Category: Outdoors

Lambs, lathes and lumberjacks

Lots to see and do at the NH Farm, Forest & Garden Expo

Kelly Bryer is the manager of the New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo taking place Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at the Deerfield fairgrounds. She said the yearly Expo has changed considerably over the past several years.

“We’re in our 43rd year,” she said. “It’s put on by three agencies: the UNH Extension, the New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands, and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. We were in Manchester for 40 years, as a winter event. Then, three years ago, we moved out to the Deerfield fairgrounds in the spring, and the Expo is a whole new animal now.”

“Now,” she said, “we pretty much take over an entire end of the Deerfield fairgrounds. We’ve got tractors that will be running. We’ve got running sawmills. We’ll have a team of oxen running lumber between the sawmills — it’s a really cool thing. We have free horse-drawn wagon rides. There’s a barn space for the animals. There’s an open exhibition space. … We bring in a lot of partners to hold their events within our bigger event. The Dark Horse Lumberjack Show will go off on Friday. We’ll have the Wildlife Heritage Foundation’s ‘Forever Locked’ display there — that’s the two big taxidermied moose that are engaged in battle.”

Each exhibit or demonstration at the Farm, Forest & Garden Expo will be centered around New Hampshire’s agriculture, Bryer said, from general themes to very specific topics.

“For instance,” she said, “Concord Tractor is doing [a presentation] about safe loading of tractors, which is really fascinating. … We’ll have a chainsaw maintenance and sharpening workshop. We’ll have cider making for kids and maple sugaring for beginners. Averill House Vineyard is coming to talk about growing grapes and vine management.”

“[The Department of Transportation] will have their big trucks there. We’ll have lots of different types of machinery. Kids can sit on the tractors. We have a ‘Playpen’ running so you can actually try out a tractor,” she said.

The Expo will also showcase larger issues in modern agriculture, Bryer said. “Another really popular session that always fills up quickly is the homestead food rules, so if you want to make and sell your own products.”

Other organizations will make presentations of different rural skills, Bryer said. “We have demonstrators coming in. We have rug braiders and some spinners and some chair caners who will be coming in. The Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers will put on some demonstrations, and they’ll have an opportunity for people to join in. There will be beekeepers. And they usually bring bees with them.”

“We are jam-packed,” she said.

The New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo
When: Friday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Deerfield Fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road, Deerfield, 463-7421.
Tickets will be on sale at Gate E. Admission is $10 per person, free for children 12 and younger. Visit nhfarmandforestexpo.org.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 26/04/30

Family fun for whenever

Fest fun

• Register now for the Woolly Wonder Fest at the Joppa Hill Educational Farm, 174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford, on Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature hands-on wool skirting, washing, carding and spinning; live fiber demonstrations, an opportunity to meet the sheep, music and more, according to the farm’s Facebook page. See jhef.org/events-at-the-farm.

On stage

• You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown will be presented by the Manchester Community Theatre Players on Fridays, May 1; Saturday, May 2; Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, May 3 and May 10, at 2 p.m. at the MCTP Theatre, the North End Montessori School, 698 Beech St. in Manchester. Described as an all-ages-friendly show, the play “explores life through the eyes of Charlie Brown and his friends in the Peanuts gang. This revue of songs and vignettes, based on the beloved Charles Schulz comic strip, is the ideal first show for those who would like to do a musical. Musical numbers include ‘My Blanket and Me,’ ‘The Kite,’ ‘The Baseball Game,’ ‘Little Known Facts,’ ‘Suppertime’ and ‘Happiness,’” according to a press release. See manchestercommunitytheatre.com for tickets.

• Shrek The Musical will be presented by Actorsingers on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St. in Nashua, according to actorsingers.org, where you can purchase tickets.

• The Magician’s Elephant, based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, will be presented by the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative in its New Hampshire premiere on Friday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. at Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St. in Laconia, according to powerhousenh.org, where you can purchase tickets.

On stage, canine edition

• Mutts Gone Nuts, described as “eight world-class stunt dogs in a hilarious comedy show” by muttsgonenuts.com, will perform Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m. at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. See tickets.anselm.edu for tickets. See the Mutts Gone Nuts website for video clips from previous shows.

Kiddie Pool 26/04/23

Family fun for whenever

Signs of spring

• The Goffstown Citizens Committee will hold its annual SpringFest on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sullivan Arena at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, according to a press release. The day will feature a kids’ zone with bounce houses, slides, table games, glitter tattoos, face painting and more, the release said. There will be two food concessions areas with snacks and lunch and more than 100 booths from businesses and vendors offering product demonstrations, free samples and more, the release said. Admission costs $5 for adults and is free for children 12 and younger, the release said. See goffstowncitizens.org.

