About Let It Out Edition
Sevening (v.): the act of showing up after seven(ish), for your people, your community, and honestly yourself in Essex County. The definition’s letting it all hang out this week. In need of the original? It’s still all out in our About Time Edition.
Oh hey there, Essex County. Take a breath. A big deep breath. Actually, take a holla, a shout, a belted high note, whatever you’ve got backed up in there, because honeys, this week we are letting. it. out.
Last week, Essex County did a whole lot of waiting to see: a koala impresario sweating out a sold-out show, a bingo king dishing out fate, a spider getting pinned mid-pose, a wrestler’s future decided live, a speed date sparking or not, and more. Essex County waited and waited to see how it would all turn out.
This week, we’re done waiting on anything. This week is about release: the kind that comes from a mic, a dance floor, a piping bag, a protest, or just finally saying the thing you’ve been sitting on since forever and a day. Yell it, sing it, frost it, dance it, organize it, say it, protest it. Whatever’s been building up in Essex County, honeys, it’s coming out swinging. Let’s get it out.
August 11, 2026
Energy, Justice, & Offshore Wind at 5:30 PM
🟨 Empower Black Business Challenge Square
Hellur! When we said sevening means showing up for your community, we meant that one with our whole chest, no fine print attached. We said what we said. Now, let’s talk about power: the kind that keeps your lights on and the kind you’re allowed to take back. SAFE and The North Shore Labor Council is pulling up to Galleries at Lynn Arts to unpack why offshore wind projects keep getting cancelled while your energy bill keeps doing a death drop straight into your wallet. This is not a quiet sit-and-listen situation; it’s a full-volume conversation about who gets a say and who’s been left holding the electric bill. People in the struggle, this is your stage. Come charged up. Leave electrified.
August 12, 2026
Improv For Stress and Anxiety Workshop at 6:00 PM
Oh honeys, we got your zen sevenings for the next couple of weeks. Anxiety, meet your understudy. The Cabot is taking the whole stress-and-anxiety situation and turning it into an interactive improv three week workshop at Off Cabot, because sometimes the healthiest thing you can do with your racing thoughts is yell ‘yes, and’ at them. Games, exercises, zero pressure to be funny, just permission to be a little or a lot out in a room that’s totally on your side. Bring your nerves. You’ll leave them somewhere in Beverly. Free your mind, the rest will follow. YES, AND!
BINGO Night at Kowloon! at 7:00 PM
Grab a dauber and your best game face, because the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce is turning Kowloon into a full-blown bingo battleground. This isn’t your basement or hall bingo; this is business-casual chaos with better lighting and probably better drinks. Every number called is a tiny cliffhanger, every card a gamble, every win a well-earned flex. Come network, come nosh, come scream ‘BINGO’ loud enough to make the next table flinch. B-4 you know it, you’ll be hooked.
August 13, 2026
Karaoke Night in The Cellar at 7:00 PM
Descend into the underground with me, mwhahahaha, er I mean, like because The Bell Inn & Tavern is turning its cellar into your personal stage. Bars over Bars is hosting, the mic is hot, and your signature song is calling whether you’re ready or not. Bring your best lines, your loudest friend for backup harmonies, and zero shame about that one big note you will absolutely reach tonight. Free entry means your only real investment is getting up there. Let it out. Belt it, baby, one more time.
Framing Workshop at 6:00 PM
🟨 Empower Black Business Challenge Square
Every masterpiece deserves a proper frame, and so does every ounce of pent-up creative energy you’ve been sitting on. Sally Jacobson is hosting a hands-on framing workshop at Galleries at Lynn Arts, walking you through the basics of custom framing: mats, mouldings, glazing, the whole glamorous border situation your artwork’s been begging for. Whether you’re prepping for an exhibition or just tired of your art living naked, this is your permission slip to finally give it the presentation it deserves. No experience required, just a willingness to measure twice and glue once. Frame that, honey. You’ve soooo earned it.
