Friday, February 24th Events

Camp: T.R.A.I.N.S.- Travels, Rails, Arts. Imagination, Noises and Songs

Time: 9:00 AM-11:30 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: K-2nd grade ages

CHOO!  CHOO!!   ALL ABOARD!!  Do you like to sing, dance, paint, and act?  This February school vacation, join the Keene Public Library for our multi-arts morning camp for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Each morning on Tuesday through Friday (February 21st - 24th), from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., your child will jump on a train and travel with their imaginations. Campers will read & create a short play based on the book 'The Little Engine That Could' that will be presented on the final morning of the program. Enrollment is limited and registration is required either at the library or online.  Join us for a week of enrichment and FUN!! 

Movie at the Library

Time: 1:00 PM
Place: Frost Free Library, Marlborough, NH (a few miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Kung Fu Panda 2

Teen RPG Night

Time: 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Rockingham Public Library, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 13+

Pathfinder, D&D, World of Darkness, and more!  Bring your dice and get your game on during this popular Friday gaming program.

This program is limited to teens age 13 and up only and registration is required, contact Sam at bfyouth@sover.net for more information.

Pajama Party Animals

Time: 6:30 PM-7:30 PM
Place: Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environment Center, Northfield, MA (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Wear your jammies and dance the cabin fever away with Roger Tincknell at Northfield Mountain. Young families will imitate animals, sing lively songs, learn interesting facts about local wildlife and even go “Waltzing with Bears,” while Roger plays Irish drum, Incan flute, Russian balalaika, banjo, guitar, mandolin and harmonica. Tincknell has been performing for children and adults throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe for over 30 years and is a two-time Parents' Choice Award-winning recording artist. Program meets inside the cozy, pellet-stove heated yurt behind the Visitor Center.

Hula Hoop Jam

Time: 5:30 PM-6:30 PM
Place: YMCA, Keene, NH
Price:
Ages: All

At the YMCA for people of any age. A fun workout that tones and strengthens 

Build & Paint a Bug House

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Home Depot, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All


The Keene Home Depot will be conducting kids workshops for February vacation (excluding Wednesday). Fridays workshop is building and painting a bug house. They would like to get an idea of how many kids will be attending, so please call at 603-355-2113 ext. 077 Val or ext.301 Dianne with your last name and how many kids. 

17th Annual Hilltop Circus

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Pine Hill Waldorf School, 77 Pine Hill Drive, Wilton, NH (about 30 miles from Keene)
Price: $6 for children 3-12/$12 adults
Ages: All

The 17^th annual Hilltop Circus, “J.J. Kazaam and the Missing Music,” will be presented by the mighty middle school students of Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton. 

Performances will be at Pine Hill Waldorf School on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 3-12, and are available beginning Feb. 8 at the Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, and at Pine Hill Waldorf School during school hours. Get your tickets early, as they often sell out. MC/VISA accepted at the school only.

The “muses of music” capture the show, upset that 21st century humans hoard their music in headphones instead of making music together.  They banish all music around the globe and hide it.  Where?  You'll find out when you come to the circus!  Acts this year include seven unicyclists, swing-dancing stilt walkers, mimes, rolling globes, and J.J. Kazaam's Traveling Circus, complete with Strong Man and Lion Tamer (with a reluctant "lion"). 

This year the Hilltop Circus celebrates the work of its founding director, Jacqueline Davis, as she gives her farewell circus performance.  Davis, who earned her Master of Education degree in Human Development and Psychology in 2009 from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, will begin doctoral studies at the University of British Columbia this fall to research the benefits of circus arts on youth development.  Davis is delighted to collaborate once again with longtime circus partner Leslie Vogel, who will lead the Hilltop Circus Band together with the Youth and Community Fiddle Orchestra in music that she composed and arranged.  When she is not composing circus music, Vogel can be seen (and heard) in the Folk Soul Band and in Tattoo, New England’s hottest acoustic dance band. 

Annie Music and Puppet Concert

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Get ready to laugh, sing and boogie on down with The Annies and their puppet friends on Friday, February 24 at 10:30 a.m. at Brooks Memorial Library. The Annies Music and Puppets will perform in the Main Room of the library to accommodate their many fans. The duet of Annie Frelich and Annie Quest deliver a brilliant repertoire of original award winning children’s music brimming with clever lyrics, rich harmonies and rockin’ rhythms. Add to this, a unique array of zany handmade puppets and the result is family entertainment at its finest! The Annies have been delighting audiences throughout New England since 1995 and their CD ‘Crazy Stew’ has become a favorite of children of all ages.

