All Ages

Trails & Sails & Great Marsh Creek Walk

Explore the Marshes at the Crane Estate in Ipswich at low tide!

Join The Trustees of Reservations for a journey unlike any other in honor of Trails & Sails! Explore the bed of a salt marsh creek at low tide on this guided walk out of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate. One of the few sand-bottom creeks in Essex County, this broad and meandering waterway cuts a perfect footpath through the Great Marsh on its way to Ipswich Bay.

When: 
Sunday, September 29, 2013 1:30-3:30

B.art Design Studio Visit

Tour Bart Stuyf's beautiful seaside Design Studio and see his copper sculptures!

Take a Trails & Sails tour of copper sculpture by the sea and meet the artist! Bart Stuyf is a sculptor whose studio is located in Gloucester overlooking the outer harbor and the Eastern Point Lighthouse. His studio will be open to visitors on the Trails & Sails weekends. As a former dancer and choreographer, Bart's whimsical creations reflect his eye for form and movement. His copper sculptures are placed around the property and there is a studio and showroom.

When: 
Saturday, September 21, 2013 11am-5pm
Saturday, September 28, 2013 11am-5pm

Schooner Adventure Open House

Schooner Adventure's Open House has some great activities for kids!

Bring the family to see this newly-restored Gloucester schooner, learn some maritime history and have some fun! The Schooner Adventure will be hosting an Open House with free admission at the Gloucester Marine Railways on Rocky Neck as part of the Trails & Sails! The open house includes:

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2013 10 am – 2pm

Kick-a-Thon to Benefit the MDA

Proceeds from Gloucester Uechi Karate Kick-a-Thon in Gloucester benefit the MDA

Local students at Gloucester Uechi Karate Academy of Gloucester will participate in a Kick-A-Thon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association! Students are collecting sponsorships from friends, family and neighbors, and using their healthy muscles to help others whose muscles are not as strong. The fundraising goal is $10,000, with all proceeds going to benefit the MDA – a non-profit organization servicing over 2000 families in Massachusetts, with more than 600 of those families coming from communities on the North Shore and Merrimack Valley. 

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2013 10am-Noon

Garden Restoration Tour at Coolidge Stevens Estate

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Join the The Trustees of Reservations for a look at the recently restored perennial garden, diligently transformed by volunteers at Stevens Coolidge Place. Planted over 100 years ago, the perennial garden was first established in 1907 utilizing the plan of landscape designer, Louisa Bancroft Stevens. Learn how recent restoration work incorporated the use of historical documentation with thoughtful stewardship practices. The first floor of the house will be open at 10:30AM followed by a tour of the garden beginning at 11AM. This program is offered in conjunction with Essex County's Trails and Sails program.

When: 
Saturday, September 28, 2013 10:30am-Noon

Hidden History of Downtown Peabody

Learn about the hidden history of Peabody Square with Trails & Sails 2013!

Join the Peabody Historical Society & Museum Smith Barn & Peabody Historical Commission for a Trails & Sails exploration of the history of change in a downtown setting, namely Peabody Square. Our reference point will be a letter written in 1902 commenting on places, buildings and people from an earlier Peabody.

When: 
Sunday, September 29, 2013

Mini Golf Tournament Families FORE the Wenham Museum

Play some mini golf and help Wenham Museum raise funds for their programs!

Bring the whole family to a multi-generational mini-golf tournament! Dads and moms, aunts and uncles, grandparents and kids are invited to participate in this fun-filled day. Proceeds benefit the Wenham Museum's educational exhibits and programs, serving families and children on Boston's North Shore since 1922.

When: 
Sunday, September 15, 2013 1-4 pm

Painting Demo at Emma Andrews Library

Come to a painting demo by Artist Anne Rachia as part of Trails & Sails 2013!

Come to the Emma Andrews Library and Community Center to enjoy a painting demonstration by local artist Anne Recchia.  A member of the Newburyport Art Association, Anne has worked for many years in watercolor and has recently started working in oils. Known for painting evocative scenes of the New England coast, her work is in many private and public collections. Join her during Clothing Drive to Benefit Wellspring for a painting demonstration, hopefully outdoors, of the facade of the Emma Andrews Library. 

When: 
Sunday, September 29, 2013 10:30am-Noon

Piping Plover 5K Race

Run for fun and help raise funds for the Trustees' Shorebird Monitoring Program!

