Category: Cover Stories

Squeezing the most out of this sunny treat

Lemonade is one of a few iconic summer foods that connect us and help us find common ground.

In addition, lemonade has life lessons to teach us:

Lesson #1 – Beauty isn’t even skin-deep

Phil Mastroianni is something of a Lemon Philosopher. His company, Fabrizia Spirits, in Salem, has been producing high-end limoncello for almost 20 years, and he is somewhat enthusiastic on the subject of lemons. According to Mastroianni, when it comes to lemons, what you see is not always what you get.

“The fascinatingly frustrating truth of the matter,” Mastroianni said, “is, no matter how beautiful a lemon looks, you cannot tell how good the essential oils will be inside the rind. The ugliest lemon, with marks and blemishes and scars, can sometimes have as much beautiful lemon oil as a perfectly shaped bright yellow lemon.”

In fact, he said, there are vast differences between different varieties of lemon. In Italy, where his company gets its lemons from, “there’s a different variety of lemon about every 50 miles you drive. There are real peculiar varieties that are popular in Sicily and other parts of Italy. If you happen to live in that town or region, well, why would you buy the other lemons that are 50 miles further away?” In the U.S., by contrast, “you essentially can buy two varieties of lemons, the Eureka lemon and the Lisbon lemon, … Both of those lemons, while they do have good juice, and they’re bright yellow, they do just have a different flavor of what we call in the limoncello industry olio essenziale, which means essential oils in English.”

To make the best lemonade, Mastroianni said, and to get the most lemony flavor, you need to consider the structure of a lemon itself.

“On the inside, you have your flesh of the lemon,” he said, which is where the juice comes from. “Then, working outward, you have the pith of the lemon [the bitter, white part under the skin], which does range. I don’t know why some have more than others. And then you have the outer peel, which is where the essential oils are stored.” The oils, he said, are where most of the lemon flavor comes from. “You’ll get as much flavor by zesting or dicing up finely the lemon zest than if you just were to juice it and get the juice in there.”

Mastroianni suggested that to pick the best lemons for lemonade, shoppers should look at the size of the different lemons.

“If you want lemon that’s less tart,” he said, “the larger the lemon, the less tart the juice is going to be, because there’s just more water watering down the tartness inside that lemon.” He also suggested giving lemons the fruit equivalent of a massage. “This is general knowledge, but if you roll the lemon on your counter, what I’ve seen in practice is a good amount of juice will go to the middle. It sort of loosens up the juice. When you cut the lemon and you put it in your juicer, you’re going to get a lot more juice to come out a little bit easier.”

Lesson #2 – You get out of lemonade what you put into it

Catherine Urbaniak makes her living selling lemonade. She and her husband, Greg, own The Stand “Shaken not Stirred” at the Merrimack Premium Outlets, a full-time stand that only sells lemonade.

“Only lemonade,” she said, “any variation that we can of lemonade. We stick to real fruit, no syrup.”

Urbaniak’s advice for making great lemonade is to use great ingredients.

“I recommend that you don’t skimp on the type of product that you’re using,” she said. “Some people, you know, they don’t want to add all the sugar or they try to modify it in that way. But if you’re trying to make a really good old-fashioned original New England-type lemonade, you have to use all the real ingredients.” Many recipes for lemonade call for using simple syrup as a sweetener, because it mixes easily with the water and lemon juice, but Urbaniak said she thinks that’s a mistake.

“We use sugar,” she said. “If we have our way, it’s extra fine, but it’s actual sugar.”

Choosing the right lemons for lemonade comes with experience, Urbaniak said.

“You can pretty much touch a lemon and know that it’s going to be a good lemon or really tough lemon. For the most part with a touch you can tell a thin-skinned lemon versus a thicker-skinned lemon. And you want a nice good juicy lemon. It’s not going to last long on your counter, but the thinner the skin, the more the juice. It’s not so much the bigger the lemon, because sometimes the bigger the lemon the thicker the skin. If I put down three or four lemons, different variations, and someone picked them all up, they’d be like, ‘That’s the one.’ You just know it when you touch it. But again, you have to touch a ton of lemons to finally be able to see that.” As with dating, she said, you have to squeeze a lot of lemons before you know the right one.

Lesson #3 – Don’t worry

As of September 2021, it has been legal for children under the age of 14 to sell lemonade without a license. House Bill 183, titled “Exempting persons under the age of 14, who are selling soft drinks on family owned or leased property, from city, town, or village district licensing requirements,” was signed by Gov. John Sununu on July 30 of that year.

So your kids can rest easy.

Lesson #4 – A solid foundation is adaptable

According to Megan Barry, of Waterworks Cafe in Manchester, one of the great things about lemonade is how well it lends itself to additional flavors.

“We use fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice,” she said, “with all of our fun flavors, including passionfruit and mango, which are new. If we have an excess of, say, produce or something like that, we’re always trying to make new simple syrups so we can make refreshers and add some sparkling soda to make it, like, a little bubbly. We’re able to be creative with it over here.”

Barry said that lemonade works well with other summertime flavors.

“Watermelon is a big one,” she said, “especially during the summertime. The watermelon has been so fresh. We made our watermelon simple syrup, added fresh squeezed lime juice, as well as our lemonade mix, and then hit it with a little bit of that club soda. It was a big hit among customers as well as employees. We couldn’t stop drinking it. It was so good. The thing is, we can’t buy watermelon syrup. That’s something you have to make.”

“The staff’s favorite is the raspberry,” Barry said. “Mango has been a huge hit. And actually, another one of our most popular is actually made with our lavender syrup. It’s delicious. With lemonade, it’s out of this world.”

Watermelon Simple Syrup, watermelon.org
6 cups seedless watermelon puree (see below)
1½ cups sugar

Choose a ripe, medium-sized watermelon. Look for one with a pronounced pale spot — this shows where the melon rested on the ground when it was growing in the field. If possible, find one with stripes that are two fingers wide.
Cut the melon in half with a large, serrated knife. Scoop out the flesh with an ice cream scoop, and transfer it to your blender. Puree the melon until it is completely liquified. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
In a medium saucepan, combine six cups of the juice with the sugar. Cook over low heat, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the juice is reduced by half — about an hour and a half. Remove from heat, and let it cool completely before using. It will thicken more as it cools.

Lesson #5 – Sometimes we must muddle through

Kelly Klocek is the co-owner of Squeeze the Day NH, a lemonade and limeade food truck based in Londonderry. She agrees that lemonade is a fantastic canvas for flavors but has a different outlook on squeezing lemons.

“We started off hand-muddling,” Klocek said. [Muddling is a bartending technique where aromatic ingredients are crushed in the bottom of a cup with a stout stick.] “We don’t squeeze the lemon juice out. We actually slice the lemon and we slice it right into the cup. We’ve had bigger events now [where] we can’t keep up with the hand-muddling, so we made a muddler ourselves and it kind of smashes the lemon in the cup. So it keeps all the lemon zest and everything, all the oils from the lemon, everything about the lemon in that cup. It gives it a stronger lemon flavor, and I think that’s what everyone really likes. And then we just add the sugar to it, ice and water and that’s it. We shake it up and we serve it out the window.”

Klocek said this classic mixture pairs well with many other flavors.

“The other thing you can do with our lemonade is that we have 17 flavor options and you can mix and match any of those flavors in your lemonade,” she said. “We’ve had every combination. We started off only with four flavors and customers suggested other flavors to us and that’s how we added to our menu. One of our top sellers right now, which I didn’t think would be possible, would be lavender. Lavender lemonade. It’s crazy. That and our prickly pear.”

According to Klocek, one of the keys to a great lemonade that gets overlooked is the ice. To properly chill lemonade, she said, smaller pieces of ice work better than big cubes.

“We use a, it’s like not a full cube, but it’s not crushed either,” she said. ”We like it broken up. We are eventually going to be looking into using nugget ice cubes because we’ve definitely noticed that the smaller ice cubes are just much better with the drink.”

Klocek admitted there is one drawback to muddling lemons for lemonade: the seeds.

“We’ve noticed that some of our competitors like to promote the use of boba straws, the really wide ones. We tried that once and we didn’t like it, because we kept sucking up the seeds. We’ve gone with a classic, smaller straw and we haven’t seen much of a problem with that. It helps with kids as well because they hate getting the seeds.”

Lavender Simple Syrup
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) water
2½ Tablespoons (3 g) dried lavender
1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine the sugar, water and lavender in a saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat. Bring to a low boil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice.
Let the lavender steep for 20 minutes or so, then strain with a fine-mesh strainer. Gently press on the flower buds to squeeze extra flavor out.

Lesson #6 – Build a better lemonade and the world will beat a path to your door

Erin Doonan is the owner of Pours and Petals Mobile Bar and Catering in Concord, a boutique catering company known for its lemonade.

“I absolutely love lemonade,” she said. “That is really what inspired me to start my business in the first place. I think lemonade really makes people happy. It’s like the one drink that we have found that just satisfies everyone’s sweet tooth. Everyone likes lemonade. You rarely find people that don’t. It also brings a feeling of nostalgia and happiness back to people. I also think it’s really hard to find places that have really good lemonade around here. That’s really what we’re trying to bring to people. You don’t have to go to a fair to get a good lemonade; we’re going to bring that lemonade to you.”

Doonan’s lemonade starts from a standard recipe with simple, but high-quality ingredients.

“Our base lemonade is homemade,” she said, “and we make it with pure lemon juice and cane sugar and water. It’s as simple as that. People ask if we have a secret ingredient. We don’t. We just have our special ratio that we use, so we make that and then we add a bunch of different all-natural flavors that we have. We have a mix of muddled fruits like strawberry-basil and raspberry-lime and then we also have organic simple syrups that we use to flavor the lemonades.”

Lesson #7 – Follow your dreams

Meg Wright’s lemonade recipe came to her in a dream.

Wright is the owner of Two Moons Coffee & Curiosities in Manchester’s Millyard. One of her biggest sellers this summer is a Chappell Roan-themed lemonade called Pink Pony Club, made with watermelon juice, fresh mint and sparkly luster dust.

“Over the past couple of days,” Wright said, “we’ve gone through seven gallons of it.”

“It’s a stack drink,” Wright said. “We use nugget ice, which helps layer the colors. Because the lemonade is a little more dense, and the watermelon juice is a little more watery, the layer of ice just balances it out. I dreamed about it; that’s kind of how I come up with ideas — I dream of things.”

The secret to a Pink Pony, Wright said, is fresh watermelon juice.

“I love watermelon,” she said, “but I don’t like the gross syrupy watermelon because it’s not real. It’s very disingenuous. So I just was like how do I do this? So I came out at home with my Vitamix, trying it out and it worked out great.”

Wright filters her watermelon juice twice.

“The first time you filter it, you just get a pile of pink glop,” she said. “And then we strain it again through a coffee sieve and it gives you just the juice. It gives you just the good flavors and nothing else.”

Lemonade
from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book (McGraw Hill Book Co., 1950)

“As American as circus day — saves lemons, gives flavor.”

Combine in saucepan – 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, rind of two lemons, cut into pieces. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil about 7 minutes. Cool.
Add – 1 cup lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons), 4 cups ice water.
Pour over ice in pitcher or tall glasses. Amount: 6 to 8 servings.

Where to pick your own strawberries, blueberries, cherries and more throughout the growing season

This is an outstanding strawberry season. This spring’s heavier than usual rainfall has been great for the berries. Recent hot, sunny weather has ripened berries to a sweeter than usual, larger than usual, more abundant than usual degree. All indications point to this being true for blueberries, raspberries and blackberries as well. If you are the sort of cook who likes to can or freeze berries, this is your year to pick exactly what you want, and as much of it as you like. Alternatively, if you’ve always dreamed of taking your family berry-picking in large sun hats, this is also your year.

There are several good reasons to pick your own fruit and vegetables, but two stand out:

Variety Most of the varieties of produce in supermarkets are chosen for how well they travel and how long they will stay fresh. Flavor is much less important; after all, they won’t be able to sell bruised or overripe fruit. Local pick-your-own (PYO) farms don’t have to worry about shipping their crops across the country, so they can grow varieties that are especially delicious or delicate.

Freshness By picking your own fruit, you can have little doubt about how fresh it is.

Looking to pick your own strawberries (now) and apples (later)? These farms were Hippo readers top recommendations according to votes in this year’s Best Of survey.