What's special about today? 

Mexico declared its independence from Spain, 1821
Steve Jobs birthday, 1955

Thursday, February 23rd Events

Camp: T.R.A.I.N.S.- Travels, Rails, Arts. Imagination, Noises and Songs

Time: 9:00 AM-11:30 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: K-2nd grade ages

CHOO!  CHOO!!   ALL ABOARD!!  Do you like to sing, dance, paint, and act?  This February school vacation, join the Keene Public Library for our multi-arts morning camp for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Each morning on Tuesday through Friday (February 21st - 24th), from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., your child will jump on a train and travel with their imaginations. Campers will read & create a short play based on the book 'The Little Engine That Could' that will be presented on the final morning of the program. Enrollment is limited and registration is required either at the library or online.  Join us for a week of enrichment and FUN!! 

Astronomy: Is Anybody Out There?

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Have you ever gone outside on a dark and clear, moonless night and looked up at the stars and wondered if there was anyone out there looking back at you, wondering the very same thing?  Well, if you have, you’re not alone.  Answering this question definitively and scientifically is one of the most important drivers and motivators of astronomers, biologists, and astrobiologists to pursue the work that they do.

If you are interested in learning about our recent efforts in answering the question, “Are we alone?” Then join Astronomer and Lecturer, John Gianforte for his lecture on Thursday, February 23, 2012, Is Anybody Out There?  In his presentation and discussion John will touch upon the following related topics: extrasolar planet discoveries, the prospects for life elsewhere in our solar system, and the Fermi Paradox.  Even though some of these topics are…way “out there,” no science education or background is needed to enjoy, learn, and participate in discussions on these interesting and exciting topics.

The program is co-sponsored by the Keene Amateur Astronomy Club. 

Wildlife Encounters

Time: 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Place: Town Hall, Upper meeting Room, Brookline, NH (about 40 miles from Keene)
Price: $9.50 studen
Ages: Geared toward 6 and up

February's program will be - Principles of Ecology: energy systems, food webs, etc. More information about this event will be at the bottom of this listing.

AGES: This program will be an hour in length and geared to ages 6 and up. If your child is under 4 but will attend as the only student, the regular student rate of $9.50 will apply. Younger siblings are welcome to join us at a discounted rate, however, much of the program will be geared for the over 6 crowd. If younger guests lose interest before the presentation is over, there is a small area outside the hall and an additional area downstairs where they may be more comfortable.

PAYMENT: Due to the cost of offering this program your student’s place is not guaranteed until payment is received.  Payment is non-refundable unless the class is cancelled for any reason. We must have a minimum of 25 students ($9.50 rate) by Feb. 21, 2012.

Paypal payments may be sent to melaniekohli [at sign] gmail dot com and should be marked as personal -other. Please pay using your bank account or paypal balance. If using a credit/debit card, kindly pay the fee.

COST: $9.50 per child ages 4 and up/per program*, see note below. You do not have to commit to all programs and are only paying for the program being offered in February.

* Parents and Adult Caregivers - Free

Siblings 1 year and younger - Free

Siblings Ages 2-3 : $2.00, regardless of how many children are registered

Only capped water bottles, baby bottles and leak-proof sippy cups are allowed in the meeting hall.

Parking for this event is in back of the town hall near the police crusiers.

Each program will last approx. 1 hour and will include 6 animals presented by professional educators, all of which hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Zoology, Wildlife Ecology, etc. This will be a program with some hands on opportunities. (Please be aware that some animals can not be touched due to state regulations, ie. arctic foxes, etc.) If you would like to see a list of some of the animals that might show up, please visit: http://www.wildcenterne.org/the-animals/

Paint a Clay Pot & Plant Seeds
 

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Home Depot, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All


The Keene Home Depot will be conducting kids workshops for February vacation (excluding Wednesday). This Thursday's workshop is painting a clay pot and planting seeds. They would like to get an idea of how many kids will be attending, so please call at 603-355-2113 ext. 077 Val or ext.301 Dianne with your last name and how many kids. 

