North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
Fun and Free Things to Do in Boston with Kids - Festivals, Celebrations and More Apr 27-28
Festival season has begun! From the Harvard ArtsFirst Festival to the Boston College Arts Festival, the Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place to the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts at Brandeis, our calendar is filling up with this sure sign of spring. We also have performances of the Catskill Puppet Theater’s The Town that Fought Hate, an Earth Day celebration in Concord, a children’s opera by the Boston Conservatory, and more. Read on for this weekend’s highlights.
Early results from our recent survey (didn’t get a chance to take it? there’s still time!) indicate that our readers are interested in knowing about day trips and weekend getaways. In that vein, we continue our coverage with some insights into the East Bay RI towns of Bristol and Warren. We also recognize National Bike Month in May with our Cycling with Kids post that covers local trails and routes, tours, and special bike-related events.
And with Mother’s Day just over two weeks away, we’ve highlighted some special kid-friendly Mother’s Day brunches - reservations required!
Be sure to check our Events calendar for more things to do, and please stay tuned for an announcement about a very special festival being planned to benefit The One Fund Boston - The One Family Music Festival. Details coming soon.
Until then, enjoy!
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Harvard ArtsFirst Festival - Harvard Yard, Cambridge
Sat 4/27-Sun 4/28
Most FREE
The annual Arts First festival celebrates student and faculty creativity at Harvard University. Around half of Harvard’s 6,600 students participate in the festival each spring. Most of the events at ARTS FIRST are family friendly and appropriate for children, but ones that may be of particular to families include a DanceFest on the Plaza; The Billy Goat’s Gruff, by Sunken Garden Children’s Theater; the Harvard Yard Mainstage; Paint for a Cause; and more. Plus, visitors can enjoy the four local museums, most of which are free for kids. There's even an ArtsFirst App to help you plan your visit!
Muddy River Dulcimer Festival - Brookline Music School, Brookline
Sat 4/27
FREE family concert
The festival includes three folk concerts, one instrument petting zoo and an afternoon of workshops for beginner and experienced players. Dulcimers and merchandise will also be for sale. The free family concert, with Lorraine Hammond and Pam Weeks and including an instrument petting zoo is on Saturday.
Musketaquid Earth Day - Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts, Concord
Sat 4/27
FREE
It's a day of music, dance, wildlife puppetry and sculpture, local food, and kids activities, all in celebration of Earth Day. Schedule of events:
- 10am: River Ceremony - Lowell Road Boat Launch
- 11am: Parade - Lowell Road Boat Launch to Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts
- 11:30am-2pm: Music, dance and children’s activities at Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts
Catskill Puppet Theater- The Town that Fought Hate
The Town that Fought Hate recounts the true story of how people of all faiths and races came together in the town of Billings, Montana to successfully fight a group of haters. The story gently imparts some timeless life-lessons, including: the importance of standing up to bullies and haters; the power of community; and the power in each of us - including our children - to make a difference.
Two performances:
John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
Sat 4/27
FREE; reservations required
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline
Sun 4/28
$8 children, $10 adults
Play Date: DYI Performance: Become an ICA 'Idol" - ICA - Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Sat 4/27
FREE for families: up to two adults per family accompanied by children ages 6–12
Calling young performers and families! Ready-made short musical, dance, and storytelling acts are welcome in the Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater at 11:30am or 2:30pm. After your five minutes of fame, don't miss a performance by the Boston Children's Chorus performance 1:30pm.
Mooch the Messy - Seully Hall, Boston
Sat 4/27
FREE
Mooch the Messy itells the story of Mooch, a rat from Boston, who learns about neatness and responsibility when his father comes for a visit. He also learns to be himself in a delightful mix of humor, music and fun.
Rosalita's Puppets: Aunty Goose - Boston Common Frog Pond, Boston
Sat 4/27
FREE
Aunty Goose is here with her friendly puppets singing and storytelling. During intermissions, children can take a spin on the carousel. Show times: 12pm-12:15pm, 12:30pm-12:45pm, 1pm-1:15pm. Puppet show is free, carousel rides are $3.
Boston College Arts Festival - Kids Activities - Boston College, Chestnut Hill
Sat 4/27
Most activities FREE
Part of the annual arts festival is a full day of special programs for children. Kids explore the various arts at Boston College - painting, ceramics, dance, music, theater, reading; listen to music, watch a dance performance, and enjoy a special performance of theater for kids; paint, color, glue, dig their hands in clay, listen to stories, and have their faces painted; and have the opportunity to participate in a parade with the BC Marching Band.
- Children's Activities (12n-5pm): A variety of arts 'n' crafts activities, including cookie decorating, face painting, and sidewalk chalk. O'Neill Plaza
- Instrument Petting Zoo (12n-1pm): Students in the BC Bands program give children a chance to try an instrument. O'Neill Plaza
- Children's Theater (2:45pm-2:30pm): The BC Creative Dramatics class performs Beauty and the Beast. O'Neill Plaza
- Children's Story Hour (12n-1pm) Gasson Commons
26th Annual Sheepshearing Festival - Gore Place, Waltham
Sat 4/27
$15, free to ages 12 and under
Families can enjoy demonstrations of sheep-shearing, herding dogs, spinning, weaving and gardening on the 45-acre estate, plus a large crafts fair, live entertainment, historic demonstrators, games and farm animals. Wagon rides and museum tours are also available (additional charge).
Food vendors on site. Free parking. No dogs or other pets allowed.
Art in Bloom Family Day - MFA, Boston
Sun 4/28
Free with admission
Celebrate spring at this annual festival of fine art and fresh flowers. Families can enjoy art-making activities, storytelling, and more as part of the MFA's annual transformation of its galleries with almost 70 extraordinary arrangements inspired by magnificent works of art.
Run of the Charles - Artesani Park, Brighton
Sun 4/28
FREE to watch
New England's largest canoe and kayak race includes 6, 9, and 19 mile races, a 24-mile, five-leg canoe relay race, and a 26-mile professional marathon.
The Annual Run of the Charles showcases the ongoing improvements in the Charles River, while drawing 1,500 paddlers and hundreds of spectators to enjoy a day on the river. The afternoon Finish Line Festival features food, live music, awards, raffles and demonstrations.
Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts - Brandeis University, Waltham
Sun 4/28
FREE
The campus blooms with creativity and community, presenting work by national and regional artists as well as Brandeis faculty and students from April 25-April 28. On "Super Sunday," the festival offers an afternoon of free performances, family and children’s events, and art exhibitions and demonstrations.
Mother's Day Cards Open House - Eliot School, Boston
Sun 4/28
FREE
The Eliot School offers adults and older children the chance to make cards with intricate designs of overlapping layers of colored paper, colorful stars, flowers and abstract shapes. Younger children may make less intricate cards.
Photo credit: Bruce S. Allen
