Block Print, Taylor Hickey
made in new bedford
november 12th, 2026
Free Parking
Don’t worry about finding a place to park. During AHA! Night there is free parking at the Elm Street and Zeiterion Garages.
Pick up a paper copy of the AHA! program at the AHA! Welcome Desk, the library, National Park Visitor Center, and New Bedford Art Museum. You can also download a copy here, just note that it’s oversized if you try to print at home.
Follow the Flags
Many of our participating locations will have a yellow AHA! flag prominently displayed to help you find AHA! Night activities.
AHA! Happens Rain Or Shine
Be sure to check the AHA! event page, Facebook page and Instagram Stories as well as website and social for participating event partners for info about location changes, program rescheduling and cancellations.
Explore downtown’s rich culture, public art, and striking historic architecture, with stops along the way to take in some of the evening’s live experiences.
The tour is free and led by our friends at New Bedford Food Tours, who’ll guide you through the evening’s highlights and hidden gems.
The tour begins at 6:00 PM by the AHA! welcome table in the Star Store.
AHA! Artisan Market at the Star Store
AHA! NIGHT: MADE IN NB
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 5-8 PM
Nearly 50 local artists and makers will fill the Star Store for the AHA! Artisan Market, one of a series of pop-up markets to kick off the holiday shopping season.
While exploring the market, listen to tunes courtesy of WNB One Radio and check out demonstrations from the Star Store’s ceramics studio and printmaking studio!
Find the perfect gift at the Star Store? Get it wrapped on the spot at our gift wrapping station, featuring Made in NB graphics by artist Taylor Hickey and sponsored by First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union!
While shopping, sample delectable desserts and hot, soothing drinks from Rhonda Fazio in this AHA! Moments pop-up.
Participants Include
Abbeycat Woodshop
Altered Threads Clothing
Anis Beigzadeh
Apothecorner
Art of Ryan Santos
Birch & Main
Black Flame Coven
Brianna Hickey
Caribe Creations
Cards by Cecelia
Crafted by The Coast
Cram Audio Technologies
Creative Crafts by Mac
Diana Arvanites
The Drawing Room
Frog Nouveau Art
GypsyGingerArt
Happy Fantastic Designs
Have a Hat!
Kat Knutsen Studios LLC
Kim Savoie Glass
Knauskreations
Knotty Witches
Made in Manomet
Madeline Peach Art
Margo Paints Co
A million Dreams Store
Miss Goodie Tutus Kiddie Coutur
My Null Hypothesis
Papis Daughter (Embrace Lit Shop and More, From Fiction to Reality, Kennedys Korner, and Melki the Maker)
Paulinarte art
Printmaking Studio – Star Store
RePsych Arts
Rhonda Fazio
Sarah Donner Party
Sebastian Nothwell
Skylight Studio
Tapirpencils
These Two Crafty Chicks
Truly Outrageous Jewels
Wendy Bauer Apparel
Wild Heart Herb House
AHA! NIGHT ACTIVITY SCHEDULE | November 12th
2:00 PM
Create, Explore, and Collect! Happy Birthday National Park!
Start your adventure at the Visitor Center with a watercolor keepsake, then celebrate nearly 30 years of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park by collecting anniversary stamps at participating sites through October 2027.
When Congress established New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park on November 12, 1996, it affirmed the national significance of New Bedford’s history, culture, and maritime heritage. The park transformed a shared community vision into a living place of discovery, preservation, and inspiration for generations to come.
3:00 PM
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Youth Services: Design Your Own Apron and Book Sale
Visit the New Bedford Main Library’s Youth Services on AHA Night to decorate your own apron!
There is no registration for this free program and is available while supplies last. Families can also shop at the Friends of the Library’s Book Sale and browse the art throughout the library.
Nature Craft with Local Leaves and the Trustees!
Join the Trustees’ Mobile Adventures Team at the New Bedford Whaling National Park to make your own leaf art! Harvested from our New Bedford’s own Haskell Public Gardens, each leaf has a story waiting to be told. Make leaf rubbings, a wearable pin or other crafts to celebrate the fall foliage while its still here. Look for the green Adventure Van downtown to find us for a special night of nature crafts!
Make a Party Hat with the 1850s Ladies
Planning on attending the 30th Anniversary Party? Step back in time and create your own Victorian-inspired bonnet with the 1850s Ladies at the Junior Ranger Station, then wear it during the celebration!
In the 1850s, fashionable women wore bonnets decorated with ribbons, flowers, and lace. Unlike the deep “poke” bonnets of the 1840s, these styles sat farther back on the head, showing off fashionable hairstyles and caps.
Share Your Story. Preserve Our History.
Students, families, and community members are invited to share their personal stories, traditions, and connections to New Bedford through recorded oral histories. These stories will become part of a mini-documentary to be shown later this year at Bristol Community College. Attend with family members, use guided prompts to tell your story, record at a storytelling station, and help preserve New Bedford history for future generations! We encourage you to bring items that help tell your story, such as family photos, memorabilia and keepsakes, documents, clippings, artifacts, and items connected to family traditions and community history.
