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Chicken Man

Comedy Coop comes to Kettlehead

Like the classic rock song, Joe Fenti has learned to roll with the changes. In 2019 he got his bachelor’s degree and started a consulting job that had him at client sites when he wasn’t in airports. Six months later he was living in Zoom world, as the world shut down, and, he said recently, “we were just trying to figure out what does our workday even look like?”

So he made it funny on social media, creating a fictitious company called Fenti Fried Chicken to skewer corporate life, its Patagonia-vested bros, and guys like Brandon the Intern who responds to demands for Excel reports with, “Sure thing, is Excel the green one?”

It was a pivot from Fenti’s college days, when he thought memes were the best path to comedy success.

“I noticed that the joke wasn’t about something, the joke just became what the joke is. It would be a reference to something that no one had ever heard of but if you got it you knew what it was,” he said. “Humor evolves.”

Fenti’s quick-hit reels built his profile, as did his takes on other topics. His pitch-perfect “Yes, Chef!” impression of The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White got 12 million hits. As the world opened back up, though, he moved from content creation to stand-up comedy. Three years later he’s doing it full time and preparing his first national tour.

His online disposition is still on display, but he’s not trying to translate his TikTok and Instagram humor for a crowd.

“The jokes you can make on stage can be a little more fleshed out, you can build … a story; on the internet you have to be very relatable very fast,” he said. “To work it has to be, ‘Who would I send this to?’ or ‘Who is someone I think of when I see this video?’ With stand-up, I can … bring you into my life rather than trying to make stuff for everyone.”

He’ll still touch on life in the business world.

“Return to office or hybrid work culture, there’s always something for me to riff on because I did experience that,” he said. “But now it’s more like, ‘Here are things that have happened to me … things I’m noticing about being a 28-year-old guy now living with my girlfriend for the first time.”

With hundreds of clips, his online life does pop up. He’ll talk about being recognized as a web celebrity, noting that men often can’t say why his face is familiar. “I’m a stand-up comic,” he’ll explain, only to hear in reply that’s not it, nor is his content. So he’ll say something like, maybe you know me from my job as an actor — in court-ordered training videos.

Building on his stand-up success, Fenti began booking shows under the name Comedy Coop, chosen to reflect his Fenti Fried Chicken social media handle. He’ll be at Kettlehead Brewing in Nashua on May 22, celebrating the opening of Za Dude Pizza there, along with Boston Comedy Fest winner Liam McGurk, Troy Burditt, Ryan Ellington and El Kennedy.

Fenti promises a well-balanced showcase.

“I try to book a lot of different comedians so you’re not getting five Joe Fentis,” he said. “You’re getting someone who does one-liners, someone who does storytelling, someone who likes joking about parenthood or teaching or whatever. I’m trying to give a whole show.”

Fenti’s own comedy is inspired by absurdists like Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg. He has a recurring series of videos with him in sunglasses delivering his own jokes in Hedberg’s style that are hilarious. “If I’m ever in a room, and I don’t want people to talk to me, I pretend to be an elephant,” he says with the late comic’s deadpan delivery.

“I just love comics who do things that are a little weird and a little different,” Fenti continued, citing Demitri Martin and Bo Burnham as other guiding lights.

“People who can tell a story so smoothly and bring weird life moments to the stage,” he said. “I look to Mitch in so many ways. How he perceived the world, like an escalator is never broken, they just become stairs, that’s such a funny way to look at it [and] I try to bring that to a lot of the jokes I write now, and put them into my style. Which is still evolving; I’ve only been doing comedy almost three years. There’s always room to try new things and see what works.”

Joe Fenti w/ Liam McGurk, Troy Burditt, Ryan Ellington and El Kennedy
When: Thursday, May 22, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Kettlehead Brewing Co., 97 Main St., Nashua
Tickets: $20 at eventbrite.com

Featured photo. Joe Fenti. Courtesy photo.

Hydrangea Daiquiri

There’s a trope called “The Ninety-Dollar Tomato.” It describes an all-too-familiar situation that many of us frustrated gardeners go through: working diligently on a tomato plant, pruning it, fertilizing it, trellising it, surrounding it with companion plants, rushing out to cover it with a sheet if the weather forecast calls for frost, and manually picking off any bug that looks at it wrong, only to end up with one medium-quality tomato at the end of the summer.