Sunnycrest Farm

59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-9652, sunnycrestfarmnh.com

Currently, strawberries and cherries are every day from 7a.m. to 1 p.m. There are also strawberries and cherries in the farm market. Ice cream is available daily, from noon to 9 p.m. Farm market hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The market has fresh baked goods and local veggies, milk and honey, jams and syrup, and lots of New Hampshire-made products and locally crafted items. Call the hotline 603-432-9652 for any updated information. To speak to someone call the office number, 603-432-7753.

Daniel Hicks IV is a fourth-generation farmer and the owner of Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry. He said that barring unforeseen circumstances there will be PYO fruit available from now through the fall.

“Farming is a guessing game at best,” he said, “but strawberries are coming in now. Usually for the first week of July we have our blueberries and cherries. And then probably around the middle of July we will have our summer raspberries. Then in August we have our peaches, plums and apricots.”

Apples can start in late August, with pumpkins in September, according to the website.

Hicks said that although it might be a surprise to some of his customers, stone fruits grow well in New Hampshire.

“We’ve always grown stone fruit here,” he said. “My farm has been around since 1943, and I think we’ve grown peaches since the 1980s. It’s on and off because the stone fruit is such a sensitive crop — all it takes is one cold night in May to wipe out a whole crop. We’ve been lucky this year, though. We only had one frosty night we had to handle. We have a beautiful crop and the weather stayed warm when we wanted it to.”

Hicks personally looks forward to cherry season.

“I am the biggest cherry fan,” he said. “I adore cherries. Over the last seven years I’ve planted a bunch of newer varieties of cherries. I would say 80 percent sweet, 20 percent sour is what I have. And yeah, that’s my favorite on a personal level.”

Mack’s Apples

230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432-3456, macksapples.com

Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Strawberries and raspberries are available for picking now. Peaches and sunflowers will be available in August. Apples, pears, and pumpkins will be available from late August through Nov. 1. Mack’s sells ice cream topped with the farm’s own strawberries. Call the Mack’s hotline anytime for the latest picking conditions and to find out what varieties are ready, or follow Mack’s on Facebook and Instagram.

Christine Dresser is the PYO manager at Mack’s Apples. She’s excited about the farm’s new crop of raspberries.

“We’re doing strawberries right now,” she said. “And when strawberries are finished, we’ll be picking raspberries this year. That’s new for us. It’s our very first year for raspberries. We have some earlier peaches this year, too. Usually we start picking the peaches sometime in the middle of August but hopefully if all goes well we’ll be picking a new variety that will come out [at] the end of July. So we’ll be picking those and then we’ll go to the variety that we have been picking in the past. We’ve always had six varieties of peaches, but now we have a bunch of new trees coming in, so there’ll be more. This one variety is a little bit earlier than our other varieties, so hopefully we’ll be able to go soon after raspberries into the early peaches, and then into the peaches that we had right along. And then, while we’re finishing up peaches, we start with some of the summer apples, the earlier apples.”

While many customers remember to dress for warm conditions, Dresser said chilly weather often takes them by surprise.

“It’s usually windy at an orchard,” she said. “If it’s windy at your house, it will be windier here, because orchards tend to be on the tops of hills. I’m not sure why.”

Brookdale Fruit Farm

41 Broad St. in Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com

Cherries are currently available to be picked.Through the rest of the growing season blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, apples, pumpkins and late raspberries will be available. Visit brookdalefruitfarm.com/pickyourown or call the Brookdale Farm Hotline at 465-2240 for daily picking conditions. A farm stand is open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Zoey Stapp is a manager at Brookdale Fruit Farm. Her staff is preparing for a busy summer.

“It depends on the season, obviously,” she said, “and the weather and sports schedules and stuff, but on a good day we’ll have a couple hundred cars a day, at least, if not more. There will probably be at least 600 cars a day for apples. We’re quite a popular pick-your-own destination.”

Stapp confirmed that this is an unusually good year for strawberries.

“The strawberries are excellent,” she said. “They have great size on them, and really nice flavor. We’re just hoping we get some sun to kind of help ripen the berries.”

Stapp said one of the best times for PYO is in the middle of the week.

“Tuesday and Wednesday tend to be the quietest days,” she said. “So if you’re looking for a quiet excursion with easy-to-pick fruit, usually the fruit has had a chance to ripen from the weekend by Tuesday. Wednesday’s usually peak picking, I feel like you haven’t quite gotten the weekend crowds yet. But that being said, we have plenty of room. So even if it is a busy weekend day, the parking lot may look busy, but once you get out there you feel like you’re out by yourself. There’s not too many crowds, which is excellent. And there’s plenty of space for everyone to spread out and enjoy themselves.”

Lull Farm

93 Spaulding St., Milford, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com

See Lull Farm’s social media for updates.

Carter Hill Orchard

73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com

Blueberries will be available for PYO after July 4. Peaches will be available in August, and apples throughout the fall. Call for daily picking conditions.

Todd Larocque from Carter Hill Orchard and his staff are gearing up for blueberry picking, which, for Carter Hill, begins this weekend.

“We start [our season] with blueberries after the Fourth of July,” he said, “and then peaches in August and apples in the fall. The blueberries are looking really good. They’ve got some nice size to them, as well as the peaches and apples right now. It’s been a really wet spring.”

McQuesten Farm

330 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-9268, find them on Facebook

Strawberries are in season now. Later in the season, tomatoes, peppers, beets, carrots, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, green beans, yellow beans, shell beans, romano flat beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, spinach, radishes and winter squash will be available. Call for daily conditions.

Like many PYO farms, McQuesten Farm has started its season with strawberries, said managing partner Christie McQuesten.

“Then in the summertime, we will open our fields and it’s never the same time every year because the growing season is always different. But we open our fields and people can pick their own just about everything we grow. They can pick tomatoes, peppers, sweet, bell, hot, doesn’t matter, beets, carrots, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, pickling cuke, green beans, yellow beans, shell beans, romano flat beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, spinach, radishes, winter squash, and then in the fall we have hay rides to the pumpkin field and they can pick their own pumpkins. We have all kinds of pumpkins too.”

Unlike most area PYO farms, other than strawberries, which are in season now, McQuesten Farm will not open for customers to pick fruit and vegetables until later in the summer, when most of its plants will be ready for picking at the same time.

“When our field’s open — usually it’s about the third week in August, but … the weather will determine that — it will be open for just about everything that you’re allowed to pick, with very few exceptions,” McQuesten said,

McQuesten said one of the most popular aspects of the farm with PYO customers is the farm animals.

“So we have animals that people can feed,” she said. “You cannot go inside with them, but we sell ice cream cones filled with grain that people can feed. We have lots of goats. We have a horse; they cannot feed him but they can see him. We have a Scottish Highland cow. We have guinea hens, we have ducks, we have geese, we have turkeys, and we have rabbits. The only farm animals we don’t have that a farm would typically have is a donkey and a pig, well, because they’re very loud.”

Apple Hill Farm

580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com

Strawberries are currently available for PYO at 89 Hoit Road, Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Check back later in the season for blueberries, raspberries, black currants and apples.

Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm said this year’s blueberries look amazing.

“They’re looking phenomenal this year,” she said. “It’s unbelievable how big they are for this time of year. I’ve been hearing that that’s a good year for the berries, especially the blueberries.” Also looking good are the grapes. “We have seedless table grapes,” she added. “They’ll start in the middle of August at some point. And then apples start early September.”

“There was some worry with all the rain, that the pollinators, you know, might not get the job done,” Souther said. “But it’s funny — I was mowing grass last night and I left one whole section that had white pollen on it and it was just loaded with bees. I mean even though it’s wet they have to eat too, so as soon as they come out, they come out.”

Souther said freshness is the main appeal for PYO customers.

“I think they’re looking for freshness,” she said. “They’re looking for an experience, some of them, and some just value the fresh berries because they’re much better than store-bought ones. There’s not going to be any middleman. They pick it now and they eat it tonight.”

J&F Farms

108 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com

In addition to PYO, there is a farm store that sells local products as well as produce from the farm. There is also a petting farm.

Melissa Dolloff from J&F Farms said J&F’s PYO business is split between two crops: “We’re hoping to have pick-your-own strawberries in the next week or so, but we’re just waiting for some sunshine so we can get them to ripen a little bit more. And then in the fall we will have pick-your-own pumpkins. And that’s pretty much it.”

But in the meantime, there are animals.

“We have a petting farm that’s open every day, seven days a week with our farm stand,” Dolloff said. “We have sheep, goats, cows, we have a donkey, a pig and it’s open every day that the farm stand is open. So seven days a week.” She said that the animals are super-popular with kids, especially the farm’s horse or goats.

“It kind of depends on the kids,” she said. “Some kids also really like the cows, too. But … we have a horse that’s very friendly; she’s always sticking her head out for attention, so she kind of captures everybody’s attention too. They all have their own little personalities.”

Berry Good Farm

234 Parker Road, Goffstown, 497-1327, berrygoodfarmnh.com

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Berry Good Farm specializes in one thing: blueberries.

“We are strictly right now a You-Pick blueberry farm,” said farm owner Jeff Daniels. “[The farm] is about 6 acres. We have about 4,500 bushes. So it’s pretty busy over here. Generally we are open from about Fourth of July until the second week of August.”

He said this year’s heavy rain has been great for the berries.

“It closed down our ability to get out in the field, but the berry crops look fantastic. We have four different varieties here — Blue Ray, Blue Crop, Northland and Patriot — and they all look like they’re coming through terrific. They’re all basically good to eat, right off the bush, ready to go. The Northlands are more of a baking berry and the other three varieties are kind of the larger crop, big, larger berries.”

“This is one of the few businesses that I’ve been in where generally everyone that comes here is just in a fantastic mood. Not a lot of people are out here grumpy when they’re picking blueberries. It’s just a beautiful way to spend the day.”

Applecrest Farm

133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com

Strawberries are currently available for PYO. Later in the season blueberries, peaches, raspberries, flowers, herbs, apples and pumpkins will be available. Call the farm’s PYO hotline at 926-3721 for daily picking conditions, or visit applecrest.com/pick-your-own.php.

Todd Wagner from Applecrest Farm is also excited about this year’s blueberry season, which he hopes will last longer than usual.

“Blueberries are the next fruit crop that we offer pick-your-own on,” he said, “and those begin typically in the first week of July and can run right into like the first or second week of September, sometimes. The next crop that we would have for pick-your-own would be peaches and those typically start up in … basically the first week of August, and those run right into mid-September. Our raspberries would be the next thing, which typically start in the first or second week of August and carry right through until the first frost in October.”

In addition to PYO, the farm keeps busy throughout the summer with different activities.

“If you just go to our website, we have our festival schedule,” Wagner said. “We just had a two-day strawberry festival, with live music and tractor rides and yard games and sampling. And obviously pick-your-own, our barnyard, all of that kind of stuff. We do that for strawberries, for blueberries, for peaches, and then obviously all fall for apples. So there’s something pretty much every weekend, but a couple of times a month anyway through the summer and then every single Saturday and Sunday through the fall.”

Devriendt Farm

178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com

Strawberries are available now for PYO daily, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m at the farm’s location at 47 Story Road, Goffstown. Pumpkins will be available for PYO in the fall. Call 497-2793 for daily picking conditions.

According to Lori Beauchemin from Devriendt Farm, this year’s strawberries are exceptional. “They are really beautiful,” she said. “We’re picking now. We started a couple of weeks ago, and we just haven’t stopped. We’ve been very busy up at pick-your-own and we’re selling out here at the stand every day. So it’s been a really good season for strawberries.”

Butternut Farm

195 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, 335-4705, butternutfarm.net

Strawberries are available to pick right now, followed by raspberries, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins.24-hour PYO hotline at 335-4705.

For Peggy Dana, from Butternut Farm, the best piece of advice she has for PYO enthusiasts is to call the farm before visiting.

“It’s highly, highly recommended,” she said, “especially during strawberry season, because depending upon the weather — like yesterday was a really, really nice day — we could easily get picked out by noon, in which case the beds would be closed for the rest of the afternoon. You don’t want to drive here and be disappointed. So we strongly recommend calling our hotline ahead of time, even the night before. It gets updated throughout the day.”

“We have two peacocks and we have three goats,” Dana said. “No petting, but the goats are amusing in and of themselves. We also make our own hard cider here. We always have five varieties on tap and apple cider doughnuts. We have sweet cider in the fall when we have apples in season.”