Winter Games Camp

Time: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Place: Nature Museum, Grafton, VT (about 31 miles from Keene)
Price: $30 members/$40 non-members
Ages: 6-8

If you can’t wait for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, come and compete in The Nature Museum’s own winter games.
Competitors will create colorful art in the snow, run like snowshoe hares through an obstacle course, and dig like weasels hunting for voles. This day of adventure will conclude with a kid-made ice cream celebration.
This camp is $30 for members and $40 for non-members.
802-843-2111
www.nature-museum.org

Basic Spanish Class

Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Jaffrey Public Library, Jaffrey, NH (about 17 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 5-Adult

Brenda and Nadia Bhatti will be presenting a basic Spanish language class at the Jaffrey Public Library. Ages 5 through adult are invited to celebrate Mexico's Flag Day, Dia de la Bandera, by attending and brushing up on their Spanish. The Fun filled, interactive program is free of charge and is part of the "Fabulous Fun Program" series that Brenda and Nadia will be presenting at the library. Registration is required and begins on Monday February 6th.
To register, or for more information, call the Children's Room at 532-7301.

Furry Friend Sleepover

Time: 6:30 PM
Place: Chesterfield Public Library, Chesterfield, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Arrive in PJs and enjoy a bedtime story before you go home and let your furry friend stay overnight at the LIBRARY! Pick up Friday at 9 am when you can enjoy refreshments and see a slideshow of the crazy night your furry friend’s enjoyed!

(Only stuffed animals sleep over.)

Call the library @ 363-4621 for info or to register!

What's special about today?

National banana bread day
Tennis day
Scottish scientists announced the successful cloning of a sheep, Dolly, 1997

W.E.B. DuBois birthday, 1868

Wednesday February 22nd Events

Camp: T.R.A.I.N.S.- Travels, Rails, Arts. Imagination, Noises and Songs

Time: 9:00 AM-11:30 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: K-2nd grade ages

CHOO!  CHOO!!   ALL ABOARD!!  Do you like to sing, dance, paint, and act?  This February school vacation, join the Keene Public Library for our multi-arts morning camp for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Each morning on Tuesday through Friday (February 21st - 24th), from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., your child will jump on a train and travel with their imaginations. Campers will read & create a short play based on the book 'The Little Engine That Could' that will be presented on the final morning of the program. Enrollment is limited and registration is required either at the library or online.  Join us for a week of enrichment and FUN!! 

Woody Allen Film Festival

Time: 6:15 PM-7:45 PM
Place: Brooks Memorial Library, Meeting Room, Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older

Love & Death
Grab a seat early for the Brooks Memorial Library Allan Stewart Konigsberg's (Woody Allen) Film Festival.
Brooklyn born Konigsberg (Allen) is a film director, actor, comedian, playright, and a jazz clarinetist who plays at small venues all around Manhattan.
Allen is prolific. He has either acted, written, or directed a film in every year since 1965, for a total of 46 films. He has won three Academy Awards and has been nominated 21 times. The film Annie Hall garnered 4 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actress).

The film tonight is LOVE AND DEATH , starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Feodor Atkine MGM/UA; Directed by Woody Allen Rated PG; 85 minutes; 1975.
If a comedy based on the great Russian novels doesn't sound funny to you, then you don't know Woody Allen. Try to imagine Boris Grushenko (Woody Allen), a small skinny coward in the Russian army during the Napoleonic Wars. Like any good Russian of the time, Boris talks and thinks expansively on all the great issues of life, love, and death. The plot leads us to everything in the era worth lampooning.

Free and open to the public 

Author Talk

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Rockingham Free Public Library, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older

Local writer Elayne Clift will read from her newly published book "Hester's Daughters," a novel based on the life of Hester Prynne and her children.
A great opportunity to re-read "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne before coming to hear Clift's unique perceptions and perspectives.
Sponsored by RFPL.

Winter Chat 

Time: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Dublin School, Perkin Observatory, 18 Lehmann Way, Dublin, NH (about 13 miles)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Dublin School offers:Winter chats by the fire and under the stars!
Dublin School welcomes the community to join us to View the Winter Night Sky
on Wednesday, February 22 from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Perkin Observatory.
Dessert and coffee will be served.

