Category: Family Fun

Treasure Hunt 24/09/05

Hello, Donna.

We acquired this little gem contained in a box lot at a local auction. It’s quite small and the glass is very thin. It’s a miracle that it has survived since the 1770s-1780s as the auction tag indicates. It also states that it is quite rare. Do you have any clue as to its value?Paul

Dear Paul,

Your bottle does look like a legitimate 18c medicine bottle.

This type of bottle is usually from Europe and then used here in the U.S. The bottle does look oxidized. That is the white fogging color you can see in the photo. It could have been dug up from the ground at one point. Bottle collectors consider this a sick bottle.

The value on it would be in the $100 range to a collector. I’m just not sure being an oxidized bottle it would bring that. There are things out on the market that you can get to help clean some of that. It’s rare to get it all out but depends on what you want for a look from the bottle.

Kiddie Pool 24/09/05

Family fun for whenever

Indoor and outdoor fun

• NH KidsFest 2024 is hosted by the Daniel Webster Council at Bass Pro Shops ( 2 Commerce Drive, Hooksett) on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a day of free family fun that includes touch-a-truck, live magic shows, puppet performances, wild animals, hands-on activities and giveaways, according to the event website. Visit their Facebook page or call 541-5200.

• Check out Beaver Brook Association’s (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) School’s Out: Forest Fun Days, the first of which is on Tuesday, Sept. 10. These one-day “camps” are child-led, inquiry-driven, and full of outdoor fun. Kids will explore streams, search off-trail for animal tracks, and play in the nature play area. This is a drop-off program for students in grades K-4, so kids will need to bring a backpack with an extra change of clothes, a snack, and a full water bottle, according to the website. No School Days will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a lunch provided of either pizza or hot dogs and Early Release Days will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and a snack will be provided on these days, according to the website. The program is $30 and participants will need to register in advance. Visit beaverbrook.org.

Storytimes

• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., bookerymht.com) welcomes special guests Chantelle Moynihan-Rector and Max the Retired Police Dog for storytime on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• Wonderland Books and Toys (245 Maple St., No. 12, Manchester) will host Saturday storytime on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 2 to 2:30 p.m for kids from toddlers up to grades 1 or 2. Up to three different stories will be read unless one of them is considerably longer. Visit wonderlandbooksandtoys.com or call 628-2866.

• It’s time for Little Learners at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com). This program for kids 5 years old and younger with an accompanying adult (older siblings are also welcome) is held on the second Wednesday of each month from 12:30 to 1 p.m., September through December, with a reading and discussion of a science-themed book. Participation is included with general admission.

Theater

• Camp Rock The Musical is presented by the Palace Youth Theatre, with performers in grades 2 to 12, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, and Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $12 to $15.

Treasure Hunt 24/08/29

Hello, Donna.

Can you help with a value on this piece of pottery marked Roseville? It’s in good condition with no damage. Any information would be great.

Thanks.

Skip

Dear Skip,

Roseville Pottery has been around since the late 1800s. The pottery came in lots of different colors and patterns.

Your Water Lily pattern vase in brown has the mark 7 on the bottom. This gives you the height of the piece. It was produced in the 1940s in multiple styles and colors.

For a given piece you need to consider color, size, rarity of the pattern and when it was made. As always condition is everything. The brown color in Water Lily pattern is in the $80 range for a value if it’s in good clean condition with no damage.

Skip, I hope this was helpful and answered your questions. Thank you for sharing with us.

Kiddie Pool 24/08/29

Family fun for whenever

A fair weekend

Take the kids to the Hopkinton State Fair, a Labor Day weekend tradition happening from Thursday, Aug. 29, to Monday, Sept. 2, at the fairgrounds (392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook).

There will be livestock shows, a demolition derby (Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.), carnival rides, monster trucks Thursday through Saturday, live entertainment, food and more. The fair will feature multiple dog acts: “World Famous Frisbee Dogs” perform daily — Thursday at 6 p.m., Friday through Sunday at 1, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m., and Monday, 10:30 a.m., 1p.m. and 3:30 p.m. — and Dockdogs, an aquatic dog event, is also slated to perform daily. There will also be daily karaoke, wood sculpture with Ben Risney Friday through Monday at 11 a.m., 1p.m. and 4 p.m. and Axe Women Loggers of Maine Friday through Sunday at noon, 3 and 5 p.m. and Monday at noon and 3 p.m.

In addition to the livestock shows, the agricultural events include a farmers market and horse shows. Educational exhibits include the Morrell Family Farm Museum, Charmingfare Farm’s Petting Zoo (Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), a maple sugar house and a Fish and Game building, according to the website.

Fair hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. For details and ticket prices visit hsfair.org — five-day passes for ages 3 to 60 cost $39; one-day passes cost $14 for ages 13 and up, $12 for ages 60+ and 8 for ages 3 to 12. Ride credits for midway rides have an additional fee.

