Hillsboro Summer Fest

Carnival rides, a skillet toss and music

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

The Hillsboro Summer Festival has been trucking along for over 35 years and is exactly what you want from a summer festival filled with events and activities you might never have imagined.

Admission is free but parking is $10 per carload. The event is hosted with the Lions Club and the Fire Association in Hillsboro and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for various nonprofits.

The festival starts on the evening of Thursday, July 11, at 6 p.m.

“It’s just smack-dab in the middle of the summer; it’s something unique in New Hampshire … we’re incredibly affordable,” said Katherine Charrette, the Creative Director and Co-Chair of the Hillsboro Summer Festival.

For Thursday, “it’s more like a local intro,” Charrette said. That’s the first of three wristband days, which means for only $25 participants can purchase a wristband that allows for unlimited rides like the classic Zipper, Merry-Go-Round, Tilt-a-Whirl and more.

If you are unfamiliar with the Zipper, “it looks like a zipper. Imagine all of the pieces turn into a little roller coaster that spins … that’s the ride kids will go on eight times in a row,” Charette said.

A special Thursday-only bonus is extended to active military families, who will receive half-price admission with ID at the administration table.

The beer tent opens at 6 p.m. Thursday. Beers on tap include Bud, Bud Light, Founders IPA, Arnold Palmer’s Tea/Lemonade, Bud Light Seltzer and Downeast Craft Cider, according to the website, and all drinks will be $5 each.

Besides carnival rides and beer, there will be trivia from 7 to 10 p.m. on the main stage.

On Friday, July 12, the festival starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m.; Friday is another wristband day. At 6 p.m., Hillsboro Police will have their K-9 Unit show, which involves an agility course, and at 6:30 p.m. there will be an obstacle course at Entertainment Field where the Hillsboro Police Department, firefighters and EMS will be competing. Also 6:30 p.m. brings the start of the Angus Lea Golf Course 5K Road Race (pre-registration is $20 and day-of registration is $25). Music will blast from Nick’s Other Band as attendees marinate in the fun from 7 to 10:30 p.m.

Then on Saturday, July 13, the festival opens at noon but attendees will need to wait until 4 p.m. for the beer tent to open. Wristbands for unlimited rides are not available Saturday, but there will be plenty of entertainment. The famed Women’s Skillet Toss will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m, which is exactly as it sounds.

“It’s women only, a real old-time tradition but we do it for women’s heart health and we raise quite a bit of money for that,” Charrette said. “You take a skillet and you have to heave it underhand, you can try overhand if you want to, and you have to throw it as far as you can.”

Music on Saturday night will be performed by Lonesome Train and at 10 p.m. a huge fireworks display will paint the night sky after a performance of the national anthem by Faith Daley. “People come from all over for that … we put a lot of effort into it,” Charrette said.

For the last day, the Festival opens on Sunday, July 14, at noon and will feature a parade that starts at the school and ends at Grimes Field. The theme this year for the parade is Mythical Creatures.

“People go all out for the floats. It really has grown into quite a competitive parade. Very eclectic, colorful, Sunday is a really fun day,” Charrette said. On Sunday participants can acquire an unlimited ride wristband and the beer tent opens at 1 p.m. Also at 1 p.m. is the kids’ cupcake eating contest for little ones under the age of 10; it’s parsed into different age groups, “as young as 1 year old all the way to 10 years old, and they take it very seriously,” Charrette said. “It’s probably 60 kids just looking and waiting to eat more cupcakes than the other ones. You can’t see that anywhere else. It’s very entertaining.”

This event will be followed by a pie eating contest for the grown-ups at 1:30 p.m. The Festival closes at 5 p.m.

“It is a lot of fun packed into a full weekend,” Charrette said. “The atmosphere is just a really fun time, it’s a good-sized crowd but not overcrowded and … it’s just a lot to do that’s eclectic and affordable for families.”

Hillsboro Summer Festival
Where: 29 Preston St., Hillsboro
When: Thursday, July 11, from 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, July 12, from 5 to 11 p.m.;
Saturday, July 13, from noon to 11 p.m., with fireworks at 10 p.m.; Sunday, July 14, from noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: free
Parking: $10 per carload
Wristbands: $25 for unlimited rides on Thursday, Friday and Sunday
More: hillsborosummerfest.com, 464-0377
No smoking. No outside alcohol. No animals allowed except for working service dogs. Free fountain water provided by The Hillsborough Solid Waste Advisory Board.

