FREE JUNE 2014 Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996 baystateparent SEW EASY! SEW EASY! TURN BATH TOWEL TURN BATH TOWEL TO ADORABLE BEACH TOTE TO ADORABLE BEACH TOTE ENTER TO WIN ENTER TO WIN • KID’S STUNT • KID’S STUNT SCOOTER SCOOTER • TICKETS TO • TICKETS TO SEUSSICAL SEUSSICAL • BEACH TOYS • BEACH TOYS • AND MORE! • AND MORE! TANGLEWOOD TANGLEWOOD FOR FAMILIES? FOR FAMILIES? THAT’S MUSIC THAT’S MUSIC TO OUR EARS! TO OUR EARS! SUMMER SUMMER GUIDE GUIDE 2014 2014 OVER 500 OVER 500 PLACES TO GO PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO! AND THINGS TO DO! • FAIRS & FESTIVALS • FAIRS & FESTIVALS • FARMER’S MARKETS • FARMER’S MARKETS • MUSEUMS • MUSEUMS • BEACHES & LAKES • BEACHES & LAKES • ICE CREAM STANDS • ICE CREAM STANDS • FIREWORKS AND MORE! • FIREWORKS AND MORE! WESTERN MA EDITION
Transcript
FREEJU
NE
2014
Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996
baystateparentSEW EASY!SEW EASY!TURN BATH TOWEL TURN BATH TOWEL TO ADORABLE BEACH TOTE TO ADORABLE BEACH TOTE
ENTER TO WINENTER TO WIN • KID’S STUNT • KID’S STUNT SCOOTER SCOOTER• TICKETS TO • TICKETS TO SEUSSICAL SEUSSICAL• BEACH TOYS• BEACH TOYS• AND MORE!• AND MORE!
TANGLEWOOD TANGLEWOOD FOR FAMILIES?FOR FAMILIES?THAT’S MUSIC THAT’S MUSIC TO OUR EARS!TO OUR EARS!
SUMMERSUMMERGUIDEGUIDE 2
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OVER 500OVER 500 PLACES TO GO PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO!AND THINGS TO DO!
Belchertown • Brimfield • Charlton • Leicester • Ludlow • Palmer • Paxton • Ware • West Brookfield • Wilbraham
Congratulations to Nicole Sousa, Country Bank’s Teacher of the Month!
Teachers play a unique role in our community, shaping the lives of our young people and molding the next generation. Country Bank’s
Teacher of the Month program looks to recognize those contributions.
Nicole Sousa of Veterans Park Elementary School was nominated by student Alina Banas, and we are happy to name her
Teacher of the Month.
To nominate a teacher, simply visit the Teacher of the Month page on countrybank.com.
MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF |
Photo ID (l to r): Mike Tyler from Kix 100.9 Radio, Teacher of the Month Nicole Sousa, student Alina Banas, Country Bank’s Financial Education Officer Jodie Gerulaitis, Veterans Park Elementary School Principal Melissa Knowles, and Ludlow Public Schools Superintendent Todd Gazda
When it’s your child’s health, you want only the very best. The best pediatric doctors and specialists.The best care. The Baystate Children’s Specialty Center features over 15 pediatric specialty services under one roof, and is designed to offer the best in care coordination, comfort, and convenience, with a healthy dose of fun thrown in as well. Learn more and take a video tour at baystatehealth.org/bchspecialty.
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DISHIN’ WITH THE DIETITIAN: Your No-Sweat Guide to Sports Drinks
Farmer’s Markets GuidePick-Your-Own Farms Guide
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bsp’s Taking Flight! To celebrate our arrival in Western Mass, we held a reception at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The event was picture perfect! See page 10.
Massachusetts mom Beth Nicholson does not celebrate Mother’s Day, even though she is Mom to a delightful 6-year-old son. Her essay, I Didn’t Know Adopting My Son Would Mean I Forfeit Mother’s Day on page 14, reveals a poignant side to adoption.
Tanglewood for Families? That’s Music to Our Ears! Journalist Laurie Flannery shares information on special events and tips to make your visit family-friendly. Read more on page 32.
Taming the Wild: Local Youth Take on Yearling Mustangs
Sports & Adventure Guide
Worcester Welcomes the Bravehearts
Fan Fun Guide
Massachusetts Beach Guide
Water Fun Guide
Clever Beach Tote is Sew Easy!
Tanglewood for Families? That’s Music to Our Ears!
Fireworks Guide
The Annual Green River Festival Attracts Thousands
Fairs & Festivals Guide
Free Summer Fun at the Library
Explore & Learn Guide
Drive-Ins Cruise Into the Digital Age
Arts & Entertainment Guide
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BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 7
museums or libraries! Together, we can make this a summer of memories for all ages. While you are there, peek at a post we have on the Highland Street Foundation. This nonprofi t organization is literally opening cultural doors to everyone this summer by offering free admission to 66 top Massachusetts destinations. The program, now in its sixth year, is called Free Fun Fridays. Each Friday from June 27 through August 29, the group offers free admission to a handful of attractions. The program is part of the foundation’s commitment to providing public access the arts. For example, on June 27, enjoy free admission to the Worcester Art Museum, Tanglewood, Mass MoCA and the MIT Museum. Later in the summer, free admission is offered for Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Amelia Park Children’s Museum, Fruitlands Museum, Eric Carle Museum, Springfi eld Museums, Hancock Shaker Village, Berkshire Museum, EcoTarium, Norman Rockwell Museum and more. The complete list with dates is posted on baystateparent.com.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank Alexandra Kennedy, Executive Director of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and her staff for opening the museum for a baystateparent reception. On May 14, we were joined there by dozens of folks to celebrate our expansion into Western Mass. It was a beautiful spring evening fi lled with good food and good people. We are grateful for the welcome. Please enjoy photos from the event on page 10. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a minute to say, “Hey, a big shout out to Dads!” It’s Father’s Day on Sunday, June 15! Hug Dad a little longer than usual, remind him why he is important, ask him to tell you a secret about his childhood, and snap a selfi e with him. To yours and mine and all, a very Happy Father’s Day! Warmly,
MaryJo Kurtz, Editor
Welcome to our Summer Guide 2014! We stuffed the following pages with information on hundreds of places in Massachusetts to discover with your family in the coming months — arts, music, theater, beaches, pools, museums, sports, fairs, fi reworks, farmers markets, ice cream stands and more. Tuck this issue in the front seat of the car for the summer or set it out on the kitchen table and ask the kids to pick out some of their favorite things to do. Make plans to savor the sunshine and your time together. In addition to the listings we have in these pages, we have summer fun ideas overfl owing on baystateparent.com. Stop by daily to browse the new calendar listings and to add to our growing list of places to go. Tell us about your favorite ice cream stands, trails,
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Our cover models this month are Siobhan, 7, and Mack, 6, Gallagher of Longmeadow who tell us that their mom, Sarah, has been taking pictures of them since they were born. They also shared some more fun facts with baystateparent!
What is your favorite thing to do at school?Siobhan: “Recess.”Mack: “Letters.”
What activities do you enjoy outside of school?Siobhan: “[I like to play] lacrosse with Daddy.”Mack: “Talk with my friends.”
What do you think you might like to do when you grow up?Siobhan: “Police offi cer.”Mack: “President.”
Do you have any pets?Siobhan: “Yes, a kitty named August.”
Do you have a favorite story?Siobhan: “The Boxcar Children.”Mack: “Harry Potter.”
What tips can you offer to others who want to model? Mack: “Try to be still!”
meet our special guests
Siobhan and Mack Gallagherof Longmeadow
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Local libraries are gearing up for summer with free events for kids of all ages. Western Mass mom and journalist Tracey Prohaska Carroll spoke with East Longmeadow’s children’s librarian and shares details about this year’s Fizz, Boom, Read program. Read her article Free Summer Fun at the Library on page 36 — and visit baystateparent.com to read Tracey’s popular blog about turning 40, 40 by Forty.
Laurie Flannery is a Western Mass mom of three and the author of the popular trivia book, Walt Disney World: Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places. In her piece Tanglewood for Families? That’s Music to Our Ears! on page 32, she shares little-known facts and tips that will make a family trip to Tanglewood a pleasant and memorable time for all ages. You can follow her on Twitter at @LaurieFlannery.
Sleep Matters for New Moms, and journalist Maureen Turner explains why in her piece on page 12. Maureen is a senior writer at the Valley Advocate and has worked as a freelance writer for a range of national and regional publications. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Northampton with her family.
Amanda Roberge is a busy mother of three daughters who has elevated multi-tasking to an art form. When she isn't traipsing all over the Bay State as a freelance writer seeking out peoples' amazing stories, she works as a henna artist and early childhood educator. This month, she has three pieces in baystateparent: Taming the Wild: Local Youth Take on Yearling Mustangs on page 22, Worcester Welcomes the Bravehearts on page 24, and Drive-Ins Cruise in to the Digital Age on page 40. You can fi nd her online at mandyroberge.com.
In her article, Families Volunteer to Fight Hunger, on page 17, Jane Keller Gordon writes about unique ways, including farming, that parents and their children can help the Community Harvest Project grow fresh fruits and vegetables for the hungry in Massachusetts. A journalist, marketing consultant, and empty nester, she was impressed by this remarkable non-profi t.
In addition to thanking our article contributors, baystateparent also recognizes Senior Graphic Designer Stephanie Mallard, Copy Editor Bryan Ethier and Millbury Sutton Chronicle Editor Joshua Farnsworth for assistance in researching our Summer Guide 2014.
Meet Our bsp Contributors
If you have interest in becoming a contributor for baystateparent or baystateparent.com, contact Editor MaryJo Kurtz at [email protected].
Jane Keller Gordon
Amanda Roberge
Laurie Flannery
Tracey Prohaska Carroll
BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 9
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bsp’s Taking Flight! To celebrate our arrival in Western Mass, we held a reception at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Arton May 14th.
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BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 11
The event was picture perfect! The image of the butterfly from The Very Hungry Caterpillar is used with permission from the Eric Carle Studio.
While Westley’s experience was extreme, sleep deprivation is a seri-ous and potentially dangerous prob-lem for all new mothers. In their first months, babies need almost constant care.
“This may feel obvious, but I don’t feel it’s widely recognized. Because of their tiny size, newborn babies need to be fed around the clock,” noted Beth Grams Haxby, a Northampton parenting consultant who specializes in sleep issues for both children and parents. And because their brains still lack mature sleep rhythms, “they are not attuned to day and night. … This is the biological reality for ba-bies, and here are these moms who need to take of them so, of course, it means sleep deprivation.”
A chronic lack of sleep can cause significant problems, making one
more prone to accidents. It can result in impaired cognitive ability and a higher risk for depression, high blood pressure, stroke and other problems. For new mothers, research shows, sleep deprivation increases the likeli-hood of developing postpartum emo-tional disorders.
“Some of us manage it better, but sleep deprivation is always difficult,” said Liz Friedman, program director at the Hadley-based advocacy group MotherWoman.
Relatives and healthcare profes-sionals should be on the lookout for signs that a new mom is having an especially hard time due to lack of sleep. These can include severe anxiety, depression, uncontrollable crying, memory gaps, and feelings of being overwhelmed, Friedman said. Not sleeping for 24 to 48 hours during
those early days, she said, is linked to serious postpartum issues, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxi-ety, depression, and —in some cases —postpartum psychosis, which can lead to suicide or infanticide.
“If mom has not slept at all, even when baby is sleeping, for over 24 hours, then you’ve got a major red flag,” Friedman said. The mom should see her healthcare provider, who can perform an assessment and recommend a crisis-management plan. “Sleep is the first line of care for mothers when they’re having a diffi-cult time,” Friedman said. “[It] allows her to regulate and recover and heal and find her stability again.”
But that’s easier said than done. Both Friedman and Haxby contend that our society doesn’t provide new parents with the kinds of support
they need to manage the physical and emotional challenges of caring for an infant. In some cultures, they noted, new mothers spend the first weeks or months of their baby’s lives doing nothing but healing and feeding their infants, while relatives and neighbors take over their regular household re-sponsibilities. In the U.S., new moms often have to go it alone. Partners—if a mom has one—typically return to work shortly after the baby’s birth. And mothers often follow soon after.
“This is a period when women need support and need to recover. We don’t supply that,” Friedman said.
“I think moms are led to believe that not being able to manage these first months of a baby’s life means there’s something wrong with them,” Haxby said. When she works with expectant and new families, she tells
Women’s health
Sleep Matters
for a New Mom
BY MAUREEN TURNER
When Anna Westley of Ashfield was preg-nant with her first child, she expected one of the challenges of becoming a parent would be learning to live with less sleep.
Still, she said, “I had this idea that it was going to be hard but doable.” Once her son was born, Westley found sleep to be much harder to manage then she’d imagined. A medical emergency for the baby combined with breastfeeding
difficulties resulted in sleep problems for Westley. “When I lay down to sleep, the emotional piece of what was happening started to creep in,” she said. “So I dealt with that by not sleeping.” Things reached a breaking point about nine days af-ter her son’s birth. Westley hadn’t slept in about a week and, she said, “I couldn’t function. … I was oblivious, not with it, not making good decisions.” One day, she almost walked into traffic with her infant.
them that for the first three months, “moms need to sleep when the ba-bies are sleeping, and moms need a lot of help.”
Haxby advises families to begin helping their babies develop good sleep habits early. With newborns, this means recognizing that the baby needs to sleep every one-and-a-half to two hours. “Overtired babies are really hard to soothe, so that is going to start a cycle of a crying baby and Mom feeling helpless because she can’t soothe the baby.” At three or four months, babies begin to develop more mature circadian rhythms and don’t need to eat as frequently, so they can sleep for longer stretches.
In her work with families, Haxby recommends gentle ways to help the baby sleep for longer periods, such as recognizing that not every cry or whimper means the baby is wak-ing. “We tend to swoop in—‘Oh, get that baby’—and baby doesn’t learn to fall back asleep when they’re half aroused,” she said.
For Lisa Mahon of Easthampton, who had her first child, Addie, last year, lack of sleep has “definitely been one of the hardest parts” of parenting. “There’s so much [known] about the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation for adults, but it’s an accepted part of parenthood,” said Mahon, who worried about how her fatigue would affect everything from her driving to her performance at work.
