Category: Cover Stories

Chill out with festivals, food events, arts excitement, theater and more

Summer is here!

OK, maybe the calendar puts summer on June 21 and school kids still have a few more weeks to go but as we stand at the cusp of Memorial Day weekend, having already experienced a weekend of 90+ degree weather, it’s safe to call an at least unofficial start to the season of festivals, outdoor music and movies, art fairs and deliciously unfancy food fun.

After another winter and spring full of stresses, check out this guide of offerings to shake up your routine and put some fun on the schedule. It’s time to chill out and enjoy the sunny season.

Fairs & Festivals

From town fairs and old home day festivals to car shows, craft fairs and more, here’s a list of local happenings across the Granite State scheduled for now through Labor Day weekend. Visit each event’s or organization’s website or social media channels for the most up-to-date details.

• Join the Manchester Firing Line for its weekly Summer Cruise nights every Monday from 5 to 8 p.m., starting Memorial Day and through Labor Day. Events will feature live music, raffles, food trucks and a People’s Choice Award winner each week for the best cars. Visit gunsnh.com.

• The Meredith Memorial Day Weekend Craft Festival returns to the Mill Falls Marketplace (Route 3) in Meredith from Saturday, May 28, through Sunday, May 30 — festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. Hundreds of juried artisans and craftsmen will sell their handmade wares, including jewelry, pottery, textiles, woodwork and more. Admission is free. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• The Goffstown Rotary Club’s (Parsons Drive) ninth annual car show is happening on Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Visit goffstownrotary.org.

• Catch the annual NH Maker Fest at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover) on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event showcases a variety of vendors from engineers and scientists to artists, chefs and more. Admission is on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Visit childrens-museum.org.

• It’s Civil War Muster Day at the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum will host the 12th New Hampshire Civil War Regiment, based in nearby New Durham. Visitors will get a chance to experience camp life complete with tents, campfires, rifles and drills, as well as watch common pot meals get prepared. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors over 65, $5 for kids and teens ages 4 to 17 and free for kids under 4 and for members and active military servicemen and women. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• Market Square Day, returning to downtown Portsmouth on Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., features dozens of local craft and artisan vendors, along with two live performance stages, a 10K road race and more. Visit proportsmouth.org.

• Laconia Motorcycle Week returns for its 99th year, from June 11 through June 19 — the week features a variety of motorcycle tours, vendors, daily scenic rides, live entertainment and more, all centered around Weirs Beach in Laconia. Visit laconiamcweek.com.

• Don’t miss the 22nd annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, happening from Thursday, June 16, through Saturday, June 18. The event features multiple award ceremonies, with prizes given out for the best sand sculptures, along with a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. The sculptures will then be lighted for nightly viewing through June 26. Visit hamptonbeach.org.

• The 40th annual Somersworth International Children’s Festival will be held on Main Street and Noble Pines Park in Somersworth on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy live music, food, local vendors, rides, wildlife encounters and a variety of other children’s activities, including — new this year — a Touch-A-Truck area. A pre-festival celebration night is taking place the night before, on Friday, June 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive) and will include a fireworks display. Visit nhfestivals.org.

• Join the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) for its annual “Welcome Summer” Fly-In BBQ on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Boire Field, at the hangar of Nashua Jet Aviation (83 Perimeter Road, Nashua). Pilots are invited to fly in, and vintage airplanes and home-built aircraft are especially welcome. A barbecue buffet will be served at noon — the meal will include chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, salad, pasta, desserts and drinks. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for museum members, $10 for kids ages 6 to 12 and free for kids ages 5 and under. Visit nhahs.org.

• Nashua’s Parks and Recreation department kicks off its SummerFun schedule with Celebrating DPW Day on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Greeley Park (100 Concord St. in Nashua), featuring live music (including Joe Birch at 10:15 a.m.), BJ Hickman Magic Show at 11:15 a.m., local stage acts, a bounce house, vendors and more. See nashuanh.gov.

• The Queen City Pride Festival returns to Arms Park (10 Arms St., Manchester) on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 6 p.m., and will feature local vendor booths, live entertainment and more. The inaugural Pride Parade will also take place at 10 a.m. that morning, kicking off on South Commercial Street and heading west to Canal Street. Visit queencitypridenh.org.

• TEAM Exeter’s Arts & Music Festival dates continue on the third Saturday of each month, now through September. Upcoming dates are June 18, July 16, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, during which there will be live local music, artisan vendors, dance performances, cultural exhibits, children’s activities and more. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person and $20 per family. Visit teamexeter.com.

• Plaistow’s Old Home Day will be held on Saturday, June 18, and will include live entertainment, a parade, a road race, fireworks and more. Visit plaistowohd.com.

• Intown Concord’s annual Market Days Festival, a three-day free street festival, is set to return to Main Street in downtown Concord from Thursday, June 23, through Saturday, June 25. Visit marketdaysfestival.com for the full list of ongoing happenings, which will include live music, a beer tent, participating local vendors, children’s activities and giveaways.

• The Nashua Pride Festival will be held Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library parking lot (2 Court St.) and will include a parade on Main Street (which starts at 2 p.m. from the Elm Street School). The post-parade festival will feature live music, a drag show inside Janice B. Streeter Theater, food trucks and more, according to the event’s Facebook page. See nashuanh.gov/1217/Nashua-Pride-Festival.

• The 56th annual Gilsum Rock Swap & Mineral Show is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26, rain or shine on the grounds of Gilsum Elementary School (640 Route 10, Gilsum). The show features more than 65 rock and gem dealers, swappers and collectors from around the world, offering beryl, quartz crystals, fossils, gemstones and other rocks and minerals of all sorts. Also included is a chicken barbecue, a ham and bean dinner with homemade pies, and a special presentation on making gemstone jewelry. Show hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, and donations are also accepted. Visit gilsum.org/rockswap.

• The next New England Reptile Expo is scheduled for Sunday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The event features thousands of reptiles on display and for sale as pets, plus vendors selling cages, supplies, frozen feeder rodents and other reptile-related items. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids under 7. Visit reptileexpo.com.

• Join the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) for Fourth on the Farm, happening on Saturday, July 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which there will be historical reenactments, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, lawn games, tractor rides, strawberry shortcake and more. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors over 65, $5 for kids and teens ages 4 to 17 and free for kids under 4 and for members and active military servicemen and women. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• The Hillsborough Summer Festival, returning to Grimes Field (29 Preston St., Hillsborough) from Thursday, July 7, through Sunday, July 10, features live entertainment, midway and carnival rides, a fireworks show, a 5K road race, a parade, a car and truck show and more. Festival hours are from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free — go to hillsborosummerfest.com for the full schedule of happenings.

• The Raymond Town Fair returns from Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10, at the Raymond Town Common. Enjoy a firemen’s parade, sack races, pie eating, live music, a fireworks display and more. Fair hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Visit raymondareanews.com.

• In lieu of this year’s Stratham Fair, which was canceled last month, a new one-day community event known as the Stratham 4H Summerfest, is being planned for Saturday, July 16. The smaller event will feature a single-day family experience, showcasing several 4H programs and livestock, along with a limited menu of food offerings. Email strathamfairinfo@gmail.com for more details.

• Save the date for the 32nd annual American Independence Festival, happening at the American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) on Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features several historical reenactments, colonial artisan demonstrations and children’s activities. Visit independencemuseum.org.

• The 14th annual Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo is happening from Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The expo features an eclectic mix of tattoo artists, vendors, contests with prizes, live music and more. Event hours are from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 in advance ($20 at the door) for a one-day pass, $20 in advance ($25 at the door) for a two-day pass and $25 in advance ($30 at the door) for a three-day pass. Visit livefreeordietattoo.com.

• Old Stage & Tavern Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton). Experience what it was like to travel by stagecoach in the 1800s, then tour the museum’s historic Jones farmhouse with guides in period dress. There will also be tractor rides, and candle making and basket making demonstrations, along with a scavenger hunt with prizes awarded. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors over 65, $5 for kids and teens ages 4 to 17 and free for kids under 4 and for members and active military servicemen and women. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• This year’s Weare Rally is happening from Thursday, July 28, through Saturday, July 30, in the area behind Center Woods Elementary School (14 Center Road, Weare). Known as the largest military vehicle event in New England, the Weare Rally features vehicle displays, scenic rides, demonstrations, food and more. It’s organized by the Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club. Admission is free. Visit mvmvc.org.

• Another big day on the Nashua SummerFun schedule is the annual FairyTale Festival on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Greeley Park (100 Concord St. in Nashua). The event will feature fairy tale characters, a costume parade around the park at 12:45 p.m., a bounce house, vendors and more. See nashuanh.gov.

• The 11th annual summer psychic fair, presented by CAYA Reiki and Healing, is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Weirs Beach Community Center (25 Lucerne Ave., Laconia). There will be psychic readings, vendors, door prizes and presentations. Admission is free. Visit cayahealing.com.

• Don’t miss the Canterbury Fair, returning on Saturday, July 30, at Canterbury Center (Baptist and Center roads). A full day of festivities is planned, from hands-on demonstrations from local artisan and antique vendors to live music, children’s activities and more. Visit canterburyfair.com.

• The Belknap County Fair is scheduled to return on Saturday, Aug. 6, and Sunday, Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, at 174 Mile Hill Road in Belmont. The fair features animal shows, demonstrations, live entertainment, exhibits and food. Admission at the gate is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors over 65 and for police, fire and EMS personnel, and free for kids under 10 and for military service members. Visit bcfairnh.org.

• Catch the 65th annual New Hampshire Antiques Show, returning to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester) from Thursday, Aug. 11, through Saturday, Aug. 13. Dozens of antique dealers from all over the region appear at the show to display their collections of furniture, jewelry, folk and decorative arts and other wares. Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets $15 on Thursday and $10 on Friday and Saturday. Visit nhada.org.

• The Alton Bay Boat Show is due to return on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Alton Town Docks. The show is sponsored by the New Hampshire Boat Museum and features a variety of vintage boats on display. Admission is free. Visit nhbm.org.

• Hudson’s Old Home Days return to the grounds outside the Hills House (211 Derry Road, Hudson) from Thursday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 14 — hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Festivities include free kids games, live music, carnival games, a fireworks display, fair food and more. Visit hudsonoldhomedays.com.

• Catch the 15th annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival, happening during the week of Monday, Aug. 15, through Friday, Aug. 19, during which there will be magic shows, a costume parade, dancing, storytellers, balloons, ice cream and more. All activities are free and open to the public. Visit hamptonbeach.org.

• Londonderry’s Old Home Days, set for Wednesday, Aug. 17, through Sunday, Aug. 21, are coinciding with the town’s 300th anniversary celebration this year. Several days’ worth of happenings are planned, including a parade, local vendor booths, games, food and much more. Follow the Facebook page @townoflondonderryoldhomeday for updates.

• Formerly known as the Living History event, History Alive will return to various locations in Hillsborough on Saturday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also coinciding with the town’s 250th anniversary celebration this year, History Alive will feature several historical reenactments throughout the weekend, plus children’s activities, crafts, speakers, musicians and much more. Admission is $10 for adults and free for kids under 16. Visit historyalivenh.org.

• The New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) will host a special Truck and Tractor Day on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which there will be a large display of trucks, tractors, wagons and antique cars dating back to the mid-1900s. Tractor rides will be available around the farm for attendees to visit with the resident cows, sheep, goats, horses, rabbits and chickens. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors over 65, $5 for kids and teens ages 4 to 17 and free for kids under 4 and for members and active military servicemen and women. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• Gilmanton’s Old Home Day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Smith Meeting House (Meeting House and Governor roads, Gilmanton). Festivities include an antique auto parade, live entertainment, a silent auction, a puppet show, an art show and more. Visit gilmantonnh.org.

