Step back into the 17th century and experience the sights, smells, and flavors of early New England at Historic Beverly’s First Friday program at the Balch House.

Join us for a live hearth cooking demonstration in the c. 1680 kitchen of one of Beverly’s oldest surviving homes. Using period tools and techniques, our interpreters will prepare traditional foods over the open hearth while sharing stories about daily life, seasonal ingredients, and the labor that sustained early colonial households.

Discover how meals were prepared without modern conveniences, learn about the rhythms of food preparation in early America, and explore how cooking connected families, communities, and cultures. Visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions and see historic recipes brought to life in an authentic setting.

This free program offers a warm and engaging way to connect with Beverly’s past. Drop in, gather by the hearth, and experience history in action.