Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 25/03/13

Family fun for whenever

Kids on stage

• The Palace Youth Theatre will present an hour-longDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The MusicalThursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Then on Wednesday, March 19, and Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m., the Palace Teen Apprentice Company will present Once Upon a Mattress Youth Edition at The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester). Tickets cost $16 to $19.

• The Peacock Players present their Spring Youth Mainstage ProductionShrek The Musical Jr.with shows Friday, March 14, and Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 15, and Saturday, March 22, at 2 p.m., and Sundays, March 16, and March 23, at 2 p.m. at Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St. in Nashua. Tickets cost $15 to $18 for adults, $12 to $15 for students and seniors.

• The Kids Coop Theatre will present the musical The Prom at the Derry Opera House (29 W Broadway in Derry; derryoperahouse.org) on Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m. See kctnh.org.

• And if your kid is looking to be on stage, the Riverbend Youth Company is holding auditions Sunday, March 16, and Monday, March 17, for 8th- through 12th-graders for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,which is slated for a June performance at the Amato Center in Milford. See amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company for audition details.

Cookie season

• Win those Thin Mints and Samoas at Girl Scout Cookie Bingo at Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road in Manchester (chunkys.com), on Sunday, March 16, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $13.99.

• Or, if you just want to cut to the cookie eating, check out the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the local Girl Scout organization, at girlscoutsgwm.org, where you can find cookie booths near you. Multiple spots are slated to operate in the greater Concord, Manchester and Nashua areas this weekend.

Family music

• Grammy-nominated family musician Alastair Moock, whose music is described as upbeat Americana for all ages, will play a concert on Saturday, March 15, at 10 a.m. at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org), according to the Museum’s website. The concert is part of regular admission for the morning play session (which runs from 9 a.m. to noon; the museum is also open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays). Admission costs $14.50 for everybody over 12 months; $12.50 for 65+.

St. Pat’s fun

St. Patrick’s Day Party is the theme at Cowabunga’s, 725 Huse Road in Manchester, on Thursday, March 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., according to the website. Prices start at $20 per child for two hours of bouncing and more; adults and infants get in free with a paying child, the website said. See cowabungas.com.

Save the date

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will hold a five-week in-person class called “Art Explorers” for ages 5 to 7 on Saturdays, starting March 22, 10 to 11:30 a.m. The cost is $200 and the class will feature exploration of a variety of art forms and media including watercolors, pencil, sculpture and more, according to the website.

Camp fun

Jason Cote, studio operations director at the Concord Karate Studio (89 Fort Eddy Road, Suite 3, Concord; 224-KICK; cks-nh.com), emailed with information on the studio’s camps. Concord Karate will have three weeks of summer camp — June 23-27, July 28-Aug. 1 and Aug. 18-22, running daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with early drop-off and late pick up options, the email said. The camps will include karate games, summer learning, snacks, karate class, a field trip and more. See the website for more. For our listing of camps, check out the Feb. 27 issue of the Hippo in our digital library at hippopress.com. If you have a summer camp that’s not listed in the story, let us know at [email protected].

Kiddie Pool 25/03/06

Family fun for whenever

Sweet fun

• NH Maple Weekend is next weekend (March 15-16) but Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) begins its maple fun this weekend with its Maple Express. Admission costs $29 per person and the event runs Saturdays and Sundays March 8, through March 23 (see the website for available admission times). Visitors can visit a sugar shack, see the maple process from tree to syrup, visit farm animals and more, according to the website.

• Ben’s Sugar Shack (8 Webster Highway in Temple; bensmaplesyrup.com) has also started the sweet fun early giving free maple tours every Saturday and Sunday in March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New tours of the maple process start every 20 minutes, rain or shine, according to a post on Ben’s Facebook page, which recommends dressing warm and wearing boots. The happenings also include maple and maple product samples.

Free day

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will offer free admission to New Hampshire residents on Saturday, March 8, when the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of its Second Saturday offer. For more on the museum’s new exhibit “Ann Agee: Madonna of the Girl Child,” see the story on page 16.

A little science

• Head to the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org) on Saturday, March 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see the inventions in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The machines, built by local students, solve the problem “Feed a Pet,” according to the website. Seeing the show is part of regular admission to the Center, which costs $14 per person (ages 3 and up). The center is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com) will hold its next Little Learners session on Wednesday, March 12, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The events are geared at ages 5 and under and include a story and a hands-on activity, according to the website. The event is included with regular admission, which costs $13 for adults, $12 for 62+ and 13 through college and $10 for ages 3 to 12 years old. During the school year, the Discovery Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On screen

• While you wait for Zendaya’s voice in Shrek 5, catch Shrek (PG, 2001) at Chunky’s in Manchester, chunkys.com, as part of the Little Lunch Date series on Wednesday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m.

