Kids and kids-at-heart take center stage this July for AHA! Night: Kids Rule! (adults too!) taking place across downtown New Bedford on Thursday, July 10th. This AHA! Night is possible thanks in part to the support from United Way of Greater New Bedford.
During July’s AHA! Night, join the beloved Toe Jam Puppet Band to celebrate their 25 years of bringing joy, laughter, and unforgettable music to audiences of all ages. This special birthday celebration will feature over a dozen former band members who’ve played a part in the band’s incredible journey. Performances take place at 5:30 PM and 6:15 PM outside the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Captain Paul Cuffe Park (in case of rain, moved to the museum’s Harborview room).
While exploring downtown activities, you can puzzle and dance during Puzzical Chairs & Pops. In this mashup of puzzling and musical chairs, participants will be matched with an initial puzzle partner to assemble a 24-piece jigsaw puzzle for the duration of a song. When the song changes, partners and puzzles change, too! Sorbae Frozen Treats will be free for the first 100 puzzlers, with live music provided by Skyjelly, local Middle-Eastern blues innovators (outside The Drawing Room, 22 William Street, 5-7:00 PM).
Nearby, you’ll find “lawn” games on the cobblestones of William Street, creative activities with the Art Museum’s Art Mobile, and an interactive pop-up from artist-in-residence Alex Buchanan in the garden outside the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center.
July’s Seaport Sessions puts the spotlight on the music students from Dream Out Loud Center who will perform original music expressing their thoughts and experiences developed through the DOLC program (Wing’s Court, 5:00 PM). The Whaling History Alliance Rock the Park showcases Beatles cover band, Studio 2, who will perform favorites from their club and touring years at Custom House Square from 6-8:00 PM. This month’s Centre Street Jazz features the Lori Gomes Ensemble, who will perform two sets by the Jazz Wall at the Fiber Optic Center (23 Centre Street, 5:30 PM & 7:00 PM). Gallery X also hosts bands The Heavy Editors and Coastal Decay (169 William Street, 6:30 PM). While the event is free, they will be accepting donations for the Joseph Rapoza Memorial Music Fund. Don’t forget Buttonwood Brass Band’s residency at the Harbor Hotel (222 Union Street, 6-8:00 PM) and the Neal McCarthy Trio at Pour Farm Tavern (780 Purchase Street, 8-11:30 PM).
There will also be arts and crafts tables, touch-a-truck adventures, a guided tour of the Seaport Art Walk, bubbles, food trucks, a lemonade pop-up, and so much more. Find the most up-to-date schedule on the AHA! website.
SUMMER SOUND SERIES
Next in the city’s popular Summer Sound Series concerts, now organized by AHA! New Bedford, will be a special July 4th performance by The Jethros, a high-energy fixture in the New Bedford music scene. Performing on the Lower Union Street Stage (at the intersection of Union and Johnny Cake Hill for this special Independence Day concert) expect a blend of folk, blues, funk, swing, bluegrass, and more for an unforgettable evening in collaboration with the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s First Fridays. There will also be family-friendly activities outside, with select Whaling Museum galleries open after hours and free to the public from 5-8:00 PM. Bring your lawn chairs to enjoy the performance in comfort!
Summer Sound Series concerts continue on select Fridays throughout the summer, with the complete schedule available here.
Organized by AHA! New Bedford, the 2025 Summer Sounds Series is made possible thanks to lead sponsor WPRI-12, supporting sponsors Moby Dick Brewing Company and Servedwell Hospitality, as well as Explore New Bedford, Vibra Hospital of Southeastern Massachusetts, and the New Bedford Light. Funding for this initiative is also provided by the City of New Bedford, through American Rescue Plan Act awards.
SONATA SATURDAYS
Now in its fifth season, Sonata Saturdays bring small groups of New Bedford Symphony Orchestra musicians to downtown businesses for casual, yet intimate musical performances.
What originally began as a pandemic-era collaboration between the NBSO and The Drawing Room has expanded to bring these talented symphony musicians to more local businesses on the fourth Saturday of the summer months. Now sponsored by AHA! New Bedford and jewelry company individual icons, upcoming events include performances at Coastal Bubbles + Wine Bar on July 26th and Celia’s Boutique on August 23rd. These events are free and open to the public, however RSVPs are encouraged as seating is limited.
PARKING
During AHA! Nights and the Summer Sound Series, the Elm Street and Zeiterion garages offer free parking.
ABOUT AHA NEW BEDFORD
AHA! New Bedford provides and promotes free arts and cultural experiences for all across downtown New Bedford. For over 25 years, AHA! has helped build and promote a creative economy that, alongside other arts organizations and supporters, transformed downtown New Bedford into a cultural epicenter of Massachusetts’ South Coast. Programming has expanded to include music, film, storytelling, block parties, art markets, and more. AHA! is a fiscally sponsored program of the SouthCoast Community Foundation. AHA! Seaport Sessions is supported in part by the Wicked Cool Places grant. The New Bedford Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, also supports this program. Learn more at ahanewbedford.org.
