The Hippo Press

Kiddie Pool 26/05/28

Family fun for whenever

Fest fun

• Truckfest, an event featuring big vehicles that kids can explore, will take place Sunday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School and Middle School, according to an email from the event’s organizer. The event is free to attend and will feature a “lemonade and cookie stand to raise money for Relay for Life, a program run by the American Cancer Society,” the email said.

Game time

• The Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will play the Lowell Spinners on Saturday, May 30, at 6:30 p.m. against the Lowell Spinners. Formerly a minor-league Red Sox affiliate, the Spinners are returning to the field with new ownership after several years, joining the Silver Knights as members of the FCBL, according to a story at wcvb.com and the team’s Wikipedia page. See lowellspinners.com for more on the Spinners. See nashuasilverknights.com for tickets to the game.

• The 2026 New Hampshire Soap Box Derby Local Championship will be held on

Sunday, May 31, at 120 Broadway in Dover — check-ins begin at 7:45 a.m., with competitions (between drivers ages 7 to 20) starting at 10 a.m. Spectators can cheer on the races for free. See nh.soapboxderby.org.

Storytime

• Local author John Rubin will read his book Oscar— “a whimsical, heartfelt story of an adorable fourteen-year-old pug on a journey” — and then sign books at the Barnes & Noble, 1741 S. Willow St. in Manchester, on Saturday, May 30, at 11 a.m., according to barnesandnoble.com

Summer activity updates

• The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, has summer workshops for ages 6 through 15, according to an email from the Currier. The workshops are grouped by age (with groups for 6 to 8 years old, 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years old) with half-day sessions for each age group and include “Mixing Magic: Color Lab” July 15-17; “Stories of the Sky and Sea: Myths and Legends in Art” July 22-24; “Landscapes & Daydreams” Aug. 12-14, and “Wright This Way” Aug. 19-21, the email said. See currier.org for times, prices and to register.

• Southern NH Gymnastics Academy, 4 Orchard View Drive, Unit 11, in Londonderry, 404-6181, is offering a summer camp running June 22 through Aug. 21 with full- and half-day options best for ages 4 to 14, according to an email from the academy. The day will include gymnastics as well as games and arts & crafts, the email said. See snhga.com.

• The Flying Gravity Circus has weeklong camp sessions in June and July held at the First Congregational Church in Milford. See flyinggravitycircus.org.

• Spartans Basketball is offering two youth basketball camps this summer at Pickup USA Gym in Manchester — July 13-16 and Aug. 3-6, both from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. See nhspartans.com.

• Studio 550 Community Art Center, 550 Elm St. in Manchester, 232-5597, has added three more tween/teen (ages 10 and up) Clay Camps to their summer camp offerings for the weeks of June 22, July 27 and Aug. 17, according to a press release. See 550arts.com for their full line-up of summer offerings.

This Week 26/05/28

Thursday, May 28

Manchester’s Taco Tour takes place today from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Manchester. See tacotourmanchester.com and our story in the May 21 issue on page 24, available in our digital library at hippopress.com.

Saturday, May 30

Sip and Sun Brew Fest will take place today from noon to 4 p.m. at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, featuring tastings from local breweries, live music from The Slakas, food trucks and more, according to melsfunwaypark.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, May 30

NH Roller Derby continues its season with a doubleheader against Garden State Roller Derby today at 4 p.m. at JFK Coliseum, 303 Beech St. in Manchester, according to nhrollerderby.com.

Saturday, May 30

Synthfest 2026, an evening of live electronic music, will take place today from 5 to 8 p.m. in Rollins Park Gazebo in Concord, according to boseyjoe.com/synthfest. The line-up includes Bosey Joe, Green Leader and Hyponova, according to the website.

Saturday, May 30

Concord Community Music School’s “New England Roots & Branches” series will hold a Contra dance today, starting with an open slow jam session at 6 p.m. followed by a dance called by David Millstone at 7 p.m. at the Citywide Community Center on Canterbury Road in Concord, according to a school newsletter. Performers include Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella on fiddles and Dan Faiella on guitar, the newsletter said. See ccmusicschool.org.

Saturday, May 30

Just Another Day, “a heartfelt and humorous theatrical production starring acclaimed actors Dan Lauria and Patty McCormack,” will be presented by The Front Door Agency at Souhegan High School in Amherst today at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m., according to a press release for the Front Door Agency, an “organization that invests in New Hampshire individuals and families as they transition from crisis to self-sufficiency.” Lauria is best-known for his role as Jack Arnold, Kevin’s dad, on the original The Wonder Years, and McCormack’s career in theater, television and film included her role in The Bad Seed as a child, the email said.

