The Boston Outdoor Expo

Boston Outdoor Expo

If your family loves adventure, join us for a 2-day outdoor expo that offers a full weekend of inspiration for outdoor enthusiasts, like you. You'll meet famous explorers and adventurers hundreds of brands, plus 20+ hands-on activities including Bushcraft Skills workshops.

See 30 speakers participate in activities, and shop the latest gear, tech, nutrition, and advice. It is a one-stop shop to prepare you for your next adventure.

If you love hiking, climbing, water sports, camping, mountain biking, trail running or just being outside, you don’t want to miss it.

When: 
April 27 – 28 2024
Saturday 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm

Essex Arts & Culture Festival

Come join in this vibrant celebration of Essex Massachusetts' culture, heritage and artistic spirit.

Celebrate creativity at the Essex Arts and Culture Festival, brought to you by the Essex River Cultural District and hosted at the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum. Enjoy a day of art, culture and family fun! Come join in this vibrant celebration of Essex's culture, heritage and artistic spirit.

You'll find:

  • Artist Demos
  • Shipbuilding
  • Kid's Fun
  • Exhibitions
  • Food
  • Music
When: 
Saturday, June 22, 2024 11am-6pm

Historic Beverly Scavenger Hunt at Lynch Park

Historic Beverly April Vacation Scavenger Hunt at Lynch Park in Beverly Massachusetts

It’s Homecoming Week and we have history for you! Drop-in at Independence Park for a scavenger hunt in the park! We will provide the scavenger hunt, clipboards, pencils, and prizes, you bring the smiles and your keen attention to detail and let’s have some fun! Prizes for everyone who completes the hunt. $10; free for Card to Culture and Historic Beverly members at the Family level and above. No registration required; HB members please bring your membership cards. Meet at the middle park bench along Lothrop Street. For more information please visit historicbeverly.net

When: 
Thursday, August 8, 2024 9-11am
Location: 

Community Day at Hammond Castle

Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation

We are celebrating the start of our 49th consecutive season and our visionary founder, John Hays Hammond Jr., whose pioneering scientific achievements continue to shape modern technology! Born 137 years ago on April 13th, 1888, Hammond’s enduring influence transcends time, and we’re commemorating his extraordinary legacy. As our special gift to you, join us for free entrance into the Eric Pape, Gertrude Cawein At Hammond Castle Museum fine art exhibit. Let’s celebrate Hammond’s remarkable life together!

When: 
Saturday, April 13, 2024 10am-4pm
Location: 

April Vacation at PEM 2024

PEM has a great lineup for kids and families during April Vacation 2024

Looking for things to do during your April Vacation on the North Shore? Peabody Essex Museum has a fabulous line-up of fun activities, performances, and tours for kids and families. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the cultural exchange project that brought Yin Yu Tang to Peabody Essex Museum !

For this school vacation week, travel across the world without leaving Salem by learning traditional Chinese paper cutting with local guest artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li on Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. Join us for film screenings in Morse Auditorium on Friday, and challenge yourself all three days with a museum-wide dragon scavenger hunt!

When: 
Monday, April 15, 2024 - Friday, April 19, 2024 10am - 4pm

North Shore Collectibles Show

North Shore Collectibles Show
The North Shore Collectibles Show is the largest and most exciting sports and TCG collectibles show on the North Shore! 
With over 100 tables and located in the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers MA, The North Shore Collectibles Show is a family-friendly event for all ages! 
Vendors specializing in all different sports cards and memorabilia as well as TCG cards and collectibles!  We have something for everyone! 
When: 
Sunday, April 14, 2024, from 8:30 am - 2:00 pm

Cool Collage with Annisquam Arts

Summer Art and Photography Program for Kids on Cape Ann, Annisquam Arts, Gloucester MA

Ignite your imagination this summer at Annisquam Arts

Crazy Cool Collage
Clip, cut, collect, compose, and collage creative constructions and assemblages made from a variety of materials. Student creations will include wall-sized drawings, sculptures with wood and found objects, as well as a combination of printmaking, photography, and magazine collage. We will look at the mixed mediums of Robert Rauschenberg, the cutting-edge pieces by the Twentieth Century’s greatest master of collage, Kurt Schwitters, and the crazy upside-down world of Julian Schnabel as we make and manipulate an artful array of free associations.

Monday, July 29 to Thursday, August 1; 9 AM - 1 PM

Location: 

Book Making with Annisquam Arts

Summer Art and Photography Program for Kids on Cape Ann, Annisquam Arts, Gloucester MA

Ignite your imagination this summer at Annisquam Arts

Do you keep a diary? Do you record your dreams? Do you write notes to your friends and family? Do you sketch and doodle or write stories? This week, students will construct their own ornate books from cover to cover! Students will learn the art of traditional binding while experimenting to add their unique touches. We’ll use our imaginations to incorporate painting, printing, drawing, and collage techniques to make our books pop with personality.

Monday, July 1 to Friday, July 5; 9 AM - 1 PM - No Class on July 4th.

Location: 

North Shore Children’s Museum’s Grown-Ups Gala

North Shore Children’s Museum’s first official Grown-Ups Gala

Join us for North Shore Children’s Museum’s first official Grown-Ups Gala on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Black Box Theater in Peabody. This special evening is the signature fundraising event for our newly created 501c3, Friends of North Shore Children’s Museum, which provides critical funding for the museum’s income-based admission prices, educational exhibits, and robust and accessible program offerings. 

When: 
Friday, May 17, 2024 at 6 PM

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A Landmark Summer Experience at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts prepare students for success in the fall and beyond.

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

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

Music Together - Wednesday

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...
9:30 am to 11:15 am

We Walk the Woods!

Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest Every Wednesday at 10am
Walk the trails with a group at Harold Parker State Forest every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. – Meeting location varies weekly. Email trek.reef@mass.gov for location.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Mini Movers at North Shore Children's Museum

Things to do for children in Peabody MA
Mini Movers is an engaging dance and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Led by experienced instructors, the program introduces young children to the world of dance in a safe and nurturing environment.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
Essex Hertiage invites you to learn the true causes and events behind the Salem Witch Trials in our documentary film, then discover the myths during our walking tour. The Salem Witch Trials happened over 300 years ago, and it has been dramatized in books, documentaries, movies, and even TV shows....
11:45 am to 3:00 pm

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

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Saturday, September 7

Long Hill Garden Tours

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants it’s most known for. In addition to learning about what plants are in bloom as well as the rare and unique species in our collection, you...
11:00 am to 12:00 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

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
Essex Hertiage invites you to learn the true causes and events behind the Salem Witch Trials in our documentary film, then discover the myths during our walking tour. The Salem Witch Trials happened over 300 years ago, and it has been dramatized in books, documentaries, movies, and even TV shows....
11:45 am to 3:00 pm

Garden Tours at Stevens Coolidge Estate

Come enjoy the fantastic flower display in the gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover!
Enter a world of early 20th-century country elegance and contemporary garden design all in bloom at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens. These expansive manicured gardens boast both plentiful European-inspired flower beds as designed in the 1920s, as well as newly installed gardens featuring...
12:00 pm

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Drop-in Open House at the Bradley Palmer State Park Nature Center in Hamilton Ipswich Massachusetts
Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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

Sunday, September 8

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay | Thread

Artists will install their sculptures at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts for public viewing!
Enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the 25th Annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay Exhibit September 8-29 featuring 50 site specific sculptures by local artists addressing this year’s theme, ‘Thread' within the magnificence of Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. Look for the large green trail head...
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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
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