Saturday, March 3rd Events

Good Forestry Practice

Time: 9:00 AM
Place: Old Dublin Rd., Hancock, NH (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids & adults

Moderately easy hike of about one mile through land owned by the Harris Center, located on Old Dublin Road in Hancock. This parcel of forest was recently subject to a small cut on about 17 acres. Among the goals guiding the operation was regeneration of oak, and enhancement of wildlife habitat. The contract with the forester addressed issues including post harvest condition of skid routes and trails, post harvest seeding of soil, and avoidance of collateral damage to standing timber. This program will appeal to landowners who may be looking for guidance on best forestry practice. Leaving the Harris Center at 9 am, with Eric Masterson, Land Protection Specialist, and Wayne Young, Consulting Forester. Back by noon.

4th Annual Culture of Peace 

Time: 9:30 AM
Place: Keene State College, Young student center, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids & adults


The fourth annual Culture of Peace Conference is being planned by a group of individuals from Keene State College, regional educational institutions, community groups and concerned individuals. The purpose is to create a public space for listening to and learning from each other as we envision a culture focused on peace, understanding, tolerance and solidarity and strategize concrete steps we can take to make this vision a reality.
The day includes workshops, actions, networking and music!
This event is free and open to the public.

For more information go to http://cultureofpeacenh.wordpress.com, contact Susan Theberge at stherberg@keene.edu or Forrest Seymour at fseymour@keene.edu

Rashomon

Time: 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Place: Keene State College, Wright Theatre, Redfern Arts Center, Keene, NH
Price: $10
Ages: All

The KSC Department of Theatre and Dance presents "Rashomon," a play by Fay and Michael Kanin, directed by KSC faculty member PeggyRae Johnson. Based on a set of legendary Japanese folktales, "Rashomon" is a beguiling mystery about the multiple versions of truth left behind by the death of a samurai warrior.

Shows are Tuesday to Saturday, Feb. 28 to March 3, at 7:30 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, March 3.

Arts Trailwork Program for Children

Time: 1:30 PM-2:30 PM
Place: Hopkinton Town Library, Community Room, Contoocook, NH (about 40 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Grade 2-5

Using natural materials like bark, pine cones and sticks to create a sculpture, they'll construct an indoor Nature Trail linking our animal homes. Take your Trailwork Artwork home to enjoy!
Preregistration required:  call 746-6121; limit 15 children

Information:  746-6121 ~ www.littlenaturemuseum.org

Program sponsored by The Little Nature Museum  

National Spelling Bee

Time: 1:00 PM
Place: Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, NH (about 50 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All


The public is encouraged to attend this free event on Saturday, March 3rd at the Capitol Center for the Arts starting at 1 p.m. The student to emerge as the top speller will represent the Granite State at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC in May.
See schedule and get tickets.

Chili Cook-Off & Dessert Bake-Off

Time: 12:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: American Legion, 42 Rockingham St., Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free to enter. $5 donation to taste chili
Ages: All

Do you make the best chili around? Here’s a chance to share it with others as the Bellows Falls Middle School Band presents their Chili Cook-off. There will also be a dessert bake off competition with prizes awarded for entrees that receive the most votes.

Kids, you can enter too! There will be adult and kids categories; prizes will be awarded for the most popular entries in both. Whatever your style of chili – traditional, vegetarian, no bean, whatever – make a crock of your very best and enter it to win.

There are no fees to enter, but it is a fundraiser, so donations are accepted. The band will be charging $5 at the door to come and sample all the chili. The Bellows Falls Middle School band is raising money for their trip to New York City; they will be performing at the Statue of Liberty on April 19th, 2012.

Contact Amy Tuttle at 802-732-8270 or mudgies@comcast.net to register and get more details.

Free to enter. Everyone is invited to sample and vote for their favorite for just $5/per person.

Circus Spectacular

Time: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Latchis Theater, 50 Main st., Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: See below
Ages: All

High flying trapeze, aerial silks, partner balancing, juggling, comedy and more. This 2nd annual fundraiser features the professional performers of the New England Center for Circus Arts and special guests from Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros, and European cabarets.

TWO SHOWS!
Saturday March 3, 8pm
Sunday March 4, 1 pm

Show Tickets: $25 Orchestra – $15 Balcony – $10 Youth (under 12)

There will be a silent auction and all proceeds from the evening go directly to Outreach and Scholarship funds at the New England Center for Circus Arts.

www.necenterforcircusarts.org

Celebrating Student Poetry

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Boys and Girls Club, 17 Flat St., Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

March is Student Art Month in Windham County and the Arts Council of Windham County is organizing shows and events to spotlight the great art coming from our young people.

This year they are adding poetry to the arts to be celebrated. As visual and aural arts provide tools and traditions to explore how we see and hear our world, so poetry provides a window into language and how we shape it and it shapes our experience of the world.

Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 will be the monthly Poetry Slam at the Boys and Girls Club at 17 Flat Street in Brattleboro. This event will be recorded for TV broadcast and we would like it to include the best young poets from our county. Details from rickybratt@gmail.com

Saturday, March 10, Village Square Booksellers, 32 the Square, Bellows Falls, will host an open mike poetry reading at 2:00 with a focus on young poets from Windham County. Details from info@villagesquarebooks.com

Friday, March 16, Village Square Booksellers, 32 the Square, Bellows Falls, will host an open mike poetry reading at 7:00 highlighting the best young poets from Windham County. Details from info@villagesquarebooks.com

So Easy to Preserve Workshop

Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Place: Life Fellowship Church - 85 Wheeler Rand Road, Charlestown NH (about 28 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids

Enjoy the goodness of summer year-round.  Come learn the fundamentals of food preservation as well as most current USDA recommendations about freezing and canning.

Specific topics include:
- How to use pressure canners and water bath canners
- Basic freezing/canning
- Up-to-date canning recipes

See the flyer

Sugaring at Stonewall Farm

Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 PM
Place: Stonewall Farm, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Bring the family to learn the art and taste of traditional New England maple sugaring. FREE

Mardi Gras Dance with the Folksoul Band

Time: 6:00 PM
Place: The Waldorf School, 98 S. Lincoln St., Keene, NH
Price: $5 per person/$10 per family
Ages: All

Monadnock Waldorf School is hosting a Mardi Gras Dance on Saturday, March 3rd. A Cajun potluck kicks off the evening at 6 PM, followed by 7 p.m. show.
Attendees can come for both or just the dance, and celebrate Marid Gras in grand style with the musical group, The Folksoul Band. The evening will be a rollicking New Orleans-style celebration complete with trombone and beads. The high-energy band plays American dance music with roots in Dixieland, Cajun, Calypso, and Reggae.
Phone: 357-4442

Dr. Seuss' Breakfast 

Time: 7:30 AM-Noon
Place: The Community Kitchen, 35 Mechanic St., Keene, NH
Price: Suggested donation $7 over 12/$3 under 12 separate plate.
Ages: All

Join The Community Kitchen for their Dr. Seuss Breakfast and enjoy story telling and talks with the Cat in the Hat. All children receive free books and games.
Phone: (603) 352-3200
See the flyer.

Jack Frost Jam

Time: 3:00 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Heberton Hall, Keene, NH
Price: $5
Ages: All

The Elm City Derby Damez and Keene Music Festival will host Jack Frost Jam at Heberton Hall on Winter St (next to library) in Keene on Saturday, March 3rd from 3 to 8 pm. (doors open at 2 pm)
This family event includes music, prizes, contests, a bake sale, and merchandise for sale.

What's special about today?

National Anthem Day
Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday, 1847 
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood became the first woman lawyer to be admitted to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States, 1879

Friday, March 2nd Events

Family Contra Dance

Time: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Heberton Hall, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Join us for a fun family dance called by Allison Aldrich.

The Keene Public Library hosts a monthly free family dance for children and audults of all ages and abilities. Family Dances started at the Keene Public Library in the summer of 2003.  Now the dances are held the first Friday of each month from November through May.  Over the years, the series has become an important library program that helps to develop early literacy skills and is fun too.  Folk dancing helps to encourage the basic concepts of rhythm, repetition, sequencing, patterning, predictability, anticipation, musical cues, auditory discrimination, and counting.  These are all important early learning skills.  Traditional dance also is a great way to introduce children to the world’s rich diversity, to teach the enjoyment of dance, music, and rhythm and to begin a livelong habit of the social enjoyment and physical activity of dancing.

Student Art Month 2-D Works

Time: 5:30 PM-9:30 PM
Place: Through the Music Gallery and Studio, 2 Elliot St., Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

In March TTM is hosting the 2-Dementional High School Artwork for Student Art Month. This month, the Arts Council of Windham County presents the 32nd Annual celebration of Student Art Month. Student Art Month 2012 is sponsored by the Arts Council of Windham County, P.O. Box 6093, Brattleboro, VT 05302 and coordinated by Marie L. Procter - (802) 254-2115 www.acwc.us. This show will run from March 2nd-28th.

Cafe Night

Time: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: United Church of Christ, 23 Central Square, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Come share your talent! Are you in a band? An aspiring actor/actress? Want to be a magician? Do you sing or dance? Open microphone for all, but must be appropriate for all ages. No cost to enter or participate.  Open to all. Refreshments will be available to purchase.

