Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: The Uncles with special guest Eveline MacDougall
2026-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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. The Uncles with special guest Eveline MacDougall perform a delightful mix of Folk, Rock, Country, and Jazz with several stringed instruments and four voices. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, in support of educational programming at the Center. Meet in the Great Hall. For all ages.

National Poetry Month Author Reading Featuring Bob McNeil
2026-04-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us in celebration of National Poetry Month with Bob McNeil, writer, editor, cartoonist, and spoken-word artist, who recites with special guest musician Steve Koziol. In Bob’s single author anthology Compositions on Compassion and Other Emotions, he explores the importance of love and hope in healing from the pandemic and endemic violence. Proceeds from this work fund the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Steve Koziol, best known for playing in the bands Dingo Roi and Span of Sunshine, is a songwriter and musician, who has contributed guitar, keyboard, bass, alto sax, and vocal harmonies to many bands and performers throughout Hampshire and Franklin Counties. From youth to adults, all are welcome at this event, sponsored by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center and RiverCulture.

A French / Breton Jam Session
2026-04-19 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. Meet in the Great Hall. For all ages.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-04-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-04-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-05-07 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-05-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-07-09 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.

Webinar Talk With the Artists: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
2026-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | MA
The Nolumbeka Project presents a talk via Zoom with Deborah Spears Moorehead (Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag), and Robert Peters (Mashpee Wampanoag), our Spring artists. Facilitated by David Brule. Deb and Robert speak about their art and share history about their ancestor Metacom. Meet them in person at the Great Falls Discovery Center where they will be Honored Guests for the Day of Remembrance proceedings on Saturday, May 16. Sponsored by the Nolumbeka Project. For Zoom registration visit nolumbekaproject.org/events. For youth and adults.

Great Hall Guest Speaker: King Philip’s War in Your Backyard 1675-76
2026-04-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
David Brule reviews the events that happened nearby in the central Connecticut River Valley starting in August 1675 and continuing into May 1676 and beyond. David focuses on the latest results of the National Park Service-sponsored study of the massacre at Peskeompskut falls and the Native counterattack over a 7-mile route through Greenfield. Learn from statements about the lasting impacts on local Tribes by modern-day Tribal participants in this 12-year study. For youth and adults. Sponsored by the Nolumbeka Project.

First Friday: Turners Falls Tenement Tour
2026-05-01 16:00 - 17:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover how tenements tested every aspect of the town, from sanitation to wages. On this May Day tour, learn about the storekeepers and laborers who made this planned industrial community. Meet DCR staff outside the Great Hall for a 1.5-mile guided walk through downtown Turners Falls. Ages 8 and up.

Battlefield History Walking Tour with David Brule
2026-05-09 10:00 - 11:00 | MA
May 19th marks the 350th anniversary of the massacre at Peskeompskut. Join David Brule, local historian and coordinator of the Battlefield Advisory Committee (a National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP)-funded study), to learn about this attack and its significance within the King Philip’s War. This program will take place along the bike path where new interpretive panels (going up this month) detail the findings of the Battle of Great Falls/Wissantinnewag-Peskeompskut study. David will provide further context and develop more on the stories highlighted in the panels.
We will meet outside the Great Falls Discovery Center at 10am to walk to the panels as a group. Registration is not required, but is encouraged for planning purposes.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 | MA

Ongoing - Outdoor StoryWalk® — We All Play
2026-05-16 - 2026-06-30 | 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 We All Play by award winning Cree artist Julie Flett. For all ages 0–7 and anyone who loves to play, this story is a beautiful ode to the animals and humans we share our world with.
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.

Artist Reception: All Our Relations - To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
2026-05-16 11:00 - 12:30 | MA
Enjoy conversation and coffee with Wampanoag artists Deborah Spears Moorehead and Robert Peters in the Great Hall to view and learn more about their shared exhibit. Sponsored by Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Nolumbeka Project, and funded by the Montague Cultural Council. a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. For all ages.

The Nolumbeka Project Presents: Day of Remembrance
2026-05-16 12:30 - 15:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
A commemoration of the Great Falls Massacre, May 19, 1676, and Metacom’s Resistance (aka King Philip’s War) 350 Years Ago, 1676-2026. Tribal members and non-Tribal public are welcome. Honored presenters include: Eastern Medicine Singers, Strong Eagle Many Feathers’ Daly, Liz Coldwind Santana-Kiser, Roger Longtoe Sheehan, Dr. Margaret M. Bruchac, Martín Espada, Deborah Spears Moorehead, Robert Peters, Jose Ite’ Santana, Diane Travis, Pat Allen, Carol Letson, and David Brule. For more information visit nolumbekaproject.org. Free and open to all. Held rain or shine.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-05-21 13:00 - 14:00 | 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
2026-06-04 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 | 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.
