It takes more than a few great songs to make it as a professional musician, though having a repertoire helps. Without knowledge of business ins and outs — where to play, how to get paid, who wants to hear originals and not Tom Petty covers — even the best players can get lost.
It takes more than a few great songs to make it as a professional musician, though having a repertoire helps. Without knowledge of business ins and outs — where to play, how to get paid, who wants to hear originals and not Tom Petty covers — even the best players can get lost.
Kimayo. Courtesy photo.
How it started When Brad Myrick came back to New Hampshire in early 2011, he’d spent close to a decade chasing his dream of being a professional musician, studying in Los Angeles at USC’s Thornton School of Music, then traveling between the West Coast and Europe, playing shows, making records and learning the ropes.
Myrick was happy to be back home. He fixated on finding a way to continue as a performer in his home state.
“I like the quality of life, and I think this is probably where I want to settle down,” Myrick recalled thinking. “How can I still get that full music business experience while living in a place that is so small and doesn’t have a huge music industry?”
As he dove into getting gigs and building his name, Myrick got caught off guard.
“I was thinking, boy, there’s a lot more going on in New Hampshire than I could have ever imagined; it’s actually a great place to be a musician,” he said. “There’s a lot of live music, there’s a ton of talent … wonderful people doing really great things.”
What was missing was something resembling a centralized scene.
“There’s a cool thing happening in Portsmouth, good stuff in Manchester, and the North Country has got its thing, but people seem to be a little more regional and localized,” he said. “There were a lot of gigs, but not what I was used to seeing in Los Angeles or in some of the cities in Europe.”
“There’s a cool thing happening in Portsmouth, good stuff in Manchester, and the North Country has got its thing, but people seem to be a little more regional and localized,” he said. “There were a lot of gigs, but not what I was used to seeing in Los Angeles or in some of the cities in Europe.”
There was a little bit of self-interest in Myrick’s musical field of dreams but, to mix a metaphor, reaching his goals was going to take a village.
“If this is going to be my home and I want to be a professional musician for the rest of my life, how do we invite people in?” he was thinking. “How do we get everyone connected as much as possible, and then have resources that may exist in bigger places?”
He aimed for the yet-to-be-created indie record label, the singer-songwriter stringing together bar gigs and wondering what to do next, but he was thinking bigger than that.
“What if we had access to local health care for musicians — doctors and chiropractors and naturopaths,” he mused. “Massage therapists that understand musicians because we have different problems than other folks do; what if we had any resource that a musician might need?”
With a brand designed and a Facebook page created, Myrick began obsessively filling notebooks. “I’d be on a plane going to Italy and I’d make bullet points of my ideal scenario if I had infinite money and resources to offer to myself and to musicians in New Hampshire,” he said.
Senie Hunt. Courtesy photo.
NH Music Collective’s first foray into business turned out to be more down to earth than Myrick’s lofty dreams. He booked a midweek gig at the Stark House Tavern in Weare. It was his first time there, and the managers told him they were pleased with his performance. Moreover, they wondered if he knew anyone else who might play there?
Why, yes, he did.
“Booking is essentially creating jobs for performing musicians,” he said. “I did it for myself and I realized there was an opportunity to get more people involved in that. Suddenly it went from a show for me to like eight shows a month, twice a week or whatever, and other people are getting work from that. That basically told me this thing happened that you’re thinking about, this NH Music Collective idea.”
This was in 2013, and it stayed a one-man side hustle, albeit a growing one. “I’ll make a few bucks off it, it’ll create a bunch of gigs for people,” he said. “I started just doing that casually while I was working as a full-time performer, that was the catalyst of the whole thing.”
It took finding a partner — two of them — for Myrick’s NH Music Collective vision to fully flower.
John McArthur and his wife, Reva Tankle, moved from Massachusetts in 2018 to help their son run The Greenhouse, a Gilford recording studio he’d opened a year before. McArthur quickly met Concord musician Mike Gallant, and Mikey G — everyone calls him that — put McArthur and Myrick together.
The two hung out at Strings and Things, a musical instrument store in Concord, and Myrick ended up bringing a couple of projects to the studio, including the Eric Lindberg Trio, which he played in at the time, and his duo with fellow guitarist Nicola Cipriani. They also talked a lot about Myrick’s idea for NH Music Collective.
McArthur’s path to the music business has a familiar beginning and an atypical middle.
“I dropped out of a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology to play music full-time, which I did while my wife, Reva Tankle, finished her Ph.D. and did a postdoc,” he said by phone from Portland, Maine, where they now live. McArthur gave up music when they moved to Texas. “I didn’t play country at the time, so I stopped playing.”
After that, “I kind of fell into tech for 35 years, then I dropped out of tech to go back into music full-time, thanks in part to my son and thanks in part to Brad,” he said. “I play a few times a month but not at the level that Brad does — those years are behind me.”
Myrick and McArthur’s conversations got more serious in 2020, and during the depths of the pandemic they formed a three-way partnership.
“A downturn is a great time to start, because everything looks like growth from there,” said McArthur with a chuckle. “I’m just loving spending all my time in music now, trying to help emerging artists and help venues create better experiences.
Myrick books shows, McArthur does artist development, and Rankle handles the nuts and bolts. “Contracts, finance, communication with the artists to make sure they know where they’re supposed to be, what they’re supposed to get, that they get there on time and everything’s ready for them when they get there,” McArthur said.
“We kept the brand because I’d already built it for many years and had some success,” Myrick said. “Then we have a small record label and a publishing company underneath this parent company, using them for one-off projects. We haven’t really promoted it, but the infrastructure is there and we’re working on that as a future goal.”
Home is where it’s at One thing they’re trying to dispel is the belief that the region’s musicians are bound to leave for a bigger market.
“I encourage people from here to get out and explore, have an experience, particularly if it’s in a place that’s got some industry where you can go and, frankly, get your ass kicked.” Myrick said. “It’s good to have that experience and get pushed and learn what it’s really like in a larger scale.”
While going to a city like Nashville to work with a big-name producer can be exciting, it’s not necessary.
“We have world-class musicians, recording studios, business folks, promoters, all the things that you need to be a successful professional musician,” he said “It’s helpful to get insight and see what the big world has to offer, and I encourage everyone to do that. But you don’t have to.”
Mikey G. Courtesy photo.
That said, there are trade-offs. NHMC has a growing roster of talent performing seven days a week all over New England. While some shows are listening-room affairs (where original music is the primary focus for the audience), more are at venues where music is one item on a big menu. Myrick, however, believes doing original songs and covering the hits both build the same muscle.
That said, there are trade-offs. NHMC has a growing roster of talent performing seven days a week all over New England. While some shows are listening-room affairs (where original music is the primary focus for the audience), more are at venues where music is one item on a big menu. Myrick, however, believes doing original songs and covering the hits both build the same muscle.
A few NHMC acts talk about their experiences.
Justin Cohn is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who was recently featured on the Rocking Horse Music Club rock opera Circus of Wire Dolls.
“As for my own music, I always have trouble describing it,” Cohn said. “I guess it’s a mix of indie folk, pop, Americana, and rock, with maybe a little bit of soul thrown in…. I like to see where the creative process leads me.”
Cohn contacted Myrick after seeing NHMC’s name at venues he played; the two met for coffee. “Brad described the philosophy and intention as much more than just another booking agency,” he recalled. “Their goal was to empower musicians who also want to make original music … cover gigs are a means to an end. The pitch hooked me immediately, because that’s the direction I wanted to go, but I didn’t really know how to get there.”
He’s been pleased with the results.
“The shows I’ve been fortunate to book through them have been some of the best I’ve ever regularly played, especially in the restaurant and bar scene,” Cohn said. “Depending on the venue, this means I’m able to play some of my original music with more frequency. This seems like a small thing, but it’s dramatically expanded my self-confidence and it’s ultimately led to more creativity.”
Rebecca Turmel. Courtesy photo.
Rebecca Turmel put out her first single a little over a year ago. Her latest is a poignant tribute to touring life called “The Road.” She’s among several NHMC artists nominated for the upcoming New England Music Awards.
“I feel honored to be a part of their roster as they work with some of the most dedicated and talented musicians that I know,” she said. “They have connected me with high-quality venues that I thought I could only dream of performing in. For example, I just had the privilege to perform at the Bank of NH Stage … my first true listening room experience as an original artist.”
“It’s hard to put my sound into a box right now since I still have a lot of growth ahead of me as a songwriter, but what I’ve released so far seems to fall into the country genre,” Turmel said. “I am still discovering who I am, and with that comes finding my sound as an original artist as well. It’s all a learning game.” Turmel has been working with NHMC for around a year.
“I feel honored to be a part of their roster as they work with some of the most dedicated and talented musicians that I know,” she said. “They have connected me with high-quality venues that I thought I could only dream of performing in. For example, I just had the privilege to perform at the Bank of NH Stage … my first true listening room experience as an original artist.”
Ryan Williamson is a past NEMA nominee who uses looping and multiple instruments in his shows.
“I’m a self-taught musician who writes music that covers pop, rock, and Americana,” Williamson said. “ I play a bunch of gigs around New Hampshire and love to play songs you wouldn’t expect to hear from a solo artist with a guitar.”
He knew Myrick before he established NHMC, and got involved early.
“I wanted to do anything I could to help with his efforts to create the local scene he envisioned; there is not a single musician on the planet that I respect more than Brad Myrick,” he said. “He is absurdly talented in his own right … and more committed to creating a thriving local music scene than any person I know.”
His involvement has led to many opportunities, Williamson continued.
“Aside from opening my musical reach to more accepting listening rooms, Brad has joined me on stage and made me a better musician … coordinated events with groups of local musicians, which helps engage the musical community with each other as well as showcasing the brilliant talent of these artists to the public in the spaces that crave entertainment.”
Some of the past and present listening room efforts include a monthly event at Sap House Meadery in Ossipee that mixes music, themed dining and mead tasting. “People really want unique experiences,” McArthur said. “One of the first bands we had was Brazilian, so we had Brazilian food. We had a performer from the Ukraine who sang songs in Russian … he’s a Soviet refusenik, just a beautiful concert. We had traditional Eastern European Jewish food to pair with that.”
Eric Lindberg. Courtesy photo.
The upstairs lounge at Bank of NH Stage hosts regular Sunday afternoon shows, while The Livery in Sunapee had a well-attended summer series with artists including April Cushman playing in a duo with Myrick, Cecil Abels and the New England Bluegrass Band, Eric Lindberg, Ari Hest, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio, Charlie Chronopoulos, Jud Caswell, Hot Skillet Club, Squeezebox Stompers and Peter Mulvey. In November, Senie Hunt will perform there.
Backyard Brewing in Manchester is a long-time customer, and venue manager Marcus Doucet couldn’t be happier.
“Having live music instantly brings a buzz to any space, it engages our customers in their surroundings and makes the experience of dining out feel more personal and inviting,” Doucet said, adding that NHMC performers “are all extremely talented and kind, they are all individuals with a passion for what they do…. We love when musicians will play cover songs that everyone knows, but also love when they perform songs they have written.”
The future The NH Music Collective website lists a range of services available to musicians, including an artist development component that offers coaching services. “Regardless of where you are today and your ultimate music goal,” they “will be by your side providing informed, direct, and specific guidance on steps to take to reach your goals.”
It’s key to McArthur’s role. “My vision is to continue to enhance the level of the musicianship that we provide,” he said. “I want to spend more time working more closely with a handful of artists to really move the needle for people who want to make this their life career. This is a tough business … we want to help those that are serious about it.”
To make it all work — for musicians, listeners and venue owners alike — requires alchemy as much as art.
“Maybe the most important thing as we move forward is we’re really trying to create experiences, if we’re going to have an impact on the music scene and on the community at large,” Myrick said. “We have a chance to really make an experience where people show and know they’re getting live, preferably original music. It can be more than just come and go — that really becomes special.”
Find the music See the musicians of New Hampshire Music Collective. Here are some upcoming shows, according to nhmusiccollective.com.
Thursday, Oct. 5
Ariel Strasser at Contoocook First Thursdays (in Hopkinton), 5 to 7 p.m.
Paul Driscoll at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Justin Cohn at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 6
Kimayo at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Paul Gormley at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
The Sweetbloods at Twin Barns Brewing Co. Meredith, 6 to 9 p.m.
Chase Campbell at Tower Hill Tavern in Laconia, 8 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, Oct. 7
Doug Farrell at the Contoocook Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon
Colin Hart with The hArt of Sound at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Freddie Catalfo at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 1 to 4 p.m.
Ian Archibold at Twin Barns Brewing Co. in Meredith, 3 to 6 p.m.
Dakota Smart at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Karen Grenier at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Scott King at San Francisco Kitchen in Nashua, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Ken Budka at Chen Yang Li in Bow, 7 to 10 p.m.
Chris Lester at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8
Ariel Strasser at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 9
Open Mic with John McArthur at Patrick’s Pub in Gilford, 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Brad Myrick at the Courtyard Marriott in Concord, 5 to 7 p.m.
Chris Lester at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Concord, 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 12
April Cushman at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Dwayne Haggins Duo at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13
Willy Chase at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 5 to 8 p.m.
Brad Myrick at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Garrett Smith at Lochmere in Tilton, 6 to 8 p.m.
Justin Cohen at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Kimayo at Twin Barns Brewing in Meredith, 6 to 9 p.m.
Dakota Smart at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14
Brad Myrick at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Garrett Smith at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 1 to 4 p.m.
Dave Clark at Twin Barns Brewing Co. in Meredith, 3 to 6 p.m.
Brad Myrick at Colby Hill Inn in Henniker, 6 to 9 p.m.
Ryan Williamson at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Tyler Levs at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Dusty Gray at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Mikey G at Chen Yang Li in Bow, 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15
Ken Budka at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Clint Lapointe at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Concord, 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 19
Eyes of Age at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Charlie Chronopoulos at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Cover Photo: April Cushman and Brad Myrick. Courtesy photo.
Shopping for your new favorite flavors at local international food markets
OK, this looked easy enough on TV…
“Heat a saucepan over medium heat” — That seems pretty straightforward; a saucepan actually means a pot — I won’t make THAT mistake again — and medium heat means, um, turn the knob halfway between 2 and 9?
“Heat oil until it shimmers.” I think I’ve got that; I’ll remember to pour it out of the bottle this time. Aaaaand — Hey! It IS shimmering! I might be able to do this.
“Add mustard seeds to the hot oil, and wait for them to pop like popcorn.” There are seeds that do that other than popcorn? And what ARE mustard seeds, anyway?
“HONEY? DO WE HAVE ANY MUSTARD SEEDS?!”
“I DON’T KNOW! WHAT ARE THEY!?”
“I DON’T KNOW!”
“THEN PROBABLY NOT!”
Ugh, that shimmering oil is starting to smoke; I’d better take it off the heat. I don’t want a repeat of Arlene’s baby shower.
Mustard seeds? I really should have read through these ingredients before I started.
Salt — we’ve got that. White pepper — wow! We’ve actually got that. Fenugreek leaves — I thought fenugreek was a seed! And what the heck are cardamom pods?
“What are cardamom pods, please?”
“HERE’S WHAT I FOUND ON WHATTHEHECKISTHISSPICE.COM: Cardamom is a spice made from the seed pods of the cardamom plant, a close relative to ginger and turmeric, that is native to South India—”
“OK, stop. Thank you.”
“IT IS ALWAYS MY PLEASURE TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU COULD EASILY LOOK UP YOURSELF.”
Rude.
OK, what am I supposed to do now? I could probably order this stuff online, but I need this for the Piñata Festival tomorrow, and I’m not paying for overnight shipping. Where would somebody even go to find this stuff?
I’m glad you asked.
According to the 2020 Federal Census on census.gov, 3,600 of the people living in Concord were born outside of the United States. Nashua is home to another 13,000, and in Manchester, 16,000 people — about 14 percent of the population — are immigrants.
What does that have to do with cardamom pods?
It’s foolish to say “all” of any group of people, but the vast majority of those 32,800, while happy to call this area home, want to eat the food they grew up with. (I lived overseas for a couple of years in my youth, and I cannot describe the sheer sense of elation I felt when I stumbled across a six-pack of root beer one time.)
There are a surprising number of small international grocery stores in the area, catering to people from all over the world. You’ve seen them, but not noticed them. Thirty-seven percent of urban shopping centers in the state — a figure I just made up — have small, inconspicuous markets in them that specialize in West African or Mexican or Pakistani foods. If you need cardamom pods, you’ll be able to find them in most of these stores. Or fermented tofu. Or dried West African river fish.
Obviously, some of this can be a bit overwhelming. Even if you are from another country — India, for example — it doesn’t naturally follow that you will necessarily know anything about Mexican food.
So here’s what we’ll do: Let’s take a look at a few international markets, and pick an ingredient — something with a low barrier to appreciation by a beginner. Let’s figure out what you can do with that ingredient, and then look at a cookbook to help you learn more about cooking the sorts of groceries you might find at that store.
Spice Center
245 Maple St. in Manchester (across from Yankee Lanes on Valley Street), 626-7290. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
So where would you go to find cardamom pods?
The Spice Center on Maple Street would be a good bet.
This is a small, family-owned, Middle Eastern market. If you are cooking something Mediterranean, this is a good place to find ingredients — olives, flatbreads, Lebanese pickles and of course spices. If you want to grind whole spices yourself — which you should try; it will change how you feel about them — this is the place to find them. The staff is extremely nice and likes to help you find what you’re looking for. They also like to talk about cooking.
This is the one place I can reliably find Turkish delight — a shockingly good hybrid of gummi bears, fudge and a bouquet of roses.
“I’m trusting you on this. I’m nervous about trying new foods. What should I buy here?” you say.
Let’s ease into this. Aside from Turkish delight, I’d recommend picking up the ingredients for a hummus plate: fresh flatbread, pickled turnips and a couple types of olives.
Homemade Hummus 2 15.5-ounce cans of chickpeas, sometimes labeled as garbanzo beans 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 clove fresh garlic ½ cup (117 grams) tahini, sort of like a peanut butter made from sesame seeds 1 lemon, squeezed olive oil and paprika to garnish (optional) Using a colander, drain and rinse the chickpeas to wash away any metallic taste from the cans. In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, salt, garlic and a generous cup of water. Blend or process on low speed for two minutes or so. The mixture will be a tan color and look a little grainy. Add the tahini and lemon juice, then blend or process again for three to four minutes. Pour into a serving dish. Garnish with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika, then surround the bowl with olives, pickled turnips and torn or sliced pieces of flatbread.
Homemade hummus. Photo by John Fladd.
We’ve all had hummus before. It generally ranges from “meh” to “pretty good.” Making it yourself is a bit of a revelation; it is nutty and rich and slightly warm from the blender. It goes surprisingly well with salty, oily things like olives or pickled turnips. Pickled turnips come in a jar. They are about the size and shape of thick-cut french fries, and they are an electric pink color. They are crunchy and salty and can be your adventure of the week, your doorway into a new type of eating.
“Is there a cookbook that would teach me more about Middle Eastern food?” you ask.
The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean: 215 Healthy, Vibrant, and Inspired Recipes by Paula Wolfert (Ecco, 1994) is an excellent overview of some of the key ingredients that are used in the area we loosely call the “Middle East,” from Georgia and Armenia through to Lebanon and Israel. Paula Wolfert is a veteran food writer, and her recipes are extremely reliable.
Two Guys Food Market
414 Union St. in Manchester, 627-7099. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
So you’re a big fan of Mexican food. Your delivery guy knows to expect your taco order every Friday. Your dream job in high school was working the counter at Taco Bell.
But for years you’ve heard whispers that most “Mexican” food doesn’t actually have a lot to do with food that actual Mexicans eat. A Spanish-speaking friend took you to a little out-of-the-way place that her family likes, and the food blew your mind. You decide to look up some more authentic Central American recipes, but you’re confused by some of the ingredients.
What’s the difference between Mexican oregano and regular oregano? Isn’t hibiscus a flower? What the heck is Achiote?
One of the best places to start to figure all this out is Two Guys Market on Union Street in Manchester. It is a classic bodega; it specializes in fast, spur-of-the-moment purchases — suitcases of beer, cold soda, lottery tickets, that sort of thing. Think of it as a superette with better music. But what Two Guys has that a random convenience store doesn’t is a wall display of dozens of Central American specialty spices, the ones that will give you confidence in your cooking and open your mind to trying new foods that aren’t covered with neon-orange queso.
Salsa de Chipotle. Photo by John Fladd.
“What should I buy?” you ask.
Spices and canned chipotle peppers.
You: “I like the idea of learning more about this, but my eyes glaze over when I try to read a cookbook.”
Try Food from My Heart: Cuisines of Mexico Remembered and Reimagined by Zarela Martinez (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 368 pages). Zarela Martinez is a well-known chef and restaurateur — and mother of celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez — who was born and lived in several different regions of Mexico and the Southwest U.S. Food from My Heart is half memoir and half cookbook. She describes what it was like to live in each of these areas, what the food culture is like in each, and how each place changed her life. By the time she gets to recipes from an area, a reader can wrap their head around a dish and not be intimidated by it.
“OK, can you recommend a super-easy recipe from this book that won’t scare me?” you ask.
Yes, I can.
Salsa de Chipotle 2 Tablespoons melted lard or vegetable oil. If you are the type of person that saves it, bacon grease would work very well, too. 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 medium-sized onion, chopped, about 1 cup 3 pounds very ripe tomatoes, chopped 2-3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce — These are spicy smoked jalapeños. Use these to adjust the heat level to your taste. 1½ teaspoons Mexican oregano ½ teaspoon kosher salt Sauté the garlic and onion in oil until they are soft and translucent. Add the other ingredients, stir to combine and simmer uncovered over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Use your blender or an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer.
Although a lot of Americans use the word “salsa” to refer to a particular scoopable condiment, it actually means “sauce” in Spanish. You can definitely use this sauce for chips, but it is an outstanding cooking sauce. It is smoky, spicy and slightly sweet. As you become more confident in your cooking, this will become your standby base for a large number of dishes.
Saigon Asian Market
476 Union St. in Manchester, 935-9597. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Union Street in Manchester is a really good food street; in addition to multiple bodegas and small restaurants, it also has one of the best Asian markets in the state.
As its name suggests, Saigon is a Vietnamese market, but it also carries a large stock of Chinese ingredients as well. It is an excellent place to find fresh Asian produce and cuts of meat that you won’t find in a regular supermarket, and rumor has it that a lot of local chefs buy their seafood here to cook on their days off. It has a really impressive amount of dried and canned East Asian ingredients.
“What should I buy here?” you ask.
Vegetarian Crystal Summer Rolls (Cuðn Chay Viét Nam). Photo by John Fladd.
So very many things, but the number of bottled Asian sauces, especially hot sauces, is a little mind-numbing.
“I was starting to feel more confident, but now I’m a little intimidated. Is there a book that will help me sort all these ingredients out?”
Two of them, actually. The Asian Grocery Store Demystified by Linda Bladholm (Renaissance Books, 240 pages) is a pocket-sized reference book to carry around with you when you are trying to get a handle on the thousands of bewildering and intriguing foods around you. Vietnamese Cooking by Paulette Do Van (Quantum Books) is a well-indexed cookbook with a good description of ingredients and techniques in the first few chapters. The recipes are clear and to the point.
“I’m not saying I will, but if I decided to cook something a little bit fancier — something that doesn’t involve my blender — what would you recommend?” you ask.
Vegetarian Crystal Summer Rolls (Cuðn Chay Viét Nam) From Vietnamese Cooking, by Paulette Do Van
Do not be intimidated by the number of ingredients. The secret to most Asian cooking — and cooking in general — is to measure and prepare all the ingredients ahead of time.
1 8-ounce (225-gram) box of rice vermicelli, often labeled as “rice sticks.” These are very thin rice noodles, about the thickness of angel hair pasta. 4-5 dried Chinese mushrooms. I use sliced dried shiitakes. 2 large dried black wood ear fungus. Don’t panic; these are just another type of dried mushroom. 1 packet dried Vietnamese rice paper. These look like plastic tortillas. They will soften up in warm water. ½ jar pickled red onions 2-3 crispy dill pickles, cut into matchsticks ½ can sliced bamboo shoots 1 medium carrot, grated ½ can pineapple rings, drained and sliced 1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Dipping Sauce 4 ounces (100 ml) Maggi Liquid Seasoning 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ serrano pepper, seeded and finely minced
Whisk the dipping sauce ingredients together, then set aside. Soak the dried mushrooms in very hot water for half an hour or so, or until they have softened. Drain them, then slice them thinly. Soak the rice noodles until soft, then drain them. Prepare all the other ingredients and lay them out in separate bowls. Don’t let yourself get intimidated by all the ingredients; you’ve already done the hard work. In a large bowl, or the bottom of a frying pan, soak one of the rice paper rounds until it is soft, but not falling apart, about 45 seconds. Lay the rice paper out on a piece of parchment paper or a silicon mat, then place some of each of the ingredients in the center of the rice paper. You will have to experiment, but you will use less of each ingredient than you anticipate — 1 to 2 tablespoons of each. Fold the sides of the rice paper in ¼ of the way toward the center, then roll up your ingredients, starting from the bottom. Repeat this until you have run out of one or more of the ingredients. Your first couple of summer rolls will be a little wonky, but you will quickly get very good at this.
These summer rolls are delicious and refreshing, simultaneously soft and crunchy, sweet and savory. The rice noodles have a different crunchy texture than the vegetables. The rice paper wrapper is tender but chewy.
I have a friend who swears by making extra summer rolls, then crisping up leftovers in his air fryer.
Indian cuisine
If you are interested in learning about Indian cooking, there several South Asian markets in the area, but two stand out:
Himalayas General Store
359 Elm St. in Manchester (next to Van Otis Chocolates, across the street from the downtown Market Basket), 222-2366. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This is a small family-owned store specializing in Indian and Nepalese staples — lentils, grains, flours, cooking oils, and spices. The staff is extremely friendly and will cheerfully answer any questions you have, or make suggestions about what to cook.
Patel Brothers
Willow Springs Plaza, 292 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua (next to the Home Depot, near the mall), 888-8009. Open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This is an Indian supermarket, easily as big as any supermarket you care to name. Patel Brothers carries an almost unimaginable variety of staples, fresh produce and Indian baked goods made in-house. Because India has dozens of languages and hundreds of cultures, even Indian shoppers are frequently surprised by unfamiliar foods. This is where most South Asian families in the area do their weekly or monthly shopping.
“This sounds intimidating. Can you suggest something to help me figure out Indian cooking?” you ask.
There really isn’t one type of Indian cooking. The food in most American Indian restaurants is dishes from one area of the country, but there are many other cooking traditions. Here are two cookbooks that are good starting places: 660 Curries (Kindle Edition) by Raghavan Iyer (Workman Publishing Company, 832 pages) and Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan (Periplus Editions, 176 pages).
I judge a cookbook by how beaten up it is. If it has stains, notes in the margins, dog-eared pages and a broken binding, I find that a very good sign — it means that a cook has really used it. That’s what my copy of 660 Curries looks like. 660 Curries is currently out of print in hardcover or paperback, so your best bet is to buy it used, or as an eBook.
The phrase “curry” can be deceiving. For someone who doesn’t eat much Indian food, it means the smell and taste of dry curry powder from the spice section of a supermarket. When it’s used to describe actual South Asian food, it means a huge variety of dishes, usually with the consistency of a stew, but almost never tasting like commercial curry powder. The recipes are solid, and varied enough that almost any cook will be able to find a dish they love.
Uthappams with Coconut Chutney. Photo by John Fladd.
There are dozens of different Indian cuisines, but they break down into two main categories — Northern and Southern dishes. The vast majority of Indian restaurants in the U.S. serve Northern Indian foods. Dakshin is a collection of Southern recipes. The dishes are solid, and this book is worth buying for the photographs alone.
You ask: “What should I buy?”
Fresh curry leaves. These are not what curry powder is made of; they are leaves that are often used to make a curry. Smell them — take a deep whiff — and your eyes will open very wide.
“What should I cook?”
Uthappams with Coconut Chutney (Southern Indian Rice Pancakes with Coconut Relish)
Coconut Chutney 1 cup (115 grams) grated unsweetened coconut ½ cup (85 grams) finely chopped onion 1 teaspoon minced ginger ½ serrano pepper, seeded and minced ¼ cup (60 ml) plain yogurt ½ teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup (120 ml) water – more if necessary to thin out the mixture ½ teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds 2 small dried chiles – arbol chiles are good for this. 8-10 curry leaves 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil Blitz the first eight ingredients in a food processor or blender to make a thick paste. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet, and have a lid ready. Add the dried chilies, curry leaves and mustard seeds to the hot oil, stir once, then cover the pan. In a few seconds the mustard seeds will pop against the lid like popcorn. After a few seconds, add the coconut paste to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook for 20-30 seconds, then remove from heat, and transfer to a serving bowl.
Uthappams Uthappams — delicious, savory rice pancakes — are an easy and painless introduction to South Indian cooking. Unfortunately, every uthappam recipe I have looked at involves very complicated instructions for making the batter. I was almost ready to give up and find another dish to make, when I was struck by a thought: “I wonder….” And yes, Patel Brothers does carry premade uthappam batter. 1 quart container pre-made uthappam batter 1 onion, finely chopped (about 200 grams) 1 tomato, finely chopped (about 150 grams) 1-2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped 1 small bunch cilantro (about 45 grams), finely chopped vegetable oil for shallow frying Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Use a little more than you would for regular pancakes. Pour a ladleful of batter into the hot oil to make an 8-inch pancake. Sprinkle the other ingredients on top of the batter. Cook until it is crispy around the edges and some bubbles have made little holes in the top. Because this batter is so thick, you can carefully lift up an edge with a spatula and look underneath to see if it is ready to flip yet or not. Flip, and cook for another minute or two. Remove to a warm plate, then make more, until you run out of batter. Eat with coconut chutney.
This is delicious and savory. The outside of each uthappam is crispy, with a toasted rice flavor, but it’s moist and chewy inside. One of the great things about Indian cooking is that it will constantly surprise you. In this case, the flavor is very nice, but it is the texture that will make you want to make this frequently.
Siberia Food Market
50 S. Willow St. in Manchester, 621-0017. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Выпей чайку – забудешь тоску. Have a cup of tea and you will forget longing. —Russian proverb
Afternoon tea. Photo by John Fladd.
