Spend some quality time at our touch tank where you can see and hold hermit crabs, moon snails, sea urchins and more! Come see how much our horseshoe crab hatchlings have grown and spend some time in our Kid Zone with a science station, take-home craft and coloring pages. Part of Trails & Sails.
Join us for our Annual Fall Celebration at Appleton – Farm Days! Spend the afternoon exploring the farm, listening to music, enjoying great food & beer, hiking our trails, entertaining the kids and more. Please Note: Tickets are per vehicle, not per person, and include access to the farm and all of the events and activities listed below. Food, drink, and hayrides are purchased separately.
Explore the marine creatures that inhabit the tidepool on the rocky shore! Salem Sound Coastwatch staff will bring buckets, nets, and ID guides and help you identify what we find. We recommend wearing sturdy shoes (no open toes) that can get wet and traverse slippery rocks. Please meet at the Winter Island rain garden (look for the SSCW flag!) and let the gatehouse staff know you’re with us. All ages welcome. Event will be held rain or shine unless there is thunder or lightning. Part of Trails & Sails.
Olde Fashioned Sunday in Downtown Newburyport will be a great day to remember the beginnings of our Yankee Homecoming celebrations. Come enjoy some “new” events to help make future memories for the current younger generations as the past has given some of us the “good ole’ days” to remember.
Join park staff from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a full day of FREE family fun that's focused on outdoor activity! Our annual celebration of summer returns! Join us for a free day of outdoor activities at the refuge. Learn to surf cast, meet tidepool critters up close, dissect an owl pellet, and even view the sun through a solar scope. This is an open streets event, meaning most of the refuge road is closed to walk, bike, and roll!
Immerse your family in the heartwarming experience of being up close and personal with one of our favorite farm animals – cows! Cuddle, brush, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms. Visit our scenic and historic farm and enjoy Family Cow Connection session with our two Jersey Dairy Cows, Gray and Jasmine. This class is designed for young children alongside their parents to get up close and personal with our friendly cattle in their paddock or pasture guided by an Appleton Livestock Farmer. Come learn all about cattle and how we raise livestock for food at Appleton Farms.
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.
DCR hosts a live animal demonstration at Halibut Point State Park to celebrate Earth Day! Live frogs, turtles, and salamanders, our vernal pond ambassadors, will visit Halibut Point with Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team. Get up close to these animals and learn about their behaviors and habitats. Co-sponsored with Friends of Halibut Point State Park.
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 other farm animals, as well as the interesting variety of guinea pigs and rabbits.
Come to a Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team presentation at Halibut Point State Park to get an up-close view and learn all about vernal pond creatures you may find in your own backyard. Live vernal pond animals will visit Halibut Point with educator Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team.