There is a certain competitiveness that can spring up throughout the growing season. It might not be as in-your-face as the Lawn Dads’ battles for sod-based superiority, but we all know somebody who is a master of the passive-aggressive comment about the state of your roses, or faux-commiseration when the deer take out your hostas.

May might be the most soul-crushing month of the year for hopeful gardeners. Anything that blooms this early in the season is out of our hands; the state of our tulips was due entirely to things we did last year but can be glossed over. “Oh, the tulips?” you might say breezily. “You should have seen them last week!”

But May is the month of flowering shrubs that can’t be swept under the rug so easily. Lilacs are going to do what they’re going to do, and display it to the world. Two scraggly heads of blossoms? The lady next door is going to have something to say about that. A crab apple tree that only flowers on one side? Oh, man, that jerk down the street is going to make some joke, asking why your tree has a comb-over.

And then there are the hydrangeas. Even if you do everything perfectly each year — prune, fertilize, check the soil pH — you still never completely know what color the poofy blossom heads are going to be, how big they’re going to be, or how many there will be.

On the other hand, there is a fantastic porch-sitting cocktail that is the same color as hydrangeas, so there is some consolation in that.

2 ounces white rum
1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
¾ ounce rhubarb syrup (see below)
Blue Curaçao

Add rum lime juice and rhubarb syrup over ice to a cocktail shaker.

Shake enthusiastically, until you hear the ice start to splinter inside the shaker.

Strain into a cocktail glass. Pour a slip of blue curacao down the side of the glass. It will pool in the bottom, coloring the bottom half of the daiquiri blue and violet. Ideally, there will be tiny ice shards floating on the surface.

The rhubarb — which has just come into season — gives this daiquiri a beautiful pastel pink color and a background taste that is both floral and sour, which plays well with the lime juice. We don’t often actually taste white rum, which is a bit of a pity; it gives this particular drink an alcoholic spine that brings everything together.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup

Equal amounts by weight of rhubarb stalks and sugar
A lemon

Clean the rhubarb, then chop it into medium-sized chunks. Put it in your freezer until it has frozen solid. Place the frozen rhubarb chunks in a small saucepan with an equal amount of sugar, and stir together.

You will look at the mixture and realize that it is way too dry to turn into anything like syrup. You’ll be tempted to add water. Don’t.

Cook the mixture slowly, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The rhubarb will suddenly collapse, and the next thing you know the pot will be full of liquid. Bring it to a boil, to make sure that any remaining sugar has dissolved completely, then strain with a fine-mesh strainer. Add lemon juice to taste.

This will last about a month in your refrigerator.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Finding your way to beer

A new map will make it easier to explore NH breweries.

Road-trip enthusiasts who like to follow a theme have a new tool available to them, and it starts and ends with beer.

CJ Haynes is the executive director of the New Hampshire Brewers Association (334-603-2337, nhbrewers.org). The New Hampshire Beer Trail is one of her pet projects. She said it has been through several iterations.

“The Beer Trail started actually several years ago,” Haynes said, “when the Association started back in 2014. It’s been reimagined as a paper copy, it went to an electronic copy (which was a mobile app), and then after a while we asked ourselves how we could re-envision it. The brewers got together to put together a booklet that offers discounts at each of the member breweries. Most of them have opted in to be in the trail and so there’s exclusive discounts at each of the locations that are participating in the booklet.”

The idea of the booklet, she said, is to help fans of New Hampshire breweries visualize where they are located and plan trips to them.

“You go and you get a stamp and you enjoy a beer in each of their locations,” she said. “There are more than 65 [breweries] in the booklet.” There are many different options for beer-drinkers to plan day trips, she said. “There are multiple because several areas throughout the state have different [options]. For example, Londonderry/Derry has five or six you can go to. The Littleton area has some, Portsmouth has some. There are little pockets of brewing all over. The Conway area has some great ones. So you can add adventure to each of those locations. So say you go for a hike or you’re kind of making a weekend of an adventure.”

The Beer Trail booklet has a page devoted to each brewery, Haynes said. “Each page features a little blurb about the brewery and then their social media information, their address, their phone number, and then it offers the discount. Of course, there’s always fine print that you need to read because some exclusions apply at various locations. Then, in addition to that, we have QR codes in the booklet that will bring you directly to our — the NH Brewers Association’s — website, which will then give you the map of everything, so you can plan your route. But it also gives you the breakdown of [other ways to filter the information] — for example, which locations are dog-friendly. And then you can click, ‘I’m looking for the dog-friendly ones.’ And it makes it a little easier to navigate.”

