Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Thursday night live

Cowabunga’s Indoor Playground (725 Huse Road in Manchester; cowabungas.com, 935-9659) will hold a “Dinner & a Dance Party” on Thursday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. For $25 per kid, children get a meal, two hours of play time and a meet and greet with a special character. Similar events are scheduled through April — the guest for Thursday, April 14, is scheduled to be the Easter Bunny.

See a show

• The Epping Middle High School Drama Club will presentBeauty and the Beast Jr. on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 at the door in cash or check. The show, a youth adaptation of the 1994 Broadway play and 1991 animated film, will feature kids in grades 6 through 12, according to a press release. The show will take place at the Epping Playhouse (38 Ladd’s Lane in Epping). See eppingtheater.org.

• The Methuen Ballet Ensemble will present an all-ages-friendly ballet of Cinderella on Saturday, April 2, at 2:30 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $25. See derryoperahouse.org.

• The Palace Youth Theatre will present The Descendants The Musical on Monday, March 4, and Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $12 to $15. The show features student actors in grades 2 through 12.

The spring sky

• “The Stars and the Planets of Spring” is the focus of the virtual Super Stellar Friday Online program on Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m. via the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827). Register for the free discussion to find out what planets can be seen in the spring sky without a telescope.

The center itself is open to the public Fridays through Sundays with sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. There will be four planetarium shows daily, according to the website, which recommends purchasing timed tickets in advance. Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors and $8.50 for kids ages 3 to 12 (admission is free for children 2 and under; masks required for visitors over the age of 2). Planetarium show tickets cost $5 per person (free for children 2 and under); see the website for the schedule of planetarium shows.

Spring storytime

• The storytime and craft at the Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, April 2, will celebrate spring. The book will be First Notes of Spring by Jessica Kulekjian, illustrated by Jennifer Bower. The craft will be making spring wands, according to the website.

A little more syrup

Ben’s Sugar Shack, with locations in Temple and Newbury, has its final scheduled weekend tours of maple season this weekend, Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See the syrup process from tree to finished product and enjoy some maple samples, according to bensmaplesyrup.com.

Save the date: For PJ Masks

To celebrate National Superhero Day, local theaters will present PJ Masks We Can All Be Heroes, an event featuring a four-part PJ Masks adventure, music videos and other PJ Masks clips. The presentation will screen Saturday, April 23, at 2 p.m. at AMC Londonderry (16 Orchard View Drive in Londonderry) and Cinemark Rockingham Park (15 Mall Road in Salem) and at 10 a.m. at the O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping). Ticket prices vary at the different theaters; see fathomevents.com.

Family fun for the weekend

More maple

If you didn’t get enough of the sweet stuff during last weekend’s statewide Maple Weekend, the maple fun continues this weekend with some sugar houses continuing tours (find a complete listing of local sugar houses at nhmapleproducers.com).

Ben’s Sugar Shack, with locations in Temple and Newbury, will continue offering weekend tours through Sunday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See the syrup process from tree to finished product and enjoy some maple samples, according to bensmaplesyrup.com. The Temple location will also have maple doughnuts and maple soft serve, according to Ben’s Facebook page.

Several other sugar houses are open weekends through March. Check out the list of area sugar houses in last week’s (March 17) issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition on hippopress.com and the list starting on page 11.

Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) also has some maple programming on the calendar. On Saturday, March 26, sign up for Sugar Shack Live, an evening that will feature a campfire (BYO marshmallows or hot dogs), a look at the sugar shack and boiling sap, a horse-drawn or tractor ride and live music. Tickets must be purchased online and cost $29. Or check out the Maple Express Saturday, March 26, or Sunday, March 27, when you can see tree tapping, visit the animals and get a taste of the syrup on some pancakes. Admission costs $22 and must be purchased online.

On stage

The Pinkerton Players present Pippin at the Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.com, 437-5210) Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 27, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

The Bedford Youth Performing Company presents Matilda this weekend — Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 27, at 1 and 7 p.m. — at the Derryfield School theater (2108 River Road in Manchester). Tickets cost $17.50 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and are available via showtix4u.com. Call 472-3894.

The Majestic Theatre presents Frozen Jr. this Friday, March 25, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 26, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 27, at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for 65+ and $10 for 17 and under. Call 669-7469 or see majestictheatre.net.

Bye Bye Birdie continues its run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) with shows this weekend on Friday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 26, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 27, at noon. Tickets cost $39 and $46 for adults, $25 for kids through age 12.

On stage at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) catch the Palace Youth Theatre Dance Show on Sunday, March 27, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10 to this 45-minute show.

And for older young theater-goers, the Palace Teen Company will present Carrie at the Rex Theatre on Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

Family fun for the weekend

Art of the video game

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) is now displaying “Video Game Art,” an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ralph Baer’s birthday. Baer is the Manchester inventor who crafted the prototype for the first video game (find a statue commemorating him in Arms Park). The exhibit features pieces from 14 artists, according to the website, and is on display during SEE’s regular hours, Tuesdays through Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends). Admission costs $10 for guests ages 3 and up; advance registration is recommended.

SEE is offering a workshop for kids 12 and up next Saturday, March 26, wherein the kids make their own “Simon Says”-style game. The cost of the workshop is $5 extra and the workshop runs from 2 to 4 p.m. See the website to register and for materials requirements.

For more about Ralph Baer Projects Club, see ralphbaerday.com.

First veggies, then baked goods

Get kids excited about picking up some veggies, then grab a baked good or two at area winter farmers markets.

The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 7 Eagle Square. This coming Saturday, March 19, musicians Eyes of Age will perform. Find a list of vendors at dcwfm.squarespace.com.

Also on Saturdays is the Contoocook Farmers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Maple Street School (194 Maple St. in Contoocook).

On Sundays, head to LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry) for the Salem NH Farmers Market, which operates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find their list of vendors at salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

More maple

Like the cover story says, we are in maple season. In Warner, the maple producers are holding a town-wide maple celebration this Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, according to a press release. Seven sap houses will be offering syrup demonstrations; find maps for the houses in Warner area businesses, the release said.

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Pillsbury Free Library (18 E. Main St. ) will offer a children’s craft. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with maple sugaring demonstrations, acorn pancake samples, fry bread and maple treats for sale, a book sale, walking tours and more, according to the museum’s website. Admission to the museum costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children (ages 6 to 12) and $26 for a family, the website said.

On Sunday, head to the Warner Town Hall from noon to 3 p.m. for a maple syrup tasting contest, where you can vote for your favorite.

Find more details on the event at warnerhistorical.org and if you haven’t already, check out the cover story for a listing of more area sugarhouses and their plans for this weekend and the rest of Maple Month.

On stage

The Palace Teen Apprentice Company will present Wizard of Oz: Young Performers Edition at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Tuesday, March 22, and Wednesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for kids (ages 6 to 12).

Older theater lovers, teens in particular, may want to check out teen drama 1950s-style at Bye Bye Birdie, the Palace Theatre’s current production, which runs this weekend at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19; at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday, March 20. Tickets cost $25 through $46. The show runs through Sunday, April 3.

Outdoors after school

Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) will hold a “Hike and Sketch” program Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for kids in grades 4 through 6. Kids will walk Maple Hill Farm with their sketchbooks and draw in different locations (or in the Spear Room, if necessary due to weather), according to the website. The season, which runs March 28 through May 23, costs $120.