Whittier Birthplace

05/28/2026

Rain won’t hold us back! We’re moving activities inside the barn, welcome center, and historic house for Cultural Arts Day on the Freeman Trail.

05/27/2026

We're keeping an eye on Saturday's weather forecast for Cultural Arts Day.

In the event of light rain, we will move as many activities as we can into the barn and into the welcome center, instead of along the Freeman Trail. If there is downpours, we may have to cancel the event.

Have you heard? Thanks to the Cogswell Club work has to restore our barn during 2026. The new roof is already in place! https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/help-restore-the-whittier-birthplace-barn

05/21/2026

Today's featured Cultural Arts Day artist is John Burciaga. His poetry display will be set up at stop #3 (pictured here) along the Freeman Trail and he'll also be joining the Haverhill River Bards to read in the Welcome Center during the day.

John Burciaga, author, "Poetry That Matters," 2025 Winter Island Press; inaugural Poet In Residence, Newburyport Art Assn.

Cultural Arts Day (Saturday, May 30th 10am-2pm) is a celebration all many art forms including poets, painters, musicians, and more.

05/21/2026

New this year for Cultural Arts Day: Montana Spark will be performing from 10am-2pm from the Brook Field along the Freeman Trail (stop #9).

John Gass and Brenda Fingold weave the gorgeous tones of the Native American Style Flute with guitar, voice and percussion and share original and familiar songs, improvisations, and instrumentals from contemporary Native artists. Website: https://johngassflute.com/

Cultural Arts Day on the Freeman Trail (Saturday, May 30, 2026 10am-2pm) is a celebration of many different art forms, spread around the grounds of the Whittier Birthplace. It is a free, all ages arts fest.

Welcome to John Gass' Native American Style Flute Experience Immerse yourself in the soulful melodies of Native American Style Flute music. Whether you’re seeking a unique performance for your event or looking to learn how to play or grow as a flute player, I’m here to offer you an unforgettable...

05/19/2026

Diane and Joanne will be back for another Cultural Arts Day on Saturday, May 30th. Diane on the violin & Joanne on the autoharp will be playing Americana tunes from 10am-2pm on the grass between the museum and Whittier Road.

Cultural Arts Day is a free, family-friendly arts fest spread along the Freeman Trail at the Whittier Birthplace. The Freeman Trail is a half mile loop from the stone wall along Whittier Road, around the historic house, up into the woods, around the fields, and ends back down at the Welcome Center. Come hike the trail and experience poets, painters, musicians, and more along the way!

05/17/2026

The Haverhill River Bards and other poets will be reading their own original poems and selections from from the works of John Greenleaf Whittier on Cultural Arts Day.

We're excited to be host Dan Speers, Tom Wylie, Al Basile, John Burciaga, Stacy Zappela and others on Saturday, May 30th from 10am-2pm in the Welcome Center.

Cultural Arts Day celebrates poets, painters, musicians, and more, spread around the grounds at the Whittier Birthplace. There is no admission fee and all ages are welcome to attend.

05/15/2026

Cultural Arts Day on the Freeman Trail is a chance to make your own art, not just to listen and watch other artists.

The City of Haverhill, MA Conservation Department and Haverhill Trails Committee will be hosting a rock painting activity at stop #10 along the Freeman Trail.

Stop by our magnetic poetry activity table at stop #6.

Visitors are also welcome to bring their own art-making supplies to paint or sketch anywhere along the Freeman Trail during Cultural Arts Day or any other day.

  The Donald C. Freeman Memorial TrailAs in the famous Underground Railroad, there are a series of stations along the Freeman Memorial Trail, identified by numbered signs. Participants in the walking tour are asked to focus attention upon 13 signs specifically cited in passages from either Whittier...

05/13/2026

All are invited to the Whittier Birthplace on Saturday, May 30th from 10am-2pm for Cultural Arts Day!

Cultural Arts Day on the Freeman Trail is a celebration of many different art forms: visual, musical, literary, poetical, theatrical, and more.

Plein air painters will be set up all around the Whittier Birthplace grounds to demonstrate and display their talents. Come check out the artwork of Bart Navarro, Patty Evans, Pixie Yates, Mark Reusch, Emmanuelle Le Gal, Katie Thibodeau, and others.

05/11/2026

You won't want to miss Cultural Arts Day this year! We're excited to welcome Tom Jordan (guitar), Mark Hayden (harmonica) & Gino LoRicco (banjo) for a variety of good ol' American music!

They'll be performing on the Apple Orchard Stage from 11-11:40am on Saturday, May 30th here at the Whittier Birthplace.

Bring a blanket to sit for the show and your hiking shoes so you can check out all of the other talented artists along the Freeman Trail that day.

05/09/2026

Today's featured Cultural Arts Day artist is Mitchel Ahern! Check out his "Charlotte Forten Journal" Scroll on display at the Whittier Birthplace now.

He'll be joining us on Saturday, May 30th from 10am-2pm for Cultural Arts Day to talk about the printing process and his future plans for a John Greenleaf Whittier project.

Cultural Arts Day is a free, family-friendly arts fest spread along the Freeman Trail at the Whittier Birthplace. Come hike the trail and experience poets, painters, musicians, and more.

05/07/2026

All the info you need to plan your visit on Cultural Arts Day, May 30th: https://open.substack.com/pub/whittierbirthplace/p/cultural-arts-day-2026?r=48nkkt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true