Haynes said the new Beer Trail map will make its debut at the Association’s annual Brewers Festival in June.

“This year in celebration of our 10th anniversary of the New Hampshire Brewers Festival, we paired it with the launch of the Beer Trail map. We’re offering the New Hampshire Beer Trail Base Camp Festival, which will be June 28 at Tuckerman Brewing [in Conway]. There will be 40 breweries at that event and they’re all part of the Beer Trail, so you can kind of get a sampling of the Beer Trail in one spot and then you can go out and grab your booklet.”

The booklets will be available for purchase online and in a few physical locations, Haynes said. “We’ll launch the sale starting in June, so we’ll have them available on the NHBA website in the middle of June. People can order them direct and then they’ll actually be also available in several of the locations. But we’ll also have some available for purchase right at some of the breweries. So, if you don’t want to order online, you can visit one of the locations that will have them for sale.”

NH Beer Trail
NH Beer Trail Guides will go on sale in mid-June and cost $30 each. They will be valid through December 2026. Visit nhbrewers.org/nh-beer-trail.

Featured photo: Tuckerman Brewing Co. Courtesy photo.

Crafting the written word

Manchester market hosts author event

A collection of new books written by local authors isn’t something one expects to find in a crafts store, but the Manchester Craft Market is not typical. Along with titles like S.M. Stevens’ award-winning novel Beautiful and Terrible Things and a history of New Hampshire’s soda industry called Granite Fizz by Dennis Sasseville, the store also offers food, delicacies like artisan granola and charcuterie board meats. There’s even fresh sourdough bread for sale.

How does this explain the upcoming “Meet Our Local Authors” event, where writers will gather to discuss their many varied books?

“They’re creating something, and they’re local,” store owner Jessica Moores said in a recent phone interview. “A lot of their titles are based in New Hampshire. We have a few different guides for things to do in the area, that sort of thing. There are some history books…. It’s bringing all that local creativity to the written word.”

Moores opened the store in 2016 with a mission to sell only items made locally. She’s stayed true to it.

“I don’t let anyone bring in imported things or resell stuff. No antiques. All handmade in New England. They pay a membership fee to get a space in the store. They get their own section on our website. They can teach classes in our classroom. We have an online shopping group with close to 18,000 followers … lots of little perks and bonuses.”

Among the wares on offer are home décor products, clothing, jewelry, food items, arts and crafts, beauty products, crafting kits, greeting cards and stationery, pet items, toys and more. The store also features regular crafting classes and workshops led by its artisans and artists, like a recent Paint Your Jenga event.

Originally it was located in an empty storefront on the outside of the Mall of New Hampshire. By 2023 it had moved inside, a couple of doors down from Macy’s. It also evolved, from a humble shop to something that resembles Etsy on steroids, or at least a three-dimensional version of the online superstore that allows customers to touch the merchandise.

That aspect is reinforced on MCM’s website, which recreates the store so customers can virtually walk through it, stop to inspect things, and click to learn about vendors. In the case of the book section, located in a corner next to the register, it’s possible to find out about a title, glance at a few pages, and read the author’s biography.

“That was a big goal of mine to get done one day; that was a lot of work,” Moores said, adding that the effort was a blend of envisioning and delegating. “I can see what tech can do, and I’ll say to someone, ‘This is what I want’ and then connect with the right person to help me. I added logos and links … someone else did the actual footage.”

Most sellers have dedicated spots, but when Moores introduced her “Read Local” section last year around the holidays she took a different approach.

“The model of renting a space doesn’t work as well for someone who only has one or two things to offer,” she said. “So I kind of combined all of our authors into one area to give them a shared space so they didn’t have to worry about that.”

Authors participating in the event include Stevens and Sasseville, along with Karen Coulters, Stefanie Jolicoeur, Dawn Reno Langley, John Clayton, Darcy Cates, Marti Suerst, Connie Evans, Jennifer Hallock, Walker Hound, Emily Kordas, Ellen H. Reed, David Rouleau, Killarney Traynor and Jim Wilcox.

For Moores, one of the benefits of running the store is being able to read new writers when their wares arrive. She expects the Meet Our Local Authors event will include a few new titles.

“I come to know and appreciate them through the store,” she said, “There’s definitely a lot to choose from…. I get to check them all out and find something new all the time.”

The book corner is a relatively new initiative at the store. Moores is encouraged by the initial response.

