Frequently Asked Questions

The Lowell Summer Music Series is presented outdoors at Boarding House Park on the corner of French and John Streets in Downtown Lowell, MA. The exact address is 40 French Street, Lowell, MA 01852. Click here to view map.

In inclement weather, some shows may move indoors.

Most will move to Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell (not Lowell High School Auditorium). Click here to view map.

A few events will move to LHS Auditorium, 50 French Street, Lowell. Click here to view map:

• 6/18/22  The Mavericks
• 7/22/22  The High Kings
• 8/27/22  Hiss Golden Messenger/Aoife O’Donovan
• 9/10/22  41st Annual Banjo & Fiddle Contest

• Our new touchless Ticket Scanning system can read your ticket on your phone or paper.
• Patrons are urged to self-monitor for any Covid symptoms and should not attend if they feel ill or have had any recent exposure to Covid.
• Attendees are asked to bring as few items as possible to streamline the security screening process and minimize close interactions upon entry.
• We urge attendees to allow themselves extra space as they feel is necessary and comfortable.
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the venue.
• Food Concessions will only offer limited pre-packaged snacks and drinks
• Employees and volunteers will follow state business guidelines that urge staff to report any illness, stay home or go home early if ill.

Directions to Boarding House Park, 40 French Street, Lowell  are available HERE.

Directions to Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell are available HERE.

Directions to Lowell High School Auditorium, 50 French Street, Lowell are available HERE.  This facility is diagonally across the street from the park.

The 1,100-car Downes Parking Garage is on the opposite corner to Boarding House Park. It is located at 75 John Street, Lowell, MA 01852. The rates are set by the City Parking Department. Directions are available HERE. There are 23 handicap parking spaces located near the garage elevators on each floor available at regular rates.

There are also on-street parking spaces, with meters active until 6PM.  There is no charge for on-street handicap parking spaces.

For shows at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, the 1,000-car Lower Locks Garage at 90 Warren Street, Lowell, MA 01852. The rates are set by the City Parking Department. Directions are HERE.

In addition, the Davidson Street Parking Lot is located at 50 Davidson Street, directly across the street from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. It is a relatively small lot that fills early on show dates.  Directions are HERE.

A very limited number of VIP Parking spaces are available on the surface lot closest to the Boarding House Park entrance. Parking is sold in advance only and can be purchased on our website, by phone or at the box office.  Go to “Buy Tickets” for the artist and VIP Parking info will pop up on the ticketing page, if available.

Yes, both Boarding House Park and the Lowell Memorial Auditorium are 2 blocks north of the Downtown Shuttle Bus Stop at Merrimack & John Street in the heart of downtown Lowell. Buses run to and from the Lowell Regional Transit Authority’s Gallagher Transportation Terminal where MBTA Commuter Rail trains connect with Boston.

Lowell Regional Transit Authority website is here.

MBTA Commuter Rail website is here.

The venue is a public park.

At evening concerts, there are four rows of Premium Seats in front of the stage which need to be purchased in advance. We provide the chairs. There are 48 of these. See photos below in “How Do The Premium Seats Work?”

Shows are otherwise General Admission (capacity 1800) and locations are available on a first come, first served basis. Patrons bring blankets or low sand chairs to sit in the front half of the park or regular lawn chairs to sit in the back half. Either size chair can be used on the far left or right sides of the park. Please do not bring plastic or tarps as they kill the grass.  Please keep the aisles clear, your chair should not be on the paved walkways. Guests should plan to arrive early to get the best seats, or to ensure that a large party is all seated together.

You can see photos of the seating areas at Boarding House Park on our website home page.

For Free Fun For Kids shows, bring a blanket or lawn chair. Seating locations are first come, first served and there will be plenty of room.

At evening concerts, only blankets and low sand chairs are allowed in the front half of the park. Regular lawn chairs belong in the back half of the park.

Chair heights are not measured by the size of seat backs. If the seat itself is less than one foot off the ground, it is a low sand chair.  If it is more than one foot off the ground, it is a regular lawn chair. If so, that chair must be located in the “high seat area” behind the yellow rope in the middle of the second tier of the park. Our usher staff can help you confirm if you are in the right location.

