Category: Family Fun

Family fun for whenever

Special events

• Manchester Proud and the Manchester School District will present CelebratED! On Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester to celebrate the new school year, according to a press release. This free event offers entertainment, food, presentations from schools, music performances from schools, an art gallery in the park, nearly 60 organizations with booths and activities, food (including Kona Ice for kids, pizza and foods including Caribbean, Nepalese, Mexican, African, Thai and Mediterranean), the Bookmobile and more, the release said.

• Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester (669 Union St. in Manchester) will hold a Fall Equinox Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 22, with a service at 10 a.m. followed by a free family concert and activities on the lawn from 11:30 a.m. through 2 p.m., according to a press release. Amy Conley will play the guitar and banjo from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; there will be pumpkin painting and a chili luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (with a suggested donation of $5); there will be raffles and a free recital in the sanctuary from 3 to 4 p.m. featuring violin and piano performances by Elliott Markow, the release said.

On the pitch

• This weekend at Southern New Hampshire University, see the Penmen Men’s Soccer team take on Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium (Victory Lane in Hooksett). The next home game for the Women’s Soccer team is next Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. See snhupenmen.com.

• At Saint Anselm College, the Hawks Men’s Soccer teamwill take on Adelphi University on Saturday, Sept. 21, at noon at Melucci Field at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. The next Women’s Soccer home games will be Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 3 p.m. versus Saint Michael’s College and Saturday, Sept. 28, at noon versus Adelphi University. See saintanselmhawks.com.

• At Rivier College, the Raiders Women’s Soccer team will play their next home game on Saturday, Sept. 21, at noon against Simmons University at Joanne Merrill Field, 438 S. Main St. in Nashua. The Men’s Soccer home game this weekend is Saturday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. at Merrill Field, versus Thomas College. See rivierathletics.com.

Town celebrations

• Hollis Old Home Days take place Friday, Sept. 20, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Nichols Field and Lawrence Barn on Depot Road in Hollis. The schedule includes midway and rides both days, kids’ art activities and scavenger hunt (Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), a pony pageant (Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m.), Granite State Disc Dogs (Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m.), dance and cheer performances, a DJ on Friday, live music on Saturday, a petting zoo, and fireworks on Saturday at 8 p.m., according to hollisoldhomedays.org.

• Derryfest will run Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MacGregor Park in downtown Derry. The day will feature food, crafts, games, a line-up of vendors and a schedule of music and performances that runs throughout the day, according to derryfest.org, where you can find a map of the event.

• Hooksett Old Home Day is Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with fireworks scheduled after dusk. The day starts with a parade from Lamberts Park to Donati Park (behind Town Hall, 35 Main St., Hooksett) at 10 a.m. Check out the Heritage Trolley Tour from noon to 3 p.m. Free amusements including a rock wall and bungee jump, photo booth, module rainbow house, a dry slide and more will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A petting farm will run from noon to 4 p.m. A magic show with BJ Hickman is slated to start at 11:05 a.m. and 2 p.m. Music and performances will run throughout the afternoon and fireworks are slated for 7:30 p.m., all according to hooksettoldhomeday.org. The event will also feature eating competitions — watermelon at 12:15 p.m., pizza at 1:30 p.m. and pie at 3 p.m., the website said.

• And for something a little more low-key and eats-focused, the East Kingston Summer Market will be held Sunday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Kingston Public Library (47 Maplevale Road, East Kingston, 642-8333, eastkingstonlibrary.org). Find produce, crafts and live music, according to the library website.

Fun with wings

• Wheels & Wings 2024 will feature fire trucks, police vehicles, airplanes, helicopters, DPW vehicles, electric cars and other things that go ready for exploration on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nashua Airport (93 Perimeter Road in Nashua), according to the Nashua Parks and Recreation Facebook page. This event is free.

• Portsmouth Fairy House Tours take place Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Portsmouth at the Strawbery Banke Museum, John Langdon House, Prescott Park and Gundalow waterfront, where you can find hundreds of fairy houses on display, according to fairyhousetour.com. Saturday will kick off with an opening day fairy parade at 9:30 a.m. Through the weekend, see “fairy-inspired performances” by the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater, The Players’ Ring and the New Hampshire Theatre Project, the website said. The weekend will also feature a fairy book and photo display and a live creation of a fairy house sculpture for permanent display in downtown Portsmouth, the website said. Tickets cost $12 for adults in advance ($15 at the gate), $8 for 65+ ($10 at the gate), $5 for children ages 3 to 12 ($7 at the gate) and $30 for a family pack of four tickets ($35 at the gate). Children under 3 get in for free, the website said. See the website for information about joining the parade.

Celebrate pie

• The Great New Hampshire Pie Festival will take place at the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Highway, Milton, nhfarmmuseum.org) on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $15 ($5 for kids 12 and under, and free for pie-bakers). Local bakeries will have pies for sampling while local pie makers will compete in a pie contest (kids 12 and under can enter a pie in their own category). The day will also feature a pie crust rolling demonstration, a raffle, a silent auction, tractor rides, visits with the animals, tours of historic buildings and live music from Lance Maclean and the Moose Mountain String Band, according to the website. Lunch will be available for purchase, the website said.

