Category: Family Fun

Kiddie Pool 25/12/11

Family fun for whenever

See Santa

• The Milford Recreation Department will hold a Breakfast with Santa featuring pancakes and sausage on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Town Hall Auditorium, according to milfordnh.recdesk.com, where you can register and pay for limited seating.

• Santa Live 2025 at the Londonderry Access TV studio, 281 Mammoth Road in Londonderry, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 1 to 3 p.m., according to the station’s Facebook page. Kids can meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus on TV while parents take photos, the post said. RSVP to Erin at 432-1147 or email erowe@londonderrynh.gov.

Santa airborne

• On Saturday, Dec. 13, at 11 a.m. the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, will receive a visit from Santa Claus via helicopter, according to aviationmuseumofnh.org. Families wanting to watch Santa land should be at the museum by 10:45 a.m., the website said. Kids can meet with Santa at this free event until he departs at 1 p.m., the website said.

• It’s Astronaut Santa Day at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when kids can visit with Astronaut Santa and explore the museum, according to starhop. com, where you can purchase admission for the museum only or for the museum and a planetarium show.

Holiday concerts

• The Manchester Community Music School, 2291 Elm St. in Manchester, will hold its Holiday Pops 2025 concert on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m., according to mcmusicschool.org.

• Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, will host a Mr. Aaron Concert on Friday, Dec. 12, at 5 p.m. in the Carriage House, according to kimballjenkins.com.

• Catch Symphony NH’s Holiday Pops concert on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St. in Nashua, according to symphonynh.org.

Holiday fun

• The YMCA of Greater Londonderry, 206 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, will host The Great Candy Cane Hunt on Friday, Dec. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m., according to graniteymca.org, where you can register and pay for the event. The YMCA’s Teen Leaders will hide candy canes all around the facility, and kids, in groups divided by age, will search for them with candy cane bags they decorate, the website said.

• Pembroke City Limits, 134 Main St. in Pembroke, pembrokecitylimits.com, will hold a Kids Show on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m. featuring a reading of The Polar Express, hot cocoa and candy canes and a “visit from the North Pole,” according to the website.

Holidays on screen

• Cinemark Rockingham Park, at The Mall at Rockingham Park, 15 Mall Road in Salem, cinemark.com, will wrap up its special screenings as part of Holiday Movie Clubhouse with screenings onElf(PG, 2003) on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 9:40 a.m. and 10 a.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m.

• The Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) will present one of the best cinematic A Christmas Carol adaptations, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30 p.m.

Treasure Hunt 25/12/11

Hello, Donna,

Can you give me a value on my brother’s lava lamp? He just recently gave it to me. It’s in good working condition and is marked Simplex on the bottom. He got it in the 1970s so I’m wondering, is it an antique one? Thank you kindly, Donna.

Kenny

Dear Kenny,

Your brother gave you a collectible, not yet an antique, but a fun piece from the 1970s. Lava lamps were created in the 1960s by a British inventor. The first ones were called Astro lamps. The Simplex Co. was very popular in the 1970s. Now called Lava Lamps they were made here in the U.S. until the early 2000s, after which they were manufactured in China. Lava lamps were a big part of the 1970s. Lamps of this age in good working condition can bring in the range of $100 to $200+. So yes, Kenny, it does have a value and collectibility these days. It’s very important that the light is clear and the wax inside is in good shape. What a fun piece, Kenny. Thank you for sharing.

Kiddie Pool 25/12/04

Family fun for whenever

Santa time

• New Boston will hold its annual S’mores with Santa event on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, Dec. 7) at the Town Common & Gazebo, 5 Meetinghouse Road in New Boston. The event will feature “caroling by the New Boston Community Church, and New Boston Recreation and Recreation Commission will be providing hot cocoa, s’mores supplies, fires to roast,” and kids can visit with Santa, according to New Boston Recreation. See newbostonnh.gov/recreation for updates.

• The Friends of Griffin Free Library in Auburn will present a Santa Breakfast on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Auburn Village School Cafeteria, 11 Eaton Hill Road in Auburn, according to an event organizer. Santa will arrive by fire truck by 8:45 a.m. and the morning will include a breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, home fries, doughnuts and beverages; photo opportunities with Santa; holiday music; raffles and more, the email said. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids up to grade 8 and free for kids under age 3, with cash, check and credit card accepted, according to the email.

