Family activities abound at Old Home Days in Epsom, Candia, Pembroke and Allenstown in August.

Epsom

Epsom kicks off Old Home Day festivities on Friday, Aug. 10, at Webster Park, with the traditional burying of the beans at 5:45 p.m., with karaoke following at the large pavilion until 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Aug. 11, the day begins with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. The cost is $5 per person.

A variety of craft booths and concession stands will be open throughout the day, and festival-goers can also enjoy live entertainment.

At 4:45 p.m., a ham and bean dinner will be offered. The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for ages 3 to 10.

On Sunday, Aug. 12, the day begins at 8 a.m., with a breakfast sponsored by the Epsom Youth Athletic Association. A 4-mile road race and 2-mile walk follow at 8:30 a.m.

The weekend festivities end with a duck race at noon on Short Falls. Tickets will be available at Care Pharmacy and during Old Home Day.

Candia

Plenty of activities are planned for this year's Old Home Day, which will begin Friday, Aug. 24, and continue through Aug. 25. Old Home Day Committee Chairman Fred Kelley said there will be events and vendors there for all ages, and activities include an outdoor movie to a 2.5-mile fun run.

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. on Aug. 24, with a spaghetti dinner at the Masonic Hall followed by a showing of “The Goonies” on an outdoor screen at Moore Park.

Saturday morning begins with a pancake breakfast at the fire station starting at 5 a.m. The Fun Run begins at 9 a.m., and runs from the Henry W. Moore School to the town hall. At 9:30 a.m., the vendors will open at Moore Park, and more than 40 bands will play throughout the day.

Kelley said there is a wide range of vendors scheduled for this year, including many kinds of food, crafts and games set up for kids. New this year will also be a scavenger hunt involving the town's police officers.

Beginning at 11 a.m., the Old Home Day parade will run from the intersection of Route 27 and Healy Road and will run to Town Hall. The theme of this year's parade is “Flashback to the '50s” and will culminate with a car show at the Smyth Public Library. There is an entry fee for those wanting to put their cars in the show, and you can register at the library the day of the event. Spectators enter for free.

At 5 p.m., the day's focus will shift back to the Moore School for a chicken barbecue followed by a fireworks show.

“A lot of people have donated this year and a lot of businesses and vendors want to get involved,” Kelley said. “All the people on the committee have been working hard, so it should be pretty good.”
Pembroke/Allenstown

The theme for this year's Pembroke and Allenstown Old Home Day is Outdoor Family Fun, and the day promises to provide just that with events running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25.

At 10 a.m., the annual parade will begin in Allenstown and will end at Pembroke's Memorial Field. The remaining of the day's events will take place on two stages at Memorial Field – a main stage and small side stage.

From 9 to 10 a.m., the Amoskeag Strummers will perform on the main stage. Other main stage performers include Blues Brothers the Next Generation, Critters 'N Creatures, Rick Goldin's Music Programs for Kids, the Pembroke Academy Dance Team, the Granite State Cloggers, 3-on-3 basketball awards and the rock band Undercover Operatives.

Highlighting performances on the small stage include musicians Jim Barnes and Don Smith.
The Concord Coachmen will also perform, as will musician Ron Drolet.

There will also be live animals for kids to interact with, including Tiny Trails Miniature Horses and a traveling barnyard.

Old Home Day Committee chairman Steve Fowler said this year's theme will prevalent throughout the day.

“The theme is outdoor family fun and we are basing a lot of the floats on it,” he said.