AHA! Night Returns to New Bedford with Vibrant ‘NB Cultures’ Celebration

AHA! Night organizers are gearing up for a gala celebration of different cultures in New Bedford. AHA! Night this month is Thursday, September 10, with the theme of "NB Cultures" and the fun kicks off at Custom House Square, the 54th Regiment Plaza and Wings Court.

Indigenous Communities Take Center Stage

AHA! is teaming with First People Encounter to present "Somos las Raices/We Are The Roots." Beginning at 4 p.m., storytelling, music, dance, art, food, and cultural tradition will be featured to highlight Native Caribbean, Borikén (Puerto Rican), Wampanoag, and other Indigenous communities.

"Just in that area alone, there will be dancing and drumming and cultural talks, and everyone is welcome to stop by," AHA! Director Kim Goddard said this week on Townsquare Sunday.

Global Traditions Expand Across New Bedford Museums and Venues

Down the street at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, there will be more dancing, as the center highlights the Central America/Guatemalan culture. A local Guatemalan dance troupe will perform in the FHC parking lot at 6 p.m. Visitors can also check out the center's "Casting a Wider Net" exhibit, which features stories of Guatemalan workers currently working in the fishing industry.

The New Bedford Art Museum has a full slate of activities starting at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10, with an exhibit featuring artwork created by farmers, a talk by a Rhode Island artist, and a film.

"The museum is partnering with the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), which has put together an exhibition of artwork created by farmers, and artists who have an appreciation for the agricultural world," Goddard said.

A Great Reads book discussion will start at 5:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The book is Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity by Joseph Lee.

A man playing a saxophone in a dark room

Live Music, Jazz, and Cultural Performances Fill AHA! Night

Live music continues to be a big part of AHA! Night in New Bedford. There will be an AHA! Moment performance by acclaimed Cape Verdean singer and songwriter Zerui DePina and his band, with special guests Amilton Tavares and VaVa Medina, performing traditional Cape Verdean music at the Verdean Vets Hall at 7:30 p.m.

There will be more jazz on Centre Street with the Jim Robitaille Trio performing sets at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Also, the Zeiterion Jazz Jam is returning to the Speakeasy from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the Buttonwood Brass Band entertains from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the New Bedford Harbor Hotel on Union Street.

We have only highlighted a fraction of the events happening on Sept. 10 at AHA! Night; for a complete listing, check out the AHA! website.

AHA! Night is always free and open to anyone.

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