Millions of years before people settled in the Valley, dinosaurs left their mark here — literally.
Today, those fossilized footprints continue to shape the region’s identity, and this July, they will once again become the centerpiece of Dino Trail Week. From July 11-19, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to explore that prehistoric past during the second annual Dino Trail Week, a nine-day celebration that combines science, history, theater and hands-on activities at museums, libraries and cultural organizations throughout western Massachusetts. The week features 12 family-friendly events, all free or included with regular museum admission, and builds on last year’s Dino Trail Week, which attracted more than 500 visitors.
The event grew out of the Great Greenfield DinoFest, which began in 2017. Jonathan Mirin, co-artistic director of Piti Theater Company, said organizers realized the region’s dinosaur story was simply too large to remain a one-day festival in one community.
“We realized that if we were going to involve all nine partners, they couldn’t all have a festival on the same day,” Mirin said. “It creates a chance for a bigger event with more people and deeper learning.”
Now, nine organizations participate in Dino Trail Week, stretching from Gill to Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Along the way, families can attend guided fossil walks, museum programs, theatrical performances, craft workshops and storytelling events that celebrate both dinosaurs and the Connecticut River Valley’s unique history. The Connecticut River Valley is considered one of the world’s most significant locations for dinosaur footprints. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs crossed muddy shorelines that eventually hardened into sandstone, preserving thousands of tracks that continue to be studied today.
That legacy first gained scientific attention in 1835 when Greenfield laborer Dexter Marsh found a giant footprint while laying flagstones outside the town hall. Marsh contacted Amherst geologist Edward Hitchcock, helping launch decades of fossil discoveries throughout the Valley, years before the term “dinosaur” had ever been coined.
From the Great Falls Discovery Center in Montague, Sarah Doyle finds that history continues to inspire awe. “I was kind of shocked, because all the time that I lived here, I never heard about dinosaur footprints,” she said. “I thought, gosh, that’s amazing. Why doesn’t everybody know this?”
Doyle said one of the Dino Trail Week’s greatest strengths is its collaboration among museums and educational organizations. “It’s community building,” she said. “Years ago, organizations didn’t really know what everybody else was doing. There’s strength in numbers.”
Some of the events to check out for Dino Trail Week include the Dino Drama Workshop at the Greenfield Public Library. Running July 13-17, the workshop invites older children to create dinosaur-themed masks, puppets and original stories before sharing their creations during the Great Greenfield DinoFest on July 18. Mirin finds that the workshop combines theater with hands-on creativity.
“Kids can create dinosaur-themed stories, dino masks, and dino puppets,” he said. “Then we’ll bring everything they make to Dino Fest.”
Another event to attend is the Piti Theater Company DinoFest Performance. Children’s Librarian Ellen Lavoie said local families are already familiar with the company’s interactive performances. “We’ve had Piti Theater come to the library for their Story Wizards performance a few times, and it’s been very well received,” Lavoie said. “Last year was the first time the show used a dinosaur theme, which is pretty much always a hit with the kids.” Story Wizards asks children to invent stories while performers bring them to life onstage, with this year’s performances taking a prehistoric turn.
Other events include a geology walk at Barton Cove, footprint tours in Holyoke, Dino Trail Day at the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Springfield Museums’ Evolution Revolution, programs at the Great Falls Discovery Center and the return of the Great Greenfield DinoFest on the Greenfield Common. While children may arrive eager to see dinosaurs, Mirin hopes the week also encourages families to develop a deeper appreciation for the place they call home.
“It’s place-making for kids,” he said. “We don’t just live somewhere random. There are endless stories, and endless people to learn about.”
Doyle hopes visitors leave with that same perspective. “I hope people will come and have a really good time,” she said. “It’s entertaining, it’s fun, you’re learning a lot, but it’s not like school. I think people start looking around and thinking, ‘What’s under my feet?’ That’s kind of amazing.”
That sense of curiosity is exactly what Dino Trail Week is meant to inspire, reminding residents that one of the world’s most remarkable dinosaur stories isn’t found in “Jurassic Park,” but right here in the Valley.
