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TOMORROW, Saturday, October 22nd, from 3-7 pm, Elevated Thought presents "The Kick Back."
Join us a week from today, October 19th, from 12-1 pm, for this spectral occasion, "Lunch with a Paranormal Investigator" with ghost host Tom Spitalere.
This is your last week to check out the fabulous Dominican Carnaval Costume Exhibit, which ends on Friday, at the Buttonwoods Museum in Haverhill. Each costume is a one-of-a-kind design saturated with eye-popping color and sequins that will bedazzle you. And couldn't we all use a little more bedazzling these days?
The St. Alfio Society's exhibit will be on display in the 3rd floor gallery at the Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitor Center though October!!
Open hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
1 Jackson Street, Lawrence
Visitor Center Park is home to many forms of wildlife, from birds to small mammals and, yes, sometimes even dinosaurs.
Lawrence Heritage draws not only many local visitors but folks from all over the world. We had a married couple from the Chinese city of Qingdao (also known as Tsingtao) visit us recently, and the husband knew more about our American industrial revolution past than I did about his home city, which it turns out has a fascinating history of its own.
Qingdao is a major seaport, as well as a commercial and financial center, along with being home to several major universities. It was part of China for thousands of years until Germany seized it in 1898 for a naval base. In 1914, during WWI, the Japanese kicked out the Germans and occupied the city until 1922 when the Chinese returned to push them out, if only temporarily. The Japanese occupied the city from 1938 until they were defeated in 1945 during WWII. Qingdao has remained a part of China ever since.
One of the interesting outcomes of Qingdao's German influence is that it is now home to one of the most famous beer companies in the world, Tsingtao Brewery. In a nod to his hometown and correctly assuming I would appreciate a good beer choice, our visitor from China highly recommended I try a cold Tsingtao sometime.
Friends' president and Saint Alfio Society member Joe Bella straightens the Trinacria, an ancient symbol of Sicily, on the wall in Lawrence Heritage's art gallery. It's part of a larger Saint Alfio Society exhibit, which opens tomorrow, October 2nd, to celebrate both Italian Heritage Month and the Saint Alfio Society's upcoming 100th anniversary in 2023. A Grand Opening Reception for the exhibit will be held tomorrow from 2 to 4 pm. It's free, and light refreshments will be served.
As part of Italian Heritage Month, you're invited to join us for the Grand Opening Reception on October 2nd to celebrate a special exhibit at Lawrence Heritage sponsored by the Saint Alfio Society, who will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2023. Reception will be held in the Lawrence Heritage's community from 2 - 4 pm.
Please join our friends, the Lawrence History Center, THIS SATURDAY for their Annual Meeting, a Blacksmithing demonstration, and a Book Event: "Where Are the Workers? Labor's Stories at Museums and Historic Sites" featuring co-editor Bob Forrant and our own Friends of the Lawrence Heritage State Park board member James Beauchesne and treasurer Susan Grabski, along with co-author Kathleen Flynn!
Looking for a great bargain and to help out a good cause? Why not purchase a Bread & Roses festival poster from 2021 (11" x 17") or 2022 (11" x 14.5") for only $5 apiece? The 2021 poster only became available this year due to printing problems last year. For only $10 you could have both, which costs less than a carton of eggs these days.
If you haven't seen Workers' Struggles yet, which is an international labor poster exhibit from collector Stephen Lewis, we suggest that you do so before it disappears on September 29th when it's taken down. These posters hanging in our community room and gallery space were designed to pack a punch with bold graphics and powerful messages that will definitely leave an impression on you.
Our Visitors Center Park gets a lot of foot traffic on a daily basis: from folks walking their dogs to parents with kids in baby strollers to people sitting on our recently installed benches. The park's vine-covered brick walls also provide great backdrops for occasional photo shoots. According to the mother on this particular photo shoot, she said twice a year her daughter comes up with a theme, and then the mother's sister, who is an aspiring photographer, shoots it. The daughter's theme here were dresses she wore from her favorite films, except for the pink one (second to left) they had bought at a thrift store.
If you're looking for a free fun and unique experience tomorrow, September 17th, check out the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race. It must be seen to be believed. For more info, check out their website:
https://www.lowellkinetic.com/
"It takes a village," a line from the famous proverb says. And that's certainly true here at Lawrence Heritage, where many people regularly pitch in to help make this a successful and welcoming place. In particular, thanks to the Operations crew this summer for all their hard work in maintaining not only the Visitors Center but all the other DCR State-owned parks in Lawrence. We couldn't have done it without you. (left to right: Jeanaky, Randy, Dave, Frank, Tommy)
You still have time to sign up for "The Visionary Art of Ralph Fasanella" hybrid symposium, a FREE event that begins this afternoon and continues through Thursday. (Sign up here:
https://tinyurl/odwmsu) To celebrate, now through the end of September, when you purchase one of our wonderful new People's Map of Lawrence, Massachusetts posters (24" x 36") for $10 we'll add a Fasanella 2013 exhibit poster (15" x 20") for free. Two for the price of one, and you help support Lawrence Heritage. Now that's a great deal!
Lawrence History Center is grateful to our Friends of the Lawrence Heritage State Park for featuring our centennial exhibit, "Short pay! All out! The Great Lawrence Strike of 1912" in their 3rd floor exhibit space.