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, is celebrating Barnyard Babies & Beyond on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, with admission times starting at 10:30 a.m., according to its Facebook page, where you can find a link to tickets. Meet and pet baby farm animals, see a cow milking demonstration, check out the tractor “touch a truck” and more, according to the post. See visitthefarm.com.

Music!

• Mr. Aaron celebrates 10 years of making music for kids with a Double Digits Celebration on Saturday, April 25, at 4 p.m. at Rollins Park in Concord, according to facebook.com/mraaronmusic, where you can check back for weather-related updates. See mraaronmusic.com for more about Mr. Aaron and his music.

• Introduce the kids to the songs of Dave Matthews at The Rock and Roll Playhouse featuring the music of the Dave Matthews Band & More played by local musician Kevin Horan & Friends on Sunday, April 26, at 11 a.m. (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) at the BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord. See ccanh.com for tickets; kids under 1 get in free, according to the website.

• Catch the music of Frozen, Wicked, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Moana, Taylor Swift and more at The Princess Concert on Monday, April 27, at 3:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord. See ccanh.com for tickets.

On stage

• The Magic School Bus, presented by TheaterWorks USA, will be at the Capitol Center for the Art’s Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, on Friday, April 24, at 4 p.m. See ccanh.com for tickets.

• Comedy illusionist Ben Pratt will present a family-friendly show at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, on Sunday, April 26, at 6:15 p.m. See chunkys.com, which describes the show as “loaded with audience participation and exciting fun for the entire family,” for tickets.

Fun and games

• Chunky’s in Manchester also has a few theater candy bingo events on the schedule. Catch bingo Tuesday, April 28, and Friday, May 1, at 6:45 p.m. See chunkys.com to purchase tickets.

• Remix Roller Skating & Event Center, 725 Huse Road in Manchester, will offer a Vacation Skate Party on Monday, April 27, with two-hour skate blocks and a free 20-minute roller skate lesson for the 10 a.m. block, according to skateremix.com, where you can purchase tickets for time blocks and find more upcoming all ages skate events.

• To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St. in Manchester, is offering “an easy, family-friendly hang all week long,” according to its Facebook page. The brewery has activities planned throughout the week, such as a scavenger hunt on Tuesday and “Crafternoon” on Wednesday, and will have “Kid Snack Packs” available for purchase, the post said.

• Honey Cup Cafe & Tea Room, 150 Bridge St. in Manchester, has a Kids Tea Time available at 10 a.m. April 28 through May 1, by reservation only, according to a post on its Facebook page where you can find details on pricing and available tea time treats.

Vacation at the museum

Looking for something to do during spring vacation (the week of April 27 for many New Hampshire schools)? Some area museums offer extra hours or programming.

• The Aviation Museum of N.H. 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, will be open additional hours during Spring Break — Monday, April 27, and Tuesday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a press release. The museum is also open its regular hours Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. The museum also will operate its Elite Flight Simulator on Monday, April 27; Wednesday, April 29, and Friday, May 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. in addition to its usual hours of Saturday 1 to 4 p.m., the release said. The simulator, open to ages 13 and up, offers the experience of flying a single-engine plane, the release said. Families with kids ages 12 and younger can attend “Story Time, which will take place on Tuesday, April 28, and Thursday, April 30, with programs at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Participants will enjoy reading several aviation-themed stories as well as additional activities. Admission to Story Time is free and is first-come, first-served. Afterward, families may explore the Aviation Museum at no charge,” the release said. See aviationmuseumofnh.org for regular admission prices and for details.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, will be open Tuesday, April 28, for an afternoon play session from 1 to 4 p.m. as well as its usual hours of morning play sessions (9 a.m. to noon) Tuesdays and Sundays and morning and afternoon sessions Wednesdays through Saturdays. See childrens-museum.org.

And save the date for Farm Day with Sturgeon Creek Farm on Sunday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, when visitors will get to meet some of the animals from Sturgeon Creek Farm in Eliot, Maine, on the museum’s Play Patio, according to a museum newsletter. Reserve admission online.

• Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to currier.org. Additionally, the museum has workshops April 29 through May 1, for ages 6 to 15 (grouped by age) called “Spray: Big Colors, Bold Moves” and themed around the current “SPRAY: Jules Olitski in the 1960s” exhibition, according to the website, where you can find pricing.

• The Millyard Museum, run by the Manchester Historic Association, is in the same building at the SEE Science Center — 200 Bedford St. in Manchester. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to manchesterhistoric.org, where you can find downloadable Gallery Games to help kids engage with the museum.

• New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park St. in Concord, offers historical exhibits and is open its regular hours Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to nhhistory.org, where you can find admission information.

• SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, will be open Monday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in addition to its regular hours of Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See see-sciencecenter.org.