View the stars through the Perkin telescope and learn about the Winter Sky from Jonathan Weis, Director of the Observatory. The snow/cloud date will be Friday, February 24. Please park near the gym and walk up to the Observatory.  If you need special parking or more information, please contact Lucy Shonk at 563-1232 or email lshonk@dublinschool.org

Mighty Mouse

Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Place: Nature Museum, Grafton, VT (about 30 miles from Keene)
Price: $5 for members/$10 non-members
Ages: 2-5

Children ages 2 to 5 will find out how the mouse of the forest, field, and house uses its senses to survive as they play games inside using their noses, ears and eyes. The group will then venture outside to track the mice of the garden, field and Village Park.
Children ages 2 and 3 must be accompanied by a caregiver. Four- and five-year-olds may attend with or without an adult.
The cost is $5 per child for members and $10 per child for non-members. Caregivers attend at no additional cost.
802-843-2111
www.nature-museum.org

Wii Wednesday

Time: 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Place: Gay-Kimbell Library, Troy, NH (about 9 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Get together with your friends and play Wii games at the Library. Bring ideas for more Wii Wednesdays and summer Wii tournaments.

What's special about today?

George Washington's birthday, 1732
Calvin Coolidge made the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House, 1924

Tuesday, February 21st Events

Camp: T.R.A.I.N.S.- Travels, Rails, Arts. Imagination, Noises and Songs

Time: 9:00 AM-11:30 AM

Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: K-2nd grade ages

CHOO!  CHOO!!   ALL ABOARD!!  Do you like to sing, dance, paint, and act?  This February school vacation, join the Keene Public Library for our multi-arts morning camp for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Each morning on Tuesday through Friday (February 21st - 24th), from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., your child will jump on a train and travel with their imaginations. Campers will read & create a short play based on the book 'The Little Engine That Could' that will be presented on the final morning of the program. Enrollment is limited and registration is required either at the library or online.  Join us for a week of enrichment and FUN!!


Nobel Readers Book Club: Echo of Heaven 

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Green Room, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: Older

In 1994, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Kenzaburo Oe 'who with poetic force creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today'. Tonight we will discuss his book Echo of  Heaven. In this book, Marie Kuraki suffers a series of personal tragedies including the loss of her two sons. She leaves her home in Japan searching for a way to understand her life and finds herself venerated as a saint in a remote Mexican village.

This book discussion group is reading some classic works of literature written by authors that have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Books available for checkout are kept behind the library's main circulation desk. For information about this book group, please contact Gail Zachariah at 603-352-0157.

Scrapbooking With Lisa

Time: 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Frost Free Library, Marlborough, NH (a few miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages:

Contact for more info. Website.

Family Fun Night- Friendship Bracelets

Time: 5:00 PM
Place: Rockingham Free Public Library, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Learn how to create friendship bracelets with special designs and different colors.  Bring a friend!

Genealogy

Time: 6:30 PM-7:30 PM
Place: The Northfield Public Library, Northfield, MA (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Interested in researching your family history? Here is the place to learn and share tips with others. Everyone welcome.



Duct Tape Friendship Bracelets
 

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Home Depot, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All


The Keene Home Depot will be conducting kids workshops for February vacation (excluding Wednesday). This workshop will be making duct tape friendship bracelets. They would like to get an idea of how many kids will be attending, so please call at 603-355-2113 ext. 077 Val or ext.301 Dianne with your last name and how many kids. 

Camp: Can You Survive in the Vermont Winter Woods?

Time: 10:00 AM-3:00 PM
Place: Nature Museum at Grafton, 186 Townshend Rd., Grafton, VT (about 31 miles from Keene)
Price: $35 museum members/$45 for non-members
Ages: 9-11

Children ages 9 to 11 will test their mettle in a Wilderness Survival camp. Participants will take a hike into the Village Park behind the Museum. With limited supplies, the campers will build a fire, construct a shelter, and obtain clean drinking water.
This one-day camp costs $35 for Museum members and $45 for non-members.
802-843-2111

Tea with Author

Time: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: The Cozy Tea Cart, 40 Mountain Rd., Brookline, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Enjoy tea and savories while meeting local authors. February featured author: Kathy Stoughton, M. Ed.  Phone: 249-9111

What's special about today?

Mardi Gras day
The first telephone book was issued (New Haven, Conn.), 1878

Steve Fossett became the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean solo in a balloon, 1995

Monday, February 20th Events

Homeschool Burdick's Chocolate Tour

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Burdick's Chocolate Factory, Main St., Walpole, NH (about 15 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Homeschoolers come enjoy a tour of the chocolate factory in Walpole, NH. See how chocolate is made.

Build & Paint a Birdhouse Workshop

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Home Depot, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

The Keene Home Depot will be conducting kids workshops for February vacation (excluding Wednesday). Monday event is building and painting a birdhouse. They would like to get an idea of how many kids will be attending, so please call at 603-355-2113 ext. 077 Val or ext.301 Dianne with your last name and how many kids.  

