A person views a selection of photographs included in Lowell's 200 Photos for 200 Years exhibit in honor of the City's Bicentennial.

COME SEE YOUR CITY: Two Hundred Photos of Lowell on Display at City Hall in Celebration of Bicentennial

More than 200 photos of Lowell are on display at City Hall this month in celebration of the City’s Bicentennial. The 200 Photos for 200 Years display features historical photos, landmarks, and photos of daily life in Lowell submitted by residents and visitors.

Two hundred photographs showing the best sides of Lowell are on display at City Hall in celebration of the City’s Bicentennial, and residents and visitors alike are invited to stop by and view the collection.

The exhibit, “200 Photos for 200 Years,” will remain on display in the City Hall lobby until the end of the month. 

The exhibit features images of historic landmarks, defining moments in the City’s past and scenes from everyday life in Lowell across the decades.

The collection was curated by the Lowell Bicentennial Committee in collaboration with the Office of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (CASE). Earlier this year, the committee issued a public call for submissions, and the final selections were made by a review committee.

The exhibit is part of Art in City Hall — an ongoing series of monthly art shows featuring local artists and galleries since 2023. 

“This exhibit shows Lowell through the eyes and lenses of those who live and work here, and it’s a great way to celebrate our City during this historic year,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “I want to thank the Bicentennial Committee, CASE, and the residents who shared their photos to help make this exhibit possible.”

The exhibit opened Tuesday during a ceremony at City Hall that also recognized winners of several contests held during WinterFest.

Mayor Erik R. Gitschier and Director of CASE Peter Crewe presented awards to the following winners:

Bakery Showcase

  • Sugar Sparks Bakery – First Place
  • Good Thymes – Second Place
  • Olympos Bakery – Third Place

Richard Rourke Memorial Soup Competition

Judge’s Award

  • Laos Thai Kitchen – First Place
  • FORK Included – Second Place
  • Trem Caipira – Third Place

People’s Choice

  • Purple Carrot Bread Co. – First Place
  • FORK Included – Second Place
  • Laos Thai Kitchen – Third Place

Scavenger Hunt

  • The Ghost of Poe Returns – First Place
  • McHatton Maniacs – Second Place
  • The Campbell Cats – Third Place 

Snow Relay Race

  • Worthen Cafe – First Place
  • Laxinx Community Center of Empowerment – Second Place
  • Lowell Hip Hop Festival – Third Place

Youth Mural Competition

  • Greater Lowell Technical High School Team A – People’s Choice
  • Greater Lowell Technical High School Team A – First Place High School
  • YouthBuild Lowell – Second Place High School
  • CTI Youth Advisory Board – Third Place High School
  • Greater Lowell Technical High School Team X – Honorable Mention High School
  • Girls Inc. – First Place Middle School
  • Refuge Lowell – Second Place Middle School
  • Lowell Community Charter Public School – Third Place Middle School
  • Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell – Honorable Mention Middle School

“Lowell is a city built by its people, and this exhibit reflects the heart of our community,” said Mayor Gitschier. “I want to thank everyone who submitted photos and shared their perspective on life in Lowell – your contributions help us celebrate our past, our present, and the people who make this city special. I encourage all residents and visitors to come see your city through these remarkable images.” 

200 Photos for 200 Years is on display at Lowell City Hall, 375 Merrimack St, through March 31, 2026.

There are historical photos of Lowell among the 200 submitted by residents and visitors in celebration of the City’s 200th birthday.

Photos of Lowell landmarks and celebrations are included in the exhibit.

The photos will remain on display throughout the month in the lobby of Lowell City Hall.

Mayor Erik R. Gitschier congratulates the winners of the WinterFest Bakery Showcase, Sugar Sparks Bakery.

Members of YouthBuild Lowell hold an appreciation trophy presented by the City of Lowell and Bicentennial Committee for support during WinterFest.

Celebrity Chef Buddy Valastro Serves Up a Happy 200th Birthday for Lowell at WinterFest 2026

Celebrity chef Buddy Valastro (left) and Mayor Erik Gitscher (right) unveil the City of Lowell’s Bicentennial birthday cake during WinterFest on Saturday, February 28. 

Over 2,000 people filled Downtown Lowell on Saturday, February 28, as Buddy Valastro unveiled a towering Bicentennial birthday cake and led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to celebrate the City’s 200th anniversary during WinterFest. 