Kiddie Pool 24/07/04

Family fun for whenever

Outside

• Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia, prescottfarm.org) will host an all-ages workshop, “Tractor Tour: Life in the Fields,” on Saturday, July 6, at 10 a.m., where participants can watch for hawks and songbirds soaring overhead and learn how animals such as deer, bears, songbirds and turkeys depend on open fields for food and shelter, according to their website. Free for members, $15 for nonmembers.

• Prescott Farm will also hold four different Summer Polliwog programs for kids on different Wednesdays in July at 10 a.m. The first is Mudtastic and involves a mud run on July 10 for $12 per adult-and-child pair; the next is Glorious Bugs, where participants will make homes for bugs, on July 17; the third is Water Up! Water Down! Water all Around! where participants will learn about the water cycle, on July 24, and the last one, on July 31, is Acorn Was a Little Wild, which involves a puppet named Stasher and a hunt for deciduous trees. These last three are $15 for an adult and child pair.

• Pumpkin Blossom Farm (393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner) hosts Lavender U-Pick in its lavender fields on various dates between Friday, July 5, and Sunday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to wander the fields and cut and harvest bundles of lavender. Attendees are welcome to relax and have a picnic on the lawn, walk the shaded trail and visit the baby chicks. Lavender plants, products and treats will also be for sale. Discount bundles are $18 during the weekdays and $20 on weekends. Visit pumpkinblossomfarm.com.

On stage

• The Impact Touring Children’s Theatre presents Return to Oz on Tuesday, July 9, at 10 a.m. at the BNH Stage (16 S Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com): Dorothy returns to the magic land in hopes of finding her friends once again, but somehow the Emerald City has lost its sparkle and a new witch is in town, ready to rumble. This is a free performance. Seating for this show is mostly on the open floor. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets to sit on.

• Join Alice as she tries to make sense of her crazy adventure when The Palace Youth Theatre Summer Camp presents Alice in Wonderland, Jr., Friday, July 5, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 6, at 11 a.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org). The student actors are in grades 2 through 12. Tickets start at $12.

• Camp Encore! presents Shrek, The Musical, Jr. on Saturday, July 6, at 11 a.m. in Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth), as part of the Prescott Park Arts Festival (prescottpark.org). At Camp Encore!, performers, artists and aspiring technicians ages 7 to 17 come together to gain teamwork skills and experience theater arts; Shrek, The Musical Jr. is the culmination of this session. Tickets start at $5 and reservations can be made at portsmouthnhtickets.com.

• The 2024 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series has begun at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org) and the shows run Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Friday at 10 a.m. This week the show schedule includes Madagascar Jr. from Tuesday, July 9, to Friday, July 12, according to their website.

Sports!

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will face off against the Portland Sea Dogs at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) at games Thursday, July 4; Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6, all at 6:35 p.m. Catch fireworks after each of the games. Visit milb.com/new-hampshire.

• The Major League Soccer team the New England Revolution II will take to the pitch this Saturday, July 6, at7 p.m. at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium (Victory Lane in Hooksett) against Philadelphia Union. Tickets start at $12. Visit revolutionsoccer.net/revolutionii.

• The Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will kick off a day of celebrations at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Thursday, July 4, at 11 a.m. when they play the Westfield Starfires. If you have other Independence Day plans, you can still catch them this weekend on Saturday, July 6, at 6 p.m. when they face the Worcester Bravehearts. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

Growing roses and more

For roses, a weekly soak beats a daily sprinkle

June is, traditionally, the month for weddings. It is also the time when old-fashioned roses bloom, along with peonies, iris and many other great garden flowers. Is that coincidence? Perhaps. But maybe the two are linked. Let’s look at some great June flowers you can grow, and how to succeed with them.

My mom was an organic gardener who loved her roses. And although she is no longer with us to deny it, I think she may have cheated when it came to her roses. Back in the 1950s and ’60s roses were much fussier than they are now. They suffered from all kinds of fungal diseases and were eaten by ferocious Japanese beetles that made mincemeat of leaves and blooms. I think she used chemicals to kill the beetles and subdue the fungi.

