Category: Family Fun

Treasure Hunt 25/09/25

Hello, Donna.

This was my mother’s button tin. She always had a button to replace a lost one. I don’t seem to have a need for it anymore. Do you think you can advise me on how to find it a new home?

Thanks, Donna.

Celeste

Dear Celeste,

Let me start by saying, my mom too had a sewing tin with buttons, needles, etc., so you make me think. Ah, memories!

Buttons can be very collectible or useful for crafts. If all of them were just common buttons, then for crafts it is.

But some, depending on age, rarity, and what they are made of, can be very valuable. You should take a minute to have them looked at by a local antique shop. They could tell you if there are any valuable ones. Even some modern buttons can be valuable. So it is worth the effort. If there is nothing in there of value, then as I said someone would love them for crafts. Or maybe even for replacement buttons again.

I hope you find a treasure in the tin of buttons, Celeste. I thank you for the smile you gave me.

Donna Welch has spent more than 35 years in the antiques and collectibles field, appraising and instructing. Her new location is an Antique Art Studio located in Dunbarton, NH where she is still buying and selling. If you have questions about an antique or collectible send a clear photo and information to Donna at footwdw@aol.com, or call her at 391-6550.

Kiddie Pool 25/09/18

Family fun for whenever

Space and beyond

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord will hold its annual AerospaceFest Saturday, Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry to the event is free, with a $5 per person suggested donation, according to the center’s website, starhop.com. The fest celebrates all things related to space, aviation, Earth science and more, with STEM organizations from around New England presenting demonstrations and activities inside and outside of the Discovery Center, the website said. The event will feature keynote speaker Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, a retired astronaut; new planetarium show Asteroid: Mission Extreme; on-site food trucks and more, the website said.

Wings and wheels

Nashua Airport’s Wheels & Wings “A Touch a Truck Event” will take place Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with cars, trucks and planes to see and explore, according to the city’s SummerFun brochure at nashuanh.gov. The event will feature a horns-free hour from 1 to 2 p.m. and collect nonperishable food for End 68 Hours of Hunger, the brochure said. The airport is at 79 Perimeter Road in Nashua; see nashuaairport.com.

Family fun

The 5th Annual Family Fun Day hosted by the Friends of Benson Park will take place Saturday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road in Hudson. The day will feature music, magic, a petting zoo, a visit with the Old Woman in the Shoe, games, raffles and ice cream for sale, according to friendsofbensonpark.org/ family-fun-day-2025.

For the younger kids

Toddlerfest, the annual celebration of younger kids at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover, will run Friday, Sept. 19, through Friday, Oct. 3. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., and Tuesdays and Sundays 9 a.m. to noon. The event is part of regular admission; see childrens-museum.org.

Treasure Hunt 25/09/18

Dear Donna,

I found this man’s ring in a box that belonged to my sister. I don’t believe it was hers. Possibly something she picked up along the way. It’s marked 14 KT inside. It also has a tiny diamond. Donna, can you give me any information on the value and where to go?

Shawn

Dear Shawn,

First, if the ring has no sentimental value, then I think it should be easy to sell.

Shawn, I think I would first bring it to a jeweler in your area to see what the value of the weight in gold is. I would then bring it to another to compare information.You need to feel comfortable with who you sell it to. I think the value will be in the gold, unless the maker is marked inside, which could make the ring more valuable. A jeweler will know that. The diamond chip is really of no significance to the value at this point.

It should be somewhere in the range of $200+ for scrap. Gold is high right now. This all depends on the weight of the ring.

Shawn, I hope this is helpful and you have good luck selling it. If you need a referral just reach out.

Thanks for sharing.

Kiddie Pool 25/09/11

Family fun for whenever

Season wrap

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will play their final series of regular season home games at Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester against the Chesapeake Baysox through the game on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 1:35 p.m. Games (which started Tuesday, Sept. 9) leading up to that start at 6:35 p.m. At the game on Thursday, Sept. 11, there will be a koozie giveaway; on Friday, Sept. 12, Margaritaville Night will feature a Dri-Fit T-shirt giveaway, according to milb.com/new-hampshire, where you can find tickets.

More fair fun

• The Granite State Fair will run Thursday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 14, and Thursday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 21, at 72 Lafayette St. in Rochester. See granitestatefair.com for the lineup of midway rides (and their height rules). Grandstand events include Bus Derby, Demolition Derby, Car Soccer and ATV Drag Race; find specialty tickets and a schedule on the website. Catch Circus Hollywood shows daily throughout the run of the fair, see animal exhibits and the petting zoo (also open daily) and enjoy competitions such as the cornhole tournament (Fridays, Sept. 12 and 19, at 7 p.m.), the King Arthur Cookie Contest (Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m.) and the Miss Granite State Fair Pageant (Sunday, Sept. 21, at noon), according to the website, where you can purchase tickets.

