EDITORS' PICKS MAY FAIR, SWAN BOATS, ARTHUR'S BIRTHDAY, & 2ND ANNUAL PARK SERVE DAY Month of May Offers a Range of Activities for Families BY susan scully petroni & carrie wattu 1. Sunday, May 4: Make plans to spend the afternoon in Harvard Square in Cambridge at the 25th Annual MayFair. The popular event takes place from noon to 6 p.m. and features six stages of live entertainment, 30-plus restaurant vendors, and more. But what families will love is Chalk on the Walk (http://www.cambridgerotary.org/ChalkPhotos2003.cfm), where Church Street is transformed into a Parisan-Style Chalk Gallery for families to admire and where kids can chalk their hearts out in the special kid's chalk area. MayFair also features free children's activities & crafts, healthy free kid-friendly snack samples, dance participation, and all the usual festival favorites. The event is free. For a schedule visit, www.harvardsquare.com. Chalk on the Walk at the 25th Annual May Fair in Harvard Square. 2. Sunday, May 4: Enjoy food and wine at the 15th Annual Taste of the Boroughs at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough from 5 to 8 p.m. The event benefits the Westboro Area Jewish Community Center. Tickets are $50. Tickets can be purchased online at www.westboroareajcc.org/event.php?entry=1095. 3. Throughout May: The Swan Boats are open at the Public Garden Lagoon, Boston. Take a leisurely 15-minute ride around the Public Garden lagoon, seven days a week (weather permitting). Bring a picnic and a walk over to the Frog Pond and playground in the Boston Common. Rides are $2.75 for adults and $1.25 for children ages 2 - 15. Call 617-522-1966 or visit www.swanboats.com. Plus, don't miss the Annual Duckling Parade on Mother's Day (See page 28 for additional information on this very special event!) Great Moves Open House on May 20. 4. Friday, May 9: Girl Authority Goes Broadway! at the Regent Theatre in Arlington at 7 p.m. Girl Authority is back, this time with favorite show tunes, past and present, including Wicked, High School Musical, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, Seussical, Footloose, & The Lion King. The girls - along with special invited guests - perform family-friendly showstoppers accompanied by a rockin' live band. Reserved seats are $11.50 advance and $13.50 at the door. For tickets call 781-646-4849 or visit www.regenttheatre.com. 5. Saturday, May 10: Today is the 7th Annual Sholan Farms Apple Blossom Festival at Leominster High, 1125 Pleasant St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features Leominster High Marching Band and Jazz Band, International Veterans Chorus, Ragged Heroes, Kevin Bliss Self Defense Center, a butterfly release at 2:30 p.m., kids' games and activities, petting zoo, crafters, pony and hay rides, music, and food. The rain date is May 17. For more information call 978-840-FARM or visit www.sholanfarms.com.   6. Saturday, May 17: Today is Park Serve Day 2008. This year's event features more than 50 parks, from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, giving you a wide range of volunteer opportunities to choose from. Last year, more than 1,300 volunteers participated in Park Serve Day by planting a total of 580 trees and flowers, removing 48.6 tons of trash, and providing invaluable assistance on building maintenance and trail projects. This year, the state is hoping to break that record with the help of families, like you. During this statewide day of volunteer service, families will work together to get parks and beaches across Massachusetts ready for summer by cleaning coastlines, clearing trails, planting flowers, painting picnic tables, and more. Check your calendar and sign up to volunteer. Parks looking for families and children volunteers of all ages include: Ashulwillticook Rail Trail, Georgetown Rowley State Forest, Great Brook Farm State Park, Halibut Point State Park, Hammond Pond, Harold Parker State Forest, Houghton's Pond/Blue Hills Reservation, Massasoit State Park, Maudslay State Park, Nashua River Rail Trail, Otter River State Forest, Robinson State Park, Stony Brook Reservation, Wachusett Reservoir, & Wompatuck State Park. To find more information on participating state parks, visit http://parkserv.env.state.ma.us/parks.aspx. To pre-register for an event, visit http://parkserv.env.state.ma.us/volunteer.aspx. For groups of 6 or more, please call 617-626-4980 or e-mail serve@state.ma.us to make specific arrangements. Insert