Community Celebration, Community Breakfast, and Animal Adventure Weekend Highlights: May 19th & 20th, 2012

It’s Turtle Day at Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary this Saturday, May 19th, 2012! Learn all about turtles – kids will get to meet a live turtle, learn about local turtle species, and take a walk along the brook highlighting the area’s natural history. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS

This weekend there are a number of community celebrations happening throughout the region, one of which is the 23rd annual Chester on Track event taking place this Saturday, May 19th in Hampden County! The event, which began as a celebration of the town’s railway history, now encompasses all types of history – everything from steam engines to the Civil War! There will be reenactments of both the Civil and Revolutionary wars, blacksmithing demonstrations, antique cars to check out, and railroad cars, including freight cars, a caboose, and steam and gas engines.

Also in Hampden County, all weekend is Long Meddowe Days. The Longmeadow Historical Society hosts this community celebration, commemorating Longmeadow’s history and culture with an authentic Civil War encampment, graveyard & architecture  tours, live music, Scottish dancers, and activities all weekend the family can enjoy.

In northern Berkshire County on Saturday, families can head to Mass MoCA (with bikes!) for the BIKEfest Family Bike Rodeo in North Adams for a bike-themed storywalk, a bike parade, and a celebration of all sustainable modes of transportation.  In central Berkshire County, celebrate all things mud at Muddy Brook Elementary School’s Mud Day in Great Barrington. Connecting the community with its environment, Mud Day will be filled with fun mud-based games for the kids (and adults not afraid of getting a little, or a lot, muddy!).

In the Pioneer Valley, Laurel Park in Northampton will host its annual Spring Festival at Laurel Park where families can enjoy an afternoon picnic with Morris dancers, live music, and a maypole, and throughout downtown Northampton, the Community Music Center will host Springfest with live music at various locations all day.

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST

Take your family to enjoy breakfast together with your community this weekend, excellent intergenerational opportunities to engage with your family in your community!  On Saturday, there will be a free community breakfast at the Community House in Longmeadow to enjoy before Long Meddowe Days, and on Sunday, a fundraising community breakfast for the Manhan Rail Trail happens at the American Legion Hall in Easthampton before heading over to Big Rig Day.

ANIMAL STUDIES

If your kids are interested in fish, turtles, birds, sheep, nocturnal creatures, or cats & dogs, there’s an opportunity for them this coming weekend and next.  On Saturday, it’s Turtle Day at Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Hampden, and the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic will host The Creature Teachers for kids to learn about creatures of the night.

On Sunday, the Forbes Library in Northampton is hosting a community bird walk where older kids can learn to spot birds, and get help identifying their markings and songs. And for the fish enthusiasts, head on over to the Turners Falls Fishway in Turners Falls to see directly into the river through a special viewing window as anadromous fish (those who live in rivers but spawn in the ocean) make their way to their Atlantic breeding grounds down the Connecticut River.

Later in the week, on Tuesday, May 22nd, families with older kids interested in volunteering at the Dakin Animal Shelter can come to an information session at the Leverett Library tin Leverett o learn about the many different activities that volunteers do and what is required of helpers. And then next week, mark your calendar for two weekend long events that celebrate all things sheep, Old Sturbridge Village’s Wool Days in Sturbridge and the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fairin Cummington.

Find out about all of these events and well over one hundred other family friendly events, workshops for parents, and community opportunities happening all throughout Western MA in our list of Weekly Suggested Events!