My 7-year-old daughter was in the car with me, and she piped up, "What does that mean? Dads don't do anything to help babies be born?"

 

Dads really have a bad rap, from jokes like that to the recent spate of commercials showing them acting hapless in basic baby situations, like diapering and swaddling. Dads are also underappreciated — and no where is that more evident than Father's Day weekend, which is upon us this weekend.

 

Where are the massive ads, products, brunches, events, etc., for dads? At Mother's Day the cards take up two aisles. This week, the Father's Day cards were half an aisle, tops. Most places wouldn't dare plan an event, recital, program, etc., on Mother's Day, but Father's Day does not have the same off-limits feel.

 

Fair? Perhaps not. But I say, let's embrace that and make this weekend all about Dad and fun things to do with him!

 

On Friday night, June 14, take him to the Lenox Motorcar Classic from 6 to 9 p.m. Classic cars and trucks will parade around town then put on display throughout the closed-to-traffic portion of Main Street. There will also be vintage military vehicles and firetrucks. Whiskey City will perform at Library Reading Park and food/drinks will be available. Organizers aim to make the event family-friendly, so if it's not raining, head down to Main Street in Lenox.

 

On Saturday, June 15, the whole family can enjoy a trip up to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, where the newest Kidspace exhibit, "Freedom," is opening with snacks, art-making, activities and an opportunity to interact with the exhibiting artists. The exhibit is a visual exploration of how words and art can have multiple meanings. It includes work by Xu Bing, Long-Bin Chen, Gonkar Gyatso, Ran Hwang, Ang Tsherin Sherpa and Roger Shimomura and features opportunities for children to develop their own interpretations and words to describe the work on view. Festivities start at 11 a.m. and are free; while you're there, at 2 p.m. you can check out a fun family show called "Bubble Do Beatles," a show of shockingly accurate Fab Four covers, performed by the soulful pop-rock outfit Bubble. Tickets to that are $5; for details visit massmoca.org.

 

Would Dad rather be outside? Then take a hike! Also on Saturday, Department of Conservation and Recreation MassParks staff Adam Morris and Christine Ward of Great Barrington Trails and Greenways will lead a guided hike along the Three-Mile Hill Trail behind Berkshire South Regional Community Center on Crissey Road in Great Barrington. They will focus on identifying the diverse trees and plants found along the trail, and hikers can look and listen for birds and wildlife, and perhaps uncover some local history. The walk starts at 10 a.m., is free and is recommended for ages 6 and up. Registration is requested at 413-528-2810, ext. 10.

 

Then on Sunday, June 16, why not celebrate the actual Father's Day holiday with the American past-time of baseball? At 4 p.m., the Pittsfield Suns will host the Martha's Vineyard Sharks at historic Wahconah Park (assuming it's dried out). And at 4:30 p.m., the North Adams SteepleCats will host Ocean State Waves at Joe Wolfe Field, which is always a family-friendly and fun outing (complete with $1 hot dogs, like every other Sunday).

 

So while dads might still be a misunderstood minority in society, you can make the special man in your life feel like a king for the weekend right here in the Berkshires — no dolphins required!

 

Berkshire County native Rebecca Dravis of Williamstown is a former journalist who now works for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. She can be reached at rdravis@verizon.net.