If you’ve driven or strolled along Acushnet Avenue lately, you’ve likely noticed something vibrant and new catching your eye. A colorful series of banners now lines The Ave—each one a delicious celebration of local flavor and the people who make it possible. These fresh designs, created by the award-winning design firm OverUnder, photography by Josh Souza and installed by the City of New Bedford Department of Public Infrastructure (DPI), are the latest chapter in the ongoing Love The Ave initiative.
The new banners showcase one of the North End’s greatest strengths: its culinary culture. From traditional Portuguese bakeries and Cape Verdean restaurants to Dominican eateries and taco shops, The Ave has long been a destination where heritage, hard work, and hospitality come together—one plate at a time. Now, that story is proudly told above the sidewalks themselves.
Each banner features striking imagery and bold typography that reflect the diversity and creativity found within the neighborhood’s kitchens. They honor not just the food, but the people—the chefs, bakers, grill masters, and families—who keep the aroma of home cooking wafting down Acushnet Avenue.
The banners are a love letter to the community. They remind everyone that this isn’t just a street—it’s a living, breathing corridor of culture and connection.
OverUnder, known for its design work throughout New England, collaborated closely with local partners to ensure the artwork reflected The Ave’s authentic voice. The City’s DPI team then brought the vision to life by carefully installing the banners along key stretches of the avenue, creating a visual rhythm that ties the district together.
The project aligns perfectly with Love The Ave’s mission—to highlight the energy, enterprise, and everyday beauty of New Bedford’s North End. It’s part of a larger effort to build pride of place, support small businesses, and invite residents and visitors alike to rediscover all The Ave has to offer.
The banners, new logo, and projects still in the works (stay tuned) are all designed to brand the area on and surrounding The Ave in New Bedford’s north end as a unique community and destination in the city. It’s been a long-standing goal since the 1970s – as this special feature story explains.
So next time you’re in the neighborhood, look up—and then look around. Those banners are more than decoration; they’re an invitation to explore, taste, and fall in love with The Ave all over again. But be quick – the banners are only up until Holiday decorations go up later in November. Rest assured they will be back after the winter, however!
Get a peek at the new banners here courtesy of this video below, especially produced for Love The Ave, which also launches our YouTube channel.
Love The Ave. Love the food. Love the people.
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A bit of Europe in the North End
The folks behind The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament – commonly known as the Portuguese Feast or just The Feast in these parts – are launching something completely new this coming holiday season.
Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento will host its first European-style Christmas market at the Madeira Feast grounds, 50 Madeira Avenue, on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 2-7:00 p.m. The event is free to the public and will feature food, music, and local vendors. In fact, they are seeking local vendors, who can participate for free by donating a toy to a toy drive.
Tony Abreu, chairman of the special events committee for the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento, tells O Jornal. “We got the idea from all the Christmas markets that you see happening in Portugal and all over Europe.”
He adds, “We’ll have a train ride, bouncy houses, and we’re going to have food and desserts. It’s almost like what we did for our Fall Festa, but we’re trying to get a lot of Christmas-themed vendors. We’re trying to keep it all local vendors who make all sorts of arts and crafts.”
In keeping with the season of giving, Club Madeirense S.S. Sacramento is partnering with Child and Family Services to provide a private preview and gifts for children from foster homes the morning of the market.
For more information or vendor applications, follow their Facebook page here.
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Completing the Blue Lane: New Bedford’s Riverwalk Takes Shape
The New Bedford Economic Development Council last month provided an update on the long-planned North End New Bedford Riverwalk.
They wrote, “For nearly a decade, New Bedford’s Blue Lane has redefined the way residents experience their city. What began as an ambitious idea—to create a continuous system of recreational pathways highlighting the city’s extraordinary waterfront assets—has grown into a hallmark of resilience, community, vision, and the unlocking of significant economic benefits.
“The Covewalk, perched atop the Hurricane Barrier along South Rodney French Boulevard, opened first and quickly became a beloved destination. Soon after came the Harborwalk, which brought walkers, runners, and cyclists sweeping views of the working waterfront and Buzzards Bay. Together, they have transformed daily life for countless residents, offering spaces to exercise, socialize, find respite by the water and develop a deeper relationship with the ocean-based economy in New Bedford.