Boys Book Club

Time: 3:00 PM-4:00 PM
Place: Ingalls Memorial Library, Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 6-8th grade ages

Any questions or for more information about the above programs call Mrs. Connor at 899-3303 or e-mail the library georgi@ingallslibrary.com

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Main Street Arts, 37 Main St., Saxtons River, VT (about 25 miles from Keene)
Price: $10 Students/$15 Adults

A musical based on the unfinished Charles Dickens novel. Written by Rupert Holmes, it was the first Broadway musical with multiple endings determined by audience vote. Holmes received Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score; the musical won five Tony Awards out of eleven nominations, including Best Musical.

The musical first debuted as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival in August 1985, and, following revision, transferred to Broadway, where it ran until May 1987. Two national tours and a production in London’s West End followed. Though the show has yet to have a Broadway revival, it continues to be popular with regional, amateur, and student theater companies and has seen numerous foreign productions.

March 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 @ 7:30pm
March 4, 11 @ 3pm

Adults $15, Students $10; $2 more at the door.
Tickets available at Main Street Arts, Village Square Booksellers, Misty Valley Books, and online.
802-869-2960
www.mainstreetarts.org

Middle School Madness

Time: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Place: YMCA, Keene, NH
Price: See below
Ages: Middle school ages

Lots of activities including games & swimmin & pizza. Bring your friends for a jam packed two hours of fun brought to you by the Y's new Youth Development Program! 

$5 for family members, $10 for youth members and $15 for non Y.

Poetry Cafe & Coffee House

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Waldorf School, 146 School St., Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Free! Delectable desserts available for purchase. Please come enjoy an energizing and elevating evening of live presentations of the literary, musical, and artistic work of Monadnock Waldorf High School students.

Games Day

Time: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM
Place: Peterborough Community Theatre, 6 School st., Peterborough, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: $2 residents/$3 non-residents
Ages: All

First Fridays, 12:30-2 p.m. Socialize and play a variety of games. Refreshments.

Opening Reception at Mariposa Museum

Time: 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Mariposa Museum, 26 Main St., Peterborough, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

5 p.m., KidCraft: Spring; 6-7 p.m., "The World's Children" exhibit opens; 7 p.m., Animaterra performs "Lullabies and Lifelines."Phone: 924-4555  

Homeschool Day at Sturbridge Village

Time: 9:30 AM-4:00 PM
Place: Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA  (about 68 miles from Keene)
Price: $8
Ages: All

Home School Days offer you and your children the opportunity to visit the Village and participate in hands-on activities and participatory programs. This is a great opportunity for children to gain exposure to many aspects of 1830s New England life in an interactive way.

On this Home School Day, Winter Work & Play, learn about about traditional winter work and play activities including  maple sugaring - a very popular 19th-century winter activity. Enjoy seasonal demonstrations (included with admission) at the Maple Sugar Camp, Small House and Freeman Farm House as OSV staff demonstrates the maple process - from cooking down the maple sap, to making (and cooking) with maple sugar! Additional activities on the Home Schoiol Day will include discussions on Winter Wear, Storytelling, 19th Century Music and Helping the Farmers with Winter Work!

If weather and conditions permit, bring your ice skates and enjoy skating near the Center Meetinghouse or stop in the Countryside for sledding on antique-style sleds! 

We recommend that you allow for up to three hours to visit the Village. If time permits, consider making a quick craft in the Hands-on Crafts Center; $5-10 per activity (first come, first served); some age and safety restrictions apply. 

See studios and website.

Homeschool Teen Gathering

Time: 10:30 PM-12:30 PM
Place: Middleton, MA (contact for more info) (about 80 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Teens

Friday, March 2, 2012, 10:30 to 12:30, we will host TEEN CONNECTION, a gathering for TEENS at our home in Middleton, Massachusetts. Teens can hang out, chat, play games, go on field trips (movies, parks, museums, etc.), meet new friends and foster existing friendships. 

If you would like to attend this Friday just send Julie an email : julie_gil1@msn.com and come. If you need her address, she will send it to you when she gets your email.

What's special about today?

Theodor Seuss Geisel's Birthday, 1904 
National banana cream pie day
Texas declared its independence from Mexico, 1836
John Irving's birthday, 1942 

Thursday, March 1st Events

Astronomy: Colliding Galaxies & Monster Black Holes

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

 

How did galaxies like our Milky Way form? Beautiful images of galaxies from telescopes often hide their violent pasts. Many galaxies grow by cannibalizing smaller galaxies or by crashing into each other in giant cosmic train wrecks. What's more, most galaxies (including our Milky Way) hide monster black holes in their centers, which sit quietly waiting to be fed. But when galaxies collide, these monsters awake…and they are anything but quiet. Astronomer Laura Blecha will tell us about the fate of galaxies and black holes in these collisions, including the ultimate fate of our own galaxy. Blecha is a Ph.D. candidate at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The program is co-sponsored by the Keene Amateur Astronomy Club. 

