27 Reasons to Get Excited for January — 01/01/2026

on the cover

Forget the post-holiday blues; the new year has lots of fun on offer. Yes, even in January! Whether your idea of exciting is indoor adventures (concerts, college basketball, comedy, theater and more) or getting outside (snowy hikes, fishing, Concord’s Winterfest), there is likely something to get you excited about this chilly month in this list of 27(-ish) things to do in January.

Also on the cover A short-lived diner becomes Hellenic Pizzeria in downtown Manchester; John Fladd has the story on page 15. Michael Witthaus talks to Captain Jack and The Strangers about bringing the Billy Joel experience to life at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry on Saturday, Jan. 3 (page 20). And there’s more music on this, the first weekend of 2026 and the last weekend of the holiday-vacation-vibes season. Find live music at area restaurants and breweries in the Music This Week, which starts on page 22. Find shows at bigger venues in the Concert listings on page 23.

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This Week 26/01/01

Thursday, Jan. 1

Make-A-Wish New Hampshire (wish.org/nh) will hold its 5th Annual Polar Plunge today at 11 a.m. at Sawyer’s Beach in Rye. Participants will swim in icy water to raise money to help grant wishes for New Hampshire kids with critical illnesses. All proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish New Hampshire. Sign up through the organization’s Facebook page at facebook.com/makeawishnh.

Saturday, Jan. 3

There will be two Looking Together tours at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) today and tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 4, at 11 a.m. and noon. Spend 15 minutes looking closely at a single work of art with a museum guide and other visitors. Featured works will include Josef Scharl’s “Black Man Praying” (1943) and an untitled work by George Woodman (c.1966-68). Visit the Currier website.

Saturday, Jan. 3

Motley Crüe tribute band Notley Crüe will perform at Jewel Music Venue (61 Canal St., Manchester, 819-9336, jewelmusicvenue.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.98 through eventbrite.com.

Sunday, Jan. 4

To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947, tosharebrewing.com) will host an Open Mic event today, hosted by James and Molly, from 4 to 6 p.m. Sign up on arrival.

Sunday, Jan. 4

The Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) will host PizzaStock Showcase 2026 today, beginning at noon. A fundraiser for the Jason R Flood Memorial, this show will feature four bands: Rite of Passage, Punching Pedestrians, Spectrum, and one mystery guest band. Tickets are $23 through Tupelo’s website

Monday, Jan. 5

There will be an Open House Night at Manchester Maker Space (36 Old Granite St., Manchester, manchestermakerspace.org) from 6 to 8 p.m. this evening. Guests can explore the Makerspace and learn about Manchester’s maker community. No registration or ticket required.

Tuesday, Jan. 6

Learn a new skill for the new year tonight at 6 p.m. at the Stark Brewing Co. (500 N. Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444, starkbrewingcompany.com). The Massachusetts-based Hand The Light holds a Soap Making Workshop where participants can create two goat milk soaps, according to the Stark Brewing website, where you can find a QR code to buy tickets.

Wednesday, Jan. 7

There will be a free Wood Shop Orientation and Safety class tonight at 6:30 p.m.,at MakeIt Labs (25 Crown St., Nashua, 487-6218, makeitlabs.com). This class provides essential information and required procedures to ensure safe operation of various power tools in the MakeIt Labs wood shop and is limited to 10 participants. Check availability at eventbrite.com.

Save the Date! Thursday, Jan 8
Disney’s Frozen and Encanto on Icewill be at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) beginning Thursday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. Find ticket information via the SNHU Arena website. “This adventure on ice transports fans into two of the most popular Disney films as audiences can sing along to their favorite songs while embracing world-class ice skating, aerial acrobatics and more,” according to a press release. See disneyonice.com.

Featured photo: Encanto On Ice

Quality of Life 26/01/01

Lights on, let’s play

Installation has begun on lights at the athletic field at Keach Park in Concord, according to a Dec. 24 Concord Monitor article. The lights will cover a youth-sized field, the story said, and will be ready for nighttime use sometime in May or June 2026; this will make Keach the only lighted field in Concord other than Memorial Field.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Local advocacy group Change for Concord lobbied for years for the lights and had wanted a larger area to be lighted, according to the article, which quoted city Parks & Rec Director David Gill as saying that the current plan will not illuminate abutting houses much.

Thousands of crows

In a Dec. 22 article, Manchester InkLink reported that a recent survey “counted 7,800 crows passing over the Amoskeag Fishways [in Manchester] on their way to their night roost.” Using a thermal imaging drone, New Hampshire naturalist Mark Timmerman and photographer Craig Gibson, who has conducted similar studies on the crow population in Lawrence, Mass., hope to document the Millyard’s crow population.

QOL score: +1

Comment: While Manchester’s crow population is smaller than Lawrence’s, the birds’ environments are extremely similar. Both have large, brick, mill buildings on the Merrimack River. Gibson expects both populations to be made up of the same species, American Crows, with a smaller number of Fish Crows, according to the article.

Parading down Main Street 100 years ago

On Dec. 22, the Concord Public Library posted a press release on the City of Concord’s website (concordnh.gov) reminding the public that one of the Library’s many resources is a digital collection of historic Concord photographs, including of President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to Concord on Aug. 28, 1902; the Concord High School Girls Basketball Team in 1920, and dozens of parade photos. Visit concordnhlibrary.omeka.net, where you can also find a wealth of other Concord historical resources.

