The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Craft fair season: Sure, we’re in the thick of Halloween, but craft fair season, that stretch of events featuring handmade artisan and craft items, many with a holiday theme, has already started. This weekend, head to First Congregational Church (508 Union St. in Manchester; 625-5093, fccmanchesternh.org) for their Holly Berry Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair will feature hand-crafted gift items, jewelry, a silent auction table, attic treasures and baked goods as well as children’s games, crafts and a lunch counter, according to a press release.
St. Paul’s Epsicopal Church (21 Centre St. in Concord; stpaulsconcord.org) will hold a Harvest Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will feature knit and sew items, crafts, Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations, toys, garden items and plants, books, jewelry, Christmas wreaths, antiques and collectibles as well as baked goods, raffle baskets and more, according to the church’s website.
The Hudson Lions Club will sponsor a Psychic & Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hudson Community Center (12 Lions Ave. in Hudson), according to a post at the Hudson Chamber of Commerce website.
Liberty Hill Farm (49 Liberty Hill Road in Bedford) has a Fall Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 9 a.m. The event will feature craft and food vendors and an alpaca meet and greet, according to the farm’s Facebook page.
The Somersworth Festival Association is holding a Harvest Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive). The day will feature 150 crafters as well as food, according to the group’s Facebook page.
Caya Reiki & Healing (33 N. Main St. in Concord; caya-healing.square.site, 401-4363) is holding a Psychic and Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Weirs Beach Community Center (25 Lucerne Ave. in Laconia), according to their Facebook page. The event will feature more than 30 vendors, psychic readers, indoor and outdoor exhibits, door prizes and more, the post said.
Merrimack Senior Citizen Club is holding a Fall Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at John O’Leary Adult Community Center (4 Church St. in Merrimack). The fair will feature craft items as well as a bake sale, raffles and more, according to merrimacknh.gov.
Have an upcoming craft, holiday or artisan fair? Let me know all the details, including special offerings or events, admission costs and any other important information, by emailing adiaz@hippopress.com.
• Art, naturally: LaBelle Winery’s Derry Location (14 Route 111) is exhibiting the works of three New Hampshire Art Association artists through Jan. 22 in their show “Naturally Curious,” according to a press release. The artists are Cheryl Frez Bencivenga, a painter from the Monadnock region who works with acrylic paints; Howard Muscott, a photographer focusing on nature, landscapes and wildlife, and Linn Stilwell, a painter from the Lakes Region, the release said. See the exhibit daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Go to labellewinery.com or call 672-9898.
• Symphony season: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra opens its mainstage season with a performance on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. featuring pieces by Gustav Mahler and George Walker at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, according to a press release. The event includes a free pre-concert talk with Music Director John Page at 1:45 p.m. Tickets to the concert itself cost $35 to $25 for adults, $30 for seniors and $20 for students, the release said. See portsmouthsymphony.org.