• Don’t miss the annual Candia Old Home Day celebration, happening on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Moore Park (74 High St., Candia), and featuring a parade, local vendors and live entertainment. Visit candiaoldhomeday.com.

• A Labor Day weekend tradition, the Hopkinton State Fair will return to the fairgrounds (392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook) from Thursday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 5. Fair hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday — the multi-day event features everything from local vendors and classic fair food to live music, carnival rides, agricultural exhibits and demonstrations and more. One-day admission passes are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors over 60, $8 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for kids ages 3 and under. Five-day passes are also available at a rate of $39 for both kids and adults. Visit hsfair.org.

• One of the largest car shows in the area, Cruising Downtown is scheduled to return to the streets of downtown Manchester for its 21st year on Saturday, Sept. 3. Visit manchesterrotary.com for updates.

• The Exeter UFO Festival will return to downtown Exeter on Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4 — the event commemorates the anniversary of the Exeter Incident (an alleged UFO sighting on Sept. 3, 1965) by featuring a wide variety of educational lectures on the subject, plus intergalactic children’s games and food, all to benefit the Exeter Area Kiwanis Club. Visit exeterufofestival.org.

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Food

Experience the tastiest of what New Hampshire has to offer this summer, from tastings and cooking workshops to several festivals returning for the first time in-person in a few years.

• Head to The Grazing Room at the Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker) for one of its Sunday night barn dining events, happening every Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m., now through October. In addition to a chef’s menu featuring seafood and barbecue specials, each evening includes wine flight trios and summer cocktail options, and live music at 4:30 p.m., from a local act affiliated with the New Hampshire Music Collective. Visit colbyhillinn.com or call 428-3281.

• The Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce presents its annual Taste of the Region, happening on Thursday, June 2, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. inside the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry). The event brings together more than 20 Derry-area food and beverage vendors to compete for fan favorites in three categories: savory, sips and sweets. Live music is also featured. Tickets are $35 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Kyle B. Ross Memorial scholarship program. Visit gdlchamber.org.

• Herb & Garden Day returns to the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner) on Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Presented by the New Hampshire Herbal Network, a local chapter of the American Herbalists Guild, the annual event features a full day of workshops dedicated to all kinds of topics related to herb growing and gardening, along with local food vendors, an herbal market and plant sale, raffles and more. General admission is $35 and grants attendees access to all of the workshops. A $5 rate is also available for those who just want to attend the herbal market. Visit nhherbalnetwork.wordpress.com/herbday.

• Crispy, savory bacon and chilled brews are the stars of the New Hampshire Bacon & Beer Festival, which returns to Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) on Saturday, June 4, with general admission from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and VIP admission beginning at 12:30 p.m. The event features uniquely crafted bacon-infused eats from more than a dozen local food vendors, in addition to beer samples and live local music throughout the afternoon. Tickets are $60 per person for general admission and $100 for VIP admission (event is 21+ only), with proceeds benefiting the High Hopes Foundation of New Hampshire. Visit nhbaconbeer.com.

• The Friends of the Library of Windham will present the annual strawberry festival and book fair, scheduled for Saturday, June 4, from noon to 6 p.m., at Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road, Windham). The event will feature fresh strawberry shortcake available for purchase, along with face painting, bounce houses, a dunk tank, live music, raffles and more. Visit flowwindham.org.

• Join The Cozy Tea Cart of Brookline for garden afternoon tea on Sunday, June 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gatherings at The Colonel Shepard House (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford). In addition to a selection of fine quality teas, there will be various foods available, like tea breads, sandwiches, pastries and more. The cost is $39.95 per person and reservations are required. Visit thecozyteacart.com or call 249-9111.

• The Taste of Downtown Nashua returns for the first time since 2019 on Wednesday, June 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Organized by Great American Downtown, the event allows attendees to get up close and personal with downtown Nashua restaurant chefs, who will be serving a diverse selection of samples during the event. Admission is $45 per person ($15 for kids ages 6 to 12 and free for kids ages 6 and under) and includes access to all participating restaurants. Visit downtownnashua.org.

• Head to Beer & Wine Nation (360 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) for a local beer and wine tasting event on Saturday, June 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. featuring selections from more than 10 breweries and vineyards. Admission is free. Visit beerandwinenation.com or call 418-6340.

• Don’t miss a Touch-a-Truck and food truck festival in the parking lot of Hopkinton High School (297 Park Ave., Hopkinton) on Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids, with proceeds benefiting the Library of Things at the Hopkinton Public Library. Visit hopkinton-nh.gov.

• New Hampshire Magazine will present its annual Best of NH Party on Saturday, June 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury). The event will be held outdoors rain or shine under a large tent, and will feature a variety of food stations from Celebrations Catering. Attendees will also receive swag bags filled with samples, coupons and more from several of this year’s Best of NH winners. Admission is $109 per person and guests will also have the opportunity to donate to the New Hampshire Food Bank during the registration process. Visit nhmagazine.com/best-of-nh.

• J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry) will hold a strawberry festival on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring pick-your-own strawberries, free samples and more. Visit jandffarmsnh.com.

• The eighth annual Newport Nano Brewfest, presented by the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, is happening on Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Newport Town Common on Main Street. Tickets are $40 per person or $200 per table of six. Visit newportnhchamber.org.

• Farm-a-Q: A Juneteenth Celebration returns to Tuckaway Farm (36 Captain Smith Emerson Road) on Sunday, June 19, from noon to 5 p.m. The event is a collaboration celebration with the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Indonesian Community Connect, the Cowasuck Band of the Penacook Abenaki People and other local community groups, and features foraging walks, craft brews, barbecue options and more. The cost is $35 per person, $25 for students and seniors and free for kids under 5. Find Tuckaway Farm on Facebook @tuckawayfarmnh.

• Join LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111) for the grand opening celebration of its new tasting room, sparkling wine production facility and gift shop on Wednesday, June 22, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The event will feature a demonstration and talk on the Méthode Champenoise process of making sparkling wine, along with hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary signed copy of winemaker Amy LaBelle’s book The Winemaker’s Kitchen: With a Twist. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online. Visit labellewinery.com.

• The Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford) continues its regional summer dinner series with a Thailand-inspired four-course dinner scheduled for Thursday, June 23, from 6 to 10 p.m. The event will feature passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by a four-course plated dinner on its Grand Terrace. Tickets are $125 per person (dinner is 21+ only) and reservations are required, as space is limited. More upcoming events in the series include a South of France dinner on July 14 and a South Carolina dinner on Aug. 4. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com.

• Don’t miss the third annual Kingston Brewfest, happening on Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. at 148 Main St. in Kingston. The event will feature pours from more than 30 local breweries, as well as food trucks, live music, games and more. Tickets are $40 per person, or $7 for designated drivers. Visit kingstonbrewfest.com.

• The Hollis Strawberry Festival returns for its 74th year on Sunday, June 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Monument Square in Hollis. The festival features strawberry shortcakes for sale with homemade biscuits, hand-whipped cream and homemade ice cream, as well as games, face painting, artisan and craft vendors and entertainment by the Hollis Town Band. Visit holliswomansclub.org.

• PMC Piccola Night is happening on Monday, June 27, at 5:30 p.m. at Piccola Italia Ristorante (815 Elm St., Manchester). Tickets are $50 and include a buffet and drinks, all to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Email organizer Larry Gagnon at larry.gagnon@comcast.net for more details.

• The New Hampshire Brewers Association will present the Keep NH Brewing Festival, happening at Kiwanis Waterfront Park in Concord (behind the Douglas N. Everett Arena on Loudon Road) on Saturday, July 9. General admission is from 1 to 4 p.m., with VIP admission beginning at noon. The festival will feature more than 130 craft beer options from dozens of local breweries, plus food trucks and local artisans selling their wares. General admission tickets are $50 in advance and $55 on the day of the event. VIP admission is $65 and designated driver tickets are $20. Visit nhbrewers.org.

• The next Walks in the Vineyard wine class from LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst), and the second in a four-part series, is happening on Sunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to noon. Wine educator Marie King and vineyard manager Josh Boisvert lead attendees on a fun and educational walk through the vineyards, focused on the life cycles of the vines. Attendees will learn how the wine enjoyed in a glass starts as grapes on vines, and will also get a chance to taste four LaBelle wines during the session. Two more events in this ongoing series are scheduled to take place over the coming months through October — no previous attendance or prior knowledge of wines are necessary to attend any of the walks. Tickets are $30 per person plus tax, and reservations are suggested. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Save the date for the Great American Ribfest, returning for the first time since 2019 to Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) from Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17. A fundraiser for the Merrimack Rotary Club, Ribfest features all kinds of barbecue options from more than 30 vendors, plus live music, craft beer and more. Festival hours are from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Advance online tickets are $12 for adults ($15 at the door), $10 for seniors over 60 and for veterans and active military service members ($12 at the door), and $5 for kids ages 6 to 12 ($6 at the door). Visit greatamericanribfest.com.

• The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness will host its annual Bluegrass BBQ event on Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — attendees will be able to pre-order one of several barbecue meals, including Texas-style brisket, pulled pork sandwiches or vegan wraps, along with sides and a drink. Meals can be picked up and enjoyed at White Park (1 White St., Concord) on the day of the event. Visit concordhomeless.org/bluegrass-bbq.

• Monadnock Music will host its annual Progressive Garden Party, featuring multiple tastings and performances across the town of Peterborough, on Saturday, July 23. A botanical tour of the region, the event features unique food and drink options at each location and live performances by classical soloists at each garden. Tickets are $100 ($85 for Monadnock Music members). Visit monadnockmusic.org.

• The Spicy Shark presents the inaugural New England Hot Sauce Fest, a new event coming to Smuttynose Brewing Co. (105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton) on Saturday, July 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature more than 20 local hot sauce companies selling and offering samples of all of their spicy products, along with hot pepper eating contests, a hot wing contest, food trucks, bounce houses, music and more. General admission tickets are $10, with proceeds benefiting the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and the Seacoast Science Center. Visit newenglandhotsaucefest.com.

• The Cozy Tea Cart of Brookline has a summertime afternoon tea tasting event scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gatherings at The Colonel Shepard House (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford). Tea breads, sandwiches, pastries and other various foods will be available in addition to the teas. The cost is $39.95 per person and reservations are required. Visit thecozyteacart.com or call 249-9111.

• The Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival returns to the Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford) for its fifth year on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature a variety of local food trucks, plus artisan vendors, a beer tent, a cornhole tournament, a kids zone, live music and more. Advance tickets are $5 and will be available beginning June 1. Kids ages 14 and under are free. Visit gnecraftartisanshows.com.

• Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road) is scheduled to host a food truck festival on Sunday, Aug. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit windhamnh.gov.

• Mahrajan, an annual three-day Middle Eastern food festival held on the grounds of Our Lady of the Cedars Melkite Church (140 Mitchell St., Manchester), is due to return this year from Friday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 21. Visit bestfestnh.com.

• The Gate City Brewfest returns to Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Saturday, Aug. 20, with general admission from 1 to 5 p.m. and VIP admission beginning at noon. The event features more than 100 options from dozens of local and regional craft breweries, plus live music, games, local vendors and more. General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $50 at the door. VIP admission tickets are $70. Designated driver tickets are $15 and admission is free for kids ages 12 and under. Visit gatecitybrewfestnh.com.

• Food Truck Festivals of America will present the eighth annual Portsmouth Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival at Cisco Brewers (35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth) on Sunday, Aug. 21, with general admission from noon to 5 p.m. and VIP admission beginning at 11 a.m. General admission is $5 in advance and $10 at the door, with VIP admission $25 (in advance online only). Visit showpass.com/portsmouth.