For Free Fun For Kids events, blankets and chairs are allowed anywhere in the park.

Yes! The show goes on rain or shine. The Lowell Summer Music is an outdoor series and it is possible you may get rained on so bring rain gear if it is forecast. We may move the show indoors when advance forecasts project prolonged rain during performance hours or if a National Weather Service Heat Emergency makes it risky for our crew to set up for the show outdoors. The outdoor/indoor call for the day is made the morning of the show before the sound equipment and instruments are set up, based on the best information available at that time. It is difficult to predict completely dry evenings for New England summers. There are occasionally wet conditions that will not force us inside. In these instances, we will hold concerts in passing showers or light rain. Please prepare accordingly with a hat or hoodie. NOTE: Umbrellas are allowed in but should not be opened in the seating area during the show as they block the view of other patrons.

Evening Concerts: Most indoor shows will be held at Lowell Memorial Auditorium (LMA), 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell. A few will be moved to Lowell High School Auditorium located across the street from Boarding House Park. All ticket holders will be notified by email. A message will be posted by 11AM on the day of the show on the home page of this website, facebook and at our infoline 978-970-5200 with the details of any rain relocation.  Doors will open at 5:30 pm. Show time is still 7:30pm.  The indoor venue provides fixed seating, so do not bring chairs. Seating is General Admission, except for Premium Seats in the first few rows, which are reserved.  At LMA, there will be no readmittance to the venue if you leave.  Food Concessions will be open on a limited basis as determined by the LMA concessionaire. No coolers or outside food will be allowed.

Children’s Shows Indoor shows are being moved to the Recital Hall at the Middlesex Community College Academic Arts Center located at 240 Central Street, Lowell, MA (formerly known as The Boston & Maine Railroad Depot aka The Rialto). The Recital Hall is located on the second floor.  Parking is available at The Early Garage, 135 Middlesex Street, Lowell, MA 01852.  Parking validation is available at our event. Do not park in numbered spaces on the first floor which requires advance payment. Park on upper levels and bring your parking ticket to be validated.

A message will be posted by 9:30AM on the day of the show on the home page of this website, facebook and at our infoline 978-970-5200 with the details of any rain relocation. Extremely hot days will also force us inside to take advantage of the air conditioning.  Doors will open at 10AM for preshow activities. Show time is still 11AM. Free healthy snacks and water will still be available.

Advance tickets can be purchased on our website, www.lowellsummermusic.org or, if available, at the Admissions Entrance (outdoors or indoors) at 5:30pm on show nights. We accept CASH, VISA, Master Card, American Express, and Discover.

Note: When purchasing online, you will get an immediate receipt from Etix for your online purchase, but your tickets (with individual bar codes) will be emailed to you four days before the concert. This avoids loss of tickets and scalping.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium Box Office, 50 East Merrimack Street, without ticket fees.  Regular Hours are:  Monday-Friday 10AM-4PM.  We also take phone inquiries at 800-657-8774.

Ticket questions can also be sent to info@spectaclemanagement.com.

BEWARE OF OTHER TICKET SOURCES! Before you buy from another website (usually at inflated prices), please check this website to see if tickets are still available at regular price. Many people have overpaid for tickets purchased from other websites. 

A limited number of Premium Seating tickets are available at each show. For an additional $100 above the ticket price, concert goers will have a reserved space in the first four rows, all of which are within 15 feet of the stage. We will provide a low sand chair for your use that evening. This will all be taken care of in advance by concert staff, no need to arrive early! When purchasing, you can select your numbered seat location from those available on the Seating Map on the ticket purchase page.

If a show moves indoors due to bad weather, your seat will be in the first two rows of the indoor location at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

Your premium fee will support this nonprofit series!

Yes, our new ticket scanners can scan your ticket barcode from your smart phone. Please present the original ticket file, screenshots of tickets are usually difficult to scan.

When you buy multiple tickets online, you will get multiple bar codes. You can provide that ticket with bar code to a friend by printing out the ticket or forwarding the ticket via email.

