New Hampshire rings in 2023 with a plethora of events
By Katelyn Sahagian
The Granite State will be partying it up on New Year’s Eve. Old or young, staying up late or going to bed early, there’s an event for everyone.
• The kids night at the Y theme at YMCA of Downtown Manchester (30 Mechanic St. in Manchester; 623-3558, graniteymca.org) on Friday, Dec. 30, at 4:30 p.m. will be a New Year’s pajama party. Kids ages 3 through 9 are welcome. A space costs $25 per single child; siblings are an additional $15. Register via the branch’s Facebook page.
• See First Night, a romantic comedy, at the Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org, 436-8123) on Friday, Dec. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $27, $24 for students and seniors.
• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, childrens-museum.org) is hosting a family New Year’s Eve party on Saturday, Dec. 31, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., with a “countdown to midnight” during each session with noisemakers, hats and more. This is included in regular playtime tickets, which cost $12.50 per child with one adult, $10.50 per child with a senior age 65 and older.
• Charmingfare Farm(774 High St., Candia, visitthefarm.com) is hosting New Year’s Eve sleigh rides on Saturday, Dec. 31, starting at 10 a.m. The rides are sleigh rides to bonfires and holiday lights on a trail.
• Cowabunga’s (725 Huse Road in Manchester; cowabungas.com) is hosting a New Year’s Eve party on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at cowabungas.com.
• Join the Concord Public Library (45 Green St. in Concord, concordnh.gov) for a Noon Year’s Eve party on Saturday Dec. 31. The party will start at 11:30 a.m., and kids and parents can count down the clock together to noon. Recommended for kids newborn to fifth grade.
• Derry Public Library (64 East Broadway) is hosting a Noon Year’s Eve party on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 11:30 a.m. There will be a parade and balloon drop at the stroke of noon. Visit derrypl.org for more information.
• Celebrate the new year at the First Night in Portsmouth on Saturday, Dec. 31, in Market Square. The celebration starts at 2 p.m. and will end with fireworks at 7:30 p.m. Visit proportsmouth.org.
• The Kensington Parks and Recreation Department is setting off New Year’s fireworks at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31, in Sawyer Memorial Park (24 Trundle Lane). The Department recommends dressing warmly and bringing a flashlight.
• The Portsmouth City Orchestra is coming to the Music Hall’s Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St.) for a New Year’s Eve concert and Champagne toast on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $38 and can be bought at themusichall.org.
• Dave and Buster’s (1500 S. Willow St., Manchester) is hosting a Ring Ring Ring in the New Year party from 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, to 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1, with an unlimited appetizer buffet and unlimited play on select games. Tickets cost $69 and can be bought at daveandbusters.com.
• Pats Peak (686 Flanders Road, Henniker) is having New Year’s Eve fireworks on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 10:20 p.m. Get a reservation for skiing, snowboarding, or tubing to watch the show. Lift tickets start at $60 and can be purchased at patspeak.com.
• Seven New Hampshire state parks are hosting First Day hikes on Sunday, Jan. 1. The hike at Robert Frost Farm in Derry is already full; other locations include Greenfield State Park (954 Forest Road), Monadnock State Park (116 Poole Road in Jaffrey) and Odiorne Point State Park (570 Ocean Blvd., Rye). Check-in begins at noon. Advance registration is required; visit nhstateparks.org to register or for more information.
• The Apple Therapy and Derry Sports & Rehab Millennium Mile, a one-mile downhill race on Mammoth Road in Londonderry, starts at a forgiving 2 p.m. Registration costs $20 for 12+ and $10 for 11 and under, with the first 1,250 registrants getting a winter hat (if available, registration on race day costs $5 more). See millenniumrunning.com.
• Join New Hampshire Scot for a Hogmanay at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) on Sunday, Jan. 1, from 3 to 7 p.m. There will be traditional Scottish music, food, activities and more. Entry tickets cost $32 per adult ages 15 and older, $15 per child ages 6 to 14, and kids ages 5 and younger are free. Visit nhscot.org for more information.
Featured photo: Courtesy photo.