The Trustees of Reservations hosts the Butterfly Encounter in the gardens at Castle Hill Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts. You will hear directly from a giant monarch butterfly puppet, who will recount the adventures growing up in the milkweed patch, metamorphosis and then the amazing journey across continents.
Ipswich Public Library invites kids and families to kick off the Summer Reading program with Otha Day's Drum to the Beat! The library is hosting a live interactive musical session on the lawn of the Hall Haskell House at 36 S. Main Street. The summer theme is Find Your Voice, and the Children's Room at Ipswich Public Library has planned an amazing drumming program to start off Summer Reading. This program promises lots of audience participation and is designed as a family event for children and the young at heart.
Ipswich's Independence Day Parade begins Winthrop School, up Manning Street, along High Street to East Street, then turns to follow Water Street along the River to the Ipswich Town Hall. Kids and other participants are invited to show up at 9am to decorate bikes, trikes and wagons, with the parade starting at 10am. At the end of parade, there will be foot races, a bouncy house and other activities at Town Hall.
There are few places on the North Shore that more reliably enjoy spectacular views than the back side of Crane Beach, overlooking Essex Bay. On this riverboat outing into the heart of the Essex River basin, we will be setting sail in the protected waters of the Crane Wildlife Refuge, one of the most scenic sections of the Great Marsh—the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England.
Part of the Thursday Night Picnic Concerts at Castle Hill at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, this is a great way to get together and have fun with the whole family in an exclusive setting. You can pack a picnic dinner, bring the kids, and get ready to dance the night away under the stars on the Grand Allée. Explore the landscaped grounds and the family "Eye Spy."
Part of the Thursday Night Picnic Concerts at Castle Hill at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, this is a great way to get together and have fun with the whole family in an exclusive setting. Castle Hill Picnic Concerts are back! Pack a picnic supper and enjoy an evening of live music on the magnificent Grand Allee. Stroll the grounds and explore the newly restored gardens while you enjoy a night out on the estate. Gates open at 5PM for picnicking. Advance ticket reservations are recommended but not required.
U.S. Coast Guard & Massachusetts State Approved Boating Safety Course - "Boat America". This is THE course to get you educated, safe, and ready for proper vessel operation as well as covering the lawful requirements as a boater. We're proud to present this nationally recognized boating safety course, titled "Boat America".
Live turtles, eels, and fish like mummichogs will be available for viewing, so come meet some of our favorite river dwellers! Join us at our Downtown Pop-Up at Naimo Gallery, 24 Central Street, Ipswich, MA
Celebrate with art, conversation, and drop-in crafts for children and adults! This is the biggest holiday of the year for IRWA, and we’re ready to celebrate. Join us to decorate fish, make cardboard river-themed creature costumes (shad? herring? stickleback? turtles? which one is your favorite?), and more! We’re making costumes so that next week, on April 29th, we can parade down Main Street to the riverwalk in our creations. Ipswich’s own Monarch Gardener will be donating native seeds that pollinators love so you can help our local pollinators thrive!
Family activities, games, and crafts at the Museum to complement the town’s two-week-long celebration of “Ipswich is First . . . Period.” Suggested donation $5.
