Community Calendar
Below is a list of events and volunteer opportunities that we’ve found in the Essex County area.
Check back for updates! This calendar will be updated bi-weekly. Please see the organizer websites for additional details as information may change.
If you have events you’d like us to add to the page, please email leadingladiescommunitycalendar@gmail.com
Volunteer Opportunities
Defend Democracy Danvers
This a local Indivisible event. We meet on the 114 overpass on Andover St. every week from noon to 1pm.
Temple Sinai Knitting Club
The Temple Sinai Knitting Club meets every week to knit and crochet warm winter scarves, hats, mittens, sweaters, blankets, and teddy bears for donation to homeless shelters on the North Shore as well as to the Linus Project.
Bearing Witness at ICE
We invite you to stand in solidarity outside the ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations Office in Burlington every Wednesday from 11am-1pm. Together, we can show love & support for immigrants, express our shame at ICE, and bear witness to the cruel and unconstitutional actions of our government. Regardless of your views on any other political issues, if you support immigrants and their constitutional rights and are committed to nonviolence you are welcome to join.
Backbeat Street Fleet Run Club
Run Club meets every Monday from 5pm to 7pm with groups going out at 6pm. All walkers and runners welcome. Earn prizes each week!
Ipswich Food Pantry
The Open Door Ipswich Community Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Swampscott Weekly Rally for Pro-Democracy
Please join us every Thursday in Swampscott from 3PM-4PM at the Monument-100 Humphrey St to show we do not to accept tRUMP's deportations, corruption, cuts to Social Security/Medicare and his total disregard for human beings.
Rally for Democracy
We will line the street with our signs as passing cars honk in approval! We must show that we are many and that we will turn the tide!
43rd Stand Out for Democracy Event
This Saturday and every Saturday!
We’ll be in front of Winthrop School on Bay Road from 11 AM to noon.
Just show up! Bring a sign or borrow one – we have extra signs to share!
Democracy is not a spectator sport and it feels good to do something with your community. Whenever you can join us, you will be welcomed with a smile!
Gloucester Food Pantry Mondays
The Open Door Gloucester Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Knit Knite
Interested in learning how to knit? Know how to knit and would enjoy meeting some of your neighbors who also enjoy this timeless craft? Then join the Beverly Cove Improvement Association’s “Knit Knite”! We meet weekly (Mondays at 6:00-7:30 p.m.) and work on a project of the groups choosing. Pattern reading and stitch instruction is taught by experienced knitter.
Womens Strength & Stretch with Gretchen
Gretchen Driscoll, Success Coach & Personal Trainer, will bring her specialty strength training class to CCC.
Full Body Strength for Women will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6 am to 7 am, starting 11/4/25.
Gloucester Food Pantry Wednesdays
The Open Door Gloucester Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Farmers To You Pick Up
The BCIA is an official pick-up location for Farmers to You, a year-round on-line farm to table grocer that connects families directly with farmers to improve access to high quality, consciously grown food and expand markets for sustainable farmers in New England. Unlike other community supported agriculture programs, this organization allows you to choose the food you want and pay as you go via credit card and a convenient website.
Gloucester Food Pantry Thursdays
The Open Door Gloucester Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Gloucester Food Pantry Fridays
The Open Door Gloucester Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Stand Out For Democracy
For udpated and cancelations, check the League of Women Voters’ website here.
Fresh Catch Pick Up
Since April 2010, the BCIA has been in collaboration with the Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC) as one of the selected locations around eastern Massachusetts to serve as a community drop-off point for weekly shares of fish straight off the boats in Gloucester.
Children’s Discovery Center
Did you know kids get into the museum AND the Discovery Center for free?
Senior Soup & Salad
The Open Door offers a variety of meal programs including meals to-go at its food pantries, in-person dining at the Gloucester Food Pantry, Senior Soup & Salad, Summer Meals for Kids, and Collaborative Meals.
Watercolors with Todd Zalewski
In this 6-week class, you will learn about the various techniques of watercolor painting, different materials used in painting, the importance of sketching prior to painting, and how to set up a studio. During the class Todd will demonstrate the following techniques: dry-brush, wet on wet, gouache on toned paper, and the use of masking fluid/tape as paint restrictor. Subject matter considerations will also be discussed.
