Category: Cover Stories

Events and spots for a night out with longtime sweethearts, first dates and friends!

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

Planning a first date, a date night with a longtime sweetheart or just a “let’s do something different” outing with a friend? Here are some ideas for places to spend time together. (Most information comes from the locations’ websites or social media pages. Call or otherwise get in touch to check on specific days before heading out.)

Dinner and a movie

Dinner and a movie is a classic outing but there are ways to give it a little extra oomph.

At Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org) offers a dinner-and-a-movie package: $40 gets you two regular movie passes plus a $25 gift card to Concord restaurants Revival Kitchen & Bar, Hermanos or Dos Amigos.

At Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) and Smitty’s Cinema (630 W. Main St. in Tilton; smittyscinema.com) you can order dinner while you watch your movie. Both theaters also offer non-movie-based events. Smitty’s GameLab offers arcade games and axe-throwing and the cinema hosts comedy nights — next up is a Boston Comedy Festival show on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. (tickets cost $20). At Chunky’s, offerings include Thursday night trivia weekly at 7:30 p.m.; scratch ticket (Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.) and theater candy (Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m.) bingo; Feud Gone Wild (Friday, Feb. 21, at 8:30 p.m.); Paint Night (next up is Valentine’s Day paint night on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m.) and regular comedy shows (catch Frank Santorelli on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m.).

The Flying Monkey (38 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com) has two movies most weeks on the February and March schedule including a G or PG movie on Wednesdays and a movie on Thursdays. On Thursday, Feb. 13, catch 2024’s Wicked at 6 p.m.; on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. catch The Lego Batman Movie. The Flying Monkey has a movie night dinner menu as well as a selection of beer, wine and cocktails.

At O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping; oneilcinemas.com) you can get a glass of chardonnay with your bucket of popcorn and enjoy a production from The Metropolitan Opera, which are broadcast live and in encore screenings to theaters including O’neil. Next up is Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, which is broadcast live on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m. (with an encore screening on Wednesday, March 19, at 1 p.m.).

Find other theaters screening the Met Opera as well as other theatrical productions, anniversary screenings of older films, concerts and more via Fathom Events. Starting with 2001’sHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Thursday, Feb. 13, Fathom has upcoming screenings of the first four Harry Potter films Thursday, Feb. 13, through Sunday, Feb. 16, and Thursday, Feb. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 23.

Like a movie, but live

A theatrical production checks that same box of a shared experience and a story you can discuss over drinks afterward. Some shows on the schedule in the next few weeks:

• The Community Players of Concord (communityplayersofconcord.org) will present The Gods of Comedy Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20, $18 for 65+.

• The Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net) presents the Neil Simon comedy The Last of the Red Hot Lovers Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 16. Tickets cost $15 to $20.

• The Nashua Theatre Guild (nashuatheatreguild.org) will present An Evening of One-Acts at the Court Street Theatre (14 Court St. in Nashua) Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 23. Tickets cost $20; $18 for 65+.

• Theatre Kapow’s Every Brilliant Thing spent a weekend at the BNH Stage in Concord and is now headed for the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith Friday, Feb. 21, through Sunday. Feb. 23, where tickets cost $25 to $30. See Michael Witthaus’ story about the production on page 14 of the Feb. 6 issue of the Hippo (which you can find in the digital library at hippopress.com).

• Cue Zero Theatre (cztheatre.com) will present The Wild Party, a musical set in the 1920s, Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 2, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem). Tickets cost $20.

• Escape to Margaritaville, a musical comedy featuring Jimmy Buffett classics, is the next multi-week theatrical production at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org), running Friday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 23. Tickets cost $39 through $53.

• Bedford Off Broadway (bedfordoffbroadway.com) will present the comedy Boeing Boeing on the weekends Friday, March 7, through Sunday, March 16, at the Bedford Town Hall (70 Bedford Center Road in Bedford). Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors.

Go dancing

Whether you have been dancing together for years or you are looking to try out something new, there are several dance-related events, many of which will teach you the basics before you hit the floor in earnest.

Looking to learn how to swing dance? Henniker Brewing Co. (173 Centervale Road in Henniker; hennikerbrewing.com) will hold a Valentine’s Sip and Swing on Friday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $30 per couple, which includes two beverages and a lesson in dancing from The Hidden Door Studio, according to a post on Henniker Brewing’s website. (Other fun at Henniker Brewing? Thursday night trivia weekly at 6 p.m. and Wednesday night weekly disc golf putting in their factory at 5:30 p.m., through March 26, as well as live music and more.)

Rockingham Ballroom (22 Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket; rockinballroom.club) will host a Valentine’s Day Dance Party with the New Legacy Swing Band on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 on the day. The evening will start with a dance lesson at 7:15 p.m. followed by the band at 8 p.m. The event is BYOB with a light menu and beverages available for purchase.

The New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra will play the Valentine’s Swing Dance on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. at Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House in Bedford. Get the dance lesson at 6:30 p.m. and be ready when the band plays starting at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $33.85. See nhjazzorchestra.com/upcoming.

In March, you can head to the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) for Swing Dance Night featuring New Hampshire Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, March 22, at 6:30 p.m. (for a dance lesson; the band starts at 7 p.m.). Tickets cost $30.75.

Paper Moon Dance Studio (33 Depot St. in Merrimack; papermoondance.com) will hold a Mardi Gras Social Dance on Saturday, March 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Call 943-1106 for details on this event and the studio’s other offerings.

For something a little spicier, check out the It Takes Two To Tango Workshop from Royal Palace Dance Studio (5 N. Main St. in Concord; royalpalacedance.com) on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. The cost is $45 per person and no experience is required. Royal Palace Dance Studio, which also has a Manchester location, offers private lessons and group classes in a variety of dance styles including swing, ballroom, salsa and more.

Or heat things up with salsa dancing. Bella Vita Dance Academy (Eastside Plaza, 859 Hanover St. in Manchester; bellavitadance.com) will hold its 603 Salsa & Bachata Social: Valentine’s Day Edition on Friday, Feb. 14, with a lesson at 8 p.m. and a dance from 9 p.m. to midnight. Tickets cost $20 for solo admission and $35 for a couple, plus fees.

Feeling a little bit country? Most Sunday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. 603 Line Dance (603linedance.com) brings country line dancing, with a lesson, to Bonfire (950 Elm St. in Manchester; bonfiremanch.com).

603 Line Dance also brings line dancing to The Goat (50 Old Granite St. in Manchester; goatnh.com/manchester/calendar) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m.

603 Line Dance will also bring country to the Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave. in Laconia; lakeportopera.com) for Cozy & Country Line Dance Night on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

Line Dance with Ginger has Saturday socials slated for Feb. 22, March 1 and March 22 at the Old Town Hall in Bedford at 7 p.m. The cost is $10 and includes a quick lesson. See linedancemax.com.

Country fans can also head to the Freddie and the Freeloaders Country Band and 603 Line Dance on Saturday, March 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and include line dance lessons, which will kick off the evening with Kim Carpentino from 603 Line Dance, followed by guided line dancing during band breaks, according to the Rockingham Ballroom website, where you can find other upcoming country line dance events.

Or check out one of the many DJed dance parties on a theme on the schedule at area venues. Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com) will host a Gimme Gimme Disco ABBA-themed disco dance party on Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m.; tickets cost $21 to $24, plus fees. The Lakeport Opera House in Laconia will host a Taylor Swift Inspired Dance Party on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m.; tickets cost $20.

Get physical

Dance isn’t the only active outing idea.

Remix Skate & Event Center (725 Huse Road in Manchester; skateremix.com) offers another way to enjoy music and movement. The all-ages Friday Night Roller Remix runs from 8 to 11 p.m.; the cost is $20 for a two-hour skate, $30 for a three-hour skate. On Saturday, Feb. 15, from 9 to 11:30 p.m. it’s Heartbreak Night: Music of Taylor & Friends for 18+; tickets cost $20. On Saturday, Feb. 22, from 9 to 11:30 p.m. it’s Laraland Roller Disco Presents: Millennial Mixtape with DJ Diedre Dagata; event is $20, 18+. On Saturday, March 1, from 9 to 11: 30 p.m., it’s March into the ’90s with Shawn Caliber & DJ Myth; the event costs $20 per person and is 18+.