Old Tyme Magic Show

Time: 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: West Manchester Community Library, 76 North Main St., Manchester, NH (about 60 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Looking for something to do with your kids during February vacation? The Manchester West Community Library will present Andrew Pinard’s Olde Tyme Magic Show, voted best magic show by New Hampshire Magazine.

 

This is a wonderful show guaranteed to enchant and amuse the whole family that emphasizes audience participation, visual magic, and physical comedy. The show will take place at the Senior Center next door to the West Manchester Community Library, 76 N. Main St., Manchester.

Home School Series: Earth Cycles

Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Place: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, 23 Science Center Rd., Holderness, NH (about 90 miles from Keene)
Price: $9/member; $11 non-member
Ages: 4-6/7-10

The first Thursday of the month from November through April. 
For Age 4 to 6 or 7 to 10. This series is specifically for home schooled students, but anyone can take part. Programs focus on the cycles you can observe in the natural world around us. Topics include rock cycle, water cycle, life cycles, and more! All Home School Programs align with the New Hampshire Science Framework. One adult must attend with children at no cost. Each additional adult pays child fee. 

The Toe Jam Puppet Band

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St., Peterborough, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Unique, interactive, theatrical musical performances. Phone: 924-8040 .

Homeschool March MATHness

Time: 2:15 PM
Place: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord, NH (about 50 miles from Keene)
Price: $15 per student
Ages: Contact for more info

Featuring the latest planetarium show Fractal Zooms, your homeschooler will delve into the never-ending world of colorful patterns and shapes created from the simplest algebraic formula. Zoom in to patterns smaller than atoms, or out to see arrangements bigger than the universe. Level one will be introduced to the concept of scale and count objects in our universe using small numbers (such as moons around planets) and larger numbers (like stars in the galaxy). Level two will cover patterns and various scales in the universe. Level three will examine the occurrences of fractals in the universe, how the simplest equations can produce them, and Newton’s and Kepler’s laws. 

Website.

What's special about today?

Peace Corps founded, 1961

Yellowstone became the world's first National Park, 1872
Fredric Chopin's birthday, 1810

Ongoing March Events

Dungeons and Dragons Campaign

Every Saturday at 12:00 PM-4:30 PM

Join other gamers of all ages at the Keene Public Library for Dungeons and Dragons every Saturday afternoon.  If you are an old pro, come armed with your dice and character sheet.  Please be ready to help newbies get started.  If you are new, bring your imagination!

Wii Games
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 AM-10:30 AM

Peterborough Community Center. 9-10:30 a.m. Realistic sporting, gaming and fitness activities.
$3/residents; $4/nonresidents 

924-8080 

Painting Group
Every Thursday at 10:00 AM-12:00 PM 

The Keene Public Library along with the Monadnock Area Artists Association has a painting group meeting every Thursday morning from 10:00 to noon. The program is open to the public with no fees or admission. One simply needs to provide ones own art materials. The group meets in Heberton Hall next to the Library and is a wonderful place to paint. No advance notice is required. Just show up, meet some fellow artists, new friends, and enjoy yourself.

Saturday storytime at the Library

Every Saturday at 10:00 AM-10:30 AM

Keene Public Library. This drop-in storytime takes place each Saturday that the library is open. The storytime will include stories, songs, finger plays, and sometimes simple crafts. The storytime is appropriate for children of all ages and their parents or caregivers.

Open Games at the Library 

Every Thursday at 4:00 PM-7:30 PM

Keene Public Library. It is all gaming!  And, gaming of any kind; whether it is board games, card games, video games, big games, role-playing games, or any other kind of game you can imagine, we'll play it.  Each week, we'll provide a different variety of games for you to play; we welcome you to bring in your own games to share with the group.  Throughout the series, we will have a number of gaming tournaments, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, because you might be our next grand champion gamer!

Homeschool PE
Every Wednesday at 10:00 PM

The YMCA in Keene offers a free (with membership) homeschool physical education class for 6+.

Homeschool Gymnastics
Every Friday at 1:00 PM

The YMCA in Keene offers a free (with membership) homeschool gymnastics class for ages 5 and up.

Wednesday, February 29th Events

Wood Allen Film Festival

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

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 ANNIE HALL, starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts United Artists; Directed by Woody Allen Rated PG; 93 minutes; 1977

Chronicles the ups and downs of obsessive, neurotic, NY comedian Alvy Singer’s (Woody Allen) relationship with Midwest ditz Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) in 1970s socialite Manhattan. Allen allows us a glimpse of his personal life in this semi-autobiographical portrait of the amorous partnership between Allen and Keaton. AWARDS Academy Awards: 5 Nominations Winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Directors Guild of America: Winner - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Golden Globes: 5 nominations Winner - Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy New York Film Critics Circle: Winner: Best Actress, Best Director, Best Film, Best Screenplay

Location: Brooks Memorial Library Sponsored--Meeting Room 

Women's Chorus Open Sing

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: All Souls' Church, 29 South St., W. Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 10+

On Wednesday, February 29, Leap Day, from 7:00 to 8:30, an Open Sing will be offered at All Soul's Church as a kick-off to the spring session of the Brattleboro Women's Chorus. Any woman or girl over age 10 is invited to participate and learn songs that are easy to harmonize. The music will reflect this year's chorus theme of "Life's Little Lessons," songs of life, love, time, and change. 

