Category: Family Fun

Family fun for whenever

Wild!

• Discover WILD New Hampshire Day is Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NH Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord, according to wildlife.nh.gov/dwnh. Described as a family-friendly event, Discover WILD New Hampshire is free to attend and will feature more than 100 education and experiential exhibits, according to the website.

Exhibits include live animals, big fish, trained falcons, archery, an air-rifle range, a retriever dog demonstration and wild craft activities, the website said. Attendees can also meet a Fish and Game biologist and a conservation officer, the website said.

There will also be a food truck alley including Bubble Bee Milk Tea and Dumplings, Koz’s Haute Box, Smoke Shack, The Pink House Food Truck and Wicked Good Wood Fired Pizza, according to the exhibitor map available on the website.

• To celebrate this year’s Concord Reads book — Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery — the Concord Public Library is holding an event with Reptiles of New England that will feature a variety of reptiles including snakes on Saturday, April 12, at 2 p.m. at the City Wide Community Center auditorium, 14 Canterbury Road in Concord, according to concordnh.gov/1983/Library, where you can register for the event.

On stage

• Epping Community Theatre will present the “revoluting children” of Roald Dahl’s Matilda Jr. Friday, April 17, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at the Epping Playhouse, 38 Ladds Lane in Epping, according to eppingtheater.org, where you can purchase tickets.

• The Palace Youth Theatre, with performers in grades 2 through 12, will present the Young@Part edition of Monty Python’s Spamalot on Tuesday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester. See palacetheatre.org for tickets.

Storytime

• Maine author and illustrator Alexandra Thompson will be at Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, for a storytime with her new book Hazel & Herbert! on Saturday, April 18, at 11 a.m. See bookerymht.com.

• Wonderland Books and Toys, Maple Valley Plaza, 245 Maple St. in Manchester, holds weekly drop-in Saturday storytimes at 3 p.m., according to wonderlandbooksandtoys.com.

Game time!

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats began a six-game series against the Chesapeake Baysox on April 14 that continues through the weekend with games on Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, at 6:03 p.m. and Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, at 1:05 p.m. At Saturday’s game the team will play as the New Hampshire Space Potatoes, its first use of that alternate identity this season. After Friday’s game, stay for fireworks. See milb.com/new-hampshire for tickets.

Family movie theater fun

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, has a few family events on the schedule. On Saturday, April 18, at 6 p.m. it’s family trivia night all about the Zootopia movies. Doors open an hour before trivia start time, according to chunkys.com, where you can purchase tickets. On Tuesday, April 21, it’s a special screening of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (PG, 2026) at 11:30 a.m. with a $5 admission price and the screening room lights slightly dimmed, according to the website.

Family fun for whenever

A con for kids!

Kids Con New England, the annual comic book and pop culture convention for kids, will take place Sunday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sheraton at 11 Tara Boulevard in Nashua, and feature comics, workshops, children’s books authors and illustrators, games, costumed characters, gaming, a kids and family cosplay contest, a scavenger hunt and more, according to a press release.

Guests for this year’s event include Jeff Kline (publisher of Darby Pop comics and a TV writer/producer), Rick Keene (cartoonist and comic artist for Disney and DC Comics), Richard Maurizio (cartoonist and comic artist “known for work on Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Space Jam, Tom & Jerry and more”), Adam & Makana Wallenta (father and son creators of the Punk Taco graphic novels), Tim Jones (cartoonist of Sour Grapes), Mark Parisi (graphic novelist and cartoonist of Off the Mark), Jennifer E. Morris (graphic novelist and children’s author and illustrator of the Flubby series and Maud the Koala), Gina Perry (children’s author and illustrator of The King of Books, Aven Green Sleuthing Machine and the Let’s Draw book series) and Dave London (graphic novelist and cartoonist of Pet Peeves), the press release said.