More fun on skates? The Everett Arena in Concord (15 Loudon Road) has public ice skating Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with $6 admission, $6 skate rentals. See concordnh.gov or find the arena on Facebook. Public ice skating at the JFK Memorial Coliseum (303 Beech St. in Manchester) is available most Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., as well as some Monday and Wednesday mornings, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., all through the end of March. See the schedule at manchesternh.gov. Skate rentals cost $5.

Another new challenge you could try together: Indoor climbing. NH Climbing & Fitness (10 Langdon Ave. in Concord; nhclimbinggym.com) offers a trial package for beginners for $50 which includes an introduction to climbing class, rentals and more. Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919, 25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 943-7571; verticaldreams. com) offers a beginner lesson package for $40. See the websites for hours and additional information.

SkyVenture New Hampshire (100 Adventure Way in Nashua; skyventurenh.com) also offers rock climbing ($20 per person) as well as indoor skydiving, surfing and fishpipe. The “Surf, Pipe, Fly & Climb” package costs $130, and you can inquire about individual activities.

Or, just break stuff together. Rage Cage NH (37 E. Hollis St. in Nashua; ragecagenh.com) offers a two-person smash room for one hour for $120 ($60 per person). Or book a Glow Paint Splatter Experience (with a canvas that’s yours to keep) for $25 per person. Or do both for $80 per person.

The Break Room (843 Hanover St. in Manchester; thebreakroomnh.com) offers 10-minute (Lunch Break, $25 per person), 20-minute (Case of the Mondays, $40 per person) and 30-minute (Rage Quit, $50 per person) breaking sessions.

Fun and games

Enjoy a challenge together with dates that focus on a game or puzzle.

At a brewery, bar or restaurant somewhere there is trivia most nights of the week. Make it a multi-couple date (teams seem to consist of between four and eight players), join another team or compete as a team of two, depending on the rules of each location. Find a listing of trivia nights most weeks in our Nite section.

Or play a game with just your partner. Escape rooms provide puzzles usually based on a theme — Heist of the Moon Diamond, for example, at 102 Escape in Londonderry — and are booked usually for about an hour. Check the websites of the escape rooms for booking procedures. Area escape rooms include:

• 102 Escape 123 Nashua Road, Unit 32, in Londonderry; 102escape.com

• Break Free Escape Games 10 Main St. in Nashua; breakfreeescapegames.com

• Escape Room Concord 240 Airport Road in Concord; escaperoomconcordnh.com

• Granite State Escape 795 Elm St. in Manchester; escapenh.com

• Key To Escape 3 Bud Way, Unit 21, in Nashua; keytoescape.com

• LOK’d! Room Escape 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester; lokdrocks.com

Compete one-on-one at Boards & Brews (941 Elm St. in Manchester; boardsandbrewsnh.com), where you can choose from their more than 2,000 games (reserve a table for $5 per person) and order from their menu, which includes starters, salads and sandwiches, entrees and desserts.

Or try bowling. Boutwell’s Bowling Center (152 N. State St., Concord; boutwellsbowl.com) is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Mondays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

King Bowling Lanes (751 Mast Road, Manchester; kinglanes.com) is open for public bowling Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Monday, 3 to 9 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 1 to 10 p.m.

Lakeside Lanes (2171 Candia Road in Manchester; lakesidelanes.com) has open bowling Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.

Leda Lanes (340 Amherst St., Nashua, ledalanes.com) is open Monday, noon to 10 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Merrimack Ten Pin (698 DW Highway in Merrimack, merrimacktenpin.com), which also has an arcade, opens every day at 10 a.m. See the website for the breakdown of hours, cost and lane availability.

Strikers East Bowling Center & Function Room (4 Essex Drive in Raymond, strikerseast.com), which also has an arcade with 20+ games, is open to public bowling Tuesdays 5 to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 2 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Yankee Lanes (216 Maple St. in Manchester; yankeelanesentertainment.com) is open Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to midnight.

Or throw an axe. These area axe-throwing locations, as well as Block Party Social, whose offerings include axe-throwing, offer food and drinks so you can make a night of it. Axe Play (142 Lowell Road in Nashua; axe-play.com) is open Monday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

Axl’s Throw House (4 Bud Way in Nashua; axelsthrowhouse.com) is open Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. (until 9 and 9:30 p.m., respectively); Friday from 4 to 11 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Axl’s also hosts Thursday night karaoke and occasional comedy shows.

Block Party Social (51 Zapora Drive in Hooksett; blockpartysocial.com) offers axe-throwing as one of its attractions, which include arcade games, laser tag, rope course and zip line, cornhole and billiards, Krazy Darts and climbing walls.

Par 28 (23 South Broadway in Salem; par28.com) offers axe-throwing as well as indoor golf simulators and is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

RelAxe Throwing (157 Gay St. in Manchester, relaxethrowing.com), which also offers splatter paint, is offering Valentine’s specials for prebooked axe-throwing time (one hour for two people is $40) or splatter paint time (one hour of splatter paint for two people is $35 or $45, depending on the paint) or both ($75 to $85 for two people) or axe-throwing and knife throwing (two people, one hour, $65).

The Rugged Axe (377 S. Willow St. in Manchester, theruggedaxe.com) offers 20 percent off for February Thursday theme nights booked in advance including for Galentine’s Day (Feb. 13), Date Night (Feb. 20) and National Kahlua Day (Feb. 27).

Cheap dates

You can have a good time without breaking the bank. Here are a few date ideas that are free (or, you know, with transportation and perhaps a pre- or post-date meal, have a free element).

The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) offers free admission for New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday of each month. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Extend the date by using that money you’ve saved to eat at the museum’s Winter Garden Cafe, which is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The museum is also kicking off a new “Art off the Walls” evening event series on the third Thursday of each month, starting with Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. when admission is free, the band Pickleback Jack will perform and gallerist Bill Stelling will discuss the 1980s New York City art world, inspired by the Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ouattara Watts exhibit, according to the museum’s Facebook page.

First Fridays also offer a good walk-around outing without a specific admission charge. The Center for the Arts in New London hosts that town’s First Friday Gallery Stroll — the next event is slated for Friday, March 7, which will feature a program at the Tracy Memorial Library from 6:30 to 8 p.m. called “Fierce Females: Women in Art.” See centerfortheartsnh.org.

When the warm weather returns so will Intown Concord’s “First Fridays” events, which usually feature a seasonal theme, stores open until 8 p.m. and food trucks. The first First Friday is slated for Friday, May 2. See intownconcord.org.

Get classical music concerts for free via local community music schools that offer regular programming open to the public.

At the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org), you can attend faculty performances for free with preregistration. On Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., see “The Flute: At Play.”

Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St. in Concord; ccmusicschool.org) offers a Bach’s Lunch series on some Thursdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Next up, “Love Heals” on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 12:10 with the Hodes Family and Kent Allyn, and “Making Magic with Ken Burns” on Thursday, Feb. 20, featuring pianist Jaqueline Schwab, who has played in Burns’ documentaries.

Walker Lectures, some of which include musical performances, are free at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord; theaudi.org). Up next is “A Walk for Sunshine: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail with Jeff Alt” on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. The NH Ukeladies will perform at a Walker Lecture on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.

The William H. Gile Community Concert Series presents free musical performances via the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Next up is Yes Indeed! featuring Metta Quintet plus special guests “celebrating the great American blues tradition,” according to the website, where you can reserve seats for the event.

Make stuff

In addition to looking at art together, you can also make art together.

You’re Fired, which has locations in Bedford (25 S. River Road), Concord (133 London Road) and Salem (264 North Broadway; all at yourefirednh.com), is a walk-in studio where you can pick from a wide selection of ceramic items to paint.

At The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road in Bedford; thecanvasroadshow.com), pick a project from the calendar — upcoming events with openings as of last week include Resin Art Ocean Wave on Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. and 3D Liquid Glass Art on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. with prices varying based on project. (For example, a Cozy Knit Blanket project on Tuesday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. costs $85.)

Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 550arts.com) offers one-day workshops including Date Night in the Pottery Studio, a “one-hour crash course on the pottery wheel” where each person gets a pottery wheel and can make a creation. The cost is $35 per person. About one date night is offered per month; the next one up is Saturday, March 29, at 6 p.m.

Art Alley Cats (46 N. Main St. in Concord; artalleycats.com) offers a variety of weekly and month events and workshops, including its own First Friday Art Market (at DIY Craft and Thrift, also at 46 N. Main St. from 4 to 8 p.m.). Weekly events include Let’s Get Sketchy Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m., when you can drop in and learn basic drawing skills, and Watercolor Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. that include guided watercolor tutorials. Both have a suggested donation of $15 per person.

Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St. in Milford; creativeventuresfineart.com) offers one-day workshops such as “Springtime Quilling Workshop” on Saturday, March 8, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. ($35 per person).

Make food

Or make and explore food together.

LaBelle Winery offers craft-, art- and food-related events at both its Amherst (345 Route 101) and Derry (14 Route 111) locations (see labellewinery.com). Upcoming food events that aren’t yet labeled as sold out include Decorate Focaccia Bread in Amherst on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. ($50 per person) and Wine Blending in Derry on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. ($40 per person).

Vine 32 Wine & Graze Bar (25 S. River Road in Bedford; vinethirtytwo.com) offers wine and also charcuterie board workshops. On Thursday, Feb. 13, for example, a Galentine’s Day Charcuterie Workshop will allow you to construct a board of meats and cheeses and more (with a wooden board to take home) and let you build your own bouquet at a flower bar; the cost is $103.22.

The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in Derry; culinary-playground.com) has a line-up of Date Night Couples Cooking classes for $165 per couple, BYOB. Upcoming classes include Vegetarian Dining with classes at 6:30 p.m. on April 4 & 5 and April 11 & 12 and Cinco De Mayo with classes at 6:30 p.m. on May 2 & 3 and May 9 & 10. See the menus on the website.

At Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St. in Manchester; dancinglion.us), classes focus on chocolate and croissants. A Thursday, May 8, hands-on class teaching croissant-making costs $135 per person and you can take home what you make. The “Down & Dirty Truffles” class on Thursday, June 12, will include making chocolate ganache, tempering chocolate and making truffles, according to the website ($135 per person).

Enjoy music together

Though you probably won’t be heading to a big concert for a first date, ticketed shows — which we list every week in our Concert listings — make a good treat for a friend or longtime significant other whose musical taste you are acquainted with. For example, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will play the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester (tickets.anselm.edu) on Friday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45.

At the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) you’ll find a menu of flatbreads, sandwiches, snacks, desserts and more as well as the line up of music and comedy. On Thursday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. catch Dueling Pianos (tickets cost $22). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Catch an up-and-comer in the local and regional music scene at the smaller venues in the area. Michael Witthaus looked at a few in the Jan. 16 issue of the Hippo (which you can find in our digital library at hippopress.com; see page 10). For example, catch Low Lily, a Vermont-based American roots band, on Sunday, March 2, at 6 p.m. at the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline (andresinstitute.org).

Enjoy music and a local beer or music and a meal with the gigs listed in our Music This Week, which runs each week in our Nite section. Here you can find performances at area bars, breweries and restaurants — as well as upcoming karaoke nights, another date idea for the musically inclined.

Laugh

As with music, comedy offers you the opportunity to go big, keep it casual or fall somewhere in between with your outing.

Get weekly laughs at spots like Strange Brew Tavern (88 Market St. in Manchester; strangebrewtavern.net), which holds its weekly Laugh Attic comedy open mic every Thursday at 9 p.m., and at Shaskeen (909 Elm St. in Manchester), which hosts Ruby Room Comedy every Wednesday at 9 p.m. — next up is Alex Giampapa with Casey Watson and Avery Quinn on Feb. 19.

Or check out Headliners’ line-up of comedy most weekends at Chunky’s in Manchester (chunkys.com) as well as at Headliners Comedy Club at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, where next up is Kyle Crawford on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 8:30 p.m. (tickets cost $20 plus fees), and other locations around the state. See headlinersnh.com for the schedule and to purchase tickets.

Many Fridays you can also find comedy at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The upcoming schedule includes New York Comedy Night on Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. with Tom Daddario and Chris Roach (tickets cost $39).

The Tupelo Music Hall in Derry (tupelomusichall.com) also offers a monthly Tupelo Night of Comedy — next up on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. featuring Harrison Stebbins, JJ Jones and Andrea Henry (tickets cost $25).

Find these and other comedy shows, including nationally touring comedians like Nikki Glaser (Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at the Cap Center in Concord) and Sebastian Maniscalco (Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) in our Comedy This Week listings, which run each week in the Nite section.

Featured Image: Courtesy photo.

Make tasty things tastier with a chocolate coating

By John Fladd

jfladd@hippopress.com

There is something you need to understand about chocolate-covered strawberries.

They are ephemeral. They need to be eaten immediately.

They are also very romantic, so it’s tempting to hold on to them, and savor the gesture, but Paige Quish says don’t do it. Quish is the manager of Van Otis Chocolates in Manchester, and she knows and understands chocolate-covered strawberries on a bone-deep, almost spiritual level.

Van Otis goes through a lot of strawberries around Valentine’s Day. “Hundreds of pounds of strawberries,” Quish said. “Hundreds. Of. Pounds. Every pound is about nine to 12 berries, so I mean we’re talking a lot of strawberries.”

She said the clock starts ticking as soon as a berry is coated with chocolate.

“Freshness is definitely really important,” she said. “Chocolate-covered strawberries are best enjoyed within 24 hours. Some people don’t know that, but chocolate is dry, believe it or not — there’s no water involved with it — and then once it touches any kind of strawberry or fruit that has a watery base with a lot of moisture to it, the shelf life immediately starts to expire on it.” That’s why a two-day-old chocolate strawberry in your refrigerator might start looking sad and tired, she said. The fruit dries quickly in contact with the chocolate, and shrinks, so its chocolate coat doesn’t fit it anymore and it looks dejected.

There are many chocolate-giving holidays throughout the year, Quish said, but Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest.

“We do a lot of molding for our Christmas season and Easter,” she said, “you know, the bunnies and all that. But dipped fruit specifically? I’d say that strawberries are definitely the top seller for Valentine’s.”

A large portion of everything Van Otis makes is covered with chocolate.

“We cover almost everything in chocolate,” Quish said. “Anything that you see that has the chocolate coating on it goes through our enrobing system. All of our creams, our jellies — anything that you see like that — our liquor cordials, those are all fully enrobed. Orange peels and dipped cherries, just about everything.” All the chocolate enrobing is done on-site, she said. “A lot of people refer to it like the I Love Lucy episode, when they’re putting stuff on [the conveyer belt], but it’s basically a chocolate waterfall. There’s one part of the machine that coats the bottom of everything, and then there’s the top part that gets fully drenched and enrobed, and then it goes through the drying tunnel.”

One trend that began several years ago and is still gaining momentum, Quish said, is covering something salty with chocolate, for a salty/sweet contrast.

Chocolate-covered pretzels and potato chips have become increasingly popular.

“We try to think outside the box of things that would be delicious in chocolate,” she said. Chocolate-covered bacon has become a go-to gift for men. “Super Bowl, Father’s Day — those things are usually really popular for the chocolate-covered bacon.”

A good rule of thumb, she said, is that if something is delicious on its own, it will probably be even better coated in chocolate. “We have our Oreos. We take those and we’ll enrobe them, and animal crackers are something new that we started last year. We have gummy worms and gummy bears [that we cover with chocolate].”

Surprisingly, Quish said, chewy gummy candies actually hold onto a chocolate coating pretty well. It seems as if it would crumble and fall off while it’s being eaten, but she said that’s not the case.

“As soon as that chocolate dries and sets, it’s on there,” she said. “It’s fully coated. And it’s so good! We have people who say they’ve tried chocolate-covered gummy bears elsewhere and they’re obsessed with ours. They always say that it doesn’t compare. We have a really skilled production team so they definitely have their magic that they apply to all the goodies. Swedish Fish is another one of them.”

