Fourth of July parades are scheduled in Westfield, Williamstown, Pittsfield, East Longmeadow, Shelburne Falls and Chesterfield on July 4th. Fireworks light up the night sky that same evening in West Springfield, Springfield, North Adams, Agawam and Amherst. Happy 4th of July! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)

Fourth of July celebrations are abundant this weekend and on Wednesday. Discover parades and places to view fireworks in the region with our 2012 Fourth of July Celebrations & Fireworks resource page.  But fireworks aren’t all the excitement that will be happening this next week.  There are plenty of opportunities for kids to continue learning at the many community-based educational events, or just to be entertained with a slew of kid performances.  Plus several community celebrations will be bringing together an intergenerational crowd celebrating life in Western MA.

COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION

On Saturday, June 30th, the Historic Deerfield‘s open hearth cooking program is celebrating its 25th anniversary and families can learn about the history of food and cooking. And on Sunday, July 1st families can learn about the history of the Springfield Armory at Armory Day with activities for families, including live Revolutionary and Civil War-era music and tours of the museum and grounds.  The armory played a very important role to the North during the Civil War – kids can learn about the importance of Springfield by visiting this historic site! Also on Sunday, families can join the Chesterfield Historical Society for a historical bus tour of the town with multiple stops, including discussions and visual aids, part of the Chesterfield’s 250th celebration.

Other educational opportunities for older kids on Saturday, June 30th include: exploring Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area in Florence with naturalist Dr. Josh Rose, identifying species of beetles, bugs, and butterflies.  And in the evening, at Northfield Mountain,  learn all about fireflies, then search for them and collect data for the Museum of Science’s Firefly Watch program.

SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT

This Saturday, June 30th, there are several family entertainment events: Mary Jo Maichack performs stories and songs about sleep, dreams, and stars at the Stockbridge Library; puppeteer Tom Knight presents, “The Garbage Monster and Other Tales” at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst; juggler/magician Scott Jameson leads a juggling workshop for kids at the Mason Library in Great Barrington.  Another fun event to put on your calendar happens on Tuesday, July 3rd when drummer Otha Day shares a variety of percussion instruments with kids, as well as some of the basic principles of percussion at the Milne Library in Williamstown.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS

Three intergenerational community celebrations happening this next week that we want to highlight include Chicopee Fest-of-All at Szot Park with fireworks at dusk on Saturday, June 30th; Chesterfield’s 250th anniversary celebration with historical tours and a family walk on Sunday, July 1st; and the Montague Center Fire Association will host their annual community bonfire on Tuesday, July 3rd.

To find out more about these events and many more happening all week, check our current list of Weekly Suggested Events.