Nice & Easy Walk
2025-04-18 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-02 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-09 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | 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 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.

Ongoing: Earth Week Investigation Station and Indoor Storywalk® - One Earth
2025-04-19 - 2025-04-27 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us at the welcome desk during school vacation week for activities to inspire taking care of where we live. Enjoy indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts, crafts, and activities to honor the Earth, our shared home. Includes the indoor StoryWalk® — One Earth by Eileen Spinelli, which is an invitation to both celebrate our planet and honor it through stewardship. For all ages.

Buildwave: A Hands-on Building Game!
2025-04-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Have fun building, using the materials provided! Call the Carnegie Library 413-863-3214 to register your child. For families with children ages 5 and up, accompanied by an adult. Sponsored by the Montague Public Libraries. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Who Lives in a Tree?
2025-04-25 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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.

Park Serve Day: Give a Day, Make a Difference
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) invites you to the Great Falls Discovery Center to lend a hand during this day of volunteer service to our state parks. Bring your own water and snack. Registration: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/dcr-park-serve-day. For ages 6 and up. Meet at the Main Entrance.

Where We Live: Sense of Place Concert and Writers Showcase with Erica Wheeler *
2025-04-27 15:00 - 17:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Singer-songwriter Erica Wheeler performs a concert of place-based songs and invites participants from her NEA Big Read workshop series to share their writings with the audience. The event is free and open to all, refreshments provided. To learn more about taking a workshop visit: https://deerfield-ma.org/nea-big-read-2025-events/. Meet in the Great Hall. Free Copies of Ross Gay’s book of poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, will be available!
* The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA), in partnership with Montague Public Libraries, celebrates its eighth National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read. Focused on Ross Gay’s book of poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, exhibits and events explore this year’s theme of “Where We Live.” NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

First Friday: Bird Migration Madness
2025-05-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Birds make incredible journeys each year to find their perfect nesting spot in the North. Come play a bird migration game and see if you survive the many perils along the way. We’ve got a bird and habitat matching game too where you can listen to the sounds of birds common to each habitat. Make your own winged creatures with a craft. All materials provided. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Wissatinnewag Walk - Friends of GFDC only
2025-05-03 09:30 - 11:00 | MA
Saturday May 3, 2025
9:30 a.m. (Pre-registration necessary)
On Saturday May 3, the Friends of the Discovery Center will host a guided
visit and hike on Wissatinnewag, the Nolumbeka Project, Inc property in Greenfield.
Special event for Friends members only.
The hike will be guided by Nolumbeka chairman David Brule
and land steward Brent Pitcher.
This walk and talk will cover stories of the land from a spiritual, historical,
ecological, and archaeological perspective.
There will be some moderate hiking on rough terrain, wear appropriate shoes.
Be prepared for ticks!
The walk is limited to 20 members. Please register at this site:
https://greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/friends-hike-at-wissatinnewag/
Note: You can join or update your membership at the hike OR on Friends website
https://greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/friends-of-the-gfdc/
Registered members meet at the Discovery Center at 9:30 a.m. to carpool to
the Wissatinnewag site.
Required Liability Waivers will be available on site to sign prior to the walk.
For further info & questions call (413) 774-0204
Rain or shine ~ Heavy rain cancels

Indigo Dyeing & Shibori with Gail Callahan *
2025-05-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Learn about the art of Shibori and experience the magic of indigo dyeing during this hands-on workshop for adults and children, ages six and up accompanied by an adult. This NEA Big Read workshop will celebrate the poem written by Naomi Shihab Nye, “Dear Sky.” Participants each receive a white cotton square to dye, but are also invited to bring one small natural fiber item to dye if there is room in the dyepot, e.g. a cotton t-shirt or camisole. No pre-registration required. Sponsored by PVMA and Montague Public Libraries. Meet in the Great Hall.
* NEA BIG READ
The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA), in partnership with Montague Public Libraries, celebrates its eighth National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read. Focused on Ross Gay’s book of poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, exhibits and events explore this year’s theme of “Where We Live.” NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

“The Extincts” Event and Drawing Demo
2025-05-07 15:30 - 16:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join the Montague Public Libraries and the Great Falls Discovery Center for a program and drawing demo with graphic novelist and illustrator Scott Magoon! This Mass Kids Lit Fest event is presented in partnership with the Mass Center for the Book. For ages 7 and up, accompanied by an adult. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour —Birds
2025-05-09 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 welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: Michael Nix, Gloria Matlock & ‘Twice as Smart’ Children’s Choir
2025-05-09 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. Enjoy music from Michael Nix, Gloria Matlock, and ‘Twice as Smart’ Children’s Choir as they present gospels, spirituals, blues, and jazz. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, all in support of educational programming at the Center. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Slow Birding Walk
2025-05-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Migratory Way at intersection of G and 15th Streets, Migratory Way, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Slow Birding Walk
Start World Migratory Bird Day with local ornithologist and birder Chad Witko during a slow-paced, mindful birding experience along the Turners Falls Power Canal. This guided walk will focus on discovering and learning about newly arrived migrants in a relaxed and reflective setting. The walk takes place on a flat, paved surface and should be accessible to most.
Note: This walk is a precursor to Chad’s presentation, Shared Skies: Celebrating Migratory Birds and the Communities They Connect, held at the Great Falls Discovery Center later the same day at 2:00 PM.
About your guide: Chad works for a major bird conservation organization, serves as an eBird reviewer for Windham County, VT, and is the founder of Birding University.
To register, email Chad Witko at birdinguniversity@gmail.com.
$20 per person. Limited to 15 participants.
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Turners Falls Power Canal
Park in the small lot on G Street, on the west side of the canal (at the start of Migratory Way).

