Latest Stories, Events, Activities, Camps & Recipes

North Shore Collectibles Show
The North Shore Collectibles Show is the largest and most exciting sports and TCG collectibles show on the North Shore!  With over 100 tables and located in the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers MA, The North Shore Collectibles Show is a family-friendly event for all ages!  Vendors specializing in all different sports cards and memorabilia as well as TCG cards and collectibles!  We have something for everyone! 
Location: Double Tree By Hilton North Shore
Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest Every Wednesday at 10am
Walk the trails with a group at Harold Parker State Forest every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. – Meeting location varies weekly. Email trek.reef@mass.gov for location.
Location: Harold Parker State Forest
Kids can sign up to read to a therapy dog at the Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Children can register to come and read to a certified therapy dog. This program encourages reading confidence and is a fun way for kids to practice literacy. Sessions last for 15-minutes, and we ask that you please arrive for the time slot that you register for. Sessions are individual, but siblings are welcome to come and read together. See Frasier and meet puppy Gilbert!
Location: Newbury Town Library
STEM Building at Ipswich Public Library in Massachusetts
Drop in to build with blocks, KINEX, marble race courses and other building materials (some retro).  No registration required.  
Location: Ipswich Public Library
Come to the Ipswich Public Library in Massachusetts for a free showing of Migration during April Vacation
Ipswich Public Library host a movie during April Vacation! Movie Screening of Migration by Illumination Stuidios in the Collins Room with a great projection and sound system. Popcorn and bottled water provided. One per guest. Rated PG.
Location: Ipswich Public Library
Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation
We are celebrating the start of our 49th consecutive season and our visionary founder, John Hays Hammond Jr., whose pioneering scientific achievements continue to shape modern technology! Born 137 years ago on April 13th, 1888, Hammond’s enduring influence transcends time, and we’re commemorating his extraordinary legacy. As our special gift to you, join us for free entrance into the Eric Pape, Gertrude Cawein At Hammond Castle Museum fine art exhibit. Let’s celebrate Hammond’s remarkable life together!
Location: Hammond Castle
Shipwreck at Coffins Beach in Gloucester. Photo by Massachusetts Secretary of State
On April 15, 1912, 112 years ago, the tragic RMS Titanic sinking occurred. Join us in learning more about what happens after a ship wrecks, how animals use these wrecks, and what wrecks we have here locally!
Location: Maritime Gloucester
Kids will learn all about whales at this Maritime Gloucester April Vacation drop off program in Gloucester Massachusetts
Here in Massachusetts we are lucky enough to host some of the largest animals on earth - whales! Join us in learning more about these majestic mammals! Particitpants learn all about whale behaviors and observe their food source under our microscopes. Create your own unique whale tail design to take home! For kids ages 6-10.
Location: Maritime Gloucester
Kids will learn about Weather at Sea during April Vacation at Maritime Gloucester in Massachusetts. Image is AI Generated
Join Maritime Gloucester's educators for fun hands-on activities exploring different marine life found in Gloucester while discussing the importance of the ocean. Some of the most extreme weather on Earth can be credited to the ocean. From underwater earthquakes and tsunamis to hurricanes and water spouts, learn more about disasters that can strike out at sea!
Location: Maritime Gloucester
PEM has a great lineup for kids and families during April Vacation 2024
Looking for things to do during your April Vacation on the North Shore? Peabody Essex Museum has a fabulous line-up of fun activities, performances, and tours for kids and families. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the cultural exchange project that brought Yin Yu Tang to Peabody Essex Museum ! For this school vacation week, travel across the world without leaving Salem by learning traditional Chinese paper cutting with local guest artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li on Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. Join us for film screenings in Morse Auditorium on Friday, and challenge yourself all three days with a museum-wide dragon scavenger hunt!
Location: Peabody Essex Museum

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Annual ECTA Equine Expo & Tack Sale

Essex County Trail Association is hosting the annual Equine EXPO at Topsfield Fairgrounds
Essex County Trail Association is hosting the 29th annual Equine Expo & Tack Sale to be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9-3 in the Arena Building at the Topsfield Fairgrounds on Route 1, Topsfield, MA.  Individuals, groups & businesses make up our booths offering new and used items...
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

Early Spring Birds at IRWS

Come learn what birds are returning to the North Shore at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary! Image: Mass Audubon
Come learn what birds are returning after spending the winter months in the warm south. Equipped with binoculars, let's see how many different colors, sizes and sounds of birds we can find. We'll observe nests and attempt to build one of our own!
10:00 am to 11:30 am

Earth Day Volunteer Clean Up at Appleton Farms

Kids and familiers are encourage to volunteer on Earth Day at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts!!
Join the Trustees on Saturday April 20th to celebrate Earth Day on the farm! Neighbors, families, and community members will work together to clean up the farm, complete barnyard projects, restore the chicken enclosure, clean up trails, split and stack wood, assist with property enhancements, and...
10:00 am to 1:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Aleppo Shriners Circus

Aleppo Shriners Circus in Wilmington Massachusetts is a great time for the whole family!
Fun for the whole family! Let us help you make memories this April Vacation with a show they won't forget!The all-new Aleppo Shriners Circus thrills during April school vacation week. Enjoy elephant rides, clown photos, and all sorts of exciting acts - right up close.
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Earth Day Program with IRWA at NSCM

