Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 26/08/13

Family fun for whenever

Farm party

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, will hold a Kids Farm Party on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to visitthefarm.com, where you can purchase tickets. The day will feature the Monster Obstacle Bounce House, face painting, snow cones, cotton candy, carnival games, pony rides, the tractor train and the petting zoo, the website said. Musician Matt Heaton will perform at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the website said.

Flying high

• Manchester Boston Regional Airport will hold Aviation Day on Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a press release. The event will feature a touch-a-truck display in Parking Lot A along with a student-built aircraft from the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire and the STEM-MoBILE, “a traveling lab with demonstrations and hands-on activities from UNH Manchester,” the release said. Inside the airport at Baggage Claim 3-5, there will be information about airport and aviation jobs, interactive games, cookies from Alltown Fresh, cake from the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (with a cake cutting at 12:30 p.m.), popcorn and slushies, MHT swag and opportunities to wine prizes, the release said. See flymanchester.com.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry) is celebrating the end of summer vacation (sorry, kids) by being open daily Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 30, according to aviationmuseumofnh.org. The museum will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays), the website said. The museum will hold story times on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Thursday, Aug. 27, at 10 a.m. for families as part of regular admission. “Participants will enjoy reading several aviation-themed stories as well as additional activities,” the website said. The museum will run its Elite Flight Simulator on Saturdays, Aug. 21 and Aug. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., for ages 13 and up, according to the website, where you can find admission information.

Beach week

• The Annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival will run Monday, Aug. 17, through Friday, Aug. 21, with a lineup of performances and events each day starting at 10 a.m. at the Hampton Beach Seashell Stage leading up to a giant costume parade on Aug. 21, according to hamptonbeach.org/events/childrens-events. On Monday, Aug. 17, events include Magician BJ Hickman at 10 a.m.; a Puppy Party with NHSPCA from 12:30 to 2 p.m.; Magician Fran Flynn at 2 p.m. and a screening of Wicked For Good at 7:40 p.m., according to the website. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, events include “magician, juggler, funny guy” Richard Clark at 10 a.m.; Lindsay and her puppet pals at 11 a.m., and touch-a-truck with vehicles from Hampton Police and Fire departments, the website said. On Wednesday, Aug. 19, events include “Shimmer & Shine: The Magic of Being You! Party Palace Show” at 10 a.m.; “Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium” at 11 a.m., and Drumatix at 1:30 p.m., according to the website, where you can download a full schedule.

Save the date

• CelebratEd welcomes Manchester students back to school with an event on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. in Victory Park in Manchester offering backpacks and school supplies, haircuts and clothing support, a family resource fair and school registration assistance, according to manchesterproud.org/celebrated.

• Tickets are on sale now for Cat Kid Comic Club The Musical, based on the Dog Man spin-off series by Dav Pilkey, which will be on stage at the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. See ccanh.com.

The Civil War and the Roman Empire

Battles and more reenacted at History Alive 2026 in Hillsborough

“We give people a chance to experience history, first hand,” said Traci Blain, one of the organizers of Hillsborough’s History Alive event happening Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday Aug. 16. “It’s like walking through a time-line.” This includes history from the Roman Empire to World War II, she said. “We [stage] different battle scenarios as well as open field cooking — how that worked during the French and Indian Wars. There are demonstrations of apple cider making, and gold panning. We have two authors coming. Marek Bennett is a comic book author who writes books about the Civil War. And we have another Civil War author coming, who writes … novels about the Civil War.”

History Alive is a yearly two-day event put on by the Hillsborough Historical Society. Re-enactors present different periods in American and European history, and guests can walk through and experience some of what life was like in those time periods.

“It’s a sort of total immersion in times that have passed us,” Blain said. “You can see the full sort of setup of a settler, what a settler might look like, who are the folks that sold to the guys on the field. The Vikings will show you how they make chain mail, and they will show you how they engaged in the battle. The company in the back, Black Spear, will show you how to shoot an arrow and what that looks like, with a bow and arrow, from medieval times. In the Civil War, they’ll show you a full battle out on the field, and we have a cannon that goes off, which is very loud across the valley. That’s pretty amazing. And this year we actually have both sides of World War II, and they’ll be doing a battle as well.”

Historical re-enactors have a reputation for meticulous attention to detail, Blain said. “It’s folks from all over the world and they’re very dedicated to each of their ‘realms,’ if you will, and they’re very accurate. They all live for the weekends when they are part of that year they’re portraying. My son and I are actually part of a Civil War unit as one of the organizers. We got involved helping to organize History Alive about three years ago when it was sort of losing steam because it had lost some volunteers. We got involved to help out, organize, and got hooked. My son fell in love with the event when we started helping with it. And it’s been great ever since. We’re part of the Third Maine [Civil War infantry unit]. They don’t generally join us this weekend, but we will be in full dress. My son is 16. He started as a drummer boy and has moved up to the infantry.”