Pick for your own pie

Looking to pick apples for pie or other fall treats? Check out the story in last week’s paper, the issue of Sept. 12, which includes listings for some area pick-your-own orchards. The story starts on page 10; find the issue in our digital library at hippopress.com. Some locations with special offerings this weekend include:

• Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest. com) Open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The orchard also features a corn maze and weekend festivals, such as this weekend’s Autumn Equinox Festival, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring live music including Back Woods Road on Saturday and Unsung Heroes Band on Sunday. Fall festivals may also include a traditional corn roast, fresh press apple cider and lawn games, the website said.

• Appleview Orchard (1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield, applevieworchard.com, 435- 3553) is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Find a playground, farm animals, picnic areas and more, the website said.

• Gould Hill Farm (656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com) Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and this Saturday, Sept. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. catch internationally touring folk rock singer-songwriter Justin Cohn, according to the website.

• Mack’s Apples/Moose Hill Orchard (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434- 7619, macksapples.com) has opened its pumpkin patch. Find more about the weekend’s happenings on their Facebook page, such as last weekend’s Bee Train ride for kids.

On stage

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will be presented by the Powerhouse Theatre Collaboration (powerhousenh.org) at Prescott Farm in Laconia Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22, with performances beginning every 20 minutes from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Book a time slot online.

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

Save the date

• The Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org) will present Lindsey and Her Puppet Pals on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. “Lindsay’s funny, fast-paced, and highly interactive variety show delights the young and the young at heart!” according to the website. “This program is a great fit for ages 3-8 and families.” Tickets cost $18 general admission, $15 for ages 12 and under.

Family fun for whenever

Indoor and outdoor fun

• Auburn will hold its 31st annual Duck Race on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. as part of 2024 Auburn Day, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Auburn Village on Hooksett Road. Winning ducks get their ticket-holders prizes — from $1,000 for first prize through $25 for 6th through 10th place. The day will also feature an apple pie contest, a cookie baking contest for kids, a small petting zoo, music by Ray Zerkle, the Pinkerton Marching Band, a New Hampshire National Guard Black Hawk helicopter, food trucks, children’s games and more. See auburnhistorical.org.

• Friends of Benson Park’s third annual Family Fun Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Benson Park (19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, friendsofbensonpark.org). Cub Scouts Pack 21 and Girl Scouts Troop 12070 will be in attendance, as will Balloons by Michelle, UFO Party Rental and the Carriage Shack Farm Traveling Petting Zoo with their fuzzy animals. Participants will enjoy music from SNHUG, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and Let’s Play Music soloist Aryanna Cabrera throughout the day.

• The Granite State Fair at 72 Lafayette Road in Rochester will run Thursday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 15, and Thursday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 22. Find a ride list with height requirements at granitestatefair.com. One-day tickets cost $10 per person through Sept. 11, or $12 per person Sept. 12 and beyond (children 8 and under get in free).

• Pelham Old Home Day is Saturday, Sept. 14, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3 Main St. in Pelham. The day will include music, fitness demonstrations, dance and martial arts demonstrations, food trucks (meat pies, poutine, hot dogs, fries, chicken fingers, ice cream, beverages and desserts), a pancake and sausage breakfast at the Church Fellowship Hall, crafts and goods vendors, a white elephant yard sale, a 5K road race, kids’ games, touch a truck, a cornhole tournament, a grand parade, a performance by the Windham Community Band, a penny sale raffle and more, according to pelhamoldhomeday.org.

Especially for the littles

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold Toddlerfest, its annual celebration of the littlest museum-goers featuring special activities and events, Tuesday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 29. A visit to the museum requires online reservations.

• Different Drummer Farm (55 South Road, Candia, differentdrummerfarm.com ) wants Granite Staters to pack up their picnic baskets and favorite teddy bear or other stuffed friend on Sunday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for their Teddy Bear Picnic. Children can enjoy petting and feeding the farm animals, creating teddy bear crafts, going on a bear hunt or wagon ride, a storytime put on by Ballet Misha, a family photo at the photo op spot, and an optional pony ride. A limited amount of picnic basket lunches are available in advance. There will be sweet treats, teddy bear gifts, souvenirs and additional food at the snack bar. Tickets are $50 for a family of three or more, or $20 per individual ticket. The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 22.

Especially for the pups

• The Humane Society for Greater Nashua will hold its Wags to Whiskers Festival Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, anheuser-busch.com/ breweries/merrimack-nh). It will be a day of fun, featuring vendors, food trucks, demos, games and raffles. There will be an adoption tent on site with puppies. Visit hsfn.org/wags-whiskersfestival. Tickets are $15 for adults 21 and up, $12 for ages 17 to 20. Ages 16 and younger attend free.

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.