Gould Hill Farm

656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com

According to Gould Hill Farm’s webpage, its PYO season for blueberries starts in mid-July. The farm grows more than 15 varieties of yellow- and white-fleshed peaches, including Saturn (flat or doughnut) peaches, which will be available from early August through early September. Other stone fruits, including nectarines, plums, cherries and apricots, will be available in late July, August and early September. Pears will be available throughout August. Apple season will start around Labor Day. All produce will be available for purchase at the farm’s store.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Recipe from Apple Hill Farm

Slice and hull 1 quart of fresh strawberries (approx. 3 cups)
Cut into slices 1 cup of fresh rhubarb
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon
butter (3/4-1 stick) softened

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice up the strawberries and rhubarb and place in 9×9” casserole dish (or 9-inch deep dish pie plate). Sprinkle granulated sugar over top and lightly stir in. Mix flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and butter together and spread over the mixture. Bake uncovered at 350°F for approx. 45 mins to 1 hour or till bubbly. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream.
(Or you could do with 3 1/2 cups blueberries for a blueberry crisp but add 1/2 cup of flour
stirred in on top with the 2/3 cup granulated sugar before placing the crisp topping on.)
Even better warmed up the second day.

Books for your vacation, staycation and lazy afternoons

Compiled by Lisa Parsons
news@hippopress.com

Summer is a great time to dig in to a new book. We asked local community leaders, librarians and other bookish people for some of their favorites — what they’d recommend for a summer read or what they’re looking forward to reading this summer. Here are their suggestions!

FICTION

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry “Henry’s modern romances for bibliophiles always hit the spot. I particularly love that her characters are fully realized and often work through nuanced emotions and life experiences,” said Faithe M. Lakowicz, Concord Public Library circulation supervisor. Also recommended by Carrie Green Loszewski, VP of Engagement at Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, who said, “I loved … how it wove the stories of multiple generations together into one.”

The Most by Jessica Anthony “Ever wished you could hang in the pool year-round but you live in New England? Well, so does The Most’s narrator! Literally. She WILL NOT leave the pool,” said bookseller Garrett at Bookery Manchester.

“Personally, I love a good mystery or beach read this time of year!,” said Nicole, co-founder at Throwback Brewery in North Hampton (which hosts three book clubs). “My two favorites of late are The Wedding People by Alison Espach — not only laugh-out-loud funny, but heartfelt and moving … and All the Colors of The Dark by Chris Whitaker — a combo of mystery and love story, this book was tough to listen to at times as it is full of tragedy and heartbreak, but the story stuck with me for a while. I loved the characters and the underlying current of hope throughout.” The Wedding People was also recommended by Sue Fahey at Bedford Public Library, who said, “No major life lessons, but lots of laughs!”

Fox by Joyce Carol Oates “Oates’ new novel brings us to Langhorne Academy, where a new teacher brings mystery and a psychological thriller that shows why Oates is a quintessential writer of our time. When the teacher is found in a pond, the story takes a dark turn. I’m looking forward to this June release,” said Ryan O’Hora, director of Pembroke Town Library.

“My favorite books are actually a series titled the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, and the first book is a novella titled All Systems Red,” said Melissa Edwards, Executive Director at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord. “I love the series because the author creates a world with many of the themes we are facing today: AI, corporate greed, and human space exploration are explored using humor and great world building. Murderbot is one of my favorite literary characters and its exploration of what it means to be human is both fascinating and heart-warming.”

Witch King by Martha Wells “Something that I really enjoyed about this book is that the reader is dropped into a fully realized world that we learn about organically through the alternating main timeline story and flashback chapters. This can be a little disorienting at first, but I appreciate an author who trusts that their reader will piece everything together as we go… I was especially interested in reading Martha Wells’ take on fantasy, having really enjoyed her science fiction series (Murderbot, recently adapted by Apple TV) … the author does a great job in writing the perspective of outsider characters that find themselves enmeshed in the machinations of the universe around them,” said Yvonne F., librarian at Manchester City Library.

That’s What She Said by Eleanor Pilcher “If you’re in your 20s you need to read this. This is a story about two young women exploring their sexuality, friendship, and learning to adult. You will laugh and cry simultaneously,” said bookseller Reanna at Bookery Manchester.

“I like some horror on the beach,” said Ryan, marketing manager at Gibson’s Bookstore, recommending When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. “This is a book of fathers and childhood and nightmares and bad miracles and heartbreak and grief and abuse and joy and wonder and fear and fear and fear,” Ryan said. “Nat Cassidy’s writing is propulsive and explosive and jaw-dropping.”

“I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney and enjoying it so far! Beautiful Ugly follows a man trying to get his life back in order after his wife goes missing. The book is set on a remote Scottish island that seems like a peaceful and idyllic scene at first, but as more mysteries are uncovered, the little Island starts to seem like a nightmare. This thriller is captivating …,” said Tess K., NH Room librarian at Manchester City Library. Also recommended by Trinette Doherty, VP of the Friends of the Hollis Social Library, who said it was an “absolutely amazing thriller and the audiobook was fabulous too!” and by Sue F. at Bedford Public Library, who noted, “Best of all, there is a secret clue in the book — see if you can find it!”

“James by Percival Everett is by one of my favorite authors. It retells the Huck Finn story from Jim’s perspective and is really well done. It also either won or came in second in the ‘Tournament of Books’ [tournamentofbooks.com], which happens every March and I recommend to any reader to follow that (like March Madness but with novels!),” said Scott at To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester (which runs a monthly book club and has a community library in the taproom).

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt “The characters are sweet but not saccharine, and the plot has it all: a little bit of mystery, some comedy, a touch of romance, and a lot of charm,” said Faithe M. Lakowicz, Concord Public Library circulation supervisor. Also recommended by Mosaic Art Collective board member Daniela Wenzel, who called it “a beautiful and funny book about the unexpected relationship of a lonely cleaning lady and the escape artist octopus of an aquarium exhibit. Especially enjoyable as audio version.”

The Lost Queen (series) by Signe Pike is a “woman-centric Arthurian retelling (one that doesn’t focus on Morgana). I really loved how [the titular Lost Queen] navigates the divide between her deeply held pagan beliefs and the growing Christian world in early medieval Scotland. The series has a beautiful blend of Celtic lore, magic and historic conflicts, both religious and political. It’s a well done, immersive historical fiction with an informative author’s note, maps and pronunciation guide,” said Caitlin, librarian at Manchester City Library.

“I highly recommend The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer,” said Delaney at To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester. “Her writing brings the nostalgia of childhood books into mature writing for adults. The story uses youthful tones, while keeping the reader’s attention with mystery and riddles.”

“…[T]he ‘It’ book right now I feel is Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book was an absolute piece of art combining a love story, family and a group of females all trying to be the first women selected for the NASA Space Shuttle program but then everything changes in an instant. It is an emotional roller coaster and had me in tears multiple times,” said Trinette D., VP of the Friends of the Hollis Social Library.

The Apothecary Diaries with story by Natsu Hyuuga; art by Nekokurage; compiled by Itsuki Nanao; character design by Touco Shino; translation, Julie Gonwich; lettering, Lys Blakeslee. “This is an ongoing manga series (adapted from a light novel and now also an anime) … I really like that Maomao is largely a reluctant main character who can’t seem to stop figuring out answers to problems and secrets in the court. I enjoy the tone of the comic, which is serious enough for the mysteries but is also as funny as it is intriguing,” said Yvonne F., librarian at Manchester City Library.

So Far Gone, by Jess Walter “It’s literary in style and in the depth of the characters, but also a hilarious send-up, a la Carl Hiaasen, of our current political moment, with Christian nationalists, militias, disgraced journalists, and bad behavior all around,” said Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.

King of Ashes, by S.A. Cosby “It’s a propulsive crime thriller in which a financial whiz who works with wannabe gangsters in the big city has to come home to his small town to save his family from the real thing,” said Michael Herrmann at Gibson’s.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig “This book is set partially in New Hampshire, and Gibson’s Bookstore gets a major shoutout in the acknowledgements!” said Ryan at Gibson’s Bookstore. “A group of teens discover a staircase in the woods, and then one of them climbs to the top and disappears. Years later, the remaining friends reunite to try to find and rescue their friend — and that’s when the real horror begins.”

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin “A horror novel narrated by a sentient plant with a taste for humans? Yes, please,” said Ryan at Gibson’s. “This book is queer, it’s got great body horror, it’s packed with love and hunger and a manipulative plant named Baby who you just can’t help but adore even if he really really wants to absorb you and all of your memories and feelings and thoughts and organs. Eat the Ones You Love is a gorgeous, horrific novel that has me side-eyeing my garden.”

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling “Good God. Lesbians. Cannibals. Otherworldly beings lurking above ground and below. Bees. This book oozes and I’m obsessed with it,” said Kat at Gibson’s Bookstore.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar “This is a fairy tale that is rooted in tradition and blooms into something utterly unique. Two sisters live on the edge of the river Liss, in a land that lies in the pause between sentences, where grammar is magic and riddles have the power to turn brides into birds and fiends into fish. The prose sings, just as beautifully as the sisters, whose bond carries the melody of this story,” said Kat at Gibson’s.

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk “This is the most earnestly odd book I have ever come across,” said Cait at Gibson’s Bookstore. “Linda is a true and lovingly rendered weirdo who is going to marry her airplane soulmate…. If you’re flight averse this is still a rollicking read, but perhaps don’t do what I did and listen to it while on a flight to Chicago.”

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang is “a captivating dystopian and fantasy novel featuring class and gender bias in a dark academic setting,” said librarian Matthew B. at Concord Public Library.

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley “I enjoyed the development of the characters and their evolving relationships in a story told through songs and musical careers,” said librarian Matthew B. at Concord Public Library.

Still Life by Louise Penny “Set in picturesque Quebec, this novel reads like a cozy mystery but brings much more depth and character. It’s quite immersive and philosophical at times, and then artistic and vivid in others. … There are many books in this series and each one is wonderful in its own way,” said Krystin at To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester

Beowulf, a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley “It is thousand-year-old slam poetry, ‘Hamilton’ for the Geats and Skyldings — full of blood and honor, inside jokes and historical digressions,” said Michael Haley Goldman, Executive Director at NH Humanities.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell “is a great sci-fi book that does a great job of slow world building, allowing the reader to discover the world … without big info dumps,” said Yvonne F., librarian at Manchester City Library. “The book also did what I thought was impossible: make me enjoy a miscommunication ‘why didn’t they just talk about it?’ plot — largely by providing good reasons grounded both in politics of the world and experiences of the characters. “

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend “The first in the Nevermoor series and one of the best magical school books that I have read. Clever and funny with a good amount of world building and enough mystery to keep a reader’s attention — highly recommend!” said Yvonne F., librarian at Manchester City Library.

The Guest by Emma Cline “Our narrator has been dumped by her rich, older boyfriend the week before Labor Day and has nowhere to go. Running from a mysterious ex, she hangs around Long Island, hoping to win back the favor of her rich boyfriend,” said bookseller Emma at Bookery Manchester.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix “Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the ’90s about a women’s book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend,” said librarian Loren at Exeter Public Library.

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud “This is the first book in the Lockwood & Co. series [and] avoids info dumps while explaining a world where ghosts and phantasms have become commonplace, and allows us to uncover the darker mysteries of the world along with the characters. If you enjoy the idea of steampunk vibes and self-sufficient teens fighting ghosts under questionable government oversight then you should read this book!” said Yvonne F., children’s librarian at Manchester City Library.

The Never List by Jade Presley “This book is a ‘why choose’ romantasy with a spicy rating! (4 chili peppers). Rylee comes from the lowest social class in the country of Lumathyst. One night, she catches the eye of the realm’s most terrifying prince while gate-crashing the 4 Princes’ Choosing celebration. Rylee has a grudge against the four royal families for … the harsh treatment of her class, so each prince will need to try their best to win her over! Light on plot initially, the focus is setting up the romances and laying the groundwork for some intrigue later on. Don’t worry — that gets resolved quickly and it’s right back to romance! This is a fun, quick read!” said Susan H. at MCL.

You Killed Me First by John Marrs “is one of the twistiest thrillers I have ever read,” said Trinette Doherty, VP of the Friends of the Hollis Social Library. “It is about three women who all live in the same neighborhood and are all intricately connected with their dark pasts and secrets. It can be confusing until about 60% of the way through but then it all falls perfectly together!”

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger “I don’t usually enjoy mystery but this book had me deeply connected with the characters and community Krueger lovingly crafted. It serves as a great jumping on point for the Cork O’Connor series,” said librarian Michelle S. at Wadleigh Memorial Library in Milford.

Wool by Hugh Howey “This book is the original story that inspired Apple TV’s Silo series. A sci-fi post-apocalyptic story where humans have retreated underground into a huge ‘silo’ to protect them from the dangerous outside world. Wool has a lot of plot points that are similar to the show, and some big differences. The first two seasons of the show cover the first half of book 1. I had a great time reading this book, and loved finding the differences! Book 2 is called Shift, and book 3 is called Dust,” said Susan H., head of Information & Technology at MCL.