“It’s growing,” she said. “We’re getting a lot of interest in new authors coming in to join us. So I think once it’s grown a little bit more it will be almost like your little bookshop in the mall.”

Meet Our Local Authors
When: Saturday, May 24, 11:30-1 p.m.
Where: Manchester Craft Market at the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester
More: manchestercraftmarket.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Summer Guide 2025

Fairs, festivals, food, fun and more events to look forward to this season

Summer is here!

OK, maybe it’s more like “summer” is here, that time between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, when we’re all in summer mode with our sunglasses and our shorts and our iced coffees and a desire to get out and enjoy the next three-ish months. Looking for some summer fun? Here are some of the big happenings — the festivals, fairs, sporting events and more — to put on your summer calendar.

Fairs and festivals

• The annual Mill Falls Memorial Weekend Craft Festival is happening Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mill Falls Marketplace (312 DW Highway, Meredith). More than 100 New England-based juried artisans will gather to sell their foods and crafts. Admission is free. Visit castleberryfairs.com.

• Celebrate Hillsborough, an event by History Alive, will take place Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Hillsborough Center. The day will feature tours, music, activities, demonstrations, student art, workshops and more focused on Hillsborough history, according to historyalivenh.org.

• MakeIt Labs will hold MakeIt Fest 2025 on Saturday, May 31, from noon to 5 p.m. at 25 Crown St. in Nashua. This free outdoor festival will bring together local craftsmen, artists, makers and makerspaces with demonstrations, exhibits and more. See makeitfest.com.

• The Northern New England Book Fair, a book and antiques fair with the New Hampshire Antiques Dealers Association, will take place Sunday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). Admission costs $5. Find the book fair on Facebook.

• Anheuser-Busch (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, budweisertours.com) will host the 2nd Annual Fire Truck Pull and Festival on Sunday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Teams will work to pull a full-size fire truck and compete on time at this event, which will also include vendors, a car show, food and drinks for sale and more. See budweisertours.com/mmktours.

• Milford Pride 2025 will take place Sunday, June 1, from noon to 4 p.m. at Keyes Park (45 Elm St., Milford) and will feature live music, food, vendors and more. See “Milford NH PRIDE” on Facebook.

• First Fridays in downtown Concord are an event, with food trucks, live music, pop-ups and more from 4 to 8 p.m. On Friday, June 6, the theme is Beach Party with food trucks Batulo’s Kitchen, Kona Ice and Wicked Tasty and music from DJ Nazzy at City Plaza and The Wandering Souls Band in Bicentennial Square. On Friday, Aug. 1 (there’s no July event), the theme is “Dog Days” with an outdoor movie from Red River Theatres. See firstfridayconcord.com.

• The Goffstown Rotary Club’s Car Show is returning for its 11th year on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Parsons Drive in Goffstown. Check out the classic vehicles along with the food trucks and vendors. See goffstownrotary.org.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, childrens-museum.org) will hold its annual New Hampshire Maker Fest on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 per person. This family friendly event will showcase the all-ages engineers, arts, scientists, chefs, hobbyists and more and their inventions, experiments and projects, according to the website.

• The Windham Pride Festival will take place Sunday, June 8, from noon to 4 p.m. at Windham High School, according to a post on the Windham DEI Facebook page. This free, family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, food trucks and more, the post said.

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

• This year’s Laconia Motorcycle Week runs from Saturday, June 14, through Sunday, June 22, and will include music, vendors, contests and more around Weirs Beach in Laconia. See laconiamcweek.com.

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

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

• Juneteenth New England, hosted by Black Womxn In New Hampshire Collective, will take place Saturday, June 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Crossway Christian Church, 33 Pine St. in Nashua, according to givebutter.com/juneteenthne. “It’s a free community celebration in downtown Nashua honoring Black American culture, history, and joy. The event will feature live performances, cultural exhibits, music, games, and more. Everything is free, including the food, thanks to the support of community members and sponsors,” according to an email from organizers.

• The Nashua Pride Festival and Parade will run Saturday, June 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. The parade will kick off at Nashua City Hall on Main Street and conclude at the festival grounds at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St., according to a Facebook post about the event. The festival will feature art, health information, activism, food trucks, music and more, the post said. Find “NashuaPideFestival” on Facebook for more.

• Concord’s annual Market Days Festival runs from Thursday, June 26, to Saturday, June 28, in downtown Concord from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with local vendors, live entertainment, family-friendly activities, maybe an in-festival wedding on Friday, June 27, and more. Visit marketdaysfestival.com.

