News from the local food scene
• Come, we fly! Have you seen Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 yet? Decorated candy apples featured on screen in the film were made right here in New Hampshire, at Nelson’s Candy & Music in Wilton — that’s according to owner Nancy Feraco, who told the Hippo she received a special phone order nearly a year ago for a large quantity of them. “We didn’t know it at the time, but they were for the filming of Hocus Pocus 2 in Rhode Island,” Feraco said in an email, adding that the apples were prepared for use in the film by Nelson’s confectioner Maria Marini. Feraco even recently brought her whole Nelson’s candymaking crew together at the nearby Copper Kettle eatery on Main Street for dinner and a special screening of the film. Leading up to its release, Feraco said she had been “dying to tell people” of Hocus Pocus 2’s connection to the Granite State. “We have been keeping quiet about it as we didn’t know if those shots were edited out or not … [but] we never guessed it was part of the plot,” she said. The film was released Sept. 30 and is available to stream now on Disney+. Visit nelsonscandymusic.com.
• Brews and tunes: Join Twin Barns Brewing Co. (194 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith) for a harvest festival on Saturday, Oct. 22, kicking off at 10 a.m. with a full schedule of live local music acts all day. Also included will be several local food trucks, a cornhole tournament with prizes, and specialty brews — Twin Barns even just held a release party last week for a seasonal Pumpkin Fest ale, declared the official beer of the upcoming New Hampshire Pumpkin Fest in Laconia on Oct. 29, according to the brewery’s Facebook page. Tickets to the harvest festival are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Funds are being raised for student music education, with event proceeds benefiting the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Modern Band Initiative. Visit givebutter.com/harvest-fest-22.
• OakCraft Pizza coming to Salem: Nashua’s OakCraft Pizza will soon open a second location inside the Tuscan Village development in Salem, according to recent announcements made on the company’s website and social media pages. Construction on the new space is underway and regular updates will be made on its progress, the posts read. OakCraft Pizza owner and Hollis native Rick Carvalho opened the fast-casual eatery in Nashua’s Amherst Street Village Center in September 2021, specializing in made-to-order wood-fired pizzas cooked in an imported Italian oven. The restaurant offers completely customizable options on an assembly line before your pie reaches the end, along with additional items like cheesy garlic bread, salads, meatballs with red sauce, and hand-filled whoopie pies. Visit oakcraftpizza.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @oakcraftpizza for updates.
