All Weekend

SoNo Arts Celebration (Fairfield County)
Downtown South Norwalk is where you want to be this weekend, as approximately 150 artists and craft persons line the street with their creations. There are children's entertainers and live music along the street throughout the event. Children can also visit the Children's Art Playground where they can create their own works of art to bring home. Saturday and Sunday. Free.

4-H Fair in Somers (Hartford County)
Head over to Somers for three full days of exhibits and activities with livestock shows, demonstrations, horse draws, live bands, children's entertainment, food, and much more. There's a craft show all day Saturday, as well as a chicken barbecue that night. Friday to Sunday. $5 for adults; $3 kids.

Riverfront Dragon Boat and Asian Festival (Hartford County)
This 2-day festival features Asian entertainment, martial arts demonstrations, educational cultural booths, delicious Asian cuisine, and games and activities for kids. Admission to the Asian Festival is free, though there is a fee to participate in the dragon boat races. Saturday and Sunday.

Hamburg Fair (Eastern CT)
The 112th Hamburg Fair is an old-fashioned country fair that includes baking contests, pony rides, farm exhibits, animals, demonstrations, contests and games, musical entertainment, and rides. $5 for adults; kids free. Unlimited ride bracelets will also be for sale. Friday to Sunday.

Saturday, August 16th

Dinosaur State Park Day (Hartford County)
A celebration of the 48th anniversary of the discovery of 2,000 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints takes place in Rocky Hill. The annual event features a wide variety of programs for families, including live animal demonstrations, nature walks, face painting, and musical entertainment. Free.

Third Saturdays at the Aldrich with Lizzy Rockwell (Fairfield County)
Break the boundaries of literature and visual art with local author and illustrator Lizzy Rockwell, as she shares her newest book, Plants Feed Me. The family-art event is free for members and children under 18 and free with the price of admission. From 10 am to 12 noon, children aged two to five are invited to play in the galleries, followed by story time and art-making. From 1 pm to 3 pm, children aged six to ten are invited to engage in gallery games and hands-on art projects. All children must be accompanied by a caregiver. (Our recent Day Trip to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum has some great tips for visiting the museum, as well as some local restaurant suggestions.)

Milford Oyster Festival (Fairfield County)
The 40th Annual Milford Oyster Festival includes blockbuster entertainer Brett Michaels on the main stage, as well as a Children's Stage at Fowler Pavilion, the Harbor Stage and Festival Car Show at Lisman Landing, Armory Square Big Toys, 200 Arts & Crafts vendors on the green, amusement rides, schooner cruises, canoe & kayak race, and 30,000 oysters from the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. Free admission. Food and ride tickets available for a fee.

MADD Dash (Fairfield County)
Head over to Short Beach in Stratford on Saturday morning for a great race that supports Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The course is both flat and scenic and includes options for a kid's fun run, a 2 mile walk, and a 5k run. $23 before August 15; $28 on Race Day; $15 for participants 18 & under; $8 for kids' fun run. (For more race suggestions, check out our guide to Summer Road Races and Triathalons for Kids.)

Lyman Orchards Peach Fest (Eastern CT)
Celebrate the summertime harvesting of these fabulous home-grown fruits! Activities include fruit picking in the orchard, live music on the deck, pony rides, face painting, story time, arts and crafts, pie eating contests, horse-drawn wagon rides & more family fun. And don't forget the Sunflower Maze!

Sunday, August 17th

Aetna Kids Day at New Haven Open (New Haven County)
Fun-filled day of tennis clinics, giveaways, autograph sessions and appearances by WTA pros. Tickets start at just $13 and include all the day's matches and activities. First 1,000 kids receive an Aetna backpack.

Tomato Tasting and Family Fun at Ambler Farm (Fairfield County)
My kids love "red sauce" on pasta and pizza, but somehow love for the simple tomato itself eludes them. I'm hoping this all changes at Ambler Farm's tomato tasting where they will have a chance to taste and learn about a variety of fresh heirloom, hybrid and “garden variety” tomatoes while enjoying lawn games including horseshoes, corn hole, a tomato-on-a-spoon race, and more. The farm also hosts a BYO picnic. Pre-registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. $15 per family or free if you bring 3-5 organic tomatoes or a simple prepared tomato-based dish for tasting.

3rd Annual "Kidologie" Goes Back to School Children's Fair (Fairfield County)
This third annual event at the Westfield Trumbull Mall sponsored by Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital is a fun children’s fair for kids of all ages and their parents. A full day of live entertainment and activities is planned, including local and regional area businesses providing information on fun and enrichment activities, the latest trends, health, fall and winter programs, and destinations resorts.

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Have a wonderful weekend!