Siberia, on South Willow Street in Manchester, carries Russian, Polish and Eastern European groceries, from Russian candies to frozen pierogis to many, many types of sausage. There is a deli case with a generous variety of meats and cheeses. The most interesting aisle displays several types of Russian teas, and the honey to sweeten them. Americans often think of Tea with a capital “T” as a Chinese or British staple, but there is a long, deep tea tradition in Eastern Europe. This is an excellent place to get everything you need for a proper Russian High Tea.
“What should I buy here?” you ask.
Tea, jam and cookies for a Russian High Tea.
“That sounds really good. What should I serve?”
Several sources describe the Russian spirit of hospitality, and mention sandwiches, cakes, blinis with caviar, and several types of flavored vodka as part of a traditional Russian Tea. On its website, the Russian Tea Room in New York City says: “Afternoon Tea is traditionally composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into ‘fingers’), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes.” — which sounds really good but also costs $95 a person, plus $30 for a glass of champagne.
I think most of us would be fine with tea, cookies, sweets and maybe toast with jam, so long as it was offered with an open heart. While optional, very cold vodka would make a very good impression.
“What if I’d like to cook something?” you ask.
The cookbook I always fall back on for Eastern European cooking in spite of its intimidatingly long title is Russian, German & Polish Food & Cooking: With Over 185 Traditional Recipes From The Baltic To The Black Sea, Shown Step By Step In Over 750 Clear And Tempting Photographs, by Lesley Chamberlain (Hermes House, 256 pages). While not exhaustive in any way, this is a good introduction to three styles of European cooking. The recipes go step by step and are easy to follow. Most include photos of one of the steps and of the final dish. Very few of them call for exotic ingredients, and — very gratifying to me, personally — they are listed in cups, ounces and grams.
Maddy’s African Market
121 Loudon Road, Unit 1, in Concord, 545-9478. Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
While most of us have thought about learning more about French or Chinese cooking, unless we have a personal connection with Africa it rarely occurs to us what a rich cooking tradition sub-Saharan Africa — particularly Western Africa — has. Maddy’s is small, but stuffed with ingredients for African cooking. The staff is very friendly and happy to answer questions, even ones like, “What is this and what do you do with it?” I’m glad I asked that particular question, because it turns out that the strips of tree bark that I was about to buy to use in a stew would have tasted terrible, but would have helped if I was running a fever.
You ask, “What should I buy?”
It might be easy to be intimidated by some of the less familiar foods at Maddy’s, but my recommendation is to buy a strip of jollof rice spice packets.
Jollof rice is a spicy rice dish that everyone in West Africa grows up eating. Somewhat as with Southern biscuits, each country, village or even household has its own take on it that they argue endlessly over. It can range from very spicy but not too hot to incandescent. This particular spice mix doesn’t pack any heat but helps provide a spice base to build from.
Plantain-Coconut Stew 1 medium Spanish onion, roughly chopped 2 Fresno peppers, seeded and finely chopped 1 cup coconut milk juice of 2 limes, about 3 ounces or 1/3 cup ½ cup vegetable oil 2 yellow plantains (about 1 lb.), peeled, quartered, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Plantains, which look like very large bananas, are next to the bananas in the produce section at most supermarkets. They are in the same family of bananas, but while bananas are sweet, plantains are starchy. They are very much like tropical potatoes. Do not fear them. Small handful of cilantro, rinsed and chopped ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon kosher salt black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon Jollof Rice Spice (see above) Simmer the onion, peppers, coconut milk, and lime juice in a medium saucepan for ten minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, and shallow-fry the plantain pieces until they are golden brown on all sides, like home fries. Add the cooked plantains to the stew base, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.
Plantain-Coconut Stew. Photo by John Fladd.
This is a classic sweet-sour dish. The sweetness of the coconut milk is set off by the acidity of the lime juice. The Fresno peppers carry a little heat, but more flavor. The Jollof Rice Spice deepens the flavor and gives a gentle red color to the stew. In West Africa, you would probably eat this with fufu (steamed cassava paste) or ugali (cornmeal porridge). I would serve it with couscous and a cold beer.
“I think I could cook that! Where did you get the recipe?”
The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by Marcus Samuelsson (Harvest Publishers, 368 pages). Many cookbooks written by celebrity chefs don’t work well for home cooks. Used to working behind the line in restaurants, the chefs don’t always think about what ingredients and equipment are available to the rest of us. Samuelsson has written a very thoughtful book that describes the food traditions of different regions of Africa and gives the dishes some context. He is aware of which ingredients most Americans can easily get their hands on, and has adapted the recipes to make them more accessible to people who haven’t grown up eating these dishes. It is beautifully illustrated; it’s as much a coffee table book as a cookbook.
If you aren’t and have never been a runner, or if you are but haven’t laced up your sneakers to go for a casual jog in a couple years, the thought of running a few blocks can be intimidating — never mind signing up for a 5K.
Courtesy of John McGarry, President of the Greater Derry Track Club.
So how do you learn to love something that seems easier to dread? According to John McGarry, president of the Greater Derry Track Club (GDTC), the secret to enjoying running isn’t a fancy new pair of running shoes or a watch that tracks your every step, but simply overcoming the fear of running itself.
“It’s similar to trying just about anything new. It’s just that fear, and it’s overcoming the fear of feeling or knowing or wondering if that’s something that you can do. Getting out of the door and just taking that first step is probably the hardest obstacle that someone can overcome by just having that commitment of “I’m going to go outside and I’m going to start,” he said.
“Running can be hard!” said Jeanine Sylvester, founder and senior manager of Runner’s Alley, which bills itself as “New Hampshire’s oldest running specialty store.”
“If you are not physically fit and start running you may find it very difficult. Beginner runners must be able to move past being uncomfortable and within a few weeks will find that they slowly begin to feel more and more comfortable. With the proper gear and training plan just about anyone will feel less intimidated about running within four to eight weeks,” Sylvester said.
One of the most common mistakes people make when first attempting to run is taking on too much at once. McGarry noted how training to run does not necessarily mean you have to start with running right off the bat.
“They can start by walking, so they can walk for 15 minutes three times a week and they can do that for a couple of weeks. Then during one of those 15-minute walks, maybe they just start jogging very slowly and seeing how that feels, doing that for a minute or two. Then the next week jogging a little, then a little further and just slowly but surely getting their body adjusted to that,” McGarry said.
Shoes
One of the best parts of running, according to both McGarry and Sylvester, is the minimal equipment required. The advice from both: Before you begin training, get yourself a good pair of running shoes.
“It doesn’t have to be an expensive pair, but a good pair is the best way for somebody not to get injured,” McGarry said.
Sylvester explained the reasoning behind the need for a good pair of shoes: “Running shoes, socks, and possibly inserts are your most important gear. Your foundation starts from the ground up. Investing in your feet and body at the beginning of your training will serve you well and ensure you succeed in achieving your training goals by avoiding unnecessary injury.”
Goals!
ust like with any other practice or hobby, one of the best ways to motivate yourself and get over the initial obstacle of starting is to work toward a goal. Most commonly, a good goal for beginner runners according to McGarry is a 5K race.
The K in 5K stands for kilometers. Translating to about 3.1 miles, 5Ks are community-oriented races usually held as fundraisers, events and holiday celebrations or for good causes. Although the concept of 5Ks may seem intimidating to non-runners, the atmosphere of most is very welcoming and non-judgmental, the experts say.
According to Sylvester, the 5K is ideal for beginner runners.
“The 5K distance is appealing because it’s an achievable distance for almost anyone in a relatively short amount of time,” she said.
One of the most widely known training programs in the world, Couch to 5K, espouses this very philosophy. McGarry, who spearheads the GDTC’s Couch to 5K program, explains the philosophy behind the program: “The reason why it has so much success is because it’s a methodical training program…. It’s an eight-week program that prepares people that are ‘couch potatoes’’ and helps them take one day at a time to help them train for a 5K.”
A gradual combination of walking with minor running sprinkled in eventually shifts to add more running, until trainers are able to complete 3.1 miles of running without stopping.
Couch to 5K training is available in almost every medium imaginable: books, podcasts, apps, online training, you name it. To McGarry, the most valuable part of the GDTC’s group program lies in its social structure.
“I’ve been directing for the last 10 years, I’ve talked to literally hundreds of people about what made them join and how their experience has been…. Generally what I found was that people really love the commitment level because we meet a couple of days a week and we’re following a set program. We take attendance to have people check in. So people know that we know that they’re coming and we know that they’re there. So just the commitment that somebody makes by joining a program like this is a great motivator,” McGarry said.
If a busy schedule doesn’t allow for the addition of another club or activity, or if you prefer the solidarity and strength that comes with running on your own, another way to bring commitment to your 5K training goal is to pick a run being held in honor of a good cause that is meaningful to you.
Sylvester noted that it is easy to find 5K races all year round.
“You can find out what 5Ks are in your community by going to your local running store, looking at websites of your local running stores, or Googling 5K road races near me. You should always consider where the money goes from a road race before you sign up. If making a difference in your community is important to you, try to choose road races that are put on by volunteers and give 100 percent of the race proceeds to a local nonprofit,” Sylvester said.
If you’re still on the fence about beginning your running journey, McGarry and Sylvester both agree on the almost indescribable benefits that come with consistently incorporating the exercise into your routine.
Couch to 5K 2018. Courtesy of John McGarry, President of the Greater Derry Track Club.
“You can do it anywhere and at any time of day, you can go whatever pace and distance you’d like, other than having the right shoes there is not a lot of equipment needed, there are no dues or membership fees, results are seen and felt in a rather short amount of time, you can run on roads, trails, beaches or anywhere your heart desires [and] enjoy the beautiful surroundings around you. In my opinion, the mental and physical health benefits of running and walking are so numerous everyone should include it in their overall fitness regime,” Sylvester said.
Upcoming Races
Know of a K — 5, 10 or otherwise — not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
Total Image Running Races
See totalimagerunning.com for more on these races and to register.
BACtober FEST 5K In Hanson Park in Bow, the 3rd annual BACtober FEST, supporting the youth sports Bow Athletic Club, will take place on Saturday, Sept 30, at 4 p.m. at Gosling Field. Following the race will be a block party at Gergler Field featuring barbecue, cornhole, music and a beer tent. Adult registration costs $40 and youth (12 and under) registration costs $30. A Gosling Gallop for kids will take place at Gosling Field at 3:30 p.m.; registration costs $10 for children 8 and under and includes access to the post-race event and a youth shirt.
Footrace for the Fallen starts in the rear of the Manchester Police Department (405 Valley St., Manchester) on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 10:15 a.m. This 5K honors fallen police officers, and proceeds benefit the Manchester Police Athletic League to help provide free programming that connects police officers and kids ages 5 to 18. Same-day registration begins in the Manchester Police Department parking lot at 8:30 am. Advance adult registration costs $35 and youth (17 and under) registration costs $25. Day-of adult registration costs $40 and youth (17 and under) registration costs $30. The after-party begins immediately following the race inside Gill Stadium and will feature food, beverages (21+ for alcohol) and awards.
Howl-O-Ween 5K takes place on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. The Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire hosts this dog-friendly race, where participants are encouraged to run or walk and come dressed in costume. Adult registration costs $40, young adult (age 13 to 17) registration costs $30, and child (12 and under) registration costs $20. Dog registration is available for $5; paw-ticipants are given a bib and show up in the end results. Register online or at the venue starting at 8 a.m. on race day.
Round the Res’ Tower Hill 5-Miler takes place on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. at Tower Hill Pond in Auburn. Adult registration is $35, youth registration (13 and under) $30. Fundraising efforts will benefit the Manchester Water Works Youth Education program.
The 15th annual BAC and Bow Police Department Turkey Trot will be held on Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving), at 8 a.m. at 55 Falcon Way, Bow. Advance registration is $35 for adults, $25 for youth, $15 for kids. Same-day registration increases price by $5.
Millennium Running
These races are run by Millennium Running. See millenniumrunning.com to register and for more information.
Happy Hour Hustle: The last remaining race in the five-part series will take place on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. at McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Ct., Manchester). Registration costs $25 per person. Race-day bib pick-up will be available from 5 to 5:45 p.m. at the registration tent. A post-race hang will be held at The Hill Bar and Grille at the ski area. All proceeds from the race will benefit the NH Campaign for Legal Services.
JP Pest Services Oktoberfest 5K will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. at the Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester). Registration prices as follows: ages 21+ $35 in advance, $40 on race day (if available); individual youth (age 12 to 20) $25 in advance, $30 on race day; individual kids (11 and younger) $10 in advance or on race day. Same-day registration will be available at the Millennium Running Retail Store (138 Bedford Center Road, Bedford) on Friday, Oct. 6.
The Delta Dental New England Half Marathon will take place Sunday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. with a downhill course starting at Gould Hill Farm. Advance registration costs $105. See millenniumrunning.com/ne-half.
The Catholic Medical Center Manchester City Marathon will take place Sunday, Nov. 12, and feature marathon (26.1 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), relay and 5K options, most with an 8:50 a.m. start time and a start/finish line in front of Veterans Park in Manchester. See millenniumrunning.com/marathon for details on relay teams and registration, which costs $30 (for 5K) through $200 (four-person marathon relay).
The Thanksgiving 5K sponsored by Dartmouth Health and the Fisher Cats will take place on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 9 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Prior to the race there will be a Lil’ Turkey Trot held at 8:30 a.m. Early bib pickup will be available at the Millennium Running Retail Store (138 Bedford Center Road, Bedford) the day prior to Thanksgiving (Wednesday) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pickup for friends/family members is permitted. Race-day registration and bib pickup will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at the stadium. Registration costs $30 for adults (ages 12+) until Nov. 10 at 11:59 p.m., $35 from Nov. 11 to Nov. 23, $40 on race day (based on availability). All proceeds will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank.
BASC Santa Claus Shuffle happens on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. on Elm Street in Manchester before the Manchester City Christmas Parade. The 3-mile out-and-back course starts and ends at Veterans Park and includes four “aid stations” featuring the four favorite Santa food groups: chocolate, cookies and milk, candy and maple, according to the website. The first 1,400 participants to sign up get a Santa suit to run in. Stonyfield Organic Lil’ Elf Runs (of 100 yards) start at 2:30 p.m. Registration costs $30 for adults (12+) in advance, $35 on race day; $25 for youth (12 to 20), $30 on race day, and $10 for kids (11 and younger) in advance or on race day.
Yule Light Up the Night on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 4:30 p.m. at the New Hampshire Speedway in Loudon. Run the 2.1-mile course through the “Gift of Lights” display. Registration costs $25 for adults (12+) in advance, $30 on the day; $15 for youth (4 to 11) in advance, $20 on the day, and $10 for kids (3 and younger).
Apple Therapy and Derry Sports & Rehab Millenium Mile happens on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, at 2 p.m. Start off 2024 with a 1-mile downhill race. The first 1,250 participants will receive winter hats. Registration costs $20 for adults (12+) in advance, $25 on race day; $10 for youth (11 and under), $15 on race day.
More races
The Fifth Annual RSB Lakes Region for Parkinson’s 5K will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. at The DownTown Gym (171 Fair St., Laconia). Regular registration (through Sept. 21) will be $25 for adults, $20 for kids 14 and under. Race-day registration is $30 for adults and $25 for youth. The race will raise funds for Rock Steady Boxing Lakes Region; find them on Facebook to register.
The North Conway Half Marathon and 5K will be held on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m. at Schouler Park (White Mountain Highway, North Conway). Registration is $75 for the half marathon portion, $30 for the 5K portion. Net proceeds benefit the Gretchen B. Hatch Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports college-bound students from the Mount Washington Valley. See events.elitefeats.com/23nconway.
The 10th Annual Seacoast Cancer 5K will take place on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m. at the Mass General Cancer Center at the Wentworth-Douglass Portsmouth Outpatient Center (121 Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Pease Tradeport, Portsmouth). Registration is $35. The funds raised from this event underwrite the Supportive and Wellness Services at the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. See seacoastcancer5k.org.
The 18th Annual Kelly Mann Memorial 5K Run & 3K Walk will take place on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. at Mine Falls/Nashua High School South (36 Riverside St., Nashua). Day-of registration and sign-in opens at 7:30 a.m. The cost to register for adults is $25 and for youth (12 and under) is $12.50. Proceeds will directly supports Bridges in their mission to eliminate domestic and sexual violence from our communities and provide a safe and empowering environment for the survivors who access their services daily. See bridgesnh.org/kellymannmemorialrace.
The 5K for Shea, presented by the Shea Thomas Patno Memorial Fund, will take place Sunday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. Registration costs $30 for adults, $25 for students (children under 10 can participate for free). See runreg.com/5k-for-shea.
15th Annual Apple Harvest Day 5K Road Race will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8:30 a.m. at 25 St. Thomas St. in Dover. Registration is $30 for adults age 21 and over, $20 for runners under the age of 21. After the race stick around for some North County Apple Cider. See: www.dovernh.org/apple-harvest-day-5k-road-race.
Halloween Howl Hustle for Housing will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge (53 Iron Works Road, Concord). Registration is $30 in advance, $35 day-of. Proceeds will benefit Fellowship Housing Opportunities, a local nonprofit organization providing decent, safe, affordable housing for community members who live with mental illness. See fellowshiphousing.org.
The Hugs from Brett Trail Race is a “10kish” race to be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. See runreg.com/hugs-from-brett-trail-race.
Pope Memorial SPCA Frosty Paws 5K Fun Run will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. at their Concord location (94 Silk Farm Road, Concord). Dogs are welcome but must have a current rabies vaccination and be on leash at all times. Registration costs $35 for adults and $25 for ages 14 to 17. Children under 14 are free. Proceeds benefit homeless pets and programs that prevent animal cruelty. See popememorialspca.org/frosty-paws-5k-run.
The 4-mile 25th annual Novemberfest Race for the Nashua Children’s Home will be Sunday, Nov. 19, at 11:33 a.m., starting near the Pine Street Extension entrance to Mine Falls Park in Nashua. Registration costs $25 plus fees. See gatecity.org.
The Rotary Club of Merrimack’s 5K Turkey Trot starts at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving). See merrimackrotary.org.
The Dover Turkey Trot starts at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23, and is described as a 5K race for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, according to doverturkeytrot.com. The start and finish is at Garrison Elementary School in Dover (to raise money for the Garrison School PTA) and registration costs $25 in advance, $30 on the day for adults; $12 in advance, $15 on the day for fourth grade and under.
The Hampstead Turkey Trot, a 5K, starts Thursday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m. at St. Anne’s Church (26 Emerson Ave. in Hampstead). Register by Nov. 1 to receive a T-shirt. Registration costs $23 for adults (18 to 61), $18 for seniors (62+) and for children (5 to 17). Registration on race day (from 7 to 8:10 a.m.) costs $28 for adults, $23 for seniors and children. See sites.google.com/site/recreationhampstead.
The 16th annual Gilford Youth Center Turkey Trot 5K Race and Family Walk will start at 9 a.m. (8:45 a.m. for walkers) on Thursday, Nov. 23, at the youth center (19 Potter Hill Road in Gilford). Registration costs $26 per person or $90 for a family of up to five people. See gilfordyouthcenter.com.
The 17th annual Lake Sunapee Turkey Trot, a 5K where costumes are encouraged and proceeds go to the recreation department, starts at 9 a.m. at the Sunapee Harbor gazebo with a 1K Chicken Run for kids starting at 8:15 a.m. and going down Lake Avenue. Registration costs $30 for ages 13 to 64, $15 for ages 65 and up and $10 for ages 12 and under (kids 12 and under running in the Chicken Run are free). See sunapeeturkeytrot.com. The event and a pre-registration event from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, will feature a pie sale; pies are $10 each.
The 2023 Jingle Bell Run, a 5K where festive costume dress is encouraged, will be held Sunday, Dec. 3, at 8:30 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Registration costs $40 until Oct. 31, $45 after Nov. 1, $50 on the day for timed runners; $35 until Oct. 31, $40 after Nov. 1 and $45 on the day for untimed runners (both include shirt and jingle bells), according to events.arthritis.org.
Featured photo: Courtesy of John McGarry, President of the Greater Derry Track Club.
44 facts about one of Manchester’s favorite food festivals and the community that keeps it going
In honor of the 44th Glendi, the celebration of Greek food and culture and the Greek community at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester, here are 44 facts about the annual party known as Glendi.
1 According to George Skaperdas, the president of St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester, “glendi” means “celebration.” “It’s a party,” he said. “It celebrates our heritage, our culture, wanting everyone around us to enjoy what we do. It celebrates friendship.”
2 For the past 44 years, the church has been hosting Glendi to do just that, while simultaneously raising money for the church. See stgeorgenh.org/activities/glendi for more on the festival and the church.
The church’s Community Center. Courtesy photo.
3 Originally a harvest bazaar among the members of the church, Glendi has become a three-day cultural event for the whole city of Manchester.
4 This year the festival will be on Friday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
5 Skaperdas says tens of thousands of people attend each year, fluctuating depending on the weather, with a clearer forecast attracting more people. You can frequently run into candidates for office (city, state and sometimes presidential hopefuls) as well as your gyro-loving neighbors.
6 There will be parking at McDonough Elementary School in Derryfield Park, 550 Lowell St., in Manchester, and shuttles running from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.
7 Festivities include music, raffles, face painting, an Aegean Market and, of course, food.
8 Some 50 to 100 raffle items are up for the winning, such as puzzles, bikes, games, a TV and gift cards.
9 There will also be multiple church tours staggered throughout Friday and Saturday afternoon.
10 The roots of the church can be traced back nearly 120 years, to when the Hellenic community of St. George was established by Greek immigrants in 1905.
11 Before the construction of the cathedral at 650 Hanover St., which began in the mid 1960s, the church was on Pine Street, at a location it eventually outgrew.
12 Like most things, Glendi looked a little different in 2020. Having to cancel due to the pandemic, the church got creative and decided to host “Taste of Glendi,” a drive-thru-style event to serve Greek cuisine.
13 Upon returning in 2021, they came prepared with hand sanitizing stations and thousands of masks and asked people to practice safety precautions. “[We were] holding onto [our] seats for the next two or three weeks to make sure that people didn’t get sick,” Skaperdas said. “There was no spike so we were fortunate. We provided a lot of fun for the people who attended.”
14 Food will be available from the moment the festival opens at 11 a.m. each morning. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
15 Food in the dinner line will be served cafeteria-style. You can choose what you would like in an à la carte manner as you go down the line, or choose from dinners on the menu board.
Spanakopita assembly. Courtesy photo.
16 Dinner menu options include seasoned and marinated lamb barbecued over charcoal, baked lamb shanks roasted in Pappou’s secret tomato sauce (pappou means grandfather in Greek), Greek meatballs covered in Yiayia’s secret tomato sauce (yiayia means grandmother), stuffed peppers filled with rice and meat topped with tomato sauce, dolmathes, a chicken dinner marinated and baked with Grecian herbs, and pastichio. All are served with rice pilaf, a roll and Greek salad.
17 While the full recipe is secret, Skaperdas says Pappou’s secret tomato sauce includes spices, drippings from the lamb as it baked, onions and garlic.
18 According to George Copadis, a long-time organizer of Glendi, 3,500 dolmathes, which are grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice, will be made for the event. Each leaf must be hand washed, cut and rolled before being baked and covered in lemon sauce, Skaperdas said.
19 In addition to the dolmathes, Copadis says a total of 2,000 pounds of lamb kabobs, 2,500 pounds of lamb shanks, 4,000 meatballs, 2,000 pounds of chicken and 6,000 salads will be made for the festival.
20 Of all the meals served, Skaperdas says the lamb shanks are the most popular, with lamb kebabs also being up there. “The stuffed peppers are always wonderful,” he said. “This year they tell me they’re even better than before, so I can’t wait to try them.”
21 “The most popular dessert by far are the loukoumades,” Skaperdas said. These are fried dough balls soaked in honey or syrup coated with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
22 Second to the loukoumades is baklava, which are layers of filo dough filled with honey and walnuts.
23 Other sweet treats for sale include kataifi, shredded filo with syrup and walnuts, baklava nut rolls and pecan blossoms, spanakopita, which is layers of filo dough with a spinach and cheese filling, as well as a variety of cookies. These items are usually found at a separate table inside the church’s hall — in case you want to grab some desserts before dinner.
24 Added to this year’s dessert menu are vegan cookie options, like orange ring cookies, almond and lemon round cookies and cinnamon koulourakia.
25 Running the kitchen is Seth Theokas, who has been volunteering in the kitchen for about 15 years. His involvement with the church began in 2008 when he and his wife wanted to baptize their first son. It was then suggested that he volunteer for Glendi.
26 While it is fast-paced with a sense of urgency, he says the atmosphere in the kitchen is full of camaraderie. “It’s such a great group of people, it’s for a good cause and everybody has fun,” Theokas said.
27 Theokas’s personal favorite on the menu is pastichio, which he says is like a Greek lasagna with seasoned meat, noodles and bechamel. He also loves the stuffed peppers.
28 According to Skaperdas, about 60 to 70 volunteers are usually involved in the kitchen.
29 It truly takes a community to run the festival. While many of the volunteers are members of the church, Theokas says a great deal of them aren’t. “It takes so many people including members and their families and friends,” he said. “I’ve had friends in the kitchen who have never been to the church but they were willing to give their time to help in the kitchen and now they’re kind of part of that family.”
Gov. Chris Sununu helping out at a previous Glendi. Courtesy photo.
30 Copadis says that 7,000 pieces of baklava, 6,000 koulourakia butter cookies, and 1,500 kataifi will be made for the festival.
31 To make all these desserts requires hundreds of dozens of eggs and pounds of sugar, honey and syrup, according to Skaperdas.
32 Glendi offers a full Greek experience beyond food alone. At the Aegean Market you can find jewelry, ceramics, handcrafted items, clothing and other products imported directly from Greece.
33 The market was previously run by parishioners of the church who would buy products from businesses across the country as well as items made by Greek artists. They eventually started buying products from Taste and Art of Greece a few years ago after Elaine Setas, a parishioner of the church, started the business with her friend, Strati Vougiouka. This year, Taste and Art of Greece will solely run the market.
34 Setas and Vougiouka created Taste and Art of Greece five years ago to help friends in Greece sell their products in America. “Originally it was just a hobby for me … but it [was] so well-received that this is all I do full-time now,” Setas said.
35 Vougioukas lives in Greece and works with the artists and helps ship out the products, while Setas is on the front lines and handles sales and marketing.
36 With Setas being in charge of the market this year, there will be a heavier focus on Grecian goods. “There will be a little bit of a different setup and a lot more things by artists in Greece,” she said. “There will still be some of the same things that they’ve come to expect but with a little bit extra because we’re solely focused on importing things that are made in Greece.”
37 Included in Setas’ booth will be Tina Alexopoulos, a representative of the clothing brand LuLaRoe. She will be selling LuLaRoe clothing, like leggings, T-shirts and other comfortable wear, according to Setas.
38 Setas says what separates Taste and Art of Greece from other shops is that they take the time to tell the story behind the product and include a card that explains the meaning of the product and tells about the artist who made it.
39 A ceramic pomegranate from the Aegean Market will make the perfect housewarming gift, as pomegranates symbolize luck and prosperity in the home. Setas says they are also popular Christmas gifts in Greece, as it’s tradition to smash a pomegranate at midnight on New Year’s in front of your door. The more seeds that scatter, the more luck you will have.
40 Ceramic boats will likely be found at the market too and also make great Christmas gifts and represent “charting a new path for the new year and sailing into a new life,” Setas said.
41 Musician Chuck Koustas will be returning to Glendi this year, this time with Opa Entertainment.
42 Koustas was part of one of the first groups to perform at Glendi 42 years ago.
43 They will be performing both Friday and Saturday night from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday night will feature the traditional instrument the bouzouki, and Saturday night’s performance will include the clarinet.
44 Koustas will be playing both traditional and modern Greek music, like music of traditional Greek dances such as syrtos and nisiotika, as well as themes from Greek movies such as the 1960 film Never on Sunday.
A season of arts, theater, music, festivals, and more
It’s time to trade in the flip-flops of summer for the fancier footwear of fall — maybe some ruby slippers or shiny boots? The Palace Theatre in Manchester kicks off its fall season of theatrical productions with The Wizard of Oz (starting this week) and Kinky Boots (hitting the stage in October). Or maybe your idea of fall sparkle is the lights of the midway at the fairs that fill your fall with rides, games and fried dough. Or maybe you’re all about the musical acts headed to the spotlight on area stages this season. Whatever adds razzle dazzle to your fall, our annual fall guide has the happenings to make this season shine.
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
•The Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair takes place Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, at 17 Hilldale Lane in New Boston. The fair is open Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. See hcafair.org and check out our story about the fair in this week’s issue.
The 11th annual New Hampshire Monarch Festival continues this weekend at Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road in Canterbury; petalsinthepines.com, 783-0220) Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. Online reservations for two-hour time slots are required; the cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for kids and infants (non-walkers) get in free. Time slots for this weekend are 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday; 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Learn about ways to help migrating monarchs and other pollinators at the festival, which will feature kids’ activities and games, monarch tagging, book readings, labyrinths, ask a master gardener, free milkweed seeds and 2 miles of woodland trails and garden paths, according to a press release. Butterfly wings and costumes are encouraged, the release said.
Hollis Old Home Days take place Friday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept. 9, at Nichols Field and Lawrence Barn on Depot Road in Hollis. Events take place Friday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find rides, exhibits including heritage demonstrators (such as spinning, fly tying, rug hooking, small handiwork and more), an artisan market, entertainment, a pet pageant (Saturday, Sept. 9, 2 p.m.), a town parade (Saturday, Sept. 9, 10:30 a.m.), food trucks both days and fireworks Saturday night, according to the event’s Facebook page. See hollisoldhomedays.org.
$20 will get you five tickets — a “quack pack” as the website explains — for the 30th Annual Duck Race on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. as part of 2023 Auburn Day, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Auburn Village on Hooksett Road. Winning ducks get their ticket holders prizes — from $1,000 for first prize through $25 for 6th through 10th place. The day will also feature an apple pie contest, a cookie baking contest for kids, a small petting zoo, music by Ray Zerkle, a climbing wall, food trucks, children’s games and more. See auburnhistorical.org.
