Category: Family Fun

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.

Kiddie Pool 24/08/15

Family fun for whenever

Fairs and fests

• Don’t miss Londonderry’s 125th annual Old Home Days, which started Wednesday, Aug. 14, and go through Saturday, Aug. 17. There are concerts, fireworks, a parade, a 5K road race, a baby contest and children’s games. See the article in last week’s Hippo for details or visit londonderrynh.gov.

• The 125th Gilmanton Old Home Day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Smith Meeting House (Meeting House and Governor roads, Gilmanton). Previous events have included live entertainment, a puppet show, a silent auction, an antique auto parade and an art show. Visit gilmantonnh.org/organizations/gilmanton-old-home-day for details.

• The Sunflower Bloom Festival at fields in Concord will run daily until Sunday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, according to sunfoxfarm.org. The festival features live music, food vendors and more. See the article on the festival from last week’s issue of the Hippo. Admission costs $10; kids 10 and under get in free; cut your own flowers for $2 per stem.

History & machines

• Hillsborough’s History Alive event will be held Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18, at Jones Road in Hillsborough. It will focus on historical reenactments of famous battles and daily village life from times past, and will include activities, crafts and musicians. Tickets are $10 per adult and $8 for seniors. The event is free for children 16 and under when accompanied by an adult. You can purchase a bracelet on the day of the event and it will cover both days. Cash only; credit cards are not accepted in person. Visit historyalivenh.org.

• The New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Highway, Milton) is hosting its annual Truck and Tractor Day on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Trucks, wagons, antique cars and tractors dating back to the mid 1900s will be on display, and the event will feature demonstrations on things like the two-man saw and the butter churn treadmill. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $6 for children ages 4 to 17, and free for children under 4. A family pass is available for $30. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) hosts Planefest! Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with outdoor aviation-related activities and games, planes on display, pilots and other aviation-related professionals on hand to discuss their careers and, at 1 p.m., a cake to celebrate the Aug. 19, 1871, birthday of Orville Wright, according to a press release. The free outdoor activities are geared toward elementary school and middle school aged kids. The museum will be open (with regular admission prices) during the event.

The museum is also extending its hours as we enter the final week of summer vacation. In addition to its regular hours of Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., the museum will also be open Wednesday, Aug. 21, and Thursday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the museum’s Elite Flight Simulator open from 1 to 4 p.m. on those days, according to a press release. The flight simulator is open first come, first served for ages 12 and up, the release said. Admission to the museum is free for children ages 5 and under, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and $10 for ages 13 and above, the release said.

Plays and movies

​• The Palace Youth Theatre Summer Camp presents The Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition on Friday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 17, at 11 a.m. 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.

• Also at the Palace, catch the next few shows in the 2024 Bank of NH Children’s Summer Series. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. is on stage through Aug. 16, and Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr. runs Aug. 20 to Aug. 23. according to the theater’s website. Shows are Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets to each show cost $10 per person.

• Fathom Events has kid-friendly movies on its schedule (see fathomevents.com for local theaters). Coraline (PG, 2009) will be screening from Thursday, Aug. 15, through Thursday, Aug. 22, at select theaters, including Apple Cinemas in Hooksett and Merrimack; AMC Classic in Londonderry; Cinemark in Salem, and O’neil Cinemas in Epping.

Treasure Hunt 24/08/15

Dear Donna,

I got this flower ceiling light at a local consignment store. I have a question about whether it should be re-wired. Also can you give me an idea if I got a deal on it or not?

Thank you, Donna.

Phil

Dear Phil,

Your chandelier looks to be in good clean condition.

Let’s address the wiring first. I always say if there is any wear on the cord or where it makes an electrical contact, then definitively yes, it should be re-wired. Better safe than sorry, right? If it’s clean and still not hard but a pliable cord then maybe just leave it.

If your chandelier is an older one from the 1940s-1970s and in working order I would say the value is in the range of $250.

It could also be a reproduction of an older one. You could tell by the electrical cord, screws, paint or if there is any maker’s name on it.

