An eight-piece jazz band, a $134 farm-to-table dinner benefiting a Tufts University farming program, and free kids' shows on the North Andover Town Common headline a packed stretch of community programming from Friday, July 25, through Thursday, July 31.
The Jazz Disciples bring their full horn section to Andover's Concerts in the Park series on Wednesday, July 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Park, corner of Chestnut and Bartlet streets. The free show features vocalist April Baldwin Foley, pianist Christopher Desjardins, guitarist Martin McGrath, bassist Steve Knepper, percussionist Dave Thompson, and a three-piece brass-and-reed section led by trumpeter Chris Nelson. Rain date is Thursday, July 30.
Food trucks including Aunty's Italian Kitchen, Boston BBQ, Empanadas Deluxe, and The Frozen Frenzy will be on site, along with Oak & Iron Brewery and Marble Ridge Winery. Mini golf, cornhole, Jenga, and face painting round out the evening, according to the town's community events calendar.
Smolak Farms hosts its third Dinner on a Whim of the season on Wednesday, July 29, beneath the Pine Grove tent at 315 South Bradford Road, North Andover. Chef Ian Davey of Gibbet Hill Grill leads the farm-to-table menu. Cocktail hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $134.20 per person, including tax and gratuity, with a portion benefiting New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, a Tufts University program that trains beginning farmers and builds support networks for diverse agricultural communities. The July 15 dinner sold out, according to the Smolak Farms website.
North Andover's free Concerts on the Common presents Coffee to Cocktails, a country-folk-rock-bluegrass ensemble, on Sunday, July 26, at 6 p.m. at the Town Common, 800 Massachusetts Ave.
The free Summer on the Common Series continues with two upcoming kids' performances at the same location, both starting at 10 a.m.:
- Tuesday, July 28 — BJ Hickman, creative magic for the whole family
- Thursday, July 30 — Big Ryan's Tall Tales, original stories with puppetry, music, and movement
Rain site is the North Andover Middle School Auditorium, 495 Main St.
The North Andover Senior Center hosts a luau on Wednesday, July 29, at 4 p.m. with live music by Kalifornia Karl at 481 Sutton St. Donations requested.
Memorial Hall Library in Andover offers a Live Animal Show on Monday, July 27, with sessions at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. at 2 N. Main St. On Wednesday, July 29, the library brings a Kaleidoscope Bubble Show to Pomps Pond, 147 Abbot St., from 10 to 11 a.m.
Historian Gregory E. O'Malley discusses his book "The Escapes of David George" in a Zoom webinar hosted by Memorial Hall Library on Monday, July 27, from 7 to 8 p.m. Local photographer Bruce Magnuson presents "Talkin' Bout a Revolution," a tour of key American Revolution sites, at The Robb Center, 30 Whittier Court, Andover, on Wednesday, July 29, at 1:30 p.m.
The North Andover Historical Society runs two programs: Monster Movie Roulette on Friday, July 25, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ($15 general, $5 members) and an Intro to Playwriting course for grades 9 and up, Monday, July 28, through Friday, July 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily ($150 per student). Both at 800 Massachusetts Ave.
Stevens Memorial Library in North Andover hosts Girls in STEM: Spaghetti Skyscrapers on Tuesday, July 28, from noon to 2 p.m. at 345 Main St.
The Andover Farmers Market, celebrating its 20th season, runs Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 34 Bartlet St. with 25-plus vendors, live music, and children's activities. The North Andover Farmers Market is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 120R Main St. behind Town Hall, featuring 30-plus vendors and food trucks.
