Halfinger Farms, Robin Hood’s Faire
Spring Celebrations
- Easter is around the corner, and there are dozens of Egg Hunts heading our way in the next few weeks.
- Kite Season is coming, and one of the best places to see them Harkness Memorial State Park. Watch the John Rose Kite Flying Family and Friends page to see when the next big display is coming!
- Spring brings Bikes on Main to Old Wethersfield– visit to see all the different spring decorations and pick your favorites!
- There are a number of gorgeous Daffodil Festivals- Middletown and Meriden both have adorable celebrations!
- Cherry Blossoms will soon be in bloom- and New Haven has a WONDERFUL Cherry Blossom Festival on April 14.
- Head to The Dinosaur Place in Montville and celebrate Earth Week!
- April 13 brings a Spring Apple Hunt and Pancake Party at Lyman Orchards.
- Robin Hood’s Faire arrives in May– prepare to be transported into a medieval fantasy world! Bonus- kids will LOVE getting to be prince or a princess!
- Earth Day is coming and Groton Library is offering and Earth Day Expo on April 20th!
- Town of Ellington Earth Day Celebration has been one of our family favorites for years! It’s on April 20 this year.
- Speaking of Earth Day- there are tons of fairs and festivals to celebrate! Visit our round up and pick your favorite.
- May the 4th is upon us: Head to STAR WARS DAY @ THE BARNEY LIBRARY in Farmington to celebrate!
- For more Spring Fairs and Festivals, check out our list here.
Elizabeth Park Rose Garden; Lavender Pond Farm
Stop and Smell the Flowers
- Visit the Florence Griswold Museum on April 7 for tons of family fun on opening weekend- included with admission (which often is free with a local library pass!)
- Pick your own Daffodils in April at Halfinger Farms! All the yellow reminds us that spring is here at last.
- Stop and Smell the Flowers- Elizabeth Park is sure to have some gorgeous varieties all season long- don’t forget to stop by the Rose Garden in June.
- Hillstead Museum in Farmington offers some gorgeous gardens- take a stroll through them!
- Visit the Colorblends in Bridgeport for an incredible display of color as snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs come into bloom.
- Wicked Tulips in Preston also comes to life in April- watch their page for picking alerts.
- Stroll through the Lavender Pond Farm and take in all those beautiful blooms- they’re open in May!
- Wickham Park opens on April 4– and the gardens will only continue to get more beautiful throughout the season!
- Pardee Rose Gardens in Hamden also comes to life in June- and is a beautiful place to stop and literally smell the roses!
Peabody Museum, Connecticut Science Center
Fun April Break (or Anytime!) Activities:
- Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven: it FINALLY reopens at the end of March. You’ll want to visit their site to score tickets in advance.
- Check out the Niantic Book Barn: it’s crazy cool, and such a fun outdoor activity!
- Spend a Day at the CT Science Center (it’ll be open all week), enjoy extra special activities at the Dinosaur Place in Montville, or visit one of our favorite free museums.
- Channel your inner Pirate with Mystic Seaport’s Pirate Days on April 9 & 10!
- Unleash your imagination at a local children’s museum: KidsPlay in Torrington, KidCity in Middletown, the Niantic Children’s Museum, Stepping Stones, the Lutz and Everwonder are all great places for kids!
- Enjoy some time at the zoo- the Beardsley Zoo has activities for Zoo Lovers Day, Earth Day, Week of the Young Child, and Mother’s Day!
- Go under the sea at the aquarium: Mystic Aquarium and The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk have fun programs going on!
- Teens can Relax at the Farmington Library and indulge in a TEEN SPA DAY.
- March 27 brings the Farmington Library’s 2024 MAKER FAIR!
- The Dinosaur Place will have tons of events for April Vacation Week!
- Libraries have TONS of fun events for April break week (and all Spring Long): Russell Library in Middletown is offering Yoga For Littles on April 6, Old Lyme Library has a whole Lego Themed Week, New London Library has programs ranging from trains to mechanical mini golf!