Jeffrey Bart’s family has owned and run the Granite State Candy Shoppes, which has shops in Concord and Manchester, for almost 100 years. He said the most popular candy his stores sell is also one of the simplest.

“Our most popular item that we make and sell are dark chocolate nonpareils,” he said. “Some people might call them snow caps; it’s a small round of chocolate with white nonpareil seeds on them.” But after that, he said, customers will go for anything coated in chocolate.

“Peanut butter cups,” Bart said. “We make a lot of peanut butter cups. And our third is our butter crunch — a toffee dipped in chocolate and then sprinkled with roasted chopped nuts, almonds. They are very, very popular. We make those constantly, all the time.”

He said that his staff too, struggles to keep up with the demand for chocolate-covered strawberries at this time of the year.

“People still come to us and they want to buy a traditional heart-shaped box with assorted chocolates, but we advise ordering strawberries in advance if at all possible. We make them available on the 13th and the 14th, only. We [make] a huge variety of different berries. We make straight-dipped [berries] in dark, milk, and white chocolate. And then we have a huge array of what we call “Fancy Dipped Berries”; they’re dipped in chocolate, and then we’ll roll them in decoratifs, and then we’ll hand decorate them with chocolate drizzle and do another large assortment of other types of fancy decorations for the berries, too.”

Bart, too, advises customers not to wait too long to consume the berries.

“It’s best if you can consume them within 24 hours,” he said. “If you’re going to keep them for a little bit, we recommend refrigerating them, but when you want to enjoy them we recommend taking them out and letting them sit on the counter or sit out for a short period of time — 20 minutes, a half an hour, maybe an hour — so they warm up a little bit, and they’ll taste better that way.”

Another classic and popular item at Granite State Candy are chocolate-covered cherries.

“We use cordial cherries,” Bart said. “It’s a whole cherry with a liquid center. We have those available in milk and dark chocolate.” But some of the treats are less traditional. “We sell a lot of chocolate-dipped Twinkies,” he said. “That’s a fun, crazy little item that we do that is very popular. We’ve been doing it for a number of years now, so that’s a great item. We also coat orange peel, ginger — candied ginger — in chocolate, and that’s very popular. And another unique … item is something called the Jordan Cracker. It’s an oblong-shaped baked, sugarless cracker that we coat in chocolate and people love them.”

Jim Pasquill is the store manager for Sweetz & More in the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester. He says there is a strong, consistent demand for any type of gummy candy covered in chocolate.

“Anything like Haribo gummy bears, even something like Juju cinnamon bears, we have those covered in chocolate,” he said. “The chocolate-covered cinnamon bears don’t always sell as well. I think it might be because the mixture of chocolate and cinnamon isn’t a favorite mix. However, we pretty much have the same brands on our theater box wall. It’s called Money Bears. It’s the same thing. It’s just packaged differently and it’s cheaper. And that also tends to be as hot as the chocolate-covered gummy bears on our pouch wall. It’s the same thing. Customers keep on coming in here asking us if we have them. Unfortunately, we don’t because they sell too fast.”

Pasquill said it is hard to keep this type of candy in stock.

“We try to get at least get 16 to 24 pouches in at a time,” he said, “because that can usually only last us a couple days — maybe a week. It’s a steady pace on the milk chocolate covered gummy bears but we do try and make sure we have a large quantity on our shelves.” He said he tries to keep just enough in stock, so that there is a constant turnover and the candy stays fresh.

Pasquill himself doesn’t necessarily go for outrageous combinations of chocolate and candies. “Me, I’m like a traditional guy,” he said. “I like nuts — cashews, almonds, peanuts — something with a solid crunch. I’m not really for the crazy Swedish fish, the gummy bears, but I can see why it sells. Now, I won’t necessarily say that they are healthy, but we do have chocolate-covered raisins, and we do have chocolate-covered cranberries. That can be somewhat healthy because we do have dark chocolate, and I know dark chocolate is more healthy than milk.”

In Salem, a lot of The Chocolate Moose’s customers would agree with Pasquill’s preference for chocolate-covered nuts. According to owner Nancy Cornell, “what we have to make every day is the turtles.” She pointed to a long display case filled with different varieties of turtles, in all sizes, and with all different types of nuts. “This whole line all the way down is all turtles. We have mini turtles, in milk and dark chocolate, pecans and cashews, and then the larger ones, the same thing, and then there’s almonds, macadamia, and then there are Oreo turtles. The Oreo turtles have no nuts in them.”

Chocolate-covered candy apples are another big seller for Cornell.

“Today,” she said, “we’ve been selling apples. It’s mid-morning and we’ve only got one left. But at Christmas we usually start at 2:30 in the morning making the candy apples. Even now, my husband is up at 3 o’clock at night and he does apples galore. Another thing that’s popular is our peanut butter cups. People come from Boston and so on to come up and get our peanut butter cups.”

Cornell said fruit works really well dipped in chocolate. “This” she said, pointing, “is candied orange peel, and I have grapefruit peels too, but we’re sold out of them right now. To get that bitter taste away, you have to boil them three or four times, then dry them out for days, with sugar. And then we dip them. Same with the ginger. Ginger is hot, so when you put it in chocolate it doesn’t quite have that hotness to it. Orange peels, we mostly cover in dark [chocolate]; that seems to be what most people want. And we have dried apricots, too.”

She said that an old-fashioned favorite has been coming back into fashion recently. “Marzipan went through a period of time where people didn’t want it,” Cornell said, “and I would have it, and then I’d have to throw it away. But now it’s back again. People go in cycles, and they actually ask for it now.”

Some things never go out of style, though. “Oreos dipped in chocolate and graham crackers dipped are big,” she said. “They’ve been that way for years.I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

DIY a chocolate coating

Buying chocolate-covered delicious things is an excellent way to express your affection, but there is always the homemade approach. Coating snacks in chocolate yourself (a) might impress the type of person that is impressed by this sort of thing, and (b) allows for a level of customization.

Making a chocolate-covered snack isn’t complicated — at least in theory. You only need two ingredients: a snack and some chocolate. It’s the details that can get a little finicky, such as what type of chocolate you use.

Richard Tango-Lowy is a master chocolatier and the owner of Dancing Lion Chocolate in Manchester. He said it’s not enough that a chocolate is delicious; if you’re going to coat something with it, you need to read the label.

“There are a lot of chocolates,” he said, “especially chocolate chips, that have ingredients that don’t lend themselves to [coating things]. You’re looking for three ingredients: cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. Plus milk powder if it’s a milk chocolate.”

He said to stay away from anything labeled as “chocolate-style baking chips.”

Laura Wither, the chocolate maker for Loon Chocolate in Manchester, agrees. “There are additives in many [chocolates] that might or might not help you coat things — palm oil, and coconut oil, and things like that,” she said. She pointed out that Loon Chocolate doesn’t use them.

She also pointed out that it helps to be thoughtful about what kind of snack you’re covering with chocolate.

“I would say that you want to look for complementary flavors,” she said. “For example, we have a chocolate that leans towards the fruity side and I love it with pineapple. Contrasting can also be good. A lot of it is just taste testing, which is the fun part of the job here.”

If you want to coat a piece of fruit with chocolate, she said, it has to be patted as dry as possible.

“Chocolate and water are generally not good friends,” she said. “There are some exceptions but for the most part if we were covering fruit it would be dried fruit. I know people do chocolate-dipped strawberries, but generally when you do that, a lot of times, you’re using a coating chocolate.”

One fiddly part of melting chocolate at home is something called tempering. This is a process to make a chocolate shiny and give it a good snap when you break it or bite into it. It doesn’t change the flavor of a chocolate; it is a way of aligning the crystal structure of a batch of chocolate to bring out its best characteristics. On baking competition shows, judges will call out a contestant about how well or poorly tempered their chocolate is.

The accepted procedure that many home confectioners use to temper their chocolate involves manipulating its temperature:

Step 1 – Heat the chocolate in a double boiler, or in your microwave a few seconds at a time, until it reaches a temperature of 115°F.

Step 2 – Remove it from heat, and stir it until the temperature drops to 81°F. Most home chocolate-temperers will hurry the process by stirring unmelted chocolate into it. (I’ve used frozen chocolate to do this and have been reasonably pleased with the results.)

