Month: September 2021

De-simplifying tomatoes

You kind of knew what you were letting yourself in for in February when you started all those tomato plants.

You knew you were supposed to get Darwinian by May and cull the weaker plants, but you let yourself get attached, and yes, in retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let the kids name them, so instead of planting the five strongest tomatoes, you got guilty about killing off Trixie and Leon, and planted all of them.

And as the summer went by, you’d invested so much into each of the plants that you fell into a sunk-cost fallacy situation and you didn’t want all that work and worry to be for nothing, so here it is September, and the upshot of all this is that you are up to your eyebrows in tomatoes.

If you really wanted a simple solution to the Tomato Situation, you’d make a lot of bloody marys. They’re simple, elegant, you know you like them, and you can make them in bulk.

So clearly, simplicity is not what you’re after.

Let’s redefine what you’re really looking for: some sort of cocktail that is new and interesting. It has to use up some of these tomatoes, yes, but it also needs to be something that you can kick back with on the deck, day-drinking, but not feeling like you’re day-drinking. Remember, if you really wanted something simple you’d be bloody mary-ing it up, so realistically, you’re willing to put up with a bit of a project and some complications.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.

A tomato spritzer.

Yes, I know; it doesn’t sound that promising. I think you’ll be pleased with it, though. The good news is that each step gets easier.

Step 1 – Making cucumber-infused gin

Ingredients:

Cucumbers

Gin

Wash and weigh your cucumbers.

Place an equal amount, by weight, of cucumbers and gin in your blender. Don’t bother to peel the cucumbers.

Blend them on your lowest speed for a minute or two, until everything is chopped up and it looks like hot dog relish. You aren’t looking to puree it, just chop it up finely enough for the cucumbers to have a lot of surface area to interact with the gin.

Pour this slurry into a wide-mouthed jar and store it somewhere cool and dark for a week, shaking it once or twice per day. I like the laundry room in our basement, because I find myself there a couple of times per day and I can shake the jar and ask, “How ya doin’, buddy?”

After a week, strain and bottle the gin. If you’d like a very clear gin, you can run it through a coffee filter.

Step 2 – Tomato shrub

Ingredients:

128 g. roughly chopped cherry tomatoes

125 g. sugar

3½ ounces white wine vinegar

¾ ounce raspberry vinegar

1½ ounces dry vermouth

1½ ounces sweet vermouth

Over low heat, simmer the tomatoes, sugar and vinegars until the sugar is dissolved and the tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Blend with a regular blender or an immersion blender.

Add the vermouths, and chill the mixture.

Strain and jar the mixture.

Step 3 – Juicing your tomatoes

Wash as many tomatoes as you want to get rid of use up.

Cut out the stem and any suspicious-looking cracks or welts. (It should be pointed out here that the objectively uglier the tomato, the juicier it is likely to be. Just sayin’.)

Throw the tomatoes into the blender. Actually throw them, if it makes you feel better.

Blitz them at any speed you like. You’ll get more juice out of them if you really go to town, but if you use a lower speed, your final juice won’t be as thick.

Strain your tomato glop.

The glop will turn into beautiful juice.

The actual cocktail – Tomato Spritzer

Ingredients:

1 ounce cucumber gin

2 ounce dry vermouth

1½ ounces fresh tomato juice

½ ounce tomato shrub

2 ounces cold prosecco

2 ounces cold, extra bubbly club soda — I like Topo Chico

Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass.

Pour into tall glasses.

This cocktail has a surprising complexity. A lot of spritzers have a watered-down sweetness to them. This one is very light, but it has a savoriness that will make you raise an eyebrow as you drink it. The key to it is the cucumber gin; the background flavor of cucumbers highlights the tomato/vinegar acidity. This drink starts out a delicate pink color but after a few minutes will separate into two layers, with the tomato layer rising to the top. It is complex and a little hard to wrap your head around, and very nice to spend time with.

Much like you.

Featured photo: Photo by John Fladd.

Sweet potato biscuits

As much as the end of summer means the disappearance of long days and warm weather, it also means it’s the start of the baking season. Yes, I still enjoy cookies, homemade bread and more during the summer, but it’s so much nicer to have a toasty kitchen when it’s cooler outside.

