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 (America/New_York) | 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.

Nice and Easy Walk
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, 2026-09-10 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bobcats
2026-08-07 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

8/7: Bobcats
8/14: Ants
8/21: Who Lives in a River?*
8/28: Butterflies

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.

Celebrate Smokey Bear’s Birthday!
2026-08-08 15:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Free and for all ages. Join Wildland Firefighters from the DCR Bureau of Fire Control & Forestry to hear a reading of The Smokey Bear Story and learn about campfire safety. Tour a Wildland Fire Engine and a Turners Falls Fire Department fire truck, try a scavenger hunt, and meet Smokey Bear himself who is turning 82! Take home a Smokey Bear souvenir and check out a library book from Montague Public Libraries. Sponsored by DCR and Montague Public Libraries. Rain or shine. Meet in the Great Hall.

Tom Ricardi: Birds of Prey
2026-08-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Come see the raptors up close and personal! Meet in the Great Hall for a free program for all ages. See birds of prey presented by Tom Ricardi, a licensed rehabilitator and wildlife biologist. Tom provides an educational presentation on their lives and habitats as well as conservation. You may see a variety of raptors such as a turkey vulture, a peregrine falcon, hawks, owls, and more!

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® — Honk! Honk!
2026-08-11 - 2026-09-30 | 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 Story Walk® featuring Honk! Honk! by Mick Manning. For ages 4–8 and everyone who wished they could fly!
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 - StoryWalk®: Summer Song by Kevin Henke
2026-08-12 - 2026-09-01 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy the story Summer Song by Kevin Henke, a vibrant ode to nature and summer activities. For ages 4 – 8 and everyone who loves summer and changing seasons.
Chill Out Indoor StoryWalks®
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.
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.

Salamander Kids’ Craft and Story Hour at the Millers Falls Library
2026-08-13 15:30 - 16:30 | Millers Falls Library, 23 Bridge St., Millers Falls, MA, 01349
Find us at the Millers Falls library (23 Bridge St., Millers Falls, MA, 01349) for a fun afternoon of stories, creativity, and salamanders at the Millers Falls Branch Library! We’ll read The Salamander Room together, then make a salamander-themed craft inspired by the story. Along the way, you’ll learn a little about these fascinating forest friends and the habitats they call home. This program is perfect for young nature lovers and families looking to explore the wonders of the outdoors through books and hands-on fun.

Fly Fishing 101
2026-08-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join MassWildlife to get started in this wonderful pastime. Learn about fly fishing gear, how to rig, and cast a fly rod, as well as tips on how to fly fish. This class is designed for beginner fly anglers (ages 15+). Bring your own fly-fishing gear or borrow ours. Pre-registration required at mass.gov/forms/fly-fishing-101-august-13. Registration details coming soon, or email Jim Lagacy at jim.lagacy@mass.gov for more information. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Ants
2026-08-14 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

8/14: Ants
8/21: Who Lives in a River?*
8/28: Butterflies

Great Falls Coffeehouse: Austin & Elliot and The Boxcar Lilies
2026-08-14 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. Austin and Elliot offers songs about love gone wrong and death done right and The Boxcar Lilies play folk, country, blues and bluegrass-tinged Americana. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, in support of educational programming at the Center. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Geology Talk: Amazing “Deep Time” Mysteries of Turners Falls and Vicinity
2026-08-15 14:00 - 14:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Why does Turners Falls have a waterfall? Why are the rare Jurassic Armored Mud Balls found here? Why is the Connecticut River in Franklin County so strange? It has sharp 90-degree bends plus mysterious 100-foot-deep holes in its riverbed! Did you know the Connecticut used to flow into Greenfield? Join Prof. Richard Little, the discoverer of the Jurassic Armored Mud Balls, as he explains the unique and dramatic Earth events preserved in our scenic views and in the rocks under our feet. After the program there is a short walk to look at some amazing rocks. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Art Naturally: Cyanotype Sun Prints from the Garden
2026-08-16 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. Create cyanotypes—or sun prints— to take home with sensitized paper, plants or stencils, glass, and the power of UV light. Rain or shine (we’ll use special light boxes if it rains). For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up. All art materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30am for complete instructions.

A French / Breton Jam Session
2026-08-16 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Who Lives in a River?
2026-08-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

8/21: Who Lives in a River?*
8/28: Butterflies

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
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.

Drop-in and Chill-out Activities: Sploot! How Animals Keep Their Cool
2026-08-23 10:30 - 12:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us inside the Center for drop-in family-friendly activities and crafts all about how animals keep cool, including a story about splooting squirrels. What can we learn from animals during the heat of summer? What’s your plan to keep cool? Come on in and chill out and make your own Flat Squirrely to take on cool adventures and consider painting a scene with acorn cap ink. For ages 4 and up including youth and adults.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Butterflies
2026-08-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

8/28: Butterflies

River Baron Walk: Reshaping New England’s Longest River
2026-08-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Experience America’s longest log drive through the photos and stories of locals, laborers and the infamous River Baron, George Van Dyke. Join us for an easy 1.25-mile hike through downtown Turners Falls and along the Canalside Rail Trail. This walk is scheduled for rain or shine. For adults and children ages 9 and up. Meet at the main entrance.

Art Naturally: Source to Sea Mosaics
2026-08-30 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. With instruction and technique, you create an art piece to take home from tile, pebbles, marble and glue, inspired by the Connecticut River’s annual Source to Sea Clean-up in September. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). All art materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30am for complete instructions.

Ongoing – Indoor StoryWalk® – Change is in the Air
2026-09-02 - 2026-09-30 | MA
Enjoy our indoor StoryWalk, Change is in the Air by Rebecca Donnelly, about the hidden discoveries of Eunice Newton Foote, the first climate scientist. For ages 6 and up and everyone who loves science.
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.

Great Hall Art Exhibit: Stitched Through the Seven Sisters
2026-09-04 - 2026-09-29 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Stitched Through the Seven Sisters is a location-specific series about honoring an almost-daily practice of communing with nature as visual artist Kerry St. Laurent stitches herself through her local trail system. Matte hot press photographic prints are layered with matte gouache that nods to mapping and ink and colored pencil stitching that references both woven comfort and the idea that wandering counters life’s unraveling and knits us back together.

First Friday: A Sampling of Labor Sentiments
2026-09-04 16:00 - 17:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
As we head into Labor Day weekend this year, join us on a walk along the Canalside Rail Trail in view of the factories—now gone or about to be demolished–and share a sampling of snippets from our local newspaper archives. Get a glimpse into the sentiments of workers, owners, and newspaper editors regarding shifts, pay, unions, and strikes during the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Labor History Talk: The Keith Paper Mill Strike of 1937
2026-09-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
How far would you go to keep your livelihood? Learn about the 90 women and 8 men who struck during the Depression at the Keith Paper mill, through newspapers, maps and photos with DCR staff. Meet in the Great Hall. Ages 8 and up.