Step 3 – Raise the temperature of the chocolate again, to 92°F.

Step 4 – Start dipping.

If you think this seems like a difficult way to spend a morning, Richard Tango-Lowy agrees with you.

“You’re not going to do it at home unless you know what you’re doing,” he said. “Tempering is just one of those things that’s inherently complicated. You’ll never learn how to temper by watching videos. Most of them are just dead wrong.” To learn to temper chocolate at a professional level, he said, takes years of practice, and specialized techniques. Fortunately, there is a work-around, he said.

“If you don’t know how to temper, use chocolate that you like, one that is already tempered. Melt it extremely gently in the microwave — just mostly melt it, you’ll end up with a reasonably passable temper to put on your strawberries and things.” He advised melting the chocolate, a little at a time, until only a third or so of the chocolate remains solid, then to stir it until the chunks melt away.

Once you have your chocolate melted, and delicious snack food standing by, it’s time to start covering things with chocolate. You can use chopsticks, tweezers or a fork to dip your snack and roll it around to cover it, or use a spoon to gently blanket it with melted chocolate. Coat the snacks, and put them on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat to cool and harden. In the photo below, I have coated Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with a 53 percent dark chocolate. I learned the hard way that they are delicious coated in white chocolate but can’t be swished around in it. The white chocolate will turn pink and look like peppermint, which it emphatically is not. I had the best luck laying each Cheeto on the surface of the melted white chocolate, then spooning it over the Cheeto. — John Fladdk trails.

Things to cover with chocolate

Easily made and stored for a week or so:
Pretzels — especially peanut butter-filled ones
Crystalized ginger
Dried blueberries, spooned into clusters
Candied orange slices
Banana chips
Any nuts — perhaps something unusual, like pistachios or shelled sunflower seeds
Other candies like licorice bites or gummies
Corn chips
Spicy snacks — Flamin’ Hot Cheetos work very well
Cookies — especially store-bought crunchy ones like Oreos or Vienna fingers
Animal crackers
Marzipan
Espresso beans, especially dusted with lemon or lime zest

Easily made but must be eaten immediately:
Strawberries
Mango cubes
Fresh mint leaves
Avocado slices
Jalapeno slices
Cream cheese and lemon zest, or goat cheese

Featured Image: Courtesy photo.

Advice on hiking during the coldest season
PLUS Winter birds and where to find them

By Zachary Lewis

zlewis@hippopress.com

Outdoor enthusiasts don’t let snow or single-digit temperatures stop them from getting out there. Looking to hike (or take a woodland walk) in the winter? Here is some advice from the experts.

Hitting the snowy trail

Matt Larson has hiked all 48 and wrote a book about it called 4000s by 40, which came out in September.

“I had this mission before I turned 40 to climb all the 4,000-footers,” he said. His book can be found on wanderingmattlarson.com. These mountains loomed before Larson.

“I grew up in Massachusetts and I always loved it when we came over to New Hampshire and went skiing in the North Country or were in the Lakes region. I was always very aware of the mountains. They earned a spot in my heart from a very young age,” he said.

As a Granite Stater Larson had the perfect opportunity to accomplish his goal.

“I live in the southern part of the state now. I was so excited when that happened because I finally got to be close to all these mountains that I always loved as a kid. When I was coming close to turning 40, I realized that I really hadn’t explored all of the mountains that I wanted to. I climbed a few of them, but I just felt like this deep connection with the 4,000-footers. It just felt a shame to me that I hadn’t really fully explored them yet. That was my first call to arms, so to speak, for getting out on the trail,” he said. He started in the winter because his birthday is in February and gave himself a timeline for the year.

“I started off hiking in the snow and quickly learned that I needed microspikes the first time I went climbing in the winter. I did not have them and had to learn about the proper gear that was really necessary to take on the mountains during the wintertime and learned a lot fast. I’ve been doing it for quite a while now,” Larson said.

Larson was persistent even as his dream met with reality.

“I had big visions when I first started off, and so I thought I was going to be able to climb two mountains in one day in the middle of winter without microspikes. I went up East Osceola and I was hoping to climb over what’s called the chimney from there to Mount Osceola. About halfway up, I thought I had something called Yaktrax in my bag so I thought I had something to help me with the ice. I didn’t have spikes yet, but I at least thought I had my Yaktrax with me. I went into my bag to take them out and realized I had left them in the car. So without anything to help me, I really was contemplating turning around. I ended up actually finding a way through. Along the sides of the trail, there’s a bunch of thickets and narrowly spaced pines that you can grab onto so I was able to actually get to the top of East Osceola by navigating my way through the trees off the side of the trail, but I wasn’t going to shoot for the other peak of Mount Osceola, because it just was way too treacherous-looking.”

This close call led Larson to gear up.

“Shortly after that climb I went right out to my local EMS store … and I grabbed myself some microspikes,” he said

Most of his journeys were solo missions.

“That’s not to say I was alone out there. I mean, I was always really surprised. Even that first day in Osceola, I think I got to the parking lot at 6 in the morning and started climbing, and there was already somebody there who beat me to the lot,” he recalled. “It’s really amazing. I think as time has gone on more and more people are getting into this and getting outdoors. When I completed the 4,000-footers, I think it was sort of a banner year for the AMC in terms of people that were submitting a claim for having finished the 4,000-footers.”

Larson is excited that more people are embracing hiking in the cold.

“It’s been really nice to see how many people are taking on the adventure but being sensible about it too. The most impressive climbers to me are the ones that are doing it in the winter because they really are a much more thoughtful bunch about how to prepare for it and be safe. There’s plenty of stories of people who have taken on unnecessary risk during the winter, but it’s all very doable if people take the sensible approach and mitigate the risk through proper gear and awareness of the terrain and the weather. You do see a lot of people out there, which is great,” he said.

As with a river, no hiker steps onto the same mountain twice.

“It definitely changes week to week too. Even this winter. We went up around the Mount Tom and Mount Willey area and there was a little bit of snow on the ground. Then the next week I went out with a buddy to Cannon and it felt like a blizzard had hit the place. Very quickly it went from not needing any spikes or anything really on our feet, or just needing spikes for like a little portion of the trail up Mount Willey, to needing spikes the entire time up Mount Cannon and us contemplating if we even needed snowshoes,” Larson said.

The snowy terrain has the possibility for change after change and it is important to be cautious while enjoying the spectacular beauty of nature.

“There’ll be times that you’re out there and you’re using snowshoes for 50 percent of the climb up and then you have to switch back and forth between spikes and snowshoes because it gets really icy in some sections and then it can get really deep in others,” he said. “Then there’s other times where it doesn’t look like it’s that icy or that snowy but the rock is so slick. There’s sort of a form of black ice on some of the granite. People slip. I slipped a couple of times even with spikes on. You can have some moments where your feet can get pulled out from under you. It’s definitely important not to rush, especially on the descent. It’s always more dangerous on the descent.”

One perk of winter hiking is the chance encounter with wildlife.

“When I’m in the 4,000-footers … I’ve seen some minks. I’ve seen plenty of gray jays out of Mount Tom, Mount Willey and Mount Field in particular. … and of course everything from chipmunks to squirrels, all the usual suspects.”

There’s always a chance some critter will dart right out toward you. “I think the funniest encounter I had with any animals was one time I was on the trail and it was super quiet. It was kind of spooky how quiet it was. I was kind of thinking there might be a bear around, and I started inching my way up the trail, looking every single direction I could. Just as I started getting comfortable, all of a sudden, all of these pheasants just emerged out of this bush in front of me. There were probably 30 or 40 of them, or quail, I guess. You’ll see them out there too. Then there’s some turkeys along the way and mostly birds, birds and squirrels,” he said.

Regardless of the locale, hiking a mountain trail in the winter is a joy that Larson hopes others in the Granite State can experience for themselves.

“I love winter hiking. I love hiking at any time … but winter hiking is very peaceful. There really is a serenity to winter hiking that I think is unique. I definitely encourage people to try it if they’re thinking about it. One of the reasons why I wanted to write 4,000s by 40 was because I feel like there’s a lot of stories out there about the dangers of the mountains. I think there is inherent risk in climbing, but I do think that it’s something that’s a venture that everybody can enjoy if they just take sensible steps, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to enjoy winter hiking, too,” Larson said.

