Old-time fun
FAMILY FUN DAYS When New Englanders played baseball back in the 1830s, they used an ax handle for a bat. Try it, along with other games like tug of war and hoop-rolling, at an old-fashioned weekend celebration. Visitors can also take a stagecoach or boat ride, watch a toy fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, and try crafts including paper marbling. Sept. 1-3, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $24, $22 seniors, $8 ages 3-17, under 3 free. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. 800-733-1830, www.osv.org
Kids
CINDERELLA Puppet Showplace Theatre’s Fall Fairytale Festival gets underway with the classic story of a girl, her prince, and her shoe. In the Tanglewood Marionettes version, the pages of a giant book open on painted settings of the village square, the rustic kitchen, and the ballroom. Watch for a few surprise twists (hint: take note of how Cinderella gets to the ball). Sept. 1-2, 1 and 3 p.m. $12. Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station St., Brookline. 617-731-6400, www.puppetshowplace.org
Related
FREE FUN FRIDAYS It’s your last chance to take advantage of free admission to area museums and attractions courtesy of the Highland Foundation. Choices on the final day of the summer program include the kid-friendly, hands-on Discovery Museums and the science-oriented, indoor-outdoor experience of the EcoTarium. Aug. 31. Free. 8:30 a.m.-
8:30 p.m. at the Children’s Discovery & Science Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. www.highlandstreet.org
Events
NEW ENGLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL Browse and buy American-made goods from more than 150 juried crafters. The event features photography, jewelry, pottery, candles, birdhouses, music boxes, twig arbors, and more. Craft demonstrations and live music are also planned. Sept. 1-3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $7, under 14 free. Topsfield Fairgrounds, Route 1, Topsfield. 603-332-2616, www.castleberryfairs.com
“BIG FOOT” LABOR DAY WALKING TOUR On this all-day trek, titled “Transgressors and Transformers: Boston 1919-1969,” learn about unemployment during the Depression, the changing architectural landscape during the 20th century, and the cosmopolitan Beantown of the ’60s. Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-
3 p.m. $20. Meet at Hollis Street Plaza near Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. 617-367-2345, www.bostonby
foot.org
BREAD & ROSES LABOR DAY HERITAGE FESTIVAL Every year this festival commemorates the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike in Lawrence. This year’s edition is especially significant because it marks the strike’s centennial. Performers include Si Kahn, A Besere Velt, and the Ryan Montbleau Band. Also planned are walking and trolley tours, ethnic food, and speakers addressing historical and current labor-related topics. Sept. 3, noon-7 p.m. Free. Campagnone Common, 200 Common St., Lawrence.
781-794-1655, www.breadandroses
heritage.org
BOSTON TATTOO CONVENTION Tons of tattoo artists will be on hand in case you want to go home with some body art. If not, listen to music by Lenny Lashley’s Gang of One, check out performances by Black Cat Burlesque, enjoy a fashion show, and see who gets crowned Miss Boston Ink. Aug. 31, 4 p.m.-midnight. Sept. 1-2, noon-midnight. Sept. 3, noon-
9 p.m. $20-$70. Back Bay Sheraton,
39 Dalton St., Boston. www.bostontattoo
convention.com