2025 Ipswich Illumination Second Weekend: Nov. 1-2, 2025
Saturday, November 1, at the Town Wharf, 2:30 – 9:00 pm.
Park at the Elm St. parking lot or on County St., and walk on Water St. to the Town Wharf.
Harold Burnham, will captain the pinky schooner Isabella, arriving at the town wharf. The ship Lewis H Story, belonging to the Essex Ship Building Museum, will be captained by Ipswich’s own Cyrus Ebinger.
KD Montgomery, executive director of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, will provide a shipbuilding workshop.
12:00 pm: Participants in the Labor In Vain Challenge will put in at noon at Pavilion Beach. Registration is free and encouraged. Costumes are encouraged! You will be paddling against the outgoing tide. Life jackets are required. Arrive at the Ipswich Town Wharf by 2pm, music by The Labor In Vain Band. Special Thanks to IPD Lieutenant Johnathan Hubbard. Download the Registration Form.
2:00 pm: Play Is The Way: Maritime craft and pirate maps.
2:30 -4:00 pm: The Labor In Vain Band will play at the main stage at the Town Wharf
4:00-4:45 pm: The Portermen: Sea Chanties at the Lighthouse
5:30 – 7:30 pm: Ipswich River Watershed with Carla Villa
4:45 – 5:30 pm: Daisy Nell & Captain Stan and the Crabgrass Band in front of the Lighthouse replica at the Ipswich Town Wharf
5:38 pm: OM Drum herald. Archers Carlos, Kara & Junko fire blazing arrows toward Heaven. The Illumination bonfires are lit on the Ipswich River.5:40 – 8:00 pm: Music by Bottles & Cans
6:45 – 7:00 pm: LightHouse Story Moment: The Ghost Story of Harry Maine, told by Kerry Zagorella.
Sunday, November 2 ~ Closing Ceremonies
9:00 – 10:15 am: Bonfire at Pavilion Beach with OM Drum herald, Circle, Color Blast, and Ocean Plunge.
Let’s Sauna is a mobile wood fire barrel sauna that frequents Pavilion Beach, and will be free during the Ipswich Illumination closing ceremonies.
Last weekend...
Friday, Oct 17th ~ 5:30 – 9:30
Location: Downtown Ipswich at the Take Out Terrace Truss & Stage, with bonfires on the river!
Hayley Reardon
5:30 – 6:00 pm: Play Is The Way will host lantern-making. The Community Band will begin at 5:30 pm at the stage area at the Riverwalk Extension.
6:00 pm: Sunset at the footbridge, heralded by the IHS Theater Company with excerpts from Godspell and Beautiful City.
6:05 pm: Archers Carlos, Kara & Junko fire blazing arrows. The Illumination bonfires are lit on the
Ipswich River.
------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, October 18th ~ Downtown Ipswich
11:00 am to 2:00 pm: The
Ipswich Fire Department will hold an Open House at 55 Central Street, Ipswich. Fire safety, car seat installations; car extrication demonstration.
3:30 – 5:30 pm:
The Three Sisters Garden Project Open House at its new distribution location at 2 Washington Street. Pumpkin painting, local food and beer, music, and fun! Warm harvest soups and other goodies.
4:15 – 5:15 pm: Drum Workshop with Rick Bausman.
5:15 – 5:45 pm: Circles, Lines, & Squares, Family-friendly folk dance sampler. A mix of contras, squares, and circles at the Take Out Terrace Truss.
5:57 pm: Illumination Archers at the Pedestrian Bridge
5:50 pm: Herald by Rick Bausman, & Workshop Roll
6:00 – 6:45 pm: Egrets Only & Friends. Egrets Only will play from their new album,
7:00 – 8:00 pm: Wangari Fahari Trio
8:00 -9:30 pm: Tam Tam Majik Steel Pan SlipTime with Rick Bausman, West African steel pan drumming.
---------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, October 19
“The Revolution Continues” at the Ipswich Museum
2:00 – 5:00 pm (3 hours): Play Is The Way will feature Revolutionary-era children’s play at the
Ipswich Museum’s
Whipple House, including a historic stick and hoop toy.
Town Historian Gordon Harris will be the Master of Ceremonies for four vignettes:
2:00 – 2:30 pm: Encore presentation of “Within These Walls” on the Heard House, Ipswich Museum grounds.
2:30 pm: John Whipple and Rev. John Wise, “Birthplace of American Independence” at the Whipple House. Cast: Rick Spalding, Peter Bubriski. Narrated by
Gordon Harris 2:45 pm -3:00 pm: “Jenny Slew, I am here”. Written by and acted by Wangari Fahari at the Whipple House.
3pm – 3:30 pm: The Revolutionary War letters of Joseph and Sarah Hodgkins on the Whipple House grounds, performed and read by Morgan Crooks and Tracy Hendrickson. Narrated by David O’Brien.
3:30 -5:00 pm: Music with Hilltown Ham Hocks. Fiddle, banjo, and guitar featuring Hanna French, in the Butterfly Meadow, backyard of the Whipple House.
Join the Rebel Kazoo Band and hum Revolutionary tunes. Free kazoos are provided for all who wish to join. Simply show up and be ready to hum.
------------------------------------------------------------
The annual Ipswich Cultural Council Art Show and Sale will be held the weekend of October 17-19 at Ipswich Town Hall.
Friday, October 17: The Art Show and reception is from 5:00-9:00 pm, with music by Tom Palance & Friends
Saturday, October 18: Noon to 5:00 pm with live music
Sunday, October 19: Noon to 4:00 pm with live music.
