Category: Cover Stories

Manchester’s Red Arrow Diner serves up 100 years of history

PLUS A peek at other area diners

A full century after David Lamontagne opened a lunch cart at 61 Lowell St. in Manchester, his legacy as the founder and original owner of the Red Arrow Diner continues to live on. A free outdoor community celebration will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the original Red Arrow — the event will feature samples of a variety of the diner’s most iconic dishes for a small fee that will benefit Waypoint New Hampshire, along with raffle prizes, games, music, family-friendly activities and an onsite radio broadcast with DJs Nazzy and Marissa of Frank FM.

All year long, to celebrate its 100th year in business, the Red Arrow has been featuring monthly “Diner Dish of the Decade” promotions at each of its four locations, offering special discounts that have corresponded to various menu items that were or became popular during that time. There has also been an ongoing social media campaign highlighting notable moments in the history of Manchester — and the Granite State as a whole — over the past century.

During the block party-style event, Lowell Street between Kosciuszko and Chestnut streets will be closed to traffic. Diner fare is expected to include everything from the Red Arrow’s original “No. 1” hot hamburg sandwich to other eats of yesteryear, like fig squares and coffee Jell-O. American chop suey, tuna rolls and mashed potatoes with gravy will also all be available for sampling.

“The Lamontagne family is coming,” said Carol Lawrence, president and owner of the Red Arrow Diner since 1987. “The quality and the consistency that the Lamontagnes started way back when [is] what we keep striving for. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here. … They are just so happy that it’s still going and still going strong, and I’m very proud of that.”

Throughout the years, the Red Arrow opened and closed multiple locations across the Queen City and other neighboring towns, and has endured everything from devastating fires and wars to, of course, a global pandemic. Here’s a look back on some highlights of the Red Arrow’s rich history that helped shape its now-celebrated status, along with a bonus list of even more southern New Hampshire diners where you can go to satisfy your next comfort food craving.

Humble beginnings

The year was 1922 — the United States was just four years out of World War I, Prohibition was still in effect nationwide and the stock market crash triggering the Great Depression was still seven years away. David Lamontagne — a French-Canadian immigrant who also happened to have a brief three-year run from 1919 to 1921 as a professional boxer — purchased a small shack at 61 Lowell St. and opened it for business on Oct. 9 as a lunch cart. According to a 2020 Yale University research paper the Red Arrow ownership team provided to the Hippo, student Daniel C. Lu writes that this shack would become the foundation for the Red Arrow Diner.

Lu writes that Lamontagne, who came to Manchester to work for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. when he was just 12 years old, eventually quit his job and retired as a boxer to work at the shack full-time, becoming the primary caretaker of his family.

“How he got the name Red Arrow, we think, was because at the time there was a Red Arrow Garage next door to the diner,” said Amanda Wihby, co-owner and chief operating officer since 2020. “That’s … as far as we can date back to where the name originated from.”

Lamontagne’s lunch cart proved to be a success, as additional locations would quickly follow. A second lunch cart opened at 39 Lake Ave. in 1925, with a third location arriving at 223 Main St. in Nashua by early 1929 — the latter, Lu writes, was home to the first electronic dishwasher that was installed in the city. A fourth spot, then known as Red Arrow Cafe, soon opened at 1195 Elm St. in Manchester, followed by a fifth restaurant, at 16 W. Merrimack St.

Even back then, the Red Arrow was known for being “always open” and “never closed,” an old advertisement dated March 30, 1929, boasts. An old menu from the 1195 Elm St. location that is now framed at the Red Arrow’s corporate office likely dates back to the 1930s, Lawrence said.

Lu writes that, in its very early years, the Red Arrow was best known for its basic American comfort food with a French-Canadian flair. Most of the sandwiches ranged from 10 to 40 cents a la carte, while the higher-end cost for some of the full-service meals — take, for instance, an “evening special” of grilled filet mignon with a fresh mushroom sauce, complete with sides, a vegetable salad and one’s choice of a drink and a dessert — was $1.25.

“It has always been a pretty big menu, but definitely not as big as it is now,” Lawrence said.

On Nov. 27, 1941, the first of two fires struck the Elm Street restaurant. Lu writes that Lamontagne ended up rebuilding it as a cafeteria, just in time for the United States’ entry into World War II. But a second three-alarm fire on Feb. 15, 1946 — dubbed the “city’s worst accident,” according to the City of Manchester’s website — ultimately destroyed that location.

Instead of rebuilding a second time, Lamontagne decided to open Red Arrow Bakery, which operated at 126 Amory St. on the West Side from 1953 to 1958. Also in the 1950s, Lamontagne was even known to establish and briefly operate his own milk distribution business.

According to a Manchester Union Leader newspaper clipping dated Oct. 2, 1963, Lamontagne sold his successful restaurant chain to University of New Hampshire graduate Kennard H. Lang — just three Red Arrow locations were still open by then, including the one in the original spot at 61 Lowell St. The sale ushered in a new era for the Red Arrow, which would change ownership three more times over the following two decades leading up to Lawrence’s tenure.

Levi’s Red Arrow

Just as David Lamontagne is cemented in Red Arrow Diner history, so is Levi Letendre, who worked at the restaurant for decades before eventually becoming the third overall owner.

At the very end of 1969, following extensive renovation of the 61 Lowell St. space, Letendre and his son, Mark, purchased and re-opened the restaurant as Levi’s Red Arrow, a newspaper clipping from December of that year shows.

Letendre, who was very well-known and connected across the Queen City, was also a longtime familiar face at the Red Arrow. He originally started working there as a cook in 1945, just after the end of the second World War. He then became a counter man at the diner for many years leading up to his ownership status. By 1978, not long after opening the short-lived Red Arrow Restaurant at 197 Wilson St. in Manchester, Letendre retired, but his son Mark would carry on the diner’s tradition as owner for a few more years. After his father’s death in February 1985, Mark decided to sell — Manchester city directory records and newspaper clippings show that Borrome “Bob” Paquet and Didi Harvey became the Red Arrow’s new owners that year.

But this next span of ownership — the fourth overall, and just the third change of hands for the diner in more than six decades up until that point — would prove to be by far the shortest. Even a Union Leaderstory dated Oct. 6, 1986, ran with the ominous headline “Is the Red Arrow Diner history?” after the establishment was allegedly “closed for renovations” for nearly two months. The fifth — and current — leadership team that was established that following year would later prove that, in many ways, the Red Arrow’s lasting legacy was still only just beginning.

National status

Carol Lawrence was just 23 years old when she bought the Red Arrow Diner in September 1987. Growing up in the restaurant business, Lawrence got her start in the industry as a teenager working at Belmont Hall on Grove Street, at the time owned by her father, George.

“I wish that I would’ve known more about the Red Arrow. … We even lived way up on the top of Lowell Street, but I never, ever went in there,” she said. “But then, when I was working there, I realized pretty early on how special the Red Arrow was.”

Lawrence recalls primarily working in the kitchen when she first took over. In her earliest days, the Red Arrow wasn’t yet back to being open 24 hours a day, either.

“We only opened until 2 [p.m.]. I’d get there at 5 in the morning,” she said. “On the specials board, we would put up these crazy things. Like, we had the hash brown special, which is something we just kind of made up and now it’s a staple on the menu. … Anything on the specials board would sell, and I was just amazed by that. That was how our menu got bigger.”

A pivotal point in Lawrence’s career — and consequently in the overall history of the Red Arrow — came in May 1998 when she decided she was going to go “smoke-free,” an action virtually unheard of in New Hampshire restaurants at the time. Lawrence recalls that everyone, even her own father, a local restaurateur in his own right, thought she was crazy for doing so.

“The smoke in there was horrible,” she said. “We had put in two smoke eaters: one where you first walk in the door right up on the ceiling, and then one toward the back. And I mean, it was yellow in there. I would question certain times taking my own kids in there because the smoke was so bad, and I’m not even a smoker. I never have been.”

Her decision to go smokeless stemmed from a 1998 visit from Randy Garbin, writer for Roadside Online and dubbed by Lawrence as a “diner guru.”

“I kind of idolized Randy Garbin … and next thing you know, I get an email from him saying that he visited the diner. He says, ‘I loved the atmosphere, I loved the staff, the food was great … but I will tell you I’ll never be back.’” Lawrence said. “And I go, ‘Well, what the heck does that mean?’ And he said, ‘Because the smoke was just too bad.’ And, he was kind of promoting smoke-free diners, and then he started sharing statistics with me, we talked a lot and I just thought that all of this totally made sense.”

The move turned out to be the right one — but not without immediate repercussions.

“People were so mad, like, it wasn’t even funny,” she said. “I had threats … [and] people were picketing in the early hours out front. So many people swore that they would never come back. It was ridiculous. … But the funny thing was that we started to notice an increase in sales. After a year, I think it was like 19 or 20 percent.”

By September of that year, USA Today, referencing the Red Arrow’s recent switch to going smokeless, named it one of “Top Ten Diners in the Country,” marking one of the first times it was propelled to national prominence. Two years later, in 2000, it was officially named a Manchester city landmark.

As for the Red Arrow’s reputation as a must-visit for political candidates on the campaign trail, Lawrence said that also came into its own during her tenure. This has always been in part due to New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status, but Lawrence estimates it especially took off around the time of the Merrimack Restaurant’s closure in 2008.

“[The Merrimack Restaurant] was right on the corner of Merrimack and Elm streets,” she said. “All of the political people were going there … and then when they closed, they just started coming to the Red Arrow, and they’ve been coming ever since.”

Today, patrons at the 61 Lowell St. Red Arrow have included everyone from Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden to various celebrities with local ties, including Sarah Silverman, Seth Meyers and, of course, Adam Sandler, who used to frequent the diner with his dad.

The tradition continues

By the mid-2000s, George Lawrence retired as owner of Belmont Hall, selling it to his daughter — and Carol’s sister — Cathy, and dividing his time between New Hampshire and Florida.

“He says, ‘I’m sick and tired of riding a golf cart down in Florida. Let’s open another Red Arrow,’” Carol Lawrence said, “and that was how we bought Milford.”

On the Milford Oval, the Red Arrow operated from October 2008 to its closure in late 2019. A third location would open in February 2015 in Londonderry — Wihby noted that’s where all of the diner’s scratch-made desserts are now prepared — followed by a fourth, in Concord, in the summer of 2017. In early May 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Red Arrow opened its largest spot in Nashua in the site of a former Friendly’s restaurant. Taking advantage of the onsite drive-thru window, this location started operating on a takeout-only model. Even today, all four Red Arrow Diners continue to utilize online ordering, a revenue stream Lawrence never thought they would have or benefit from.

One hundred years strong, the original site of the Red Arrow Diner at 61 Lowell St. may have undergone numerous changes, but Lawrence said there’s one important factor that has remained the same. It has not only kept the Red Arrow alive and kicking, but remains a staple for diners both across New Hampshire and the United States.

“Anywhere you go, the diner is the focal point of the community,” she said. “You get all walks of life that come in. You can sit there and be next to a city worker or a lawyer, and then there’s a doctor over there. … You just get to talk to such a variety of people.”

Mya Blanchard contributed to this story.

More nostalgic eats at NH’s diners

In addition to the iconic Red Arrow Diner, New Hampshire offers diner fans several places to stop for a cup of coffee and a classic meal. Here are some of the diners across southern New Hampshire, focusing on the establishments with the word “diner” in their name. Do you know of a diner in the Manchester, Nashua or Concord areas that isn’t on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

Airport Diner
2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com/airport-diner
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Established in 2005, the Airport Diner gets its name for its close proximity to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. It’s one of several eateries owned by The Common Man Family.
Specialty of The House: The Airport Diner’s acclaimed tuna melt features Albacore tuna, tomatoes and Swiss cheese all on grilled Parmesan bread.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the diner’s house peanut butter pie, featuring a graham cracker crust, creamy peanut butter, hot fudge and whipped cream.

Allenstown Country Diner
85 Allenstown Road, Suncook, 210-2191, find them on Facebook @allenstowncountrydiner
Hours: Monday, and Wednesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Theresa Gelinas opened the Allenstown Country Diner in May 2015 with the help of several friends, her two daughters Sonya and Kristy and her son-in-law Josh. The diner is currently open six days a week for breakfast and lunch, featuring a menu of omelets, waffles, pancakes and French toast, plus drinks like pineapple orange or cranberry orange mimosas, and several flavors of house bloody marys.
Specialty of The House: House specials include the steak and eggs, featuring 10-ounce grilled sirloin steak with two eggs and toast; and the country breakfast, featuring two eggs and sausage on a buttermilk biscuit, topped with house sausage gravy.

Casey’s Diner
13 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 382-3663, caseysdinernh.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Sunday, 5:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Casey’s Diner has been in business for more than two decades, serving home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week, along with daily specials.
Specialty of The House: Try the changeup scrambler, featuring three eggs scrambled with your choice of an omelet filling, melted cheese, toast and your choice of home fries, baked beans, hash browns or fruit.

Charlie’s Homestyle Diner
598 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5693, charlieshomestylediner.com
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Known for its home-cooked breakfasts and lunches, Charlie’s Homestyle Diner also offers customized catering. On Fridays they’ll serve fresh haddock, while on Sundays they’ll serve breakfast only.
Specialty of The House: Try their poutine, made with hand-cut french fries, Canadian curd cheese and brown gravy on top.
Most Decadent Dessert: Charlie’s Homestyle Diner serves a baklava sundae, featuring their own homemade baklava with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

The Derry Diner
29 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-6499, find them on Facebook @thederrydiner
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch are served five days a week at this neighborhood diner in Derry.
Specialty of The House: Comfort meal specials are served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — recent options have included open-faced meatloaf sandwiches, hot veggie and cheese wraps with fries, and chicken Parm with garlic toast and a cup of soup.
Most Decadent Dessert: Homestyle pumpkin pie has been a recent featured dessert.

The D.W. Diner
416 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-1116, thedwdinertogo.com
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This Merrimack diner is known for serving up home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week.
Specialty of The House: Diner favorites include the hash and eggs, served with toast; the biscuits and sausage gravy, served with home fries, hash browns and homemade baked beans; and a specialty quiche of the day.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the Belgian waffle sundae, topped with whipped cream and your choice of strawberry or chocolate sauce.

Frankie’s Diner
63 Union Square, Milford, 554-1359, find them on Facebook @frankiesdinermilford
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This Union Square diner is named in tribute to the late Frankie Bobola, a lifelong restaurateur who got his start in the industry in 1962 and whose career spanned decades before his death in 2018. His family also continues to run Bobola’s Family Restaurant, which has locations in Nashua and Dracut, Mass., as well as Stonecutters Pub, also in Milford.
Specialty of The House: House favorites at Frankie’s Diner include the roasted stuffed turkey dinners, the shepherd’s pie and the marinated steak tips.

Hanna’s Diner
83 Henniker St., Hillsborough, 464-3575, find them on Facebook @hannasdinernh
Hours: Monday, 6 a.m. to noon, Wednesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Formerly known as the Hillsborough Diner, Hanna’s is a classic spot known in town for serving freshly home-cooked breakfasts and lunches.
Specialty of The House: Try the Hillbilly, featuring two biscuits topped with Hanna’s sausage gravy, two patties, two hash browns, two eggs and cheese.
Most Decadent Dessert: A special pie of the day is always available, served with whipped cream.

Joey’s Diner
1 Craftsman Lane, Amherst, 577-8955, joeysdiner.com
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Joey’s Diner serves breakfast all day as well as lunch and dinner options in a retro, 1950s setting.
Specialty of The House: Sticking with the 1950s theme, on the menu is the “Elvis Presley Breakfast,” featuring two eggs made any style with corned beef hash, home fries, toast and your choice of bacon, ham or sausage.
Most Decadent Dessert: Among their variety of desserts are xangos, or fried cheesecake chimichangas.

Margie’s Dream Diner
172 Hayward St., Manchester, 627-7777, margiesdreamdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Calling itself “Manchester’s Best Kept Secret,” Margie’s Dream Diner is a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch and to enjoy Greek specialties.
Specialty of The House: At Margie’s Dream Diner you’re sure to find something you like. Their wide array of omelets and eggs Benedicts include the Southern Benedict, featuring poached eggs on freshly baked golden biscuits topped with a homemade sausage gravy.

Market Place Diner
4 Market Place, Hollis, 465-3209, marketplacediner.com
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Located in the village of Market Place in Hollis, this family-friendly diner serves up home-cooked breakfasts and lunches seven days a week.
Specialty of The House: Recent fall specials have included pumpkin nut pancakes and caramel apple waffles. Other menu specialties include omelets, pancakes, French toast, crepes, burgers and sandwiches.

MaryAnn’s Diner
29 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-5785; 4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 965-3066; 3 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Salem, 893-9877; maryannsdiner.com
Hours: Derry’s location is open Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Windham’s location is open daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Salem’s location is open Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the website.
Originally opened in Derry in 1989, MaryAnn’s Diner now has two additional locations in Windham and Salem — all three are known for their home-cooked meals in a cozy, nostalgic setting.
Specialty of The House: MaryAnn’s Diner’s top hits include their marinated black raspberry barbecue steak tips, served with two eggs, toast and home fries.
Most Decadent Dessert: The dessert menu includes grapenut custard, a slightly sweetened egg custard laced with nutmeg and cinnamon with Grape Nuts cereal.

Moe Joe’s Country Diner
649 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 641-2993, eatatmoejoe.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Diner favorites at Moe Joe’s include a meatloaf dinner and macaroni and cheese, with garlic bread and your choice of Buffalo chicken, diced ham or chourico (Portuguese pork sausage).
Specialty of The House: Moe Joe’s offers a Portuguese burger that’s topped with linguica, onions and peppers, all on a Portuguese muffin.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweet items include frappes in a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee or mocha.

Murphy’s Diner
516 Elm St., Manchester, 792-4004, find them on Facebook @murphysdinernh
Hours: The diner is currently open Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Founded by local restaurateur Keith Murphy of Murphy’s Taproom, this diner is directly adjacent to the eatery’s Manchester location on Elm Street. A sister establishment, known as Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House, opened in Bedford in 2017.
Specialty of The House: Try the Captain Crunch French toast, the signature French toast dish at Murphy’s Diner that’s rolled in Captain Crunch cereal and topped with powdered sugar.

