Category: Featured Content

It’s Hippo’s Holiday Guide — our annual listing of seasonal excitement from Drinksgiving (a.k.a. the night before Thanksgiving) through New Year’s Day. Find your cookie tours, your parades, your Nutcracker productions and your Christmas Vacation screenings plus so much more!

Know of a bit of holiday cheer we missed? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com. Now pull up your calendar and start loading your schedule with holiday fun!

The king of pre-gaming

Thanksgiving Eve offers many options

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

The night before Thanksgiving has a few names, but the event has become an institution. Whether you’re sober (or sober-curious) and think of it as Friendsgiving, or you’re all about the Drinksgiving party, there are plenty of ways to get ready for overeating and hearing far-flung family members overshare. Second only to New Year’s Eve as the busiest night of the year for most bars and restaurants, it’s an evening to reconnect and get ready for the long weekend.

Here’s a varied list of options, everything from sit-down shows to contra dances, trivia or karaoke, even a record swap.

• 603 Bar & Lounge (368 Central Ave., Dover, 742-9283) Try out your rendition of “I Will Always Love You” at Wings and Karaoke Night.

• Angel City Music Hall (179 Elm St., Manchester, 931-3654) Not Fade Away Band mashes up the Grateful Dead with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Band, The Allman Brothers and more.

• Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) Dueling Pianos are on stage, with a lively time available in the upstairs lounge.

• Bonfire (950 Elm St., Manchester, 217-5600) CMA touring artist Nikki Briar performs country rock hits and a few originals.

• Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, 744-3518) Andy Bauer’s band No Shame takes the BINN stage.

• Chop Shop (920 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-7706) Karaoke and Cocktails with DJ Manny.

• Copper Door (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677) Phil Jacques plays classic rock covers.

• Copper Door (41 S Broadway, Salem, 458-2033) Up and coming singer-songwriter Rebecca Turmel entertains.

• Derryfield (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880) D-Comp Trio, favorites at this venerable Manchester night spot, perform.

• Dover Bowl (887 Central Ave., Dover, 742-9632) Two guys with guitars, M & D Acoustic Duo play rock because they love it.

• Earth Eagle Brewings (175 High St., Portsmouth, 502-2244) Modern Records pop-up with vinyl listening, buying and trading.

• Fody’s (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015) Joe McDonald, World Tavern Trivia and DJ Rich Karaoke.

• Fody’s (187 Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946) Jake Young Duo, Has Beens, Rockingham Boys.

• Fratello’s (799 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-2022) Richard Cumming on the piano.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022) Jeff Mrozek plays classic rock covers.

• Getaway Lounge (157 Franklin St., Manchester, 627-0661) Pulpit plays classic rock that’s not too hard and not too soft.

• Giuseppe’s (312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3313) Mary Fagan, who’s in the Honey Bees and other groups, performs on guitar and vocals.

• Hare of the Dawg (3 East Broadway, Derry, 552-3883) Country girl, singer, songwriter and musician Bella Perrotta debuts.

• Hermanos (11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669) Kid Pinky channels the blues.

• Homestead (641 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-2022) Exciting young vocalist and piano player Jordan Quinn performs.

• Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 888-603-5299) Blues rock prodigy Quinn Sullivan headlines.

• Lafayette Club (34 High St., Nashua, 889-9860) Anyone who misses catching up with old friends at the Grainery Thanksgiving Eve can hang with the Milk Crates, playing classic rock and soul, with a $10 cover.

• Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, 519-7506) Eric Grant Band performs a big stage show, $15 and up at etix.com.

• Liquid Therapy (14 Court St., Nashua, 402-9391) Thanksgiving Eve celebration with beer specials.

• Lynn’s 102 Tavern (76 Derry Road, Hudson, 943-7832) Rock Junkies play covers from the ’70s going forward.

• Michael’s Flatbread (8 Stiles Road, Salem, 893-2765) “Song Man” Eddie Sands, a favorite at this bar and grill, performs on guitar and vocals.

• Napoletana Pizzeria & Bar (14 Market Square, Portsmouth, 570-3610) Redemption Band reggae party.

• Pasta Loft (220 E Main St., Milford, 378-0092) Mostly ’90s keeps the party going with cover songs.

• Patrick’s (18 Weirs Road, Gilford, 293-0841) Impress your pals with your Game Time Trivia prowess.

• Penuche’s Ale House (Bicentennial Square, Concord, 228-9833) It’s the weekly open mic with Curtis Arnett.

• Penuche’s Ale House (4 Canal St., Nashua, 595-9831) Thanksgiving Eve party; call for details.

• Peterborough Town House (1 Grove St., Peterborough, 924-8000) Thanksgiving Eve Contra Dance with Steve Zakon-Anderson, Oliver Scanlon, Rose Jackson and Helen Kuhar providing the music.

• Pipe Dream Brewing (40 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751) DJ Ache, up late with food and beer specials.

• Portsmouth Book & Bar (40 Pleasant St., Portsmouth, 427-9197) Singer-songwriter open mic night hosted by Liza Lynehan.

• Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186) The Bulkheads EP release show w/ Good Trees River Band.

• Sabatino’s (52 Merchants Row, Derry, 432-7999) Sunset Rhythm is an acoustic duo playing modern country, pop and classic hits.

• Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313) Thanksgiving Rockin’ Eve featuring Rustfeather.

• Sayde’s (136 Cluff Crossing Road, Salem, 890-1032) George Williams Band.

• Seasons at The Brook (319 New Zealand Road, Seabrook, 474-3065) James Kennedy, of Vanderpump Rules fame, $30.

• Shaskeen (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246) DJ Myth keeps an annual tradition alive at this downtown mainstay.

• Stark Brewing Co. (500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444) Karaoke Night with DJ Sharon.

• Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) Geeks Who Drink Trivia is followed by The Milque Pilgrimage hosted by Skunk Jesus.

• Strange Brew (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292) Music from Slim Volume, which began as a 2021 collaboration between singer-songwriters Trent Larrabee and Jake DeSchuiteneer and grew into a full band this year.

• Stripe Nine (8 Somersworth Place, Somersworth, 841-7175) Seacoast favorites Dancing Madly Backwards perform at this craft brewery.

• Stumble Inn (20 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 422-3210) Cutting-edge classic rock cover quintet The Slakas bring the party.

• Telly’s (235 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-8225) The 603s, with Paul Costley and Clint LaPointe, perform rock covers.

• The Goat (142 Congress St., Portsmouth, 590-4628) Singer-songwriter Jamie Cain performs.

• Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St, Portsmouth, 427-8645) Portsmouth favorites Jamsterdam perform upbeat covers, rap mash-ups and catchy originals.

• To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947) Back to the ’80s party with DJ Shamblez starting at 6 p.m., ’80s attire strongly encouraged.

• Uno Pizzeria & Grill (15 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 226-8667) Singer and guitarist Scott King, who many remember from his time in local cover band Without Paris, performs.

• Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, 926-6954) The Bad Wolves and Uncured tour stops by for a 21+ show, $29.50 at ticketmaster.com.

First run, then pie

Turkey trots and other holiday season road races

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

Looking to get in a quick 5K before your holiday feast? Here are some of the road races happening this season.

Thanksgiving day races

• The Thanksgiving 5K sponsored by Dartmouth Health and the Fisher Cats will take place on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 9 a.m. at Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Prior to the race there will be a Lil’ Turkey Trot 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 to 8:45 a.m. at the stadium. Registration costs: adult (ages 12+) $35 in advance, $40 race day (based on availability). All proceeds will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank. See millenniumrunning.com to register.

• The Rotary Club of Merrimack’s 5K Turkey Trot starts at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 23. See merrimackrotary.org.

• 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. Registration: adult $35, youth $25, kids $15. Same-day registration increases price by $5. See totalimagerunning.com.

• 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 Free Fall 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 and begins and ends at the Rochester Community Center (150 Wakefield St. in Rochester). Registration costs $25 for adults, $20 for ages 13 to 17, $15 for ages 7 to 12, and is free for 6 and under (plus $5 to register on race day). See freefall5k.com.

• 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 28th Annual Windham Turkey Trot,which offers 1-, 3- and 5-mile options, starts at 9 a.m. at 74 Blossom Road in Windham. Registration costs $30. See windhamturkeytrot.org

Thanksgiving weekend races

• The Amherst Junior Women’s Club will hold its Trot Off Your Turkey 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run on Friday, Nov. 24. The fun run starts at 9 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9:30 a.m.; both runs start and end at the Congregational Church in Amherst. Registration costs $30 for the 5K and $10 for the fun run. See ajwcnh.org

• Bishop Brady High School (25 Columbus Ave. in Concord; bishopbrady.edu) will hold its Galloping Gobbler 4-mile race on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 9:30 a.m. Registration costs $30 for ages 16 and up and $20 for ages 15 and under. Bib pickup is 8 a.m. on race day. Find the link to the registration site via Bishop Brady’s Facebook page.

Rest of the season

• BASC Santa Claus Shuffle 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. See millenniumrunning.com to register.

• 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 $45 after Nov. 1, $50 on the day for timed runners; $40 after Nov. 1 and $45 on the day for untimed runners (both include shirt and jingle bells), according to events.arthritis.org.

• 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). See millenniumrunning.com to register.

• Apple Therapy and Derry Sports & Rehab Millenium Mile on Monday, Jan. 1, at 2 p.m. Start off 2024 with a one-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. See millenniumrunning.com to register.

Christmastime in the city

Head to downtown Nashua for annual Holiday Stroll

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

Nashua will ring in the holiday season with its 28th annual Winter Holiday Stroll, spanning approximately half a mile of the downtown area, on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 4 to 9 p.m.

The streets will be closed as of 2 p.m. and a shuttle service will be available to bring people to the downtown area leaving from Rivier University and Holman Stadium beginning at 3 p.m.

“Nashua’s Holiday Stroll is a cherished tradition that has been taking place since the 1990s,” said Paul Shea, the executive director of Great American Downtown. “It is a homecoming of sorts for a lot of people who are back for the holidays visiting family, who grew up in the area, as well as a great way for residents to connect with each other and see each other out and about at the event and a great way to explore downtown Nashua.”

The event begins with a candlelight procession along Main Street for the lighting of the holiday tree. More than a dozen food vendors will be present, as well as Santa at the Nashua Center for the Arts from 1 to 4 p.m.

“We [will] have a variety of offerings … from fried dough carts to full-service food trucks and everything in between … as well as, of course, an opportunity to meet Santa and for kids to let him know what they would like most for Christmas,” Shea said.

In addition there will be rides, games, ice sculpture carving, the annual Holiday Stroll Craft Fair at St. Patrick’s Church from 3 to 9 p.m. and live entertainment indoors and outdoors.

“There’s over 40 [performances] scheduled, everything from choral singers to rock bands to hip-hop groups. It’s an eclectic mix of entertainment,” Shea said. “We really appreciate … [our] partnership [with] the City of Nashua, all of our talented performers, our sponsors and vendors [and] the whole community coming together to make an exciting night in downtown Nashua possible.”

Winter Holiday Stroll
When: Saturday, Nov. 25, 4 to 9 p.m.
Where: downtown Nashua

Three ghosts and the Mouse King

Where to find A Christmas Carol & The Nutcracker

Compiled by Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

They’re the pillars of holiday season theatrical productions: A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker. Want to see one of these classics or a riff on same? Here are some of the productions on offer.

• Gerald Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, brings his one-man performance of A Christmas Carolto the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua) on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $37 to 47. Visit nashuacenterforthearts.com. Dickens will also perform at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45. Visit tickets.anselm.edu to purchase tickets online.

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) presents A Christmas Carol from Nov. 24 through Dec. 23, with showtimes on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with an additional show on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $59. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• The Methuen Ballet Ensemble performs The Nutcracker on Saturday, Nov. 25, at noon and 4 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $35. Visit tickets.anselm.edu.

• New England Dance Ensemble presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 26, at 4 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (4 Geremonty Drive, Salem). Tickets cost $35 to $55. Visit nede.org for more info.

• The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) presents What the Dickens, an improvised comedy version of A Christmas Carol, on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Visit playersring.org/shows/stfdickens.

• Safe Haven Ballet performs The Nutcracker at the Colonial Theater (609 Main St., Laconia) on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 26, at 1 p.m., at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua) on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. and at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45 for adults and $40 for students and seniors. Visit safehavenballet.org/events for more info.

• Sole City Dance presents The Nutcracker at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $26 for adults and $22 for students and seniors. Visit solecitydance.org.

• The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) presents Dickens’ A Christmas Carol from Dec. 1 through Dec. 17, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for students, seniors and members and $19 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) presents A Christmas Carol from Dec. 1 through Dec. 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., with an additional performance on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $31 for adults, $28 for students and seniors and $18 for children under 12. Visit playersring.org/shows/carol-23.

• The Bedford Dance Center presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $25. Visit tickets.anselm.edu to purchase tickets online.

• Portsmouth School of Ballet presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Exeter High School auditorium (1 Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter). Tickets cost $25, can only be purchased with cash or check and can be purchased at the box office or in advance at 95 Brewery Lane in Portsmouth. Visit psb-nh.com/nutcracker.

• North Country Center for the Arts presents A Christmas Carol: The Musical Ghost Story at Jean’s Playhouse (34 Papermill Drive, Lincoln) from Dec. 8 through Dec. 10, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $32 for adults, $28 for seniors and $25 for juniors. Visit jeansplayhouse.com/shows/a-christmas-carol to purchase tickets.

• The Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) presents A Christmas Carol from Dec. 8 through Dec. 23, with showtimes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 5 p.m. and additional performances on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Saturday, Dec. 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $22 to 32. Visit rochesteroperahouse.com.

• Northeastern Ballet Theatre performs The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. at the Kingswood Art Center (396 S. Main St., Wolfeboro). There will be additional performances at the Paul Creative Arts Center (30 Academic Way, Durham) on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $17.50 for students and children. Visit northeasternballet.org.

• Turning Pointe Center of Dance presents The Nutcracker at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 at the door or $23 in advance at the dance school (371 Pembroke Street, Pembroke). Visit turningpointecenterofdance.com.

• Dance Visions Network presents The Nutcracker Suite Acts I & II on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $24. Visit tickets.anselm.edu to purchase tickets online.

• Ballet Misha presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1 and 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children under 18. Visit tickets.anselm.edu to purchase tickets online.

• New England School of Dance presents The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theater at Pinkerton Academy (5 Pinkerton St., Derry). Tickets cost $32.50. Visit facebook.com/newenglandschoolofdance.

