Essex National Heritage Area Celebrates 20th Annual “Trails and Sails”

Visitors at Trails and Sails in 2020.

Essex Heritage

Trails and Sails kicked off this past weekend in the Essex National Heritage Area, and runs through Sunday, September 26^th. The annual cultural festival offers 10 days of over 150 free events spread across Essex County, a region known for its colonial, maritime, and industrial legacy.

The Essex National Heritage spans 34 cities and towns in the North Shore region of Massachusetts, just a short trip from downtown Boston. The City of Salem, prominently located in Essex County and a highlight of the Heritage Area, is an autumn sightseer’s haven for “haunted” and Halloween-themed sites including the famous Witch House associated with the Salem Witch Trials.

Outdoor Sculptures at Maudslay exhibit in Newburyport.

Essex Heritage

Trails and Sails, now in its 20th year, features everything from scenic nature walks and historic home tours to lectures and cultural demonstrations. Whether you are interested in art and design, history, ecology—or yes, even the occult—Trails and Sails has something for you.

Recurring events (offered at various times throughout the week to fit any schedule) include the Rising Tides guided walking tour of Salem’s coast along with a conversation on climate change impact, hosted by Historic Salem; a Farmstead Cheese Tour at Essex County’s largest producer of goat cheese; and the Rocky Neck Art Colony Walking Tour of one of America’s historical art epicenters.

Art enthusiasts will also enjoy Historic Beverly’s 4^th Annual Community Art Show running all day long on Saturday, 9/25 from 9:30am to 4pm. This year’s show is titled Strength, Perseverance, and Hope in Beverly. The juried exhibition features over 60 works by more than 40 local artists working in painting, photography, and other media. Art lovers can also tour the 22^nd Annual Outdoor Sculptures at Maudslay exhibit in Newburyport.

The Architectural Treasure Hunt at Trails & Sails 2021 tours Salem's McIntire Historic District.

Essex Heritage

Connoisseurs of architecture and design (and the newly-curious alike) can take part in the recurring Architectural Treasure Hunt walking tours of Salem’s McIntire Historic District or take a peek and learn about at the Tiffany Windows of St. Stephens Memorial Church in Lynn. Or on Saturday 9/25, if outdoors options are more your style, check out the Nature Trail Hike through the Little River Trail system in Lynn or a Farm – Forest – Ice Cream Hike in Ipswich on Sunday, 9/26.

Trails and Sails also showcases the close partnership of the Essex NHA with the National Park Service, with events such as the recurring Black Women of Essex County lecture presented in partnership with Salem Maritime and Saugus Ironworks National Historic Sites. For Trails and Sails attendees looking to get into the nitty gritty of local industrial history, Saugus Ironworks is also offering a Blacksmithing Demo and Industrial Site Tour on Friday afternoon.

The “Witch House”, or Corwin House in Salem, MA. Mid-17th century home of Judge Jonathan Corwin of the Salem Witch Trials.

Essex Heritage

Finally, for those interested in the spooky side of Essex County, Trails and Sails has you covered too. The Haunted Happenings in Essex County Conversation will take place on Thursday, September 23^rd in Lawrence. Various cemetery tours throughout the week will bring you to sites like Pentucket Burial Ground in Haverhill. Those looking to get even more into character can join the 17^th Century Elderflower Recipes workshop at the Witch House in Salem on Saturday 9/25.

The 20^th Annual Trails and Sails allows visitors of all ages to take part in the rich local heritage, no matter where their interests lie. “It is our mission to knit together the exceptional places of Essex County – the places that make this area like nowhere else – in a fun way that inspires residents and visitors to make connections between their lives and these places,” said Annie Harris, CEO of Essex Heritage.

For the full event schedule through September 26^th and more visitor information, visit the Trails and Sails site. Stayed tuned here on the NHA Blog for more updates on autumn activities from other heritage areas.