History Alive will take place in two locations, Blain said, in Kemp Park and on Jones Road. “Our Kemp Park event will also be open on Saturday. And that is about Hillsborough history, by the river. And that’s only on Saturday. But Saturday and Sunday is the event. The $10 charge to get in — for adults only; kids are free — lasts all weekend. So you only have to pay once. And you can see all the events.”

Blain said History Alive’s immersive quality makes it different from many other historical festivals.

“It’s really fun to learn all about the different eras and that you can sort of walk through time and see things change, from tent structure to equipment, to fighting with swords to fighting with guns. You can see that progression as you walk through the event itself, which is one of the few places you can do that. The big demonstrations are mostly conflict scenarios — they are what folks like to watch. It’s a crowd-pleaser. But it’s also the smaller demonstrations about cider press and how to cook a whole chicken over a fire. It’s also really interesting to learn because there are all sorts of skills that have gone by that these folks have picked up and learned to do.”

History Alive 2026
Where: In Hillsborough, on Jones Road and in Kemp Park
When: Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16.
More: Admission is $10 for adults, free for children. See historyalivenh.org for a schedule.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Enjoying the fruits of your labor in the vegetable garden

Pull them, freeze them, dry them, eat them Pull them, freeze them, dry them, eat them

My vegetable garden is cranking out free food like crazy. Some things need to be harvested right away, some can wait and get bigger, and some will soon be so plentiful that I will be giving them away and freezing lots for use this winter.

Let’s start with garlic. Garlic produced tall, curly stems called scapes a few weeks ago. They can be used for making pesto (in lieu of garlic, but my basil wasn’t ready). My garlic bulbs will soon be ready to harvest, and by then I will have lots of basil and then I will make pesto.

How do you know when it’s time to pull garlic? Pay attention to those long green blades, the leaves of your garlic. Generally a garlic plant will have about seven leaves. When three leaves have started to dry up and turn brown, it’s time to harvest them. But don’t wait until all the leaves have browned, or the skin over the bulb will be dry and fall apart, letting the bulbs fall apart, and store poorly.

You don’t get to eat your garlic the day you pull it. It takes time — a week or more — for the outer skin of the bulb to dry up enough that you can pull the cloves apart and separate them. I mean, you can cut one apart in case of emergency, but it’s best to let them dry out a bit.

I generally hang my complete garlic plants in bunches (bulbs up, stems down) from the ceiling in my cool basement. I’ve read that some of the goodness of the garlic is in the stem and leaves, and that it will migrate to the bulb during the curing period, so best not to cut off the stems right away. After it cures for a week I’ll cut off the stems. Garlic will store well in a cool dry place for months.

People who don’t know me gasp when I tell them I grow about 40 tomato plants each year, including over a dozen Sungold cherry tomatoes. They ask, “What do you do with all of them?” Of course I eat them every day, often three times a day. But I put up most for winter: I freeze big tomatoes whole, and dry the cherry tomatoes in a food dehydrator.

The easiest way to freeze tomatoes is simply to put whole, clean tomatoes in freezer-grade zipper bags in the freezer. I put the bags on cookie sheets until the tomatoes have turned into “red rocks,” then can stack the bags. In winter, I’ll use them in soups or stews instead of buying canned tomatoes. Canning is way too much work for me.

The cherry tomatoes I slice in half and dry for several hours. It can take up to 12 hours, depending on the dryer, then store in the pantry in quart jars or zipper bags. I start the process at high heat — say 150 degrees — for 20 minutes, then drop the temp to 125 or 130 so that I don’t damage the vitamins in the tomatoes. You can take them out when brittle, or earlier when they are leather-like. They store well in a cupboard, in the fridge, or in a freezer. I’ll add a handful to a soup or stew and they will really provide a pop of summer when I bite into one. Apples and pears store well for trail snacks after dehydrating.

I have two dryers: a Nesco American Harvester and an Excalibur. I prefer the Excalibur because it is more energy-efficient and faster. But it costs more, and the Nesco does a fine job, too. There are plenty of others I haven’t tried.

People make jokes about gardeners sticking big zucchinis in parked cars because they don’t know what to do with them. The answer? Visit your garden every day, part the leaves to see what is growing there, and pick those squash before they get huge. Sauté them with a little garlic, onion or tomato and they are delicious. My dear dog Rowan sometimes gets some lightly steamed squash added to his dinner — he loves a bigger dinner, and it’s low-calorie.

Summer squash can also be stored frozen. Cut them into cubes and blanch them for 60 seconds. NOT MORE. That means you drop them into a big kettle of rapidly boiling water, then pull them out and put in cold water in the sink. Blanching pots are sold with an inner pot with holes in the bottom so you can remove the veggies quickly after draining the hot water back into the pot. The hot immersion kills an enzyme that makes food age and not store well in the freezer.