Friends of Benson Park’s third annual Family Fun Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Benson Park (19 Kimball Hill Road in Hudson; friendsofbensonpark.org). The day will include music, games, raffles, free Balloons by Michelle, a coloring booth, a wild animals exhibition, magic and more, according to the website. Ice cream, snacks and soft drinks will be available for purchase.
DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way in Lee; demeritthillfarm.com, 868-2111) will hold a September Craft Fair Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other special events on the schedule include Family Weekend at the Farm on Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring face painting, children’s games and photo opportunities with the tractors, according to the website. On Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. its Harvest Weekend with pumpkin painting, bobbing for apples, guessing games and food samples. The farm’s Pumpkinfest is Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with pick your own pumpkins, pumpkin rock painting and face painting, the website said. Saturday, Sept. 30, from noon to 4 p.m. will also be Brewfest in the Orchard, with brews from more than 30 area breweries and cideries, as well as seasonal eats and live music from Matty and The Penders; tickets cost $65 for noon VIP admission, $45 for 1 p.m. regular admission and $20 for designated drivers and can be purchased via the website.
The Nashua Multicultural Festival will take place Sunday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library plaza (2 Court St.). The event will feature music, dance, food and more from the cultures of Nashua. See nashuanh.gov/1237/Nashua-Multicultural-Festival.
Concorso Italian, the free Italian car show at the Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscano in Salem; tuscanvillagesalem.com), will run Sunday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature live music, street food, entertainment and more than 150 exotic cars.
The Manchester City-Wide Art Festival returns for its second year and runs Monday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 17. See the Arts section for a rundown of the events, culminating in an Arts & Crafts Fair on Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17, on the Opera Block of Hanover Street. See also palacetheatre.org/manchester-citywide-arts-festival.
The Granite State Fair held at 72 Lafayette Road in Rochester will run Thursday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 17, and Thursday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Sept. 24. The fair and midway open at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and noon Saturdays and Sundays. Find a ride list with height requirements at granitestatefair.com along with a schedule of events such as the circus (general seating is included in fair admission but a box costs $15; two or three shows daily), the demolition derby (Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.; general seating tickets cost $12), the bus derby (Saturdays at 7 p.m.; general seating tickets cost $12), ATV Drag Race (Sept. 17 at 3 p.m.; general seating costs $8) and more. The fair also features a cornhole tournament on Fridays, livestock exhibits, fair food and more. One-day tickets cost $10 per person through Sept. 13; $12 per person Sept. 14 and beyond (children 8 and under get in free).
Granite State Comicon takes place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, at DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown (700 Elm St. in Manchester). Events run Friday evening (the arts & crafts with Kids Con NE and tabletop gaming, for example, run from 4 to 7:30 p.m.; the Queen City Improv performs from 7 to 8 p.m. and a kickoff party runs from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m — GraniteMania, with a wrestling costume contest and wrestling themed cocktails and games) and then all day Saturday and Sunday (with a Stranger Things-themed Upside Down afterparty on Saturday), according to granitecon.com, where you can get a rundown off all the events, participating artists and vendors, and rules for the costume contests. You can also purchase tickets for a specific day or all three days as well as for the afterparties.
The NH Highland Games & Festival celebrates Scottish music, sports and culture and runs from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln. An adult pass to all three days costs $99 (children ages 6 to 14 cost $10; ages 5 and under get in free); single-day adult tickets cost $35 to $59 depending on the day. The event features several food and drink events — a beer tasting, a whiskey master class, a Cape Breton dinner, Scottish spirits and stories, a beer pairing dinner and more — each of which has its own tickets. Musical performances also have their own tickets including a concert with Albannach and Chili Pipers (Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m.), a tartan dinner and dance (Sept. 15 at 6 p.m.), Cape Breton music (Sept. 16 at 8:30 p.m.) and a harp concert (Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.). The festival proper will also feature music, a clan village, Scottish living history, classes in aspects of Scottish culture, kids’ programs, Scottish-themed vendors, Scottish and fair food and more. See nhscot.org to purchase tickets and for details.
Pelham Old Home Day is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3 Main St. in Pelham. The day will include music, fitness demonstrations, dance and martial arts demonstrations, food trucks (meat pies, poutine, hot dogs, fries, chicken fingers, ice cream, beverages and desserts), a pancake and sausage breakfast at the Church Fellowship Hall (7 to 9 a.m.), crafts and goods vendors, a white elephant yard sale, a 5K road race (10 a.m.), kids’ games, touch a truck, a cornhole tournament (check in at 11 a.m.; noon start), a grand parade (2:30 p.m.), Windham Community Band (3:15 p.m.), a penny sale raffle (4 p.m.) and more, according to pelhamoldhomeday.org.
Hooksett Old Home Day is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with fireworks scheduled after dusk. The day starts with a parade at 10 a.m. from Lamberts Park to Donati Park (behind Town Hall, 35 Main St. in Hooksett). The day will feature live music, demonstrations, vendors, eating contests and kids’ activities. See hooksettoldhomeday.org.
Derryfest will run Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day features a vendor fair, performances and more. The festival is preceded by the Greater Derry’s Got Talent show on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. in MacGregor Park; admission is free but audience votes and concessions will be available for purchase (cash). See derryfest.org.
Aerospacefest is Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827). The day will feature performances (including Mr. Aaron at 11:30 a.m.), keynote speaker astronaut Jay Clark Buckey Jr. (at 1:30 p.m.), screenings of the planetarium show 3-2-1 Liftoff, rocket launches, exhibits, science-based activities, admission to the Discovery Center exhibit halls and Science Playground and more, according to the website. The event is free; food, beverages and ice cream will be for sale.
The Humane Society for Greater Nashua will hold its Wags to Whiskers Festival Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack. See the story in this week’s paper or go to hsfn.org/wags-whiskers-festival.
The Hampton Falls Craft Festival will run Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Town Common (Route 1 in Hampton Falls). Admission to this outdoor event is free; the event will feature live music, arts and crafts. See castleberryfairs.com.
The East Kingston Craft Fair will be held Sunday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Kingston Public Library (47 Maplevale Road in East Kingston) and feature crafts, baked goods, artisan vendors and seasonal produce, according to the event’s EventBrite page.
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold Toddlerfest, its annual celebration of the littlest museum-goers featuring special activities and events, Tuesday, Sept. 19, through Saturday, Sept. 30, including a reading of Eric Carle’s A Very Hungry Caterpillar with a visit from the Caterpillar (Sept. 29 and Sept. 30), a celebration of the museum’s 40th birthday on Sept. 23 and a Frozen dance party on Sept. 22.
See airplanes, fire trucks, helicopters, police vehicles and electric vehicles close up at Wings and Wheels on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nashua Airport (93 Perimeter Road in Nashua; nashuaairport.com). The event is free.
The Presentation of Mary Academy (182 Lowell Road in Hudson) will hold its Fall Fun Fest on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This fundraiser will feature inflatables, face painting, pumpkin painting, ax throwing, food trucks, a petting zoo, touch a truck, a bake sale, vendors and more. Find them on Facebook.
Portsmouth Fairy House Tours take place Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Portsmouth at the Strawbery Banke Museum, John Langdon House and Prescott Park. See more than 250 fairy houses and enjoy storytelling, face painting, crafts and games — wearing wings is encouraged, according to strawberybanke.org, where you can purchase tickets: $12 for adults in advance ($15 at the door); $8 in advance for seniors ($10 at the door); $5 in advance for ages 3 to 12 ($7 at the door) and a family pack admission for four of $30 in advance ($25 at the door).
The Harvest Moon Festival at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) is Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will feature nature presentations, hands-on crafts, food for sale and more, according to the website.
The Concord Multicultural Festival will take place Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Keach Park in Concord and feature a parade of flags (at 10:30 a.m., featuring the country flags of Concord residents and their ancestors), music, dance and food vendors with cuisine from a variety of culinary traditions. The food can be purchased with vouchers, which will be available for purchase for $1 and $5 in cash, according to concordnhmulticulturalfestival.org. The event comes after “Welcoming Week,” which runs from Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 17.
The Deerfield Fair runs Thursday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 1, at the Deerfield Fair grounds (34 Stage Road in Deerfield). The fair is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $12 for adults (13 and older). Kids 12 and younger get in free. Discounted entry for seniors is available at the gate on Thursday and Friday; military is free with identification. Ride special wristband days are Friday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $30) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $35). Tickets for rides cost $1.50 each, $30 for a sheet of 25 and $40 for a sheet of 40. In addition to the rides, the fair features live music in multiple locations throughout each day; agricultural and animal shows, demonstrations and competitions; strolling entertainers; the Miss Deerfield Fair scholarship pageant, and concessions. See deerfieldfair.com.
The Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org, 472-4724) will hold a Fall Fair on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for a family admission. The day will feature artisan booths, food trucks, vendors, tractor rides, apples, pumpkin decorating, live music, kids’ activities, farm fun and more, according to the website.
Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) holds its Pumpkin Festival Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, as well as Saturday, Oct. 7, through Monday, Oct. 9. Admission costs $29 per person (23 months and younger get in free). Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, take a tractor or horse-drawn wagon ride, enjoy live music and more. The festival also features a cow milking contest (not involving a real cow), pumpkin art, costumed characters and a visit with the farm’s animals. Charmingfare’s Halloween events include Children’s Trick-or-Treat (the last three weekends in October) for families and younger kids and Harvest of Haunts (Oct. 14, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28 in the early evening) for families and ages 12 and under (but who are old enough for some spookiness).
The Autumn Festival on the Lake at Mills Falls Marketplace (Route 3 in Meredith) will take place Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See castleberryfairs.com.
The Milford Pumpkin Festival will take place Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, in and around the Milford Oval with live music at two stages; the Haunted Trail Friday and Saturday; a beer, wine and spirits tasting on Friday and Saturday; a historical walking tour Saturday and Sunday; face and pumpkin painting; scarecrow making; pumpkin carving; a pumpkin flash mob on Sunday, eats and more. See milfordpumpkinfestival.org.
The Warner Fall Foliage Festival will take place Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, at locations along Main Street in Warner. Events include a parade on Sunday, a Kids Fun Run on Sunday morning and an ice cream eating contest on Sunday at noon. See wfff.org.
The New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour takes place Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with happenings on five farms (Spinner Farm in Deering; Glory Be Farm in Bennington; Brimstone Hollow in Hancock; Ten Talents at La Bergerie Dumas in Greenfield, and Maple Lane Farm in Lyndeborough) including demonstrations of creating yarn, hay rides, music, live animals, food, an opportunity to meet fiber artists and fiber from a variety of animals for sale, according to woolartstournh.com.
BeadStock, an event celebrating the artistry of beading from around the world, will take place Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600).
Hillsborough Community Center will hold a Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grimes Field (23 Preston Road in Hillsborough). The event will feature food, vendors, games and other family fun; admission is free, according to hccnh.org/harvest-festival.
Windham Recreation Department will hold its annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 14, in Griffin Park. See windhamnh.gov for more on this family fun event.
The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Regatta in downtown Goffstown takes place Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, with a variety of events each day as well as vendor booths throughout the weekend. See goffstownmainstreet.org/pumpkin-regatta-2023.
The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival will take place Friday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 28, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Laconia and will include the Great New England Craft & Artisan Show, food trucks, vendors, a beer garden, a climbing wall and inflatables, street performers, jack-o’-lantern lighting both nights at 5:45 p.m., a zombie walk on Friday evening, a 5K and 10K on Saturday morning, a cornhole tournament on Saturday, a children’s costume parade at 1 p.m. on Saturday and more. See nhpumpkinfestival.com.
The New England Craft and Specialty Food Fair will take place Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fox Run Expo Center (the former Sears at Fox Run Mall). Admission costs $10 at the gate and can get you in for all three days; kids under 14 get in free. See castleberryfairs.com.
FOOD – FESTIVALS & EVENTS
The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival offers three days of eats from the sea as well as a variety of additional food and drink options Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. See seafoodfestivalnh.com and check out the story in this week’s Food section for more information.
Vintage & Vine fine wine and food festival, a fundraiser for the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, will take place Saturday, Sept. 9, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (VIP admission at 4 p.m.) on the museum’s grounds. Enjoy wines along with appetizers created by Seacoast area chefs, according to strawberybanke.org, where you can purchase general admission tickets for $95, $35 for designated drivers.
Glendi, the 44th annual celebration of Greek food and culture at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St. in Manchester; stgeorgenh.org/activities/glendi, 622-9113), will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. Admission is free but bring money for the dinner or gyros and coffee, pastries and other Greek eats. The festival is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The Egyptian Food Festival at St. Mary & Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (29 Chandler St. in Nashua; stmarycoptsnh.org) will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, offering Egyptian entrees, sides and desserts (past offerings have included shish kebab platters, kebba, beef shawarma, falafel, baklava and zalabya). The festival will be open Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
603 Brewery (42 Main St. in Londonderry; 603brewery.com) will hold a Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 16, from noon to 8 p.m. The day will feature food trucks, live music, a stein-holding contest, a cornhole tournament, ax throwing, 603 kitchen specials and more, according to a social media post by the Brewery.
The Great New Hampshire Pie Festival will take place at the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy. in Milton; nhfarmmuseum.org) on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $15 ($6 for kids 12 and under). Local bakeries will have pies for sampling while local pie makers will compete in a pie contest (kids 12 and under can enter a pie in their own category). The day will also feature a pie crust rolling demonstration, a raffle, a silent auction, tractor rides, visits with the animals, tours of historic buildings and live music from Lance Maclean and the Moose Mountain String band.
Northwoods Brewing Co. (1334 First NH Turnpike in Northwoods; northwoodsbrewingcompany.com, 942-6400) will hold its Fall Fest on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event,which will benefit the Blue Ocean Society, is “pup friendly” and features vendors at a crafts market, musicians, special releases and more.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St. in Concord; 225-2961, holytrinitynh.org/taste-of-greece-festival) will hold its Taste of Greece Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will feature homemade Greek dishes and pastries such as dolmades, moussaka, spanakopita and baklava.
The NH Wine & Cheese Fest will take place Saturday, Sept. 30, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at The Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack). Taste wines from a selection of more than 40 varietals, as well as artisan cheeses and regional chocolates, according to the event’s page on EventBrite. The day will also feature food trucks. Tickets to this 21+ event cost $60 general admission for a 1:30 p.m. admission time, $25 for designated drivers and $100 for VIP admission with a 12:30 p.m. start time and other perks.
The Red, White & Brew Craft Beer and Wine Festival will take place Saturday, Sept. 30, at FunSpot (579 Endicott St. N. in Laconia) with a general admission time of 1 to 4 p.m. and a VIP admission from noon to 1 p.m. The event benefits Veterans Count NH and will feature craft beer, wine, food, a car show, an auction, raffles, live music with The Bob Pratte Band and more. Tickets cost $40 for VIP, $25 for general admission, with discounts for veterans and designated drives.
To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St. in Manchester; tosharebrewing.com) will hold Oktoberfest 2023 on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 1 to 9 p.m. The day will feature live music, brats topped with kraut, sales of a To Share Drinking Boot, stein-holding competition and more.
Harvestfest Weekend at Black Bear Vineyard (289 New Road in Salisbury; blackbearvineyard.com, 648-2811) happens Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1. Learn about the process of wine making, buy eats from 603 BBQ food truck (noon to 5 p.m. daily), buy wine by the glass, check out New Hampshire-made products and listen to music. Tickets cost $18 for 21+.
Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road in Milford; mileawayrestaurantnh.com/oktoberfest, 673-3904) will hold its Oktoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. The event is cash only. In past years the celebration has included German foods, Oktoberfest beers, live music and more.
The 18th annual Taste of New Hampshire will take place Tuesday, Oct. 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Dr. in Concord). Tickets cost $40. The event features sweet and savory eats from area restaurants as well as live music and a silent auction — all to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire. See tasteofnh.com.
The 39th Annual Apple Harvest Day will take place in downtown Dover on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature more than 300 vendors including a variety of food vendors as well as live music and a 5K road that begins at 8:30 a.m.
The Smuttynose Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at Smuttynose Brewing (105 Towle Road in Hampton; smuttynose.com). Tickets cost $5 in advance, $10 on the day ($20 VIP with an 11 a.m. entry). Bring money for food and drinks; the day will also include live music, lawn games and more.
The 11th annual Powder Keg Beer & Chili Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 7, from noon to 4 p.m. at Swasey Parkway in downtown Exeter. The day features samples of chili from local restaurants and artisans for all ticket holders (ages 6 to 20 and designated driver tickets cost $10 in advance; $15 on the day) and craft beer and hard seltzer samples for 21+ (general admission at 1 p.m. tickets cost $45 in advance, $55 on the day; VIP tickets, which get you in at noon, cost $60 in advance, $70 on the day). The event will also feature food vendors, live music and a duck race. See powderkegbeerfest.com.
The New Hampshire Brewfest Craft Festival will take place at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 4 p.m., with a noon entrance for VIP ticket holders ($80) and a 1 p.m. entrance for general admission ($60). This 21+ event features beer samples, food vendors, live music and more. See nhbrewfest.com.
Mount Uncanoonuc Brew Fest will take place Saturday, Oct. 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 553 Mast Road in Goffstown. Tickets cost $30 in advance, $35 at the door. See workerbeefund.org/events for details.
The Chocolate Expo will be held Sunday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown (700 Elm St. in Manchester) and feature tastings of chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, cheeses, craft beverages and ready-to-eat foods as well as chef demos, magic, music and kids’ activities, according to thechocolateexpo.com. Tickets cost $40 for a VIP entry at 9:30 a.m. and other perks, $20 for adults (with the choice of a two-hour window) and $10 for kids (ages 5 to 12); entry after 4 p.m. is $10 for all ages.
The 10th annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits, part of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week, will be Thursday, Nov. 2, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown with general admission from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and early access and VIP openings at 5 p.m. Until Oct. 2, tickets cost $65 for general admission (after that $75), $80 for an earlier admission ($90) and $120 for VIP access. In addition to spirit tastings, the evening features 25 food and beverage vendors. See distillersshowcase.com.
Meals, tastings and classes
Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscano in Salem; tuscanvillagesalem.com) offers cooking classes on subjects such as different varieties of pasta, Italian cocktails, Italian desserts and more. Prices vary according to class.
The Londonderry Fish and Game Club (5 Lund St. in Litchfield) will hold its annual Pig Roast on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1:45 to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for one person, $35 for a couple or family of four (kids under 12 eat free). The spread will include barbecue sauce choices, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and hamburgers and hotdogs. Find the event on EventBrite.
LaBelle Winery in Derry (14 Route 111; 672-9898) will pair doughnuts and wine at a tasting on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $40 per person. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. at the LaBelle Winery in Amherst (345 Route 101; 672-9898) watch a demonstration of the cooking process for several Greek dishes, which you can sample paired with LaBelle wines. The cost is $20 per person. Enjoy a walk in the vineyard at Amherst and sample four LaBelle wines on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to noon; the cost is $30 per person. Both the Derry (Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m.) and Amherst (Thursday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m.) locations will hold a wine pairing class pairing LaBelle wines and Halloween candy; the cost is $40. Celebrate Oktoberfest with a class demonstrating Oktoberfest dishes paired with LaBelle wines on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m. at the Derry location. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. the Derry location will also hold a “Wine in the Dark” blindfolded wine tasting; the cost is $40. Call or go to labellewinery.com to register.
The Cozy Tea Cart (104 Route 13 in Brookline, thecozyteacart.com, 249-9111) will hold a Harvest Afternoon Tea on Sunday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. featuring seasonal foods such as apple cake with hot butter sauce, apple cinnamon scones and zucchini and maple bread as well as other tea-time treats, according to the website. The cost is $39.95 per person.
WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com, 204-5569) will hold a four-week course about the wines of South America starting Thursday, Oct. 5, and running Thursdays through Oct. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. each week. The focus will be wines of Argentina (Oct. 5), Chile (Oct. 12), Brazil (Oct. 19) and Uruguay (Oct. 26). Register online in advance.
The Milford Pumpkin Festival will feature a Beer, Wine and Spirits Tasting: “Raise One for Charity” on Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. both days. Tickets include a complimentary tasting glass. See milfordpumpkinfestival.org/bws-tent.
The Grazing Room at Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks in Henniker; colbyhillinn.com, 428-3281) will hold an “Into the Woods Wild Game & Foraging Dinner” on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. featuring a six-course dinner, a bourbon tasting and a tented dessert station. The cost is $190 per person.
The New England Regional Homebrew Competition will take place Saturday, Nov. 11, at the NH Food Bank (700 E. Industrial Park Drive in Manchester) with entry open to any amateur homebrewer age 21 or older. The entry fee for a beer to compete is $10, with a maximum of six entries per person. Registration is open through Oct. 2. See nerhbc.brewcomp.com.
ART – Events
The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline, andresinstitute.org) will kick off its annual International Sculpture Symposium, when artists create new sculptures to add to Andres’ trails, on Saturday, Sept. 16, with an opening ceremony at 1 p.m.; the public is invited to this free event. On Friday, Sept. 22, there will be a ticketed, catered barbecue with the symposium artists. The public can learn more about the artists at a Symposium Artist Showcase on Saturday, Sept. 23. A lobster boil dinner with the artists (also a ticketed event) will take place on Friday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m. A panel discussion with Symposium Alumni Artists is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7. The closing ceremony for the symposium is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. View the artists’ pieces as they work on them at the Studio, Monday through Friday between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4.
The Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, will be held on Saturdays, Sept. 16 and Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
The Canterbury Shaker Village Artisan Market will be held on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Village grounds (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury). The fair will feature handcrafted arts, music, family activities, food trucks and a mobile cocktail bar. Available items will include textiles, ceramics, wood, glass, jewelry and more. Admission costs $15 for adults and is free for children. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.
The Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) hosts its annual Fall Festival and Art Show on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24. The event features photography, prints, paintings and mixed media inspired by New England’s natural settings and wildlife.
See these shows now
Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) presents “Chef’s Kiss,” a multi-artist summer show, through Tuesday, Sept. 12, with gallery hours Monday through Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Concord-based painter Pamela R. Tarbell has her works exhibited in the show “Reflections,” which also features the works of sculptors Andy Moerlein and John Weidman, at the Jaffrey Civic Center (40 Main St. in Jaffrey; jaffreyciviccenter.com) through Saturday, Sept. 23. Visit pamtarbell.com.
“The Living Forest: Uyra” is on display at Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) now through Sunday, Sept. 24. The exhibition features a comprehensive selection of photographs and videos encompassing Uýra’s entire artistic trajectory, with work from many of their past performances and recent appearances. The Currier is open Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (with Art After Work, when admission is free, from 5 to 8 p.m.). Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children under age 13.
See the pastels of Peggy Van Valkenburgh in the exhibit “Go, See, Paint the World” at the Peterborough Town Library Community Art Gallery (2 Concord St. in Peterborough; peterboroughtownlibrary.org, 924-8040) now through Friday, Sept. 29. The library is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gallery 6 at The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover) presents “Ocean Awareness with Bow Seat’’ until Sept. 30, featuring art from students 13 to 18 years old, from all around the world. Visit childrens-museum.org/exhibits/exhibits/gallery-6.
The New Hampshire Art Association has a number of exhibitions on display in its NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through Sept. 24. “The Swimmers,” by artist Bonnie Lake, explores women’s inner lives and empowerment through water-inspired portrayals inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia. “Threads and Where They Lead,” by Michelle Peterson, explores universal connections using children’s string games, referencing Carl Jung’s archetypes, and symbolizes our shared stories and interconnectedness. “Tales of a Fisherman,” a collaborative exhibit by sculptor John Catizone and painter Sheryl Bentley, celebrates the duo’s shared love for the sea, fishing and art, providing a glimpse into the mythological essence of a fisherman. Other exhibits, open now through Oct. 1, include “Enchanting Fairy Houses: A Whimsical Journey,” which showcases the world’s largest fairy house festival at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth through the photography of Mary Liz Lancaster; “Biennial One,” which invites artists to showcase their best work that takes creative risks and explores abstract expression, contemporary environmental and social justice issues and new media, with no specific theme. The gallery is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
Maundy Mitchell Photography presents an exhibition at the Galletly Gallery (34 Dr. Childs Road, New Hampton) called “Alternative Process Photography” now through Oct. 14. Everyone is welcome to an artist reception on Friday, Sept. 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This exhibit represents members of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. Visit newhampton.org/arts/galletly-gallery.
“Distant Conversations: Ella Walker and Betty Woodman” is on display through Oct. 22 at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) and is the first in a series of “Distant Conversations” exhibits, which explore intergenerational dialogues and artistic conversations between practitioners whose work similarly resonates despite their differences. The Currier is open Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (with Art After Work, when admission is free, from 5 to 8 p.m.). Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children under age 13.
Nancy Josephson has an exhibit featuring mixed media sculptures on display at the Mariposa Museum (26 Main St. in Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org) through October.
The Seacoast Artist Association (130 Water St., Exeter) presents a monthly themed group show. The show for September is “Mystery Kits,” which consists of works by artists who are challenged to create art using only the contents of a mystery kit put together by the gallery. October’s show is “Keeping it Local” and throughout November and December they will be presenting “Big Gifts Come in Small Packages,” in which artists are challenged to create beautiful and affordable work that customers can purchase for no more than $100. The Seacoast Art Association is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit seacoastartist.org.
Exhibitions opening soon
Opened at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) just Sept. 6 is “School of Paris Prints from a New Hampshire Collection.” “A New Hampshire collector’s passion for 20th century European modernism resulted in a life-long pursuit of acquiring great works on paper by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Rouault, Braque, and many others,” according to the Currier. Then on Thursday, Oct. 19, an exhibit currently titled “Heart of the Museum” will open (with a member preview day of Wednesday, Oct. 18). In this exhibit, “artist Saya Woolfalk’s commission for the Currier Museum of Art investigates the history of the institution and revisits its iconography and original design. The mosaics adorning the former façade of the Currier (designed by Salavatore Lascari in 1929-1930) constitute the starting point for this new installation by Woolfalk that reimagines the Western art canons singular cultural perspective,” the email said. Opening Wednesday, Nov. 15, is “Abstraction in the Currier Collection,” which will “feature abstract works together in the Currier’s collection, some of which have not been on view for quite some time, including sculpture, photography, ceramics, and more,” according to the email. The Currier is open Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (with Art After Work, when admission is free, from 5 to 8 p.m.). Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children under age 13.
The Art Center (1 Washington St., Dover) will feature “Seen and Heard,” an exhibition presented by Women’s Caucus for Art that includes work from Maundy Mitchell’s “Knitted Together” project, and Nancy Bariluk-Smith’s “Hand Picked: New Floral Works,” which showcases paintings intertwining a love for gardening with abstract art and highlighting the importance of pollinators, from Sept. 8 to Oct. 31. An artist reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. Visit theartcenterdover.com.
Two Villages Art Society presents Colin Callahan’s “New Hampshire Up Close” at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from Sept. 9 through Oct. 7. The exhibit showcases the hidden magic in everyday New Hampshire nature scenes. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9. Then, “Images of Life Re-Envisioned” by Barbara Morse will run Oct. 14 through Nov. 11. The exhibit will feature timeless subject matter and detailed art designed for multiple viewings and interpretations. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14. Visit twovillagesart.org.
Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) presents “Cut It Out” from Sept. 9 through Oct. 28. The exhibit delves into the artistic potential of cutting, revealing how it creates space, new narratives and compositions. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Then, the annual “Sleighbell Studio” holiday showcase will run from Nov. 4 through Dec. 16 and will feature a diverse range of local fine art and crafts priced for gifting. An open house event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
The New Hampshire Art Association presents William Turner’s “Magical Realism” at The Concord Chamber of Commerce (49 S. Main St., Concord) Sept. 11 through Nov. 10. The exhibit displays toy-inspired art, blending pop culture with classic references. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
THEATER
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) presents two mainstage productions this fall. The season opens with The Wizard of Oz Sept. 8 through Sept. 24. Then, Kinky Boots comes to the stage Oct. 13 through Nov. 5. 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. 21 for The Wizard of Oz and Nov. 1 for Kinky Boots). Tickets cost $28 to $49. The Palace Theatre’s youth company presents Disney’s Moana Jr. on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m.; Big Bad on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.; and Anastasia the Musical on Wednesday, Oct. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 to $15.
The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; 433-4472, seacoastrep.org) will present Bat Boy Thursday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 29, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays (not all weeks, see calendar online for specific days). Passing Strange will be on stage Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; and then Thursdays through Saturdays Oct. 5 through Oct. 7 and Oct. 19 through Oct. 21 with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Catch the musical Matilda Thursday, Nov. 9, through Saturday, Dec. 23, with showtimes most Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 & 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. plus Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. A concert and celebration of lives of people lost to AIDS will be held Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m.: Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens. Close out the calendar year with a live production of Rocky Horror Picture Show — costumes encouraged (see website for rules) on Monday, Dec. 25, at 11:59 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 31, at 11:59 p.m.
Theatre KAPOW will present The Thanksgiving Play on Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, (7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday) at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). The company will also present “Expanding the Canon: A Play Reading Circle” on Sunday, Sept. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Zoom. See tkapow.com for tickets or to register for Sunday’s program. • The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith, winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org) presents Sweeney Todd now through Sept. 9, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie from Sept. 14 through Sept. 24, Corduroy from Oct. 20 through Oct. 29 and The Fiddler on the Roof from Nov. 8 through Nov. 12. Showtimes are on various dates and times, Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets range from $11 to $45.
Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) will kick off its 9th season with Phylloxera Production’s Stage Struck. The comedic thriller follows Robert, a former stage manager in London’s West End who is now a house-husband for famous actress wife Anne, whose therapist threatens to upset the balance of his life of dalliances. It runs Sept. 8 through Sept. 24. Then, Hand to God runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 15. In the darkly comedic play set in Cypress, Texas, a young man named Jason grapples with his father’s death and the upheaval of his relationships when his puppet, Tyrone, takes on a rebellious and irreverent persona, challenging themes of faith, morality and familial ties. Lizzie, a rock musical, runs Oct. 20 through Nov. 5, diving into the tumultuous events surrounding the infamous 1892 Borden family murders and the subsequent trial and acquittal of Lizzie Borden. Lungs, running Nov. 10 through Nov. 19, is a drama about a couple debating parenthood in a climate-crisis era. Shows are on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors and students.
