Downtown New Bedford turns into a sprawling open house this Thursday, November 12, when AHA! Night returns with artisan markets, a working robotics lab tour and a rare peek inside the home where Frederick Douglass once found refuge. The free monthly event, built around art, history and architecture, lands this month on a date with extra weight: the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park's 30th anniversary.
AHA! Night is described as New Bedford's monthly celebration of art, history and architecture, according to WBSM, and this edition is scheduled for Thursday, November 12. AHA! director Kim Goddard said this month's schedule includes artisan markets, historic-home open houses and robots at work, per the same report.
Artisan Markets Spread Across Downtown
The Star Store is set to host an artisan market from 5 to 8 p.m. The AHA! event page says nearly 50 local artists and makers will fill the space, while WBSM's reporting puts the figure at more than 50 artists — the two accounts differ on the exact count. The market is expected to include art, jewelry, food demonstrations, books, home items and two new exhibits, and the Star Store will have a gift-wrapping station using Made in New Bedford wrapping paper, per WBSM.
The art markets continue elsewhere downtown. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is set to host an artisan market on Bethel Street, and Gallery X will host one on William Street, with both venues featuring creations by local artists, the station notes. A free downtown walking tour is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the AHA! welcome table in the Star Store, according to the AHA! event listing.
A 30th Anniversary and a House Tied to Douglass
The Nathan and Polly Johnson House, located on Seventh Street, is celebrating its own 30th anniversary and is scheduled to open to guests. AHA! describes the home as the place where, in September 1838, Frederick Douglass found freedom, a new name, and, with his wife Anna, his first home in freedom after escaping slavery in the South.
That anniversary overlaps with a bigger one: Congress established the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park on November 12, 1996, making this Thursday's event the park's 30th anniversary as well. The park is set to offer activities and presentations and plans a 30th Anniversary Cake Cutting from 5:30 to 6 p.m., according to the AHA! event page.
Robots on Display, Music Into the Night
At 1265 Purchase Street, New Bedford Research and Robotics is offering tours where visitors can see industrial robots create, design and innovate. Goddard said the robotics lab tour is enjoyable for enthusiasts, curious visitors and families alike, WBSM reports. The nonprofit lab describes itself as a laboratory and ecosystem founded in New Bedford in 2021, according to its own site.
The evening winds down with music across several venues. The Buttonwood Brass Band is scheduled to play at the Harbor Hotel from 6 to 8 p.m. as part of its AHA! Night residency, and AHA! After Dark carries the celebration from the Harbor Hotel to Pour Farm Tavern, where the Neal McCarthy Trio is set to play from 8 to 11:30 p.m. The Zeiterion Speakeasy is also set to feature jazz, rounding out a night that stitches together makers, machines and history across downtown New Bedford.
