Friday, May 15th
Frog Pond Carousel
Location: Frog Pond, Boston Common
Website: www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org
Hours: 11:00am-9:00pm
Cost: $3.00
Description: Grab a brass ring and ride the 20 painted horses at the Boston Common Frog Pond. This the second season the Frog Pond Carousel will grace the popular winter ice-skating and summer wading spot.
Clown Town in the Park
Location: Bartlet & Chestnut Streets, Andover, MA
Website: www.andoverma.gov
Hours: Fri: 6pm.- 10pm, Sat: 9:30am-4:30pm
Cost: Free, Ride tickets and food for sale
Description: Andover’s perennial spring event features carnival rides, games, face painting, candy, balloons, a variety of food.. All proceeds used to help Andover youth learn, grow and achieve. Clown Town, a more than 50-year-old annual event that kids eagerly await for months, is the No. 1 fundraiser for the Andona society, which has doled out more than $70,000 to youth programs in the past year.
75th Anniversary Festival: Breakheart Reservation
Location: Forest Street,Saugus, MA
Website: www.saugus.com
Hours: 10am-2pm Cost: Free
Description: Help Breakheart celebrate its 75th Anniversary. Join in a park clean-up, 5K fun run, and canoeing Pearce Lake start at 10am; a live concert by Jumpin’ Juba and various family activities and presentations run from 12pm-2pm.
Volvo Ocean Race
Location: Fan Pier, Boston, MA
Website: www.volvooceanraceatfanpierboston.com
Hours: 10:00am-10:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: From April 25th through May 16th, 2009 Fan Pier Boston will be transformed into a lively race village complete with sailboat racing, live entertainment, interactive race experiences, kids programs, maritime exhibits and so much more.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Making Music with RI PBS
Location: Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South Street, Providence, RI Website:
Hours: 5:30pm-7:30pm
Cost: The Museum is open free of charge from 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Description: Children meet cartoon composer Amadeus from PBS’s Wunderkind Little Amadeus’s and create some joyful noise by inventing their own instruments from recycled materials. Ages 4 – 8.
Murder Mystery Tour
Location: Astor’s Beechwood, 580 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI
Website: www.astorsbeechwood.com
Hours: 7:00pm
Cost: $30 adults, $15 ages 6 to 17
Description: Mrs. Astor has invited close friends and family for a midwinter social evening but she has an ulterior motive. She is screening debutantes to select a wife for her only son, John Jacob Astor IV. The young ladies know what is at stake and just might kill to be the next Mrs. Astor. What should be a night of fun turns deadly and the party swiftly unravels. Guests search the home for clues, question suspects and solve the crime in this fast-paced whodunit. Reservations strongly recommended.
Suessical Jr.
Location: Little Compton Community Center, 34Commons Rd.,Little Compton, RI
Website: http://www.lccenter.com
Hours: 7:00pm Cost: $10.00-$12.00
Description: The Little Compton Community Center Children’s Theatre Company presents Suessical Jr.
New Hampshire
Super Stellar Friday: “Granite State Storms”
Location: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH
Website: www.starhop.com.
Hours: 7:30pm
Cost: $9 adult; $8 student/senior, $6 child
Description: Kevin Skarupa, from WMUR News 9, will take you through the past 100 years of the biggest storms New Hampshire’s ever experienced! From tornadoes, to floods, to snow storms – and even solar storms – take a closer look at some of New Hampshire’s wildest natural events. Then find out which one eye witnesses believe was the biggest storm of the century!
3rd Annual Capitol Kids Spring Art Show
Location: Main Street, Concord, NH
Website: www.mainstreetconcord.com
Hours: All weekend
Cost: Free
Description: Budding artists aged 18 and under are invited to draw, paint, sculpt or build a work of art in celebration of the season. The artwork is showcased in 57 storefront windows stretching from Detailed Stained Glass at 45 South Main to Bead It! at 146 North Main. The exhibition spills onto several side streets too, including Warren, Pleasant, and Pleasant Street Extension.
