2018 is the Summer of Seuss! Earlier this week the Prescott Park Arts Festival of Portsmouth, NH announced that their 2018 Summer Musical will be Seussical the Musical. If you’ve never been to one of the Summer Musical shows at Prescott Park, this will be a great year to experience the fun! We’ve been going for many years now and we always look forward to fitting it into our summer schedule.
See the Prescott Park Arts Festival for information and to buy a table, reserve a blanket, or order pizza (yes, that’s already set up and open for reservations!):
https://www.prescottpark.org/event/seussical-presented-by-cj-bus-lines
The show will run from June 22 – August 19, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, with some weekend matinees added as the season progresses. (Thursday and Sunday the show is at 7:00 pm, Friday and Saturday it’s at 8:00 pm)
We’ve done this as a last minute, hey-let’s-show-up-and-squeeze-in-where-we-can, we’ve sat at the tables in the back, and we’ve also reserved blankets. My favorite has been reserving a blanket. I’ll be honest, it’s not cheap, this year it’s $55 per blanket plus a $5 transaction fee. But, it’s totally worth it to show up just before the show starts and know you’ve got killer seats right in the front. Blanket reservations do sell out, so if you know when you want to go, purchase your spot ahead of time!
Other Things to know before you go:
Parking: There’s not a lot of on street parking right by Prescott Park. In past years we’ve found the best free parking is on Peirce Island, which is a short walk. BUT the city of Portsmouth has ongoing construction on Peirce Island and has requested that patrons avoid parking there. (BUMMER!) The City suggests the following alternatives:
City Hall Lot
South Mill Playground
Thursday through Sunday, there is a free shuttle that runs from the Connect Community Church parking lot (just off exit 7 of I-95) to the Hanover St. Bus Stop. The shuttle runs approximately every ten minutes until 1:30 A.M.
The city also offers parking at the Municipal Parking Garage on Hanover Street. Parking in the garage is $1.25/hr and a five-minute walk to the Festival gates through the downtown area. Patrons may also park at the Municipal Lot on Parrot Avenue or Strawbery Banke Museum.
Admission: General admission is offered at a suggested donation of $5-10 per person. Even at $10 a person, a professional quality musical of this caliber is a steal! Bring cash, they aren’t set up to process cards for admission. You can use credit/debit at the concession stand and merchandise booth.
Where to sit?: If you aren’t paying to reserve a blanket or a table, you’ll need to decide before you go if you want to bring a chair or a blanket. There is a line of tape about halfway up the lawn that marks the dividing line of where blankets are allowed and then chairs go behind them. If you can get there early enough, I’ve always thought the best thing to do was straddle that line; bring chairs for the adults, a blanket for the kids. They do enforce the “No chairs” policy in the blankets only area, so don’t try to get away with using a chair there. The city of Portsmouth does not allow blankets to be put down in the park prior to 3pm, and do not use a tarp.
Dinner/Snacks: Pack a picnic! This is a great time to pack a yummy spread and bring along dinner, or even just some snacks. Keep in mind alcohol is not allowed in the park. Don’t feel like filling a picnic basket? Prescott Park has an excellent concession stand/restaurant called The Prop, where you can get delicious fresh items that go beyond standard concession fare. Check out the 2017 menu here:
https://www.prescottpark.org/sites/default/files/The_Prop/2017%20Prop%20Menu.pdf
The grilled chicken rice bowl was excellent, and the wheat free brownie was a special treat!
What Else to Bring: Prescott Park is right on the water, so make sure to grab a sweater and/or extra blanket in case it gets chilly. Bring some extra cash: aside from snacks at The Prop, they also have the merchandise booth where they sell giant Lindt chocolate bars as a fundraiser. There are three or four bars with “Golden tickets” inside them. If you find a golden ticket when you open your bar, you are a winner! In 2017, the bars were $8 each or 3 for $20. Last summer’s prizes were a trip to London, England, Disney World, or a year’s supply of chocolate! There are also fun souvenirs for sale such as t-shirts and programs.
For more info., check out the How it Works page on the Prescott Park Arts Festival Website:
https://www.prescottpark.org/reservations/how-it-works
Keep dreaming of summer, and maybe I’ll see you at the show!