About Town: Summer Fun
About Town: Summer Fun
Welcome to the first full day of summer! Yes, it’s the season of barbeques and beaches and lazy days spent reading, eating watermelon, and soaking up the sun – while wearing sunscreen, of course. I do love this season! And what better way to kick it off than with tonight’s Musketaquid Summer Solstice event, which Maureen told you about on Tuesday. Really, rivers and drum circles – what could be better on a hot summer night??
Of course, summer also means no school, and kids hanging around whining about boredom and such. If you’re looking at the long stretch ahead and seeing endless days with no structure, have no fear: I’m here to tell you how to find fun and frolic right here in town.
First up: our local library. Not only are both our branches beautiful and air-conditioned, they offer a plethora of programs for kids from toddlers to teens. For the younger set, there’s drop-in story time on Thursdays at 10 am at the main library, and PJ storytime on Tuesdays at 7 pm. The librarians always pick an excellent selection of stories, and there’s often a puppet show as well. Then on a number of Fridays, Ed Morgan will lead a sing-along; the first one is tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm at the main library. He jumps back and forth between the Fowler and main branches, so check the library website for details.
For the older set, meaning middle schoolers and up, there are Teen Movies at Fowler, on five Mondays at 4 pm. Right around the time your kids are hot and whiny, take them to the blissfully cool Fowler to see the following: “Mamma Mia!” July 9, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” July 23, “Mean Girls” July 30, “Star Trek (2009)” August 6, and “Legally Blonde” August 13. There will even be refreshments! Any questions, please contact Karen Brown at karen.johnson.brown@comcast.net. They’ll also have Wingmasters (Live Birds of Prey) on Monday, August 13, at 7 pm at Fowler, and a teen book group, Rocky Road the book and the ice cream, on Monday August 20 at 7 pm. That last one starts at Fowler, but they’ll be heading over to Reasons to be Cheerful to actually make the ice cream – better sign up for that one before it’s full.
For families, there are family movies at the main library, on Fridays from July 13 through August 17 at 1 pm. And on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm, July 11, 25, and August 8, you can bring a blanket and sit out on the library lawn to listen to live music. Nothing nicer on a summer evening.
For a full description of all the events, click here.
Keeping Hands Busy
If crafts are more your kids' thing, check out Dabblers in West Concord. They have a whole host of craft events, from designing your own kite to origami fun to duck tape gear. Their event calendar is sorted by age group – so clever. And since they have a café inside their store, you can sit and sip a latte, eat a snack and read a book – your own personal downtime – while your kid plies their craft. A win-win all around.
A Penchant for Little Women
If you have a kid fascinated by history, or one who just likes playing dress-up, head over to Orchard House, home of author Louisa May Alcott. Their “Hand-in-Hand” program is designed for kids aged 6 and under, along with their caregiver, and includes matching games, songs, Victorian dress-up and more. It happens Thursday, July 5, and Tuesday, July 10, from 9 to 10 am. For kids 7 and up, on Friday July 6 from 9:30 to 11:30 is “A Morning with the Alcotts”, an interactive tour with old-fashioned stories, games, songs and refreshments. For full details, head to their website here and scroll down to July.
Get Outside
All this indoor stuff is great – and fabulous for keeping cool in the hot weather. But don’t forget, we have great outside spaces as well. Take a walk through the town forest, or around Great Meadows; walk over the Old North Bridge and get some history at the Buttrick Mansion; head up to Author’s Ridge in Sleepy Hollow cemetery and see where the famous people are buried. Or plan a trip to the South Bridge Boat House, rent a canoe or kayak, and paddle up to see the Old North Bridge from a different perspective.
All that should keep you at least a little busy this summer – so get planning!
Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at stefanieac@comcast.net or Maureen at mcb23@comcast.net, and we will be happy to help you spread the good news. And follow us on Twitter: Maureen is @cosmo1162, I’m @stefanie3131.
About this column: Patch's weekday column about people and places.
About Town: Summer Fun
About Town: Summer Fun
