This weekend, join us for heat-of-summer fun! 

Soak up the sounds of concerts this weekend. The deCordova Performance Series continues at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln with Ellis Paul (featuring Radoslav Lorkovic). On Sunday, the ever-popular Arias Aloft returns to deCordova. Join us for a magical evening of opera, musical theater, cabaret, and circus. Spread a blanket on the ground, or bring your own chair for a wonderful, family-friendly evening. 

Head out on the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich with CraneOutdoors! Join one of several kayaking adventures – from a Sunset Kayak, to a trip on the Castle Neck River, or a trip to Choate Island for a hike and kayak combo. 

Fancy meeting a fairy? Join a Whimsical Fairy StoryWalk at Long Hill in Beverly or at Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens in North Andover. The story unfolds over the Garden to Garden trail at Long Hill, and throughout the garden at Stevens-Coolidge. 

It’s one of the best times of the year at The FARM Institute on Martha’s Vineyard – sunflower season!  Pick-your-own sunflowers are available now through mid-August. Each family admission includes up to five guests and a total of a dozen sunflower stems per group. 

It’s always a good weekend for a tour. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich offers the ever-popular Grand Stairs to Back Stairs tour this weekend, an extended three-hour tour that will take you from the luxurious living quarters to the grimy back corners of the basement to the spectacular views from the rooftop. At the William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, step into the world of 19th-century poet, journalist, and conservationist William Cullen Bryant on a tour, taking a look inside Bryant’s thoughtfully preserved country estate, where he spent his formative years and later returned for inspiration and retreat. At The Mission House in Stockbridge, join Mark Wilson, Director of Historic Collections, for a special curator’s tour focused on life in Revolutionary Stockbridge and uncover a powerful chapter in history. You can find additional tours here.