School’s out for the summer here in Ridgefield, and area families have certainly earned a relaxing season. No matter how much time you’re spending in the area over the next few months, we hope you’ll squeeze in some of these fabulous options for kids of all ages!

The Prospector Theater always has family-friendly movies playing including “Elemental” which just opened recently, and we love their snacks and drinks! Such a great place to visit all year round, especially considering their mission is to provide competitive and integrated employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater.
Learn more at https://www.prospectortheater.org/.

Make Music Day is this Wednesday, June 21st and Ridgefield will be holding performances at over 14 venues including Keeler Tavern, Cellar XV Wine Market and D. Colabella Fine Art Gallery! Learn more at https://www.makemusicday.org/ridgefield/listings/venues?fbclid=IwAR311Gj3uk92Xvl4kEOyQP94M1BETWlJv4gP3I_v38UrnP0aiGJCJWqf11A.

The Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department Carnival also kicks off Wednesday, June 21st and goes through Saturday June 24th at East Ridge Middle School. Amusement rides, game trailers, food, ice cream, fried dough, cotton candy and souvenir sales will all be at the carnival site. The Fireworks Show will light up the sky on Friday, June 23rd at dusk. Learn more at https://news.hamlethub.com/ridgefield/events/75781-fun-and-games-at-ridgefield-vfd-carnial-june-21-24.

Join yoga instructor Sarah Zitnay in celebrating the beginning of summer! Ridgefield Parks & Recreation invites you to celebrate the northern hemisphere’s longest day of the year, Sunday, June 25, with an outdoor yoga class from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Learn more at https://news.hamlethub.com/ridgefield/events/75922-free-summer-solstice-yoga-in-ballard-park-on-sunday-june-25.

Be sure to check out Ridgefield’s Family Fireworks Celebration on July 2nd, a beloved annual tradition! Learn more at https://news.hamlethub.com/ridgefield/events/75848-family-fireworks-celebration.

CHIRP Concerts are fabulous, free events held right in downtown Ridgefield with an array of live music on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Bring your dinner, drinks and a blanket or camp chairs to enjoy with family and friends! Head to chirpct.org for details.

Ridgefield Playhouse has a fabulous summer lineup with something for everyone, from movies to live music and so much more. Learn more at https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/events/.

If you’re looking for a summer camp, there are a plethora of options in our area. Here are just a few:

Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield: https://www.bgcridgefield.org/Default.aspx?tabid=212801
Woodcock Nature Center: woodcocknaturecenter.org
Camp Aldrich: https://thealdrich.org/events/camp-aldrich-week-3-grades-4-6
Parks and Rec camps: https://www.ridgefieldparksandrec.org/
Four Oaks Day Camp: https://www.fouroaksdaycamp.com/
Bach to Rock Music Camp: https://www.bachtorock.com/ridgefield/music-camps/
North Salem Day Camp at Mountain Lakes: https://www.northsalemdaycamp.org/
Kiwi Country Day Camp Westchester: https://www.kiwicountrydaycamp.com/

Sometimes we take for granted that our area is home to plenty of parks, museums and playgrounds that you can check out year-round. Here are a few of our favorites:

Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton offers terrific hiking trails and camps. There is also a great guide on AllTrails that includes maps and photos of many options in Ridgefield. For details, click here: https://www.alltrails.com/us/connecticut/ridgefield
Ballard Park’s playground is fabulous especially this time of year and the gardens are just starting to bloom.
Stepping Stones Children’s Museum (https://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/ ) and The Maritime Aquarium (https://www.maritimeaquarium.org/ ) are both located in Norwalk with plenty of programs for kids of all ages.
Ridgefield Library has a truly robust Summer Reading program that just launched this past weekend, plus a wide variety of other activities like Story Times (held outside in Ballard Park in nice weather!) and STEAM Corner for Kids. For details, click here: https://ridgefieldlibrary.org/
Grace Farm is a lovely spot to enjoy summer picnics, a blues concert with Harlem-based guitarist King Solomon Hicks, and opportunities to explore, create, play, and much more. Learn more at: https://gracefarms.org/summer-family-fun/
Deborah Anne’s Sweet Shoppe on Main Street will be open and is always an easy, fun outing way to get out of the house no matter how old your kiddos are! If you don’t feel like cooking, some of our favorite family-friendly restaurants are Gallo, 850 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza, Wooster Hollow Café, Dmitri’s Diner, Prime Burger, and BareBurger.

Check out the Ridgefield Hamlet Hub calendar for many more events happening on our area this week: https://calendar.hamlethub.com/?calendarId=21

Wishing everyone a fun and restful summer in Ridgefield no matter how you choose to spend it!