Category: Family Fun

Family fun for whenever

Books for everybody

Need some new reads? Children’s paperbacks are 25 cents, hardbacks are $1 at the Friends Annual Book and Media Sale at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua, Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 15, from noon to 4 p.m., according to nashualibrary.org. (There is a Friends-only preview on Friday, March 13, 4 to 8 p.m.; you can join the Friends that night, according to a library Facebook post). The sale will also feature gently used books for adults as well as games, puzzles and more, priced at 25 cents to $2, the website said. Make a Saturday morning of it: The Library’s Family Store Time runs from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Lil’ runners

This year’s Northwestern Mutual Shamrock Shuffle — the 2-mile run/walk that usually takes place on the day of Manchester’s St. Patrick’s parade (this year’s parade was canceled) — will instead take place the weekend before. On Saturday, March 14, participants will run the Shuffle on Canal Street in downtown Manchester starting at 11 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., there will be a 100-yard Lil’ Leprechaun Run for ages 8 and under, according to millenniumrunning.com/shamrock, where you can find registration information.

Phish for the kids

Rock & Roll Playhouse will bring “Music of Phish” to the BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, on Sunday, March 15, at 11 a.m. “The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children age 1 to 7 games, movement, stories and most importantly an opportunity to rock out,” according to ccanh.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Fish for the kids

Thursdays through April 16 are “Big Fish Little Fish” days at Seacoast Science Center in Odiorne Point State Park in Rye with special themes and a group program scheduled at 11 a.m., geared at ages 0 to 5, according to a press release. On Thursday, March 12, it’s Turtle Time with special guest speaker Raspberry, and the theme for March 19 and March 26 is Pirates, the press release said. The center is open on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See seacoastsciencecenter.org to purchase tickets.

Family fun for whenever

Video game history

• On Sunday, March 8, SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will celebrate Ralph Baer, the German-born engineer who lived in Manchester and is known as “the father of video games,” according to see-sciencecenter.org. According to SEE’s Facebook page, the day will feature activities celebrating his legacy, which will be included with regular admission — $15 per person ages 3 and up, according to the website. The Center is open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last admission of the day at 4 p.m., the website said.

Maple season

• New Hampshire’s Maple Weekend is Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, this year but Ben’s Sugar Shack, 8 Webster Highway in Temple, offers free tours on weekends throughout March, according to bensmaplesyrup.com. This weekend, visit Saturday, March 7, or Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a tour that demonstrates the maple syrup making process from tree to pancake. And, of course, the tour will include samples of maple products such as maple soft-serve ice cream, maple roasted nuts, maple cotton candy, maple soda, maple fudge, maple barbecue sauce, maple syrup and more, the website said.

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, kicks off its Maple Express event celebrating maple season with times for the public Saturdays and Sundays, March 6-22 (as well as some school group days). Visit the sugarhouse, see boiling sap, learn about tree tapping and taste the syrup during the event, which also features visits with the animals and a horse-drawn or tractor ride, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets for specific times during the event.

Big screen fun

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, will feature new Disney Pixar release Hoppers in its “Little Lunch Date” screening on Tuesday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m. The lights will be slightly dimmed and admission costs $5, according to the website. Let this also serve as a reminder that Tuesday, March 10, is town voting day in some communities, which can mean no school for students.

Family fun for whenever

February vacation week fun

• Pats Peak, 686 Flanders Road in Henniker, patspeak.com, has extended its POP Ticket (pay one price for skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, rentals and lesson tips) days for every day through Saturday, Feb. 28. The POP tickets cover night activities starting at 4, 5 or 6 p.m. and running through 9 or 10 p.m. depending on the day (with ticket prices based on start time), according to the website.

• Wonderland Books and Toys, Maple Valley Plaza, 245 Maple St., No. 12, in Manchester, wonderlandbooksandtoys.com, has a variety of activities scheduled for the rest of vacation week, according to its Facebook page. On Thursday, Feb. 26, there will be a drop-in story time from 11:30 a.m. to noon; a reading of Part 3 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from 1 to 1:30 p.m. (recommended for ages 7+), and a bookstore scavenger hunt from 2 to 5 p.m., the post said. On Friday, Feb. 27, the fun includes Pokemon Day to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Pokemon video games from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; a reading of Part 4 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from 1 to 1:30 p.m. (recommended for ages 7+), and Board Game Afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. Activities for Saturday, Feb. 28, include a 3D model building project (ages 6+; see post for pricing) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the wrap-up reading of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from 1 to 1:30 p.m., and a 3 to 3:30 p.m. story time, the post said.

Theater by kids

• The Community Players of Concord Children’s Theatre Project Winter Vacation Theatre Camp presents The Rainbow Fish Musical at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord, 228-2793, theaudi.org) Friday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. A family treat for all ages, this is a children’s classic set to music, performed by a cast of 30 young actors ages 8 through 14. It is adapted from The Rainbow Fish, the award-winning book by Marcus Pfister. This event is free and open to the public, though donations will be accepted.

• How I Became a Pirate (Younger@Part), presented by the performers in grades 2 to 12 from the Palace Youth Theatre vacation camp, will be on stage at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. See palacetheatre.org for tickets.

• For the older crowd, Cabaret presented by the Palace Teen Apprentice Company and the Palace Teen Company, performed by student actors ages 12 to 18, will be on stage at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. See palacetheatre.org for tickets.

Save the date

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, will hold Girl Scout Cookie Bingo for all ages on Friday, March 13, at 6:45 p.m. Winners of each round of bingo will receive boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. See the website for tickets.

• Kids Con New England — a celebration of comic books, comic book creators, comic book readers, superheroes and more — will take place Sunday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton in Nashua. See kidsconne.com for tickets and for a list of artists and authors scheduled to attend as well as activities and programming scheduled throughout the event. Tickets cost $16 for ages 5 and up and $60 for a family of four.

• Enjoy the “comedy canine cabaret” of Mutts Gone Nuts on Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m. at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, according to tickets.anselm.edu, where you can purchase tickets.