Saturday, May 30

The Nashua Chamber Orchestra wraps up its 2025-2026 season with a concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Community College featuring “the next generation of award-winning musical talent,” according to a press release. “Sixteen-year-old Antonio Casarano will perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major. The orchestra commissioned a new work, Celebratory Overture by Nashua High School senior, composer & oboist Anthony Umbro, which will be premiered. Other works performed will be Delius’ On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Schubert’s ‘Tragic’ Symphony,” the release said. The orchestra will also play Sunday, May 31, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall. See nco-music.org for tickets.

Sunday, May 31

The Palace Theatre’s annual Kitchen Tour will take place Sunday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring a self-guided tour of kitchens in southern New Hampshire, according to palacetheatre.org, where you can purchase tickets (a lunch is included).

Friday, June 19
Northlands Music and Arts Festival will take place Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21, at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, according to northlandslive.com, where you can purchase passes to the festival for three days or one day and find information about camping and parking. You can also find the line-up of bands on each day (Dirty Heads, pictured, is slated to perform Friday) on the website as well as information on food, craft and art vendors, health and wellness activities and kids’ activities.

Quality of Life 26/05/28

Hey! Their feelings are tender, too!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats occasionally play under two other names during home games: the Manchester Chicken Tenders (to celebrate Manchester’s reputation as the “Chicken Tender Capital of America”) and the New Hampshire Space Potatoes (celebrating New Hampshire’s special history of UFO reports). In an open letter to the team on May 12, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine asked the team “to retire your Manchester Chicken Tenders identity and stop Tender Tuesdays, both of which promote unhealthy fried chicken.” The letter went on to explain that “eating 300 grams of poultry — about six typical chicken tenders — per week has also been found to increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and death from all causes.”

QOL score: -1 because, we know, docs, but hands off our tendies (meanwhile, chicken tender fans can head to instagram.com/tendertownies to check out the 2026 Chicken Tender Passport challenge and contest going on until July 21 at participating Manchester restaurants)

Comment: In a May 20 email to the Hippo, Fisher Cats General Manager Taylor Fisher wrote: “We are aware of the press release from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The Chicken Tenders is an alternate identity meant to capture the fun, quirky nature of Minor League Baseball, an experience we’re proud to create for our fans no matter what we’re playing as. We’re equally proud of the local history the identity is based on, paying homage to Manchester’s Puritan Backroom Restaurant, where the chicken tenders were invented in 1974, a legacy our community understands and celebrates.”

Spring can be hard on a person’s lungs

Last week was a rough week for air quality. In a May 19 online article, NHPR reported that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services had issued a Code Orange alert “in anticipation of unhealthy ground-level ozone in Rockingham County,” adding, “The air quality alert also covers parts of the state that are higher than 2,000 feet in elevation.” Additionally, a May 22 forecast on accuweather.com predicted levels of airborne tree pollen between “high” and “very high” for the following week in the Manchester area.

QOL score: -2

Comment: According to the NHPR article, “a ‘code orange’ is an alert issued when air pollution levels are considered unhealthy for children and older adults, anyone with lung disease, and people who are active outdoors. Experts recommend people take precautions by limiting outdoor exertion.” AccuWeather.com advised pollen-sensitive breathers, “During peak season for tree pollen, keep your windows and doors closed, especially on windy days. Avoid outdoor activities in the early morning, and be sure to shower and change clothes after coming indoors. Taking allergy medication can also help alleviate symptoms.”

QOL score last week: 51

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 48

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/05/28

Teacher award

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced the three finalists for 2027 Teacher of the Year: Rebecca Fortgang, a French teacher at Pembroke Academy in Pembroke; Katherine McDonough, a Latin teacher at Rundlett Middle School and Concord High School in Concord, and Christ Powers, a math teacher at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, according to a May 19 press release. “An award winner will be announced in June,” the release said.

Give blood, get stuff

The American Red Cross is calling on people to give blood ahead of the summer season, according to a May 20 press release from the American Red Cross Northern New England Region. Schedule a donation at redcrossblood.org. Those who donate by May 31 will receive an oversized Red Cross beach towel while supplies last, the release said. Those who donate between June 1 and June 28 will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice and be entered for a chance to win one of two $7,500 gift cards, the release said. See RedCrossBlood.org/June for details.

Eyass update

Madi, named by Manchester’s Hillside Middle School’s fifth-grade math and science class for Mount Madison, hatched early May 20 and is the first eyass (falcon hatchling) to hatch from the group of five eggs this season at the peregrine falcon nest at the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester, according to the Daily Log accessible via the live video feeds from the nest. The peregrine cam offers livestreaming video of the nest via NH Audubon and the support of Peregrine Networks and Brady Sullivan Properties, according to nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/peregrine-cam. A meet & greet for those looking to learn more about the peregrine falcons will take place Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. at Brady Sullivan Tower, 1750 Elm St. in Manchester, according to the log, where you can find a list of needed supplies for the Wings of Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Bird Sanctuary in Henniker.