So, Phil, depending on what you paid for it, I would say you got a little treasure. Nice piece. Thanks for sharing with us and I hope you get to use it with minimal or no repairs.

Treasure Hunt 24/08/08

Dear Donna,

I’m checking with you for advice. I have inherited this pair of sterling silver marked Gorham candlesticks. They are in good condition but in need of cleaning. Should I clean and what would you recommend if yes?

Ann

Dear Ann,

Good question, to clean sterling silver or not! Gorham has been around since the early 1800s. Gorham Silver, later Gorham Manufacturing Co., was a very well-known producer of quality silver — not just candlesticks but many other items as well. The company was located in Providence, Rhode Island, and had a long and interesting history.

Cleaning silver is to me a personal choice. It needs to be done correctly. There are many cleaning and polishing products you can use. Just follow the instructions and never use anything abrasive. A hint for cleaning is don’t bother unless you want to keep doing it. The exposure to sir, sun etc. will tarnish it again. So if you’re just going to keep them for family history, pack them in cloth and an airtight bag and store away. Sterling silver is beautiful and reflective, but a lot of work keeping that way as well.

The value of your pair of weighted Gorham candlesticks is in the range of $250+. (Weighted silver is a thin coat of silver over sand or cement, mostly used in the base for stabilizing.) Nice treasure to inherit! Thanks for sharing.

Kiddie Pool 24/08/08

Family fun for whenever

Screen time

• O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway, Epping, oneilcinemas.com) runs a summer kids series that started on Monday, June 24, with shows on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The screening for their last week is Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (PG, 2018) on Monday, Aug. 12, and Wednesday, Aug. 14.

• On Monday, Aug. 12, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) will be screened as part of the Prescott Park Arts Festival Movie Nights in Prescott Park in Portsmouth. Suggested donation is $5 per person and there’s an 8:30 p.m. start time. Concessions will be available for sale.

• Cinemark Rockingham Park (15 Mall Road, Salem, cinemark.com) is screening kid-friendly films on Wednesdays at 10 a.m and will be screening the last installment of the series with Paddington 2 (PG, 2017) on Wednesday, Aug. 14.

Fests and fairs

• The Town of Windham Recreation Department will host a Food Truck Festival and Car Show on the grounds of Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road, Windham) on Sunday, Aug. 11. In addition to yummy eats from local food trucks, there will be music and games of cornhole. For details contact the Windham Recreation office at 965-1208 or [email protected].

• Don’t miss the 16th annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival, Monday, Aug. 12, through Friday, Aug. 16. The event includes ice cream, dancing, balloons, storytelling, a magic show and a costume parade. All activities are free and open to the public. Visit hamptonbeach.org/events/ childrens-events for details as they become available.

• Hudson’s Old Home Days return Thursday, Aug. 8, to Sunday, Aug. 11, on the grounds of the Hill House (211 Derry Road, Hudson). There will be carnival games, live music, cow pie bingo, fireworks, food and more. Event times are Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. See hudsonoldhomedays.com.

Sports

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, are in the middle of a home series with the Erie SeaWolves, a Detroit Tigers affiliate, that runs until Sunday, Aug. 12. Highlights of the series include a Sitcom Night on Thursday, Aug. 8, and a celebration of the ’90s on Saturday, Aug. 10, where attendees who bring in Beanie Babies get in free and the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a clear fanny pack. Fireworks are scheduled for after the game on Saturday. Games Thursday through Saturday are at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 1:35 p.m. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Puppets and costumes

• Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center (26 Main St., Peterborough, 924-4555, mariposamuseum.org) is a museum of art and artifacts from around the world that includes hands-on exhibits with costumes, puppets, instruments and more for children to explore. One of their current exhibitions is “Tradition and Revolution in Indian Shadow Puppetry,” put on in collaboration with the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut and curated by Rahul Koonathara, celebrating the spectacular South Indian shadow puppet traditions of Tolu, Bommalatta and Tholpavakoothu, according to their website. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for kids ages 3 through 16 but is free for members.

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