Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

DINO TRAIL WEEK: * Art Naturally: Gel Printing Trace Fossils
2025-07-12 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature and pre-history through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. Create an art piece inspired by the valley’s fossilized dinosaur footprints using paint, paper and gel, with instruction and techniques. For adults, teens and children ages 6 and up. All art materials provided. Arrive at 2:00 p.m. for complete instructions
* Dino Trail Week:
Dino Trail Week is a celebratory week of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from all of 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. Learn more at: dinotrail.org.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-07-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-31 10:00 - 11:00
Easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for seniors, but open to all. Enjoy 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.

Great Hall Artist Talk and Reception: Ways of My Ancestors — We Are Still Here
2025-07-19 14:00 - 16:00
Starting at 2 p.m. Native American photographer Scott Strong Hawk Foster presents a talk about his exhibit, Ways of My Ancestors—We Are Still Here, which captures his travels throughout the ancestral homelands of the Native American Peoples of New England. Come early to see the photography and stay for the talk and refreshments. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing - Great Hall Exhibit: The Towns of Franklin County— by the Springfield Photographic Society
2025-08-01 - 2025-09-30
Find out what makes our Franklin County communities so special through the eyes of avid photographers! This exhibit features a photograph of each of the communities in Franklin County by members of the Springfield Photographic Society. Founded in 1937, the club is made up of enthusiasts from photographic novices to professionals who have in common a love of their craft. Among their recent field trips were stops in Franklin County, where members took photos together and learned from one another. To learn more visit: www.springfield-ps.com.

Outdoor StoryWalk® at Unity Park — Mosbas and the Magic Flute
2025-08-02 - 2025-08-03
For thousands of years people have gathered at the Great Falls to tell stories. Enjoy a 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.
* 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.

Nice & Easy Walks
2025-08-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-14 10:00 - 11:00

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-08-17 14:30 - 16:30
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.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-08-23 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-08-30 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 13:00
Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. In case of rain, you can find our activities inside the center instead. For all ages.

First Friday: Investigation Station — From Fiber into Yarn
2025-09-05 15:00 - 17:30
Spinning fiber into yarn was once a skill that everyone needed to get by. Whether you spun for yourself or were among the one-in-five Bay Staters who spun fiber for work, everyone recognized a spindle. Stop by our table outside the center for five minutes or longer and learn about fiber arts along the Connecticut River. All ages. Meet at the main entrance.

Nice and Easy Walks
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:00

First Friday: Planned Industrial Community Walk
2025-10-03 16:30 - 18:00
What makes this mill village unique? Get an introduction to downtown Turners Falls as we walk its historic streets and answer why the village was designed this way. Meet outside the main entrance for a 1.5-mile walk over flat, paved terrain. For ages 8 and up.

Nice and Easy Walk
2025-10-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-16 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-06 13:00 - 14:00

Ongoing - Great Hall Exhibit: Day of the Dead Altar
2025-10-11 - 2025-11-02
View a Day of the Dead Altar built by local families with support from the Heartwing Center. Learn about the tradition of leaving messages of love to honor and commemorate loved ones. For all ages.

Art Naturally: Leaf Prints for Leaf Peepers
2025-10-12 10:30 - 12:00
Discover nature through story, poetry and art! Create an art piece inspired by autumn using paint, paper, gel and even leaves, with instruction and techniques. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Free. All materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete instructions.

Ongoing- Great Hall Exhibit: Migrations
2025-10-18 - 2025-12-04
Migrations paintings, curated by GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection, celebrate the human and natural diversity of the upper Connecticut River Valley and the Americas. Colorful works depict scenes integral to village life, Mayan culture, and the history of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. For all ages.

Archaeology Month: Indigenous Fishing Along the Kwenitekw
2025-10-18 10:00 - 15:00
Join DCR as we celebrate Archaeology Month! Learn about the cycle of the seasons from the Indigenous perspective, traditional fishing methods along the Kwenitekw (Connecticut) River, help to weave a net, take a photo with a mishoon (dugout canoe) and more! Free and open to all. Presented by the First Peoples, First Stewards Partnership Program, the Office of Cultural Resources and cosponsored by the Nolumbeka Project. All ages. Activities are in the Great Hall and outside.

Great Hall Reception — Migrations: A Celebration of Art, Birds, and the Day of the Dead
2025-10-25 14:00 - 17:00
First, join us for a talk from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. by ornithologist Chad Witko on bird migration (described above). Then enjoy refreshments, view paintings from Guatemalan artists, and visit our Day of the Dead altar. Learn about the tradition of leaving messages of love to honor and commemorate loved ones. The altar is on display October 11 through November 2. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Wildlife Costume Day!
2025-10-31
Happy Halloween! Here’s your chance to become an animal! Stop by the Center to show us your wildlife-themed Halloween costume. Take a selfie with our Moose. Enjoy a treat at the welcome desk. Don’t forget to stop by the Center before the annual Turners Falls Rag Shag Parade begins. The parade starts at 5 p.m. at the nearby 2nd Street parking lot and ends at Unity Park. Sponsored by the Montague Parks and Recreation Department. For all ages. Meet at the welcome desk. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Nolumbeka Project Presents: Full Beaver Moon Gathering
2025-11-08 13:00 - 15:00
The Nolumbeka Project presents the annual Full Beaver Moon Gathering with guest speaker Willow Greene, Abenaki elder and award-winning storyteller. Raffle drawing. Free admission and all ages are welcome. For more information about the event visit nolumbekaproject.org. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® — Thanks to the Animals
2025-11-13 - 2026-01-04
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring Thanks to the Animals, by Allen Sockabasin. For young readers ages 6—8 and anyone grateful for wildlife and storytelling. 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. Story Walk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalk® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.