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams “Set on a fictional island in the Long Island Sound between post WWII and the Cold War 1950s, The Beach at Summerly deals with love, betrayal, and secrets that keep the reader in suspense until the very end,” said Tess K., NH Room librarian at MCL.

We Do Not Part by Han Kang “The newest Nobel Prize winner, Kang, paints a mysterious and mesmerizing tale of two friends and their introspective lives in Korea. This story had me reading late into the evening as I was entranced by not only the poetic writing but also the plot as the story unpacked historical aspects of Korea we may not know in America,” said Ryan O’Hora, Pembroke Town Library director.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan is a “female-centered story centered in New England. Jane, a young archivist, overcomes personal struggles while investigating the historic Maine home she visited as a girl. Occasionally intense but informative history of Maine’s indigenous people. Includes a ghost and spirit guides. Lots going on here!” said librarian Amy H. at MCL.

Himawari House by Harmony Becker “The ending of a school year and beginning of summer now makes me think of this excellent graphic novel,” said David B., librarian at MCL. “Before starting college, a young woman moves to Japan for a year to reconnect to her family’s roots, and quickly befriends her roommates who are also from other countries, bolstering each other as they navigate the world on their own for the first time.”

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness “This is Book 5 in The All Souls series, and I really would recommend reading the entire series if you like witches, vampires, romance, and a hearty amount of science and history mixed in,” said David B, librarian at MCL. “This title sees the central characters of Diana and Matthew learning about Diana’s oft overlooked family lineage while dealing with machinations from the ever-vigilant Congregation.”

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark “After enjoying Clark’s novel The Last Flight from the library’s Brown Bag Book Club, I vowed I would read her newest offering,” said librarian David B. at MCL. “Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has lived her life in the shadow of her horror writer father; now she faces the challenge of ghostwriting his last book, which seems to be about the infamous tragedy her father survived as a child.”

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher “This updated Southern Gothic captures all the creep of a crumbling mansion with the uncanny antiseptic quality of suburbia. A relatable (and funny!) heroine plus a mind-bending climax where the real horror is watching your parents grow older and taking on the burdens of your family’s past kept me hooked until the very end,” said Michelle S. at Wadleigh Memorial Library.

Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma Alban is “a swoon-worthy Victorian-era romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton who wish Eloise would just kiss a girl. Throw in a little Parent Trap, and this is a great summer read,” said librarian Loren at Exeter Public Library.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone “Red and Blue are on different sides of a war, constantly trying to outwit one another. Then, after a battle, Red finds a letter that changes everything. This fast-paced futuristic sci-fi novel is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and rooting for true love to win,” said librarian Loren at Exeter Public Library.

Take What You Need by Idra Novey “The story of a self-taught lifelong sculptor who welds massive metal towers and the relationship she crafts with a local misfortunate teenager as well as her estranged stepdaughter and how the power of art can create change and focus and chances,” said Daniela Wenzel, board member at Mosaic Art Collective.

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal “I’ve been eagerly awaiting this fourth installment in the Lady Astronaut novels and plan on this being my first book of summer vacation! Set in an alternate Earth struck by an asteroid in 1952, these books have great characters and present a fascinating, well-researched and original take on space exploration in the mid 20th century,” said Patricia Kline Millard at Bedford Public Library.

“I read Playground by Richard Powers this spring, and absolutely loved it,” said Kate Leavitt, executive director of Seacoast Science Center in Odiorne State Park. “Playground is a compelling, layered read, weaving tech, marine ecology, and climate in ways that totally surprised me. It’s thoughtful, a little haunting, and had me thinking about the ocean — and our place in it — long after I finished!” Also recommended by Erin Kennedy, office manager at Beaver Brook Association, who said, “I just read Playground by Richard Powers and it was phenomenal! Themes were the environmental protection and the emergence of AI technology told through very human characters with a perspective I had never read before. Very eye-opening and an ending I did not expect!

Larissa Striga, development coordinator at NH Humanities, is looking forward to “R.F. Kuang’s new novel Katabasis that is coming out later this summer. This dark academia fantasy is sure to thrill me with its magic and mythology (Katabasis is an Ancient Greek word referring to a journey to the underworld).”

We are currently reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao,” said Jason DeYoung at Queerlective (which has a book club and storytelling events). “It very much is giving digimon or gundam vibes with some Chinese culture added in. It is very action-packed and you really get to know the characters. So far everyone highly recommends it.”

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer Smith “The four Endicott siblings haven’t spoken in three years. The story shares the how and why and everything in between. Light, yet interesting,” said Sue Fahey at Bedford Public Library.

Anika and the Great Dog Rescue (GirlScouts), by Sayantani DasGupta “is a great story about how people can make a difference in the world around them,” said Rachel Dvareckas, marketing lead at Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. She also recommended Maven Takes the Lead, by Yamile Saied Mendez, the first in the series of middle-grade Girl Scouts novels, saying “This book shows the importance of being yourself and exploring all the possibilities available to girls.” And Carrie Green Loszewski, VP of Engagement at GSGWM, recommended The Girl Scouts’ The Ultimate Friendship Journal. “My 9-year-old is heading to Girl Scout overnight camp for the first time and I look forward to sending her with the Ultimate Friendship Journal full of things to read and fun activities to do with her friends,” she said.

The Odd Dog by Leia Barrett (pictures by Shannon McKeon) “is a fun, animal-themed children’s book that celebrates differences and finding where you belong. I love the illustrations in this book, and it is such a fun read!” said Carolyn S., animal care specialist at Animal Rescue League of NH (she said the book was popular in their Tales for Tails reading program for kids).

Fiona by Adrianna Calamita Sawaia (illustrated by Hafsa Pinar) is “an excellent children’s book told from the perspective of a dog named Fiona. It delves into the raw emotions surrounding neglect … as well as the heartwarming journey of adoption,” said Carolyn S. at Animal Rescue League of NH.

“This summer I’m recommending … 1984 by George Orwell andIt Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Unfortunately, the folks that really need to read these titles probably won’t,” said Ken Kozick at Sheafe Street Books in Portsmouth.

NONFICTION

Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday will help you “discover important lessons for living a just and rewarding life through examining the lives of famous historical figures,” says Matthew B., librarian at Concord Public Library.

Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille Dungy “I love how the author gets you thinking differently about your garden, lawn, and property differently than conventional wisdom. For anyone who needs some inspiration of how you can make a difference in the world in small ways, this is a great read,” said Shawn Menard, executive director of Seacoast Eat Local in Lee.

It. Goes. So. Fast. by Mary Louise Kelly “Intrepid NPR reporter Kelly shares her failures and successes as a parent and career woman while her oldest son prepares to go to college. A relatable reflection on balancing the fleeting but demanding blessing of young children with the rewarding but draining demands of work,” said Michelle S. at Wadleigh Memorial Library.

“I’d recommend 50 Shades Of The USA by Anna McNuff (also published as The United States of Adventure),” said Paul Susca, Board President of Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire. “…[I]t shows how someone with the right attitude — whether or not they have the training and experience of more seasoned cyclists — can have an epic experience on a bike.”

Cabin: Off-the-Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchinson is a “funny and inspiring read for anyone who enjoys the idea of building their own cabin in the woods with family and friends,” says Matthew B., librarian at Concord Public Library.

The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger “This new addition to the popular science canon will blow your mind and have you questioning everything you thought you knew about plant life!” said Faithe M. Lakowicz, circulation supervisor at CPL. Also recommended by Shawn Menard of Seacoast Eat Local, who said, “This book is especially for anyone who thinks they know a lot about plants. After reading it, you will realize how much you thought you knew.”

Stay Curious and Keep Exploring: Next Level by Emily Calandrelli “I’ve read this book cover to cover and keep a copy by my desk at work and reference it all the time for fun science activity ideas! Emily Calandrelli is the coolest person ever — and the 100th woman to go to space!” said Kelly Thompson, Visitor Services Coordinator at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraquib “This book reads so much differently than most books, almost like poetry at times. I found this to be one of the most profound things to read in a long time, making me think about my place in the world and the path that led me here,” said Shawn Menard at Seacoast Eat Local.

Night Magic by Leigh Ann Henion “…[I]t’s a wonderful call to action to keep lights off and allow the night to support our world. I wanted to read it because NH Audubon hosts a maternal colony of big brown bats at the Massabesic Center, but I also learned that night is the time day-blooming plants, which support our pollinators, rest and grow, and without natural darkness [they] do not fare as well,” said Anita F., Community Outreach Coordinator at NH Audubon.

Unruly by David Mitchell “is a brief history of English kings and queens from the Anglo-Saxons through the end of the Tudors told with a hefty helping of Pythonesque humor. Snark, sarcasm and monarchs being bad all in one neat little package. Audio recommended for the full experience,” said Caitlin, librarian at Manchester City Library.

Just Kids by Patti Smith is “a poetic, insightful memoir that paints a picture of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe coming into their own in the 1960s in New York. It covers art, spirituality, tragedy, sexuality and the courage to be who you are,” said bookseller Christina at Bookery Manchester.

The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister “Helpful for those in their sixties and over who want to move forward. Nineteen relevant categories that can be read in any order include: regret, accomplishment, fear, and relationships,” said librarian Amy H. at MCL.

Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman is “a coming-of-age memoir about authenticity … It reminds me of Bo Burnham’s stand-up/monologue in Inside (2021): ‘The outside world, the non-digital world, is merely a theatrical space in which one stages and records content for the much more real, much more vital digital space,’” said librarian Alice B. at MCL.

Why Animals Talk by Arik Kershenbaum is “an important exploration into how multiple species communicate and the ways in which those audible communications have developed to assist them in surviving in their evolutionary niches. It’s a great reminder that human language isn’t the only form of ‘talking.’”said Anita Fernandez, Community Outreach Coordinator at NH Audubon.

“The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson is an incredible true story about how citizen science was in action in Victorian London and helped change the course of history and human health,” said Adele Maurier, Design Coordinator at SEE Science Center. “I will be … also reading a new book called They Poisoned the World by investigative journalist Mariah Blake. This new book hits much closer to home not just in time and place, but because the issue of forever chemicals is affecting all of us … Together they show the intersection of science and society and the role anyone can play in the struggle for clean water and air.”

“Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar tells the powerful story of Ona Judge Staines, who escaped enslavement by George and Martha Washington and lived as a fugitive in Portsmouth, N.H. … I was captivated by the compelling narrative, which reveals the moral contradictions of America’s founding fathers and highlights Judge’s extraordinary resilience,” said Katrina Elta Kerr, Deputy Director of NH Humanities.

“As a lover of history and uncovering untold stories, [I recommend] Attention is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt by Anna Von Mertens,”said Melissa Edwards at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. “Henrietta is an unsungNew England genius who laid the foundation for modern cosmology, and author/artist Anna Von Mertens uses both Henrietta’s original glass plates and her own art to tell this fascinating story. … we are excited that Anna will be coming to the Discovery Center on Aug. 2 to present a fully immersive planetarium show about her work.”

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss “I’m currently reading this fascinating biography, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize,” said librarian Christina at MCL. “It tells the story of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas — the father of novelist Alexandre Dumas — who was a mixed-race soldier during the French Revolution and served under Napoleon in Egypt. Reiss explores themes of race, slavery, and heroism, while also showing how this remarkable man inspired characters in The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.”

Wild Thing: a life of Paul Gauguin by Sue Prideaux “I’m really looking forward to reading this biography of Paul Gauguin. Prideaux draws on newly discovered source material — including the long-lost memoir of Gauguin’s son and even a forensic analysis of Gauguin’s teeth — to challenge longstanding myths about the artist,” said librarian Christina at MCL.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer “The Serviceberry is a guide to how we can be better people to our community and our ecosystem,” said Devin G. at New Hampshire Audubon (which hosts a nature book club on Zoom that meets every other month).

“I am looking forward to reading The Ocean’s Body by Albert Calbet,” said Heather F., volunteer coordinator at the Gundalow Co. in Portsmouth. “I have read the description and it [shows] how the oceans can be compared to the human body with all the interconnected systems that adapt and respond to external changes.”

Art is Life by Jerry Salt “Short stories and anecdotes of all things art and artists. I have not yet started diving into this book, but am looking forward to making it my summer read,” said Daniela Wenzel, board member at Mosaic Art Collective.

