Nice and Easy Walk
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | MA
Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance. Note: there is no walk on April 16.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-05-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-07-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-20 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-06-04 13:00 - 14:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Ongoing - Great Hall Art Exhibit: Nature’s Colors
2026-06-05 - 2026-06-28 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Kate Marion Lapierre in her exhibit of paintings, Nature’s Colors, emphasizes the colors and beauty of landscapes and flowers particularly during the Spring and Summer season. Kate’s paintings are abstract and expressionistic, created with acrylic on canvas or watercolor on paper. Please come enjoy the colorful beauty that nature brings through Kate’s artwork. An artist reception is held on June 7, from 12–2 p.m. For all ages.

First Friday: Turners Falls Brick-by-Brick Tour
2026-06-05 16:00 - 17:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Under every cornice is a building with a story. This First Friday, learn about the brickmakers, builders and businesses behind the designs of the village blocks. Meet DCR staff outside the Great Hall for a 1.2-mile guided walk through downtown Turners Falls. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Ages 8 and up. Meet at the main entrance.

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: On the Lam
2026-06-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local talent. On the Lam offers sweet harmonies and harmony-heavy Americana. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, in support of educational programming at the Center. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Pride Hike
2026-06-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Connect with nature and community by hiking along the Canalside Rail Trail! Learn about birds, beavers and each other as we walk and talk beside a historic canal. This is a 2.6-mile hike on a flat, paved trail. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. For ages 10 and up. Meet outside the main entrance.
Celebrate Pride month by getting outdoors and on the trails on one of our Pride Hikes!
All DCR programs are welcoming and inclusive, these hikes are geared towards our
LGBTQIA+ communities, their families, and allies; providing an enjoyable and safe
opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. For ADA/reasonable accommodations: call (617) 645-0358, or email moneesha.dasgupta2@mass.gov.

Nice & Easy Walks
2026-06-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance. Note: we are transitioning to our summer schedule of hosting walks at 10 am. to avoid afternoon heat.

Nice & Easy Walk
2026-06-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Ongoing - Chill Out Indoor Story Walks® - Berry Song, by Michaela Goade
2026-07-01 - 2026-07-10 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Come on inside and Chill Out with DCR! You can find “Cool” activities for kids and families inside, including indoor StoryWalk® all summer long! Meet at the welcome desk. Accessible during open hours.
This story is a gorgeous celebration of the land and the powerful wisdom of elders. For ages 4 – 8 and everyone who loves berries!
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Story Walk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalk® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.

Ongoing - Great Hall Art Exhibit: Ways of My Ancestors – Imagery: Lighting the Path to Awareness
2026-07-02 - 2026-08-26 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Scott Strong Hawk Foster is a Native American photographer whose proud roots include Hassanamisco Nipmuc, Mohegan, and Cherokee lineage. His exhibit captures travels throughout the ancestral homelands of the Native American Peoples of New England. While attending powwows, cultural events, workshops, and Indigenous practices that span millennia, Scott’s passion highlights the rich, resilient, diverse cultures and history
of the Indigenous peoples that are still here and living amongst us. Scott’s tagline, Capture the Moment…Share the Experience©, expresses his philosophy that life is filled with unique and fleeting moments that must be captured and imprinted or they could be lost forever. For all ages.

Program Update: Nice and Easy Walk will be a Talk Indoors
2026-07-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Instead of a walk today our program offering at 10 a.m. will be a talk and demonstration about silk with information about the McLane Silk Mill that used to be in Turners Falls. Meet in the Great Hall!
Cancelled: Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2026-07-04 10:30 - 13:00, 2026-08-22 10:30 - 13:00 | Peskeompskut Park, Avenue A between 6th and 7th Streets, Turners Falls, 01376
Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. For all ages.

Outdoor Story Walk® — Bowwow Powwow
2026-07-05 - 2026-08-06 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child. For ages 3–7 and anyone who loves dogs and powwows!
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Story Walk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalk® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.

Dino Trail Week* – Nice & Easy Walk: Geologic Walking Tour of Turners Falls
2026-07-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail and downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. This week’s topic is the geology of downtown Turners Falls in celebration of Dino Trail Week! Meet at the main entrance.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Artist Reception: Ways of My Ancestors - Imagery: Lighting the Path to Awareness
2026-07-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join photographer Scott Strong Hawk Foster, whose proud roots include Hassanamisco Nipmuc, Mohegan, and Cherokee lineage, for an artist reception. While attending powwows, cultural events, workshops, and Indigenous practices that span millennia, Scott’s passion highlights the rich, resilient, diverse cultures and history of the Indigenous peoples that are still here and living amongst us. Light refreshments. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

A French / Breton Jam Session
2026-07-26 14:30 - 16:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
An informal group of musicians gathers to play the enchanting traditional dance music from France and Brittany, commonly known as bal folk. This is not a performance but rather a coming together of musically minded friends. The event is free and open to the public to come and go at will. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® at Unity Park — Mosbas and the Magic Flute
2026-08-01 - 2026-08-02 | Unity Park, 56 First Street, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For thousands of years people have gathered at the Great Falls to tell stories. Enjoy the self-guided StoryWalk ® Mosbas and the Magic Flute by Western Abenaki author Jesse Bruchac, at the Pocumtuck Homelands Festival at Unity Park on First Street along the river’s edge. Find out how Mosbas is changed forever when he finds the power of a magic flute too much to control! For all ages.

Pocumtuck Homelands Festival: Fish Printing at Unity Park
2026-08-01 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 1, 10 am—5 pm, families may visit the Northfield Mountain and Great Falls Discovery Center tent to make your own vibrantly colored fish print to take home. All materials provided. For more information on the entire event visit: nolumbekaproject.org/events.

First Friday: McLane Silk Mill Walk
2026-08-07 16:00 - 17:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us on a walk to the site of the former McLane Silk Company, which was near today’s Swanson’s Fabrics. Hear the stories of two creative businesses and what they have in common. After WWI, the McLane mill purchased millions of yards of surplus “cartridge silk” to repurpose into “Armistice Cloth” suitable for garments. Today, Swanson’s Fabrics also repurposes fabric by offering for sale yardage and notions that have been stashed in attics and sewing rooms. Learn about silk production and take a look at silk fabric samples and cocoons. Meet at the main entrance.