• The New Hampshire School of Ballet presents The Nutcracker on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (14 Canterbury Road, Concord). Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at the studio (183 Londonderry Turnpike). There will be an additional performance on Sunday, Dec. 27, at 6 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the box office or online at palacetheatre.org.

Santa and the Grinch

More theatrical productions this season

Compiled by Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

The Grinch, George Bailey and the Herdman family will be on the stage this holiday season. Here are some of the non-Christmas Carol, non-Nutcracker productions.

• Pontine Theatre presents A New England Christmas at the Plains School (1 Plains Ave., Portsmouth) with performances on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec 1, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec 2, at 3 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec 3, at 2 p.m. The show includes an original adaptation of Frank Stockton’s “Captain Eli’s Best Ear,” the story of a widowed sea captain’s quest for a new family, with musical accompaniment by Ellen Carlson of the New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble. Tickets are priced at $32 for general admission and $29 for seniors and students. Visit pontine.org.

• Theatre Kapow will presentThe Thanksgiving Playon 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 New Hampshire Theatre Project (959 Islington St., Portsmouth) presents It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play from Saturday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Dec. 10, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $28 to $32. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.

• The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents I’d Rather Be Naughty Than Nice featuring Tina Burner on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7:30 p.m. The show includes a musical performance examining the relationship between Mrs. Claus and Kris Kringle, with arrangements by Blake Allen. Tickets are priced between $47 and $87. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4793.

• Safe Haven Ballet presents The Grinch, a ballet choreographed by Miranda Bailey, at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia) on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors 60+, and $25 for students age 17 and under. Visit coloniallaconia.com.

• The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents The Truth About Santa! from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20, with performances on Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. The apocalyptic holiday tale is a comedic take on Santa’s marital woes and is recommended for “grownups who want a naughty giggle,” according to the website. Viewer discretion is advised. Tickets cost $37 to $62. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4793.

• Bedford Youth Performing Company presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Derryfield School Theatre (2108 River Road, Manchester) with performances on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m. The play is an adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s holiday classic that tells the story of the Herdmans, the worst kids in the history of the world, who take over the annual Christmas pageant. Ticket prices are $17.50 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Call 472-3894 or visit bypc.org.

• Get ready for holiday chuckles with Ken Sheldon’s Frost Heaves Christmas, returning on Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m., to The Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey). Tickets are $20. Call 532-9300 or visit theparktheatre.org/frostheaves.

• Break a Leg Legally presents A Nice Family Christmas by Phil Olson at The Strand (20 Third St., Dover). Performances are scheduled for Fridays, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, and Saturdays, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, at 8 p.m., and Sundays, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. The play follows a young newspaper reporter on Christmas Eve as he encounters family antics and drama. Tickets are $20 for evening shows and $18 for matinee performances. Visit breakaleglegally.com.

• The Concord Dance Academy invites you to the Spectacular Holiday Show at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Performances are on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. The event also features a family baked goods sale, a holiday 50/50 raffle and a complimentary Santa photo. Tickets are $25. Call 226-0200 or visit concorddanceacademy.com.

• The New Hampshire School of Ballet presents its Annual Holiday Performance at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). The event will feature students performing dances to festive seasonal songs on Sunday, Dec. 3, with shows at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $18. Call 641-7700 or visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities.

• Majestic Productions brings to stage Miracle on 34th Street The Musical at Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry). Performances are on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $22 for adults, $18 for seniors 65+ and $15 for children age 17 and under. Visit majestictheatre.net.

• Peacock Players present the Holiday Spectacular at Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). This musical cabaret features holiday favorites and musical theater classics. The shows are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 16, at 2 pm. Ticket sales are TBA. Visit peacockplayers.org.

Midnight Merriment returns for 30th season

Concord downtown lights up the night

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

Downtown Concord will be decked for the holidays during the 30th Midnight Merriment on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 p.m. to midnight.

“Midnight Merriment is basically your quintessential hallmark shopping experience that you are looking for for the season,” said Jessica Martin, the executive director of Intown Concord, the organizer of the event. “We have lights, Santa, music echoing through the main street and downtown Concord. … It’s basically that holiday experience that you’re looking for.”

Music will be played from a local radio station and there will also be strolling carolers from the Concord High School Chamber Singers, The Derryfield School and other local singing groups. DJ Nazzy will also return for the holiday dance part on City Plaza, as will Santa for pictures from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The downtown businesses are getting into the spirit with promotions and giveaways. Twelve 31 Cafe will give out free mini cannolis and Eatxactly Sweet Cafe in Eagle Square will supply hot chocolate and host the gingerbread competition. The Concord Art Market Winter Giftopolis will be in the atrium of Eagle Square starting at 5 p.m.

“Gibson’s [Bookstore] does a progressive discount throughout the night, [starting] with 5 percent off from 5 to 8 p.m., 10 percent at 8 p.m., 15 percent at 9 p.m., 20 percent at 10 p.m. [and] 25 percent at 11 p.m. until they close,” Martin said. “Their whole staff wears evening wear. It’s really fun.”

Wine on Main is doing a similar promotion, wine and gifts being 5 percent off from 7 to 10 p.m. and 10 percent off from 10 to 11:45 p.m.

New this year is story time with Santa at Gibson’s Bookstore from 4:15 to 5 p.m., right before Midnight Merriment begins.

“This holiday shopping season we’re teamed up with the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce and NBT Bank to do a shop local campaign … called ‘Spread Joy, Shop Concord,’” Martin said. “It’s a marketing campaign for the whole season letting people know the joy it brings to the downtown businesses [and] local businesses owners by choosing to shop locally. … Each Saturday in December in downtown Concord we’ll be piping in music from noon to 5 p.m. so that the holiday experience … can carry out after Midnight Merriment … to keep the festivities alive.”

Midnight Merriment
When: Friday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m. to midnight
Where: downtown Concord

Holiday parades, tree lightings and other festivities

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

Find parades, tree lightings and more mostly outdoor celebrations of the season.

• LaBelle Lights at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) are now on display and will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays (closed Christmas Eve) from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. until Sunday, Jan. 7. with different themes each week including holiday pajama week, ugly holiday sweater week, Santa costume and ’80s ski week. Tickets range from $4 to $18 and are free for children 3 years old and younger. Visit labelle.com/lights.

• Bektash Shriners Feztival of Trees (189 Pembroke Road, Concord) features decorated artificial trees and wreaths up for silent auction. Refreshments will be available at Candy Cane Cafe. Hours are Saturday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 21, and Wednesday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 24, and Saturday, Nov. 25, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 for those 12 years old and older and free for children under 12. Visit bektashshriners.org.

• Gift of Lights at NH Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) consists of more than 250 light displays spanning 2½ miles throughout a 150-foot tunnel from Thursday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Dec. 31. Tickets are $35 per car load, $60 per bus, limousine or RV, and cost $2 in addition per person when there’s more than 15 guests. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the New Hampshire chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Hours are 4:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23, through Saturday, Nov. 25; Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2; Thursday, Dec. 7, through Monday, Dec. 25; and Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30. Hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, through Thursday, Nov. 30; Monday, Dec. 4, through Wednesday, Dec. 6; Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Thursday, Dec. 28; and Sunday, Dec. 31. Visit nhms.com.

• Plaistow Festival of Trees (18 May Ray Ave., Plaistow) is on Friday, Nov. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a raffle table drawing and a tree drawing as well as a craft fair, snack bar and breakfast with Santa Saturday morning at 8 a.m. The money raised will benefit Children Less Fortunate. Visit their Facebook page @PlaistowFestivalofTrees.

• Concord’s Christmas tree lighting celebration (107 Main St.) is on Friday, Nov. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be a magic show and a kids’ costume contest, and food will be available from Big Al’s Food Truck. Visit their Facebook page @ConcordChristmasTreeLightingCelebration.

• Goffstown’s annual tree lighting event, Friday Night Under the Lights, will take place on Friday, Dec. 1, on Main Street from 5 to 8 p.m. Visit goffstownmainstreet.org.

• 14th Annual Southern NH Festival of Trees (6 Village Green, Pelham) includes trees up for raffle, food, a scavenger hunt, a Polar Express train ride, entertainment by local schools, theaters, church groups and dance studios, baked goods and Santa. The festival will run from Friday, Nov. 24, through Saturday, Dec. 2, and will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 am. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $5 for those 12 years old and older and free for children under 12. Raffle tickets are $5 for 25. Visit snhfestivaloftrees.pelhamcommunityspirit.org.

• Very Derry Holiday is on Saturday, Nov. 25, with activities from 10 am. to 9 p.m. like live performances, cooking decorating and pictures with Santa. The Nutfield Holiday Parade will start at 1 p.m. at Veterans Hall and the tree lighting will be at 5 p.m. at Benson’s Lawn (1 West Broadway). Visit the event’s Facebook page @VeryDerryHoliday.

• Christmas in Wolfeboro parade on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 3 to 4 p.m. goes from Brewster Academy (80 Academy Drive, Wolfeboro) to Mill Street, where Santa will light the community Christmas tree. Before the parade, there will be a craft fair at Kingswood Regional High School (396 S. Main St., Wolfeboro) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Gingerbread House Jubilee at Harmony Coffee House (21 Central Ave.), a toy collection for Wolfeboro Children’s Christmas Fund, carolers and musicians and Santa and Mrs. Claus from 4 to 5 p.m. Visit wolfeborochamber.com/events.

• Celebrate Laconia hosts the Lights Festival holiday parade on Saturday, Nov. 25, starting at 5 p.m. with floats, bands, cars and a float contest. The parade begins at Laconia High School (345 Union Ave., Laconia) and ends at Stewart Park for the annual tree lighting, where trees will be lit for the City on the Lakes Holiday Walk. Food trucks, music and activities will take place from noon to 8 p.m. It costs $50 to enter the float contest. Visit celebratelaconia.org.

• The 52nd Salem holiday parade (Main Street, Salem) will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. This year’s theme is Superhero Christmas. Visit salemnhparade.org.

• The Town of Bow holiday tree lighting ceremony is on Sunday, Nov. 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Bandstand (1 Knox Road, Bow). The Bow Middle School chorus will be performing holiday songs, Santa will be there for visiting and there will be games, crafts, refreshments and food and a letter to Santa station. Free bus transportation from Bow Middle School and White Rock Senior Living to the Bow Community Center. Visit bownh.gov.

• 25th Annual Festival of Trees is free and open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 30, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Exeter Town Hall (10 Front St., Exeter). Decorated trees will be up for silent auction including a special tree filled with gift cards and certificates. Proceeds go to The Community Children’s Fund. Visit exeterareacharitablefoundation.org.

• The Penacook tree lighting on Wednesday, Nov. 29, starts with singing by the Penacook Elementary School chorus at 5:45 p.m. followed by the tree lighting at 6 p.m. and an appearance from Santa at 6:30 p.m.

• Enter a haunted house with rabid reindeer and cannibalistic elves at Fright Kingdom’s Fright Before Christmas on Friday, Dec. 1 (7 to 9:30 p.m.), Saturday, Dec. 2 (6 to 9 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 3 (6:30 to 9 p.m.). Tickets are $35. Visit frightkingdom.com.

• Experience what Christmas was like 400 years ago at the Candlelight Stroll/Vintage Christmas at Strawbery Banke (14 Hancock St., Portsmouth) with historic houses decorated with dried flowers, role players and holiday traditions. There will be a bonfire, hot apple cider, performances by Ice Dance International’s Currier and Ives Vintage Skaters, shopping at Pickwick’s at the Banke and the ‘History Lights Our Way’ candlelight stroll. The dates are Fridays, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, and Saturdays, Dec. 2, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Sundays, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $32 for adults, $16 for children 5 to 17 years old and free for children under 5 years old. Parking is available at Hanover Street Garage and Foundry Place Garage. Visit strawberybanke.org.

• The theme for Merrimack’s holiday parade and tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 3, is “Rock & Roll Holiday Thru Time.” The parade begins at 3 p.m. at the Commons Shopping Plaza (515 Daniel Webster Hwy.) and will end in the Town Hall parking lot (6 Baboosic Lake Road), where the tree lighting will take place. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org.

• Portsmouth’s Illuminated Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting is on Saturday, Dec. 6. The tree lighting is at 5:30 p.m. and the parade begins at 6 p.m. from Islington Street to Market Square. Visit cityofportsmouth.com/recreation.

• The 8th annual Raymond Festival of Trees will be at New Life Church (84 Nottingham Road, Raymond) on Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8, from 3 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit their Facebook page @RaymondFestivalofTrees.

• 9th annual Hollis Luminaria Stroll & Town Band Concert on Saturday, Dec. 9, will include more than 2,000 luminaria lanterns, a Santa tractor parade, holiday craft shopping, a chili and cornbread dinner, music performances in Monument Square, a gingerbread house contest and a bake sale. The stroll and tree lighting will be at 4 p.m. at Monument Square. Visit hollisluminaria.org.

• The Gilford Village Candlelight Stroll is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. with an extended route. The Gilford Community Band will be performing at the Gilford Community Church. Make s’mores and visit Santa at Village Field, enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and craft making at Gilford Public Library and more. Visit their Facebook page @GilfordVillageCandlelightStroll.

• This year’s Hampstead Christmas parade is Colonial Christmas in celebration of the town’s 275th anniversary. The parade starts on Main Street on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m. with refreshments and an appearance from Santa afterward. Visit @HampsteadColonialChristmasParade on Facebook.

• Pats Peak will have New Year’s Eve fireworks on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 10:20 to 10:40 p.m. The McMurphy’s will provide live music in the Sled Pub from 6 to 10 p.m. Visit patspeak.com.

Winter Wonderland

Santa Claus Shuffle and Manchester Holiday Parade return

By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com

The Manchester Holiday Parade will make its way down Elm Street from Brady Sullivan to Victory Park on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. following the annual 3-mile BASC Santa Claus Shuffle put on by Millennium Running. The race starts at 3 p.m. at Veterans Park, where it will also end. Along the way, Granite State Dairy Promotions will provide participants with chocolate, milk and cookies, and Maple UnTapped will offer candy and maple treats, according to the organization’s website. Beverages and bananas will be offered after the race. Participants can get their Santa suit at the Millennium Running retail store in Bedford.

“[It’s] a very fun day [starting] off with the Santa Run … and then after that we have the parade of floats and walkers,” said Sophia Koustas, who is part of the Manchester Holiday Parade Committee. “Participants can be businesses or individuals. … We’re hoping it will be nice so people can stay throughout the two events. … This year’s theme is Winter Wonderland.”