• Manchester Pride 2025 will take place Saturday, June 28, with the theme “Picture Our Future.” The day will start with a parade on Elm Street at 11 a.m. headed to Veterans Park for a festival that runs from noon to 6 p.m. with entertainment, food, vendors and more, according to a Facebook post from Manchester True Collaborative about the event. See manchestertrue.org/pride-2025.

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

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

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

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

For the kids
Got kids to entertain over the many weeks of no school? Be sure to pick up our Kids’ Guide to Summer issue, slated to hit stands on June 12.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) will hold its annual Classic Car Show Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

• Organized by the Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club, the Weare Rally will run Thursday, July 24, through Saturday, July 26, at Center Woods School (14 Center Road, Weare). The rally features military vehicle displays, scenic rides, demonstrations, food and more. The cost is $5 per family. See mvmvc.org.

• The Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo runs Friday, July 25, to Sunday, July 27, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The event features tattoo artists, contests, vendors, live music, food and performances. Show hours are from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost in advance $20 for a weekend pass ($25 at the door), according to livefreeordietattoo.com.

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

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

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

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

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

• The New Hampshire Antiques Show, hosted by the New Hampshire Antique Dealers Association, returns to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester) Thursday, Aug. 7, through Saturday, Aug. 9. Nearly 60 professional antique dealers will exhibit their collections of antique furniture, art, jewelry and more. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $15 on Thursday, and $10 on Friday and Saturday; return visits are free. Visit nhada.org.

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

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

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

• The Hampton Beach Comedy Festival will run Tuesday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 17; check hampton-beach-comedy-festival.weebly.com later in the summer for tickets and details on the slate of comedians each night. According to the website, founder Jimmy Dunn won’t be at this year’s festival but you can catch him Friday, Aug. 1, at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, where he will appear on a bill with Jimmy Cash.

Summer of laughs
Looking for comedy this summer? Check out the Comedy This Week listings this week and every week in the Nite section for comedy shows at venues big and small.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Cruising Downtown will return to the streets of downtown Manchester for a 23rd year on Saturday, Aug. 30, organized by the Manchester Rotary Club. The day will feature cars on display, along with food, live demonstrations, local vendors and live entertainment. Admission is free for spectators. Visit cruisingdowntownmanchester.com.

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

Arts Events

• Watch the four sculptors participating in this year’s Nashua International Sculpture Symposium at work on their pieces at Picker Artists (3 Pine St. in Nashua), where they are working Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Wednesday, May 28, according to nashuasculpturesymposium.org. The pieces, which will become part of Nashua’s townwide exhibit of sculptures, will be unveiled in their installation locations on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m.

• Meet the Local Authors on Saturday, May 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Manchester Craft Market (inside the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester). About a dozen writers are slated to attend this supersized book signing, according to a Facebook post on the Market’s page about the event. Signed books will be available for purchase, including children’s books, New Hampshire history books, mysteries and more. See manchestercraftmarket.com.

• After a Saturday of tap workshops, the Aaron Tolson Institute of Dance’s Grante State Tap Festival will present a National Tap Dance Day Show on Sunday, May 25, at 4 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College in Manchester; tickets.anselm.edu). Tickets cost $29.50.

Art on display
Find art exhibits at area galleries and museums throughout the summer in our art listings, which appear weekly in the Arts section.

• Catch the Concord Arts Market this summer — Art in the Park, featuring 65+ artists and their works in Rollins Park in Concord from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will take place Saturday, June 7; Saturday, July 12, and Saturday, Aug. 9. Concord Arts Market will also appear at the Market Days Festival Thursday, June 26, through Saturday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Pleasant Street in Concord. See concordartsmarket.org.

• The Currier Museum of Art and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire celebrate Juneteenth with a program called “Never Caught: The Defiant Journey of Ona Marie Judge Staines” that brings Ona’s voice to life on Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the museum (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) through a dramatic reading of her 1845 interview, originally published in The Granite Freeman, featuring New Hampshire actress Sandi Clarke Kaddy as Ona Judge. Following the performance, Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, will discuss Ona’s story. Admission is free but space is limited; reserve a spot at blackheritagetrailnh.org or by calling 570-8469.