Let’s kick off fall baking with a multi-purpose recipe: sweet potato biscuits. Not only is this a fairly simple recipe to use, these biscuits work well at various times of day. Lazing around the house on a weekend morning? These biscuits make a great part of an indulgent brunch. Want to serve warm bread with soup or stew? This is the recipe you need.

These biscuits are pretty easy to make, especially if you already have cooked sweet potato ready. Please note that while you need to mash the sweet potato, a few small lumps are fine. In fact, they add a nice burst of flavor and a little texture to the final product.

Welcome back, baking season!

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Sweet potato biscuits
Makes 10

1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the sweet potato and 1/4 cup milk.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add the butter to the flour mixture, and blend with a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers until the butter is the size of peas.
Add the sweet potato mixture, folding to combine.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time until the dough is combined but not moist. (You may not need to use all of the milk.)
Sprinkle a work surface with flour.
Place the dough on the lightly floured work surface.
Using floured hands, pat it into a rectangle about 3/4″ thick.
Fold the dough into thirds (like you’re folding a letter); turn the dough 90 degrees and fold it in thirds again.
Sprinkle a little flour over the dough, and roll with a floured rolling pin until the dough is a 3/4″ thick rectangle again.
Cut into 10 to 12 rectangles.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until light golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
Serve warm.

*Buttermilk can be replaced with a combination of 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and enough milk to equal 3/4 cup. Allow to stand at room temperature for a couple minutes before using in the recipe.

Photo: Sweet potato biscuits. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Jessica Radloff

Jessica Radloff of Wilton is the owner of Granite State Cakes (find her on Facebook and Instagram @granitestatecakes), a homestead business offering custom cakes and cookies for all occasions. Her inspiration for founding Granite State Cakes began when she made a cake for her firstborn son’s first birthday and friends and family started asking if she could make cakes for them. Children’s birthday parties are among what she most commonly receives requests to make custom cakes or cookies for, but Radloff has also fulfilled orders for occasions like baby showers and weddings.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A bench scraper. It just really helps you get super-clean edges on the cake and make it look nice and clean.

What would you have for your last meal?

Tacos. We used to live in Londonderry and we would frequent the B’s Tacos truck. Their shrimp tacos are my favorite thing ever.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I love B’s Tacos, but there’s also a place I love in Londonderry called Bangkok Thai. They have the most delicious basil fried rice. My mother-in-law lives in Londonderry, so we still do visit there often.

What celebrity do you wish could try one of your cakes?

Anthony Bourdain, just because he was so real and genuine.

What is your personal favorite custom cake that you’ve ever done?

I don’t even think it was near Halloween, but I did a cake that looked like a brain. … It was just a really clean white cake, with another cake on top of it and raspberry preserves. It looked gruesomely awesome in a super-clean way. [It was] probably one of the most fun and realistic cakes I’ve ever made.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I think food trucks are really big right now. One of my dreams is to have a truck. I would do both sweet and savory options if I could.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I think tacos are my favorite things to make. I like to do shredded pork tacos with my own hard taco shell.

Marshmallow cutout sugar cookies
From the kitchen of Jessica Radloff of Granite State Cakes

1 cup butter
150 grams (or about 1 cup) powdered sugar
75 grams (or about ½ cup) brown sugar, packed
1 egg
450 grams (or about 3½ cups) flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons marshmallow flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sifted powdered sugar and brown sugar until well-combined and mixture is slightly fluffy. Add egg and mix again until well-combined. Sift flour and cornstarch, and add half at a time to prevent a flour dust cloud. Once mixture is nicely combined, add vanilla, almond extract and marshmallow flavoring. Chill dough for about 30 minutes and roll out to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut and chill cutout cookies for about 5 to 10 minutes before baking on parchment paper until just golden around the edges and the tops no longer look shiny. Decorate with royal icing (optional).

Featured photo: Jessica Radloff. Courtesy photo.

Wood-fired deliciousness

OakCraft Pizza opens in Nashua

A new eatery in Nashua is inviting you to build your own wood-fired pizzas, featuring fresh dough, quality cheeses and house sauces cooked in an imported Italian oven.

OakCraft Pizza, which opened Sept. 13 in the Amherst Street Village Center, also has a selection of specialty pies to choose from, as well as starters, salads and several local craft beer options. It’s owned by Hollis native Rick Carvalho and his wife, Taylor, who took over the former Cold Stone Creamery space and began renovating it earlier this year.