The regular spring session of Women's Chorus begins March 7, with rehearsals on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:45, and culminates with two concerts on Mother's Day weekend, May 12 and 13. Founder-director Becky Graber has been leading the chorus for 16 years as an opportunity for all women to sing and improve their vocal skills. No auditions are required, and it is not necessary to read music, as most music is taught by rote and by ear. Graber chooses songs that are full of meaning and beauty and often includes ones of her own arrangement. Mother-daughter rates and financial aid are available. 

For more information or to download a registration form, see www.BrattleboroWomensChorus.org. Or email bwchorus@gmail.com
or call 802-254-8994. 

Dance Around the World

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (tentative- email for more info)
Place: 8 Brenda Lane, Merrimack, NH (about 50 miles from Keene)
Price: $12 per child
Ages: 6-9

First series of Dance Around the World: EUROPE

-Come and explore other cultures through music, dance and food.

-2 hours/week for eight sessions, visiting the following countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Italy, Croatia, Hungary (1 country/event).

-Each class includes warm up, rhythm patterns, two dances from the  country of the week, a geographic and cultural overview, and samples of ethnic food snacks during intermission.

- Time: TBD depending on responses, one suggestion is Wednesday 1-3pm.

- Age: 6-9; parents and siblings (with parental supervision) welcomed.

- Class size: 6-12 children. Fee: $12/child

- Back yard and waiting room (with documentaries and books) available.

Instructor: Dorina Nimigean, email:Dorinatree@gmail.com                                            

Phone (603) 494 3815

Bird Banding at Science Center

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, 23 Science Center Rd., Holderness, NH (about 90 miles from Keene)
Price: $7/member; $9/ non-member
Ages: 6+

For Families, Age 6+ Looking for a chance to see wild birds up close? Join us to find out why and how we capture and band the birds at the Science Center's feeding station. Adult must accompany children. Cost: $7/member; $9/non-member. http://www.nhnature.org

Leap Day Snowshoe Hike for Teens

Time: 10:00 AM-12:
Place: Beaver Brook Association, 117 Ridge Rd., Hollis, NH (about 44 miles from Keene)
Price: $12
Ages: 13+

Leap in the snow, leap onto snowshoes. Enjoy a midwinter hike through the woods and trails of Beaver Brook. Look for tracks, signs of animal activity in snow. You'll find there's lots of life in these woods. Enjoy cocoa or tea afterward. Fee: $12. Call to register. 465-7787 

Awesome Robb Performance

Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Fox Run Mall, Sears Center Court, 50 Fox Run Rd., Newington, NH (about 100 miles from Keene)
Price:
Ages: All

Awesome Robb will make some magic at Fox Run Mall on Wednesday, February 29^th at 11:00 a.m. for a one-hour magic show. His quick sense of humor and zany tricks makes his magic show a hit for the whole family!

Winter Explorations

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Squam Lake Natural Science Center, Holderness, NH
Price: $7/member; $9/non-member
Ages: 6+

For Families, Age 6+ Explore the natural world of winter with some outdoor activities focused on wildlife survival in winter. Afterward, go inside to meet one of New Hampshire's winter residents up close. Snowshoes available at no extra cost or bring your own. Adult must accompany children. Cost: $7/member; $9/non-member. 603-968-7194. 

Vacation Week Movie

Time: 2:30 PM-4:30 PM
Place: Hancock Town Library, Hancock, NH (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Come join the Hancock Library for a mid week movie with your friends and family. On the big screen they will be showing recently released Dolphin Tale. Popcorn will be available to all. No registration required.

Knitting Together

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Village Square Booksellers, 32 The Square, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Those able to knit

“Knitting Together” is a community charitable organization – we knit hats, mittens, and sweaters and donate them to our local schools. New members are needed and donations of yarn are always accepted. Bring yourself and your needles – we supply the yarn, and we promise a very enjoyable afternoon.
Call JoAnne for more information, 802-869-2077

Workshop: How to Make Your Own Maple Syrup

Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Keene Achille Agway, 80 Martel Court, Keene, NH Price: Free
Ages: All

The sap will be running soon! Have you thought about making your own maple syrup? Do you want to know what is needed?
Attend this workshop if want to learn the steps, from the tree to the table, plus the equipment needed. This special workshop is geared to first-timers and beginner maplers having less than 75 taps. All aspects of maple sugaring will be covered including tree identification, tapping, collecting and boiling sap, finishing, filtering and packing syrup. Equipment and supplies needed, especially sizing and operating small evaporators, homemade and commercial, will also be discussed.

