Regional

UMass happenings: The UMass Dartmouth Freedom Festival, an alcohol-free, family-oriented event featuring music and fireworks, will be held tomorrow on the campus quadrangle, 285 Old Westport Rd., in North Dartmouth, beginning at 6:15 p.m.

The event will feature a concert by the pop/Latin band Santa Mamba, followed by a performance by New Bedford Symphony Orchestra at 7:45 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m. The concert will be broadcast live on WUMD 89.3 FM and online at www.893wumd.org/.

If it rains, the orchestra will perform in the main auditorium in the campus center, but fireworks will be canceled.

The university will hold its 15th annual summer program in Portuguese, Monday to Aug. 6. The program offers beginning, intermediate and advanced language courses, in addition to courses in Brazilian history, Portuguese-English translation and an advanced seminar on the Portuguese cultural encounter in Asia.

For more information, visit www.portstudies.umassd.edu or call 999-8255.

At the Lloyd Center: The Lloyd Center offers a Young Naturalist program for children ages 5 to 7. These programs meet in two-day blocks for 2½ hours each day. The Young Naturalist program combines crafts, games, snacks, outdoor activities and hands-on science. For students entering grades three and eight, the center offers one and two-week day programs that include canoeing, snorkeling, exploring coastal habitats, setting up and maintaining fresh and saltwater aquaria, discovering vernal pools and more. The Lloyd Center’s summer programs in Coastal Studies are designed to give motivated students an opportunity to explore different aspects of environmental science. All sessions include field study and lab work. For more information and program descriptions, visit the center’s Web site at www.lloydcenter.org and click on programs or call Liz Moniz at 990-0505, ext. 15.

The center is offering Mammal Mania for ages 5 to 7, Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Lloyd Center Headquarters, 430 Potomska Rd., in Dartmouth.

Fees are members, $45; and nonmembers, $54. Registration is required.

Freshwater Wetlands for children in grades three and four will be held Monday through Friday, July 7 through July 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lloyd Center Headquarters.

Instructor Amanda Wilkinson, associate educator/naturalist, explores the area’s ponds, swamps, marshes, bogs, and rivers in the two-week course. Fees are members, $440; nonmembers, $530. Registration is required.

Fall River

At the Art Association: Jen Fallon, a freelance coppersmith who uses traditional hand tools, will display her work in an exhibit opening Saturday and running until July 27 at Greater Fall River Art Association, 80 Belmont St.

An opening reception will be held July 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Catch the Reading Bug: The Fall River Public Library will be encouraging its young readers to “Catch the Reading Bug.” The six-week summer reading program is designed to encourage children in preschool through grade five to continue reading throughout summer vacation and to encourage families to explore the library’s resources. A reading chart incorporating, ant hills, spider webs, and giant butterfly nets will be waiting to greet children who enter the Children’s Room, as the library celebrates the world of insects this summer.

The program will get under way with a kickoff celebration Monday at 11 a.m. outside the main library, 104 North Main St., with a performance by The Mikey Maestro Dance Party (a.k.a. Michael Lynn Jr.). In case of rain, the event will take place at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 72 Bank St. Children will learn the reading club rules and receive official reading logs. A surprise visit from The Very Hungry Caterpillar (made popular by the classic children’s book by Eric Carle) will be on hand to meet children and pose for pictures. Tuesday, at 11 a.m., a kick-off celebration will be taking place at the East End Branch Library, 1386 Pleasant St., featuring the Mr. Tricky Magic Show. The kick-off celebration at the South Branch Library, 1310 South Main St., will also take place Tuesday at 1 p.m., with a live bug show by The Bug Guy.

Throughout the six-week program, children will keep track of their reading progress on reading charts. Incentive prizes will be awarded to children for every 10 picture books or for every chapter book (minimum of 80 pages) they read. Every child who actively participates will receive a certificate, and a book prize of his or her choice. A child who is unable to read independently can still participate by being read to by an adult.

For more information, contact acting administrator Paula Costa Cullen or David Mello at 324-2700.

Stamp club meets: The Fall River Stamp Club will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Super Stop & Shop conference room, Marianno Bishop Boulevard. The club is open to adult stamp collectors from beginners to experts. The club meets the second Tuesday of each month.

Rehoboth

Yard sale: Rehoboth Congregational Church, 139 Bay State Rd., will hold its annual yard sale Aug. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations for the sale can be dropped off at the church starting Monday during office hours, 9 a.m. to noon.