What other veggies need blanching? Brussels sprouts, broccoli, beans, kale. I don’t blanch tomatoes, peppers, apples, pears or leeks. Never blanch any vegetable too long: you don’t want to cook them; they will be soggy later. And for best results it is good to eat frozen foods in Year 1, not Year 4 or 5. If you eat your beans soon after picking, they don’t have to be blanched before freezing.

My Grampy was an amazing organic gardener back in the 1940s through the 1960s. His wife died in 1954 and he never remarried, but he had lots of lady friends that he visited each week in summer, delivering his tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and more. He even shared his tomatoes with the checkout women who worked at the local A&P grocery store! “They are so nice to me all year, and probably they don’t have time to garden,” he explained to me. So, honoring Grampy’s tradition, I like to share my garden veggies, too.

Henry can be reached by email at henry.homeyer@comcast.net or by USPS at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746.

Built to last

The annual New Hampshire Antiques Show returns

This weekend’s Antiques Show is the highlight of the year for the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association. According to spokesperson Laura McBrien, this annual event presents a unique opportunity for antiques dealers to connect with buyers and with each other.

“There are more than 60 exhibitors who come from all over the country to present their wares, anything from folk art to fine porcelain to paintings and prints,” McBrien said. “It’s all from the 1800s — Americana, glassware, metalware, pottery, all kinds of stuff. And each of these exhibitors have unique collectors who tend to follow them.”

With antiques, McBrien said, the story behind an object is often as important as the object itself.

“It’s a piece of history when you’re at this show,” she said. “It’s almost like a history lesson — when you walk past the dealers’ booths you can hear the exhibitors talking to the collectors, telling them about the piece that they’re interested in. It’s fascinating”

Almost all the antiques at the show are American in origin, McBrien said, and date largely from the 19th century, but beyond that, most dealers have a particular area of specialization. “They have certain collections or types of things that they tend to buy. They buy specifically with the show and certain customers in mind. They do restock throughout the show, so throughout the four days you could see different pieces. You get a free readmittance when you purchase a ticket, so you could literally come back and see different things each day.”

McBrien said there are particular dealers whose antiques she looks forward to seeing each year. “There are certain booths that I always love to go and look at. Thomas Longacre Antiques have a lot of Christmas ornaments. That’s something that they specialize in. It’s really fascinating to see all these ornaments from the 19th century. I really love weathervanes and a lot of glassware. There’s jewelry. Everything is just so well-made, nothing you see now.”

The New Hampshire Antiques Show can be prestigious for dealers, McBrien said. “It’s iconic to be able to have a booth there. They don’t come up very often. Obviously, we only have so many and you have to be a member [of the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association]. You can see the list of all the members on their site. It’s pretty impressive. … If you’re under 30, you get in the show for free. because they’re trying to appeal to a generation that isn’t used to investing in furniture.”

The 69th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show
When: Thursday, Aug. 6, and Friday, Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Doubletree Expo Center, 700 Elm St., Manchester, 625-1000
More: Admission is $15 on Thursday, $10 on Friday and Saturday. Visitors under age 30 receive free admission with a valid ID. All paid admissions include complimentary return visits throughout the weekend. Visit nhada.org.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 26/08/06

Family fun for whenever

Museum fun

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, will hold its annual Teddy Bear Clinic on Friday, Aug. 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. Kids can bring stuffed animals in for a checkup and learn more about what happens at the doctor’s office, according to a press release. See childrens-museum.org to purchase admission to the morning session to participate.

• Check out the Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, on Saturday, Aug. 8, the month’s “Second Saturday” when admission is free for New Hampshire residents and a free Creative Studio art activity is available for all ages and abilities, according to currier.org. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Music

• Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, wraps up its “Summer Songs: A Kids Music Series!” with Miss Julieann on Friday, Aug. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the lawn, according to kimballjenkins.com/events, where you can RSVP. “The fun begins at 5 p.m. with an interactive art activity for kids led by KJ Tiny Artist teacher Ari Murphy. Then, at 6 p.m., enjoy a lively musical performance that will have kids singing, dancing, and playing along,” the website said. BYO blanket, chairs and snacks, the website said.

• Summer Concerts with Miss Alli in Livingston Park in Manchester also wraps up its season this Saturday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m., according to a post on the Manchester Parks & Recreation Facebook page. The concert takes place between Brigit’s Garden and the playground, the post said.

• Catch Mr. Aaron on Sunday, Aug. 9, from 10 to 11 a.m. at White Park in Concord as part of the Summer in the City Concert Series, according to mraaronmusic.com. Mr. Aaron will also perform Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Loudon Recreation Park, 53 S. Village Road in Loudon, according to his website.