Northwood Diner
1335 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-5018, find them on Facebook @northwooddinernh
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 5 a.m. to noon
Breakfast is served all day at the Northwood Diner, with a menu that includes Benedicts, waffles, eggs, pancakes and more.
Specialty of The House: Try the steak and eggs, featuring six ounces of freshly cut Delmonico steak cooked to order, with home fries, toast and two eggs cooked any style.
Most Decadent Dessert: Pies, cakes and assorted pastries are baked fresh daily, with a rotating offering of selections.

Ober Easy Diner
416 Emerson Ave., Hampstead, 329-3430, obereasy.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. (breakfast only on Sundays)
Formerly known as Christina’s Country Cafe, this eatery assumed new ownership in January 2019 and was later renamed Ober Easy Diner after owners Susan and Tim Ober. Breakfast is served all day, including exclusively on Sundays, with a menu featuring Benedicts, omelets, sandwiches and more. For lunch, there are salads, sandwiches, burgers and soups.
Specialty of The House: Try the Western scrambler, featuring two eggs scrambled with peppers, onions, ham and cheddar cheese, served with toast on the side.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the Belgian waffle banana split, featuring a house Belgian waffle topped with one scoop of vanilla ice cream, bananas, strawberries, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Poor Boy’s Diner
136 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 432-8990, poorboysdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stop in to Poor Boy’s Diner for a home-cooked breakfast, lunch, or dinner in a welcoming environment.
Specialty of The House: Grilled pork chops with applesauce on the side are among the menu staples.
Most Decadent Dessert: Dessert specials vary at Poor Boy’s Diner, the most recent being a sweet pumpkin pie just in time for fall.

The Red Arrow Diner
61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com
Hours: According to its website, the Manchester location is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Londonderry and Nashua locations are open daily, 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Concord location is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5:30 a.m. to midnight (temporarily closed on Mondays).
Established in Manchester in October 1922, The Red Arrow Diner is now an institution that reaches visitors far beyond the Granite State. For decades, it’s been known as a popular campaign stop for presidential candidates and other politicians. In 2000 it was named a city landmark.
Specialty of The House: The Red Arrow is known for its weekly Blue Plate specials, featuring home-cooked items like pork pie, lasagna, meat loaf, haddock and more.
Most Decadent Dessert: Freshly baked desserts are available all day long. Options include whoopie pies, cheesecakes, fruit pies, double layer cakes and Dinah fingers (think Twinkies).

The Red Barn Diner
113 Elm St., Manchester, 623-9065, redbarndinernh.com
Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its website.
The Red Barn is a small nostalgic diner in an old train car, serving items like Angus beef, handcrafted original burgers and handcrafted desserts since 1930.
Specialty of The House: One of their original burgers is the Barn Burger, a cheeseburger topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and the diner’s special Red Barn sauce.
Most Decadent Dessert: The Red Barn has all kinds of decadent homemade desserts, ranging from chewy brownie sundaes to fluffy strawberry shortcake.

Route 104 Diner
752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120, thecman.com/route-104-diner
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Like its sister establishments, the Airport Diner and the Tilt’n Diner, the Route 104 Diner is owned by The Common Man Family, serving traditional home-cooked meals in a nostalgic 1950s-style setting.
Specialty of The House: Homestyle classics include the fried chicken and waffles, featuring a house-made Belgian waffle that’s topped with golden-fried, hand-breaded chicken tenders and served with your choice of New Hampshire maple syrup or white country gravy.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweeter indulgences include cakes, pies, grapenut custard, bread pudding and The Common Man’s own ice cream available in five flavors.

Stubby’s Diner
26 Old Manchester Road, Candia, 483-5581, find them on Facebook
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Breakfast is served all day at Stubby’s, with a menu that includes Benedicts, omelets, sandwiches and more. For lunch, there are several burgers, sandwiches, soups and sides to choose from.
Specialty of The House: Try the Humongous Trashcan, a ham and cheese omelet with onions, peppers, chili, mushrooms and tomatoes. It’s served with toast, home fries or beans.

Suzie’s Diner
76 Lowell Road, Hudson, 883-2741, suziesdiner.com
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Suzie’s Diner, established in 1999, serves breakfast every day of the week, in addition to lunch starting at 11 a.m.
Specialty of The House: Each weekday, Suzie’s features a different lunch special, like fried clam strips, roast beef, steak quesadillas, meatloaf and jumbo shrimp scampi.
Most Decadent Dessert: Sweeter indulgences include an Oreo-filled waffle, topped with whipped cream, Oreo cookies and an Eclair ice cream bar.

Temple Street Diner
200 Temple St., Nashua, 521-7133, find them on Facebook
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its Facebook page
Temple Street Diner is known for serving breakfast and lunch seven days a week. A sister food truck known as The Roadside Diner is operating on Fridays and Saturdays, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., throughout October.
Specialty of The House: Favorites include lobster rolls, fried seafoods, chowders and other homemade specials.

Tilt’n Diner
61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com/tilt-n-diner
Hours: Daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tilt’n Diner, which opened in 1992, is one of three nostalgic diner establishments owned and operated by The Common Man Family. It has been called a “must stop” on the New Hampshire presidential primary campaign trail by The Associated Press, according to its website, and is also a popular stop for visitors of the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week or the next NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
Specialty of The House: The diner offers several classic comfort food favorites, like baked shepherd’s pie, meatloaf, frappes and house-made pies.
Most Decadent Dessert: Try the classic bread pudding, which features a maple syrup glaze, or the chocolate, peanut butter or coconut cream pies.

Featured photo: Levi Letendre (right) owned the diner during the 1970s, then known as Levi’s Red Arrow. Photo by Patrick “P.J.” Audley, likely taken around 1976 (with added color on the cover).

A look at the popular sport where community is key

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

After getting a quick set of stretches in, friends Jessee Tardif and Meghan Richard write their names in separate squares of the free play boxes.

The two women are among the youngest of the pickleball players who gathered at Fields Grove in Nashua, but that fact doesn’t faze them in the slightest.

“I learned how to play a few years ago from a next-door neighbor, but I just started playing more regularly,” Richard said. “This is my third time back this week.”

This group meets every day at 9 a.m. and plays until noon. Instead of arriving with a doubles partner, players arrive with friends but play with whomever is present, often choosing different courts. This system of setting up games is called open play.

Pickleball, a sport invented less than a century ago, has taken southern New Hampshire by storm, with courts popping up all over the state’s public parks, tennis clubs and town recreation centers. It’s played on a court made from the same material as a tennis court — the players all have paddles that are reminiscent of ping-pong paddles, but much larger, while the ball itself is a plastic wiffle ball that is much slower than a traditional tennis ball.

While the game can be played in singles, it’s most often played in doubles. Each half of the court has three sections, a left and right zone and the no-volley zone, colloquially called the kitchen.

Pickleball versus tennis: the key differences
While pickleball was partially based on tennis, the rules differ in a few ways, according to the USA Pickleball Association. A full list of rules can be found at usapickleball.org.
• Points are scored only by the team serving
• The way a game is won is the team gets at least 11 points total, but must win by a difference of two points
• There is a “no-volley zone” called the kitchen, where players cannot stand when hitting the ball
• One server serves until they make a mistake that results in the stop of play, called a fault
• The second member of the team will serve until their team causes a fault
• All serves must be underhand
• There is a two-bounce rule, meaning the serve must result in a bounce to the receiver and the receiver must bounce the ball back to the serving team before points can be scored

Bob Hanek, one of the original members of the Nashua Pickleball Club, said that the game is meant to be social in nature. To demonstrate his point, he gestures to players hanging around the picnic benches next to the courts. Players mingle and chat, sipping water and eating light snacks, while watching friends they’ve made from the sport play.

“That makes it very, very positive because not only are you getting out, you’re doing some exercise, you’re developing a skill, but there’s people all around you to talk to,” Hanek said.

Players who are more serious about the sport tend to gravitate toward certain parks, Hanek said. He added that, in his opinion, the game was invented to be a way for people to have fun and get to make new friends.

West Coast origins

Pickleball was originally created in 1965 by three fathers from Washington state who were looking for a summer activity to entertain their active kids, according to information online from the USA Pickleball Association, the national governing body of the sport. The game has since taken off, gaining professional leagues across America — in March of this year, it was even declared the official state sport of Washington by Gov. Jay Inslee.

The sport had been played in every U.S. state by 1990, but its popularity didn’t start spiking until the mid-2010s, Hanek said. While he wasn’t a founding member, he joined the Nashua Pickleball Club before it even had a regular court to play at.

The public club in Nashua was started in 2013 by Doug Price and about 30 of his close friends. Price approached the city’s Parks and Recreation department, asking if they could use beat up and unused tennis courts for pickleball. Price and his friends fixed, cleaned and painted the old tennis courts, transforming them into pickleball courts.

“There’s an old park down in Fields Grove with a tennis court that nobody ever uses,” Price remembers his contact at the Parks and Recreation department saying. “Over the course of two or three years, [he] helped us get to where we are today.”

Price, a snowbird who spends half the year in Sarasota, Florida, started the group to continue playing his favorite sport in the summer months. Nearly a decade later, the group is now at more than 450 members.

Price said he never imagined that so many people would want to join and pick up a game. He has been so influential to the sport in Nashua that the city’s Parks and Recreation department named the courts at Field Grove after him.

“And so unbeknownst to me, they present me with that,” Price said as he pointed to the sign that hangs on the court’s chain link fencing. “This is our first home and everybody loves it here.”

Public parks with pickleball courts
• Barnard Park, South Mast Street, Goffstown
• Beaver Meadow Park, 42 Sewalls Falls Road, Concord
• Bedford Parks and Recreation, Nashua Road, Bedford
• Fields Grove, Fields Street, Nashua
• Foss Field, 88 Lehner St., Wolfeboro
• Hudson Community Center, 12 Lions Ave., Hudson
• Hudson Outdoor Pickleball Courts, 8 Melendy Road, Hudson
• Laconia Community Center (indoor venue), 306 Union Ave., Laconia
• Prout Park, 284 Young St., Manchester
• South Mill Pond Playground, Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth
• Stevens Park, 68 Bunker Hill Ave., Stratham

How pickleball got so popular

Denise Cascio Bolduc had first heard of pickleball at a professional women’s tennis event in 2019. She said that she and some of her friends tried the game and, from then on, she became hooked.

“It’s one of those activities that doesn’t feel like you’re getting exercise,” Bolduc said. “This just feels like fun. The fact that you’re getting exercise and burning calories is a huge bonus.”

She was surprised that there weren’t many places to play in the Manchester area, so she decided to change that. This led her to helping set up Rock On Pickleball. Bolduc became the founding president of the club, which now practices at Rock Rimmon Park in Manchester.

While she has since parted ways with the group, Bolduc still plays the sport. She just won two gold medals in Wolfeboro for the Pickleball All Stars tournament earlier this month.

Today, she continues to run a much more informal group at Prout Park in Manchester, and is the contact person for the courts at the park.

Bolduc isn’t the only tennis player to switch over to pickleball. Hanek said that many pickleball players have played other racquet sports in the past, and experience with tennis and badminton makes pickleball easier to pick up.

Hanek said he likes pickleball because the style of play isn’t as aggressive as tennis. He said that it’s a game of placement, not a game that requires players to plow through their opponent. In many ways, he said, the rules require some collaboration between the opposite sides. Things like the two-bounce rule and being responsible for calling one’s own fouls keep players responsible.

“I think that’s the magic [of] this,” Hanek said. “It’s social enough and it’s collaborative enough so that you don’t really feel bad being punished for your mistakes.”

Part of what makes pickleball special to Hanek is the camaraderie that forms. He said there is a focus on socialization that is lacking in other sports. Pickleball, especially open-play, means that there’s a limited number of courts, and an unlimited number of payers.

It’s a simple game to play, Hanek said — but to him, that isn’t why it’s so popular.

“It’s a multigenerational game,” he said. “Everyone of different abilities can play.”

Hanek said that he has shared the court with a three-generation family of players: a grandfather, son and 12-year-old grandson.

Hannah Turtle contributed to this cover story.

Where to play organized pickleball

There are groups and free-play options across southern New Hampshire. Visit places2play.org to find additional locations.

Bow Brook Club
Where: 144 Warren St., Concord
Membership: Full membership costs range from $650 to $720 annually, and associate membership costs range from $350 to $400 annually (members must be 21 years of age or older)
Visit: bowbrook.club

Executive Health & Sports Center
Where: 1 Highlander Way, Manchester
When: Half of the basketball court is available for open pickleball play on Sundays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and on Mondays, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Call 668-4753 to book court time outside of open pickleball hours.
Visit: ehsc.com/pickleball

Exeter Recreation Park Pickleball Pickup Program
Where: 4 Hampton Road, Exeter (games take place on the tennis courts)
When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 7 to 10 a.m., and Wednesdays, from 6 p.m. to dusk
Cost: $5 per person per session
Visit: exeternh.gov/recreation/adult-18-pickleball-pick

Health Club of Concord
Where: 10 Garvins Falls Road, Concord
Hours: Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit: healthclubofconcord.com

New England Pickleball Club
Where: 6 Airfield Drive, Rye
Hours: Weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $12 per hour
Visit: nepclub.com

Rock Rimmon Park Pickleball Courts
Where: Rock Rimmon Park, 264 Mason St., Manchester
When: The Rock On Pickleball Club plays every day at 8 a.m.
Contact: Nicole Mendola, 714-8394

YMCA of Downtown Manchester
Where: 30 Mechanic St., Manchester
When: Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and Saturday 8 to 10 a.m.; also offered from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Visit: graniteymca.org

Featured photo: Apple Hill Farm in Concord. Courtesy photo.

Your guide to finding fruit and fun at the orchard

By Matt Ingersoll

mingersoll@hippopress.com

Most of southern New Hampshire continues to experience abnormally dry weather, but for local apple orchards recent rains over the past week have given the crops a much-needed boost.

Just under 48 percent of the Granite State remained under moderate or severe drought conditions, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor on Sept. 8 — nearly all of this has been confined to the state’s southern six counties. But a widespread 1- to 3-inch rainfall between Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 occurred at just the right time for apple growers, many of whom are in the midst of harvesting some of their most widely sought after varieties of the season.

Apple schedule
For more detailed information, visit each farm’s website to get live updates on which apples are in season.
• Late August to early September: Paula Red, McIntosh, Summermac
• September: Cortland, Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Red Delicious, Snow Sweet
• October: Braeburn, Crispin, Honeycrisp, Gibson Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Mutsu

“We just needed that rain so badly, and it was just the right time for it to come, so we feel very fortunate,” said Kris Mossey of McLeod Bros. Orchards in Milford, which began its pick-your-own apple season on Aug. 27 with Paula Reds, a mildly tart early season variety. “The McIntoshes and the Cortlands will benefit from the rain and size up a little bit as we go forward.”

The McIntosh apple is known for its dark red color and very crisp flavor, making it a great apple for straight eating, while Cortlands have a firmness that makes them great for baking in pies and cakes. According to Mossey, as the season moves through the end of September and into early October, other lesser-known varieties like Mutsus and Jonagolds become available.

“We usually wrap up somewhere around Columbus Day. We never know exactly for sure,” Mossey said. “In 2020, during Covid, we were actually picked out earlier than we thought, because we just had a lot of people who wanted to get outside and pick apples.”

In Hollis, Brookdale Fruit Farm kicked off its apple picking season on Sept. 3 with five varieties — McIntosh, Gala, Zestar, Jonamac and Honeycrisp. A total of 32 varieties are grown in the farm’s pick-your-own operation, encompassing about 24 of the farm’s 200 acres of apples.

“There’s been an extreme drought for the last eight weeks, but we run a very aggressive water management program,” said Chip Hardy, the farm’s fifth-generation owner. “We have drip irrigation on all of our apple trees [where] we’ve been spoon feeding them with water and fertilizers throughout the summer, so it looks like we’re going to have a very good apple crop.”

Drip irrigation practices, he said, involve placing tubes underneath the apple tree that have emitters where water is regularly discharged to keep the soil of the tree moist.

“Apples are 80 percent moisture, so in order for them to size, they need available water,” Hardy said. “The nice thing about drip irrigation is … we can control the water, and instead of using conventional overhead irrigation, which takes around 24,000 gallons of water to irrigate an acre, we’re only using around 6,000 gallons of water and accomplishing the same goal.”

Visitors of Brookdale Fruit Farm’s pick-your-own orchard are given a map with directions to each of the available varieties, as well as suggestions for how to use them.

Despite the drought, some apple growers farther north were able to take advantage of some fast-moving thunderstorms that passed through the area in July and August. This was the case at Apple Hill Farm, on the northern end of Concord, according to co-owner Diane Souther.

“We picked up a few storms that went through … and the orchard is based on some soils that are pretty dense, so they’ve been able to sustain without added water,” Souther said. “[The recent rain] will actually make the apples size up quite a bit, because the later apples that are still hanging on still have growing time. So that will just make them a little bit more plump, [and] as they size up they ripen up a little bit more, so the flavors will come out a little bit stronger.”

Apple Hill Farm also started pick-your-own on Sept. 3 and will grow about 35 apple varieties during the season through about late October. Going forward, Souther said, the most ideal weather conditions for the crop will include bright sun with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees, as well as cooler nights and the occasional rain shower.

“Going into the 40s at nighttime is fine, because that helps the tree know that fall is coming, and that actually forces the ripeness of the fruit as well,” she said.

Over at Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudon, second-generation owner Shawn Roberts said more than 60 apple varieties are grown. A portion of those are available for pick-your-own, while many others are sold inside the farm’s store. As at Apple Hill Farm, Roberts said Meadow Ledge Farm benefitted from passing thundershowers during the summer months, while they have also run irrigation practices to produce a healthy and bountiful apple crop.

“Every apple I’ve bitten into this year, the flavor has just been incredible,” he said. “Generally if you see a dry summer, the apples are actually going to be a little bit sweeter. … They might have a little less juice in them, but not enough to get worried about. So for the most part it’s going to be a heck of a good year.”

Hannah Turtle contributed to this cover story.

Apple pie
Courtesy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis

1 pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
½ cup unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and let it simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan and fill with apples. Cover with a latticework of crust. Gently pour the sugar-and-butter liquid over the crust, pouring slowly so that it doesn’t run off. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, then continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft.