The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth, playersring.org) presents Deathtrap Sept. 8 through Sept. 24.; Outside Mullingar Sept. 29 through Oct. 15; Gay Bride of Frankenstein Oct. 20 through Nov. 5; Granite State Proud Nov. 10 through Nov. 19, and What the Dickens Nov. 25. Shows are from Friday to Sunday and tickets are $28.
Pontine Theatre (1 Plains Ave. inPortsmouth; 436-6660 , pontine.org) will present PuppetKabob’s Dirty Gerts on Friday, SEpt. 15, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m. and Great Small Works’ We Love Trees on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m.
The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7649) presents Great Gatsby, its 18th annual auction and performance fundraiser, on Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23, at 6:30 p.m. The event features performances from Majestic’s ensemble, musicians and special guests. Attendees can participate in themed raffles and silent auctions that include art passes, electronics, restaurant vouchers and unique artwork. Refreshments will be served. Tickets cost $20 per person. Friday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Oct. 22, catch Zombie Night!, a “doo-wopping musical [that] pays great tribute to classic horror flicks,” according to the Majestic. Shows are Friday at 7, Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.; tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for 65+ and $10 for 17 and under. Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play will run Friday, Oct. 27, through Sunday Oct. 29, with showtimes at 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and 17 and under. In-Laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should Be Shot), a Christmas Eve-set comedy, will run Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and 17 and under.
The Milford Area Players present The House on Haunted Hill at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, 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.
The New Hampshire Theatre Project (959 Islington St. in Portsmouth; nhtheatreproject.org) will present Thirst for Freedom Friday, Sept. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 8; Dreaming Again on Friday, Oct. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 29; The Flick Friday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 19, and It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play on Saturday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Dec. 10. Showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
American Girl Live stops at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. The show brings American Girl characters from various decades to life with music and dance, emphasizing friendship and empowerment. Tickets range from $43.75 to $75.75. Visit ccanh.com. The Education Series will feature fall shows including Mr. C: World of Motion on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m and The Lightning Thief on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. — tickets for either show cost $8. The Cap Center will also host The Foolers, magicians Alex Ramon, Jessica Jane, Matt Donnelly and Vinny Grosso working in the style of Penn & Tell, on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $44.50 to $98.50. The Wild Kratts Live 2.0 — Activate Creature Power will come to the Cap Center on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.75.
The Community Players of Concord present two shows at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr. is Friday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m., and tickets cost $15. The Sound of Music is Friday, Nov. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m., with ticket sales TBA. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.
The Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerston St. in Derry; pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre, 437-5210) will present Versa-Style Dance Company on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7p.m.; tickets cost $10 to $25. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, catch The Lightning Thief at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for children. On Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m., the Pinkerton Players present Antigone in Munich; tickets cost $10 through $15. The Pinkerton Players also present Twelfth Night on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m; tickets cost $10 to $15.
The Manchester Community Theatre Players present Brigadoon at the Manchester Community Theatre Players Theatre, at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester). Showtimes are Fridays, Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, and Saturdays, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at manchestercommunitytheatre.com.
The Nashua Theatre Guild will present The Laramie Project on Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. at the 14 Court Street theater in Nashua. Tickets cost $20, $18 for seniors and students. See nashuatheatreguild.org.
Epping Community Theater (38 Ladds Lane in Epping; 608-9487, eppingtheater.org) will present The SpongeBob Musical Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 22, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $15 for children 12 and under.
The Big White House on Main Street will be at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company) Thursday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2:30 p.m. The original stage play by Ellen Cunis and Toby Tarnow (who also directs) is set in Woburn, Mass., and is about an Italian family in the early 20th century. Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors, students and Woburn residents.
The Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, peacockplayers.org) youth theater company presents James and the Giant Peach Jr. Oct. 20 through Oct. 29, followed by Beauty and the Beast Nov. 10 through Nov. 29. 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.
Catch the Murder Mystery Dinner: Best Laid Plans at the Bank of NH Stage (S. 16 Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. Or check out Murder Mystery Dinner: Midnight Masquerade on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to either 16+ show cost $70.75 and include a dinner (with chicken or vegetarian options).
The Actorsingers present Something Rotten Oct. 27 through Oct. 29 at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). Ticket sales are TBA. Visit actorsingers.org.
The Riverbend Youth Company will present High School Musical Friday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m. at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company). Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and kids.
Bedford Off Broadway will present The Curious Savage Friday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Bedford Old Town Hall (3 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford) with shows at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $15 general admission, $12 for children, students and seniors. Tickets are available at the door or at brownpapertickets.com. The play tells the story of an elderly widow who plans to give away her multimillion dollar inheritance to people pursuing “foolish dreams” over the objections of her stepchildren, according to bedfordoffbroadway.com.
Lend Me a Theater (lendmeatheater.org) will present You Have the Right to Remain Dead, an audience participating mystery-comedy, on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com; tickets cost $52) and on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry, Tupelomusichall.com; tickets cost $50 for dinner and a show). • The Kids Coop Theatre presents The SpongeBob Musical Nov. 17 through Nov. 19 at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry). More information and ticket sales are TBA. Visit kids-coop-theatre.org.
Classical
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma will perform Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $107.50. Visit themusichall.org.
Symphony NH’s 100th Anniversary continues with “East Meets West Vol. II – Beethoven and Wijeratne,” spotlighting Grammy-winning tabla player Sandeep Das from Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). The event will feature the New Hampshire premiere of Dinuk Wijeratne’s Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra, culminating with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. Visit symphonynh.org.
The Next Generation Leahy will take the stage at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The siblings are multi-instrumentalists who explore various genres, from their Celtic music heritage to other global influences. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.
Symphony NH hosts a Halloween Magic Family Concert on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). The program will feature Halloween tunes such as “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Danse Macabre and Night on Bald Mountain. Costumes are encouraged. Tickets cost $8 to $20. A longer Halloween Pops show will take place later in the evening, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets for that cost $10 to $63. Visit symphonynh.org.
3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St, Portsmouth) presents pianist Miki Sawada on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. She is on her Gather Here Tour across all 50 states and explores how classical music relates to America. Tickets are $18 for members and $20 for general admission. Visit 3sarts.org.
The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will perform “Bohemian Rhapsodies” at Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem) on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. The program explores Czech and English music, featuring works by Smetana, Kaprálová, Suk, and Elgar, and culminating in Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. Tickets cost $5 to $30. Visit nhphil.org.
Symphony NH presents Symphony Masala, featuring new arrangements of Bollywood favorites with singer Anuradha “Juju” Palakurthi, on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com, 800-657-8774). Tickets start at $25 for adults and $10 for youth, plus fees.
Duo Baldo will perform at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. The ensemble features violinist Brad Repp, playing on a 1736 Testore violin, and pianist Aldo Gentileschi, performing in a style reminiscent of Victor Borge. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.
Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra presents “At This Point,” marking Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary, on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth). Tickets cost $15 to $35. Visit portsmouthsymphony.org.
Symphony NH will present Wynton Marsalis’s “A Fiddler’s Tale” on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.com); on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m., at The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester), and on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m., at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord). The modern interpretation of Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” integrates blues, jazz, tangos, rags, waltzes and classical music to narrate a contemporary story about love, greed and Faustian deals. Guest artist Danny Rivera will accompany Symphony NH, serving as the narrator for the performance. Tickets cost $5 to $35. Visit symphonynh.org.
The Nashua Chamber Orchestra presents its fall concert, “Beethoven and Schubert,” with performances on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Nashua Community College (505 Amherst St., Nashua) and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall (1 Union Square, Milford). The program includes Schubert’s “Overture in the Italian Style,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 2,” and Schubert’s “Mass in G,” plus a special collaboration with The Nashua Choral Society. 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.
CONCERTS
Angel City Music Hall (179 Elm St. in Manchester; 931-3654, angelcitymusichall.com) has upcoming September concerts (doors open at 6 p.m.) including Yacht Lobsters on Sept. 8; Saliva and Drowning Pool on Sept. 15; Last in Line on Sept. 16; Enuff Z’Nuff on Sept. 22; Crowbar on Sept. 23; A Killer’s Confession on 24, and Corey Feldman on Sept. 30. See website for future months and opening/featured acts.
The season continues at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com) through the end of September. Shows not listed as sold out include these: Pantera with Lamb of God and King Parrot on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. (Carnivora on the Hazy Little Stage at 5:30 p.m.) Ne-Yo with Mario and special guest Pleasure P on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. (Copilot on the Hazy Little Stage at 6 p.m.) Shinedown with Papa Roach and Spiritbox on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 6:40 p.m. (Ghastly Sound on the Hazy Little Stage at 5:30 p.m.) Cody Johnson with Chris Janson and Drew Parker on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. (Houston Bernard on the Hazy Little Stage at 5 p.m.) Dropkick Murphys with The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. (The Rebel Collective on the Hazy Little Stage at 5:30 p.m.) Goo Goo Dolls with Fitz and the Tantrums on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. (Donaher on the Hazy Little Stage at 6:30 p.m.)
Capitol Center for the Arts has a packed schedule for both the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) and the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, banknhstage.com).
At the Chubb Theatre:
Grace Potter on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
The Lords of 52nd Street (the Billy Joel backing band) on Friday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.
Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.
Craig Morgan with the Reeves Brothers on Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.
American Girl Live! In Concert (a pop concert featuring American Girl doll characters) on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m.
Buddy Guy with Bobby Rush on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.
One Night in Memphis (a tribute to Sun Records artists Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Grace Kelly with Strings: At the Movies on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
Loreena McKennitt on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Don McLean with Chris Trapper on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m.
Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m.
Laurie Berkner Halloween Concert (kids’ music) on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Beat Goes On (Lisa McClowry as Cher) on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Gregorian: Pure Chants on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
Evil Woman (The American ELO) on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m..
One Night of Queen (Gary Mullen and The Works) Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m.
Air Supply on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.
Joanne Shaw Taylor on Friday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m.
At the Bank of NH Stage:
Jaime Lee Thurston with Shana Stack Band on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.
Journeyman (a tribute to Eric Clapton) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Jeremy Jordan on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m.
Spin Doctors with Beechwood on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.
The Free Range Revue (on Sept. 21 it’s Drag-chella) on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 9 p.m.
Janiva Magness on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Freese Brothers Swing Dance on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2:30 p.m.
The Black Legacy Project (a musical celebration of Black history) on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.
Texas Flood (tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan) on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.
Dalton Dover and Lexi James on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m.
Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones (Prince tribute) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.
Adam Ezra Group on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse: Music of the Beatles for Kids on Sunday, Oct. 8, at noon
Muddy Ruckus on Friday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m.
The Free Range Revue (monthly gathering for LGBTQIA+ community) on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 9 p.m.
Cozy Throne and Long Autumn (BNHS Locally Sourced presents) on Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m.
Matt Andersen with Adam Baldwin opening on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.
Rubblebucket on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m.
Dead Letter Office (a tribute to R.E.M.) on Friday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m.
Scissor Fight with Proelium and the Worst opening, on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse: Music of the Grateful Dead for Kids on Sunday, Nov. 5, at noon
Artimus Pyle on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.
An evening with Tom Rush accompanied by Matt Nakoa on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Symphony NH: Wynton Marsalis’s A Fiddler’s Tale on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m.
Spencer at the Walrus Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.
The Free Range Revue (monthly gathering for LGBTQIA+ community) on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 9 p.m.
Once an Outlaw on Friday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse: Music of Dave Matthews for Kids on Sunday, Dec. 10, at noon
Scotty Austin (formerly of Saving Abel) on Friday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m.
The Free Range Revue (monthly gathering for LGBTQIA+ community) on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m.
Cisco Brewers (35 Corporate Dr., Portsmouth, ciscobrewersportsmouth.com) continues its music with Start Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute) on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. and Country Fest on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with lumberjack competitions and live music.
In addition to theater, comedy and holiday offerings, the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, 800-657-8774, coloniallaconia.com) fall schedule includes Tusk on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.; Lori McKenna and Brandy Clark on Friday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m.; The Sixties Show on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m., and Amy Grant on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m.
Crows’ Feat Farm (178 Drinkwater Road, Kensington, crowsfeatfarm.org) wraps up its summer concerts with Krewe De Groove on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m.
The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) will present the Larry Goldings Trio on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Le Vent Du Nord (“hopping Francophone folk”) on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Mac McAnally on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com) will present these acts:
Phil Vassar on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Direct from Sweden (the music of ABBA) on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Pink Talking Fish (tribute to Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish) on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Toad the Wet Sprocket on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Larry McCray on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Justin Hayward on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Stephen Marley on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
David Cook on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi tribute band) on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m.
Al Di Meola Electric Band on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Jim Messina on Friday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m.
Jimmy Kenny Band (covers of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band) on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Eileen Ivers on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin, 934-1901, franklinoperahouse.org) is undergoing renovations but still has shows on the schedule at alternate locations: Dueling Pianos will perform Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, and Liza and Dan Faiella will perform at the Franklin Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. See the Opera House’s website for tickets.
Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach, 929-4100, casinoballroom.com) still has months of shows on the schedule, including these: George Thorogood and the Destroyers with Harnish Anderson on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m.; All Time Low with Gym Class Heroes, Grayscale and Lauran Hibberd on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m.; Niko Moon with David J on Friday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.; Black Veil Brides & VV with Dark Divine on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.; Blue October on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.; Beth Hart on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.; Engelbert Humperdinck on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.; Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals with special guest Mendeleyev on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m.; Twiddle with Yam Yam on Friday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.; Voyage (Journey tribute) with Desolution Angels on Saturday, Oct 21, at 8 p.m.; Jethro Tull on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m.; Brit Floyd (“The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show”) on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m.; Rumours of Fleetwood Mac (Fleetwood Mac tribute) on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m.; Lita Ford with Gary Hoey on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Keep an eye on the socials for Jewel Music Venue (61 Canal St., Manchester, 819-9336, jewelmusicvenue.com) for upcoming shows; some announced so far include these: Carnival of Death Tour with Cryptopsy, Abysmal Dawn, Hate, Reaping Asmodeia and Warforged, on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.; Murphy’s Law with Grade 2 and Sotah on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m.; Cathedral (Van Halen tribute) on Saturday, Sept 23, at 8 p.m.; Jonny Craig with Sunsleep, KeepMySecrets and A Foreign Affair on Monday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m.; WAKAAN Presents Sully “Digital Underground” on Friday, Dec. 8, 9 p.m.
Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 888-603-JAZZ, jimmysoncongress.com) has a full schedule including:
Ruthie Foster on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
The Soul Rebels on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Larry Carlton: Greatest Hits & Steely Dan on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Southern Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
The Samples on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Mindi Abair on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Dave McMurray (Grateful Dead tribute) on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Bonerama on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Vanessa Collier on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Pam Tillis on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Stanley Jordan on Sunday, Swpt. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
John Primer on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Ana Popovic on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m.
Walter Trout Band on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Oz Noy / Dennis Chambers / Jimmy Haslip on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Harper and Midwest Kind on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Yacht Rock Schooner on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
Michael Lington on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
Joey Alexander on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Acoustic Alchemy on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
North Mississippi Allstars on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
The Weight Band on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Greg Koch Trio on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Nicole Zuraitis on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Brubeck Brothers Quartet on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
“Monster” Mike Welch Band on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Benny Benack III Quartet on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
The Jeremiah Johnson Band on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Lissie on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
Fred Hersch Trio on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Sue Foley on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
John Medeski, Dave Fiuczynski and Calvin Weston as Fire Jelly Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Vijay Iyer Trio on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Ranky Tanky on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Eldorado Slim (featuring Scott Sharrard) on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Quinn Sullivan on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
The Cookers on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Popa Chubby on Sunday, Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m.
The Bad Plus on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Bywater Call on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.
John Scofield Trio on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Donna the Buffalo on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra featuring Nnenna Freelon on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Matt Schofield on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
John Pizzarelli on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
James Montgomery Band on Thursday, Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.
LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898; 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) has shows at both its Amherst and Derry locations. At LaBelle in Amherst: Vyntyge Skynyrd (Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute) on Thursday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. At LaBelle in Derry: Moondance (Van Morrison tribute) on Thursday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m. Living on a Bad Name (Bon Jovi tribute) on Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute) on Thursday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. Kids Halloween bash with Mr. Aaron Band on Sunday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. Absolute Queen (Queen tribute), on Thursday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. LoVeSeXy (Prince tribute) on Thursday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.
Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, 519-7506, lakeportopera.com) will present Aquanett for its ’80s rock night on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m.
The Music Hall (historic theater at 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, and Lounge at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth; 436-2400, themusichall.org) has shows at both its venues.
At the Music Hall Historic Theater:
Let’s Sing Taylor (Taylor Swift tribute) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor on Monday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m.
Los Lobos on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m.
Killer Queen (Queen tribute with Patrick Myers as Freddie Mercury) on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m.
Yo-Yo Ma plays Elgar on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Angelina Jordan on Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.
Mike Campbell & THe Dirty Knobs, on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.
An Evening with Oteil & Friends on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m.
Hot Tuna Electric on Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
Ben Folds on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.
Mandy Patinkin on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
Andy Grammar on Monday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.
Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.
Joep Beving on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Natalie McMaster & Donnell Leahy on Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.
“At this Point” with Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m.
Tenors: Now & Forever Tour on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
The Righteous Brothers on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.
At the Music Hall Lounge:
Lucy Wainwright Roche & Suzzy Roche on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m.
Guy Davis on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Lucy Kaplansky on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m.
Nolan Taylor on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.
Jill Sobule on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m.
Amy Speace on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.
May Erlewine on Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
Bassem Youssef on Friday, Sept. 29, at 6 & 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 30, at 6 & 9 p.m.
Jonatha Brooke on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 and 8 p.m.
Amythyst Kiah on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 8:30 p.m.
Mark Erelli on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Caitlin Canty on Friday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.
Lady Luck Burlesque on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8:30 p.m.
Lilli Lewis on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m.
Shamarr Allen on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.
Antje Duvekot on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Ward Hayden & the Outliers on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m.
Willy Porter on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Lily and Madeleine + Sarah Walk on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.
Trace Bundy on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Will Dailey on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8p.m.
Rebecca Loebe & Kemp Harris on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Connor Garvey on Friday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m.
Ammonium Maze on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Fantastic Cat on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Peter Mulvey & BettySoo on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Ellis Paul on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
Sharon Jones on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m.
Taylor O’Donnell Trio on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.
Ultimate Johnny Cash with Scott Moreau on Friday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m.
Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) enters its first fall season with a slate of performances:
Phil Vassar on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m.
Hector “El Torito” Acosta & Orquesta on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Clannad on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m.
Judy Collins on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.
Walter Trout Band on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.
Tusk on Friday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.
Justin Hayward on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.
The Sixties Show on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m.
Peace Frog on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m.
Symphony Masala on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Captain Jack and the Strangers (Billy Joel tribute) on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m.
Tower of Power on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m.
Cowboy Junkies on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.
Al Di Meola on Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.
Zach Nugent’s Dead Set on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m.
Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) has shows at its original venue as well as the Rex (23 Amherst St., Manchester) and The Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St., Manchester).
At the Palace:
The Uptown Boys Live: Present New York State of Mind (Billy Joel songs) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
The McCartney Experience: A Tribute to Paul McCartney on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Kelli O’Hara on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
At the Rex:
Jon Pousette-Dart Trio on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
American Elton on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Michael Glabiciki of Rusted Root and Dirk Miller on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
A Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band with Idlewild Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Marshall Crenshaw Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Mallett Brothers Band Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Ryan Montbleau Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Don Campbell Band Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Queens with Jordan Quinn (tribute to Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, Dolly Parton, Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner and Lady Gaga) on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Edwin McCain Acoustic Trio on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m.
NH Jazz Orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m.
Damn the Torpedoes (A Live Tom Petty Concert Experience) on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Yesterday Once More: A Tribute to the Carpenters on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m.
Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
Candlelight: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & More on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
Symphony NH: Wynton Marsalis’s A Fiddler’s Tale on Saturday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Mack the Knife: The Definitive Bobby Darin Celebration Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m.
Moondance: The Ultimate Van Morrison Tribute Concert Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Whammer Jammer: Live J. Geils Band Tribute Experience Friday, Dec. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, 532-9300, theparktheatre.org) will present Alice Howe Band featuring Freebo on Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.
Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186, pressroomnh.com) has ticketed shows scheduled into December (see the website for all shows):
Damien Jurado on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m.
Grateful Dub (reggae tribute to the Grateful Dead; at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m.
Harsh on Friday, Sept. 8, at 9 p.m.
Joe Samba (at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth, rock and roll reggae) on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m.
Disney Drag Bunch with the Curbside (Drag) Queens on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 11:30 a.m.
High Pulp on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m.
Jake Manzi Record Release with Kimaya Diggs on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m.
Honey Bee and the Stingers on Thursday, Sept .14, at 8 p.m.
Feverslip with Iron Dynamite on Friday, Sept. 15, at 9 p.m.
Start Making Sense (Talking Heads Tribute at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth) on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m.
The Yellowhouse Blues Band on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m.
Diaspora Radio playing Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 9 p.m.
Nick Goumas Quartet on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m.
Connor Kelly & The Time Warp on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.
Nathan Graham with Sug Daniels on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.
Bonnie Prince Billy with very special guest Bitchin Bajas (at 3S Artspace) on Monday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m.
Sheer Mag with Hotline TNT and Dog Lips on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m.
The Lost Melody on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.
Demob Happy on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m.
The Mallett Brothers Band with Dave Gutter Thursday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 20, at 9 p.m.
Jazz Brunch: Cassandre McKinley Quartet on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
A. Savage with Annie Hart on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m.
Jazz Brunch: Rich Greenblatt & Mark Shilansky Group featuring Jason Anick on Sunday, Oct. 29, at noon
Bill Pierce Quintet on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m.
Lamp on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m.
Marble Eyes on Friday, Nov. 3, at 9 p.m.
Chris Pierce on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.
Leslie Mendelson on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.
The Anick/Klaxton Quartet on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 6 p.m.
The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow & Jamie McLean Band on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.
Sugar: The Nu-Metal Party (DJ playing the Nu Metal of the 1990s and 2000s) on Friday, Dec. 8, at 10 p.m.
Sapphic Factory: Queer Joy Party ( a modern queer joy dance party, according to the website) on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 10 p.m.
The Range (96 Old Turnpike Road, Mason, 878-1324, therangemason.com) continues its concerts through the end of September with The Wailers on Friday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m.; Watkins Glen Revisited on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m.; Once an Outlaw with Jon Butcher on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 4 p.m.; Town Meeting with Modern Fools on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m., and Dopapod with Yam Yam, Hayley Jane and Leon Trout on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m.
Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 335-1992, rochesteroperahouse.com) has several concerts on the fall schedule:
Full Moon Fever (tribute to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Son of a Gun (Guns N’ Roses tribute) with Boyz Gone Wild on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 8 p.m.
Skerryvore on Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.
WailOn (a tribute to Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, The Highwaymen & Outlaw Country) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.
Stay Alive (a night of the Bee Gees) on Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m.
Dirty Deeds (the AC/DC Experience) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.
Dancing Dream (an ABBA tribute band) on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
Yesterday (tribute to the Beatles) on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Bearly Dead: Grateful Dead tribute on Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.
Blizzard of Ozz (a tribute to Ozzy) with Stormbringer (a tribute to Deep Purple) on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Lez Zeppelin (all-girl quartet tribute band to Led Zeppelin) on Friday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m.
SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) will host performances by Godsmack (Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m.) and Tool (Monday, Nov. 13, at 7:15 p.m.) before holiday events later in the year.
Shows with tickets available for advanced purchase at Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700, stonechurchrocks.com) include:
Echoes of Floyd (tribute to Pink Floyd) on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Zach Nugent’s Dead Seal on Friday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.
Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m.
The Split Squad with Shang Hi Los and speedfossil on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m.
The Edd and Leon Trout on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m.
The Man on the Hill on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.
Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.com) has tickets on sale now for musical events including Jukebox Saturday Night, with music celebrating the swing era, on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.; Yesterday and Today: Interactive Beatles Experience on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.; The Hitmen of Country on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.,; a screening of a documentary about local student and musician Jason Flood and the concert series PizzaStock with live music and more on Friday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.; Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock and Roll on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.; Symphony NH on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m., and JazzReeach Presents: “Sittin in and Groovin Out” on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.
The Strand (20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899, thestranddover.com) has upcoming concerts including Queens featuring Jordan Quinn (a tribute to female artists) on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. and a Rod Stewart tribute band on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.
3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org) has tickets on sale for concerts including Blue Skies on Mars End of Summer Party featuring Lovesick on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.; The Lemonheads with Willy Mason on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m.; Barely Dead (a Grateful Dead tribute) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. and Jonathan Coulton on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.
Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) has a big calendar for the end of 2023:
The Bacon Brothers on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m.
Sara Evans on Friday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m.
Unforgettable Fire (U2 tribute) on Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m.
Geoff Tate’s Big Rock Show Hits with Mark Daly opening on Sunday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.
Progject — The Ultimate Prog Rock Musical Experience on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m.
Croce Plays Croce on Friday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m.
The Breakers (tribute to Tom Petty) on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.
Jerry Shirley Presents; Humble Pie Legacy on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.
Dueling Pianos Friday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.
Eric Johnson’s Treasure Tour on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m.
Macy Gray on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.
Kashmir (Led Zeppelin tribute) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m.
Coco Montoya on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.
Bob Mould with Jason Narducy opening on Friday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m.
The Machine performs Pink Floyd on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m.
John Waite with Jeff Gaines opening on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m.
Foreigners Journey (tribute to Foreigner and Journey) on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m.
Eric Hutchison on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m.
The British Invasion Years on Friday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m.
King’s X with Trope opening the show on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m.
Hollywood Nights (Bob Seger tribute) on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m.
Mat Kearney Trio on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Sister Hazel on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m.
Panorama and Bikini Whale (two bands playing tributes to The Cars and The B-52’s) on Friday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.
Souled Out Show Band on Friday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m.
The Fools on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m.
The Fixx on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.
Keller Williams on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 8 p.m.
Carbon Leaf on Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m.
Gary Hoey — Ho! Ho! Hoey on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m.
Glenn Miller Orchestra on Sunday, Dec. 3, at noon and 4:30 p.m.
Tab Benoit with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Friday, Dec. 8 p.m. at 8 p.m.
The Dave Matthews Tribute Band on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m.
The Wizards of Winter on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m.
Thunderstruck (America’s AC/DC) on Friday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m.
The Little Mermen (the ultimate Disney cover band) Saturday, Dec. 16, at noon
Adrenalize (the Ultimate Def Leppard experience) on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 8 p.m.
Adam Ezra Group on Sunday, Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202, thewordbarn.com) has several concerts on the schedule:
Damien Jurado with Lilly Miller on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m.
Chatham Rabbits on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m.
David Wilcox on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.
The Wolff Sisters on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.
Mick Flannery with Jeffrey Martin on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m.
The Last Revel on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.
Little Wishbone with Micah John & Lillian Chase on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m.
Vance Gilbert on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m.
Lonesome Ace Stringband on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.
The Midnight Wrens on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.
The Tannahill Weavers on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m.
Jordan Tice on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
Todd Hearon and Friends with special guest Green Heron on Friday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m.
Halley Neal and Sam Robbins on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m.
BOOKS- Author appearances
Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several author events on the schedule this fall. Jilly Gagnon brings her new thriller, Scenes of the Crime, to Gibson’s on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m., to discuss with Hank Phillippi Ryan (author of The House Guest). Carol Soule of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon will discuss her new book Yes, I Name Them: A Memoir on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. David Lawrence Morse will discuss his new book of short fiction, The Book of Disbelieving, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. Melanie Brooks will discuss her new memoir A Hard Silence on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m. Daniel Mason, a Pulitzer prize finalist, will discuss his new novel North Woods on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m. Anderson Cooper will discuss his new book Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune, in conversation with his co-author, Katherine Howe, in a virtual event presented by Gibson’s on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. This is a ticketed event; your ticket includes a copy of Astor (preorders and purchases of Astor from Gibson’s will include a ticket to the virtual event) — buy tickets via gibsonsbookstore.com. Ryan T. Higgins will read and sign his new Mother Bruce picture book Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow at Gibson’s on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson will talk about their new illustrated book Of Time and Turtles on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. Jacquelyn Lenox Tuxill will discuss her new memoir Whispers from the Valley of the Yak on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Nathan Hill will discuss his new novel Wellness on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. Paula Munier will discuss her novel Home at Night: A Mercy Carr Mystery on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
Balin Books (375 Amherst St. in Nashua, 417-7981, balinbooks.com) has author events on the schedule for September. New Hampshire author Paul August will discuss his novel The Canaries on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Melanie Brooks will read from her memoir A Hard Silence and discuss it with author Suzanne Strempek Shea, according to a social media post from the bookstore. See melaniebrooks.com for more on the author and her book. On Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. catch the return of naturalist author Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson, this time with their book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, which is slated for release Sept. 19. See symontgomery.com for more on all of Montgomery’s works.
Barnes & Noble in Manchester (1741 S. Willow St., 668-6667) presents a book signing and talk with local author Cynthia Neale for her new book Catharine, Queen of the Tumbling Waters, on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) has several author events on the schedule this fall. Local author William R. Graser presents The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. Melanie Brooks will discuss her new memoir, A Hard Silence, on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. Nate Graziano and Todd Hearon will on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5 p.m. read from their respective poetry collections, Born on Good Friday and Crows in Eden. Cartoonist Marek Bennett presents his graphic novel The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Vol. 3, on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. Rebecca Butt presents her book Lipstick on a Pig on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 10:30 a.m. Jen Eillis will talk about her book Bernie’s Mitten Maker on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m. Linda Magoon will discuss her book Live Free and Hike on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. Rachelle McKeown presents her new novel, Broken Hearts, Open Minds, on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. Tracy Emerick will talk about his book Consummate Coaches: Bill Belichick and Jesus Christ on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Manchester author Jon Wesick will read from his thriller The Prague Deception and from his poetry collection The Shaman in the Library on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. Michael Clark presents his horror novel Hell on High on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. Jared Grace presents his debut horror novel Isolation on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. Z.J. Hampl joins a discussion of his novel The Mortician’s Curse on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.; this is an 18+-only event. Christopher Frost presents his debut horror novel 396 on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m.
Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com) has several author events on the schedule this fall. Nick Fuller Googins will discuss his novel The Great Transition on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m. Tori Anne Martin launches her new romcom This Spells Disaster on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Clif Travers will discuss his short story collection The Stones of Riverton: Stories from a Cemetery on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. Jen Ellis will discuss her book Bernie’s Mitten Maker on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Kim Coleman Foote will discuss her new book Coleman Hill on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. Author Sy Montgomery and illustrator Matt Patterson will discuss and sign copies of their illustrated book Of Time and Turtles on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. Romance author Rebekah Weatherspoon will participate in a Q&A and book signing of her latest novel, Her Good Side, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. Emily Habeck will talk about her novel Shark Heart on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m.
The Writers on a New England Stage series brings Chuck Palahniuk to talk about his book Not Forever, But For Now, moderated by NHPR host Rick Ganley, at The Music Hall in Portsmouth (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18; for each one or two tickets sold, the purchase of a book voucher ($30 hardcover) is required. Vouchers can be redeemed at the event for signed copies. The series continues with Heather Cox Richardson on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., presenting her book Democracy Awakening; tickets cost $46 and include a copy of the book.
Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester, 624-6550) has a few author talks coming up; register at manchesterlibrary.org. Chris Boucher will talk about his book The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Manchester City Library. Local authors Gail Walsh Chop and Margaret Corbett Wiley will discuss their book Flashbulb Memories, set in 1960s Manchester, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. John Doelman will talk about his book Quetico Connection: Finding Spirit in a Million Acres of Canadian Wilderness on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m.
The Big Read: The Bear (see nhhumanities.org/bigread) begins with with a public event on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave.) in Manchester featuring a dramatic reading from the novel; doors open at 6 p.m. and pre-registration is required at nhhumanities.org/bigread. On Friday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m. on Zoom, Dr. Brent Bellamy leads a virtual discussion, “Beginning at the End: Andrew Krivak’s The Bear and Postapocalyptic Fiction in the American Century.” Register for that event at nhhumanities.com. On Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m., Dennis Haug, retired Navy Master Sergeant, will give wilderness survival demonstrations at the Northwood athletic fields, hosted by Friends of the Northwood Libraries; email chesleydirector@gmail.com for information. On Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 6:30 p.m. the NH Audubon presents a wilderness talk in conjunction with the Big Read at Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester, 624-6550). On Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m. the New Hampshire Astronomical Society will give a talk on what you can see in the night sky at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, derrypl.org), and on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. there will be a skywatch at the Taylor Library in Derry; reserve a spot at www.derrypl.org. On Saturday, Sept. 23, there will be a planetarium show called “A Year Under the Stars,” with a special presentation by Ben Kilham of the Kilham Bear Center, at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Dr., Concord, starhop.com); it’s free and open to the public but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Author Andrew Krivak will discuss and sign copies of The Bear on Saturday, Oct. 14, at Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St.) in Concord, with a 1 p.m. public reception and an author talk at 2 p.m., followed by a book signing. This event is free but pre-registration is strongly encouraged; register to attend or for the livestream via nhhumanities.org. NH Humanities scholar Damian Costello will lead a book discussion of The Bear by Andrew Krivak on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Manchester City Library; register at manchesterlibrary.org. Check your local library for book discussions and other events about The Bear.
Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, nashualibrary.org) presents author Jason Mott discussing this year’s community-wide read for Nashua, Hell of a Book, on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the library’s main desk or website. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
The New Hampshire Humanities 2023 Annual Celebration of the Humanities on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m. will feature author Jodi Picoult in conversation with Alexandria Peary, the New Hampshire Poet Laureate, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester). The public reception begins at 5 p.m. with appetizers and a cash bar and the program starts at 6:15 p.m. Tickets cost $35 through $50. See nhhumanities.org/celebrate or call 224-4071.
Literary events and lectures
The Secrets of Cellar Holes presented by Adair Mulligan at Londonderry Historical Society (Parmenter Barn, 140 Pillsbury Road, Londonderry) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. See nhhumanities.org or call 425-1929.
The Gods Next Door: A Glimpse Into India New Hampshire author Rebecca Kaiser Gibson presents a travelogue about her time teaching poetry in India on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140). Register at derrypl.org.
Wit and Wisdom: The Forgotten Literary Life of New England Villages presented by Jo Radner at The Pierce Manse (14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord) on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. See nhhumanities.org or call 224-2939.
Becoming Wolf: Eastern Coyote in New England presented by Chris Schadler, M.S., Conservation Biology, at Hooksett Public Library (31 Mt. St. Mary’s Way, Hooksett, 485-6092) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required; register via hooksettlibrary.org.
The Capital Crime of Witchcraft: What the Primary Sources Tell Us presented by Margo Burns at the Salem Historical Society (310 Main St., Salem, 890-2280) on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.
The Founding Fathers: What Were They Thinking? presented by Richard Hesse at The Pierce Manse (14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord) on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. See nhhumanities.org or call 224-2939.
State of the Loon presented by biologist Harry Vogel, about loons in New Hampshire, at Hooksett Public Library (31 Mt. St. Mary’s Way, Hooksett, 485-6092, hooksettlibrary.org) on Friday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. No registration required.
New Hampshire on Skis presented by E. John Allen at Canterbury Town Hall (9 Center Road, Canterbury) on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. See nhhumanities.org or call 783-4386.
Book sales
Merrimack Public Library Book Sale Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (470 Daniel Webster Hwy., 424-5021, merrimacklibrary.org).
Derry Public Library Book Sale Saturdays, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (64 E. Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org).
Hooksett Public Library Book Sale Saturday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (31 Mt. St. Mary’s Way, Hooksett, 485-6092, hooksettlibrary.org).
FILM
Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) currently has Barbie (PG-13, 2023) on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 4:15 and 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, at 1:30, 4:15 & 7 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 11, through Thursday, Sept. 14, at 4:15 p.m. (plus Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.) and Golda (PG-13, 2023) on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (PG-13, 2023) will run Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, at 12:30, 2:45 5 & 7 :15 p.m.; Monday, Sept. 11, through Thursday, Sept. 14, at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Upcoming films include A Haunting in Venice (PG-13, 2023), starting Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., and Dumb Money (2023), the movie about the GameStop stock, on Oct. 6. In October the theater will screen The Way We Were (1973) on Monday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. and offer four screenings of Rocky Horror Picture Show (R, 1975) with theater-provided props — Fridays, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, and Saturdays, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28. The theater will also present Remember Me: A Conversation 15 Years in the Making on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., in which “writer Chelsea Conaboy leads a discussion between photojournalist Preston Gannaway and members of the St. Pierre family, whom Gannaway chronicled as part of the Concord Monitor’s Remember Me series starting in 2006,” according to the website.
O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) has some special screenings on their schedule in addition to the lineup of new movies. Perfect Blue (1998), an animated film from director Satoshi Kon, will screen Thursday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m. A 40th anniversary presentation of Christine (R, 1983) will screen on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. A 35th anniversary screening of Rain Man (R, 1988) will take place on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 a.m. Shaky Shivers (2022), a horror movie send-up, will screen Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. Howl’s Moving Castle (PG, 2004) will screen Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2023. A 50th anniversary presentation of The Exorcist (R, 1973) will screen on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. A 20th anniversary screening of Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses (R, 2003) will screen Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. Back to the Future (1985) will screen on Saturday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m. A live broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera’s Dead Man Walking will screen Saturday, Oct. 21, at 12:55 p.m. with an encore on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) will get a 60th anniversary screening on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. A Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 presentation of Spirited Away (PG, 2001) will screen on Monday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. The animated Ghost in the Shell (1995) will screen on Wednesday, Nov. 8, and Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. A 40th anniversary presentation of Scarface (R, 1983) will screen Sunday, Nov. 12, and Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. The Met: Live in HD’s presentation of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X will screen on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12:55 p.m. with an encore on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m.
Many of the above-listed movies are also screening at other area theaters as part of a Fathom Events (fathomevents.com) presentation. For example, Christine is also screening Sunday at AMC Classic Londonderry, Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and Regal Fox Run in Newington. See the website for a rundown of events.
Telluride by the Sea presents movies that got their debut at Colorado’s Telluride Film Festival (which was held last week) at the Music Hall (historic theater at 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, and Lounge at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth; 436-2400, themusichall.org) Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. Tickets range from $22 for an individual ticket to a screening to the $230 Patron Pass, which includes seating to all films as well as VIP access to parties and other events.This year’s films are Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Ilker Çatak’s The Teacher’s Lounge, Nikolaj Arcel’s The Promised Land, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves , Aki Kaurismäki’s Anatomy of a Fall and the documentary American Symphony.
In addition to the multi-day film festivals, The Music Hall (historic theater at 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, and Lounge at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth; 436-2400, themusichall.org) historic theater will screen Have You Got It Yet? (NR), a documentary about the relationship between Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett, on Thursday Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.; and Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition ®, a documentary featuring the works of Vermeer currently displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 4 and 7 p.m. An encore presentation of The Met’s 2007 performance of Eugene Onegin featuring Renee Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky will screen on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 1 p.m. The French film called En Corps but billed as Rise (NR, 2022) in English will screen Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:30 p.m. Teton Gravity’s ski and snowboard film Legend Has It will screen Wednesday, Nov. 1, and Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) has a full calendar of movies including Oppenheimer (R, 2023) on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m.; Jules (PG-13, 2023) on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.; Barbie (PG-13, 2023) Friday, Sept. 8, through Thursday, Sept. 14; Lakota Nation Vs. United States (PG-13, 2022) Friday, Sept. 8, through Tuesday, Sept. 12; Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo (2020) Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 1:30 p.m.; Cat Video Fest 2023 on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m.; Carlos: The Santana Journey (2023) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 2 and 7 p.m.; The Anonymous People on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m.; Monadnock International Film Festival: Join or Die on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7:15 p.m.; Monadnock: The Mountain that Stands Alone (2023) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 5:30 and 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 7, at 2 and 7 p.m.; Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m.; Exhibition on Screen: David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 p.m.; Dracula (1931) with Bela Lugosi (though a sound version, this will be presented with additional music by Jeff Rapsis) on Monday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.; Exhibition on Screen: Leonardo: The Works on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m., and Exhibition on Screen: Hopper: An American Love Story on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 1:30 p.m.
Milford Drive-In (531 Elm St., Milford, milforddrivein.com) plans to continue its season through the end of October, weather permitting, according to an email. The drive-in is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the first movie of the double features (the drive-in has two screens) starting at 6:15 p.m. Tickets cost $20 per car of up to six people.
The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com) has silent films with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis on its schedule including Scaramouche (1923) on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m.; a Lon Chaney double feature of The Unknown (1927) and West of Zanzibar (1928), and The Three Musketeers (1921) starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6:30 p.m. The Flying Monkey is also screening Anxious Nation (NR), a documentary about anxiety and kids, on Thursday, Oct. 5; screening starts at 6:20 p.m. and a panel discussion follows.
In addition to its daily offerings of first-run films, Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) has special screenings on the schedule. A sensory-friendly presentation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PG-13, 2023) will screen at all three theaters on Friday, Sept. 15, at 3 p.m. On Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m. all three locations will also present a “Little Lunch Date” screening of Horton Hears a Who (G, 2008); admission is free but reserve a seat with a $5 food voucher. On Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8:30 p.m. in Nashua there will be a 21+ screening called Spoons, Toons & Booze featuring classic Saturday morning-style cartoons, a cereal bar of classic sugary cereals and cereal-inspired cocktails; tickets cost $15. On Friday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m. all three locations will offer a sensory-friendly presentation of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (PG, 2023) and, at 3:30 p.m., a “Little Lunch Date” screening of Hotel Transylvania (PG, 2012). On Saturday, Oct. 21, at 9 p.m. all three locations will screen The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R, 1975), props allowed and dressing up encouraged; tickets cost $10. On Friday, Nov. 10, at 3:30 p.m. all three theaters will hold a “Little Lunch Date” screening of Free Birds (PG, 2013).
The documentary Our American Family (2021) on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org). Tickets cost $15. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.
Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) will screen of Seven Chances (1925), a silent film starring Buster Keaton and presented with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Jeff returns to the Rex to provide musical accompaniment on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. for a screening of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), a silent film starring Lon Chaney.
You can also catch Jeff Rapsis providing live musical accompaniment for silent films at Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St., Wilton, wiltontownhalltheatre.com, 654-3456) with screenings including Eagle of the Night (1928) on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m.; Show People (1928), part of an evening “Salute to Marion Davies” that includes a Q&A with author Lara Gabrielle (Captain of her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies), on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m.; The Red Kimona (1925) on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m., and Nosferatu (1922), the classic vampire tale from director F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck, on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m.
Jeff will also provide live musical accompaniment for a screening of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), a silent film starring Lon Chaney, at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) sponsored by Derry Public Library on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.
You get to be the festival jury at the Manhattan Short Film Festival, which will be screened at NHTI (in Sweeney Hall) in Concord on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 30, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. Admission costs $10. Screen 10 short-film finalists and vote for your favorite, with winners announced on Monday, Oct. 9. This year’s films come from the U.S., Australia, Afghanistan, Finland, Iran, Switzerland, the U.K. and Canada, according to manhattanshort.com.
The New Hampshire Film Festival takes place Thursday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 15, at screening spaces throughout Portsmouth including The Music Hall Historic Theater, the Music Hall Lounge, 3S ArtSpace, Seacoast Repertory Theatre and The Press Room as well as other locations for parties and other events, according to nhfilmfestival.com, where you can purchase four-day passes ($143.50, $283.50 for a VIP pass) or day passes ($38.50 for Thursday or $58.50 for any of the other three days). The lineup will feature more than 100 feature films, documentaries and shorts, according to a press release. The festival also serves as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards short film awards. Check the website for a listing of films.
See Moonstruck (PG, 1987) on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) to celebrate 90 years of what was once the Concord Theatre and is now the Bank of NH Stage. The event is free and will be hosted by Laura Knoy; reserve a spot by getting tickets online.
Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) will also screen The Met: Live in HD broadcasts including Dead Man Walking on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 12:55 p.m.; X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12:55 p.m.; Florencia en el Amazonas on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 12:55 p.m., and Nabucco on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 12:55 p.m. The Teton Gravity Research film Legend Has It will screen Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
Summer, at least in the unofficial vibe-y sense, comes to something of a close with Labor Day weekend. As we all enjoy a weekend of sun (maybe) and heat (possibly), here’s a look at some of the happenings over the past several months.
Photo above: kids attending the Currier Museum of the Art’s Summer Block Party in July get their faces painted by young artists from Manchester Central High School. Photo by Morgan Karanasios courtesy the Currier Museum.
Performers at the We Are One Festival in downtown Manchester on Saturday, Aug. 19. Photo by Cindy Telley.
Frozen at the Palace Theatre’s Summer Children’s Series. Photo courtesy of the Palace Theatre.
Music-lovers gather for Music on the Green at the Canterbury Shaker Village, which runs Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. through Sept. 17. Photo courtesy the Canterbury Shaker Village.
Pottery tent at the League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair, held at Mount Sunapee Resort Aug. 5 through Aug. 13. Photo by Alicia Bergeron courtesy the League.
Delta Dental Road Race in downtown Manchester on Aug. 10. Photo by Cindy Telley.
The Humane Society of Greater Nashua at the Nashua Pride Festival on June 24. Photo is from the organization’s Facebook posts of the event.
At the July 15 Summer Block Party at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, Rachael Kane, Currier curator of education & interpretation, hangs flags created as part of the community art project “The Wishing House” by Vermont-based artist Mark Ragonese. Photo by Morgan Karanasios courtesy the Currier Museum.
Summer Stage Theater Camp in Merrimack. Courtesy photo from Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
33rd American Independence Festival was held on July 15 at the American Independence Museum in Exeter, commemorating the day the Declaration of Independence arrived in New Hampshire (July 16, 1776). Courtesy photo.
Vivian Rosalee at the Greeley Park Art Festival in Nashua Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. Photo by Judd Duclos.
Fairytale Festival on July 29, part of the calendar of SummerFun events in Nashua. Courtesy photo.
Polish sculptor Anna Rasinska stands next to her sculpture “The Window of Change” at the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium with David Tiller, board member, and Jim Larson, another of this year’s four sculptors and the Artistic Director. This year’s pieces were unveiled June 3. Courtesy photo.
Fourth of July in Merrimack. Courtesy photo from Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
The New England Wine Spectacular, held June 15 in Manchester. Courtesy photo.
Naticook Day Camp in Merrimack. Courtesy photo Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
Concord Market Days in downtown Concord June 20 through June 22. Photo by Cindy Telley.
The Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee ran July 29 through Aug. 6. Photo by Cindy Telley.
Kevin Pollak at the Manchester International Film Festival. Courtesy photo.
Pembroke-Allenstown Old Home Days on Aug. 26. Photo by Cindy Telley.
Suncook Valley Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally in Pittsfield was Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. Photo by Cindy Telley.
Laconia Motorcycle Week ran June 10 through June 18. Photo by Cindy Telley.
Shakespeare on the Green outside the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College presented Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream the last two weekends in July. Courtesy photo.
We Are One Festival in downtown Manchester on Aug. 16. Photo by Cindy Telley.
With fall around the corner, we will soon see the days get shorter, the temperatures cooler, and many hawks in the sky. According to Chris Martin, wildlife and conservation biologist at the New Hampshire Audubon, September through November is the time frame in which hawks migrate to their wintering locations, making fall an ideal time for hawk watching.
Not all hawks migrate. What classifies these species of birds as what we call birds of prey is their feet, which actually makes “raptor” the more accurate term.
“Some people refer to them as birds of prey … but that is sort of an artificial category,” Martin said. “The fact is almost all birds are carnivorous [to] some degree. … What separates these birds of prey is the fact that they have feet that are adapted to grasp living food items. … ‘Raptorial’ refers to that sort of style of foot that includes long claws and strong grasping feet.”
In New Hampshire, seven common categories of raptors are owls, accipiters, buteos, eagles, falcons, harriers and ospreys. Each is broken down further into different species as the result of evolution and natural selection, Martin says.
“The differences are based on their evolution and how they specialize,” he said. “Each group specializes in how they hunt, where they hunt, what they hunt for, and then they have specialties in the kind of habitat they put their nests in. The idea is [they] don’t want to compete with other types of birds of prey if [they] can create a specialty that works for [them].”
Common NH raptor species
Osprey
According to Martin, the driving factor for raptors to migrate is the availability of food.
Ospreys are the perfect example of how important this can be, as they rely almost exclusively on fish. With lakes being covered in ice here in New Hampshire during the winter, ospreys migrate to South America and the tropics in the fall. In the spring they return, except for the young ospreys, who, interestingly, don’t return until the following spring when they are 2 years old. While it is not clear why ospreys do this, Martin says it could be to hone their fish-catching skills.
Osprey. Photo by MaryFran Loggans.
“It’s certainly an odd strategy, but it seems to work,” Martin said.
The fishing strategy that ospreys use is unlike that of any other raptor, according to Martin.
“They evolved this style of diving into water and catching fish,” he said. “Other birds of prey use [their] feet to fish [but] in a different way than this. Osprey will fly over still water, like a lake, and see a fish near the surface and drop in on it from 50 feet above it. They go in feet first and grasp it as they hit the water, oftentimes [disappearing] into the water before [rising] back to the surface and [flying] off with a fish.”
According to hawkwatch.org, ospreys’ feet are specialized for grasping, with all four of their talons curved more than that of other raptors. They also have spicules, or small spines, on the bottom of their feet and the ability to rotate their outer toe backward to hold slippery objects and carry fish. They have black feathers on their topside, a white head with a black eye-line, and when in flight, they glide on bowed wings that form an “M” shape.
Returning to the north in the spring can be a gamble for osprey.
“[They] push the limits when they come back at the end of March,” Martin said. “Oftentimes the water around their nest site where they spend the spring and summer is still frozen when they get back [and] they have to resort to nearby flowing water and rivers. … That can be a challenge because it can be cloudy or muddy in the spring and they can’t see the fish that they’re trying to hunt.”
Many raptors are in a hurry to return and reclaim their breeding sites before they are taken over by another bird. Ospreys sometimes use dead trees that are exposed in marshes, a niche that most other birds of prey don’t occupy. They can also be found using transmission lines, telephone poles and electrical poles. In fact, Martin adds, it’s possible a quarter of our osprey population uses cell towers for their nests.
“They’re pretty adaptable to all sorts of environments,” he said.
Barred owl
At night, while other raptors are resting at their roosts, owls are active and on the hunt for voles, shrews, mice and other prey. These nocturnal birds have a series of adaptations that make them deft for nighttime hunting. According to Martin, in addition to their ability to see well in the dark, they rely on their hearing and are able to detect prey rustling and moving through blades of grass.
“Their ears are not uniformly placed on either side [of their head],” he said. “One is higher and the other is lower on the side of the skull and that helps them differentiate where a sound is coming from. I think a barred owl could probably locate prey and go after it … even if it was blind.”
The shape of their face also enables them to effectively locate sound.
“‘Facial disk’ is the term that we use for it,” Martin said. “[They have a] flattened face that puts their eyes forward and the face actually focuses sound and delivers it to the ears, so it helps with the process of pinpointing where a rustling sound is coming from.”
Of all the owls we have in New Hampshire, like the barn owl, which doesn’t currently breed in the state, and the snowy owl, which only resides here in the winter, barred owls are the most common.
“Barred owls are medium-sized forest owls that are very vocal and have a call that is easily recognized [that] sounds like ‘who cooks for you?’” Martin said. “It’s one that you often might find in a forested backyard or park and they often vocalize during the day as well. They are the owls in the state that you’re most likely to encounter just in your everyday activities.”
Although they don’t live in wetlands — they nest in cavities in large trees in forests — barred owls are often associated with wetlands, as much of what they eat is located on the forested edge and in grass along the edge of a marsh, like salamanders and leopard frogs. They also hunt on roadside edges, particularly in areas where there are ditches that can collect water, as much of their prey is associated with water. This, however, poses a great risk.
“A lot of times they’re so focused on hunting that when they make a dive at sort of a 45-degree angle from their perch to the ground to grab [their prey], if that dive includes going over a roadside, they often get hit by vehicles,” Martin said. “One of our key wildlife rehabilitators in Henniker … at Wings of Dawn receives many injured barred owls that [are] injured on one side of their head because of impact with a vehicle. That’s a very common injury.”
Peregrine falcon
Among the fastest of all raptors are falcons. With their speed and long, pointed wings, they have adapted to dive and chase their prey down in midair. Three well-known falcons in New Hampshire are kestrels, merlins and, perhaps the most famous, the peregrine falcon. Although their plumage varies, adult peregrines tend to be white below and bluish gray above while juveniles start out with a buff color on their underside and brown to a slate-like color above, according to hawkwatch.org.
Peregrine falcon. Photo by Al Hospers.
“That’s the one that’s been subject to a lot of restoration efforts nationwide in the 1980s through early 2000s, and we’ve pretty much recovered them from a point where they were almost extinct in the U.S.,” Martin said. “They’re still on our New Hampshire state threatened list, but their population has been growing gradually.”
Peregrines take advantage of vertical landscape features for their nests, whether natural like cliffs, or manmade structures such as buildings and bridges. From their perch they have an optimal view to look for prey, which consists mostly of other birds such as starlings, blue jays, robins and other medium-sized birds, or birds as big as pigeons, mourning doves and occasionally a small duck, according to Martin. While birds of prey will take what’s abundant in their environment, he says the size of the prey is a factor.
“There’s a limit to the size of the food item that they can bring back,” he said. “[A] pigeon is probably the biggest, bulkiest thing that they will eat regularly, and that’s a real challenge for a male peregrine because they are the smaller of the two sexes and they do most of the hunting. A pigeon is a big item for them. It probably weighs close to the same amount as a male peregrine.”
In addition to other birds, young peregrines will train for hunting by catching dragonflies and bats.
Something that helps peregrine falcons hunt is their ability to sense weakness or vulnerability in other birds, Martin says. For example, if a bird is fatigued from migrating and struggling to find a place to land, peregrines can pick up on that and home in on that bird as a target.
“[It’s] just remarkable that they can recognize something that is out of its element and utilize that as a food source,” Martin said.
Broad-winged hawk
If you’ve seen a hawk soaring in circles in the open over a field, or dropping down onto a highway median, it was likely a buteo. Their long, broad wings make wide open spaces suitable for these birds to hunt, as they are well-adapted to using thermal lifts to bring them up high where they can scan for food, according to Martin.
“They’ll fly in circles over a field or a forest and look for an item that’s vulnerable and then dive on that,” he said. “Or in some cases they’ll perch on phone poles or wires and drop down on a mammal they see in the grass.”
New Hampshire buteo species include red-shouldered hawks, broad-winged hawks and rough-legged hawks, the last of which are only here during the winter months. While the red-tailed hawk is most commonly seen, the broad-winged hawk is likely the most numerous, nesting in tree canopies in the forest and feeding on prey like squirrels and mice.
According to hawkwatch.org, broad-winged hawks are small buteos with a compact body, bulky chest, a large head and about a 35-inch wingspan.
“[Broad-winged hawks] are very abundant in the state as a breeder, and are famous in the fall for kettling, a whole bunch of them getting together in a group and … migrating south,” Martin said. “Thousands of broad-winged hawks will travel all the way down to the tropics and into northern South America in September mostly, and so hawk watches where you can see these birds kettling and migrating are actually very popular in the eastern U.S.”
Sharp-shinned hawk
While buteos have long wings that enable them to soar through the open sky, accipiters have short wings that allow them to navigate between trees and around obstacles to go after prey, which in most cases are other birds, according to Martin.
Sharp-shinned hawk. Photo by Robert Reynolds.
“You might encounter an accipiter when you’re hiking in the woods,” he said. “It might come right down the path at you because it’s flying through that gap in the forest. It’s not trying to attack you necessarily, but it’s using those narrow lanes to maneuver and oftentimes surprise its prey.”
The most common accipiter, and the smallest hawk in North America, according to hawkwatch.org, is the sharp-shinned hawk.
“They’re only slightly bigger than blue jays, so that’s a bird most people would recognize … although they’re a little tough to see because the forest canopy hides them much of the time,” Martin said.
In flight, these birds appear stocky with short, rounded wings and a long, slender tail, as reported by hawkwatch.org, which describes them as adeptly maneuverable and buoyant. From below, adults are barred white and rufous, with upper parts being a grayish blue with a blackish head. Their eyes start out yellow as juveniles, eventually turning orange, then dark red as they age.
Bald eagle
While famous for their bright white head, yellow beak, blackish-colored body and expansive wingspan — eagles are the largest of all raptors — bald eagles do not look this way until they are fully mature. As juveniles they appear brown overall with a dark bill and eyes and a black tail with some white mottling, according to hawkwatch.org.
The bald eagle population in New Hampshire has drastically increased in the last 30 years, according to Martin, thanks to efforts to give them better conditions.
“Near a river or a lake you have a really good chance of seeing a bald eagle,” he said. “[People] would not have said the same thing back in the 1960s, ’70s or ’80s, so that’s a really obvious change.”
The slope of the population continues to climb, doubling every six or seven years.
“I’m waiting for it to curve and flatten off,” Martin said. “I assume we’re going to reach a carrying capacity at some point soon, but the charts aren’t showing it yet.”
While not exclusively fish eaters, bald eagles are rather aquatic-focused and build their nests near large lakes and rivers. Rather opportunistic hunters, they’ll eat a variety of prey such as muskrats, herons, duck and turtles and will even scavenge on roadkill and carrion when turkey vultures aren’t around to do so in the winter.
“They’re very adapted to cold weather,” Martin said. “Once an eagle pair establishes a territory for breeding, almost all of them will be on that territory within 5 miles of the nest site year-round through the coldest part of our winter season. They’ll do nest maintenance … and defend their territory from rivals that might want to move in and take over the site.”
Northern harrier
The only type of harrier in North America, appropriately named the northern harrier, is among the rarest raptors in the state.
“In New Hampshire currently their populations are listed endangered,” Martin said. “We probably only have 10 to 20 pairs of them anywhere in the state.”
What sets these birds apart from other raptors is that while most nest on cliffs, trees or other elevated areas, harriers nest on the ground. The breeding population is concentrated up north in Coos County, where there tend to be more hayfields, swamps and shrubby areas.
Northern harrier, Salisbury MA. Photo by Jack Dorsey.
“They go to great lengths to hide where they nest by landing away from the nest and walking through the grass and shrubs to get to it, as opposed to landing right on the nest, which can pinpoint where it is to anything that might be watching,” Martin said.
They build their nests in high, dry spots of wetlands in areas with shrubs and vegetation. This serves as a platform for their nest and keeps their eggs out of the water. This also means that they are surrounded by water on all sides like a moat, which adds another layer of protection. Like owls, harriers rely a great deal on their hearing, and they even have the facial disk that is characteristic of owls. Adult male harriers have a white underside and gray upper side with black wingtips and yellow eyes, according to hawkwatch.org. Below, adult females are a buff color with streaks of brown and dark brown above. Their eyes start out a dark brown but change to yellow over about three years. Juvenile harriers resemble adult females but have distinct rufous underparts.
In the wetlands they feed on frogs and small wetland birds, but they also travel upland to grassy areas and hayfields where they will follow farmers who are tending to their fields to find other prey.
Martin says, “Harriers will follow these mowers because … they’re oftentimes displacing mice and voles that nest in the grass … [and] creating grasshopper and white footed moth mortality. That makes those things just available … for the picking, for the harriers to grab and then take back to their young.”
Migration and hawk watching
With September through October being migration season for raptors, the fall (and the spring, when they return) is the perfect time for hawk watching.
Phil Brown, bird conservation director and land specialist for the Harris Center for Conservation Education, says the ideal places to spot hawks are along ridge lines with a clear opening to the north, and coastlines, as some species, like ospreys and eagles, will follow the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, hunting fish along the way.
According to Brown, broad-winged hawks make up the majority of the birds counted during the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory hawk watch at Miller State Park in Peterborough.
“We count about 15 different species of raptors that migrate throughout the fall,” Brown said. “We see hawks that [nest] in New Hampshire and surrounding New England, also species that are coming from farther north that are passing through. … The very common species, the broad-winged hawk … makes up about 75 percent of our annual count.”
The Harris Center is a regional land trust and environmental education organization in Hancock. One of its main missions is land protection, and in its 50-plus years it has helped protect 26,000 acres of land. The Center also focuses on the conservation of species in need and educates the public on these topics. The Harris Center has taken sole responsibility for the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory, which was founded by NH Audubon in 2005. Every day from Sept. 1 through Nov. 20, staff or volunteers count and document raptors during fall migration while also engaging with the public.