More hometown fun

• The 2025 Auburn Day and 32nd Annual Duck Race will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Auburn Village on Hooksett Road between Raymond Road and Eaton Hill Road, according to auburnhistorical.org. The day’s highlight is the Duck Race, tickets for which will be on sale through 2:30 p.m. — $5 per duck or a quack pack of five for $20, according to the website. The 10 fastest ducks during the race receive prizes, according to an email about the event. Other fun on Saturday: The New Hampshire National Guard and a Black Hawk helicopter will be on the athletic field near Auburn Village School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Ray Zerkle will perform music during the day; find local authors, demonstrators (with crafts such as spinning wool, blacksmithing, maple syrup making, apple cider pressing and pottery making) and balloon animals on Library grounds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and find local artisans as well as nonprofit and sponsor booths throughout the event, the website said. An apple pie contest and kids’ cookie baking contest will take place, with winners announced at noon, the website said. The Parks and Rec department will offer activities including a climbing wall, cornhole and a petting farm, and there will be children’s games behind the library, the website said. The food vendor line-up features the Auburn Fire Department with sausage subs, the Auburn Police Department with french fries, Longmeadow Church with fried dough and food trucks including B’s Tacos, Bentley’s Famous BBQ, Squeeze the Day Lemonade, Ice Cream for You, The Wacky Candy Shack and Kona Ice, the website said.

• Pelham Old Home Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, with events starting at 7 a.m. (a pancake breakfast at Church Fellowship Hall) through 5 p.m. The day will feature a white elephant yard sale, a crafts-and-more vendor sale, food trucks, kids’ games, a 5K (10 a.m.), live performances throughout the day, a touch-a-truck (starting at 11 a.m.), a penny sale, a quilt raffle and a grand parade (2:30 p.m.), according to pelhamoldhomeday.org. Scheduled kids events include inflatable obstacle courses, face painting, pony rides and a petting zoo, the website said. Food trucks slated to attend include GKK Concessions (with sausage, hot dogs, french fries, chicken fingers and more), Kona Ice, Augusta’s Chicken on the Road, Thwaites Market (with meat pies), The Whoopie Wagon (with whoopie pies), Oh Sugar! (with lemonade, cannolis, cupcakes and more), ZW’s BBQ, Eggroll Cafe, TW Provisions (with sausage sandwiches), One Happy Clam and ABC Bowls (with acai bowls and dessert crepes), the website said.

Treasure Hunt 25/09/11

Hi, Donna.

I have nine big bins of Annalee dolls. Many are holiday-themed (Halloween, Christmas, etc.) and they all still have their tags. My late brother collected them from the late 1980s to mid-2000s. I’d like to sell them; the only problem is that they smell of mothballs. I’ve spent the summer adding baking soda to the bins. I’ve taken a few and aired them out, but they still have that mothball smell. There are so many dolls that I don’t know how to deal with this. I know some of them are valuable and I don’t want to throw them out. Any advice? Thanks!

April

Dear April,

Mothball smell can be a never-ending project to remove. Along with many at-home methods, there are many store-bought items that promise to remove mothball odor. I have never had much luck with any, especially when the items have been stored sealed. I might try airing them individually for long periods of time. But with them being collectible Annalee dolls you don’t want to damage them by trying to remove the smell. April, knowing the New Hampshire-made dolls are all different in demand and value, I think I also might try marketing them just the way they are. Let the collectors remove the smell. Try to figure out what might make you happy for a total value. Keep in mind the smell is very significant to values. If the smell stays even slight, it’s just a matter of finding someone who would love them and give them a new home.

Kiddie Pool 25/09/04

Family fun for whenever

Kid to kid

The Sept. 5 First Friday Concord, which runs from 4 to 8 p.m., is themed “‘Fall’ in Love with Concord” and features food trucks (Batulo’s Kitchen, Kona Ice, Teenie Weenies), yoga on the Statehouse lawn, live music from Tyler Levs in City Plaza and The Wandering Souls in Bicentennial Square, firstfridayconcord.com. This week’s downtown happening also includes a Children’s Entrepreneur Market, the website said. Participating kid entrepreneurs are encouraged to sell lemonade, handmade crafts, balloon animals, upcycled fashion pieces and more, according to a post from the event organizer on Intown Concord’s Facebook page.

Fair fun

Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair, held at the New Boston 4-H Youth Center at 17 Hilldale Lane in New Boston, will run Friday, Sept. 5, through Sunday, Sept. 7, opening at noon on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The fair features 4-H exhibits and shows as well as demos (such as K-9 demonstrations, an invasive plant identification lab, a HAM radio demonstration and more) and animal costume contests, according to the fair schedule on the fair’s website. Find a midway with rides and games, and the Battle of the Bands will take place Friday at 4:30 p.m. Saturday night (9 p.m.) will include fireworks, according to hcafair.org. Kids’ activities include: on Friday, noon to 5 p.m., a scavenger hunt, pedal tractor course and sand pile; on Saturday, children’s story hour at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and on Sunday a scavenger hunt and pedal tractor course from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the website said.

Movie time

• IF(PG, 2024) will screen on Friday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. at the Auburn Safety Complex; see auburnnh.gov.

• The Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, will screenMinions (PG, 2015) on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m. See nashuacenterforthearts.com.

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