OH,THEPLACESYOU’LLGO MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination. Although we’ve done our best to assure accuracy at press time, things can and do change… A Adult C Child Y Youth M Member NM Non-Member PP Per Person
1SATURDAY Family Fun Days. Old Sturbridge Village. 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Play baseball the way early New Englanders did, make a craft, join a game of French & English (left), meet the young oxen in training, try your hand at marbling paper, watch a toy, fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, stop and see craftsmen at work and much more. A $24, Y (3-17) $8, C under 2 FREE. 508-347-3362, osv.org. Also Sept. 2 & 3.
Children under 3 are invited to register for this free seminar with examination designed to help parents assure a cavity-free child. The informal format assures that all parents’ questions will be answered by this pediatric dental specialist. Space is limited. Call Dr. Mel at 508-875-KIDS to register. WeeCareAtDrMels.com.
6THURSDAY FREE & ONGOING Playdance OPEN HOUSE! See Sept. 4 listing for details. Also Sept. 7 - 9. FREE Afternoon Adventures. Marlborough Public Library, 35 West Main St., Marlborough. 4 – 4:45 p.m. Activities and snacks for children ages 6 -10. Registration is required and is limited. Please register by calling the Children’s Room or stop by: 508-6246902, marlborough-ma.gov.
FREE Blackstone Canal Festival. Harding Street, Worcester. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. This classic street festival includes music, entertainment, vendors, food, an abundance of kids’ activities, horse-and-wagon rides, kayak rides, historic as well as current canal project information, a giant raffle, and much more. At the center of the festival will be an actual, re-created segment of the canal, 75-feet long, filled with over 4,500 gallons of water, recalling the era when it served as a cargo waterway to the sea. blackstonecanalfest.org. Canaldiggers 5K and Kids Fun Run. Worcester. 10:30 a.m. Fallon Community Health Care (FCHP) sponsors this annual race that coincides with the Blackstone Canal Festival. This year, there is a new kids’ fun run starting at 10:30 a.m. followed by a run/walk and the traditional 5km. Don’t miss the Irish BBQ and music after the race. Register soon! canaldiggers.org and fchp.org.
ONGOING Guided Garden Tours. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. Every Sunday, 2 – 3 p.m. Enjoy a guided tour of this magnificent garden, with seasonal highlights such as summer annuals, the vegetable garden, and a Systematic Garden overview. Free with admission: A$12, Y $7, C under 6 FREE. 508-869-6111, towerhillbg.org.
Family Fun Days. Old Sturbridge Village. See Sept. 1 listing for details.
4TUESDAY E.B.T.K.S Book Group. Marlborough Public Library, 35 West Main St.,, Marlborough. 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Everything But The Kitchen Sink is a book group for kids ages 10+ who like to read a little bit of everything! Space is limited. Registration is required. 508-624-6902, marlborough-ma.gov. FREE Be a Princess Open House (Playdance). Joanne Langione Dance Center, Newton. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. For children ages 2 – 4. 617-969-8724, Jldancecenter.com, Also Sept. 5 - 9.
5WEDNESDAY FREE & ONGOING Playdance OPEN HOUSE! See Sept. 4 listing for details. Also Sept. 6 – 9. FREE Wee Care Infant Oral Health Program. Dr. Mel, 223 Walnut St., Suite 22, Framingham. 10 a.m.
photo courtesy of liz linder photography
Family Fun Days. Old Sturbridge Village. See Sept. 1 listing for details. Also Sept. 3.
3MONDAY
FREE The Sterling Fair. See Sept. 7 listing. Monday 10 ONGOING Butterfly Landing. Franklin Park Zoo, Boston. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Stroll through a tranquil environment filled with hundreds of butterflies. This tented, outdoor exhibit also features several garden beds, a pond and soothing surroundsound music. Butterfly Landing is a seasonal exhibit and runs through mid-September (weather permitting). 617-541-5466, franklinparkzoo.org. FREE Natick Community Organic Farm, 117 Eliot St., Natick. During your visit, you and your children may witness animals reproducing, birthing, nursing young, or dying. We encourage you to use your visit as an opportunity to talk openly about life cycles, and that farm animals are raised for food. Enjoy a barn-side market stand, animals, gardening, and more! It’s free to visit but they offer many programs requiring registration and reasonable fees. 508–655–2204, natickfarm.org.