Around 80 to 85 organizations usually participate, among them New Hampshire Roller Derby and New Hampshire Junior Roller Derby, Motley Mutts Rescue, Miss Manchester and Greater Plaistow Scholarship, Manchester Firemen’s Relief Association, New Hampshire Fisher Cats and many more. Both the Manchester Memorial High School and Manchester Central marching bands are set to perform. Accessible viewing and parking areas include the bus station area at Victory Park and across the stage area.

“[We hope] for people to come together as a community to enjoy the day, have fun … for businesses to be able … to be a different part of the community by attending and participating [and] for spectators to enjoy and see the strength of the community,” Koustas said. “[We invite people to come and … be part of a community-wide event that has become a tradition … in our city [and] we need everybody’s support for it to continue happening.”

Manchester Holiday Parade
When: Saturday, Dec. 2, 4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Manchester; the parade will head down Elm Street, beginning at the Brady Sullivan tower (1750 Elm St.) and ending at Victory Park (91-139 Concord St.)
More info: Visit the Facebook event page @MHTHolidayParade.

BASC Santa Claus Shuffle
When: Saturday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m.
Where: The race will start and finish at Veterans Park (723 Elm St.)
More info: Visit millenniumrunning.com.

Santa season

Where kids can find holiday fun

Compiled by Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

Here are some events tailored to kid and family fun.

• Santa’s Wonderland 2023 at Bass Pro Shops, running now until Dec. 24, offers free Santa photo sessions (advance reservations required), a free shareable video with Santa photos, a Christmas Toy Shop for holiday gifts and more. Visit basspro.com/shop/en/santas-wonderland to reserve a time slot.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) has lots of holiday family fun on the calendar. The Christmas Tree Spree runs Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 26. Admission costs $22 per person or $159 for four people and a tree. The day will also include visits with the barnyard animals, a horse-drawn ride, a visit with Santa’s Reindeer, a campfire, and pony rides that can be purchased online. Santa’s Christmas runs Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3; Friday, Dec. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 10; Friday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 17; Wednesday, Dec. 20, through Saturday, Dec. 23. Pick a time when you buy tickets for either a four-person or a 10-person sleigh ride. The event also includes a stop at the North Pole, Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, a visit to the barnyard, an opportunity to shop for Christmas trees, a campfire, a special mailbox for letters to Santa and the big man himself. The week post-Christmas, Charmingfare holds an Encore of the Lights event, where attendees can “climb aboard our horse-drawn ride and travel 30 minutes through our Christmas light displays and see the Reindeer at the North Pole,” according to the website. The event also includes Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, a visit to the barnyard, a campfire and more. And ring in 2024 with a New Year’s Eve Ride. This evening event features a fireside meal, music and a ride along the trail of holiday lights.

• Loon Preservation Committee’s annual Holiday Open House at The Loon Center (183 Lees Mill Road, Moultonborough) is on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a day of family fun with horse-drawn wagon rides, holiday treats, balloon animals, kids’ crafts and a visit from Santa. The event is free and open to all. Visit loon.org/loon-center.

• Mercy Hill Church (750 Pine St. in Manchester) is hosting its Christmas Fest on Fridays throughout December. Festivities kick off with a Community Dinner on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Fireside S’mores Party on Fridays, Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. A special Wacky Tacky Sweater Soiree for ages 13 and up is set for Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., and Breakfast With Santa will take place that same day starting at 8:30 a.m. for children age 12 or younger. Visit manchesterchristmasfest.com.

• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) will host a Santa visit on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Visit theeducationalfarm.org.

• Experience the magic of a Victorian Christmas at the Jones Farmhouse at the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore the decorated farmhouse and join in the holiday spirit with volunteers dressed in period attire. Help decorate the barnyard animals and the outdoor Christmas tree, and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, a visit to the Blacksmith Shoppe, mulled cider by the outdoor hearth, popcorn roasting, carol singing and crafting fragrant pomander balls. Don’t forget to visit the 1940s kitchen for cookie decorating. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+), $6 for juveniles (age 4 to 17), and children under age 4 enter for free. Additionally, there’s a family pass available for $30, which includes admission for two adults and kids or grandkids. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org/event/victorian-christmas.

• The Millyard Museum’s (200 Bedford St., Manchester) holiday open house is on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include children’s holiday crafts, cookies and cider, old-fashioned board games, and a special visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Admission is free. Visit manchesterhistoric.org.

• Londonderry Access Center TV (281 Mammoth Road) will host Santa Live 2023 on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be present in the studio for children to visit and will be broadcast live on television. The event is free of charge and does not require Facebook access for attendance. It operates on a first come, first served basis. Refreshments and coloring activities are provided for children while they wait. Each child will receive a gift and a candy cane. Parents are allowed to take pictures during the visit. Visit facebook.com/LondonderryAccessTV.

• Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester) is hosting the American Girl Doll Christmas Tea Party on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants are invited to bring their dolls and join in a tea party that includes refreshments and crafts, featuring portrayals of Manchester’s notable women from history as depicted by American Girl Dolls. Santa Claus will also be visiting. Tickets are $20 per person. Visit manchesterhistoric.org.

• S’mores with Santa is returning to New Boston on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. Attendees can enjoy meeting Santa, making s’mores and sipping on hot chocolate or cider while mingling with friends and neighbors. The gathering will also include singing Christmas carols and the official lighting of the Christmas Tree. Santa will be present in the gazebo for the tree lighting at 4 p.m., and children are invited to visit with Santa afterward and bring an ornament from home to place on the town tree. Toasty fire pits for roasting marshmallows will be available, with all the fixings for s’mores, hot chocolate and cider provided by the Recreation Department. In case of inclement weather, the backup date is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 3. Visit newbostonnh.gov.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover) is hosting its annual Jingle Bell Extravaganza on Sundays, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, with sessions from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Visitors can meet Santa, participate in hands-on holiday craft activities, experience a magical science experiment, and receive a special treat. Pajama attire is welcomed for this festive event. Ticket prices are $18 for members and $22 for non-members; children under 1 year old are free. Online ticket sales end 24 hours before the start of each event. Photos can be taken by the museum staff with visitors’ own cell phones. For more details and to reserve a spot, visit childrens-museum.org.

• Elf Training sessions are back at the Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry). The sessions will occur Monday, Dec. 4, through Wednesday, Dec. 6, with multiple time slots each day: On Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, there are sessions at 3:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.; on Dec. 6, an additional session for infants starts at 10 a.m., followed by sessions at 3:30 and 5 p.m. Activities include elf-themed crafts, songs, snacks and storytelling. Interested participants are required to register as a family, with all children’s names listed under a single registration “space.” Visit derrypl.org to sign up.

• Join the Milford Recreation Department for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Milford Town Hall Auditorium (1 Union Square, Milford). Guests can enjoy a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and have the chance to visit with Santa. The event costs $10 per person, but children age 2 and under can attend for free. Seating is limited, so be sure to register by Dec. 3 to secure your spot. Visit milfordnh.recdesk.com.

• Santa Claus will helicopter in to make a stop at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org) on Saturday, Dec. 9, according to a press release. Santa is slated for touchdown at 11 a.m. and scheduled to stay for two hours (he’s scheduled to leave by fire truck at 1 p.m.). The event will feature hot chocolate, coffee, donuts and other holiday treats, the release said. Santa-fans are asked to arrive at the museum by 10:45 a.m., the release said. The museum will be open free to visitors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (admission will be charged from 1 to 4 p.m.).

• Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a family-friendly event at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover). The festivities include two “countdowns to midnight,” one at 10:30 a.m. during the morning play session (9 a.m. to noon) and another at 2 p.m. during the afternoon session (12:30 to 3:30 p.m.). These sessions are designed to make everyone feel as if they are in Times Square, complete with noisemakers, the creation of sparkly party hats and a photo booth for lasting memories, according to the website. The highlight is the glitter ball descent from the museum’s 30-foot-high Build-It-Fly-It towers as the countdown reaches zero. The event is included with standard museum admission and is free for museum members. Reservations and pre-payment are required. Visit childrens-museum.org.

Christmas classical

Symphonies, choruses and more

By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

’Tis the season for the classics. Here are some of the classical music performances on the schedule this season.

• Majestic Theatre presents Robert Dionne’s Piano Christmas, an interactive sing-along cabaret. This annual holiday tradition is set for Sunday, Nov. 26, at 2 p.m. at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester). Tickets are $20. Visit majestictheatre.net.

• The Vienna Boys Choir will bring Christmas in Vienna to the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia) on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $49 to $89. Visit coloniallaconia.com or call 800-657-8774.

• The Manchester Community Music School’s (2291 Elm St., Manchester) Holiday Pops Concert is on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of holiday music, cash bar, refreshments and raffle prizes. Individual tickets are $45, or reserve a table of 10 for $400. Visit mcmusicschool.org or call 644-4548.

• The Rockingham Choral Society will perform A Star Still Shines on Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal (43 Pine St., Exeter). The concert will include seasonal works and holiday carols by Michael Fink, Dan Forrest, Sarah Quartel and Conrad Susa. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $18 for seniors and students, with children under age 12 admitted for free. Advance tickets can be purchased from members or online, with remaining tickets available at the door. Visit rockinghamchoral.org.

• Handel’s “Messiah” will have an open rehearsal on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 10 a.m., followed by a performance on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church (22 Centre St., Concord). The performance, conducted by Benjamin Greene, will feature professional soloists and a community chorus. Visit walkerlecture.org.

• The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus presents its 2023 Holiday Concert Series: Holly Jolly Folly at Christ the King Lutheran Church (3 Lutheran Drive, Nashua) on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Stratham Community Church UCC (6 Emery Lane, Stratham) on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m.; the Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey) on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m.; and Derryfield School (2108 River Road, Manchester) on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. Adult tickets are $25, and admission for children age 12 and under is free with a ticket. Visit nhgmc.com.

• Kenny G will perform Miracles Holiday and Hits at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua) on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $59 to $129. Call 800-657-8774 or visit nashuacenterforthearts.com.

• The Nashua Choral Society presents Gloria! A Christmas Festival on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church (216 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua). The concert, under the direction of Reagan G. Paras, will feature Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” selections from Ola Gjeilo’s “Winter Songs” and other holiday favorites. Adult tickets are $20, students $10, and admission is free for children. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite or Darrell’s Music Hall and at the door. Visit nashuachoralsociety.org.

• The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra presents a Holiday Pops Preview at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. The concert will feature a brass quintet and string quartet, offering renditions of classical melodies and popular holiday tunes. Tickets are priced at $30. Visit nhphil.org.

• The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and Conductor Keith Lockhart will perform the “Unwrap the Magic” Boston Pops Holiday Tour at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester) on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. The concert features “Sleigh Ride,” among other festive pieces, and is accompanied by the Metropolitan Chorale. Ticket prices range from $79.50 to $149.50 and are on sale now. Visit snhuarena.com.

• Join the Souhegan Valley Chorus for their holiday concert “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. at the First Congregational Church (10 Union St., Milford). Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, with children age 12 and under admitted free. Visit souheganvalleychorus.org.

• Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra invites you to Christmas Belles featuring guest artist Sheree Owens on vocals, on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m., at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia). Enjoy a blend of traditional carols and modern holiday pieces in a grand orchestral presentation. Ticket prices range from $22 to $32 for adults and $12 to $22 for students. Visit coloniallaconia.com.

• Symphony NH is set to hold their Holiday Pops concert conducted by Maestro Roger Kalia on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua), and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). The performances will feature an assortment of seasonal works and carols. Tickets start at $10. Visit symphonynh.org.

• Irish Christmas In America will take place on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). It features music by master fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada as well as photo backdrops, history and humor that celebrates Irish culture during the holiday season. Tickets are $45. Call 641-7700 or visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities.

• Saint Joseph Cathedral (145 Lowell St. in Manchester) will present a performance of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and Handel’s “Messiah” on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. featuring chamber orchestra, choristers and soloists from the Diocesan Festival and Chamber Choirs, according to a press release. Tickets cost $20 per person (children under 10 get in for free). Tickets will be on sale at the parish office, at the door and at stjosephcathedralnh.org/cathedralconcert.

• The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra’s Holiday Pops concert at Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem) is on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $10 for students. Visit nhphil.org.

• The Manchester Choral Society will hold its winter concert Starry Night featuring “Stella Natalis” by Karl Jenkins along with a selection of holiday pops at First Congregational Church (508 Union St., Manchester), with performances on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and military members, while students from kindergarten to undergraduate level can attend free of charge. Visit mcsnh.org.

• The Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester) hosts the Strafford Wind Symphony for its 2023 holiday concert, White Christmas, on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m.. The performance will showcase a variety of traditional and new arrangements celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and the new year, with vocal accompaniment and a full cinematic display. Tickets are $20 for adults, with free admission for children under age 12 (ticket still required). Visit rochesteroperahouse.com.

A jazzy, rockin’ holiday

More musical takes on the season — plus comedy

By Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

It’s not all Nutcracker. Here are some rock ’n’ roll, jazz and other musical approaches to the holiday — plus some comedy shows to keep you laughing through the season.

• Capitol Center for the Arts has several holiday musical events planned. At the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) the lineup of seasonal events includes:

The Capital Jazz Orchestra presents the Holiday Pops on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m.

The radio show Greg and the Morning Buzz presents its annual Buzz Ball on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy Present: A Celtic Family Christmas on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

At the Bank of NH Stage in Concord (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, banknhstage.com), the schedule features:

Mr. Aaron Holiday, a holiday party from the local family entertainer, on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 11 a.m.

The Heather Pierson Trio plays a Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas on Friday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.

• At Chunky’s Cinema Pub(707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com), live performances include:

Life’s a Drag 21+ drag show with multiple entertainers on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 9 p.m. in Manchester

Family-friendly comedy illusionist Ben Pratt, whowill perform in Pelham on Dec. 28 at 6:15 p.m., in Nashua on Dec. 29 at 6:15 p.m. and in Manchester on Dec. 30 at 6:15 p.m.

All three locations will host live comedy on New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31) at 7 p.m.

• At Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) catch Irish Christmas in America on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. featuring master fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmoda.

• Holiday shows at The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com) include:

Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.

Christmas with the Celts on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

And on New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m.) catch comedian Preacher Lawson.

• Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com) will feature Christmas with Franco Corso on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

• Headliners Comedy Club (headlinerscomedyclub.com) has events for New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31).