4:30 PM
See What’s Made in NB at the NBRR Lab!
See What’s Made in NB at the NBRR Lab!
Doors are open from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, and you’re invited to explore our space in action.
Tour the lab, watch our industrial robots create, design, and innovate using cutting-edge technologies. Whether you’re a robotics enthusiast, tech-curious, or just looking for something fun and different, this is a chance to see innovation up close.
Stop by anytime between 4:30 and 6:30 PM. Look for the yellow AHA! flag—you’ll know you’re in the right place.
Open House on AHA!
Drop by 3rd EyE’s community incubator at 230 Union Street for an evening of creativity, connections and community conversations.
4:30 – 6:30pm
Hands-on activities and resources with Livity Tree Art, South East Recovery Learning Community & Clear the Lens
The Window Gallery presents Inspired Looks: a live modeling experience with the Circular Threads youth cohort
7 – 9pm or until the poems run out whichever comes first!
Anomaly Poetry Open Mic
*Community Note – 230 Union Street is a radically inclusive safe space where the door is kept locked. There will be an Open sign on the front door – please knock and you will be welcomed inside : )
5:00 PM
FREE New Bedford Art Museum Admission & Activities!
Celebrate Made in NB with FREE admission to the New Bedford Art Museum! Explore our two brand-new exhibitions, Intuitive: A Survey of Visionary Art, celebrating the imagination and originality of self-taught artists, and Morocco, Seen Closely: Photographs by Laurie Bullard, capturing the vibrant colors, textures, and landscapes of Morocco.
Visitors can also experience agriCultural: A Biennial Exhibition, exploring the connections between art, agriculture, and the natural world.
Scrimshaw-Inspired Soap Carving
Celebrate New Bedford’s maritime heritage by creating your own scrimshaw-inspired artwork! Etch nautical designs into Ivory soap shaped like a whale’s tooth and bring your illustrations to life with black paint.
Gallery Adventure: Scavenger Hunt
Explore the museum with a self-guided scavenger hunt! Discover hidden details, unusual materials, and imaginative characters while experiencing the exhibitions in a fun, interactive way.
FREE admission, artmaking, and gallery activities for all ages!
Kim’s Myth
Kim’s Myth is the musical project and creative moniker of singer-songwriter and multimedia artist Kim Smith, a musician, performer, and community arts advocate known for building creative communities and developing interactive arts experiences.
Kim Smith will perform original music alongside demonstrations by the Sustainabubble Project, featuring its signature massage chairs on the storefront stages at Interwoven, creating an engaging and immersive experience for passersby and event attendees.
Discover Downtown: Community, Resources & Prizes
House of Gamboa, a boutique art gallery, retail shop, and event planning business, along with Luisa Edits, New Bedford’s newest downtown boutique, will host a dynamic community engagement experience with children’s books and other activities. Participants will be entered for a chance to win $75 and $250 gift certificate prizes.
Featuring HIP Ambassador and Coastal Foodshed Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist Eldric R. Abreu, author and community leader and New Bedford Public Health and Foster Parents Program.
WHALES! WHALES! WHALES!
Salty Stitches
Salty Stitches is a textile-based protest art exhibition, embroidering Donald Trump’s words onto vintage fabrics, creating a material record of his presidency and of the movement against it. This exhibition serves as a visual reminder of the barrage of atrocities aimed directly at dismantling our Democracy. Come sit and embroider your own work of art! Free and open to the public, supplies will be provided.
American Dream Exhibition
AHA! Moment- The Art and Language of Food at the Artisan Market
Rhonda M. Fazio believes food connects us to our cultural roots. Through The Art and Language of Food, she shares cooking and food preservation traditions inspired by the wisdom of grandmothers. Visit her at the Artisan Market for delectable desserts and hot, soothing drinks prepared with consciousness, care, and respect for the environment. This event also has a take home recipe!
Nathan And Polly Johnson House 30th Anniversary Open House
For November AHA The New Bedford Historical Society will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Johnson House and of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Visitors to the park will be able to get a passport stamp commemorating the 30th anniversary visit celebrating local history.Make Your Own Leaf Lantern
Join Pilgrim United Church of Christ and Mercy Meals & More to make your own Leaf Lantern and enjoy guitar music and singing with Dan and friends!
While you’re here, learn more about Booker T. Washington, who gave a speech in our building in 1895 and visit the mural installed on the side of the building in 2023.
Radiance – Tammi J. Meehan
On view in the Frederick Douglass Gallery X @ Gallery X – Radiance, a solo exhibition by Tammi J. Meehan dedicated to the memory of Lorin Roche, Author of “The Radiance Sutras,” a translation of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra.
The exhibition will be on view October 28 through November 28.