For more information: Call Steve Roberge at 352-4550 or email steven.roberge@unh.edu

Folk & Fairy Tales

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Read by retired broadcaster Ted O'Brien.

Candle Mat Workshop

Time: 6:30 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Monadnock Crafters Guild, 127 Concord St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: $15
Ages: 16+

Make a Spring candle mat with felted wool decorations. Ages 16-plus. Registration: 784-5154.

What's special about today?

The first Leap Day proclaimed by Julius Caesar, 46 BC

Three women, Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, were the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692

Tuesday, February 28th Events

Building Common Ground with Compassion

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Trustees Room, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids & adults

In February 2008, Karen Armstrong was awarded the TED Prize, and, in accepting it, made a wish that a community of thinkers and spiritual leaders would come together to create a Charter for Compassion.  The Charter has inspired community-based acts of compassion all over the world. From Seattle to Karachi, Houston to Amsterdam, in schools, houses of worship, city governments, and among individuals everywhere, the message of the Charter is transforming lives.

Join us as we read and discuss her book Twelve Steps to a More Compassionate Life.  We will use the to seed discussions and participate in exerecises that produce the following results:

• Foster a greater understanding of compassion.
• Identify ways to regularly practice compassion in personal and public ways.
• Make a commitment to one or more compassionate actions on the Charter for Compassion site, charterforcompassion.org.

Meeting dates, times and format will be determined by the group at the first meeting of the book club.

Women in Popular Culture Talk by Artist

Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT (about 29 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older kids & adults

Boston artist Kathy King will talk about creating ceramic vessels, tiled furniture and prints that translate her own experience as a woman in relation to cultural perspectives on sexual orientation, reproduction and issues of the body and gender. Her imagery, reminiscent of an underground comic book style, uses satirical humor, irony and sarcasm to map her journey from pubescence to menopause. In addition to being an active studio artist, King is an instructor in ceramics for the Office of the Arts at Harvard and a visiting faculty in ceramics at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.  

Yoga Class

Time: 4:30 PM
Place: Franklin Pierce University, Cheshire Community Room, Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: $5
Ages: Older kids & adults

Be good and treat yourself to a yoga class. Enjoy the sheer joy of complete relaxation, increase your flexibility and relieve stress.

First session of five weeks of classes will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 14th from 4:30 -5:45 and all Tuesdays thereafter in Cheshire Community room.

Cost of the classes is the same - $5 per class or 5 consecutive sessions for $20 (one session free). Contact Moe Baptiste at baptismp@franklinpierce.edu or 899-4046.  

Songwriting Workshop for Kids

Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 PM (3 day workshop)
Place: Children's Museum of NH, 6 Washinton St., Dover, NH (about 90 miles from Keene)
Price: $45 non-members/$40 for members of museum
Ages: 8-10


For kids who love music and creative writing, the Children’s Museum of NH is offering a special opportunity to build on both skills.

During New Hampshire’s school vacation week, the Museum is hosting a three-day workshop called Songwriting and the Creative Process, led by New Hampshire musician Rick Lang.

The workshop will be Feb. 28 – March 1 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. each day for students ages 8-10.

Songwriting and the Creative Process will cover the basic elements of songwriting, melody and rhythm, and how to organize and record song ideas. Participants will be introduced to traditional American music and will work collaboratively to write a song about a river, using the Museum’s Cochecosystem exhibit and the river that flows right behind the Museum as inspiration. The workshop will culminate in the creation of a group song that is put to music. Each student will receive the song in electronic form and the Museum will also share the song with visitors and school groups. Rick Lang is a New Hampshire songwriter and musician who has recorded several bluegrass albums and performed in concerts around New England. More than 50 of his songs have been recorded by nationally-known bluegrass bands. He is also a member of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s songwriting committee.

More information about Rick Lang can be found at haleyannamusic.com. The cost of the Songwriting Workshop is $40 for Children’s Museum members and $45 for non-members. The class is limited to 12 students and registration is now open.

At Home in the Snow Program

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Amoskeag Fishways, 4 Fletcher St., Manchester, NH (about 60 miles from Keene)
Price: $8 per session
Ages: K-2nd grade ages

The Amoskeag Fishways presents winter vacation programs for grades K-2.  Children will learn about wildlife in winter and explore the outdoors. 

