Category: Family Fun

Discover WILD NH Day celebrates the outdoors

Saturday, April 15, is the annual celebration of wildlife and outdoor fun known as Discover WILD New Hampshire Day.

“When I started I would see kids coming, and now those people are bringing their kids to the event,” said Mark Beauchesne, WILD New Hampshire Day’s coordinator. “It’s pretty cool to see year after year that this is part of their spring tradition.”

The free event, now in its 33rd year, will have a little bit of everything for everyone, Beauchesne said. People can enjoy different demonstrations, meet with a local author, and participate in other family fun activities, all while learning more about ways to spend time enjoying the local environment.

“This event, it’s a good way to make some connections with organizations that provide resources to the great outdoors,” Beauchnese said. “We’ve got a lot of different things that will connect people with getting outside.”

The biggest goal of WILD New Hampshire Day is to expose people to all the Granite State has to offer in outdoor recreation, but it shows people how to protect the local ecosystem and wildlife as well. Volunteers and experts from New Hampshire Environmental Educators, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the New Hampshire Audubon will all have booths set up.

Beauchnese said the recreational booths will have something for people of all levels of outdoor sporting skill. Whether it’s learning about off-road vehicles, hunting and fishing, or how to easily plan a family hike or the best ways to start a backyard garden, there will be a group ready to show the visitor the ropes.

“A good, large portion of the U.S. and the world look to New Hampshire for outdoor recreation,” Beauchesne said. “This gives us an opportunity to get closer to it and connect to the live outdoors.”

In addition to the booths and outdoor recreation demonstrations, there will be craft spaces, dog show demonstrations from Rise and Shine Retrievers, live animal presentations and more. The event will also have an assortment of food trucks from Smokestack, Bugaboos, Cody’s Sausage and Hotbox.

Last year approximately 8,000 people came to the event, Beauchesne said, and his personal favorite part was the first big event of the day: opening the gates.

“It’s the countdown, from 10 to ‘Happy Discover WILD New Hampshire Day,’” Beauchesne said. “People flood in, and it’s such a fun feeling. You can really feed off of that.”

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day
Where: 11 Hazen Drive, Concord
When: Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit: wildlife.state.nh.us/events/dwnh.html

Family fun for the weekend

Spring has sprung

• Join the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.) for a spring celebration after school on Friday, April 7, beginning at 3 p.m. inside the Winchell Room. Attendees will read spring stories, make a simple craft and go on a small egg hunt out on the library lawn. Registration is recommended. A similar spring celebration is also planned at the library on Thursday, April 6, at 11 a.m., but for kids ages 5 and under. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us or call 624-6550 for more details.

Taking the stage

• The Nashua Chamber Orchestra will present a special free family concert in the Chandler Wing of the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) on Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m. The show will feature Chamber student soloists Carina Lee, an 8th-grader at Elm Street Middle School, on the viola; and Anthony Umbro, a freshman at Nashua North High School, on the oboe. Listeners of all ages are invited to attend and be introduced to the instruments. Visit nco-music.org/family-concert for more details.

• The Hudson Memorial School (1 Memorial Drive) Drama Club will present Annie Jr. The Musical, with showings on Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8, at 7 p.m. inside the school’s gymnasium. Tickets start at $8 per person and are free for kids under 5. Purchase them online at hmsdramaclub.ludus.com.

Storytime

• Londonderry children’s author Kayla Messana will appear at Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St.) for a special storytime and craft event on Saturday, April 8, at 11:30 a.m., featuring her recently released picture book, Spiders Love Meatballs. Perfect for kids ages 1 to 4, the book tells the story of a friendly, meatball-loving spider who only wants to share a meal with you, according to the Eventbrite page. Admission is free; copies of Spiders Love Meatballs will be available for purchase in the shop. Visit bookerymht.com or call 836-6600.

Reach for the stars

• On April 8, 2024, parts of New Hampshire will be in the path of totality for a total solar eclipse for the first time since 1959. To celebrate, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) will hold a special “Eclipse Countdown Kick Off Event” on Saturday, April 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring an afternoon full of presentations, eclipse giveaways, solar telescope viewing with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and pizza, according to starhop.com. The event is included with regular admission to the center ($12 for adults, $11 for seniors and students 13 through college, $9 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for kids ages 2 and under).