“It’s a perfect combination of education and research,” Brown said. “It’s a great way to engage with thousands of visitors every year. I think last year we had over 6,000 visitors, which was about average.”
Second to the broad-winged hawk is the sharp-shinned hawk, with smaller numbers of other raptors like bald eagles, osprey, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks.
“Sometimes … we have really excellent days where there are 4,000 to 5,000 hawks seen in one day from the observatory from one point, so that tends to really be something that surprises folks,” Brown said.
As far as what kind of bird you will see on a given day, this varies depending on the point in the season, as they don’t all migrate at the same time. They each respond to different triggers in the environment, whether that be availability of their food source, change in daylight length, thermal formations or the presence of ice or snow, according to Brown.
“As a result, you never know what you’re going to see at the hawk watch from day to day,” he said. “We have a good idea of who’s coming next and generally what numbers, but we get surprised up there every day to some degree.”
According to the observatory, some birds, like the red-shouldered hawk, pass through at a fairly steady rate throughout most of the migration season. The data for broad-winged hawks, however, is heavily skewed.
“[Broad-winged hawks] all fly together within a two-week period typically,” Brown said. “It’s thought to be more of a social gathering of convenience. They all have to get to where they’re going in the same conditions, so they travel on particular weather days that are advantageous to their migration, and that tends to bring them together in the same places at the same time.”
Transmitters affixed to some of these birds have located raptors traveling as far as South America, with broad-winged hawks being located in Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia, according to Brown. He adds that others, like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, have less of a journey, traveling a short way south of the state border.
Population and conservation
According to Brown, hawk populations are still in their recovery phase.
When populations were dangerously low in the 1960s, with some breeding species completely gone from the state, efforts were taken across the nation to recover them, Martin said.
“The two species that we’ve focused on the most in the last couple decades have been the bald eagles and the peregrine falcons, and both have seen great recovery,” said Sandi Houghton, wildlife diversity biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
According to Martin, in the 1960s all breeding peregrines and bald eagles in New Hampshire were gone. The culprit was DDT, an insecticide heavily used in the ’50s and ’60s that worked its way up the food chain to top-level predators like raptors, preventing them from breeding successfully. The chemical caused the shells of their eggs to be brittle and thin, which caused them to break during incubation and hindered the shells’ ability to preserve moisture and regulate gas exchange from inside and outside the egg.
“The problem was the adults didn’t die from it, so for years both eagles and peregrines were trying to breed and failing, but for all intents and purposes you’d look at them and you’d see healthy birds,” Martin said. “So the problem snuck up on us when all of a sudden those older adults started to die [and] there were no young birds to replace them. The population just plummeted.”
NH Audubon has worked with other organizations like New Hampshire Fish and Game, The Peregrine Fund and White Mountain National Forest Fund to restore the peregrine falcon population since the early 1980s. This included steps involving the land, the health of the birds and the behavior of people.
“For peregrines, the biggest problem at the beginning was they were all gone,” Martin said. “So there was an effort to return them to the state by releasing young ones that had been raised in captivity [through] a process called hacking.”
He said that two release sites were established in northern New Hampshire, as well as others in surrounding states. Audubon, along with New Hampshire Fish and Game, started asking and training volunteers to look and listen for the presence of peregrines, as well as checking cliffs for nests. In the ’80s, occupied cliffs began being documented. Signs would eventually be put up asking people to not climb in these areas. The Peregrine Fund also collected unhatched eggs to check for high levels of chemicals and the thickness of the shells. Rock climbers were enlisted to put identification bands on peregrine chicks for the purpose of documenting where they would eventually go and where they would nest.
NH Audubon provides a livestream video of a peregrine falcon nest at the Brady Sullivan Tower on Elm Street in Manchester. Martin says an adult pair lives there year-round and fledged four young this past June, marking the 23rd consecutive year the peregrines on Elm Street have produced offspring.
While peregrines are still listed as threatened in New Hampshire, according to Houghton, there have been promising signs of recovery.
“We’ve gone from seven pairs in 1990 to almost 30 pairs currently,” Martin said. “That’s been 30 years, so the population has been growing very gradually.”
Martin says similar efforts were taken to recover the bald eagle population, which has gone from zero documented pairs in the ’60s to 10 sites nests around 2000 and now 100 territorial pairs in the state.
“In 2017 we were able to delist them from our threatened and endangered species list due to their recovery, and since then we’ve continued to see exponential growth,” Houghton said. “They’re in many ways a conservation success story that serves as a model for other species.”
Hawk watches
Visit hawkcount.org for information.
Alton Bay Hawk Watch Alton Fall: Sept. 10 to Oct. 15
Carter Hill Observatory Concord Fall: Sept. 1 to Nov. 15
Your guide to Martial arts, Sports, Dance, Music and More spectacular extracurriculars
Soccer practice, theater rehearsals, painting class, guitar lessons, pointe — fall can present a packed schedule. As kids go back to school, their after-school activities also kick off a new season. Looking for something new to get your kid excited about the new school year? Or a place to build on skills? Or a sport to keep them active? Here are several area after-school activity offerings. Information is according to the organizations’ websites and social media. Registration has already begun or will begin shortly for many of these activities. Know of some fall fun not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
ART
• Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford, 672-2500, creativeventuresfineart.com) has an after-school class for the 8-to-12 age group called “Painting Fun for Children and Tweens”; the class meets on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. See the website for details.
Kids workshops at the Currier Museum. Courtesy photo.
• Currier Museum Art Center (180 Pearl St., Manchester, 518-4922, currier.org) offers weekly classes for kids and teens Wednesdays afterschool and Saturdays. The first fall session starts Sept. 20; registration opens Monday, Aug. 21.
• Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) offers youth classes and teen classes in various art forms.
• Let’s Play Music! (145 Hampstead Road, Derry, 425-7575; letsplaymusic.com) offers art classes (grouped by age) for kids ages 6 through 12 as well as classes for teens. Classes have open enrollment for students to join any time there are openings in a class.
• Paint pARTy (135 N. Broadway, Salem, 898-8800, paintpartynh.com) A stop-motion animation film class for ages 8 to 16 will run Tuesdays, 4 to 5:30 p.m., from Sept. 12 through Oct. 24. The cost is $140. Other classes in painting, drawing and art lessons in other media run continuously (for children as well as for teens and adults). Home-school and toddler-and-me classes are also available.
• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) The 10-week fall session begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. Clay classes for kids 9 to 12 years old run Monday or Tuesday afternoons at 4 p.m. (the cost is $175 for a nine-week session on Mondays or $185 for a 10-week Tuesday session); a teen (ages 13 to 18) clay class runs Thursdays at 4 p.m. and costs $200. Classes for home-school students can also be scheduled (for six or more students); contact the studio.
DANCE
Note on dance classes: In addition to monthly tuition, many dance classes also have registration, performance and costume fees. Many studios also offer discounts for siblings and for taking multiple classes per month.
• Alicia’s School of Dance (Fox Pond Plaza, 58 Route 129, Suite 201, Loudon, 406-0416, aliciasschoolofdance.com) The new season of classes begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. Offerings include a creative dance class for 2- to 3-year-olds, tap/jazz/ballet combo classes for 4- to 10-year-olds (grouped according to age), hip-hop, gymnastics and teen classes. Classes cost $60 per month for one class a week plus $20 per class for extra classes and $35 per class for siblings and parents.
• Allegro Dance Academy (100 Factory St., Nashua, 886-7989, allegrodancenh.com) offers a variety of classes for several age groups, starting with ages 1.5 to 2.5 and up to ages 14 and older. Classes must have a minimum of six dancers to run. Classes include ballet, tap, hip-hop, tumbling, boys’ intro to hip-hop, acro, jazz, lyrical & contemporary, and performance team & technique. Pricing is per family; preschool registration is $69 per month, other pricing is tiered, depending on number of classes per week, and there is an annual registration and recital fee of $65 per student or $80 per family.
• Ameri-kids Baton & Dance (Candia Youth Athletic Association, 27 Raymond Road, Candia, 391-2254, ameri-kids.org) offers baton-twirling and dance in recreational and competitive programs for kids ages 5 and up, September through May. Classes start at $65 for a 45-minute session, plus an annual $30 registration fee.
• Bedford Dance Center (172 Route 101, Bedford, 472-5141, bedforddancecenter.com) Classes start in September; tuition costs between $59 and $74 per month, based on the hours per week of class, and a $315 per month pass allows for unlimited classes. Classes are available for ages 3 through 18 with subjects including ballet, acro, jazz, tap, modern dance and ensemble for different age and skill levels.
• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) Classes begin the week of Aug. 28 and run through June 8, 2024. Dance classes include preschool ballet (starting at age 2) as well as ballet, acro, jazz and tap (for ages 5 through 18). Prices vary based on class and age and are charged monthly. BYPC also offers music and theater classes.
• Broadway Bound Performing Arts Center (501 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-8844, broadwayboundpac.com) Classes start the week of Sept. 11 and include preschool classes (ages 2 through 5), ballet, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, tumbling, musical theater, theater arts and competition classes as well as special needs classes. The center also offers adult ballet and tap. Most classes are $65 or $70 per month.
• The Cadouxdle Dance Studio (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 459-4392, thecadouxdledancestudio.com) Classes start Sept. 5. Classes start at age 3 and beginner-friendly classes are available for elementary and middle school-aged kids. Cadouxdle also offers private lessons and beginner-friendly adult classes. Offerings include tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical and more.
• Concord Dance Academy (26 Commercial St., Concord, 226-0200, concorddanceacademy.com) Classes start Sept. 18 and include tap/ballet/jazz combo classes (for ages 2 to 4 and 5 to 7), ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary (for ages 13+), pointe (also age 13+, by invitation) and karate. Tuition starts at $80. Adult classes in several subjects are also available.
• Creative Dance Workshop of Bow (1355 Route 3A, Unit A & B, Bow, 225-7711, nhdances.com) Classes start Sept. 11 and include Tiny Dancers (for ages 18 months through 3 years), Dance Kids (for ages 3 to 4), combo classes (tap/ballet/jazz or tap/jazz) grouped by age, and single-subject classes — ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, acro, lyrical/contemporary and hip-hop. There are also dance teams (auditions required) and adult classes. Tuition per class is $70 per month.
• The Dance Company (130 Route 101A, Amherst, 864-8374, thedancecompanyonline.com) Classes begin in September. Offerings include preschool (grouped by age, from under 3 through 5) classes (ballet, tumble, tap) as well as acro, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap and theater for ages 5 through 18. Lyrical/contemporary and power clinics are also offered for ages 6 and up. Monthly tuition starts at $60 and is based on length of class.
• Dance Connection Fitness & Performing Arts (8 Rockingham Road, Windham, 893-4919, danceconnectionnh.com) The new season begins Sept. 18. Combo classes, grouped by age, are available for ages 2.5 through 8 (combos include ballet/tap, ballet/tap/jazz, hip-hop/gymnastics) as well as a cheerleader/gym class for ages 7 to 10. Single-subject classes include hip-hop (starting at age 5, including an all-boys class), contemporary (starting at age 8), gymnastics (starting at age 6) and company classes (which perform and compete).
• Dance Visions Network (699 Mast Road, Manchester, 626-7654, dancevisionsnetwork.com) Classes begin after Labor Day and are geared toward age 7 and up. Subjects include ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and tumbling. Monthly tuition is based on length of class.
• The Dancing Corner (23 Main St., Nashua, 889-7658, dancingcorner.com) Classes for the fall/winter/spring begin after Labor Day. Tuition is based on classes per week and charged at the beginning of five seven-week sessions. Classes range in age from 3 through adult with pre-dance classes (grouped by age) available for kids ages 3 through 6. Class subjects include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, musical theater and more.
• Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com) Classes begin Sept. 5. Classes are available for ages 2 through adult and focuses include ballet, acro-jazz, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, tap, theater dance and more. Monthly tuition is based on class length and starts at $48.
• Happy Feet Dance School (25 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 434-4437, happyfeetdanceschool.biz) Classes start at age 2 and are available through teens. Dance classes for ages 2 through 5 include Tiny Tots, Creative Dance and Kinder Kids classes. Offerings for ages 6 and up (grouped by age and skill level) include ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and more. Monthly tuition is based on length of class and starts at $64.
• Highland Dance of NH Scot (nhscot.org) is accepting new students for its classes which will run in four sessions during the 2023-2024 school year, starting with the first session on Oct. 9. Eight-week sessions take place on Monday at 25 Triangle Park Drive in Concord, divided by ages with the youngest group (ages 4 to 6) dancing from 4:30 to 5 p.m. through a beginner class for ages 16+ at 6:15 p.m.
• Kathy Blake Dance Studios (3 Northern Blvd., Amherst, 673-3978, kathyblakedancestudios.com) Classes begin Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids as young as 1 (walking) and classes for older preschoolers include ballet, tap & ballet and AcroDance. Classes for ages 5 through 18 (grouped by age and skill) include jazz, musical theater jazz, hip-hop, lyrical contemporary, AcroDance, ballet, tap and more. The studio also offers dance teams (grouped by age) and adult classes. Monthly tuition is based on class length and starts at $60.
• Londonderry Dance Academy (21 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 432-0032, londonderrydance.com) Class offerings include ballet (starting at ages 2), jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop, acro and triple threat prep (open to ages 8 through 17). Tuition is billed every two months and is based on class length.
• Martin School of Dance (288 Route 101, Bedford, 488-2371, martinschoolofdance.com) Classes include ballet, hip-hop, tap, acro and jazz. Classes are available for ages 2 through 5, ages 5 to 7 and ages 7+, including a program focused solely on ballet. (Adult fitness classes are also available).
• Melissa Hoffman Dance Center (210 Robinson Road, Hudson, 886-7909, melissahoffmandancecenter.info) Classes begin Sept. 11 and include offerings from babies through teens. Dance focuses include ballet, tap, hip-hop, tumble, modern, lyric and jazz.
• Miss Kelsey’s Dance Studio (2626 Brown Ave., Manchester, 606-2820, mkdance.com) Classes include acro, ballet, breakdance, lyrical/contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, tap and musical theater as well as a series of classes for preschool (as young as 1.5 years) students.
• Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studios (49 Range Road, Building 2, Suite A, Windham, 458-7730, chippswindham.com) The studio will have open house events on Tuesdays, Aug. 22, Aug. 29 and Sept. 5, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The studio offers Babysteps (ages 1 to 4) programming as well as recreational (ages 2 to 19) and competitive (entering grades 3 through 12; audition required) offerings. Recreational classes (grouped by age) include combo classes featuring ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop (the mix of styles is based by age). Monthly tuition is based on length of class/number of class hours and starts at $80.
• New England School of Dance (679 Mast Road, Manchester, 935-7326, newenglandschoolofdance.com) offers a variety of classes that range from an hour or two per week for younger students to classes for students hoping for a career in dance or theater (students in the pre-professional track, for example, take 6 to 10 hours of dance per week). Dance styles include ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and acro. Monthly tuition is based on class length/number of class hours.
• New Hampshire Academie of Dance (1 Action Blvd., No. 4, Londonderry, 432- 4041, nhadance.com) Classes start Sept. 11 with classes that range from babies (Dance and Play With Me, starting at 8 months) through teen. Dance classes include ballet, aerial, hip-hop, jazz, acro, lyrical and tap. Monthly tuition is based on length of class/number of class hours and starts at $57.
• New Hampshire School of Ballet (183 Londonderry Tpke., Hooksett, 668-5330, nhschoolofballet.com) Class offerings include ballet (for kids starting at 2.5 years), tap, jazz, tumblers and lyrical. Students perform in two shows a year. Monthly tuition is based on class level and number of classes per week.
• N-Step Dance Center (1134 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-6787, nstepdance.com) Class offerings include preschool offerings (tiny tots for ages 1.5 as well as pre-dance), as well as multiple levels of ballet, lyrical, musical theater, jazz, hip-hop and tumbling. Monthly tuition varies by level and number of classes per month.
• Palace Theatres Dance Studio (palacetheatre.org) offers 11-week sessions starting in September, teaching technique and choreography in jazz, tap, contemporary and more. Classes are held at Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester. Intro to Dance is for ages 3 to 5; a tap/jazz/ballet hybrid class is offered for grades 1 and 2, and for grades 3 to 5. Classes in hip-hop and contemporary dance are offered for grades 4 to 12, and for grades 6 to 12 there are three levels of classes in tap, jazz, and dance technique. Classes cost $220 with some categories offering additional courses for $165.
• Rise Dance Studio (125 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 402-2706, risedancenh.com) Class offerings include pre-dance as well as ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop. The studio also features by-invitation ballet, hip-hop and contemporary companies.
• Showcase Dance & Performing Arts Center (5 Executive Drive, Hudson, 883- 0055, showcasehudsonnh.com) offers dance classes starting at 12 months as well as cheerleading, a competitive dance team, tumbling classes and music and voice lessons. Graded technique classes include ballet, tap, acro, hip-hop and jazz.
• Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater (19 Harvey Road, Bedford, 637-4398, snhdt.org) Open house days are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon for prospective dancers ages 18 month to adults (see the website for the specific window to try out specific dance classes). Classes are offered in divisions — preschool (ages 18 months to 6 years), youth (ages 7 to 18), pre-professional (ages 10 to 18) and adult. Youth classes include ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop. There is also a student company.
• Turning Pointe Center of Dance (371 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 485-8710, turningpointecenterofdance.com) Monthly tuition is based on number of classes and starts at $65. Classes include ballet, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop/tap.
• Unbound Dance Academy (237 Londonderry Tpke., Hooksett, 714-2821, unbounddanceacademy.com) An open house will be held Saturday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; find the academy on Facebook to see a schedule of classes offered for tryout (starting with a pre-ballet class for ages 3 to 5). Classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 7. Class offerings start with parent and tot (ages 2+) through pre-dance classes (grouped by age to 6 years old). Classes for older students include ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern/contemporary, tap, hip-hop and musical theater.
GENERAL
• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; 465-7787, beaverbrook.org) offers preschool as well as home school (with a class for 1st through 6th grade and one for 7th through 9th grade) programming, beginning the weeks of Sept. 5 and Sept. 11.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (555 Union St., Manchester, 625-5031, mbgcnh.org; 1 Positive Place, Nashua, 883-0523, bgcn.com; 3 Geremonty Drive, Salem, 898- 7709, salembgc.org; 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org; 55 Bradley St., Concord, 224-1061, nhyouth.org; 40 E. Derry Road, Derry, 434-6695, derrybgclub.com) offers a variety of before- and after-school programs that include homework assistance, sports and recreation, arts and crafts, leadership development, life skills and more. Programs and costs vary at each location and based on age. The Union Street Clubhouse has a teen center (for grades 9 to 12).
• The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Suite 105, Derry, 339-1664, culinary-playground.com) offers one-time classes for mini chefs (ages 3 to 6) and older kids (6 to 10 and 10+) as well as six-week series that meet for an hour once a week. There are also one-time kid-with-adult cooking classes. See the website for upcoming classes.
• Daniel Webster Council Scouts BSA (625-6431, nhscouting.org) is the center of information for Scouting in New Hampshire (formerly the Boy Scouts of America). Contact them for information about joining a local pack. Packs and Dens set their own start dates, meeting days and times and meeting locations. Many Packs hold fall activities where potential new members can learn more about Scouting.
• Franco-American Centre (100 Saint Anselm Drive, No. 1798, Manchester, 641- 7114, facnh.com) Children’s Beginner French is offered for ages 6 to 11 for 10 weeks, Tuesdays, Sept. 19 through Nov. 28. The classes run from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. and operate over Zoom. The cost is $150 plus a French workbook.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. Courtesy photo.
• Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains (1 Commerce Drive, Bedford, 888-474-9686, girlscoutsgwm.org) offers programs for girls in kindergarten through grade 12, focused on leadership-building, community engagement, STEM and nature. Visit their website or call to learn how to join a local troop or join as a solo Girl Scout. Troops set their own start dates, meeting days and times, and meeting locations. The council also offers programming and events.
• Girls at Work (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 345-0392, girlswork.org) offers after-school workshops for ages 8 to 13 where girls can learn building skills. Some classes are specifically offered for students of certain Manchester schools and some are open to all schools; see the website for details.
• Girls, Inc. of New Hampshire (340 Varney St., Manchester, 623-1117; 27 Burke St., Nashua, 882-6256, girlsincnewhampshire.org) Girls are picked up by bus at Nashua and Manchester schools to go to a Girls, Inc. center where they can participate in a variety of classes. The program runs from 2 to 6 p.m. (or 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on full days) with a snack and dinner provided. The cost is $75 per week; financial assistance is available.
• Granite YMCA (30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 623-3558; 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown, 497-4663; 206 Rockingham Road, Londonderry; 437-9622; 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622; 35 Industrial Way, Rochester, 332-7334; 550 Peverly Hill Road, Portsmouth, 431-2334; 35 Bartlett Ave. in Somersworth, 692-2081; graniteymca.org/child-care) YMCAs offer before- and after-school programs for kids and teens. Programs vary at each location; call the local branch. The Ys also offer athletic programs that can include, depending on the location, swimming, climbing, tennis, gymnastics, dances and a variety of sports. These programs run on sessions, with the first fall session running Sept. 5 through Oct. 23 (registration opens Aug. 21) and the second fall session running Oct. 30 through Dec. 17 (registration opens Oct. 16).
• Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com) offers classes, events and activities for children as well as adults.
• Manchester Police Athletic League (409 Beech St., Manchester, 626-0211, manchesterpoliceathleticleague.org) offers aikido, boxing, skateboarding and wrestling, as well as occasional cooking classes. MPAL is open to kids ages 5 to 18 who are attending school; membership is free.
• Mathnasium (257 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua; 1 Bicentennial Drive, Manchester; mathnasium.com) offers math classes for kindergarten through high school as well as test prep. Students are recommended to attend Mathnasium two to three times a week.
• YMCA of Greater Nashua (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 882-2011; 6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack, 881-7778, nmymca.org) offers before-school programs at Amherst Middle School and at the Merrimack YMCA (with transportation to schools included) and after-school programs at Amherst Clark-Wilkins Elementary School, Merrimack YMCA, Mont Vernon Village School and Nashua YMCA. The Ys also offer swim, dance, arts, music, sports, ninja, teen classes and more; fall programs start Sept. 5 with registration starting Aug. 28.
GYMNASTICS
• A2 Gym & Cheer (16B Garabedian Drive, Salem, 328-8130, a2gc.com) Classes in gymnastics and tumbling start the week of Sept. 5 and registration is open now.
• Flipz the Gym for Kids (Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, flipzgymnastics.com) offers classes for ages 12 months through 5 years, with ongoing openings as space is available. Classes are 45 minutes long with tuition based on number of classes taken per week. Classes are Mondays through Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Starting Oct. 1, the schedule will also include classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
• Gymnastics Village (13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8092, gymnasticsvillage.com) The school-year schedule begins Wednesday, Aug. 30. Gymnastics classes are offered for preschoolers and as after-school sessions (hour-long classes grouped by age). The studio also offers ninja challenge classes and boys’ and girls’ competitive gymnastics teams.
• Gym-Ken Gymnastics (184 Rockingham Road, Windham, 434-9060, gymkengymnastics.com) offers classes starting with walkers and preschoolers through a competitive girls team. Offerings include tumbling, gymnastics and parkour.
• Impact Gymnastics (301 River Road, Bow, 219-0343, impact-gymnastics.com) Classes start Tuesday, Sept. 5, and offerings include a preschool program (with classes for walking through 3 years old and 3 through 5 years old), a girls’ recreational program, a coed home-school program, a boys’ recreational program, a girls’ pre-competitive program and trampoline/tumbling.
• Noha’s Gymnastics Academy (200 Perimeter Road in Manchester, 518-7660; 30 Pond St. in Nashua, 880-4927; ngacademy.us) offers recreational classes as well as a team.
• Palaestra Gymnastics Academy (8 Tinkham Ave., Derry, 818-4494, pgagym.com) offers preschool, recreational and team gymnastics as well as cheer/tumble. Fall classes start Sept. 5.
• Phantom Gymnastics (142 Route 111, Hampstead, 329-9315, phantomgymnastics.com) Fall #1 session starts Sept. 11. The studio offers gymnastics for preschool and school age as well as a competitive team. Parkour and CPR education are also offered.
• Sky High Gymnastics (185 Elm St., No. 2, Milford, 554-1097, skyhighgym.com) offers classes and open play.
• Southern New Hampshire Gymnastics Academy (4 Orchard View Drive, No. 11, Londonderry, 404-6181, snhga.com) Fall session begins Aug. 28. There are classes for ages 18 months through 18 years as well as a team program.
• Spectrum Gymnastics (26 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-8388, spectrumgymnast.com) offers preschool and school-age classes grouped by age (including boys’ classes for grades 1 to 5). There are also two competitive teams.
• Tumble Town Gymnastics (444 E. Industrial Park Drive, No. 10, Manchester, 641-9591, tumbletownnh.com) offers preschool and school-age recreational and advanced classes as well as team programs. The new school year starts Sept. 5.
MARTIAL ARTS
• Al Lima’s Studio of Self Defense (28 Lowell Road, Hudson, 765-5753, alssd.com) offers year-round classes for children and adults.
• Amherst Karate Studio (Salzburg Square, 292 Route 101, Amherst, 672-3570, amherstkaratestudio.com) offers classes for kids as young as 4 through adults.
• Bedford Martial Arts Academy (292 Route 101, Bedford, 626-9696, bedfordmartialartsacademy.com) offers classes for mini masters (ages 3 through 6), as well as for school-age kids and teens and adults. The academy also operates the Elite After School program at Bedford elementary schools and on site at the academy.
• Central Tae Kwon Do Academy (222 Central St., Suite 8, Hudson, 882-5617, central-tkd.com) offers tae kwan don and taerobics (a self-defense class).
• Checkmate Martial Arts (200 Elm St., Manchester, 666-5836, checkmateselfdefense.com) offers youth martial arts for ages 5 to 13 as well as adult classes.
• Chung’s Tae Kwon Do Academy (115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 883-2577, chungs-tkd.com) offers classes for ages 4 through adults.
• Empowering Lives Martial Arts (542 Mast Road, No. 15, Goffstown, 978-414- 5425, martialartsnewhampshire.com) has programs for ages 4 through 6 and 7 through 12 as well as teen and adult programs and special abilities programs (for children and adults). There is also a cardio kickboxing program open to teens and adults.
• Eric Menard’s Complete Martial Arts Academy (220 Innovative Way, Suite E, Nashua, 888-0010, cma-martialarts.com) offers classes for kids and adults.
• Family Martial Arts of Pelham (122 Bridge St., No. 6, Pelham, 635-8323, familymartialartsofpelham.com) offers classes for tots through teens.
• Golden Crane Traditional Martial Arts (46 Lowell Road, No. 6, Windham, 437-2020, goldencranenh.com) offers classes grouped by age for age 5 through teens as well as a variety of adult classes.
• Granite State American Kenpo Karate (290 Derry Road, No. 5, Hudson, 598-5400, gsakenpo.com) offers programs for kids as well as teens and adults.
• Inner Dragon Martial Arts (77 Derry Road, Hudson, 864-8756, innerdragonma.com) is enrolling beginner kids’ martial arts programs in August. There is also an after-school program.
• Inspired Martial Arts (58 Range Road, Windham, 893-7990, inspiredmartialartscenter.com) offers martial arts classes for kids as well as adults.
• Kaizen Academy (17 Freetown Road, No. 6, Raymond, 895-1545, raymondkarate.com) offers a juniors program for ages 6 through 12 as well as teen and adult programs.
• Kenpo Academy of Self Defense (40 Manchester Road, Derry, 437-9900, kenpo-academy.com) offers preschool, kid and teen programs (as well as adults).
• Manchester Karate & Gracie Jiu Jitsu Center (371 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5838, manchesterkarate.com) offers a kid program (for ages 4 to 12) and adult programs (13+) as well as self-defense programs for ages 14+.
• The Martial Arts Zone (31 Auburn St., Manchester, 206-5716, themartialartszone.com) Beginner kids’ classes are enrolling in August. Classes (grouped by age) run for ages 5 through 15. There are also a variety of adult classes.
• Merrimack Karate (534 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-7458, merrimackkarate.com) has kid programs for ages 5 through 12 as well as teen/adult programs for 13+.
• Neil Stone’s Karate Academy (22 Proctor Hill Road, Hollis, 672-8933, neilstoneskarate.com) offers programs (grouped by age) for ages 2 through 12 as well as teen/adult programs for 13+. There is also a home-school program.
• New England Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (30 Henniker St., Unit 9, Concord, 369-4764, nebjj.com) offers a program for ages 5 to 8 and ages 9 to 13.
• Phoenix Fire Martial Arts (79 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 234-8665, phnixfire.com) offers Shotokan martial arts for ages 3 and up as well as teen/adult krav maga classes.
• Professional Martial Arts Academy (15 E. Broadway, Derry, 434-7995, pmaderry.com; 501 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-0008, pmamerrimack.com; 37 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-2455, pmaplaistow.com) offers kids’ martial arts and jiu jitsu as well as adult programs.
• Spero’s Martial Arts Academy (31 Westville Road, Plaistow, 275-7111, speromma.com) offers kids MMA for ages 8 to 13 and kids jiu jitsu.
• Tiger Black Belt Academy (11 Kimball Drive, Unit 121, Hooksett, 627-7744, tigerblackbeltacademy.com) is offering a start-up special for the fall of $99, which includes a uniform and a month of classes. Classes start at age 3½ and are available for all ages and levels of training.
• Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense (85A Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 889-4165; 20 Hammond Road, Milford, 672-2100, tokyojoes.net) offers programs, grouped by age, for kids starting at age 3, including a teen group for ages 13 to 17. There are also adult classes.
• Tokyo Joe’s Studios and Team Link NH (1338 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 641-3444, tokyojoeshooksett.com) offers youth programs including kempo karate for ages 3 through 12, Brazilian jiu jitsu for ages 5 to 15 and kickboxing for ages 5 to 12. Adult programs start at 13 or 15, depending on the discipline.
