Find free and low-cost things to do with kids in Fairfield County, CT this July, including fun family events in Bridgeport, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Wilton, Westport, Weston, and beyond.
July 3
Fireworks and Magic
Restless kids waiting for the July 3 fireworks to begin at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, CT can pass the time with Amazing Andy, who will warm up the crowd with a few magic tricks.
July 5
Channeling P.T. Barnum
Joe Barney portrays P.T. Barnum in the comical stage show Barnum’s World of Wonder and Magic, playing at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT in celebration of Barnum’s 202nd Birthday Bash. The show educates and entertains while telling the story of how Barnum changed the face of entertainment.
July 11
Puppet Play
Colorful scenes, hand and rod puppets, and an original script combine for one good excuse to get out of the summer heat and enjoy a show: Spring Valley Puppet Theater’s Puss in Boots. In this production at the Wilton Library, a cat encounters a series of misadventures and discovers that what makes him happy is simply being himself. FREE!
July 13-15 and 18-22
The Bard at Beardsley
The Peacock Pavilion at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT provides the outdoor theater for Romeo and Juliet, performed by Connecticut Free Shakespeare, a nonprofit theater company dedicated to providing free-to-the-public professional works of classical theater with a 21st-century sensibility. FREE!
July 14
Open Arms at Stepping Stones
At Stepping Stones Museum’s Accessibility Day Resource Fair, families of children with special needs receive free admission and can explore the museum in a safe, welcoming, ADA-compliant atmosphere. Local and statewide organizations and agencies that support families with special needs are on hand to offer activities and answer questions.
July 14
Eight-Legged Lunch
You are cordially invited to dine with eight-legged creatures at the Spider Soiree. This annual summer tea at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center is not for the faint-hearted. Prepare to dine on “Ants on a Log” and “Beetle Crackers” while drinking “Bug Juice.” Plus, meet live tarantulas, insects, and insectivores and get a special tour of a live tarantula exhibit. True daredevils can also have their picture taken holding a live tarantula.
July 18
Teachers Rock
Do you ever wonder what teachers do over the summer? Three elementary-school teachers from Seattle—Drew Holloway, Jack Forman, and Daron Henry (pictured, left to right)—turn into musicians and tour with their band, Recess Monkey. The trio’s “undeniably hip, yet kid-accessible” music rocks the Levitt Pavilion in Westport, CT this month with songs that throw jokes, puns, and shenanigans into the mix. They’ll perform their greatest hits along with songs from their new CD, In Tents.
July 21
Natural Inspiration
Nature and art go hand in hand, and Aspetuck Land Trust is encouraging this relationship with its Take an Art Hike program. Artist and trail steward Phil Laborie will lead children (ages 4-10) and their parents on a short walk around the Benjamin Wildlife Preserve in Weston, CT in search of skunk cabbage, ferns, birdhouses, benches, and other points of interest. After the walk, children draw or color a favorite scene in the preserve. FREE!
Select Weekends in July
Theater Alfresco
Waveny Park in New Canaan, CT, makes a wonderful setting for Theatre for Young Audiences’ performance of Wizard of Oz. In this 70-minute adaptation, which takes place in a state-of-the-art open-air tent, audiences follow the adventures of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion as they travel along the Yellow Brick Road to the Land of Oz.
Throughout July
Backyard History
Traveling back in time doesn’t require a time machine, a passport, or even a stop at the gas station. Take your family on a fun and educational ‘staycation’ and transport them to an earlier era with these local historical activities happening in Fairfield, Norwalk, Rowayton, Wilton, and nearby Mashantucket throughout the month.
Through Aug. 31
Reptilian Visitors
Summer is going to move at a slower pace with the arrival of Professor and Skipper, two giant tortoises from Texas visiting Bridgeport’s Beardsley Zoo.
Find even more fun family activities in Fairfield County, CT and the NYC area in our full calendar of events!