Over time, Mahon and her hus-band developed strategies, from his feeding Addie bottled breastmilk so Mahon could sleep at night to taking turns sleeping in a separate room, out of earshot of the baby. They’ve also been working with Haxby, who assisted them in finding strategies to
them that for the first three months, “moms need to sleep when the ba-bies are sleeping, and moms need a lot of help.”
Haxby advises families to begin helping their babies develop good sleep habits early. With newborns, this means recognizing that the baby needs to sleep every one-and-a-half to two hours. “Overtired babies are really hard to soothe, so that is going to start a cycle of a crying baby and Mom feeling helpless because she can’t soothe the baby.” At three or four months, babies begin to develop more mature circadian rhythms and don’t need to eat as frequently, so they can sleep for longer stretches.
In her work with families, Haxby recommends gentle ways to help the baby sleep for longer periods, such as recognizing that not every cry or whimper means the baby is wak-ing. “We tend to swoop in—‘Oh, get that baby’—and baby doesn’t learn to fall back asleep when they’re half aroused,” she said.
For Lisa Mahon of Easthampton, who had her first child, Addie, last year, lack of sleep has “definitely been one of the hardest parts” of parenting. “There’s so much [known] about the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation for adults, but it’s an accepted part of parenthood,” said Mahon, who worried about how her fatigue would affect everything from her driving to her performance at work.
Over time, Mahon and her hus-band developed strategies, from his feeding Addie bottled breastmilk so Mahon could sleep at night to taking turns sleeping in a separate room, out of earshot of the baby. They’ve also been working with Haxby, who assisted them in finding strategies to
help Addie sleep for longer stretches and develop more predictable sleep patterns.
In addition, Mahon found support in a new-moms group. “Just getting myself there was hard in the begin-ning,” she recalled. But once there, she found she was not alone in her struggles. “Other moms would just break down crying—‘I couldn’t sleep for more than an hour last night.’ There’s a spectrum, but we’re all dealing with this. It’s reassuring to know other parents are struggling and your situation is not unique.”
For Westley, things improved af-ter she and her husband were forced to reconsider the toll taken by her struggles with breastfeeding. “We realized that what we were doing was not okay,” she said. They began supplementing with formula, and Westley’s mother came to stay with the new family and “took over night duty,” she said. “My mom was able to be like: ‘This is what you need to do. This is not working. I’m here. You go lay down.’ I needed someone else to take control of the situation. … I needed to be mothered.”
That’s a lesson that Westley is keeping in mind as she prepares for the birth of her second child this fall. While she still has worries, she also has the hard-won knowledge gained from her son’s early days. She and her husband are already thinking about nursing and sleep strategies, she said, and she’s prepared to let go of some of the unrealistic expecta-tions she had for herself the first time around.
“I understand now how important it is to take care of myself,” she said. “I really didn’t have that understand-ing the first time.”
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In 2011, my husband and I went through all of the paperwork, participated in the 30 hours of required Department of Children and Families training, submitted to the scrutiny of the home study process, trudged to obligatory doctors visits, humbly requested countless references, dutifully filled out more paperwork,
and nervously but with determination navigated
through awkward adoption parties and matching events. We knew our son was out there waiting for us to find him. The foster care adoption process is no joke, but we persevered. That being said, I must have missed the Mother’s
Day memo at MAPP (Massachusetts Approach
to Partnerships in Parenting) training. I was ready for erratic behavior. I was fully prepared to be called by my first name (even though that he called me
Mom from Day 1). I was armed with answers to a plethora of inappropriate questions about his heritage and his name and the color of his skin from teachers, children and strangers. I knew that some holidays and even birthdays might be extremely upsetting to his sense of stability and control and bring up deep rooted feelings of loss and insecurity. I guess it just never occurred to me that Mother’s Day was on the potential red zone list. Our son came home in 2012. He was 4 ½ years old. He had spent most of his life with a very loving foster mother and was accustomed to regular visits with his birth mother who, since having my son, began sobriety and currently parents his younger sister. He was so very fortunate to have been loved so much by his foster family and have a positive relationship with his birth mother. But what all this means is that I am Mommy — #3. As Mom #3, I have to consistently squash my competitive nature.
I Didn’t Know That Adopting My Son Would Mean
JUNE’SCHILD ALEXANDRA
Alexandra is a 12-year-old girl of African-American and Jamaican descent who is smart, friendly and outgoing. She likes to dance as well as act and is a member of the school Drama Club. Alexandra is a sweet girl with many friends. Despite all the transitions in her
short life, Alexandra remains well adjusted and hopeful. She has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and will continue to need academic supports at school. Her worker is looking for a single mom or two-parent family of any constellation who will respect Alexandra’s ongoing relationship with her sister and godmother. At the present time, she has phone contact with them. Alexandra is legally free for adoption.
For more information about Alexandra, please contact Department of Children and Families (DCF) Adoption Supervisor Grace Kirby-Steinau at 508-929-2033. The Worcester DCF Office hosts monthly informational meetings for those wishing to learn more about the adoption process in general. Call 508-929-2143 for specific information about the next meeting.
Mom from Day 1). I was armed with answers to a plethora of inappropriate questions about his heritage and his name and the color of his skin from teachers, children and strangers. I knew that some holidays and even birthdays might be extremely upsetting to his sense of stability and control and bring up deep rooted feelings of loss and insecurity. I guess it just never occurred to me that Mother’s Day was on the potential red zone list. Our son came home in 2012. He was 4 ½ years old. He had spent most of his life with a very loving foster mother and was accustomed to regular visits with his birth mother who, since having my son, began sobriety and currently parents his younger sister. He was so very fortunate to have been loved so much by his foster family and have a positive relationship with his birth mother. But what all this means is that I am Mommy — #3. As Mom #3, I have to consistently squash my competitive nature.
I don’t just have to ignore the “mommy wars” that rage all around us in suburbia, I have to resist my primal instinct to compare myself to the other women in my son’s life with whom he has a profound love for and attachment. I have to smile sweetly when he mentions missing his foster mother and tell him that it’s ok to love her and that I love her, too. I have to listen to stories about “at my old house…” and suggest authentically that perhaps he would like to call there to say hello. As Mom #3, I have never heard my son say “I love you.” I have to convince myself that that’s ok because I know he loves me. And I know that when he says “You’re the best mom ever!” and “You’re my best mom!” and “You will always be my best mom ever!” that it means, “I love you, Mom.” But still, it’s a hard substitute to swallow some days. Especially those days when I am traveling for work – a half a world away – and I say “I love you, sweetheart, have a good night!” to which I hear a gruff, “Bye.” As a consolation, I am fairly sure he doesn’t say “I love you” to any other women in his life – but I am also very sure that this resistance is new and that he has said a thousand I love you’s to Mom #1 and Mom #2. I try to explain to my son that loving me doesn’t mean he loves them any less – but he holds it tight. As Mom #3, I have come to realize that for my son, Mother’s Day isn’t a day to show your love and appreciation to your mother. It is a day of profound loss. And in his little boy body, that loss gets wrapped up in sadness of missing loved ones, fear of the unknown, confusion around his personal history, frustration over lack of control over his life, and anxiety bubbling from the conflicting alliances of having three mothers. And as Mom, I have declared Mother’s Day temporarily banned from my household’s calendar. It isn’t worth the pain and heartache it inflicts on my son. And with that small sweet boy’s grief comes fury – wild, angry, ferocious, broken-hearted, ruthless wrath. And I choose not to allow a Hallmark holiday to cause such strife over our lives. Please don’t misunderstand me. My happiness at being my son’s mom outweighs all of this. I love him more deeply and fiercely than I could have ever imagined. Although I don’t believe my world revolves around him, there is no denying that he is my entire world. There is plenty of time and opportunity to work through my son’s losses in life. I just don’t see the need to open the door and invite the heartache in all in the
I Didn’t Know That Adopting My Son Would Mean Foster Care/Adoption Informational Meeting. Department of Children and Families, Western Regional Office, 140 High St., 5th floor, Springfield. Tuesday, June 3, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Learn how you can change the life of a child in need by becoming a foster parent with the Department of Children and Families. Free. Registration not required. For information, call 413-452-3351.
Information and Referral. MARE (Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange), Inc. focuses on children in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Staff members are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
to answer questions regarding specific children and the adoption process in general. Call 1-800-882-1176.
The Heart Gallery Exhibit. Greenfield Savings Bank, 6 University Dr., Amherst. Ongoing. An exhibit of portraits of children in the state’s foster care system in need of adoption.
To list your adoption-related event information in baystateparent,
email [email protected], or visit baystateparent.com to add your listing to our interactive calendar of events.
I Forfeit Mother’s Day
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name of Mother’s Day. I know he loves me just the same.
Massachusetts mom Beth Nicholson, a conference direc-tor in the event industry, and
her husband adopted their son through the Massachusetts Foster Care System in 2012. She shares her story as a way to help others who feel similarly. Each month,
baystateparent magazine publishes our Finally Forever column for adoptive families.
By digging in rich soil in North Grafton, there is an opportunity for your children to learn about sustainable farming, and most im-portantly, to be a part of the fight against hunger. Here, the Commu-nity Harvest Project brings togeth-er thousands of volunteers, includ-ing families, to grow vast amounts of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Their entire crop is donated to hunger relief agencies throughout Worcester County, mostly through the Worcester Food Bank. The Community Harvest Project offers several unique opportunities for families to participate, including farming, a camp program, creative fundraising opportunities, and spe-cial events. “Sometimes it’s hard to find a place to volunteer where you can bring your kids of all ages… If you want to teach your kids a place to give back to the community, this is a place to do it,” commented Kristin Bafaro, executive director of the non-profit. One mom said, “(This is) the only place that I know of where we can just drop in to volunteer during the summer or on weekends. My kids have a great time getting their hands dirty, and they learn so much
when they come to the farm.” With the guidance from experi-enced leaders, children learn about non-GMO seeds, conserving water through drip irrigation, using or-ganic pest controls and crop rota-
tion as part of an integrated pest management system, and turning rotten produce into compost used in the fields.
The Numbers are Staggering
The need is clear. “One in six
Americans experience hunger,” said Bafaro. “These people are much less likely to have access to healthy foods.” According to Ba-faro, this translates to 100,000 in
need in Worcester County. In the past year, Community Har-vest Project’s website reports, the organization donated 324,000 pounds of produce or 1.1 million servings of fresh fruits and veg-etables to the hungry of Worcester County. There were 9,500 volunteer visits (including 1,750 urban youth volunteer visits), adding up to 28,300 volunteer hours. Most of the farming took place at the Brigham Hill Community Farm of Wheeler Road in North Grafton, with the rest across the street at White’s Farm. The Community Harvest Pro-gram’s staff is made up of only four full-time year-round staff members, ten part-time or seasonal workers, and currently, two AmeriCorps VISTA members. This summer, the Community Harvest Project will farm 16 acres, with the help of 10,000 expected volunteer visits. To get involved and to teach your children about the relationship be-tween local farming and hunger, consider one of these five ideas.
1. Drop by and volunteer.For a meaningful family outing, drop by the farm between 9 a.m.
and noon, Mondays through Sat-urdays, May 3 through September 27, with the exception of federal holidays and associated weekends. The farm operates in light rain, but not when there is thunder and lightening. (Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.)
2. Schedule time to volunteer.Larger families and groups of fami-lies may schedule visits in the morning, and sometimes in the afternoon, from late April to Octo-ber (depending on the weather). It is a good idea to plan ahead, since many volunteer groups are sched-uled in advance. (Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.)
3. Attend Summer on the Farm camps. For the second year, the Commu-nity Harvest Project is offering a one-week camp for children who are entering 4th, 5th, and 6th grade (ages 9 to 12). Camps are sched-uled to take place July 14 through 18 and again on August 18 through 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Days will feature daily harvesting, Veggie Tag, Farm Olympics, a storyteller, learning about nutrition, cooking, and art
projects. Volunteer educators will lead workshops on topics such as beekeeping and weeds. The fee is $200 for the week
4. Donate to Dimes for Dinners.Making lemonade out of lemons, a volunteer realized that dimes fit perfectly into a large quantity of donated plastic tubes. The goal of Dimes for Dinners is to collect 5,000 tubes filled with 70 dimes each, which will fund 100,000 serv-ings of fruits or vegetables. Each tube comes with bean seeds and instructions for growing them in-doors or outdoors. This fundrais-ing project has been a big hit with schools, Scouts, and families. Why not search through that cookie jar in your kitchen, or collect dimes at a lemonade stand? You can pick up tubes at the Brigham Hill Com-munity Barn or request a mailing of larger quantities.
5. Adopt a row of plants.Create an immediate connection for your family with a row or a por-tion of a row of plants. Watch them grow and understand firsthand how these plants make a difference in the fight against hunger. Dona-
tions start at $50 for 10 plants, and increase to $500 for a row. The Community Harvest Project also offers a school-based nutrition program called Sprouting Minds. Interested schools can get informa-tion by contacting Tori or Alicia. In the fall, the organization is of-fering two community events. Food Day is a family program scheduled
to take place on October 23. It in-cludes a kid-friendly movie and din-ner. On November 2, the Harvest Home Festival and 5K Dash opens to the public. The 5K will take place in the morning. Afternoon events include crafts, food, music and oth-er performance.
For more information about fam-ily and volunteer programs at the Community Harvest Project, con-tact:
Can you please explain the pros and cons of the sports drinks? My son is 13-years-old and prefers bottled sports drinks (and juice boxes!) to water bot-tles. We debate whether or not the sports drinks do him any good after he plays sports or swims out-side all day.
— Susan, Worcester
A: Bravo for helping your son “think his drink” at an ear-ly age. Believe it or not, the con-versation you are having will, in the end, teach the lesson you are hoping to accomplish — he will begin to be more aware of his beverage choices.
The choice of sports drinks ver-sus water is a common conun-drum for parents of teens. Their sweet flavor and large portion sizes make sports drinks a pop-ular choice for teens to quench their thirst. Left unchecked, regular consumption of sugary drinks can make it fairly easy to overshoot the recommended
Your No-Sweat Guide to SPORTS DRINKS
AND WATERBY CARRIE TAYLOR, RDN, LDN
daily limit of added sugars set by the American Heart Associa-tion of 5 to 8 teaspoons for teens. For example, a 32-ounce bottle of a standard sugar-sweetened sports drink provides a total of four, 8-ounce servings. With each serving contributing 14 grams sugar, an entire bottle offers 56 grams, 14 teaspoons or almost one cup sugar. In the end, the answer to the water versus sports drink de-bate depends on a few factors:
#1- How long is the bout of exer-cise? For workouts less than an hour, water is typically the way to go. For those greater than 60 minutes, a sports drink may be warranted.