Animals and minerals

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will allow participants to watch river otters eat their lunch on Friday, Aug. 30, from 11:30 a.m. to noon, according to their website. The river otter exhibit has a public feeding every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:30 a.m. where participants can view two playful river otters as they have an early lunch. Expert volunteers will tell participants about otter biology and ecology while serving up a tasty treat or two. River otter feeding is included in regular trail admission and pre-registration is not required, according to the website. Trail admission prices range from free to $26. Visit nature.org.

• Meet the zookeeper on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., bookerymht.com). Zookeeper Dayle Taylor will visit the shop to talk about her new children’s book Zookeeper Day and the Baby Animal Tales.

• America’s Stonehenge (105 Haverhill Road, Salem) is a maze of human-made chambers, walls and ceremonial meeting places and is over 4,000 years old. No one knows if it was built by a Native American culture or a migrant European population, but it may be the oldest human-made construction in the United States, according to the website. Their kids’ gemstone dig is open to kids age 12 and under and included with admission. Kids will use real tools that archaeologists use in the field to dig and sift for polished gemstones and will be allowed to keep three that they find. Ages 3 and under are free and other tickets range from $10 to $18. They are open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m. Visit stonehengeusa.com.

Party on

Cowabunga’s indoor playground (725 Huse Road, Manchester, 935-9659) is holding its End of Summer party on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $20 per child for two hours of fun; adults and infants free with paying child. Buy tickets at cowabungas.com.

Treasure Hunt 24/08/22

Dear Donna,

We bought an old bedroom set and recycled it. I didn’t want to throw the wood knobs away. I’m thinking of giving them to the church for a yard sale. Can you give me an idea of the price for them to sell? There are 26 of them in good condition. All are 2 inches round but I’m not sure of the wood.

Thank you, Donna.

Sherry

Dear Sherry,

I always say there is a use for almost everything. I think having so many of one kind gives them a bit more value. Old knobs and pulls can be important to replace others or for restoration. If you’re lucky enough to find one or two knobs that match an original piece it’s great. Or having enough to replace them all can help too. Some early hardware can be very costly to replace and hard to find. Especially in large quantities.

Your wooden ones look like they could be from the 1950s or 1960s. I think the value should be around $30. But in a yard sale environment it probably would be a little less. Raising money and finding a new home for them is what’s important.

Thanks, Sherry, for asking and saving them. Good luck.

Kiddie Pool 24/08/22

Family fun for whenever

Old Home Days

• Candia’s Old Home Day will return on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Moore Park (74 High St., Candia). The event starts with a parade after a firemen’s homemade breakfast. Local crafters and artisans, town community booths, games, a wildlife exhibit, food and music will also be featured. Visit candiaoldhomeday.com.

• Pembroke and Allenstown’s Old Home Day returns on Saturday, Aug. 24, starting with a parade down Main Street in Allenstown to Memorial Field (Exchange Street) in Pembroke. A fun-filled day is planned at the field, featuring two stages of live entertainment, antique cars, children’s games, a craft area, bounce houses and a fireworks display at dusk. Admission and parking are free. See “Pembroke & Allenstown Old Home Day 2024” on Facebook.

Celebrate summer

• Head to Field of Dreams Community Park (48 Geremonty Drive, Salem) for the park’s annual Family Fun Day on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wide variety of activities is planned, including a petting farm, face-painting, bounce houses, food trucks, photo opportunities with superheroes and princesses, and more. Visit fieldofdreamsnh.org.

• Join Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) to enjoy the fantastic musical stylings of Mr. Aaron on Sunday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m. at their End of Summer Bash! This will be a fun summer evening of live music, delicious food, face painting and more. The event does require registration, which is $25 per family online sales and $35 per family if purchased on site the day of the event.

• On Saturday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m., Nashua Community Music School will be hosting Play it Forward at the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten in Merrimack to celebrate the end of summer with a family outdoor concert. Every ticket includes food from Bentley’s Famous BBQ and supports the next generation of musicians. The lineup includes the NCMS Teen Rock Band and NCMS House Band featuring 25 NCMS students and teachers, and the headlining act is rock band Aces & Eights, according to the release. They will be showcasing music and art from all NCMS Summer After Dark programs. Tickets are $40. Visit nashuacms.org.

On stage

• The 2024 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) will run Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Friday at 10 a.m.Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr.will be performed through to Aug. 23; next week the season ends with Music with Miss Alli on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, according to the theater’s website. Tickets to each show cost $10.

• The Palace Youth Theatre Summer Camp presents Willy Wonka Kidson Saturday,Aug. 24, at noon at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org). The student actors are in grades 2 through 12. Tickets start at $12.

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