Note that while you will get an immediate receipt for your online purchase, your tickets will be e-mailed to you four days before the concert. This avoids loss of tickets and scalping.

All sales are final. No refunds unless a show is cancelled, in which case ticket buyers will be informed asap and refunds will be processed.

No. All shows are open to persons of all ages. Children age 12 or under can attend any show free of charge courtesy of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union as long as accompanied by a legal guardian. No advance ticket is required to be admitted at the Admissions Entrance.

No. The Free Fun For Kids events are just that: free of charge thanks to our sponsors.

Events begin at 10am with free art activities, free healthy snacks and a free children’s book.

The stage show is presented at 11am. Show lineup and dates can be found at www.lowellsummermusic.org/kids.  Stage shows last less than one hour.

Free healthy lunches will be provided to children ages 2 through 18 at about 11am and after the show, courtesy of the Lowell Public Schools.

Trolley rides will NOT be available.

Our Evening Concerts begin as promptly as possible at the time listed on your ticket and on the purchase page of the website, usually at 7:30pm. Some concerts will have two sets by the headliner and some will have opening acts. Intermissions will last 20 to 30 minutes.

Free Fun For Kids shows start with free art activities, free healthy snacks and free books at 10:00am and the free stage show and free lunches at 11:00am.

41st Annual Banjo & Fiddle Contest on Saturday, September 10, 2022 is an all-day event with 10am workshops, 11am jam sessions, noon-6pm contest.

We like to think that there is not a bad spot in the house at Boarding House Park. For the best view and widest option for seating locations at our evening concerts, you should plan to arrive around 5:30PM for a 7:30PM show. There is generally plenty of room at our morning children’s shows, so you can arrive any time prior to the 11:00AM show time and find a great spot.

The venue is a public park owned by the National Park Service and is open all day to provide access to adjacent NPS attractions at the Boott Mills Museum and the Mill Girls & Immigrants Exhibits at the Mogan Cultural Center (boardinghouse). For that reason, some patrons do come down to the park and leave their chairs or blankets earlier in the day. Items are not allowed to be left in the park overnight. You may place your chairs or blankets down at 7:00 AM on the day of the show. Prior to that time, a line will form on the John Street side walk near the lowest level walkway at the park. Any chairs or blankets that are on the venue property prior to 7:00 AM will be removed by park staff and placed near the boarding house. There will be plenty of signage about the policy and the starting point of the line at the park. Any items left are at your own risk. Park staff do not monitor items left early in the day.

Boarding House Park is a National Park Service facility. The NPS requires the park to be open all day long for easy passage of park visitors between the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and the Boardinghouse (known as the Mogan Cultural Center) which houses exhibits on the mill girl and immigrant stories. Ticketing is required as of 5:30PM for the concerts.

The National Park Service owns Boarding House Park. NPS Maintenance Division provides for early morning irrigation and it is necessary to keep items off the grass for a short period after that; hence the 7am admissions time. The park is now over 30 years old and the NPS has done an excellent job of maintaining the turf. Please help us keep it in good shape for everyone’s enjoyment.

Boarding House Park is an ADA compliant handicap accessible facility.

The 1,100-car Downes Parking Garage is on the opposite corner to Boarding House Park. It is located at 75 John Street, Lowell, MA 01852. The rates are set by the City Parking Department. Directions are available HERE. There are 23 handicap parking spaces located near the garage elevators on each floor available at regular rates.

Handicap access to the park is at the corner of John and French Streets, the side closest to the parking garage. From the John Street side of the Park, the walkways toward the center of the park can be accessed. Our Admissions crew will open access to the accessible route for you from the Admissions Entrance to an accessible walkway along John Street and then you will have access to ramps to the center of the park and the handicap seating area. While ticket-holding guests of handicapped persons can also sit in this area, we ask your consideration to assure that those with disabilities get first access to this area. See map below in “Is A Handicap Area Available?”

We will post signs on the steps in front of the handicap seating area as a “No Standing Zone” in the hope of not blocking this in this area. Please ask our ushers for assistance if this is still a problem.