More than apples

Find corn mazes and more at orchards and farms

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

In addition to fresh-pressed cider and warm, fluffy doughnuts, orchards and farms offer activities like corn mazes and other attractions to build on the lure of the fall harvest.

“We very early on figured out that the great appeal, besides picking some apples, is what else can [we] offer to give people a true New England farm experience,” said Todd Wagner, owner of Applecrest Farm Orchards in Hampton Falls.

Wagner said that while apple season is an institution at Applecrest, it’s not the only reason families have been coming for generations. In addition to apples, people have a chance to pick the final varieties of peaches and raspberries, and it’s also the start of the harvest season for pumpkins and decorative gourds. The farm offers free hayrides to the orchard locations and even features a 5-acre maze. Every weekend from Labor Day through the end of October, Applecrest Farm Orchards transforms into a harvest festival, featuring a corn roast, a live bluegrass band, tractor rides, and cornhole and other lawn games.

Riverview Farm in Plainfield takes a much quieter approach with its autumnal celebrations. Owner Paul Franklin said that it’s less in their nature to provide festivities, like live music or haunted happenings, and more to encourage visitors to spend time outdoors and as a family.

“[The season] is busy enough as it is,” Franklin said, adding that they put the emphasis on nature and enjoying the view of the Connecticut River. “We try to keep things quiet and focus on people enjoying the scenery.”

While picking apples is a huge draw for most people visiting farms, there are lots of other farms without pick-your-own offering family fun activities. Coppal House Farm in Lee doesn’t have apple orchards or any other seasonal produce, but it has won awards for its annual corn maze. This year, the animal theme for the maze is a praying mantis, assistant farm manager Hannah Bendroth said. She added that the design is almost always an animal or insect that can be found on the farm.

At Beans & Greens Farm in Gilford, there’s more than just a fun puzzle to solve — a haunted maze is featured every Friday and Saturday night throughout the season. But that isn’t where the spookiness ends, Beans & Greens Farm owner Chris Collias said. A special haunted farm event in October will have farm hands, actors and volunteers dressed up and ready to give everyone a fright.

Collias said that what matters most is that his farm is a place where everyone feels relaxed and can have some old-school New England fun.

“We want to be the place where the community meets,” he said. “Come hang out, see a beautiful setting and gardens. It’s just a great place to escape that hustle and bustle.”

Easy slow-cooker apple cider beef stew
Courtesy of Apple Hill Farm in Concord

1½ to 2 pounds lean stew beef
2 slices bacon
8 carrots, sliced thin
6 medium potatoes, sliced thin
2 apples, chopped (Cortlands or Northern Spys work well)
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups fresh apple cider

Cook up the two slices of bacon. Remove the bacon and pat dry with a paper towel. Reserve the bacon fat to saute the beef and chopped onion. Pat the beef dry and add to slow-cooker with remaining vegetables and apple cider. Stir to mix, cover and cook on low for eight hours. Thicken juices with a flour and cold water mixture — about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of water.

Pick Your Own

Applecrest Farm Orchards
Where: 133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: On weekends through the end of October, look for harvest festivals, which run Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As of Sept. 12, pick-your-own raspberries, blueberries and peaches are also available. There’s also a 5-acre corn maze.
Visit: applecrest.com

Apple Hill Farm
Where: 580 Mountain Road, Concord
Hours: Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for fresh produce and local food products.
Visit: applehillfarmnh.com

Appleview Orchard
Where: 1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit with the farm animals on site and check out the country shop, which has seasonal food products and local craft products.
Visit: applevieworchard.com

Brookdale Fruit Farm
Where: 41 Broad St., Hollis
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Pick-your-own pumpkins will be available later in the season. A corn maze is open on the weekends.
Visit: brookdalefruitfarm.com

Carter Hill Orchard
Where: 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the bakery for fresh treats like pies, cider doughnuts and whoopie pies.
Visit: carterhillapples.com

Currier Orchards
Where: 9 Peaslee Road, Merrimack
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Try their sweet cider, made fresh on site.
Visit: facebook.com/currierorchards

DeMeritt Hill Farm
Where: 20 Orchard Way, Lee
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit with farm animals, check out the farm market, go on a hayride, or walk recreational trails.
Visit: demeritthillfarm.com

Elwood Orchards
Where: 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Elwood will offer pick-your-own pumpkins and also runs a corn maze daily (with nighttime corn mazes on Fridays and Saturdays in October).
Visit: elwoodorchards.com

Gould Hill Farm
Where: 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the orchard’s onsite restaurant or the Contoocook Cider Co., which features a line of freshly produced hard ciders.
Visit: gouldhillfarm.com

Hackleboro Orchards
Where: 61 Orchard Road, Canterbury
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Enjoy hayrides, seasonal food trucks and live music.
Visit: hackleboroorchard.com

Hazelton Orchards
Where: 280 Derry Road, Chester
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: The orchard is home to a small store onsite with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other local food products.
Visit: facebook.com/hazeltonorchardschesterNH

Kimball Fruit Farm
Where: Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., state line
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bonus activities: Find Kimball’s at local farmers markets and even sign up for fresh fruit and vegetable delivery.
Visit: kimball.farm

Lavoie’s Farm
Where: 172 Nartoff Road, Hollis
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bonus activities: Look for hay rides on weekends and a corn maze open whenever the farm is open
Visit: lavoiesfarm.com

Lull Farm
Where: 65 Broad St., Hollis
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: The Daily Haul fish market is on site on Saturdays (pre-order at thedailyhaul.com) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Jamaican Jerk Chicken on weekends from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting, according to the website.
Visit: livefreeandfarm.com

Mack’s Apples
Where: 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the ice cream shop or the market for a variety of local treats.
Visit: macksapples.com

McLeod Bros. Orchards
Where: 735 N. River Road, Milford
Hours: Monday through Friday, 1 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for extra fresh produce, or sign up for their CSA program.
Visit: mcleodorchards.com

Meadow Ledge Farm
Where: 612 Route 129, Loudon
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Look for live music on Saturdays and Sundays in the early afternoons. Also on weekends, hot doughnuts are served until 4:30 p.m. During Columbus Day weekend, there will be games for kids.
Visit: meadowledgefarm.com

Poverty Lane Orchards
Where: 98 Poverty Lane, Lebanon
Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Hard cider and sweet cider tastings are available at the orchard, and trailer rides are held on the weekends.
Visit: povertylaneorchards.com

Riverview Farm
Where: 141 River Road, Plainfield
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bonus activities: Artist and illustrator Emily Zea comes up with all kinds of unique themes each year for Riverview Farm’s corn maze. The theme of this year’s 3-acre maze is Ghosts and Monsters of New England.
Visit: riverviewnh.com

Smith Orchard
Where: 184 Leavitt Road, Belmont
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the store for a variety of local food and hand-crafted items.
Visit: smithorchard.com

Stone Mountain Farm
Where: 522 Laconia Road, Belmont
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for local produce and maple syrup.
Visit: stonemtnfarm.com

Sunnycrest Farm
Where: 59 High Range Road, Londonderry
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bonus activities: Visit the market and bakery for sweet treats as well as a variety of local food products.
Visit: sunnycrestfarmnh.com

Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard
Where: 66 Mason Road, Greenville
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bonus activities: Lose yourself in the orchard’s 5-acre corn maze or in the store for local treats, including frozen apple cider.
Visit: washburnswindyhillorchard.com

Corn Mazes

In addition to the orchards in our pick-your-own list with mazes, here are some other farms that offer live-sized puzzles. Know of a corn maze or pick-your-own opportunity not mentioned here? Let us know at listings@hippopress.com

Beans & Greens Farm
Where: 245 Intervale Road, Gilford
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The farm has both a daytime maze and a nighttime spooky maze, which will be open from Sept. 17 through Halloween.
Cost: Tickets for the maze cost $14 for adults and $10 for kids. The cost for the night maze is $22. There is also a harvest festival this year starting on Oct. 9. As of Sept. 13 ticket prices to that event have not yet been announced.
Visit: beansandgreensfarm.com

Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn
Where: 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton
Hours: Daily, noon to 7 p.m. (last time to enter the maze is 30 minutes before dusk), through Oct. 31
Cost: $7 per person (free for kids ages 3 and under)
Beech Hill Farm’s 8-acre cornfield is split into two separate mazes, with several scavenger hunt activities that correspond with various themes. This year’s themes are “Ice Cream Jeopardy” and “NH Eco-Spy.”
Visit: beechhillfarm.com

Charmingfare Farm
Where: 774 High St., Candia
Hours: Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $22 per person and children ages 2 and younger are free.
Every year, the farm hosts a Pumpkin Festival with tractor rides, pumpkin picking, characters in costume and other activities.
Visit: visitthefarm.com

Coppal House Farm
Where: 118 N. River Road, Lee
Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a..m. to 5 p.m. (last entrance is at 4:30 p.m.). Columbus Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $9 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for students, seniors and active military service members, and free for kids ages 5 and under
In addition to their regular daytime corn maze, there is also a flash night maze. There’s also horse-drawn wagon rides on Saturdays and Sundays starting on Sept 17.
Visit: nhcornmaze.com

Emery Farm
Where: 147 Piscataqua Road, Durham
Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $5 per person and free for kids ages 2 and under, $9 for a combination with wagon ride.
The farm features a family friendly, educational corn maze that the farm states takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The wagon rides take visitors on a tour of the farm, around the cornfields, pumpkin patches, honeybee hives, and more.
Visit: emeryfarm.com

J&F Farms
Where: 124 Chester Road, Derry
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $8 per person
In addition to the petting farm and sweet treats at the farmstand, J&F Farms has a seasonal corn maze with different themes. Currently, there’s a fall theme to the maze and when the month changes to October, then it’ll be a Halloween maze.
Visit: jandffarmsnh.com

Sherman Farm
Where: 2679 E. Conway Road, Center Conway
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Varies from $12 to $15 per person, depending on the day, and free for kids ages 2 and under
While the goats, play area, and ice cream are available, there is also “The Maize,” a corn maze that was designed this year with help from students at New Suncook Elementary School in Lovell, Maine. It’s due to open for the season on Sept. 24 and will welcome visitors every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30.
Visit: shermanfarmnh.com

Trombly Gardens
Where: 150 N. River Road, Milford
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk
Cost: Prices vary per activity.
The corn maze is open and ready for people to enjoy. In addition to the maze, there are pick-your-own pumpkins, farm animals to feed and visit, hayrides and more.
Visit: tromblygardens.net

Featured photo: Apple Hill Farm in Concord. Courtesy photo.

Your guide for a season of fun

It’s a season packed full of fun this fall with the return of agricultural fairs, harvest dinners and food festivals, along with dozens of upcoming plays, concerts, road races and more. We’ve highlighted some of the events that southern New Hampshire has to offer on the schedule through Thanksgiving. Know of fall fun not mentioned here? Let us know at listings@hippopress.com.

FAIRS & FESTS

• Save the date for the Auburn Historical Association’s annual Auburn Day and Duck Race, happening on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Auburn Day is the Association’s largest fundraiser, taking place near the Griffin Free Public Library on Hooksett Road and featuring live music, a petting zoo and dozens of local vendors. During the duck race, thousands of rubber ducks are set adrift on Sucker Brook, with prizes being awarded to first through 10th place. Admission to Auburn Day is free, while Duck Race tickets are $5 each. You can also get a “quack pack” of five rubber duck tickets for $20. Visit auburnhistorical.org.

• The Friends of Benson Park (19 Kimball Road, Hudson) will host the second annual family fun day on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will take place at the park’s amphitheater, featuring live music, a live animal education program with Wildlife Encounters, a magic show, raffles, games and more. Visit friendsofbensonpark.org.

• Join Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road, Canterbury) for its 10th annual New Hampshire Monarch Festival on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Since 2013, the festival has aimed to educate kids and adults about the monarch butterfly, featuring various games and activities, local vendors, children’s book authors, butterfly wing tagging, free milkweed seeds and more. There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults, but kids receive free admission. Visit petalsinthepines.com/monarch-festival.

Wags to Whiskers
Don’t miss the Wags to Whiskers Festival, an annual fundraiser for the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, happening on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). The festival is billed as “New England’s largest pet dog event,” featuring all kinds of demonstrations, including from the Granite State Disc Dogs and Merrimack Police Department K-9 Drei. Also included are various dog-friendly vendors with giveaways and samples, a “kids’ fun zone” with carnival-style games and prizes, and food trucks on site with a variety of food and drink options. Dozens of adoptable puppies and dogs will be at the festival for new potential owners to meet. Tickets to the festival are $12 per person (free for kids and teens ages 17 and under). Visit hsfn.org/wags-whiskers-festival.

• Hollis Old Home Days are happening on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, at Nichols Field and the adjacent Lawrence Barn (Depot Road, Hollis). Festivities will include a town parade, midway rides, hot air balloon rides, a local artisan market, live entertainment and a fireworks celebration on Saturday evening. Visit hollisoldhomedays.org.

• Granite State Comic Con returns from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18, with most events taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St.). Billed as the “Giant-Size 20th Anniversary Edition,” this year’s event will feature meet-and-greets with actors, comic book artists from New Hampshire and across the country, a costume contest, games, workshops and more. Single tickets and weekend passes are available. The cost is $20 per person on Friday and Sunday, and $25 on Saturday. Weekend passes are $55 per person. Kids ages 8 and under are free with paid adult admission. Visit granitecon.com.

• Derryfest returns to MacGregor Park (East Broadway, Derry) on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features a full day of live entertainment, including games, balloons, live animal demonstrations, local crafters and vendor booths. Visit derryfest.org.

• Pelham’s Old Home Day is set for Saturday, Sept. 17, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3 Main St. and will feature a variety of activities and happenings, like a pancake breakfast, craft vendors, food trucks, a town parade, live performances, a penny sale, a cornhole tournament and more. Visit pelhamoldhomeday.org.

• Wheels & Wings returns to the Nashua Airport at Boire Field (93 Perimeter Road) on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. At this free touch-a-truck event presented by the Nashua Parks & Recreation Department, there will be all kinds of fire trucks, police vehicles, planes, helicopters and electric cars on display for kids to explore and learn about how they work. While admission is free, the local nonprofit 68 Hours of Hunger will be in attendance to collect nonperishable food donations. See “Wheels & Wings 2022” on Facebook for more details.

• The Town of Chester is wrapping its year-long series of 300th anniversary celebrations with a Tricentennial Grand Finale festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, beginning at noon at 4 Murphy Drive in Chester. In addition to live music and food vendors, a “mega” parade is expected to kick off at 2 p.m. on Chester Street, and a fireworks display will be held at 8 p.m. Visit chesternh300.org.

• Join the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner) for the return of its Harvest Moon Festival and Naturefest on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to Native American foods for sale, there will be various demonstrations, like leather work, beading, corn husk doll making and dreamcatchers. Visit indianmuseum.org.

• A New Hampshire tradition for more than 140 years, the Deerfield Fair, scheduled from Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds (34 Stage Road), is packed with four days of amusement park rides and live entertainment across several different stages — including horse shows, sheep shows and tractor pulls — in addition to plenty of that nostalgic fair food. Fair hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets at the gate are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors on Thursday and Friday, and free for kids ages 12 and under and for all military service members. Advance tickets are available for $10 until mid-September. Visit deerfieldfair.com.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) is holding a multi-day pumpkin festival featuring pumpkin picking, tractor train rides, horse-drawn wagons, pumpkin art, live music and more. Visit their website to pick a date and time to attend. Available dates are Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 8, through Monday, Oct. 10. Tickets are $22 per person and must be purchased in advance online (free for kids ages 23 months and under). Visit visitthefarm.com.

• Join DeMerritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way, Lee) for Pumpkinfest, happening on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Event features include pumpkin rock painting and naming contests for the chance to win prizes, as well as face-painting and pre-picked pumpkins available for purchase. Visit demerritthillfarm.com.

• The Milford Pumpkin Festival returns to the town’s Oval for its 33rd year from Friday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 9. Festivities will include live music on the Community House Lawn and Oval stages on all three days, plus local food and artisan vendors, scarecrow making, pumpkin- and face-painting, circus and dance performances and other family-friendly activities, like a rubber duck race hosted by the Milford Volunteer Ambulance Association that will kick off at Emerson Park on Sunday at 1 p.m. Festival hours are from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Visit milfordpumpkinfestival.org.

• Save the date for the return of the Warner Fall Foliage Festival, a town tradition of more than 70 years, on Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct. 9. The event features local vendors set up across Warner’s downtown area, along with a 5K run and walk on Saturday, various children’s games and other family-friendly activities. Visit wfff.org.

Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair
One of the Granite State’s longest-running fairs, the Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair returns to 17 Hilldale Lane in New Boston for its 65th year, from Friday, Sept. 9, through Sunday, Sept. 11. The weekend will be packed full of family-friendly activities and entertainment that include midway rides, demonstrations, 4-H animal shows and exhibitors, a classic car show, live music, fireworks and more. Admission to the fair is $10 for adults, and $5 for kids, seniors, veterans and active military service members. Visit hcafair.org.

• Don’t miss the fourth annual Hudson Harvest Festival, happening on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dr. H.O. Smith Elementary School (33 School St., Hudson). In addition to a costume parade for all ages with prizes to be awarded, the festival will feature games, music, vendors, craft tables and a pumpkin carving contest. See “New England Vendor Events” on Facebook for more details.

• The Town of Windham is planning a harvest fest at Griffin Park (111 Range Road, Windham) on Saturday, Oct. 15, from noon to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks, family-friendly activities and more. Visit windhamnh.gov.

• Don’t miss the Londonderry Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Londonderry Town Common (Mammoth Road). More than 50 local vendors will be on hand showcasing their products, and there will be various options from food trucks. Admission is free. See the Eventbrite page for more details.

• The pumpkin boats will hit the waters of Goffstown once again during the annual Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta, which returns on Saturday, Oct. 15, and Sunday, Oct. 16. In addition to the event’s signature pumpkin drop and pumpkin boat race, the event features a variety of local vendor booths around town. Visit goffstownmainstreet.org/regatta.