#2- How intense is the activity? The greater the intensity, the greater the need to replenish essential mineral electrolytes and carbohydrates — which can be accomplished with food or sports drinks.
#3- How hot or humid is the en-vironment? Hot temperatures and high humidity contribute to greater fluid loss through sweating. To keep electrolytes in check during prolonged exer-
cise, a sports drink may be war-ranted.
#4- How salty is your sweat? If you taste salt on your skin or see white lines of salt residue on clothing after working out, you may be prone to losing so-dium through sweat. Therefore, replacing sodium by way of food and beverages before, dur-ing and after a long workout is a must. How does this all add up? Un-less an individual is working at a high intensity for an extended period of time (eg: training and competing as an athlete) and the weather is unbearably hot and humid, water is typically the best option. Especially when combined with a post-workout snack or meal. Here are a number of ways your son can replenish his nutri-ent loss without sports drinks:
Goal #1: Replenish Water LossWhether he prefers unflavored still or seltzer water or some-thing with a bit of flavor — keep water the main ingredient. For example, there are flavored selt-zer and still waters available with a “hint” of flavor versus an overpowering sweet flavor produced by the use of added sweeteners. Additionally, he can always prepare his own flavored water simply by dropping in a bag of herbal tea into his water bottle.
Goal #2: Replenish Electrolyte LossWhen levels of electrolytes be-come imbalanced, it’s never a good thing. For example, when sodium drops too low in the body, it is called hyponatremia and can lead to confusion, head-ache, nausea, vomiting, seizure, unconsciousness and the risk of a coma. When potassium rises too high, it is called hyperkale-mia and can lead to fatigue, nau-sea, muscle weakness, slowed heart rate and weak pulse.
Granted, both of these condi-tions are the extreme examples of electrolyte imbalance — but they are very real situations that can occur if the proper in-take of water and electrolytes are overlooked.
Your son can easily replace any lost electrolytes by making it a point to eat certain foods after his workout. Sodium-containing items such as bread, sauces, salted nut butters, salty snacks and deli meats are a good start. He can get potassium by eating fruits and vegetables.
Goal #3: Replenish Carbohy-dratesExercise is fueled by sugar. Our muscles pull from the sugar found circulating in our blood at the time of activity and eventu-ally the stored version found in muscle fibers. For this reason, it is essential to replenish this used sugar immediately after exercising (or even during exer-cise if it is of long duration) with carbohydrate-containing foods.
The quickest sources of carbo-hydrates are those found in fruit and added sugars. So grabbing a bunch of grapes and a sugar-sweetened yogurt is a great tast-ing option. Additionally, choices as simple as chocolate milk or a smoothie made by mixing 100% juice with plain yogurt can fit the bill. To learn more about nourish-ing your teen athlete, visit the website for the Sports, Cardio-vascular and Wellness Nutrition practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.scandpg.org.
Carrie Taylor is the lead registered dietitian nutritionist for the Living Well Eating Smart
EAT Fresh! Gardens come alive in the summer and that means fresh produce is available for your family. Here, we have a list of farmers markets and pick-your-own farms in the area — sure ways to engage the entire family into healthful eating. Because businesses come and go and weather can affect retail hours, we strongly encourage you to call or visit the websites before heading to your destination. These are just some of the many places to enjoy the best fresh eating in Massachusetts. To see a more extensive list of Massachusetts Eat Fresh! destinations —and to add to the our list — visit baystateparent.com!
Farmers MarketsAmherst Farmers Market. Spring Street and S. Pleasant Street, Amherst. Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 19 to November 22. amherstfarmersmarket.com.
Amherst Wednesday Market. Kendrick Park, North Pleasant St., Amherst. Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m., May to October 15. kendrickparkmarket.com.
Belchertown Farmers Market. Main Street and East Walnut Street, Belchertown. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 29 to October 12. belchertownfarmersmarket.org.
Berkshire Farmers Market. Berkshire Mall parking Lot, Route 8 at Sears, Lanesborough. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 3 to November 22.
Chicopee Farmers Market. Under I-391 overpass, at the “Y” Willimansett, Chicopee. Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., July 2 to September 3. farmfresh.org.
Dudley Farmers Market. 119 West Main Street, Dudley. Sundays, June 8 through September 14, 9 a.m. to noon. dudleyfarmersmarket.org.
Easthampton Friday Market. Easthampton Municipal Building Parking Lot, 50 Payson Avenue, Easthampton. Fridays, 2 to 6 p.m. May 23 to October 24.
Farmers Market of Sheffield. Old Parish Church parking lot, 125 South Main Street, Sheffield. Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m., June 6 through October 10. www.sheffieldfarmersmarket.org.
Gardner Farmers Market. Monument Park along Park Street, Gardner. Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 8 through October 30. farmfresh.org.
Great Barrington Farmers Market. Great Barrington Fairgrounds. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 10 through October 25. greatbarringtonfarmersmarket.org.
Hampden Farmers Market. Hampden Nurseries, 16 Somers Road, Hampden. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 24 thru October 18.
Holden Farmers Market. Damon House Parking lot. Tuesdays, 3 to 6:30 p.m., May 6 through October 28. farmfresh.org.
Holyoke Farmers Market. Chestnut Street, adjacent to Veteran's Park, Holyoke. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 8 to October 30. localharvest.org.
Leicester Farmers Market. Castle Restaurant parking lot, 1230 Main Street, Leicester. Wednesdays 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 1 through October 31.
Lenox Farmers Market. Shakespeare & Co., 70 Kemble Street, Lenox. Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m., May 16 through October 10.
Longmeadow Farmers Market. Longmeadow Shops, 666 Bliss Road, Longmeadow. Thursdays, 2 to 7 p.m. June 12 to October 30.
MassDOT’s Farmer’s Market. All 18 state service plazas on I-90, plus Lee (east/west), Blandford (east/west), Ludlow (east/west),
Charlton (east/west), Westboro (west), Framingham (west) and Natick (east); Interstate 95 in Newton, Lexington; Route 128 in Beverly, Route 24 locations (north/south ) in Bridgewater, Route 3 in Plymouth and Route 6 in Barnstable. blog.mass.gov
Northampton Saturday Market. 8 Gothic Street, Northampton. Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 26 to November 8. northamptonfarmersmarket.com.
Northampton/Thornes Marketplace Farmers Market. Behind Thornes Marketplace, 150 Main Street, Northampton. Tuesdays, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., April 22 to November 11. northamptontuesdaymarket.com.
Otis Famers Market. Papa’s Healthy Food & Fuel/ L&M Auto, 2000 East Otis Road, East Otis. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 10 through October 11. farmersmarketotis.blogspot.com.
South Hadley Famers Market. Hadley Street at College Street, South Hadley. Thursdays, 1 to 6 p.m. June 5 to October 9. southhadleymarket.blogspot.com.
Springfield/ Farmers Market at Forest Park. Cyr Arena Parking lot inside of Forest Park, Springfield. Tuesdays, 12:30 to 6 p.m. May 6 to October 28. farmersmarketatforestpark.com.
Sterling Farmers Market. Butterick Municipal Building, 1 Park Street, Route 12, Sterling Common. Fridays, 3 to 6:30 p.m. May 16 to October 31.
Turners Falls/Great Falls Farmers Market. Next to Great Falls Discovery Center at 2nd Street and Avenue A, Turners Falls. Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m. May 7 to October 29. montaguema.net.
West Brookfield Farmers Market. Junction of Rt. 37 and Rt. 9, West Brookfield. Wednesdays, 3 to 6 p.m. June 4 to October 15.
West Stockbridge Famers Market. Merritt Way on Harris Street, West Stockbridge. Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m. May 22 through October 9. weststockbridgefarmersmarket.org.
Westminster Farmers Market. Town Common, Academy Hill Road, Westminster. Fridays, 3 to 6:30 p.m. May 2 through October 31. westminstermafarmersmarket.com.
Williamstown Farmers Market. Base of Spring Street, Williamstown. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 24 through October 25. williamstownfarmersmarket.org.
Worcester/Main South Farmers Market. Fuller Family Park, 104 Murray Ave, Worcester. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 through November 1. recworcester.org.
Worcester/ Canal District Farmers Market. 138 Green St., Worcester. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, 4 to 7 p.m. canaldistrictfarmersmarket.com.
Pick-Your-Own FarmsInformation provided by Mass.gov. Because businesses, business practices and picking seasons can and do change, we advise that you call the farms or visit the websites before you go to ask about current pick-your-own conditions.
Arts Berry Farm. 81 Parker St., East Longmeadow. Berries. 413-783-1909. farmfresh.org.
Austin Brothers Valley Farm. 270 West St., Belchertown. Pumpkins. 413-668-6843. austinsfarm.com
Ice Cream StandsWe put the question out to our followers on Facebook, “What is your family’s favorite place to go for ice cream?” And the answers were delicious! Here are some of your favorite spots — and we know there are more! Stop by baystateparent.com and our Facebook page and add your favorites to this list!
Each horse was matched up with a young trainer as part of a Training In-centive Program that is a partnership between the Mustang Heritage Foun-dation and Crimson Acres, where longtime Orange resident Peter Whitmore facilitates the pairings and operates It’s a Pleasure Training – a school dedicated to working with all breeds and temperaments of horses. The 90-day program allows young boys and girls to try their hand at training a wild horse – known as a mustang – that was born in captivity The experience, he said, builds con-fidence and skills – important attri-butes for young people who intend to spend their lives around horses. The yearlings arrive at the farm — and
other farms across the country — as part of the program, never having been touched by human hands and not otherwise having the opportu-nity to get proper training that would afford them the potential for a better life. “We thought it would be neat for some of the youth up here to experi-ence this kind of thing,” he explained. “I guess the bottom line is that if you can train a wild mustang, you can do anything.” The program culminates in a compe-tition in Athol on June 14 at the New England Equestrian Center, which is open to the public and allows the young trainers to showcase their progress with their young horses –
demonstrating their newly acquired abilities in the areas of Conditioning, In-Hand Trail Class, Showmanship, Costume and a Freestyle round. Peter himself knows what he is talk-ing about when it comes to the feel-ings of accomplishment that come along with training a wild horse. He learned of the youth program when he participated in a program called Extreme Mustang Makeover, an adult training program through the Mus-tang Heritage foundation, and found great personal reward in training three wild horses. “It’s something these kids will never forget – it’s not something you can duplicate,” he said. “This is a living, breathing animal and it opens a lot of
kids’ eyes when that reality hits.” While the kids and their families are required to adopt their yearling prior to the start of the competition, they can transfer the adoption to another individual after the competition – and are able to keep any money brought in by the sale. But for kids like Lizzie, there isn’t a dollar amount that would make the goodbye less painful. She says it would be a better deal if she never had to give Tyler up, and the eventuality of that weighs on her. But in the end, she wouldn’t trade the experience of having taken a horse that had never been touched by hu-man hands and raising him up to a horse that trusts her – and maybe even loves her back.
Taming the Wild:Local Youth Take on Yearling Mustangs
Sports & adventure
BY AMANDA ROBERGE
Lizzie Hardy strokes her horse Tyler with the sweet-ness of a mother tending to her child. Her touch is absentminded, comforting and automatic – just like the best of caretakers. Kids, especially with
animals, tend to not hold anything back when it comes to matters of the heart. At 13 years old, she is no stranger to the bond and at-tachment a parent might feel – she knew from the mo-ment she laid eyes on her horse that she could love him deeply and unconditionally. Her love was strong and instantaneous. Her love was
also, however, tested within the first hour of their rela-tionship, when he kicked her hand, shattering several bones. Did she then have any second thoughts? “Nope,” she said. “Not at all. I stood where he couldn’t see me. He didn’t trust me yet.” For nearly two dozen youths across New England, it was love at first sight when just as many year old wild horses – better known among horse-lovers as “yearling mustangs” – arrived at Crimson Acres Farm in Orange, Mass., last March.
kids’ eyes when that reality hits.” While the kids and their families are required to adopt their yearling prior to the start of the competition, they can transfer the adoption to another individual after the competition – and are able to keep any money brought in by the sale. But for kids like Lizzie, there isn’t a dollar amount that would make the goodbye less painful. She says it would be a better deal if she never had to give Tyler up, and the eventuality of that weighs on her. But in the end, she wouldn’t trade the experience of having taken a horse that had never been touched by hu-man hands and raising him up to a horse that trusts her – and maybe even loves her back.
SPORTS & ADVENTUREBecause businesses can and do
change, we recommend calling ahead or visiting the website before you go. To see a more extensive list of Massachusetts Summer 2014 Sports
& Adventure listings — and to add to our list — visit baystateparent.com!
Fitchburg: Putnam Street Lanes, 14 Putnam St. Candlepin bowling. 978-343-9664. putnamstreetlanes.com.
Fitchburg: Wallace Civic Center, 1000 John Fitch Highway. Ice skating. 978-665-4938. fmcicesports.com.
Florence: Look Park, 300 North Main St. Mini train, pedal boats, zoo, playgrounds, miniature golf, bumper boats, spray park, tennis, trails. 413-584-5457. lookpark.org.
Gardner: Gardner Ten Pins, 560 West Broadway. Bowling. 978-632-0010. gardnertenpins.com.
Hadley: InterSkate 91 North, 367 Russell St. Roller skating, laser tag. 413-586-2737. interskate91.com.
Hadley: Western Massachusetts Family Golf Center, 294 Russell St. Mini golf, driving range, batting, paintball, pedal cars, ice cream. 413-586-2311. wmassfamilygolf.com.
Lancaster: Lancaster Golf Center, 438 Old Union Turnpike. Driving range, par 3 course, mini golf, batting cages, basketball court. 978-537-8922. lancastergolfcenter.com
Lancaster: Roll On America, 90 Duval Rd. Roller skating, laser tag. 978-537-4010. rollonamerica.com.
Lanesboro: Baker’s Golf Center, 658 South Main St. Driving range, mini golf. 413-443-6102. bakersgolfcenter.com.