Open Mic
Come join us for our Open Mic shindig. Sign ups start at 7:30pm and the event starts at 8pm. Hope to see you here!
Community Meals: In Person
The Open Door offers a variety of meal programs including meals to-go at its food pantries, in-person dining at the Gloucester Food Pantry, Senior Soup & Salad, Summer Meals for Kids, and Collaborative Meals.
Community Meals (Mon–Fri): In Person
The Open Door offers a variety of meal programs including meals to-go at its food pantries, in-person dining at the Gloucester Food Pantry, Senior Soup & Salad, Summer Meals for Kids, and Collaborative Meals.
Monday Night TMF Meeting
TMF holds a Bi-weekly meeting on Monday Evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at 19 Johnson Street in North Andover, MA.
Women's Strength & Stretch with Gretchen Tuesdays
Gretchen Driscoll, Success Coach & Personal Trainer,
will bring her specialty strength training class to CCC.
Full Body Strength for Women will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6 am to 7 am, starting 11/4/25.
Classes run monthly, and sign-up is required.
Please reach out to Gretchen directly to learn more: gretchen@successwithgretchen.com
Karaoke With Maxine Harrison
Join us at the Cafe for a night of Karaoke with the fabulous Maxine Harrison!
Community Meals: Meals To-Go (Wed-Thurs)
FREE meals are available to-go M-F at the Gloucester Food Pantry (28 Emerson Ave. Gloucester MA) from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
To-go meals are also available at the Ipswich Community Food Pantry W-TH from 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
TMF Dinner for the Homeless
TMF holds a weekly Dinner for those struggling with homelessness and substance use. The Dinner is held at the Buckley Transportation Center at 295 Common St in Lawrence, MA. The TMF Dinner brings a very unique environment. We have a person(s) or business sponsoring the Dinner on a weekly basis.
Women's Strength & Stretch with Gretchen Thursdays
Gretchen Driscoll, Success Coach & Personal Trainer,
will bring her specialty strength training class to CCC.
Full Body Strength for Women will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6 am to 7 am, starting 11/4/25.
Classes run monthly, and sign-up is required.
Please reach out to Gretchen directly to learn more: gretchen@successwithgretchen.com
Ipswich Homegrown Market
The Ipswich Homegrown Market kicks of Thursday, May 23rd 3-7pm on the Middle Green in Ipswich!
Groundwork Farmer's Market
The Groundwork Farmers Markets / Mercado de Agricultores are held from June through October. The markets feature a wide variety of local produce.
Andover Farmers Market
The Andover Farmers Market is a vibrant hub connecting local farmers, artisans, and the community through the joy of local food. Whether you come for carrots or conversation, it is a place to nourish the body, mind and spirit.
Marblehead Farmers’ Market
The 2026 Marblehead Farmers Market
Saturdays 9AM - 12PM
May 30th Through November 21st
Swampscott Farmers’ Market
We can’t wait to kick off another great Farmer’s Market season with you! We have a great mix of vendors joining us this weekend for our Opening Day. Remember that we are still early in our growing season but the variety and quantity of produce will improve every week as the season goes along.
Feed Your Mind and Our Community
Wicked Good Books will set up a sale table every Sunday as space and stock allow. Books and toys are new, but imperfect; dented or scratched, but otherwise fine for their intended purpose.
Backyard Growcery
The Backyard Growcery is a weekly farmers market brought to life by Backyard Growers at Burnham's Field in downtown Gloucester, Mass.
Lynn Summer Farmer’s Market
Stock up on fresh, local veggies and other delicious delights this season at our farmers market in Lynn!
Swing Nights at The Cove
Looking for a fun Friday night activity you can actually use at weddings, parties, date nights, and nights out?
Soggy Doggy Pool Party
Join us for our fun summer Pups on The Patio series: Soggy Doggie Pool Party! Costumes welcome!
Diversity Matters Festival
North Shore Juneteenth Association is dedicated to spreading awareness of Juneteenth and uplifting positive images of Black American culture and the African diaspora. Through our events and programs, we use education, celebration, and unity as tools in the fight against systemic racism.
Riverfest Music Festival
The 24th annual Riverfest Music Festival returns to the Broadway Boardwalk at Salisbury Beach on Saturday, August 22nd! It’s a free show open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early for a full day of live music by the water!