• See the original Space Jam (PG, 1996) starring Michael Jordan and a whole lot of Looney Tunes on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at Flying Monkey in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the venue offers a special family-friendly menu on family movie nights.

On stage

• Palace Youth Theatre will present an hour-longDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musicalon Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org).

Welcome, campers

• If the Feb. 27 issue of the Hippo has you thinking about your summer day camp needs, put the NH Audubon Nature Camp Open House and Reunion on your calendar. The event on Thursday, March 13, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn) offers those new to camp a chance to ask questions about the programs. The evening will feature games, crafts, song, a pizza party, an animal presentation and more, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can RSVP. For more summer day camps, check out our listings, which start on page 10 of the Feb. 27 issue, which you can find at hippopress.com.

Kiddie Pool 25/02/27

Family fun for whenever

Dine with fairy tales

• The Derryfield Country Club (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-0235, thederryfield.com) will host a Royal Princess Breakfast on Saturday, March 1, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Take photos with costumed princes and enjoy singing, dancing, games and stories. Tickets are $40 for children and $55 for adults through eventbrite.com. VIP tickets cost $65 and include 9 a.m. entry and a tiara, the website said.

• Join the Nashua Historical Society (5 Abbott St., Nashua, 883-0015, nashuahistoricalsociety.org) for afternoon tea at a Little Red Tea Party, Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m., inspired by the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. This event will feature tea, scones, petite sandwiches and sweet treats served amidst a magical forest of trees. The event is for all ages and will feature a variety of activities, including a historical presentation based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, a STEM-inspired tea experiment, a mini paper basket craft activity, a special raffle and more. Tickets are $18 for Historical Society members, $20 for non-members, and $15 for children 12 and younger. Visit the Historical Society website.

Play time

• Cowabunga’s (725 Huse Road in Manchester; cowabungas.com) will have three gyms open for play during February vacation (through Friday, Feb. 28). The indoor bouncy park will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. On Friday, Feb. 28, from 5 to 8 p.m., it’s Friday Night Fun with a costumed character, games and more. The cost is $20 per child (infants and adults free with paying child) the website said.

• Krazy Kids (60 Sheep Davis Road in Pembroke; krazykids.com) is open daily during vacation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 28, it’s “Let’s Glow Krazy!” from 6 to 9 p.m. with music and UV black disco lights. Tickets cost $20 for kids, $5 for adults (no slip grip socks, which are required, cost $4 per pair).

See a show

• The kids of the Palace Youth Theatre Vacation Camp will present Winnie the Pooh Kids on Saturday, March 1, at 11 a.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The show will feature kids in grades 2 to 12. Tickets cost $16 to $19.

• The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia will present staged productions of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny Stockbridge Theatre (22-98 Bypass 28, Derry, 437-5210, pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre) Wednesday, March 5, at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $10.

• Or catch The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Wednesday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $8.

• Catch 1994’s Little Giants (PG), the family movie night screening at Flying Monkey (39 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com) on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $3 and there will be a special menu available.

Fun & games

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) has several family-friendly events this weekend. Chunky’s will hold a family paint party on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. in the Chunky’s lobby. Tickets cost $45 per person and the menu will be available to order from during the event.

On Friday at 4:30 p.m., ventriloquist John Pizzi will present a family-friendly show of comedy, magic and ventriloquism. Tickets cost $25. (Pizzi will also have a 21+ show that night at 8 p.m.)

Also on Friday at 6:45 p.m., it’s Family Friendly Theatre Candy Bingo. Tickets cost $10 (and come with a $5 food voucher) and get you one bingo card for several rounds of play.

On Saturday, March 1, at 6 p.m., it’s a family trivia night about Pixar movies. The cost is $6 per person.

Kiddie Pool 25/02/20

Family fun for whenever

Ski days

Area ski hills are offering special events and camps during New Hampshire’s February vacation week.

• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Way in Manchester; mcintyreskiarea.com/kids-vacation-camps, 622-6159) has single-day and five-day camps, which run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for ages 6 to 12. Five-day lessons for ages 4 to 6 (12:30 to 1:30 p.m.) and 6 to 16 (9:30 to 11:30 a.m.) are also available. See the website for pricing for camps and rentals.

McIntyre is also holding its Rail Jam on Sunday, Feb. 23 — rider registration is 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. riders meeting at the top of the park, at noon the GROM Heat (13 and under) starts and then skiers open class at 12:30 p.m. and snowboarders open class at 1:30 p.m. Registration costs $25 and includes a lift ticket during the event; helmets are required, the website said.

