Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 24/11/28

Family fun for whenever

Trip to the museum

Looking for an out-of-the-house thing to do this long weekend?

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; 742-2002, childrens-museum.org) is open Tuesday, Nov. 26, for its morning session (9 a.m. to noon); Wednesday, Nov. 27, for morning and afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) sessions; Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, for morning and afternoon sessions, and Sunday, Dec. 1, for the morning session. Reserve a spot online in advance; admission costs $12.50 for everyone over 12 months and $10.50 for 65+.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) is open Tuesdays through Friday (closed Thanksgiving) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last admission at 3 p.m.) and and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.). Admission costs $14 per person for ages 3 and up.

• The Aviation Museum of N.H. (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for ages 13; $5 for ages 6 to 12 and 65+ and veterans and military, and is free for kid 5 and under.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop) is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $13 for adults, $12 for 62+ and ages 13 through college, and $10 for kids ages 3 to 12 (kids 2 and under get in free).

Save the date

• Zach Umperovitch, builder of contraptions of all shapes and sizes, is inviting everyone to join him at SEE Science Center on Thursday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. for a free public event to celebrate the launch of his new book. Zach worked for three and a half years with Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter Jennifer Geoge and illustrator Ed Steckly to create a book that anyone can use to build 25 machines. Zach will have several machines on display and attendees can purchase a book and get it autographed, according to their website. Advance signup is required for this free event. A News Q & A with Zach Umperovitch can be found in the June 13 issue of the Hippo at hippopress.com. Visit see-sciencecenter.org or call 669-0400 for more info on the event, and check out @ZachsContraptions on YouTube and @zachscontraptions on Instagram.

Alice in a Winter Wonderland

Jan Brett’s new book tour

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

Jan Brett is releasing a new book, Alice in a Winter Wonderland, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, and is traveling to 17 cities in 23 days to get the word out on her newest story, which she wrote and illustrated over a two-year period. Brett has won many awards and is a New York Times No. 1 bestselling author.

The author and illustrator of The Mitten, The Nutcracker and The Snowy Nap, among countless other books, is launching her new book tour at Oyster River High School on Friday, Nov. 29, in partnership with Durham Public Library and Gibson’s Bookstore. Registration for the 530-seat event is already at capacity.

“Everybody knows about Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which was published in the 1800s. I always loved the book when I was little. I loved the whimsy of it. I loved the topsy-turvy-ness. It sort of reflected the way I used to feel as a child. It’s like you never know what’s coming up next,” Brett said.

Brett has put a twist on the story. “I set my book in Alaska, because I wanted to take away from the very British … sides and references to that part of England. The Cheshire Cat, there was a kind of cheese in Cheshire that had this cat on it, and so [Carroll] put that in the book.”

The beauty of the tundra, past and present, inspired her too. “I’ve always been fascinated by glaciers and the glaciation of North America and how human beings lived there,” she said.

“There were all these megafauna from the Pleistocene that lived at the same time as human beings. I thought that was really, really cool. I’ve always loved that idea and wished I could travel back in time,” Brett said, “so I found a way to travel back in time through this story. [Alice] falls through the rabbit hole. It was a hole in the glacier and then she finds an underground world.”

The Cheshire Cat is converted into a Pleistocene animal, the smilodon.

“Smilodon is a saber-toothed cat. It’s got these huge fangs, and it … lived in the United States, in Alaska and really North America, more like Canada, along with woolly mammoth, short-faced bear, which was a huge, wooly rhino. There were also mastodons, which is another kind of elephant likely to have fur, so I put those in the book,” Brett said.

One ancient hoofed mammal that is still around today is Brett’s favorite. “Actually we have one creature that I’ve been really obsessed with, which is a muskox…. It’s like a very, very furry kind of half-ox, half-sheep kind of animal. I’ve done a couple books about it.”

Despite updates to the classic, Brett’s adaptation is a sincere and thoughtful retelling.

“Probably one of my favorite pages is the griffin because I think it’s such a cool creature. It’s supposed to guard treasure and you see it in the Middle East, but it’s a mythic figure that obviously Lewis Carroll really liked. He loved puzzles and math, so I tried to tip my hat a little bit to that,” she said. Carroll was a Mathematical Lecturer at Christ Church, a college at Oxford, and his knowledge and curiosity about the world made his book a joy for countless generations. Brett puts the same care into her new telling of the story.

