Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Easter events

• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org) is holding an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 9, with open slots at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., as of April 4. For $20 per child, each child can collect 20 eggs, visit farm animals and meet the Easter Bunny, according to the website, where you reserve a time slot.

• The Easter Bunny will drop 1,500 chocolate eggs from a helicopter in the field just outside the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org) on Saturday, April 9, at 11 a.m., according to a press release. After the candy is dropped and the helicopter clears the area, kids ages 12 and under will be able to pick up some treats, the release said. The Easter Bunny will then hang out at the museum until 1 p.m. to meet kids and pose for photos, the release said.

Participating families should arrive by 10:30 a.m. and children participating in the candy drop will be put in three groups: age 6 and under, ages 7 to 9 and ages 10 to 12, the release said.

The museum is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and for seniors and military; children ages 5 and under get in free.

• Or go hunting for Easter eggs at the YMCA of Londonderry (206 Rockingham Road in Londonderry) on Saturday, April 9. The YMCA and Beacon Church co-host the event featuring eggs hidden across the YMCA property with hunts slotted for 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m., according to a YMCA social media post. The event is first come, first served for each time slot and will offer off-site parking at Londonderry Park and Ride off Exit 5 with shuttle service to the event, the post said. The day will also feature a petting zoo, snacks, a craft and more. There will be a separate toddler zone for egg hunts at each time slot, according to beaconnh.com. Next weekend, Saturday, April 16, the Londonderry Y will hold a Kid’s Night when kids can be dropped off from 5 to 8 p.m. The cost is $25 per child (ages 4 to 12; $15 for additional siblings) and includes a pizza dinner. See https://bit.ly/ygl-kids-nights; register by April 13.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) will host its Egg-Citing Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10, as well as next Saturday, April 16. Sign up for a time between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for a hunt for a dozen chocolate-filled eggs, a horse-drawn or tractor ride, a visit to the barn decorated specially for Easter, a visit with the animals (including spring baby animals) and a visit with the Easter Bunny, according to the website. Tickets cost $22 per person.

On stage

The Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet presents Cinderellaat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Sunday, April 10, 1 to 4 p.m. The show is appropriate for all ages and runs about 75 minutes long (with a 10-minute intermission), according to the website. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 ages 12 and under.

Save the date: for more eggs

On Saturday, April 16, Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation will hold an indoor maze to an egg hunt and the Easter Bunny at the NH Sportsplex (68 Technology Dr. in Bedford; ourpromisetonicholas.com) from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Hop along a bunny trail to play games, do a bunny craft and more and then head to the egg hunt field at a specific “egg hunt time” and take photos with the Easter Bunny (as well as other mascots and characters), according to the website. Tickets cost $8 per person; family tickets are also available through Friday, April 15, at 6 p.m. Tickets at the door cost $10 per person.

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.