Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Showtime

• All three Chunky’s locations (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 150 Bridge St., Pelham) will screen Shrek 2(PG, 2004) on Friday, May 19, at 3:45 p.m. as part of their Little Lunch Date series. The story picks up after Shrek and Fiona are married, when they get invited to come to Far Far Away, Fiona’s parents’ kingdom. The only problem is that her parents don’t know that she’s now an ogre all the time. Admission is free but reserve a spot with a $5 food voucher at chunkys.com.

• Escape to Narnia with the Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts’ presentation of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobeat the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7469). Opening night is Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m. and other performances are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 20, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21. Follow the four Pevensie children as they battle for good alongside Aslan the lion against the White Witch. Tickets cost $10 for kids 17 and under, $13 for seniors and $14 for adults and can be purchased at majestictheatre.net.

• Catch the teen performers with the Peacock Players (peacockplayers.org) in the musical Xanadu on Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 20, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 21, at 2 p.m. at their theater at 14 Court St. in Nashua. Tickets start at $15 for adults ($12 for students and seniors).

Outdoor fun

• The 65th annual Kiwanis Club of Concord Spring Fair is back from Thursday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21, at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). The fair will have a variety of food, games, vendors and rides. The fair runs Thursday, May 18, from 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday, May 19, from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, may 20, from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday, May 21, from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the fair is free; unlimited ride wristbands cost $30. Visit concordkiwanis.org.

• Celebrate spring the Scottish way with Beltane: Scottish celebration of spring at Oscar Barn (191 W. River Road in Hooksett) on Saturday, May 20 at 3 p.m. There will be live Celtic music by The Rebel Collective, Prydein, and the Pipes & Drums of NHSCOT. There will be haggis toss (cornhole), street curling, and marshmallows for roasting on the outside warming fires, a Scottish tradition for protection and growth during the summer season. There will also be a celebration of spring with the Hawthorn tree and spring flowers as traditional Beltane symbols. Tickets cost $32. Visit nhscot.org.Inside activities

• Get messy with kids’ canvas painting at the Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road in Bedford). Kids will learn to paint a cute panda climbing bamboo on an 11-inch by 14-inch canvas. All arts supplies are provided. This program is geared toward kids 7 years old and older. Registration closes on Thursday, May 18; the event is on Saturday, May 20, at 2 p.m. Registration costs $25 and can be completed at thecanvasroadshow.com.

• Escape from the tavern at the American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) at the special event Trouble in the Tavern: An Escape Room Adventure on Saturday, May 20, from noon to 4 p.m. Groups of up to eight will work together to figure out puzzles and clues and learn some history about the start of America. Tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for children. Visit independencemuseum.org for more information.

• Bookery (844 Elm St. Manchester) will host Matt Forrest Esenwine to celebrate his new book, Everybody Counts!, for storytime and craft on Saturday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m. Kids will hear Esenwine read his book and do a craft related to it. Visit bookerymht.com for more information.

Save the dates

• Did you ever wonder if you were a demigod? Hear Percy Jackson’s story in The Lightning Thief at the Capitol Center for the Arts (Chubb Theatre , 44 S. Main St., Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, May 26, at 10 a.m. The musical, based on the popular children’s book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, follows the story of Percy and his two friends Grover and Annabeth as they go on a quest to find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt. Tickets cost $8.

• There are a bunch of new summer camps being provided by Studio 550 (550 Elm St., Manchester). Registration is now open for tween/teen clay camps with sessions June 26 to June 30, July 24 to July 28, and Aug. 21 to Aug. 25 from 2:30 to 5 p.m., as well as illustration camps Aug. 14 to Aug. 18. The studio is also offering an arts explorer summer program for artists ages 8 and older with sessions running July 10 to July 14 and Aug. 7 to Aug. 11. Registration costs $195 and can be done at 550arts.com.

Family fun for the weekend

Outdoor adventures

• Join the Beaver Brook Association at Maple Hill Farm (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) for Homesteading with Rivka on Thursday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. This class is geared toward teens ages 14 and older and will teach how to make healthy snacks and treats from plants that can be foraged in and around the state. The session costs $30 and spots can be reserved at beaverbrook.org.

• The Goffstown Old Home Day is back on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be live performances at Rotary Park and the Common, a cake and pie auction, vendor booths, food, activities and more. Visit facebook.com/GoffstownOldHomeDay for more information.

• Visit Derryfield Park (Highland Street in Manchester) on Saturday, May 13, for a Family Fun Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be activities and entertainment, music, food, fun and chances to win prizes like tickets to a Kidz Bop concert. There will also be vendors and booths for parents to shop. Visit wzid.com to learn more about the free event.