McIntyre is open daily; lift skiing hours during vacation week will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and tubing hours will have two-hour sessions starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m.. McIntyre also offers a one-rate fee for lift tickets and rentals during the end of the day until 9 p.m.; prices vary based on start time. See the website or call for each day’s offerings and times.

• Pats Peak Ski Area (686 Flanders Road in Henniker; patspeak.com, 428-3245) offers a three-day camp, Feb. 24 through Feb. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for 7- to 14-year-olds, with and without rentals.

Pats Peak also offers a Pay One Price ticket for skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, rentals and lessons for the end of the day — through 10 p.m. starting at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., price varies based on start time. The promotion runs through vacation week (except for Sunday, Feb. 23).

Art vacation

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is offering a three-day workshop for ages 6 to 12 during February vacation. The half-day workshops are themed “My Favorite Things” and run Wednesday, Feb. 26, through Friday, Feb. 28 — 9:30 a.m. to noon for grades 1 to 3 and 1 to 3:30 p.m. for grades 4 to 6. The cost is $180 ($162 for members).

Visit the museum Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for kids ages 12 and under and $5 for ages 13 to 17, $15 for students and 65+ and $20 for regular admission.

• Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com) has February Break Programs for ages 7 to 14 with morning programs (9 a.m. to noon) for ages 7 to 11 and afternoon programs (1 to 4 p.m.) for ages 11 to 14. Classes are $198 and “rotate through a diverse array of artistic mediums with each class featuring an art activity that aligns with our arctic theme,” the website said.

Air and space

• During February school vacation week, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) will be open additional days — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday Feb. 25, through Thursday, Feb. 27. The museum will offer the Elite Flight Simulator on Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. for kids ages 12 and up, according to a museum release. The museum will also host a story time on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m., the release said.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com) is open daily through Sunday, March 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $13; $12 for ages 13 through college and 62+, and $10 for ages 3 to 12, according to the website. Planetarium show tickets are an additional $7 for everyone ages 3 and up.

Spring is on its way

It’s flower time

By Henry Homeyer

[email protected]

Here in Cornish Flat, this seems like an old-fashioned winter. Temperatures have been consistently below freezing, and the ground has had at least a light covering of snow most of the time. No deep snow, the kind that insulates the ground and keeps tender perennials safe, but enough to soothe the eyes when looking at the landscape.

But we gardeners are already thinking of spring. Fortunately, I planted many small pots of Tête-à-tête daffodils last fall and stored them in my basement, which stays at 40 degrees. The foliage is up now, and their roots are pushing through the holes in the bottom of the pots, so I know they are ready to bring up to the warmth of the house. I’ve been putting them in sunny windowsills, and many are blooming — and ready to give away. For me, this is a spring ritual: giving 4-inch pots of flowers to friends and neighbors.

If you are hungering for spring, you might consider going to a spring flower show. Unfortunately, many of the spring shows have given up. Boston no longer has its extravaganza, so the Connecticut show in Hartford is now New England’s big event. It has many nice displays and many great classes to attend. This year it is Feb. 20 to Feb. 23.

Then there is one of my favorites, the Vermont Flower Show in Essex Junction, Vermont, March 7 to March 9. It’s small enough to see everything in one day, but has lots to offer.

In Rhode Island there is the Home Show from April 10 to April 13, and it has a flower and garden portion, though I have not been down to Providence since the big flower show folded its tent in 2016.

For the travel-inclined there is the Philadelphia show, March 1 to March 9. It has been a spring tonic since 1829. The poinsettia was introduced to American gardeners at that first show, and Ben Franklin may have attended that year. Go on a weekday for smaller crowds, and be prepared to spend a lot but to have a lot of fun.

February is the month I go through my seed packets to see what I need to buy. Most vegetables and flowers stay viable for three years. Exceptions to that rule are all onion-family seeds and parsnips, so I buy them each year. I’ve found that shallots do very well for me and keep longer than onions in the winter, so I will buy new seeds and plant them indoors and keep them under lights starting in early March. Peppers of all sorts need a long time to get big enough to plant outdoors, so I also start them in March. Tomatoes I start in April, usually around the 10th.

This is also the time of year to pay attention to your houseplants. The days are getting longer, roots and shoots are growing, and they need more water. If you are trying to overwinter a rosemary plant, double the water it gets. A fully dry rosemary is a dead rosemary, and late February or early March is the time of year most of us kill ours. I admit to failing with rosemary by keeping to my weekly watering schedule.