Books, prizes, golden tickets

Local shops celebrate indie bookstore day

According to Michael Joachim, the general manager of Balin Books in Nashua, what sets independent bookstores apart from corporate chain bookstores is the personal relationships they build with their customers.

“The bookstores I’ve worked at and run are very much connected to the community,” he said. We do a great deal of business with almost all the local school systems. There are dedicated people here who work with specific teachers and librarians to make sure they get the books they need at the best price we can get them. And we handle all the work of getting the books sorted, packed up, and delivered to the schools. Individuals will just call us personally and say, hey, here’s a list. Can you help me with this? Can you find out some information on these books that we need? And we take care of that for them.”

Joachim and his staff are ramping up for this Saturday, April 25, Independent Bookstore Day, which the American Booksellers Association (bookweb.org/independent-bookstore-day) describes on their website as a “national one-day party held the last Saturday in April to celebrate independent bookstores across the country, online, and in-store, through exclusive books and literary items, contests, cupcakes, and everything in between.”

Joachim said the day is a good chance to show customers some of the things independent bookstores like Balin Books can do for them.

“Having knowledgeable people in the store,” is important, he said, noting, “People who have their whole lives in book selling usually wind up in an independent store … and that goes an enormous amount of miles in results, in speaking to someone intelligently about finding a book you’re looking for, recommendations, or just how the store inventory is shaped to be responsive to the local community. All that comes out of experience.”

Erin Magoon, one of the lead booksellers at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, said Independent Bookstore Day is one of the most fun days of the year for book fans.

“There’s an Indie Bookstore Ambassador every year,” Magoon said. “This year it’s LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, so we’re doing kind of like rainbow-themed decorations, some rainbow-themed search and find activities for kids over on the kids’ side of the store. We’ll have a golden ticket hidden somewhere in the store, and that’s redeemable for 12 free audiobook credits available for someone to find in the store. One of our booksellers, Kate, did a booth last year called Book Zoltar [named for the fortune-telling machine in the 1988 Tom Hanks movie Big]. She gives fortunes to adults and kids about what books they should read. And then, of course, we’ll have some local authors here to meet our customers and sign books.”

Manchester’s Bookery is also hiding prizes and a Golden Ticket audiobook voucher, said event coordinator Alex Pellerin. “This is a special ticket that’s going to be hidden around the Bookery,” she said, “and we’re going to be giving clues throughout the day as to where that ticket is. And whoever finds that ticket gets 12 free audiobooks for the year from Libro.fm, which is really fun.” There will also be visiting authors throughout the day, she said, and live music.

According to Pellerin, independent bookstores like Bookery are able to provide their customers with “curated” experiences. “[Independent bookstores] are all unique,” she said, “and a lot of our books reflect our communities. We take a lot of recommendations from our customers for books and we really personalize which books we carry. Our staff is able to work with everybody and offer personalized recommendations, rather than a list of what a corporation says to.”

Indie Bookstore Day

Independent Bookstore Day is Saturday, April 25. Here are the plans at some local participating book stores. For a map of bookstores participating in Independent Bookstore Day activities, visit indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day/map.

• At Balin Books in Nashua (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St.), get exclusive Independent Bookstore Day tote bags and collectible pencils while supplies last, plus mystery grab bags of five books for a $5 donation to the Nashua Soup Kitchen. (A portion of the day’s sales will be donated to NSK.) Author Laura Knoy will be at the store at 11 a.m. for an event featuring her new book, The Shopkeeper of Alsace. p.s. There will be cake, according to the website. See balinbooks.com.

• Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord (45 S. Main St.) promises exclusive merch, balloon animals and a “Golden Ticket” for Libro.fm, source of indie audiobooks, as well as visits from authors Kari Allen, Patricia Zube, Jeff Lang and Sam Kelley Theodosopoulos; see gibsonsbookstore.com for details on their books.

• Manchester’s Bookery (844 Elm St.) is planning “prizes, discounts, live music, authors, and so much more!” according to their website, bookerymht.com.

• Wonderland Books and Toys (245 Maple St., No. 12, Manchester) will celebrate its second anniversary in conjunction with Independent Bookstore Day with a week of promotions, giveaways and family-friendly events. On Saturday, April 25, the store will have extended hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., featuring exclusive deals and interactive activities, according to a press release.

• At Water Street Bookstore in Exeter (125 Water St.), go on a blind date with a book, search for the Libro.fm Golden Ticket (worth 12 audiobook credits) and hidden gift cards, enter a literary trivia quiz (win a $50 bookstore gift card) and join other fun activities. See waterstreetbooks.com.

• In Portsmouth, the Book Nook is hosting an audio book walk to celebrate the day, starting with a free mini Loon chocolate bar in the store at 10 a.m.; see portsmouthbooknook.com for details.