Carvalho, whose family formerly owned franchises for four Dunkin’ Donuts stores across Nashua, said pizza making started out as a passion project for him a few years ago. In the spring of 2019, he went on to enroll in an intensive course in Staten Island, New York, where he learned how to make and serve pizzas in a restaurant setting.

OakCraft Pizza’s fast-casual concept, he said, can be compared to that of Chipotle, with completely customizable options on an assembly line before your pizza reaches the end. It’s then ready to be cooked in a Forza Forni wood-fired oven, which came overseas from Italy.

“You pick your sauce, your cheese and your toppings, and we take it from there. The oven cooks your pizza at close to 800 degrees in about three minutes, give or take,” Carvalho said. “So we throw it in our oven and in the time that you’re getting your drinks, it’s probably coming out and you’re good to go. … We really wanted to bring quality to the concept. We have fresh homemade sauces, fresh homemade dough every day, and we’re just trying to make the best.”

Diners start with either regular or gluten-free crusts, and while you can load it up pretty much however you’d like, there are some specialty options if you’re having a hard time deciding. There is the Old World Margherita, featuring fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and red sauce; or the Sunny Side, a breakfast-style pizza with bacon pieces, farm eggs and Parmesan.

“My personal favorite is our Vodka Pie. It’s a vodka sauce that’s made in house, with prosciutto, mushroom, fresh basil, peas and a really good mozzarella,” Carvalho said. “We think our crust is awesome. It has a really good crunch that’s just doughy enough but not soggy. It’s baked right on the stone, so you don’t get that spongy undercarriage.”

Other featured menu offerings include a rotating selection of salads, also with customizable options; starters, like meatballs with red sauce and shaved Parmesan cheese; and sweeter items, like hand-filled whoopie pies that can be rolled in toppings like sprinkles and Oreo cookie crumbles. Wines and local craft beer options are available too.

Online ordering will be implemented through OakCraft Pizza’s website. Carvalho said he also hopes to begin offering third-party delivery services within a radius of a few miles.

OakCraft Pizza

Where: 2 Cellu Dr., Suite 111, Nashua
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
More info: Visit oakcraftpizza.com, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @oakcraftpizza or call 521-8452

Featured photo: Old World Margherita pizza, with fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and house red sauce. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Glendi returns!

Annual Greek food festival to celebrate 42nd year

A three-day celebration of Greek culture through homemade food, music, dancing and crafts, Glendi is making a highly anticipated return this weekend a year after its first cancellation in more than four decades. The 42nd annual festival is happening at Manchester’s St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where from Friday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 19, a diverse menu of authentic Greek items will be served, from lamb shanks to pastichio, plus dozens of homemade cookies and pastries available and imported Greek items for sale at an Aegean Market.

Originally known as the Harvest Bazaar, a small three-day fundraising event for the church and community center, the festival was renamed Glendi, which means “good times” in Greek, in 1980. The first event as it’s known today was held that year — since then, generations of church members and volunteers have gathered throughout each year to prepare Glendi’s featured dishes.

This will be the first in-person Glendi since the fall of 2019, although the church has presented a series of several “Taste of Glendi” drive-thru events in the interim.

Past Glendi event. Courtesy photo.

“I really do feel that there is a lot of pent up demand out there for events, especially our Glendi,” said George Skaperdas, festival co-chairman and president of its board of directors. “We decided in April that we were going to go ahead with it … and so it was full speed ahead, just doing our part to make sure that people are safe but still have a good time.”

Food preparation has been underway since early June and will continue right up until just days before the festival begins. As with previous years, dozens of tents will be set up on the church’s grounds all weekend, housing the food servings and outdoor dining tables.

“Everything that everybody expects out of Glendi will be there,” Skaperdas said. “The setup is pretty much the same. We’ve got everything to make everybody happy.”

Several returning favorites will be served once again, like the seasoned and marinated lamb that’s barbecued over charcoal; the baked lamb shanks with tomato sauce; the marinated chicken with Grecian herbs; and the pastichio, a Greek lasagna dish with a creamy cheese sauce. Stuffed green peppers with rice and meat, and dolmathes, or stuffed grape leaves with rice and meat covered in a lemon sauce, will be available too. All of these options can be ordered as part of a full meal, which comes with rice pilaf, a salad and a roll, or you can order them a la carte.