If you have the mid-winter blues, buy yourself some nice cut flowers at your local florist. I prefer to buy from a florist, as they generally take better care of their flowers than big box grocery stores. Many years ago I went to the Boston flower market — leaving at 5 a.m. — with a friend who owned a florist shop to buy flowers for her shop. The flower market was the size of a football field and had every kind of flower you could imagine. What fun that was!

Some years ago the flower trade got a bad reputation because many of the flowers came from Colombia, South America, where the growers used pesticides liberally and paid their workers a pittance. But I believe that now many flowers in winter are grown in the States and done so with environmentally sound practices. You can always ask your florist where their flowers come from.

If you want cut flowers that last a long time in a vase, try alstromeria or lisianthus. Both hold up very well. Also excellent are chrysanthemums, asters, sea lavender and bells of Ireland.

Then there are a couple of gorgeous potted flowers that bloom for a long time at this time of year: cyclamen and Phalaenopsis orchids. The key to these is to minimize watering and to keep them out of direct sunlight. The cyclamen are cheap enough that you can compost them when they are done blooming (in eight to 10 weeks). Phalaenopsis orchids are more expensive but can be saved from year to year.

Lastly, this is a good time of year to think about your outdoor gardens and how you can improve them, come spring or summer. Start by looking out your favorite window. What do you see now that gives you joy? If you only grow flowers, the landscape is bleak.

Think about trees, shrubs and decorative grasses that you could add to the landscape. Would a nice miniature or weeping conifer fit into a perennial bed? A Merrill magnolia in the middle of your lawn could offer a nice shape and buds and bark that please you. It will bloom magnificently with large double white blossoms in April. It will give you something to look forward to. And after all, isn’t that part of the reason why we all garden?

You can reach Henry at [email protected].

Featured photo: These daffodils are ready to bloom on a sunny windowsill. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 25/02/13

Family fun for whenever

New stuff

• Check out two new exhibits at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) that will be unveiled to the public on Saturday, Feb. 15, during the morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) sessions. “Little Farmers,” an exhibit designed for children ages 0 to 5, features farm-themed activities “curated specifically for this age,” according to the museum website. “Play Loft” is an open space for active play, such as games like Floor Is Lava, according to the website. Also on Saturday, Lindsey and her Puppet Pals will perform at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Admission costs $14.50 for everyone over 12 months old, $12.50 for 65+.

Winterfest

• Squam Lakes Association, 534 Route 3 in Holderness, will hold its Winterfest on Saturday, Feb. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. The free event will include ice skating, sledding, mini golf, scavenger hunts and more, according to a press release (BYO skates and sleds). See squamlakes.org.

Kids on stage

• Londonderry High School will presentFootloose! The Musical at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry) on Thursday, Feb. 13, and Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 1 and 7 p.m. TIckets cost $15 for adults; $10 for seniors and students. See derryoperahouse.org.

• Franklin Middle School will present Shrek Jr. at the Franklin Opera House (316 Central St. in Franklin; franklinoperahouse.org) on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 15, at 2 & 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for adults and seniors, $8 for students and children.

• Palace Youth Theatre will present Big Fish, the small cast edition performed by student actors in grades 2 through 12, at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $19 for adults, $16 for ages 6 to 12.

For kids on stage

• Look Both Ways: A Tale Presented in 10 Blocks, part of the Cap Center’s educational series, will be on stage in the Chubb Theatre of the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 10:30 a.m. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. The show is 63 minutes with no intermission and is suggested for kids in grades 5 and up and families, according to the website. “10 blocks. 10 unique tales. There’s something for everyone across these 10 vignettes about identity, compassion, fear, and friendship — as told through puppetry, dance, music, projections, audience participation, kamishibai (paper theater), and more,” according to the website’s description. Tickets cost $8.

For kids on screen

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) has two special kid-friendly screenings on the horizon. On Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 11:30 a.m., catch How to Train Your Dragon (PG, 2010) as part of the Little Lunch Date Series.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 11:30 a.m. Dog Man (PG, 2025) will screen on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 11:30 a.m. at a sensory-friendly screening with lights up and sound down.

Save the date

• Dartmouth Health Children’s Battle of the Badges, a hockey game featuring firefighters, police officers and first responders, will take place Sunday, March 16, at 1 p.m. at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com). Presented by the Elliot Perry Foundation, the Battle of the Badges “proceeds are used to help kids with critical services such as support when they are in pediatric intensive care and management of chronic illnesses, as well as patient and family support services,” according to Dartmouth Health Children’s website, childrens.dartmouth-health.org, where you can find Battle of the Badges information under events. Tickets cost $16. Find more about the Elliot Perry Foundation at elliotperry.org.

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