Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Fish
2023-05-12 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

16th Annual Free Family Fishing Day
2023-06-04 10:00 - 14:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Our annual Family Fishing Day, at Barton Cove, with additional activities at the Great Falls Discovery Center. Join us for a day of FREE fishing fun. Adults and children of all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Event is held rain or shine. Parking is free.
At Barton Cove Campground: Barton Cove Road in Gill

Free fishing from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Fishing equipment provided – limited supplies. Bring your own pole if you have it.
No fishing license needed.

At Great Falls Discovery Center: 2 Avenue A

Fly lure tying demonstrations.
Come see a fish from the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Lab
CATCH THE FISH BUS HERE! Free shuttle bus to and from Barton Cove as needed from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

At Turners Falls Fishway: 15 First Street

Fish printing – The art of Gyotaku, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Turtles
2023-06-30 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

ACF Music walk: Musical Fun for Kids & Sidewalk Costume Parade
2023-07-01 14:00 - 16:00 | MA
Start the Antenna Cloud Farm Music Walk Festival at Unity Park at 2 p.m. with live music and family-friendly art-making, and then join in the parade at 2:45 p.m. Stroll along with musicians and DCR park staff for a children’s sidewalk costume parade along 2nd Street to the Great Falls Discovery Center. Make music while you walk! Instruments provided. Then, at 3 p.m. enjoy indoor music in the Great Hall with Saxophonist Travis Laplante, and enjoy our StoryWalk® Mole Music by David McPhail.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Eagles
2023-07-07 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall or adjacent courtyard.

Live Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi
2023-07-08 14:00 - 15:00 | MA
Free. For all ages. Meet raptors up close and personal! Gather in the Great Hall for birds of prey, presented by Tom Ricardi, a licensed rehabilitator and wildlife biologist. Tom provides an educational presentation on their lives and habitats as well as conservation. You may see vultures, falcons, owls, and hawks!

Great Hall Exhibit: Montague Parks & Recreation Young Artist Week
2023-07-12 - 2023-07-26 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
July 12 – 26
The Montague Parks & Recreation Summer Camp 2023 celebrates Young Artist Week, bringing their art to the Great Hall. Enjoy works created by children ages 5-12 that focus on local wildlife.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bobcats
2023-07-14 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Snakes
2023-07-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Rabbits
2023-07-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bees & Flowers
2023-08-04 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Pocumtuck Homelands Festival
2023-08-05 10:00 - 17:00 | Unity Park, 56 First Street, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
A free two-day celebration at Unity Park on First Street in Turners Falls, sponsored by the Nolumbeka Project and RiverCulture. This festival is the perfect combination of live music, drumming, dancing, storytelling, native crafts and food. On Saturday August 5, 10 a.m.—5 p.m., families may visit the Northfield Mountain-Great Falls Discovery Center tent. Create a fun make-and-take nature-themed craft – this year we will make fish prints! For more information on the entire event visit nolumbekaproject.org/events.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Coyotes
2023-08-11 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

StoryWalk® - Agua, Agüita / Water, Little Water
2023-08-17 - 2023-09-23 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture book Agua, Agüita / Water, Little Water by Jorge Argueta, a bilingual book for readers ages 4-7 and everyone who celebrates water. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route.
*The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalkv® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - River Otters
2023-08-18 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Art Naturally Series
2023-08-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature through story, poetry, and art in our series of free Art Naturally programs. Using words and images, instruction and techniques you create an art piece inspired by the natural world to take home. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). All art materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall.

Montague Public Libraries Presents: The Whale Mobile
2023-08-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Whale watch naturalist, Cynde McInnis, presents an introduction to whales. Then 20 people at a time see the Whale Mobile inflate and get to go inside! Call the Carnegie library at 413-863-3214 to sign up! You have a choice of which of the four, 30-minute time slots you would prefer. In collaboration with Montague Public Libraries, RiverCulture, and the center. Meet in the Great Hall.

Live Animal Program: Massachusetts Wildlife
2023-08-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Free. For all ages. Put a face to the challenges wildlife must rise to meet. The Southern Vermont Natural History Museum presents a live animal program featuring wildlife of the Connecticut River Watershed. You may see snakes, birds, mammals, and reptiles! Includes a presentation of furs, skulls, and other artifacts for an exploration of our local fauna.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Skunks
2023-08-25 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Butterflies
2023-09-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Dragonflies
2023-09-08 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Adventures in the Microcosmos: Foldscopes
2023-09-17 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Learn how to use an origami microscope! Join ornithologist Ezekiel “Zeke” Jakub, co-founder of the non-profit Conservacion Panama, for “adventures in the microcosmos,” an opportunity to observe tiny parts of our world up close and get an introduction to scientific methods and conservation—all while using a Foldscope. Free. Registration required. Please call 413-863-3221 to sign-up. For children and families ages 9 and up. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Raptors
2023-09-29 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Raccoons
2023-10-06 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

StoryWalk®: Honk! Honk!
2023-10-07 - 2023-10-25 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture book, Honk! Honk! by Mick Manning all about migratory geese, for readers ages 5 and up. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalk® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.

7th Annual Migrations Festival
2023-10-14 13:00 - 17:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Saturday, October 14, 1:00—5:00 p.m.
The FREE Migrations Festival celebrates the human and natural diversity of the upper Connecticut River Valley and the Americas. Colorful artworks, from the GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection, in the Migrations exhibit depict scenes integral to village life, Mayan culture, and the history of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Come early for traditional food and then enjoy entertainment by MarkaMusic starting at 2:30 p.m. and Musica Franklin at 4:30 p.m. Activities include a raffle of artworks from Guatemala, an exhibit of Katrina skulls, a children’s book give-away, art activities, and a scavenger hunt. View a Day of the Dead Altar built by local families, with support from Montague Catholic Social Ministries. Activities will be in the Great Hall and in the nearby courtyard. Sponsored by DCR, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Montague Cultural Council, Montague Catholic Social Ministries, RiverCulture, and the GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Squirrels
2023-10-20 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Falls Fest Update - Indoor activities only
2023-10-21 13:00 - 18:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Update: Outdoor activities for this year’s Falls Fest have been postponed to next autumn. However, we’ll still have indoor crafting activities at the Discovery Center at the Welcome Desk. Other venues around town may continue with indoor activities too!
The Original Plan: This year’s downtown Falls Festival celebrates our neighbors and local businesses with family activities, good food, and great music. In partnership with Montague Public Libraries, find family activities on Avenue A near the Discovery Center. Enjoy crafts, scavenger hunts, and an orienteering adventure. Join Ezekiel Jakub of Conservación Panamá to learn how to use a map and compass together to stay safe in the woods! From 2:00-3:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Center enjoy an “Awesome Art in Motion” dance performance with Great Falls Creative Movement (rain date for the dance performance is Saturday Oct. 28).

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bats
2023-10-27 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Art Naturally Series – Natural Inks
2023-10-28 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature through story, poetry, and art in our series of free Art Naturally programs. Using words and images, instruction, and techniques create an art piece inspired by the natural world to take home. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Art materials provided.
