Marblehead Festival of Arts 2026

Every event, on one screen. Filter by day, type and venue, then build your own schedule.

Welcome to The Independent’s guide to the 60th Marblehead Festival of Arts

Now in its 60th year, the Marblehead Festival of Arts fills five days — Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5 — with art, music, words and film all over town.

We pulled every event into one place so you’re not clicking through dozens of separate pages. Filter by day, venue or event type, then star the ones you want to build your own schedule. Every card links to the official listing for full details.

Plans shift — times, locations and availability can change — so the official listing on each card is the place to confirm the latest.

Before you head downtown, open this page once. Your saved events and most of the guide stay with you even if cell service gets spotty in the crowds.

How to use this guide

Browse everything — Use the filters to narrow events by day, type or venue.
Build your own schedule — Select the ★ icon on any event to save it to My Festival.
Find your way — Open the map to see venues and event locations across town.
Check official details — Every event links to its official festival listing for the latest information on timing, tickets and changes.
Use it on the go — Load the guide before heading out. It should continue working even if your connection becomes unreliable.

Also this Fourth of July in Marblehead

Beyond the Festival of Arts, the Fourth is its own Marblehead tradition — and 2026 marks 250 years of American independence. These aren’t festival events, but they’re part of what makes the weekend. You’ll also find them in the schedule below, tagged Fourth of July.

10 a.m.Horribles ParadeChildren’s costume parade, National Grand Bank lot
11:30 a.m.Harbor Patriotic Boat ParadeBoats muster at Green Can “1MH”; cannon and harbor loop at noon
8:45 p.m.Harbor IlluminationThe “Ring of Fire” around the harbor
9 p.m.FireworksFrom a barge at the mouth of the harbor

The fireworks are volunteer-run and funded entirely by donations — and the Marblehead Fireworks Committee says it’s running short this year for the 250th.

Support the Marblehead Fireworks Fund

Event information is compiled from official festival listings. Schedules, locations and event details may change. Official event pages are the authoritative source for the most current information.