Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Archaeology Month: Indigenous Fishing Along the Kwenitekw
2025-10-18 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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.

Nice and Easy Walk
2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-06 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-20 13:00 - 14:00
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 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.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-11-13 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-18 13:00 - 14:00

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: Juggler Meadow String Band
2025-11-14 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local band, Juggler Meadow String Band. They rock and Groove! Roll with Soul! Twang and Bang! Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, all in support of educational programming at the Great Falls Discovery Center. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Make a Fairy House
2025-11-15 13:00 - 15:00
Join Montague Public Libraries staff at the Great Falls Discovery Center to build a fairy house! Use natural and recycled materials to create a magical home for the fair folk. This program is for kids and teens, ages 3–16, and their caregivers. Meet in the Great Hall.

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-11-23 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Thanks to the Animals
2025-11-28 10:30 - 11:30
Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Program Change: First Friday: Reading the Streetscape
2025-12-05 15:00 - 16:30
Rather than having a walk today with the severe cold, we are transforming this program today to be a guided pop-up station at our welcome desk inside. Every mill town is like an open book, if you know how to read it. Learn about the unique architecture of Turners Falls. Join other activities as part of First Friday— a monthly downtown event. For ages 8 and up.

A Holiday Music Session
2025-12-14 14:30 - 16:30
Join us for a soothing respite during the busy holiday time. Come listen to Danse Café — a trio of musicians, featuring guitar, clarinet, and fiddle — who play traditional European and
American holiday music. This is an informal gathering of three musically minded friends to celebrate the lovely music of the holidays. The event is free and open to the public to come and go at will. For all ages.

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-12-21 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.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-01-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-29 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-12 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-26 13:00 - 14:00
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 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.

A French / Breton Jam Session
2026-01-25 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.

Ongoing: Indoor Story Walk® — Rabbit’s Snow Dance
2026-02-01 - 2026-02-28
Read master storytellers Joseph and James Bruchac’s Rabbit’s Snow Dance, a hip and funny take on an Iroquois folktale about the importance of patience, the seasons, and listening to your friends. Rabbit loves winter. He knows a dance, using an Iroquois drum and song, to make it snow—even in summertime! When rabbit decides that it should snow early, he starts his dance and the snow begins to fall. The other forest animals are not happy and ask him to stop, but Rabbit doesn’t listen. How much snow is too much, and will Rabbit know when to stop? Meet at the welcome desk.
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.

Sunday Matinee Documentary Series: Fire of Love from Sandbox Films
2026-02-01 14:00 - 16:00
Our free winter Sunday matinee documentary series from Sandbox Films continues with Fire of Love. Curiosity is stronger than fear. This film tells the story of two French lovers, Katia and Maurice Krafft, who died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of our planet, while simultaneously capturing the most explosive volcano imagery ever recorded. Along the way, they changed our understanding of the natural world, and saved tens of thousands of lives. Previously unseen hours of pristine 16-millimeter film and thousands of photographs reveal the birth of modern volcanology through an unlikely lens — the love of its two pioneers. Sandbox Films is an Oscar-nominated production studio that illuminates the art and beauty of scientific inquiry: humankind’s weird, messy, brilliant way of navigating the world. Free hot chocolate. For adults and youth ages 12 and up.

A French / Breton Jam Session
2026-02-22 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