Gallery X Artist & Vendor Market
• Leah Bennett (Fairie Vomit) • Marguerite Cass • Ron Costa • Jason Eckhardt • Sherri George (Chickadee Tea Rekindled Treasures) • Hugh Kelly • Mary Monteiro (Monteiro Fine Art) • Myah Oliveira (The Crow’s Catch & Myah.O.Art) • Meagan Raposo • Kate Frazer Rego • Peter Turk • Ronda Turk (Ronda’s Rags) •
Local Artisan Showcase
Shop local this holiday season at FHC! We’re hosting a local artisan showcase. Stop by the Center from 5-8pm to shop a great selection of fishing- and maritime-themed clothing, jewelry, artwork, and other handmade items, many of which are made by fishing community members.
5:30 PM
Serlingpa Meditation Center
AHA Thursday November 12th, Free, Theme: Made in NB
Open House: 5:30-7pm, Brief Talk and Guided Meditation on Gratitude & Connecction at 6:00 pm
Peaceful, happy people…one of THE best things Made In New Bedford.
Come visit Serlingpa Meditation Center, a refuge from the busyness & stress of ordinary life. Everyone is invited to enjoy the peace of our meditation hall surrounded by beautiful Buddha statues. Take a shrine “tour”, enjoy Autumn themed refreshments, and browse our bookstore.
30th Anniversary Cake Cutting!
Join us for a slice of cake as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the park. Stay for traditional Iñupiat dancing, a special presentation, and an interactive discussion exploring the rich history of Arctic whaling and the enduring cultural traditions of the Indigenous communities whose knowledge, resilience, and stewardship have shaped this region for generations. Learn how Iñupiat peoples shared their wealth of knowledge with whalers, explorers, and newcomers, helping to preserve both cultural heritage and life in the Arctic.
AHA! Night Jazz Jam Featuring Manny Escobar and Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor
Calling all musicians, lovers of music and artistic expression! Join both sax player/ music educator Emmanuel “Manny” Escobar, and musician/ educator Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor for free, fun jam sessions during AHA! Nights. Grab your instruments, pen, paper and jam – or just enjoy the live music. Musicians, vocalists, visual artists, and audience members are welcome. No prior jam experience necessary. No tickets or reservations needed. Note: The first 30 minutes is dedicated to young people/students offering their talents in the jam.’
Doors open at 5:30 PM
6:00 PM
Traditional Iñupiat Dancing, Presentation, and Q&A
Join us as our Iñupiat Heritage Center partners demonstrate traditional Iñupiat dances, describe how the Iñupiat hunted whales historically and today, and answer questions about life in Utqiaġvik — then and now.
Jazz with the Buttonwood Brass Band
Enjoy some speakeasy jazz from the Buttonwood Brass Band, on every AHA! Night at the New Bedford Harbor Hotel.
6:30 PM
7:00 PM
THE ART OF ECSTATIC MEDITATION
Learn the 4 Stages of OSHO Active Ecstatic Meditation – SHAKE and DANCE in order to become aware of a silent point within you. “You will feel festive, present, blissful . . . and at your center there will become an inner silence.
At some point you will not be dancing; the dance will take over, the ECSTATIC MOVEMENTS will take you over and you will be swept away to the unknown source.”
Integrate through SITTING and SAVASANA to surrender activity. Receive the inner messages awaiting you within during this restorative and interoceptive practice of dance followed by deep relaxation.
Doors 7pm ~ Opening Circle 7:30pm ~ Closing Circle 9pm
This is a barefoot, alcohol and fragrance free event.
7:30 PM
8:00 PM
AHHHhhh!-AHA AFTER DARK
What happens when the freedom of jazz meets the pulse of House music? You get AHHHhhh!; a Deep Afro Jazz House jam where the grooves are deep, the improvisation is live, and anything can happen.
This is where the jazz tradition of spontaneous musical conversation meets the soulful rhythms of Afro House, Deep House, funk, and global dance music. The DJ sets the groove; the musicians take it somewhere new. It’s part listening session, part jam session, part dance floor, and all about the energy that happens when musicians and music lovers come together. Featuring WAMPTRONICA.
Jazz musicians: Bring your instrument and come jam!
Music lovers: Come catch the groove!
AHA! After Dark- Bento’s Karaoke Night with DJ Big Chan
Neal McCarthy Trio
Grab a bite or a pint and listen to Electric Blues & Rock with the Neal McCarthy Trio as they play from 8-11:30pm.
Karaoke at PLAY
Belt out some tunes at PLAY Arcade! There’s karaoke, food, fun, and games!
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
AHA! Moments is supported in part by the Art is Everywhere grant funded by the City of New Bedford, through its Arts, Culture & Tourism Fund and is facilitated by New Bedford Creative at the NBEDC. The New Bedford Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, also supports AHA! Moments as well as Seaport Sessions and the Docent Program.