Connecticut Science Center
See the Eclipse
- April 8 brings a solar eclipse near Connecticut and the Connecticut Science Center has the perfect way to celebrate!
- Head out onto the river with the CT River Museum for a Partial Eclipse viewing cruise.
- Pick up some glasses and learn all about the eclipse on March 21 at Old Saybrook’s Acton Library.
- Kids can learn more about how to prep for the upcoming eclipse at the Killingly Library with Preparing for the Solar Eclipse on April 6.
- Learn all about the eclipse in advance at Glastonbury’s Welles Turner Memorial Library Program on April 3: Eclipses 101
- Make a Solar Eclipse Foldable at Plainville Public Library on April 8;
- Check out Rocky Hill’s Cora J Belden Library for a solar eclipse mask.
- Groton Library has a whole bunch of space themed programing for Eclipse week- See StarLab on April 10 or attend “Mission to the Moon: LAUNCH IT!” on the 12th!
- Celebrate with the State Parks at Harkness Memorial State Park.
- Head to Lyman Orchards and make eclipse chalk art while you watch the real thing- glasses available to the first 70 people!
- View from the Westport Library, Mystic KOA, Wickham Program: The Great American Eclipse: Community Viewing Event– and stay tuned for our full round up of 2024 Eclipse Viewing spots!
Celebrate Mom
- Take Mom for a fun brunch: Try the Pond House at Elizabeth Park, The Library in Wallingford, or The Traveller Restaurant in Union.
- Lyman Orchard’s is also offering an extra special Mother’s Day Brunch.
- Take a Mother’s Day Cruise down the Connecticut River with Riverquest.
- The Essex Steam Train is offering an adorable Mommy & Me Tea!
- Build Mom a FREE Blooming Picture Frame at Home Depot on May 4, or a Butterfly Biome at Lowe’s on May 4.
- See some butterflies during Butterfly Encounter at the Connecticut Science Center.
- Grab a pastry from Sift Bake Shop and go for a walk through downtown Mystic.
- Watch the Trains at Pizza Works in Old Saybrook– then take a walk along Harvey’s or Cove Beach!
- Stop at the UCONN Dairy Bar for Ice Cream and then take a walk around the Animal Barns to see some adorable baby animals.
- Heirloom Market in Wethersfield has some incredible food- then check out the Bikes on Main Displays in Old Wethersfield!
- Head to Bristol Library to make Mom a Mother’s Day Craft
- Make Mothers Day Windchimes on May 11 at Windsor Public Library,
- Go really unique with Axe Throwing, An Adventure Park, or Go-Karting!
- If it’s warm- the patio at Eli Cannon’s in Middletown is always tons of fun. Featuring a table with swings, sandy areas, and lawn games!
- Killingly Public Library is also offering some fun stuff for Moms- and don’t forget to check out our full roundup coming soon!
- See a Show! Nickl Creek comes to Jorgensen March 21, Illuminate to the Bushnell on April 13, and Wicked on April 25!
Enjoy the Spring Weather
- Yard Goats opening day is April 9! Head to the park for Opening Weekend.
- Spend some time at a new playground- visit our Playground Trail/Map for inspiration!
- Spend the weekend at our local amusement parks: Lake Compounce and Quassy both open April 27!
- Learn more about the cool birds in our backyard at Windsor Library with a Horizon Wings Raptor Visit on April 13.
- April 23 brings Frog-Palooza to the Southington Public Library.
- Walk on the Beach at Charles Island, Silver Sands State Park, Milford- see if you can find Captain Kid’s Lost Treasure!
- Take a stroll through Coventry’s David Hayes Sculpture Garden.
- Hike to Gillette Castle or visit Fort Trumbull– check ahead to see if there are tours running, and grab a library pass for free admission!
- Visit Peter Rabbit’s Cottage at the Pleasance in Newtown!
- Save the Date: CT Trails Day is June 1-2!
