All Ages

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating & Story Hour

Come make gingerbread farmers and join the holiday fun at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.

It’s not the holidays without gingerbread cookies! Join us in the kitchen for a gingerbread cookie decorating workshop for kids. First we’ll learn how to make the dough from scratch – measure ingredients, learn about the science behind baking, work the dough, and cut out the shapes. Then we’ll provide gingerbread cookies, and icing and candies for decorating. Each child will take home five (5) decorated cookies. After our creations are complete, we’ll move into the dining room to enjoy treats, hot cocoa, and a gingerbread man story.

When:

Saturday, December 22, 2019 10-11:30am

Location:

Trustees of Reservations

Gingerbread

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Holiday Community Sing Along

The Holiday Sing-Along at Rockport Music's Shalin Liu Center is FREE Holiday fun

Get in the holiday spirit and join Rockport Music’s annual holiday community sing-along. This year’s event will feature the brass ensemble Some Assembly Required, as well as sing-alongs of holiday favorites led by the Rockport High School’s Madrigal Singers. Free, no tickets required. First come, first serve on day of event.

When:

Saturday, December 21, 2019 7pm

Location:

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Rockport

Holiday

Sing Along

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Winter Solstice Celebration

Come for a solstice hike at Ward Reservation to celebrate the Winter Solstice and watch a fire-themed performance by Tetra!

Celebrating the winter solstice goes back 5,000 years. Join us as we light up the night with a Solstice stroll and celebration at Ward Reservation. Participants will meet in the parking lot for a guided candlelit walk through the woods that will include presented passages from the story "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer.

When:

Wednesday, December 18, 2019 6-8:30pm

Strolls at 6-7pm or 7:30-8:30pm

Location:

Trustees of Reservations

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Middle Street Walk at the Sargent House

The Sargent House Museum in Gloucester offers free admission during the Middle Street Walk

Come to the Sargent House to see Gloucester’s 18th century mansion in all its holiday splendor--and purchase exciting hand-made gifts. Free and open to the public. Music, tasty refreshments, and lots of fun at one of Gloucester’s most historic homes.

When:

Saturday, December 14, 2019 10am-4pm

Location:

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Lobster Trap Tree Lighting

The annual Middle Street Walk 2024 wraps up every year with the lighting of the lobster trap Christmas tree in Gloucester Massachusetts! Stop by Cape Ann Art Haven for a Holiday Party with hot chocolate, sweet treats, kids' crafts, holiday photos, face painting live music. Caroling starts at 4:30pm, followed by the tree lighting across the street at 5pm. Come find your buoy hanging on the tree, enjoy caroling, seeing the star put on the tree join us for the countdown and celebrate the season with the lighting of our Lobster Trap Tree!

When:

Saturday, December 14, 2019 4-6pm

Location:

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Santa at Woodman's

Come to Woodman's in Essex Massachsuetts to visit with Santa!

Visit with Santa at Woodman's Restaurant in Essex. Enjoy a great local prepared meal and take advantage of this great photo op!

When:

Saturday, December 14, 2019 1-3pm

Sunday, December 15, 2019 1-3pm

Location:

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MAC Holiday Toy Drive

Manchester Athletic Club Holiday Toy Drive - Manchester MA

With the need for toys at an all-time high for local children, Manchester Athletic is offering a generous benefit for your donation. Bring in any new and unwrapped toy to donate to the toy drive, MAC will waive the join fee. MAC collects as many toys and gift card donations as possible to fulfill North Shore needs.

Bring your toy before December 17.

For further information, please call 978-526-8900

When:

now through Tuesday, December 17, 2019 6am-8:00pm

Location:

Manchester Athletic Club

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Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys | Matinee

Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys performed by Jaoppa Dance Company at the Firehousecenter for the Arts

Firehouse Center for the Arts hosts Joppa Dance Company as they present 'The Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys', an original dance-theater production that centers around three unlikely friends. One, a stuffed animal that doesn’t fit into any particular species; the second, a doll that prefers an alternative punky-gothic style to the usual pink frills; the third, a Barbie who rejects the normal attire for…men’s suits? Yes!

When:

Friday, December 6, 2019 8pm

Saturday, December 7, 2019 2 & 8pm

Sunday, December 8, 2019 2pm

Location:

Firehouse Center for the Arts

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Shop Local HW Holiday Stroll

Hamilton Wenham Holiday Festival is a fun holiday event!

Shop Local HW brings National Small Business Saturday home! The second Family Friendly Festival hosted by Shop Local HW will bring together local businesses and the wider community with an amazing schedule of activities that will enliven our business corridors along the 1A in both Wenham and Hamilton with a bustle of Holiday Cheer, including:

When:

Saturday,November 30, 2019 10am-8pm

Location:

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Gingerbread Decorating Workshop at Marini Farm

Kids will learn how to decorate gingerbrad houses at Marini Farm in Ipswich MA!

Celebrate the season with us, friends and gingerbread fun. Decorate your very own gingerbread house and take it home to eat or display as a centerpiece during your holiday celebrations. Enjoy endless decorating options, from frosted roofs, gum drop fences and cookie christmas trees.

When:

Fridays, November 29 - December 13, 2019 4-5pm

Saturdays & Sundays, November 30 - December 15, 2019 4pm or 7pm

Saturday, December 21, 2019 11am or 2pm

Location:

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Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...

Where: Maudslay State Park

7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .

Where: Pingree School

8:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...

Where: Crescent Farm

9:00 am to 9:00 pm

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Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....

Where: Downtown Salem

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

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Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...

Where: Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham

10:00 am to 10:45 am

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Beverly Farmers' Market

The Beverly Farmers’ Market supports local agriculture while making healthy food available to all members of the Beverly community at affordable prices; the market promotes sustainable living practices and fosters community connections through our vendors, free activities and events. The market...

Where: Odell Park

3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

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Sunday, September 14

Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

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Paddle Around Historic Rockport Harbor

Come join North Shore Adventures and Outdoor Center for some fun on the water! No experience necessary. Depart from our private beach in one of our safe, stable kayaks or paddle boards and paddle around the historic Rockport Harbor for 30 mins. See lobster boats, Motif #1, the Rockport Break water...

Where: Downtown Rockport

10:30 pm

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Monday, September 15

Trails & Sails

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...

7:00 am to 10:00 pm

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