All Ages

Santa by Boat in the Shipyard

After Santa arrives in Essex, kids will have a chance discuss their wish list with him in person!

Kids of all ages are welcome to come down to Essex Town Landing for a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus! Enjoy Woodman’s chowder and cocoa while we await the arrival, then let the kids take a turn sitting with the big red couple to plead their cases for gifts that breathe and/or are outside of any reasonable budget - you know, all the stuff they can only get from Santa. The arrival itself will happen at 5:00pm and visits will take place on the front porch of the Essex Historical Society & Shipbuilding Museum.

When: 
Friday, December 6, 2024 4-6pm

Gingerbread Contest at Wenham Museum

Wenham Museum Gingerbread Contest is free to enter and open to all!

Everyone's invited to enter Wenham Museum’s gingerbread contest! Individuals, families, groups, teams–all are encouraged to create a Gingerbread House for this friendly community competition. Visit the 2024 Gingerbread House Contest page for contest details, rules and registration.  There is no fee to participate.

When: 
Tuesday-Saturday, December 8-21, 2024
Sunday, December 3, 2023 12-4pm
Location: 

Lowell's Boat Shop Holiday Open House

Visit Lowell's Boat Shop in Amesbury Massachusetts for their annual holiday open house!

Visit Lowell’s Boat Shop during their Annual Holiday Open House is a two day family event during the first weekend in December. See the shop transformed with beautiful trees, an art show, silent auction, Nautical Gift Shop, Lowell’s gear to wear, books, glassware, and more. Make it a day! Live music, and lots of other treats in every part of the shop. Don’t miss this beautiful shindig, and be sure to tell your friends.

When: 
December 7 & 8, 2024 11am-4pm
Santa Visits 12-1

Manchester-by-the-Sea Holiday Tree Lighting

Celebrate the start of the Christmas Season in downtown Manchester, Massachusetts!

Beginning at 3:30pm, the MERHS Band, Chorus and Sound Waves and the Manchester-Essex Elementary School Chorus will perform an outdoor concert at Manchester Town Green. The Students from the Ballet de Mar will also perform four dances. The Manchester Woman's Club will serve hot chocolate donated by the Masons and Mrs. Claus and her elf will hand out Candy Canes. The tree lighting will go on at dusk regardless of the weather. Sponsored by the Manchester Woman's Club | Hot Chocolate donated by the Masons.

When: 
Sunday, December 8, 2024 9am-4:30pm
Tree Lighting begins at 3:30pm

Manchester Holiday Stroll

Shop downtown merchants, win prizes and have fun in Manchester Massachusetts!

Support Manchester Merchants, shop around town & collect stamps in your Holiday Passbook and you will have a chance to win some great prizes! Turn in your completed Passbook at Bravo by the Sea by 8:15 pm for a chance to win one of two prizes. This traditional passport shopping event will give participants an opportunity to see unique array of merchants in town, take advantage of holiday discounts, and maybe even win a great prize!

When: 
Friday, December 6, 2024 4-8pm

Santa-by-the-Sea!

Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by lobster boat at 1 pm on December 2, 2017

Come to the the annual Jingle Bell Walk in Manchester! Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by boat and lead the children in a parade around the park and then be available for pictures. There will also be a petting zoo, crafts, face painting, a candy cane hunt, refreshments and a visit from Mrs. Claus!  Sponsored by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Manchester Community Center, Manchester Mothers' Club and the Parks and Recreation Department.

When: 
Saturday, December 7, 2024 1-3pm

Salem Holiday Tree Lighting

Come to the Holiday Tree Lighting in Salem to kick off the holiday season!

Join Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem as we combine two of our most beloved annual traditions – Greet Santa at the Hawthorne Hotel and the lighting of Salem’s Holiday Tree – into one evening. Santa Claus will arrive at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel (18 Washington Square W) promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 29, 2024, with assistance from the Salem Fire Department, of course. Bring the whole family out for carols, festivities, and fun!

When: 
Friday, November 29, 2024 6:30pm
Location: 

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Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

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

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Gloucester Education Foundation's Power of Play Festival

Gloucester Education Foundation is proud to host Power of Play Festival, a day of play for Gloucester Massachusetts families and kids of all ages. Gloucester Education Foundation's Power of Play Festival
Gloucester Education Foundation hosts the annual Power of Play Festival in Gloucester Massachusetts. A day of hands-on, low-tech play for all ages, hosted by Gloucester Education Foundation and run by a powerhouse team of community and student volunteers.
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Amesbury Winter Market

The Amesbury Winter Market happens every other Sunday indoors at Barewolf Brewing in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Welcome to Amesbury Market Daze at BareWolf Brewing, a bi-weekly vendor market where local surrounding Amesbury talent and community spirit converge. We take pride in curating a consistent marketplace that showcases local art and food from talented local artisans, chefs, farmers, creators and...
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Friday, April 11

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Friday

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...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Saturday, April 12

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

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems, learn more about a wide range of natural history topics, and do real wildlife data collection and conservation projects in this exciting club for teens!
8:00 am to 5:00 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

Salisbury Egg Hunt

Community Egg Hunt for kids ages 2-8 at Salisbury Massachusetts Elementary School.
If you're looking for some Easter fun the kiddos can enjoy, Salisbury Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting their annual Egg Hunt next Saturday at the Salisbury Elementary School for kids 8 and under. Visit their page to learn more!
9:45 am to 11:00 am

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

2nd & 4th Saturday at Lynn Museum

Lynn Museum in Massachusetts offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month.
Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Big Night at IRWS

Come explore the vernal pools of Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary with Mass Audubon!
On the first warm rainy night of spring, wood frogs and salamanders begin a mass migration to the vernal pools where they breed. This mass migration is referred to as "Big Night!"
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 13

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
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