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Theater

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents Once on Thursday, May 26, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 28, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 5, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $52. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• New World Theatre presents Holy and Unruly at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from May 27 through June 12, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

•​ The Kids Coop Theatre presents Shrek the Musical on Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 28, at 1 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 29, at 1 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry). Tickets cost $15. Visit kids-coop-theatre.org.

•​ The Garrison Players Arts Center (449 Roberts Road, Rollinsford) presents Once Upon a Mattress on Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 29, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students. Visit garrisonplayers.org.

•​ See The Man on the Hill: A Rock Opera at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) on Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28, at 7 p.m. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

•​ Bitter Pill presents Children of the Grim at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) now through June 5, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults and $25 for seniors age 65 and up and students. Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test are required. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents Our Town on Sunday, May 29, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 4, at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $52. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

•​ The Garrison Players Arts Center (449 Roberts Road, Rollinsford) presents “Showstoppers: A Celebration,” an evening of songs from Tony Award-winning musicals, on Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students. Visit garrisonplayers.org.

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) presents Legally Blonde The Musical from June 3 through June 26, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon. Tickets cost $25 to $46. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Palace Youth Theatre presents Oliver! Jr. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) on Tuesday, June 7, and Wednesday, June 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 to $15. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ Seven Stages Shakespeare Company performs William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) from June 10 through June 19, with showtimes Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and an additional show on Saturday, June 11, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors age 65 and up and students. Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test are required. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

•​ The Majestic Theatre presents a “An Afternoon of Broadway,” a piano cabaret and sing-along with Robert Dionne, at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester) on Sunday, June 12, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7649.

• The Palace Teen Apprentice Company presents Seussical Jr. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) on Wednesday, June 15, and Thursday, June 16, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 to $15. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith) presents Private Lives from June 15 through June 25, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Thursday, June 16, and Tuesday, June 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents Anything Goes from June 16 through July 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $52. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

•​ See Blippi The Musical at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, June 17, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $39.50 to $59.50. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

• Cue Zero Theatre Co. presents Macbeth: A Necromantic Experience at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry) on Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Visit cztheatre.com.

•​ The Community Players of Concord present The Bald Soprano at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from June 17 through June 26, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

•​ The Majestic Theatre presents ABC: Alphabet Broadway Cabaret, a one-woman show with Jocelyn Duford, on Saturday, June 18, at 7 p.m. at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester). Tickets cost $15. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7649.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) perform Cabaret from June 23 through July 3, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

• Footloose will be at the Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) from June 24 through Aug. 14, with showtimes on most Thursdays and Sundays at 7 p.m., and most Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with some matinee showtimes TBA. General admission costs $5, and reserved seating tickets cost $55 to $150. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

•​ Menopause the Musical comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sunday, June 26, with showtimes at 2 and 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $44. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith) presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] from June 29 through July 9, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Thursday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents magician BJ Hickman at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, July 5, through Thursday, July 7, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 8, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) perform Circle Mirror Transformation from July 7 through 17, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

• RGC Theatre presents Into the Woods at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from July 8 through July 17, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for students, seniors and members and $19 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

•​ The Majestic Theatre presents Big The Musical at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry) from July 8 through July 17, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for youth and seniors. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7649.

•​ The Play That Goes Wrong will run at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) from July 8 through July 23. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

• Camp ENCORE presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. at the Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) on Saturday, July 9, and Sunday, July 10, at 10 a.m. Reserved seating tickets cost $40. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Wizard of Ozat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, July 12, through Thursday, July 14, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 15, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith) presents The Mousetrap from July 13 through July 30, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Saturday, July 16, Thursday, July 21, and Tuesday, July 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) second company presents an outdoor performance of The Emperor’s New Clothes on Fridays, July 15, July 29, and Aug. 12; Saturdays, July 16 through Aug. 13; and Wednesdays, July 27 and Aug. 10, at 10:30 a.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Rapunzelat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, July 19, through Thursday, July 21, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 22, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) perform the U.S. premiere of Serving Elizabeth from July 21 through July 31, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

• Perseverance Productions presents The Gulf at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from July 22 through July 31, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Peter Panat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, July 26, through Thursday, July 28, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 29, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents Rent from July 28 through Sept. 10, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (no show on Thursday, Sept. 1), Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $52. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• The Franklin Footlight Theatre presents Something Rotten at the Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin) from July 29 through Aug. 6, with showtimes Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors. Call 934-1901 or visit franklinoperahouse.org.

•​ The Sound of Music will run at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) from July 29 through Aug. 21. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Cinderella at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, Aug. 2, through Thursday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith) presents Robin Hood from Aug. 3 through Aug. 13, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Thursday, Aug. 4, and Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) perform 2 Pianos 4 Hands from Aug. 4 through Aug. 14, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

•​ The Northeastern Ballet Theatre presents Swan Lake at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $42. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

• The Riverbend Youth Company presents Mamma Mia at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) from Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 7. More information is TBA. Visit svbgc.org/amato-center.

• The Peacock Players youth theater company presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua) from Aug. 5 through Aug. 14, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.

• DOT Theater presents Bubble Boy at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from Aug. 5 through Aug. 14, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for students, seniors and members and $19 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Beauty and the Beast at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, Aug. 9, through Thursday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents The Rocky Horror Show Live from Aug. 12 through Aug. 27, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at midnight. Tickets cost $32 to $52. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) perform Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill from Aug. 18 through Aug. 28, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith) presents Oliver! from Aug. 18 through Sept. 3, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Saturday, Aug. 20; Thursdays, Aug. 25 and Sept. 1; and Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $42. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• The Franklin Area Children’s Theatre presents The Lion King Experience Jr. at the Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin) on Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students, children and seniors. Call 934-1901 or visit franklinoperahouse.org.

• Granite Playwrights presents The Great Atlantic and Pacific Shakespeare Company at the Hatbox Theatre (located inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) from Aug. 19 through Aug. 28, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.

• The 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents Disney’s Frozen Kids at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Tuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

•​ The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) teen company presents Les Miserables from Aug. 25 through Sept. 4, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for students and $30 for adults. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• The Actorsingers present Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua) Friday, Aug. 26, through Sunday, Aug. 28. More information is TBA. Visit actorsingers.org.

• The Riverbend Youth Company presents Shrek the Musical at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) from Friday, Aug. 26, through Sunday, Aug. 28. More information is TBA. Visit svbgc.org/amato-center.

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Arts

Gallery shows and exhibitions

• “Impact! Abstract!” remains up through Saturday, May 28, at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). The exhibition features the abstract work of six local artists, including works done in acrylic and oil painting, mixed media, oil and cold wax, monotype, assemblage, ink drawing, driftwood pyrography, improvised quilt-making, printmaking and collage. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents “New Faces,” a college art exhibition, at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through May 29. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents its “Body of Work II” show at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through May 29. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents “Life Re-Imagined,” an exhibition of graphite drawings by Barbara Morse, at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through May 29. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• “A Local Perspective: Postcard Memories,” an exhibition of historic postcards from Concord and the greater Concord area, is on display now through May 31 at the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord). Visit kimballjenkins.com.

• The 15th annual Nashua International Sculpture Symposium is going on now, with three artists — Anna Miller from Connecticut, Brent Howard from New Jersey and Corinna D’Schoto from Massachusetts — creating pieces on this year’s theme “Merriment,” which will be permanently installed as public art outdoors in Nashua. The public is invited to stop by the Picker Artists studios (3 Pine St., Nashua), where the artists are working Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through June 1. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.

• The Currier Museum of Art(150 Ash St., Manchester) has an exhibition, “Appeal of the Real: 19th Century Photographs of the Ancient World,” on view now through June 12. It features photographs of the ruins of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, taken prior to when tourists could take their own photographs, often at the request of wealthy European and American tourists. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for children under age 13 and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents “Around Town,” graphite drawings by Barbara Morse, at the gallery at the Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (49 S. Main St., Concord) now through June 17. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents “Garden Blossoms,” an exhibition of work by photographer Renee Giffroy, at The Art Center (1 Washington St., Dover) now through June 30. An artist reception will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• The Currier Museum of Art(150 Ash St., Manchester) has an exhibition, “Warhol Screen Tests,” on view now through July 24. The exhibition features 20 short, silent, black-and-white films shot by American multimedia artist Andy Warhol at his studio in New York City in the mid-1960s. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for children under age 13 and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• The Currier Museum of Art(150 Ash St., Manchester) has an exhibition featuring the work of Arghavan Khosravi on view now through Sept. 5. The artist’s surrealist paintings explore themes such as exile, freedom and empowerment; center on female protagonists; and allude to human rights issues, particularly those affecting women and immigrants. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for children age 12 and under and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• The Manchester Historic Association has an exhibit, “The People’s Sculptor: The Life and Works of John Rogers,” on view now through September at the Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester). It celebrates the art of American sculptor John Rogers, who came to Manchester in 1850, and explores the influence that Manchester had on Rogers’ life and work. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18, and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

• Two Villages Art Society presents “Night Vision,” an exhibition of paintings by Owen Krzyzaniak Geary that illustrate New Hampshire’s nighttime forests, at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from May 27 through June 18. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, May 28, from noon to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

• The New Hampshire Art Association presents “Call and Response,” a collaborative exhibition by photographer Claudia Rippee and painter Angelique Luro, at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) from June 2 through June 26, with an opening reception on Friday, June 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• “Wool: Contemporary Fiber Art Exhibition,” will be on display at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) from June 4 through Sept. 2, with an opening reception on Saturday, June 4, from 1 to 3 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• Two Villages Art Society presents its Summer Members Show, featuring mixed media art, at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from July 1 through July 30. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

• Two Villages Art Society presents “Pixels, Wood, Clay,” an exhibition of work by artists Tony Gilmore, Rick Manganello and Caren Helm, at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from Aug. 12 through Sept. 9. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, Aug. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

Art and craft fairs and markets

• The Meredith Memorial Day Weekend Craft Festival is Saturday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Monday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Mill Falls Marketplace (Route 3, Meredith). More than 100 juried craftsmen and artisans will feature their work. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• The ​Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, will run one Saturday a month from June through October, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Market dates are June 11, July 30, Aug. 20, Sept. 17 and Oct. 15. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• The Father’s Day Weekend Craft Festival is Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Deerfield Fairgrounds (34 Stage Road, Deerfield). There will be more than 100 artisan booths indoors and outdoors. Admission costs $8 for adults and covers both days. Youth age 13 and under get in for free. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• The Hampton Falls Liberty Craft Festival takes place on Saturday, July 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Hampton Falls town common (4 Lincoln Ave.). More than 75 juried artisans from all over New England will feature their work. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• The Gunstock 4th of July Weekend Craft Fair will take place at Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford) on Saturday, July 2, and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. There will be more than 90 artisans displaying and selling their work. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The Craft Fair at the Bay is Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Community House and Waterfront (24 Mount Major Highway, Alton Bay). More than 75 juried artisans from all over New England will feature their work. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• The Summer Fun Craft Fair at Tanger Outlets (120 Laconia Road, Tilton) takes place on Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The Lakeside Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., across from Weirs Beach at 70 Endicott St. N. in Laconia. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• Goffstown’s Uncommon Art on the Common art festival will run on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Main Street in Goffstown and feature jewelry, painting, fiber arts, mixed media, sculpture pottery, photography, glass, woodworking, beading, authors and more, according to the event website. The event is accepting registrations for participating artists through July 6. See goffstownmainstreet.org.