Art of Parisian Chic: Modern Women and Modern Artists in Impressionist Paris by Justine De Young “I am excited about this book as it explores how women in 19th-century Paris were portrayed — and how they portrayed themselves…. Justine De Young examines how fashion, art, and literature shaped public perceptions of femininity and identity,” said librarian Christina at MCL.

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf “A book about the travels of Alexander von Humbolt and the aftermath of his exploration of South America. This book is witty and evocative, educational and entertaining with ties to Keene, New Hampshire, and Burlington, Vermont,” said Daniela Wenzel, board member at Mosaic Art Collective.

“The next book on my to-read list is Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart,” said Alice B. at MCL. “I identify strongly with my patrilineal Jewish heritage, so I thought this would be an appropriate follow-up to another book I just finished, The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates draws parallels between the conflict in Palestine [and] his experience as a Black American … and how his arguments have been used to further what he describes as ‘apartheid.’”

Free: My Search for Meaning by Amanda Knox “is an inspiring and intellectual account of human resilience,” said Katie S. at Bedford Public Library. “Amanda Knox was a 20-year-old American studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, when she was accused of murdering her British roommate …. Amanda’s case took on a life of its own in the international media. In her second memoir, Amanda details her mindset, insights, mistakes, and the meaning she has sought in order to heal and build what she calls a ‘life worth living’ both in and out of prison.”

How to Know a Person by David Brooks “Drawing from a myriad of sources, Brooks explores communication and connection in sincere and engaging prose. I was fascinated!” said Katie S., Bedford Public Library.

Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America by Clay Risen. “This book follows the rise of anti-Communism in the U.S. starting with the Palmer Raids in 1919. It underscores that our current political shenanigans are not an anomaly, but a trajectory of the political use of lies, accusations, and populism,” said Sarah Chaffee, Director of Development at NH Humanities.

On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder was recommended by Ken Kozick at Portsmouth’s Sheafe Street Books.

Your guide to summer concerts

It’s music-lover’s season! From concerts at big venues to relaxed music in the park, there are performances for fans of all genres and music-enjoying settings to enjoy over the next few months. Here’s a rundown of some of the shows on the schedule through Labor Day.

A little venue that could

The Range the offers summer outdoor concerts

Nicole Ruggiero didn’t set out to become a concert promoter, but shows at her venue The Range in Mason are now a regular part of summer in New Hampshire. Moreover, Ruggiero no longer has to shout from the rooftops to book acts like country star Chris Janson, who opens the season on June 20.

“Now, agents are approaching us and nationally touring bands are saying, ‘This is the best food that I’ve had on tour,’” Ruggerio said in a recent phone interview, adding that fans are loving it too. “I perch near the tent when people are leaving and overhear conversations of like, ‘Wow, this place is great’ … this is why I do it.”

It began in 2011 with a Roots of Creation concert intended as a one-off to promote a new tiki bar. Ruggerio had left college after her mom passed away to help out at the driving range, ice cream stand and restaurant that her parents began in 1992.

“It was an ‘or else I’ll sell it’ type of deal, and you really can’t say no to that,” she recalled. “I grew up in that business. My parents built it when I was in the second grade, and it was my first job. It got me started in the hospitality industry.”

She was able to continue her studies at New England Culinary Institute by pivoting to an internship. They agreed, “because I was going in blindly to a business I hadn’t even worked at in many years,” she said. “My mom … didn’t have management beneath her, so she ran the show. I didn’t get the opportunity to really learn from her, I just kind of got thrown into it.”

Ruggerio felt that throwing a concert was a smart way to get the word about her new spin on things; it worked, but the path forward hasn’t been an easy one.

“Live music is one of those things that I feel is a crucial social component and healing element, really, in this wild world,” she said. “I started doing weekend events under a tent, local bands, free of charge, no big deal. After one year, I’m like, ‘I want to build a stage, I want to attract bigger bands.’ And all hell broke loose.”

A three-year battle with the town council culminated in June 2016 with a special election to decide whether to allow outdoor entertainment at Marty’s Driving Range. It passed by a wide margin, driven by the largest voter turnout that anyone in Mason could recall.

“It blew my mind, the turnout and the people in our favor, and it chokes me up to this day, thinking about the support,” she said. “I stood outside of the town hall from start to finish answering questions as people were going in to vote. There were probably some last-minute people that were steered … just from talking to me.”

Along with weekend shows, The Range has a smaller Garage Door Series with a focus on local music. It came about when Ruggerio got frustrated waiting to get approval for larger-scale events. What she chose to do is emblematic of the passion and perseverance that drives her.

“I was like, all right, if we can’t use the stage then I’m going to book bands in the dining room,” she said, and had a contractor tear down a wall. “We had bands playing right on the inside of the dining room to the patio area. I was improvising before I could get full-blown approval and that actually turned into a totally separate component of our business.”

New additions to The Range include expanded VIP areas — “we got approval for two more,” Ruggerio said — a snack shack and a glamping area. Ruggerio hopes to have a dedicated bathroom building built by sometime next year. That said, she’s not looking to turn The Range into a larger, more corporate venue.

“It’s important to me to keep the connection, the intimacy between the fans [and] musicians, and growing much bigger will really take away from it,” she said. “Right now, there’s not a bad seat in the house. We’re consistently trying to improve our processes and streamline without compromising quality, being a greedy money-grabbing entity. Eventually my goal is to attract the larger artists to our smaller venue, even if they’re not used to playing to a thousand capacity … to give their fans a really special experience.”

Checking in with Casino Ballroom

Andrew Herrick has served as Director of Sales and Marketing at Casino Ballroom for more than two decades. In a recent interview, he talked about the venue’s coming season, which already has seen several shows sell out, including Tesla, David Lee Roth and KC & the Sunshine Band.

What’s your favorite booking this year?

I don’t know if I have a favorite but I’m very excited for the Joe Perry Project show. The lineup — Joe, Brad Whitford and Buck Johnson from Aerosmith, Chris Robinson from The Black Crowes and Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz from Stone Temple Pilots — will be pretty incredible. I’m also excited for The Elovaters, 49 Winchester, Jimmy Cash and Jimmy Dunn together and of course Diamond David Lee Roth!

Which show so far has been the biggest surprise in terms of sales?

We have had a bunch of fast-selling shows. I guess the surprise might be how quickly Cooper Alan and Dylan Scott sold out. Country fans in this market are clearly ready to party! Some other quick sellers were Yacht Rock Revue and The Elovaters. Some weren’t a surprise — we were not surprised at how fast Joan Jett sold out, for example.

Are there any shows that you think shouldn’t be overlooked?

The one I have my eye on is The Struts package. Dirty Honey is opening that show and I think it is going to be awesome from start to finish. I also think the Movement and Tribal seeds with Mike Love opening will be a pretty incredible night on the beach. And don’t sleep on 49 Winchester.

Tesla added a show after the first sold out — will any others do the same?

Sometimes, it depends on the artist’s touring schedule. I don’t anticipate anyone doing that at this point in time.

What are the challenges this year?

Same as always, lots of big outdoor venues and acts that would normally play here teaming up to play the larger spots. The questions surrounding the economy are keeping people from making decisions about discretionary spending way in advance and the amount of awesome things to do in general is at an all-time high so we are competing with all of it. The secret to 2025 might end up being pricing the show correctly when all is said and done.

Has the decline in tourism from across the border impacted you?

No, we don’t really sell tickets to tourists here. We sell almost all of our tickets to people who live within about 50 miles of Hampton Beach. Some of them chose to take part in the tourism offerings — restaurants, hotels, the beach itself — but generally speaking we would have to align the style offering to whomever is here for vacation, which happens but not enough to notice a change during a cultural shift like the one we are currently experiencing.

Festivals, performances and other events offering big fun for the school-free season

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

Looking for excitement and entertainment for the kids this summer? Here are some of the events and attractions to help you fill the next dozen or so school-less weeks.

Events

• The Concord Spring Fair is slated to run Wednesday, June 11, through Sunday, June 15 — opening at 6 p.m. on weekdays, 1 p.m. on weekends — at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord), according to the event organizers. Admission costs $3 and children under 6 get in for free. Unlimited ride wrist bands as well as individual ride credits are available for purchase. See fiestashows.com.

• Check out the professional sand castle builders at the 25th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, which will run Thursday, June 12, through Saturday, June 14, with the sculptures, lit up at night, on view through Monday, June 23. There will be a fireworks display on Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 p.m. See hamptonbeach.org.

• YMCA Downtown Manchester (30 Mechanic St. in Manchester) and YMCA of Concord (15 N. State St. in Concord) will each hold a Block Party on Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. These free community celebrations will feature a bounce house, music, games and crafts, food and drink and more. See graniteymca.org.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will hold its annual Father’s Day Weekend Fly In Barbecue on Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nashua’s Boire Field, with the event taking place at Nashua Jet Aviation (Nashua Airport, 83 Perimeter Road). The public can come to check out the planes and enjoy the meal. Tickets to the barbecue cost $30 for adults and $10 for ages 6 to 12; kids 5 and under are free, the website said. Check out the planes without the food for $10 per person, kids 5 and under are free, the website said. Purchase tickets at the website or by calling 669-4877.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org) will hold its Kick Off to Summer, Dinosaur Edition running Saturday, June 21, through Friday, June 27. Throughout the week the center will offer special dinosaur activities and displays, which are included with the admission price. The museum is open daily at 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends. Admission costs $14 per person ages 3 and up.

• Plaistow’s Old Home Day returns on Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a parade and activities on the Town Hall green (145 Main St., Plaistow). See plaistow.com for updates.

• St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge St. in Manchester; stnicholasgreekchurch.com) will celebrate on Saturday, June 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a lamb barbecue and food festival and on Sunday, June 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with gyros.

• Wilton Main Street Association will hold its annual Summerfest on Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring live music on two stages, food, street vendors, a pancake breakfast, a duck drop and a fireworks display in the evening on Carnival Hill. See visitwilton.com/summerfest.

• The Somersworth International Children’s Festival will take place on Main Street and in Noble Pines Park on Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Wildlife Encounters, roaming entertainers, a petting zoo, World Cultures Passport Center, a play area and other activities for kids as well as food and craft vendors, according to the Somersworth Festival Association at nhfestivals.org. The Association will also hold a Celebration Night on Friday, June 27, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive) with live music, magic, kids’ activities and fireworks, according to the website, where you can also find the Association’s series of kids concerts in July and August.

• Miss Alli’s Kids Concert will take place Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m. in Stark Park (550 River Road in Manchester; starkpark.com). Find Miss Alli Music on Instagram.

• The Nest Cafe (25 Orchard View in Londonderry; thenestfamilycafe.com) is holding the free community festival NestFest on Sunday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will include live music (including Miss Alli), a bounce house, face painting, lawn games, touch a truck and more.

• The Hollis Strawberry Festival, presented by the Hollis Woman’s Club, will bring strawberry shortcake and other strawberry treats to the Town Common (7 Monument Square, Hollis) on Sunday, June 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit holliswomansclub.org.

• The New Hampshire Audubon Nature Challenge will run Sunday, June 22, through Saturday, June 28, when participants can help to “document the birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, flowers, trees, mosses, mushrooms, and everything that either stops at our sanctuaries or calls [the NH Audubon’s wildlife sanctuaries] home!” according to nhaudubon.org, where you can see the list of sanctuaries and get more information about how to participate.

• Concord’s annual Market Days Festival runs from Thursday, June 26, to Saturday, June 28, in downtown Concord from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with local vendors, live entertainment, family-friendly activities and more. Visit marketdaysfestival.com.

• The next New England Reptile Expo is scheduled for Sunday, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The show features more than 200 vendor tables full of reptiles, pet supplies and more. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids ages 6 and under. Visit reptileexpo.com.

• Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; jhef.org) will hold its KidsFest on Sunday, June 29, from 3 to 6 p.m. The afternoon will feature kid-friendly performers including Mr. Aaron, Miss Alli and Magic Fred as well as food trucks, face painting, crafts, balloons and more, the website said. Tickets cost $44.52 per family; register in advance via the website.

• The Hillsborough Summer Festival at Grimes Field (29 Preston St., Hillsborough) takes place Thursday, July 10, to Sunday, July 13, with live entertainment, carnival rides, a fireworks show on Saturday night, a 5K road race on Friday and a parade on Sunday. Festival hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday; noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Visit hillsborosummerfest.com.

• The Raymond Town Fair, its 50th according to the group’s Facebook page, will take place Friday, July 11, through Sunday, July 13, at the Raymond Town Common (Epping and Main streets, Raymond). It will feature live music, children’s activities, a fireworks display, games, vendors and more. See “Raymond Town Fair” on Facebook.