Now we no longer have to resort to chemicals to have nice roses. Breeders have worked hard to develop roses that stay healthy and avoid predation from hungry beetles. The beetles were easy: they bred roses without scent to attract them. I don’t know how they developed roses resistant to diseases, but they have. I never see rose diseases, and I never spray.

My favorite roses are part of the “Knockout” series of roses, though I know others who really like the “Easy Elegance” series. They do not grow blossoms on long stems, but have multiple blossoms per stem. My “Knockouts” start blooming in June and bloom all summer and up until hard frost, or even later.

Siberian iris are tall and elegant. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Roses love full sun but will grow in part shade. But the more sun they get, the better they do. Six hours of sunshine is considered full sun by most authorities. Afternoon sun is more potent than morning sun, so the west side of the house is better than the east.

Roses need good, rich soil. If you have sandy soil or a heavy clay, you will need to improve it in order to succeed. What does that mean? Mix in lots of compost when you plant, and add some organic fertilizer. Dig a hole that is at least three times as wide as the pot it was in when you purchased it. Mix the soil for the hole 50-50 with good compost, either your own or a good bagged compost. I like Moo Doo or Coast of Maine brands.

Roses need more water than most other things, but do not want to sit in soggy soil. They should get an inch of water per week from rain, or a good dousing from your watering can applied slowly so it can soak in. A deep watering once a week is better than a little sprinkle every day.

Soil pH is important, too. The pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. You can buy an inexpensive kit to test it, or send a sample out to be tested for pH and soil quality at your state Extension Service. Roses do best in slightly acidic soil, in the range of 6.0 to 6.8. If your soil has a lower number, you should add limestone and mix it in. But don’t add too much. A test should tell you how much to add.

Many roses are grafted onto rootstock. The bud union — a scar — should be buried in the soil. The scar is obvious on bare-root roses but is probably buried if you buy a rose in a pot. The colder the climate, the deeper that graft line or bud union should be. For Zone 4, it should be about 4 inches below the final soil line. Zone 5? 3 inches. Zone 6? 2 inches.

Want more blossoms? Roses do better if they get some fertilizer a few times during the course of the summer. An organic, slow-release bagged fertilizer called Rose Tone is designed just for roses, but I use Pro-Gro, my go-to organic fertilizer, and sometimes use liquid fish and seaweed fertilizers made by Neptune’s Harvest. I add half a cup of Pro-Gro to the hole when I plant.

Other June flowers suitable for a wedding are peonies and iris. Peonies live forever if planted right — deep rich soil amended with plenty of organic matter. I have one from my grandmother, and she died in 1953. If you planted one that never blooms, you have probably planted it too deep. The “nibs” or growing points under the soil surface for next year’s growth should be no deeper than three quarters of an inch. You can feel them by poking around in the soil with your fingers. Pull away some soil if they are too deep, and it should bloom next year.

Siberian iris only bloom for a few days but are magnificent. They come in a variety of blues and purples. Old patches tend to develop a dead spot in the middle because the plants have used up all the soil nutrients. Divide in the fall and re-plant, or add some organic fertilizer now.

There are too many gorgeous flowers to mention them all. But if you are planning a wedding, be advised that flowers do not bloom on an absolute calendar. Your favorite peony may bloom on June 15 this year — and June 21 or June 3 next year. Your best bet is to have a good florist as a backup.

Kiddie Pool 24/06/27

Family fun for whenever

Nature and a story

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will be hosting its StoryWalk kickoff reception at the Curry Place (846 Route 3, Holderness) on Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. Attendees can stroll along the Squam channel as they read a nature-inspired story posted one page at a time along the trail. Children can participate in a craft and enjoy a snack connected to the story at the reception. It’s free and there’s no registration required. Visit nhnature.org. The Center’s live animal exhibit trail and hiking trails are open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last trail admission at 3:30 p.m., according to the website.

On stage

• The Impact Touring Children’s Theatre will perform The Emperor’s New Clothes on Tuesday, July 2, at 10 a.m. at the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com). This is a free performance. Seating for this show is mostly on the open floor. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets to sit on.