Save the date

• Meet Curious George at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover) on Friday, April 14, or Saturday, April 15, at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. George will be available for hugs, high-fives and photos at 10 a.m. during the museum’s morning play sessions (9 a.m. to noon) and at 2 p.m. during the afternoon play sessions (1 to 4 p.m.). There will also be a variety of Curious George-inspired literacy, math and creative activities for all guests. It’s all included in the museum’s standard paid admission ($12.50 for kids and adults, $10.50 for seniors and free for kids under 12 months), and a special member-only meet-and-greet with George will take place on Saturday, April 15, at 8:30 a.m. See childrens-museum.org or call 742-2002.

Get your hunt on at one of the many egg hunts and Easter events

Kids can get ready to meet the Easter bunny, hunt down some eggs, and score some cool prizes this weekend at one of many Easter events.

• Come to the Rodgers Memorial Library (194 Derry Road, Hudson) for Curious Kids: Easter Egg Puffy Paint on Thursday, April 6, at 10 a.m. The program will have a sensory bin, art and engineering designed for kids ages 2 to 6. For more information, visit rodgerslibrary.org

• Altitude Trampoline Park’s three locations (Altitude Trampoline Park, 150 Bridge St., Pelham; 270 Loudon Road, Concord; 360 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) are hosting an Easter Eggstravaganza on Friday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations cost $22 and can be made at altitudetrampolinepark.com.

• Visit Benchmark at Rye (295 Lafayette Road) for springtime activities and an intergenerational Easter egg hunt on Friday, April 7, at noon. See benchmarkseniorliving.com.

• Skyzone (365 Lincoln St., Manchester) is hosting a Little Leapers Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 7, from noon to 1 p.m. Tickets cost $11 and can be purchased at skyzone.com

• Come to Derryfield Park in Manchester for an Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 7, at 4 p.m. Registration is free; see fb.me/e/9LBhaRxP1.

• The Gilford Youth Center and the Gilford Parks and Recreation Department are hosting Breakfast with Bunny and Friends at the center (19 Potter Hill Road) on Saturday, April 8, from 8 to 10 a.m. Kids and their families can have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny and enjoy breakfast, face painting and coloring pages, and they can enter in a cookie walk and basket raffle. The breakfast costs $4 for kids, $6 for adults. Visit gilfordyouthcenter.com.

• The 14th Annual Our Promise to Nicholas Indoor Maze to the Egg Hunt is on Saturday, April 8, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the NH Sportsplex (68 Technology Dr., Bedford). Kids will explore the indoor maze and fill their baskets with some of the 15,000 plastic eggs available for the hunt. Ticket price ranges from $8 to $56. Visit ourpromisetonicholas.com.

• The Egg-Citing Egg Hunt is back at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) on Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets to attend cost $22 and can be purchased at visitthefarm.com.

• The Carriage Shack Farm (5 Dan Hill Road, Londonderry) is hosting an Easter Bunny Party on Saturday, April 8, at 10 a.m. In addition to spending time with the Easter Bunny and the farm’s animals, kids can collect Easter eggs and treasures on the Easter bunny trail. Tickets cost $12.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids ages 1 to 15, and kids younger than 1 are free. Visit carriageshackfarmllc.org to purchase tickets.

• Hudson’s Best Egg Hunt at Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road in Hudson) will have hunt times at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon on Saturday, April 8, featuring more than 5,000 eggs and photos with the Easter Bunny. See hudsonnhsbest.com to reserve a spot.

• Head to Arthur Donati Memorial Field (51 Main St., Hooksett) for the For The City Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The hunts will be grouped by age and held across three fields. Visit hooksetteaster.com.

• Everyone Eats Different Food is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt with a special appearance by the Easter Bunny at Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) on Saturday, April 8, at 10:30 a.m. Registration is free. Visit everyoneeatsdifferentfood.org.