Leominster: Mason Recreation Center, 640 North Main St. Candlepin bowling, mini golf, arcade, billiards. 978-537-7064. masonrecreationcenter.com.
Milford: Pinz, 110 South Main St. Bowling, laser tag. 508-473-6611. pinzbowl.com.
Monson: River Hollow Family Golf Center, 15 Hospital Rd. Mini golf, driving range. 413-283-4388. riverhollowfamilygolfcenter.com.
Northborough: Sawyer’s Bowladrome, 13 Blake St. Candlepin bowling. 508-393-8032.
Pittsfield: Bousquet, 101 Dan Fox Dr. Waterslides, pool, zip line, disc golf course, mini golf, bungy trampoline, climbing wall, bounce house, ropes course. 413-442-8316. bousquets.com.
Pittsfield: Candle Lanes, 255 North St. Candlepin bowling.
Though many players hold day jobs, they participate in the league for a variety of reasons – everything from exposure to potential scouts and staying in shape to a simple love of the game.
The team’s home field, located at the College of the Holy Cross, boasts a newly upgraded park and stands thanks to a recent overhaul, and is now dubbed Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field. More to the point, the facilities are beautiful and spacious, with accommodations for all walks of life. Special accessible spaces with companion seating are a nice touch for families wishing to bring along a relative with limited physical abilities or who is wheelchair bound.
But what might be most enticing for Bay State families – with games scheduled all summer long from
Martha’s Vineyard to Springfield and everywhere in between – is the focus organizers are putting on appealing to their youngest fans.
“Well for starters, we have Jake the Lion,” laughed the team’s Gen-eral Manager Dave Peterson. Not all kids love mascots – he acknowledges this. Which is why the team has a few more tricks up its collective sleeve.
A Kid Zone set-up, complete with moon-bounces and a carnival atmo-sphere, will be available as a respite to families who children need a play-break during the game. Kids will also have the opportunity, following each game, to run the bases and meet the players.
Special events throughout the sum-mer may include a birthday party for Jake, where everyone shares in a gi-ant birthday cake between innings,
and an ice cream social. Pie-eating contests, fireworks on Fridays, give-aways and a DJ are just a few of the extras that will make summer games worth the ticket price.
When Worcester’s former home-town team, the Worcester Tornadoes, disbanded, there was not another team to take its place. Creedon & Company, Inc., a Worcester-based ca-tering business that had a food tent set up at the field during the team’s heyday from 2005 to 2012, was not content to let a good thing slip away, and so the Worcester Bravehearts team has come to life under the spon-sorship and backing of the Creedon family.
Because of this, said Peterson, the food at home games is sure to be spectacular.
“It’s a natural fit, with the team’s
owners being a catering company,” he said. “You are likely to see some great food specials – from lobster rolls to specialty burgers – mak-ing appearances in the concession stand.”
Sunday games take place at 2 p.m., added Peterson, and he feels that families will particularly enjoy those games, as they will be geared largely toward entertaining the under-12 set.
With ticket prices ranging from $5 to $9, the outing is still sure to be a great value.
“We want parents to know they will not be wasting their money,” he said. “Even if you don’t make it through the game, there is plenty of stuff to do with the kids that they will re-member for a long time.”
fan fin
BY AMANDA ROBERGE
Is there anything more American than heading to the ballpark on a summer night? Since the inception of baseball, fans have flocked to games to soak it all in: the hot dogs, the cheering, and the crack of the bat
as the ball sails toward the outfield. If you close your eyes, you can probably feel it now. For fans across Massachusetts, the Worcester Brave-hearts may be the home team they will be root-root-rooting for this summer as the brand new team – com-
prised of 30 high-level college athletes – hits the field as part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Gearing up for their first season, which kicks off on June 4th and continues throughout the summer with 56 games taking place nearly every night of the week, the team has drawn talented ball players from colleges and universities from all over Massachusetts and neighbor-ing states, and some from more distant locations.
owners being a catering company,” he said. “You are likely to see some great food specials – from lobster rolls to specialty burgers – mak-ing appearances in the concession stand.”
Sunday games take place at 2 p.m., added Peterson, and he feels that families will particularly enjoy those games, as they will be geared largely toward entertaining the under-12 set.
With ticket prices ranging from $5 to $9, the outing is still sure to be a great value.
“We want parents to know they will not be wasting their money,” he said. “Even if you don’t make it through the game, there is plenty of stuff to do with the kids that they will re-member for a long time.”
MORE FAN FUN!BASEBALL
Boston Red Sox. MLB. Fenway Park, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston. boston.red-sox.mlb.com.
Lowell Spinners. Short Season A. Ed-ward A. LeLacheur Park, 450 Aiken St., Lowell. milb.com.
North Shore Navigators. Futures Col-legiate Baseball League. Fraser Field, 365 Western Ave. Lynn. nsnavs.com.
Pawtucket Red Sox. AAA Minor League Baseball. McCoy Stadium, 1 Columbus Ave., Pawtucket. 401-724-7300. pawsox.com.
Pittsfield Suns. Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Wahconah Park, 143 Wahconah St., Pittsfield. 413-445-7867. pittsfieldsuns.pointstreaksites.com.
Valley Blue Sox. New England Col-legiate Baseball League. Mackenzie Stadium, 500 Beech St., Holyoke. 413-533-1100. valleybluesox.com.
Wachusett Dirt Dawgs, Futures Col-legiate Baseball League. Doyle Field,
160 Priest St., Leominster. dirtdawgs-ball.com.
Worcester Bravehearts. Futures Col-legiate Baseball League. Fitton Field, College St., Worcester. worcester-bravehearts.com.
SOCCER
New England Revolution. MLS. 1 Pa-triot Place, Foxborough. revolution-soccer.net.
TOURS AND MORE
Fenway Park Tours. 4 Yawkey Way, Boston. Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours are available year-round and depart at the top of the hour. boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp.
The Hall at Patriot Place. 2 Patriot Place, Foxborough. Interactive mu-seum honoring the great Patriots in history. 508-698-4800. patriot-place.com/thehallatpatriotplace.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 1000 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield. Family-friendly, interac-tive museum for basketball fans of all ages. 1-877-4HOOPLA. hoophall.com.
The Sports Museum. 100 Legends Way, Boston. Located on Levels 5 and 6 of the TD Garden. 617-624-1234. sportsmuseum.org.
SUMMER CAMPCAMPCAMP
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28 Stony Hill Rd. Wilbraham MA
Allen Street at Porter RoadEast Longmeadow, MA
413-525-4444
• DRIVING RANGE• PITCH & PUTT• WATER THEME MINIATURE GOLF• BATTING CAGES• PINE KNOLL PAR 3
Dartmouth • Apponagansett Beach, 77 Gulf Road. Lifeguards (9-5), picnic area, playground, volleyball/basketball courts. $10 daily parking.• Jones Park, 66 St. John St.
Lifeguards, picnic area. $10 daily parking. Dennis • Chapin Memorial Beach, Chapin Beach Road. Restrooms. Four-wheel vehicles allowed. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Corporation Beach, Corporation Road. Boardwalk, lifeguards, restrooms, food, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Depot Street Beach, Depot Street.
$20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Glendon Road Beach, Old Wharf Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Haigis Beach, Old Wharf Road. Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Howes Beach, Howes Street Road. Lifeguards. Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly,
$150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Inman Road Beach, Inman Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Mayflower Beach, Dunes Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Raycroft Beach, Raycroft Parkway. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.
Hit the Beach!With over 1,500 miles of shoreline, Massachusetts boasts some of the country’s most scenic and family-friendly
beaches. Plan to spend a day, a week or the entire summer. With sun, sand, surf and seashells, there is plenty to enjoy for all ages.
$20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Glendon Road Beach, Old Wharf Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Haigis Beach, Old Wharf Road. Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Howes Beach, Howes Street Road. Lifeguards. Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly,
$150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Inman Road Beach, Inman Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Mayflower Beach, Dunes Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• Raycroft Beach, Raycroft Parkway. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.
• Sea Street Beach, Sea Street. Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• South Village Beach, South Village Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.• West Dennis Beach, West Dennis Beach Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, swimming lessons, playground, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends), $75 weekly, $150 four weeks, $300 seasonal.
• Thumpertown Beach, Thumpertown Road off Route 6. Restrooms, limited handicap accessibility. $15 daily parking (weekdays), $18 daily parking (weekends and holidays), $65 weekly parking, $100 for two weeks, $185 seasonal sticker.
Falmouth • Menauhant Beach, Menauhant Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $10 daily parking, $60 weekly parking, $70 for two weeks, $80 for three weeks, $90 for four weeks, $200 seasonal sticker.• Old Silver Beach, Quaker Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, picnic area, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. Private on one side. $20 daily parking, $60 weekly parking, $70 for two weeks, $80 for three weeks, $90 for four weeks, $200 seasonal sticker.• Surf Drive Beach, Surf Drive Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, showers, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $60 weekly parking, $70 for two weeks, $80 for three weeks, $90 for four weeks, $200 seasonal sticker.
Gloucester • Good Harbor Beach, Route 127A. Lifeguards (9-5), food, showers, restrooms, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 weekend/holiday parking.• Half Moon Beach at Stage Fort Park, Western Avenue off Route 133. Lifeguards (9-5), restrooms, picnic area, handicap accessible. $10 daily parking (weekdays), $15 weekend/holiday parking.• Wingaersheek Beach, 232 Atlantic St., Lifeguards (9-5), food, restrooms, showers, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 weekend/holiday parking.
Harwich• Atlantic Avenue Beach, Atlantic Avenue, Bike ramp. $15 daily parking, $140 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.• Bank Street Beach, Bank Street. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $140 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.• Earle Road Beach, Earle Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $140 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.• Red River Beach, Uncle Venie’s Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms, canoe/kayak launch, bike ramp. $15 daily parking, $140 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.
Manchester-by-the-Sea• Singing Beach, 119 Beach St. Food, bathhouse, restrooms, 120 parking spaces available.
Martha’s Vineyard • East Beach, Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge, Edgartown. Hiking trails, $3 daily parking.• Eastville Beach, 59 Beach Road. Oak Bluffs. Fishing, handicap accessible, free parking.• Fuller Street Beach, 90 Fuller St., Edgartown. Handicap accessible, very limited free parking.• Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach, 180 Beach Road between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Lifeguards at Edgartown end of beach. Accessible by bike path.• Katama Beach (South Beach State Park), Atlantic Drive, Edgartown. Surf fishing allowed, lifeguards (9-5), restrooms, food, handicap accessible. • Lake Tashmoo Beach, Herring Creek Road, Vineyard Haven. Picnic area, lifeguards, parking.• Lighthouse Beach, North Water Street, Edgartown. Limited parking.• Lobsterville Beach, Lobsterville Road, Aquinnah. Fishing, limited free parking, but none on Lobsterville Road.• Long Point Wildlife Refuge Beach, Hughe’s Thumb Road, West Tisbury. Wooded trails, restrooms, visitor center. $10 admission per car plus $3 per adults, $3 pedestrian/bicyclist, free for children 15 and under.• Menemsha Beach, Basin Road, Chilmark. Lifeguards, restrooms, food, parking. • Moshup Beach (Aquinnah Beach), • Gay Head, Aquinnah. Restrooms, picnic area, boardwalk, food. $15 daily parking (10-minute walk from parking area). • Oak Bluffs Town Beach, Seaview Avenue, Oak Bluffs. Restrooms, parking.• Owen Park Beach, 19 Owen Park Way, Vineyard Haven. Lifeguards, restrooms, food, bandstand, parking.• Tisbury Town Beach, Owen Little Way, Vineyard Haven. Side street parking only.
Mashpee • South Cape Beach State Park, Great Oak Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, hiking trails. $7 daily parking, $50 weekly.
Nahant • Canoe Beach, 430 Nahant Road. Nearby park.• Long Beach, Nahant Road. Restrooms, showers, ball field, bandstand, lifeguards. $3 daily parking. Nantucket • Children’s Beach, South Beach Street. Parks, playground, food, picnic area, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, parking, free Friday night movies, Sunday night concerts.• Cisco Beach, Hummock Pond Road. Lifeguards, parking, biking. • Dionis Beach, Eel Point Road. Restrooms, showers, lifeguards, parking.• Francis Street Beach, Francis Street. Restrooms, turtle climb/kayak rentals. No parking.• Jetties Beach, 4 Bathing Beach Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, food, playground, boardwalk, handicapped accessible, showers, parking.• Madaket Beach, Madaket Road. Restrooms, food, bike path, lifeguards, parking.• Miacomet Beach, Miacomet Road. Lifeguards, parking.• Siasconset Beach, Codfish Park Road. Restrooms, food, lifeguards, bike path, parking.• Surfside Beach, Surfside Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, bike path, equipment rentals, food, picnic areas, handicapped accessible, showers, parking. Orleans • Nauset Beach, Beach Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. Off road vehicles with special permits. $15 daily parking, $60 weekly parking, $110 two-week parking.• Skaket Beach, West Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $60 weekly parking, $110 two-week parking.• South Orleans Beach, Route 28. $60 weekly parking.
Plymouth• Ellisville Harbor State Park Beach, Route 3A. Fishing, parking available.• Plymouth Beach, 137 Warren Ave. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $10 daily parking (weekdays), $15 weekends.
Provincetown • Herring Cove Beach, Race Point Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking ($5 for motorcycles,
$3 for bikes), $45 seasonal sticker.Race Point Beach, Race Point Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, bicycle trails, surfing allowed in certain areas. $15 daily parking ($5 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $45 seasonal sticker.
Quincy• Nickerson Beach, 120 Dorchester St. Campground, ball fields, picnic areas, “Fun Zone” with courts and skateboard park, limited parking available. $30 daily passes, $8 for leisure pass-holders.
