AHA! Night returns on Thursday, February 12th, for AHA! Night: I AM NB, which celebrates the personal and undertold stories of New Bedford as expressed through art, music, spoken word, dance, and more. This is part one of a two-part storytelling series that continues in March.
As part of February’s free arts and cultural evening, the AHA! and Zeiterion teams have partnered to activate the entire Zeiterion in celebration of its grand reopening. This open house will be packed with a variety of activities on all four floors to help attendees explore and enjoy the recently renovated space, including the I AM NB open mic session (6-8:00 PM), a working rehearsal of the full New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (5-6:30 PM), interactive digital art with SketchyGOichie (5-8:00 PM), a Dance Clinic open rehearsal in the new Dr. Gail Davidson Movement Studio (5-6:00 PM), plus numerous pop-ups throughout the building.
From 5-8:00 PM, you will discover WNB One Radio broadcasting live, friendship bracelet making with Women’s Fund, a living museum of women artists from Our Sister’s School 7th grade students, hands-on rowing demonstrations with the New Bedford Rowing Center, the launch of Eldric Abreu’s book The Environmental Justice Journey, I AM NB sticker-making with Nativity Prep, and more. Plus, Girl Scout Troop 74534 is collecting new and used blankets for New Bedford’s Sister Rose House, in addition to selling cookies (5-7:00 PM).
I AM NB: OPEN MIC IN THE Z’s SPEAKEASY
Storytellers of all kinds (musicians, poets, novice and professional spoken word artists) are invited to step up to the microphone to share a personal or undertold story of New Bedford during AHA! Night. The Z’s new Speakeasy will be the home to this year’s open mic sessions. Sign-ups are available at the Speakeasy the night of the event. (Please plan to keep contributions to five minutes or less) Youth storytellers from Our Sisters’ School and Nativity Prep will open the program. The Jazz Jam duo, Blair Taylor and Manny Escobar, will host and provide musical accompaniment, joined by Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor from Oversoul Theatre Collective. The public is also invited to bring an instrument to jam along.
When the stories and jam conclude, Mwalim and The ZYG 808 of WAMPTRONICA take over as DJs, creating a club vibe for AHA! After Dark in the Speakeasy. Note: a cash bar will be open throughout the event.
Additional AHA! Night activities include:
- The New Bedford Whaling Museum will open its doors for Vestibules: Stories of Water, Memory, and Resilience. This immersive, interactive evening blends live performance, historical interpretation, portraiture, and community storytelling throughout select Museum galleries (4-8:00 PM).
- Stop by the 3rd floor of the New Bedford Main Library to explore Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad, presented by the New Bedford Historical Society in honor of Black History Month (3-8:00 PM). Plus, kids can create handprint butterflies and teens can bring home free books at the library’s Youth Services (3-5:00 PM), and dancers of all experience levels can take part in the Balance & Swing Contradance hosted by EPIC Southcoast on the 3rd floor (6-8:30 PM).
- See Gallery X’s first exhibition of 2026, Plant Sweeties, which features artwork by local and regional artists celebrating plants, romance, the color green, life, and abundance (5-8:00 PM).
- The Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum will host a special performance to honor the life and legacy of legendary gospel composer Richard Smallwood, featuring the gospel group For His Glory and a piano tribute by 7th-grader Isaac Tango, all celebrating Smallwood’s timeless influence and the new voices his work continues to inspire (5:30-6:30 PM).
- Join photographer Phil Mello and videographer Markham Starr to learn more about the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center’s ongoing Hauling Back Generational Fishing Family Project, which presents stories of multigenerational fishing families and businesses in New Bedford and along the South Coast. Learn about some of the featured families and watch the short films that Mello and Starr produced for the project.
- Play “Did You Know?” with the Artists Index as they launch the new DYK Traveling Series. They’ll share five artists’ stories, each one representing a life and legacy that almost disappeared, still isn’t fully recorded, has been added to The Artists Index, or has survived by chance rather than by intention (PLAY Arcade, 6-7:30 PM).
- While exploring the New Bedford Art Museum, children and families are invited to create a postcard using a playful, fill-in-the-blank format that encourages reflection on the idea of home and the surprise of discovering art in unexpected places. It’s all connected to a mystery exhibition in the People’s Gallery. Then at 8:00 PM, hear from New Bedford Film Festival founder Ethan de Aguiar and listen in for the live unveiling of selections for the 2026 festival.
This is just a fraction of the evening’s activities. You’ll also be able to create your own Valentines at the Drawing Room, make a pine cone bird feeder at Pilgrim United Church Home, learn how to read animal tracks with Trustees Mobile Adventures, make Valentine-themed bookmarks at New Bedford Community Health, and more.
Find the most up-to-date schedule on the AHA! website.
AHA! AFTER DARK
And remember, the AHA! Night fun now continues well into the evening in the form of AHA! After Dark! These AHA! Night activities include: 21+ karaoke at PLAY Arcade (8 PM to midnight), the Neal McCarthy Electric Blue Trio at the Pour Farm (8-11:30 PM), Wamptronica at the Z’s Speakeasy (8-10:00 PM), and DJ Anj Kep at the National Club (8 till closing).
AHA! NIGHT FAST FACTS
- AHA! Nights are always free and open to the public.
- Look for the yellow flags! Most participating locations will prominently display a yellow AHA! flag to help you find AHA! Night activities.
- Park for free on AHA! Nights at the Elm Street and Zeiterion Garages.
- Museums, galleries, and shops will be open late.
- In case of inclement weather, some events may move indoors or be rescheduled.
- The most up-to-date schedule is always available on the AHA! website. (Events are added every day!)
- On AHA! Night, a printed program can be found at the AHA! Welcome Table at the Zeiterion, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center, the New Bedford Art Museum, and the New Bedford Free Public Library.