Gametime

• The Nashua Silver Knights wrap up regular season play at Holman Stadium in Nashua this week with games Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6:03 p.m. versus the Westfield Starflies and on Friday, Aug. 7, at 6:03 p.m. versus the Norwich Sea Unicorns, according to nashuasilverknights.com, where you can purchase tickets. Friday’s game will feature post-game fireworks, the website said.

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue its stretch of games against the Portland Sea Dogs with a game on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6:03 p.m. featuring a cross-body bag giveaway for the first 500 attendees, according to a press release. At Friday’s game — Aug. 7, 6:03 p.m. — the first 500 fans through the gates get a Fisher Cats soccer jersey and there will be fireworks after the game, the release said. Saturday, Aug. 8, 6:03 p.m. is Star Wars night with the Fisher Cats playing in Star Wars themed jerseys (which will be auctioned to benefit Make-a-Wish New Hampshire) and post-game fireworks, the release said. On Sunday, Aug. 9, game time is 1:05 p.m. and the team will play as the New Hampshire Space Potatoes, the release said. See nhfishercats.com.

Kiddie Pool 26/07/30

Family fun for whenever

Kids racing for kids

Friends of Aine will hold its annual Kids Try-athlon on Sunday, Aug. 2, starting at 8 a.m. at Bedford High School and the Bedford Town Pool. The event is a swim, bike, run race for kids grouped by age — 4- to 10-year-olds and 11- to 15-year-olds, according to friendsofaine.com. The event is open to kids regardless of athletic ability and features a post-race festival, according to the website, where you can register to participate.

National Night Out

Tuesday, Aug. 4, is the National Night Out, “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie,” according to the national National Night Out website, natw.org. Here is what some area cities and towns are planning for Aug. 4.

• The Amherst Police Department will hold an event at Souhegan High School in Amherst with a touch-a-truck and K-9 meet with Amherst’s dog Niko at 5 p.m. followed by a family-friendly movie screening starting at 5:30 p.m., according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.

• Bedford Police faces Bedford Fire in the departments’ annual National Night Out softball game at 6 p.m. at Selvoski Field on County Road in Bedford, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• The Concord Police Department will hold its event in Rollins Park from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring food, bike safety, police vehicles and demonstrations, booths from local organizations and nonprofits, touch a truck with police and fire and general services, music with DJ Nazzy, kids’ activities, a NH National Guard Blackhawk helicopter and more, according to the department’s Facebook page, where you can find information about parking.

• The Deerfield Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gazebo at 10 Church St. in Deerfield, featuring food and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• The Epping Police Department will hold its event from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Epping High School featuring a touch-a-truck of first responder vehicles, K-9 demonstration, a drone demonstration, public safety agencies, a barbecue, family activities and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• The Hollis Police and Fire departments as well as other organizations will partner on an event at Nichols Field according to a post on the department’s Facebook page, where you can check back for updates.

• Hooksett Police Department will hold its event in Arthur Donati Memorial Field starting at 5 p.m., according to a post on its Facebook page, where you can check for updates.

• Hudson Police Department will hold its event at Rodgers Memorial Library, 194 Derry Road in Hudson, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. featuring games, food, prizes and more according to the department’s Facebook page.

• Litchfield Police Department will hold its event at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring race a cop in a go-kart, laser tag with SWAT operators and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• Loudon Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 8 p.m. in Loudon Recreational Field, with a Police versus Fire tug of war slated for 7 p.m., according to the department’s Facebook page. The event will feature food vendors, K-9 demonstrations, games and giveaways, the post said.

• The Manchester Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hartnett Lot & Victory Park with more than 40 community-based services, K-9 and robotics demonstrations, the police horses, the police comfort dog and more, according to a video on the department’s Facebook page.

• The Merrimack Police Department will hold its event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Merrimack High School parking lot with free ice cream and entertainment, the department’s comfort dog Mack, a fire engine pull between the police and fire departments and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• The Milford Police Department will hold its event from 6 to 8 p.m. at Emerson Park with free food, K-9 and drone demos, touch a truck and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• The Nashua Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 8 p.m. in Greeley Park, 100 Concord St. in Nashua, featuring free food and ice cream, K-9 and drone demonstrations, touch a truck, games with police officers and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• Pelham Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Village Green featuring music, games, classic cars, food trucks, local vendors and organizations, demonstrations and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• Plaistow Police Department will hold its event at PARC, 51 Old County Road in Plaistow, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. featuring first responders, touch a truck, music, games, food and more, according to the department’s Facebook page.

• Raymond Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lamprey River Elementary School featuring food, games and activities, police and public safety demonstrations and more, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.

• Salem Police Department will hold its event from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Salem High School with demonstrations, music, food, games and more, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page, where you can find a schedule for demonstrations such as taser and vehicle extraction (by Salem Fire).

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