North Pole - various times
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: Pirate Faire, Frog Pond and More, June 29-30
Boston families will find plenty of fun and free things to do in and around town this weekend. Take advantage of the great outdoors and head to the Sand and Sea Festival in Salisbury, the New England Pirate Faire in Salem and the Frog Pond Spray Pool opening in Boston. Other events include a family matinee and toy theater workshop at Puppet Showplace Theatre, the Boston JerkFest, and Birds of Prey at Gore Place.
Independence Day is just around the corner, and we’ve pulled together a list of our favorite Boston Harborfest events, including "America's Biggest July 4th Celebration" on the Esplanade. There are also plenty of smaller-scale alternatives around Boston, just right for families. You can even plan to watch fireworks almost every night for the next week!
With summer in full swing, Tara is on a mission to find ways to have fun indoors as the days heat up. She and her family checked out the two 5 Wits shows at Patriot Place in Foxboro and discovered that they are enormously fun for parents and kids alike. Likewise, Einstein's Workshop, Boston's newest makerspace in Burlington, is a mecca for kids and parents who love STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). And if you've thought how nice it might be to skip cooking dinner sometimes this summer, Rachel has the perfect plan (and a couple of recipes).
Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.
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Faery Festival - Wenham Museum
Sat 6/29
Included with admission
Gossamer wings, faery wands, and enchanting tales of far away places - celebrate everything faery at the Wenham Museum. Children can wear their own costume or borrow one of the museum's, and spend a magical afternoon sipping faery tea and decorating tiny faery houses with special guest Liza Walsh, author of the Fairy Garden Handbook. Rain date 6/30.
Boston JerkFest - Benjamin Franklin Institute Technology, Boston
Sat 6/29
Adults $15; Children $6
Boston Jerkfest features top local Caribbean chefs, authentic Caribbean, international and local spicy food for sale (spicy jams, nuts, desserts, and traditional home-made drinks from the Caribbean), plus live entertainment and performances for the whole family. Tickets are available for two sessions: 11am-3pm and 4pm-8pm
The Rum & Brew Tasting is for 21+ festival attendees and features live music and unlimited tastings of rum, local craft beer and a variety of Caribbean themed libations.
Family Matinee & Toy Theater Workshop - Puppet Showplace Theatre, Brookline
Sat 6/29
Tickets $12
A picture book written and illustrated by Barbara Steinitz is brought to life, performed out of a suitcase, with live music created and played on an array of instruments by Bjorn Kollin. Following the performance, children can make and perform with their own toy theater puppets.
New England Pirate Faire - Pioneer Village, Salem
Sat 6/29
Tickets: 12 & up $14; 4-11 $10; under 4 free
Pastimes Entertainment performs its original adventure, Felicity Dane and the Diamond in the Rough, a family-friendly interactive pirate adventure. Families can also enjoy black powder and cannon demonstrations, pirate games, the unique merchants that make up the Tortuga Marketplace, food and refreshments, and live music.
Sand and Sea Festival - Salisbury
Sat 6/29-Sun 6/30
FREE
The Sand & Sea Festival provides family fun for all ages with crafters and food vendors, live entertainment, kids’ activities, the ever-popular Beach Pizza Eating contest, Pet Parade and much more! Saturday night features a free outdoor concert by Entrain followed by spectacular fireworks.
Frog Pond Wading Pool Opening Celebration - Boston
Sat 6/29
FREE
Join Frog Pond Freddie and kick-off the summer at the 7th annual Wading Pool Grand Opening. After the opening countdown, cool down under the 30-foot spray flume. Relax in the sun with a delicious lunch from the Frog Pond Café.
Celebrating July 4th - Christopher Columbus Park, Boston
Sat 6/29
FREE
Families can celebrate July 4th with music, games, entertainment, and more. A parade around the Park begins first thing, so kids can bring their decorated bikes, strollers, scooters, etc. and be part of the fun.
New England Reptile & Raptors Exhibits presents: Birds of Prey - Gore Place, Waltham
Sun 6/30
$10 adults, $8 members and children ages 12 and under.
Join naturalist, artist, and falconer Marla Isaac for a presentation of live birds of prey. Marla talks about the lives of these "aerial hunters" including: natural history, biology, adaptations, habitats, poaching, falconry and the management of these animals in the wild and how the laws and regulations protect them. Owls, hawks, falcons and vultures await you up-close and personal!
Vintage Base Ball - Georges Island, Boston
Sun 6/30
FREE (ferry additional)
What better place to walk a historic ballgame than inside the walls of a Civil War fort on Georges Island. Two teams play against one another while adhering to rules set in the Civil War. Today: Melrose Pondielders vs. Bristol Blues vs NH Granite.
