What are we doing today?
Storytimes, festivals, classes and things to do for little ones in Essex, checked and gathered in one place. Tap a day to see what's on.
The week ahead in Essex, Conn.
Today
Big days
The once-a-year stuff worth planning around: festivals, live shows, Halloween fun and holiday favorites. Tap one to jump to it on the calendar.
Swipe for Halloween and holidays
The calendar
Everything we're tracking, week by week. Narrow it down by age, or show only the free, drop-in or rainy-day stuff.
Filters
Holiday closures aren't always reflected here. Events marked "Check first" are recurring slots we haven't been able to confirm for every date, so look at the organizer's page before you head out.
Things to do anytime
No schedule needed. Good for whenever cabin fever hits — just check each spot's hours before you head out, since not everything opens early.
Swipe for rainy-day spots and short drives
Get outside
- Essex Steam Train & RiverboatVintage steam-train rides through the Connecticut River valley, with riverboat cruises in season.
- Essex Village & the waterfrontA walkable Main Street that ends at the river, with boats, shops and the town dock.
- Essex Land Trust preservesShort, easy trails like The Millrace in Ivoryton, good for little hikers.
Rainy day, indoors
- Connecticut River MuseumHands-on exhibits about the river, a replica of the first submarine, and a holiday train show in winter.
- Essex LibraryStorytimes, baby programs and STEAM Saturdays.
- Ivoryton LibraryA small village library with after-school parties and holiday programs.
- Ivoryton PlayhouseA historic village theater; check its season for family-friendly shows.
Worth a short drive
- The Kate (Old Saybrook)A restored Main Street theater with films and concerts and a free small Katharine Hepburn museum.
- Hammonasset Beach State ParkConnecticut's longest public beach, plus the Meigs Point Nature Center, in Madison.
- Bishop's OrchardsPick-your-own fruit, pumpkins, a farm market and creamery in Guilford.
Classes & lessons
Weekly classes worth signing up for, from baby music and first ballet to swim lessons and preschool soccer. Most run in sessions, so check each program's site for start dates and prices.
Resources for parents
Help with the big things and the everyday things, from pregnancy through the toddler years.
If you're struggling right now
Privacy policy
Effective October 2, 2026
Essex Kids Calendar (ctkidscalendar.com/essex) is part of CT Kids Calendar, a free guide to events, classes and resources for families across Connecticut. This site has no accounts. We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used, and it only sets cookies if you allow them. This policy explains what information changes hands when you use the site.
Information we collect
We don't ask for personal information. You can browse the calendar, classes and resources without telling us who you are. The site remembers your language, your cookie choice and any ZIP code you search with in your browser's local storage; those stay on your device.
To learn which towns, events and features are useful, we use Google Analytics 4. If you choose “Allow” in the cookie notice, it sets analytics cookies and records the pages you view, the links and buttons you tap (like Share or Español), the website that sent you here, your approximate location (city or region) and your device, browser and screen size. Google Analytics doesn't store your IP address. If you choose “No thanks,” no analytics cookies are set, and Google receives only basic signals without cookies or identifiers, used for overall statistics.
You can change your choice any time: Cookie settings. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, or use Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
How we use it
- To publish event details we're given, like the name, place, time, ages, price and the organizer's public link.
- To talk with businesses and organizations about sponsorship.
We don't sell, rent or trade your information, and we don't add you to a mailing list without asking.
Services we rely on
A few outside services help run the site, and they may receive basic technical information such as your IP address when your browser connects to them:
- GitHub Pages hosts the site. GitHub may keep server logs, including visitor IP addresses, for security. See the GitHub privacy statement.
- Google Fonts supplies the site's typefaces, so your browser requests them from Google. See Google's privacy policy.
- Google Analytics measures how the site is used, as described above. See how Google uses information from sites that use its services and Google’s privacy policy.
The site also links to other websites, such as Google Maps, Google Calendar, event organizers and community resources. Those sites have their own privacy practices, which we don't control.
Children's privacy
This site is written for parents and caregivers. It isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. This site doesn't currently have a way to submit information directly, which further limits this risk.
Keeping and deleting your information
We don't currently have a public contact address, so no emails are being collected yet. This policy will be updated when that changes.
Changes to this policy
If we add something new, like a newsletter sign-up, we'll update this policy first and change the date at the top.