Both indoor locations – Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Lowell High School Auditorium – are handicap accessible.

Admission to the Lowell Summer Music Series is always general admission but there is a reserved seating location for patrons with limited mobility. It is located closest to the handicap access on the middle tier of the park (second level out of three levels). Patrons must bring their own seating.

We urge patrons who do not need this area to sit elsewhere and allow wheelchair users and their guests to use it. Mobility-restricted persons are also welcome in this area, again with the smallest possible number of guests out of courtesy to others.

We will post “No Standing Zone” signs on the steps in front of this area to urge patrons to consider those who are unable to stand in the reserved area behind them.

YES! You are here to have fun! This is a general admission venue and you are welcome to stand and dance at your chair or on your blanket. We do need to always keep the stairs and the aisles clear. Many dancers prefer to do so on the sides of the park so as not to block the people seated behind them. We anticipate our upbeat rock shows to be events with many happy grooving people. If you want to stay seated for these shows, we suggest you bring a full sized chair and sit toward the rear of the park where you will more easily see over the standing/dancing crowd. Notwithstanding the above, our best advice is to always be considerate of those around you.

Watch for our Merchandise Sales location selling performer merchandise as well as blankets, chairs, earplugs, bug repellent, LSMS hats, LSMS t-shirts, and other venue items.

Please note that Performer Merchandise supplies, variety and pricing are determined by the artists.  There will be no merchandise available at some shows.

All items can be purchased with your Master Card, Visa, Discover or American Express in addition to cash.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of artist merchandise supports the Lowell Summer Music Series.

The Admissions Area, Merchandise Sales and Snack Bar accept Cash, VISA, Master Card, American Express and Discover. Checks are not accepted.

At Boarding House Park, patrons are allowed to bring in outside food or beverages, except alcohol. For security reasons, all bags and coolers are searched. No hard-sided coolers and no glass or thermoses are allowed.

A Snack Bar has replaced our usual Food Concessions at Boarding House Park. Sweet and salty snacks will be available along with water and soft drinks.

At Lowell Memorial Auditorium outside food and beverages are NOT allowed.  Due to the short notice to go indoors on show date, food and drink concessions may or may not be open.

At Lowell High School Auditorium, food and drinks are not allowed into the seating area, except bottled water.

The Lowell Summer Music Series urges patrons to support Downtown Lowell Restaurants by dining downtown before or after the show!

Consider arriving early to our Evening Concerts, where you can pick a location in the park and then enjoy takeout or a dining experience at a restaurant in downtown Lowell. There will be a Snack Tent at Boarding House Park. Sweet and salty snacks will be available along with water and soft drinks.

If shows move to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, snack bar concessions may or may not be provided for sale by their concessionaire.

If shows move to Lowell High School Auditorium, snacks and soft drinks will be available, as well as a dining area, but food may not be brought into the auditorium, except bottled water.

At Children’s Shows, free healthy snacks and drinks will be available free to all.

You should bring a blanket, low sand chair or regular lawn chair, depending on your seating preference.  One soft sided bag is allowed per person (16” h, 16” w, 8” d). You can bring in food and drinks, but not alcohol.

The indoors venues have fixed seating so please do not bring your chairs or blankets.

No food or drinks may be brought in to Lowell Memorial Auditorium or Lowell High School Auditorium.

You should NOT bring:

-Hard sided coolers

-Glass containers or Thermoses

-Alcohol

-Tables, hammocks, tents, or beach umbrellas

-Tarps or plastic (they damage the grass)

-Any dangerous, distracting or destructive items including but not limited to the items listed below may be prohibited at the discretion of law enforcement / security officials:
-No weapons of any kind
-No illegal drugs, illicit substances or drug paraphernalia
-No flags, banners, drones, fireworks, laser pointers, air-horns or   noise-making devices, flyers/handbills, stickers, or other dangerous, distracting or destructive items.

These restrictions apply to our indoor locations, as well.

Use your best judgment, but if it’s questionable, email us at hello@lowellsummermusic.org for guidance.

