Trails and Sails events continue this weekend at the Saugus Iron Works

By Laura Eisener

Trails and Sails celebrates 22 years this fall of free events offered to the public in all the towns of Essex County, including Saugus. According to the Trails and Sails booklet available at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site and the downloadable online events listing on the website https://trailsandsails.org/request-a-printed-guidebook/, the Essex National Heritage Area was designated by the U.S. Congress in 1996 as a place of remarkable natural beauty and historic value spanning 500 square miles north of Boston. Organized by Essex Heritage, the 10-day long series of events will culminate this weekend.

At the Saugus Iron Works, there will be a tour of the Appleton-Taylor-Mansfield House at 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Friday afternoon from 1-3, there will be a special tent with activities relating to Nature along the Saugus River. This is a fun and educational activity for all ages using an EnviroScape to demonstrate how water pollution occurs and its effect on river health, run by rangers from Saugus Iron Works on the upper lawn. On Saturday and Sunday there will be tours of the Iron Works industrial site at 2 p.m. A concert of sea chanties by the Fo’c’sle Four Band will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. on the upper lawn of Saugus Iron Works. All events are free.