Museum of Arts and Sciences hosting ‘Family Fall-iday’ this weekend
With temperatures and leaves turning more fall-ish this weekend, the Museum of Arts and Sciences on Forsyth Road is having a Family Fall-iday Saturday.
Get it? Holiday – Fall-iday?
The day offers a chance for outdoor, socially distanced games, crafts and activities plus a look inside the museum to see all that’s offered there.
There’s even the opportunity to help judge a best-scarecrow contest.
“It’s going to be a day for families to have fun and enjoy the museum with special activities from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.,” said Susan Mays, museum curator of education. “All the activities are included in the regular museum admission price and once paid you’ll get a passport to all the outdoor things to do. Each of them is spread out over several museum grounds locations like the Peyton Anderson Orchard, our pavilion and the Sweetgum Trail.
Mays said spreading out activities helps ensure healthy distances can be maintained. She also said masks are required inside the museum at all times and for any activity outside where safe social distancing can’t be achieved.
Museum admission is free for members and children two and under. Adults are $10 and children 3-17 are $5. Senior and military admission is $8 and college students pay $7.
Mays said the scarecrow display along the museum’s Sweetgum Trail is free.
“It’s free to view the scarecrows and vote for your favorite,” Mays said. “The contest is hosted by the 4-H Club in partnership with the University of Georgia Extension Service and Georgia Master Gardeners. It’s a competition among kids who create their own scarecrows and it’s usually shown at the Georgia National Fair. Since there’s no fair this year we’re getting to do it here. I understand some of the scarecrows have a traditional scarecrow look and some are quite contemporary.”
She said games during the day include things like corn-hole tosses and fishing for prizes, always a fall festival classic.
There will be a number of crafts to make including some related to indoor exhibits. One is along the lines of a textile and quilt display by internationally known Macon artist Wini McQueen.
“The crafts come in individual packets and we’re making sure any commonly used supplies are sanitized,” Mays said. “It’s a fun learning experience to explore the museum, see Wini’s exhibit then get to do a cloth craft yourself. One of the other crafts is a packet of supplies for kids to make and decorate their own paper scarecrow.”
The weather Saturday should be clear with temperatures no higher than the low 70s.
“That feels a lot more like fall than the 80-degrees we’ve been having,” Mays said. “It’s a good opportunity to get out, see the grounds and museum and just enjoy the day.”
Mays noted the number of people admitted to normal indoor activities, such as the museum’s planetarium, is limited to allow for social distancing. She also said the scarecrow display and voting will continue through Nov. 1.
If you’re loving the weather and looking for something to do Sunday, Bike Walk Macon (www.bikewalkmacon.com) is having their second Open Streets Macon event from 2 to 6 p.m. on Monroe and Tattnall streets from Pleasant Hill to Tattnall Square Park. Streets will be closed for a car-free celebration of public spaces that, according to organizers, bring people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together to walk, skate, bike, play and re-imagine how public streets can be used. There will be activities, lots to do and information on Bike Walk’s activities.
A favorite annual community art event is set to begin Wednesday and run through Saturday when Celebrating Art Macon (www.celebratingartmacon.com) offers a 2020/COVID-19 version of the show. It’s at Stratford Academy at 6010 Peake Rd. and the focal point this year is a Glass Pumpkin Patch featuring more than 500 hand-blown glass pumpkins for sale, all made by artisans from across the southeast. The patch is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
What you need to know
What: Family Fall-iday
Where: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 4182 Forsyth Rd.
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Oct. 17
Cost: Members and children 2 and under free, adults $10, children 3-17 $5
Information: www.masmacon.org