Trails and Sails Begins This Weekend; Here is a List of Local, Regional and Virtual Activities

Birthplace of poet John Greenleaf Whittier, 305 Whittier Road, Haverhill. (File photograph.)

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Trails and Sails, the annual event by the Essex National Heritage Area, begins tomorrow night with a variety of local and regional places to visit and things to do.

Haverhill’s Whittier Birthplace kicks off the event locally with a self-guided tour of the Freeman Memorial Trail from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday. The tour takes participants on a journey to 13 stations on the Whittier Birthplace property. Each is a landmark cited in Whittier’s poetry or his many biographies. North Andover Historical Society likewise offers a “Driving Tour of North Andover’s 19th Century Architecture,” Friday.

Later on, a “Civil War Walk at Hilldale Cemetery” begins at 2 p.m., Friday, conducted by historians Thomas Spitalere and Joe Bela. Calling Spitalere at 978 -376-2807 to reserve a place.

Buttonwoods Museum offers six outdoor, guided tours during Trails and Sails beginning Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m., at Historic Bradford Common. Other tours take place Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m. at Pentucket Burial Ground; Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2 p.m. at Linwood Cemetery; Thursday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m., for the Washington Street Architecture Tour; Friday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m., Greenwood Cemetery; and Friday, Sept. 25, 1 p.m., Elmwood Cemetery Tour, 1 p.m.

Essex County Ghost Project and the Regional Paranormal Alliance of New England present several paranormal walks around Hilldale Cemetery, beginning Friday, with gates opening at 6:30 and tour at 7 p.m., followed by another from 8:45-10 p.m. On Sunday, a virtual tour of a local haunted cemetery takes place at 2 p.m., and may be viewed on the Facebook page “Paranormal and Beyond.” Another Facebook livestream event takes place at 6 p.m., from the Duston Garrison House. It includes ghostly tails from around the area. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, call Spitalere at 978-376-2807 for in-person event reservations.

Other local events (see full list here) take place through Sunday Sept. 27. They include:

  • Haverhill: Buttonwoods Virtual Museum Tour, Friday, Sept. 18, 1-2 p.m., and Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 10-11 a.m.
  • Methuen: Life & Times of Major Robert Rogers, Sept. 22, 7-8 p.m.
  • Haverhill: Duston Garrison House Presentation, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-noon and 12:15 -1:15 p.m.
  • North Andover: Exploring Johnson Cottage Virtually, Friday, Sept. 25, 1-1:45 p.m.
  • Groveland: Veasey Park Fairy House Walk, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and. 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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