2025 Upcoming Events
Remembering Our Minutemen – Sunday, April 13th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Across the State of Massachusetts, communities and institutions are celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution with events, exhibits, special tours, programs, festivals, performances, and much more. Shirley is no different.
On April 13th you can visit the Shirley Center Common and see what life was like during the colonial era. There will be crafts, animals, and people in colonial dress on the common, and music of the time inside the Meeting House.
At 3:00 pm, enjoy a presentation describing the events in Shirley in April of 1775. This will be followed by a musket salute to our Minutemen.
This program is sponsored by the Shirley Historical Society, via a grant from the Shirley Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Piano Recital, Students of AnnMarie Koivu – Sunday, April 27th
Portrait of a Song – Saturday, May 3rd, 7:00 pm
Local musicians, artists and photographers are joining together for a program that combines both the visual and performing arts. Each musical selection will be given to an artist or photographer to create a visual image of the words and music. During the concert portion of the evening the songs will be performed with the images projected behind the performer. After the concert you will be invited over to the Center Town Hall for refreshments and to view the actual works. The song selections will be a variety of musical styles and will include original works, songs from stage, cinema, jazz, classical and more. We invite you to come see and hear the music!
Artwork: Donna Ferreira
Nissitissit String Quartet – Friday, May 16th, 7:00 pm
Reexperiencing the music of our childhood arouses meaningful memories, often evoking whole scenarios from the most impressionable time of our lives. The Nissitissit String Quartet is pleased to present medleys from Disney, Warner Brothers, early TV shows, the Muppets, Charlie Brown specials, Boston Pops favorites, and John Williams themes such as ET among other beloved music from our youth. Whether you’re 5 or 75, these iconic sounds are familiar and heartwarming. Formed to champion strings and enrich Northwest Middlesex communities, the Nissitissit String Quartet is four long-time colleagues and friends with a mutual desire for a fresh and fun performance experience. Musical treasures specially crafted from jazz standards, ragtime, Latin, classical, folk, fiddle, pop, rock, Broadway, and Hollywood make up multi-generational concerts that are upbeat and engaging for a wide audience.
Piano Recital, Students of Timothy Flores – Sunday, May 18th
Music on the Porch
Bring a chair and a picnic lunch to the Shirley Center Common in front of the Shirley Meeting House and enjoy the music of local musicians performing in our Music on the Porch series. All performances are rain or shine. We will move inside the Meeting House if it rains. Click here for information about our performers
Jon Swenson – Sunday, June 29th, 1:00 pm
Side Effects – Sunday, July 20th, 1:00 pm
Elizabeth Lorrey – Sunday, August 24th, 1:00 pm
Bongo Mary & the Aquarians – Sunday, September 7th, 1:00 pm
Shirley Pumpkin Fest – Sunday, October 12th
Shirley Film Fest – Saturday, November 8th
Candlelight Vespers – Sunday, December 8th, 6:30 pm
The Shirley Meeting House programs are sponsored in part by a grant from the Shirley Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Shirley Meeting House continues to be committed to the health and safety of our audience and artists. Therefore, we will be following all guidelines put forth by the health department and the CDC. At this time we recommend the wearing of masks for events inside the Meeting House. This may change from program to program so please check back. Thank you for your cooperation!