Seekonk

Office hours: Rep. Steve D’Amico will hold office hours Monday in Seekonk Library, 410 Newman Ave., from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Bay Queen Cruise: Seekonk Human Services, 320 Pleasant St., is offering a cruise on the Bay Queen Vista Jubilee July 9. Boarding begins at 10:30 a.m. and the ship leaves at 11 a.m. from 461 Water St., Warren, Rhode Island. The cost is $32 payable when signing up. Checks should be made out to Friends of Friends.

Somerset

Recreation Department classes: A few classes offered through Somerset Recreation Department will begin this week.

Cheerleading sessions will be held at Somerset High School in the old auditorium, 270 Grandview Ave., and will run Tuesdays and Thursdays. The program has two sessions, session one from 9 to 10:15 a.m. and session two from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. The program begins Tuesday and ends Aug. 7 for a fee of $55. The tennis program begins Monday and runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until Aug. 15 on the tennis courts at Somerset High School. The program has three sessions; 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; and 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The fee is $65. Cheerleading and tennis programs are open to Somerset residents entering kindergarten through grade 8.

A hip-hop dance program will begin Monday and run through Aug. 8 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Somerset Middle School’s cafeteria, 1141 Brayton Ave. The program, for ages 5 to 10, will be held between 9 and 10:15 a.m. Ages 11 and up dance between 10:30 and 11:45 a.m. The fee is $65. Gymnastics for children in kindergarten through grade eight will be held at North Elementary School, 580 Whetstone Hill Rd., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from July 7 through Aug. 8. The program has sessions from 9 to 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. The fee is $65.

For more information, visit the Town Office Building, 140 Wood St., or call the Somerset Recreation Office, at 646-2808.

Memorial run: Somerset Recreation Department will hold its Greg Billington Memorial Run, Friday at 8 a.m., beginning at Somerset High School near the tennis courts.

The five-mile run follows the Taunton River along Riverside Avenue. Walkers are welcome to start at 7:45 a.m.

Check in and post-registration will begin at 7 a.m. The fee is $15 through the day of the race.

Free concerts: Somerset Recreation Department is holding its free summer concert series at every other Sunday at Pierce Beach, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Scheduled to appear: July 13, Mister Mustard; July 27, Wizdom; Aug. 10, The Shananagans; and Aug. 24, Wolfgang.

The snack shack will be available during the concerts. For more information, call the Recreation Department at 646-2808.

Summer trips: Field trips for the all-day summer camp were recently announced. Buses leave from Somerset Middle School at 10 a.m. and will return by 3 p.m.

Trips are: Buttonwood Park Zoo, July 9, fee $12. Children are to bring a lunch to eat at the zoo; Fantasyland minigolf and games, July 23, fee $12. Lunch will be included — pizza and a drink; Dudek Rock & Bowl, Aug. 6, fee $12. Children are to bring a lunch to eat on the bus; Paw Sox game, Aug. 11, fee $12. Children are to bring a lunch to eat at the game. Registration for the event needs to be done ahead of time; Pierce Beach Park, Aug. 27, free. A cookout is included.

Parents are asked to remember to sign their child up the Friday prior to the week you want them to attend the program or run the risk of not having a sufficient number of counselors at the program. The office staff needs to know ahead of time the number of children attending field trips in order to have enough buses for the field trip.

School Committee meeting: Somerset School Committee will hold its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the School Committee room in North Elementary School, 580 Whetstone Hill Rd.

Swansea

At the library: Swansea Public Library, 69 Main St., will begin its Wild Reads summer programming July 14. Sign-up begins Monday.

Summer Story Hour sessions for children ages 2½ to 5, begins Monday. The program offers two sessions. The Wednesday program begins July 9. Contact the library to sign-up for either session. The summer program ends Aug. 11 for Monday sessions and Aug. 13 for Wednesday sessions.

Local artist Chelsea Bolton is offering a six-week program. Nature Crafts for children ages 6 to 10 will meet in the Junior room Thursdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. beginning July 10.

To register, contact the library at 674-9609.

Westport

Farmers’ Market: The Westport Farmers’ Market & Craft Fair, in the central village at Westport Grange, 931 Main Rd., will open Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for its second season.

The season runs every Saturday from July 5 through Oct. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. All items are grown or made locally.

The outside market brings together local farmers’ crops featuring the freshest produce available for the season. Inside features locally made items and the Grange Café.

There are a few vendor spaces left. Those who are interested in reserving a space should call 636-4427 for details.