Snowshoes and postholing

Sometimes using snowshoes is not just for your own benefit but for keeping the trail in good shape. They’re mainly used for traversing powdery or deep snow, to keep you from sinking.

The City of Concord’s online guide to local trails (concordnh.gov/1033/Trails) includes this note: “On fresh snow, please use showshoes. Bare-booting can cause post-holing, which is a potential hazard for trail users.” Post-holing is trail-speak for when your boot sinks deep into the snow and leaves a hole. Not only is post-holing no fun, but later, someone else’s boot, ski or snowshoe can get tripped up by that hole.

Even with snowshoes, you shouldn’t hike on top of ski tracks. In a Feb. 28, 2022, blog post on Sharing Winter Trails (nhrtc.org/sharing-winter-trails), Ellen Kolb wrote, “Where cross-country ski tracks are present, showshoers and hikers will walk next to rather than on top of them. Slower traffic always stays to the right.”

On gearing up

Renee Robertie works at REI in Bedford. She is a committee member of the New Boston Rail Trail and an avid hiker. She gives quarterly free talks on all things hiking-related, such as waterproofing and the 10 essentials to bring on every hike (her next talk will be on Saturday, April 26; email nbrailtrail@gmail.com for more information).

According to Robertie, rail trails are a great introduction to the world of winter hiking.

“It gives people an opportunity to get outside, get some exercise, do some hiking, ride the trail maybe, and these are folks that may or may not necessarily be in a physical condition or have the desire to do something more strenuous such as something in the White Mountains. So it’s a glade in between. It’s a beautiful path that’s an old railroad bed of course, and there are benches along the way and you can sit and just kind of watch the river because it follows the flow of the river. It’s just a nice time to be out in the woods,” she said.

Robertie laid out the basics of hitting the trail in winter.

“The first area [is] the clothing. Layering your clothing so that you can have flexibility to regulate your heat and any moisture if you’re aggressively walking or even running the trail,” she said.

Wool is an excellent choice for the first layer. “A typical base layer would be something that is wool or a wool blend or a synthetic type of clothing. There are pros and cons to either one, wool being a little bit more expensive than synthetic but it’s a really good insulator so even when it gets wet it still insulates and can keep you warm. Wool comes in various densities. It might be a light, a medium or a heavy type of wool,” Robertie said.

“The next layer is an insulating layer. Typically that’s fleece or it could be even like a down jacket or something thicker that’s going to insulate your heat and keep it in because you’re the one that’s generating the heat,” she said. Layering allows you to adjust the thermostat of your own body.

“Then the third layer is a shell layer and that keeps out moisture. So say if it’s raining or snowing or even if snow is dropping from the tree branches or something like that. You keep your base layer and then you can regulate your heat by adding or removing the other two layers or even just opening up, so unzipping if you’ve got a quarter zip, the zip that is from the neck down to above your chest, or even fully unzipping if you’re that warm,” she said.

The human head is like a chimney where a good amount of heat escapes. “Not having a hat can account for losing about 10 percent of your body heat, so if you’re getting too warm you can take your hat off, if you need a little more warmth you can put your hat on,” she said.

Leg gaiters are also an option to consider. “A gaiter is simply a waterproof fabric that has a strap that goes under your boot and then either zips or more typically these days Velcros around your leg. It’s made of a rugged material so if you are wearing something like microspikes and you happen to get it caught on your ankle or shin it’s not going to damage a good pair of pants.”

Foot covering is an obvious necessity in the winter too. “There are different insulation types for boots and you can get very warm … but the insulation in the boots can help keep your feet warm. Certainly things like hand warmers or toe warmers are a good idea too if you’re not quite sure what you’re going to encounter,” she said.

After clothing, Robertie will speak on staying secure in your footing.

“Traction is what keeps you from slipping. Some boots have deep lugs, so kind of the bumps on the bottom … But sometimes you need a little bit more, so I talked about things like microspikes, which are quarter-inch spikes on chains that are attached to a … rubber-type thing that you put on the toe of your boot and then draw it back and up around your heel. That holds the spikes in place underneath your foot. So the microspikes are good when there’s definitely ice and they are very grippy.”

Bigger spikes are needed for the mountains. “I didn’t go into crampons or anything like that because that’s more of a steeper mountain, mountaineering kind of traction…. That’s a big spike that’s maybe a 3- or 4-inch spike that, it’s not just one spike, it’s a series of spikes underneath your boot that provides a lot of traction and is meant for very steep and very icy trails.”

And sometimes a wide, flat surface is what is called for in the winter.

“I spoke about snowshoes as well, which typically don’t come into play too much on a rail trail because there’s so much foot traffic, but if you’re breaking ground in snow a snowshoe is going to help you stay buoyant on the snow instead of possibly falling in…. The rail trails are typically packed down, but after a snowstorm, if you’re the first one out, there’s definitely a possibility that you could be running into some deep snow.”

Trekking poles can help you stay upright. “Trekking poles are great for stability. If you’re older or even young people nowadays, it’s really great for staying stable on your trail. It helps you walk a little more briskly. And if you’re doing a water crossing, which typically you don’t do on a rail trail but you might do on one of the town trails. It’s great for descent and especially if you’ve got bad knees because it takes some of the pressure off your knees.”

Robertie also mentioned the benefits of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Hike Safe Card. “The Hike Safe, which is through the New Hampshire Fish and Game, is something that you can purchase to help support the Hampshire Fish and Game. It’s $25 for an individual, $35 for a family, and if you have that and have not been irresponsible, if it happens that you do need to be rescued, then you won’t be charged the rescue costs.”

She hopes to spread her enthusiasm about winter hiking to others.

“It’s all about getting outdoors. The fresh air, the health benefits of being in a forest are well documented and studied. We want people to do that and we want them to do it safely and more than anything to have fun and enjoy it. It’s a great resource. The more people out there, the better,” Robertie said.

Birds in winter

Grace McCulloch works for the New Hampshire Aubudon is excited to get more Granite Staters interested in a winter activity that pairs well with winter walks and hikes: birding.

“One of our favorite projects here at New Hampshire Audubon is the Backyard Winter Bird Survey, which this year is taking place on February 8th and 9th. It’s a weekend out of the year where we encourage people to report the birds that they see in their backyards to us at New Hampshire Audubon. The reporting form will be open for a few days after just so that everyone can get their results in,” McCulloch said.

The Survey has been going strong for decades. “This will be our 38th year doing the Backyard Winter Bird Survey,” she said, “and so over that time we’ve gathered a huge amount of data to really get an understanding of bird trends throughout the state. Being able to look through that kind of year-to-year variation and noise and see what bird species are increasing in number and what species might also be declining in the state.”

The process is simple. “The survey is really easy. We have a simple online survey form on our website where people report what they see over the weekend. They can watch for as little as 15 minutes, or if they’re really dedicated they can watch the entire weekend as well.”

Birders do not need to be experts.

“We know that not everyone is out there birding every day, and that’s one of the things I love about the survey, is that it really is supposed to be easy for people who maybe this is the first time that they’re taking time to notice the birds in their backyard.”

The NH Audubon has plenty of helpful information on birds.

“We have a ton of resources on our websites, including a guide to the most common winter birds that people can check out, as well as a guide to commonly confused birds. Because there are species that can look quite similar. You can know that you have a woodpecker, but which woodpecker is it?”

The landscape of birds has changed in the state over the years. “You’d be surprised how dramatically the bird communities have shifted,” McCulloch said. “One example that I like to talk about a lot are American robins and eastern bluebirds. These are species that were once thought of as signs of spring. They arrived just in time for the beginning of spring. When we first started the survey in 1987 they were almost unheard of in February in the state. But today they’re frequently seen by people on the Backyard Winter Bird Survey in February. So just in 35 years, a huge shift.”

“We’re also seeing new species appear on the survey, species that are typically found further south. And … our work is even more important as we look to understand how bird species range and how long they’re staying in the winter might shift over time. We’re … seeing new species arrive, like red-bellied woodpeckers and Carolina wrens.”