• The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) will hold its American Independence Festival on Saturday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Exeter. The day will feature the arrival and live reading of the Declaration of Independence, historical reenactments and colonial-era artisan demonstrations as well as colonial-era games, music and dances. Visit independencemuseum.org.

• The 9th annual Fairy and Hobbit House Festival will take place at Bedrock Gardens (19 High Road, Lee; bedrockgardens.org) on Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Compete in the Fairy House and Hobbit House showcase (see the website in advance) or just come in costume to enjoy the day, which includes craft activities, story time and more. Tickets cost $49.87 per carload.

• The Stratham 4-H Summerfest returns on Saturday, July 19, at the Stratham Hill Park Fairgrounds (270 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature animal shows, agriculture exhibits, competitions and more. See extension.unh.edu/event/2025/07/2025-stratham-4-h-summerfest.

• Nashua will hold its Fairytale Festival in Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day will feature performances, princess characters and more. Visit nashua.gov.

• The Canterbury Fair is, as always, the last Saturday in July — Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Canterbury Center (Baptist and Center roads) with live music, demonstrations from local artisan and antique vendors, children’s activities and more. See canterburyfair.com.

• Pizzastock 9, a family community music event featuring 13 music acts on two stages as well as information on mental health, physical health and suicide prevention, will take place on Saturday, July 26, from noon to 6 p.m. at Pinkerton Academy in Derry next to the football field, according to a post on the Jason R. Flood Memorial Facebook page. The event will also feature kid activities, a teen/young adult “tailgate” game area, food trucks and of course pizza from Kendall Pond Pizza, the post said. Entrance to the event is free. See pizzastock.org or find them on Facebook.

• Find music, art, food, kids’ activities and more at the Nashua Summer Stroll on Saturday, July 26, from 3 to 8 p.m. in downtown Nashua. Find details and updates on the event’s Facebook page.

• Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road in Lee; nhsunflower.com) will hold its Sunflower Festival Saturday, July 26, through Sunday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily plus sunrise hours on Sunday, July 27, from 5:30 to 7 a.m. The festival also features kid events, a craft fair, music, food and more. See the website for information on tickets and happenings on specific days.

• The Suncook Valley Rotary’s Hot Air Balloon Rally on Friday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 3, at Drake Field, Barnstead Road in Pittsfield. See nhballoonrally.org for updates on this year’s schedule.

• The Belknap County Fair is set to return Saturday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 174 Mile Hill Road in Belmont. Admission at the gate is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens 65 and older, police, fire and EMS personnel, and free for kids under 10 and for military service members. Visit bcfairnh.org.

More summer fun

Find more summer happenings in our Summer Guide 2025, which ran in the May 22 issue of the Hippo. Find the issue in the digital library at hippopress.com.

• Friends of Aine will hold its annual Kids Try-athlon on Sunday, Aug. 3, starting at 8 a.m. at Bedford High School and the Bedford Town Pool. The event is a swim, bike, run race for kids grouped by age — 4- to 10-year-olds and 11- to 15-year-olds, according to friendsofaine.com. The event is open to kids regardless of athletic ability and features a post-race festival, and registration currently costs $35 per kid, the website said.

• Tuesday, Aug. 5, is the National Night Out when many area first responder departments hold outreach events, such as fairs and touch-a-truck events. For example, in Concord, a National Night Out event featuring food, prizes, K-9 demonstrations, a climbing wall and more will take place in Rollins Park from 5 to 8 p.m.

• Hudson’s Old Home Days will take place Thursday, Aug. 7, to Sunday, Aug. 10, on the grounds of the Hill House (211 Derry Road, Hudson). There will be carnival games, live music, food, vendors, a craft fair, kids’ activities and more. Event times are Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. See hudsonoldhomedays.com.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) will hold its annual Teddy Bear Clinic on Friday, Aug. 8, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kids can bring stuffed animals in for a checkup and learn more about what happens at the doctor’s office, according to the website. Admission costs $14.50 for everyone over 12 months, $12.50 for 65+ and free for kids under 12 months, the website said.

• The Sunflower Bloom Festival will take place Saturday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 17, at Sunfox Farm on Gully Hill Road in Concord, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m daily. Visit the farm (admission costs $12 per person, ages 10 and under are free). Also at the farm find artisan and craft vendors, live music and food trucks, according to sunfoxfarm.org/sunflowerfestival.

• Salembration!, a celebration of the 275th birthday of Salem, New Hampshire, will take place on Geremonty Drive on Saturday, Aug. 9, from noon to 5 p.m. The event will feature food trucks, craft vendors and more, according to salemnh.gov/1096/salembration, and will take place in conjunction with Field of Dreams’ annual Family Fun Day.

• The Hampton Beach Children’s Festival, Monday, Aug. 11, through Friday, Aug. 15. The event includes ice cream, dancing, balloons, storytelling, a magic show and a costume parade on Friday. All activities are free and open to the public. Visit hamptonbeach.org/events/ childrens-events.

• Londonderry’s Old Home Days are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13, to Saturday, Aug. 16. See londonderrynh.gov for updates on details.

• The Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival (bestfestnh.com) will take place Friday, Aug. 15, to Sunday, Aug. 17, at Our Lady of the Cedars Church (140 Mitchell St., Manchester, 623-8944, olocnh.org). Lebanese foods such as shawarma, falafel, lamb, grilled chicken and many types of pastries will be served. The fest will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) will hold Planefest on Saturday, Aug. 16, featuring an exhibit about the Tuskegee Airman and the World War II-era Woman’s Army Service Pilots, known as the WASPs.

• History Alive 2025 will present a weekend of reenactments on Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, at Jones Road in Hillsborough. The weekend will feature reenactments of historical battles across the centuries — including Roman and Viking battles, the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and World War II, according to historyalivenh.org. The event will also feature other historical demonstrations as well as drawing and cartooning workshops with Marek Bennett, whose works include the Freeman Colby graphic novels about a real-life New Hampshire teacher in the Civil War. See the website for details and a schedule. Tickets cost $10 per adult, $8 for seniors and are free for kids 16 and under, the website said.

• Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester, 623- 2045, assumptionnh.org) will hold its 2025 Greekfest on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit the Church’s website for more information.

• Candia’s Old Home Day will take place on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Moore Park (74 High St., Candia). The day will feature local crafters and artisans, town community booths, games, a wildlife exhibit, food and music. See candiaoldhomeday.com.

• Pembroke and Allenstown’s Old Home Day returns on Saturday, Aug. 23, starting with a parade down Main Street in Allenstown to Memorial Field (Exchange Street) in Pembroke. A fun-filled day is planned at the field, featuring two stages of live entertainment, antique cars, children’s games, a craft area, bounce houses and a fireworks display at dusk. Admission and parking are free. See pembrokeallenstownoldhomeday.org.

• The Hopkinton State Fair bills itself as a Labor Day weekend tradition happening this year from Thursday, Aug. 28, to Monday, Sept. 1, at the fairgrounds (392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook). There will be livestock shows, a demolition derby, carnival rides, monster trucks, live entertainment, food and more. The fair hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. See hsfair.org.

• The Exeter UFO Festival returns to downtown Exeter on Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31 — the event commemorates the anniversary of the “Incident at Exeter” (the report of a UFO sighting on Sept. 3, 1965, in nearby Kingston) with speakers, kids’ events and more. See exeterufofestival.org.

Live performances

• Hot Peas N Butter, a family music band, will play at the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com) on Sunday, June 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person.

• Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series runs July 8 through Aug. 28, with new shows each week and shows on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. as well as Fridays. Tickets cost $10. The show schedule is A Winnie-the-Pooh Birthday Tail (July 8-11), Peter Pan Jr. (July 15-18), Annie Jr. (July 22-25), Madagascar Jr. (July 28-Aug. 1), Berenstain Bears On Stage (Aug. 5-8), Willy Wonka Jr. (Aug. 12-15), Shrek The Musical Jr. (Aug. 19-22) and Magician BJ Hickman (Aug. 26-28).Tickets for these shows are $10.

The Palace also has productions from its various youth companies on the schedule.

The Palace Teen Company will present Urinetown The Musical on Tuesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 18, at 7 p.m. The Palace Youth Theatre camp, featuring performances in grades 2 through 12, will present shows including James & the Giant Peach Jr. on July 2 and July 3; A Year With Frog & Toad Kids July 11; Junie B. Jones Jr. July 25 and July 26; Annie Kids Aug. 1; Mean Girls Jr. Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, and a youth version of The Addams Family Aug. 22.

• Teen Actorsingers will perform Teen Anastasia on Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 13, 2 p.m. at the Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua, actorsingers.org. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students.

• The Majestic Theatre (majestictheatre.net) will present Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoaton Friday, July 11, through Sunday, July 13, at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $15 to $22.

• RB Productions Theatre Company (PO Box 67, Concord, rb-productions.com) will perform The Wedding Singer (July 11 and July 12), Wizard of Oz Youth Edition (July 18 and July 19), Aladdin Kids (July 19), Alice In Wonderland Jr. (July 25 and July 26) and Beetlejuice Jr. (Aug. 1 and Aug. 2). Shows are slated for Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord according to RB Production’s website; see ccanh.com.

• Epping Community Theatre (Epping Playhouse, 38 Ladds Lane, Epping, eppingtheater.org) will present Seussical the Musical on Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20.

• Ovation Theatre Company (61 Harvey Road, Londonderry, ovationtc.com) will present The Hunchback of Notre Dame Thursday, July 24, through Saturday, July 26, at 7 p.m. at Derry Opera House (25 Main St., Derry; derryoperahouse.org).

• Kids Coop Theatre (232 N. Broadway, Salem, kctnh.org) will present Hadestown Teen Edition Friday, Aug. 1, and Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. at Derry Opera House (25 Broadway, Derry). See derryoperahouse.org for tickets.

Summer day camp

Looking for some full-day fun for the kids? Check out our Feb. 22 issue featuring area day camps. Even though many camps start registering campers early in the year, some organizations don’t release camp schedules or programming until spring and many camps aren’t yet full or have waitlist opportunities that can lead to a camp spot.

• The end product of the Children’s Theatre Project Summer Camp, run by the Community Players of Concord (communityplayersofconcord.org), will be a performance of Moana Jr. on Saturday, Aug. 8. Check back with the website for details.

• Peacock Players (Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua, peacockplayers.org) will present a cast of 6- to 15-year-olds in Beetlejuice Jr. Friday, July 25, through Sunday, July 27. A cast of teens will performHadestown Teen Edition Friday, Aug. 15, through Sunday, Aug. 17.

Popcorn summer

• The Summer Movie Clubhouse, a lineup of kid-friendly films running Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at Cinemark Rockingham Park (15 Mall Road in Salem; cinemark.com/theatres/nh-salem/cinemark-rockingham-park-and-xd), started June 4 and continues through Aug. 6 with discounted ticket-and-snack combo prices. The lineup includes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (June 18), Shrek 2 (June 25), Despicable Me 4 (July 2), Kung-Fu Panda 4 (July 9), The Wild Robot (July 16), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (July 23), The Garfield Movie (July 30) and The LEGO Batman Movie (Aug. 6).

• The Milford Drive-In Theater (531 Elm St., Milford; milforddrivein.com) has two screens for movie screenings, each mostly offering double features, Fridays through Sundays. The box office opens at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 7:15 p.m. on Sunday. Admission costs $35 per car (for up to six people; $6 per additional person). See the website for each week’s offerings.

• Red River Theatres (redrivertheatres.org) and Concord Parks & Recreation (concordnh.gov) will hold outdoor movie nights during the summer. Check back for updates on days, locations and films.

• Fathom Events (fathomevents.com) has anniversary screenings on the schedule for movies that might be of interest to teens and tweens at theaters including Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett, Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem, O’Neil Cinemas in Epping and Regal Fox Run in Newington. Films include Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (PG-13, 1989) on Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15, and Wednesday, June 18, and Clueless (PG-13, 1995) on Sunday, June 29, and Monday, June 30. Fathom Events is also continuing its Studio Ghibli Fest 2025 with films including The Secret World of Arrietty (G, 2010) Sunday, June 22, through Tuesday, June 24; My Neighbor Totoro(G, 1988) Saturday, July 19, through Wednesday, July 23; Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Sunday, Aug. 10, through Tuesday, Aug. 12, and Ponyo (G, 2008) Saturday, Aug. 23, through Wednesday, Aug. 27.

• Movies in the Park takes place in Riverfront Park in Tilton, hosted by the Hall Memorial Library (hallmemoriallibrary.org), on Fridays throughout the summer, with the park opening at 6 p.m. and the movie starting at dusk. According to the website, the upcoming schedule is The Little Mermaid on June 20; Garfield on July 25; Moana 2 on Aug. 29, and Minecraft on Sept. 26.