Kidz Bop Live comes to the BankNH Pavilion (80 Recycle Way, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Wednesday, July 3, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $49.

Movies!

• Kids Series O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway, Epping, oneilcinemas.com) features Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem(PG, 2023) on Monday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 3, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

• The Park Theatre’s Kids Summer Movie-Rama continues in Jaffrey with Peter Rabbit (PG, 2018) on Saturday, June 29, at 10 a.m. and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (PG, 2018) on Tuesday, July 2, at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 6, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $7. Visit theparktheatre.org/kids or call 532-8888.

Fireworks and parades for the Fourth of July

Plus music, food and games

Celebrate Independence Day with multiple days of fun in area cities and towns. Here’s some of what’s going on.

• In Amherst on Sunday, June 30, festivities start around 6 p.m. with fireworks and family entertainment including a magician, a juggler, face-painting, hot air balloon rides and live music at Souhegan High School (412 Boston Post Road). There will be a parade on the Amherst Village Green on Thursday, July 4, at 9 a.m. with bands, local marchers, floats, fire trucks, antique cars, politicians, and a special children’s bicycle parade. Visit amherstcommunityfoundation.org.

Concord will celebrate on Thursday, July 4, at Memorial Field (70 S. Fruit St.) with food, vendors, and music starting at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 9:20 p.m. Rain date is Friday, July 5. Visit concordnh.gov.

• July Fourth Family Fun Day at Riverway Park in Contoocook starts at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 4, and will include parades, live music, face painting, dunk tanks and more. The Tooky Cookie Bake-Off cookie drop-off begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m. Visit their Facebook page.

• In Dover the NH National Guard’s 39th Army Band will play at Henry Law Park on Thursday, July 4, at 4 p.m. and the city will launch its annual fireworks display from Garrison Hill on Saturday, July 6, at dusk, according to @CityofDoverNH on X.

• There will be fireworks in Exeter following the 34th Annual American Independence Festival (1 Governors Lane) on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit independencemuseum.org.

• Fireworks light up Hampstead at the Independence Day Festival on Saturday, June 29, which involves frog jumping, games, a barbecue competition, a craft fair and Hampstead’s Got Musical Talent. Visit hampsteadcivicclub.org.

• Fireworks will be launched at Hampton Beach on Thursday, July 4, at 9:30 p.m from the top of B and C streets. Visit hamptonbeach.org/events/fireworks.

• The Hillsborough Summer Fest (29 Preston St.) will have fireworks the third night of their celebration on Saturday, July 13, at 10 p.m. and the national anthem will be sung by Faith Daley. Admission is free but parking is $10 per car. Visit hillsborosummerfest.com.

• In Manchester, fireworks go off on the evening of Wednesday, July 3, at Arms Park.

• Also in Manchester, get fireworks after each Fisher Cats game (at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive) Thursday, July 4, to Saturday, July 6. Games start at 6:35 p.m. and the Fisher Cats will be playing the Portland Sea Dogs. Visit nhfishercats.com.

Merrimack has two days of celebrations. On Wednesday, July 3, the town holds its Patriotic Concert in the Park (behind Merrimack Town Hall at 6 Baboosic Lake Road) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Thursday, July 4, at Merrimack High School (38 McElwain St.) there will be a 5K road race at 8 a.m. and a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m., followed by a parade at 1 p.m. that starts at the Tractor Supply (515 DW Highway) and ends at the high school, and fireworks around 9:15 p.m. at the high school. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org.

• Festivities start in Nashua at 11 a.m. on July 4 at Holman Stadium for a Silver Knights Game where children under 12 and the first 500 adults are free but tickets must be reserved in advance. There will be an expanded kids zone and on-field activities. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a free concert by The Slakas, followed by local acts at 7:30 p.m. Then there will be the Nashua Hall of Fame Inductions followed by Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps at 8:30 p.m. and finally the fireworks at dusk. Visit nashuasilverknights.com for tickets and check out nashuanh.gov/SummerFun.

New Boston will hold its 94th annual Fourth of July celebration on Thursday, July 4, with food, games, activities and a parade, all culminating in a fireworks display when it gets dark. This year’s parade theme is sci-fi and fantasy; the parade begins at 10 a.m. Admission to the fairgrounds begins at 4 p.m. and is $10 for those ages 12 and up, $5 for those ages 2 to 11; children 2 and under are free, and this year there is a family package price of $40, according to the website. Parking is free. Visit newboston4thofjuly.org.