The The Trustees of Reservations, in partnership with New England Barefoot Runners, invite the public to participate in their first annual Piping Plover 5K run at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich! Runners of all ages are welcome, barefoot optional, to race along the shoreline at low tide. All proceeds support The Trustees of Reservations and the shorebird monitoring program at Crane Beach. Come run for fun and help the shorebirds of the North Shore!

When: 
Saturday, September 7, 2013; Race Start: 8am
Onsite registration begins at 7am
Location: 

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Summerquest Camp for kids aed 5-14 at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems, learn more about a wide range of natural history topics, and do real wildlife data collection and conservation projects in this exciting club for teens!
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Salisbury Egg Hunt

Community Egg Hunt for kids ages 2-8 at Salisbury Massachusetts Elementary School.
If you're looking for some Easter fun the kiddos can enjoy, Salisbury Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting their annual Egg Hunt next Saturday at the Salisbury Elementary School for kids 8 and under. Visit their page to learn more!
9:45 am to 11:00 am

Kite Day at Cogswell's Grant

Kite Day at Cogswell Grant is a wonderful fall afternoon event for North Shore families
Come fly a kite at Cogswell's Grant in Essex Massachusetts! Bring your own kite or build one of your own, and watch professional kite flyers from Kites Over New England. Kite-building workshops will be held with all materials included, where kids and adults can make their own kites and learn how to...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Read to a Dog at SPL

Kids are invited to read to a therapy dog at the Salem Public Library in Massachusetts
Have a new or struggling reader who needs to build confidence and practice reading aloud?  Come read to Hendrix, the trained therapy dog, a sweet a non-judgmental listener!  Bring your own book to read, or choose one of ours.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

2nd & 4th Saturday at Lynn Museum

Lynn Museum in Massachusetts offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month.
Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

LEGO Club at Salem Public Library

Come to the Salem Massachusetts Public Library for an afternoon of LEGO and fun!
Salem Public Library hosts a morning session of LEGO fun! We provide the LEGO, you provide the imagination.  Stop by the library on Saturday mornings (every other Saturday) to play and build.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Dads & Donuts Storytime at NTL

Dads & Donuts Storytime at Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Come to our Dads and Donuts monthly event to get quality bonding time with your child, listen to some stories, and eat donuts! You don't have to be a dad to come- all family members are welcome.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Long Hill Garden Tours

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Visit Long Hill’s breathtaking gardens and stately historic house for a guided tour. Enjoy the rich history of this grand country estate...
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Big Night at IRWS

Come explore the vernal pools of Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary with Mass Audubon!
On the first warm rainy night of spring, wood frogs and salamanders begin a mass migration to the vernal pools where they breed. This mass migration is referred to as "Big Night!"
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Full Moon Hike at Ward Reservation

Join the Trustees on a journey up Holt Hill under the light of the full moon at Ward Reservation in Andover!
The Explore! North Shore hiking series will get you outside and moving at some lesser explored Trustees properties across the Northeast Region, at the right time of year to see these special places shine. These beginner hikes will not be too strenuous, and will offer frequent stops for learning and...
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Saturday, May 3

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Spring Bloom Fest at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Bloom Fest at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations  for the start of Spring at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens with a celebration of bulbs at our Spring BloomFest weekend! Stroll through our beautiful gardens with budding tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs while enjoying the crisp spring air and...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

North Shore Nature Fair | Glen Urquhart School

Celebrate nature at GUS with a variety of hands-on activities and nature-based projects led by GUS educators and partners from across the North Shore. This free, family-friendly event, is open to the public.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Sunday, May 4

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Step up for Colleen 5k

The Step up for Colleen 5k is a memorial fundraiser in memory of Colleen Ritzer a beloved North Shore Lacal Teacher.
The friends and family of Colleen Ritzer have created this 5K walk/run to celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to help and inspire others. Through the Step Up for Colleen event, organizers hope to enhance a sense of community and overall goodwill as we come together to honor Colleen and the...
8:30 am

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Spring Bloom Fest at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Bloom Fest at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations  for the start of Spring at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens with a celebration of bulbs at our Spring BloomFest weekend! Stroll through our beautiful gardens with budding tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs while enjoying the crisp spring air and...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Chase the Butterfly 5k

Chase the Butterfly Family 5K Road Race and Kids Fun Run is a benefit for the YMCA of Ipswich Massachusetts
Ipswich's own, Talia Duff, is fighting CMT4J. Your involvement not only helps ensure that programs like swim safety, childcare, and youth development remain accessible to everyone who needs them but also strengthens our community bond. We can’t wait to see you at the starting line.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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