• The Craftsmen’s Fair, an annual nine-day outdoor craft fair hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, returns to Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury) from Saturday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug. 14. There will be hundreds of craftspeople with vendor booths, plus special craft exhibitions, demonstrations, hands-on workshops and more. Call 224-3375 or visit nhcrafts.org for more information.

• The Greeley Park Art Show (100 Concord St., Nashua) returns on Saturday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days. The annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Visit nashuaarts.org/greeleyparkartshow.

• The Gunstock Labor Day Weekend Craft Fair will take place at Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford) on Saturday, Sept. 3, and Sunday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., both days. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The Labor Day Weekend Craft Fair at the Bay is on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Community House and Waterfront (24 Mount Major Highway, Alton Bay). More than 65 juried artisans from all over New England will feature their work. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

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Nature events

Explore the great outdoors with these nature walks, educational programs and other events happening this summer, and check out the organizations’ websites for their most up-to-date event calendars.

• The Nature Interpreted exhibition at New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Deerneck Road, Auburn) showcases the unique methods and techniques of three League of NH Craftsmen juried members: photographer Alicia Bergeron, intaglio printmaker J. Ann Eldridge and serigraphic printmaker William Mitchell. The exhibition is open for the public to view now, Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with special closing hours on Sunday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Join local nature photographer Tracy Brunner at New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Deerneck Road, Auburn) for a Photography Workshop on Thursday, May 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $15, and the workshop includes a late afternoon photo hike along Massabesic Lake. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Join in New Hampshire Audubon’s Beginner Bird Walks: Concord Area on Friday, May 27, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Samuel Myron Chase Wildlife Sanctuary, Hopkinton (park at Jewett Road South entrance for Brown/Robinson Trail). This is a one- to two-hour-long informal birding walk that explores trails in the Concord area with Mark Suomala, experienced birder and weekly Rare Bird Alert compiler. All ages and skill levels of birders are welcome. The cost is $10, and registration is required at nhaudubon.org.

• Adults can learn Wilderness Skills at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia). Using Tents & Tarps will be held Saturday, May 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. Poisonous Plants & Hazards will be held Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to noon, and Fire will be held Saturday, June 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $12 per session. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) is hosting an Ice Cream Social family learning event on Sunday, May 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn about spicebush, a flavor that will be used to make homemade ice cream, and about what plant root beer was traditionally made from and then make a probiotic, naturally carbonated root beer. The cost is $45. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• Saturday, June 4, is New Hampshire Fish and Game’s Free Fishing Day, when state residents and nonresidents are allowed to fish any inland water or saltwater in New Hampshire without a fishing license. Visit wildlife.state.nh.us.

• Meet with a gardening educator and get organic gardening tips in the Learning Garden at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) during its Sow & Grow Gardening events. Sessions are from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31; Tuesday, June 7; Thursday, June 16; Thursday, July 7; Thursday, July 21; Thursday, Aug. 4; and Thursday, Aug. 18. The cost is $6. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• The New Hampshire Herbal Network will host its annual Herb & Garden Day on Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner). The event will include workshops, plant and tree identification walks, grid work demonstrations, children’s activities, an herbal market and plant sale, local food vendors, raffles and more. Admission costs $35. Visit nhherbalnetwork.wordpress.com/herbday.

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (534 Route 3, Holderness) has its annual Breeding Bird Census on Saturday, June 4. The public is invited to listen for and document the territorial songs of male birds, which indicate probable nesting. The early session, from 5:30 to 8 a.m., will cover two forested zones including Mt. Fayal while the later session, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., will cover fields, exhibit areas and Kirkwood Gardens. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required. Visit nhnature.org.

• Frogging By Ear, a new series for adults and youth ages 12 and up, will be held at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia). Take a nighttime forest hike to learn about the springtime habits of frogs, listen to frog calls in three wetland habitats and collect data to contribute to the knowledge of frogs in our state. The hikes are Saturday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 7, from 8:15 to 10:15 p.m. The cost is $12. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• On Sunday, June 5, from 7 a.m. to noon, New Hampshire Audubon hosts Beginner Bird Walks: Pickering Ponds Nest Walk. Look for nests and other evidence of breeding birds on the trails around the ponds and along the Cocheco River. Meet at the Pickering Ponds parking area; the entrance is about a mile south of the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Pickering Road (opposite mailbox No. 374). Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Join the Seacoast Science Center (570 Ocean Blvd., Rye) for World Ocean Day on Sunday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature hands-on games, educational activities, naturalist-led tide pooling sessions, food trucks, a beach clean-up, a lifesize inflatable whale and more. Visit seacoastsciencecenter.org for the full schedule.

• Join Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) for Beekeeping 101: Powerful Pollinators on Wednesday, June 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. The hands-on workshop will include a live bee colony, “suiting up,” tools and more. The cost is $25 and the workshop is intended for ages 16 and up. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• On Thursday, June 9, join Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) for Gardening in a Changing Climate from noon to 1 p.m. Beginners and advanced gardeners will learn about climate-friendly gardening. The cost is $25. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• Join the Nature Groupie team for the last session in the New Hampshire Audubon Invasive Champion trainings, this one focused on how to report invasive plants to EDDMaps, on Friday, June 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Audubon’s Auburn location (26 Audubon Way). Participants will be walked through how to report plants through the app, how invasive plant management can be tracked and how to use it for invasive plant workdays. Registration is required at naturegroupie.org/experiences/how-report-invasive-plants-eddmaps-training. This event may take place inside and outside, so come prepared for either. Bring water, a snack, a smartphone or tablet and note-taking materials. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Wander around the gardens at the New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) and search for pollinators during the center’s Buds & Blooms: Pollination event, happening Saturday, June 11, from 10 to 11 a.m. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) is hosting a Native Plant Sale on Sunday, June 12, from noon to 4 p.m. Bagley Pond Perennials will be at the center with a wide selection of native plants and shrubs for purchase, as well as garden kits that include plants adapted to specific planting conditions. Audubon staff and pollinator garden volunteers will be available to answer your questions about gardening, pollinators, native wildlife and native plants. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) hosts a bimonthly birding group to learn things like “bird language” and bird ID skills. The cost for each gathering is $12, and the program is meant for adults. Group meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, June 14; Tuesday, June 28; Thursday, July 14, and Thursday, July 28. All meetings are from 9 to 11 a.m. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• Take a Moonlight Tour at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia). Topics discussed may include identifying constellations, habits of nocturnal animals and testing your own night vision abilities. The walks are held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 14; Tuesday, July 12, and Thursday, Aug. 11. The cost is $12. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• On Thursday, June 16, Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) hosts Invasive Plants as part of its UNH Gardening Series from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Beginners and advanced gardeners will learn about climate-friendly gardening. The cost is $25. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• Beaver Brook Association is hosting Strawberry Station: A Family Event at Brown Lane Barn (52 Brown Lane, Hollis) on Sunday, June 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn to spot wild strawberries and make strawberry shortcake. The cost is $45; children are free, but attendees must register in advance. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• Learn your way around Beaver Brook trails and discover many other great trails in the region including Horse Hill Nature Preserve, Monson, Andres Institute of Art, the Potanipo Rail Trail, Purgatory Falls and more during Beaver Brook Association’s Fitness Hiking series. The eight-week session will start June 20, with hikes every Monday from 9 to 11 a.m. through Aug. 15, with the expectation of July 4. Hikers will meet at various trail heads for walks that are about 4 miles long. The program is intended for ages 16 and up. The cost is $100. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (Curry Place, 846 Route 3, Holderness) will hold its StoryWalk Kickoff Reception: The Bugliest Bug, on Friday, June 24, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Stroll along the path that surrounds the Holderness Town Gazebo while reading The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields, posted one page at a time along the trail. The story is about the news of a big contest taking place in the land of insects. After the kickoff reception, the trail will be open daily through Sept. 6.

• On Saturday, Aug. 20, Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) hosts two sessions of Guided Gathering: Wild Mushroom Foraging, from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Learn what features to use to safely identify wild mushrooms including toxic species as well as edibles. Remember to bring good hiking shoes, a basket for carrying mushrooms (keep what you find), bug spray, a backpack with lunch and plenty of water. The class is $30 and is intended for ages 18 and up. Visit beaverbrook.org.

• The 9th annual Monarch Festival at Petals in the Pines Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom (126 Baptist Road, Canterbury) will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10. The event is focused on educating the public on what they can do in their own backyards to help monarchs thrive. There will be butterfly-themed activities for kids and adults. More information is TBA. Visit petalsinthepines.com.

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Concerts

• Johnny A plays the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $35.

• Ripe plays the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, May 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $29.50.

• Gary Hoey will be at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, May 28, and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $40.

• Darci Lynne performs at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Sunday, May 29, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $29.50 to $55.

• Alex Cuba comes to the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Sunday, May 29, 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

• Tab Benoit will perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Wednesday, June 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40 to $45.

• Lee Brice performs at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $61 to $89.

• Lumineers will be at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Wednesday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $80.

•​ Bosey Joe plays the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, June 2, at 8 p.m. General admission tickets for the standing show cost $20. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Kane Brown, Walker Hayes and Raelynn will be at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, June 2, and Friday, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

•​ Beechwood and Boomsoss play the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m. General admission tickets cost $15. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• See Lit at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $38 to $45.

• Cold Engines plays the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

• Ringo Starr and the Avett Brothers come to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $36.

• Bonny Light Horseman comes to the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Thursday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $35.

• Blues legend Buddy Guy will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, June 9, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $95.

• Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $65.

• Heather Maloney performs at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

•​ Dueling Pianos comes to the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $24. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

•​ WailOn pays tribute to the music of Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and the outlaws of country music at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) on Friday, June 10, at 8 p.m. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

• Voyage – The Ultimate Journey Tribute Band will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, June 11, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19 to $35

•​ Jesse Cook performs at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, June 11, at 8 p.m. as part of his Tempest tour. Reserved seating tickets cost $35 and $45. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

• Hearts & Bones performs the music of Paul Simon at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester) on Saturday, June 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Laurel Canyon Band performs at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, June 11, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

•​ Krisanthi Pappas and her band will perform the soft rock hits of Carole King, Carly Simon

and Karen Carpenter at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, June 11, at 8 p.m. Reserved seating tickets cost $24. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• See The Little Mermen, a Disney cover band, at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Sunday, June 12, at noon. Tickets cost $25.

•​ The Devon Allman Project will be at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35.50, $49.50 and $65.50. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

• It Was 50 Years Ago Today, an all-star Beatles tribute, will be at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Thursday, June 16, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $95 to $135.

• See Thomas Rhett with Parker McCollum and Conner Smith at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, June 16, and Friday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $32.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Josh Ritter on Thursday, June 16, at 7 p.m., on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10. Reserved seats are sold out. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Dueling Pianos comes to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20.

•​ Hey Nineteen pays tribute to the music of Steely Dan at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) on Friday, June 17, at 8 p.m. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

•​ Brooks Young Band performs at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, June 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for standing general admission and $27 for reserved balcony seats ($25 in advance and $2 at the door). Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

•​ The Guess Who will be at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, June 18, at 8 p.m. Reserved seating tickets cost $49 to $69. Visit ccanh.com or call 225-1111.

• Dave Mason plays the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Tuesday, June 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60 to $65.

• See Jack Johnson and Durand Jones & the Indicators at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Tuesday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $77.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents The Dip with Lady Wray on Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m., on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Morgan Wallen and Hardy perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $399.

• The Northlands Music & Arts Festival will be held Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, at Cheshire Fairgrounds (247 Monadnock Hwy. in Swanzey). One- and two-day passes are available (as well as VIP passes, parking passes and on-site camping passes). Fifteen bands will perform over the two days and the event will also feature art, food trucks, a beer garden and more. See northlandslive.com.