• Miles Smith Farm (56 Whitehouse Road, Loudon) is hosting Easter on the Farm on Saturday, April 8, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids will be allowed to sit on the Scottish Highland cow, Curious Blu, and meet the other barnyard animals. Tickets cost $15 for adults; children are free. Visit learningnetworksfoundation.com.

• The 5th Annual Nashua Easter Family Fun Day is going to be at Broad Street Elementary School (390 Broad St., Nashua) on Saturday, April 8. The fun day (which runs from noon to 5 p.m.) will have egg hunts, games, food, vendors and crafters, and free pictures with the Easter Bunny. Tickets cost $2 for the kids’ egg hunt (on April 4, available time slots start at 11:30 a.m.). Visit allevents.in/nashua/80001306747056 to reserve a spot.

• Come to the Amherst Town Green (Main Street) on April 8, for Amherst’s Best Easter Egg Hunt at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. There will be more than 5,000 eggs hidden throughout the green for kids to find, including golden eggs with special prizes. Visit funnels.amherstsmartialarts.com/egghunt-2023 to reserve a spot.

• The 7th Annual Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt will be at Stark Park (650 River Road, Manchester) on Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m. Kids will be able to hunt for Easter eggs and get a special Easter surprise. See fb.me/e/NLJJ4bfB.

Family fun for the weekend

Showtime

• The Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet is performing Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Balleton Sunday, April 2, at 4 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). The dancers will also perform The Ugly Duckling. Fancy Nancy follows two girls, Nancy and Bree, as they audition for the exciting and glamorous ballet Deep-Sea Dances. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 12 and younger. See palacetheatre.org.

• Classic fairytales are retold in the Sondheim classic Into the Woodsperformed by the Palace Youth Theatre on Monday, April 3, and Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for children ages 6 to 12. For more information, visit palacetheatre.org

Bunnies, eggs and more

• Join the Lions Clubs of Pinardville and Goffstown on Saturday, April 1, at Roy Park playground (31 Rosemont St., Goffstown) for an Easter egg hunt. Ages 1 and 2 hunt at 9 a.m., ages 3 to 5 at 9:45 a.m., ages 6 to 9 at 10:30 a.m., and ages 10 to 12 at 11:15 a.m. The clubs encourage hunters to bring their own egg baskets. Visit goffstownlions.org.

• Starting on Saturday, April 1, Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) will have Easter egg hunts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hunts will continue on Sunday, April 2, and Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9. Kids ages 2 to 12 can hunt for a dozen candy-filled eggs that are prepackaged for them to bring home. The farm’s website gives a hint on where the eggs are located: Find the Easter Bunny and you will find the eggs. The hunt costs $22 a person and tickets must be purchased in advance at visitthefarm.com.

• Join the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) for its Egg-citing egg hunt on Saturday, April 1, at either 10 a.m. or noon. In addition to collecting eggs, kids can meet the Easter bunny, and get a special prize if they find the special golden egg. Tickets for the egg hunt cost $20 and can be purchased at theeducationalfarm.org

• The Easter Bunny will arrive at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) on a student-built airplane at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. He will pass out candy and be available for photos until 12:30 p.m. Visit nhahs.org.

Outdoor activities

• Ring in spring at the Goffstown Citizens Committee SpringFest 2023 at Goffstown High School (27 Wallace Road) on Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. There will be a kids’ carnival featuring bounce houses, slides, table games, face painting, a vendor area with 70 booths set up, a food court for snacks and meals, and more. Tickets are $5 for adults; children 12 and younger are free. Visit allevents.in/goffstown/200024205160156.

• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) is hosting Goat Stories and Masks for kids ages 1 to 6 on Monday, April 3, at 1 p.m. Kids will get to go around the farm and see and learn more about the goats before having the chance to make their own goat mask out of material provided for them. Tickets cost $15 per child. Visit theeducationalfarm.org for more information.

Save the date

• Join the Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation at the NH Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford) for an indoor maze and egg hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 8:30 a.m. There will be 15,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and other prizes for kids to find spread out across the plex’s turf. Tickets for one egg hunter cost $8 online, $10 at the door, with pricing options available for families and larger groups as well. Visit ourpromisetonicholas.com to purchase tickets.