Other items will include gyros, served with a blend of beef and lamb; loukanikos, or Greek sausages; and chicken souvlaki that is topped with lettuce, red onion and tzatziki sauce and wrapped in pita bread. There will also be a small offering of non-Greek items like hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and freshly squeezed lemonade.

Inside the church’s community center will be an assorted display of desserts and pastries, including multiple versions of baklava; as well as loukoumades, or fried dough balls soaked in syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, that come in quantities of six, 12 or 20. Several types of cookies are also returning, like finikia, or honey-dipped cookies with walnuts; and kourambiethes, which are dusted with powdered sugar.

The community center will once again have its Aegean Market open for the duration of the festival, where you’ll find items like Greek olive oil, coffees, jewelry and T-shirts for sale. Gift baskets, local restaurant gift cards and certificates, and other items will be raffled off.

Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided to festival attendees. Skaperdas said the state’s mobile vaccination van is expected to be parked at the church each day.

Glendi

When: Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (food services end at about 9:30 p.m.), and Sunday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission; foods are priced per item
Visit: stgeorge.nh.goarch.org, or find them on Facebook @glendinh
Free parking is available at Derryfield Park (Bridge Street) and at the McDonough Elementary School (550 Lowell St.), with shuttle services to the church that will be available throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.

Featured photo: Past Glendi events. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/09/16

News from the local food scene

• Flavors of Egypt: The annual Egyptian Food Festival returns to St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua) over three days, from Friday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 19. There will be a full menu of freshly prepared items to choose from, including beef or chicken kebab platters, beef shawarma, and vegetarian dishes like falafel and koshari, a popular Egyptian dish featuring rice mixed with brown lentils, chickpeas, macaroni and sauce. For desserts, attendees will have the opportunity to try several types of sweets and pastries, from baklava and fried dough to om ali, a puff pastry-like delicacy with nuts soaked in milk, baked and served warm. According to the Rev. Kyrillos Gobran of the church, a gift bazaar is also planned, as well as live music, face-painting and family-friendly games and activities. Festival hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, rain or shine each day. Admission is free and foods are priced per item. Parking is available nearby at BAE Systems (95 Canal St., Nashua). Visit stmarycoptsnh.org.

• Pristine poutine: Tickets to the New Hampshire PoutineFest Spooktacular, a special Halloween edition of the popular poutine festival, will go on sale on Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. The event itself is set for Saturday, Oct. 23, at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack), resuming the friendly competition among local and regional restaurants, food trucks and other vendors for the best poutine dish as voted by attendees. Costumes are encouraged at the festival, which will also feature craft beer, children’s activities, games and a DJ. Tickets are $39.99 for general admission and entry at 12:45 p.m., $49.99 for VIP admission (early entry at 11:30 a.m.), $14.99 for kids ages 6 to 12 with sampling, and free without it. All kids ages 5 and under also receive free admission. Visit nhpoutinefestspooktacular.eventbrite.com to get your tickets.

• Crescent City cravings: Join the Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way Bedford) for a New Orleans dinner on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m., the next installment in its summer dinner series held on its Grand Terrace. This five-course dinner will feature options inspired by the city of New Orleans, where executive chef Tina Verville spent three years of her culinary career. Items will include broiled oysters, shrimp and sausage gumbo, andouille jambalaya arancini and more — each course will be paired with a classic handcrafted New Orleans cocktail. Tickets are $125 per person plus tax (the dinner is open to attendees ages 21 and up only), and all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief to help Louisianans affected by Hurricane Ida. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com.

• Soups and chowders: The Collins Brothers Chowder Co. (59 Temple St., Nashua), which offers homemade hot soups and chowders in addition to prepared meals, reopened for the season on Sept. 15. The takeout-only eatery usually features several soups and chowders that are available daily, in addition to different specials that will run depending on the day. Homemade comfort meals to go have also been available, like shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie and American chop suey. The Collins Brothers Chowder Co. is open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., usually through the winter and early spring. Visit collinsbrotherschowder.com or follow them on Facebook @collinsbrotherschowder.

On The Job – Stephanie Kirsch

Stephanie Kirsch

Photographer

Stephanie Kirsch is a photographer and owner of Sweet Aperture, a photography studio with a storefront on the Oval in Milford. She runs the business with her husband, Nicholas, who does the videography.

Explain your job.