President's Day Snowshoe Hike

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Beaver Brook Association, 117 Ridge Rd., Hollis, NH (about 45 miles from Keene)
Price: $10
Ages: All

$10 pp includes hot dogs, marshmallows, beverage & snowshoes if needed.
Guided hike followed by bonfire & lunch.  Call 603-465-7787 to register.

Sleigh Ride Week

Time: 10:00 AM-3:30 PM
Place: Billings Farm and Museum, Rt. 12 and River Rd., Woodstock, VT (about 60 miles from Keene)
Price: Adults: $12.00; 62 & over: $11.00; children 5-15: $6.00; 3-4: $3.00; 2 & under: free.Ages: All

This popular winter week will feature sleigh rides, sledding with jack jumper sleds, tours of the dairy farm and farmhouse, and interactive programs.

Climb aboard the Billings Farm sleigh for a ride through the frosty farm fields and take a turn with a jack jumper sled. On the weekends, in commemoration of President’s Day, sample favorite cookies of the Presidents, including James Monroe’s Cry Babies, Rutherford Hayes’s Hermits, Martin Van Buren’s Dutch Koekjes, and Grace Coolidge’s Ice Box Cookies.

In the barns, discover Vermont dairying – past and present – and learn about the development of the Billings Farm, still one of the best Jersey farms in America. The horse barn, calf nursery, milk room, cow barn, and sheep barn are stops along the self-guided tour. Up-close programs with the livestock will be offered.

The restored and furnished 1890 Farm House will be open for touring, featuring the farm office, family living quarters, creamery, and ice house.

Sleigh Ride Weekend admission includes sleigh rides and sledding, the farm, farm house, and activities, plus A Place in the Land, an Academy Award® nominee film.

5th Annual Domino Toppling Extravaganza

Time: 5:30 PM-6:00 PM
Place: Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, 10 Vernon St., Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free for children 8 and under, $3 for BMAC members, $5 for all others
Ages: All

Mike and Steve Perrucci return to Brattleboro to build and then topple an intricate, beautiful custom-made domino course in the main gallery of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

Correctly guess how many dominoes are set up, and you could start the entire chain reaction!

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Reservations are not necessary.

Vegan Cooking School

Time: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Country Life Restaurant, Keene, NH
Price: $25
Ages: Older

You will be making three things.

Granola

Non dairy crème soup base

Gluten

They will also have several other food items for you to sample for supper.  You may bring an 8 x 8 dish from  home, a liquid container for the soup base and a plastic bag for your granola.

If you have any questions  call Peggy @ 352-8595

What's special about today?

President's Day
National cherry pie day
Ansel Adam's birthday, 1902

Saturday, February 18th Events

Winter Fest

Time: 11:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Prescott Farm, 928 White Oaks Road, Laconia, NH (about 80 miles from Keene)
Price: $10 for non members
Ages: All

2nd Annual Winter Fest is fast approaching! Please save the date, as this year it is scheduled for Saturday, February 18th from 11:00-3:00.

Bonfire & S' mores * Sleigh Rides * Face Painting * Crafts * Sledding * Snow Sculpture Contest Snowshoeing & Cross-country Skiing (Please bring your own skis and sleds. We have a limited supply of snowshoes available for use - cost is included in admission) * Storywalk™ * Silent Auction (new!) Hot Cocoa & More!

Phone: (603) 366-5695

Identifying Animal Tracks and Signs

Time: 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Place: Hopkinton Town Library, Hopkinton, NH (42 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Snow provides a wonderful pallet for wildlife stories. Learn some simple tricks to identifying the clues left behind by your wild neighbors so that the next time you're out in the woods, fields or your own yard & find some tracks, scat or other “calling cards” you'll be able to know who was there.

11th Annual Keene Ice & Snow Festival

Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Downtown Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All


Mark your calendars now for the 11th Annual Keene Ice & Snow Festival, Saturday, February 18, 2012 10am to 4pm Downtown Keene Competitions: Professional & Student Ice-Carving Snow Sculpting and Snowboard Rail Jam. Family activities include crafts for children-snowman making at Snowman Central, Lil' Tot Snow slide, Bonfire and s'mores, Train Rides, Firetruck display, musical performances, magic show, Character Pictures with Snowpeople and Polar Bear and much more! Its a free Day of Family Fun! This years Festival Produced by The Monadnock Travel Council with the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce.

