Kid kid Hooray!
Hampton Beach Children’s Festival returns Aug. 15
The Hampton Beach Children’s Festival is celebrating kids from toddlers to middle schoolers in a week-long celebration from Monday, Aug. 15, through Friday, Aug. 19, featuring performers, activities and a costume parade.
For 40 years the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Children’s Festival at Hampton Beach’s Seashell Stage. Tiffany Maher, a middle school librarian and teacher in Amherst, is organizing the festival this year, putting her years of teaching to good use and making the festival even more interactive than before.
“I wanted the kids to have a place to go during the day while they’re here,” Maher said. “Something different than sitting at home or on the beach. Something that will pique their interest.”
Education is taking a front seat for a lot of the programming. Maher said she wants kids to feel that they are learning about everything going on around them. The event will include a talk about ocean life by Surf Rider Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to cleaning the oceans; a bone alignment activity with local chiropractor Dr. Erin from Spine by Design; and a book reading, coloring page activity and raffle by local picture book author Meghan Piercy.
It was important to Maher that kids do more than just watch performers or do crafts. She said that she wants to make sure everyone is having a good time and that no child feels unengaged.
“I look at things a little differently sometimes,” Maher said, adding that she knew from first-hand experience how hard it is to keep kids interested. “In the classroom, you lose people after 17 minutes. If you want them to stay with you, you’ve got to keep it going.”
Another reason Maher wanted to include a lot of different programming was to appeal to kids ages 2 through 12. She said that she doesn’t want kids to feel like the activities are too young or too old, so her way of ensuring that is to offer as many activities as possible.
In addition to the new activities and events, the classic attractions will be as prevalent as ever. Touch-a-Truck will have vehicles from the Hampton Public Works, police and fire departments, as well as horses from the mounted police unit. There will be costumes available for the costume parade for kids who don’t have their own, and prizes will be given to kids with the best costumes.
The festival will conclude with a musical performance by multi-instrument kids’ music composer Mr. Aaron and a meet-and-greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Sand and Santa, and every kid will leave with a special prize.
“The big piece of this is community,” Maher said. “Hampton has a lot to offer. It’s not just a vacation place.”
— Katelyn Sahagian
Hampton Beach Children’s Festival
Monday, Aug. 15
10 a.m. - BJ Hickman Magic Show
Noon - Hampton Beach Casino Daily Raffle (enter to win fun prizes every day)
12:30 p.m. - presentation by Hampton Beach lifeguards
12:30 p.m. - ticket handout for Face Painting by Linda ends
1:30 p.m. - Extreme Air NH: Hula Hoopers
3 p.m. - New Hampshire Academy of Performing Arts: Seacoast Civic Dance Co.
7:45 p.m. - HB Village District hosts Movie Night on the Beach: Luca (weather-permitting)
Tuesday, Aug. 16
10 a.m. - Blue Ocean Society: Whale of a Time
11 a.m. - Lane Memorial Library: Stories, Songs and Merriment
11:30 a.m. - reading, coloring contest and raffle with New Hampshire author and illustrator Meghan Piercy
Noon - Hampton Beach Casino Daily Raffle (enter to win fun prizes every day)
12:30 to 3 p.m. - Buc’s Lagoon Mini Golf (free for children age 12 and under; sign up at the Beach Info Center by noon)
1:30 p.m. - ticket handout for Face Painting by Linda ends
2 p.m. - McDonough-Grimes Irish Dance
3 p.m. - Touch-a-Hampton Truck
Wednesday, Aug. 17
10 a.m. - Fran Flynn, Magician Extraordinaire
11 a.m. - Fish Printing with Explore the Ocean
Noon - Hampton Beach Casino Daily Raffle (enter to win fun prizes every day)
12:30 p.m. - ice cream with Hampton Beach lifeguards
1:30 p.m. - ticket handout for Face Painting by Linda ends
1:30 p.m. - Fran Flynn, Magician Extraordinaire
3 p.m. - Red Stars Baton Twirling
9:30 p.m. - fireworks (weather-permitting)
Thursday, Aug. 18
10 a.m. - DrumatiX tap dance and percussion performance
11 a.m. - Showtime Steve does juggling and more
Noon - Hampton Beach Casino Daily Raffle (enter to win fun prizes every day)
12:30 p.m. - Align with Interactive Activities with Dr. Erin from Spine by Design
1 p.m. - Wayne from Maine does a musical singalong
2 p.m. - Paint with Artist in Residence Alyssa Pine
Friday, Aug. 19
10:15 a.m. - parade participants meet at the Hampton Beach State South (wear your own costume or choose from the ones provided)
11 a.m. - children’s costume parade; Roaming Railroad and Miss Hampton winners
Noon - Grand Finale at the Seashell Stage, where every child receives a prize, plus a musical performance by Mr. Aaron
1 p.m. pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Sand and Santa
Featured photo: Mr. Aaron’s Band will be performing on stage before, during and after the parade. Courtesy photo.
