Weekend Family Fun Guide: July 29 - 31
If you are looking to enjoy a wonderful summer weekend with the family, then you are in luck! This weekend there are festivals, puppets and even a little discovery. The summer is a great time to explore and this might just be the perfect weekend to do just that!
Lowell Folk Festival
Downtown Lowell
Free Admission
(978) 970-5000
website
This is the Lowell Folk Festival's 25th anniversary of bringing folk music, dancing, traditional arts, and a variety of ethnic foods to the Boston area. Each year, the festival boasts at least five stages, a range of folk music stylings, games and activities for kids, and some delicious food. Bring a blanket and your dancing shoes and get ready to have some fun with the whole family.
Toe Jam Puppet Band: The Green Show
Georges Island
Boston Harbor, Boston, Mass.
July 31
12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Free Admission
website
This puppet band is a local favorite. This show is all about recycling and keeping the earth clean. With singing and puppets, how can you go wrong? Although this event is free, don't forget that Georges Island is a ferry ride away…
Green Meadows Farm Summer Festival
656 Asbury Street, South Hamilton, Mass.
July 30, 2011
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Free Admission
(978) 468-2277
website and info
Kids love farms. It might be the animals or it might be all of that open space. Treat your kids to an afternoon of both at the Green Meadows Farm Summer Festival. The whole family can enjoy a free day of games, food, and live music. They've also got eggs, meat, and chickens for sale.
Hero Quest at the Discovery Museums
Children's Discovery Museum
177 Main Street, Acton, Mass.
July 29, 2011
10 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Adults: $10.50, Seniors: $9.50, Kids: $10.50, Babies under 1: Free
(978) 264 - 4200
website
Kids can be heroes, too! This drop-in activity sends kids on a scavenger hunt to help others in need and to learn more about what it really means to be a hero. It's included in your museum admission, so you can spend the rest of the day exploring on your own. Superhero cape optional.
Shakespeare in the Park - All's Well That Ends Well
Boston Common – Parkman Bandstand
July 27-August 14 (Matinee on July 30)
Tue-Sat: 8 p.m.; Sun: 8 p.m., Matinee: July 30 at 2 p.m.
Free Admission
website
This year marks the 16th year that Bostonians have been able to enjoy Shakespeare on the Common. This year, the Commonweath Shakespeare Company presents All's Well That Ends Well, a comedy about Helena's single-minded determination to marry Bertram, the man she loves. Bring a blanket, sunscreen, and a picnic lunch to the matinee and camp out a bit early. This probably isn't the best choice with young kids, but older ones might just develop a new love of Shakespeare.
Arts, Crafts and Puppets with ParkARTS
John Harvard Mall
Charlestown, Mass.
July 29, 2011
9am-12 p.m.
(617) 635-4505
website
Boston parks are host to some wonderful activities all summer long. One of them is the Artists in Residence Craft Workshops. These free workshops are geared toward kids ages 3 to 10 and take place in parks around the city on Tuesdays-Fridays in July and August. This particular workshop at the John Harvard Mall also includes entertainment from Rosalita's Puppets at 11am.
Christy Matte is a local freelance writer and blogger, as well as co-founder of Boston Parent
Bloggers. She blogs about parenting, travel, tech, and philanthropy at QuirkyFusion.com