43rd Annual Seacoast Jazz Festival
Spend the day celebrating the sounds of jazz at the 43rd Annual Seacoast Jazz Festival on Saturday, August 22 at Prescott Park. Presented in partnership with the Seacoast Jazz Society, this beloved tradition brings together local, regional, and international artists for a full day of incredible performances spanning the many styles of jazz.
43rd Annual Seacoast Jazz Festival
Spend the day celebrating the sounds of jazz at the 43rd Annual Seacoast Jazz Festival on Saturday, August 22 at Prescott Park.
Bread & Roses Festival
The Bread and Roses Heritage Committee honors the Strike of 1912 as a grassroots labor movement led by working class immigrants and their descendants in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts - a fight for social justice that continues to this day even as the demographics of the city continue to change.
Team Haverhill's RIver Ruckus
Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus is an annual festival featuring live music, classic cars, Kids Zone, live demonstrations, art and history talks, great local foods, and spectacular fireworks over the Merrimack River.
Peabody International Festival
The International Festival is the largest festival of its kind and the signature event in Peabody, Massachusetts for 40 years. The Festival continues to attract thousands to Peabody Square every year.
Fall-O-Ween Sip and Shop
Fall-O-Ween Sip and Shop
Come dressed up, best costume wins a prize.
Winner Annouces at 2:30 PM.
Inclusive Santa Party
North Shore Juneteenth Association is dedicated to spreading awareness of Juneteenth and uplifting positive images of Black American culture and the African diaspora. Through our events and programs, we use education, celebration, and unity as tools in the fight against systemic racism.
Gloucester Food Pantry Tuesdays
The Open Door Gloucester Food Pantry offers weekly custom grocery orders. Quick-Trip, 3-5 day supplies of groceries are also available for those with or without a kitchen who need food as soon as possible.
Salem's So Sweet Fest
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to participate in the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 24th year, Salem’s So Sweet has become one of the most popular winter events on the North Shore.
Falconry and the Medieval World: A Live Bird Presentation
Falconry is the sport of hunting with a trained bird of prey. It is also the demanding art of training a predatory bird that is by nature wary of people to hunt cooperatively with a human partner. While the sport has a 4,000-year history, its glory days were indisputably in the medieval period. While this presentation centers around live birds used in falconry, it is not a flight demonstration but a history-rich look at an ancient sport. Focusing on the medieval period, it explains the characteristics of the birds of prey used, how the sport reflected the lifestyle of the time, and the historical reasons behind falconry’s rise and fall.
Ice Scream Bowl
The Salem Ice Scream Bowl is a chance to taste some classic favorite flavors, as well as a few new ones, from the area’s best ice cream shops, and is a great time for children as well as adults.
Z Makes Beads: Adult Session
Bead Therapy is a hands-on expressive arts workshop designed for libraries, senior centers, senior colleges, and community learning spaces seeking accessible creative programming.
The 2026 Dark Wedding Expo
Forget white veils and cookie-cutter venues. The Dark Wedding Expo by The Satanic Temple Salem is where rich ceremony, the unapologetically authentic and the spirit of rebellion come together.
Roaring Twenties Lawn Party
Presented by Boston Swing Central and The Trustees, The Roaring Twenties Lawn Party is a celebration of vintage and dance culture. Attracting thousands of guests in Gatsby-esque apparel, this retro picnic features live music and dancing, performances, antique automobiles, lawn games, a vintage fair and more!
Salem 400+ Heritage Days Parade
After more than thirty years the beloved Salem Heritage Days Parade is making its triumphant return, brought to life through a collaborative effort between the City of Salem, National Park Service, Salem State University, the Salem Police Department, Salem Trolley, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and the North Shore CDC. This diverse planning committee is working together to offer the community a unique opportunity to experience more than 400 years of Salem’s remarkable story through an innovative chronological format. Under the overarching theme of “Salem Through the Centuries” the parade will take spectators on a journey through time, beginning with Salem’s indigenous roots and progressing through each major era that has shaped the city’s identity.
Open Farm Day
Enjoy the day at New Entry! Join us for fun activities, farm-fresh produce and products from local farmers and vendors, a guided tour of New Entry’s organic farm, food, and more!
Book Donation Drive by Friends of the Manchester Library 8/1
Please drop off your gently used books and puzzles at the MERSD Parking Lot. All donations from this event will be used for our Annual Book Sale during Festival by the Sea on 8/1/26 and proceeds will benefit the Manchester Public Library.