• The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival returns to downtown Laconia on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the popular one-day street festival celebrating all things pumpkin, attendees can enjoy live music, a “pumpkin palooza” cornhole tournament and a craft and artisan show. For the kids there will be a climbing wall, face-painting, pumpkin bowling, a costume parade, jack-o’-lantern lighting, various exhibits and more. Visit nhpumpkinfestival.com.

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FOOD

Tastings, Classes, Demonstrations & Meals

• Join 603 Brewery & Beer Hall (42 Main St., Londonderry) for a five-course autumn beer dinner on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. featuring a special menu with beer pairings. Courses will include seared scallop, stone fruit gazpacho, melon sorbet, New York strip with Parmesan smashed potatoes and grilled broccolini, and apple tartlet for dessert. The cost is $110 per person and includes taxes. Visit 603brewery.com.

• Visit the Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker) for its next monthly wine dinner, a mushroom foraging and feast scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17. The event commences with a meet and greet and lecture from Christine Gagnon of Uncanoonuc Foraging Co., followed by foraging. Attendees will return to the Inn at around 1:30 p.m. for a special mushroom brunch with wine pairings. The cost is $75 per person. Monthly wine dinners at the Inn are normally up to five or six courses and are held on the second or third Saturday of each month, according to its website. Visit colbyhillinn.com to view its full schedule of upcoming dinners.

• St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church (500 W. Hollis St., Nashua) will host its annual Taverna Night on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 11 p.m. The event will include Greek appetizers, desserts, dancing and live music from Ta Pethia. Admission is $35 for adults and $20 for attendees under 18. Visit stphilipnashua.com.

• Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury) will hold a family-friendly pizza party on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., complete with live music, children’s activities, a farm tour, an exhibitor fair, raffle prizes and more. Attendees can feast on house-made brick oven pizzas and sides that will be loaded with farm-fresh organic ingredients. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Admission is free for kids under the age of 2. Visit nofanh.org/brookford-farm-event.

• The Cozy Tea Cart of Brookline will hold a harvest afternoon tea tasting on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gatherings at The Colonel Shepard House (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford). In addition to seasonal teas, a variety of tea breads, pastries and sandwiches will be served. The cost is $39.95 per person and reservations are required. Visit thecozyteacart.com.

• The next installment of The Winemaker’s Kitchen cooking class series at LaBelle Winery will focus on Oktoberfest beer recipes — join them at their Derry location (14 Route 111) on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m., or at their Amherst location (345 Route 101) on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. Recipes for items like bourbon and honey beer cocktails, beer mustard-glazed pork tenderloin, beer broth chili and beer chocolate cheesecake will be covered. The cost is $37.98 per person and includes tax. Visit labellewinery.com.

Glendi
Homemade pastichio, Greek meatballs, barbecue lamb, baklava and other Greek items will take center stage during Glendi, returning to St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St., Manchester) from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18. A three-day festival celebrating Greek culture with authentic food, coffee, live music, dancing and crafts, Glendi is a Queen City tradition spanning more than four decades. Festival hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (with food service ending at 9:30 p.m.) and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Visit stgeorgeglendi.com or follow festival happenings and updates on Facebook @glendinh.

• The next boxed Greek dinner to go, a drive-thru takeout event at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord), is happening on Sunday, Oct. 9, from noon to 1 p.m. Orders are being accepted now for boxed meals, featuring Greek meatballs with rice. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email ordermygreekfood@gmail.com or call 953-3051 to place your order. For details on any future takeout events at the church, visit holytrinitynh.org.

• See MasterChef Jr. Live at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. The show will feature a “full sensory celebration” of the hit series, featuring the winner and fan favorites of MasterChef Jr. Season 8, along with live cooking demonstrations, kitchen tips and tricks and audience participation. Tickets range from $19.50 to $49.50 and are on sale now. Visit ccanh.com.

• The Red Arrow Diner will host a 100th anniversary celebration event at its Manchester location (61 Lowell St.) on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person (space is limited), with proceeds benefiting Waypoint New Hampshire. Visit redarrowdiner.com.

• Save the date for the annual Taste of New Hampshire, returning in person on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center (70 Constitution Ave., Concord). Attendees can sample food options from a variety of Greater Concord and Central New Hampshire area restaurants, along with beers and wines from local distributors. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire. Visit tasteofnewhampshire.com.

• The Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford) will hold its annual Able Ebenezer FORUM Ale Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. inside its Great Hall. The event will start with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a four-course dinner, with each course paired with a craft beer selection from Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. of Merrimack. Tickets are $85 per person and must be purchased in advance, as seats are limited. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com.

Festivals

• The Egyptian Food Festival is due to return to St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church of Nashua (39 Chandler St.) from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18. Festival hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, when attendees can enjoy authentic Egyptian cuisine, cultural music, face-painting, church tours, children’s activities and more. Visit stmarycoptsnh.org.

• Don’t miss the Nashua Multicultural Festival, happening at Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. Organized by the Nashua Mayor’s Office and the Nashua Multicultural Festival Planning Committee, the event will feature free samples of foods from a variety of countries (first come, first served), as well as art, dance performances and more. Admission is free. Visit nashuanh.gov/1237/nashua-multicultural-festival.

• Food options from around the world will be represented during the Concord Multicultural Festival, which returns to Keach Park (Newton Ave., Concord) on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Food vendors include several local restaurants and community members, and the festival also features live entertainment, artisan vendors and more. Visit concordnhmulticulturalfestival.org.

• The Southern New Hampshire Food Truck Festival returns for its fifth year to Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Sunday, Sept. 25, with general admittance from 2 to 6 p.m. and VIP admittance beginning at 1 p.m. In addition to a wide variety of eats from local food trucks, the festival will feature live music, yard games, a children’s zone, craft beer options and more. Tickets are $7 general admission for adults and free for kids under 12. Foods are all priced per item. Find the event page on Facebook or Eventbrite for more details.

• Apple Harvest Day returns to downtown Dover on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day-long family event features more than 300 vendors, food, a 5K road race, live entertainment and more. Visit dovernh.org/apple-harvest-day.

Drinks

• LaBelle Winery will hold blindfolded wine tastings at its locations in Amherst (345 Route 101) on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m., and in Derry (14 Route 111) on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. Attendees will try five wines while blindfolded during each session, relying on their senses of smell and taste to guess which is which. LaBelle wine educator Marie King will lead both tastings. Admission is $43.40 per person (including taxes) and registration is required. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Beer for History returns to the American Independence Museum’s Folsom Tavern (164 Water St., Exeter) on Thursday, Sept. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., with pourings from Pipe Dream Brewing of Londonderry. The series will continue with guest appearances from Earth Eagle Brewings of Portsmouth on Thursday, Oct. 20, and the University of New Hampshire’s Brewing Lab on Thursday, Nov. 3. In addition to featuring pourings from a different local brewery during each event, Beer for History often features various colonial-inspired games and, occasionally, live music. Tickets are $10 for Museum members and $15 for non-members. Kids and teens under 21 receive free admission. Visit independencemuseum.org.

• Join Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) for its 10th annual Passeggiata wine tasting on Friday, Sept. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person and include sampling access to more than 25 different types of wines, along with light food options and raffle prizes. Visit tuscanbrands.com.

• To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) will hold its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 1 to 9 p.m. The event centers around the release of To Share’s most popular seasonal beer, its Oktoberfest altbier. Also included will be various Oktoberfest-themed snackboards, and pretzels courtesy of The Hop Knot. Stein hoisting competitions will be held at both 4 and 6 p.m. (space is limited). Admission is free and no reservations are required. Visit tosharebrewing.com.

• Red, White & Brew, a craft beer and wine festival presented by Veterans Count, returns to Funspot (579 Endicott St. N., Laconia) on Saturday, Sept. 24, with VIP admittance from noon to 1 p.m. and general admittance from 1 to 4 p.m. The event also features food, a car show, raffles, an auction and live music from The Bob Pratte Band. Tickets are $25 general admission, $40 VIP admission and $10 for designated drivers. Admission for all attendees includes sampling tickets and a commemorative wine glass while supplies last. Visit vetscount.org.

• Black Bear Vineyard (289 New Road, Salisbury) is celebrating grape harvest season with its third annual Harvest Fest, on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, beginning at 11 a.m. both days. Guests will have the chance to learn how wine is produced from grapes grown right on the vineyard, and each day will feature live music and food trucks onsite. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Visit blackbearvineyard.com.

• Save the date for the second annual Fall Fest at Northwoods Brewing Co. (1334 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood) on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to multiple beer releases — including a special double IPA in collaboration with Forever Locked and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire — the festival will feature a craft market, live music all day, demonstrations, a special exhibit and more. Proceeds from this year’s event benefit Wings of the Dawn, with a dollar of every pint sold going directly to the organization. Visit northwoodsbrewingcompany.com.

• Join WineNot Boutique (25 Main St., Nashua) for Wines of Italy, a special wine tasting event happening on Wednesday, Sept. 28 — three sessions are available, from 5 to 6 p.m., 6 to 7 p.m. or 7 to 8 p.m. More than a dozen Italian wines will be available to taste, along with cheeses and charcuterie accoutrements to enhance the experience. The cost is $20 per person. Visit winenotboutique.com.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Powder Keg Beer & Chili Festival, which returns to Swasey Parkway in Exeter on Saturday, Oct. 1, with two sessions, from noon to 2 p.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is presented by the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce and the Exeter Parks and Recreation department, featuring hundreds of different beers, ciders and hard seltzers to taste from a variety of local vendors. Chili samples are also back this year for the first time since 2019. General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door, and include a compostable tasting cup, access to unlimited beer and chili samples and live entertainment. Designated driver tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Visit powderkegbeerfest.com.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) will host the fourth and final session of its Walks in the Vineyard series on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. Vineyard manager Josh Boisvert and wine educator Marie King will lead attendees on an educational walk throughout LaBelle’s Amherst vineyard, focused on the vines’ overall life cycles. You’ll also have an opportunity to taste four different types of wines throughout the session. Admission is $32.55 per person and includes tax. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Save the date for the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford) on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. In addition to an authentic food menu of German eats, there will be special Oktoberfest beers, live music and more. No entrance fee is necessary, but there is a $20 parking fee per car. Visit mileawayrestaurantnh.com.

• The Milford Rotary and Lions Clubs are once again working on presenting a lineup of vendors for two nights of beer, wine and spirits tastings during the annual Milford Pumpkin Festival, on Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the Community House Lawn (Union Street, Milford). The cost is $20 per person for 10 tasting tickets, and each ticket holder also receives a commemorative glass. Visit milfordpumpkinfestival.org/bws-tent.

• The New Hampshire Brewfest returns to Cisco Brewers (35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth) on Saturday, Oct. 8, with general admittance from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and VIP admittance beginning at noon. Admission ranges from $50 to $65 and includes access to tastings from a variety of New England-area craft breweries, along with food trucks and other vendors that will be on site. Designated drivers are $20. Visit nhbrewfest.com.

• The first annual Mount Uncanoonuc Brewfest, a fundraising event to benefit the Worker Bee Fund, is happening on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 553 Mast Road in Goffstown. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased online at workerbeefund.org/events/brewfest.

• Join LaBelle Winery at its Derry location (14 Route 111) for a Spooktacular Halloween party on Friday, Oct. 28, from 7:30 to 11 p.m. The adults-only Halloween party will feature spooky appetizers, snacks, desserts and a cash bar available all night. Costumes are encouraged, with prizes awarded for the best. Admission is $35 per person. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Enjoy Brews and Boos at The Hill Bar & Grille (50 Chalet Way, Manchester) on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door (21+ only) and include entry into the eatery’s Halloween costume contest, plus appetizers, music, craft beer and more. Visit mcintyreskiarea.com.

• New Hampshire Distiller’s Week returns this fall, culminating with the ninth annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits, which returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester) on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The event features hundreds of spirits from purveyors around the world, as well as light food options from more than 25 area restaurants available to sample. Tickets are $60 per person before Oct. 2 and $75 after Oct. 2, with proceeds benefiting the New Hampshire Food Bank. As in past years, the hotel is also offering a “Sip ‘n’ Stay” package, which includes tickets to the event, along with a room. Visit distillersshowcase.com.

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THEATER

•​ The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith, winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org) professional company presents two mainstage productions this fall. The Conference of the Birds is running now through Sept. 17; tickets cost $29 to $39. Murder for Two runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 9; tickets cost $25 to $42. Showtimes are on various dates and times, Tuesday through Sunday. The youth theater company also has two upcoming productions, Tuck Everlasting and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, both running Oct. 27 through Nov. 6, with showtimes Thursday through Sunday. Tickets cost $11 to $17 for students and $14 to $20 for adults. The community theater company presents Vintage Hitchcock – A Staged Radio Play Thursday, Nov. 10, through Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15.

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) presents two mainstage productions this fall. The season opens with Disney’s The Little Mermaid Sept. 16 through Oct. 2. Then, Grease comes to the stage Oct. 21 through Nov. 12. Showtimes are on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., with one Thursday-at-7:30 p.m. show for each production (Sept. 29 for The Little Mermaid and Nov. 10 for Grease). Tickets cost $25 to $46. The Palace Theatre’s youth company presents Freaky Friday on Tuesday, Oct. 11, and Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., and Red Riding Hood on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for youth and $15 for adults.

• The Majestic Theatre presents Majestic-opoly, its 17th annual auction and performance fundraiser, on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester). The evenings will feature silent auctions, raffles and refreshments as well as performances from the company’s adult, teen and youth actors. Tickets cost $20 per person. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7649.

• Theatre Kapow presents Mr. Wolf at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord), with showtimes on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults and $23 for students. Visit ccanh.com.

• The Milford Area Players present Miss Holmes at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) Sept. 23 through Oct. 2, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Visit milfordareaplayers.org.

Titanic the Musical
The Manchester Community Theatre Players present Titanic the Musical at the Manchester Community Theatre Players Theatre, located at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester). Showtimes are on Fridays, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, and Saturdays, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, and Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at manchestercommunitytheatre.com.

•​ The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord, hatboxnh.com) will feature two mainstage shows by local theater companies this fall. First up is The Government Inspector, presented by Phylloxera Productions, Oct. 7 through Oct. 23. Then, Lend Me a Theatre presents Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Nov. 4 through Nov. 20. Showtimes for both productions are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., and tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

• The Community Players of Concord present two shows at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). The Wind in the Willows is Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., and tickets cost $15. Murder on the Orient Express is Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m., with ticket sales TBA. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

• The Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, peacockplayers.org) youth theater company presents Disney’s The Aristocrats Kids Oct. 14 through Oct. 23, followed by 9 to 5 The Musical Nov. 11 through Nov. 20. Showtimes are on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Ticket sales are TBA.

• The Epping Community Theater will present Shrek the Musical Oct. 21 through Oct. 30 at the Epping Playhouse (38c Ladd’s Lane, Epping). Visit eppingtheater.org.

• The Riverbend Youth Company presents The Drowsy Chaperone at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) on Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2:30 p.m. Ticket sales are TBA. Visit svbgc.org/amato-center.

The Little Mermen
Join The Little Mermen at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) on Saturday, Nov. 12, featuring a family-friendly Disney sing-along event at 2 p.m., followed by an 18+ show at 8 p.m. The cover band dresses up in costume to perform all the classics and new family favorites. The band’s creator, Alexis Bambini, bills the show as an experience for Disney kids who grew up. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 12 and under, or $25 for general admission to the night show.

• The Actorsingers present the musical thriller Sweeney Todd at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua) Friday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 6. Ticket sales are TBA. Visit actorsingers.org.

• On Your Feet! The Musical – The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $95. Visit ccanh.com.

•​ The Kids Coop Theatre presents Lights Up! on Sunday, Nov. 13, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Friday, Nov. 18, through Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry). More information and ticket sales are TBA. Visit kids-coop-theatre.org.

• On Broadway, a celebration of this year’s Broadway season starring a cast of Broadway actors, comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $45.

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ART

Exhibitions

• Catch Two Villages Art Society’s exhibition “Pixels, Wood, Clay” at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) before it’s gone on Friday, Sept. 9. It features works by artists Tony Gilmore, Rick Manganello and Caren Helm. The next exhibition, “Out of the Woods,” opens Friday, Sept. 16, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon to 2 p.m. It features a series of collaborative vignettes paying tribute to the seasonal changes of New Hampshire, created by a group of five local artists known as the 9th State Artisans. It will remain on display through Oct. 8. “From the Hippie Trail to the Silk Road,” set to run Oct. 21 through Nov. 12, is an exhibition by Kathleen Dustin that includes her original artwork, inspired by and juxtaposed with jewelry and textiles from around the world that Dustin has collected during her travels. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22, from noon to 2 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

• The Currier Museum of Art (50 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) currently has two special exhibitions. “Gee’s Bend Quilts” features five quilts from Gee’s Bend in Alabama, where several generations of women collectively developed a distinctive style of quilt making. “Memoirs of a Ghost Girlhood: A Black Girl’s Window” features an immersive multimedia experience created by artist Alexandria Smith using wallpaper, paintings on wood, found objects and sculpture, accompanied by an original site-specific composition windowed by Liz Gre. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for children age 12 and under and museum members. Current museum hours are Wednesday and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-6650, art3gallery.com) has an exhibition, “Layered: Color and Texture,” on view now through Sept. 15. Featured works highlight the interplay between color and texture, how the tactile quality of an object’s surface appeals to the sense of touch, and how the depths of light and color appeal to the sense of sight. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with evening and weekend viewing available by request.

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

• See “My Year of Toys: An Art Journal” at Gallery 6, the art gallery at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, childrens-museum.org), on view now through Oct. 16. For this exhibition, author and illustrator Sandy Steen Bartholomew created a drawing of one toy from her large toy collection every day for a year. Gallery 6 is free and open to the public; paid museum admission is not required to enter. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Return of the Sculpture Symposium
After a two-year hiatus the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline, 673-7441, andresinstitute.org) will host its annual Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium Sept. 10 through Oct. 2, with a public opening on Sunday, Sept. 11. For three weeks, invited artists from all over the world will stay in Brookline to create sculptures for permanent installation at the Institute’s 140-acre outdoor sculpture park and trails. The public is invited to meet the artists and watch them work at designated times, TBA. A presentation of the completed sculptures at their permanent sites will take place on Sunday, Oct. 2. Visit andresinstitute.org/symposium-2022.

• Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen; 975-0015, twiggsgallery.wordpress.com) presents a group exhibition, “STILL: The Art of Still Life,” from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m.

• The New Hampshire Potters Guild presents its biennial exhibition “Storied in Clay” at the exhibition gallery at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen headquarters (49 S. Main St., Concord) Sept. 26 through Oct. 27, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Visit nhpottersguild.org.

• Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford, creativeventuresfineart.com) will have an exhibition, “The Woods Wrap Around You,” on display during October, featuring hand-colored monoprints by Loretta CR Hubley. A reception will be held on Friday, Oct. 14, with wine and hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m., followed by a presentation by the artist and a live piano performance inspired by the exhibition.

Events

• The Canterbury Shaker Village Artisan Market will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Village grounds (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury; 783-9511, shakers.org). The fair celebrates traditional arts with a craft fair featuring textiles, ceramics, wood, glass, jewelry and more; food trucks, live music, guided tours and more. Admission costs $15.

• The ​Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, continues monthly through October at Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). The final dates of the season are Saturday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• The Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) hosts its annual Fall Festival and Art Show on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features artwork by regional artists, children’s art, live music, animal and birds of prey presentations, guided hikes and herbal and flower products and refreshments for sale. Admission is free.

• The Capital Arts Fest, a free event hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, outside on Main Street in Concord. There will be a fine art and craft fair, live music and dance performances, a historic walking tour of downtown Concord and more. Visit nhcrafts.org or call 224-3375.

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CONCERTS

Find listings for more concerts (including Seacoast-area performances) most weeks in the Concert listings in the Nite section.

• Jason Aldean is bringing his country style to the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on Thursday, Sept. 8, and Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

• U.K. bagpipe group Red Hot Chili Pipers is coming to The Flying Monkey on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Lakeport Opera House hosts an ’80s Rock Night with Aquanett on Friday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25.

• Richie Kotzen is playing at the Tupelo on Friday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m. Prices for tickets range from $35 to $40.

• The Rex Theatre will have Jonathan Edwards perform on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets cost $29.

• Sting, the soft rock icon, is playing the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Led Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir takes the stage at the Tupelo on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion will host Tenacious D and DJ Douggpound on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $29.

• The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion hosts Shinedown on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100.

• Sam Bush comes to The Flying Monkey on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• See The Weight perform at Tupelo on Friday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $40 to $45.

• Styx and REO Speedwagon are at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 6:45 p.m. Tickets start at $75.

• The Flying Monkey is hosting The Man in Black on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34.

• The Don Campbell Band takes the stage at the Rex on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• The Palace Theatre is hosting Dirty Deeds on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29 to $39.

• The Rex hosts Marshall Crenshaw on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion welcomes Jon Pardi on Friday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• The Linda Ronstadt Experience comes to the Rex on Friday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. The show is performed by American Idol star Tristan McIntosh. Ticket prices start at $29.

• Lakeport Opera House will host An Evening of Sinatra on Friday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $35.

• Tupelo will host Christopher Titus on Friday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• No Shoes Nation Band, a Kenny Chesney tribute band, is playing at the Rex on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29 to $39.

• The Tupelo is hosting the Souled Out Show Band on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• Herman’s Hermits comes to the Tupelo on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $52 to $67.

• The Chubb Theatre hosts Pink Floyd tribute act The Machine on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• LaBelle Winery’s Derry location will host Fleetwood Macked, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• American Elton, performed by Elton John impersonator Bill Connors, is coming to the Rex on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.

• Joel Hoekstra & Brandon Gibbs are playing the Tupelo on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. as part of their Campfire Tour. Tickets are $40.

• The Rex will host The Jon Pousette-Dart Duo on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

• Retro Rewind Dance Night is coming to the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15.

• James Montgomery with Christine Ohlman comes to the Tupelo on Friday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. There will also be a special horn section. Tickets are $35.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage is hosting a talent show on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to attend cost $50.

• The Ana Popovic Band and Johnny A Band are coming to The Flying Monkey on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The Rex is hosting The Adam Ezra Group on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• Tupelo is hosting Roomful of Blues on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30.

• Glenn Tilbrook comes to the Tupelo on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40.

• America’s Got Talent contestants turned rock stars Greta Van Fleet will play at the SNHU Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $49.50 to $79.50.

• LaBelle Winery is hosting The Eagles Experience at its Derry location on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• The Wood Brothers are playing at the Tupelo on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $40 to $55.

• See The Jersey Tenors at the Lakeport Opera House on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Ticket pricing info TBA.

• Grateful Dead cover band Dead Set will take the stage at The Flying Monkey on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Their set will feature Zach Nugent. Tickets are $29.

• Will Evans is performing at the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Oct. 7, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $26.

• Foreigners Journey, a Foreigner and Journey cover band, plays at the Tupelo on Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37.

• The Palace is hosting The Uptown Boys, a tribute to Billy Joel, on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Almost Queen, a Queen cover band, is coming to the Chubb Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $28.

• The Palace is hosting The Best of Jozay and Patti Doubleheader on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $35 to $40.

• The Smithereens, with guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw, are coming to the Tupelo on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45.

• Marcus Rezak’s Shred is Dead comes to the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $18.

• The Boy Band Project comes to the Bank of N.H. Stage on Saturday, Oct. 15, with showtimes at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Ticket prices start at $25.

• John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band will take the stage at The Flying Monkey on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The Rex is hosting singer-songwriter Susan Werner on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• The Chubb Theatre will host Bat: The Original Meat Loaf Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50.

• Metallica tribute band The Four Horsemen will take the stage at the Tupelo on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• The Palace hosts Jim Brickman on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $45 to $75.

• Tupelo will host An Evening with George Winston on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40 to $60.

• LaBelle Winery’s Amherst location will host the No Shoes Nation Band, a tribute to Kenny Chesney, on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• Boston pub rock band Dropkick Murphys will take the stage at the Chubb Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:15 p.m. Ticket prices start at $39.50.

• Michael Schenker comes to The Flying Monkey on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage is hosting Ghostlight on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $20.

• U2 tribute band Unforgettable Fire takes the stage at the Tupelo on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40.

• Yesterday Once More will play the music of the Carpenters at the Rex on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.

• See Accept at the Tupelo on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $50.

• See the Disney Junior Live concert at the Chubb Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $62.50.

• The Flying Monkey hosts Evil Woman as they put on their show, The Electric Light Orchestra Experience, on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices start at $44.

• Being Petty performs at the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $28.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage will host Cory Pesaturo on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. This show is free to attend.

• Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue plays at the Chubb Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $39.50.

• Abba tribute act Mania performs at the Chubb Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The David Bromberg Quintet plays at the Rex on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39 to $49.

• The Tubes take the stage at The Flying Monkey on Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• The Flying Monkey will host Zero on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.

• Tupelo is hosting Richard Marx on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $45 to $65.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage welcomes John Waite on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45.

• Jim Breuer takes the stage at the Tupelo on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $50 to $55.

• LaBelle Winery is hosting Queen tribute band Absolute Queen at its Derry location on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45.

• John Scofield is performing at the Dana Center on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $45.

Remember the ’80s
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) is going retro on Friday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. with the Back to the Eighties Show featuring the tribute band Jessie’s Girl. The group hails from New York City and has dozens of credits performing with ’80s rock icons, from Bret Michaels and Debbie Gibson to Men at Work, Tiffany, A Flock of Seagulls and many others. Tickets start at $35 and are available now to purchase online.

• The Flying Monkey hosts Ani DiFranco on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $59.

• The Highwaymen will play at the Rex on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.

• Tupelo will host Stanley Jordan, who will play a set of Jimi Hendrix music, on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $40.

• Tab Benoit takes the stage at The Flying Monkey on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage is hosting Darlingside on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• Pink Talking Fish performs at The Flying Monkey on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

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CLASSICAL

•​ Symphony New Hampshire opens its 100th anniversary season with “Ode to NH” on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). The program will feature historical and modern pieces written about or in New Hampshire, including Oliver Caplan’s Lunastella Fuga, John Adams’ “Shaking and Trembling” from Shaker Loops, Amy Beach’s Bal Masque and Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite. The next show is “Winds of Time,” with performances on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center in Nashua and on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m. at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). It features Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4, Du Puy’s Quintet for Bassoon and Strings in A minor III, Weber’s Clarinet Concertino in E-flat and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings. Tickets cost $10 for youth ages 13 to 17 and full-time students age 29 and under and range from $20 to $60 for adults and from $18 to $55 for seniors age 65 and up. Admission is free for youth under age 13. Visit symphonynh.org.

•​ Great Bay Philharmonic Orchestra’s fall concert will be held at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. The program will feature Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade in C Major. Tickets cost $45 to $68. Visit themusichall.org.

•​ The Concord Community Concert Association presents a classical concert, “Duo Baldo,” featuring violinist Brad Repp on his 1736 Testore violin and pianist Aldo Gentileschi, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 at the door or $23 online. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.

Beethovan and Friends
The Nashua Chamber Orchestra presents its fall concert “Beethoven and Friends,” with performances on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Nashua Community College (505 Amherst St., Nashua) and Sunday, Nov. 6, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall (1 Union Square, Milford). The program will feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F, as well as Symphony No. 1 in G by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges; Impromptu Op. 5 by Jean Sibelius; and Andante and Rondo ongarese, Op. 35 by Carl Maria von Weber. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for seniors age 65 and up, military and college students. Admission is free for youth under age 18. Visit nco-music.org.

•​ The Concord Community Concert Association welcomes pianist Richard Dowling to Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $23. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.

•​ The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 118th year with an orchestral showcase, “Nature & Myth,” featuring music by Beethoven, Walker, Grieg and Sibelius, on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem). Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $8 for kids. Visit nhphil.org.

•​ The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s fall concert will be held at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. The program will feature Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and George Walker’s Lyric for Strings. Tickets cost $20 for students, $30 for seniors age 60 and up and range from $25 to $35 for adults. Visit portsmouthsymphony.org.

•​ Opera New Hampshire has announced that its annual “Arias and Aperitivo” will return in person this fall, with the date and location TBA. The fundraising event will feature an evening of live performances, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and a large array of silent auction items. Visit operanh.org.

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COMEDY

Find listings for more comedy shows (including Seacoast-area performances) each week in the Comedy This Week listings in the Nite section.

• Ruby Room Comedy has live comedy shows at the Shaskeen Pub on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $10.

• Daniel Tosh, host of Tosh.0, is coming to the Bank of N.H. Stage on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. Ticket prices start at $49.50.

• Chunky’s in Nashua will have comedian Amy Tee on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Joe Yannetty performs at Chunky’s in Manchester on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Harrison Stebbins will be at Headliners Comedy Club on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Queen City Improv
The Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2315, hatboxnh.com) is hosting Queen City Improv on Friday, Sept. 30; Friday, Oct. 28, and Friday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. each night. The group’s shows are completely improvised, so while there are games that the actors know, each skit from the game is made up on the fly. The result means that each show is completely different every night. Tickets are $22 for adult non-members, $19 for members, senior citizens and students, and $16 for senior members.

• Popular America’s Got Talent judge Howie Mandel will be on stage at the Palace on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. Ticket prices start at $64.50.

• Fulchino Vineyard is hosting Christine Hurley on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $29.

• Mark Scalia takes the stage at Chunky’s in Manchester on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Headliners welcomes Kevin Lee to the stage on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Comedian Bob Marley will play at The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices start at $40.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage will have Paula Poundstone on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $19.

• Frank Santorelli will be at Headliners on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• LaBelle Winery will have Paul D’Angelo performing at its Amherst location on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage is hosting Jimmy Dunn on Thursday, Sept. 29, as well as on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $20.

• Headliners will have Stephanie Peters on stage on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• See Gary Valentine at the Rex on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

• Headliners Comedy Club is having Chris Zito perform on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20.

• Paul Gilligan is playing at Fulchino Vineyard on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $29.

• The Rex is hosting comedian Frank Santos — known as the “R-Rated Hypnotist” — on Friday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• Headliners’ featured comedian is Joe Yannetty on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Corey Rodriguez will perform at the Rex on Friday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

• Tupelo Music Hall is hosting a Tupelo Night of Comedy on Friday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m., featuring performances from a series of different comedians. Tickets are $25.

• The Palace is hosting comedian Juston McKinney on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m. and at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $32.50.

• Jody Sloane is Headliners’ featured comedian on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Social media comedian Randy Rainbow is playing at the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $39.

• The Rex will put on a one-night show by comedian Robert Dubac called “The Book of Moron” on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.

• Headliners hosts Brian Beaudoin on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• See Capitol Comedy on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m., at the Dana Center. Ticket prices range from $25 to $45.

• The Bank of N.H. Stage is hosting comedian Bob Marley on Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets for all shows start at $39.50.

• See Amy Tee at Headliners on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• Drew Dunn will be at the Rex on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25.

• Headliners hosts Pat Oats on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

• James Dorsey performs at Headliners on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

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Runs/Walks

• The Manchester Fire Cross-Country 5K is on Friday, Sept. 9, at 5:30 p.m. The racestarts and finishes at Derryfield Park (Bridge Street, Manchester). Day-of registration is $35 for adults 14 and over, $25 for youth 13 and under. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• The Nashua 5K fun run/walk will be on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m. at Stellos Stadium (7 Stadium Drive, Nashua). Registration for service members, veterans and kids 12 and under is free. Registration for runners ages 13 and over is $30. Register in advance at vetscount.org.

Get Kids Running
Across New Hampshire, there will be a Healthy Kids running series for five weeks. At Nashua High School South (36 Riverside St.) it will be every Sunday from Sept. 11 through Oct. 9, at 2 p.m.; and at Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord) and at Roy Memorial Park (Wood Hawk Way, Litchfield) it will run from Sept. 11 through Oct. 16, at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively. Kids in pre-K through grade 8 can choose to run a quarter, half or full mile. High schoolers can run two miles. Walk-up day-of registration is $50 and covers all five races.

• This year’s Merrimack River Trail Triathlon is on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the cornfield behind 6 Loudon Road in Concord. The start time is TBA. There will be a 4K bike, a 3K run and a 2K kayak paddle. Registration is $35 for adults 18 and over, and $25 for kids and teens 17 and younger. Visit merrimack.org.

• The first race in the Delta Dental XC Race series begins on Friday, Sept. 16, at 3:30 p.m. The 2-mile run will be at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road). Registration is $25 for one race and $75 for all three. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• Hooksett Kiwanis 5K Trail Race is happening on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8:30 a.m. The race will be at Heads Pond Trail, with parking at the Brady Sullivan building and a free shuttle service to the starting line. Day-of registration is $30 for adults and $20 for runners ages 15 and under. Visit hooksettkiwanis.org.

• The Greenfield Fire Department Road Race is on Saturday, Sept. 17. The race will start at Oak Park (Forest Road, Greenfield) at 9 a.m. There is a 10K, a 5K and a half marathon. Registration starts at $30. Visit greenfield-nh.gov.

• On Saturday, Sept. 17, the Pelham Old Home Days 5K will take off at 10 a.m. from Meeting House Park. Registration is $25 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under. Visit pelhamoldhomeday.org.

• The Pant for Paws, a dog-friendly 5K race, is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. at 109 Dover Road in Chichester. Registration is $30. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• Downtown Manchester will host the Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day 5K and 10K on Sunday, Sept. 18. Take-off will be on the corner of Spring and Elm streets at 10:15 a.m.. Registration is $30 and is available at millenniumrunning.com.

• The Hillsborough Firefighters Association 5K will be on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. at Grimes Field (Preston St., Hillsborough). Day-of registration is $30 for adults and $25 for runners ages 17 and under. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• This year’s Kelly Mann Memorial 5K is on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 9 a.m. The starting point is the Nashua High School South (36 Riverside St.). Registration is $25 for adults and $12.50 for kids ages 12 and under. Register online at runreg.com.

• Hansen Park (35 Albin Road, Bow) is hosting the BACtober Fest 5K on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. Day-of registration is $45 for adults and $35 for kids. After the race there will be a celebration at Gergler Field in Bow. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

Qualify for the big race
In the fall, there will be two races that are Boston Marathon qualifiers: the Joe English Twilight Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 1, and the Manchester City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 13. The Joe English Twilight Challenge has a six-hour ultra run, a half-marathon, and a full-marathon race at the Freestyle Farm (188 Mack Hill Road, Amherst). The races start at sunset, which will be approximately 6:28 p.m. Registration online at joe-english.org will start at $35 for youth and $45 for adults. The Manchester City Marathon will start at Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St., Manchester) at 9:15 a.m. There will also be a half marathon and a 5K starting at the same time. Registration is $30 for the 5K, $85 for the half marathon and $100 for full marathon. To register, visit millenniumrunning.com.

• The Ability 5K will take off at the Congregational Church of Amherst (11 Church St.) on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Day-of registration is $30 for adults and $25 for kids. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• The Naticook Challenge Obstacle Course Race is on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 8 a.m. at Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road, Merrimack). Registration is $30 and is limited to 100 entrants. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org.

• The Footrace for the Fallen will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 10:15 a.m. at the rear of the Manchester Police Department (405 Valley St.). Day-of registration is $35 for runners 18 and over and $30 for runners ages 17 and under. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• Backyard Brewery and Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester) is the starting point for the Oktoberfest 5K on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m. Registration is $25 for adults 21 and over and $20 for runners ages 20 and under. Visit backyardbrewerynh.com.

• The Goffstown Pumpkin Regatta 10K is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16, at 8 a.m. with the starting point on Mill Street in Goffstown. Registration is $40 for adults and $35 for kids. Visit goffstownmainstreet.org.

• The animal-friendly Howl-O-Ween 5K is on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Registration is $40 for adults, $30 for teens ages 13 to 17, $25 for kids ages 12 and under, and $5 for dogs. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• Delta Dental’s New England Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8 a.m., with the starting line at the New Hampshire Statehouse (North Main Street, Concord). Registration is $85 and is available at millenniumrunning.com.

• Manchester’s Trick or Trot is on Sunday, Oct. 30, at Arms Park (10 Arms St., Manchester), with a kids’ run at 10 a.m. and a 3K at 11 a.m. Registration is $25 for adults ages 21 and over, $20 for teens and adults ages 12 to 20, $25 for kids ages 9 to 11 and $10 for kids ages 8 and under. Visit millenniumrunning.com.