We cover all sorts of lifestyle shoots as well as wedding events. An average day at the studio could range from headshots for professional use to a toddler cake smash session. On the weekends we travel all over New England for weddings, engagement shoots and adventure shoots.

How long have you had this job?

We opened the studio in October of last year.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

During the pandemic I was laid off from [my job in] architecture. Photography had always been a hobby and a surprising source of income that I had always underestimated. We decided to take the plunge and make it a full-time thing.

What kind of education or training did you need?

My bachelor’s is in architecture, but I also have a minor in studio art … and I took a photography course [in college]. Everything else I learned … through experience and mentorship … and doing a lot of research.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

If I’ve got young kids coming in, I typically dress in comfortable but professional clothing, like a black shirt and black pants or maybe jeans. If we’re going to a wedding or event, we definitely dress up for the occasion while staying on the neutral side.

What was it like opening a new business during the pandemic?

It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done … We didn’t know what was going to happen … but we did know that we would have a steady income coming in from all of the weddings that were booking out two or three years into the future. For the first few months we were busy doing fall-themed shoots, and then, going into Christmas, everyone wants to have a great Christmas card photo. In January we had nearly nothing except for the occasional wedding, so it’s been all over the place.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

To not study architecture. … In high school, I went by the books that our guidance counselor laid out … to help you find the path that you’re supposed to follow in life. I had never heard of creative people, like photographers, making [art] a full-time profession; most artists work [a day job] in addition to their art, so I never pursued it. I wish I had been a little more confident in myself and focused on the arts rather than on math.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

How happy I am when I see families. A lot of clients who come in with young kids apologize a lot if their kid is running around the studio or doesn’t want to smile, but those are the moments that make me smile, because that’s real life. Life isn’t always pretty and perfect, but I get to capture moments for families to remember, even when things in life change.

What was the first job you ever had?

I was a pharmacy technician.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

‘Go for it.’ When I was young … a co-worker told me, ‘Money isn’t everything when it comes to making the best decisions. Sometimes you have to take a little leap of faith and just go for it.’ … I started applying that [advice] to other areas of my life. If I hadn’t, I never would have had the guts to actually call when I saw that ‘For Rent’ sign [in the studio space].

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Princess Bride
Favorite movie: All of the Harry Potter movies
Favorite music: ’90s alternative
Favorite food: German
Favorite thing about NH: You can get in our car and within two hours you can be at the ocean, the mountains or in the middle of a big city.

Featured photo: Stephanie Kirsch. Courtesy photo.

Treasure Hunt 21/09/16

Dear Donna,

Can you give me any information on my dog? It was mine when I was growing up so I know it’s old. Any information would be appreciated.

Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,

Your childhood toy is a Cragstan Wacky Dog. It was made in the 1960s in Hong Kong. It is a wind-up toy and should have a key. Once wound up it should have moving parts, eyes, mouth etc. So the original key is an important part, or finding a replacement one would help.

When valuing a toy’s age, rarity and original condition are very important. Even having it in the original box can easily increase the values. So my advice first is to find the key or one that will work to wind it up. If the toy is working I would say the value is in the range of $50 because it looks to be in good condition. The key to its value is the key!

Kiddie Pool 21/09/16

Family fun for the weekend

GraniteCon!

• As you may have read on page 24 of last week’s Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com) or on page 9 of this week’s issue, this weekend is the Granite State Comicon 2021. The Con will run Saturday, Sept. 18, and Sunday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (at 700 Elm St.). Kids under 8 get in free with adult admission (which costs $25 on Saturday, $20 on Sunday and $40 for a weekend pass). Organizers for Kids Con New England (which is returning to in-person cons with a Kids Con in Portland, Maine, in November and in May 2022 in Concord) will have a setup in the Fan Zone during the convention. See the full program for GraniteCon at granitecon.com.

Meeting of the makers

• See the hobbies and inventions of the makers at the NH Maker & Food Fest at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) on Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. People with a variety of experiments, creations and hobbies will show off their work at this event, which will also feature food trucks and food vendors. Admission is pay-what-you-can (suggested donation of $5), according to the website.

Town celebrations

• Derryfest will run Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MacGregor Park on East Broadway. The day will feature kids activities, live animals, demonstrations and performances by local groups throughout the day, food and more. See derryfest.org.