Party time

• Mr. Aaron’s Holiday Bash will come to the BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m., according to ccanh.com.

• The Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will hold A Feast for the Holidays American Girl Tea Party on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with foods and crafts from American Girl Dolls, according to manchesterhistoric.org/event/christmas-tea-2025, where you can purchase tickets.

Storytime

• Author David Elliot will read his latest book,Boar and Hedgehog, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, at MainStreet BookEnds, 16 E. Main St. in Warner, on Saturday, Dec. 6, from noon to 1 p.m., when he will also sign books, according to mainstreetbookends.com. Warner’s downtown will be celebrating Warner’s Hometown Holiday on Saturday, featuring local artists, a storytime at the library and more, the website said.

Treasure Hunt 25/12/04

Dear Donna,

I would like to wish you happy holidays.

It took me a while to find one of these turkey platters, but now I have. It’s huge and in great condition with no damage that I can see. I can’t find any name on it on the back. I bought it at a thrift store and paid $9. For me it was a deal to finally own one similar to the one I grew up with. Going to be the center of my table Thanksgiving Day.

Did I find a deal, Donna?

Thank you.

Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,

You got a deal no matter what! If this makes you happy and brings back memories it’s priceless.

Your turkey platter is not just in your memories but in lots of people’s. Some were fancier and much older, dating to the late 1800s. Others are bright and colorful, running from the 1940s to present! I also remember one on my grandmother’s and mother’s table, only coming out once a year. You never forget them, though.

Values on unmarked ones usually run in the $50 range and up, as long as there’s no damage. So, Cynthia, you got a double deal this time!

Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays to you as well.

Treasure Hunt 25/11/27

Hi, Donna,

I’m wondering if you can provide any information about this desk bell that I purchased at an antique shop several years ago. It’s made entirely of metal. It’s 5.25 inches tall, the base is 4.25 inches across, and the bell is 3 inches in diameter. I’m wondering about its age and value. It’s in very good condition, and it still works! Thank you.

Peter in Manchester

Dear Peter,

Your Victorian Era (late 1800s) service bell was probably used a lot back in its time. Any situation where you would have needed service is what it was for. Countertop bells would be in hotels, stores, etc. Bells are still used today, although most are electric.

Some antique bells are plain, some fancy. I think yours is in the middle but very pretty. I would say the value is in the $90 range. Thanks for sharing with us, Peter.

Donna

Kiddie Pool 25/11/20

Family fun for whenever

Gobble gobble

• Merrimack Parks and Recreation will hold Turkey Quest: The Great Wasserman Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to noon in Wasserman Park, according to merrimackparksandrec.org, where you can register in advance (which is required). Admission costs $10 per family/group, the website said. “Your mission: explore the park on foot, uncover hidden clues, and capture creative photos of special items,” the website said.

Hit the ice

• Public ice skating at JFK Memorial Coliseum, 303 Beech St. in Manchester, in November runs Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. (no skating on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27) and Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., according to a flyer posted on the Manchester Parks and Recreation department Facebook page. Looking to work out some Thanksgiving week energy? Public skate is also available Wednesday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 28, both from 12:30 to 2 p.m., the post said. Admission costs include $5 per person entry and $5 skate rental, cash only, the post said. See manchesternh.gov.

• Public ice skating is also available at Douglas N. Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road in Concord, Tuesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (closed Nov. 27); Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m, and Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and, through Dec. 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m., according to concordnh.gov/921/Ice-Skating-Stick-Practice. Admission costs include $6 for entry and $6 for skate rentals; see the website for punch passes and information on sharpening and helmet rentals.

Holiday storytime

• Author/illustrator Matt Tavares will be at Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St. in Concord on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2 p.m. for a storytime event for his new picture book Dasher and the Polar Bear, according to a press release. “One bright night just before Christmas, Dasher the reindeer is out admiring the stunning colors of the northern lights when she meets George, a sweet polar bear.,” the release said. See gibsonsbookstore.com.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!