At the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown catch either Dueling Pianos (doors open at 6 p.m. for a dinner option, show is at 8 p.m.) or comedians including Rob Steen, Ken Rogerson, Tim McKeever and Alex Giampapa (with shows at 8 or 9 p.m.).
Headliners also has comedy on Dec. 31 at Chunky’s in Manchester, Nashua and Pelham (at 7 p.m.).

Dueling Pianos will also perform at Fratello’s in Manchester as part of a Rockin’ Eve 2024 featuring dinner, dancing and a toast.

New Year’s Eve 2023 Gala at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua runs from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. and includes comedy (with Mark Scalia and Joey Carrol), a buffet and dancing.

Find tickets for all these events on the website.

• At Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, 888-603-JAZZ, jimmysoncongress.com) holiday-themed shows include:

Jane Monheit — Holiday Show on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

Kat Edmonson — Holiday Swingin’ on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

John McLaughlin Holiday Show on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, and 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) has a packed holiday schedule, though many events are already listed as sold out on the website. Musical events that may still have a seat for you include:

The Granite State Ringers Holiday Handbell Concert in Amherst on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 3 p.m.

Holiday Pops Concerts: Brass and Strings featuring members of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra in Derry on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m.

The Big Little Holiday Party, featuring DJ entertainment from Get Down Tonight, in Derry on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m.

The Freese Brothers at a New Year’s Eve party that will feature dinner, dancing and LaBelle Lights in Derry on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 6 p.m.

• At the Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, 519-7506, lakeportopera.com), upcoming events include:

Thanksgiving Eve with the Eric Grant Band on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m.

A Holiday Evening with Clay Cook on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

• The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) will hold A Piano Christmas featuring interactive piano sing-along cabaret with Robert Dionne on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 2 p.m.

• The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) will feature a production of The Sound of Music for much of the holiday season but you can catch Juston McKinney’s Comedy Year in Review 2023 on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 30, see Dawes: The Night Before NYE at 8 p.m.

At The Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org), catch:

Taylor O’Donnell Trio on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

Abrielle Scharff’s Abby’s Holidays on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m.

• Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) has performances by the Vienna Boys Choir and Kenny G listed as sold out but tickets are still available to holiday shows including:

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with a “wild and swingin’ holiday party” on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

Eileen Ivers on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m.

Juston McKinney wraps up the year on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m.

• The month-long production of A Christmas Carol will keep the stage busy at Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) but you can still catch:

The annual Chanukah at the Palace show featuring UV Circus Show, ventriloquist Jack Williams and a Chanukah Musical Interlude on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.

Recycled Percussion will begin its multi-show run on Thursday, Dec. 28, running through Jan. 7; see the website for showtimes (see the Nov. 9 issue for an in-depth interview with Justin Spencer)

Meanwhile at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), the schedule is packed:

Comedian Emily Ruskowski’s Thanksgiving Leftover Laughs on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m.

The Scott Spradling Band Rockin’ Big Band Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m.

Compaq Big Band Christmas Show on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m.

Queen City Improv Holiday Show on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.

A Celtic Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Anthony Nunziata: My Italian Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.

Eric Mintel Quartet: A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.

John Denver Christmas: Chris Collins & Boulder Canyon on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2 and 7:30 p.m.

A Very Soulful Christmas with Morgan James on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m.

Candlelight: Holiday Special featuring The Nutcracker and more on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 6 and 8:30 p.m.

Comedian Kelly MacFarland’s Christmas Party on Friday, Dec. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

A Sinatra Christmas with Rich DiMare and the Ron Poster Trio on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Swiftie Dance Party on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Comedian Jimmy Dunn’s New Year’s Eve on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m.

• At the Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, 532-9300, theparktheatre.org), the holiday offerings include:

Granite State Ringers on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.

New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Symphony NH Holiday Brass on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m.

The Heather Pierson Trio with A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Freese Brothers Big Band — Swinging Into the Holidays on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m.

Irish Christmas in America on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.

• The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus (nhgmc.com) also has shows on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Nashua; Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. at Stratham Community Church UUC in Stratham, and Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m. at the Derryfield School in Manchester. See the chorus’ website for tickets.

• Get some laughs at the end of the year at Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 335-1992, rochesteroperahouse.com) with comedian Bob Marley on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 5 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m.

• The Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve returns to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) on Friday, Nov. 24, at 3 and 7 p.m. Other holiday shows include the Boston Pops Holiday Concert on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m.

And, while it’s not exactly holiday, in that liminal week between Christmas and New Year’s catch the Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour on Thursday, Dec. 28, at 2 and 7 p.m.

• Head to the Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700, stonechurchrocks.com) for the Truffle: Annual Turkey Jam 2023 on Friday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m.

• The Strand (20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899, thestranddover.com) will feature the Strafford Wind Symphony with a holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m., and two New Year’s parties — Club Vinyl presents the Eve of New Year’s Eve on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 8:30 p.m., and a New Year’s Eve party on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. will feature the band Neon Wave and comedian Dave Sheehan.

• 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org) offers holiday happenings including:

Model Airplane’s Funksgiving on Friday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m.

Club3: Wintry Mix (dance and karaoke party) on Friday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m.

Oy to the World with Sherry Vine on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m.

Secret Santa, A Holiday Spectacular on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m.

Harsh Promadillo: Harsh Armadillo’s New Year’s Eve Party on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 9 p.m.

• Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) celebrates as they often do with Gary Hoey’s Ho! Ho! Hoey! show on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 pm. Other holiday offerings include:

Wizards of Winter on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3 p.m.

Naturally 7 — the Holiday Hits Tour on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m.

Adam Ezra Group will play New Year’s Eve with dinner that begins at 5:30 p.m. and a show that starts at 9 p.m.

• At The Word Barn (66 Newfields Road, Exeter, 244-0202, thewordbarn.com) holiday offerings are at the Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls) and include:

Dallas Corbin’s Country Christmas Classic on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m.

Rock My Soul Holiday Concert on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.

Jordan TW Trio Celtic Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.

A Cappella Christmas Mixtape on Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m.

Ed Gerhard Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m.

The Heather Pierson Trio with A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3:30 and 7 p.m.

Kat & Brett Holiday Show on Thursday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m.

A Celtic Christmas with Lunasa on Friday, Dec. 15, at 5 and 8 p.m.

The Orchard Chapel Candlelight Carol Sing on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m.

Home for the Holidays with Session Americana with Eleanor Buckland on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.

Zachariah Hickman’s Handsome Holiday Happening on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.

The Orchard Chapel Candlelight Carol Sing on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m.

A Nova Scotia Christmas with Cassie and Maggie on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m.

Tastiest time of year

Food events for your holiday season

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

Find treats to eat and treats to give at these holiday events.

• The Holiday Shoppes at Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana in Salem; www.tuscanvillagesalem.com/holiday-shoppes-2023) opens Friday, Nov. 24, and runs through New Year’s Eve with hours Thursday and Friday 3 to 8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Vendors’ offerings include hot chocolate, arancini, kettle corn and other treats as well as jewelry, home goods, seasonal decorations and more.

• The YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown (116 Goffstown Back Road; find information about the event on the center’s Facebook page) will hold its annual Holiday Food & Arts Market Friday, Nov. 24, through Friday, Dec. 22, in the center’s lobby. The market will feature food as well as handmade crafts and art created by the center’s staff and members, according to the post.

• See the world in cookie at the 33rd Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibition at the Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St. in Portsmouth) Friday, Nov. 24, through Saturday, Dec. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (open until 7 p.m. on Fridays). Vote for your favorite house between Nov. 24 and Dec. 13 (winners will be announced on Dec. 15). Community judges will award their favorite of the displayed gingerbread structures at the Vintage Christmasin Portsmouth kickoff celebration on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to portsmouthhistory.org/exhibitions/gingerbread2023.

There will also be a downtown gingerbread scavenger hunt — find houses throughout downtown Portsmouth and collect stamps by Dec. 19 for a chance to win a prize.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. the Portsmouth Historical Society will hold an Ugly Sweater Cookie Swap (see website for details and to sign up; bring two dozen cookies to share). Win a gingerbread house by participating in a raffle; tickets cost $1 and winners will be notified on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

• The New Hampshire Jingle Bells Winery Tour is running weekends through Sunday, Dec. 17, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For $55 for a single admission or $100 for a couple, sample wines and light hors d’oeuvres at 10+ New Hampshire wineries and receive an ornament at each location, according to the eventbrite description. See facebook.com/NHJingleBellsWineryTour to purchase tickets and see the list of participating vineyards.

• Get local produce, baked goods and more at the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market open Saturdays, including Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at 7 Eagle Square in downtown Concord. See downtownconcordwinterfarmersmarket.com.

• The New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy. in Milton; nhfarmmuseum.org) will hold a Country Store Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 11 am. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring maple syrup, Vermont cheese and other food items as well as homemade crafts such as mittens, hats, afghans, scarves, soaps, ornaments and more.

• Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com)is holding a Small Business Sunday tasting and market with tasting sessions starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. For $15, shop the market, enjoy wine tastings (21+) and receive a souvenir wine glass, according to the website. The Fulchino Vineyard Christmas Festival will run Friday, Dec. 8 (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.); Saturday, Dec. 9 (noon to 2 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 10 (12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults (includes a wine glass and tasting), $7.50 for ages 12 to 20, and 1 cent for children under 12. Enjoy indoor and outdoor activities including artisan food vendors, crafts vendors, fire pits and family photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, according to the website.

• The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Derry) has adult+child cooking classes including:

Gingerbread House Decorating (for ages 4+) on Sunday, Nov. 26, at 4 and 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 2, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. The cost is $48 per house.

Holiday Cookie Tray (for ages 10+) on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 3:30 p.m. making iced orange cookies, fruit & nut biscotti and coconut macaroons. The cost is $80 per two-person team.

Cinnamon Rolls (for ages 6+) on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 10 a.m. The cost is $58 per team.

Classes for ages 3 to 6 include:

Gingerbread House Decorating on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. The cost is $48 per house.

Christmas Tree Fruity Hand Pie on Friday, Dec. 15, at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. The cost is $20 per child.

Adult class offerings include a Holiday Small Plates couples cooking class on Friday, Dec. 15, or Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m. (the cost is $165 per couple) and workshops Pierogi Ruskie (Friday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m.; the cost is $58); Bread Making (Thursday, Dec. 7, at 9:30 a.m.; cost is $75, for ages 16+); Holiday Pies (Tuesday, Nov. 21, and Thursday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m.; cost is $75, for ages 16+), and Holiday Cookie Tray on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 9:30 a.m. (cost is $80, for ages 16+).

• Enjoy a holiday afternoon tea with the Cozy Tea Cart (104 Route 13 in Brookline; thecozyteacart.com, 249-9111) at Gatherings (29 Mont Vernon St. in Milford) on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. The cost is $39.95 per person. The meal will feature tea breads and savories, tea sandwiches, pastries and, of course, tea, according to the website.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, and 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) has a packed holiday schedule with events including:

Hogwarts Yule Ball Wine Dinner and Dancing in Amherst on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy a four-course wine dinner with Harry Potter- and holiday-themed decor, a DJ and dancing. Hogwarts ball attire is encouraged. Tickets cost $95 per person

Cooking with wine class: holiday recipes will be held in Derry on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. in Amherst. The cost is $40.

The Big Little Holiday Party, featuring DJ entertainment from Get Down Tonight, in Derry on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m.

The Freese Brothers at a New Year’s Eve party, which will feature dinner, dancing and LaBelle Lights in Derry on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 6 p.m.

• The Very Merry Holiday Gift Festival will take place Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Hotel (700 Elm St. in Manchester), according to verymerryfestival.com. Admission to the event, a revamping of the Made in New England Expo, costs $7 ($6 for 65+ and kids 14 and under get in free).

• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St. in Sandown; zorvino.com, 887-9463) has holiday events on the schedule including Holiday Sip N Shop on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local vendors (admission is free but register for a ticket online in advance) and the Tidings & Tinsel group holiday party, starting with a cocktail hour at 6:30 and featuring dinner and dancing (the cost is $70 per person).

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) will screen The Polar Express (G, 2004) at all three area Chunky’s Friday, Dec. 8, through Thursday, Dec. 14, with at least one screening daily and three on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10. Buy a “Milk & Cookies Movie Ticket” to get a box with milk, cookies and a bell during the movies. “Dinner with Santa,” where guests will be greeted by Santa before and after the show, with opportunities to take photos with him, will take place at some screenings Dec. 13, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13, 1989) will screen with a five-course dinner party in Manchester on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. The cost is $75 for the dinner only (with a vegetarian option), $110 for dinner with wine.

• The Canterbury Farmers Market will hold its final market of the year indoors on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Canterbury Elementary School (15 Baptist Road in Canterbury). See canterburyfarmersmarket.com.

• The Currier and Ives Cookie Tour will run Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature 16 stops at inns, restaurants, galleries and more in the Monadnock region. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased, starting Dec. 1, at the Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy and Frogg Brewing in Swanzey. At each stop, ticket holders get cookies, cookie recipes, refreshments and a look at the holiday decorations of the location. Visit at least 10 stops on the tour to be entered to win a gift certificate, according to currierandivescookietour.com, where you can find a map of the locations and more information.

• Or make a weekend of cookie adventures with the Annual Holiday Inn to Inn Cookie Tour on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at nine White Mountain inns stretching from Jackson to Eaton, with inns at least 15 minutes apart. Reserve a ticket as part of a lodging package for the weekend or, starting Monday, Nov. 27, at this website for single tickets: cookietour.square.site. See countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com/annual-holiday-inn-to-inn-cookie-tour.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 371-2296, averillhousevineyard.com) will hold a Snowman Felting Workshop & Wine Tasting on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. (the cost is $50) and a Christmas Tree Macramé Workshop & Wine Tasting on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 6:30 p.m. (cost is $50).

• The Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way in Bedford; bedfordvillageinn.com, 472-2001) will hold its Feast of the Seven Fishes on Thursday, Dec. 21, starting at 6 p.m. This 21+ dinner costs $125 per guest. The meal features passed and stationary hors d’oeuvres, three savory courses and a dessert station and is held in the Great Hall. Call or go online to reserve tickets.

Other holiday meals include a Christmas Eve three-course menu ($125 for adults, $75 for ages 10 and under) plus a Grand Dessert Buffet (4:30 to 8:30 p.m.); a New Year’s Eve dinner with seating times from 5 to 9:30 p.m. ($110 per adults; see the website for the menu) and a New Year’s Day Brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road in Derry; birchwoodvineyards.com, 965-4359) will hold its Jingle Ball Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. featuring a four-course meal and dancing. Tickets cost $85 (with a “duet” or vegetarian meal option).