Les Miserables: School Edition
Location: Majestic Theatre, 281 Cartier Street, Manchester, NH
Website: www.majestictheatre.net
Hours: Thu-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun 2:00pm
Cost: $16 adults, $10 children 17 & under, $14 seniors Sunday only
Description: Broadway’s legendary musical has been specially adapted to meet the needs of young performers. This author approved edition has been abridged while carefully maintaining the integrity of one the greatest musicals ever written.
FIN TASTIC VOYAGE
Location: Amoskeag Fishways, 6 Fletcher St, Manchester. NH
Website: www.amoskeagfishways.org
Hours: 7:00pm-8:00pm Cost: $5 per family. Advance registration w/payment required.
Description: Some of our Merrimack River fish travel amazing distances. Families will find out which fish go the farthest as we play fish games, make a fish craft, and look for migrating fish in our ladder.
Saturday May 16th
Citi Spotlights Boston
Location: Shubert Theatre 270 Tremont Street, Boston
Website: www.citicenter.org
Hours: 7:00pm
Cost: $5.00
Description: City Spotlights is a cultural performance exploring and celebrating four Boston neighborhoods through the performing arts. In this special performance, performers portray the identities of Boston neighborhoods through dance, spoken word, theatre, song and multimedia, creating a story honoring the uniqueness and richness of Boston. This year’s City Spotlights neighborhoods are Charlestown, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale & West Roxbury, and the South End. A program of the Citi Performing Arts Center Education Department, City Spotlights strives to connect communities through the performing arts.
12th Annual Spring Children’s Festival
Location: 135 Emmons Street Franklin, MA
Website: www.dean.edu
Hours: 10:00am-2:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: Attractions will include more than a dozen activities such as children’s games, arts for children, moonwalks, children’s DJ, and Lil’ Folk farm animals! Tickets for activities will be sold at the door. Refreshments and lunch foods will be sold. Admission is free. Numerous baskets filled with items for young and old alike will be available for the Auction and Raffles that will take place during the Festival. Vendors will also display their goods and services throughout the day.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Pirate Players
Location: Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library yard, 1 Memorial Avenue, Johnston, RI
Website: http://www.mohrlibrary.org Hours: 12:00pm–5:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: A crew of costumed actors interact with visitors in authentic eighteenth century language, following orders from officers, participating in land activities and crafts, taking part in games, etc. With black powder and live steel they’ll even bring to life the combat tactics that were common in the time.
11th Annual Restoration Celebration
Location: Greenvale Vineyards, 582 Wapping Rd, Portsmouth, RI
Website: www.greenvale.com
Hours: 1:00pm-4:00pm Cost: Free
Description: Celebrate the restoration of Greenvale Vineyards’ 1860s stable turned wine tasting room. Live music, refreshments, wine tasting, tractor rides, and vineyard tours.
Connecticut
Family Fun Nights with Curious George
Location: Stepping Stones Museum for Children, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT
Website: www.steppingstonesmuseum.org
Hours: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Cost: $12.00
Description: Evening includes pizza, hands-on activities, story time and the children can get their picture takes with Curious George
Krazy Kool Legos Challenge
Location: Earthplace,10 Woodside Lane, Westport, CT
Website: www.earthplace.org
Hours: 11:30am
Cost: $25 for members, $30 for non-members
Description: Do your kids love playing with Legos? Throw away those instructions and become a free-wheeling Lego designer! Shari O’Neill, the owner of Krazy Kool Creations, is offering a 1 hour event open to 4 toÏ 8 year olds. Along with inspiring creativity, Shari encourages the children to share, cooperate, and think about how they are playing.
New Hampshire
16th Annual Children And The Arts Festival
Location: 1 Grove Street, Peterborough, NH
Website: www.childrenandthearts.org
Hours: 10:00am
Cost: Free
Description: This day-long festival has been a yearly festival for years in Peterborough, and it’s a “Don’t Miss It!” For months leading up to the festival children are working hard on huge puppets, banners, and masks. The day is filled with frivolity and excitement. Children from 1-100 will love it!
