September in New Bedford: 10+ Must-Do and Must-See Things

September in New Bedford: 10+ Must-Do and Must-See Things

August 19th, 2026

September Culinary Musts

Feast, drink, and be merry with the cutest furry friends in the city at the Buttonwood Park Zoo First Taste of Fall. On September 12 from 4 to 7 PM, the Zoo hosts its annual fall fundraiser with local food trucks, breweries, and wineries. This is a 21+ event with live music and animal encounters. Purchase your ticket today.

The best challenge of the year is sampling from every vendor at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Seafood Soiree. On September 15, you have from 5:30 to 8 PM to make your way around the tents at Cisco Brewers New Bedford and try different takes on seafood dishes from a series of local chefs. This fundraiser showcases the nation’s #1 fishing port and the dedicated industry professionals that make dining in New Bedford a truly boat-to-table experience. Learn more and purchase tickets to the soiree.

Smoked fish pate samples at the Seafood Soiree photo courtesy of New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. — Smoked fish pate at the Seafood Soiree. Photograph courtesy of New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

Sip global and shop local at the second annual Johnny Cake Hill Wine Festival on September 27 from 1 to 5 PM. Sample from over sixty different wines, shop from local artisans, try small bites paired with wines, enjoy live music, and more. A percentage of ticket sales benefit the Waterfront Area Historic League (WHALE) and their mission to preserve historic buildings in the city. Your ticket also includes a visit to the historic Seamen’s Bethel that inspired parts of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. Get a look at the newly installed Herman Melville statue on the lawn by artist Stefanie Rocknak. Grab your tickets and plan your visit now.

The Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento brings back all of your favorites from the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament for one night this fall. The Fall Festa is all about food, wine, and family on September 19 from noon to 11 PM. Entry is free, and there will be music and vendors for your entertainment.

Art Adventures

Rhode Island artist Thomas Deininger captivates viewers with his optical-illusion assemblages that are more than meets the eye at first glance. His sculptures use discarded objects, largely toys, to create remarkable depictions of nature, such as the birds in the New Bedford Art Museum’s current exhibition, Vanishing Ecologies: Speculative Futures. His work comments on the issues of mass consumerism. Don’t miss his ArtTALK at the Museum on September 10 from 6 to 7 PM.

Celebrate art through Cinema 169 at Gallery X. This film screening series is inspired by visual art exhibitions currently on view at Gallery X. To coincide with the exhibition Between the Lines, Muppet Treasure Island will be shown on September 25 at 6:30 PM.

Cast your vote for an Oscar-qualifying film during the 29th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival at the Whaling Museum, September 24, from 5:30 to 8 PM. The Museum is one of four hundred venues that host the festival screenings across six continents.

Cheers at Coastal Bubbles + Wine Bar. Photograph by Maggie Howland.

Live Music

Get ready for an epic Fleetwood Mac singalong at the Zeiterion on Friday, September 18, from 8 to 9:30 PM. Choir! Choir! Choir!’s Landslide takes the stage, inviting the audience to belt out their favorite songs. Gather up your family and friends and purchase tickets.

Kick off Labor Day Weekend at the New Bedford Whaling Museum at their September First Fridays, Brass Sass and Serious Fun! on September 4. Enjoy access to the full museum before the show. Doors open at 5 PM with the New Orleans-style grooves of the Catnip Junkies.

In New Bedford, we love a good collaboration, and this one is no exception. The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra is teaming up with the Museum of Madeiran Heritage for a special performance under the museum’s outdoor pavilion. For Classical Strings and Traditional Fado, symphony musicians join fadista Sonia Bettencourt on September 26 at 7 PM. There will be a full cash bar and Pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts).

Museum of Madeiran Heritage wood carvings of traditional folkloric musicians.

The rumor mill drives the drama at Steeple Playhouse this September. Your Theatre presents the comedic stage farce Rumors by Neil Simon and directed by Nicole Perullo. A whodunit that creates a chaoticly hilarious game of finger-pointing will leave the audience laughing beyond the great reveal. Grab your tickets for afternoon showings on September 20 and 27, or evening showings on September 18, 19, 25, or 26.

Don’t miss the final Summer Sound Series concert on Friday, September 4, on Lower Union Street from 6:30- 8:30. Entrain is a local band performing funk and world music. Enjoy cold beverages from restaurants on the street during the block party. Bring a lawn chair, friends, and your dancing shoes. This series is free and open to the public thanks to sponsors for AHA! New Bedford.