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; chunkys.com) will be hosting “Little Lunch Dates” (usually at 11:30 a.m. on some Tuesdays) and “Sensory-Friendly Showings,” when house lights are left up and volume is lower than usual, throughout the summer. The next scheduled sensory-friendly screening is the new How To Train Your Dragon (PG) on Tuesday, June 24, 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

• Your kids can practice Elphaba’s high notes in “Defying Gravity” along with the film at a sing-along screening of Wicked (PG, 2024) on Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m. at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com). Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

• O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping; oneilcinemas.com) will offer a Summer Kid Series with shows Monday and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and special ticket and snack deals (tickets cost $2; popcorn and soda combo is $5), according to an email from O’Neil. The film schedule is Despicable Me (PG, 2010) on July 7 & 9; Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG, 2024) on July 14 & 16; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (PG, 2022) July 21 & 23; Sing 2 (PG, 2021) July 28 & 30, and Trolls Band Together (PG, 2023) Aug. 4 & 6.

Visit the museum

• Amoskeag Fishways Learning & Visitor Center (4 Fletcher St. in Manchester; find them on Facebook) was slated to open for the fish migration season. See fish on the move Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) offers exhibits related to the aviation history of the state — as well as a cockpit kids can get inside of, featuring real audio from traffic control at neighboring Manchester Boston Regional Airport. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for ages 13+ and $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65+ (as well as veterans and active military) and is free for kids 5 and under.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, 742- 2002, childrens-museum.org) is a family museum featuring interactive exhibits with a focus on art, science and culture. It is open for morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) play sessions Wednesdays through Saturdays and for morning sessions only on Tuesdays and Sundays. Admission costs $14.50 for everyone over 12 months, $12.50 for 65+; advance admission purchase is recommended. See the website for special programming, such as Toddler Tinker Time on Tuesdays, Wacky Art Wednesdays, Cultural Crafts on Thursdays and Science Fridays.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org) is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission costs $20 for regular admission, $15 for 65+ and students and $5 for ages 13 to 17 and is free for ages 12 and under. The museum also offers free admission for New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday of each month and offers free/donation-based admission during Art Off the Walls evenings, 5 to 8 p.m., on Thursdays June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com), a celebration of space, science, engineering and aviation, is open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 16 though Aug. 21 (before and after those dates the center is open Wednesdays through Sundays). The outdoor Science Playground is open when the center is open, weather permitting. Admission costs $13 for adults, $10 for ages 3 to 12, $12 for ages 62+ and ages 13 through college. Planetarium tickets cost an additional $7 for ages 3 and up. See the website for the current line-up of planetarium films.

• The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester; manchesterhistoric.org) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and college students, $5 for ages 12 to 18, and free for children under 12. Print out the gallery games Mystery Objects and Millyard Museum Fun Book to help kids explore the exhibits.

Summer theater

Find information about summer theater in our May 15 issue. Go to hippopress.com and look for the issue in our digital library. The guide to summer theater starts on page 10.

• New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord; nhhistory.org) offers exhibits related to the state’s history. The exhibition space is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $10 for adults and is free for kids ages 18 and under, full-time students and active military.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org) is open daily at 10 a.m. — until 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends. This hands-on science center offers exhibits on a variety of subjects. Admission (which is recommended to be purchased in advance via the website) costs $14 per person ages 3 and up.

• The New Hampshire Telephone Museum (1 Depot St., Warner; nhtelephonemuseum.org) features nearly 1,000 telephones, switchboards and other telecommunication memorabilia and history and has an interactive kids’ room. The museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission costs $9 for ages 18 to 64, 7 for 65+ and $6 for students in grades K-12.

Attractions

• Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline; andresinstitute.org) has a network of trails decorated with sculptures. Find printable trail maps as well as a gallery of the sculptures online.

• Beaver Brook (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) offers camps, regular walks and hikes and other programs as well as trails and gardens that are open daily. Maps for the trails are available on the website.

• Bedrock Gardens (19 High Road, Lee) is a 30-acre public garden that integrates unusual botanical specimens and unique sculpture into an inspiring landscape journey, with fun programming for the whole family, according to their website. It is open Tuesday through Friday and the first and third weekends of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the website. Visit bedrockgardens.org.

• Canobie Lake Park (85 N. Policy St., Salem; canobie.com), an amusement park with rides and water attractions, is open daily (opening 9 a.m. on some days during June and 10:30 a.m. in July and August) with tickets sold in advance only via the website. Prices vary by day. After-5 p.m. tickets are available Friday through Sunday nights.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia, 483-5623, visitthefarm.com) is a working farm with wildlife exhibits featuring animals such as black bears, coyotes and more. Charmingfare is currently open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Scouting for Bigfoot event will be held Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22, featuring live music, food available for purchase, Bigfoot related activities and more. Reptile Day is slated for Saturday, July 19, with a reptile show scheduled for 1 p.m.

• Chuckster’s Family Fun Park (Route 4 in Chichester; chuckstersnh.com) is open daily, hours vary by day (and weather). This year a new zipline is slated to open; the park also features minigolf, batting cages, bumper boats, a climbing wall, go karts and more. Admission varies based on attraction packages. Chuckster’s also has a minigolf-only location at 53 Hackett Hill Road in Hooksett.

• Funspot (579 Endicott Lane in Laconia; funspotnh.com) bills itself as the largest arcade in the world, including classic arcade games, and also offers bowling, indoor minigolf, on-site eateries and more. Open daily, Funspot’s hours starting June 23 will be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Saturdays).

• Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; jhef.org) is open daily, dawn to dusk, with a suggested donation of $5 per family. Visit the animals or check out the hiking trails, maps for which are on the farm’s website.

• Mel’s Funway Park (454 Charles Bancroft Highway in Litchfield; melsfunwaypark.com) offers minigolf, go karts, laser tag, arcade, batting cages, bumper boats, bounce houses and more. The park is open daily, with hours varying by day and attraction.

Playground road trip

Looking for low-cost summer fun? Check out the Live Free & Play Southern NH Playground Challenge, available at salemnh.myrec.com. The printout features a list of playgrounds in Salem, Auburn, Londonderry, Pelham, Milford, Merrimack and Danville.

• New Hampshire Audubon (nhaudubon.org) has two nearby centers — Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn) and McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord). Both centers are open to visitors Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails near the centers and in the Audubon’s 40 wildlife sanctuaries throughout the state are open daily, free of charge (though donations are welcome), the website said. Find maps and other information about the trails on the website, as well as a calendar of events.

• Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road in Laconia; prescottfarm.org) offers 160 acres of field, forest and gardens on 3+ miles of nature trails and a Natural Playscape, according to the website. The outdoor amenities are open daily from dawn to dusk; the Samuel P. Pardoe Building featuring visitor information, conservation displays and restrooms, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the website, where you can find a calender of special events and programs.

• Seacoast Science Center (in Ordiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd in Rye; seacoastsciencecenter.org) offers exhibits, live animal displays and touch tanks featuring the nature of the New Hampshire coast and the Gulf of Maine. The center is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance purchase of tickets is recommended, according to the website where you can purchase both admission to the center and to Ordiorne Point State Park.

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road in Holderness; nhnature.org) offers animal exhibit trails featuring native animals as well as hiking trails, according to the website. The trails are currently open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission is 3:30 p.m.). See the calendar for information on special tours, events and the narrated lake cruises. Admission to the trails costs $28 for adults, $26 for 65+ and $22 for ages 3 to 15. The 2025 Family Picnic “Friends of the Forest” will be held on Saturday, July 12, 5 to 8 p.m. and feature food, live music, lawn games, kids activities and more (see the website for tickets).

• Strawbery Banke Museum (14 Hancock St. in Portsmouth; strawberybanke.org) is open Wednesdays through Mondays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August). The museum’s historic houses and exhibits look at 350 years of Portsmouth history “from Indigenous history to the present day,” according to the website where you can find the calendar of special tours and events. Admission costs $24 for adults, $22 for 65+ and students, $12 for ages 5 to 17 and $60 for a family, the website said. Kids under 5 get in for free.

In a town near you

’Tis the season of reading programs at area libraries and live music in town green spaces. Some town and city events are meant just for residents and others don’t specify. Your location’s library and parks and recreation department will have the most up to date information about summer happenings. Here are some of the family-friendly highlights.

• Amherst: At the Amherst Town Library (amherstlibrary.org), Mondays are “Chalk the Walk” days, when chalk will be provided to draw on the sidewalk outside. The library is also kicking off its summer reading program with a concert featuring Steve Blunt Monday, June 16, at 6 p.m. (registration required).

The town’s big summer happening is the Amherst Fourth of July Celebration, which includes a parade (stepping off at 9:45 a.m.) and activities on the town green. See facebook.com/AmherstNHJuly4thCommittee.

• Auburn: The Griffin Free Public Library (griffinfree.org) is hosting its annual book sale Saturday, July 26, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m, and Sunday, July 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Auburn Village School in the gym.

Auburn Parks and Recreation will offer a concert series with monthly concerts at Circle of Fun Playground, 5 Bunker Hill Road, at 6 p.m. on the third Thursdays: Jennifer Mitchell Band on June 19, and Ukeladies on July 17; Bob Pratte Band on Aug. 21, according to the department’s newsletter.

Movies will also be screened at the Safety Complex (99 Raymond Road): Paddington in Peru on Friday, Aug. 8, at 8 p.m.; IF on Friday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m., and Mufasa: The Lion King on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., the newsletter said. See auburnnh.gov.

• Bedford: The Bedford Public Library ( bedfordnhlibrary.org) is also doing a summer reading kickoff concert with Steve Blunt — Tuesday, June 17, at 6:30 p.m. (registration required). A Wildlife Encounters event is scheduled for Monday, July 14, at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. (registration required) for ages 6 to 12.

The Bedford Concerts in the Parks at the Gazebo in Bedford Village Common Park will run Wednesdays, June 25 through July 30, with a 6 p.m. start time, according to bedfordnh.myrec.com. To celebrate National Night Out, Bedford’s Police Department will play a softball game against Bedford Fire Department on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m., the website said.

• Bow: At the Baker Free Library (bowbakerfreelibrary.org), the summer reading kickoff party for kids is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 20, with a show featuring Magic Fred from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. A comics workshop for ages 8 to 14 is slated for Monday, June 23, at 3:30 p.m. with author Mat Heagarty (registration required). The library is also staging a production of The Wizard of Oz (register to participate) with a performance on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 5:30 p.m.

• Boscawen: The Boscawen Public Library (boscawenpubliclibrary.org) will hold its summer reading kickoff party Monday, June 23, from noon to 4 p.m. It will host Mr. Aaron on Tuesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m.

See the performers

Some family-friendly performers make the rounds of libraries and other venues during the summer. Here are a few of the family performance favorites.

Miss Alli — Alli Beaudry has long been a regular on the local music scene and her family-friendly Miss Alli performances reach a whole new audience. Find updates at instagram.com/missallimusic

Mr. Aaron — Mr. Aaron offers classes as well as concerts. See a list of his upcoming engagements at area libraries at mraaronmusic.com/calendar.

Steve Blunt — Watch videos of Blunt’s performances at steveblunt.com, where you can also check back for updates on his scheduled appearances. He can sometimes be found at appearances with author Marty Kelley — the two have some upcoming library events scheduled, according to martykelley.com.

BJ Hickman — This family-friendly magician already has appearances booked at festivals this summer as well as a stretch of shows in August at the Palace. See bjhickman.com.

Magic Fred the Magician — Several library events are already on the summer schedule with Magic Fred; see magicfredshow.com.

Judy Pancoast — The singer/songwriter has a few New Hampshire library events on her schedule so far. See judypancoast.com.

Marek Bennett — A comics creator and musician, Bennett has some in-person library events on his upcoming schedule at marekbennett.com.

• Brookline: The Brookline Public Library (brooklinelibrarynh.org) will hold its summer reading kickoff party on Friday, June 20, at 11 a.m. with ice cream, bubbles, lawn games and more. A petting farm will come to the library on Thursday, June 26, at 2 p.m. (registration required). On Wednesday, July 2, at 10:30 a.m. visit the trucks of the Department of Public Works (registration required). Science gets tasty at STEM and Scoops with Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream on Tuesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. (registration required). An arthropod petting zoo will be held Thursday, Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. (registration required).

• Concord: The Concord Public Library (concordnh.gov) will hold storytimes in the park on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.; see the website for a schedule of city parks.