Sunday, May 17th
Under New England
Location: Harvard Museum of Natural History 26 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA
Website: http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu
Hours: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Cost: Free with museum admission, adults $9, seniors/students $7, children 3-18 $6, under 3 free, if you arrive before noon admission is free to Massachusetts residents
Description: New England has a spectacular geologic history of colliding continents, erupting volcanoes, and roaming dinosaurs. Charles Ferguson Barker, geologist and author of the children’s book Under New England: The Story of New England’s Rocks & Fossils, will introduce young explorers to the rich geological landscape of the region. Free with museum admission.
Urban Bird Days and Pixie Sticks Concert
Location: 22 Vinal Ave, Somerville, MA
Website: www.thegrowingcenter.org
Hours: 2:00pm-4:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: Come spend an afternoon at The Somerville Community Growing Center, a beautiful urban Oasis near Inman Square. This event is for the birds! And also for young people and families to explore the garden, learn about urban birds through games and activities, bird related art and great music with the Pixie Sticks band offering interactive bird and animal songs. There might even be bird visitors! Thanks to Cornell Lab of Ornithology for inspiration and seeds.
Nahant Beach Gathering of Kite Fliers
Location: Nahant Beach Reservation, Nahant Causeway, Nahant
Website: www.winthropchamber.com
Hours: 3:00pm-6:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: Dig out your old kite and come down to Nahant Beach for a fun-filled family afternoon.
Touch a Truck
Location: Beverly Cummings Center, Rte 62, Beverly, MA
Website: www.beverlyma.gov
Hours: 10:00am-1:00pm
Cost: Free
Description: Join us for trucks, trucks, trucks! Get up close and personal with some of our favorite “big rigs”! If you’re a truck lover young or old, know a truck lover or just want to have a great afternoon, come out and interact with a wide variety of trucks, construction vehicles, public safety vehicles and more! The Beverly Masons will be there, offering their CHIP (Child Identification) program, free of charge. Whatever you do… don’t forget the camera! Sponsored by the Beverly DPW & Cummings Center.
Lilja Spring Fair
Location: 41 Bacon St, Natick
Website: www.natick.k12.ma.us
Hours:12:00pm-4:00pm
Cost: Free, cost for games
Description: The Lilja Spring Fair is held rain or shine (indoors in the event of heavy rain). Fun for the whole family; preschool through elementary school age. Event offers Moonwalks, Face-Painting, Fun games, Prizes, Food and a Dunk tank (weather permitting).
Rhode Island
Walk Through Historic Pawtuxet Village
Location: The Gazebo, Pawtuxet Park, Narragansett Parkway, Warwick, RI
Website: www.gaspee.com
Hours: 12:30pm Cost: Free
Description: Local schoolchildren dress up in Colonial style to give tours of the historic homes and sites within Pawtuxet Village
The Pennfield School MayFair
Location: 110 Sandy Point Avenue, Portsmoth, RI
Website: http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=pennfieldschool
Hours: 10:00am–4:00pm.
Cost: Free
Description: MayFair fun for the whole family. Silent auction, inflatables, carnival games, face painting, crafts, plant and white elephant sales, food, and more!
Connecticut
Spring on the Farm
Location: Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofield Town Road., Stamford, CT
Website: www.stamfordmuseum.org
Hours: 11:00am-4:00pm
Cost: $10.00
Description: Meet and greet the newest additions to the family on Heckscher Farm. Learn how to sheer sheep, take a hay ride around the blossoming grounds. Plant sale, face paining, pony rides and more.
New Hampshire
Children’s Fishing Derby
Location: Remick Country Doctor Museum, 58 Cleveland Hill Rd, Tamworth, NH
Website: www.remickmuseum.org Hours: 10:00am-12:00PM
Cost: Free
Description: The fish pond on the farm is stocked for children 15 years old and under, with parental supervision. Trophies are awarded for biggest fish, smallest fish and first to catch the limit. Two fish limit per child.
