Pick #1: The Merrimack River Eagle Festival
Come to Newburyport and Amesbury on March 5 for a full day of free activities celebrating the return of our Bald Eagles!
Visit Eagle Hotspots 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Drive yourself! Naturalist guides will be onsite all day along the Merrimack River. Parking available. See map. All ages welcome.
Go on an Eagle Tour 9:00 am–2:00 pm
Let us drive you! Tours start every half hour and take 90 minutes to complete. Departure point: The Newburyport Chamber of Commerce. Advance registration required (978-462-9998). Adults and children age 6 and over. Suggested donation: $5.00 per person.
See a Raptor Show 10:00–11:00 am or 1:30–2:30 pm
Tom Ricardi of the Massachusetts Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Facility presents two educational programs at Newburyport City Hall featuring raptors great and small. First come, first served. Recommended for adults and children age 6 and over.
Pose for a Photo with a Raptor 11:15–11:45 am or 12:30–1:00 pm
Hunt’s Photo & Video will take your photo with a raptor for a $10 donation. to the Eagle Festival. Newburyport City Hall. Limited availability. Advance registration recommended (978-462-9998). Otherwise, first come, first served.
Have Fun with Your Family 10:00 am–3:00 pm
Have Fun with Your Family 10:00 am–3:00 pm
At the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters:
Family activities, arts and crafts, and more! Special features: Live owls from Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm (11:00 – 3:00).
At the Joppa Flats Education Center:
Family activities, arts and crafts, and more! Special feature: Live hawks from Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm (11:00 – 3:00).
Visit Plum Island 10:00 am–3:00 pm
Drive out to Plum Island for more wildlife viewing with the help of naturalist guides. At the north end of Northern Boulevard, see seals and sea ducks at the mouth of the Merrimack River. Or drive south on Sunset Drive into the Refuge (free entry if you’re there for Eagle Fest), then 2.5 miles farther to the North Pool Overlook to see wintering ducks and possibly a snowy owl.
SEE THE FULL WEBSITE AND MORE INFORMATION HERE!
Pick #2: Maple Sugaring at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Saturdays & Sundays: March 5, 6, 12, & 13
Tours at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm
Advanced Registration Required
Spring celebrations begin early at the sanctuary with the age-old tradition of maple sugaring. The warm days of late winter awaken the flow of sap in the maples, causing buds to swell and resulting in sweet-smelling, billowing clouds of steam rising from the sugarhouse.
On our naturalist-guided tours, learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, watch the sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and get a sweet taste of the final product. Afterwards, warm up by the woodstove in the Barn, where hot beverages, hot dogs cooked in maple sap, and delicious soups and desserts made by our volunteers are available for purchase.
Visit our gift shop to browse a selection of maple products, and be sure to bring home a bottle of our own freshly-made maple syrup.
Tours last about an hour and run in all weather. Dress warmly and wear warm waterproof boots because the walk is entirely outdoors.
Pick #3: Cape Ann Summer Program Fair
“Come join us at the 1st Annual Cape Ann Summer Program Fair hosted by Kestrel Educational Adventures. It will be held at the Get Outside Center on Sunday, March 6th 1:30-4:30.”
Read all about the Summer Program Fair HERE!
As always, please see our friends at North Shore Kid for a more comprehensive list of family activities.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Wow, that Eagle Fest looks amazing, hoping to go in the late afternoon!!
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Great picks once again let the fun begin here! YMCA had a great camp in west Gloucester when I was a young lad cabins and all 🙂 Dave the legend of red eyes around the campfire hair rising tale.
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