Revere• Revere Beach, Revere Beach Blvd. Lifeguards, fishing, boating, boardwalk, casino, fireworks, bathhouses, concerts, shopping, food, parking available. Rockport • Back Beach, Beach Street. Boardwalk, restrooms. Limited meter parking.• Cape Hedge Beach, South Street. Limited parking available.• Front Beach, Beach Street. Lifeguards, boardwalk, food. Limited meter parking. Shuttle trolley for visitors from downtown. • Long Beach, Long Beach Road. Lifeguards, restrooms. Limited parking available. Shuttle trolley for visitors from downtown. • Old Garden Beach, Old Garden Road. Limited parking available.Pebble Beach, Penzance Road. Limited parking available. Salisbury • Salisbury Beach State Reservation, 212 Beach Road. Swimming, boating, fishing, camping, bathhouses, picnic area, restrooms, day-use parking lot. Parking fees vary. Sandwich • East Sandwich Beach, North Shore Boulevard. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $60 weekly, $105 seasonal sticker.• Horizons Beach, Town Neck Road. Food. $15 daily parking, $105 seasonal sticker.• Scusset Beach State Reservation, Scusset Beach Road. Lifeguards, showers, food, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, camping, handicap accessible. $7 daily parking, free for residents ages 62 and older with ID, $35 seasonal parking for MA residents ($45 for out-of-state).• Town Neck Beach, Town Neck Road. Restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $105 seasonal sticker.
South Boston• Carson Beach, William J. Day Blvd. Picnic area, fishing, food, restrooms.
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SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:Baystate ParentBaystate Parent West
Great Wolf Lodge ®New England is here!
Or should we say, heah?
greatwolf.com/newengland
America’s premier indoor waterpark resort has finally come to Central Massachusetts. Families can whip down waterslides, play MagiQuest®, our interactive adventure game,
and get manicures at Scooops® Kid Spa. Waterpark passes, as well as use of our Howlers’ Peak Ropes Course, are included free with your stay. It’s fun on top of fun on top of fun.
4. Attach ribbon or webbing to both upper sides of the tote to make shoulder straps. Then get ready for a hands-free trek to the beach!
From Towel to Tote: Sew Easy!
This clever carryall unfolds into a usable beach towel, making this a perfect all-in-one for a day at the pool. Putting it together takes just minutes, too!
You will need: • bath towel • hand towel
• webbing or ribbon for the straps • sewing machine
Photography: Shawna Shenette Photography in Millbury, shawnashenettephotography.com.
Sewing: Sew Fun Fashion Studio in Leominster, sewfunfashionstudio.com.
Models: Stephen Wiltshire, age 5 and Juliana Dahlgren, age 5
1. Lay a bath towel out on a large, flat surface.Place the hand towel lengthwise along the short edge of bath towel so that the edges align. Pin in place.
2. Sew the hand towel to the bath towel along three sides, leaving open the short edge of the bath towel. You now have a “pocket” at the end of the bath towel. Remove pins.
3. Turn the pocket inside-out to create the “tote.” Using the opposite end of the bath towel (the side without the hand towel), roll the towel up and tuck it into the newly made tote.
There are many ways to keep cool this summer — and, for most kids, they better involve some splish-splashin! Here are a few of our favorite wonderful water-full destinations, in-cluding waterparks, splash and spray parks, and public swimming pools. To see a more extensive list of Massachusetts Summer 2014 Splash, Spray & Water Park Play listings — and to add to our list — visit baystateparent.com!
Agawam: Gerald J. Mason Memorial Swimming Pool, Armory St. 413-786-6254.
Agawam: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, 1623 Main St. Water park. 413-786-9300. www.six flags.com.
Chicopee: Sara Jane Sherman Memorial Swimming Pool, 750 Meadow St. 413-594-5376.
Clinton: Phillip Weihn Memorial Swimming Pool, 100 West Boylston St.978-365-4684.
Douglas: Breezy Picnic Grounds, 520 Northwest Main St. Waterslides. 508-476-2664. breezysummer.com.
Fitchburg: Great Wolf, 150 Great Wolf Dr. Water park. 866-678-9653. www.greatwolf.com/newengland/waterpark.
Fitchburg: Gustave Johnson Memorial Swimming Pool, 35 Wanoosnock Ave. 978-342-6510.
Fitchburg: Parkhill Park Splash Park, 235 Pratt Rd. Splash park, skateboard park, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields. 978-345-9572. www.fitchburgma.gov/government/departments/parks/parkhill.default.cfm.
Florence: Look Park Water Park, 300 North Main St. Spray park, 413-584-5457. lookpark.org.
Leominster: Leominster State Swimming Pool, 111 Viscoloid Ave. 978-534-7529.
Ludlow: John F. Thompson Memorial Swimming Pool, 211 Highland Ave. 413-583-4448.
Milford: Sen. P. Eugene Casey Memorial Swimming Pool, 49 Prospect St. 508-473-5998.
Northborough: Assabet Park, South Street. Splash pad, playground, basketball courts. northboroughrecreation.com.
Pittsfield: Bousquet, 101 Dan Fox Dr. Water slides, pool. 413-442-8316. bousquets.com.
South Hadley: Beachgrounds Park, 116 Main St. Spash pad, spray park, play area. southhadley.org.
Southbridge: Andrew J. Petro Swimming Pool, 15 Randolph. 508-764-7352.
Springfield: John H. Thomas Memorial Swimming Pool, 2460 Roosevelt Ave. 413-736-7699.
Sterling: Davis Farmland & Water Spray Park, 145 Redstone Hill Rd. Spray park, farm, activities. 978-422-6666. davisfarmland.com.
Worcester: Bennett Field Swimming Pool, 1260 Main St. 508-792-5515.
Worcester: Dennis F. Shine Memorial Swimming Pool, 87 Providence Highway. 508-792-0727.
Worcester: Greenwood Spray Park, 11 Forsberg St. Spray park, baseball field, playground. www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks/greenwood-park.
Freshwater Inland Beaches
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation manages over 50 inland beaches within the Commonwealth’s State Park system and most are open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Here are Western Mass locations.
Agawam: Robinston State Park, 428 North St. 413-786-2877.
Baldwinville: Otter River State Forest, 86 Winchendon Rd. 978-939-8962.
Brimfield: Dean Pond, Brimfield State Forest, 86 Dearth Hill Rd. 413-267-9687.
Charlemont: Mohawk Trail State Forest (unguarded), Cold River Rd. 413-339-5504.
Chicopee Falls: Chicopee Memorial State Park, 570 Brunett Rd. 413-594-9416.
Douglas: Douglas State Forest, 107 Wallum Lake Rd. 508-476-7872.
Gardner: Dunn Pond State Park, 289 Pearl St. 978-632-7897.
Goshen: D.A.R. State Forest, 78 Cape St. 413-268-7098.
Monterey: Beartown State Forest, 69 Blue Hill Rd. 413-528-0904.
New Marlborough: York Lake, Sandisfeld State Forest, Rt. 183 and East Hill Rd. 413-229-8212.
Otis: Tolland State Forest, 410 Tolland Rd. 413-269-6002.
Rutland: Rutland State Park, Rt. 122A. 508-886-6333.
Savoy: Savoy Mountain State Forest (unguarded), 260 Central Shaft Rd. 413-663-8469.
Shutesbury: Lake Wyola State Park, 94 Lakeview Rd. 413-367-0317.
Sturbridge: Street Point Recreation Area (unguarded), 6 Streeter Point Ave. 508-347-9316.
Warwick: Laurel Lake Recreation Area, Erving State Forest, 122 Long Pond Rd. 978-544-3939.
Wendell: Wendell State Forest (unguarded), 392 Montague Rd. 413-659-3797.
Westfield: Hampton Ponds State Park, 1048 North Rd. 413-532-3985.
Westminster: Leominster State Forest, 1 Fitchburg Rd.Route 31. 978-874-2303.
Winchendon: Lake Dennison Recreation Area, 1366 Main St. 978-297-1609.
Windsor: Windsor State Forest, 1838 River Rd. 413-339-5504.
Worcester: Quinsigamond State Park, 10 North Lake Ave. 508-755-6880.
Models: Stephen Wiltshire, age 5 and Juliana Dahlgren, age 5
T he world-renowned Tanglewood Music Festi-val is heading into its 76th year this summer and, as always, contains a multitude of musical performances designed to captivate the mind
and stir the soul. Combine that experience with a warm summer night sitting under the stars and you may just have magic. Although there are many folks who think of the events at Tanglewood as an adults-only environment, that is not the case. Tanglewood has planned family-friendly
events and kid-specific activities throughout the sum-mer so the whole family can enjoy the experience. With a few exceptions, the music festival offers free lawn tickets to kids under 18. It can be a wonderful in-troduction to the world of music for children — and a memorable family time. For some, the Tanglewood Music Festival has become a favorite family tradition passed from generation to generation. Here are some of the 2014 Tanglewood Music Festival events geared towards families.
Tanglewood for Families? That’s Music to Our Ears!
Fireworks at Tanglewood
This season’s Tanglewood Music Fes-tival will be providing its fantastic fireworks displays on two separate dates.
• James Taylor, July 4th — To help kick off the season, you can catch New England’s own James Taylor and band on Independence Day, fol-lowed by the first set of Tanglewood fireworks after his performance. Tickets are required for this popular event.
• Tanglewood on Parade, August 5th — Fireworks will conclude the exciting “Tanglewood on Parade.” Conductors Stephane Deneve, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, and Leonard Slatkin will all appear at this event. Families can get a taste of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the
Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra all in one day. The evening is capped off with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and awe-inspiring fire-works. There are also special activi-ties for kids such as an Instrumental Playground and more. Tickets required.
Family Friendly Tanglewood
Events• Tanglewood Family Fun Fest, June 27th — Taking place from 1 to 6 p.m., this free event offers families a chance to explore and experience what Tanglewood is all about. Par-ents and kids can roam the beautiful campus on an educational scavenger hunt, check out the Instrumental Playground, watch live performanc-es, and participate in other family-
style activities. Advance registration is recommended. Go to tanglewood.org/family/funfest to register.
• Tanglewood Family Concert, August 23rd — This concert takes place at 2:30 p.m. and features the Boston Cello Quartet at Ozawa Hall. The Family Concert is designed especially for kids ages 3 to 8. There will be pre-concert activities such as the Instrumental Playground begin-ning at 12:30. Adults are $10, and kids under 18 are free.
Tanglewood’s Kid-Style Activities
• Instrumental PlaygroundThis popular hands-on activity is designed for kids to experience violins, cellos, flutes, clarinets, trum-pets, trombones, and percussion instruments. Catch the Instrumental Playground at the Family Fun Fest on
June 27 from 1 to 6 p.m., Tanglewood on Parade on August 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., and the Tanglewood Family Concert event on August 23 from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
• Kid’s CornerKids are welcome to join in on musi-cal and craft activities on Saturdays and Sundays at varying times, super-vised by BSO staff members at the Tanglewood Visitor Center. Tickets to the Saturday morning rehearsal or Sunday concert are required. Go to tanglewood.org for details.
• Watch and PlayThese events will be held at 1 p.m. on July 6, July 13, August 3 and August 10 in the Chamber Music Hall. This interactive music perfor-mance is designed for kids ages 3 to 10. Note: Sunday afternoon concert tickets at required to attend. Call 617-638-9394 or go to Tanglewood.org for details.
BY LAURIE FLANNERY
fireworks
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Tanglewood Tips for Families
The beautiful Tanglewood lawns seem like they are just begging fami-lies to bring a picnic lunch, spread out a blanket, and enjoy the beauty of the day. Here are a few tips to help make your family visit a low stress, successful one.
• If you would rather not pack the pic-nic lunch for your Tanglewood expe-rience, you can purchase one in ad-vance through Tanglewood’s Meals to Go option. Choose your meal as an “add-on” and pick up your gourmet picnic lunch when you arrive.
• During Shed concerts, kids are al-lowed to play ball but only behind the Vistors Center and in the Apple Tree lot of Ozaka Hall, on the condi-tion is does not disturb performanc-es or patrons sitting on the lawn.
• If you are planning to bring a blan-ket and enjoy some time on the lawn, it may be handy to bring a plastic tarp to place underneath. Sometimes the lawn can be wet and may dampen the fun as well.
• If you are bringing young children, consider bringing along a simple card or board game (one without too many pieces) to pass the time be-fore the concert starts, as it can be a long wait. Glow sticks can be a fun surprise as well. They can even use them as batons during the concert to practice their conducting.
• Pack some bug spray.
Wondering whether to purchase lawn tickets or seats in the Shed for your family? Consider what might work best for your situation. If your children are younger and/or may not be interested in sitting in a seat for a couple hours, the lawn is a better place for your musical experience. They can roam around, stretch their legs, even dance under the stars while you relax on your blanket. If your family is ready for a more in-tense, direct musical experience, you may get more of what you are craving inside the Shed.
Important Information on
Tanglewood Music Festival Tickets
• Tanglewood offers free lawn tickets for children 17 and under. Up to four children’s tickets are available per parent/legal guardian per concert.
• For Popular Artist concerts (includ-ing Josh Groban on August 30), free
The beautiful Tanglewood lawns seem like they are just begging fami-lies to bring a picnic lunch, spread out a blanket, and enjoy the beauty of the day. Here are a few tips to help make your family visit a low stress, successful one.
• If you would rather not pack the pic-nic lunch for your Tanglewood expe-rience, you can purchase one in ad-vance through Tanglewood’s Meals to Go option. Choose your meal as an “add-on” and pick up your gourmet picnic lunch when you arrive.
• During Shed concerts, kids are al-lowed to play ball but only behind the Vistors Center and in the Apple Tree lot of Ozaka Hall, on the condi-tion is does not disturb performanc-es or patrons sitting on the lawn.
• If you are planning to bring a blan-ket and enjoy some time on the lawn, it may be handy to bring a plastic tarp to place underneath. Sometimes the lawn can be wet and may dampen the fun as well.
• If you are bringing young children, consider bringing along a simple card or board game (one without too many pieces) to pass the time be-fore the concert starts, as it can be a long wait. Glow sticks can be a fun surprise as well. They can even use them as batons during the concert to practice their conducting.
• Pack some bug spray.
Wondering whether to purchase lawn tickets or seats in the Shed for your family? Consider what might work best for your situation. If your children are younger and/or may not be interested in sitting in a seat for a couple hours, the lawn is a better place for your musical experience. They can roam around, stretch their legs, even dance under the stars while you relax on your blanket. If your family is ready for a more in-tense, direct musical experience, you may get more of what you are craving inside the Shed.
Important Information on
Tanglewood Music Festival Tickets
• Tanglewood offers free lawn tickets for children 17 and under. Up to four children’s tickets are available per parent/legal guardian per concert.
• For Popular Artist concerts (includ-ing Josh Groban on August 30), free
lawn tickets are only available for children under 2.