Valastro, star of TLC’s Cake Boss, visited Lowell one day ahead of the City’s official incorporation date of March 1, 1826. His appearance highlighted the 26th annual WinterFest and served as an early centerpiece of Lowell’s Bicentennial year.

The day started at 11:00AM, with a chocolate festival at Saint Anne’s Church, followed by the Richard Rourke Memorial Soup Competition at the Lowell Masonic Center. From noon to 10:00PM, Merrimack Street and several surrounding cobblestone streets were closed to traffic as families explored ice sculpting demonstrations, live music, food trucks, fire performances, warming stations, an art market, and a day-long scavenger hunt.

Valastro began his day by sampling desserts from a dozen city bakeries, serving as the judge of a contest of who could be the sweetest. Sugar Sparks Bakery took first place with a coconut cupcake filled with guava and topped with light buttercream frosting. The Bakery at Good Thymes and Olympos Bakery earned second and third place honors.

Sugar Sparks Bakery is a barely year-old online bakery that works out of the Root Kitchen at Mill City Grows. The bakery has pickups available at Hive Public Market and in Nashua, NH, and delivery is available for large orders. Operated by a team of two, Sugar Sparks Bakery blends cultures and tastes to bring fresh flavor to the Lowell bakery scene.

“To us, Lowell feels like a big family of diverse cousins – different backgrounds, different stories, but always connected. Always helping one another. Always growing together, and we are proud to be part of that story,” said Sugar Sparks Bakery co-owners Tracy Sparks and Jennie Hertello.

Other bakeries that participated in the contest were The Artisan at Greater Lowell Technical High School, Kim’s Donuts, Little Delights Bakery, Mochinut, Pizzelle Bakery, Saigon Sandwich House & Bakery, Sophia’s Greek Pantry, Lowell Asian Bakery, and Valentina’s Portuguese Market. 

“I was nine years old when I first started watching Cake Boss. I loved everything about it. Dramatics, the family dynamic. I was completely drawn to it all,” said Thanh Thanh Nguyen, of Saigon Sandwich House. “As I grew up, I never really knew what I wanted to do or where life would take me. I definitely never imagined that I would end up becoming a baker. Yet somehow, here I am at 25 years old baking a cake for Buddy himself to try. It’s a full-circle moment I never thought would happen, and one I’m incredibly grateful for.”

Former state Sen. Steven Panagiotakos emceed the bakery contest and unveiling of a Bicentennial birthday cake created by Buddy Valastro at Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Mayor Erik Gitschier assisted the unveiling of the cake, which features a striking replica of Lowell City Hall and its clocktower.

Valastro also baked Lowell several sheet cakes that were served to about 250 people in the Cake Tent on Merrimack St just as Buddy led the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Lowell.

There were two sets of winners in the annual Richard Rourke Memorial Soup Bowl Competition. The Judges’ Choice winners were Laos Thai Kitchen in first place, followed by FORK Included and Trem Caipira. The People’s Choice winners were Purple Carrot Bread Co, followed by FORK Included and Laos Thai Kitchen.

“It’s been a true New England winter in Lowell, and it was uplifting to see our City come together once again to celebrate the season and our community,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “This event wasn’t just enjoyed by our community, it was planned by our community, and made possible by the dedicated volunteers on the Lowell Bicentennial Fundraising Committee, as well as generous sponsors. I want to thank everyone in Lowell who helped make this such a special WinterFest.”

Ice sculptures and light displays were a part of a very special WinterFest 2026, just one day before the City of Lowell’s 200th birthday. (Photo Courtesy City of Lowell)

As the sun set on Winterfest, there were fire performances on cobblestone streets downtown that were closed to vehicle traffic. (Photo Courtesy City of Lowell)

Over 2,000 people attended WinterFest throughout the day, with festivities stretching from 11:00AM to 10:00PM. 

Tracy Sparks (left) and Jennie Hertello (right) of Sugar Sparks Bakery hand out desserts during WinterFest. Sugar Sparks Bakery, a barely year-old establishment that operates out of the Root Kitchen at Mill City Grows, made waves by winning first place in the Bakery Showcase featuring a dozen of Lowell’s bakeries.

Thanh Thanh Nguyen, second from left, stands with celebrity chef Buddy Valastro and two colleagues from Saigon Sandwich House after participating in the Bakery Showcase. Nguyen was just nine years old when she started faithfully watching Cake Boss on TLC, not knowing she would one day become a bakery serving dessert to Valastro. “It’s a full-circle moment I never thought would happen, and one I’m incredibly grateful for,” Nguyen said.