Outdoor Activity

COASTSWEEP Cleanup | Short Beach Nahant

CoastSweep shoreline beach cleanup at Short Beach in Nahant, Massachusetts!

As part of COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup, volunteers are encouraged to come to Short Beach, Nahant (located opposite the corner of Nahant Road and Castle Road) to help in the statewide effort to keep our coastline clean along the shore in Lynn and Nahant Massachusetts. Special two hour permits will be given out at our tables at the Lowlands Parking Lot on Ward Road to avoid parking tickets.  

When: 
Sunday, October 6, 2024 11am

Pet Rock Annual Animal Welfare Fundraiser

Pet Rock by the Sea benefit concert for the North Shore Animal Shelter at Winter Island Salem Massachusetts

Pet Rock by the Sea  is a fun afternoon in one of Salem MA's beautiful historic parks - Winter Island. Enjoy an open air Pavillion with food from local favorites Lulu's Bakery, shop clothing and accessories, meet a local author, learn about local shelters and enjoy music from great local musicians. Plus raffles, prizes and a silent auction - all to benefit a great cause, The Northeast Animal Shelter.

When: 
Saturday, September 15, 2024 12-6pm

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 Collins Middle School located in Salem. 100% of the proceeds will support our school!

When: 
Friday, October 4, 2024 6:30-9:30pm
Location: 

Trails & Sails

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.

When: 
Daily, September 14-29, 2024

Powow Scenic Vista Hike

Take a Trails & Sails hike to the top of Powow Hill in Amesbury Massachusetts!

Come join the Lake Gardener Improvement Association for a guided up Powow Hill. We will hike to the top of Powow Hill, the highest point on the Essex County seacoast! Hike through hundreds of acres of unspoiled greenspace to reach the summit vista, from which you can see three states and the Atlantic! The approximately hour-long hike will bring you from the beach at Lake Gardner to the summit. And the summit is within easy walking distance of the restaurants, brewpubs, and shops of downtown Amesbury!

When: 
Saturday, September 22, 2024 2-3:30pm
Location: 

GNOCA 5K Run/Walk

GNOCA's 5K Run/Walk in Honor of Jackie Poor & Paula Holm is a 5k Run or Family Friendly Stroll through Scenic Newburyport starting & ending at Michael's Harborside. Tee Shirts will be given to the First 100 Registrants. All participating runners will be assigned numbers and timed. Great Prizes for Age Category Winners!

When: 
Sunday, September 22, 2024 8AM-1PM

Useful Plants of Pioneer Village – Food, Medicine & More

Learn about colonial medicine at Pioneer Village in Salem Massachusetts

An amazing number of the plants at Pioneer Village are nutritious food, or good medicine, and/or useful in other ways. Some are native and were already here when the settlers came, others were introduced. In this fun and informative walk you will learn about these wonderful plants and some of their uses, whether they are wild and weedy or cultivated and tame. Appreciating the useful plants around us helps us to treat plants and the environment with care and respect, so they are here for future generations. You will leave with new-found awe for our plant neighbors and the many gifts they offer us!

When: 
Sunday, September 29, 2024 2-3pm
Location: 

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

Bruins Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 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

Ice Cream Breakfast Fundraiser | Cherry Farm

Eat ice cream for breakfast at Cherry Farm in Danvers Massachusetts to raise funds for a local charity!
It’s the most WONDERFUL day of the year! It’s Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! Celebrate our 'Sweet 16' in person at Cherry Farm Creamery on Saturday, February 1st. We will open early that day at 8am.
8:00 am to 12:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

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® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Winterfest Weekend in Amesbury

Winterfest is a 5 day family celebration in the heart of downtown Amesbury Massachusetts!
For Five Days in February, Amesbury's beautiful and historic Downtown, Market Square and Upper Millyard will be the center of a winter celebration! Enjoy crafting, cocoa, kid's cookie decorating, a winter obstacle course, a Valentine Makers Market, a dance party, live music, a winter market and a...
10:00 am to 9:00 pm

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts
Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique...
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

STEM Club at MPL

Stem Club for kids in grades 3-6 at the public library in Manchester Public Library
Have some fun and learn a little science too at STEM Club! This group meets every third Thursday from 4-5 and is for grades 4-6. 
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Pajama Story Time at Manchester Public Library

Kids are invited to the pajama time book reading at the Public Library in Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts.
Join Miss Audrey for a cozy pajama storytime and craft the first Thursday of every month from 6-7. This program is for kids ages 4 and up and their families. 
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 pm to 11:30 pm

Saturday, February 8

All Family Field Trips - Coastal Winter Wildlife

Joppa Flats Education Center host an outing at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation in search of coastal wildlife.
Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore. Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors....
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

First Aid, CPR & AED Training at ESM

Get First Aid, CPR or AED Certified in this workshop at Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Massachusetts
Take a CPR, First Aid, and AED Certification Course hosted by the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum at the charming Museum School House. Gain essential life-saving skills and the confidence to handle emergencies with ease.
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Children's Maple in the Barnyard at Appleton Farms

Visit Appleton Farms' sugaring operation and learn about making maple sugar syrup!
Maple Season is here! This special program for ages 3-11 & their families will focus on the magic of maple from start to finish. We will discover this tradition by observing trees, tasting sap, learning the tools involved, and finally, tasting the sweet product. We will make sure to have time...
10:45 am to 3:00 pm

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Family Owl Prowl

Join a Family Owl Prowl Campout at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Scott Santino
People of all ages love owls, and many species of owls can be found right here in Massachusetts year-round. Experience the excitement of an owl prowl as we take a night hike to look and listen for Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-owls. Before we head out on our nocturnal...
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 pm to 11:30 pm

Sunday, February 9

Bruins Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 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

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 23rd year, the signature elements of...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Tour the WWII era observation tower at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts.
Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
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