MIDDLEBORO — Soule Homestead kicked off their summer event schedule with a Cool Banana Wig kids concert on Saturday, June 21.

Soule Homestead, located at 46 Soule St., is a nonprofit agriculture and conservation learning center that hosts events, workshops and more. The Cool Banna Wig, an interactive musical group for kids, performed under the pavilion at the homestead during the weekend heat wave on June 21.

The concert on Saturday marks the start of Soule Homestead’s summer event season, said the Executive Director, Kelly MacDonald Weeks.

“Today is kind of like a really awesome kickoff to all the fun stuff we do in the summer. We do workshops and a summer camp that is a really big thing here. We just want people to come out and explore,” MacDonald Weeks said.

The homestead’s 120 acres are open from sunrise to sunset. They have hiking trails, a few farm animals and many community garden plots that are planted by members. Part of the acreage is leased to five organic farmers who actively farm the land. On the event side of their work, Soule Homestead hosts a myriad of plant sales and garden programming, festivals, fairs and concerts.

“It’s honestly a place that's meant to be used and explored, so we love it when people come out and hang out with us,” she added.

On Saturday, temperatures reached 86 degrees according to AccuWeather, but family fun — and the prospect of shade — drew people out for a day of exploration in the gardens and music by the Cool Banana Wig music group.

Brandon Fuller, a Middleboro resident, attended the event with his two kids, Braelin, 7, and Braoin, 6, on Saturday. He said they come out to Soule Homestead often, either for school field trips and preschool graduation parties, or for fun events like the concert.

The heat didn’t stop Braelin, 7, from searching for her favorite part of the homestead: the wild rabbits.

“We saw a baby and grown-up over there, but the grown-up was over there, and then we lost the baby bunny, so we went chasing it,” Braelin said.

Brandon Fuller said he’s developed a strategy for keeping cool on hot days.

“That's my trick. Lather them up with sunscreen and then get myself in the shade,” Fuller said.

The 120 acres of gardens, goats and conservation education is leased from the Town of Middleboro. Funds from the homestead’s workshops and events go directly to the upkeep, operations and lease payments to the town, said MacDonald Weeks. She said about 90 percent of the work done on the homestead is by volunteers, often teenagers from Middleboro schools.

Stephanie Beckwith, a Middleboro resident, came to the event with her three kids and said there’s little they don’t enjoy at the homestead.

“They like to run around the gardens, they like to check in with the animals and feed the goats grass. When we come to events like this, they like the bubbles and the music. The mud kitchen is always a hit, as you can imagine, and they love climbing the trees — all of it,” Beckwith said.

When she’s not playing in the “mud kitchen”, a play area with kitchen pots and pans in the garden, Jolene Beckwith, 6, said she likes seeing the homestead’s animals.

“They have bunnies and goats,” said Jolene, noting her favorite animal is a bunny.