• Head to Pelham’s Old Home Day for a parade, food trucks and chicken poop bingo on Saturday, Sept. 18, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day kicks off with a pancake breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m., craft fair vendors open at 9 a.m., a cornhole tournament starts at noon and the parade steps off at 2:30 p.m., according to pelhamoldhomeday.org, which also explains chicken poop bingo — it features a chicken pooping every hour throughout the day, and if the poo lands on the square corresponding to the number you’ve picked, you win prize money. Kid-specific amusements include face painting, touch a truck, inflatable ax throwing and more, the website said.

• The annual Fall Equinox Festival hosted by TEAM Exeter will run 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, at Swasey Parkway. The day will feature food vendors and live music as well as kids activities and artist vendors, according to teamexeter.com, which suggests a $10 donation per person or $20 per family.

Movie time

• See Indiana Jones in his first (and best) adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark (PG, 1981), on Friday Sept. 17, in Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road in Merrimack) as part of the town’s summer movies in the park. The screening starts at dusk and the films are free and open to residents and nonresidents, according to the town’s Parks and Recreation website.

School spirit

Manchester community invited to first CelebratED festival

Manchester’s schools are starting off their year by inviting everyone in the community to come see all the positive things they’re doing at the first annual CelebratED MHT!, happening Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park.

The festival is free for all Manchester residents and will feature multicultural performances, activities for kids, food and a celebration of some of the school district’s accomplishments.

“There are good things happening in the Manchester School District that aren’t celebrated as much as they should be,” said Barry Brensinger, president of Manchester Proud, which is organizing the event. “Then with the whole Covid matter of the past year and a half and the incredible challenges that has presented us … [we thought], wouldn’t it be nice if somehow the community could come together and launch the new school year with a celebration?”

Manchester Proud — formed a few years ago to promote the success of the city’s public schools, with the intent of building a stronger city through those successes — started working with the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the school district a few months ago to get this festival off the ground. Since then, it’s become a whole-community effort that includes support from the mayor’s office, city departments, youth organizations and other nonprofits.

“One of the things we said from the beginning is that we really wanted this to be all-inclusive,” Brensinger said.

It’s shaping up to be exactly what Manchester Proud envisioned. Entertainment includes African drummers, a Mexican band, a performance from hip-hop performer Martin Toe, the high school marching bands, an aerial show and more. Manchester Police Department will be there with its equestrian and K9 units, and the city’s fire department will have a fire muster.

The event starts at 10 a.m. when City Year — a group that works in Manchester’s schools to help support students — will welcome its new core members, followed by welcoming remarks from the mayor.

“Then we roll right into the entertainment,” Brensinger said.

Aside from the performances, there will be an activity area for kids with yard games and contests, and each student will be given a free book.

There will be three high school teachers acting as emcees throughout the day who will be highlighting some of Manchester’s standout teachers and students.

“We have designated three blocks of time during the day when on the main stage there will be a celebration of kids,” Brensinger said.

There will also be a tent filled with students’ stories, artwork and other achievements.

Brensinger said about 20 to 25 organizations who provide youth-related services will set up booths around the perimeter of the park to offer information to parents and small giveaways for kids.

At 1 p.m. the Fisher Cats mascot will show up to give away 1,000 tickets to that night’s game.

“This celebration will continue at that game,” Brensinger said. “Students will sing the national anthem and throw out the first pitch. … It should be a fun night.”

At 2 p.m. comic characters who will be across the street at Granite State Comicon will make an appearance and may have a few giveaways as well.

“I think there’ll be something for everyone,” Brensinger said.

And of course there’s food. Brensinger said there will be food trucks and other food available for purchase, but there will also be plenty of free food, including pizza, bottled water and healthy snacks.

To make the event as accessible as possible to everyone in the community, fliers were sent home to students written in the top six languages in Manchester. And free trolleys will run every hour on both the east and west side to make sure anyone who wants to get there can. Pickups and dropoffs will be at Parkside/Gossler Park to West High School to Veterans Park, and at Karatzas Avenue/Eastern Avenue to JFK/Beech Street School to Veterans Park, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Brensinger said precautions will be taken for Covid, including guidelines posted throughout the park and free masks and hand sanitizer. The event will be held rain or shine.

CelebrateED MHT!

When: Saturday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Veterans Park, Elm Street
Cost: Free for all Manchester residents

Featured photo: Hip-hop artist Martin Toe. Courtesy photo.

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