Art show for a cause

Darbster Rescue will hold its Pawsitive Energy Juried Art Show at Darbster Kitty, 332 Kelley St. in Manchester, Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7, with a reception on June 4 from 5 to 8 p.m., according to a press release. Darbster Rescue will receive a donation for each sale, according to darbsterfoundation.com.

Pride month

Manchester True Collaborative will hold the Pride Flag raising at City Hall Plaza in Manchester on Monday, June 1, at 11:30 a.m., according to a post on the group’s Facebook page, where you can find details about other upcoming Pride Month events.

Writers’ Conference

The New Hampshire Writers’ Project will hold its annual 603 Writers’ Conference on Saturday, June 13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, featuring “expert-led workshops, a moderated AI panel discussion, the signature Pitch Party & Social, catered meals, and networking opportunities,” according to a press release. See nhwritersproject.org to register.

Correction

The Taste of Downtown Nashua will take place Wednesday, June 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to downtownnashua.org, where you can check back for updates and to purchase tickets. (Hippo’s Summer Guide in the May 21 issue had the event incorrectly listed for earlier in June.)

“LaBelle in Bloom,” a five-year anniversary celebration for the LaBelle Winery’s Derry location (14 Route 111 in Derry), will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m., according to labellewinery.com, where you can purchase tickets and see the dinner menu. The gala will also serve as a fundraiser for Lydia’s House of Hope, the website said.

A plant sale to benefit Community Hospice House will take place Saturday, May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at St. John Neumann Parish, 708 Milford Road in Merrimack, according to thebiglittlegarden.com. Have a plant sale? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

There will be a Household Hazardous Waste Collection day on Thursday, June 4, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Nashua Park and Ride, 25 Crown St. in Nashua for residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham, according to a press release. “Businesses must call NRPC [417-6570] to register and pay,” the release said. The cost is a “$20 fee per vehicle, for up to 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Cash or check made out to NRSWMD. … No Latex/Acrylic Paint, No Electronics, No Medications,” the release said. See nashuarpc.org/hhw.

Summer Guide 2026 — 05/21/2026

on the cover

It’s summer! Or at least, it’s the season of festivals and happenings that start Memorial Day weekend and offer up those summer vibes. In this week’s issue of the Hippo, we bring you oodles of summer events including fairs and festivals, art events, music festivals, outdoor and summer playhouse theater, nature events and more. Load up on sunscreen and get ready to head out for some summer fun.

Also on the cover Looking for some tasty fun? John Fladd serves up all the details on Manchester’s Taco Tour (next Thursday, May 28) and the Concord-based Sweet Springtime Stroll (this Saturday, May 23). See page 24 for those stories. John also talks to an organizer at the Rubber Duck Regatta in Nashua, part of four days of fun planned in the Gate City (page 23). Michael Witthaus also gets all the details about the ongoing Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. This year’s sculptors are working now on pieces that will become a part of the city’s landscape (page 20).

Read the e-edition

News & Notes 26/05/21

260521 Featured Content News

Memorial Day It’s a weekend of Memorial Day parades and celebrations. Here are a few: • The Amherst Memorial Day ...

Sox still scuffling along

260521 News Sports

The Big Story – Baseball at the Quarter Turn: It has not been pretty for your Boston Red Sox. They’ve ...

Quality of Life 26/05/21

260521 News Quality Of Life

Fewer ODs As reported by WMUR in a May 14 online article, new data from the Centers for Disease Control ...

This Week 26/05/21

260521 News This Week

Thursday, May 21 The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will hold a Shaker Barn Dance tonight from ...

Summer Guide 2026

260521 Cover Stories Featured Content

It’s summer! Or, it’s “summer” — the state of mind we enter sometime around Memorial Day weekend, when we dig ...

Meet the sculptors

collage of four portraits in a four square, one man and three women

260521 Art & Theater Featured Content

Nashua International Sculpture Symposium offers access to artists In front of a revitalized Civil War-era cotton mill, four sculptors are ...

Treasure Hunt 26/05/21

small figurines standing in different poses

260521 Family Fun Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna, I have several of these metal figures. They belonged to my grandfather. Do you think they are safe ...

Duckie race

hundreds of yellow rubber ducks with sunglasses floating in river

260521 Featured Content Outdoors The Gardening Guy

Buy a six-quack and watch On Saturday, May 23, the Downtown Nashua Association will launch what it hopes will become ...

The Weekly Dish 26/5/21

260521 Food

• A new Aroma Joe’s: There is a new location of the coffee joint Aroma Joe’s at 700 Mast Road, ...