Fan favorites will be making a return as well. “Our most common bird last year was the American goldfinch. We actually had about 10,000 of those reported on the survey. Then other favorite birds like black-capped chickadees, northern cardinals, those are always very distinct birds, easy to identify. We had a lot of blue jays on the survey last year, and also things like mourning doves.”

McCulloch said residents can take steps to entice birds to their homes. “I always encourage people if they want to put up a suet feeder. It’s kind of like a block of suet that you can put up and that really will help attract the woodpeckers. You can see several different woodpeckers just within one weekend. Things like downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers, you can see all three in your backyard. The amazing thing is most of our feeder birds, multiple species, are all feeding together at once, so you have a good chance of seeing more than one species at a time.”

Now is the time to make your guesses on which birds will be showing up.

“Our senior biologist, Pam Hunt, always likes to make predictions for the survey. … this year, based on some food availability up north, we’re predicting a higher number of red-breasted nuthatches. … We’re also expecting a fairly good showing of species like red-bellied woodpeckers and Carolina wrens as our winters get warmer over time,” she said.

The Carolina wren has been drawing attention here, she said. “They’re a species that 10 years ago people weren’t seeing in the state, so when you see a brand new bird at your bird feeder, you’re like, ‘What is this bird?’”

“If you’re talking about hiking the 48 4,000-footers in winter, a bird you could always mention is the Canada jay or the gray jay,” McCulloch said. “That’s a bird that you typically only find on the top of mountains in New Hampshire, and you find it in the winter, and they love peanuts and other food that hikers bring them up. They’re known to eat out of hikers’ hands on the top of the snowy mountains,” she said.

Where to hike

Here are some ideas for finding winter (and all-season) hiking spots that match your skill level and interest.

• Renee Robertie suggested checking out rail trails. See nbrailtrail.com for information on the New Boston Rail Trails, including maps and a link to the group’s social media for updates on conditions. For information about rail trails throughout the state, check out the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition at nhrtc.org, which offers links to rail trail groups around the state and brief descriptions of the trails.

• The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests offers a visitor’s guide that lets you filter through its properties for location, difficulty of trail and specific activity like snowshoeing or bird-watching. See forestsociety.org/visitor-guide.

• On the New Hampshire State Parks website, a specific guide to winter parks includes popular hiking parks as well as spots for snowshoeing, fat biking, ice fishing and mushing. See nhstateparks.org/things-to-do/winter-recreation.

• The New Hampshire Audubon (nhaudubon.org) will hold its annual Backyard Birding Survey Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9. See the website for details. While you’re there, check out the information about their trails at sanctuaries near the Audubon’s centers including the Susan N. McLane Center in Concord and the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn as well as wildlife sanctuaries across the state. The sanctuaries page offers maps and guides to each property.

• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) has 35+ miles of trails, according to the website, as well as ongoing fitness hikes that can get you started by letting you hike with a crowd.

• The state Division of Travel and Tourism Development describes 10 winter hike options including Mount Major, with its views of Lake Winnipesaukee; the ever-popular Mount Monadnock; and hiker favorite Mount Cardigan, “a very popular area for hiking and snowshoeing,” at visitnh.gov/blog/10-popular-winter-hikes.

• Picturesque local parks with trails are good places for winter strolls, usually not too hilly, such as Mine Falls Park in Nashua (nashuanh.gov/491/Mine-Falls-Park), Livingston Park and other city trails in Manchester (manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Recreational-Trails), and several park trails in Concord (concordnh.gov/1033/Trails). According to the Concord trails website, there are three group hikes currently scheduled: On Saturday, Feb. 22, at 9:30 a.m., Bob Lyon will lead a 3-mile hike on Broken Ground trails; on Saturday, March 29, Peter Bartlett will lead a Morono Park trails hike, and on Saturday, April 26, at 9:30 a.m., Wendy Olson will lead a hike of the Winant Park trails.

Featured Image: Photo by Matt Larson.

Weddings are one of the most important and memorable events in a person’s life. From the vows to the first dance, every moment is a reflection of love, commitment, and joy. Capturing these moments is crucial, and the best way to do that is by hiring a professional wedding photographer. While smartphones and cameras are more advanced than ever, they can’t replace the expertise and experience of a skilled photographer.

A wedding day is often a blur of emotions, conversations, and moments that pass by quickly. As the day unfolds, couples can easily miss out on key moments, like the look of a groom’s face when he sees his bride for the first time or the laughter shared between family members. A wedding photographer’s job is to capture these fleeting moments, preserving them for you to relive for years to come. These photographs are not only keepsakes for the couple but also for future generations.

Wedding photographers bring a level of professionalism that ensures your photos will be high-quality. They are experienced in managing lighting, composition, and angles to create stunning, timeless images. Professionals know how to handle various lighting conditions, from bright outdoor settings to dimly lit reception halls, and use the best equipment to produce clear, sharp images that tell a story.

Choosing to hire a wedding photographer means you can focus on enjoying your day without worrying about capturing every moment. Photographers are experts at what they do, so you won’t have to ask friends or family members to take pictures, which could detract from their ability to participate in the celebration. You can rest assured that your photographer will have everything covered, so you can stay present and relaxed.

A wedding photographer’s portfolio is often a representation of their style, creativity, and technical skills. By hiring a professional, you gain access to a body of work that shows how they can capture moments in different settings, lighting conditions, and environments. You can assess whether their style aligns with your vision for your wedding album.

So maybe you realize that you need a wedding photographer but then how do you choose one?

Wedding photographers have distinct styles, from traditional and posed to candid and documentary. Before you start your search, it’s essential to define the style you want for your wedding photos. Whether you want a modern, artistic look or a more classic approach, knowing your preferences will help narrow down your options.

Start by researching local photographers and reading online reviews. Personal recommendations from friends and family who have had positive experiences can also be valuable. Look through their portfolios to assess the quality of their work and the variety of images they capture. Keep an eye out for consistency and whether their style aligns with your preferences.

Once you’ve narrowed down a list of potential photographers, meet them either in person or virtually to get a sense of their personality and approach. It’s crucial to feel comfortable with your photographer, as they will be a constant presence throughout your wedding day. Make sure they are friendly, approachable, and able to communicate clearly about your needs.

Wedding photography requires specific skills, so it’s important to choose someone who specializes in weddings rather than someone who primarily shoots portraits or events. Inquire about their experience, particularly with weddings of a similar size and style to yours. A photographer with ample experience will know how to handle unexpected situations and will be more adept at capturing all the details that make your day unique.

Wedding photography can be a significant investment, so it’s important to understand the pricing structure. Ensure that you are clear about what is included in the package, such as the number of hours, the number of photographers, and any post-production work like editing and album creation. Discuss the photographer’s policy for overtime or additional costs for travel, prints, or extra services.

Finally, trust your gut. Your wedding photographer will be with you on one of the most important days of your life, so it’s vital that you feel confident in your choice. If you feel at ease with the photographer and confident in their ability to deliver high-quality images, it’s a good sign that you’ve found the right fit.

This is your special day, make those memories and record them.

Featured Image: Courtesy photo.

The art of ice sculpture PLUS a look at Concord’s winter fest

By Zachary Lewis

zlewis@hippopress.com

It is the time of year for ice sculpting and this is not a reference to clearing off the windshield in the morning. Ice sculpting is an art and the people involved in this pursuit are artists.

Jeff Day operates Ice Designs in Plymouth. This business handles all things ice. From sculpture to making the blocks themselves, to delivering ice bars across state lines, Day is in his element in the cold and is in the middle of an ice delivery.

“Right now we’re bringing ice to another set of carvers in Maine. We supply ice to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to ice sculptors as well as ourselves. I guess I’d say we’re the busiest of the ice sculptors in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. We also supply. So if it’s not our ice we’re carving, someone else is carving our ice, which is cool,” Day said.

These cold waters run deep.

“I’ve been doing it since, I don’t know, I’m going to say like 1993, maybe. So quite a while ago. We’re located in Plymouth, New Hampshire. We got a warehouse and big freezers. Our busy season is basically December through March and then we have a lot of outside jobs,” Day said.