• An extreme race, The Hamsterwheel, will be on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds (Hilldale Lane, New Boston). Races are timed for either six, 12, 24, or 30 hours, with race times starting at 9 a.m. Registration starts at $105. Find the race page at ultrasignup.com.

• The Fellowship Housing 5K Home Run is happening on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. at Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Registration is $30. Visit fellowshiphousing.org.

• The Gobble Wobble 5K is on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m., with the starting point at the Goffstown Parks and Recreation building on South Mast Street. Registration is $40 for adults and $35 for runners ages 11 and under. Find the race page at runsignup.com.

• Memorial Field (70 S. Fruit St., Concord) will host the Girls on the Run 5K on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m. Registration is $20. Visit girlsontherunnh.org.

• The Fisher Cats Thanksgiving Day 5K is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 24, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Day-of registration is $35 for runners ages 12 and over and $30 for runners ages 11 and under. Visit millenniumrunning.com.

• The Great Gobbler 5K will kick off at Nashua High School South (36 Riverside St.) on Thursday, Nov. 24, at 8 a.m. Registration is $25 for adults and $20 for kids ages 5 and up and ends on Nov. 21. Visit greatgobbler.com.

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BOOKS

Author events

• Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several author events on the schedule this fall. Phil Primack presents Put It Down On Paper: The Words and Life of Mary Folsom Blair at a Literary Lunchtime event on Thursday, Sept. 8, at noon. Joseph D. Steinfeld will present Time for Everything: My Curious Life on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m. In partnership with the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, Gibson’s will welcome poet Don Kimball for a reading, followed by a poetry open mic, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 4:30 p.m. Naturalist and author Susie Spikol on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. will discuss her book The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed. Author Donald Yacovone will discuss his new book Teaching White Supremacy: America’s Democratic Ordeal and the Forging of Our National Identity on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.

In October, Concord author Renee Plodzik visits Gibson’s on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. to present her cookbook Eat Well Move Often Stay Strong. Margaret Porter will discuss The Myrtle Wand on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Horror novelist Josh Malerman will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) to present his newly released book Daphne on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.

In November, true crime writers and pop culture podcasters Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie will host a live event at the Bank of N.H. Stage on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. Lynn Lyons, psychotherapist and anxiety expert, returns to Gibson’s on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 4:30 p.m. with The Anxiety Audit: 7 Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold and How to Escape Them. Children’s authors Josh Funk and Kari Allen present their newest books, The Great Caper Caper: Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast Book No. 5 and Maddie and Mabel Take the Lead, atGibson’s Bookstore on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m.

• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., Manchester, 836-6600, bookerymht.com) also has a full slate. The shop welcomes Mindi Messmer with her book Female Disruptors on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m. Therapist, writer and educator Yana Tallon-Hicks comes will discuss her book Hot and Unbothered on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. Bob Buderi, author of Where Futures Converge: Kendall Square and the Making of a Global Innovation Hub, will beat Bookery on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. for a discussion with special guests C.A. Webb and Liz Hitchcock. The Bookery presents Portraits of Sacrifice and Bravery: The Lives of Our Veterans, featuring stories and signings from veterans, on Sunday,Oct. 2, at 4 p.m.

• Susie Spikol, a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, will discuss her book The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. at

Lesley Stahl
Join the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) for An Evening with Lesley Stahl on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Stahl, a best-selling author, broadcast journalist and editor of 60 Minutes, will share various experiences and stories of her media career, including covering the White House during the Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies. An audience Q&A segment will follow her presentation. Tickets start at $66. A meet-and-greet will take place at 6:30 p.m. for $99 VIP ticket-holders.

• Toadstool Bookshop (toadbooks.com)two area shops have events on the schedule this fall. At the Toadstool in Peterborough (12 Depot Sq., Peterborough, 924-3543) Susie Spikol, a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, will discuss her book The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m.

At the Toadstool in Nashua (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St.; 673-1734) Damien Kane Rigden will be at an in-store event on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. for his novella All Manor of Beast and Man.

Keep an eye out for more events this fall including a party for kid readers to celebrate the release of the latest Cat Kid Comic Club book on Saturday, Dec. 3.

• Award-winning NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg will be at the Historic Music Hall Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) will host NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. to present her newly released memoir Dinners With Ruth, which chronicles her lifelong friendship and conversations with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Tickets are $43 and include a book voucher. Huma Abedin, longtime political advisor and aide for Hillary Clinton, will discuss her book Both/And at the Music Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.Tickets are $15 and include a book voucher. And novelist and Exeter native John Irving will present his newest release, The Last Chairlift, at the Music Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Tickets are $49 and include a book voucher.

• Author, humorist and social commentator Fran Lebowitz will appear at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $45 to $65.

• Author Stephen Puleo visits the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. to discuss his book Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Registration is required.

Literary Events & Lectures

• Slam Free or Die, an ongoing poetry open mic and slam series, takes place every Thursday night at Stark Brewing Co. (50 N. Commercial St., Manchester). Follow them on Facebook @slamfreeordie for updates on upcoming events and appearances.

• The New Hampshire Writers’ Project (nhwritersproject.org) kicks off its annual Three-Minute Fiction Slam on Monday, Sept. 12. While this is a free event for NHWP members, non-members are able to participate in the preliminary rounds. Any non-member who makes it to the finals — to be held on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 19 — is required to pay a $25 entrance fee to be considered for the awarded prizes.

• Join The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, thewordbarn.com) for a five-session memoir writing workshop sequence with published writer Susan Geib. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays, from 6 to 8 p.m., dates offered Sept. 13 through Oct. 11. The workshop will culminate in several polished personal narratives for each participant. The focus will be on short forms that are complete in themselves but can also serve as springboards for longer pieces. Registration is $150.

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FILM FESTS & SERIES

• Fathom Events (Fathomevents.com) has several special screenings on the schedule at local theaters this fall. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (PG 1982) celebrates its 40th anniversary with screenings on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and Regal Fox Run in Newington). Pitch Perfect (PG-13, 2002) will celebrate its 10th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park, AMC Londonderry and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping). Poltergeist (PG, 1982) will celebrate its 40th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 26, and Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run). In the Heat of the Night (1967) celebrates its 55th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run). To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) celebrates its 60th anniversary with screenings on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m., and Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run).

Studio Ghibli Fest 2022 from GKids continues with Howl’s Moving Castle (PG, 2004) screening Sunday, Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square), and Monday, Sept. 26, and Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park). Spirited Away (PG, 2001) will screen Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 1, and Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. (Cinemark Rockingham Park).

Inconceivable!
Join the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) for The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes, happening on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. The event will feature a special screening of the 1987 fantasy adventure comedy film, followed by a Q&A and some behind-the-scenes stories from actor Cary Elwes, who played Westley. Tickets start at $36, plus fees. A limited number of VIP packages are available and include a signed copy of Elwes’s book As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.

• Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org, 224-4600) is holding a series called “Hitchcock … and Trains” this September with screenings of The Lady Vanishes (1938) on Wednesday, Sept. 14; Strangers on a Train (1951) on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and North by Northwest (1959) on Wednesday, Sept. 28. All Screenings will begin at 6 p.m. and discussions will follow each film.

• Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St. in Wilton; wiltontownhalltheatre.com, 654-3456) offers a line up of screenings with films from the early days of movies through recent films. Next weekend, catch the 1915 French crime drama Les Vampyres, which runs more than seven hours and is divided into 10 chapters. The movie will be shown over two days (Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 18, starting at 2 p.m. on both days) with chapters 1 through 6 shown on Saturday and 7 through 10 on Sunday, each day featuring live musical accompaniment to these silent films by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free with a $10 donation suggested.

• The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.com) will host the 23rd annual Telluride by the Sea film festival, featuring a series of six original films with international casts of both seasoned and newer actors. The festival is happening from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18. Individual film tickets start at $20, while weekend passes start at $105.

• Don’t miss the return of the annual Silent Film Series at The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center (39 S. Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com), featuring local musician — and Hippo associate publisher — Jeff Rapsis. Screenings will include Sparrows (1926) on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m., Faust (1926) on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m., and So’s Your Old Man (1926) on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

• Be part of the awards jury at the Manhattan Short, a film festival celebrating short movies from all around the world (some of which, in past years, have made it to Oscar competition). This year’s class features 10 films, from eight countries: one each from Scotland, Spain, Australia, Finland, Lebanon and the Czech Republic & Slovakia, and two each from the U.S. and France, according to manhattanshort.com. The block of films will screen Friday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. at NHTI (31 College Drive in Concord), according to the website. After you watch the films, vote for your favorite film and actor; the winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 3.

• The Strand (20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899, thestranddover.com) hosts its second annual Creature Double Feature Festival, featuring two weeks of screenings of iconic horror franchises and Halloween-themed films from Sunday, Oct. 2, through Saturday, Oct. 15. Each night, the theater will host a double feature — films will include Suspiria (R, 1977), Hocus Pocus (PG, 1993), The Witches (PG, 1990), Carrie (R, 1976)and many more.

• The 20th annual New Hampshire Film Festival will take place from Thursday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 9, in several venues around Portsmouth. The festival has recently been named an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Festival day passes start at $25, and attendees can watch screenings of films, attend panel discussions with filmmakers and celebrities and more. Visit nhfilmfestival.com.

The Players
The Walker Lecture Series (walkerlecture.org) will host the world premiere of the documentary film The Players: The 95-Year History of the Community Players of Concord (2022) at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St.) on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. The film was produced by Concord TV with support from New Hampshire Humanities, according to the Walker Lecture Series website. It features historic photographs, vintage programs and theater posters dating back to the Players’ founding in 1927. A second screening will take place at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m., followed by a talkback with the Players and filmmakers. Tickets are $15.

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Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Where to get glazed, sugared and freshly made deliciousness

By Matt Ingersoll, Katelyn Sahagian and Hannah Turtle

listings@hippopress.com

Mmm, doughnuts.

From cider doughnuts at your local farm stand to those with unique toppings and fillings, we set out to find spots in southern New Hampshire where you can get them fresh. Where specified, we’ve also highlighted where you can get some of the wackiest doughnut flavors.

Did we miss a spot in southern New Hampshire that offers its own freshly made doughnuts? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

Greater Concord

Abby’s Cafe
17 Bridge St., Henniker, 428-4455, find them on Facebook @abbyscafe
When are the doughnuts fresh? Every Saturday morning at the cafe, from its 7 a.m. opening until they sell out.
Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffees and espresso drinks are available, sourced from White Mountain Gourmet Coffee.
Flavor offerings: Flavors include chocolate-frosted, maple-frosted, strawberry-frosted, vanilla-frosted, glazed, chocolate-glazed, Boston cream, cinnamon sugar, blueberry-glazed and lemon-frosted, as well as apple-filled and apple cider doughnuts available seasonally.
Doughnut adventure: Butternut crunch and chocolate butternut crunch are two of the more unusual flavors, using a “secret” recipe for the crunch topping, according to cafe owner Abby Reed.

Carter Hill Orchard
73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Cider doughnuts are made fresh most days and are available daily. The farm stand is open every day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., now through Oct. 28. After that, hours will be daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call ahead to find out whether cider doughnuts are still available.

Chichester Country Store
257 Main St., Chichester, 798-5081, chichestercountrystore.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Chichester Country Store’s “famous” apple cider doughnuts are made fresh daily. Two miles north of the Epsom traffic circle, at the intersection of Route 28 and Main Street, the shop is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They also have several wholesale accounts and are a regular featured vendor at the Concord Farmers Market, held on Capitol Street on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Is there coffee? A self-service hot coffee station features locally roasted coffees from Port City Coffee Roasters and Lucas Roasting Co.
Flavor offerings: Regular apple cider doughnut flavors include plain, sugared, cinnamon sugared, maple-frosted and chocolate-frosted.
Doughnut adventure: Usually on Fridays at the shop, as well as during the Concord Farmers Market, Chichester Country Store offers specialty doughnut flavors, like candied maple walnut, chocolate frosted with Reese’s Pieces, and a “campfire” s’mores doughnut topped with chocolate drizzle and a toasted marshmallow.

Gould Hill Farm
656 Gould Hill Road, Hopkinton, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? According to Gould Hill Farm owner Tim Bassett, apple cider doughnuts are available every weekend in the fall until the Christmas season. The farm is currently open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Meadow Ledge Farm
612 Route 129, Loudon, 798-5860, meadowledgefarm.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Hot apple cider doughnuts are made fresh at the farm stand every weekend. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in September and October, according to its website.

New Hampshire Doughnut Co.
2 Capital Plaza, Concord, 715-5097; 114 Dover Road, Chichester; 410 S. River Road, Bedford (expected September 2022); nhdoughnutco.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Doughnuts are made fresh daily at both locations. The Concord location is open Wednesday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,; Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Chichester location, which offers online ordering and pickup only, is open Wednesday through Friday, from 7 to 8 a.m., and Saturday, from 8 to 9 a.m.
Is there coffee? The Concord location uses Woodshed Roasting Co., featuring a full coffee menu that includes hot and iced espresso drinks. Hot chocolate and hot and iced teas are available.
Flavor offerings: Both locations currently offer cake doughnuts, with regular flavors that include vanilla, chocolate, apple cider and several gluten-free and dairy-free options. The upcoming Bedford location will expand New Hampshire Doughnut Co.’s offerings into yeast ring doughnuts, filled doughnuts, fritters and French crullers.
Doughnut adventure: According to owner Amanda Baril, doughnut lovers come back for unique flavors like maple bacon and cannoli as well as fun doughnut-themed weeks like Harry Potter and Disney themes.

Greater Manchester

The Bakeshop on Kelley Street
171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Flavored doughnuts are available on Saturdays and Sundays only — the shop is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Cider doughnuts are available during the week and on weekends, year-round.
Is there coffee? Hot, iced and cold brew are available, from Mill City Roasting Co. of Londonderry.
Flavor offerings: Strawberry crumble, Fruity Pebbles, maple bacon, Oreo, s’mores and Reese’s peanut butter cup are among the shop’s most popular flavors, according to owner Denise Nickerson. Other regular flavors include chocolate glazed, maple, strawberry and cinnamon sugar, while for specialty flavors there’s blueberry, pumpkin, lemon meringue and piña colada.
Doughnut adventure: Try the peaches and cream — a vanilla bean frosted yeast doughnut topped with peach compote — or the Almond Joy, a chocolate cake doughnut topped with coconut, toasted almonds and a chocolate drizzle.

Bearded Baking Co.
819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily. According to owner Jon Buatti, baked doughnuts and yeast doughnuts are available — he recommended visiting early in the morning to get the best selection. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ordering doughnuts online for pickup at the shop is also an option.
Is there coffee: Hot coffee, cold brew and whipped coffee with coffees from A&E Coffee Roasters are available.
Flavor offerings: Doughnuts are regularly rotated out with a variety of flavors, such as cinnamon sugar, maple frosted, and cookies and cream.
Doughnut adventure: Try the coffee cake doughnut, topped with a layer of icing, or the s’mores doughnut with marshmallows and graham crackers.

Bird Food Baking Co.
Goffstown, birdfoodbaking.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Available to order anytime and available for purchase on Saturday mornings at Hometown Coffee Roasters (80 Old Granite St., Manchester), Apotheca Flowers (24C Main St., Goffstown), Revelstoke Coffee (100 N. Main St., Concord) and the Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester), as well as at 815 Cocktails & Provisions (815 Elm St., Manchester) on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Is there coffee? Each location offers a variety of hot and iced coffees.
Flavor offerings: Everything from chocolate frosted and sprinkles to strawberry shortcake, whoopie pie, s’mores, maple bacon, and peanut butter and jelly. You name it and owner and baker Trina Bird has probably done it.
Doughnut adventure: Some recent over-the-top doughnut flavors, Bird said, have included chicken and waffles, Monte Cristo and mango sesame.

Bitesize Cafe & Bakery
1461 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 210-2089, find them on Facebook @bitesizecafebakery
When are the doughnuts fresh? Apple cider doughnuts are made fresh daily. Currently the cafe is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Is there coffee? Single-origin coffees, as well as a variety of handcrafted hot and iced lattes, are available.

The Common Man Roadside Donut Shop
530 W. River Road, Hooksett (immediately off Interstate 93 North), thecmanroadside.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? All of The Common Man Roadside’s doughnuts are made fresh daily year-round. The shop is open Sunday through Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Is there coffee? Coffee is available, as well as warm apple cider, teas and a range of cold beverages.
Flavor offerings: The shop specializes in apple cider doughnuts — plain, cinnamon sugar, maple-glazed, caramel pecan, chocolate frosted and coffee cake. Other flavors include chocolate, blueberry, chocolate hazelnut, red velvet, pumpkin and eggnog.
Doughnut adventure: During Girl Scout cookie season, specialty flavored s’mores, chocolate mint and chocolate coconut doughnuts are available.

Flight Coffee Co.
209 Route 101, Bedford, 836-6228, flightcoffeeco.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Doughnuts are available from open to close every day. According to Flight Coffee Co. owner and founder Claudia Barrett, they are fried in the morning and are either donated or sold out by closing time.
Is there coffee? Flight Coffee Co. features a wide array of hot and iced single-origin coffees and espresso drinks, using its own roasted beans from all over the Coffee Belt.
Flavor offerings: Doughnut flavors follow the seasons at Flight Coffee Co. — currently they’re offering chocolate-frosted and vanilla-frosted cake and yeast doughnuts as well as Wicked Maple “stuffies.” Two different vegan and gluten-free doughnuts are also available.
Doughnut adventure: Flight Coffee Co.’s signature doughnut item is its Mile High Layered Cronut, “a delicious hybrid of a croissant and a doughnut,” as described by Barrett. “The dough is laminated and folded many times,” she said. “Once cooked, the Mile High is rolled [and] dipped in glaze, filled with cream and topped with a seasonal twist.”

Pinard Street Bakery
1 Pinard St., Manchester (inside Charlie’s), 606-1835, pinardstreetbakery.business.site
When are the doughnuts fresh? Usually available on Wednesdays from 6 to 11 a.m.
Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffee is available, as well as cold brew, specialty lattes and teas.
Flavor offerings: Regular doughnut flavors on Wednesday mornings include homemade glazed, as well as cinnamon sugar doughnut holes.
Doughnut adventure: Specialty flavors have included Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch doughnuts, which were available on National Doughnut Day back in June.