“I tried to put a lot of little puzzles in it,” Brett said. “I loved to just get my pointer finger out and just like go around the page and see what I could see and maybe there would be something fun to look at and something that would be informative…. It’s not like everything has to have a reason. It’s just fun to be able to spot things, so that was the underlying reason for all the detail and why it took two years to do it.”

At each stop of the tour, Jan Brett will talk about her story and take time to sign books.

“Every time I do a book I write about how I got the idea,” Brett said. “Hopefully [readers will] go to those places someday and extend their frame of reference and if they themselves want to be a writer or an artist they’ll just say, ‘Oh, look at this, this is the way she does it. I wonder how I’m going to do it?’”

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/11/21

Family fun for whenever

Stories

  • Local authors David J. Preece and Jim Webber will hold a special Saturday storytime at Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St.) on Saturday, Nov 23, at 11:30 a.m. featuring their picture books A Home for Mr. Higgins and Mr. Higgins Takes a Stand. Spoiler: Mr. Higgins is an adorable dog.
  • In honor of her new picture book, Alice in a Winter Wonderland, which goes on sale Nov. 26, New York Times bestselling author and artist Jan Brett is on a bus tour that will make a stop at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Drive, Durham) in partnership with Durham Public Library and Gibson’s Bookstore on Friday, Nov. 29, at 5 p.m. Her new story is set in the shimmering Alaskan tundra and reimagines classic characters as animals native to Alaska. At the event, Jan Brett will do a drawing demonstration, talk, and book signing, according to the release. Visit durhampubliclibrary.org and gibsonsbookstore.com/event/jan-brett-alice-winter
  • Disney’s Descendants The Musical is presented by Kids Coop Theatre Friday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway, Derry). In the story, Belle and Beast have married and become king and queen of the United States of Auradon, where they have created a prosperous new nation from the surrounding kingdoms and banished the villains to the Isle of the Lost, where magic is suspended, which traps the villains on the island. Performances are on Thursday, Nov. 22, and Friday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m. See kctnh.org for updates.
  • The Nutcracker is presented by Safe Haven Ballet at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., nashuacenterforthearts.com) Saturday, Nov. 23, at 4:30 p.m. This full-length ballet of The Nutcracker is a dynamic performance including everyone from strong-minded Clara to the eccentric Drosselmeyer, the spooky Rats, and the beloved Sugarplum Fairy danced by artistic director Lissa Curtis, according to their website. In the Land of Sweets you will be introduced to a variation unique to Safe Haven Ballet called The Brave American, according to their website, where the audience is encouraged to sing and clap along to the spirited, patriotic piece. Adult tickets cost $45; tickets for seniors and students cost $40. See safehavenballet.org.
  • Disney’s Frozen is presented by Ogunquit Playhouse at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org)Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Dec. 22, with shows Wednesdays through Thursdays (except for Thanksgiving).The production is from the renowned producer of The Lion King and Aladdin and audiences should be prepared to be captivated by a thrilling and genuinely moving performance that The New Yorker describes as “simply magical!” according to the website. The show promises sensational special effects, stunning sets, costumes, and powerhouse performances, according to the same website. See specific days and times for ticket prices on their website.

Outdoors

Join the New Hampshire Audubon for a birding outing along the trails at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn) on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Participants will meet at the front doors of the main building, according to their website. This is an informal birding outing that begins at Massabesic Center trailhead and explores the trails with local birder and Massabesic Center Advisory Committee member Joe Mahoney, inviting all ages and skill levels of birders, according to their website, even those who are new to birding. The Massabesic Wildlife Refuge is home to many species that prefer open space and lakeshore habitats such as eastern bluebirds, red-shouldered hawks, common loons and bald eagles in the fields and on the lake, according to their website. Binoculars rental is provided and they ask that participants dress for the weather with sturdy shoes and expect to walk 1-2 miles over mostly flat but uneven trails through grassy and wooded terrain, according to their website. Trails may be soggy or muddy in the rainy season and dogs are not allowed on this walk, according to the same website. Free admission. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Kiddie Pool 24/11/14

Family fun for whenever

Bubbles!

• The Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com, 358-5210) will present BubbleMania on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. This is a live experience where Casey Carle “will transform the theater into a whimsical wonderland, blending high-energy bubble performances with hands-on fun” in an immersive journey that’s perfect for kids and adults alike, according to the press release. “Featuring world-class bubble artists, BubbleMania is designed to mesmerize with tricks like giant bubbles you can stand inside, bubbles stacked like towers, and more unexpected twists that allegedly defy the laws of physics,” the release said. Tickets cost $20.