• Roberto Morbioli and Willie J. Laws will be at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30.

•​ Bitter Pill, with special guest Fling, performs at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) on Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com or call 335-1992.

•​ Jocelyn & Chris perform at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for standing general admission and $22 for reserved balcony seats. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Big Time Rush and Dixie Damelio come to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, June 25, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $63.

• See “Songs of a Natural Woman,” a Carole King tribute, on Saturday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 26, at 2 p.m., at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester). Tickets cost $25 to $30. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• See the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Sunday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The Happy Together Tour, which includes The Turtles, Chuck Negron, The Association, Mark Lindsay, The Vogues and The Cowsills, comes tothe Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Sunday, June 26, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $144.

• Marc Cohn plays the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, June 25, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $55.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Katie Pruitt on Wednesday, June 29, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

•​ Amythyst Kiah performs at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Dark Star Orchestra pays tribute to the Grateful Dead at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, June 30, and Friday, July 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• James Taylor performs at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $49.

• Lynyrd Skynyrd, Don Felder and The Outlaws rock the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Friday, July 1, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos and Gabe Dixon play the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20.

• Erick Baker performs at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Saturday, July 2, with shows at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

• Badfish! A Tribute to Sublime comes to the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, July 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents The Brothers Comatose on Wednesday, July 6, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Garbage rocks the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Wednesday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $39.

• Train, Jewel and Blues Traveler play the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15.

•​ Lamont Smooth with special guest Matt Poirierperforms at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, July 7, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Barenaked Ladies performs with Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $28.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Fruition on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Beginnings, a Chicago tribute band, will be at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, July 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• The Fab Four Ultimate Tribute plays the music of the Beatles at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Friday, July 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19 to $40.

• Get The Led Out pays tribute to the music of Led Zeppelin at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, July 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $31.

• Maren Morris performs at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, July 9, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• Dave Matthews Band comes to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $46.

• Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo come to the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $197.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Watchhouse on Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Séan McCann performs at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $35.

• See 33⅓ Live’s Killer Queen Experience at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, July 15, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40 to $55.

• Todd Rundgren comes to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60 to $65.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Dustbowl Revival on Sunday, July 17, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Liz Frame & the Kickers come to the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

• Arrival from Sweden plays the music of ABBA at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Tuesday, July 19, and Wednesday, July 20, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents John Moreland with The Dead Tongues on Wednesday, July 20, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Deer Tick on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m., on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band come to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45.

• Dark Desert Eagles pay tribute to the music of the Eagles at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19 to $34.

• Bitter Pill plays the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $28 to $38.

• Steve Miller Band and Jimmie Vaughn perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Friday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• OneRepublic and NeedtoBreathe perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $24.

• Little River Band plays the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, July 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $59.

• Keith Urban and Ingrid Andress play the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Sunday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Taylor O’Donnell performs at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Sunday, July 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $28 to $38.

• See Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, The Warning, Lilith and Czar at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Monday, July 25, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• Mark Erelli and Peter Mulvey perform at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Thursday, July 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 to $32.

• KC and the Sunshine Band performs at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $69.

• Norah Jones performs at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Tuesday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Sierra Hull and Kitchen Dwellers on Wednesday, July 27, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Luke Bryan plays the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, July 28, and Friday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $99.

• Blue Oyster Cult rocks the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, July 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $70 to $72.

• The Lowell Folk Festival, featuring three days of live music, family activities, food, art and more, will be held Friday, July 29, through Sunday, July 31, at locations throughout Lowell. Stay tuned to lowellfolkfestival.org for updates on performers, participating food vendors (the festival features a variety of ethnic cuisines) and other plans for this year’s festival.

• The Rockzilla Tour comes to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, July 30, at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

•​ Peter Mulvey and Mark Erelli will be at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. Reserved seating tickets cost $25. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Takénobu plays the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 to $25.

• Hanson performs at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $39.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Spencer and the Walrus on Sunday, July 31, at 7 p.m., on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Collective Soul and Switchfoot come to the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Sunday, July 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $49 to $224.

• Chris Stapleton performs at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) from Thursday, Aug. 4 through Saturday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $118.

• Brit Floyd pays tribute to the music of Pink Floyd at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $49.

• See JJ Grey & Mofro at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Friday, Aug. 5, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30.

• Laurie Berkner plays the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $25 to $100.

• See “Songwriters in the Round,” featuring Dan Blakeslee, Kate Redgate and Chad Verbeck, at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for a table for up to two people, $100 for a table for up to four people and $150 for a table for up to six people.

• The Breakers, a tribute to the music of Tom Petty, will be at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• The Glenn Miller Orchestra comes to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Sunday, Aug. 7, with shows at noon and 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $40.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Miko Marks with Dwayne Haggins on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Atlanta Rhythm Section plays the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $55 to $60.

• Joe Bonamassa plays the blues at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, Aug. 11, and Friday, Aug. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $79 to $775.

• The Fabulous Thunderbirds perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $50.

• Outlaw Music Festival, featuring Willie Nelson and ZZ Top, plus special guests, comes to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Friday, Aug. 12, at 4:30 p.m. Tickets start at $49.

• Chris Botti comes to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $85 to $105.

• Legends Tribute, featuring tributes to Rush, Prince, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Cars, Tom Petty and Janis Joplin, comes to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, Aug. 13, at noon. Tickets start at $10.

• Goo Goo Dolls and Blue October play the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25.

• Chris Lane plays the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Shovels & Rope on Monday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m., on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Whitesnake will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $64 to $197.

• Rick Springfield and Men at Work perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, Aug, 18, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• See “A Night of Sinatra,” featuring Rich DiMare, at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Thursday, Aug. 18, with shows at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60 for a table for up to two people, $120 for a table for up to four people and $180 for a table for up to six people.

• Kip Moore plays the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Thursday, Aug. 18, and Friday, Aug. 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• Scott Stapp of Creed performs at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60 to $75.

• Eanda Band performs at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $27 to $37.

• Dispatch, O.A.R. and G Love perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• Tusk, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, performs at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $40.

• Sam Hunt comes to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• Bella White performs at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 to $25.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Americana Fest with Alejandro Escovedo and Pokey LaFarge on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Wiz Khalifa and Logic come to the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• Sister Hazel rocks the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $55.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents The War & Treaty on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Wilco and Mt. Joy perform at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents The 39th annual Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival, featuring six jazz bands, on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 12:30 to 8 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• One Night of Queen, performed by Gary Mullen and The Works, will be at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19 to $35.

• Daughtry rocks the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40 to $347.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Indigo Girls on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10. Reserved seats are sold out. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• They Might Be Giants rocks the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $50.

•​ Billy Wylder plays the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $18. Visit banknhstage.com or call 225-1111.

• Will Dailey plays the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Friday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $30.

• Candlebox comes to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $45 to $50.

• Extreme plays the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $28.

• Odesza, Sylvan Esso and Elderbrook play the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Wild Rivers on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

• Darius Rucker performs at the Bank of NH Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• The River House Restaurant Concert Series presents Allen Stone on Monday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. on the Wilcox Main Stage at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). General admission costs $10, and reserved seats start at $65. Visit prescottpark.org or call 436-2848.

Free Summer Concert Series

Hampton Beach Sea Shell Stage Series
What: Local musicians and bands across a variety of different genres
Where: Ocean Boulevard, Hampton Beach
When: Shows daily starting on June 15 and through Sept. 5
Visit: hamptonbeach.org

Londonderry Concerts on the Commons
What: Local musicians and bands across a variety of different genres
Where: Londonderry Town Common, 265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry
When: Monday, June 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m., June 15 through Aug. 17
Visit: londonderryartscouncil.org

Nashua SummerFun concerts
What: As part of the city’s SummerFun program, there will be concerts in Greeley Park (many Tuesdays at 7 p.m. starting June 21), Bach’s Lunch Concerts on Wednesdays in July at noon at the Nashua Public Library and Summer Concerts on the Plaza in July on Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Where: Greeley Park’s bandshell is at 100 Court St. in Nashua; the library is at 2 Court St. in Nashua
See: nashuanh.gov

Merrimack Summer Concert Series
What: Local musicians and bands across a variety of genres
Where: Abbie Griffin Park, 6 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack
When: Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., from June 22 to Aug. 17
Visit: merrimackparksandrec.org

New Boston Summer Concert Series
What: Local musicians and bands across a variety of genres
Where: New Boston Common Gazebo, 5 Meetinghouse Hill Road, New Boston
When: Select Tuesdays, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; dates are June 28, July 12, July 26, Aug. 9 and Aug. 23.
Visit: newbostonnh.gov

Meetinghouse Park Summer Concert Series
What: Local jazz, funk and cover bands
Where: 11 Main St., Hampstead (behind Hampstead’s Town Hall)
When: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., from June 28 to Aug. 23
Visit: hampsteadconcerts.com/concert-series

Pelham Concerts on the Village Green
What: Local musicians and bands across a variety of genres
Where: Pelham Parks and Recreation, 6 Village Green, Pelham
When: June 29, July 13, July 21, Aug. 4 and Aug. 18; all will take place from 6 to 8 p.m.
Visit: pelhamweb.com

Family Concerts in the Park in Bedford
What: A lineup of bands whose styles include rock, doo-wop, country/folk and New Orleans-style music.
When: Mostly Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. from July 6 through Aug. 10. The Manchester Community Music School will perform Thursday, June 30, at 6 p.m.
Where: the Bedford Village Common Park at the Gazebo (the park is off Bell Hill Road in Bedford)
More info: bedfordnh.myrec.com/

Pro Portsmouth’s Summer in the Street
What: Musicians and dance companies entertain people in the center of the city
Where: Pleasant Street, Portsmouth
When: Tuesdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. throughout July
Visit: proportsmouth.org

Ordway Park Summer Concert Series
What: Local folk, pop and acoustic music groups
Where: 599 Main St. (intersection of Route 121 and Depot Road), Hampstead
When: Wednesdays at 6 p.m., from July 6 to July 27
Visit: hampsteadconcerts.com/concert-series

Field of Dreams Summer Concert Series
What: Local rock, R&B and funk performers
Where: Field of Dreams Community Park, 48 Geremonty Drive, Salem
When: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., July 7 to Aug. 18
Visit: fieldofdreamsnh.org

Stark Park Summer Concert Series
What: a diverse lineup of musical groups playing, starting with Love Dogs (described as combining blues, New Orleans rhythm and blues, and early rock ’n’ roll) on Sunday, July 10, at 2 p.m.
When: Mostly Sundays in July and August at 2 p.m. The Manchester Community Music School will give a concert on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m.
Where: Stark Park is on River Road in north Manchester
More info: Find the full list at Friends of Stark Park website, starkpark.com/events.

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Sports

From baseball games and golf tournaments to all types of races and clinics, here’s a snapshot of summer happenings across the sports world this year.

• The Nashua Silver Knights participate in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and will host their season opener against the Pittsfield Suns at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Thursday, May 26, at 6 p.m. Their last home game is on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 3 p.m. against the Worcester Bravehearts. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats Double-A team is a minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Their next home game will be on Tuesday, May 31, at 6:35 p.m., the first of a six-game homestand. In addition to their May 31 outing, games will be held on Wednesday, June 1, at 6:35 p.m., Thursday, June 2, at 6:35 p.m., Friday, June 3, at 6:03 p.m. (for “603 Night”), Saturday, June 4, at 6:35 p.m., and Sunday, June 5, at 1:35 p.m. Visit nhfishercats.com.

• F45 Training in Portsmouth will host a free outdoor bootcamp at Prescott Park (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) on Saturday, June 4, at 9 a.m. Visit f45training.com.