Browse & shop

Holiday art shows and events

Compiled by Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

• Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) presents the annual Sleighbell Studio holiday showcase now through Dec. 16. The exhibit features a diverse range of local fine art and crafts for holiday gift buying. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• The “Small Works — Big Impact” holiday exhibit is up at Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St. in Milford) now through Dec. 31 and showcases work in various media from more than 30 area artists, with most pieces smaller than 12 inches in diameter, making them ideal for holiday gifts. The gallery’s hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., Friday from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• The Seacoast Artist Association (130 Water St., Exeter) presents its themed group show “Big Gifts Come in Small Packages” for November and December. Artists are challenged to create beautiful and affordable work, with each piece priced at no more than $100 to make for perfect holiday gift buying. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit seacoastartist.org.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild will host its annual Holiday Fair Shop at the historic Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford). The fair opens Friday, Nov. 24, and runs through Wednesday, Dec. 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, along with an online shop. The fair will feature a variety of items including seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, stained and fused glass, mixed media and jewelry, all created by juried local artists and craftspeople. Visit thecraftworkersguild.org.

• The Nashua Holiday Stroll Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Gym Entrance on Main Street across from City Hall (29 Spring St., Nashua). The fair will showcase a variety of vendors offering unique items. Visit downtownnashua.org/holidaystroll.

• The Milford Holiday Craft Fair, supporting veterans, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milford VFW (1 VFW Way, Milford). The event will include free pictures with Santa and the Grinch, along with a variety of crafters and vendors. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/nevendorevents.

• The Winter Giftopolis by the Concord Arts Market will take place on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 11 p.m. during Intown Concord’s Midnight Merriment. This year’s event is located at the Atrium at 7 Eagle Square. Local artists and craftspeople will be selling their handmade gifts. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• The Contoocook Artisans Holiday Fair is set for Friday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the American Legion Post No. 81 (E.R. Montgomery Event Center, 169 Bound Tree Road, Contoocook). Email contoocookartisansnh@gmail.com.

• High Mowing School (77 Pine Hill Drive, Wilton) will host its annual Pine Hill Holiday Fair featuring an artisan market on Friday, Dec. 1, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and family festivities on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit pinehill.org

• The Two Villages Art Society will host its 2023 Winter Members Show and Sale from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23 at 846 Main St. in Contoocook. This show, part of Hopkinton’s town-wide Starry, Starry Weekend, will include an opening reception on Saturday, Dec. 2, from noon to 2 p.m. The show features works from more than 30 member artists, including paintings, pottery, sculpture, jewelry and more. Gallery hours are Thursday to Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with extended hours of 10 to 4 p.m. during Starry, Starry Weekend (Dec. 1 to Dec. 3). Visit twovillagesart.org.

• Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, will hold a holiday craft fair Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3, from noon to 4 p.m., featuring local vendors selling handmade crafts. See pipedreambrewingnh.com.

• The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Milford (20 Elm St., Milford) announces its holiday fair on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., including handcrafted items and a bake shop. Visit uucm.org/community/holiday-fair-2023.

• Arlington Street United Methodist Church (63 Arlington St., Nashua) will celebrate its Holly Town Fair on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will feature handmade items, crafts, candies, baked goods, and a cookie walk, with lunch available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit asumc.org or call 882-4663.

• Caya Reiki & Healing will present the Gingerbread Craft Market & Psychic Fair on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derry-Salem Elks Lodge (39 Shadow Lake Road, Salem). The event will feature more than 30 vendors and artisans. Visit caya-healing.square.site.

• New England Vendor Events is organizing a Nashua Holiday Craft Fair for Saturday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hunt Memorial Library (6 Main St., Nashua). Visit facebook.com/nevendorevents.

• The Concord Arts Market is hosting its annual Holiday Arts Market on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St.). Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• The Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester (669 Union St., Manchester) invites you to its Holiday Gift Faire on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Visit uumanchester.org.

• The Somersworth Festival Association will host its Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive, Somersworth). Visit nhfestivals.org.

• The 34th annual Christmas in Strafford event, showcasing more than 50 artists and craftspeople across 29 locations, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Visit christmasinstrafford.com.

• The Holly Jolly Craft Fair will be held at the DoubleTree Hilton (2 Somerset Plaza, Nashua) on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 75 artisans will be selling their holiday crafts. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

• The Very Merry Holiday Gift Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown Hotel (700 Elm St., Manchester). Tickets are $7, with a discounted price of $6 for those 65+ and free entry for children age 14 and under. Visit verymerryfestival.com.

• Caya Reiki & Healing will present a Winter Wonderland Craft Market & Psychic Fair on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hooksett American Legion Post 37 (5 Riverside St., Hooksett). Visit caya-healing.square.site.

• The Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaare is happening on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at North Country Hard Cider (38 Littleworth Road, Dover). The entry fee is $1. Visit facebook.com/wrongbrain.

• A Hudson Holiday Craft Fair organized by New England Vendor Events is set for Saturday, Dec. 9, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit facebook.com/nevendorevents.

• New Hampshire Audubon’s Holiday Craft Fair will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NH Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord). Visit nhaudubon.org.

• The Nashua Holiday Craft & Vendor Festival Fair will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Eagles Wing Bingo Hall (10 Spruce St., Nashua). See Bazaar Craft Fairs Facebook page.

• The Manchester Holiday Craft Fair, hosted by New England Vendor Events, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Club Canadian (128 S. Main St., Manchester). The fair will feature photo opportunities with Santa and the Grinch. Visit facebook.com/nevendorevents.

• Join Cisco Brewers (35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth) on Sunday, Dec. 17, from noon to 5 p.m. for a holiday market. The market will feature festive food specials, jolly drinks including a hot chocolate bar, and live music. Shop local with an array of vendors selling gifts, flowers, wreaths, holiday foods and more. Visit ciscobrewersportsmouth.com.

‘Santa, here? I know him!’

Elf, A Christmas Story and more holiday movie classics

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

For some movie nerds, the end of the year is all about figuring out how many Oscar-hopefuls you can see before award season starts. For some, it’s about trying to convince your family that Gremlins is a Christmas movie. But we can all agree that now is the season to say “Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter” and “You’ll shoot your eye out.” Here are some seasonal favorites you can find on a big screen.

• The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com) will feature screenings including Warren Miller’s All Time, a film about skiing and ski culture, on Friday, Nov. 24, at 3 and 7 p.m., Elf (PG, 2003) on Friday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m., and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) on Friday, Dec. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst; 14 Route 111 in Derry 672-9898, labellewinery.com) has multiple screenings throughout the season of The Polar Express (G, 2004) featuring an appearance by Santa Claus. The screenings are listed as sold out but email tickets@labellewinery.com to be put on a waitlist.

• Fathom Events (fathomevents.com) has several holiday-themed screenings scheduled at theaters including the AMC Londonderry (16 Orchard View Dr., Londonderry, amctheatres.com), Cinemark Rockingham Park 12 (15 Mall Road, Salem), O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com), Regal Concord (282 Loudon Road, Concord, regmovies.com) and Regal Fox Run Stadium 15 (45 Gosling Road, Newington, regmovies.com).

The Magic Flute, recorded live in 2006 at the Metropolitan Opera, will screen on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 12:55 p.m. at Regal Fox Run in Newington.

A Christmas Story (PG, 1983), a 40th anniversary presentation, will screen on Sunday, Dec. 10, at AMC Londonderry (4 p.m.), Cinemark in Salem (4 p.m.), O’neil Cinemas in Epping (4 and 7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 and 7 p.m.), and on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at all four of those locations at 7 p.m.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas(PG, 2000), the Jim Carrey version, will screen on Sunday, Dec. 3, at AMC Londonderry (1 and 7 p.m.), Cinemark Rockingham Park (1 p.m.), O’neil Cinemas (1 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run (1 and 7 p.m.); and on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. at AMC Londonderry, Cinemark Rockingham Park and Regal Fox Run.

Max Lucado’s Because of Bethlehem, music and story based on the faith-based book, will screen on Tuesday, Dec. 5; Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Thursday Dec. 7, mostly at 7 p.m. at Cinemark Rockingham Park, Regal Concord and Regal Fox Run (the movie starts at 7:10 p.m. at Cinemark on Dec. 6 and 7:15 on Dec. 7).

Waitress: The Musical, a filmed presentation of the Broadway musical starring Sara Bareilles, may not technically be a holiday story but it’s cute as pie and screening Thursday, Dec. 7, through Monday, Dec. 11, at AMC Londonderry (3:30 and 7 p.m.), Cinemark Rockingham Park (3:25 and 7:10, every day except Dec. 11, when it’s 3:55 and 7 p.m.), Regal Fox Run (2:30 and 7 p.m.) and O’neil Cinemas (2:30 and 7 p.m.).

A Christmas Story(PG, 1983) will screen on Sunday, Dec. 10, at AMC Londonderry (4 p.m.), Cinemark Rockingham Park (4 p.m.), O’neil Cinemas (4 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run (4 and 7 p.m.) and Wednesday, Dec. 13, at those theaters, all at 7 p.m.

Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night, a faith-based feature film with musical performances by Andrea and Matteo Bocelli, will be in theaters Tuesday, Dec. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 17. Sign up on the website to receive ticket information.

• As part of its Dickensfest programming Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) will screen Oliver! (1968) on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1 p.m. and The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG, 2017) on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1 p.m., Santa’s Party will feature a screening of Arthur Christmas (PG, 2011) as well as an opportunity to meet Santa.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) will screen on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 2 and 7 p.m.

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) has multiple holiday films on the schedule — some for all ages and some presented for 21+ audiences.

The Polar Express (G, 2004) will screen at all three area Chunky’s Friday, Dec. 8, through Thursday, Dec. 14, with at least one screening daily and three on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10. Buy a “Milk & Cookies Movie Ticket” to get a box with milk, cookies and a bell during the movies. “Dinner with Santa,” where guests will be greeted by Santa before and after the show, with opportunities to take photos with him, will take place at some screenings Dec. 13; Dec. 14, and Dec. 21.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13, 1989) will screen with a five-course dinner party in Manchester on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. There will be a 21+ screening and Ugly Sweater party on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. at all three locations. There will also be a 21+ Christmas Vacation trivia night in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) will screen at all three locations on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.

Elf (PG, 2003) will screen at a family screening on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. and on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. at a 21+ screening — at all three theaters for both screenings. There will also be a 21+ Elf trivia night in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.

Also at Chunky’s:

There will be a 21+ trivia night for A Christmas Story on Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Manchester.

An all-ages family trivia night for Home Aloneis on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. in Manchester.

Family-friendly theater candy bingo will take place in Pelham on Dec. 27 at 6:15 p.m., in Nashua on Dec. 28, at 6:15 p.m. and in Manchester on Dec. 29, at 6:15 p.m.

Family-friendly comedy illusionist Ben Pratt will perform in Pelham on Dec. 28 at 6:15 p.m., in Nashua on Dec. 29, at 6:15 p.m. and in Manchester on Dec. 30 at 6:15 p.m.

21+ year in review trivia will take place Thursday, Dec. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Manchester

All three locations will host live comedy on New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31) at 7 p.m.

• Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) is still filling its schedule with holiday screenings — the theater may have family-friendly screenings on weekend mornings, still TBD but keep an eye on their website. So far the theater, which will be open on Thanksgiving, plans to screen It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 6:30 or 7 p.m. and Elf (PG, 2003) on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m., according to executive director Angie Lane.

• The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, themusichall.org) has holiday films on the schedule including:

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) on Friday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 24, at 3:30 p.m.

White Christmas (1954) on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m.

The Holiday (PG-13, 2006) on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m.

Rise of the Guardians (PG, 2013) on Sunday, Dec. 24, at 1 p.m.

• The Strand (20 Third St., Dover, 343-1899, thestranddover.com) will screen Elf (PG, 2003) as part of its annual Christmas Break on a Budget event, which will also include family activities and a storytime starting at noon on Saturday, Dec. 23. Admission costs $20 for a family (up to five people).

• Pop-up art show: Artists Charlotte Thibault and Byron Carr will have a pop-up art show starting Friday, Nov. 24, and running through Dec. 29, according to an email. The show will feature New Hampshire landscape paintings and take place at the old CVS, 46 N. Main St. in Concord, the email said. Find work by Carr, which includes oil and watercolor of landscapes and waterfalls, at byroncarrfineart.com and find work by Thibault, who also works in oils and does landscapes, seascapes, harbor scenes, still life and concept paintings, at charlottethibault.com, the email said. The show will feature paintings, prints and cards and will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (open until 8 p.m. on Fridays).

• Three ghosts: The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will kick off its month-long production of A Christmas Carol on Friday, Nov. 24, with a show at 7:30 p.m. The production will run through Saturday, Dec. 23, with shows Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $28 through $49.

• Holiday show: The New Hampshire Antique Co-Op (323 Elm St. in Milford; nhantiquecoop.com, 673-8499) will hold its annual holiday open house on Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring raffles, a scavenger hunt, refreshments and more. Current exhibits include “Celebrating the American Landscape,” featuring works from artists of the late 1800s through the present, according to a press release.

• A life: The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) will present Man on the Hill, a musical theater production that follows the life of one man from boyhood through old age by New Hampshire composer and playwright John Stanley Shelley, on Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 26. The show’s music is performed by the Duncan Idaho Band, according to a press release. Tickets cost $22 to $28. The show runs Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

• A Nutcracker: The New England Dance Ensemble will present The Nutcracker on Saturday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 26, at 4 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Dr. in Salem) in a show featuring live music by the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets cost $35 to $55 and are available at nede.org.

• Pops: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will return to the Seifert Performing Arts Center in Salem for its Holiday Pops shows on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $10 for students. The Dec. 17 show will have a streaming option for $15. See nhphil.org.

• Winter show: The Greater Salem Art Association will hold its 2023 Winter Art Show & Sale Thursday, Nov. 30, through Saturday, Dec. 2, at Kelley Library (234 Main St. in Salem) featuring original works of fine art by local artists and a fine art raffle, according to a press release. The show will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free. See gsaa-nh.com.

• Holiday pops: The Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org, 644-4548) will present its Holiday Pops concert on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). The evening will feature a cash bar, refreshments, raffle prizes and a silent auction as well as performances by the Dino Anagnost Youth Symphony Orchestra of New Hampshire, the Flute Choir, the Queen City Youth Choirs and the NH Jazz Orchestra, according to a press release. Tickets cost $45 per person or $400 for a table for 10. Call or go online for reservations.