Fire and Ice Festival

Time: 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Place: Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, 5 Village Lodge Rd., South Londonderry, VT (about 50 miles from Keene)
Price: See more info. 
Ages: All

A week full of events for guests of all ages, each day celebrating a different decade in Stratton’s history. A bon fire, snow sculpture contest, live music, and more.

President’s Week is right around the corner and Stratton is bringing back its famed February Fire and Ice Festival, February 18-26. In celebration of Stratton’s 50th Anniversary, every day will highlight a different decade.

Kicking off with the 60s, games will include Decade Trivia in the Gondi Cabin (a daily activity) and name that Beatles tune. The 70s will feature a tie dye party in the Main Base Lodge; and the 80s will be a chance for everyone to showcase their best neon ski one piece. A full week of events including daily hot cocoa with the Stratton Bear and Sugar on Snow displays in the Main Base Area.

Resort Hours: Weekends and holidays 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Weekdays 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Try Ice Hockey For Free

Time: 3:45 PM
Place: Cheshire Ice Arena, Swanzey, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Thank you for your interest in trying youth hockey! Youth hockey helps boys and girls make big strides - both on and off the ice.

Family Movie Night

Time: 6:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Moco Arts, Keene, NH
Price: Donations accepted
Ages: All

Bring the whole family to the MoCo and enjoy a movie on the big screen. No admission, donations accepted.

Acoustic Cafe

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Wadleigh Library, 9 Nashua St., Milford, NH (about 37 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All
Mottau, Drew & Clark. Music from folk to ragtime to blues.

Artists Demonstration

Time: Noon-3:00 PM
Place: Sharon Arts Center, 30 Grove St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older

Phil Bean on oil painting.

Mardi Gras Party
 

Time: 8:00 PM
Place: Mole Hill Theater, 789 Gilsum Mine Road, Alstead, NH
Price: $10 suggested donation
Ages: Contact for more info.

Mardi Gras Masquerade Party with the Buzzards Brass Band . Mole Hill will be decked out in purple, green & gold for a raucous, reverberating, New Orleans-style good time. If 2012 is our last hurrah you don't want to miss this Mardi Gras! Suggested donation $10. 

 

For more information, call: 603-352-2585. Mole Hill Theatre, 789 Gilsum Mine Road, Alstead, NH 03602

What's special about today?

Pluto discovered, 1930
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was published, 1885

Friday, February 17th Events

Kiwanis in Pajamas: Bedtime Stories

Time: 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library
Price: Free
Ages: School aged young people

The Keene High Key Club has planned this special activity. All school aged young people are invited to a special after hours library party. There will be stories, literacy activities, and group games -- all about Bedtime. Wear your pajamas and you'll have even more fun! Participants may also want to bring a pillow so that they can get extra comfy.

World Music and Mideast Feast

Time: 5:30 PM/7:00 PM concert
Place: Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St., Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: $5 age 16 and under/$10 adult
Ages: All

Ensemble Datura -- a string player, two drummer/percussionists, and a vocalist from India -- offers traditional music from many cultures around the globe as well as original material based on those influences; preconcert Middle Eastern feast available at $10 per person. Contact: Friends of Music at Guilford — 802-254-3600

Boys Book Club

Time: 3:15 PM
Place: Ingalls Memorial Library, Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 4th and 5th grade ages.

Third Friday of the Month at 3:15 PM September-May Public School and Home Schoolers welcome. A book is read and discussed the following month. Board games.

Contra Dance & Vegetarian Dinner

Time: 6:00 PM-10:30 PM
Place: The Little Theater, 54 River St., Woodstock, VT (about 63 miles from Keene)
Price: Children and teens are FREE/$8 adults
Ages: All

Creating a community of dancers – all welcome! Delicious vegetarian dinner runs 5:30-7:45, included in dance price.

Featuring Delia Clark leading with music by Old Sam Peabody: Gayle Giovanna (flute), Geoff Dates (guitar), Katy Botsford (fiddle), Peter Collier (keyboard), Steve Hoffman (fiddle), Suzanne Long (cello and fiddle) and Tim Traver (accordion and mandolin).

