AHA! takes over Custom House Square on Thursday with local market. Here's what to know.

NEW BEDFORD — Custom House Square and the downtown area will be the place to be Nov. 9, as it will be humming with holiday-inspired festivities and locally made gifts from over 25 local vendors as part of AHA!'s "MADE IN NB: Art Mart and Gallery Night" event.

"We've very excited to see what AHA! evolves into as we continue planning for its future," said Anthi Fragiadis, chair of the Steering Committee for AHA!

In August 2023, Lee Heald retired as program director after 25 years. "The biggest question has been, what's AHA!'s role for the next 25 years?" said Fragiadis. "The landscape in downtown New Bedford is very different today than it was 25 years ago."

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Fragiadis said one side of the coin says, 'You've accomplished your mission, you can just end and let everyone in the current landscape continue on with the good work' where as the the other side is, 'There's certainly still work to be done.'

"We're figuring this all out now," she added.

What to expect on Thursday night

In the meantime, Downtown New Bedford will be bustling with holiday festivities on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Custom House Square will be the hub, hosting over 25 local makers with unique gifts. Nearby galleries and museums will also be open late and feature family-friendly events.

Custom House Square will also feature live music, glassblowing demonstrations, a living statue and temporary tattoos. Dancers from the New Bedford Ballet will be dressed in Nutcracker attire, promoting their upcoming performance.

Made in NB! Art Mart & Gallery Night

From 4:00 – 8:00 pm, shop over 25 local artists and vendors on Acushnet Avenue between William and Union Streets, adjacent to Custom House Square.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum will also feature local artisans selling their one-of-a-kind creations.

Where are AHA! Night events taking place

An array of art makers will be stationed between William Street and Union on Acushnet Avenue as well as all over the downtown area. Follow the yellow AHA! flags to participating establishments throughout the downtown area.

The Art Museum, Fishing Heritage Center and William’s Street galleries and storefronts such as Gallery X, Alison Wells’ Gallery, TL6, Cummings Building Artists Studio, Celia’s Boutique and the Beauty Lounge, is fondly referred to as the AHA! District during the event.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum will also be open.

What streets will be shut down

From 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., expect William Street and Union Street to be shut down for the vendors as well as heavy foot traffic on Purchase and Pleasant Street in the downtown area.

Other downtown businesses have events

The New Bedford Public Library at 613 Pleasant Street will host a Weaving Crafts by Little People’s College to celebrate the Made in New Bedford Textile Industry. Participants will have an opportunity to weave yarn and sticks into colorful and decorative ornaments, also known as God’s Eyes or ojo de dios until 5 p.m.

Explore the work of New Bedford Makers at The Drawing Room in which Wendy Bauer of Wendy Bauer Apparel will showcase her handmade jackets on local models of all shapes and sizes. You can look for the models strolling through the Art Mart in Custom House Square.

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Claudia De Sousa-Baptista of Bushwood Tailors Opp Shop will offer small embellishments to give a piece of your clothing new life and Diana Arvanites will demonstrate her jewelry metalworking on her anvil.

Heidi O’Donnell Eastman of Port to Port Connections will lead you through a creative local mapping journey of New Bedford.

Learn meditation, make jar leaf lanterns and create more

Kelsang Kalden, Buddhist Nun and Resident Teacher of Serlingpa Meditation Center, will offer a guided meditation from 6:00-6:30 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy Autumn treats and hot drinks and answer any questions, before the meditation session, between 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and after the meditation session between 6:30-7:30 p.m.

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Join Pilgrim United Church and Mercy Meals & More to create your own mason jar leaf lantern and bring your own colorful leaves or use some of ours.

Experience a Taste of New Bedford JazzFest with The Joel Larue Smith Duo, featuring Joel LaRue Smith and Evan Palmer on Bass, who will play two sets at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Gallery X in celebrating the return of a longtime favorite exhibition "High School Select Redux," featuring amazing young artists from New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven High Schools.

Over 300 works in all varieties of media are represented in this diverse and imaginative exhibition… graphite & charcoal drawings, watercolor & acrylic paintings, digital media & photography, mixed media sculpture & ceramics, and even jewelry & metals.

Two local galleries invite all to their opening night

The Fishing Heritage Center and local artist Christina Jacobsen deVilliers from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm to learn how to draw your very own mermaid and enter your name in a raffle for a chance to win a hand-painted scallop shell featuring one of deVillier’s signature mermaids.

The New Bedford Art Museum at 608 Pleasant Street will host an opening reception for its "Gateways to Awareness" an exhibition exploring memory, perception, and the five senses, featuring examples of floral, olfactory, and sound art.

Groundwork will also host its opening reception of “New England Through Lines And Shade," an exhibition by Yaz Mehović.

The Cummings Building Artists’ Studios will also be open showcasing artists from various mediums while enjoying music by DJ AnjKep and light refreshments. Situated within the Cummings Building Artists’ Studios, SGKocur will be featuring feedsack quilts made by her great great grandmother.

Check the AHA! website or pick up a printed list at designated locations for a complete list of events. November’s AHA! is made possible thanks to this month’s sponsor, Destination New Bedford.

Parking for the festival

Free parking is available at the Elm Street Garage. Street parking is free after 7 p.m.

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports.Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford's AHA! night on Thursday to take over custom house square