Latest Stories, Events, Activities, Camps & Recipes

Become an archaeologist at the historic John Balch house in Beverly Massachusetts
Have you heard the expression, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”? Become an archaeologist at the historic John Balch house with this program focusing on excavations performed at the house in 1998. Examine a selection of objects found during the dig, find out about what they were used for and when they were using it, then get your hands dirty by digging in a makeshift pit yourself! Tours of the house are offered throughout the day.
Location: Balch House
The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday at Rockport Music in Downtown Rockport!
The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.
Location: Harvey Park - Rockport
Hundred of Classic Cars will be at the Carriagetown Car Show in downtown Amesbury Massachusetts, a Trails and Sails Event
Come to Downtown Amesbury to look at hundreds of collector cars. All the downtown streets will be closed to regular traffic while the Hot Rods, muscle cars and antique vehicles take over the streets. Special interest vehicles will be displayed on the Bullnose along with other interesting vehicle history. All are welcome, Families encouraged. Rain date: 9.24.2023
Location: Downtown Amesbury
Free Admission for Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts
to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the MFA. This year, we’re offering free admission—including access to “Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore”—for Massachusetts residents. Enjoy gallery tours, engaging family art-making activities, and more! Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes and honors the heritage of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples and the histories of their many nations and communities.
Location: Museum of Fine Arts
Come see how baseball used to be played at Spencer Pierce Little Farm. Photo: Matthew Muise Photography
It’s Base Ball, 1864 style at Spencer Peirce Little Farm! These fun, historically accurate games feature underhand pitching and no gloves are allowed. A ball bounced once and caught is an out! Snacks, baseballs, and cards are available for purchase. Come and see for yourself how this game was played in the 1860's. The teams playing represent actual teams that played in New England during the 19th Century!
Location: Spencer Peirce Little Farm
Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations! Halibut Point State Park offers a self-guided quarry tour to do at your leisure.  Explore the park’s trails and tidepools, to picnic on its rocky ledges, to enjoy its sweeping views, and to learn about Cape Ann’s historic granite industry. Download a copy of the tour brochure and use it while you visit to understand the workings of a seaside granite quarry, an integral cog in the history of Cape Ann.
Location: Halibut Point State Park
Come help with the Coastsweep cleanup of the Sandy Beach and River Street in Danvers, Massachusetts!
As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Danvers Massachusetts. Trash collected will be measured and analyzed, and the data will be sent to Washington DC to aid the government in creating legislation to minimize trash in our oceans.
Come to Harbor Loop for a kid friendly day of public safety demonstrations by the US Coast GaurdGloucester Fire Department and Police.
United States Coast Guard Station Gloucester is having an open house and safe boating day! Stop by and learn all about the Coast Guard and its important role in Gloucester. The United States Coast Guard Station Gloucester annual Safe Boating Day Open House will feature local marine vendors, safe boating displays, flare demonstrations, tours of Coast Guard vessels, and more. Free to the public. Recreational boaters, commercial boaters, loads of fun for the kids!
Location: Harbor Loop Gloucester, United States Coast Guard Station Gloucester
See an ancient weapon demonstration at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers Massachusetts as part of Trails and Sails!
Come to Rebecca Nurse Homestead to try your hand at ancient hunting practices! The technique of using an atlatl, or spear throwing stick, is an ancient global technology. Join us, along with the Eugene Winter Chapter of Mass Archaeological Society, as they teach you the finer points about hunting in the ancient world! Stop by the Rebecca Nurse Homestead and hunt a woolly mammoth or woolly rhinoceros. Fun and educational for adults and kids of all ages. Wooly mammoth tooth and mastodon tooth and tusk will be on display along with samples of Native American Artifacts found in Danvers. This event is FREE as part of Trails & Sails! If you would like to visit the Nurse Homestead museum, paid admission is required.
Location: Rebecca Nurse Homestead
Explore the North Shore with over 150 Free Events in Essex National Heritage Area's Trails & Sails celebration in Massachusetts.
Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in cultural experiences of all kinds. Find what makes Essex County like nowhere else during Trails & Sails! It’s all FREE and it’s all located within the 34 cities and towns of Essex County.

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Art Academy Summer Program at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 15th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree . The exhibit will open in early September with more than 50 temporary works on display in addition to the 20 pieces in the permanent collection of Pingree School. The exhibit ...
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Corn MAiZE and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers

Corn MAiZE, Maze and Haunted Attractions at Connors Farm - Danvers, Massachusetts
Come to Connors Farm to find your way through this year's maze and enjoy many family fun activities! After completing the maze, stay and have some fun around the farm. Children enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, and most of all, visiting the barnyard animals.
9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Gloucester Gratis Days at Hammond Castle

Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation
In keeping with John Hays Hammond, Jr's original vision for his seaside castle-home to serve as a museum offering the Gloucester community access to ancient works of architectural art, Hammond Castle Museum will offer Gloucester residents free, self-guided tours each Tuesday throughout the regular...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Cambridge Science Festival 2024

The Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun in Cambridge Massachusetts
Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a city-wide celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Friday, October 4

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Hamilton-Wenham Farmers' Market

Hamilton-Wenham Community House hosts a Popup farmers market on the front lawn!
The Hamilton-Wenham Farmers’ Market is a food and flower market presented by The Community House. Vendor offerings must be grown, raised, or produced within 100 miles of Hamilton. The Market features a range of vendors offering locally grown produce, honey, flowers, baked goods, artisanal crafts,...
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Topsfield Fair - Opening Day

Topsfield Fair opens the gates at 1pm Friday! Topsfield Fair is one of the longe
The Topsfield Fair is a perennial favorite for us.  We're not the biggest fans of the midway, although it is always worth a walkthrough and a ride or two.  We love fruits and vegetables, and are always on the lookout for the winning 'biggest pumpkin'.  Another favorite is checking out the pigs and...
4:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Lanterns in the Village

Come celebrate the the spooky feeling of October at Pioneer Village in Salem Massachusetts!
Come stroll through historic Pioneer Village for this 6th annual family-friendly event. You will be enchanted by the soft light of jack-o-lanterns while listening to spooky tales (Flashlights Optional).  This Lanterns in the Village fundraiser supports all positive events for the students of...
6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Saturday, October 5

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

The Lady of Salem: Maritime Art

Learn about the history of Salem Massachusetts through this unique public art installation self-guided tour!
Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative...
8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 15th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree . The exhibit will open in early September with more than 50 temporary works on display in addition to the 20 pieces in the permanent collection of Pingree School. The exhibit ...
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Haverhill Farmers' Market

Haverhill Farmers Market, North Shore Farmers Market, Cape Ann Farmers Marke
The vibrant, colorful Haverhill Farmers Market is where local farmers and food producers meet to sell directly to the community. Established in 1978, the Haverhill Farmers Market mission is to provide access to farm-fresh products and promote local agriculture, as well as serve as a social...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm