How to Find Local Events for Families

Sometimes when we go to a local fair or festival, I'll have people ask how I even knew about it. This post will show you how to make sure you don't miss out on special events in your neck of the woods.

Tempe, Arizona's annual Aloha Festival

Facebook

Most of the time, I find out about great family events just by scrolling through my Facebook feed. There are a few places you should make sure you are following:

• your city's convention and visitor bureau: They will post all the major events going on. If you live near a major city, follow them as well as the surrounding communities you visit. I live in Gilbert, Arizona, so I follow Visit Phoenix, Visit Mesa (which covers Gilbert, Queen Creek, and some others), Chandler Office of Tourism, Tempe Tourism Office, and Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
• local deal blog: If you don't already know of a great deal blog in your area, do a quick google search and you're sure to find one. It's even better if the blogger is also a parent because then they are more likely to post about family-friendly events. By following them on facebook, you should see free and cheap events and activities in your area. They will usually post about discounts you can find for events as well. My favorite deal site for the Phoenix area is Alicia's Deals.
• local macaroni kid: Macaroni Kid is a national organization with local communities managed by a local parent. They post events and activities going on in your area specifically for kids. Sometimes they even host their own events. Some Macaroni Kid publishers do a better job about keeping up on events than others so you may want to check out the communities surrounding yours as well. For the Gilbert area, I like to follow East Mesa Macaroni Kid.
• your favorite zoos, museums, and play places: Zoos, museums, and even family-friendly restaurants often host their own events. These can include parties, discount days, theme days, or special events. If you are following your family's favorite places to go, you'll be sure to see the special activities they are having

Recreation Magazines and Guides

Most communities have a recreation department that publishes a seasonal guide. In these you'll usually find the classes offered by the city, but there is usually a section just for seasonal events. The city of Chandler, AZ publishes a free magazine called BreakTime that you can find in the Chandler libraries.

For Arizona, there is a great magazine called Raising Arizona Kids. It has a calendar of events for the month. This is a private publication and you can pay for a subscription to come to your house, or you can pick it up for free at one of the local library.

Libraries are a great resource to find publications about local events. You can usually find an area full of flyers and booklets. Look around and you're sure to find something that has a calendar of events.

Email Subscriptions

Get information about local events coming straight to your inbox! Subscribe to your local library, your favorite Macaroni Kid community, and your favorite places to visit around town.

Word of Mouth

Ask your friend's what they are up to this summer or if they know of any events that shouldn't been missed. It's always grea to have recommendations from people who've experienced these events before.

Google Search

If we have a open weekend, sometimes I just do a google search, "Family events in Gilbert this weekend." There are so many online events calendars. This is usually my last resort for finding family events, though, just because there is so much to search through and a lot of it is not relevant to my family.