• Children under five are not permit-ted in the Koussevitzky Music Shed or Seiji Ozawa Hall during concerts.
• All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket to concerts in the Koussevitzky Music Shed or Seiji Ozawa Hall.
Tanglewood is not just for adults. There is much to explore in a kid-friendly environment at the Tangle-wood Music Festival. You may ar-rive with curious children and come home with budding musicians – and happy family memories.
FireworksBecause schedules can and do change, and because weather may postpone events, we strongly en-courage you to call or visit the web-sites before heading to out to see fireworks. These are just some of the many places to enjoy area fireworks. To see a more extensive list of Mas-sachusetts fireworks shows —and to add to our list — visit baystatepar-ent.com!
This year’s music acts number in the dozens and include Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band among the many. The fes-tival begins at noon each day, running to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday. “We often hear from people who’ve been attending since they were chil-dren and are now bringing their kids,” Olsen said. “It’s very family friendly. Kids 10 and under are free, and we
have a $20 student ticket for teens. There are plenty of activities for kids as well.” One of the highlights for the younger set is The Art Garden, a free activity tent set up in the lower field. From noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, kids can stop by the tent to make flying crea-tures, masks and music makers for a Mardi Gras parade. The following day, there will be mixed media proj-ects using paint, fabric and upcycled materials.
A highlight for kids of all ages is the hot air ballooning. The balloons launch between 6 and 7 p.m. both days, weather permitting. There is also a 6 a.m. launch on Sunday. There is no charge to watch the early morning balloon launch, a Facebook favorite for many families. The rides take place at Greenfield Community College. Olsen expects about ten to twelve balloons. On Saturday night around 9 p.m., there will be a Balloon Glow, at which
the hot air balloons are illuminated. Children can also enjoy “perfor-mances by kids’ entertainers and the New England Circus Arts School, and a Frisbee dogs show,” Olsen added. “Families should plan for a long day in the sun and bring sunscreen and water bottles. There is a wide range of food and drink available,” he said.
For more information, visit greenriverfestival.com.
The Annual Green River Festival Attracts Thousands
fairs & festivals
BY MARYJO KURTZ
For the past 28 years, live music and hot air bal-loons have attracted thousands to the scenic Western Mass city of Greenfield. Organizers of the annual Green River Festival are expecting
about 5,000 people a day for this year’s event, taking place July 12 and 13. “We have 28 musical acts playing from all over the US,” Festival Director Jim Olsen told baystateparent. “We feature a broad range of music styles including folk, world, indie rock, country and more. We think of the fes-
tival as a musical smorgasbord.” The festival started out as two separate events in 1986 at Greenfield Community College. The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce introduced the Upcountry Bal-loon Fair. That was followed a week later by a WRSI ra-dio promotion concert featuring 10,000 Maniacs. In just a few years, the two events merged into a weekend sum-mer attraction. In 2001, the annual event was coined The Green River Festival.
These are just some of the fairs and festivals taking
place in central and western Massachusetts this summer. For a more extensive list of
Massachusetts Fairs & Festivals and to add your event to the our
list, visit baystateparent.com!
Rubber Stamp and Paper Arts Festival. Better Living Center, The Big E, West Springfield. Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, June 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arts, crafts, demonstrations, workshops. Admission is $8 on Saturday, $6 on Sunday. Free for children under 1. heirloompro.com..
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Various performances take place at Ted Shawn Theatre and Doris Duke Theatre, Becket. Sunday, June 8 through Saturday, August 23. Performances, photography and art exhibits, lectures, tours, food. jacobspillow.org.
Taste of West Springfield. Town Common, West Springfield. Thursday, June 12 through Sunday, June 15. Food, rides, entertainment, games. www.westsidetaste.com.
Taste of Amherst. Town Common, Amherst. Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 22. Food sampling, live entertainment. games. www.facebook.com/TasteOfAmherst.
Paulie’s New Orleans Jazz & Blues Festival. Historic Canal District, 152 Green St., Worcester. Friday through Sunday, June 20 through 22. Food, drink and live music. Tickets range from $20 to $70. baevents.compauliesnolabluesandjazzfestival/
Worcester Food Truck Festival. Elm Park, Worcester. Saturday, June 21. Gourmet food trucks. Admission is $5 cash at the gate. foodtruckfestivalsofne.com.
The Canal Street Family Fair. Downtown North Adams. Sunday, June 29. Outdoor family-style street fair featuring music, games, raffles, a Chinese auction, food. festivalnet.com.
JULY
Berkshires Summer Art Festival. Butternut Ski Resort, 380 State Rd., Great Barrington. Friday through Sunday, July 4 to 6. In its thirteenth year, the festival attracts thousands for its theater, dance, music and art. Admission $13
for adults, $11 for seniors, $5 for students, free for children under 10. bershiresartfestival.com.
Amherst Crafts on the Common Fair. Town Common, Amherst. Saturday, July 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crafts, art, music, food. chd.org.
Green River Festival. Greenfield Community College, Greenfield. Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13. A tradition since 1986, this festival combines hot air ballooning with world class musical performers, arts and crafts, food, children’s activities. Tickets range from $35 to $75. greenriverfestival.com.
Yankee Doodle Days. Charlemont Fairgrounds, Charlemont. Friday through Sunday, July 25 to 27. Children’s activities, fireworks, vendors, exhibits, demonstrations, competitions, food, entertainment. Tickets $6 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under, free for children under 4. yankeedoodledays.com.
27th Annual Church on the Hill Fine Arts and Handmade Crafts Fair. Lilac Park, Main St., Lenox. Saturday, July 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, July 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arts and crafts, live auction, wine tasting, raffles. churchonthehilllenox.org.
AUGUST
Berkshire Crafts Fair 2014. Monument Mountain Regional High School, 600 Stockbride Rd., Great Barrington. Friday through Sunday, August 8 to 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event showcases nearly 90 artists. Admission $7, children aged 12 and under are free. berkshirecraftsfair.org
Country MusicFest. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, 499 Mountain Rd., Princeton. Saturday, August 16. Music, food, drinks. wachusett.com.
Silver Kingdom Renaissance Faire. 120 Northside Rd., Charlton. Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artisans, face painting, storytellers, live performances. Admission $15 for adults, $10 for children 5 to 12, free for children 4 and younger. silverkingdomfestival.com.
Templeton Arts & Crafts Festival. Town Common, 1 South Rd., Templeton. Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17. Arts and crafts, vendors. Free. templetonartsandcraftsfestival.com.
Three County Fair. 41 Fair St., Northampton. Friday through Monday, August 29 to September 1, gates open each day at 11 a.m.
the hot air balloons are illuminated. Children can also enjoy “perfor-mances by kids’ entertainers and the New England Circus Arts School, and a Frisbee dogs show,” Olsen added. “Families should plan for a long day in the sun and bring sunscreen and water bottles. There is a wide range of food and drink available,” he said.
For more information, visit greenriverfestival.com.
Agricultural fair also features rides. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and vets, free for children 11 and other. threecountyfair.com.
118th Fall Old Home Day Weekend Celebration. Town Common, Charlton. Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1. Entertainment, Saturday fireworks, craft fair, art show, flower show, car show, contests, food, soap box derby, road race, parade. Free. townofcharlton.net.
“Be a good sport”
Little Sports Fitness 40 Turkey Hill Road, Belchertown, MA 413-213-1004 • www.littlesportsbelchertown.com
Indoor playground and gym
Birthday PartiesField Trips
NEW - 30 foot inflatable Slip and Slide for Summer Open Play and Birthday Parties!
Ask about private functions - personal and corporate.Hours - check website for details.
Call for details on our new Kid’s Development Program starting at the end of June.
“Details vary from library to library, but all the programs are free,” she said. As with most town library pro-grams, the summer program in East Longmeadow is for ages 2 to 14 and the only requirement is that the child registers. Starting on June 16, kids can sign up on the library website (elplkids.org) or in person. A summer reading kick-off party will take place on Monday June 23 at 2 p.m. The East Longmeadow program is open to residents of any town. Kids can enjoy a whole schedule of events including performances, story times and raffle drawings. Kinder said there will be 20 raffle prize baskets avail-able with toys and games of different themes, each to encourage reading. Children earn a raffle ticket for every hour they read or are read to.
“Prizes provide an incentive to read,” said Kinder. She said rewards are handed out for reaching certain reading goals as well. One is an invitation to the Grand Finale Party of the summer reading program for anyone who achieves 10 hours of reading. Eager readers log-ging in over 20 hours can earn cou-pons for miniature golf or bowling plus a free paperback book. Other family-friendly parts to the program include live entertainment and games like scavenger hunts and guessing jars. “Coming to the library is fun wheth-er there is a performance happening or not,” Kinder said. East Longmeadow isn’t the only li-brary to have free, fun activities dur-ing the summer. In addition to its summer reading program, the newly
renovated Athol Public Library has a popular LEGO Club that meets once a week for younger kids and a chess club suitable for kids in grades 4 through 10. At the East Springfield Li-braries, Family Craft Nights are done weekly as well as Bi-lingual Club and a music and movement story time. Most libraries have a children’s story hour with a themed craft activ-ity to do afterwards. There are desig-nated children’s areas with free play activities and a reading corner. Edu-cational website links and age appro-priate book lists can also be found on library websites, along with a list of library events and programs. One good resource to keep you in-formed is the Massachusetts Sum-mer Reading Facebook Page. Here, several libraries post information on current programs and events. Anoth-
er is publiclibraries.com/massachu-setts.htm where you can find library websites and contact information listed by town. “We have been very successful with our summer reading program,” Kinder said, “Yet, we would always like to reach more children with the summer literacy effort.” So, don’t freak out when the end of the school year rolls around. Instead, relax and know the public libraries have your back. Then look up the closest one to your home and see what they have going on for June, July and August. You are sure to find plenty of activities to keep the kids busy — and you may even steal a little bit of time to read a good book yourself.
explore & learn
BY TRACEY PROHASKA CARROLL
It’s almost that time of year. You know the one. It’s when you wake up one morning, realize it’s the end of the school year and think to yourself, How in the world am I going to keep my kids occupied this sum-
mer? Well, the good news is you don’t have to panic or break the bank. Your local library has plenty of activities to keep the kids busy no matter their age — and the ac-tivities are affordable. Jennifer Kinder is Children’s Librarian at the East Long-meadow Public Library and she said participation in the
library’s summer reading program last year had a record of 1,320 children. Kinder said each town library in West-ern Massachusetts has a summer reading program that uses a theme and resources given out by the state. This year’s theme is Fizz, Boom, Read, a science-based program. Each week of the program will focus on a dif-ferent type of science. Starting with horticulture, moving on to energy and forces of nature, biology and forensics, chemistry, astronomy and then simple machines.
er is publiclibraries.com/massachu-setts.htm where you can find library websites and contact information listed by town. “We have been very successful with our summer reading program,” Kinder said, “Yet, we would always like to reach more children with the summer literacy effort.” So, don’t freak out when the end of the school year rolls around. Instead, relax and know the public libraries have your back. Then look up the closest one to your home and see what they have going on for June, July and August. You are sure to find plenty of activities to keep the kids busy — and you may even steal a little bit of time to read a good book yourself.
EXPLORE & LEARN These are just some of the many
places Explore & Learn. To see a more extensive
list of Massachusetts Explore & Learn destinations and to add to the our list, visit
baystateparent.com!
MUSEUMS
Amelia Park Children’s Museum. 29 South Broad St., Westfield. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admis-sion $7, free for children ages 1 and under. 413-572-4014. ameliaparkmuseum.org.
Beneski Museum of Natural History. 11 Barrett Hill Rd., Amherst College, Amherst. Closed Mondays. Geological and evolutionary history exhibits. amherst.edu/museums/naturalhistory.
Berkshire Museum. 39 South St., Pittsfield. Art, history and natural science exhibits. Adults $13, chil-dren under 18 $6, children under 3 are free. berkshiremuseum.org.
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. 10 Willow Creek Rd., Lenox. Open Saturdays, May 24 through August 30. Restored 1903 train station, collection of vintage railroad equip-ment. berkshirescenicrailroad.org.
Children’s Museum at Holyoke. 444 Dwight St., Holyoke. Closed Mon-days. Museum features participatory exhibits that invite interaction and programs to promote learning. Ad-mission $7, free for children under 1. childrensmuseumholyoke.org.
EcoTarium. 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. Closed Mondays. Science and nature museum. Adults $14, children 2 to 18 $8, free for children under 2. ecotarium.org.
Fruitlands Museum. 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. Closed Tuesdays. Collection of small historic buildings that were once a community called Fruitlands. Adults $12, children 5 to 13 $5, free for children under 5. 978-3924. fruitlands.org.
Great Falls Discovery Center. 2 Av-enue A, Turners Falls. Exhibits show the natural, cultural, and industrial history of the Connecticut River watershed and include four acres of native plants, butterfly gardens and open lawns. Free. greatfallsdiscov-erycenter.org.
Hadley Farm Museum. Junction of Routes 9 and 47, Hadley. May 19 through October 14. Collection of vehicles and equipment used on New England farms from late 1700s to early 20th century. Adults $5,
students $3, children under 12 $1. hadleyfarmmuseum.org.
Hancock Shaker Village. 1843 West Housatonic St., Pittsfield. The larg-est documented and representative collection of Shaker artifacts avail-able to the public. 413-443-0188. hancockshakervillage.org.
Historic Deerfield. 84B Old Main St., Deerfield. Authentic 18th cen-tury New England village includes structures, furnishings, demonstra-tions, crafts, ceramics, textiles and metalwork. Adults $14, children 6 to 17 are $5, free for children under 6.413-775-7214. historic-deerfield.org.
Holyoke Children’s Museum. 444 Dwight St., Holyoke. An interactive children’s museum that encourages learning and self-discovery. Admission $7, free for children under 1. childrensmuseumholyoke.org.
Museum of Springfield History. 21 Edwards St., Springfield. Museum covers the history of Springfield from the Civil War to the present. Adults $15, $8 for children 3 to 17, free for children 2 and under. 800-625-7738. springfieldmuseums.org.
North Adams Museum of History and Science. Western Gateway, #5A,
North Adams. The museum includes 25 permanent exhibits on three floors. 413-664-4700. northadamshistory.org.
Old Greenfield Village. Exit 26 of I91, take Route 2 for about .5 miles, Greenfield. Open May 15 through October 15. Replica of a New England town as it appeared in 1895. $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 16, free for children under 6. 413-774-7138.
