Insider staff
What New Hampshire Fish and Game is all about can really be summed up in its motto: Connecting You to Life Outdoors.
The state organization wants you to enjoy all the outdoor beauty New Hampshire has to offer.
And not only do they want you to do it year round, but especially on Saturday when Fish and Game hosts the annual Discover WILD N.H. Day at its headquarters on Hazen Drive.
One day each April, Fish and Game closes down its parking lot and puts on a huge event – and it’s free. Trust us, you’ll have fun no matter if you’re 5 years old or 50.
More than 6,500 people attended last year and one can only hope more show up this weekend. The event has hosted more than 7,000 people before so lets see if we can take that record down.
“From our research, we believe it’s New Hampshire’s largest one-day, free event,” said Mark Beauchesne.
It’s been going on for 27 years now so that would be a big accomplishment.
“It has grown into a massive event.” Beauchesne said.
And it’s all free – unless you want to enjoy some of the food and ice cream from Arnie’s and Puppy Love. That will cost you some cash from your wallet.
Discover Wild N.H. Day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and you can stay for all five hours or pop in for a short visit. You can even go for an hour, leave to take a nap and come back before it closes down for the day.
It’s going to be a lot fun, but you’ll learn a few things, too.
“Every little piece of it has an educational purpose to it,” Beauchesne said.
With about 90 exhibits expected spread out over more than 6 acres of space, you can imagine just how much stuff there will be to take in.
“It’s a long list of fun stuff that goes on,” Beauchesne said.
So Beauchesne has some advice for you.
“Pace yourself, and your kids,” he said.
While we love a good mystery, here’s some of the stuff you can expect to see.
There will be birds of prey, retriever dog (as well as K-9) demos, bees, a hatchery truck filled with fish that will stock Concord area ponds and a 100-gallon warm water fish tank.
You can test your skills on the air rifle range, archery, casting and fly tying. There will also be 20-minute presentations all day long.
“We try to be as hands on as we can,” Beauchesne said.
It’s a tented event, so it will be happening rain or shine. But just remember that dogs, except service and working animals, are not allowed.
For more, visit wildlife.state.nh.us.