• Holiday spirit: Theatre Kapow will present the New Hampshire premiere of The Thanksgiving Play by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse (a MacArthur Genius) Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord (Main Street in Concord; ccanh.com). “Three really REALLY well-meaning teachers and one actress walk into a school. The work at hand: a Thanksgiving pageant that won’t ruffle any features,” according to a press release description of this comedy. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. See tkapow.com for tickets.

• Contoocook Artisans fair: The annual Contoocook Artisans Holiday Craft Fair will be held Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at the American Legion Post 81 E.R. Montgomery Event Center (169 Bound Tree Road in Contoocook). A juried fine arts and crafts fair, the event will feature more than 30 artisans with locally made items including gifts for the home, baked goods, maple sugar and honey, baskets, holiday items, dolls and children’s toys, wooden items, jewelry, leather items, clothing, oil cloth accessories and handbags, specialty paper and books, felted treasures, pottery, photography, soaps, folk art, beadwork, quilts, Shaker items, Christmas ornaments and more, according to a press release. The fair will run Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• A Celtic holiday: The Manchester Community Music School will also present upcoming faculty shows — “Spanish Renaissance” featuring Adriana Ruiz (voice) and Pablo Kennedy (lute and theorbo) on Thursday, Nov. 16, and “A Celtic Holiday” featuring Aubrie Dionne (flute), Erin Dubois (flute and piccolo), Kylie Elliot (flute) and Rose Hinkle (flute), according to a press release. The shows start at 7 p.m. and are free with preregistration, which is required. See mcmusicschool.org.

• Holiday sounds: The 35th annual Messiah Sing! performances will take place at Mont Vernon Congregational Church on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Milford United Methodist Church on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m., according to a press release. The performance will feature a live orchestra as well as the chorus. Admission is free (donations accepted).

• The Dickens, you say: Theatrical company Carpe Diem will present A Dickens of a Christmas, the tale of a writer’s-blocked Charles Dickens, at the Old Salt Restaurant (Lafayette Road in Hampton) Monday, Dec. 4, through Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Monday, Dec. 11, through Wednesday, Dec. 13, according to a press release. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m. and includes a three-course dinner as well as live music and holiday carols. Tickets cost $59.99 and must be reserved by calling the restaurant at 926-8322, the release said.

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.

Ooh, that recipe looks good; I wonder what’s in it.

click

OK, this looks like the right recipe.

Uh, huh. Yes, I’m sure your Uncle Oswald was very fond of this recipe. I might like to make it myself.

scroll, scroll

Yes, that’s a very nice photo of the finished dish—

scroll, scroll

and of your Uncle Oswald.

scroll, scroll

No, I don’t want to buy all the ingredients for the recipe. You haven’t even told me what they are yet.

scroll, scroll

Yes, I’m glad your family likes it, too. Especially your picky 8-year-old.

scroll, scroll

Yes, I’m sure he’s very precious to you, and I’m glad he’s gotten over his night terrors.

scroll, scroll

OH, COME ON!!!

This has happened to all of us. We want a recipe and end up having to wade through a lot of non-recipe exposition to get to it. It’s very frustrating.

Because it’s a couple of weeks before the holidays (possibly the most recipe-intensive time of year) here are 54 recipes — for breads, desserts, main dishes, feed-a-crowd food, tastiness for when you in this season just need tastiness — with virtually no (additional) exposition.

1) Sesame Crunch Ice Cream

• 1½ cups (190 grams) tahini paste. I like Krinos brand.
• 1 scant cup (180 grams) white sugar
• 3 cups (660 grams) half-and-half, or non-dairy cream
• large pinch coarse sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil

Blend all ingredients in your blender.

Chill the mixture for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

This is excellent and very sesame-y, but even better when you mix in:

2) Sesame Brittle

• ¾ cup (160 grams) white sugar
• ¼ cup (85 grams) rose jam
• pinch of coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground sumac
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 ¾ cups (125 grams) sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon rose water

Cook the sugar, jam, salt, sumac, water and sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring often. Everything should melt together. Cook until it reaches 305ºF.

Quickly stir in the remaining ingredients — the oil, baking soda and rose water.

Pour onto an oiled silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Smooth out so it’s very thin.

Let cool, then break into small pieces.

This is a delicious, nutty and floral hard candy that will last about one week in an airtight container. If you have one of those little “Do Not Eat” dehydration envelopes, put it in the container with the sesame brittle. It will help keep it from getting too sticky. Even better, break it into smaller pieces and mix it in with your sesame ice cream before hardening it in your freezer.

3) Totally Delicious, Yes-I’m-Serious, Cilantro Ice Cream for the Brave of Heart

• ¾ cup (188 grams) whole milk
• 1¾ cups (113 grams) white sugar
• 1½ cups (376 grams) heavy cream
• pinch of salt
• 1 bunch (about 90 grams) cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• 4 egg yolks

Heat the milk, salt, sugar and half the cream (¾ cup/188 grams) to just below boiling, about 175ºF.

Remove from heat. Steep the cilantro, covered, for 1 hour.

Strain to remove the spent cilantro.

Add the egg yolks to the now green mixture and, stirring constantly, bring back to 175º.

Or — Bring the mixture back to 175º, then temper in the egg yolks.

Strain the mixture into the remaining cream. Stir, then chill for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

4) Fortune Cookie Brickle for Topping Ice Cream With

• 2 cups (106 grams) lightly crushed fortune cookies with the wrappers and fortunes removed
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• ¼ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together.

Bake on a baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes at 275º F.

Cool, and store in an airtight container for several days.

5) Rustic Basque Cheesecake

• 3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, or 24 ounces of soft goat cheese
• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
• 5 whole eggs (minus, you know, the shells)
• ¾ cup (170 grams) heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat your oven to 500ºF.

Line a springform pan with parchment paper.

Blend all the ingredients in your blender for 5 minutes.

Pour into your lined springform pan, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. It will be very brown. Don’t let that shake you.

Remove from oven and cool thoroughly before de-panning.

This is delicious, rustic and not too sweet. It is excellent with a large glass of very cold milk.

6) Marzipan Sorbet

• ⅔ cup (180 grams) almond butter
• ⅗ cup (180 grams) white sugar
• 3 cups (660 grams) unsweetened almond creamer. You could use half-and-half for this, but the almond-based creamer will make this even almondier.
• 4 Tablespoons/2 ounces (72 grams) orgeat (almond syrup)
• ½ loaf (99 grams) marzipan, cubed. (Marzipan is a sweetened almond paste. You can find it in the baking section of your supermarket, or online.)

Blend all the ingredients except the marzipan.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

During the final minute of churning, add the cubes of marzipan.

If you are not yet a fan of marzipan, you will be after trying this. It is especially good with a slice of banana bread.

7) Apple Bundt Cake

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

Heat your oven to 325ºF.

Butter and flour your Bundt pan.

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

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

Mix in the diced apples by hand.

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

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

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

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

8) Custard Sauce

• 1½ cups (340 grams) half-and-half
• 1/3 cup (56 grams) white sugar
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine the cream and sugar, then heat over medium heat until just before boiling (175ºF/80ºC), then temper in the egg yolks.

Or — Heat the cream, sugar and egg yolks to 175ºF, whisking constantly.

Strain, to make sure there aren’t any bits of cooked egg, then add the vanilla and chill.

This is delicious on anything British, or on Apple Bundt Cake.

9) Orange Crinkle Cookies (18 vegan cookies)

These are excellent, and especially good if you are baking for a classroom, Girl Scout troop, etc., and don’t know who is dairy-intolerant or allergic to eggs.

• 1 Tablespoon flax meal or egg replacer, mixed with 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 box orange cake mix
• ½ teaspoon orange extract
• ½ cup orange soda
• ½ cup (70 grams) chopped, candied orange slices. Trader Joe’s has excellent ones.
• powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Prepare the egg substitute.

Mix all ingredients together.

Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Roll 1-Tablespoon balls of dough in powdered sugar, and place six to a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool briefly, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Delicious. Orangey. Crinkly.

10) Cheese Crumb Pudding from an Obscure Antique Cookbook

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

Heat oven to 375º.

Generously butter a 9×9” baking dish.

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

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

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

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

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

Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Imagine very good macaroni and cheese, intensified, and with the macaroni mysteriously absent. This is extremely decadent, one of the few dishes that will satisfy everyone, including picky children and fathers-in-law.

11) Crumpets – Sort of Like a Cross Between English Muffins and Buttered Toast

• 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (235 grams) warm water
• 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (4 grams) yeast
• 1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
• lots of butter

Combine the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to give the yeast a head start.

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl, preferably a metal one.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and whisk thoroughly to combine.

Leave the batter to rise in a warm-water bath for 45 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or skillet to about 375º — about as hot as you would for pancakes.

Butter the inside of a pastry ring or a small can with the top and bottom removed. Place it on the hot skillet.

Add a dollop of butter, then three large spoonfuls of batter into the ring/can.

Using pancake-making skills, fry the proto-crumpet in the browning butter, until it is ready to flip over. I usually wait until there are a few non-popping bubbles on the surface.

Remove the ring/can — if you buttered it liberally enough, it should slide right off.

Flip your crumpet and cook in more butter, until it is golden brown on the other side.

Remove to a plate and cover with a tea towel, then rebutter your ring/can and make another. Once you have gotten good at this, you might cook two or more crumpets at a time, but because this recipe only makes six, you might want to focus on them individually.

These are buttery and salty and chewy. They make excellent Sunday morning treats, or housewarming gifts. Everyone you give them to will insist on putting butter and or jam on them, and they are delicious that way, but also a treat as is.

12) Sourdough Starter – Yes, for Sourdough Bread, But We’ll Worry About That Another Time

• Equal amounts, by weight or volume, of flour and yeast

In a large container — I use a 1-quart plastic takeout container — thoroughly mix the flour and water.

Cover it and set it aside for 24 hours.

As you do this, tiny yeast cells from the air in your kitchen and clinging to tiny flour particles will start to wake up and do what they do best: give off gas and multiply.

The mixture won’t look much different than it did the day before.

Pour out half the mixture, then add the same amount of flour and water as the previous day.

Stir thoroughly, then set aside for another day.

Repeat this every day for a week or so. You will start to notice a yeastiness to the mixture. At that point you can use it in sourdough-y recipes, like sourdough biscuits. The longer you keep your starter — feeding it regularly — the more sour and delicious it will get. Once it is thoroughly established, you can reduce the feedings to three per week. If you are going away on vacation, you can store it without feeding for several weeks in the refrigerator.

13) Sourdough Biscuits

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• ¾ cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup (264 grams) sourdough starter

Freeze the butter in your freezer for at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 425º.

Combine the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder.

Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. If it starts getting melty on your hands, roll it around in the flour.

With your hands, toss the butter in the flour mixture until it is thoroughly combined. (This is the technique I’ve been using for my pie crusts lately, and it works very nicely.)

Add the sourdough starter, and mix to combine. You will end up with a very shaggy dough. Turn it out onto a floured countertop.

Pat the dough into a 5×7” rectangle, about the same size as a postcard. Flip it over so that both sides are floury and not too sticky.

Fold the dough in half, then pat it out to postcard-size. Flip it around in the flour as necessary.

Fold, pat and flip the dough a total of eight times. As you do this, you are building up layers in the dough. Each time you do this, it will become a little smoother and biscuit-doughy.

Pat the dough out into a 7×9” rectangle. Using a large knife or a bench scraper, cut the edges off. As you’ve been patting the dough out, you’ve been pinching the edges a little. Cutting the edges off will allow the biscuits to rise, with lots of layers.

Cut the dough to make six biscuits. Use the off-cuts to make spiral-shaped, wonky biscuits. These will not rise as well or look as pretty, but they will also be delicious.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. This will vary, depending on how accurate your oven is. Watch very carefully the first time you do this to get your specific time. In my kitchen, it is 17 minutes.

Nobody from the South will believe you, but these might be the best biscuits you ever have.

14) Strawberry Ice Cream

• 2⅔ cups (450 grams) frozen strawberries, thawed (The freezing makes the berries give up more juice. Plus, the frozen ones are less expensive than fresh.)
• ½ cup (175 grams) strawberry preserves
• 1 generous cup (240 grams) heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon (18 grams) lemon juice
• More strawberry preserves for layering in

Blend all the ingredients in your blender.

Strain — otherwise the ice cream might be a little too seedy.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

Layer the soft ice cream with more strawberry preserves before freezing.

This is extra strawberry-y and not too sweet. It’s totally worth making once per week, especially in the winter, when you are feeling sun-deprived.

15) Potatoes au Gratin

• 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1½ pounds (700 grams) potatoes – waxy red potatoes would work well for this, but there really are no wrong potatoes for this dish – peeled and sliced thin
• 2 cups (200 grams) grated cheese – I like the pre-grated, bagged cheese from the supermarket, but again, there really is no wrong cheese for this
• salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425º.

Warm the evaporated milk and one crushed clove of garlic, and leave it to steep for 30 minutes.

Rub the inside of a casserole dish with the other clove of garlic, then butter it thoroughly with 2 Tablespoons of the butter.

Put down the potatoes and cheese in three layers, salting and peppering each one.

Strain the warm milk mixture over the potatoes. Dot the top with the remaining Tablespoon butter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

You’ve got your french fries, your Tater Tots, even your mashed potatoes, but this may be the prince of potato dishes.

16) Coffee Ice Cream

• 2 cups (454 grams) heavy cream
• 1½ cups (375 grams) half-and-half
• ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar
• pinch of coarse sea salt
• ¾ cup (50 grams) ground coffee
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Set aside 1¼ cups of heavy cream, and the vanilla.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat to hot-but-not-boiling (about 150º).

Remove from heat and let it steep, covered, for about an hour.

Strain the coffee mixture into the rest of the cream. Add the vanilla.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

This is outstanding coffee ice cream, but be warned that two scoops of it before bed kept me awake until 4 a.m.

17) Corn Chowder

• 1 stick (8 ounces) butter
• 1 small or ½ large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 4 ears sweet corn, cut from the cob; alternatively, one small bag of frozen corn
• 1 hatch/poblano chili, chopped
• ½ gallon milk
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
• salt, pepper and smoked paprika to taste

Melt the butter in a large soup pan. (If you are a bacon-eater, half a package of bacon, chopped, fried and rendered, will work well too.)