• The Training Station (200 Elm St., Manchester, 505-0048, thetrainingstationnh.com) offers programs for kids, grouped by age, starting at age 3 with a teen class for ages 12 to 14 and adult and fitness programs starting at 15+.
• USA Ninja Challenge (locations at Gymnastics Village, 13 Caldwell Drive, Amherst, 889-8902, gymnasticsvillage.com; Flipz Gymnastics, 14 Chenell Drive, Concord, 224-3223, ninjaconcordnh.com; 17 Friars Drive, Unit 18, Hudson, 417-6820, ninjahudson.com; and 444 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 935-7100, ninjamanchesternh.com) offers ninja classes starting at age 4. The Concord location offers a teen fitness class and a class for 13- to 17-year-olds. Hudson’s classes start at 2½, as do Manchester’s. There are also team programs for ages 6 and up.
• World Class Martial Arts (25 Nashua Road, Unit D3, Londonderry, 845-6115, londonderrymartialarts.com) offers classes for ages 3½ and up.
• Zenith Martial Arts (40 Thorndike St., Concord, 513-9993, zenithmartialarts.net) offers kung fu classes grouped by age, starting at age 3, as well as kickboxing for ages 14+. An after-school program for 6+ is offered, with transportation from some Concord schools.
MUSIC
• Amy Conley Music (102 Elm St., Milford, 249-9560, amyconleymusic.com) offers programs for families/early childhood and special needs; ukulele classes for teens and adults, and private guitar, ukulele, piano and banjo classes for ages 7 and up. Early fall classes start Sept. 12.
• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) offers musical programs for as young as infants and toddlers as well as lessons for older kids in guitar, voice, piano, drums and percussion. BYPC also offers musical ensembles, including rock bands (by audition) for ages 10+. Fall lessons start Aug. 28.
• Concord Community Music School (23 Wall St., Concord, 228-1196, ccmusicschool.org) offers private lessons for voice, banjo, bass, bassoon, cello, clarinet, composition, double bass, fiddle, flute, French horn, guitar, mandolin, oboe, percussion, piano, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, ukulele, viola and violin. There are also group classes and ensembles for kids and teens (including, for teens, folk, rock and jazz bands). Tuition is based on a 16-week semester; financial aid is available. The fall semester for private lessons and choral ensembles begins Sept. 11 and two weeks later for all non-choral classes and ensembles.
• Let’s Play Music! (2626 Brown Ave., Unit A2, Manchester, 218-3089; 145 Hampstead Road, Derry, 425-7575; 136 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-8940; letsplaymusic.com) has choral groups and musical theater programs and rock bands as well as private lessons in piano, guitar & bass, stringed instruments, singing, drums, horns and reed instruments, ukulele, banjo, mandolin and accordion. Kindermusik classes are available for newborns through 4 years old and Kidzrock classes are available for 4- to 7-year-olds.
• Lidman Music Studio (419 Amherst St., Nashua, 913-5314, lidmanmusic.com) offers lessons in piano, violin and viola, with individual instruction and yearly recitals, for children as well as adults.
• Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St., Manchester, 644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) offers group programs, including a jazz ensemble, orchestras and choirs. Private lessons are offered in woodwind, brass, percussion, strings, voice, music theory, composition, piano, guitar, harp, ukulele, mandolin and more. Early childhood classes are also available.
• Manchester Music Mill (329 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8022, manchestermusicmill.com) See mmmlessons.com for the lessons-related landing page. Lessons include guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, piano and voice.
• Merrimack Music Academy (1 Bryce Drive in Merrimack; merrimackmusicacademy.com, 493-9214) offers customized private music (including guitar, bass guitar and piano) and voice lesson for children and adults, according to their Facebook post.
Classes at Nashua Community Music School. Courtesy photo.
• Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St., Nashua, 881-7030, nashuacms.org) offers private lessons in piano, guitar, voice, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone and percussion. Fall session starts Sept. 11. The school also offers musical therapy for all ages, a group music class and ensembles including a rock band for current students. Introductory classes for kids include Mini Musicians (for ages 4 to 7) and Broadway Star Search (ages 7 to 10). Take a free trial lesson or try out a group class demo at the open house on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m.
• NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., No. 2017, Manchester, 660-2208, nhtunes.biz) offers lessons in voice, guitar, piano, ukulele, drum, banjo/mandolin and band instruments. There are also music discovery lessons (where a student can try multiple instruments) and music production.
• Palace Theatre Voice Studio (palacetheatre.org) offers private vocal coaching each month, in person at Forever Emma studios in Manchester and via Zoom with professional performers from around the country, for grades 2 through 12, $30 per half hour. Email meganalves@palacetheatre.org for information.
• Ted Herbert Music School (Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, tedherbert.com) offers lessons in brass, drums, guitar/bass, piano/keyboard, strings, theater/dance, voice and woodwind. Instrument rentals available. The school also holds open mic nights for musicians of all levels; the next one is scheduled for Nov. 9.
SPORTS
• Amherst Soccer Club (amherstsoccerclub.com) Programs include tots (birth year 2019 to 2021), non-travel (birth year 2014 to 2018) and travel (birth year 2005 to 2015). In addition to a fall season, there is also winter skill training and a spring season.
• Bedford Athletic Club (bedfordac.com) Registration for fall is open now with recreational programs for pre-K and kindergarten (which start Sept. 9) and 1st through 6th grade (starting Aug. 28). (Grades 1 through 4 has separate girls’ and boys’ teams.) An adaptive program is also listed. Tryouts for the travel program (open to birth years 2009 through 2016) were in the spring; the travel program runs in the fall with a spring option.
• Bedford Cannons Youth Lacrosse (bedfordcannons.org) offers teams for boys, 1st-graders through 8th-graders, and girls, 1st-graders through 6th-graders. Registration for lacrosse opens toward the end of the year (usually in early December). In previous years, indoor skills clinics take place starting in January with outdoor team practices and games beginning in April. Lacrosse for pre-K and kindergarten is outdoors only and starts in April.
• Bedford Little League (bedfordll.com) Fall baseball runs Sept. 5 through Oct. 30 with one game per week for five weeks and two weeks of playoffs. Teams are open for ages 12-13, 10-12 and 8-10. A six-week clinic is open for ages 5 to 7. The Challenger Division (adaptive baseball) runs for ages 4 to 18 (or up to 22 if the player is still in school).
• Cannons Baseball Club (Concord, cannonsbaseballclub.com) offers year-round baseball and softball. A fall baseball season runs Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 for 9U-12U, middle school and high school.
• Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 595-2400, conwayarena.com) Registration for fall skating opened Aug. 9; there are two eight-week fall sessions, one starting Sept. 6 and the other starting Nov. 1 open to ages 4 and up. A fall “Learn to Play Hockey” session for ages 5 to 9 runs from Sept. 26 through Dec. 19, and a winter session runs Jan. 2 through March 24. Registration is also open now for the Junior Hawks Hockey 2023-2024 season.
• Derry Diamond Athletic Association (derryll.org) offers baseball (ages 6 through 13) and softball (ages 6 through 14) fall programs; registration closes Aug. 25.
• Derry Soccer Club (derrysoccerclub.org) offers recreation, intertown and travel leagues. Recreational programs are open for ages 2.5 and up with fall and spring seasons. The fall season begins in September.
• Girls on the Run New Hampshire (137 Water St., No. 3, Exeter, 778-1389, girlsontherunnh.org) is offered for girls in 3rd grade through 8th grade. Registration for the lottery for a spot in Girls on the Run NH opened Aug. 7. See the website for locations, which set their own weekly meet-up and run schedules, or to start a team. The fall season culminates in a 5K on Nov. 18 in Concord.
• Granite Base Camp (300 Blondin Road, Manchester, 617-615-0004, experiencebasecamp.org) offers programming in archery, STEM, fishing, hiking, arts and crafts, environmental studies and more for ages 6 to 17.
• Granite State Kids N.H. Junior Team Tennis (granitestatekids.com) offers fall and spring programs in Bedford and winter junior team events at the YMCA in Goffstown. Fall tennis meets Mondays and Wednesdaydays and begins Wednesday, Sept. 6. Classes are available for kids as young as 5 through kids 11+, with beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate levels.
• The Icenter (60 Lowell Road, Salem, 893-4448, icentersalem.com) offers competitive and recreational figure skating, learn to skate and learn to play hockey programs (which start Sept. 16) and Top Gun Hockey.
• Londonderry Soccer Club (londonderrysc.org) offers fall and spring recreational programs as well as a travel program. Recreation programs are available for ages 2.5 through 18. There is also a Unified Top Soccer program for grades K through 8 for “athletes who need physical or emotional assistance in order to participate,” open to kids in Londonderry, Litchfield and Hudson.
• Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club (140 Lock St., Nashua, 883- 0153, longfellownh.com) offers junior tennis clinics for ages 5 through 18 of all abilities, starting Wednesday, Sept. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 29.
• Manchester East Soccer League (mesl.org) offers soccer for ages 4 through 18 (with interleague play for ages 12 through 18). Registration for fall costs $60 per player, $140 max per family.
• Manchester North Soccer League (mnsl.org) offers recreational soccer for kids ages 5 through 19 ($90 per kid for the season) and for younger kids ($55 per player).
• My Gym Children’s Fitness Center (410 S. River Road, Bedford, 668-7196, mygym.com/bedford) offers classes for infants starting at 3 months old through preschool with a few classes for older kids (up to 10 years old according to the website) including ninja training and gymnastics.
• Nashua Cal Ripken Baseball (multiple field locations in Nashua and surrounding towns, nashuacalripken.org) offers fall ball for ages 4 through 12 (with ages 4 through 6 playing tee-ball). The fall season starts in September and runs through October.
• NE Inferno Baseball (noreastersbaseball.com) operates in regional facilities including in Nashua (3 Progress Ave.) for 10U to 16U.
• NH Climbing and Fitness (10 Langdon Ave. in Concord; 715-9171, nhclimbinggym.com) The 10-week fall session begins Sept. 11 with climbing classes for ages 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9+.
• New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby (nhjuniorrollerderby.com) teaches roller derby to any gender ages 8 to 17. See the website for future sessions and events.
• New Hampshire Spartans Youth Basketball (nhspartans.com) offers three tryout dates for Seacoast and Derry AAU teams starting Aug. 20 for grades 2 through high school for a season that starts Sept. 18.
• New Hampshire Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford, 641-1313, nhsportsplex.com) offers youth flag football (grouped by ages) for ages 5 through high school and youth recreational soccer. During the past summer, the Sportsplex also offered 3X3 basketball leagues for high school and adults. An 8-week session of soccer for ages 18 months through 7 years begins Sept. 16. A Lil Dribblers basketball session for ages 3 to 12 starts Sept. 12. Tee-ball/baseball for ages 3 through 7 begins on Sept. 6. An introductory lacrosse program for ages 4 to 8 begins Sept. 9.
• Salem Youth Baseball (salemyouthbaseball.net) has a fall ball season that opens Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 28. Tee-ball is available for 4- to 6-year-olds; baseball is available for ages 7 to 14. A challenger division (adaptive baseball for children of all abilities) may also be open for fall 2023, based on player interest, and would be open to ages 4 through 22 (for players enrolled in school).
• Seacoast Fencing Club (271 Wilson St., Manchester; 261 N. Main St., Rochester, 428-7040, seacoastfencingclub.org) offers group lessons for as young as 7, as well as competitive training starting at ages 7 and private lessons.
• Tri-Town Ice Arena (311 W. River Road in Hooksett; tri-townicearena.com, 270-1024) is accepting registrations for its learn to skate, learn hockey and hockey league programs. The hockey league season begins Sept. 23; the Mini Mountain Kings/Wildcat Cubs program (for ages 4 to 10) begins its first 2023/2024 session Sept. 6.
• Vertical Dreams (250 Commercial St. in Manchester, 625-6919; 25 E. Otterson St. in Nashua, 943-7571; verticaldreams.com) offers a Youth Climbing Club, a 10-week session for kids aged 6 to 12 who are beginning climbers. The session starts on Sept. 26 in Manchester and Sept. 27 in Nashua, both running from 4 to 6 p.m. A Youth Climbing Teams is for experienced climbers ages 12 to 18 at both locations (starting Sept. 27 in Nashua; Sept. 28 in Manchester). The 10-week sessions run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on either Wednesdays or Thursdays (depending on location). For either age group, the cost is $285.
THEATER
• Actorsingers (Nashua, actorsingers.org) amateur community theater group holds auditions for Teen Actorsingers productions in spring with show dates in summer.
• Bedford Youth Performing Company (155 Route 101, Bedford, 472-3894, bypc.org) Classes begin the week of Aug. 28 and run through June 8, 2024. BYPC offers several classes in performance and acting starting at age 4 through high school as well as by-invitation musical theater classes. Students can also participate in fall, Christmas and spring productions.
• The Community Players of Concord (communityplayersofconcord.org) offer winter and summer vacation camps and workshops as well as audition opportunities through their Children’s Theatre Project. The current show being auditioned is The Sound of Music, with auditions Sunday, Aug. 13, and Monday, Aug. 14, for 16+ and Sunday, Aug. 20, and Monday, Aug. 21, for 15 and under. See the website for details and requirements.
• Kids Coop Theatre (Londonderry, admin@kids-coop-theatre.org, kids-coop-theatre.org) is open to kids ages 8 to 18. To audition for a show, membership to Kids Coop costs $30. The next show is the SpongeBob Musical, with auditions Aug. 20 and performances Nov. 17 through Nov. 19. See details about auditions and rehearsals on the website.
• The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) privdes performing opportunities in community theatre productions year-round. The fall youth production is Zombie Night; see website for audition dates.
• Palace Youth Theatre (Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St., Manchester, 688-5588, palacetheatre.org) The Palace Youth Theatre is open to performers in 2nd grade through 12th grade. The Palace Teen Company and the Palace Teen Apprentice Company are open to students ages 12 through 18 interested in pursuing theater beyond high school. Dance classes are offered (grouped by age) for ages 3 through 18+ beginning Sept. 10 and running for 11 weeks, culminating in a student showcast at the Palace Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 26. There will also be acting classes this fall. There are also several upcoming auditions for shows and for the teen companies; see palacetheatre.org/pyt/pyt-auditions.
• Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, 886-7000, peacockplayers.org) offers vacation camps as well as productions for youth (ages 6 to 14), teens (ages 14 to 18), crossover (ages 6 to 18) and all ages. Upcoming auditions include James and the Giant Peach Jr. on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 (for ages 6 to 14) and Beauty and the Beast on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 (for ages 14 through 18).
• Riverbend Youth Company (Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company) presents mainstage plays and musicals with performers ages 6 to 18. The Company will hold auditions for High School Musical on Aug. 21 and Aug. 22.
Featured photo: Tri-Town Ice Arena. Courtesy photo.
Michael Witthaus checks in with comedians and bookers about the state of the local comedy scene and looks at some upcoming shows
Comedy catch-up: Jimmy Dunn’s Beach Party
What began 14 years ago as a backyard barbecue for fellow comics at Jimmy Dunn’s beach house that ended with a show has now stretched out to five nights and become a midsummer fixture on the sandy shore. But the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 16 at McGuirk’s Ocean View, has remained true to its origins. It’s a party first, with admission contingent on making the host laugh.
“It’s my real comedy friends,” Dunn said by phone recently. “I’ve been working with them forever, and the show almost becomes secondary. We just have so much fun up here at the house … we hang out, then go down there and have a blast.”
Dunn has thought about letting fans eavesdrop on the offstage action, but it hasn’t happened. “I pitched it; I made a demo of it as a cartoon, trying to film our poker game,” he said. “But when you threaten to do that, a lot of the guys dummy up. They don’t want people hearing the real stuff that we’re saying.”
The gang ventures out for fried dough on the boardwalk; kayaking and surfing are popular as well. Given the prevalence of rip currents and other ocean dangers, Dunn does a safety check first. “Every time anybody gets to the house, before I take them in the water, I go, all right, what’s your swim level? Let’s see what we’re dealing with — how many life jackets I gotta put on you?”
That said, the wake of a storm is a magnet for Dunn and his daredevil buddies. One year he and Mark Riley hit the water after a coastal hurricane. “We went off the north beach, rode into a monster wave, and then we flipped; it was so big that people on the beach called the cops,” he said. “I heard from one of my cop buddies later, he said, ‘We got a call that two idiots were out in a kayak.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that was us.’”
Riley is back for this year’s festival, so the Coast Guard should be advised. Opening night has Harrison Stebbins, whose credits include Comedy Central and Dave Attel’s Insomniac Tour. He’s joined by Carolyn Plummer, who last year did her first Comics Come Home benefit at Boston’s TD Garden. Kelly MacFarland, Jimmy Cash and Ryan Gartley round things out, plus Dunn and Dave Rattigan, who are at all five shows.
Thursday includes Jim Colliton, who has a new Dry Bar Comedy special, and Mike Donovan, a Boston mainstay and published author. Dunn is looking forward to Friday’s show, which is a multigenerational affair.
“Tony V’s son Gus has turned into a great comedian,” he said. The young comic spent last winter in Southern California, working with Dunn on a television project that he’s not allowed to discuss due to the current actors and writers strikes.
“Everybody in L.A. is getting shut down and it’s tough,” he said. Dunn is in both guilds. “I support them a ton. Whatever they’re doing, they need to be paid fairly. I feel badly for professional actors and TV writers … they’re fighting for their livelihoods. I do what I can to support them. I am very lucky that I got to go back to stand-up comedy when those doors got closed out there.”
Dunn cautioned comedy fans about actors who might decide to jump into his livelihood to make ends meet.
“This is going to draw a lot of people who aren’t stand-up comics out to the comedy rooms, so buyer beware,” he said. “People that are funny on a show have writers. Standup is a different thing, man. You gotta be out doing it all the time. Anybody with a little bit of background can make the show look good, but do your homework before you go spend an evening with a comedian you never heard of.”
He points to a few comics that embody his ideal.
“Every time you see Gary Gulman, you’re going to see a whole new hour. Bob Marley’s got an unparalleled work ethic. He makes it look so easy on stage, but he works harder than anybody I know. I was talking to Juston McKinney a few weeks back, same deal. These are guys that every time you see them it’s a new thing.”
To that end, Dunn has some new material.
“My uncle used to be a bookie. That’s how I learned to gamble at a young age. But now you can bet pretty much anywhere legally. So one of my favorite new bits explores those two different worlds and what Uncle Sully would see if he walked into Draft Kings today. He ran his book out of a sandwich shop in Beverly. Guys would come in and buy a cheese steak and then give him $609. I’d be sitting there going, ‘I think he overpaid you, Uncle Sully.’”
While in California, Dunn encountered another new normal, the many marijuana stores that are now open. He’s less focused on weed’s new ubiquity than on whoever’s in charge of branding. “I will not do business with anyone that uses a ‘Z’ as a plural,” he said. “That means that someone already beat them to the S, and they’re hacks. Hair salons do it all the time. Now all the weed places have a Z as a plural too. It seems like every weed pun has been written, trademarked and put on a sign. I know they think it’s funny because they’re high, but these are bad puns.”
Hampton Beach Comedy Festival When: Wednesday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 20, 8 p.m. Where: McGuirk’s Ocean View Hotel, 95 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton Beach Tickets: $20 per show at eventbrite.com Lineup: Aug. 16 Carolyn Plummer, Kelly MacFarland, Jimmy Cash, Ryan Gartley, Harrison Stebbins; Aug. 17 Mike Donovan, James Dorsey, Ken Rogerson, Paul Nardizzi, Jim Colliton; Aug. 18 Tony V, Gus V, Steve Scarfo, Jason Merrill, Tony Moschetto; Aug. 19 Karen Morgan, Will Noonan, Casey Crawford, Dan Miller, Chris Zito; Aug. 20 Andrew Della Volpe, Mitch Stinson, Mark Riley, Steve Bjork, Dan Crohn. Jimmy Dunn and Dave Rattigan appear all nights.
Female forward: Mother of a Comedy Show
Kerri Louise. Courtesy photo.
Like the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival, camaraderie is the guiding force for three women performing Mother of a Comedy Show, an occasional event happening Friday, Aug.18, at Nashua Center for the Arts and Saturday, Sept. 23, at Laconia’s Colonial Theatre. Its slate of standups ― Kelly MacFarland, Kerri Louise and Christine Hurley ― have equal star power; each is a headliner.
For the shows, MacFarland opens and Hurley closes, which suits Kerri Louise just fine.
“The middle spot is the sweet spot,” Louise said by phone recently. “Everybody’s warmed up, no one’s coming in late, they’re all set up. I hit it out of the park and then go home … they’ve laughed for a whole hour nonstop and then Christine goes up, but she kills it. We’ve done it for so many years now and it’s just like clockwork.”
The fully female lineup is unique in the comedy world, she continued. “Usually, you don’t ever work with other women. I’m always the one woman on the show, the token woman, and when I get to go and work with these girls, it is so fun. We just bring energy and excitement; we’re like little kids.”
Audiences do tend to be more female. “It depends on the market and what time of year we’re in,” Kerri Louise said. “In September, it’s mostly women. The kids get back in school, they’re out and about and they can come to shows.” Jokes lean in that direction as well; one of Kerri Louise’s best deals with something she calls a “period bump” being confused with early pregnancy.
The three don’t need a target audience for their material to land, though. There’s a frustratingly enduring notion that female comics aren’t as funny as men, but it’s more self-fulfilling prophecy than anything supported by data. In Kerri Louise’s view, the situation is improving, but the battle is far from over.
“We’re getting better, but we’re not past it,” she said. “I think there’s just not enough of us and that’s why. Bookers usually are men and they’re afraid to headline women because they feel the numbers aren’t going to be there, but men are so dumb. Women decide what they’re doing for the weekend, and they tell their husbands. ‘We’re going to go to a comedy show.’ Why not headline a woman?”
The success of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon’s popular show about a housewife stumbling into standup, may have a halo effect, she agreed, but she offered a caveat. “They can’t be it if they can’t see it, so I think it helped for younger women to glorify being a comedian,” she said. “I love the show. I love the outfits. I love the ’50s. Here’s what I didn’t like about it ― it’s not easy. They make it look that way; I mean, she was a mother.”
Her husband is also a comedian. She and Tom Cotter have three sons, including a set of twins. One night she told a crowd that her twins were outside in the car while she did her set. “The reason why that’s a joke is it was true,” she said. “I didn’t have time to drop my kids off because I was in major traffic…. I did have someone in the car watching them, but I ran up on stage and I’m like, ‘Hey, how are you? I have twins in the car,’ and it got a huge laugh. I use it all the time, and now they’re 21.”
Another time, she played Atlantic City for a week. Through the casino she was working at, she hired an overpriced babysitter, who was unavailable at the last minute. “Then they got this crack addict,” she said. The show is minutes from starting and she’s telling her new care provider to please leave her sons in the bathroom in their pack-and-play for the 15 minutes she needs to open. She comes back and the kids are up and jumping on the bed, watching a movie that the babysitter has purchased.
Here’s the problem: Kerri Louise has another set to do, and for the moment this ne’er-do-well is her sole child care option.
“The only saving grace is I’m in a casino and there are cameras everywhere,” she continues. “I ran downstairs, and I said to the security guy, ‘If a woman comes with two babies, they are mine, stop her.’ I don’t know how I got through my set. I just put it on autopilot, ran back and said, ‘You’re fired.’ It wasn’t even her fault but whatever. I called the agency and then the next day I had to look for another babysitter situation. So that’s my real Marvelous Mrs. Maisel story.”
Booker report: Big rooms are back (mostly)
Lenny Clarke. Courtesy photo.
Beginning with booking a 1989 Lenny Clarke show in the back room of a Nashua gym, Jim Roach has been a force in New England’s comedy scene. His involvement began earlier; Roach worked a Henny Youngman show in 1984. He’s had a hand in appearances including George Carlin, Jay Leno, Sam Kinison, Denis Leary and an early ’90s Jerry Seinfeld/Adam Sandler double bill in Lowell, Mass.
His “all-time best” night was comedy legend Don Rickles’ show at Manchester’s Palace Theatre in 2006, when Rickles, his musical director and his road manager — who had a similar job with Frank Sinatra — took him to dinner. The evening produced some great stories.
Roach still books comedy at the Palace, along with a long list of opera houses and showcase rooms in New Hampshire. He’s got upcoming shows at Nashua’s new Center for the Arts, the Capitol Center in Concord, the Lebanon Opera House and both Colonial Theatres, in Keene and Laconia.
So Jim Roach is a good person to take the pulse of professional comedy. A recent phone interview began at a familiar point, the transition from socially distanced events to something approaching normal: “Two summers ago, when the Colonial in Laconia opened up with Bob Marley, we did seven shows and we sold them all out. That was when we felt like, OK, we’re on the right side of this.”
Demand was met with an onslaught that included some subpar efforts.
“Everybody was doing comedy shows, little bars and little places,” Roach said. “Not all of it was great … people that weren’t ready to do even those small rooms were doing it, but it gave them stage time and that’s the most important thing for any comedian.”
Overall, Roach remains cautiously optimistic.
“It really has jumped up quite a bit,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re exactly back where we were before the pandemic where everybody’s feeling like coming out, but we’re very close and I think it’s going to continue to grow over the next couple of years.”
Time-worn patterns with his client comics Bob Marley, Juston McKinney and Jimmy Dunn haven’t fully returned. “I like to be on a calendar circuit; every November Marley is at the Capitol Center, every spring he’s at the Palace. Then we’ll usually do the spring in Keene and the fall in Lebanon,” Roach said. “We’re not back in the routine yet.”
On the other hand, he said, “There’s also a lot of rooms that took time to do work on the venues, like the Lebanon Opera House is in their second phase.” Keene added its Showroom, to complement midsize spots like Manchester’s Rex Theatre and Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord; Lebanon Opera House is reportedly working on a second room.
“It really does help; when you’re booking big national artists, agents love it when you can book their smaller acts,” Roach said. “I love working with a lot of young comics, and I’ve worked with a bunch of young kids recently.”
He names Kathy Ferris, Emily Ruskowski, Carolyn Cook and Kristy Kielbasinski as some of his recent favorites. The latter is a working mother of three who published her first children’s book in 2022.
“Nick Hoff is a national comedian, he was at the Rex for me, what a great kid. He’s on the road with his family, his wife and three kids. They’re touring the country trying to do as many states as possible this summer. What a cool thing — they’re experiencing America, he’s getting to work and they’re doing it together.”
Justin Hoff is another up and comer, a mid-30s comic Roach booked to open for Marley’s recent run of shows at Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury Beach, Mass.
“There’s a lot of good stuff coming out and there are so many tools now for comics to get their message out there,” he said.
Roach is also pleased with the response to the all-female, all-headliner Mother of a Comedy Show. “I love the Mothers, getting and putting that together with them and working with them closely on it,” he said. “However, I will tell you than when I go to the show, I can’t get a word in edgewise, because they’re all brilliant and extremely funny, and all they want to do is torture me.”
On balance, “I think comedy is in a good place right now,” Roach said, adding that a plethora of venues may be a double-edged sword, but it’s good that aspirants have time and space to experiment and learn.
“They need to figure out who they are on stage, what their particular brand of comedy is,” he said. “Listen, we’re all messed up … when you go on stage, you’re able to talk about stuff that’s real in your life. Maybe exaggerate it, build it up a little bit, but if you’re coming from a place of love in your heart and the craziness that’s in your life, people in the audience are going to get it, they’re going to understand it — because we’re all messed up.”
The fan: Alt comedy has a new producer
Geneva Gonzales. Courtesy photo.
When it debuted as Laugh Free or Die 15 years ago in the back room of Shaskeen Pub in Manchester, weekly standup was an open mic affair. When cofounder Nick Lavallee and Dave Carter took it over in 2013, it evolved into an alt comedy hub, with national performers like W. Kamau Bell, Kyle Kinane, Dan Soder and Emma Willmann often stopping by. Local comics like Jay Chanoine and Drew Dunn parlayed early open mic success at the Shaskeen onto bigger stages.
Geneva Gonzales began attending shows there around 2016 and quickly became a regular. As live comedy returned after the pandemic, Lavallee announced he was leaving his role as a comedy producer, along with Carter. A worried Gonzales begged him to not let shows end permanently. His response surprised her.
“He was like, ‘Why don’t you run it?’” she recalled while sitting outside the Shaskeen, where headliner Ryan Donahue and three other comics would perform later. “I was like, OK, I will.’” Her company, Ruby Room Comedy, produced its first show on Sept. 8, 2021, and has been operating steadily since.
It turned out that Gonzales was just getting started as a comedy producer.
Last year she was approached by Don’t Tell Comedy, a national effort that sponsors pop-up shows at mystery locations, to be its lead producer in New Hampshire. More recently she began running weekly comedy shows at BLEND.603, a Portsmouth art gallery. Her new goal is “balancing those three rooms and getting them to work together,” she said.
Gonzales sounds like a seasoned pro as she discusses luring comics from New York City with the promise of routing them to gigs in multiple rooms, but seven years ago she hadn’t even seen live standup.
“I just heard people at work talking about it, and I wanted to see a comedy show,” she said about venturing to the Shaskeen that first time. “I always loved SNL, Mad TV…. When I came to this one, the level of talent opened my eyes to a whole world that I went head over heels into.”
Among the shows Gonzales has booked at the Shaskeen are Eddie Pepitone, Mary Mack, Daniel Simonsen, Mo Mussa, Shaun Murphy, Jenny Zigrino and Andrew Della Volpe. Many have performed multiple times, and the Irish pub’s beloved back room hasn’t lost a step in the transition. It continues to offer a brand of national comedy unlike anywhere else in the region.
Most unique is Don’t Tell Comedy and its unconventional way of luring fans to shows. It’s reminiscent of the movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, where a couple search for a private location where a band named Where’s Fluffy is playing, but it’s a bit easier than that, Gonzales said.
The next one happens Friday, Aug. 11, an early and late show somewhere in Portsmouth ($25 at donttellcomedy.com), and the 21+ event is BYOB. “You buy a ticket, but you don’t know who the comics are until the day of show, when you get an email with the location. We’ve done the Bookery, the Currier, yoga studios, art spaces, usually places where you wouldn’t expect to have a comedy show, and it could be a huge comic from L.A. or a local guy.”
As far as her favorite comedians, Dunn and Chanoine are high on the list, but Gonzales is hesitant to name a top moment in her two years as a producer. It’s electricity that’s happened many times.