Celebrate Earth Day with the Ipswich River Watershed Association
Celebrate with art, conversation, and water! This is the biggest holiday of the year for IRWA, and we’re ready to celebrate.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Family LEGO Fun

Families are invited to come build using LEGOs at the Danvers MA Public Library
Come to the Danvers Library for a LEGO Family Build. We’ll provide the LEGOs; you provide the family and the building ideas. Ages 4 and up -- join us for inter-generational LEGO building! 
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

The Wetu and the White-Ellery House

Visit the Native American WETU at White Ellery House in Gloucester Massachusetts
Visit the Cape Ann Museum (CAM) Green, the Museum’s second campus off Grant Circle and Route 128, for a tour of the historic White Ellery House (1710) and the indigenous wetu. These two structures provide an important opportunity to explore the early colonization of Gloucester and the impact on the...
10:30 am to 1:00 pm

Dads & Donuts Storytime at NTL

Dads & Donuts Storytime at Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Come to our Dads and Donuts monthly event to get quality bonding time with your child, listen to some stories, and eat donuts! You don't have to be a dad to come- all family members are welcome.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Monserrat Renaissance Fair & Market

Monserrat College of Art hosts a Renaissance Fair and Market on Beverly Common in Massachusetts
Have you heard of Montserrat College of Art’s Renaissance Fair and Art Market ? This event is completely student ran and we hope you are able to come. We encourage you to dress up in your best Renaissance attire.
11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Saturday Hours

Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties
Salisbury Beach Carousel Hours: Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm Saturday: 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 6 pm Hours of operation are to change.
12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

North Shore Nature Fair & Wicked Kidz Fun Race at Glen Urquhart School

oin us on Earth Day at GUS for hands-on activities & nature-based projects in Beverly Farms Massachusetts
Celebrate Earth Week at GUS with a variety of hands-on activities and nature-based projects led by GUS educators and partners from across the North Shore. This is a free, family-friendly event, open to the public.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Cow Connection at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for Cow Connection in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come and meet, cuddle, brush, scratch, talk, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms! The mild heart rate and warm body temperature of the cows induces a slowing of our own heart rate, as well as the release of Oxytocin, our social bonding hormone. Visit our scenic and historic dairy...
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Wednesday, April 24

Fiddleheads | Preschool Drop-Off Series

The Fiddlehead program at Appleton Farms encourages kids 3-5 to explore their environment in Ipswich Massachusetts
Spring has sprung! It is an excellent time of year for exploring and learning on the farm. We will be planting and harvesting in our garden, taking care of our animals and finding all the signs of spring that nature divulges. Join us on Wednesday mornings from 9:30AM to 12:30PM for a preschool drop...
9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

We Walk the Woods!

Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest Every Wednesday at 10am
Walk the trails with a group at Harold Parker State Forest every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. – Meeting location varies weekly. Email trek.reef@mass.gov for location.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

D&D (Tween Session) at Amesbury Library

Dungeons and Dragons for Tweens at the Public Library in Amesbury Massachusetts
Come play in a Dungeons and Dragons ongoing campaign! You'll create your own characters and build the story session to session. Come if you're a beginner or if you know the rules. All are welcome!  Registration is required and is for all 7 weeks.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Wonder Workshop for PreK at North Shore Children's Museum

Pre-K Wonder Workshop at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts
Join us this Wednesday at 1:30 PM for the Pre-K Wonder Workshop at the North Shore Children's Museum. Led by retired transitional kindergarten teacher Norma, each week explores a different question through hands-on activities.
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Wonder Workshop for PreK at North Shore Children's Museum

Pre-K Wonder Workshop at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts
Join us this Wednesday at 1:30 PM for the Pre-K Wonder Workshop at the North Shore Children's Museum. Led by retired transitional kindergarten teacher Norma, each week explores a different question through hands-on activities.
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Open Door Empty Bowl Circus

Proceeds from the Open Door Empty Bowl Circus benefit community programs sponsored by tthe Open Door in Gloucester Massachusetts.
The Open Door hosts a new twist on an old tradition.  The Empty Bowl Dinner has been reimagined with a new twist—a circus-themed event at Cruiseport in Gloucester.
4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Process Art Workshop at HW Library

Preschool and older kids will express themselves artistically at Hamilton-Wenham Library in Massachusetts!
The Hamilton-Wenham Public Library invites kids to get creative and have some fun! Join Ms. Eva of Early Childhood Partners for a themed story and activities that practice process art methods. The Process Art Workshop is designed for children ages 2 - 6 years old and their adult. Older children are...
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Science & Lore: Full Moon Walk at Appleton Farms

Hike at the Trustees Appleton Farms with your family under the Full Moon in Ipswich Massachusetts!
Join us as darkness settles on the farm to immerse yourself in a nighttime adventure, guided only by the glow of the full moon. On our journey, we will learn about both the science and the mystery that the full moon holds, celebrating her presence through a sharing of knowledge. We will venture out...
8:30 pm to 9:30 pm