Shared Skies: Celebrating Migratory Birds and the Communities They Connect
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
On World Migratory Bird Day, join ornithologist Chad Witko (Birding University) for an inspiring exploration of our avian migrants. Celebrate this year’s theme, Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities, highlighting the remarkable journeys of North America’s migratory birds. Through cutting-edge research from across the hemisphere, explore how birds connect people and communities throughout the Americas. A seasoned birder or simply curious about the natural world around you, deepen your appreciation for the birds that pass through our cities and neighborhoods—and what we can do to help them thrive. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing - Outdoor StoryWalk®— We Planted a Tree
2025-05-13 - 2025-06-25 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk®— We Planted a Tree
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring a children’s picture book. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow is for ages 3 to 7
and everyone who loves trees. 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.

Nolumbeka Project Day of Remembrance
2025-05-17 13:00 - 15:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Commemorate the 349th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre, outdoors weather permitting, or in the Great Hall. Tribal members and non-Tribal public are welcome. Honored guests include: Liz Coldwind Santana Kiser, Elder, Council Woman, and Tribal Historical Preservation Officer for the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians and others. For more info visit: www.nolumbekaproject.org. Free and open to all. Light refreshments provided. Co-sponsored by Nolumbeka Project and DCR. For all ages.

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-05-18 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.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-05-24 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. In case of rain, you can find our activities inside the Discovery Center’s Great Hall instead. For all ages.

Ongoing Great Hall Exhibit — Dam Culture 1995-2025: Skateboarding in Montague, MA
2025-05-31 - 2025-06-29 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Jeremy Latch presents a photographic and video still exhibit of skateboarding in Montague, MA. Dam Culture reveals 30 years of images of people skateboarding in our town’s public spaces and includes recently digitized footage of the 1990’s and 2000’s. The exhibit contains a record of lost spaces: no longer present landscapes and structures. It is a witness to the ongoing changing architecture of Montague. For all ages. Reception on June 21 2 – 4 p.m. in the Great Hall.

The Six Navigational Canals of the Connecticut River
2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Robert Comeau of Historical Tours of Greater Holyoke presents this illustrated talk, part of a series called “Canals in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts.” In the 1800s river transportation of goods on the Connecticut River was once possible from Old Lyme, Connecticut, to Barnet, Vermont, through the aid of six navigational canals – Enfield Falls, South Hadley Falls, Turner Falls, Bellows Falls, Sumner Falls, and Olcott Falls. Rediscover these former navigational canals. Funded by a state level Massachusetts Cultural Council grant for 2025. Free and for all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

First Friday: Migratory Fish on 3rd Street
2025-06-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Third Street – Downtown Turners Falls, 24 - 42 Third Street, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us on 3rd Street for RiverCulture’s First Friday event and learn all about migratory fish at our investigation station. During the event 3rd Street, from Avenue A to the Brick House, is open to pedestrians only.

Rain or Shine! 18th Annual Free Family Fishing Day
2025-06-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Barton Cove Day Use Area, Barton Cove Road, Gill, MA, United States
Our annual Family Fishing Day, at Barton Cove, with additional activities at the Great Falls Discovery Center. Join us for a day of FREE fishing fun. Adults and children of all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Event is held rain or shine. Parking is free. Free shuttle bus between sites.
At Barton Cove Campground: Barton Cove Road in Gill

Free fishing from 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. All ages welcome.
Fishing equipment provided – limited supplies available. Bring your own pole if you have one.
No MA fishing license needed.

At Great Falls Discovery Center: 2 Avenue A

Fly lure tying demonstrations.
Come see a guest fish from the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Lab.
Fish printing – The art of Gyotaku, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.
CATCH THE FISH BUS HERE! Free shuttle bus to and from Barton Cove, as needed, from 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

https://greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Family-Fishing-Day-2025-2.mp4

Annette Spaulding Talk: Recent Diving Discoveries in the Connecticut River
2025-06-08 15:30 - 17:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us for a talk by Annette Spaulding, an experienced master scuba diver, whose favorite place in the whole world to dive is in the Connecticut River, one of only 14 rivers in the United States that are designated heritage rivers. Annette is the first person to identify short-nosed sturgeon above dams in the river. Enjoy a fascinating slideshow presentation showing footage of underwater dives along with a display of items of some of the unusual and interesting things she found in the river. Sponsored by Connecticut River Defenders. Meet in the Great Hall