Add the onion and corn. Sauté until they have some color.

Add the pepper, potatoes and smoked paprika. If you are using bacon, you can skip the paprika at your discretion. You really want a rich, smoky flavor in the background, though. Cook for another five minutes or so.

Add the milk. If you are using fresh sweet corn, chop the cobs in half and use them, too. They will make the chowder extra-corny.

Bring to a simmer, then cook on low heat for 60 minutes.

Season to taste and serve with bread and butter.

This is probably the easiest soup you will ever make from scratch. If you wanted, you could make this entirely from frozen vegetables and still impress picky chowder purists.

18) Scallion Pancakes

• ½ cup (170 grams) sourdough starter
• 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) water
• ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 or 3 scallions, finely chopped
• a large handful of fresh herbs, chopped – I like chives and basil; cilantro is always good
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• oil for frying

Heat the oil in a frying pan until shimmering.

Combine all the ingredients, reserving half the scallions.

Fry the batter in 3 to 5 batches, sprinkling the reserved scallions on top.

Fry on both sides, drain and serve.

The more quickly you eat these, the crisper they will be.

19) Paneer – Fresh Indian Cheese

• 1 gallon whole milk
• ⅓ cup vinegar

Heat the milk in a large soup pot, stirring occasionally to keep it from bonding too firmly to the bottom.

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately.

Stir in the vinegar. Stir for another minute or so, until the milk solids separate from the watery liquid. (This is whey, as in “Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet.”)

Line a large colander with a tea towel. Strain the clumpy milk mixture into the towel.

After a minute or so, squeeze some of the moisture out of the towel. Set the towel aside to drain for another hour or so.

You just made cheese. Cut it into cubes, and store it in your refrigerator to make curries with, like a Paneer-Pistachio Curry.

20) Paneer-Pistachio Curry

• ½ cup (75 grams) cashews
• 1 bag frozen onions and peppers
• 8 to 10 cardamom pods, crushed and placed in a tea strainer
• 2 or 3 serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ½ cup (75 grams) salted, roasted, shelled pistachios
• 8 ounces paneer cubes
• 1 bunch of cilantro leaves and stems, rinsed and chopped

Boil the cashews, peppers/onions, serranos and cardamom in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes.

Remove the tea strainer, then puree the mixture with an immersion blender or in your regular blender. Return to the pot.

Stir in the pistachios, paneer, salt and cayenne. Warm for five minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and serve with naan.

This is spicy, nutty, hearty curry. If you think you don’t like curries because you don’t like curry powder, this may change your mind. This is a gateway drug to Indian cooking.

21) Granola

• 2½ cups (225 grams) rolled oats
• ¼ to ½ cup (75 grams) coarsely chopped nuts
• ¼ to ½ cup (70 grams) poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or a mixture of both
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup (112 grams) honey
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla

Preheat your oven to 305º.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. You might be able to do this with a spatula; you will probably end up using your hands.

Drop the mixture onto a silicone sheet or parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. Press the mixture down, especially in the corners of the pan.

Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool before breaking into clumps.

This is a salty, spicy, lightly sweet granola that will make itself remembered.

22) Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

• 3 cups (680 grams) half-and-half
• pinch of salt
• ⅓ cup (65 grams) white sugar
• 4 crushed candy canes (about 70 grams)
• 1 Tablespoons cornstarch
• Another 4 (70 grams) crushed candy canes

Combine cream, salt, sugar, the first batch of candy canes, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Heat until the candy canes have completely melted and the mixture has thickened. It should look like pink hot chocolate.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

About five minutes before the mixture is done churning, add the second batch of peppermint candy.

This is an outstandingly pepperminty ice cream and an excellent way to use up late-season leftover candy canes.

23) Peanut Butter and Jelly Bundt Cake

Butter for generously greasing your Bundt pan

• ⅓ cup (75 grams) finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• ½ cup (114 grams) sour cream
• 1¼ cup (213 grams) brown sugar
• ½ cup (135 grams) peanut butter
• 1¾ cup (210 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup (76 grams) half-and-half
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• ¾ cup (255 grams) strawberry jam
• 11 (60 grams) maraschino cherries, stems removed

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Prepare a Bundt pan — lavishly butter the inside surface with butter, then dust it with crushed peanuts.

Measure or weigh out the sour cream, brown sugar and peanut butter in the bowl of your stand mixer, or the bowl that you’re going to finish the cake batter in. Now leave it alone until you are ready for it.

Combine all your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. If you worry about such things, go ahead and sift them together; otherwise just stir them together with a spoon.

Beat the sour cream, sugar and peanut butter together into a fine goop.

When your goop is as light and fluffy as it is going to get, continue beating, adding the eggs one at a time, followed by a glug of vanilla.

At this point your mixture is pretty soupy. You’ll be happy to know that it’s time to add the dry ingredients, alternating with the half-and-half.

Scrape the sides of your bowl down to make sure that everything has gotten mixed together, then pour a little more than half of your batter into your Bundt pan.

Bonk the Bundt pan firmly on the top of the counter twice. This is to make sure that there are no air pockets. If you want to, you could wait until you’ve added all the ingredients. In this particular recipe it might also drive your jam and cherries downward, to what will be the top of the cake, and make visible jam inclusions. In any other cake this would be a bug. In this cake it would be a feature.

Gently spoon the jam in a ring around the Bundt pan, on top of the batter you just poured in. Place the cherries in a ring on top of the jam.

Pour the rest of the batter into your pan, making sure to cover the jam and cherries. Don’t worry about being particularly neat; the batter will level itself out.

Bake at 350° for about half an hour. If you are worried about whether it is completely baked, stab it with a probe thermometer. If it reads over 200° F, you’re fine. Don’t worry about it being overbaked; that’s what the sour cream is there for. It has your back.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 20 minutes, then invert it onto a plate. I find that I rise up onto my toes as I make the flip, then come down hard on my heels. I don’t know if that does anything productive, but I like to think that it lets the finished cake know that I mean business.

This is a moist, not too sweet snack cake, ideal for sharing with a special friend over coffee.

24) Roasted Banana Sorbet

• 3 tired bananas, the type you might find in the sale rack at a supermarket or by the cash register at a convenience store, the type that has seen too much of life – these are the sweet, flavorful ones
• ⅓ cup (70 grams) brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1⅔ cups (375 grams) non-dairy half-and-half
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon créme de banana
• 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400º.

Slice your bananas, and mix with brown sugar and coconut oil.

Transfer to an oven-proof pan or dish, and roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine all ingredients, including the banana mixture, in your blender and blend thoroughly.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Churn according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

Your kitchen will smell amazing while you roast the bananas. If you have a child who complains about not liking bananas, sympathize with them and eat it all yourself.

25) Blackberry Syrup

• 1 bag frozen blackberries
• An equal amount (by weight) of white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Combine the sugar and frozen berries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. At this point you will be extremely skeptical: This mixture looks far too dry to ever turn into syrup. Have patience.

Keep stirring the mixture occasionally. As the berries thaw, they are going to give up a surprising amount of liquid. When they froze, ice crystals pierced all the cell walls, and now you get all that juice, with very little work.

Keep stirring, crushing berries wherever possible. Bring to a boil.

Let the syrup boil for five or six seconds to make sure that the sugar has all been dissolved, then remove from the heat.

Pour the hot syrup through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all the seeds. There will be a lot of them.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Let the syrup cool, bottle it and store it in your refrigerator for a month or so.

This is an excellent topping for ice cream or pancakes, but also a surprisingly wonderful ingredient for cocktails.

26) Rich and Decadent Peanut Butter Soufflé

• 2 large eggs, separated
• ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon (120 grams) brown sugar
• ¼ cup minus 1 teaspoon (55 grams) peanut butter
• Small glug of vanilla, about 1 teaspoon
• pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Separate your eggs. Do this over the bowl of your stand mixer, or the bowl you will be beating the egg whites in. Everyone has their own method for separating eggs. My preference is to break the shell on a flat surface, like a countertop. (This pretty much eliminates small pieces of shell in the bowl that I have to fish out.) I crack the egg open and pour it into my open hand. I keep my fingers just far apart enough that the egg white will eventually release its hold on the yolk and slip through them into the bowl. Remember to wash your hands before and after doing this.

Place the egg yolks in a separate large bowl. Add the brown sugar and peanut butter. Mix well with a spoon. The mixture will be really stiff, so it will be more a matter of mashing than mixing.

Add the salt and vanilla to the egg whites, then whisk them to medium peaks. Have you ever seen a cooking show or competition where a baker beats their egg whites, then holds the bowl over their (or a competitor’s) head to show that they are stiff enough? This is what bakers call stiff peaks. That’s a little stiffer than we want for this recipe. We want them to be the consistency where the TV baker starts giggling and it is just enough to make the egg whites slowly glop onto somebody’s head.

With a silicone spatula, scoop out about a third of your egg whites and mix them into the peanut butter mixture. This is what professionals call loosening up a stiff base. Go ahead and mix everything together. As the mixture becomes more liquidy and stir-able, the doubt you’ve been feeling about your ability to pull this whole soufflé off will ease up by about 15 percent.

This next step is the closest thing to tricky. Use the spatula to scoop out about half the remaining egg whites and put them in the peanut butter bowl. Run the edge of the spatula through the middle of the mess, then sweep it around the edge of the bowl. A tiny bit of the whites will mix together with the base. This is called folding in the egg whites. Even though you can’t see it easily with the naked eye, beaten egg whites are made up of a gazillion tiny bubbles, held together by the sticky proteins in the egg white itself. Remember when your hands felt sticky and gross after separating the eggs? That stickiness is what’s holding those tiny bubbles together. Those bubbles are what’s going to lighten your soufflé and give it lift. By folding the egg whites into the mixture, instead of just stirring it, you are preserving as many of the bubbles as possible. Keep folding until the whites are mostly incorporated with the base.

At this point, your peanut butter mixture should be looking a lot lighter. Your soufflé stress will also lighten up, probably another 15 percent. Fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.

Gently spoon the mixture into two large ramekins and put them into your preheated oven.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Your oven and mine are probably different by a few degrees, so you might have to make this recipe a couple of times before you perfect the timing. The good news is that even sub-optimal soufflés are awfully good.

Pull the puffed-up soufflés from the oven and serve immediately. The now-baked bubble matrix is proud and puffy, but it will collapse within the next 10 minutes. Serve with something fruity, like Rhubarb Compote.

27) Rhubarb Compote and Rhubarb Syrup

This recipe is very much like the one for Blackberry Syrup, but at the end of the process you get syrup and compote.

• rhubarb – cleaned and chopped
• the same amount of white sugar, by weight
• juice of half a lemon

Freeze the chopped rhubarb for several hours or overnight. This will allow ice crystals to pierce all the cell walls.

Heat the frozen rhubarb and sugar in a saucepan. As it thaws, the rhubarb will give off quite a bit of liquid. If you want to help the process along, you can crush the rhubarb with a potato masher.

Bring the mixture to a boil to ensure that the sugar has dissolved completely.

Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice.

Strain the mixture with a fine-meshed strainer.

The liquid is your rhubarb syrup, which makes a delightful Rhubarb Margarita, and the solids are a very nice compote that is delicious on toast or with a Peanut Butter Soufflé. Both will last for two or three weeks in your refrigerator.

28) Rhubarb Margarita

• 2 ounces blanco tequila – I like Hornitos
• 1 ounce rhubarb syrup
• ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
• Combine all three ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.
• Shake until the shaker becomes painful to hold.
• Strain into a cocktail glass, and drink while listening to flamenco music.
• 29) Carrot Pie
• purée of two large carrots – about 1½ cups, or 300 grams
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (99 grams) sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ cups (1 can) evaporated milk
• zest of 1 large orange
• 1 pie crust

Preheat the oven to 450º F.

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour into the pie crust. Much as with a pumpkin pie, the crust does not need to be blind-baked.

Bake at 450º for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325º and bake for a further 50 to 55 minutes or until the blade of a knife comes out more or less clean.

30) Sweet Lemon Buns

• 1 cup (227 grams) whole milk
• 1½ Tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon yeast
• zest of 2 lemons (about 7 grams)
• juice of ½ lemon (40 grams)
• ½ cup (85 grams) golden raisins
• 1 egg
• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, butter and sugar, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

Stir in the yeast, then leave the mixture to proof for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, lemon rind, lemon juice, raisins and egg. This will make a gloppy mess.

Add the flour and salt. Knead with the bread hook on your stand mixer, or by hand for five to 10 minutes.

Pull the still-sticky dough into a tight ball, then place in an oiled bowl to rise.

Let the dough rise for one to two hours, until it has doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 350º.

With a large knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 portions.

Form the portions into proto-buns and leave to rise a second time on parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet, about 20 minutes.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Eat, warm from the oven, with too much butter, or with Egg Foo Yung Salad.

31) Egg Foo Yung Salad

I am passionately fond of eggs, but not hard-boiled ones, or, as I like to call them, “sulfur-flavored Jell-O.” This is an excellent work-around egg salad.

• 1 order takeout egg foo yung, minus the sauce
• mayonnaise
• pickled red onion
• pickled jalapeños
• canned water chestnuts
• roasted, salted pecans
• a tiny amount of sesame oil
• salt and pepper

Chop the egg, onion, jalapeños and water chestnuts. Place in a medium-sized bowl.

Add the mayo, sesame oil and pecans to taste.

Season to taste.

There are no specific amounts of any ingredient in this recipe, because egg salad, like tuna or potato salad, is entirely dependent on individual preferences. About once per month I stop for takeout egg foo yung just to make this.

32) Boston Brown Bread

• generous ½ cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
• generous ½ cup (67 grams) rye flour
• generous ½ cup (75 grams) fine corn flour or masa harina
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ cup (85 grams) golden raisins or dried blueberries
• 1 cup (227 grams) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup (170 grams) molasses

Heat your oven to 325º.

Generously butter a loaf pan or large coffee can.

Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another.

Combine the contents of the two bowls.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan or coffee can. Cover the top with foil and tie it with twine.

Put the pan or can in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven, and fill 1/3 of the way up with boiling water.

Cover the roasting pan or Dutch oven, and bake for two hours and 15 minutes. Check in on the water level from time to time, and refill as necessary. The bread will be ready when a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving with a truly inordinate amount of butter.

Use any leftovers the next day for Brown Bread French Toast.

33) Boston Brown Bread French Toast

Make French toast from your leftover Boston Brown Bread.