QOL score: +1

Comment: This is another reminder that local libraries do much more than lend books. See the Oct. 2 issue of The Hippo, “29 Reasons to love your library,” which is available online. Visit hippopress.com.

QOL score to start 2026: 50

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 53

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/01/01

$2 less

Eversource customers are expected to see a 2 percent decrease in their bills for the first two months of 2026 “due to rate adjustments in the first two months of the new year,” according to an Eversource press release from Dec. 16. “The energy company recently filed multiple rate adjustments, including energy supply, that will take effect early next year, leading to a slight overall decrease for customers if approved by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC),” the release said. “Due to rate adjustments in the first two months of the new year, the delivery portion of all customer bills will go down, resulting in an approximately $2 or 2% decrease. The Default Service rate, which is the energy supply that Eversource purchases on behalf of customers with no markup or profit, will remain stable, changing in February from 11.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 11.3 cents per kWh,” the release said. See eversource.com.

Shoebox project

The United Way of Greater Nashua is collecting items for its Shoebox Project for Seniors Monday, Jan. 5, through Friday, Jan. 30, at its 20 Broad St. location in Nashua from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, according to a press release. The shoebox kits are distributed to seniors “served by Gateways Community Services, Meals on Wheels, Americorps Senior Companions and The Caregivers, reaching individuals who are often isolated and difficult to reach,” the press release said. Items accepted include exercise bands, puzzle books, healthy recipe books, note cards, stamps, magnifying glasses, pocket calendars, small stuffed animals, colored pencils and adult coloring books, combs and brushes, dental floss, facial tissue, hot chocolate, tea and coffee bags, travel-size shampoo, toothpaste and other items, the release said. See unitedwaynashua.org/event/shoebox-project-for-seniors-day-of-caring/.

Renovations

The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center, 84 Silk Road in Concord, will be open to visitors, such as those who want to check out the “Enchanted Owls” exhibit of fiber art featuring the works of Sandra Grant, on Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. but then closed Jan. 4 through Jan 20 for renovations, according to a NH Audubon newsletter. “Enchanted Owls” will continue at the McLane Center after it reopens, on display through Saturday, March 7. See nhaudubon.org for updates. The Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way in Auburn, will be closed for New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1) but otherwise open normal hours, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its new exhibit — “Outings,” featuring the watercolor works of Nick Amadeo — will open on Friday, Jan. 9, with an artist reception that evening from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, Feb. 28, according to the NH Audubon’s calendar on its website.

The Concord Public Library, 45 Green St. in Concord, will hold a Stuffed Animal Sleepover for kids in preschool and elementary school on Friday, Jan. 2, at 3 p.m. Bring a stuffie who will spend the night at the library and then pick them up on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m., when kids can have breakfast and watch a G-rated movie, according to concordnh.gov/1983/Library, where you can register for the event.

New England author Katy Hunt will be at the storytime on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 11:30 a.m. at Bookery Manchester, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, with her books There’s a Wub in the Tub and My Cousin Is A Dragon, according to bookerymht.com.

Check out another Rob Reiner-directed classic — 1986’s Stand By Me, based on Stephen King’s “The Body,” which will screen on Sunday, Jan. 4, at 1 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., according to nashualibrary.org.

2025 Year in Review — 12/25/2025

on the cover

Year in review In this week’s issue of the Hippo, we take a look back at the year that was and consider some events to look forward to in 2026. Michael Witthaus looks at the difficult year for the local art scene (page 10). John Fladd asks foodies about the best things they ate (page 14) and looks back at the Manchester restaurant scene. In books, we consider some of our reviewers’ favorites (page 19). Amy Diaz picks her favorite films of 2025 (page 20). And Michael looks at the local music scene (page 27).

Also on the cover Get your holiday-week-energy-having kids and visiting relatives out of your house by going (or sending them) to a museum (page 13). Find parties and special meals on New Year’s Eve in Michael Witthaus’ roundup on page 24. Or, if you would prefer to end the year with some laughs, see a rundown of comedy performances slated for Dec. 31 on page 26. And, in this oddball betweeny week, relax with some live music at area restaurants and bars; find upcoming gigs in the Music This Week listing that starts on page 28.

Read the e-edition

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Kiddie Pool 25/12/25

Family fun for whenever

Escape to the museum

Some area museums offer special hours and events during the between-holidays week of Dec. 25 through Jan. 1.

SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, see-sciencecenter.org, will be closed the Thursdays of Christmas and New Year’s Day but open Monday, Dec. 29, as well as its usual Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $14 per person ages 3 and up, the website said.

• The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, currier.org, will hold its fourth annual December Days on Friday, Dec. 26, and Saturday, Dec. 27, with family-friendly activities running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. included with admission (kids 12 and under get in for free). The museum’s regular hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the website. Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and students with ID cards, and $5 for ages 13 to 17, the website said.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, is currently featuring the exhibit “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft,” which will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 4, according to a press release. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas and New Year’s Day). The museum will be open extra days — Monday, Dec. 29, and Tuesday, Dec. 30. Admission costs $10 for ages 13 and up, and $5 for ages 6 to 12, 65+, veterans and active military; kids age 5 and under get in free.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive in Concord, starhop.com, is closed on Christmas and Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Day but will be open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26, through Wednesday, Dec. 31, and then Friday, Jan. 2, through Sunday, Jan. 4, according to the website. Admission costs $14 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, $11 for children ages 3 to 12 and free for ages 2 and under, the website said. Planetarium shows cost an additional $7 per person (free for children under 3) and run at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., the website said.

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