6:00-7:30 Family Dance; 8-10:30 Contra

$8 (dinner included), children/teens free

For more information, phone (802) 457-2075; or email delia_clark@comcast.net; or see www.facebook.com/oldsampeabody

A Little Princess

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Claremont Opera House, Clarmeont, NH (about 40 miles from Keene)
Price: Children under 12 $6/Children under 18 $12/Adults $15
Ages: All

Sarah Crewe is a very intelligent, polite, and creative young girl. Born to a wealthy soldier in India, Sarah was brought all the way to London in Victorian-era England for a formal education and to escape the inevitable hardships of India such as disease. At the upscale boarding school, Sarah is forced to tolerate the haughty, disdainful headmistress, Miss Minchin. It only gets worse for poor Sarah Crewe when a distressing event unfolds to leave her impoverished and at the mercy of the jealous Miss Minchin. Sarah undergoes numerous trials as she humbly allows herself to be subjected to servitude, but with the help of several dear friends (both seen and unseen), she remains as proud and unwavering and imaginative as ever; proving to all that anyone can be A Little Princess.
Friday, February 17, 7:00 PM
Saturday, February 18, 2:00 PM
Saturday, February 18, 7:00 PM
Buy Tickets 

Farm Appreciation Night

Time: 12:00 PM
Place: Stonewall Farm, Keene, NH
Price: $5/Farmers and their families FREE
Ages: All

A night of merriment and tribute to local farmers and eaters of farm fresh food.

Dinner 5-7 PM
Melanie Everard 5:30 – 6:45 PM
Down to Funk 7 – 7:45
Cold River Ranters 8 – 8:45
Contra Dance 9 – 11 PM
$5.00, farmers free!

African Drumming

Time: 4:30 PM
Place: Jaffrey Library, Jaffrey, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Join the Jaffrey library for a performance of drumming by students from the Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School and the Jaffrey Grade School directed by Gloria Matlock.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Dublin School, 18 Lehmann Rd., Dublin, NH (about 13 miles from Keene)
Price: Donations
Ages: All

Tony award-winning musical. To reserve: 563-1285. See more details.

Music at Starving Artist 

Time: 8:00 PM
Place: The Starving Artist, Keene, NH
Price: $5
Ages: Anyone interested

Carrie Ferguson Northampton singer-songwriter. Also local band The Countertops.
352-6900




The Emperors New Clothes Play

Time: Contact for more info.
Place: Nelson Elementary School, KMS Maple St., Keene, NH
Price: Contact for more info.
Ages: All

Set in the frontier town of Royal City, The Emperor’s New Clothes is a new musical telling of the popular tale by Hans Christian Anderson, joined with the spirit of the American West. While on a world tour the, clothes collecting, Emperor of Snobsylvania and his entourage stop for a visit in the railroad town of Royal City. The citizens of Royal City are star struck by the presence of real honest to goodness royalty and the Emperor is positively enchanted by the wardrobe of the American Cowboy. A pair of no good carpetbaggers takes advantage of everyone by posing as tailors to swindle the Emperor by selling him non-existent clothes. The town is giddy: caught up in the glamour of the royal visit and the antics of the swindlers. Ultimately everyone learns the lessons of standing up against peer pressure and using reason with good judgment to see the truth. 

E-mail for more information about the show: childrensstageadventures.org   

What's special about today?

Random acts of kindness day
Baltimore became the first U.S. city lit by gas, 1817

Micheal Jordan's birthday, 1963

Thursday, February 16th Events

Can A Black Hole Make you Disappear?

Time: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library
Price: Free
Ages: All

Black holes are among the most mysterious objects known. What are they? Where can they be found? Where is the closest one to us and are we in danger of being swallowed up? Find out as professional astronomer Matt Marulla sheds light on these questions as he discusses the darkest places in the universe.

The program is co-sponsored by the Keene Amateur Astronomy Club.

The Beloved Community in Action Talk by James Kates

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Marlboro College, Apple Tree, Marlboro, VT (about 29 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids

Civil-rights activists in the 1960s worked for a committed body of citizens in which everyone participates equally, an ideal still in search of realization. Jim Kates, who worked with the Student Nonviolent Committee in Mississippi in the mid-1960s and as a nonviolent activist and trainer afterwards, will lead a discussion about how this practice worked then, and how it resonates today. Kates co-directs the non-profit literary publishing house Zephyr Press, publishers of Letters from Mississippi: Reports from Civil Rights Volunteers & Poetry of the 1964 Freedom Summer. 

Contact: 802-251-7644

Parent & Child Playgroup

Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM
Place: Sophia's Hearth, 700 Court St., Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: 4 weeks-2 years

Enjoy an afternoon of meeting other parents and children, sharing, friendship and fun! Registration required. Please call 603-357-3755.