• The next events in the New Hampshire Golf Association’s Stroke Play Series are scheduled for Monday, June 6, at Rochester Country Club (94 Church St., Rochester); Wednesday, July 20, at The Oaks Golf Links (100 Hideaway Place, Somersworth); and Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Intervale Country Club (1491 Front St., Manchester). The cost is $70 per golfer per individual 18-hole tournament. Visit nhgolfassociation.org.

• AmpSurf New England will hold a learn to surf clinic for those living with disabilities, as well as veterans and first responders, at Sawyers Beach in Rye on Saturday, June 11, from 7 a.m. to noon. The cost is $50 per surfer to participate. Visit ampsurf.org.

• The final match of the Division 1 NHIAA Baseball Tournament will take place on Saturday, June 11, at 4 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Visit nhiaa.org.

• Concord Skate Park (15 Loudon Road, Concord) will host its second annual Rumble in the Rubble Skate Jam on Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to skating, there will be prizes, raffles, food, music and more. Skaters of all experience levels are welcome. Visit concordskatepark.com.

• The 78th annual New Hampshire Soap Box Derby race will be held on Sunday, June 12, at 120 Broadway in Dover — check-ins begin at 7:45 a.m., with side-by-side competitions kicking off at 9:30 a.m. The Derby creates an opportunity for kids ages 7 and older to create a gravity-powered car and race it down a track in hopes of making the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship, hosted in Akron, Ohio. Visit soapboxderby.org/newhampshire.

• The second annual Chandler’s Ball 3-on-3 Kids Basketball Tournament is happening on Saturday, June 18, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Emmett-Sheridan Park (324 Beech St., Manchester). The cost is $15 per team, and players will be divided into age groups of 8 to 12, 13 to 16 and 17 to 21 years old. Visit chandlersangels.org.

• The fourth annual Franklin Animal Shelter Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 20, at 8:30 a.m. at Lochmere Country Club (360 Laconia Road, Tilton). The cost is $125 per golfer. Registration opens at 7 a.m., and the event will also feature various games, prizes and a silent auction. Visit franklinanimalshelter.com.

• This year’s New Hampshire Open, presented by the New Hampshire Golf Association, will be Thursday, June 23, through Saturday, June 25, at Breakfast Hill Golf Club (339 Breakfast Hill Road, Greenland). The entry fees start at $150. Visit nhgolfassociation.org.

• The New Hampshire Senior Games are open to athletes 40 years old by Dec. 31 (35 years old for cornhole and track and field; 45 for cycling and road race, and 50 for pickleball and golf) and holds its first event, for candlepin bowling, on Friday, June 24, at 1 p.m. at Boutwell’s Bowling Center in Concord. See nhseniorgames.org for all of the sports, registration dates and costs and more.

• Dozens of high school football players from across the state will participate in this year’s CHaD NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game, scheduled for Saturday, June 25, at 1 p.m. at Saint Anselm College (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester). General admission tickets are $15, with all proceeds benefiting Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). Visit chadkids.org.

• Monte Scheinblum’s Boston Clinic is hosted at World Cup Golf Center (4 Friel Golf Road, Hudson) and works on all kinds of golf skills over the course of a few days. There will be group and individual sessions from Saturday, July 9, through Monday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See “Boston Golf Clinic with Monte Scheinblum” on Eventbrite for more details.

• It’s NASCAR Weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) from Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17 — weekend happenings include Friday Night Dirt Duels on Friday, a 200-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the Whelen Manufactured in America 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at 6 p.m. on Sunday, the Ambetter 301 will kick off at 3 p.m. Adult tickets start at $49 while kids ages 12 and under are $10. Visit nhms.com.

• The 18th annual Fore Paws Golf Classic, a fundraiser for the Salem Animal Rescue League, is happening on Monday, Aug. 8, at Windham Country Club (1 Country Club Road, Windham). Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 7 a.m. The cost is $175 per golfer. Visit sarlnh.org.

• The annual Fit4acause Triple Challenge, happening on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 8:30 a.m., features a biking, running and walking “boot camp” held at Memorial Field on Fruit Street in Concord. Tickets are $39 for adults and $16 for kids ages 10 to 15, with proceeds benefiting Concord Hospital’s Payson Center for Cancer Care. Visit fit4acausestrong.com.

• Crown Trophy of Hooksett is hosting its fourth annual golf tournament at Derryfield Country Club (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester) on Friday, Aug. 26, at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $95 per golfer or $380 per group of four golfers, and all proceeds are donated to the American Diabetes Association. Visit crowntrophy.com.

• Firefighters and police officers from across the Granite State will renew their friendly rivalry during the annual Battle of the Badges Baseball Classic, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Visit chadkids.org.

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Film Events

• Get a mix of current films and broadcasts of theatrical productions at The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org). The current schedule includes screenings of Memoria (PG, 2022) on Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m.; The Outfit (R, 2022) on Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m.; Marvelous and the Black Hole (2021) on Saturday, May 28, at 3 p.m., and the 2020 documentary A Race to Alaska on Saturday, May 28, at 7 p.m. Upcoming theater includes Kinky Boots on Wednesday, June 1, at 7 p.m. and Henry V (featuring Kit “Jon Snow” Harrington in the lead role) on Thursday, June 2, at 7 p.m.

• The Milford Drive-In (531 Elm St. in Milford; milforddrivein.com, 673-4090) has opened for the season (so far, the screenings have been on Fridays and Saturdays). Admission costs $32 per car of up to six people (each additional person costs an extra $5) for double features on two screens. Find the upcoming films, schedule and the snacks menu online. The website listed Top Gun: Maverick (PG-13, 2022) as one of this coming weekend’s films.

• Fathom Events (Fathomevents.com) has a packed schedule during the summer months.

Several anniversary screenings are on the schedule. Smokey and the Bandit (PG, 1977) will celebrate its 45th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, May 29 (Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and Regal Fox Run in Newington); Wednesday, June 1 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping) and Thursday, June 2 (Cinemark Rockingham Park). What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) will celebrate its 60th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, June 12 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run) and Wednesday, June 15 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square). John Carpenter’s The Thing (R, 1982) celebrates its 40th with screenings on Sunday, June 19 (AMC Londonderry and Cinemark Rockingham Park) and Wednesday, June 22 ( O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square, AMC Londonderry and Cinemark Rockingham Park). The animated G.I. Joe: The Movie (PG, 1987) celebrates its 35th with screenings on Thursday, June 23, and Saturday, June 25 (O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square and AMC Londonderry). The Fifth Element (PG-13, 1997) celebrates its 25th with screenings Sunday, June 26, and Wednesday, June 29 (AMC Londonderry and Regal Fox Run). See Liza Minelli in Cabaret(PG, 1972), celebrating its 50th, on Sunday, July 17 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run) and Wednesday, July 20 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square). Finish out the summer by yelling “Khaaaaan!” at Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan(PG, 1982) celebrating its 40th with screenings Sunday, Sept. 4; Monday, Sept. 5, and Thursday, Sept. 8 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run).

GKids presents Studio Ghibli Fest 2022 kicks off with The Cat Returns(G, 2002) screening Sunday, June 26 (Cinemark Rockingham Park) and Monday, June 27 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square). Hayao Miyazaki’s Kiki’s Delivery Service (G, 1989) will screen at Cinemark Rockingham Park on Sunday, July 31; Monday, Aug. 1, and Wednesday, Aug. 3. Only Yesterday (PG, 1991) will screen Sunday, Aug. 28 (Cinemark Rockingham Park) and Monday, Aug. 29 (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square).

There are several other presentations on the schedule, including concerts and presentations of opera and theater. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Judy Garland’s birth with screenings of the Wizard of Oz(1939) Sunday, June 5 (AMC Londonderry and Regal Fox Run) and Monday, June 6 (AMC Londonderry and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square). See episodes of the Golden Girls on the big screen on Tuesday, June 7, and Tuesday, June 14 (AMC Londonderry and O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square).

• At the Bank of NH Stage in Concord (16 S. Main St. in Concord; 225-1111, banknhstage.com) there’s one more Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcast on the schedule: Hamilton Saturday, June 4, at 12:30 p.m.

• In addition to the Fathom Events presentation, O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy. in Epping; 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) will feature family-friendly films on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. starting on Monday, July 4. According to the website, the lineup includes Trolls World Tour(PG, 2020 ) on July 4 and July 6; Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (PG, 2022) on July 11 and July 13; The Croods: A New Age (PG, 2020) on July 18 and July 20); Minions (PG, 2015) on July 25 and July 27, and The Boss Baby: Family Business(PG, 2021) on Aug. 1 and Aug. 3, and Sing 2 (PG 2021) on Aug. 8 and Aug. 10.

The theater also offers a regular schedule of sensory-friendly film screenings, when the house lights are higher and the volume is lower. The screenings are on some Saturdays at 10 a.m. The current lineup includes Top Gun: Maverick (PG-13, 2022) and The Bob’s Burgers Movie (PG-13, 2022) on May 28; Jurassic World Dominion (PG-13, 2022) on June 11; Lightyear (2022) on June 18; Minions 2: The Rise of Gru (PG, 2022) on July 2; Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) on July 9; Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (PG, 2022) on July 23 and DC League of Super Pets (2022) on July 30.

• The silent film series continues at The Flying Monkey (39 Main St. in Plymouth; 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com) with films presented with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. The lineup includes The Black Pirate (1926) on Wednesday, June 8; The Strong Man (1926) on Wednesday, July 6, and The Son of the Sheik(1926) on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Doors open at 6 p.m., films start at 6:30 p.m. Admission costs $10.

Film lovers might also want to check out the “Music in the Movies” presentation from the NH Music Festival and the Fiddlehead Field Chamber Group on Wednesday, July 20, at 7 p.m.; tickets start at $10.

• The Prescott Park Arts Festival has nine movies on the schedule for screening in Prescott Park in Portsmouth. On Friday, June 10, catch Soul (PG, 2020) at 8:30 p.m., screened in collaboration with the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. A $5 per person donation is suggested to make a reservation (with other options for a table or blanket).

The Monday Night Movie Series kicks off on Monday, June 27, at 8:30 p.m. with a screening of The Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13, 2012). The rest of the lineup includes Encanto (PG, 2021) on Monday, July 11, at 8:30 p.m.; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (PG, 1980) on Monday, July 18, at 8:30 p.m.; Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13, 2012) on Monday, July 25, at 8:30 p.m.; Clue (PG, 1985) on Monday, Aug. 1, at 8:30 p.m.; Grease: Sing-Along (1978) on Monday Aug. 8, at 8:30 p.m.; Hook (PG, 1991) on Monday, Aug. 22, at 8:30 p.m., and The Wizard of Oz (1939) on Monday, Aug. 29, at 8:30 p.m.

• The Merrimack Parks & Recreation Movies in the Park series kicks off Saturday, June 18, with a screening of Encanto (PG, 2021) at 8:30 p.m. The lineup also includes Spider-Man: No Way Home (PG-13, 2021) on Saturday, July 23, at 8:15 p.m. and Sing 2 (PG, 2021) on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to Merrimack residents and non-residents. Screenings are held in Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road in Merrimack). See merrimackparksandrec.org.

• In addition to its usual line up of films (currently screening Thursdays through Sundays), Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) will screen Clueless (PG-13, 1995) at dusk on Friday, June 24, as part of Market Days in downtown Concord. Red River will also hold its Music, Movie & Poster sale during Market Days.

• If you spend a summer Monday at the beach, finish your day at the coast with Movie Night Mondays on Hampton Beach (next to the playground) starting July 11 at dusk (approximately 8:22 p.m. for that first movie and then a few minutes earlier for each subsequent film). The films run weekly through Aug. 29, admission is free, bring a chair or blanket. The lineup of family-friendly films kicks off with Paw Patrol (G, 2021) on July 11. See hamptonbeach.org for the full schedule and the approximate dusk times; rain days are Tuesdays.

