Essex Heritage Presents 150+ Free Events Over Trails & Sails Weekends

Interested in biking the rail trail from Topsfield to Danvers? Or touring the Ipswich River Estuary in your kayak? Learning about (and tasting!) local wine or cheese? How about digging for history at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, or a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the North Shore’s oldest and most majestic Playhouses: The Cabot Street Theater in Beverly? No matter what your interest or passion, you can find something to learn, explore, and enjoy during Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water on September 18-20 and 25-27, 2015!

Presented by Essex Heritage, Trails & Sails features more than 150 free events over two weekends and celebrates the rich variety of historic, cultural and natural resources in the Essex National Heritage Area. Encompassing the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, a 500 square mile region just north of Boston, MA, the Essex National Heritage Area was created by an Act of the U.S. Congress in 1996 in recognition of the important role that the county played in American history and the significant resources that still exist in the region. Trails & Sails, now in its 14thyear, was created by Essex Heritage to highlight the unique character of the Area by directly connecting people to place through creative experiences – with the goal of engendering a commitment to preserving them.

For Trails & Sails 2015, Essex Heritage has partnered with non-profit and for-profit recreational organizations across Essex County to offer 150+ free, fun, and family-friendly events at more than 100 sites that showcase our region’s distinctive heritage, history, culture, and natural environment. From historic tours and museums, to guided nature tours both onshore and off, there are activities happening morning, afternoon and evening that welcome your exploration.

The impressive line-up of Trails & Sails events in the central Essex County communities of Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Georgetown, Hamilton, Ipswich, Middleton, Rowley, Topsfield and Wenham includes:

Beverly

• Hospital Point Lighthouse Open House
• Legacy of a Cultural Showpiece – Beverly’s Cabot Theater
• Privateer Trail Walk

Boxford

• Hardy Plants at the Kelsey Arboretum

Danvers

• Digging for History at the Homestead
• National Historic Landmark Derby Summer House
• The Essex Harmony Trails & Sails Concert
• Tour the Judge Samuel Holten House
• Visit the 1654 Endecott Burial Ground/Cemetery

Georgetown

• Brocklebank Museum Open House

Hamilton

• Polo & Picnic

Ipswich

• Arthur Wesley Dow of Ipswich
• Ipswich Estuary Kayak and Open Space Walk
• Paddle the Ipswich River

Middleton

• Middleton Historical Society Walking Tour & Open House

Rowley

• Dirt to Bottle Tours

Topsfield

• Farmstead Cheese Tour
• Historic Tour of Willowdale Estate
• Rail Trail Bike Ride
• Tour Witch Hill in Topsfield

Wenham

• Cemetery Scavenger Hunt
• Family Architectural History Hunt

All Trails & Sails events are free and most are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the exception of a few events that require reservations. Visit www.TrailsAndSails.org to see the complete listing of events and design a personalized itinerary