Tuesday, Feb. 28: At Home in the Snow

Wednesday, Feb. 29: Winter Shelters

Thursday, March 1: Frosty Frolic

Participants may register for one or all three programs.  Cost: $8 per session/ $20 for all three sessions.  Advance registration with payment required.  Call 626-3474 for more information.  www.amoskeagfishways.org
 
Owls of New Hampshire

Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Fox Run Mall, 50 Fox Run Rd., Newington, NH (about 100 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Who calls in the night? Who glides through the dark on shadowy wings in silent flight?
Meet some of New Hampshire’s mysterious owls and find out what is myth or fact about these beautiful, nocturnal birds of prey. This event will feature an hour-long educational program including live owls.

Tracks and Traces Program

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Amoskeag Fishways, 4 Fletcher St., Manchester, NH (about 60 miles from Keene)
Price: $8 per session
Ages: Grades 3-6 ages

The Amoskeag Fishways presents winter vacation programs for grades 3-6.  Children will learn about wildlife in winter and explore the outdoors. 

Tuesday, Feb. 28: Tracks and Traces

Wednesday, Feb. 29: Signs and Secret Spots

Thursday, March 1: Firebuilding and Food

Participants may register for one or all three programs.  Cost: $8 per session/ $20 for all three sessions.  Advance registration with payment required.  Call 626-3474 for more information.  www.amoskeagfishways.org

What's special about today?

The last British troops left India, 1948

Linus Pauling birthday, 1901

Monday, February 27th Events

Lego Club at the Library

Time: 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

The library's LEGO club is open to to kids of all ages. For more information, call: Gail Zachariah at 603-352-0157.


Family Fun Night - Game Night

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

New and classic board games, tabletop games, and electronic games for all ages.

Winter Family Fun Day

Time: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Place: The Inn at East Hill Farm, 460 Monadnock St., Troy, NH (about 9 miles from Keene)
Price: See below
Ages: All

Bring the kids to the farm!


The Inn at East Hill Farm will be hosting a family farm day.  Activities include cow milking, egg collecting, feeding the animals, sledding, roasting s'mores on the campfire, arts-n-crafts, hay jumping, candle making and more!

Prices include lunch, tax, tip, and the entire day of activities!  The price is $25.00 per adult (age 16 & up) and $15.00 per child (age 2-15).  Check our website for a schedule of events! 

All children must be accompanied by an adult for the day.  Reservations required.

What's special about today?

International polar bear day
National strawberry day
John Steinbeck's birthday, 1902

Sunday, February 26th Events

Negrura Peruana Concert

Time: 2:00 PM
Place: Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT (about 29 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Afro-Peruvian culture flourished in Peru, giving the world a unique musical tradition that blends Spanish, indigenous and African influences into a dynamic, percussive dance style with a character all its own. Emigrating from Lima to Connecticut in the 1980s and 1990s, the members of Negrura Peruana celebrate and perform the music and dance of Peru’s African population. The group combines vocals with percussion instruments such as the cajón (wooden box drum), the quijada de burro (jaw of horse), the campana (cowbell), bongos and guitars. 

Family Snowshoe Walk 

Time: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Place: The Fells, Newbury, NH (about 39 miles from Keene)
Price: $5 family
Ages: All

Family Snowshoe Walk: Animals in Winter
Sunday, February 26, 1-2pm 

Bring your snowshoes and join Kathleen Stowell, Education Director of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association, as she leads a winter walk to discover what animals do to cope with winter's snow and cold. Can you imagine spending the whole winter outside??? Our animal neighbors do! Members free, nonmembers pay $5 per family. No reservations required, appropriate for beginners. Meet at The Fells Gatehouse.

Tracking: Following a Trail

Time: 1:00 PM-3:30 PM
Place: Meet at Fire Station, West Brattleboro, VT (about 18 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Meet at West Brattleboro Fire Station to carpool to Marlboro, Free/Donations Welcome
Join BEEC naturalist Patti Smith for a tracking expedition in Marlboro. We will set out on snowshoes to find the trail of a wide-ranging mammal. We will then follow the trail to learn the ways and activities of its maker. Possible guides include fisher, mink, bobcat, coyote and fox. Along the way we will likely encounter the tracks of many other denizens of the winter forest, and will learn what we can from them as well. Among these could be red squirrel, flying squirrel, snowshoe hare, porcupine, mice, grouse, turkeys, deer, and perhaps even moose. Patti will share the field tools she uses to help identify tracks.
Snowshoes may be needed. This program is weather dependent.
Please contact BEEC at 257-5785 if the snow conditions are questionable, or check BEEC’s website:www.beec.org.

Poetry Out Loud Performance

Time: 2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Heberton Hall
Price: Free
Ages: All 

Don't miss this unusual contest and performance in which local teens compete for scholarships and recognition by memorizing and reciting poetry.

 

Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry  spoken word and theater into the English class.  The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills  build self-confidence  and learn about their literary heritage.

What's special about today?

