Things to Do in Yarmouth

Tommy Doyle's menu whacks hunger on its horned head with a delicious shillelagh of Irish-influenced pub grub. Starters include colcannon cakes ($6.99)—the traditional Irish appetizer made from hand-crafted potatoes, cabbage, and scallions—and the famine-fighting potato skins ($6.99). Cow-consumers will have no qualms with Tommy Doyle's array of burgers such as the bacon-and-cheese-crowned Hill 16 ($9.99) and the Kitchen Sink ($10.99), topped with mushrooms, jalapenos, onion, cheese, and a fried egg. Wayward Leopold Blooms missing the cuisine of fair Erin can opt for traditional Irish dishes such as a shepherd's pie ($11.99) and corned beef and cabbage ($10.99), or discover how seafood tastes on this side of the Atlantic with Tommy Doyle's most popular dish, the fish 'n' chips ($12.49). In honor of the Coyote Grill, the restaurant that preceded Tommy Doyle's at its Kendall Square location, Tommy Doyle's also serves fajitas in chicken ($11.99), steak ($12.99), and veggie ($10.99) variations. If your NASA training requires that you eat all your food for the day by mid-afternoon, stop by Tommy Doyle's for its weekend brunch.

Film buffs across six states stare wide-eyed at large cinema screens, losing themselves in first-run Hollywood movies and the smell of fresh, buttery kernels within Your Neighborhood Theatre's 17 locations. Though all theaters prioritize comfortable seating, old-fashioned friendly service, and high-stakes preshow trivia slideshows, each location encompasses its own distinct charm, be it through arthouse décor, 3-D screens, or Rhode Island's vintage 1950's drive-in setting.

Along an Australian riverbank, a baby calf is being born, opening its eyes to the world for the first time. Carolyn “Chick” Dowd floats just 6 feet away and watches silently as the events unfold. At this moment, she discovers for the first time the powerful experiences kayaking can opportune, and plunges headfirst into the sport. Since this moment, Ms. Dowd has worked as an instructor in Thailand, Nova Scotia, and California, where she is also a member of San Francisco's national kayak polo team.

It wasn't just a love for kayaking that led Ms. Dowd to overcome a human's natural tendency to melt in water. When younger, she dreamed of being Julie, the cruise director from Love Boat. To that end, Island Spirit Kayak is the junction of Ms. Dowd's passions; a place that mixes fun activities with the natural surroundings of her hometown, Martha's Vineyard. Here, Ms. Dowd and her team of ACA-certified instructors can lead tours into tranquil waters or more advanced excursions toward the Aquinnah Cliffs, where sunrises paint warm colors across the exposed clay.

From beginners to experts, Ms. Dowd and her crew cater tours to everyone. Before each trip, they help people belly flop out of their comfort zones with a game of kayak ultimate frisbee, during which many feel compelled to jump out of the boat. The staff—which includes a school teacher—also has a soft spot in their hearts for children, welcoming little ones as young as 5 into kayaks.

Jenks Productions has been handling the nuts and bolts of consumer trade shows for 33 years. Partnering with local and national businesses, Jenks specializes in home, bridal, and pet shows, which fill sprawling spaces with vendors eager to share their wares and visitors looking for inspiration. The services that Jenks Productions provides are extensive, as the team can do everything from onsite event management and budget planning to marketing efforts such as developing newsletters, logos, and jingles that rhyme the words “impending nuptials.”

In 1799, Salem’s weathered seafarers founded the East India Marine Society and began to assemble “natural and artificial curiosities” brought back from their journeys to Asia, Africa, and other distant lands. Over the following centuries, the collection grew, and while it did, the Society evolved through various shapes until it became the Peabody Essex Museum. Today, more than 1.8 million of these works invite visitors to explore the world in a facility that underwent a $200 million transformation in 2003.

The majority of works now rest in a Moshe Safdie–designed glass-and-brick building, focused around a sunny atrium whose various architectural silhouettes echo local forms. This new building joins the East India Marine Hall, built by the seafarers’ society in 1825 and dedicated in a ceremony attended by President John Adams. Today, that National Historic Landmark hosts society-member portraits and a number of the hall’s original objects; in other galleries, paintings and sculptures by Japanese, Indian, and Chinese artists hang on the walls or perch in glass cases like pies with personal-space issues. Guests can also tour Yin Yu Tang, the only complete Qing Dynasty house outside of China and a 200-year-old structure with intricate carvings.

In 2013, the Peabody Essex Museum will add exciting new displays to its rotating special exhibitions, from Faberge treasures to impressionistic masterpieces from the likes of Monet, Renoir, and Manet, as well as modern African-American art and contemporary art from India. After marveling at the skill and diversity of the artwork, visitors can drop by the Atrium Café or the Garden Restaurant for a bite to eat.

Past rows of seats covered in crimson, past a red carpet that brings out the auditorium's regality, past a centerpiece chandelier that dangles from the ceiling with the quiet grace of a toddler climbing out of her crib, is a stage. Upon this stage, the Zeiterion Theatre explores the performing arts, hosting national and international performers who enlighten the community to other cultures and inspire the younger population to actively participate in the arts. Every year, Zeiterion, lovingly known as "The Z," also provides 5,000 free tickets to children and families with low incomes, working to make arts more accessible to all.