One of the Concord Free Public Library’s benches was used for a scene that showed a sleeping Savanah Carlson as Titania during The Concord Players performance of William Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” Sunday June 25, 2023. Ken McGagh for The Concord Bridge
Say goodbye to 2023 with our photos of the year
December 28, 2023
Photographer Ken McGagh, who joined The Concord Bridge team back in May, and Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Lord Paluzzi have selected some favorite images from 2023.
Charlie Rodday, 11, of Concord, lets loose his racer made from a squash at the Concord Ag Day Scimone Farm Speedway track, September 9, 2023. Children were encouraged to build and decorate racers from squash, zucchini, carrots and corn before trying them out on the track. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeGraduates toss their mortarboards to the sky at the conclusion of commencement exercises at Concord-Carlisle High School, June 3, 2023. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeRe-enactors of the Civil War era all-Black Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, right, march to the grave of George Washington Dugan, a Concord farmer and private in the 54th who gave his life during the storming of Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863, during a dedication ceremony at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on Saturday, July 15, 2023. At left is the modern-day National Guard 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, a ceremonial unit named for the Civil War era 54th. The regiment was memorialized in the 1989 film, “Glory.” Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeBenny Bury takes to the air against BMC Durfee High School in the MIAA Division 1 State Soccer Tournament. Photo by Janel ApunaLibrary trustee John Boynton, as Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Jan Turnquist as Louisa May Alcott have a Concord Police escort as they begin a parade from the Concord Town House to the library during the Concord Free Public Library’s 150th Anniversary Celebration, October 1, 2023. Boynton re-enacted a portion of Emerson’s original 1873 library dedication speech from the steps of the Town House. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeFutoshi Sugihara, the mayor of Nanae, Japan, appears in a live video hookup for a signing ceremony renewing Concord’s sister city affiliation with Nanae, Sunday, October 29,. 2023. It was Monday morning in Japan. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeEquipped with colorful umbrellas, visitors from Nanae, Hokkaido, Japan, Concord’s sister city, braved Monday’s rain and clouds for a firsthand view of Old North Bridge and Minute Man National Historical Park. Photo by Celeste Katz MarstonMolly Constable and her dog, Birdie, rendezvoused with one of the beavers frequently spotted at the Concord Country Club. Much to Molly’s surprise, her water-averse Labrador dove right in. “This beaver had her swimming in open water for the first time! Ahhh, animal bonding,” she said. PHOTO BY MOLLY CONSTABLEWearing a red dress to match her mother’s costume, Maeve Meunier, 4, watches a performance of William Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the Concord Free Public Library lawn, Sunday June 25, 2023. Maeve’s mother, Lexi Meunier, plays Puck on the famous Shakespearean comedy. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeConcord-Carlisle football quarterback Ryan Fivek, front, and teammates stand for the national anthem before the first game of the season against Shepherd Hill Regional, Friday, September, 8 2023. Lightning suspended play with 5:52 left in the first quarter Friday night and the game was finished on Saturday morning, with the Patriots defeating the Rams 41-8. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeThe student section waves their cell phone flashlights during the Concord-Carlisle vs. Lincoln Sudbury boys’ soccer game, the highly anticipated final match of the annual Kicks for Cancer fundraiser at Concord-Carlisle High School, Saturday, September 23, 2023. Kicks for Cancer started in 2007 with one soccer game to honor the life of Lois Wells, the mother of Concord-Carlisle soccer alums Steve Wells and Dan Wells, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007. Steve Wells, now a special education teacher at Concord-Carlisle, has seen the annual late September event grow into an all-day tournament with some of the region’s top boys’ and girls’ soccer teams. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeAmy Bruning of Carlisle and her Pekin duck “Toot” meet a pair of eager golden retrievers before a Blessing of the Animals at Trinitarian Congregational Church Sunday, September 17, 2023. Dozens of dogs and one lucky duck received blessings from clergy Sunday. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeAn elite runner passes underneath a rainbow during the 13th Adrian Martinez Classic at Emerson Field in Concord, June 10, 2023. Back after a 4-year hiatus, the distinctive track meet is in memory of Adrian Martinez, a champion miler who graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School in 2002. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeRe-enactors of the Civil War era all-Black Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, right, march to the grave of George Washington Dugan, a Concord farmer and private in the 54th who gave his life during the storming of Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863, during a dedication ceremony at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on Saturday, July 15, 2023. At left is the modern-day National Guard 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, a ceremonial unit named for the Civil War era 54th. The regiment was memorialized in the 1989 film, “Glory.” Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeRe-enactors fire one final volley on the Old North Bridge. Photo by Jennifer Lord PaluzziA hummingbird approaches a sunflower in the pick-your-own sunflower field at Verrill Farm in Concord, August 23, 2023. It has been a challenging season for sunflower growing, but the farm was able to get in a few pick-your-own days this month. Verrill Farm plans an even bigger planting of sunnies to arrive in late September. Ken McGagh for The Concord BridgeJustin Lutz of Concord encourages his baton-carrying son Tommy, 4, as the Lutz family competes in the family 4×400 relay during the 13th Adrian Martinez Classic at Emerson Field in Concord, June 10, 2023. The other legs of the race were run by Lutz’s wife Jenn and daughter Evie, 6. The distinctive track meet offered a unique mix of professional runners, high school athletes and runners of all ages. Ken McGagh for The Concord Bridge