Yes. For the safety of all patrons, every attendee is subject to a bag search at Boarding House Park, Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Lowell High School Auditorium.

Attendees are asked to bring as few items as possible to streamline the security screening process and minimize close interactions upon entry.

Boarding House Park is federal property owned by the National Park Service and alcohol sales and consumption are prohibited.

However, there are a number of restaurants and bars within a few blocks of the venue for pre- or post-show consumption.

At Lowell Memorial Auditorium, beer and wine may be available for sale by the venue’s concessionaire.

Boarding House Park is federal property and no smoking is allowed in the park.  Patrons may go to the sidewalk or street at the back of the venue to smoke, however.

There is no smoking in Lowell Memorial Auditorium, though it is allowed outdoors.

No. Patrons at our evening concerts and children’s shows sit in the grass, so animals are generally not allowed at Boarding House Park.

Dogs trained as Service Animals under the Americans With Disabilities Act are allowed.

Emotional support animals are not Service Animals and are not allowed.  More details can be found at this website: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/about-service-and-assistance-animals

Videotaping: No videotaping is allowed.

Photography: In general, most performers allow cell phone or amateur photos to be taken, but prohibit flash photography while they are performing. A flash is generally not required anyway due to the brightness of our stage lights, so you are urged to turn off your flash when taking pictures of the performers so as not to disrupt their performance.  Professional cameras are generally not allowed without a photo pass from the artist.

Audiotaping: Audiotaping is generally not allowed, except at a limited number of shows where permitted by the artist. When permitted, mics and mic stands are only permitted adjacent to the sound board near the middle rear of the park.

We do not issue press passes or photo passes. All press inquiries should be directed to the band’s publicist, management or label. Unfortunately, we are not authorized to give out that information.

At Boarding House Park, public restrooms are located on the ground floor of the Joseph Downes Sr. Parking Garage on the corner closest to the Park. They are maintained by the Lowell Summer Music Series. Additional restrooms will be opened at intermission accessible from the Boott Mills Courtyard

At Lowell Memorial Auditorium, they are located on the main floor and basement levels.

At Lowell High School Auditorium, they are located outside the main doors to the auditorium.

The official hotel of the Lowell Summer Music Series is the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center at 50 Warren Street, Lowell. Reservations: 978-934-6921. https://www.guestreservations.com/umass-lowell-inn-and-conference-center/booking

Other hotel options can be found at the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau website: https://merrimackvalley.org/where-to-stay/

Yes! The venue is located within the Lowell National Historical Park and the Downtown Lowell Historic District.

Get National Park tour info here: https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm

Check out museum and restaurant options at the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau website: https://merrimackvalley.org/see-and-do/

The City of Lowell visitor information is at https://www.likelowell.com/

More information can be found on our Visit Lowell page:  https://lowellsummermusic.org/visit-lowell/

To receive e-mail updates that include information on just announced shows, on-sale dates, exclusive pre-sales as well as upcoming events, just enter your e-mail and/or address in the sign-up box at our website home page.

Your best starting place is www.lowellsummermusic.org or signing up for our email list on the home page of our website.

Follow @lowellmusic on Twitter

Follow @lowellsummermusic on Instagram

Like us at Facebook.com/lowellsummermusic

Like us at Facebook.com/freefunforkids

Andrew Holden (aholden@spectaclelive.com) is the talent buyer for the series.

Yes! It is one of the four stage locations at the Lowell Folk Festival which is held the last full weekend in July each year.

The Annual Banjo & Fiddle Contest happens here the Saturday after Labor Day each year – Saturday, September 10, 2022.

Other Lowell National Historical Park events are also scheduled here periodically. Park events can be found HERE.

Yes! A National Park Service Special Use Permit is required. Federal regulations apply. Contact melanie_huckstep@nps.gov.

We do have a lost & found. Please send an email HERE or call 978-337-1612 (cell) on show nights to see if your item was found and coordinate a time to pick it up.

The Series is not responsible for items left in the park. Any losses are at the owner’s risk.

If you need more info please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Please send an email to hello@lowellsummermusic.org or call 978-275-1829. We will do our best to get back to you in a timely fashion.