Sweet Love Bakery
20 Main St., Goffstown, 497-2997, sweetlovebakerynh.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning. The shop is open Monday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m. to noon; Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Is there coffee? Sweet Love Bakery partners with A&E Coffee & Tea for coffees and specialty hot and iced teas.
Flavor offerings: Regular flavors include chocolate glazed and cinnamon sugar, and weekly specials are offered.
Doughnut adventure: Try the Butterfinger doughnut, or the apple cider doughnut with a maple glaze.

Wild Orchid Bakery
836 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7338, wildorchidbakery.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily. The shop is currently open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Monday.
Is there coffee? Hot drip coffee, iced coffee and specialty espresso drinks are available, with coffee from Hometown Coffee Roasters of Manchester.
Flavor offerings: Vanilla glaze, chocolate glaze, Fruity Pebbles, Cookie Monster and maple bacon. There are also gluten-free options, including gluten-free tiramisu, gluten-free Fruity Pebbles and gluten-free Oreo.
Doughnut adventure: Try the crème brûlée — a custard-filled doughnut topped with caramelized sugar — or the apple pie, a cinnamon sugar doughnut with an apple pie filling.

I-93 South

Heav’nly Donuts
36 S. Main St., Derry, 216-2831; 125 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 458-2616; 44 Route 125, Brentwood, 347-5178; heavnlydonuts.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh daily.
Is there coffee? Each location features freshly brewed hot and iced coffees and teas, with original coffee flavors brewed on site.
Flavor offerings: More than two dozen varieties are available, from chocolate-frosted and maple-frosted to blueberry cruller, Boston cream, glazed and red velvet.
Doughnut adventure: Try the “Stuft” doughnuts, with flavors that include strawberry, cherry, peach, apple and pineapple.

Klemm’s Bakery
29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning, available from 7 a.m. on.
Is there coffee? Klemm’s offers regular drip coffee and decaf and various flavor options, like French vanilla and hazelnut.
Flavor offerings: Flavors range from traditional honey-dipped glazed doughnuts to jelly and vanilla cream-filled.
Doughnut adventure: The most popular unique flavor at Klemm’s is the blueberry crunch, a blueberry-based doughnut with a buttercrunch topping.

Mack’s Apples
230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432-3456, macksapples.com
The farm market is open daily from 9 a.m to 6 p.m., offering its own freshly made cider doughnuts in addition to a variety of other homemade items.

Sunnycrest Farm
59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-9652, sunnycrestfarmnh.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? They’re continuously being fried off on the weekends. During apple season in the fall they will almost always be fresh during shop hours. The farm stand opens at 9 a.m. seven days a week.
Is there coffee? Regular drip coffee from King David Coffee Roasters of Nashua.
Flavor offerings: The farm stand only offers apple cider doughnuts using their own apple cider and applesauce pressed on the farm. They also offer gluten-free doughnuts.

Greater Nashua

Brookdale Fruit Farm
41 Broad St. in Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com
The farm stand is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Crosby Bakery
51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Every morning when they open at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Saturday.
Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffee options.
Flavor offerings: Everything from glazed and chocolate-covered to jelly and cream-filled.
Doughnut adventure: Crosby Bakery features a weekly pop-up series called a “Grownup Doughnut.” Most tend to be inspired by classic cocktails and have a boozy addition. Past flavors have included mudslide, piña colada and orange chocolate martini.

Donut Fresh Express
112 Elm St., Milford, 672-0298, donut-fresh-express-nh.hub.biz
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh first thing every morning. The shop opens at 5:30 a.m. during the week and 6 a.m. on weekends, according to its Facebook page.
Is there coffee? Hot and iced coffees, hot tea and various smoothies.
Flavor offerings: Regular flavors include glazed, Boston cream, jelly, vanilla cream, maple, chocolate, sprinkles, blueberry cake, coconut and more.

Lull Farm
65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every morning at the farm stand, which opens at 7 a.m. seven days a week, year-round.
Is there coffee? Regular drip Green Mountain Coffee Roasters coffees are available.
Flavor offerings: The doughnuts are all cider, with some rolled in sugar and some just plain.

Moulton’s Kitchen & Market
10 Main St., Amherst, 673-2404, moultonsmarket.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? They’re baked off first thing in the morning, right after opening. The shop opens at 7 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, and at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Is there coffee? Moulton’s offers hot and iced coffees as well as specialty lattes and other espresso drinks.
Flavor offerings: Featured cake doughnut flavors include cinnamon sugar, chocolate glaze, white icing and plain. Featured yeast ring doughnut flavors include strawberry, chocolate or vanilla icing.
Doughnut adventure: Occasionally there are blueberry cake doughnuts, chocolate cake doughnuts and jelly-filled doughnuts. Seasonally, Moulton’s will also offer a pumpkin cake doughnut.

Sweet Treats by Emilee
Milford, find her on Facebook @emileessweettreats
When are the doughnuts fresh? Chef Emilee Viaud of Sweet Treats by Emilee is a regular vendor at the Milford Farmers Market (300 Elm St., Milford) on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the winter months, the market moves indoors.
Flavor offerings: The most popular doughnut flavor Viaud offers is maple bacon. She tries to keep flavors seasonal, using fresh fruit in the spring and making s’mores-flavored doughnuts in the summer.
Doughnut adventure: According to Viaud, the most unique doughnut she has ever made was a savory everything-bagel doughnut. The base doughnut was unchanged, but the topping featured an unsweetened cream cheese frosting and an everything bagel seasoning.

Trombly Gardens
150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made fresh every Saturday and Sunday morning. The farm stand opens at 9 a.m. on both days.
Is there coffee? Locally roasted coffee from Parker and Sons Coffee Roasting of Peterborough. They also have hot chocolate and, in the fall, hot cider.
Flavor offerings: All doughnuts are an apple cider base, especially going into the apple season. The doughnuts can come sugar-coated or plain.
Doughnut adventure: Throughout different peak harvest seasons, Trombly Gardens will add fresh fruit in their doughnuts. They do strawberry, blueberry and peach during the summer. Sometimes they’ll also offer maple bacon glazed doughnuts. There are also specialty doughnut options served out of the ice cream window, such as doughnut sundaes.

Toward the Lakes

Brothers Donuts
426 Central St., Franklin, 934-6678, find them on Facebook @brothersdonuts
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made at 3 a.m. daily and sold until they run out. Brothers Donuts also regularly delivers to businesses including Dulces Bakery (87 Amherst St., Manchester), Revelstoke Coffee (100 N. Main St., Concord) and the Hooksett rest area on both sides of Interstate 93.
Flavor offerings: Doughnut flavors change daily with various specialty options.
Doughnut adventure: Brothers Donuts’ specials have included Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cannoli, caramel Twix and strawberry cream.

Cider Bellies Doughnuts
18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 707-9657, ciderbelliesdoughnuts.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Every morning at sunrise.
Flavor offerings: Cinnamon sugar, old-fashioned, maple drizzle, baker’s chocolate drizzle, lemon drizzle
Doughnut adventure: The shop’s lemon drizzle doughnuts feature a blend of sweet and tart flavors and can be topped with poppy seeds.

Goody Good Donuts
235 Union Ave, Laconia, 528-4003, find them on Facebook @makingholes
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made daily at 4 a.m. and sold until 11 a.m. or until they run out for the day
Flavor offerings: A wide variety of flavors is offered, including butternut chocolate, maple roll, raspberry sugar, jelly cream, Boston cream and more.
Doughnut adventure: Goody Good Donuts offers an Arnold Palmer doughnut, consisting of a lemon and raspberry batter and a glazed shell.

Toward the coast

Donut Love
112 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, donutlove603.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Made daily at 7 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and sold until they run out. They’re also available at the shop’s sister location, Comfort Baking Co. (75 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter), which is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Flavor offerings: Donut Love offers a variety of flavors, including chocolate sea salt, maple bacon, Maine blueberry and cold brew coffee.
Doughnut adventure: Try the Mama-O doughnut, a pink vanilla doughnut made with the shop’s signature recipe that includes potatoes.

Fresh AF Bakeshop
34 Church St., Kingston, 642-8609, freshafbakeshop.com
The Bakeshop is open Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A post from Aug. 27 said “stuffed doughnuts available Saturdays and Sundays, while supplies last.”
Flavor offerings: The Bakeshop offers a “daily rotating menu of sweets & sass” according to the website.

Northwoods Brewing Co.
1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-6400, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com
When are the doughnuts fresh? Cruller doughnuts are made fresh every day at Northwoods Brewing Co., according to marketing director Sarah Fenerty. Visit them between 8 a.m. (when they open) and 10 a.m. for the best selection.
Is there coffee? Hot coffee and tea are available. Fenerty also recommends trying one of the brewery’s own coffee porters with a cruller.
Flavor offerings: Around 15 cruller flavors are usually available daily, including chocolate, churro, maple, lemon and honey. Pumpkin-flavored crullers are available seasonally.
Doughnut adventure: Try the maple bacon cruller, usually available a few times a week, or the Almond Joy cruller, loaded with coconut pieces, almonds and chocolate.

Featured photo: A doughnut from Bird Food Baking Co., based in Goffstown. Courtesy photo.

Mini parks, lesser-known monuments, land trusts and other unexpected outdoor spaces

Rocks that rock

On the hunt for rocks with history

By Dan Szczesny

danszczesny@gmail.com

The following is an excerpt from NH Rocks That Rock: An Adventure Guide to Twenty-Five Famous Boulders in the Granite State by Dan Szczesny and his daughter Uma (2021, Hobblebush Books). See danszczesny.com, where you can purchase this and other books by Dan and find information on upcoming events.

New Hampshire loves its rocks. Though the state’s nickname, The Granite State, actually comes from a preponderance of 19th-century quarries, the casual visitor wouldn’t know it from how many famous, historic, named or identified rocks and boulders there are all across the state.

From the ocean to the south, to the river valley to the west to the grand White Mountains up north, the state is full of boulders with eccentric names such as the Old Man of the Valley, Nessie’s Humps, Big Bertha, T-Rex, Boise Rock, Glen Boulder and The BOB, just to name a few. There are Elephant, Dog, Frog, Sheep, Monkey and Wolf rocks. Take a ferry to the Isles of Shoals for Underhill’s Chair. And take a moment to puzzle out the state’s greatest love story, the Chicken Farmer I Still Love You Rock.

Some are boulders. Some are glacial erratics. Some are cleaved from cliffs and mountain walls. Others just happened to be in places of historic importance and have been labeled through time. Some are monuments to people or events. A few have signs, while many you’ll have to search for. Some are brand new. A few have been on the New Hampshire map since before New Hampshire was New Hampshire.

One weighs more than 5,000 tons and is one of the largest glacial erratics in North America. You can’t miss Madison Boulder.

During a short hike out to Frog Rock in New Boston, my 6-year-old daughter asked me what other rocks were named after animals.

A lot, it turns out. Oh, so very many!

So the idea for our field guide, hiking patch quest and certificate was born.

Chicken Farmer Rock, Newbury

Access: Right on the north side of Route 103 about two miles south of Newbury town center. Nearest address is 539 Route 103.

Of all the rocks in New Hampshire, all the great stone profiles, all the epic gravity-defying boulders and grand vista-facing cliffs, one rock stands above them all in popularity and fame.

We are, of course, talking about the Chicken Farmer I Still Love You Rock.

This painted, overgrown, weedy outcropping along a busy state route is so well-known Google Maps has it pinned as a Historical Landmark. Even Madison Boulder doesn’t get that.

But that’s accurate because the Chicken Farmer I Still Love You Rock is all about history, and that history more or less encompasses what it’s like to be from and live in New Hampshire, where love stories about chicken farmers are entirely relatable.

In short, local legend tells the tale of a hard-working Chicken Farmer and his wife who lived across the road. So hard-working to provide for his family was this farmer that the wife became upset at him for spending so much time away from the family. She lashed out, but instantly regretted her anger. And realizing how grateful she was for her husband, she painted the words on the rock, “Chicken Farmer I Love You,” as a love note and apology.

Years later, in what was perhaps the greatest small town government mistake of all time, the message was covered, the town deeming it to be graffiti. Petitions were signed. Angry voices expressed outrage. And overnight, a new sign was painted, only this time the word “still”was added. And so it remains.

New Hampshire writer and storyteller Rebecca Rule said the original message and the update are two parts of the same message. “The original is a story of young love,” she said. “The revision is the story of unrequited and enduring love. Two beautiful stories; one rock.”

The chicken farmer endures.

The Train/Londonderry

Boulder, Londonderry

Access: We’re certain you’ve driven by The Train many times, as it sits on one of the busiest roads in one of the most densely populated areas, near Boston-Manchester Regional Airport. The rock, usually covered in graffiti, can be found jutting out of the embankment on Rockingham Road/Route 28 in North Londonderry near the intersection with Sanborn Road. If you’re heading south from Manchester, turn right on Sanborn Road and park in one of the office parking lots, then walk back. But of course be careful of traffic on this very busy road.

Of all the boulders on our list, The Train may have the richest pedigree as the slab that birthed the career of one of the best-known rock climbers in the world.

“I think I was maybe 14, driving back from soccer practice with my mom when I saw just one guy on that boulder,” said pro climber Joe Kinder. “I was obsessed with climbing but didn’t really have any outlets and I kept getting in trouble as a kid so my mom just stopped the car and told me to go say hi.”

Young Kinder hit the jackpot that day as the climber working the rock was none other than Brett Meyers, another pro most associated with developing routes on the Pawtuckaway Boulders.

Kinder already had a mentor at Manchester West High School, a guidance counselor named Gary Hunter, himself an amateur climber who encouraged Kinder to climb. But now, with a friendship with Meyers, Kinder’s destiny was set.

“Being from New England, it’s not easy to find the most profound places to climb,” Kinder told me from Las Vegas, where he now lives. “But that rock, in terms of rock quality, texture and accessibility, makes it special. It was like our little playground, a practice place where we could have fun and try new things. That place made me!”

Climb in the shadow of the greats, there on a busy state route in Londonderry.

Frog Rock, New Boston

Access: The rock that started it all. From Route 13 heading north through Mont Vernon go left on Francestown Turnpike, also known as 2nd New Hampshire Turnpike. Drive about 3 miles. The southern entrance to Frog Rock Road (now an abandoned access road) will be on your right, just after a long left turn with warning sign arrows. If you reach Hopkins Road, you’ve gone too far. Parking is available at the side of the road for perhaps two cars.

The dirt road path will reach some stone barriers at about 0.1 mile and a sign indicating that you are entering Frances Hildreth Townes Memorial Forest. Continue down the trail road for about 0.35 mile or so until you see a clear side path on your right. Take that 50 feet or so to Frog Rock.

It was Frog Rock that started it all. The list. The patch. The book you hold. Somewhere along the way, Little Bean wanted to find more rocks shaped like creatures. And once that door opened, there was no closing it.

And perhaps unlike many of the other rocks on this list, there’s very little debate over Frog Rock’s namesake. From a particular angle, the 10-foot erratic looks exactly like what it’s named after. So much so in fact that Frog Rock used to be a popular destination in the days of the grand hotels.

There were five grand (and grand-ish) hotels in the Mont Vernon area around the mid to late 19th century that drew tourists from the south as far away as Boston. The ladies and children would summer at the resorts while the men would work and come up on the weekends. That meant the hotels would need to keep their guests occupied, and one way to do that was to plan picnic excursions into the countryside. One of those resorts, The Grand Hotel, would send wagonloads of guests to visit what their literature called Bull Frog Rock.

Today the pasture land that once made up the area has been reclaimed by the forest, but through it all Frog Rock reigns supreme.

T.M.N.T. Rock, Auburn

Access: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Rock is a small, sometimes covered, waist-high boulder near the summit of little Mine Hill in Auburn. A section of the rock looks just like one of the cartoon ninja fighters. The trailhead and parking area are on Route 121, just about a mile south of the junction with Hooksett Road in the center of Auburn. Park at a pull-off at the shore of Lake Massabesic, immediately north of Shore Road. On the opposite side of the road, look for the sign Gate A21, Fire Road #42. That’s your trail!

Head up the fire road until you come to a large open field in about 100 yards. Stay to the right as the trail heads up into the woods. Continue up for about 0.4 mile, always keeping to the right, until you see a dilapidated set of steps built into the ground.

These are the old steps that led up the fire tower that used to be at the summit. The foundations of the tower and debris are still there. Climb to the top of the steps and make a right, keeping the No Trespassing signs to your left. At about the 0.5-mile mark look right into the woods and you’ll see TMNT Rock about 10 feet in.

This trail was the one Little Bean asked to come back to. Asked to bring her momma along. Asked if we could visit the rock again, to show off her find. This rock is all hers.

Our original intent was to climb the hill to find the tower, Little Bean being a fire tower buff. But the hike became more. We found a family of tiny mice, entrenched in their rotten log home. We found a dead porcupine and took home some quills, which Little Bean used to paint a portrait of that creature, creating a permanent record. And we imagined what it must have been like to be up in that tower, looking over the great Massabesic.

Certain trails leave a mark. Mine Hill is ours.

NH Rocks That Rock: Memorial Stones
The following is from the prologue to Dan’s forthcoming book, NH Rocks That Rock: Memorial Stones. Find publication updates at danszczesny.com.

Rocks endure, and thus memorials on rocks endure. Such is the thinking anyway.
Unlike a stand-alone sign, or wooden marker, or even one of those dark green metallic state historic markers, bolting a sign against an enormous slab of granite provides some authority to the person or place being honored. Memorial stones are designed for authority and permanence.
And you may not realize it, but they are everywhere, in traffic circles in busy Manchester streets, and tucked away near popular sandy beaches, and hidden behind curious enclosures. Memorial rocks in New Hampshire (not to be mistaken for town veteran memorials or individual tombstones) commemorate a wide variety of people and events, many now lost to the fogs of time.
In Newport you can visit a boulder with an attached cannonball memorializing Civil War hero George Eugene Belknap. In Auburn you can try to puzzle through a way-finder obelisk that served as an 18th-century street sign, and up in Sugar Hill, near a popular waterfall, one of the most famous Hollywood celebrities of her time paid tribute to her long-lost love with a memorial stone that’s simply signed as being from “A Grateful One.”
After the success and thrills of big boulder-hopping through our first field guide, my daughter decided something more personal, more intimate, would be best for a follow-up — these small moments of rock history, tiny tributes set in stone to epic humans and events.
We decided to find the memorial stones to reconnect with history and bring some of these stories back to life. If our first book was about grand epochs of geology, our second would be about individuals. We were going to memorialize the memorial stones.

