber Music Festival (August 5 to 15) held performances in churches, libraries and homes, many of them free, and Oysterfest in the Port (September 26) was a waterfront festival with 20+ oyster farms, craft beer, wine and live music.
Inland: Lowell, Peabody, Topsfield and Holden
The Lowell Folk Festival (July 24 to 26) was free. The Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival was listed for August 15 (not confirmed for 2026, and unverified), with dragon-boat races and traditional dance.
Peabody International Festival (September 27) had 65+ international food vendors and live performances. About 25 miles north of Boston, Topsfield Fair (October 2 to 12) dates to 1818, with advance adult tickets at $15.
In Holden, Lavender Farm Fest was listed for June 19 to 28 (not confirmed for 2026) as a working-farm event with lavender fields, cut-your-own bundles and artisan vendors. The $10 admission is unverified.