• As part of Nashua Parks & Recreation’s SummerFun program, Nashua will host several Pics in the Park at Greeley Park (100 Concord St. in Nashua): Jurassic Park (PG-13, 1993) on Friday, July 15, at dusk; Raiders of the Lost Ark (PG-13, 1981) on Friday, Aug. 12, at dusk, and Shrek (PG, 2001) on Friday, Sept. 16, at dusk. See nashuanh.gov.

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Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Wherein an intrepid cheese-lover attempts several daring experiments with cheese that lead to delicious and unexpected results

Goat cheese, part 1

It was the thyme that pulled me down the rabbit hole.

I had always said that the title of my first cookbook would be I Don’t Have Thyme For This. Over the years, though, as I’ve done more and more cocktail recipe development, I began to suspect a better title would be, It’s Cocktail Thyme! It’s a great title — cheerful, to the point, a little stupid — in short, much like me.

As I honed my bartending skills and got a better sense for flavor combinations, one small but nagging problem kept raising its head: I had never actually developed a cocktail using thyme. To be fair, it always seemed a bit of a formality; thyme is delicious, cocktails are delicious, it shouldn’t be too tricky to bring the two of them together.

Eventually, I decided to tackle the project and looked up thyme in The Flavor Bible.

I tend to think of thyme as a pretty ubiquitous herb. I mean, I don’t really use it, but you see fancy chefs on TV using it all the time.

The Flavor Bible would beg to differ.

The Flavor Bible
The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (Little, Brown, and Co., 2008) is an excellent handbook for anyone playing mad scientist in the kitchen. Essentially, it is the result of a very, very comprehensive poll of extremely thoughtful chefs of what flavors they like to pair with particular ingredients. This book gives you a good idea of what the professional consensus is about any given pairing. If, for instance, you wanted to use coffee in a dish, one or two chefs might suggest pairing it with barbecue sauce. Almost all of them, though, would suggest using it with chocolate. It gives you a sense of which combinations are classics and which are a little more avant-garde.

Overwhelmingly, the most popular pairing that chefs recommend with thyme is goat cheese.

Goat cheese.

How absurd. Clearly, that wouldn’t work in a cocktail. What kind of depraved thrill-seeker would drink a goat cheese cocktail? I would have to try something else.

What else do the chefs suggest to go with thyme?

Carrots, cod or eggplant.

So — goat cheese, huh?

One problem with using goat cheese in a drink is that you can’t just drop a dollop of it into a cocktail shaker and expect it to mix well with the other ingredients. The fat in the cheese would be reluctant to mix with the other liquids without some sort of emulsifier to help it along.

You’ve heard the expression that oil and water don’t mix. Not only is this true, but it can make life difficult for a cook. A good example of this is salad dressing. A classic oil-and-vinegar dressing does not want to mix and must be shaken together vigorously, and used immediately, before it starts to separate. An emulsifier is some ingredient that helps the oil play nicely with other liquids. The classic example is a beaten egg. The fat in a raw egg yolk will latch onto oil molecules readily, while the proteins in the egg white will provide a bridge to water-based fluids.

A goat cheese-based cocktail is a big ask to begin with, without bringing a raw egg on board.

Another approach might be to go in a milkshake direction — a sort of savory mudslide, perhaps. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of that at the time and got distracted by sort of a culinary sleight-of-hand: fat washing.

The basic theory behind fat-washing is that almost any compound that is fat-soluble is also alcohol-soluble. For the past few years, high-end bartenders have been using that chemical loophole to flavor bourbon with bacon, or rum with brown butter. The secret, apparently, is to mix an alcohol with a fatty food, then raise the temperature of the mixture to a couple of degrees above the melting point of the fat you are trying to liberate flavors out of. If you give the fat and alcohol time to get to know each other better, flavors can be exchanged. Goat cheese-infused alcohol is feasible, if you are patient enough.

After several spectacular failed attempts and panicked telephone calls to food scientists (I’m not kidding) I eventually cracked it.

Step 1: Choose a base alcohol

After a lot of thought, I decided to use gin for my experiment. It seemed like the herbal ingredients in a gin would complement the flavor of goat cheese and serve as a bridge to the thyme in a finished cocktail. But which gin?

I asked Andy Harthcock, the owner of Djinn Spirits in Nashua. He seemed a little confused when I told him that I wanted to infuse goat cheese into gin.

“Don’t you mean the other way around?” he asked. (Which actually sounded like a good idea, but I decided to focus on one dangerously ill-conceived project at a time.)

I assured him that I actually was planning to flavor gin with the cheese. He admitted that this was a first for him, but on reflection he had some thoughts about how to go about it.

“You probably don’t want a really high-end gin for this,” he told me. “Any subtle flavors are going to be totally blown out by the goatiness of the cheese.” He advised me to try a heavily botanical gin. “I think you’re probably going to have to eat a round of cheese with several different labels and see which ones stand up to ‘The Goat.’”

So, I did.

After comparing eight different gins, I discovered that Harthcock was right – the two most botanical gins held up to the flavor of the goat cheese the best; in this case, Djinn Spirits’ Original Gin and Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin. The Djinn gin was extremely botanical and was able to meet the cheese on equal terms. The Drumshanbo isn’t especially botanical but has its own very forceful personality. Either of them would work well.

Step 2: Choose a cheese.

After some trial and error, it turns out that you will need the strongest, “goatiest” cheese available. In this case, I went with Bijou Crottin by Vermont Creamery.

Step 3: Combine the gin and stinky cheese in a zip-lock bag and smoosh it up — a technical term — until it is thoroughly combined. Grope it shamelessly.

Step 4: Heat the mixture to 120°F (49°C) — the melting point of goat cheese — and leave it at that temperature for four hours. A sous vide tank would make this much easier, but you can do much the same thing with a plastic cooler and a thermometer, replacing hot water every 20 minutes or so to keep the water temperature fairly constant.

Sous vide
A sous vide water bath is a piece of equipment originally developed for use in scientific and medical labs. It keeps a tub or pot of water at an exact and consistent temperature. You could bathe a bag of lamb chops at 135º, for instance, and walk away secure in the knowledge that it would cook to a perfect medium-rare, and stay there.

Step 5: After a four-hour soak, remove the bag of cheese gin from its bath and put it in a bowl somewhere out of the way for 72 hours. Once or twice per day, you might want to smoosh the bag around in your hands to remix the infusion and keep the cheese in solution.

Step 6: On the big day, thank your bag of gin for working so hard for you, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. There will be a surprising amount of cheese solids — or casein — left behind.

Step 7: Filter the cloudy liquid through a coffee filter.

Goat Cheese Gin Recipes:

The Relentless March of Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 ounces goat cheese gin (see above)
• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ ounce thyme syrup (see below)
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Combine all ingredients, with ice, in a cocktail shaker. Shake brutally, until you hear the ice shatter.

Strain into a martini glass.

This is a goat-forward, thyme-y, martini-like cocktail. It has a bit of sweetness from the thyme syrup, but it has a clean, cold taste that picks up on the multi-stage nature of the gin and comes in waves.

Thyme Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 10 grams / ⅓ ounce fresh thyme (about half a plastic clamshell package from the produce department at the supermarket)

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Let the syrup boil for 10 or 15 seconds to make sure that all the sugar has been dissolved into solution.

Remove from heat, add the thyme, and cover with a plate. Let the thyme steep for 30 minutes.

Strain into a bottle and store in your refrigerator.

Die Goat-erdämmerung

Ingredients

• 2 ounces goat cheese-infused gin
• 1 ounce thyme simple syrup
• 1 ounce lemon syrup (see below)
• Plain seltzer

Add gin, thyme syrup and lemon syrup to a cocktail shaker, with ice.

Again, shake brutally, until the ice shatters, or the world ends.

Pour, with the ice, into a tall glass and top with seltzer. Stir gently.

This take on goat-cheese gin is sweeter and more amiable than its martini-ish baby brother. Instead of shouting, “HEY!! GOAT CHEESE!!” at you, it soothes and persuades you: “Oh, this is lovely. Oh, there’s some lemon; you like that, don’t you? What’s that in the background? Thyme, you say? Oh, that’s perfect. You know, this is just goaty enough.” It is perfect for dedicating your first weekend of deck-sitting.

Lemon Syrup

Zest some lemons — any amount; don’t let some recipe order you around on this.

Juice the lemons into a small saucepan. Add an equal amount of white sugar, and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, add the zest, and allow the mixture to steep, covered, for 30 minutes.

Strain, bottle and refrigerate.

“OK,” one might say, “so this whole goat cheese gin thing is very clever and sounds fun, but what if I’m in a cheesy mood, but don’t want to take a leave of absence from work and get a degree in Laboratory Science to make something? “

Ah! You’re in luck!

Goat cheese. part 2

One of my go-to sources for baking recipes is the King Arthur website. Every bread, brownie or pizza crust that they post a recipe for has been rigorously tested and is pretty much bullet-proof. One of my favorite aspects of their recipes is that the amount of each ingredient is listed by volume (cups, etc.) and by weight (ounces and grams). I find that weighing ingredients is easier and more accurate than scooping them with measuring cups.

One of their most recent projects has been something called a Basque cheesecake.

Cheesecake-making can be nerve-wracking. You want your cheesecake to be done all the way through, but not overly baked. You worry about it heating unevenly and developing a crack across the top. You worry about whether you should have used a water bath or not, and if you did, should you have heated the water up first? And then, when you finally finish baking, cooling, and depanning it, you will serve it to someone who shrugs and says, “Yeah. It’s OK,” because it doesn’t fit their mental model of what a cheesecake should be. And then you have to worry about hiding a body.

A Basque cheesecake, on the other hand, is meant to be rustic-looking. You are supposed to bake it at an unreasonably high heat, until the top is deeply, deeply caramelized; it’s supposed to look over-baked.

This makes its deliciousness somewhat surprising and gives it a bigger impact.

I’ve taken the original recipe and tweaked it to accentuate its cheesiness. I’ve replaced cream cheese with a mild goat cheese and dramatically reduced the sugar in this recipe by about a third, to make its tartness pop. It is easy. It doesn’t take long. It is a tremendous confidence-booster.

Basque Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 24 ounces / 685 grams soft, mild goat cheese
• 7 ounces / 200 grams white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 6 ounces /170 grams heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Heat oven to 500º.

Line a springform pan with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a blender, then blend for five minutes.

Pour into the springform pan, trimming off any excess parchment paper.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until dark.

Cool for at least one hour, then remove from pan.

Eating this tart, crumbly cheesecake is a meditative experience. It is delicious. The sharp taste of the goat cheese provides a mouth-watering sourness that seems a little citrusy, but is also emphatically not. The pared-down nature of this dish makes it perfect for paying very close attention to every bite, and leaving you fully in the moment.

And now perhaps you’re thinking: “That does sound good, but my mother-in-law is famous for her cheesecake, and I’m afraid that if I made this, word would get to her, she would take it as some sort of criticism, and my quality of life would degrade significantly. Do you have something else?”

OK. As it turns out, yes I do.

Digital scale
Once you get used to it, a digital scale becomes an indispensable tool in your kitchen. When you need to add multiple ingredients to a bowl or a saucepan, for instance, you can put the container on the scale, then add each ingredient by weight, using the tare function to zero out the scale and avoid doing math. You stop having to wonder what “tightly” or “loosely” packed means in a given context. Your baking becomes much more consistent.

