Head out this weekend with family to the farm, the seaside or for a special train ride to make the most of the season's comfortable weather and its invitation to see nature rejuvenate. Here are some places to dig into:

Wear your mud-friendly clothes to get down and dirty for Bartlett Arboretum's Pond Ecology Lesson this Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m. You'll spend an hour scooping, sloshing and discovering the Arboretum's pond inhabitants and vegetation with its duckweed, tadpoles and a variety of insects. Admission is $18 and children under 12 are free. For more information, visit the Bartlett's website.

Redding's New Pond Farm throws off the last of winter's gloom on Founders Day, Saturday, May 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering an invitation to explore its rolling fields and gardens. You'll enjoy a hubbub of countrified activities, including, Maypole dancing, country dancing, fiddling, delicious homemade food sampling and more. The Farm's animals are ready for company and show off their habitats and jobs skills. For more information, visit the Farm's website.

Smell the salt air as you stroll the City by the Sea Art Fair, at Bridgeport's Captain's Cove, Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15. This weekend-long juried art show displays a variety of media by artists chosen by judges from Housatonic Museum of Art.  Their works add vibrant visual beauty and diversity to the already lively waterfront. Besides perusing the art, you'll also want to tour the 118 foot tall ship Unicorn from noon to 5 p.m. and rock out to the on-going, live music. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the Fair's website.

Saturday also offers the chance to join a history-inspired graveyard visit with Fairfield Museum & History Center's Tour of historic East Cemetary in Fairfield from 2-4 p.m. The graveyard is a rich repository of local lore and legend, the perfect venue to explore on May 14, which is the 150th anniversay of the Civil War's end. You'll hear stories of the 14 Fairfield Civil War veterans and other fascinating figures buried at the cemetary, as well as the burial ground's history and the iconography of the gravestones. Tickets are $7. For more information, visit the Museum's website.

All aboard, Thomas the Tank Engine fans! Little railroaders' favorite storybook train chugs in to Essex Steam Train and Riverboat on Saturday and Sunday, to give you and your crew 25 minute rides on a full size Thomas, a visit with Sir Topham Hatt, storytelling, live music, and  fantastic giant legos for skyscraper building. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. both days. Tickets are $14-$19. For more information, visit Essex's website.

Sunday, May 15, don't miss Spring on the Farm at Stamford Museum & Nature Center's annual coming out party for its animals and grounds from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Farm's new additions, including two week old goat Samson, come out to play for their debut. The resident heavy coated flock of sheep line up to be shorn for the warmer season. You'll get to see their before and after looks and then, try your hand at making yard or felt from their wool. Families can also join in craft and arts activities with a farm theme, take a hayride and buy some plants for the garden at the plant sale.  For more information, visit SM&NC's website.

For more things to do, visit our Events section.