August 14, 2026
DEAD DISCO: A Dark Disco / Goth / Post-Punk Dance Party at 9:00 PM
Rise from your crypt, Essex County, because DEAD DISCO is back at Koto and the dance floor is calling your name from beyond the grave. DJ James 808 is spinning dark disco, goth, post-punk, and wave classics old and new for one gloriously moody 21+ pop-up party. Think fog machines, eyeliner sharp enough to cut glass, and a bassline that hits like a curse. This is not your usual disco situation; this is a full-body, full-eyeliner release. Whatever you’ve been holding onto all week, leave it on that dance floor. Dance like the void is watching. Because we all know it is.
August 15, 2026
Seaside Cake Decorating Class at 5:30 PM
Buttercream and beach vibes, together at last. Goes together like me and Seraphine. Granite Coast Brewing is hosting a beginner-friendly adult cake decorating class where you’ll pipe your way through ocean-blue frosting, edible seashells, and starfish until your six-inch cake looks like it just walked off a boardwalk. No baking experience required, just a steady hand and a willingness to make a glorious buttercream mess. Bring your inner pastry diva, bring your appetite for both craft and craft beer, and prepare to leave with a cake almost too cute to eat. Almost. And no, that is not blue frosting on my nose. What?
Brews & Book Fair at Gentile Brewing at 5:00 PM
Beer and books, yet another power couple. Copper Dog Books is popping up at Gentile Brewing for round five of six in this summer’s brewery book tour, because a cold pint(s) joined by a stack of paperbacks you absolutely do not need but will absolutely buy anyway is just so fab. Browse, sip, chat with fellow bookworms, and let a stranger or staff pick talk you into a genre you swore you’d never touch. It’s low-key, it’s cozy, and it’s the kind of sevening that lets you unwind without performing a single ounce of small talk. Read it and reap, honey.
Queer Community Gathering: Salem Night Live! at 7:00 PM
YAAAAAAAS honeys, get ready to serve looks and feel seen, because Peabody Essex Museum is throwing open its doors for the inaugural Salem Night Live: a free variety show built entirely for the LGBTQIA+ community and everyone who loves them. Host Ms. Adventure is bringing music, comedy, and a lineup of local queer talent for a night that’s less ‘show’ and more full-blown celebration of showing up as exactly who you are. It’s free, it’s fierce, of course it’s fabulous, and preregistration is highly encouraged because space is limited and demand for joy is not.
August 16, 2026
Outside the Lines: Open Mic Night Hosted by Felipe Collazo at 6:00 PM
The mic is open, the floor is yours, and ain’t nobody here to judge your three-minute interpretive comedy poem song juggle sashay dance thang about cats. Essex Art Center‘s brand-new open mic series gives singers, dancers, poets, comedians, and everyone in between a genuine blank canvas to let it all out, however that looks for you. Sign-ups start right at showtime, so channel your nerves into main character energy and put your name down or your friend’s name that brought with you. Whether you’re performing or cheering from the crowd, this is a community built one fearless set at a time. Say it, sing it, dance it, meow it, just don’t hold it in.
Consider this your cue, honeys, because we are done. Let it ALL out, ALL the way out, no sorry’s, no tidying up, no apologizing for taking up space, no shrinking for nobody. This is YOUR moment, so serve it fierce and don’t you dare hold back. Werk it, own it, slay it.
We got you. And always will. But that’s just some of what sevening is letting out in Essex County this week; the full lineup is all out on the event calendar. CC members, submit a member marketing request and let your event join the release.
Not on the newsletter yet? That’s the one thing you’re still holding in. Get on it. And follow us on the socials, @creativecollectivema and @creativecollectiveexplores, both, every week, no exceptions.
Until next week, Essex County. Stay sevening. You know where to find us. We’re everywhere. So is whatever you just let out.
– (unforever) yeong and the (s)evening shift, out. Definitely all out, and no longer bothered.
This story comes from the Creative Collective community
Essex County businesses who believe when we thrive together, our whole region becomes more vibrant. We’re entrepreneurs, creators, and service providers across all industries, collaborating to build the community we want to be part of. If you see your business as more than just commerce — as a way to contribute to our regional ecosystem — you belong here. Discover how to join our community →
