Portsmouth’s annual River Days kicks off

PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth’s annual River Days, a free event offering entertainment for the whole family, kicks off today and runs through Sunday, Aug. 31, in downtown Portsmouth.

From live music to pageants and plenty of children’s activities, the Friends of River Days committee has been bringing the free weekend of entertainment to Portsmouth for more than 40 years.

This year’s musical lineup includes:

Thursday: Steve Free, 6 p.m.; Poverty String Band, 7:30 p.m.; The Buckinghams, 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 29: Jenny Lavender, 6 p.m.; Larry Pancake, 7 p.m.; Flynnville Train, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30: The Two Dons, 6 p.m.; Lone Raven, 7 p.m.; The Fabulous Thunderbirds, 9 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 31: Backtrack, 5 p.m.; Doc Roc and the Remedies, 7 p.m.; Classic All Stars, 9 p.m.

Sunday will also feature a huge lineup of children’s activities, planned and sponsored by the Portsmouth Public Library and Kiwanis of Portsmouth. The events, which are free to kids of all ages, will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at York Park. 

Highlights include:

10 a.m.: Kids can create a cauldron cake

11 a.m.: Children’s sack races with trophies

noon-2 p.m.: face painting

noon: “Critters of the Forest” presented by Shawnee State Park Naturalist Jenny Richards

noon-2 p.m.: Ronald McDonald will meet and greet kids, and will perform a show at 1 p.m.

2 p.m.: Quidditch Races

3:30 p.m.: Limbo

4 p.m.: Big Wheel Races (registration begins at 3:30 p.m.)

Other activities from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday include: Sidewalk Chalk Art; Ring Toss; Sand Art; Wizarding Waffles; Children’s Tattoos; Coloring and Drawing; Bubble Blowing; Edible Wands; Charm Necklaces; Design Your Own Flying Disk; Herbology; Scratch Art; Magic Potion Concoctions and several inflatables.

Portsmouth River Days will close out Sunday night with a grand finale of fireworks, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. sharp.

For more information, visit www.riverdays.org.