Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Ongoing - Great Hall Exhibit: Day of the Dead Altar
2025-10-11 - 2025-11-02 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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 (America/New_York)
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.

Nice and Easy Walk
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, 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Foxes
2025-10-17 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.

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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bats
2025-10-24 10:30 - 11:30

Wings Without Borders: A Bird Migration Talk
2025-10-25 14:00 - 15:00
Birds are among nature’s most remarkable travelers, carrying stories across continents with every wingbeat. This talk explores migration as a biological wonder and a source of human inspiration, weaving connections between landscapes. Together we discover how the movements of birds echoes themes of resilience, belonging, and change. Join ornithologist Chad Witko (Birding University) for a journey into the science and symbolism of migration. For ages 12 and up and everyone is welcome to enjoy the Migrations exhibit art. Meet in the Great Hall.

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.

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-10-26 14:30 - 16:30, 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.

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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Night Animals
2025-10-31 10:30 - 11:30

First Friday: The Great Scavenger Hunt Challenge
2025-11-07 15:00 - 17:30
Join us for a self-guided scavenger hunt adventure to test your spotting skills in our Connecticut River watershed habitat dioramas. How many animals, trees, and plants can you find? Scavenger hunt worksheets will range from fun and easy to extra super hard where camouflage is the name of the game! Meet at the welcome desk.

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

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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Moose
2025-11-21 10:30 - 11:30

Wildflowers in Winter
2025-11-22 13:00 - 14:30
Embrace the identification challenge of matching summer wildflowers with their winter attire with naturalist Dawn Marvin Ward. Learn how through photographs, clues, and hands-on exploration to expand your knowledge of the winter landscape. Discover the amazing variety of shapes, forms and textures, learn lore and legend of our local plants, and gain an appreciation of wildflowers in their dormant state. Dawn is an educator and naturalist who has been sharing her knowledge and appreciation of nature for over 20 years. Note: This program is not a hike, specimens will be available inside. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Thanks to the Animals
2025-11-28 10:30 - 11:30

Gratitude After Gravy Walk
2025-11-28 13:00 - 14:30
Get moving this holiday weekend and connect with nature and local history! Join us for a leisurely walk along the Canalside Rail Trail. The walk is about 3 miles long, on a level paved surface. Makes for an easy stroll for adults and children ages 8 and up. Be prepared for cold weather, dress in layers. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water. Walk begins at the front entrance to the Great Falls Discovery Center. Inclement weather or icy trail conditions cancels.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Raccoons
2025-12-05 10:30 - 11:30
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. 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. Siblings and friends welcome.

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.