Old Sturbridge Village. 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. An 1830s New England living history museum. $24 adults, $8 for children
WORCESTER ART MUSEUM worcesterart.org fln
Significant funding for the Higgins Armory Collection Integration has been provided by The George I. AldenTrust, Fred Harris Daniels Foundation, Inc., The Fletcher Foundation, The George F. and Sybil H. FullerFoundation, The Stoddard Charitable Trust, and The Manton Foundation. Additional support has been providedby the Hoche-Schofield Foundation, the Rockwell Foundation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Exhibition sponsors:
Media sponsors:
This new look at the Higgins Armory Museum Collectioncelebrates the history, artistry and stories behind theseexceptional works of art. See some of the finest arms andarmor from around the world alongside works from theWorcester Art Museum. Discover the fascinating role theseobjects played in history, storytelling and art. And, take partin special events and activities the whole family will enjoy!
I ’m Helmutt!Follow me on a fun-filled journey through the
KNIGHTS! exhibition. As your guide, I’ll show you
some of the coolest art and armor you’ve ever seen!
Plus, don’t miss my favorite activity, Story Time with
3 to 17, free for children ages 2 and under. 800-733-1830. osv.org.
Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum. 14 Depot St., Shelburne Falls. Open Memorial Day through October 26. Museum features restored 1896 trolley, exhibits. $4 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 to 12, free for children 5 and under. 413-625-9443. sftm.org.
Springfield Science Museum. 21 Edwards St., Springfield. Closed Mondays. Natural history and sci-ence museum. $15 for adults, $8 for children 3 to 17, free for children 2 and under. 800-625-7738. springfieldmuseums.org.
Storrowton Village Museum. 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Open June 17 to August 22, Tues-days through Saturdays. Guided tours of the 18th and 19th century village. Admission $5. 413-205-5051. thebige.com.
Willard House and Clock Museum. 11 Willard St., Grafton. Closed Mon-days and Tuesdays. Largest collec-tion of Willard clocks. $10 for adults, $9 for children 13 and older, $6 for children ages 6 to 12, free for chil-dren under 6. 508-839-3500. willardhouse.org.
ANIMALS
Davis Farmland. 145 Redstone Hill, Sterling. Children’s discovery farm is open weather permitting. $21.95 for ages 2 to 59, $18.95 for ages 60
and older, free for children under 2. 978-422-6666. davisfarmland.com. The Farm Tale at the North Hadley Sugar Shack. 181 River Dr., Hadley. Open daily from May through Octo-ber, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather per-mitting. Especially geared for ages 1 to 10. Admission $3 for adults, $5 kids, free for ages 1 and under. northhadleysugarshack.com/the-farm-tale.html.
Forest Park Zoo. 302 Sumner Ave., Springfield. Situated in Forest Park, a 735-acre woodland park, the zoo features exotic and indigenous ani-mals. $9 adults, $6 children 5 to 12, $4 children 1 to 4. forestparkzoo.org.
Lupazoo. 62 Nash Hill Rd., Ludlow. A conservation and education insti-tution. $10 for ages 13 and up, $6 for ages 2 to 12, free for children under 2. 413-589-9883. lupazoo.org.
Magic Wings Butterfly Conserva-tory & Gardens. 281 Greenfield Rd., South Deerfield. An 8,000 square foot indoor conservatory filled with nearly 4,000 exotic and domestic butterflies. $14 adults, $10 children 3 to 17, free for children under 3. magicwings.com.
McCray’s Farm. 55 Alvord St., South Hadley. Free petting zoo. Farm ani-mals and a few exotic animals. mc-crays-farm.com.
Stay Cool this Summer at The Children’s Museum
at Holyoke
Tuesday thru Saturday 10-4 • Sundays 12-4444 Dwight St. Holyoke, MA 01040
413-536-7048 www.childrensmuseumholyoke.org
Free Fun Friday, August 8, 2014 Free Admission at the Museum,
281 Greenfield Rd. (Rt. 5) South Deerfield, MA 413-665-2805
www.magicwings.com
Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens
281 Greenfield Rd. (Rt. 5) South Deerfield, MA 413-665-2805
www.magicwings.com
Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens
281 Greenfield Rd. (Rt. 5) South Deerfield, MA 413-665-2805
www.magicwings.com
• Inclusive Wedding Packages
• 8,000 sq. ft. indoor tropical conservatory home to 3,500 live butterflies!
• Festive function rooms for reception or pre-wedding parties
• Accommodations for up to 100
Indoor tropical eco-system home to 4,000 free-flying butterflies
Open year ’round 9 am - 5 pm (closed on Thanksgiving & Christmas only)
Entertaining & Educational
Special Events: Weddings, Receptions, Birthday Parties, Family Gatherings
Family fun for everyone! Family fun for everyone!
• Inclusive Wedding Packages• 8,000 sq. ft. indoor tropical conservatory home to 3,500 live butterflies!• Festive function rooms for reception or pre-wedding parties• Accommodations for up to 100
Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens
281 Greenfield Rd. (Rt. 5) South Deerfield, MA 413-665-2805
www.magicwings.com
• Farm animals • Play equipment • Open pavilion with picnic tables • Mini golf
• Gemstone mining • 100 foot slide and so much more! • Birthday Party Packages Available
181 River Drive (Route 47) Hadley, MA 01035413-585-8820 • www.northhadleysugarshack.com
Ice Cream • MarketNORTH HADLEY SUGAR SHACK
A 2 Acre FArm AnimAl PlAy PArk! Open May through October.
Lancaster: Kimball Farm,1543 Lunenberg Rd. (Rt. 70).978-534-9800 http://www.kimballfarm.com (Other Massachusetts locations include Westford and Carlisle. Also located in Jaffrey, NH.)
Ludlow: Randall's Farm, 631 Center St. 413-589-7071. www.randallsfarm.net.
Lunenburg: Cherry Hill Ice Cream, 826 Leominster Rd. 978-582-7955. www.cherryhill-icecream.com.
Millbury: Christopher’s Homemade Ice Cream, 22 West St. 508-277-8782.
North Grafton: Swirls & Scoops, 68 Worcester St. 508-839-9036.
Northampton: Herrell's Ice Cream, 8 Old South St. 413-586-9700 www.herrells.com.
Sterling: Rota Spring Ice Cream, 117 Chace Hill Rd. 978-365-9710. www.rotaspringfarm.com.
Sterling: Sterling Ice Cream Bar, 167 Clinton Rd. 978-422-7742.
West Boylston: Meola's Wayside Ice Cream, 165 West Boylston St. 508-835-9747.
West Boylston: Pinecroft Dairy & Restaurant, 539 Prospect St. http://www.pinecroftdairy.com/.
West Brookfield: Howards Drive In, 121 East Main St. 508-867-6504. www.howardsdrivein.com.
Westborough: Uhlman's Ice Cream, 234 East Main St. 508-366-2411. www.uhlmansicecream.com.
Whitinsville: West End Creamery and Family Farm, 481 Purgatory Rd. 508-234-2022. www.westendcreamery.com.
Worcester: Gibby's Famous Ice Cream, 50 Sunderland Rd. 508-753-1095
Worcester: Madulka's Ice Cream, 193 Lake Ave. 508-459-2323. www.madicecream.com.
Coldstone Creamery, www.coldstonecreamery.com for locations
Farm Fresh MilkHomemade Ice Cream
FREE Petting ZooLunches
Miniature GolfBirthday Parties
Hayrides
t: 413-533-0775www.mccrays-farm.com
OPEN DAILY!
ValidJuly & August 20141 FREE GAME
(1 coupon per group)
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“If you are a teenager going on a date, it’s great. If you are an older couple looking to relive a time of your lives that makes you feel nostalgic, it’s great. If you are married couple with no kids, it’s great. If you are a family looking for something cheap and fun to do with the kids, it’s great,” said Dave Adelman, co-owner of the Men-don Twin Drive-In. In other words, there is no one de-mographic represented at the drive-in. If you were to peer into the car windows of each of the hundreds of cars parked in front of the 100-foot wide screens at the remaining drive-ins in the area, you might be sur-prised to see that the pastime is all-American and appeals to just about everyone. Adelman, along with his two broth-
ers Mike and Dan, is part of The Phan-tom Gourmet enterprise – which recently purchased the longtime Mendon landmark and has invested largely in revamping it, bringing it back into the 21st century. Phantom Gourmet, he said, is in the business of food and fun and taking over the Mendon Twin was a perfect fit for their brand. But while so much of the experience will remain exactly as it was in the 50s and 60s when drive-ins were in their glory days, there is much to be done to cater to a new generation of movie lovers. “We use social media to get feed-back from our customers,” said Deborah Belisle, vice president of operations for The Rustic, a 3-screen drive-in just over the state lines in North Smithfield, RI, where plenty of
Massachusetts residents trek to get their dose of the big screen. Like Adelman, Belisle finds that keeping in constant contact with movie-goers helps the theater to provide a topnotch experience and keeps it relevant. Each drive-in main-tains a Facebook page that boasts 25,000 followers and has a reach much larger. Through their pages, they advertise upcoming movies, food specials and attractions – but more importantly, they are privy to what people think of how they are doing. “We are in touch with them all the time,” said Belisle. “We come to know very quickly what they like and don’t like.” So what exactly happened to all of the drive-ins, anyway? According to
Wikipedia, “the economics of real es-tate made the large property areas increasingly expensive for drive-ins to operate successfully. Land be-came far too valuable for businesses such as drive-ins, which in most cas-es were summer-only.” Belisle and Adelman added that as Hollywood studios have stopped – or made plans to stop – printing movies in 35mm format, the expense of converting to digital has contrib-uted largely to mass wipeout of whatever drive-ins remained. “It’s not a cheap process,” said Ste-ven Scharmett, whose family has owned the Milford Drive-In Movie Theater in Milford, NH, since 1969. He agreed that the conversion to digital format, which his theater un-dertook two years ago, would have
F or a generation of people who grew up going to drive-in movies, the current stats might be a little disappointing. Where there were once thousands of such the-
aters across the country – and more than 90 of them in the Bay State – it would be discouraging to learn there are only a handful left in Massachusetts and about 300 nationwide. But wait! Like legwarmers, acid wash jeans and food that actually grows in gardens, drive-in theaters are on
the cusp of a legendary comeback. Sure, you may have to drive a few extra miles to find one, but what you lose in gas will be a small price to pay for a taste of the sim-ple life of a bygone era. While the industry-standard is $25 per carload, mak-ing the outing an affordable family venture, drive-ins are also inclusive – and appealing – to every walk of life for more reasons than just the value. There is the aspect of privacy, of autonomy, and of community.
Drive-Ins Cruise into the Digital AgeBY AMANDA ROBERGE
august 23 saturday2:30pm, Ozawa HallFamily Concert featuring the Boston Cello QuartetSupported by a gift from The Edward Handelman Fund.
tanglewood for kidsfree lawn ticketsTanglewood is pleased to offer free lawn ticket to kids 17 and younger.family day at tanglewood • july 27 sundayKids can enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, musical demonstrations, balloon animal creations, and a gift bag will be provided to every child.watch and playChildren ages 3–10 can engage in an interactive Tanglewood musical experience. Watch and Play is offered at 1pm on July 6, 12, August 3 & 10. Tickets to the Sunday performance are required.kid's cornerChildren may take part in musical and craft activities, 9:30am on Saturdays, and Noon on Sundays. Tickets to the Sunday performance or Saturday morning open-rehearsal are required.
been quite cost prohibitive to small-er theaters that were struggling to stay afloat. But for those theaters that have survived, they are confident that the coming years will see a resurgence in their appeal. “It’s just an awesome vibe,” said Adelman. Typically, theaters offer two mov-ies on each screen, with one screen catering to families and the other to a more adult crowd. Belisle said people often come in with their kids already in their PJs so they can enjoy a movie as a fam-ily and the parents can take in the second show once the kids have crashed in the back. But really, drive-in owners agree, the kids are simply an accessory to a good time that is there to be had by all, regardless of age.
ARTS The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. The museum offers work-shops, book signings, programs for families, an on-site art studio, and exhibits promoting a love of art and reading. 413-658-1100. carlemuseum.org.
ARTMead Art Museum, Amherst College, 41 Quadrangle Dr., Amherst. Admission is free at the museum. Programs include Family Funday on the third Saturday of each month, including gallery talks and crafts for ages 3 and up. 413-542-2335. amherst.edu/museums/mead.
Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg. The museum offers free admission for children 12 and under, and it offers free admis-sion for all on the first Thursday of each month between 3 and 7 p.m. 978-345-4207. fitchburg-artmuseum.org.
Massachusetts Museum of Contem-porary Art, 1040 Mass Moca Way, North Adams. Programs include summer camps, family shows and exhibits. 413-662-2111. massmoca.org.
Smith College Museum of Art, Elm St. at Bedford Terrace, Northampton. Offers free Second Fridays, Family Days, lectures and more. 413-585-2760. smith.edu/artmuseum/.
Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. This art deco style museum includes a cross section of American and European paintings, sculptures and works. One of the Springfield Museums. 800-625-7738. springfieldmuseums.org/the_muse-ums/fine_arts.
George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. A family favorite in this museum is the Hasbro Games Art Discovery Center, which is open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. 413-263-6800. spring-fieldmuseums.org/the_museums/gwv_smith_art/.
Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge. Located in the artists’s hometown, the museum includes the world’s largest collec-tion of original Norman Rockwell art. 413-298-4100.
The Clark, 225 South St., Williamstown. Following renova-tion, The Clark will celebrate a Grand Opening on July 4. Families are invited to tour the galleries and hike the trails. 413-458-2303. clarkart.edu.
Williams College Museum of Art, 15 Lawrence Hall Dr., Williamstown. In addition to its galleries, the museum offers family programs designed for children of all ages. wcma.williams.edu.
Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. Among the exhibits is the newly opened Knights! featuring arms and armor previously part of the Higgins Armory Museum.508-799-4406. worcesterart.org.
Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Rd., Worcester.
Nonprofit community based arts organization offering craft education. 508-753-8183. worcester.edu.
MUSICTosca. Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, 274 Main St., Northampton. June 5, 7:30 p.m. 413-584-9032. academyofmusictheatre.com.