See a show

• The Bedford High School Theatre Company will present Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Bedford High School (47 Nashua Road in Bedford) this weekend on Friday, Nov. 15, and Saturday Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. and next weekend on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for students, $10 for seniors and $15 for adults. See seatyourself.biz//bedfordhigh for tickets and find the Bedford Theatre Co. on Facebook for more about the show.

• The Peacock Players will present their fall teen mainstage production of Mean Girls: High School Version, at Janice B. Streeter Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua) Friday, Nov. 15, through Sunday, Nov. 24. Shows are 7 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $15 and $18 for adults; $12 and $15 for students and seniors. See peacockplayers.org.

• Save the date for an early Nutcracker — The Nutcrackerwill be presented by Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater at Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) Thursday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 24. Zackery Betty-Neagle will reprise his role as the Nutcracker Prince and is currently the Artistic Director of NSquared Dance. Lori Mello, a regular guest artist with SNHDT and former Radio City Music Hall Rockette and Theater Artist, will join the cast as Mother Ginger, according to the press release. See snhdt.org for more about the dancers.

Be in a show

• Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for its January production of Grease: School Version at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St., Manchester) on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 4, 5, 6 and 7 p.m., according to a press release. Audition participants will learn a dance and be asked to sing (a short section of a musical theater or Disney song), the release said. Rehearsals are typically on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with some Monday rehearsals that will occur early in the rehearsal process, according to the press release. Performances at the Palace Theatre occur on Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Thursday, Jan. 23, and Wednesday, Jan. 29, through Thursdays, Jan. 30. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with performer’s name, age and preferred audition time.

Candy & games

• Chunky’s Cinemas (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) will host Movie Theater Candy Bingo on Friday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. Billed as family-friendly, the game will feature prizes for each round (boxes of movie theater candy) of at least eight rounds of bingo, according to the website. Doors open one hour before the start time. Bingo lasts about 90 minutes. Reserve a space for $10 and receive a $5 off virtual food voucher good for this event as Chunky’s food and drink menu will be available, according to the same release. One bingo card per customer.

Fundraising for the rest of us

The Junior Service League of Concord celebrates Festivus early

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

The 7th Annual Junior Service League of Concord Festivus: Backwoods Black Tie Edition takes place on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Barn at Bull Meadow in Concord.

Ashley Miller is the President of the Junior Service League of Concord.

“We are a group of all-volunteer women. Most of us work full-time. Most of us are moms with careers. So we are a group of all-volunteer women who do this in our free time. We operate out of our homes, and we support women and children in crisis throughout the greater Concord area, and we do that via volunteer projects and fundraising,” Miller said.

One of those fundraising events is their Festivus event. “That’s one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. It’s held at the Barn at Bull Meadow…. It’s a huge silent auction. We’re sitting at, right now, over 80 silent auction items,“ she said.

Attendees will have a chance to win some enchanting items. “We’ve got a pair of Celtics tickets. We have plumbing services. We have tree removal services. We have a weekend away at an Airbnb up in Lincoln. We have our famous Junior Service League bucket of booze, which is exactly what it sounds like. We’ve got gift cards to local businesses. We’ve got gym memberships. Anything you can think of, we’ve got it,” Miller said.

Each Festivus is unique. “And this one is Backwoods Black Tie Edition. We always have a theme. So it’s denim on denim theme,” Miller said. Any type of denim combo or ensemble is welcomed. “We do have a prize for the most creative denim on denim outfit, so I don’t want to limit anyone.”

“I’ll give a speech about what we’re about, some of the things we fundraise for. You’ll hear from some of our grantees that we’ve granted to in the past about the work we’ve done with them. So it’s a really good time. But yes, there’s music, there’s dancing, there’s food, there’s drinks. We sell rum cakes,” she said.

These are no ordinary rum cakes. “We do make them. … They’re our famous JSL rum cake recipe, which has been around for a while,” Miller said. Those interested in the rum cakes must attend to receive them. “They’re great, and they’re great for the holidays. You can freeze them. Or if you’re like me, you can eat them over the weekend, because they’re that good.”

The music is a draw as well.

“We have live music. We have two performers. One is Ryan Williamson music and the other is the Eric Reingold Has Friends band and they both performed last year and were phenomenal.”