Featured photo: A limited-edition tote designed by Tom Gauld, author of Physics for Cats, will be available at participating indie bookstores.

Timing matters in spring clean-up

Take notes now for a nice garden later

This was supposed to be my very last gardening column, but (spoiler alert) it is not. I started writing a gardening column in 1998 and wrote weekly for 25 years. Then in late 2023 I dropped down to once a month. I liked the extra time and freedom it gave me to do other things.

Recently I have been tempted to say, ”Adios, my friends” once I turned 80 this month (same day as Will Shakespeare, different year). But I have decided that I will continue on — as long as I can and still have readers who tell me they learn from the column. And so long as local newspapers, like this one, keep on being willing and able to pay me. Thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm and support.

Despite occasional snows, our gardens are awake in April. Flowering bulbs abound: Snowdrop and winter aconite have been blooming since March; early daffodils, glory of the snow, scilla (also called Siberian squill) and crocus are plentiful. Trees are awakening, too: Spring witchhazel is blooming and leatherwood (Dirca palustris) will bloom by the middle of the month.

Spring is a good time to determine where you should plant bulbs, come fall. Get some plant tags and place them where nothing is coming up, places that would look good with some daffodils or snowdrops. Come fall, most of us cannot remember exactly where we have clusters of spring-blooming bulbs.

Bulb flowers can last decades. My family had hundreds of daffodils that bloomed along the paths through our woods in Connecticut. The high canopy of mature maples was quite dense, but the daffies got enough sunshine to re-charge their energy before the maple leaves were big. I have some clumps of daffodils I moved from there, some 40 years ago. FYI: Planting bulbs under evergreens is not a good idea.

The timing of spring clean-up depends on the weather and where you live. We don’t cut back many of our tall perennials and grasses in the fall as they offer food for seed-eating birds, and some harbor eggs or larvae of pollinators in their hollow stems. We’ll wait until the weather is consistently in the 50s before we clean up and remove dead stems so insects can hatch. We’ll rake and remove debris from mid to late April.

close up of a tree trunk with a short brand stub coming out of the side, surrounded by a ring of bark
Don’t leave stubs, they have to heal back to branch collar

April is a good month for pruning fruit trees. Although there are entire books about pruning, the rules are fairly simple:

1. Never remove more than 20% or 25% of the live, leaf-bearing branches. This may mean spreading out your pruning over two or three years if a tree is badly overgrown. Pile up your branches as you work, so you can estimate more easily how much you have cut off.

2. Don’t leave short stubs of branches. Cut back to the swollen area called the branch collar. This is where it heals.

3. Remove all dead branches. They don’t count in that 25% threshold.

4. If two branches are rubbing, crossing or fighting for sunshine, remove one. Don’t be afraid to cut out large branches.

5. Remove all “water sprouts,” which are thin, pencil-like sprouts growing straight up. Do this every year. Remove any root sprouts, too.

6. Remove branches pointed toward the middle of the tree.

April is a good month for planning what you want to grow this year, and what you want to eliminate. I know people who refuse to cut down trees or dig out shrubs. Not me. If a woody plant is not performing well or is difficult to keep looking nice, I remove it. It opens up a place for something new.

This year Cindy and I plan to plant two more peach trees. I planted a good-sized ‘Contender’ peach in 2021, and although it has produced some peaches they have not been very tasty. So this year I will plant a ‘Reliant’ peach and a ‘Red Haven.’ Both are peaches that are tasty and hardy here in our Zone 5 garden. And I hope to convince Cindy we should remove the ‘Contender.’ She is much less ruthless than I am.

Pay attention to what pleases you in the perennial garden as spring moves along. Last year I planted a few common primroses (Primula vulgaris). They started blooming at the beginning of April this year, a striking bright yellow. I will plant half a dozen more since they bloom so early. They prefer part shade, rich soil and plenty of moisture. Another early primrose is the Drumstick Primrose (P. denticulata). It sends up a purple, blue or white cluster of florets vaguely in the shape of a chicken drumstick.

If you have a good location for primroses, think about obtaining some Candelabra Primroses (P. japonica). These beauties bloom on 2-foot stalks with rings of small trumpets in magenta, pink or white. They grow and produce a new set of flowers each week for four to six weeks starting in mid-May for me. And best yet: They produce lots of seeds and spread quite rapidly. They do best in rich, moist soil beneath mature apple trees. Buy three plants and before you know it you’ll have a dozen, then three dozen. Twenty-five years ago I was given seven plants; now I have more than 500!

I firmly believe that gardening keeps me fit and young. I always have to survive the winter to see what blooms well in the spring and beyond!

You can reach Henry with comments and questions at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746 or by email at henry.homeyer@comcast.net.

Featured photo: Drumstick primula is an early spring bloomer. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 26/04/16

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.

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