Caption Here 7. Saturday, May 17: Informed Women, Healthy Women Workshop. When was the last time you had an entire day devoted just to you? If you are like most women, your days are spent doing for others - your family, friends, and colleagues - while your own needs are put on hold. This all day workshop for women, presented by UMass Memorial at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. will give moms the opportunity to recognize and nurture their own needs, and gain the knowledge to help achieve a healthy, balanced life. Event features informative workshops on the latest health topics; health screenings and interactive exhibits; complimentary massage and Reiki therapy, and raffle prizes. Keynote speaker is Karyn Buxman, internationally recognized expert on humor. $40 (includes breakfast, lunch, all workshops, and tote bag). Pre-registration required. No walk-ins. To register call 508-334-5165 or www.umassmemorial.org. 8. Ongoing: Hug a turtle; pet a skunk; touch a hedgehog; hold a snake: the possibilities are endless at a hands-on tour at the Animal Adventures Science & Learning Center on 336 Sugar Road in Bolton. Tours are held weekdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (also on Wednesdays - Saturdays and Sundays 12 - 5 p.m.) Admission for adults and children age 4 and up is $12; Children ages 2 and 3 are $6. To book your tour, call 978-779-8988, or e-mail: info@animaladventures.net. For more information, visit www.animaladventures.net. 9. Tuesday, May 20: Today from 4 to 6:30 p.m. consider attending the open house of Great Moves, a medically-supervised, familybased weight management program for children 6-18 years of age. The Great Moves! program is provided in collaboration with the physicians of Children's Hospital Boston and is based in part on the research and experience of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston developed by Dr. David Ludwig. As part of this exciting collaborative effort, medical services are provided by physicians, who are on the staff of Children's Hospital Boston. The program takes a multi-disciplinary approach to weight management that includes physical activity, nutrition and behavioral support. The focus is to help children and families develop healthy lifestyle habits that can be sustained over the long term. The 6-month program meets weekly with one optional session each month. At least one parent and/or guardian must participate in the program. The program includes groups for children and for parents in both nutrition and behavioral support. In addition, families meet individually for focused counseling in nutrition and behavioral support. During the Open House, visitors will be able to see a cooking demonstration by nutritionist Suzanne Rostler; a physical activity demonstration by Neely Qualls; and hear presentations from Chief Medical Officer Erinn Rhodes, Great Moves! co-founder Stan Goldstein, as well as from Dr. Gary Fleisher of Children's Hospital Boston and Dr. David Ludwig, director of the OWL program at Children's Hospital Boston.   10. May 24-25: Arthur's Birthday. Boston Children's Museum. 1 - 4 p.m. Meet the famous aardvark as he celebrates his 8th birthday yet again). At 1:30 & 2:30 p.m., make your own Arthur ears crown, and decorate the pretend cake. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for children ages 2-15. For additional information, visit www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org . BONUS PICK: June 1: You can feel good about a day filled with fresh air, exercise, and quality family time at the unique and beautiful Moore State Park in Paxton. At Why Me's Hiking for Kids day, your family will also help local families of children with cancer. The day features an easy to moderate hike from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m with Worcester Shark and Mascot, Fitz, and Twister of the Worcester Tornadoes. Registration is $25 per hiker (includes beverages and snack). Great raffle prizes available. For more information, call 508- 757-7734 or visit www.whyme.org.   Please e-mail your November listings and photos to calendar@baystateparent.com by Tuesday, Oct. 7th at 6 p.m. The deadline for December calendar listings is Wednesday, Nov. 5th at 6 p.m. For bonus calendar listings that missed our print edition, please visit the magazine's BLOG at http://baystateparent.blogspot.com/ and click on "bonus calendar listings link," found on the right side of the page.