Even if all the rum cakes are gone, other options to eat exist.

“We have all of our food donated by local businesses and then there are beer, wine, and alcohol pours, again, all donated by our community partners.”

If you can make it, bring a buddy. “$30 for one ticket or two for $55. So grab a friend and save five bucks,” she said.

Those who can’t attend can still support the JSL and what they do.

“If you can’t make it to the event but you’re interested in supporting us, you can donate. We are on Venmo. We can take a card via our website. We have a donate button. If you’d like to join us out in the community, we do regular service projects, so feel free to reach out. We are happy to be involved and to get to know people and serve our community,” Miller said.

7th Annual Junior Service League of Concord Festivus: Backwoods Black Tie Edition
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Barn at Bull Meadow, 63 Bog Road, Concord
Tickets: $30 or two for $55
jslconcord.org

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/11/7

Family fun for whenever

Outdoor adventure

• If this week’s cover story has you looking for even more spots to enjoy the outdoors, particularly ones with kid-friendly elements, Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org) is open daily from dawn to dusk. Leashed dogs are welcome, according to the website, where you can find a hiking trail map or, if you’re looking for something more farm-centered, an animal scavenger hunt of the horses, cows and ducks you might find during a visit. Visits are free; grain cups are available for purchase for $5 and the farm stand is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, self-serve, according to the farm’s Facebook page.

• Enjoy a scenic horse-drawn wagon ride at Charmingfare Farm on Saturday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 10, at various times throughout the day.Participants get a classic horse-drawn hayride experience with added comfortable seating on horse-drawn hayride wagons, making this adventure enjoyable for everyone, according to their website. Afterwards participants can warm up by a cozy bonfire, enjoy refreshments and roast s’mores with kits available, according to the same website. Visitors can also see the friendly farm animals, with animal feed for purchase. Tickets are $29. Visit visitthefarm.com or call 483-5623.

Art project

• Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen; 975-0015; twiggsgallery.org) will offer a Make & Take activity for all on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn to make “Pretty Little Birds” — paper birds that can be used as a Thanksgiving place card or a fall decorations, according to a press release. The gallery will provide all materials, the release said.

Storytime

• The SEE Science Center will be hosting a story time on Wednesday, Nov. 13, “Who Sank the Boat?,” where little scientists will try a float and sink boat experiment at the Manchester City Library. This is a part of their once-a-month story time program during the school year where kids between the ages of 2 and 6 years old are invited to enjoy a STEM/STEAM-themed story followed by hands-on activities, according to their website. They ask that participants sign up with the library for this free program. Storytime Science is a program of the SEE Science Center’s First Steps in Science Initiative. Visit see-sciencecenter.org.

• Enchantment Theatre Company will present My Father’s Dragon, based on the book series by Ruth Stiles Gannett and illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett, at Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $8. See a video trailer for the production at ccanh.com. See enchantmenttheatre.org for more on the company

• Actorsingers will bring the tale as old as time to the stage with this weekend’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beastfrom Friday, Nov. 8, through Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $23 for students and seniors. See actorsingers.org.

• Safe Haven Ballet(safehavenballet. org) will kick off the season of dancing mice with a production of The Nutcrackerat The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, the musichall.org) on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $48.50 to $53.50.

• Kids can watch kids tell the story of BeetlejuiceJr., performed by student actors 12 through 18 in the Palace Teen Company, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, and Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $12 to $15.

Early Santa visit

• Bass Pro Shops (2 Commerce Drive in Hooksett) has opened its Santa’s Wonderland for the season. Visitors get can a photo with Santa as well as weekly activities such as a tea light tree craft through Nov. 15, a wood ornament craft Nov. 18 through Dec. 6 and more. You can reserve a spot up to seven days in advance at basspro.com/santa. On Tuesdays through Dec. 17, at 5 p.m. Santa or Mrs. Claus will read Christmas stories, and on Saturdays, Nov. 16, Nov. 23 and Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. families can have a breakfast with Santa; separate reservations are required for these events, according to a press release.

Meet the Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains will hold “explore Girl Scouts” events for girls in grades kindergarten through third and a caregiver. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m., head to Center Woods Elementary in the music room (14 Center Road in Weare). On Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 7 p.m., drop in at Beaver Meadow Elementary School (Sewalls Falls Road in Concord). See girlscoutsgwm.org.

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