• The Turf Depot of Hooksett (39 Londonderry Turnpike) is hosting Cruising The Depot Car Show on Wednesday, May 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. The Depot is partnering with Nor’eastern Pontiac-GMC-Oakland Club to co-host this family-friendly event. In addition to the classic cars, there will be prizes, food, ice cream and music. Dogs are also welcome; visitors should bring their own chairs to sit on. The event is free. For more information, visit turfdepot.com.

Indoor fun

• Calling all princesses, mutant ninja turtles and superheroes: The annual Kids Con New England is on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be cosplayers dressed up as beloved characters, children’s books writers and illustrators, comic book creators, crafts, food, a costume contest and more for everyone to enjoy. Tickets cost $15 per person, free for kids ages 5 and younger. Visit kidsconne.com and see the story in the May 4 issue of the Hippo. Go to hippopress.com and check out the e-edition, the story is on page 11.

• Symphony New Hampshire is putting on Peter and the Wolfon Saturday, May 13, at 11 a.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). The classic piece of music, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, has charming, thrilling and dramatic moments. This production has been made even more family-friendly with guest narrator Andrew Pinard. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and prices start at $10. Visit symphonynh.org for more information.

• The New Hampshire Reptile Expo is on Sunday, May 14, at the Courtyard By Marriott (70 Constitution Ave., Concord). Get up close and get to know the different reptiles, exotic animals and amphibians at the show. Kids ages 12 and younger are free, while tickets cost $10 to $15 for those over the age of 13. Visit showmesnakes.com for more information.

Farmyard celebrations

• Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury) is hosting a Heifer Parade on Sunday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is to celebrate the cows moving to their springtime pastures. Visitors will have the option to buy a lunch made with the farm’s fresh ingredients. The fair costs $10 per person and the lunch’s price is yet to be determined. Visit brookfordfarm.com for more information.

• Celebrate all things sunflower with The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) at their Sunflower fun event on Monday, May 15, at 4 p.m. The interactive program is designed to teach children of all ages about the characteristics that sunflowers have. Kids will get to do a craft while they learn about the sunny plant. Spots are $15 and can be purchased at theeducationalfarm.org.

Family fun for the weekend

Cats & dogs

• The Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester) presents Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix on Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. A graduate of the Ringling Clown College and a professional clown, Johnny Peers with his gang of shelter dogs combines “the joyousness of physical comedy with man and his best friend,” according to the venue’s website. Tickets cost $45; see tickets.anselm.edu.

• The Seacoast Cat Club’s annual cat show will run Saturday, May 6 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Sunday, May 7 (9 a.m. to 3 pm.) at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). Tickets cost $10 for teens and adults ages 12 and up, $7 for seniors, kids under 12 and active military service members, and free for kids ages 4 and under. A $25 discounted price also applies for families of four. See the event page on Facebook @seacoastcatclub for more details.

Taking the stage

• The Palace Youth Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will present Guys and Dolls Jr., with showtimes on Wednesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m. The mainstage musical will feature student actors in grades 2 through 12, according to the theater’s website. Tickets start at $12.

• The UNH Symphony Orchestra and the UNH Youth Symphony Orchestra will present a public concert on Sunday, May 7, at 6 p.m. in the Johnson Theatre of the Paul Creative Arts Center (on the campus of UNH, at 30 Academic Way, Durham). The performance is free and open to the public, and also available online at YouTube.com/unhmusic, according to a press release.

Fairies, gnomes & superheroes

• It’s Fairy & Gnome Day at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover; childresn-museum.org) on Saturday, May 6 — enjoy a live show from Lindsay and Her Puppet Pals (at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.), a dance performance from the Musical Arts Ballet students at 2:30 p.m., and other ongoing activities, like crafts, scavenger hunts, fairy and gnome home building and more. Reserve admission for either the morning (9 a.m. to noon) or afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) play sessions, which cost $12.50 for adults and children over 12 months old, $10.50 for 65+, according to the museum’s website.

• Join the Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) for a superhero-themed Saturday storytime on Saturday, May 6, at 1 p.m. featuring local cosplayer Jenna Deedy as Captain Marvel who will read the 2019 children’s book What Makes a Hero, by Pamela Bobowicz. Admission is free but registration is encouraged. See bookerymht.com.

Meet the Kid Conservationist

• May’s Super Stellar Friday at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord; starhop.com) on Friday, May 5, at 7 p.m., will feature Jack Dalton, known as the “Kid Conservationist.” In 2021, at the age of 10, Dalton released his first book, Kawan the Orangutan, Lost in the Rainforest, hoping to inspire the next generation of conservationists, according to the Center’s website. Attendees will meet Jack and learn about his recent work on the island of Borneo. He will answer questions about orangutans. Admission costs $12 for adults, $9 for kids ages 3 to 12, $11 for 62+ and for students, and free kids under 2.