Now that school’s out and summer has officially arrived, there’s no need to wonder how to fill your time or that of your kids.
Town recreation programs offer children days spent in the company of other kids, making crafts, playing games, visiting nearby sites, and generally having fun. Athletic camps are offered in myriad sports, and summer reading programs at local libraries offer a two-for-one benefit: they’re free, and they encourage reading. Who can think of a more wonderful way to wile away a summer day?
For all ages, town concerts are offered for free in several of our communities. Consider them a good excuse to get out of the house for the evening, away from the canned entertainment on TV or the video games on the computer. Prepare a picnic or pick up some take-out food at your favorite shop, put the lawn chairs and a blanket in the car, grab the mosquito and tick repellant, and head out for some relaxed evening entertainment and a chance to get to know your neighbors a little better. Check out our calendar listings each week and plan to enjoy some fun close to home.
If that’s not enough, we’re heading right into festival season, which will include more music, plenty of food and games, and all kinds of opportunities for neighborly contact. Hampstead lead the way with its early Independence Day festival, and there are more to follow. The Chester Town Fair, Sandown Old Home Days, Londonderry Old Home Day, Londonderry Blues Fest, and DerryFest gatherings among smaller events can keep us busy for the next two months.
It’s easy to take these free activities for granted, but they’re part of what makes New England towns the special places they are. A bandstand decked out in patriotic bunting, a flag waving from its pole, and families gathered on lawn chairs or reclining on blankets, perhaps with a sliced pie and a pitcher of iced tea resting between them is an iconic image of summer in this part of the country, and it’s one we take for granted.
Even as we complain about the heat and humidity, we know what lies ahead. So, while the short but sweet summer is here, fire up the barbecue, head to the Seacoast, the lake, the backyard pool, or just sit on the screen porch and enjoy a firefly-filled evening with the Red Sox on the radio. Here comes summer. Enjoy it to the hilt.