“When you get those loud moments of laughter, you feel the energy shift in a room of people that are enjoying themselves and letting themselves go,” she said. “There’s no control sometimes when you laugh and there’s that wave … that’s the best thing. I crave it; it’s dopamine for me.”
Gonzales tries to keep an open mind with her booking. She tries to offer enough variety to please everyone, not just herself. She does try to be inclusive. “As a Hispanic female in comedy it’s been really important to me to promote diversity in my shows,” she said. “In the past we’ve celebrated different cultures with shows that include all Hispanic and all Asian line-ups and I hope to do more in the future.”
She’s also part of a group that runs monthly mental health meetups. These are “conversations about the importance of maintaining mental health and supporting each other in the New England comedy community,” she said. “In past meetings we’ve had guest speakers from NAMI, and guided meditations.”
Through it all Gonzales is still the same fan who showed up at the Shaskeen back when looking for laughter.
“Honestly, I enjoy comedy,” she said. “I’m putting on shows that I want to see, but I try and make sure that I’m getting well-rounded talent. I may not find all of them funny, but I know other people will find them funny. Ultimately I want to put on a good show. As a fan, I have that perspective where I’m playing the politics that a comedian would need to play … then at the end of the day, I sit down and watch the show and I’m ready to laugh.”
Just a joke?: cancel or consequence
There’s a growing sentiment among fans and some purveyors of comedy that goes a bit like this: “Almost anything a comic says on stage these days might get them canceled.” Most comedians get it, though — the trick is don’t be more mean than funny.
Comedy veteran and national touring standup Steve Hofstetter, who will perform in October at Nashua’s Center for the Arts, has a formula for whether a bit has crossed the line. “Jokes need to be more than fifty-one percent funny than whatever else they are, or it’s not a joke,” he said. “If there’s a joke about race that is less than fifty-one percent funny, it’s not a joke at all, it’s just a racist thing…. If something is so funny that it eclipses the subject matter that a comic is talking about, that’s what makes it a joke. If something is a little bit funny, but overwhelmingly something else, then the funny of it doesn’t matter at all.”
Two of the comics interviewed for this story offered their takes on how far is too far.
Jimmy Dunn: “There are certain things that no matter who you are you’re not going to make it funny, but people will try to make it funny. The No. 1 rule is it must be funny. Look, people are not coming out to be challenged or for you to insult their sensibilities. They’re just coming out for a good time. My attitude is usually I can write a joke that would have a point and would piss half the audience off. I have no interest in doing that. My job is to make everybody laugh, have everybody leave and have a good time. I don’t want controversy. That’s not what I do. There’s some great comics that do that that I follow and some of my friends have made great livings being the ‘I can’t believe he said that’ guy, you know? Not what I want to do. I want the husband and wife to have a great time and have a couple of drinks. I want the guy who owns the club to hand me a big bag of money and say, ‘Thanks for coming in. We’ll see you next week.’”
Kerri Louise: “I do think there is a line, but mine is so far north it’s unbelievable. The line has come down so far where you can’t even talk about a black crayon and someone’s gonna be like, ‘Wait, that’s racist.’ That’s where I get so angry and sad for every comedian. It does make you work harder; it makes you think, but it shouldn’t. Years ago, there was a line. You’re not going to be mean but you’re going to make fun of what everybody else makes fun of. When you make fun of a stereotype, everybody can get the joke at the same time. If no one has that common knowledge, how can we make fun? We’re all making fun and having a good time, so relax. Kathy Griffin, I read her book, and she’s like, ‘Find your audience, because I know I’m not for everybody.’ It’s true. But what’s happening is people are seeking you out just to cancel you. I can only wish to be canceled; that means I’m popular. But no one’s canceled me right now, so I don’t have to worry about it.”
Steve Hofstetter, again: “I happen to think that cancel culture doesn’t exist. I cannot name a single comedian who has been canceled. I can name some who have been fired. I can name some who have been arrested. But anyone that someone holds up as a canceled icon, like Louis C.K.? He hosted SNL; that doesn’t sound canceled. Shane Gillis was canceled? No, he was fired from SNL. But now he’s playing venues twice the size that he was playing before that happened. There’s no one that’s gotten canceled, because the entertainment industry is direct to consumer these days. They determine whether or not you work. So the people who are worried about getting canceled or complaining that they’ve been canceled are either liars or people who don’t want to bother writing a new joke.”
Comedy shows
Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester 707 Huse Road, Manchester; chunkys.com. Most shows start at 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. Friday, Aug. 11 Lenny Clarke Saturday, Aug. 12 Harrison Stebbins Saturday, Aug. 19 Jody Sloane Saturday, Aug. 26 Phillip Anthony Saturday, Sept. 2 Tim McKeever Saturday, Sept. 9 Brad Mastrangelo Saturday, Sept. 16 Steve Bjork Saturday, Sept. 23 Chris D Saturday, Sept. 30 Kyle Crawford Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7 Greg Fitzsimmons Saturday, Oct. 14 Marty Caproni Saturday, Oct. 21 Pat Napoli Sat., Oct. 28 Harrison Stebbins
Don’t Tell Comedy Donttellcomedy.com. Shows are at locations and with comedians announced after you obtain tickets. Upcoming shows include Aug. 11, Aug. 19 and Aug. 25, with 7 and 9 p.m. shows in a Portsmouth location.
Palace Theatre 80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org Saturday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m., Kevin Pollak (in conjunction with the Manchester International Film Festival) Sunday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. Colin & Brad: Scared Scriptless Saturday, Oct. 7, 5 and 8 p.m. Juston McKinney
Tupelo Music Hall 10 A St., Derry; tupelomusichall.com Saturday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m. Lenny Clarke Friday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m. Tupelo Night of Comedy: Tony V, Sean Sullivan and Dave Decker Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. Paula Poundstone Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m. Tupelo Night of Comedy: Paul Gilligan, Paul Landwehr Thursday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. Brad Mastrangelo, Steve Bjork and Kennedy Richard (NH Chiefs of Police Fundraiser)
Murphy’s Taproom, Manchester 494 Elm St., Manchester; scampscomedy.com/shows. Shows are Saturdays at 8 p.m. See website for tickets. Aug. 12 Janet McNamara Aug. 19 & Aug. 26 TBA Sept. 2 Dave Rattigan
Headliners Manchester At the DoubleTree Hilton Manchester (700 Elm St. in downtown Manchester); headlinersnh.com. Tickets cost $20. Saturday shows start at 8:30 p.m. Ticket sales at the door begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 Jody Sloane Aug. 19 Dan Crohn Aug. 26 Steve Bjork Sept. 2 Chris D Sept. 9 Amy Tee Sept. 16 Skip Daniels Sept. 23 Kyle Crawford Sept. 30 Cory Gee Oct. 7 Tim McKeever Oct. 14 Amy Tee Oct. 21 Brad Mastrangelo Oct. 28 James Dorsey
BLEND.603 Gallery 82 Fleet St., Portsmouth; blend603.com. Tickets start at $20. Saturday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m. Jason Cordova Friday, Aug.18, 8 p.m. Gary Petersen Saturday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m. BLEND.comedy TBA
Shaskeen Pub 909 Elm St. in Manchester; shaskeenirishpub.com. Comedy by Ruby Room Comedy, rubyroomcomedy.com. Find them on EventBrite for tickets to Wednesday, 9 p.m., shows. Tickets start at $10. Aug. 16 Ashton Womack Aug. 23 Matt Lopes Aug. 30 Jon Tillson
Colonial Theatre of Laconia 609 Main St., Laconia; coloniallaconia.com Thursday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m. Tony V, Steve Scarfo and Ryan Gartley (Franklin Animal Shelter Comedy Night) Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. Mother of a Comedy Show Thursday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m. Daniel Sloss Friday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. Brad Upton
Nashua Center for the Arts 201 Main St., Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com, 800-657-8774. Friday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. Mother of a Comedy Show Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m. Steve Hofstetter Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Chelcie Lynn
Rex Theatre 23 Amherst St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org. Most Friday Night at the Rex shows start at 7:30 p.m. and ticket prices are generally $25. Aug. 18 Al Park Sept. 15 Tony V. and Friends Sept. 22 Brian Glowacki and Friends Sept. 29 Robert Dubac’s The Book of Moron
Bank of NH Stage 16 S. Main St., Concord; ccanh.com Saturday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m. Jimmy Dunn
Music Hall The Music Hall Historic Theater is at 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth; the Lounge is at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth. themusichall.org. Sunday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m. Jen Kober (Lounge) Saturday, Sept. 2, 8:30 p.m. Nick Callas (Lounge) Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m. Pinky Patel (Theater) Friday, Sept. 29, at 6 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 30, at 6 and 9 p.m. Bassem Yousef (Lounge) Friday, Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m. Michael Carbonaro (theater) Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. Howie Mandel (Theater) Saturday, Nov. 4, 6 and 8:30 p.m. David Koechner: The Office Trivia with “Todd Packer” (Lounge) Thursday, Nov. 9, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Ben Bailey (Lounge) Saturday, Nov. 11, 6 and 8:30 p.m., Brian Glowaki (Lounge) Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m., and Thursday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. Juston McKinney’s Comedy Year in Review (Theater)
Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Nashua 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; Chunkys.com. See website for Saturday show times and ticket prices. Sept. 2 Al Ghanekar Sept. 9 Mike Hanley Sept. 16 Peter Lui Sept. 23 Brian Beaudion Sept. 30 Tim McKeever Oct. 7 Steve Bjork Oct. 14 Ace Aceto Oct. 21 Kyle Crawford Oct. 28 Brad Mastrangelo
Amato Center 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford. See bmarley.com for tickets. Friday, Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m. Bob Marley
Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St., Concord; ccanh.com Saturday, Sept.16, 8 p.m. Demetri Martin Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m. Jonathan Van Ness Saturday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. Nurse Blake Sunday, Oct.15, 7 p.m. Penn & Teller Present: The Foolers Friday, Nov. 3, and Saturday, Nov. 4, 8 p.m. Bob Marley
SNHU Arena 555 Elm St., Manchester; snhuarena.com Saturday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. Bill Burr
On July 7, while walking a trail in Goffstown, mushroom forager Christine Gagnon shared with me her No. 1 piece of advice for foraging beginners.
“Don’t eat anything until you can identify it yourself. [Not] until you’re 100 percent sure,” she said. “The only way to know if a mushroom is safe to eat is if you have learned to 100 percent, confidently, identify that mushroom on your own and you’ve researched edibility. … The only rule is to know your mushrooms before you eat them.”
With about 30,000 different species of mushrooms in New Hampshire, according to Gagnon, it’s no wonder that more and more Granite Staters are joining in on mushroom hobbies from observing, foraging and collecting, to cooking, eating and making dye.
“The interesting thing about the Northeast in general is that I think we have a greater variety of species than a lot of other parts [of the country], or at least the east in general,” she said. “So that kind of makes it exciting.”
Mushroom foraging classes and events
Mushroom Walk Join Christine Gagnon of Uncanoonuc Foraging Company for a two hour introduction to all things mushrooms and foraging in Dunbarton on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. The cost is $30 and $10 for ages 10 to 13. Children 9 years old and under are free. Email christine at uncforaging@gmail.com to reserve your spot, arrange payment and for the exact location. Find Uncanoonuc Foraging Company on Facebook.
Friday Night Forage Join New Hampshire Mushroom Co. (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com) for their Friday Night Forage this month on Aug. 4, Aug. 18 and Aug. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will walk or carpool to a neary trail to collect, observe and identify mushrooms using proper techniques. Tickets are $20.
Sunday ID Session New Hampshire Mushroom Co. (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com) will hold their Sunday ID Session on Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to bring mushrooms they have found to lay out on a picnic table for Eric to go around and identify. The cost is $15.
Can you Eat it? Mushroom ID SessionNew Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s next Can you Eat it? Mushroom ID session is on Sunday, Aug. 13, from noon to 4 p.m. starting at the farm (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com). The class begins at the farm with a brief introduction to mushroom hunting before going to the woods to gather some. Students will enjoy a meal at the farm and discuss their findings.
Mushroom Walk Join Eric Milligan of New Hampshire Mushroom for a mushroom walk at Weeks State Park (200 Week’s State Park Road, Lancaster) on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. to observe, collect and learn about mushrooms and their role in the ecosystem. Participants will meet on the porch of the Summit Lodge before the start time. Visit weeksstateparkassociation.org.
Foraging: Wild Mushroom Walk: Beginner Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) is holding a wild mushroom foraging walk on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon. New Hampshire Mushroom Foraging Co. will guide you along the trails to collect, identify and learn about the different species of mushroom. The event is recommended for adults and costs $30. Visit prescottfarm.org.
Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club in Walpole Naturalist John Benjamin and mushroom enthusiast George Caughey lead this walk through Distant Hill Gardens (507 March Hill Road) in Walpole from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31. Register at harriscenter.org.
Women in the Woods: Fun Fungi Foray Society for the Protection of NH Forests mushroom enthusiast Carrie Deegan leads this foray through the Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conservation Area in Concord (54 Portsmouth St.) on Sept. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. Learn about mushroom biology and how to collect and identify mushrooms before putting this into practice on the Merrimack River floodplain. Make sure to bring a basket to collect your findings. This event is limited to 25 participants. Register at extension.unh.edu.
Mushroom season
Gagnon founded Uncanoonuc Foraging Co. in 2021. She led me through our walk much like she would lead her foraging classes on local trails where she looks for mushrooms and talks about the different characteristics that can help people identify them. It turns out, the rain and humidity we got in July made for perfect mushroom weather. Gagnon had returned to New Hampshire from California the day before, and told me how she couldn’t wait to get back.
“I saw here that it was exploding [with] mushrooms with all the rain and suddenly, of course, [they] decided to show themselves while I was on the other side of the country,” she said. “I got back yesterday morning … and [by] noon I was in the truck … to go look for mushrooms.”
According to Gagnon, as long as they have adequate rain and moisture, mushrooms can be found and foraged anywhere, from your lawn with full sun exposure, to a shady spot in the woods under a tree.
She says August through October, ending around November, is generally the ideal time for mushroom foraging, but each mushroom has its own season, with morels popping up the earliest, usually any time between April and June.
Corey Fletcher, owner and chef at Revival Kitchen & Bar in Concord, who often cooks with mushrooms, adds that chanterelle season is typically in July and August, chicken of the woods around August and September, and hen of the woods in September and October. The seasons all depend on having the ideal weather conditions.
“A lot of times it’s related to rain,” Gagnon said. “If we have a really dry summer, we’re not going to see a lot of mushrooms until the fall when it starts to get wet again.”
Gagnon administers several groups on social media where she helps people identify mushrooms, and speaks at events where she educates people about mushrooms’ role in the ecosystem and planet.
During our walk, she told me how her fascination for mushrooms sprouted when she was in elementary school while living on her grandparents’ farm in Quebec.
“Down the road there was a log cabin in the woods that a Scandinavian family lived in and they foraged for mushrooms,” she said. “I remember going in and they had all these mushrooms on the table … and I became immediately fascinated. Even though I never did anything with mushrooms for years, that image always stuck in my head.”
Her obsession was reignited about five years ago when hiking the Uncanoonuc Mountains with her family.
“I saw the most bizarre mushroom I had ever seen at the time on the side of a tree. … I got it identified as a Hericium americanum, which is bear’s head tooth, … so that’s when I became obsessed again.”
What are mushrooms?
During our forage, Gagnon and I came across Monotropa uniflora, a plant that is often mistaken for a mushroom. While not a mushroom itself, it does rely on mushrooms to grow.
“It [doesn’t have] chlorophyll, so it can’t convert heat to energy [or] photosynthesize,” Gagnon said. “So it parasitizes the mycelium from the ground to get what it needs to grow.”
Mycelium is the organism for which mushrooms are the reproductive body. The mushrooms emit spores to propagate the organism.
As Eric Milligan puts it, the fruit body we pick, the mushroom, is like the apple on a tree. Milligan is the manager of New Hampshire Mushroom Co. in Tamworth, through which he leads forages and identification sessions. While existing underground, mycelium has a white, cotton-like appearance that he says can be found in the woods underneath logs. According to Milligan, the role of mycelium in ecosystems is critical.
“You could say mycelium is sort of like Mother Nature’s internet,” he said. “If we had four pictures next to each other of mycelium underground, … a picture of the internet and how that sends out information, a picture of the human brain and how that sends out electrical impulses and then a picture of the universe, all four pictures are exactly the same. How they operate are exactly the same.”
Mushrooms, he says, keep ecosystems all over the planet balanced, mycelium being an agent for bioremediation, the process through which biological organisms break down pollutants. He notes that mushrooms have been used to clean up oil spills, a species exists that blocks radiation, and some could potentially be used to digest plastic by turning petroleum-based hydrocarbons into biodegradable hydrocarbons.
“There isn’t an aspect of our lives right now that fungi could not benefit,” Milligan said.
Mushroom Turnovers 6-8 servings. 30 minutes.
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed according to the package instructions 8 ounces black pearl oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 Tablespoon butter 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves Salt and pepper to taste 2 Tablespoons truffle oil 3 Tablespoons balsamic glaze ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Preheat your oven to the temperature indicated on the puff pastry package instructions. Add the oyster mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and lightly browned. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mushroom mixture cool slightly. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet. Roll it out slightly to smooth the creases and create an even thickness. Cut the puff pastry sheet into squares or rectangles of your desired size. Drizzle a little truffle oil and balsamic glaze over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture a few inches apart. Bake the mushroom puff pastries in the preheated oven according to the package instructions for the puff pastry, usually around 15 to 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and flaky. Once baked, remove the puff pastries from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Recipes from New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s forthcoming cookbook, Mycophile’s Kitchen: The Culinary Kingdom Fungi
Identifying
When you spot a mushroom, you will notice many characteristics, such as its size, the color of the stem, its cap, gills, and spores, and the location where it is found. Some mushrooms even have distinct scents, like candy caps, which Gagnon says smell like burned sugar or maple syrup. There are various factors to consider, making the identification process very tedious. While people often try to make generalizations on how to identify them, Gagnon says there is no one way to identify any mushroom. The description of one mushroom could match that of a totally different one.
“A lot of mushroom books have a key where you start by saying, ‘Does it have gills, pores, tubes or teeth?’”she said. “‘Does it have a stem or does it not have one? Are there decorations on it? ….’ There are so many things to look at when identifying and the rules aren’t across the board, so you really have to learn each mushroom or least genus of each mushroom.”
While it’s important to be confident in the identity of a mushroom, confidence can be a killer.
“Sometimes when people are new they start to get a little confident,” Gagnon said. “Deadly mushrooms I think make up 0.2 percent of all the mushrooms in the world, so it sounds very small, but they occur a lot. They’re here all the time. There’s a mushroom called Galerina marginata, also called funeral bells or deadly Galerina, and it looks very much like some more edible mushrooms.”
Gagnon cited a time when someone posted a picture on social media announcing that she found what she thought was wild enoki and was going to cook with them for Thanksgiving. Come to find out, it was actually Galerina.
“I [was] desperately trying to reach her and message her not to eat those,” Gagnon said.
Luckily she saw Gagnon’s message before it was too late.
Common edible mushrooms
According to Gagnon, some of the most common edible types in the state are chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, chanterelles and black trumpets. The following descriptions come from Michael Kuo at mushroomexpert.com.
Chicken of the Woods. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus and Laetiporus cincinnatus)
Characteristics: Perhaps the most obvious characteristic for this mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) is its yellow and orange colors, but the suede-textured caps eventually become dull, sometimes almost white as they age. They can grow to be 90 centimeters across with overlapping clusters and no stem. Their flesh is thick, watery and soft when they are young, but becomes tougher with age.
Where they grow: Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is a saprobic mushroom found living on oak trees, dead or live ones, and sometimes on other hardwoods as well. Gagnon adds that Laetiporus cincinnatus has a white pore spore surface with rose and peach colors, and this mushroom appears to grow near hardwoods from the ground.
Hen of the woods. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa)
Characteristics: Hen of the woods has clusters of brown caps spanning 15 to 40 centimeters across and 10 to 30 centimeters high. Each individual cap is around 3 to 14 centimeters across, can be dark to a pale gray-brown and are usually fan-like in shape.
Where they grow: These mushrooms can be found near the base of oak and hardwood trees.
Chanterelles. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Chanterelles
Characteristics: There is an unknown number of chanterelle species, and not all will match any given description. In general, they are usually recognized as being medium or large-sized mushrooms ranging from yellow to orange in color. They are known for their fruity aroma, similar to the smell of apricots.
Where they grow: Chanterelles do not tend to have any specific mycorrhizal relationships. They are usually found in hardwood forests.
Black trumpets. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Black trumpets (Craterellus fallax)
Characteristics: The cap and stem of black trumpets are not as clearly defined as in other mushrooms. While they are black, their outer surfaces can turn yellow or orangeish as the spores mature. They stand about 3 to 9 centimeters high and 1 to 5 centimeters wide with smooth, sometimes slightly wrinkled outer surfaces and have thin, brittle flesh.
Where they grow: Black trumpets are mycorrhizal with oaks and possibly other hardwoods as well and are usually found in mossy areas.
According to Gagnon, they can also be found in dead oak leaves. She says they grow in small clusters or scattered loosely down embankments and slopes where water travels after rainfall.
Common toxic mushrooms
These descriptions also come from Michael Kuo at mushroomexpert.com.
Jack O’Lanterns. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Jack O’Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens)
Characteristics: Jack O’Lanterns, often confused with chanterelles, are bright orange mushrooms with gills that run down the stem and spores that are white or pale yellow.
Where they grow: You will find these mushrooms often growing in large clusters on buried roots or stumps.
Deadly galerina. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
• Deadly Galerina or funeral bells (Galerina marginata)
Characteristics: Deadly Galerina are fairly small mushrooms with brown or tawny colored caps
Where they grow: They grow on rotting hardwoods and conifers.
Gagnon adds that they can also be found in mulch.
Cooking with mushrooms
From broth to tea, the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with mushrooms. Each mushroom has its own flavor, which is something you likely have not experienced if you’ve only ever had mushrooms from the grocery store.
“In the grocery store, if you buy a button mushroom, a baby bella or a portobello, those are all the exact same mushroom at different stages of growth, so they’re not going to taste much different,” Gagnon said. “If you don’t like mushrooms and that’s all you’ve ever had, I would always suggest trying wild mushrooms because … each mushroom has a completely different flavor.”
One of Gagnon’s favorite mushrooms to eat is chicken of the woods. When it’s young, she says, it has a moist, meaty texture with a hint of lemon flavor, and as the name suggests, can be prepared the same way you would prepare chicken for many dishes.
“Hen of the woods [is] very similar but they have the tendency to be more flaky,” Fletcher said. “They have more of a grain to them so you can almost shred them. Some people will make a pulled mushroom dish with them depending on the size. I’m simpler in my preparation of them [as] I just want the natural mushroom flavor, look and texture to be there, so I’ll just do a quick sauté with oil or butter, salt [and] maybe a little … garlic and let them speak for themselves.”
Gagnon adds that hen of the woods, which she says has an earthy umami flavor, is very versatile, makes for a great chicken marsala, and can be pickled and made into jerky.
Chanterelles, on the other hand, have a fruity aroma according to Kuo. Fletcher, who says their texture is soft and meaty, loves to pair them with corn as the earthiness of the mushroom pairs well with the sweetness of the corn.
According to Fletcher, there are some classic Italian recipes that call for mushrooms. Black trumpets, which have a strong, sweet aroma and nutty, smoky taste according to Gagnon, are often the one of choice for risotto. Mushrooms also offer nutritional value, according to Milligan. He gives the example of king oyster mushrooms, which have five grams of protein, fresh weight, and all 11 essential amino acids.
In order to reap the nutritional benefits, he says almost all mushrooms need to be cooked, as humans do not have enough of the necessary enzymes to break down the mushroom’s cell structure. In fact, some mushrooms are toxic if eaten raw. Button mushrooms, brown mushrooms, baby bellas and portobellos, which are all the same species, contain chemicals that do not flush out of your system but instead build up in your liver when consumed raw. Heat is required to cook these chemicals away.
Buying fresh mushrooms
Two mushroom varieties that you are likely to find at local farmers markets this season are chestnut mushrooms and black oyster mushrooms. These mushrooms are listed on Joyberry Farm’s website as seasonal mushrooms as well as on New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s website as mushrooms that they cultivate. Joyberry Farms attends the Bedford, Nashua and Salem farmers markets, and New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s products can be found at the Concord farmers market.
Once you get them home, Fletcher says, it is best to keep them in a cool, dry place, ideally the refrigerator. As far as when to eat them, he says the fresher the better.
“You want to try to eat them as soon as possible because the quality of them is just going to diminish [and] you’re not going to get as much flavor out of them,” he said.
According to New Hampshire Mushroom Co., phoenix oyster mushrooms have a mild flavor that makes for a great addition in creamy soups, over pasta, with eggs or other lighter dishes. This fluffy, woodsy-flavored mushroom, as reported by Joyberry Farms, is very versatile and is also great when sautéed with butter or olive oil, onions and garlic.
Chestnut mushrooms have a nutty flavor that goes well in gravy, stuffing, stir-frys and roasted with chicken, according to New Hampshire Mushroom Co.
Salem NH Farmers Market (1 Mall Road, Salem) Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Devriendt Farm (178 S Mast St., Goffstown)
Blueberry and Black Trumpet Mushroom Upside-Down Cake 2 servings. 15 minutes
Ingredients for the topping: ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 cup fresh blueberries 4 to 6 black trumpet mushrooms, sliced
Ingredients for the cake: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup milk zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle in blueberries and sliced black trumpet mushrooms. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Fold in the lemon zest, if using. Spread the batter over the topping in the cake pan, ensuring it’s even. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert the cake onto a serving platter or plate.
Recipes from New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s forthcoming cookbook, Mycophile’s Kitchen: The Culinary Kingdom Fungi
Dyeing with mushrooms
One of the things I was most surprised to learn during my walk with Gagnon was that mushrooms can be used to make dye. According to Allison Allen, this is a fairly new phenomenon.
“The earliest publication on using mushrooms to get a rainbow of color is from the 1970s from Miriam Rice out of Mendocino, California,” she said. “She was a natural dyer and was drawn to experimentation with it … found mushrooms and threw them into a pot of boiling water, simmered them with wool and, lo and behold, she started getting really promising results of color. We’re still in our infancy of discovery with what fungi can do as far as getting color.”
Allen started her business, Mycopigments, a term she coined back when she started dyeing with mushrooms in 1998, in 2011. From Seattle, Washington, Allen travels where she is requested to hold workshops. Having formerly lived in Massachusetts right on the New Hampshire border, she would often forage mushrooms in New Hampshire, and still comes back to the Granite State to collect mushrooms for dyeing.
“It’s a pretty simple process … and there are some nuances to testing mushrooms for color that I teach in my workshops,” Allen said. “Basically, you boil the mushrooms and you add the fiber and then that mushroom imparts color into that fiber and it’s permanent … brilliant dye.”
When choosing what fiber you want to work with, Allen says that wool, or other protein, animal-based fibers like silk, work best. In some instances you can even add mordant, mineral salts such as aluminum sulfate or ferrous sulfate, to intensify, brighten or darken the colors. For efficiency, Allen prefers to dry her mushrooms before using them for dye due to their high water content.
“It takes away the guessing game of how much mushroom you have to dye your wool,” she said. “When you’re dyeing wool you use one part mushroom to one part fiber by dry weight, so if you have an ounce of wool, you’re going to need an ounce of dry mushroom, which is actually a lot of mushrooms. But if you had an ounce of freshly picked mushrooms, depending on where you are with the rain cycle, they could be 99 percent water and so that ounce isn’t very much mushroom dye material. It’s just water so you can miscalculate and get disappointing results, so by dehydrating them you take away that guessing part.”
One New Hampshire mushroom that is suitable for dyeing is Cortinarius semisanguineus. These are small mushrooms, about 2 inches across with a mustard-colored cap and blood-red gills and result in a bold red when used with aluminum sulfate mordant. Red dye, according to Allen, is historically considered one of the most precious.
Dyer’s Polypore is a fairly common mushroom in New Hampshire that grows with conifers and pine.
“It is one of the strongest dye-makers in the fungal world, so a little bit goes a long way for that mushroom,” Allen said. “If I find it fresh and young … [I] can get away with using one part fungus to five parts fiber. … It will make a brilliant yellow and a deep gold and a nice olive green depending on how you extract the dye and what mordants you add.”
It is fairly simple to achieve yellow according to Allen. She breaks up the fungus into smaller pieces and adds a splash of vinegar to the mix. If you’re more advanced, you can add modants to get the yellows to come out, but vinegar does the trick just fine, she says.
To get a green hue, add iron by using ferrous sulfate power. You can even use iron vitamins, Allen says, after washing off the coating.
The most complicated color to achieve from dyeing with mushrooms is blue. To get a dye this color from mushrooms, Allen says you need identification skills, as very few mushrooms have the potential to make blue, access to pristine forests and a little bit of open-mindedness on the definition of blue.
“Blue is really hard to achieve in the mushroom dye world, especially as a beginner,” Allen said. “You have to have the right mushroom, you have to pre-mordant your fiber … then you have to monitor the pH of the extraction and then you can get, if you’re lucky and the temperature didn’t get too hot, some blue-green shades.”
Mushrooms in New Hampshire that have this potential belong to the Hydnellum, Sarcodon and Feldon genuses.
A mushroom that proves that what you see isn’t necessarily what you’re going to get for dye is Tapinella atrotomentosa, a suede brown-colored mushroom with tan gills that makes purple without any mordants and a deep forest green when iron is added.
According to Allen, the most prized dye species in New Hampshire is the Hapalopilus.
“This mushroom makes a purple dye that is dark and deep and really permanently binds to the fiber, so in that way I think it’s one of the most precious purple dye makers in the world because other purple sources tend to have some fading and some trouble with sticking around.”
According to Allen, mushroom dyeing is a very approachable mushroom hobby.
“You go out and you forage them and you don’t have to worry about if they’re edible or poisonous or anything,” Allen said. “it’s a really accessible way to get your hands on mushroom hunting without taking any risks at all. It’s a way to get engaged with nature and access these colors.”
Featured photo: Chanterelles. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.
