KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Jul 20: 2026 Barnstable County Fair
Fri, Jul 24: Lowell Folk Festival
2026
Mon, Jul 27: Rock Painting (Ages 3-12) - At Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch
Sat, Aug 1: Health & Wellness Expo - At Hilton Garden Inn Boston/Marlborough - With Community Marketing
Sat, Aug 1: Touch a Truck - At Cider Hill Farm
Sat, Aug 8: Connecticut Kids & Baby Expo
Sat, Aug 8: 2026 Peach and Sunflower Festival - At Cider Hill Farm
Sat, Aug 8: Outdoor Concert with Sweet Wednesday - At Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Fri, Aug 14: FREE Outdoor Movie Night Series: Wicked at
CambridgeSide
Sat, Aug 22: Wampanoag Heritage Day - Heritage Museums & Gardens
Mon, Aug 24: The Wiggles – Tree of Wisdom Spectacular! - At Boch Center - Wang Theatre
Sat, Aug 29: Annual Fruitlands Kite Festival |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a kid, summer meant St. Rocco’s Feast in the Peterstown neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The streets were filled with music, carnival rides, vendor booths, and fairgoers... but the main attraction for 10-year-old me was zeppoles: lumps of dough dropped into hot oil, puffed golden, shaken in a paper bag with powdered sugar, and handed over hot enough to require
patience. To my young self, they were almost proof of magic. They were also my gateway drug into Italian food. Zeppoles led eventually to prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto and gnocchi, pesto and puttanesca. Along the way, I learned that food has a vocabulary: crisp, chewy, silky, smoky, briny, bitter, fermented, caramelized. Knowing the names of flavors and textures helped me notice them more clearly, and knowing where dishes came from helped me see that food carries
geography, history, ingenuity, celebration, and memory. The more I tasted, the bigger the world became. Summer is the perfect season to help kids develop that kind of appetite... for food and discovery. Visit a farmers market and learn what grows nearby. Pick berries and notice how they taste when harvested just a second ago with your own hands. Try the food truck serving something you’ve never ordered. At a festival, ask what country or region a dish comes from, what ingredients give it its flavor, and who traditionally makes it. Kids don’t have to like everything. Exploration still counts when the verdict is “Not for me.” As tour guides to our
kids’ universe, we can help them notice that food connects downward to the Earth and outward to people. Name the flavor. Name the texture. Name the place and the tradition. Then take another bite. Sometimes an entire world opens through one little bag of fried dough.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How
to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes
from Deb" section of our site. |
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This July, Sail Boston brings 50 majestic ships from 21 countries to Boston’s waterfront! Enjoy free events, family-friendly activities, and spectacular ship-viewing opportunities throughout the celebration.
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Join us in Canal Park at CambridgeSide as we continue our Outdoor Summer Movie Series. Join us for a fun-filled evening starting at 7pm. Kick things off with a craft and settle in for a screening of Angry Birds 2, and finish the night with glow sticks as the sun goes down. It’s a playful summer night the whole family will enjoy. Grab a bite at CanalSide Food + Drink and join us on the lawn. Pre-show entertainment begins at 7pm. Movies begin promptly at 8pm. Plus, enjoy delicious popcorn sponsored by East Cambridge Business Association.
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As the sun dips low and the river quiets down, the Ipswich River comes alive with some of its most charismatic residents. On this family canoe trip, you'll paddle the river at dusk with a certified instructor, watching for muskrats, beavers, and otters while learning to read the clues they leave behind—gnawed tree stumps, bank burrows, and the telltale slap of a broad tail on water. Before you launch, your instructor will guide everyone through the basics of canoe safety and paddle technique, so the whole family feels confident on the water. The Ipswich River was once listed among the most endangered rivers in the country; an evening on it quickly shows you why it's worth protecting.
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Boston's beaches are home to some remarkable birds—and this festival-style event brings their story to life for the whole family. Through self-guided and guided stations led by local partners, participants will discover the urban shorebirds that nest and forage along Boston's coastline and learn what it takes to protect them. Activities span art, exploring outdoors, and interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity and connection across all ages. Embrace this rare chance to see the city's coastal wildlife through new eyes and find out how you can be part of their protection.
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Mark your calendars for Cider Hill's celebration of all things blueberries and summer flowers! The multi-weekend event features free live music, free tastings, outdoor hard cider bars, family-friendly activities, hayrides, visiting food trucks, homemade blueberry treats, cut-your-own flowers and berry picking. General Admission Entrance to the festival is free and includes free live music 10 am - 4 pm and entrance to the barnyard, play areas, main lawn and farm store. Does not include food, drink and pick-your-own. Hayrides are included with pick-your-own tickets or $5 per person for those ages 3+.
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Christmas in July is coming to Southwick's Zoo, July 18–26! Get ready for a week packed with holiday magic right in the middle of summer! Santa is taking a break from the North Pole and stopping by to visit... and rumor has it, the Grinch might even make an appearance!
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Join us on Saturday, 7/18 from 11 AM–2 PM at our 2 Brookline Place location for a free, open-house, science-themed, child-centered event called Family Day! Families will have a chance to learn about the Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children’s studies, meet our scientists, tour our space, and play brain-related games. There will be face painting, a puppet show, music, food, and more! This is a rain or shine event with all activities moved indoors if needed due to poor weather.
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Celebrate the final match! CambridgeSide in partnership with the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Office of Tourism, will host a viewing on the final match on Sunday, July 19, with festivities beginning at 2 p.m. and match starting at 3 p.m. Enjoy family friendly activities in Canal Park Fan Zone with soccer activities, lawn games, and more.
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Sizzling entertainment, thrilling rides, fabulous food, animals, agriculture and the world’s largest Demolition Derby converge for seven days each July. Named the “Best Local Event of 2022” by the Cape Cod Times, the Barnstable County Fair is a summer staple not to be missed. We bring together an incomparable slate of entertainers, the best-of-the -best in fair food, an array of sizzling rides from Rockwell Amusements, and the world’s largest Demolition Derby. We match that with county fair hallmarks like 4H demos, petting zoos, livestock, and an impressive display of vegetables, crafts and Americana. This is Cape Cod’s marquee summer event!
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Birds are not just related to dinosaurs; they are dinosaurs! Modern birds evolved from small, carnivorous dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic period. Wingmasters rehabilitate raptors that include eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls. This presentation will incorporate five live birds. Children aged 6-12 will learn about conservation efforts for these wild animals.
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Summer nights are perfect for a free outdoor movie on the historic Lyman Estate grounds. Come early to walk the landscape, explore the ca. 1793 mansion, have a picnic, and enjoy pre-show musical entertainment by the Waltham High School show band. Mansion opens at 7:00 p.m.
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2026's best places to take kids in Boston as voted by Massachusetts parents! Parents vote, we do the math, and the result is the Top 20 Places to Take Kids! But there is LOTS more to do in Boston than even just this wonderful list: visit KidsOutAndAbout.com
to see our events calendar, find seasonal activities, get ideas for the perfect day trip and MORE !
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Nothing says SUMMER quite like going to an amusement park with your family! We've put together a great list of ones you can visit within driving distance of Nashville. So, pack the sunscreen, load up the car and head out on a grand adventure!
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View our local Boston area 2026 summer camp guide for kids! Pick the dates you want to explore on our calendar and see what summer camps are available. Hundreds of local summer camps: day camps, overnight camps, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts &
crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more!
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The Boston Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Boston that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check out our
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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