History on display

War monuments at parks show how the Granite State honors those who served the country

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

In the shade of Victory Park stands a statue to remember the first World War. The symbolism shows an angel watching over a group of soldiers, and a cloaked figure holding a plaque thanking those who died in the Great War.

This statue is one of the last made to be a grand depiction of the suffering of war, said local historian Kathleen Bailey.

“After World War I, you get a more streamlined effect,” Bailey said about the design of statues. “It’s almost as if World War I was the last straw and we weren’t going to romanticize war anymore.”

Bailey, a veteran journalist from New Hampshire, is the coauthor of the book New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones with her daughter Sheila Bailey. The book looks at war monuments across the state.

Bailey said it’s much more common for statues to be erected in memory of the soldiers who fought and died. The trend began after World War II but became the custom when memorializing the efforts of soldiers in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Monuments like this exist in many parks in New Hampshire, but they aren’t all confined to parks. There is one such monument farther north in the state that is a grave marker for Derek Oxford, an enslaved man who fought for independence during the Revolutionary War and made his home in Plainfield, Bailey said.

Another is the Brigadier General Harrison Thyng Memorial. Thyng, who was born in a one-room schoolhouse in Pittsfield, became one of the five flying ACEs to serve in both World War II and the Korean War before becoming a Brigadier General.

Bailey said that she and her daughter were stunned when they came upon the memorial. She said that it seemed to pop out of nowhere.

“But this is fascinating because you’re going down this dusty back road in Pittsfield,” said Bailey. “There’s nothing there but auto repair shops and little frame houses, and then you come upon this and it’s something that looks like it belongs on the National Mall.”

Bailey said that New Hampshire has a way of remembering its sons and daughters, no matter how long they stayed here. While some memorials are dedicated to soldiers like the Five Guardsmen, a group of five young men in the National Guard who were all from Manchester’s West Side and who were all killed on the same day, some honor people who only lived in New Hampshire for a short part of their lives.

“New Hampshire loves its veterans and takes care of its own,” Bailey said. “Jed Barker did not live in Franklin since he was 6 years old. And the town still put up a plaque for him. He died in Vietnam. New Hampshire loves long and hard.”

Barker was a marine who was killed while suppressing explosives during the Vietnam war, and he saved a fellow soldier’s life.

Bailey said that one of the things she noticed the most during her research was that more modern memorials are less slabs of granite and statues and more places, like gymnasiums, or fundraiser events people can participate in.

“The other thing we noticed was not only did the complexion and design of the monuments change, but starting at the tail end of Vietnam, people started honoring their war dead in more creative ways,” Bailey said. Many people have now chosen to do charity fundraisers, like golf events, or to have recreation centers or town pools named after them.

Bailey said that this only changes the way society recognizes people who fought in wars. Instead of having just monuments memorializing the dead, there are places remembering the sacrifice of those who survived as well.

War Monuments
All the following monuments and memorials, as well as longer descriptions of them, can be found in local historian Kathleen Bailey’s book New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones

Amoskeag Bridge
Amoskeag Brg, Manchester
This bridge is dedicated to all New Hampshire soldiers who died in Vietnam, including the five National Guardsmen from Manchester who were all killed the same day.

Brigadier General Harrison Thyng Memorial
Next to Floral Park Cemetery, 30 Barnstead Road, Pittsfield
The monument recognizes one of the few flying ACEs from both World War II and the Korean War.

Derrick Oxford Gravesite
Coreyville Cemetery, Plainfield
Originally, Oxford’s grave was marked with a plain stone. The Plainfield Historical Society found his grave and erected a gravestone with his name.

Jedh C. Barker Memorial Monument
Across from Franklin High School, 115 Central St., Franklin
This monument was erected in 2022, more than 50 years after Barker’s death because Barker is the only Medal of Honor recipient from Franklin.

Merci Train Boxcar
136 Reed St., Manchester
This memorial was given to Manchester by France to honor all the soldiers from New Hampshire who died in France during World War II.

World War I Monument
Victory Park, 91-139 Concord St., Manchester
The monument symbolizes the loss and mourning felt after the first World War.

A grassy oasis

Southern New Hampshire’s smallest city parks

By Matt Ingersoll

mingersoll@hippopress.com

There is so much to discover in local parks — even the smallest ones that serve as grassy oases within major New Hampshire cities and towns. Some offer sweeping waterfront views or adequate tree shade perfect for a picnic, while others are home to statues honoring prominent figures in local history. No matter its size, every one of these mini parks has a story to tell.

“We are incredibly fortunate … to have such an extensive and diverse network of parks,” Mark Gomez, Chief of the Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division for the City of Manchester, said in an email. “In an urban environment, the benefits of parks to both physical and mental health cannot be overstated.”

Nearly half of all 47 of the Queen City’s parks are under 5 acres in area — of these, several can be found within walking distance of the bustle of downtown. Many offer a wide array of amenities and are popular destinations for all kinds of community events and gatherings.

Arms Park, for instance, offers a mostly tree-lined walk along the waters of the Merrimack River, which directly faces to the west. It’s also known for being home to “Baer Square,” featuring a memorial statue and bench of Ralph Baer, a longtime Manchester resident widely considered to be “the father of video games.”

Wagner Park, which encompasses the block between Maple, Oak, Prospect and Myrtle streets, is also commonly referred to as “Pretty Park” due to its lush setting. It’s easily identifiable by a Greek-style temple monument in one of the park’s northern corners.

At the intersection of Hanover and Beech streets is Bronstein Park. Its features include an open grassy area, a scattering of trees and plenty of benches lining the sides.

“Bronstein Park … also has a bike FixIt station, which is pretty cool,” parks project manager Kate Waldo said. “We partnered with the Queen City Bike Collective, so if you’re riding your bike through town and you go through that park, [the FixIt station] has little attached tools to it that you can use to make repairs right there. So that’s a really cool, unique element you’ll see.”

According to Waldo, every feature of even the smallest park is maintained, from grass that’s mowed and trees that are pruned on a regular basis to benches and stone tables that are monitored for repairs. Other maintenance needs are commonly addressed, like trash receptacles to maintain a park’s cleanliness and light posts to improve its safety.

In Concord, there are a total of 21 parks and the vast majority of them are within a 10-minute walk of a residential area, said David Gill, the city’s Parks and Recreation director. Small parks like Bicentennial Square and Eagle Square, for instance, are located directly in the hub of downtown Concord’s business district and feature uniquely placed picnic areas and fountains. Fletcher-Murphy Park, which is adjacent to the Concord Community Music School, has its own open area facing the building where visitors can enjoy outdoor concerts and other events.

“Although they do not have the [visibility] or high use like … White Park or Keach Park, they are still very important as they provide space for the community to gather, relax and have fun,” Gill said of some of the Capital City’s smaller parks.

Downtown Nashua is similarly known for having several mini parks within walking distance of its center. Among them is a memorial known as Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Française, which was dedicated in May 2001 by the City to its French Heritage Committee. It has the distinction of being both the first full figure erected in the Gate City in a century and the first sculpture in New England to honor Franco-American culture.

Mini parks

Here’s a list of where you can check out some of southern New Hampshire’s smallest parks within major city and town limits. Features include everything from commemorative statues to playgrounds, picnic tables and benches, gazebos, basketball courts and more. Sources: bedfordnh.myrec.com, concordnh.gov, derrynh.org, manchesternh.gov, milford.nh.gov and nashuanh.gov

Bedford
Muller Park North Amherst Road
This park features just over 3 acres of conservation land that’s great for hiking, picnicking, and various scouting and camping activities.

Waterfowl Park Beech Street
Waterfowl Park features a scenic area with a ¼-mile walking trail located off Beech Street. The site is ideal for walking, hiking and bird-watching.

Concord
Bicentennial Square 1 Odd Fellows Ave.
This park is located in the hub of downtown Concord’s business district, with uniquely placed picnic areas, a fountain and electrical access.

Eagle Square 3 Eagle Square
Just below the historic Clock Tower on Main Street in downtown Concord, Eagle Square is a great place to enjoy a local concert, a stroll or an afternoon lunch break. Like in the Capital City’s Bicentennial Square, there are picnic areas and electrical access.

Fletcher-Murphy Park 28 Fayette St.
Directly adjacent to the Concord Community Music School, this park is known for its open area facing the building where you can enjoy outside concerts. It also features a basketball court and a playground.

Kiwanis Waterfront Park 15 Loudon Road
Behind the Douglas N. Everett Arena is Kiwanis Waterfront Park, situated on the banks of the Merrimack River. It’s a perfect area for a shady riverside picnic, and Concord’s local skateboard park is also located there.

McKee Square 8 Broadway St.
McKee Square is a small triangle-shaped park found at the intersection of Broadway, South and West streets. It’s easily identifiable by its gazebo in the center.

Reed Park 105 Hall St.
Named after the Concord-born Corp. Robert Wellington Reed, this park is nestled just below Interstate 93, featuring a softball field and playground. It’s also the site of youth and adult flag football leagues in the fall.

Riverside Park Tanner Street
Overlooking the Contoocook River in Concord’s Penacook neighborhood, Riverside Park is a great place for picnics due to its shady setting.

Derry
Hood Park 4 Rollins St.
Located within walking distance of Broadway in downtown Derry, Hood Park features amenities like basketball courtes, outdoor floor hockey and shuffleboards and a waterfront area.

MacGregor Park East Broadway
Directly adjacent to the Derry Public Library on East Broadway, MacGregor Park is known for hosting several special events throughout the year, like the town’s summer concert series, Memorial Day observances and Derryfest.

Manchester
Arms Park Between the Merrimack River and Commercial Street
This tree-lined riverside park features scenic views of the waters of the Merrimack River to the west. It’s also known for being home to “Baer Square,” featuring a memorial statue and bench of Ralph Baer, a longtime Manchester resident widely considered to be “the father of video games.”

Bass Island Park Second Street, between West Hancock and Cleveland streets
Located on the Piscataquog River on Manchester’s West Side, Bass Island Park is a peaceful park within a congested area of the city, with a vessel boat ramp and granite stones that provide access to the river’s edge.

Bronstein Park Hanover and Beech streets
This park is named after Ben Richard Bronstein, who was the first man from New Hampshire to die during World War II. The park is within walking distance of Manchester Central High School, with an open grassy area, a bicycle FixIt station, a scattering of trees and plenty of benches lining the sides.

City Hall Plaza, Manchester Elm Street, adjacent to City Hall
Manchester’s City Hall Plaza features several park benches and tables just outside the City Hall building on Elm Street.

Harriman Park Corner of Lake Avenue and Hall Street to the corner of Hall and Central streets
Originally named East Side Park, this park was renamed in 1922 in honor of Lt. Lynn H. Harriman, who served in the 101st Infantry in World War I. The park includes a memorial, a playground and a basketball court.

Kalivas Park Lake Avenue, Spruce Street and Chestnut Street
Located directly behind Manchester’s SNHU Arena, this park is named after Christos N. Kalivas, the first Greek-American from Manchester to be killed in action during World War I. A monument and plaque honoring Kalivas faces the park’s center.

Lafayette Park Notre Dame Avenue
At just over 2 acres on Manchester’s West Side, this park features a statue of Ferdinand Gagnon, widely considered to be “the father of Franco-American journalism.” The park was dedicated by the Franco-American Memorial Commission in 1957.

Martineau Park Montcalm Street and Dionne Drive
Martineau Park is a small triangle of land spanning less than a third of an acre between Montcalm Street and Dionne Drive on Manchester’s West Side. It’s named after Albert R. Martineau of Manchester, who served in the Army during World War II. It features benches, a cobblestone walkway and some tree-shaded grass.

Oak Park Oak and Maple streets
Accessed from Oak, Maple, Brook or Harrison streets, this park features several benches in a mostly tree-covered setting.

Pulaski Park Bridge and Pine streets
Named for Casimir Pulaski, a Polish immigrant who served in the Revolutionary War as a general and one of George Washington’s right-hand men, Pulaski Park has his statue in the center and is surrounded by lush grass fields as well as a basketball court.

Sweeney Park South Main Street
Sweeney Park is named after Private Henry John Sweeney, the first soldier from Manchester to die during World War I. Amenities include a memorial, a children’s playground and a basketball court.

Veterans Memorial Park Elm Street, between Central and Merrimack streets
Veterans Memorial Park is a popular destination for outdoor concerts and festivals, featuring a large covered stage that’s generally open from the spring through the early fall. In 2009, a World War II monument was erected inside the park.

Victory Park Between Concord and Amherst, Pine and Chestnut streets
This park is dedicated to Private First Class Rene A. Gagnon, who fought on Iwo Jima as a member of the Marine Corps. It’s a popular destination for family events throughout the summer months, courtesy of the Manchester City Library.

Wagner Park Maple, Oak, Prospect and Myrtle streets
In 1944, a woman named Ottilie Wagner Hosser granted the entire city block where her house stood to the city to be used as a park. It was modeled after a small park in Paris across from the League of Nations that she loved to visit. Amenities include park benches, a gazebo and a Greek-style temple that stands in the park’s northern corner and serves as the centerpiece.

Milford
Emerson Park 6 Mont Vernon St.
The parcels of land that today make Emerson Park were donated to the Town of Milford in 1947. The park is uniquely adjacent to the Souhegan River, just off the Milford Oval, and is the site of Milford’s widely attended summer concert series, which takes place every Wednesday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m., from early July to late August.

Kaley Park 448 Nashua St.
Like Emerson Park, Kaley Park’s location is directly adjacent to Milford’s Souhegan River. Its amenities include two multi-purpose playing fields, a softball diamond, a canoe launch and a conservation area.

Keyes Memorial Park 45 Elm St.
This park was originally farmland that was owned by members of the Crosby family. It was sold in 1957 to the Arthur L. Keyes Memorial Trust, which then gave the land to the Milford School District for athletics fields and a playground. A public swimming pool was added in 1965, followed by tennis courts in 1974.

Nashua
Deschenes Oval Main Street
Named after Amedee Deschenes, who served in World War I, this park is located in the heart of downtown Nashua, commemorating several war heroes from New Hampshire who gave their lives.

Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Française Water Street
This Water Street park, which overlooks the Nashua River, commemorates local Franco-American immigrants. Dedicated in May 2001 by the City of Nashua to its French Heritage Committee, the featured sculpture is both the first full figure erected in the Gate City in a century and the first sculpture in New England to honor Franco-American culture.

Natural treasures

What land trusts are and where to check them out

By Hannah Turtle

hturtle@hippopress.com

When it comes to finding natural treasures in and around the local community, the role of a land trust is paramount. Land trusts are often nonprofit organizations with the goal of aiding in land conservation.

“We’re all about conserving special places,” said Liz Short, executive director of Five Rivers Conservation Trust, based in Concord. “It really boils down to sustaining the ecological, social and community benefits that nature provides.”

Five Rivers, like many of the other land trusts in the area, focuses on helping community members protect their land through various conservation efforts. Through those efforts, the land often becomes a place that’s open for hiking and recreation, with a whole variety of natural landscapes to explore. Land trusts also play a role in engaging and protecting the community at large.

“Our mission at our core is land conservation, but we try to do that in a way that’s respectful of the need for housing, because it’s all part of a really important network,” Short said. “It’s what goes into making New Hampshire a great place to live, work and play.”

This goal is in part what drives the community events offered by land trusts in the area. Five Rivers, for instance, is hosting a free evening yoga class outdoors on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Dimond Hill Farm in Concord. Piscataquog Land Conservancy, another trust in the local area, hosts the Rose Mountain Rumble, a non-timed gravel bike ride, on Saturday, Aug. 27, which will begin at Center Hall in Lyndeborough. Details on these events are available on the land trust websites, and more opportunities are available through the New Hampshire Land Trust Coalition’s website.

While land trusts endeavor to serve the community, there are also a multitude of ways for the community to get involved in land conservation.

“We have a lot of volunteer opportunities,” Short said. “Every year, we have volunteers help us with our annual monitoring of conserved lands.”

Five Rivers sends volunteers to all their protected lands to check on the conservation efforts, walk the grounds and take pictures.

“We offer training for that, so it’s really great for someone interested in learning more about conservation, and someone who wants to get out into the woods and learn to use a map and compass,” Short said. “We’re also always looking for new ideas on how to engage new members of the community … We really want to listen to what folks in this region care about, and how we can work to create more recreational opportunities and provide more access. A great way to help out and get involved is to join that conversation.”

Local land trusts with public access hiking trails and recreation
Here are some local land trusts with opportunities to check out hiking trails, parks and more. To find a land trust near you, visit nhltc.org.

Bear-Paw Regional Greenways
Deerfield, bear-paw.org
• Burbank Woods Preserve: 25-75 Coffeetown Road, Deerfield
• Great Marsh Preserve: Old Chester Turnpike, Hooksett
• North River Preserve: 128 Stage Road, Nottingham

Five Rivers Conservation Trust
Concord, 5rct.org
• Chichester Town Forest: 130 Hutchinson Road, Chichester
• Dimond Hill Farm: 314 Hopkinton Road, Concord
• Marjory Swope Park: Long Pond Road, Concord
• Winant Park: 11 Fisk Road, Concord

Piscataquog Land Conservancy
New Boston, plcnh.org
• Benedictine Park: 333 Wallace Road, Bedford
• Educational Farm at Joppa Hill: 174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford
• Ferrin Pond Nature Preserve: Ferrin Pond Road, Weare
• Florence M. Tarr Wildlife Sanctuary: 83 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford
• Tuthill Woodlands Preserve: Tucker Mill Road, New Boston

Featured photo: Ralph Baer statue and memorial at Arms Park in Manchester. Baer, a longtime Manchester resident, is widely considered to be “the father of video games.” Photo courtesy of the City Of Manchester’s Parks and Recreation Division.