Tell a fairy tale day
Levi Strauss' birthday, 1829
Grand Canyon National Park was established, 1919

Johny Cash birthday, 1932

Saturday, February 25th Events

Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp Hike

Time: 9:00 AM-Noon

Place: Loverens Mill Rd., Antrim, NH (about 26 miles from Keene)

Price: Free

Ages: Older

Join Nur Ritter and The Nature Conservancy's Eric Aldrich for a hike into the Conservancy's Loverens Mill Cedar Swamp Preserve in Antrim. This is a great chance to see and hear what makes Atlantic white cedar swamps so special in New Hampshire. Ritter, a botanist who has extensively studied these globally rare ecosystems in NH, will describe why this is one of the state's most exemplary cedar swamps. We'll seek otter, bobcat and other tracks on a 3 mile hike through part of this 1,268 acre preserve, adjoining more than 15,000 acres of conservation land. Meet at 9 am, at the preserve entrance on Loverens Mill Road, off Route 9 in Antrim. Back by noon. Cosponsored with The Nature Conservancy.

Wendell-Judd Cup

Time: 2:00 PM
Place: Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT (about 29 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older

Join novice and veteran cross-country skiers for this annual event. Check in at the Campus Center between 1:00 and 1:45pm before heading out on the 5.5-mile course from the college to South Pond and back again. Snowshoers are also encouraged to participate and a mid-point start and shuttle are available. Refreshments and awards will be waiting at the end. For more information, contact Randy Knaggs at 258-9253 or rlknaggs@marlboro.edu. Rain date: March 3.

Lil Iguana's Family Fun Day

Time: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Place: Nashua South High School, 36 Riverside St., Nashua, NH (about 48 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

The following are some of the activities scheduled for this event:
*Entertainment performances featuring area talent
*Fun kids crafts and activities
*Safety and health educational scavenger hunt with a prize for everyone that completes the scavenger hunt
*Healthy eating and tasting venue
*Basketball shoot-out area
*Hockey shoot-out area
*Baseball and softball pitching station with radar gun
*Football toss
*Soccer shoot-out area
*Ring toss and backyard games area
*Jump houses
Phone: 603-881-9805 Website: http://www.liliguanausa.org/familyfunday.html

20th Annual Winter Carnival

Time: 12:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Wasserman Park, Merrimack, NH (about 49 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Enjoy a day of free family activities including a snowman-building contest for the most creative snowman and the Ice Fishing Derby sponsored by the Lions Club. Young anglers will be awarded with trophies in different categories such as largest fish and most fish caught, at the end of the day. Come to support your favorite local organization in the function hall, where you will find a variety of snacks and refreshments. The Parks and Recreation Department will be selling popcorn and soda. All proceeds go toward the scholarship fund for Naticook Day Camp. 
Phone: 882-1046 

The Little Bread Hen

Time: 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Sandglass Theater, 17 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT (about 26 miles from Keene)
Price: Contact for more info
Ages: All


(2 & 4pm.) Inspired by the classic tale of The Little Red Hen, this puppet show uncovers the truth behind some of the glaring plot holes in the original version. (How does a chicken learn to bake bread and why, exactly, won’t the other animals help?) Journey with us to a small European Bakery as we cook up the answers to those questions and more in this hilarious retelling! Barefoot Puppet Theatre’s original puppets, innovative staging and surprise ending are seasoned with a liberal dash of Dr. Seuss, Brementown Musicians and The Fox and The Hen. www.sandglasstheater.org

Igloo Build

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT (about 67 miles from Keene)
Price: Free (with admission)
Ages: All

Learn the inside scoop of building a simple-yet-elegant igloo and other snow dwellings from expert Dr. Bert Yankielun. The day starts with a step-by-step demonstration; then participants build an own igloo block by block. A great activity for friends and family.
Free with Museum admission
Begins at 10:30AM on the museum grounds.
See website.

Workshop: How to Make Your Own Maple Syrup

Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Walpole Achille Agway, 334 Main St., Walpole, NH (about 17 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

The sap will be running soon! Have you thought about making your own maple syrup? Do you want to know what is needed?

Attend this workshop if want to learn the steps, from the tree to the table, plus the equipment needed. This special workshop is geared to first-timers and beginner maplers having less than 75 taps. All aspects of maple sugaring will be covered including tree identification, tapping, collecting and boiling sap, finishing, filtering and packing syrup. Equipment and supplies needed, especially sizing and operating small evaporators, homemade and commercial, will also be discussed.
For more information: Call Steve Roberge at 352-4550 or email steven.roberge@unh.edu
Repeats February 29th at the Agway in Keene.

What's special about today?

Hiram Revels became the first black United States senator, taking over the term of Jefferson Davis, 1870

Pierre Auguste Renoir birthday, 1841

George Harrison birthday, 1943