See kidsconne.com for tickets (kids under 5 get in for free) and for a list of all the artists, vendors and guests. The website also offers a schedule of the planned workshops (such as “Draw Monsters with Chris Gugliotti” at 11:15 a.m.; “Puppetry Workshop with Julio Robles, the Mainer with the Muppets” at 1:30 p.m., and “Manga-Me! Draw with Jack Purcell of SHP Comics” at 2:15 p.m.). Performances scheduled for the day include School of Rock Nashua concert at 10:10 a.m., “Saber Guild: Chandrila Temple Padawan Training Initiatives” at 11:50 a.m. and 1:35 p.m., and Sages Entertainment Magic Show at 11 a.m. and 2:10 p.m., the website said. The day includes a cosplay contest at 3 p.m. and a cosplay parade, the website said. The School of Rock will also host a musical instrument petting zoo and the event will feature a sensory-friendly space, the website said. A games room will feature tabletop and indie games and Gamers Sanctuary will have its mobile video gaming trailer on site, according to the website, where you can also find information about on-site food concessions and nearby restaurants.

Music and a parade

• Ralph Waldo Emerson School for Preschoolers is hosting a Week of the Young Child Parade and Celebration on Sunday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the statehouse lawn in Concord. The event will feature a Teddy Bear & Stuff Parade with musical performer Mr. Aaron at 11:30 a.m.; a free concert and dance party with Mr. Aaron at 11:45 p.m.; storytellers after the end of the concert and more, according to a press release. See emersonschoolnh.org.

Big screen, less noise

• Chunky’s in Manchester, chunkys.com, will host a sensory-friendly screening of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Tuesday, April 14, at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. See the website for tickets.

• O’Neil Cinemas at 16 Orchard View in Londonderry also hosts sensory-friendly screenings where house lights are higher and there are no loud noises, according to oneilcinemas.com. Next up is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Saturday, April 11, at 10 a.m.

Tendies at bat

The NH Fisher Cats become the Manchester Chicken Tenders for the Tuesday, April 14, game against the Chesapeake Baysox at 6:03 p.m. The game is the first in a six-game run against the Baysox, which a game on Friday, April 17, followed by fireworks and a Saturday, April 18, game when the Fisher Cats become the New Hampshire Space Potatoes for the afternoon. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Family fun for whenever

Showtime

• The Hispanic Flamenco Ballet will perform for students on Friday, April 3, at 10 and 11 a.m. at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord, according to theaudi.org. Call 305-420-6622 for tickets.

• Ovation Theatre Company will present The Addams Family Musical, primarily featuring performers ages 13 to 19, on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, at 7 p.m. as well as April 4 at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway in Derry, according to ovationtc.com, where you can purchase tickets.

• Cinderella will be presented by Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet as their spring show on Saturday, April 4, at 1 and 4 p.m. See snhdt.org for tickets; the show takes place at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, whose website says the show is 75 minutes long with a 15-minute intermission.

Easter fun

• Hunt for eggs at the Lions Clubs of Pinardville and Goffstown’s Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, with 9 a.m. (for ages 1 to 4), 9:45 a.m. (ages 5 to 7) and 10:30 a.m. (ages 8 to 10) start times at Roy Park in Pinardville. Find the clubs on Facebook.

• Carriage Shack Farm, 5 Dan Hill Road in Londonderry, will hold an Easter Bunny Party at the Farm on Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to carriageshackfarmllc.org, where you can purchase tickets.

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, will wrap up its Egg-citing Egg Hunt, geared toward egg hunters ages 2 to 12, this Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, with entry times from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to visitthefarm.com.

Science!

• Retro-priced $3 admission continues at the SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, through Saturday, April 4, to celebrate the Center’s 40th birthday. The center opens at 10 a.m. (with a last admission at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on weekends) and is closed Sunday, April 5, for Easter, according to see-sciencecenter.org.

• The monthly Super Stellar Friday at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord on Friday, April 3, is all about the nocturnal world of caterpillars and moths: “The Caterpillar Lab will present a photograph and video packed talk that explores the nighttime world of caterpillars, moths, and how to find them. … This special lecture will include time to meet a few special caterpillar specimens up close, try out blacklight flashlights, and chat with Caterpillar Lab educators about all things local caterpillar,” according to starhop.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. presentation, and a sky viewing will take place at 9 p.m., weather permitting, according to the website, where you can purchase admission tickets for the program as well as add-on tickets for the 8 p.m. planetarium show.