
FAMILY FUN
| Big Apple Circus: Take the family to the Circus for plenty of entertainment. See the spirited horses, jugglers, clowns, and more! Ticket prices vary. Through May 13. Boston City Hall Plaza.www.bigapplecircus.org
Swan Boats of Boston: One of the city’s most enjoyable traditions, the Swan Boats of Boston are officially open for another season! Enjoy a 15-minute ride around the Public Garden Lagoon. Open every day, weather permitting. 10am-4pm. Boston Public Garden Lagoon. Adults: $2.75, Children ages 2-15: $1.50, Seniors: $2.00. www.swanboats.com
Butterfly Festival: WUMB Radio is hosting a Dominican Butterfly festival based on the book, “In the Time of the Butterflies”. Enjoy a day of arts, crafts, traditional Dominican food, music, dance, and discussions of the book, the Dominican Republic, and more! A great and FREE event for families, students, and booklovers of all ages. May 6, 12-5pm. UMass Boston’s Ryan Lounge, 3rd floor, McCormack Building. 617-287-5000,www.umb.edu/news_events_media/events/butterfly_festival
Sunday Family Yoga Series: The Sunday Family Yoga Series will be instructed by certified yoga teacher for 6 weeks starting on May 13. Families are welcomed to drop-in or to come to all 6 sessions. Discount for attending all 6 sessions: Adults: $60, kids: $36. Drop ins adult: $16, kids: $8 per class. Sign up online. www.charlestownyoga.com, 617-241-0824
Mother’s Day at the Zoo: Come celebrate Mother’s Day at the Franklin Park and Stone Zoos with your family and visit all the mother animals. FREE admission for all mothers, $17 for adults, $11 for children, children under 2 are free. May 13, 10am-6pm. www.zoonewengland.org
Green Roots Festival: The Green Roots Festival is an outdoor celebration with food, live music, exhibitors, vendors, and interactive children's activities, put on by Bikes Not Bombs. The Festival takes in the park adjacent to the Stony Brook T Station in Jamaica Plain. FREE, volunteers needed! Jun 3, 12-5:30pm. http://bikesnotbombs.org/bike-a-thon/green-roots-festival
Earth Brings Back Roxbury Parade: The parade will kick-off at 11 am from the newly revitalized Egleston Square YMCA, travel through the business district down Washington Street and Columbus Avenue, and will rejoin the Centre Street Wake Up the Earth Parade near Jackson Square. Volunteers and groups are welcome to join in the parade. Volunteer to construct masks, banners, puppets, and a float. May 5, 11am.joshua@discoverroxbury.org, 617-427-1006
Duckling Day Parade: Friends of the Public Garden invite families to march in this year’s Duckling Day Parade. Pre-registration and entertainment will begin at 10am on Boston Common at the base of the Shaw Memorial, just below the State House. $35 donation per family to march in the parade (includes snacks, entertainment, and a toy for each child). May 13, 12pm. www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org/kids
Franklin Park Kite & Bike Festival: Explore Franklin Park on wheels or join a guided tour. The first 50 people will get a free kite, and there will be plenty more for purchase. “Rent" a bike and helmet for free, play games, and have a spring picnic. An event for all ages! May 19, 11am-4pm. Franklin Park Playstead. 617-442-4141, www.franklinparkcoalition.org
Lilac Sunday: Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a daylong celebration. Tours of the lilacs, dance performances, picnicking (allowed on this special day only), and family activities make for a memorable day. Be a part of this beloved Boston tradition! May 13, 10am-4pm. 617-524-1718,http://arboretum.harvard.edu/news-events/lilac-sunday
Memorial Day Open House at the MFA: Check out all the Museum of Fine Arts has to offer on Memorial Day. Free admission for all! May 28, 10am-4:45pm. www.mfa.org/programs/special-event/memorial-day-open-house |