Animation Foundations with After Effects
Learn the foundations of animation using Adobe After Effects!
Workforce Development Fair
Join us for a Workforce Development Fair dedicated to empowering youth, veterans, and our broader community with access to meaningful career pathways and opportunities.
Blackburn Brew Fest
Join us at Blackburn Brew Fest for a day of great beer, good music, and awesome vibes on Saturday, July 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.
Book Donation Drive by Friends of the Manchester Library 7/11
Please drop off your gently used books and puzzles at the MERSD Parking Lot. All donations from this event will be used for our Annual Book Sale during Festival by the Sea on 8/1/26 and proceeds will benefit the Manchester Public Library.
Friday Night Family Films: The Princess Bride at Hale Farm
Join Historic Beverly for a magical summer evening under the stars at Hale Farm with a special outdoor screening of the beloved classic The Princess Bride.
Black Soldiers of the Revolution
For Historic Beverly’s July First Friday program, and in recognition of this year’s Fourth of July celebrations, this talk explores the stories of Black soldiers from Beverly during the American Revolution through research conducted using Historic Beverly’s archival collections and ongoing historical research efforts.
Frederick Douglass Reading
North Shore Juneteenth Association is dedicated to spreading awareness of Juneteenth and uplifting positive images of Black American culture and the African diaspora. Through our events and programs, we use education, celebration, and unity as tools in the fight against systemic racism.
Frederick Douglass Reading
We invite the community to read the words of Frederick Douglass' famous 4th of July speech 'What to the Slave is the 4th of July?' with the North Shore Juneteenth Association. We read this speech each year to help us reflect on how far we have come, and the work that we have left to do. There will also be food, performances, and family fun to enjoy. Gather with us for this important commemorative event.
MFoA Film Festival
For the first time ever, the 2026 MFoA Film Festival will be held at Warwick Cinemas! Grab a popcorn and some refreshments and enjoy incredible short films in a beautiful, air-conditioned theater!
Happy Anniversary Salem and the United States
Featuring music to Celebrate our country’s 250th Anniversary as well as Salem/s 400th
Clay Pressed Flowers 6/28
Summer in the forest teems with life, including vibrant wildflowers. Capture this fleeting beauty in clay, creating lasting botanical imprints of northern flowers while learning about the boreal forest habitat.
Salem Living Green Expo
The Salem Chamber and City of Salem are partnering once again to host the Salem Living Green Expo - bringing together green industry professionals, city departments and consumers from Salem & the North Shore regions to discuss products, services, and information. The fair is free to attend and will be held in and around Old Town Hall and Derby Square. For a list of participants, click here.
Pride Party
Join us Friday, June 27th from 5–7 PM for our annual PRIDE PARTY featuring performances by Hunter Down, Idaho Voila, and Dr. Viola Voila plus music from Jimmy Tilt
Forest Bathing & Dreamscapes in the Ropes Mansion Garden
Slow down, unplug and awaken your senses on a guided nature immersion in the Ropes Mansion Garden.
North Shore Pride
Join us to celebrate North Shore Pride on the Salem Common with free art making! Show off your pride and support with a colorful craft and keepsake.
Reading Frederick Douglass Together at Hale Farm
Historic Beverly invites the community to participate in our annual Reading Frederick Douglass Together program, a powerful public reading of Frederick Douglass’s landmark July 5, 1852 speech, “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?”
Spaced Out! Pride Party at PEM
Blast off with our 2026 Pride dance party and drag show!
Flax: The Fabric of a Revolution with Dr. Kimberly Alexander
Step into the Hale House for a special Historic Beverly program with Dr. Kimberly Alexander on flax, linen, and the vital role of textiles during the American Revolution.
En Plein Air Sketch Class Series with Sue Wheeler 6/29
From stick figure doodlers to first-rate talents, join us for a seaside, Plein Air sketch class with Sue Wheeler of Arts Abound in Magnolia. All skill levels are welcome! The three-class series offers a 30-minute beginner sketch lesson with an hour and a half of independent sketching time. All you need to bring is a sketchbook, pencils, a ruler, and an eraser. Please note: watercolors, pastels, oils, or acrylics are not permitted on the Museum grounds.