11TUESDAY
2SUNDAY
Hands on: make your own coil clay pot. Fruitlands Museum, Harvard. 10 a.m. Many of Native American pots were made by rolling clay into long pieces and coiling them into shape. Drop in at our new Family Learning Center to make your own pot and take it home to show your family and friends. Materials and instructions are free with admission. 978-456-3924, fruitlands.org.
Fall Family Open House. Danforth Museum, 123 Union Ave., Framingham. 1 – 4 p.m. 508-620-0050.
A free music singalong is scheduled at the Applefest stage in downtown Northborough on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. applecountrymusictogether.com
FREE American Girl Club. Marlborough Public Library, 35 West Main St., Marlborough. 4 – 4:45 p.m. Every month this club features a different American Girl, from the Historicals to the Girls of the Year. Read two books, make some themed crafts and eat snacks! This program is recommended for girls ages 6-12 and their mothers and friends. Parents are requested to participate in the program. Dolls of any kind are encouraged, but not required. Registration is required and is limited to 12 children and their caregivers. To register, please call the Children’s Room: 508-624-6902, marlborough-ma.gov. Book Club at the Great Escape Playcafe. Great Escape Playcafe, 21 Sack Blvd., Leominster 1 - 3 p.m. Get together with other reading parents at the Great Escape Playcafe, once a month, to talk literature over coffee and cookies, while the dear children play. Takes place every second week of each month: Tuesdays, 1 – 3 p.m. and Fridays, 5:30 – 7 p.m. If you bring kids, use sibling discount on play admission. 978-227-5886, tgeplaycafe.com.
12WEDNESDAY FREE Applewild School Take a Look Morning. Applewild School, 120 Prospect St. Fitchburg. 9 a.m. Applewild School (coeducational independent day school for grades K - 8 serving families in central MA and southern NH) hosts an Open House on the first Thursday of each month. No RSVP necessary. 978342-6053, x110 or applewild.org
7FRIDAY FREE The Sterling Fair, Sterling. A family-oriented, community, agricultural fair with the emphasis on agriculture and education. Last year’s attendance was over 40,000 people. Also Sept. 8 & 9. sterlingfair.org.
8SATURDAY Basket Weekend. Fruitlands Museum. Harvard.10 a.m. Fruitlands has an extensive collection of baskets in our Native American, Shaker and Farmhouse museums. Enjoy in-depth highlight tours, informative lectures, demonstrations and hands-on activities all weekend long! Free with admission. 978-456-3924,fruitlands.org. Also Sept. 9.
FREE The Sterling Fair, Sterling. See Sept. 7 listing.
9SUNDAY Helping Wildlife: Monarch Butterflies. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 1 – 3 p.m. The annual migration of eastern monarch butterflies to central Mexico, and back, is one of the most remarkable events in nature. Tagging adult monarchs in migration is part of a continent-wide research and conservation effort that Wachusett Meadow has participated in for many years. Join in an afternoon of tagging monarchs, learning about other fall butterflies and finding out how you can help monarchs in your own backyard. All ages. Registration required. A $8, C $4 nm. 978-4642712, massaudubon.org/catalog. Massachusetts Day at Southwick’s Zoo. Southwick’s Zoo, 2 Southwick St., Mendon. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Buy one General Admission, get one free of equal or lesser value when you show your Residency ID. A $20, Y (3 – 17) $15. 800-258-9182, southwickszoo.com.
Home School Day. Old Sturbridge Village. 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Visit the Village and participate in hands-on activities and participatory programs. $5 $10 plus admission. 508- 347-3362, osv.org. Garden Discovery Program - A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 10 – 11 a.m. Programs are designed for children ages 3-5 and their parent or caregiver. Begin inside with a craft and story time. Then step outside for a short walk to discover what is new in the garden. Please dress for the weather. A/C pair $8 NM. towerhillbg.org
13THURSDAY FREE Musings: Teen Writers. Marlborough Public Library, 35 West Main St., Marlborough. 6:30 – 8 p.m. Meets the 2nd Thursday of every month. Walk-ins are welcome. 508-624-6900, marlborough-ma.gov. FREE Playground, Animals & Farm Kitchen. Tougas Farm, 234 Ball St., Northborough. Enjoy a barnyard, creative playground and farm kitchen BAYSTATEPARENT 21