Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Earth Week Investigation Station: Trees
2023-04-15 - 2023-04-23 | MA
Join us at the welcome desk during school vacation week in activities to inspire taking care of where we live, with a special focus on trees, including scavenger hunts.

Let’s Have a Ball! Join the 1st Jurassic Mud Ball Festival in 200 Million Years
2023-04-16 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Celebrate mud season with an exploration of rare Jurassic-age rocks found only in Turners Falls- armored mud balls! Family friendly activities for all ages. How were they formed millions of years ago? How were they discovered by geologist Richard Little? Make your own armored mud ball to take home, with help from local geologist Steve Winters and DCR staff. Enjoy a tasty, armored mud ball treat. Meet in the Great Hall. Weather permitting, hunt for Jurassic armored mud balls on an easy walk to nearby Unity Park.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Beavers
2023-04-21 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Trees
2023-04-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Birds
2023-05-05 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Fish
2023-05-12 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Art Naturally Series
2023-05-13 10:30 - 12:00 | MA
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 materials are free. Meet in the Great Hall.
Additional details for May 13:
What do ferns and sea lamprey have in common? They are both living fossils. We’ll honor them by making beautiful gel plate fern prints on opening day of the 2023 Fish Ladder season.
Do you have a favorite poem, story, or song about ferns or other ancient things? If so, please bring it along. We’ll share a few favorites of our own.
Art technique: gel printing with acrylic paints. All materials provided.

Art Naturally Series
2023-06-17 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Saturday, June 17, 10:30 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
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 materials are free. Meet in the Great Hall.
Additional Details:
Indigo is one of the oldest and most important of all natural dye-stuffs. Join us and guest artist Gail Callahan to experience the magic of indigo dyeing!
Do you have a favorite poem, story, or song about the color blue? If so, please bring it along. We’ll share a few favorites of our own.
Art technique: indigo dyeing.
All materials provided, but you can also bring a t-shirt, pillowcase or other small piece of fabric to add to the dyepot.

Fields & Forests—What do bees need?
2023-06-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Help us kick-off Pollinator Week! Make your own native bee habitat by “painting” with yarn, fleece, pre-felt shapes, and soapy water. Will your bees live in a tree trunk or holes in the ground? Will they build their nests with mud or leaves? Learn how important our native bees are and what they need to thrive. For ages 4 and up, including teens and adults. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Designed especially for families (including dads), but all are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

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.

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

Art Naturally Series
2023-07-15 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.

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

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.

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

Art Naturally Series: Fall Felting
2023-09-16 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. Celebrate the arrival of autumn while learning about trees and the impact of climate on their annual show of color. We’ll get creative and make a wet-felted “painting” of fall foliage with wool fleece, yarn, pre-felt, and specialty fibers. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). All art materials provided. 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

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).
