Hate the cold? Beat the winter blues with these indoor activities in NH

It’s possible to love New Hampshire but dread winter. I know. I don’t ski, snowmobile, or snowboard. My idea of ice fishing is looking in the freezer for fish sticks and the closest I get to ice skating is cleaning my kitchen floor with a Clorox wipe pushed around with the bottom of my shoe. But a woman needs to leave the house. So, here are some activities for fellow winter haters to beat the winter blues.

 Indoor gardening

The New Hampshire Orchid Society will hold its annual show, “Cosmic Colors,” March 1-3 at the Courtyard Marriott, Southwood Dr., Nashua. Who says it has to be warm outside to enjoy Mother Nature? The show features hundreds of these exotic, rare, and colorful blooming flowers as well as educational programs and guided tours. There will also be orchid-inspired art, and plants, pottery, and supplies for sale.

Wentworth Greenhouses 141 Rollins Rd., Rollinsford has been around for 50 years, and lucky for those of us who need an infusion of color and light, it is open all winter. They offer classes during the long winter months, including moss art, winter fruit and bramble pruning, and terrarium, and bonsai workshops.

The 17th Annual Seed Celebration and Sustainable Community Fair, STEAM Academy, 640 Route 10, Gilsum, Saturday, Feb. 24, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Celebrate the miracle of seeds and gardening with The Sustainability Project. Get help planning your garden, stock up on seeds, and dance to live music. There will be a café featuring local food and children’s activities are planned for the entire day.

The New Hampshire Outdoor Expo, The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Rd., Milford, March 8-10. It may be too icy and cold to enjoy kayaking or a sunny fishing trip, but this is the place to get ready for those days soon to come. In addition to dozens of exhibitors, seminars, and demonstrations of the latest in fishing, hunting, camping, and boating, the expo will feature free indoor archery range trout fishing for the family, boat displays, and a mobile base camp with activities geared to younger visitors.

Pay tribute to your favorite bands

Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. “Dancing Queen: The Ultimate Abba and Disco Tribute” will be performed at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, through Feb. 11. 

And just in time to warm up your heart for Valentine’s Day the Palace will present “Shades of Bublé: A three-man tribute to Michael Bublé,” Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.

Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center of the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. A.J. Croce, the son of the late Jim Croce, will present “Croce Plays Croce,” a celebration of his late father’s work on Feb. 15, 7 p.m.

Nashua Center for the Arts,  Main St., Nashua. “Almost Queen: A Tribute to Queen” will be staged on Friday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.

A day at the museums

The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center, 26 Main St., Peterborough. Mariposa means butterfly in Spanish and this 20-year cultural gem is as colorful and fascinating as its namesake. The former church building houses exhibits, artifacts, and objects which represent cultures from all over the world. 

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Rd., Londonderry. This little treasure at Grenier Field is a must-see museum that’s small enough to cover in a couple of hours but interesting enough to visit again and again. Its impressive collection of artifacts and documents relating to the history of flying in New Hampshire is housed in Manchester Airport’s original 1937 Art Deco terminal – worth a visit in and of itself. 

Arcades for days

Funspot, 579 Endicott St., North, Laconia. There’s no better way to say it. This place is a blast for kids and grownups alike. Funspot claims to be the largest arcade in the world and we choose to believe that. It’s three floors with over 600 games, bowling, indoor miniature golf, a tavern, and the coolest ever collection of arcade games that date back to the Pong days and before. So cool that much of the 2007 documentary, “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” was filmed there.

Fun World of Nashua, 200 Daniel Webster Hwy, Nashua, has over 250 video games; bowling; three indoor amusement park rides, including a two-story venetian carousel imported from Italy; a three-story indoor playground, featuring  a 101-foot slide; and a snack bar serving fried dough, chicken tenders, pizza, and more.