“Now, at long last, the most elusive piece of the Blue Lane is getting underway: the Riverwalk.
“The Riverwalk promises to bring the Blue Lane inland, tracing the Acushnet River while winding along the edge of neighborhoods east of the commercial corridor that is Acushnet Avenue in the north end. It will begin on the banks of the river at Market Basket off Sawyer Street, continue past Riverside Park and end up at the Aerovox site off Belleville Avenue. While the idea has excited residents for years, the path to realization has been far from simple…”
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
DID YOU KNOW … that even though the season has ended for North End Food Tours by New Bedford Food Tours, you can still schedule a private tour with your work colleagues, or arrange a special tour with your group or organization, as a special holiday event? The gift is a gastronomic journey through Acushnet Avenue eateries, along with stops to admire local art, architecture, and history. These guided tours are a perfect way to explore the culinary landscape of New Bedford and the South Coast while soaking in local culture and history. Find out more about NBFoodTours.com
SATURDAY, NOV. 15 – Santiago Professional Services is hosting Expo 2025 – Eleva Tu Negocio at Whaler’s Inn, 500 Hathaway Road New Bedford today beginning at 9:00 a.m. “Un evento completamente en español y gratuito, diseñado para emprendedores, pequeños negocios y la comunidad en general!” See the event link here.
SATURDAY, NOV. 15, NOV. 15 at 8:00 p.m. — Step into The Sleep Center NB at 1208 Acushnet Avenue for a night where connections, creativity, and community collide during a special presentation by Oversoul Theatre Collective, Inc. Here’s what to expect: Dance to Classic R&B, Afrobeat & Soulful House by WAMPTRONICA; Live Art by Deutra the Caricature Artist Bring your energy, ideas, and dancing shoes — and let’s make magic happen! Presented by Oversoul Theatre Collective, Inc. and Sleep Center NB, with co-sponsors True North Nutrition, Poly-Groove Records, WNB One Radio, and Polyphonic Studios. Supported in part by Osborne Trust Fellowship, New Bedford Creative’s Wicked Cool Places, NEA, and NSASE Trust.
SAT. NOV. 23 & SUN. NOV. 24 – Hatch Street Studios holds its semi-annual Open Studios weekend on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24. They write, “The artists of New Bedford’s Hatch Street Studios will throw open their doors to the public on Saturday, November 22, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday, November 23, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm as well. Hatch Street Open Studio Weekend is a joyous community activity that’s entertaining and educational for adults and children of all ages. Taking place twice a year, Hatch Street Open Studio Weekend is a festive event where more than 65 creatives open their workspaces, studios, and gallery doors to the public. Check the website for event updates.
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Love The Ave Event coordinator and community leader needed
The Love The Ave partnership is hiring. This is an excellent part-time opportunity for a motivated community leader and creative thinker to help the team plan, manage and promote events that have an impact on the North End, New Bedford community along Acushnet Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods. Here’s the 411:
Job Title: Event Planner & Community Leader (Part-Time)
Organization: Love The Ave Partnership
Location: North End, New Bedford, MA
Hours: Part-Time (approx. 15–20 hours per week; evenings and weekends as needed)
Compensation: Commensurate with experience
Read the full job listing here. Deadline to apply is Nov. 15, 2025.
– The New Bedford TDI District is a diverse and vibrant neighborhood in the central economic corridor of the city’s North End. This distinct neighborhood is characterized by its linear commercial spine of small business storefronts on the ground level of one- and two-story tenement structures along with ethnic restaurants, cafes, bakeries, churches, and social clubs. The supporting dense neighborhood is comprised primarily of multifamily housing for legacy Portuguese-descent residents and Latino, Hispanic, and Central American immigrant populations. At the forefront of priorities for the New Bedford TDI Partnership is place-based economic development that focuses on small-business development, entrepreneurship, and public realm improvements with an arts-and-culture-based approach. Adelsa Mendes is the TDI fellow for the New Bedford TDI District. You can reach her at amendes@massdevelopment.com