Taco party downtown

crowd of people outside of restaurant, some standing in line, sunny evening on downtown sidewalk

260521 Featured Content Food

Manchester’s Taco Tour returns Manchester’s annual Taco Tour will take place Thursday, May 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. For ...

Dessert walk

woman behind table filled with pastries and desserts for sale inside larger space, while customers look at the selection

260521 Food

Try a sample of treats at the Springtime Sweet Stroll “In a nutshell,” Emma Stetson, the owner of Wine on ...

Double chocolate orange cranberry cookies

chunky chocolate cookies sitting on plate beside tall glass of milk on counter, tray of cookies in the background

260521 Drink Food

1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour ¾ cup (80 g) dark rye flour ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder ...

Album Reviews 26/05/21

album covers for Simon Hanes, Gargantua and Crow and Gazelle, Truth Be Told

260521 Albums Pop

Simon Hanes, Gargantua (Pyroclastic Records) If you’ve already read the Playlist piece this week, you know I am presently besieged ...

The Music Roundup 26/05/21

260521 Music This Week

• Blues power: Until he stumbled into a Chicago nightclub in the early 1990s, Johnny Burgin planned to be a ...

Blood harmony

three men playing guitars on dark background

260521 Featured Content Nightlife

The Janzen Boys make first New England visit While anchored by steady acoustic bass, joyful strumming and finger-picked flourishes, the ...

This Week 26/05/21

Thursday, May 21

The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will hold a Shaker Barn Dance tonight from 7:30 to 10 p.m. with a “$10-15 suggested contribution for Raise the Roof building fund for Canterbury Shaker Village. Collected at the door,” according to a press release. Individuals and couples welcome, no experience needed, the release said. The band will feature Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki on fiddle, caller David Millstone and Sue Hunton on piano, the release said. Can’t make it today? Another dance is slated for Thursday, June 18. See shakers.org.

Saturday, May 23

NH Alt Market, described in an email from an organizer as “an alternative pop-up market for the alternative maker [where] 25 wacky and wonderfully weird makers will gather to set up shop in the Newmarket Millspace,” will be held today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Newmarket Millspace, 55 Main St., Suite 132, in Newmarket, according to an email. See nhaltmarket.com for a list of participating artists.

Saturday, May 23

Dimensions in Dance presents its production of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid today at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester. “This classic story of a little mermaid who wishes for a life on land is told through dance, featuring original choreography in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip-hop, acro, pointe, and lyrical,” according to palacetheatre.org, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, May 23

Get some laughs at the Tupelo Night of Comedy featuring Steve Bjork, Ryan Gartley and Jack Lynch tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, according to tupelomusichall.com, where you can purchase tickets.

Saturday, May 23

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will hold an unveiling of a mural of Ona Judge Staines at 222 Court St. in Portsmouth on Saturday, May 23, with events starting at 11 a.m., according to blackheritagetrailnh.org, where you can find a schedule of events. “Born enslaved to George and Martha Washington at Mt. Vernon around 1773, Staines … escaped [from the family’s Philadelphia residence at the age of 22 in 1796] with the help of members of Philadelphia’s free Black community, with whom she had built relationships during earlier visits. She hid on a boat destined for Portsmouth. … Staines spent the rest of her life as a free woman in New Hampshire, where she married and had three children,” according to the website.

Saturday, May 23

It’s Swing Dance Night featuring the New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra at the BNH Stage in Concord, according to ccanh.com, where you can purchase tickets. Doors open at 6 p.m., a dance lesson starts at 6:30 p.m. and then the music and dancing start at 7 p.m., the website said.

Sunday, May 24

Celebrate 25 years of Elle Woods at a screening of 2001’s Legally Blonde (PG-13) at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett at 7 p.m. and at the Regal Fox Run in Newington at 1 p.m., according to fathomentertainment.com. The movie will also screen Wednesday, May 27, at Regal Fox Run at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 27

The Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, host their home opener at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) today against the Vermont Lake Monsters at 10:30 a.m. See nashuasilverknights.com for tickets.

Save the Date! Friday, May 29
New Hampshire Humanities will host a presentation called “First in the Nation: New Hampshire’s 1776 Constitution to the Present” on Friday, May 29, at 5 p.m. on Zoom, according to a press release. “Join us to watch a rebroadcast of a panel discussion about New Hampshire’s Constitution in the past and present, with Lorianne Updike Schulzke (pictured) and Robert F. Williams, moderated by the Honorable N. William Delker. All three panelists will join us live after the rebroadcast to answer questions,” the release said. See nhhumanities.org to register.

Author: The Hippo Press

Kiddie Pool 26/05/28

This Week 26/05/28

Quality of Life 26/05/28

News & Notes 26/05/28

Summer Guide 2026 — 05/21/2026

This Week 26/05/21

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