Find Concord Parks and Recreation’s summer brochure online at concordnh.gov, where it lists programs as well as drop-in events like Saturday summer futsal. Find free concerts on Tuesday evenings (at parks across the city) and Sunday at 10 a.m. (White Park); check back with the department’s Facebook page for updates on Thursday concerts.

• Derry: The Derry Public Library (derrypl.org) has a packed schedule of summer events for kids. Register for fun such as Level Up Glow Dance Party on Tuesday, June 17, at 1:30 p.m.; FanCon on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Library Field Day on Thursday, June 26, at 11 a.m.; and the end of the summer party with Steve Blunt on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 1 p.m. Game Day on Thursday, July 31, needs no registration.

Get live music in MacGregor Park (12 Boyd Road) on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. through Aug. 19. Next up on the schedule is The Reminisants, according to derrynh.gov.

• Dunbarton: The Dunbarton Public Library (dunbartonlibrary.org) will kick off its summer reading program with a concert featuring Steve Blunt and Marty Kelley on Wednesday, June 18, at 11 a.m. on the band stand. Additional summer fun includes a touch a truck on Wednesday, June 25, at 10:30 a.m.; a family concert with Mr. Aaron on Wednesday, July 23, at 10:30 a.m.; Raptor Rapture Outreach with Audubon on Tuesday, July 29, at 1 p.m. and more.

• Goffstown: The Goffstown Public Library ( goffstownlibrary.com) will hold its summer kickoff on Saturday, June 21, with art programs that day for kids, teens and adults (registration required). The library offers a full slate of workshops and programs for kids and teens throughout the summer, including, on Thursday, Aug. 14, the Great Cake Off for kids in grades 5 to 12 (registration required). The library will also offer regular opportunities for kids to read to Candy, the reading therapy dog (see the website to sign up).

• Hollis: Hollis Social Library (hollislibrary.org) will host the one-person Silver Circus on Monday, June 23, at 2 p.m. at the Lawrence Barn (registration recommended). Mr Aaron will play the barn on Friday, July 11, at 1 p.m. (registration required). The barn will also host a touch-a-truck on Wednesday, July 16, at 2 p.m. (registration required). Magic Fred will perform Friday, July 18, at the barn at 1 p.m. (registration required). The Pirate Guild the Brethren Order of the Northeast Sea will bring pirate fun to the barn on Saturday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. (registration required).

• Hooksett: The Hooksett Public Library ( hooksettlibrary.org) will hold a touch-a-truck event on Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m.

• Hopkinton: Hopkinton Recreation Committee hosts the July 4th Family Fun Day in Riverway Park — a kids’ parade starts at 11 a.m. followed by the Independence Day parade at 11:30 a.m.; the Fun Day kicks off at noon in the park with live music by Brad Myrick, face painting, bounce houses, burgers and hot dogs, contests and more, according to hopkintonnh.myrec.com.

• Hudson: The George H. and Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library (rodgerslibrary.org) will hold a Cupcake Caper & Birthday Party on Saturday, July 14, at 10 a.m. (registration required) and a Tie Dye for Everyone project on Wednesday, June 18 (register for specific time). Magician Mike Bent’s AbraKIDabra! Magic show is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 2 p.m. (registration required). Other events to register for this summer include Wildlife Encounters on Wednesday, July 9, at 6 p.m., a Teddy Bear Picnic on Friday, July 11, at 10 a.m., Mr. Aaron on Wednesday, July 23, at 2 p.m. and multiple Storytime Safari outings in Benson Park.

• Litchfield: At the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library (litchfieldnh.gov/222/Aaron-Cutler-Memorial-Library) events include a family summer reading Kick-Off Concert with Mr. Aaron on Wednesday, June 25, at 10:30 a.m. (registration required), Tuesday scavenger hunts on the library lawn, Tween Summer Cupcake Wars on Thursday, July 10, at 4 p.m. (registration required), and a concert on the lawn with the Granite Statesmen Barbershop Chorus on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 p.m. (registration required).

• Londonderry: Get some new-to-you summer reads at the book sale at the Leach Library (londonderrynh.gov/371/Leach-Library) on Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m. to noon; Tuesday, June 17, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. Register for events including Pete the Cat’s visit to the library (Tuesday, June 24, at 11 a.m.; Wednesday, June 25, at 4 p.m., and Thursday, June 26, at 4 p.m.) and Children’s Cookie Decorating on Wednesday, June 18, at 4 p.m. No registration is required for a screening of Dog Man on Friday, June 27, at 1 p.m.

Outdoor adventures

Looking for minigolf or a state park? Check out our Best of 2025 readers’ poll results issue, which ran April 10 and features reader recommendations for all sorts of outdoor excitement.

• Loudon: At the Maxfield Public Library (maxfieldlibrary.com), kid-friendly offerings include a Summer Reading Kick Off with Jason Purdy Magic Show on Saturday, June 21, at 11 a.m. and a wrap-up event featuring Steve Blunt and Marty Kelley on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 11 a.m., both at Charlie’s Barn/Loudon Community Building (29 South Village Road).

Summer Fun nights on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Loudon include Touch a Truck on July 9; Ice Cream Social on July 16; Freese Brothers Big Band on July 23 (6:30 p.m.); Wildlife Encounters on July 30; Mr. Aaron Band on Aug. 13 and a Pickleball Tournament on Aug. 20, according to loudonnh.org.

• Manchester: Manchester City Library (manchesterlibrary.org) offers programs for teens and kids throughout the summer — and the city, with bookmobile events (see the calendar for locations). Find community art projects on Mondays 10 to 11:30 a.m. at We Create Mornings, a drop-in event. Happenings to register for include Beach Party on Thursday, July 3, at 10 a.m. for ages 1 to 5; Escape Room on Wednesday, July 9, at 10 a.m. (grades 3 through 12); Captain Underpants Party on Wednesday, July 16, at 3 p.m. (grades preschool through 6), and more.

Check with manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation and with the department’s Facebook page for updates on the city’s pools.

• Merrimack: At the Merrimack Public Library (merrimack.aspendiscovery.org), the Friends of the Library will hold a book sale on Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The summer reading program will kick off with a Minecraft Party on Thursday, June 26, noon to 2 p.m. followed by a concert with Mr. Aaron at 6 p.m. in Abbie Griffin Park (registration required for both). Other events to register for include Old McDonny’s Friendly Petting Zoo in the park on Monday, July 21, at 11:30 a.m. and a Teddy Bear Picnic on Thursday, July 31, at noon.

Enjoy live music on Thursdays, June 26 through Aug. 21, at 6 p.m. in Abbie Griffin Park; the program kicks off with Mr. Aaron on June 26, according to merrimackparksandrec.org. The Town of Merrimack also hosts Fourth of July celebrations including a patriotic concert in the park on Thursday, July 3, at 6:30 p.m.; the Sparkler 5K Road Race and Pancake Breakfast, both on July 4 starting at 8 a.m.; the Fourth of July parade at 1 p.m. and fireworks display at Merrimack High School at 9:15 p.m. (the evening starts at 7 p.m. with music and food vendors), according to merrimackparksandrec.org/4th-of-july.

• Milford: At the Wadleigh Memorial Library (wadleighlibrary.org), the teen summer reading kickoff is Friday, June 13, at 3 p.m. and a children’s Level Up at Your Library party with yard games and a hot dog dinner is at 6 p.m. (no registration needed for either). Other events include the Silver Circus on Wednesday, June 18, at 1 p.m. at the Amato Center; a Red, White & Bluey party on Thursday, July 3, at 10 a.m. and Cookie Wars on Wednesday, July 30, at 2 p.m.

Milford Recreation will hold its 4th Annual Keyes Summer Bash on Saturday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring touch a truck, food trucks, kid activities, music and more in Keyes Memorial Park, according to milfordnh.recdesk.com

• Nashua: The Nashua Public Library (nashualibrary.org) will hold its summer reading kickoff on Friday, June 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring a life-size Hungry Hippo game, Mario Kart Live!, popcorn, snow cones and more, the website said. See the website for a rundown of programs for children, tweens and teens each week.

The city also offers a full calendar of SummerFun programming including Tuesday concerts in the park at 7 p.m.; a Tree Street Block Party on Ash Street on Saturday, June 14, from 2 to 6 p.m.; July 4 event that includes a Silver Knights Game, a free concert and more events leading up to a fireworks show; the Nashua Community Music School’s Musical Playgroup; the National Police Night out on Aug. 5, a Nashua Goes Back to School event at the library on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. and more. See nashuanh.gov.

• New Boston: Whipple Free Library (whipplefreelibrary.org) will hold its summer kickoff with Wildlife Encounters on Monday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Common. In addition to story times, movie nights, teen events and more, the library will hold craft events, such as Build Your Own Pokemon Terrarium on Monday, July 14, at 6 p.m. (registration required).

Catch Concerts on the Common every other Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the New Boston Common starting June 24 with the Freese Brothers Big Band, according to newbostonnh.gov/recreation, where you can find the lineup.

• Salem: At the Kelley Library (kelleylibrary.org), the summer reading fun starts Monday, June 23. Check back for updates.

Salem is celebrating its 275th anniversary with a series of events all year, including a reenactment of the return of Lafayette on Saturday, June 21, at 2 p.m.; Salem Nights at Hedgehog Park starting Tuesday, July 8; Salembration on Saturday, Aug. 9, and more, according to salemnh.gov/1097/Anniversary-Events-Info.

• Windham: Nesmith Library (nesmithlibrary.org) starts the summer celebrations with a Tween School End Celebration on Thursday, June 12, at 6:30 p.m. for grades 5-8. The official Summer Reading Kick-Off featuring mini\golf will be Tuesday, June 24, starting at 4 p.m. (register for a time slot). Other events include Fun Cart Friday (find STEAM-related projects and play from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 27 through Aug. 1), a Summer Scavenger Hunt (Monday, June 30, through Saturday, July 5), Wildlife Encounters (Wednesday, July 9, at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.; registration required); Meet the Town Vehicles (Wednesday, July 30, 10:30 a.m. to noon), and Magician Mike Bent’s AbraKIDabra (Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.; registration required), as well as a variety of children, tween and teen events.

Windham will hold Concerts on the Common (Emerson Carracedo on Saturday, June 14, at 2 p.m.; Windham Swing Band on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 1 p.m.) and Concerts at Griffin Park (PopRoks on Tuesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m.; Relative Soul on Thursday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m.) and a Bubble Dance Party in Griffin Park on Thursday, Aug. 7, with the Fire Department, Police Department and Recreation Department followed by a movie (Moana 2) at 8 p.m., according to windham.recdesk.com. Catch an early Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, June 25, at Windham High School with a band, food vendors and fireworks; parking lot opens at 5:30 p.m.

More fun this weekend

This week, we made the whole cover story Kiddie Pool! The Kiddie Pool is our weekly column of kid and family fun. Other events happening this weekend:

On Friday, June 13, at 11:30 a.m., Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com) offers a supersized story time. Four New Hampshire authors will attend with their picture books: David Preece and Jim Webber with Mr. Higgins to the Rescue, Katy Hunt with There’s a Wub in the Tub and Heidi Solomon-Orlick with I Have a Voice: A Book of Listening, according to the website.

At Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St.; bookerymht.com), there are three kid events on the schedule this week. On Thursday, June 12, at 11:30 a.m., the storytime will feature Mickey Davis and her book Noy, The Little Laotian Ambassador, according to the website, where you can reserve your spot. The event is free and geared at kids ages 2 to 10.
On Friday, June 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., the bookstore celebrates the spooky day with a Halfway to Halloween Party for kids (recommended ages 6 to 12). The event will feature games, prizes, a costume contest and more, according to the website, where you can reserve a spot.
And on Saturday, June 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the story will host Scholastic’s nationwide Fire Fanwing Fest for readers of the Wings of Fire series. The event will feature games, activities and giveaways, the website said.

As the “Second Saturday” in June, Saturday, June 14, features free admission for New Hampshire residents to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org). The museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Celebrate Father’s Day — Sunday, June 15 — at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) with free admission, a ride wristband and a meal for dads, according to the website. Fathers accompanied by kids 12 and under can have a complimentary meal at the barbecue party (loaded hamburger or two hot dogs with chips and a drink), the website said. General tickets cost $23 or $29 with a ride wristband, which includes pony ride, horse-drawn ride and a tractor train ride, according to the website, where you can purchase advance admission (required for free father admission).

The Nashua Silver Knights will celebrate Father’s Day after their Sunday, June 15, 3 p.m. game at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) with post-game catch on the field. See nashuasilverknights.com.