34) Flame-Grilled Vegetables

• 2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can artichoke bottoms, diced – artichoke hearts are fine, but if you can find the bottoms, they will be a revelation; they taste the same, but with a meaty texture
• 1 can jumbo black olives, strained
• 1 package haloumi cheese, diced
• ½ bottle balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• salt and pepper

Several hours before you want to eat, boil the potatoes until they are just al dente — maybe five minutes from being perfectly cooked.

Add the potatoes and all the other ingredients to a gallon-sized zip-lock bag. Squeeze as much air out as possible. Leave the bag on the kitchen counter to let the vegetables marinate for two to three hours.

Half an hour before dinner, start the charcoal in your grill.

When you have a good set of coals, march outside with a determined expression, a grill pan, a pair of tongs and a cold beer.

Place the grill pan — it looks like a metal basket with a lot of holes in it — over the coals, then pour the contents of the bag into it.

There will be a huge hiss, but don’t worry, the coals have not gone out.

Grill the vegetables until the onions and haloumi have some good color. Move them around with the tongs from time to time. You will probably have to change position from time to time to escape the worst of the smoke. This is the price you pay for delicious grilled vegetables.

Sneak a piece of potato or pepper occasionally. You will know when everything has cooked.

Finish your beer, then make way too big a production of bringing the hot grill pan back into the kitchen for service.

35) 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 paste, 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.

36) Homemade Chocolates

You’ve probably watched a cooking competition and been scared off from ever trying to mold your own chocolates because the judges kept going on about properly “tempering” your chocolate and made it seem like glass-blowing or something.

Buy some silicone chocolate molds, or soap molds, or even ice cube trays from a craft store, or online.

Ingredients:

• chocolate

That’s it. You can, of course add pretzel pieces or crushed peppermint, or white chocolate chips, but all you really need is chocolate. Dark chocolate chips do very nicely.

Fill a small, microwave-safe bowl with chunks of chocolate. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

Stir. At this point the chunks are probably just a little melted around the edges.

Microwave for 15 more seconds. Stir. More melty…

Let’s go 10 more seconds, then really stir. The warm chocolate will melt the rest of the pieces.

When you have a bowlful of melted chocolate, pour it into the molds. Make sure that you jab at it with your spoon or craft stick a little to get into any crevices.

Cool for an hour or so in your refrigerator, then de-mold.

Bask in the admiration of friends and co-workers.

And as long as you’re melting chocolate, you might as well make some Chocolate-Covered Cherries.

37) Chocolate-Covered Cherries

• melted chocolate (see above)
• maraschino cherries, stems removed.

One at a time, drop cherries into the melted chocolate, and roll them around with a fork until they are completely covered.

Transfer to wax paper or parchment paper to set.

Eat them, or use them to woo an attractive, dark-eyed stranger.

38) World’s Greatest Breakfast Sandwich

• 1 slice of ordinary sandwich bread (seriously, don’t try to get fancy with this), toasted
• peanut butter
• pickled jalapeños
• 1 egg, scrambled (I cook mine in the microwave oven for 67 seconds)
• salt and pepper to taste

OK, go ahead. Be skeptical, but once you’ve tried this you will make it again: Toast, peanut butter, jalapeños, scrambled egg, salt and pepper.

39) Taco Variations – Which Absolutely Should Be the Title of a Piece of Classical Music

So, the key to an extended family get-together, like on Christmas Eve, or Eid al Fitr, is feeding everyone generously, and keeping grumbling to a minimum. One of the best ways to do that is with tacos. Everyone likes some sort of tacos, so set up a taco bar in the kitchen with crispy shells, traditional grilled tortillas, and a variety of different ingredients. Here are a few ingredients that you probably haven’t thought of:

Pan-Fried Hominy – Drain a couple cans of hominy (alkali-treated corn that you can find in the canned vegetable section of the supermarket, near the beans), and fry them in butter until they are golden brown. They have a chewy texture and carb-y flavor that adds a whole new dimension to a taco.

Pulled Chicken – Buy a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket and pull it apart into taco-sized chunks. Half the work, all the flavor. You can set some golden-brown skin aside for a relative you actually like.

Plant-Based Hamburger Substitute – It is highly likely that you have at least one member of your extended family who is vegetarian or vegan and generally sulky about being left out at family gatherings. It is just as easy to make hamburger taco filling from Impossible or Beyond Burger. You wouldn’t even need to tell any of the huffier members of the family; just whisper in the ear of your relative-arian, and let them know that you have their back.

40) Another Cocktail – A Cranberry Cobra, Made with Cranberry Syrup

The Cranberry Cobra

• ½ ounce lemon juice
• ¾ ounce golden rum
• ½ serrano chile
• 1½ ounces blisteringly cold vodka
• 1 ounce cranberry syrup (see below)
• ½ ounce unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 bottle Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic

Muddle the serrano in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Add the rum and vodka, and dry-shake (without ice). Capsaicin, the fiery chemical in chiles, is alcohol-soluble, so dry-shaking it will allow the rum and vodka to strip out more heat and flavor from the serrano.

Add the lemon juice, cranberry syrup, cranberry juice and ice, then shake again, as vigorously as you see fit.

Strain into a tall Collins glass, over fresh ice.

Top with tonic and stir gently.

41) Cranberry Syrup

• 1 part sugar
• 1 part 100% cranberry juice – NOT cranberry juice cocktail

Bring both ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves completely, about two minutes.

Actually that’s it. You will probably want to let it cool before actually using it in a cocktail.

So, right now, if you are a thoughtful reader, you are asking why you can’t just use cranberry juice and simple syrup in the Cranberry Cobra and skip the syrup-making altogether. Seven words for you: Apple. Pie. Ala. Mode. With. Cranberry. Syrup.

42) Thumbprint Cookies

• 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup (198 grams) white sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3½ cups (163 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fruit preserves, any flavor – the key here is to find some sort of really unusual jam that people won’t be expecting: ginger preserves, hot pepper jelly, rose jam, lime marmalade — these are all excellent choices

Preheat your oven to 350º

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, then the eggs.

Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

43) Failure Cookies, aka Blank Canvas Cookies

This recipe was adapted from another 100-year-old newspaper clipping, and something was definitely lost in the translation. The filling burned and the dough turned out to be impossible to roll out. And yet — think of this as a Blank Canvas cookie. It has a mild, shortcake-like flavor that lends itself to modification. Add some peppermint oil? It would work beautifully. Lemon zest and lemon oil? Please. Bourbon? Why not?

1 cup (227 grams) whole milk

• 1 cup (198 grams) sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 3½ cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• pinch salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

Preheat your oven to 375º

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the milk and the egg.

Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until it has been incorporated.

Drop 1-Tablespoon dollops of the batter onto parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet, six at a time.

Bake for 10 minutes. Cool briefly before eating, or making a Trifle.

44) Failure Cookie Trifle

The amount of each ingredient will be determined by the size of your trifle dish.

• Failure Cookies
• heavy cream
• maple syrup
• frozen cherries
• amaretto

Thaw and drain frozen cherries. Soak overnight in amaretto.

Whip the cream until stiff with maple syrup as a sweetener.

In a large, or whatever size you have, glass dish, layer Failure Cookies, maple whipped cream, and marinated cherries.

Repeat as many times as you have ingredients and room in the bowl.

Dust the top with nutmeg or chocolate shavings.

45) Chocolate-Orange Cookies, Also From a 1923 Newspaper Clipping

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup (114 grams) powdered sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 4 teaspoons melted butter
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup (about 1½ slices, 68 grams) fresh soft bread crumbs – a food processor or blender will crumb bread very nicely
• ½ cup (85 grams) chopped candied orange slices – Trader Joe’s has very good ones
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix the cocoa and butter into a stiff paste. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites to medium peaks.

Slowly mix in the powdered sugar…

Then the salt and cocoa paste…

Mix in the cinnamon, bread crumbs, chopped orange pieces and vanilla, until combined.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

Heat your oven to 350º.

Bake 1-Tablespoon balls for 10 minutes.

Cool and eat.

46) Browned Butter Cookie Bars

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup (213 grams) packed brown sugar
• ½ cup (99 grams) white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup (76 grams) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips
• 4 ounces (about 1 large bar) dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• sea salt flakes

Grease and line a 13×9” baking pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, and cook until it turns light brown and smells nutty. Pour into a bowl to cool.

Add both sugars and the salt to the browned butter until completely combined.

Beat in the milk and vanilla, then the flour and chocolate chips.

When this has turned into cookie dough, transfer it to the baking dish and smash it down flat with a spatula, making sure to fill the corners. Put this in the refrigerator to chill while you play with melted chocolate.

In a small saucepan, maybe the one you used to brown the butter, heat the dark chocolate, cream and corn syrup. When it has turned to a melted saucy consistency, take the cookie dough from the refrigerator and pour the chocolate onto it. Tilt the pan to completely cover the dough. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.

Chill overnight, then cut into bars.

47) Gooey Butter Rum Bars

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter
• ½ cup (99 grams) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons dark rum
• 1¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2½ cups (284 grams) powdered sugar

Heat your oven to 350º.

Grease and line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper.

Beat ½ cup (1 stick) of the butter with your mixer. Add the white sugar, baking powder, and half the salt. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add one egg and 1 Tablespoon of the rum. Keep mixing.

Beat in the flour until everything is combined.

Smush this dough into the bottom of the baking pan. Make an even layer, including the corners.

Clean out the mixing bowl, then beat the remaining butter and the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add the rest of the ingredients, being careful to add the eggs one at a time.

Pour the batter on top of the crust in the baking pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool, cut and eat gleefully.

48) 1970s-era Nuts & Bolts (Chex Mix)

• ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
• 2 Tablespoons full-sodium soy sauce
• 1¼ teaspoons seasoned salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt (if there was any way to cram more salt into this, we didn’t know about it in the ’70s)
• 2¾ cups Corn Chex
• 2¾ cups Rice Chex
• 2¾ cups Wheat Chex
• 1½ cups cocktail peanuts (oh, wait – apparently there is a way)
• 1½ cups sesame sticks

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Melt butter in a shallow pan. Stir in soy sauce, seasoned salt and garlic salt.

Add cereal, peanuts and sesame sticks. Mix until all pieces are coated.

Place on a shallow baking pan with sides.

Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

49) Switches and Coal, a Krampus-Themed Holiday Drink

This is a take on a classic drink called a Black Satin, but boilermaker-y:

• 3 ounces very dark beer – stout or porter
• 3 ounces Brut Champagne
• 2 ounces of the darkest rum you can get your hands on – I like Cruzan Black Strap

Gently pour the very dark beer into a tall glass.

Float the Champagne on top of it. Pour it over the back of a spoon. It will not make visibly separate layers, but it makes a difference.

Pour a shot of very dark rum, then drop it into the mixture.

Drink, while complaining to your husband about your day.

50) Greyhound – A Retro Cocktail that Will Make You Feel Better About Things in General

• 2 2-inch slices of grapefruit rind (just the thin outer layer – the grapefruit will bring enough bitterness without using any of the white pith under the surface)
• 1½ ounces good gin – I like Death’s Door
• 1 ounce St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur
• 2 ounces unsweetened ruby grapefruit juice

Muddle the grapefruit peel thoroughly in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. This will release citrus oil and add an extra layer of grapefruitiness to the finished drink. Feel free to really smash the peel.

Add the other ingredients and four or five ice cubes to the shaker, and shake thoroughly.

Strain over ice in a rocks glass.

Sip while thinking about that one time when you met that guy with that crazy idea. What would have happened if you’d thrown caution into the wind?

51) Lady In Blue – A Classic Cocktail With a Touch of Sophistication

• 1½ ounces very cold gin
• ¼ ounce créme de violette
• ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• 3 drops orange blossom water

A “slip” of blue curaçao

Combine all ingredients except the blue curaçao with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake until frost forms on the shaker and your hands become uncomfortably cold.

Strain into a martini glass. This is one occasion where you should not frost the glass first; you will want to show this cocktail off. The frosted glass would mess with that.

Pour a small slip of blue curaçao down one side of the glass. It is denser than the rest of the drink and will pool in the bottom of the glass.

52) Existential Luau – A Tiki Drink That Brings Up Difficult Questions

• 1 ounce lime syrup (see below)
• 1 ounce Campari
• 2 ounces gin (I like Death’s Door)
• 4 ounces pineapple juice

cracked ice or tiny ice cubes

Fill a tall glass — a pint glass or a Collins glass — with ice.

Add lime syrup, Campari and gin.

Top off with pineapple juice.

Stir with a bar spoon.

Drink while thinking what you would name your boat, and then the bar you would run when you got to a tropical island, sold the boat and opened a bar.

53) Lime Syrup

• juice of 3 or 4 limes
• An equal amount (by weight) of white sugar
• zest of 2 limes

In a small saucepan, bring the lime juice and sugar to a boil. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 to 15 seconds, once it’s boiling.

Remove from heat and add lime zest. Let it steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the zest from the syrup, so it doesn’t get bitter.

Label your jar so you won’t have an awkward moment a week from now, when your wife wants to know what’s in that jar in the door of the fridge.

54) Navy Grog

• 1 ounce black rum, the darker the better – I like Cruzan’s Black Strap for this
• 1 ounce golden rum – I’ve got a bottle of Kirk and Sweeney that I save for special occasions like this
• 1 ounce white rum – Bacardi is fine for this; the white rum in this recipe is like the friend who is seriously underdressed to get into a club but is able to brazen her way through because of her fancy friends
• 1 ounce honey syrup
• ¾ ounce grapefruit juice
• ¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice, plus half a lime for garnish
• 1 ounce aggressively bubbly seltzer – I like Topo Chico
• 1 sprig fresh mint for garnish

Fill the large half of a cocktail shaker to the top with ice.

Pour the ice into a clean tea towel. Wrap the ice in the towel, then beat it brutally with something heavy (I use the billy-club-sized pestle from my largest mortar and pestle for this). Beat the towel until you have a variety of ice shards, from half cubes to pebbles to legitimate snow. Pour this ice back into your cocktail shaker. It will take up significantly less room than before.

Add the rums, honey syrup and citrus juices to the shaker, and shake thoroughly.

Add the carbonated water, then stir gently with a bar spoon.

Pour the entire contents into a glass. Does it have to be a Tiki mug? It could be; again, who’s going to judge you? But frankly, any large-ish glass, mug or mason jar will do.

Squeeze the remaining half lime into the glass, then drop the carcass in to class the joint up a little. Finish it off with the fresh mint.

Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.