Smoked cheddar

One of my great passions is shopping at flea markets. I have a particular fondness for finding obscure cookbooks. Our kitchen shelves long ago ran out of room to hold all of them, and I am about three volumes away from filling a bookcase in the living room. Their mere existence is something of a trial for my wife, who feels that by taking up valuable space but never actually being cooked from, they are openly mocking her.

“Can we get rid of some of these?” she asks me two or three times a year. “Are you ever going to actually make any Bengali street food?”

“You never know, Baby,” I reply with an air of mystery. “You never know.”

And the scary thing for her is that she doesn’t know. She could be going through her day, not suspecting a thing, then suddenly catching a whiff of the exotic but slightly alarming scent of asafetida from the kitchen.

Last week’s purchase was the promisingly titled Adventures in Cooking by Rasmus Alsaker, M.D., published in 1927.

I was fully prepared to navigate old-fashioned recipes calling for vague measurements, like “a knob of butter, the size of a pullet’s egg,” or “a medium oven.” Doctor Alsaker was a man of science, though, and his measurements were precise. What I was not prepared for was his enthusiasm for pimientos. At a rough estimate, he calls for pimientos in approximately 5,000 recipes. I don’t know what was going on pimiento-wise in 1927, but I have used our own relative pimientolessness as license to modify his recipe for the very promising-sounding:

Cheese Crumb Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups / 110 grams bread crumbs. (I feel like you could blitz Triscuits in the food processor in lieu of fresh bread crumbs.)
• 2 cups / 250 grams shredded, smoked cheddar. I went with an Australian brand called Old Croc, and I was not disappointed.
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tablespoons jarred salsa (This is playing pinch hitter for the pimientos.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup / 225 grams whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon paprika

Heat oven to 375º.

Generously butter a 9×9” baking dish.

Mix the mustard, pepper and paprika together in a small dish.

Spread 1/3 of your crumbs over the bottom of the baking dish. Look at them critically. Do they look cold and lonely?

Cover them with a blanket of cheddar — half the cheddar. Sprinkle half of the seasoning on top of the blanket. You know — like a blessing.

Repeat, with another layer of crumbs, the rest of the cheddar, and the rest of the seasoning. Top with a final layer of crumbs.

Mix the milk, eggs and salsa; gently pour over the top of the guys you already have in the baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The center of this savory pudding is tender, custardy and smoky. The edges are where it really shines though. If you are, like all good Americans, a fan of brownies from the edge of the pan, the chewiness of the pudding border will be something of a revelation. You could describe this as being a bit like a very good macaroni and cheese without the macaroni.

Or, in the words of my own sullen teenager, “Why didn’t you ever tell me you could cook something like this?”

But perhaps you’re thinking: “I can’t make that. Mercury is in retrograde.”

OK, now you’re just messing with me, but I’m going to call your bluff.

Electric whisk
Most recipes that call for a custard will include very finicky instructions on how to temper beaten eggs with hot milk, then whisk the warmed-up egg mixture back into whatever you are cooking. Then comes possibly the most frustrating cooking instruction ever written: “cook, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a spoon.” I don’t know what kinds of cooking prodigies can actually manage that. I’ve been trying to perfect that particular maneuver for over 20 years and I can still never tell when I’m closing in on “soupy scrambled eggs” territory.

The game-changer for me was finding a whisk with an integrated thermometer in it. Some research revealed that ice cream base should be heated to approximately 175º, so now I can just whisk my custard thoroughly until I hit that temperature.

Blue Cheese

Honey-Roquefort Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 8 Tablespoons / 120 grams clover or wildflower honey
• 4 ounces Roquefort or blue cheese
• 2 cups / 500 grams half & half
• 4 egg yolks

The brilliant thing about this recipe — aside from its unexpected excellence — is that it only has four ingredients.

Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl, in small pieces.

Combine the honey, half & half and egg yolks in a small saucepan.

Whisking constantly, heat the custard (because that is what this is — a loose custard) over low heat until it reaches 173º. (We’re actually shooting for 175º, but the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees after you remove it from the heat.)

Pour the very warm custard through a fine-mesh strainer, over the blue cheese.

Whisk until the blue cheese almost completely dissolves. It is OK if there are a few small, surprise pieces of cheese left in the mixture.

Chill the mixture, then churn in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

You may have heard that some avant-garde chefs have been experimenting with savory ice creams. This is not one of them. This is a fully sweet dessert ice cream that just happens to be blue cheesy. The honey provides a muskiness that complements the earthy, salty flavor of the cheese. It is possibly the most creamy ice cream you have ever tried.

Do you have to be stout of heart to try it? Do you have to look Adventure in the eye and shake its hand?

Yes, and yes. But you will enjoy this, and you will come out the other side of the experience slightly changed.

But you know what would make this honey-ish, cheesy ice cream even better?

Cake.

Consulting The Flavor Bible again shows that a great many chefs like the combination of apples with blue cheese. Who am I to argue with a great many chefs?

Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced — about 440 grams
• 3 cups / 360 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. If you’ve never grated your own nutmeg, try it. You’ll never go back to pre-ground again.
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups / 360 grams sour cream
• 1½ cups / 275 grams white sugar
• ½ cup / 64 grams brown sugar
• 3 eggs

Heat your oven to 325º.

Paint the inside of your Bundt pan with Cake Goop (see sidebar)

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In another bowl, mix the sugars and sour cream. Mix in eggs, one at a time.

Mix in the diced apples by hand.

Pour mixture into your pre-gooped Bundt pan. Lift the pan and bonk it on your counter 10 times.

Bake for 70 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 200º F.

Remove from the oven. Let it cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan.

This is an outstanding Bundt cake. The apples are tart and still a tiny bit crunchy. The cake itself is rich but not too sweet. The nutmeg and cinnamon shine through.

And it is extremely good with blue cheese ice cream.

But still, perhaps, you say: “That does sound good. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed in the kitchen since the Lasagna Incident.”

I hear you; we’ve all been there. I’ve got you covered.

Bundt cake
Bundt cake might be the Cake Lover’s ideal cake. At its best it is moist, flavorful, not too sweet, and free of frosting distractions. That goodness comes at a cost, however; it presupposes that you can get your cake out of the pan. There are few heartbreaks in life on a par with inverting a Bundt pan only to find that you’ve left half a cake in it.

This can, happily, be avoided. For months, I have been hearing rumors online about “Cake Goop.” It is a mixture of equal parts solid shortening, vegetable oil and flour. Word on the street was that if you paint the inside of your Bundt pan with this stuff, your cake won’t stick.

It’s true.

Haloumi

There is a Greek sheep’s-milk cheese hidden away in the specialty cheese section of your supermarket called haloumi.

In many ways, it is much as you’d expect it to be — salty, mild-flavored and fairly modest. If you taste a little, it might seem a little chewy, but not outrageously so. If it were a person, it would be named Melvin.

You wouldn’t suspect him of hiding a superpower.

Haloumi has an extremely high melting point. Oh, you could force the issue and make it melt, but you would probably need a blowtorch to do it. At temperatures that would frighten other cheeses out of the room, haloumi hums softly to itself and minds its own business.

So nicely in fact, that you can charcoal-grill it.

Charcoal-grilled Haloumi

1. Light the charcoal in your grill.

2. Thoroughly grease a grill pan. Use an oil with a high smoke point. This means one that won’t catch on fire when things get serious. Use any oil you would fry with. I like ghee — clarified butter — but shortening or peanut oil would also work really well.

3. Open packages of haloumi and cut it into finger-sized pieces.

4. Make a cocktail and go back outside to watch the coals.

5. When the coals are red and white and feeling all right, grill the haloumi over them in the pre-greased grill pan. Turn the cheese frequently with tongs. It will only take a few minutes to char-grill them beautifully.

6. Serve with a fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. A salad would be nice, too.

When I was a kid, once a year — usually on July 4 — my church would hold a big auction. It was the church’s big fundraiser for the year. One year my mom gave me $3 to bid with and I won a mystery box of books. There were a couple of really great pulp adventure novels from the ‘30s in it, as well a truly unexpected piece of literature that I’m pretty sure my mom wouldn’t have approved of, that was extremely educational. It was the high point of my summer.

The men of the church would man the grills — giant 50-gallon barrels split down the middle with industrial grating thrown over the top. They would risk serious burns and smoke inhalation to grill hot dogs, burgers and quarter-chickens. The smoke, barbecue sauce and the constant threat of danger made that the best chicken I ever had.

What does that have to do with grilled haloumi?

Not much, except that this will also make you very, very happy. The smoke and salt and mild char on the cheese will be a bit of an epiphany. The acid from the lemon juice will add just the tang it needs to put it over the top.

It might even get you kitchen privileges again.

At last, you might think, “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. All this cheesiness is just a little exotic for me. I’ve had a rough week and I’m feeling a little fragile. You said ‘grilled cheese’ and you got my hopes up.”

I understand completely.

Blowtorch
You know that blowtorch we talked about a couple of minutes ago? It turns out that a plumber’s blowtorch is the perfect tool for lighting charcoal without leaving a lighter-fluid taste behind.

Colby-jack

Do you know who else does?

Marcie Pichardo, the owner of Prime Time Grilled Cheese,a restaurant in Manchester specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches. She spends a lot of time thinking about cheese — according to her, approximately 18 hours a day.

Cheese might be the glue that keeps society from splintering apart, she says. “Cheese holds things together. In the house I grew up in, cheese is the thing that held us together as a family. It’s the glue that holds a recipe together.’

According to Pichardo, the key factor to consider when you are putting together a grilled cheese sandwich is consistency. “That’s the most important reason why we choose a particular cheese for a sandwich,” she says. “Think of a pizza. If you put cheddar on it, it would taste good, but it would go everywhere! That’s why you go with a mozzarella.”

She agrees that the Platonic ideal of a grilled cheese sandwich involves (1) white sandwich bread, (2) American cheese (“It’s gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside.”) and (3) being grilled in butter. “That’s the benchmark,” she says.

She’s not wrong.

Platonic ideal
The concept of a “Platonic ideal” states that for every concept, there is a perfect theoretical example of it that all real world examples are measured against — the most perfect blue sky, the most exquisite jazz trumpet solo and the most grilled-cheesiest grilled cheese sandwich.

And yet, I’d like to submit an idea for your approval:

A grilled colby-jack on pumpernickel, with caramelized onions.

You know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I know you know. You know that I know that you know.

Still…

Butter one side of each slice of pumpernickel generously with softened butter. It’s tempting to just drop a dollop of cold-from-the-fridge butter in the pan, melt it, then swirl the sandwich around in it, but it never works out as well as buttering the bread itself.

Assemble the sandwich completely before putting it in the pan. It is always tempting to put the first slice of bread in by itself, then add the cheese and the other slice in stages, as you finish them, but your finished sandwich will be cooked evenly on both sides if you observe traditional grilled-cheese protocols.

Watch the sandwich with a jaded, suspicious eye. The pumpernickel will try to fool you about how grilled it is. Do not fall for its tricks. Because the bread is so dark to begin with, you cannot rely on color to let you know when to flip it.

Flip the sandwich experimentally, and gently tap the surface of the bread with the edge of your spatula. When it feels grilled, it is grilled.

Do not make the omelet mistake of waiting until the cheese is thoroughly melted before removing your pan from the heat; your sandwich will be overcooked. Take it out of the pan as soon as the bread is ready. The grilled bread will be warm enough to finish melting the cheese on its own.

We should throw a grilled cheese party. We could all wear t-shirts that read “Proud to Be Crusty.” We could rig up a cheese piñata full of Baby Bells. June 4 is National Cheese Day.

There is still time.

Featured photo: Die Goat-erdämmerung. Photo by John Fladd.