5 Family-Friendly Summer Activities
Arts Jubilee
Arts Jubilee is the Mount Washington Valley’s summer outdoor concert series.
The volunteer-run, non-profit, now celebrating its 40th year, brings five evenings of live music on Thursdays in July and August to the base of Cranmore Mountain in North Conway. The main concerts start at 7 p.m., with offerings ranging from country to Celtic rock to tribute bands to pops. The series also features excellent local opening acts starting at 6 p.m.
This year’s schedule includes:
July 13: Piano Men, a tribute to the music of Elton John and Billy Joel.
July 20: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, a country and western music concert.
July 27: A pops music concert with the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, finishing up with a fireworks display.
Aug. 3: Moondance, The Ultimate Van Morrison Tribute Concert.
Aug. 10: Ceili Rain, a local and regional favorite Celtic pop rock band.
No dogs except service dogs are allowed and seating is not provided, so you should bring a lawn chair or blanket. Food, wine and beer are available at Cranmore’s Zip’s Pub; alcohol is not otherwise allowed at the concert. Come early, bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Conway Scenic Railroad
Take your family on a journey into the past with a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad. Whether you love trains or just want a new way to experience the beautiful scenery of the Mount Washington Valley, Conway Scenic Railroad has something for you.
Headquartered at the Victorian-era train station at Schouler Park in North Conway Village, the railroad features rides of between one and six hours on trains from the golden age of railroading.
Train enthusiasts will appreciate the range of engines and cars lovingly restored and carefully researched by Conway Scenic, from the steam locomotive #7470 built for the Grand Trunk Railway in 1921 to the 1950s streamlined passenger cars that include a dining car and an upper dome perfect for viewing the incredible scenery of Crawford Notch.
Excursions include the Conway Valley Train — the shortest option with a one-hour roundtrip to Conway Village; the two-hour Sawyer River Excursion north through Bartlett; and the four- to five-and-half-hour excursion into Crawford Notch.
Conway Scenic also has occasional mystery dinner theater nights and seasonal, themed rides from foliage and pumpkin patch tours in the fall to a Journey to the North Pole and ski trains to Attitash in winter. There’s even a Fourth of July option to park your car in Conway and take the train to North Conway for the fireworks and avoid the traffic in the village.
Mount Washington Valley Rec Path
The Mount Washington Valley Recreation Path is the latest addition to recreation offerings in North Conway. The product of a citizen-led initiative, the 2.9-mile, paved scenic path, which is still under construction, stretches from North Conway Village to the outlets and department stores at the southern end of the North Conway strip. Designed for walking, running and biking, the path parallels the North South Road, with a gentle grade and sections running through the forest and around Puddin Pond. The rec path provides access to restaurants, shops and other businesses, and connects to mountain biking and hiking trails on the east side of North Conway.
Construction began last year and the North Conway Rec Path section is expected to be completed in July though locals have been using it for months on weekends and during off-hours for construction.
You can get on the path at Cranmore Mountain Resort at the northern end; the Hemlock Lane trailhead at the southern end or the Artist Falls Road trailhead in the middle (though parking is limited at that location).
The North Conway Rec Path is only the central section of the MWV Rec Path. Future sections are expected to extend north to Bartlett and east to Fryeburg to connect with that town’s 5-mile Mountain Division Trail.
Movies Under the Stars
Movies Under the Stars is a new event in the Mount Washington Valley, started just last year by TB Realty Partners as an evening of entertainment and a fundraiser for local charities.
The events, held at Ledge Brewing Co., 15 Town Hall Road in Intervale, include the outdoor screening of a popular family-friendly feature movie, live music, food trucks, fire pits and raffles.
The movies are shown outdoors on a 21-foot screen, and people should bring their own chairs and maybe ingredients for ’smores to make around the fire pit.
Two events are planned for this summer:
• July 11: “The Sand Lot,” to benefit End 68 Hours of Hunger. Live music for the event will be provided by local musician Ryan St. Onge and Trails End Ice Cream to serve up scoops of locally made Bobby Sue’s Homemade Ice Cream.
“The Sand Lot” is a 1993 American coming-of-age sports comedy film set in early 1960s California.
End 68 Hours of Hunger is a non-profit that works to send home food in backpacks with at-risk children at the end of each school week to ensure that they have enough food over the weekend.
• Aug. 30: “Hook,” to benefit Starting Point. Live music and vendors for the evening have not been announced.
The 1991 movie “Hook” is a retelling of the classic story of Peter Pan, starring Robin Williams as Peter and Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook.
The events start at 5 p.m., with live music from 5:30-7 p.m. and the movie from 7:30-9 p.m. Movies Under the Stars will be held rain or shine, with the movie shown inside in the event of rain.
There is no charge to attend but donations to the charity of the night are greatly appreciated.
It’s a great party and for a good cause. Bring all your friends.
Story Land
If you have children, Story Land in Glen is not to be missed. The Mount Washington Valley’s own amusement park has dozens of rides, theater shows, play areas and other amusements, all created around the themes of children’s stories.
Humpty Dumpty has sat on his wall there for more than 60 years, greeting families and providing the setting for generations of childhood portraits to remember a day of fun. Along with The Old Woman in the Shoe, Little Miss Muffet and Cinderella’s Castle, Humpty is one of Story Land’s whimsical recreations of nursery rhymes and fairy tales that are the heart of this landmark New Hampshire attraction.
The park has grown over the decades and now has more than 30 amusement park rides to please all ages. There are antique mini-cars and mini-excavators young children delight in operating; swirling tea cups and turtle tilt-a-whirl for older kids; and the Roar-O-Saurus Coaster, a wooden roller coaster big enough to attract roller coaster enthusiasts to Story Land just to experience this ride.
Rides, theater shows and play areas bring to life pirates, dinosaurs, storybook animals, castles, pharaohs and dinosaurs.
Story Land can also be a great place to play on hot summer days with two spraygrounds and three water rides that could be rated from splashed (Bamboo Chutes) to soaked (Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride).
Though designed as a children’s fantasy land, Story Land’s attractions are fun for all ages, as shown by the popularity of the recent addition of nostalgia nights — adults only, no one under 21 allowed.
