Most times, when you think of a night out on the town, it’s all centered around things for the adults to do.
But as big kids ourselves – and guys who were once actually your age – we know what it’s like to just want to have a good time with your friends. To be clear mom and dad, we aren’t insinuating that you allow for your children stay out till the wee hours of the morning for a late night snack attack at Red Arrow, but rather let them have a little fun until it gets dark.
And if they’re not of the age where you can comfortably let them go out on their own (which for us will be about the time our daughters go off to college), you can always hang out in the background and let them think you’re not watching their every move. They’ll be having so much fun with their friends that they won’t even remember you’re there – until they need a ride home, of course.
So kids, listen up because here’s a few things we’d probably do if we were you.
We don’t have to tell you that Concord is home to some pretty impressive ice cream shops.
As you’ve heard Dairy Queen just moved into the neighborhood with its upside down served Blizzards, which we can attest are quite tasty.
But if you’re looking for homemade ice cream, then head over to Arnie’s Place. According to their website, Arnie’s has more than 30 hard ice cream flavors, plus sherbert, sorbet and yogurt. But we think you should test your ice cream eating abilities against the T-shirt Sundae. It’s only eight scoops of ice cream, six toppings of your choice, two bananas, whipped cream and nuts. If you finish, you get a T-shirt – just watch out for brain freeze.
Not to be outdone is Ballard’s on Broadway. They may not make their own ice cream, but whoever makes all those terrific flavors does a fantastic job.
And one thing we greatly enjoy during our trips is the gourmet cones they offer. Maybe you can see how many you can eat?
If swimming is your thing in the summer months – and let’s face it, who doesn’t love a quick dip to beat the heat? – look no further than the seven city pools.
You must be at least 10 years old to swim without an adult present (don’t worry, there are always life guards), and it’s worth the trip.
Six of the pools are open 6 to 7:30 p.m. each weekday evening, except for White Park, which opens at 5:30 p.m. It could be a great way to kick off the night.
If your night out on the town happens to be on a Saturday, you need to make your way over to Boutwell’s Bowling Center for some glow bowling.
Every Saturday night from 6 to 11 p.m., they shut off the lights and turn up the music, while colorful lights surround you.
It’s $30 per hour, per lane and $3 for shoes.
Since we know your parents are busy, we wanted to give you plenty of time to plan for the Concord Library’s movie night on Aug. 9. The new live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast will be shown at 5:30 p.m. It’s also free, which is great for kids who don’t have jobs – or that are purely working to save for college.
For those of you youngsters who want to feel more like an adult, might we suggest taking in a show at the Capitol Center for the Arts.
Over the next couple Tuesdays, Impact Children’s Theatre will perform How the Rainbow was Made and Humpty Dumpty with shows at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It might not technically be considered night time, but you’re young and probably have a pretty early curfew.
As always, you can go bouncing around at VI Party Center in Steeplegate Mall or learn about space at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, Chuckster’s is the ultimate place for a kids night out. It’s just over the line in Chichester, so we’re really not supposed to talk about it. So shhh – you didn’t hear it from us.