Daoyin Qigong

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Bond Wellness Center, 458 Old Street Rd., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids

Thursday, Feb. 16, 7-8:30 p.m. Improves balance, awareness, core stability and flexibility. To register: 924-4692.

What's special about today?

National almond day
The country's first 911 phone system went into service in Haleyville, Ala., 1968

Wednesday, February 15th Events

The Lure of Mt. Monadnock

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Harris Center, Hancock, NH (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids

Here in southwest New Hampshire, Mount Monadnock stands alone as a prominent peak. Its dramatic presence has captivated people for centuries, inspiring an abundance of folklore, art, music, literature, and even our region’s name. The mountain gains affection from outside New Hampshire, too−Monadnock is among the three most-climbed mountains in the world, with over 100,000 hikers each year. Join forest ecologist Dr. Peter Palmiotto and Monadnock State Park Manager Patrick Hummel for a presentation on the natural and human history of Mount Monadnock, including flora, fauna, and, on the human end of things, the history of its use, management, development, and protection. 7 to 8:30 pm, at the Harris Center.

Woody Allen Winter Film Festival

Time: 6:15 PM-7:45 PM
Place: Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids


Sleeper.
Grab a seat early for the Brooks Memorial Library Allan Stewart Konigsberg's (Woody Allen) Film Festival.

Brooklyn born Konigsberg (Allen) is a film director, actor, comedian, playright, and a jazz clarinetist who plays at small venues all around Manhattan.
Allen is prolific. He has either acted, written, or directed a film in every year since 1965, for a total of 46 films. He has won three Academy Awards and has been nominated 21 times.

The film tonight is SLEEPER, starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck MGM/UA; Directed by Woody Allen Rated PG; 87 minutes; 1973.

Woody Allen plays Miles Monroe, who, after entering the hospital for a minor ulcer operation in 1973, wakes up 200 years in the future, understandably confused. As Woody depicts it, the future is a time in which robots do the work for humans, vegetables grow to enormous proportions, and sex has been replaced by a machine called the "Orgasmitron."
Free and open to the public

Naturalist Lynn Levine at the Library

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Rockingham Library, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Join Lynn Levine-- naturalist, forester and author--  for an evening filled with insights and information on our local environment: trees, tales and tracking.

A very popular and entertaining presenter, Levine will talk about what she has learned of our local wildlife in her 30 years in the woods. She has brought thousands of children and adults into the outdoors to teach them how to read the signs left by animals, from mouse to moose.

The presentation will include Levine’s scat collection, skulls and hands-on-tracking tools.
Also a terrific writer, Levine's most recent book “Snow Secrets” is her first venture into youth literature. Levine’s best-selling guide book Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life Size Tracking Guide, which she co-authored with Martha Mitchell, is a  bestseller in its field.

The program is fascinating and fun for the whole family.  Copies of her books will be available for purchase and signing.

Free & open to the public.For more info call the Library at 802-463-4270

Homeschool Program at Peabody Mill

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Peabody Mill, 66 Brook Rd., Amherst, NH (about 39 miles from Keene)
Price: $10
Ages: All

Peabody Mill has decided to created another semester of classes for homeschoolers. Sign up directly on their website using this link.
The classes will run monthly, on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. You can choose outdoor or lab based classes for your child. Each month features a different theme.

Middle School Age Book Club

Time: 3:00 PM
Place: Ingalls Memorial Library, Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Middle school age

Third Wednesday of the Month at 3:00 PM. September-May.
Public School and Home School girls welcome.
A book is read and discussed the following month along with a craft.60 minute program

Budding Explorers

Time: 9:45 AM-11:00 AM
Place: Stonewall Farm, Keene, NH
Price: $13
Ages: 3-5

Stonewall Farm’s herd of thirty Holstein and Brown Swiss cows reside in the dairy barn all winter long. Budding Explorers will get to tour the diary barn; then we’ll milk a real, live cow. We will end the day with a special dairy treat!

Cheese Tastings

Time: 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Place: Waterhouse Restaurant, 18 Depot Square, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Featuring local cheese samplings.  Phone: 924-4001

Art Exhibit

Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free

Ages: All

Watercolor and colored pencil artwork by Roland Coates in the Art Corner. Decorated eggs by Carolyn Carter in the showcase. Through February. Call for hours: 924-8040 

What's special about today?

Susan B. Anthony's birthday, 1820
Galileo's birthday, 1564