• The Independence Day celebration in Pelham will be held on the grounds of the Pelham Municipal Center on Marsh Road on Saturday, June 29, starting at 6 p.m. There will be lots of fair food, face painting, music, glow necklaces and more, with fireworks at dusk, according to the same website. Visit pelhamcommunityspirit.org.

Portsmouth will launch their Fourth of July fireworks on Wednesday, July 3, at 9:15 p.m. at South Mill Pond across from Portsmouth City Hall. Rain date is Friday, July 5.

• The Fourth of July parade and celebration in Raymond take place on Thursday, July 4, and begins at 9:15 a.m. at the intersection of Route 27 and Epping Street. It will journey toward the Town Commons to Old Manchester Road to Wight Street. Raymond will hold a fireworks display as part of the town fair on Saturday, July 13, at 9:30 p.m. The fair itself runs from Thursday, July 11, through Sunday, July 14. Visit raymondnh.gov.

• In Rye, the Fourth of July celebration and fireworks display will be held on Sunday, June 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Parsons Field.

• In Salem, there will be festivities at Tuscan Village (19 Via Toscana) on Wednesday, July 3, with food trucks at 4 p.m., live music at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m., according to a June 4 post at facebook.com/TuscanKitchenandMarket.

Sunapee will forgo fireworks for an innovative Independence Day Drone Show on Saturday, June 29, at dusk; spectators are invited to watch the setup process beginning at 2 p.m.) at Sunapee Harbor. The town will hold its Independence Day parade on Thursday, July 4, at noon starting on Old Georges Mills Road; celebrations continue that afternoon at the bandstand with music and activities. See town.sunapee.nh.us.

Windham will have fireworks on Wednesday, June 26, along with music and food trucks. The show runs from 7 to 10 p.m., with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. The parking lot opens at 5:30 p.m. Visit windhamnh.gov.

Featured Photo: Market Days Festival in Concord. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/06/20

Family fun for whenever

Summer party

• The YMCA of Downtown Manchester will host its Rock the Block event on Mechanic Street on Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Activities at this free event include games, crafts, music, a bounce house, food and drink and a free swim (bring a bathing suit and towel if you’re interested), according to the website. In addition, if you join the YMCA on that day you’ll pay no join fee. Visit graniteymca.org.

Search for adventure

• This weekend, Charmingfare Farm (744 High St., Candia) holds a “Scouting for Bigfoot ” event on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, with entry times from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a guided tour through the serene woodlands of the farm, a perfect setting for Bigfoot sightings, according to the website. This family-friendly excursion blends education with excitement, offering interactive activities and engaging discussions, the website said. Tickets range from $23 to $33. Visit visitthefarm.org.

Game time

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, is in the middle of a home stand at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) until Sunday, June 23, at 1:35 p.m. against the Reading Fightin Phils. On Thursday the Fisher Cats get ferocious as they transform into Gatos Feroces de New Hampshire and battle for Copa de la Diversión (The Fun Cup!), according to their website. On Friday, June 21, they present the Oral Health Challenge from Northeast Delta Dental, who want to reward children under 12 who brush and floss their teeth for seven days straight with two free tickets (they’ll need to fill out a form online). There will be fireworks following the game on Saturday, June 22, and a Super Bros. inspired brunch before the 1:35 p.m. game on Sunday, June 23. (tickets to the brunch come with tickets to the game). Vist milb.com/new-hampshire.

NASCAR Weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23, includes the SciAps 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race and Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. Tickets vary in price, depending on the race. See nhms.com.

• The Major League Soccer team the New England Revolution II will play this Sunday, June 23, at 6 p.m. at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium (Victory Lane in Hooksett) against Crown Legacy. Tickets start at $12. Visit revolutionsoccer.net/revolutionii.

• The six-time champion Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will have three home games in a row at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) starting on Friday, June 21, against the Worcester Bravehearts, then on Saturday, June 22, against the Norwich Sea Unicorns, on Sunday, June 23, against the Westfield Starfires. First pitch on Friday and Saturday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. and first pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., according to their website. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

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