Free Historic Park Summertime Events

Summertime is the best time to enjoy free entertainment in your local national park! YAP!, or Youth Ambassador Program, will be appearing in the garden area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in downtown New Bedford on Thursday evening, July 12, from 6:30 to 7:15 PM as part of its Thursday evening summer concert series. Then, on Saturday, July 14, from 12 noon- 2 PM, Ken Bizarro will be demonstrating model boat making in the garden, while Ruth and Abby, the 1850s ladies, offer hands-on crafts for children. The Saturday afternoon activities are part of the park’s Maritime Heritage series. The concerts and maritime crafts are offered free each week at the park during July and August. Keep up with events around the Greater New Bedford area on the New Bedford Guide event calendar: http://www.newbedfordguide.com/calendar.

YAP! is an after-school and summer program for New Bedford teens who communicate local and national history, and other national park-related themes to their peers through music, video, and social media outreach. They represent the youth voice of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and have created songs that introduce topics such as whaling and Underground Railroad history, as well as a song encouraging young people to “Get Outside and Move” which landed them a front page feature on Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move website www.letsmove.gov. YAP! is a collaboration between New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and Third Eye Unlimited, a local non-profit organization that works to engage and empower youth to become leaders in order to transform their communities.

Check out YAP’s “Walk with Me” music video. They give a great tour of New Bedford!