Day and his company have worked for corporations like Red Bull for snowboard competitions and exhibitions. “So for Red Bull, we’ve done ice jobs on top of ski mountains for their professional riders. It’s cool. We’ve been blessed. We’ve done a lot.”

In the beginning, the culinary world propelled Jeff into the ice sculpting world.

“I was a chef by trade and I moved right to San Diego. Every Sunday there was at least five sculptures at our brunch. I was like, I don’t know, 20 years old. We did carve one in school and once I became a little more proficient as a chef and started being the boss I started doing a little carving on the side. Finally a chef asked me if I could carve something. He asked me if I could carve an eagle. I said, ‘How many blocks do you have?’ He says three. So, if I have a third block of ice, I made something that I felt represented the eagle well enough. It wasn’t great, but like I always say, I made a lot of ugly ones for a while until I got it figured out.”

Like a chef using an assortment of cutlery and utensils to craft the perfect dish, an ice sculptor relies on different tools.

“A chainsaw is very much a go-to for us,” Day said. “We do chisels. I use chisels a lot. We do have power tools. Basically, they look like drill bits.They’re from the milling industry, metalworking. We modify stuff in order to get what we need … there’s a few things out there that are made specific for us, but most of it’s taken from other industries. We use grinders with sandpaper, aluminum oxide sandpaper. And then we have some power tools, some brass and things like that that we put in die grinders.”

A die grinder works at high speed. “Like a big Dremel,” Day said. “It looks like a drill, but it’s really not. It spins at like 25,000 RPMs, and we can plunge with it, and we can carve with it.”

Ice Designs does not need to wait for a polar vortex to get blocks of ice.

“We produce our own ice, so we have 16 block makers.The block makers, they’re called Clinebell block makers, and they make crystal clear ice. It takes us three days to make two blocks of ice. We have 16 machines that make 64 blocks a week. Each block is about 45 gallons of water and we freeze it from the bottom up.”

There is a method to this freezing madness, Day said. “As it freezes, we have a circulator pump, and that pump moves the water around and gets rid of any oxygen that’s in the water. And that’s what makes it clear and any impurities or anything go to the top of the water.”

The water sinks below and all the impurities rise to the top. “So when we cut the top of this off at the end of the three days, we end up with a rectangle, a big block of ice that weighs 300 pounds and is crystal clear.” The block is 40 inches tall, 20 inches wide, and 10 inches thick, he said.

Everything beautiful comes from the effervescent ice. “We can take those, like right now we have 70 blocks with us and we’re going up here and they’re going to build a big ice bar event, so we can stack these blocks and make a 10-foot-tall horse if we want,” Day said.

It is hard for Jeff to pick one favorite design over the years especially since Ice sculpture is such a passion for him. “We’ve done so many, it’s been such a good run. We’ve done some really cool dragons. I just did a competition last year, I did a dragon. I was pretty psyched about it. People ask if I have a favorite one. I don’t know. There’s been so many. I just really enjoy it,” Day said.

For an installation Day typically pre-makes the pieces to be assembled on site but the sculpture is carved in real time.

“I call it the big project,” he said. “And the next morning, the day of the event, I go and I get to carve that into … a horse or a dragon or an astronaut or whatever the case may be. That’s the best because it’s the last day, all the other stuff is done and I try to uncover this and make this thing look killer, which is fun. The last day is enjoyable.”

Day has the ability to carve and sculpt despite the season and has a few helpers to assemble the frozen magic.

“The weather is always a gamble, so we try to do as much ahead as possible,” he said. “I have a huge freezer, a 26-by-36 freezer I can drive a forklift in at my warehouse, and we have two other freezers. … I have a guy that helps me, Jamie, a high school friend for years, he’s a retired police officer. My girlfriend, Holly, she helps me a ton. I have another friend, Alex, that helps out a little, and between them, we can get this all done. We’re pretty darn efficient because we have to be.”

Those with a passion to sculpt ice into whatever their heart desires just need to ask around to find their path into this world. “Find someone like myself and work for them. I carved ice on the side, like my side hustle for a long time, and I was competing and doing well with that,” he said. “I went to Boston and got in with a guy named Steve Rose. Steve Rose and Bill Covitz. Those guys were absolute rock stars and they really humbled me. I worked with those guys a lot and that really was the next step to help me get better at my game. Unfortunately, most of us sculptors are, I would say, 40 and older.”

Eric Knoll is on the younger side of ice sculptors in the world.

“Eric is the youngest guy and he’s got another job so he’s part-time as a side hustle and he’s doing a pretty good job,” Day said about Knoll.

Knoll was turned on to the art of ice sculpture at culinary school.

“I went to Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, for culinary and started learning it in college, essentially. I’ve been doing it inside since I learned it. It’s been 15 years and I can’t stop doing it,” Knoll said.

“It actually is no longer taught in culinary school, but when I first learned it, it was for cruise ships and buffets and centerpieces, weddings and stuff like that,” he said.

Ice sculpture was where Knoll found another outlet, besides cooking, for his artistic gift. “I actually didn’t know what ice carving was. The first year I was at college they had a family event on the weekend and I walked by it and I was like, ‘What is this?’ Then I just tried to learn everything I could possibly learn about it. But before that, I mean, I can’t draw. I can’t paint. Am I creative? Absolutely.”

He recalls that one of his first competitions was in Keene, New Hampshire, “which they still have going and I still participate every year since and it’s just part of ice carving in the winter.”

Each competition inspires Knoll to make something different.

“I try to do new ones I haven’t done before at a competition because it’s a place to do it where you can kind of test the limits. You’re usually outside if things work out, the weather is cold enough. So you can do different things that you couldn’t do if the weather wasn’t cold.”

The ocean has been an inspiration. “The very first one I learned was a lighthouse, because obviously we’re in Rhode Island, so sticking with the theme,” he recalled. “But I’ve carved many different themes, different types of sculptures.”

These sculptures have led Eric around the globe. “I’ve gone to the World Championships up in Fairbanks, Alaska, for three years in a row, and that’s a whole different competition on its own. Usually like to stick with the nautical or sea creature theme, just a lot of detail you can do in those sculptures. One year I did a bunch of fish. I think the year before was a bunch of fish in a coral reef. I’ve done an eagle.”

One sea creature is still on his list to sculpt. “There’s an octopus that I haven’t done yet. I actually tried to do it in Keene two years ago and the weather was too warm … and I was put right on Main Street with no sunshade, so it was just not feasible to pull that sculpture off. So one day, eventually, I will pull off an octopus. In Alaska I’ve done a full underwater scene. There was a shark. There were jellyfish in the sea, two or three other sea creatures on that one as well, but I’ve done a lot of other things. I carved a giant scorpion one year. I’ve done some realistic sculptures as well,” Knoll said.

At the Winter Festival in Concord he tied for first place in 2023 with Michael Legassey and he earned first place in 2019. Knoll is still deciding on what to sculpt for the Festival this year.

“I do not know yet. It really is weather-dependent. I usually wait until like the week before and look at the forecast of the weather to decide what type of design I can do and what type of sculpture. That’s usually how I prepare for a lot of the competitions. You do plan ahead, but you have a backup just in case the weather changes and you can’t actually carve what you’re trying to carve based on how warm or cold it is,” Knoll said.

Ice, unsurprisingly, is quite temperature-dependent. “There’s a lot of techniques involved, so you can actually fuse blocks of ice together or pieces together, but that can only really be achieved at 30 degrees or less or you’ve got to use dry ice and then it’s really messy and it’s not as easy to do as many of those fuses. Cold weather is what we look for in outside competitions.”

Knoll helps put on the Winter Festival with Intown Concord and The Hotel Concord and has been “part of it from the very beginning when it first started. I helped with a big part of planning it and growing it each year.”

Growth is important; the world of ice sculpting may be smaller than you think.

“Yeah, the community of ice carving is very small,” Knoll said. “That’s where I say, yeah, we compete against each other and obviously we’re competitive but we all are there to help each other and learn from each other. We’ll help stack each other’s blocks of ice…. It’s really a whole community and it’s a big team even though it’s a competition.

Featured Image: Courtesy photo.