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."
Throw on your running shoes and get ready for the Summer Solstice 5k Run/Walk! The Proceeds from this event will support two organizations – the Ipswich YMCA and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This race is to honor Bill – a former member and previously on the board of directors of the YMCA who unfortunately lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma. This race is to support some of the causes that he supported in the hopes that they will be able to help others. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to run for a cause.
Join the Interpreter too explore the tide pools at SSandy Point! We will be looking at ddifferent organisms that inhhabit the pools such as crabs, sand dollars, starfish, periwwinkles, and many more! Meet at the first parking lot near thee beach entrance. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Parking at Sandy Pooint is limited. All prograams are free and open to the public, and are being run as drop-in programs. Coantact Taylor Beaton for more information at 617.372.6730.
The ECTA annual ECTAthlon is friendly relay competition held at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield and Hamilton and on private trails in Ipswich where teams or individuals compete in running, mountain biking, horseback riding and kayaking events. This unique event, which will be held on Saturday, June 4th, was envisioned as a way to bring diverse trail users together in a fun and exciting way, and to highlight the incredible network of trails in our area. The June 4th date also coincides with American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, a series of nationwide events celebrating trails and trail access.
It’s an afternoon of Poppins fun for the whole family at this Mary Poppins Party at Crane Estate. Activities include kite making and flying, chalk drawing, lawn games, and more. Kite aficionados from Kites Over New England are on hand to show their kites and flying techniques. Tea, lemonade, and cookies are served.
Come for a beautiful eveneing of choral music performed by the talented students of Ipswich High School! This concert is the final chroal concert for retiring ihs choral director Jeff Patch. Pleas come for this FREE event.
Calling all animal lovers! Our new farm camp is coming this July! Join us Saturday April 16th & 23rd for a FREE drop-in camp sampler. Come see what to expect at Appleton Farm Camp this summer! Meet with our camp director, see our camp headquarters, and find out what Appleton Farm Camp will offer for activities, learning, and summer fun. Our camp area will be open from 10AM – 2PM for you to explore. We’ll have special activities and tours between 11AM and 1PM. Register for camp on site or take home information to share with friends.
This hike explores the wild wonders of the Crane Estate! We’ll launch our long walk at the Cedar Point Trail and follow it to the Ipswich River, then meander along the beach and through seldom-traveled paths to the trailhead at the Crane Wildlife Refuge. We’ll wander the dunes to Essex Bay, then make our way along the backside of Crane Beach to reach the Essex River. A bag lunch will be delivered to us at the approximate halfway point, and will give us the sustenance we’ll need to finish the hike! Come prepared for a leisurely long-way-around walk of about 8 miles.
Join The Trustees of Reservations on a misty evening in early Spring, vernal pools are hopping! The swales we find tucked amongst the dunes are coming alive, host to a variety of creatures waking from a long winter’s nap and ready for action! We’ll hike out under cover of darkness to spy on – and listen to – this celebration of awakening. Bring a flashlight or headlamp, and wear boots! We’ll have nets and buckets for up-close observations, but our specimen collecting is strictly catch-and-release.
Join the Ipswich Museum for a hands-on workshop on the 19th century China trade. Through museum collections, children will learn about the Augustine Heard & Co. (Heard lived in the house now part of the Ipswich Museum) and the production of porcelain in China during this time. Participants will also get to practice producing painted "china" together in a group activity.
Homeschool Workshops are open to all kids ages 6-12. We meet on the last Monday of each month from 10am-noon. The cost is $5/child to explore hands-on history at the Ipswich Museum!