John Legend. The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. Worcester. June 2. 877-571-7469. thehanoverthreatre.org.
Roger McGuinn. Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, 274 Main St., Northampton. June 6, 8 p.m. 413-584-9032. academyofmusictheatre.com.
Diana Ross. The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. June 17. 877-571-7469. the hanovertheatre.org.
Art Garfunkel. Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, 274 Main St., Northampton. June 19, 8 p.m. 413-584-9032. academyofmusictheatre.com.
Latch Drom and Samson Schmitt with Tim Kliphuis. Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, 274 Main St., Northampton. June 20, 7:30 p.m. 413-584-9032. academyofmusictheatre.com.
Les Doigts De L’Homme. Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, 274 Main St., Northampton. June 21, 7:30 p.m. 413-584-9032. academyofmusictheatre.com.
THEATERAnnual COWFest (Created Original Works Festival). The Drama Studio., 41 Oakland St., Springfield. May 30 through June 8. 413-739-1983. dramastudio.org.
Menopause, the Musical. Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. June 1. 877-571-7469. thehanovertheatre.org
Ghost, The Musical. The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. June 5 through 8. 877-571-7469. thehanovertheatre.org.
Seussical The Musical. Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfiled. August 7 to 17. 9th Annual Children’s Theatre production. berkshiretheatregroup.org.
MOVIE THEATERSAgawam Family Cinemas866 Suffield St., Agawam413-786-8800
Amherst Cinema Arts Center28 Amity St., Amherst413-253-2547, amherstcinema.org
Cinemaworld476 John Fitch Hwy., Fitchburg978-345-6700cinemaworldtheaters.com
Gardner Cinemas336 Timpany Blvd., Gardner
Triplex Cinema70 Railroad St., Great Barrington413-528-8855, thetriplex.com
Greenfield Garden CinemasRoute 2, The Mohawk Trail, Greenfield43-773-9260, gardencinemas.net
Cinemark at Hampshire Mall367 Russell St., Hadley800-326-3264, cinemark.com
Regal Berkshire Mall 10123 Old State Rd., Lanesboro413-499-3106 • regmovies.com
Blackstone Valley 14: Cinema de Lux70 Worcester/Providence Turnpike, Millbury, 508-865-7184 showcasecinemas.com
Elm Draughthouse Cinema35 Elm St., Millbury, 508-865-2850
North Adams Movieplex 880 Main St., North Adams413-663-6300northadamsmovieplex.com
Little Cinema — Berkshire Museum39 South St., Pittsfield413-443-7171, berkshiremuseum.org
The Beacon Cinema57 North St., Pittsfield, 413-358-4780thebeaconcinema.com
Pothole Pictures — Memorial Hall51 Bridge St., Shelburne Falls413-625-3052shelburnefallsmemorialhall.org
Entertainment Cinemas — Springfield Plaza1250 St. James Ave., Springfield413-858-8800entertainmentcinemas.com
Rave Cinemas Eastfield 161655 Boston Rd., Springfield413-543-3440, cinemark.com
Cinemagic in SturbridgeCenter at Hobbs Brook, Sturbridge508-347-3609, cinemagicmovies.com
Rave Cinemas West Springfield 15864 Riverdale St., West Springfield413-733-5134, cinemark.com
Images Cinema50 Spring St., Williamstown413-458-5612, imagescinema.org
Cinema 320 at Clark University950 Main St., Worcestercinema320.com
See stomping, roaring, robotic dinosaurs and life-like Ice Age mammals come to life, including Maiasaura, T-rex, a Woolly Mammoth and saber-toothed cats. $5 special exhibition fee for all visitors ages 3 and up.
SIX WEEKS PACKED WITH GREAT FAMILY FUN
Live performances by the region’s best children’s entertainers, plus art and science activities, live reptile programs and more. Most activities are free with museum admission. Visit our website for the full schedule.
Family Series July 7-August 15
summerSpectacular2014 Premier Sponsor
Position correct sizeand version ofMassMutual logoin this position.DO NOT SCALE LOGOS!
our june favorites facts, f inds and freebiessunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday
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Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children aged 1 to 4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies (birth defects), reports the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recommends that supervisors of preschool children provide “touch supervision,” meaning they should be close enough to reach the child at all times.
The U.S. Travel Association reports that fewer adults are traveling with children. In 2012, 26 percent of domestic leisure travelers traveled with children under 18 compared with 2008, when 31 percent of adults traveled with children.
It will be fine if you aren’t there yet because the kids are having fun in the car with these games! This prize includes these games from Melissa & Doug: • Trip Talk (ages 6+), a box full of games and conversation starters for the whole family. • The Memory Game for ages 5 and up. • The USA License Plate Game, a favorite for ages 8 to adult. See baystateparent.com today to find out how you can win!
A special bag for new dads, this I’m the Daddy Tote includes a collection of
children’s books perfect for sharing with Daddy. Among
them is The New Dad’s Survival Guide by Scott Mactavish, Just Me and
My Dad by Mercer Mayer and The Daddy Book by
Todd Parr. Find information on this giveaway today on baystateparent.com.
According to the US Census Bureau, there
are an estimated 70.1 million fathers in the US (based on census figures in 2008, the most recent year for
which data is available).
Happy Father’s Day!
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Pool play is easy with this collection of splash fun.
Inside the Melissa & Doug Clicker Crab beach tote is a pair of Sunangels protective arm sleeves (ages 3-4 years),
a Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch kickboard (ages 4+), and three different Sunny Patch games. Swim over to baystateparent.com
today for details on how you can win!
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The 9th Annual Children’s Theatre Production
presents Seussical August 7 through 17. Dr. Seuss’ most-beloved stories all
spring to life in one magical musical with all of his classic
characters: Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the
Hat, the Whos of Whoville, Gertrude McFuzz, Jojo and
more! For a family 4-pack of tickets, visit baystateparent.com
our june favorites facts, f inds and freebieswednesday thursday friday saturday
Starting on the date the prize appears, log on to www.baystateparent.com to enter for your chance to win.
The U.S. Travel Association reports that fewer adults are traveling with children. In 2012, 26 percent of domestic leisure travelers traveled with children under 18 compared with 2008, when 31 percent of adults traveled with children.
If you are trying to keep the bugs away, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
This purple EXY Trickstartr Scooter is an entry level stunt scooter suitable for ages 5 and up. This is the tool to help do manuals faster and longer. When ready, remove the tilt bar. Retails for $79.99. Find details on this giveaway today on baystateparent.com.
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Summer officially begins today at 6:51 a.m. Enjoy!
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There are an estimated 214,000 stay-at-home dads in America as of 2013, according to the US Census Bureau. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wife works outside the home. These fathers cared for about 434,000 children.
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19Pool play is easy with this collection of splash fun.
Inside the Melissa & Doug Clicker Crab beach tote is a pair of Sunangels protective arm sleeves (ages 3-4 years),
a Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch kickboard (ages 4+), and three different Sunny Patch games. Swim over to baystateparent.com
today for details on how you can win!
12{Fact}
{Fact}The 9th Annual Children’s
Theatre Production presents Seussical August
7 through 17. Dr. Seuss’ most-beloved stories all
spring to life in one magical musical with all of his classic
characters: Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the
Hat, the Whos of Whoville, Gertrude McFuzz, Jojo and
more! For a family 4-pack of tickets, visit baystateparent.com
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Know what people are saying about your business online! 80% of Internet users visit social media sites and other blogs
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Manage your social media from one interface with guidance and help on content generation, or let us handle it for you. Increase traffic and followers while engaging with existing and new customers. We can also monitor what people are saying about your business and alert you of negative reviews.
If you’re not online, you’re missing out!89% of consumers expect ALL businesses to have a website,
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We offer website design that works on any device: desktop, tablet and mobile, so no matter how consumers are going online your business looks great! Be prepared as more and more consumers are searching for local information on mobile devices.
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Partnered with
48 JUNE2014
The Montessori School of Northampton51 Bates Street • Northampton, MA 01060413.586.4538 • northamptonmontessori.org
comprehensive curriculum • peaceful environment
welcoming community • for ages 2-12
• New programs for toddlers and preschoolers
• Conveniently located near I-91, Route 9, PVTA route and bike path
• Apply now for September 2014
Call today!
baystateparent celebration at
The Eric Carle Museum continued from page 11
Congratulations to New Beginnings on
NAEYC Accreditation awarded December 2013
CALL US TODAY TO ENROLL OR SCHEDULE A TOUR
Private Pay, Subsidized Slots, Vouchers
SPRINGFIELD PARTNERS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION, NEW BEGINNINGS CHILDCARE CENTER,
721 STATE STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA 01109413-263-6500 OPTION 3
• Follow MA learning frameworks• All staff CPR and First Aid certifi cation• Caring for children 1-year up to 9 years of age• 2-day minimum for all programs (we fi t your schedule)• Full Day Programs 7am-5:30pm available hours• Before and after school - includes snow days/vacations/
holidays/summers if needed• Privately owned • Year round enrollment 58 Daniel Shays Hwy.,
NEW FALL 2014 HOURS FOR MORNING PRESCHOOL9:15am-1pm follows the Belchertown school scheduleWeekly Tuition Payments $16.00 per dayYour choice of any 2-5 day combination
411 Granby Road South Hadley, MA 01075Call for an appointment (413) 532-5303
Accredited by theNational Accreditation of Early Childhood ProgramsThe accreditation division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
PRE-SCHOOL/CHILD CARE
St. John the Baptist Nursery School
217 Hubbard St., Ludlow, MA 01056 “All that you expect from a great pre-school program and more…”
An integral part of St. John the Baptist Elementary School, our pre-school benefits from the larger community
by offering: Before and after-school care
Hot Lunch program Computer, Art, Music, Gym
We also offer flexible schedules and accept 3-year olds. Call us at 413-589-7531 for information on fees and to schedule a personal tour. You’ll be glad you did!
Located at The Wilbraham Shops2341 Boston Rd, Wilbraham, MA
Like Us onfacebook.com/Hurley’s Children’s Cottage
Hurley’s Children’s CottageGently Used Children’s
Clothing, Footwear, Toys,Books & Baby Equipment
413-279-1707
10% OFF Total PurchaseExpires 8/31/14
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consignment corner
All American Gymnastics Academy ...... 49All Stars Dance Center ...................... 46Amherst College CLAD Lab ................ 35Amherst Pediatrics ........................... 16Arbors Kids ..................................... 8Baystate Health ............................... 3Big Y ............................................. 4Brain Balance .................................. 9Brighter Beginnings .......................... 49Brunelle’s Marina ............................. 52Chicopee Urgent Care ....................... 13Country Bank .................................. 2Cutchins Programs ........................... 16Ed Popielarczyk’s Magical Moments...15, 49Eric Carle Museum ........................... 43Falcetti Music ................................ 43Fenway Golf .................................. 25
Fork Art ......................................... 9Funtabulous Inflatables .................... 49Great Wolf Lodge ............................ 29Holyoke Children’s Museum .............. 38Holyoke Community College ............. 46Kumon Amherst .............................. 15Little Friends Child Care Center ......... 49Little Sports Fitness ......................... 35MacDuffie School ............................. 13Magic Wings ................................... 38McCray’s Farm ............................... 39MoFroYo ........................................ 18Montessori School of Northampton ..... 48Muddy Brook Farm .......................... 46Nantucket Hotel .............................. 5North Hadley Sugar Shack ................ 38Old Sturbridge Village ....................... 33
Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine ...... 42Potteryville Pottery........................... 33Saint John the Baptist Nursery School 49Saint Mary’s Parish .......................... 16Sixteen Acres Garden Center.............. 39Springfield Jewish Community Center 46Springfield Museums................... 43, 47Springfield Partners for Community Action....48Tanglewood .................................... 41Terrazza ......................................... 18Thompson’s Gymnastic .................... 49US Taekwondo ............................... 25Western MA Martial Arts Academy ..... 49Westfield State ................................ 47Worcester Art Museum ................... 37
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BEACH MAP continued from page 28
Truro • Corn Hill Beach, Corn Hill Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, handicap accessible, boardwalk. $10 daily parking, $40 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Fisher Beach, Fisher Road. Handicap accessible. Limited parking. $40 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker• Head of the Meadow Beach, Head of the Meadow Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, surfing, bicycle trails. $10 daily parking, $40 weekly parking, $175 seasonal sticker.• Pond Village Beach, Pond Road. Restrooms, fishing. $40 weekly parking, $175 seasonal sticker. Wareham• Onset Beach, Onset Avenue, East Wareham. Lifeguards, bandstand, food, bathrooms, parking.
Wellfleet • Cahoon Hollow Beach, Corn Hollow Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $20 daily parking ($45 for three days), $80 weekly parking, $150 for two weeks.• Indian Neck Beach, Samoset Avenue. Restrooms. $45 parking for three days, $80 weekly parking, $150 for two weeks, $250 seasonal sticker.• Marconi Beach, Marconi Beach Road. Lifeguards, showers, restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking ($5 for motorcycles, $3 for bicycles), $45 seasonal sticker.• Mayo Beach, Kendrick Avenue. Restrooms, boardwalk, playground. $80 weekly parking, $150 for two weeks.• Newcomb Hollow Beach, Gross Hill Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $45 parking for three days, $80 weekly parking, $150 for two weeks, $250 seasonal sticker.• White Crest Beach, Ocean View Drive. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $20 daily parking, $45 parking for three days, $75 weekly parking, $150 for two weeks, $250 seasonal sticker. Westport • Horseneck Beach State Reservation, 5 John Reed Road. Biking, fishing, hunting, restrooms, picnic area, showers, walking trails, handicap accessible.
Yarmouth • Bass River Beach (Smuggler’s Beach), South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. Restrooms, lifeguards, food, showers, boardwalk, boat ramp, fishing, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Bay View Beach, Bay View Street. Restrooms, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Colonial Acres Beach, Standish Road. Restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Englewood Beach, Berry Avenue, West Yarmouth. Restrooms, playground, boat launching, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Grays (Bass Hole) Beach, Center Street. Restrooms, lifeguards, boardwalk, picnic area. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.• Parkers River Beach (Beachwood), Beachwood Road, South Yarmouth. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, playground, gazebo, swimming lessons. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.• Sea Gull Beach, Sea Gull Beach Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.• Seaview Beach, South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, swimming lessons. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.•Thatcher Park Beach, South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.