• If you’re heading to the beach, check out the craftspeople at the 25th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, which will run Thursday, June 12, through Saturday, June 14, with the sculptures, lit up at night, on view through Monday, June 23. There will be a fireworks display on Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 p.m. See hamptonbeach.org.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will hold a Juneteenth Art Off the Walls on Thursday, June 19, from 5 to 8 p.m., when admission is donation based. The evening will feature music, dance, art-making and more in partnership with the Racial Unity Team, according to an email from the museum. Other Art Off the Walls programs will be held this summer on July 17 and Aug. 21.

• The 2025 Manchester International Film Festival is set for Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25, at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester). For tickets and an up-to-date schedule of events, see palacetheatre.org/film.

• Uncommon Art on the Common takes place on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Goffstown. Find participating artists and more at goffstownuncommonarts.org.

• Positive Street Arts will present OBSCURE Runway Show on Sunday, Aug. 3, at 1 p.m. (rescheduled from April). The show “represents a convergence of creativity and innovation, bringing together local artists, designers, and boutiques in a spectacular showcase. … Through the fusion of art and fashion, Positive Street Art strives to create a platform where diverse creatives can collaborate and showcase their unique perspectives,” according to a Positive Street Arts post about the event. General admission tickets cost $45. See positivestreetart.org; find Positive Street Arts on Facebook for a link to purchase tickets.

• The Greeley Park Art Show (100 Concord St., Nashua) returns on Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Visit nashuaarts.org/greeleyparkartshow.

• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen will hold the 91st Annual Craftsmen’s Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury) Saturday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 10. It will feature the juried work of hundreds of members with sales booths, educational workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions. See nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair.

• Arts Build Community will hold its Community Canvas Mural Festival Thursday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 17, in downtown Manchester, according to a press release. Participating artists and installation sites will be announced in July, the release said. The event will include 10 large-scale murals as well as artist talks, youth paint days, storytelling events, mural tours and a block party, the release said. See artsbuildcommunity.com.

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

Spectator Sports

• The games continue for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester. The team began a stretch of games against the Somerset Patriots this week, with games Thursday, May 22, at 6:35 p.m. (when the Cats play as Gatos Feroces de New Hampshire); Friday, May 23, at 6:35 p.m.; Saturday, May 24, at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday, May 25, at 1:35 p.m. The next stretch of games starts Tuesday, June 3, against the Altoona Curve. Regular season games continue, with the final home game on Sunday, Sept. 14. See milb.com/new-hampshire for the game schedule, tickets and promotions.

• The Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will host their home opener at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Wednesday, May 28, against the Worcester Bravehearts at 10:30 a.m. followed by a game Friday, May 30, at 6 p.m. against the Vermont Lake Monsters with after-game fireworks. Their last home game of the regular season will be on Friday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m. against Vermont. See nashuasilverknights.com.

• The next home bout for NH Roller Derby at JFK Memorial Coliseum (303 Beech St. in Manchester) is Saturday, May 31, at 4 p.m. when the NH Roller Derby All-Stars take on Maine Roller Derby’s Old Port Brigade; at 6 p.m., the NH Roller Derby Cherry Bombs take on Mass Attack Roller Derby’s Bloody Bordens. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.; tickets are sold at the door: $15 for adults, $5 for veterans and NHRD vets, kids 12 and under get in for free. Future home bouts are Saturday, June 21, and Saturday, July 19. See nhrollerderby.com for updates.

• Join Special Olympics New Hampshire for its 2025 State Summer Games, the organization’s largest competition of the year for its athletes, on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7, at the University of New Hampshire (105 Main St., Durham). The games include competition in athletics, bocce, equestrian, powerlifting, unified sprint triathlons and swimming. Visit sonh.org.

• Granite State Roller Derby has home bouts scheduled for Saturday, June 7, and Saturday, June 28, both at 6 p.m. and held at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). See granitestaterollerderby.org.

• The 2025 New Hampshire Soap Box Derby Local Championship will be held on Sunday, June 8, at 120 Broadway in Dover — check-ins begin at 7:45 a.m., with side-by-side competitions starting at 10 a.m. Spectators can cheer on the races for free. See nh.soapboxderby.org.

• The 102nd annual Loudon Classic Middleweight Grand Prix, a 1.6-mile road race, will take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Louon) on Saturday, June 14, as part of Laconia Motorcycle Week. See nhms.com.

• High school football players from across the state will participate in the 13th annual NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game, benefiting Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, scheduled for Friday, June 27, at 6 p.m. at Grappone Stadium at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). General admission tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on the day. Kids 5 and under get in for free. See chadkids.org.

• New Hampshire Muscle Cars club will be hosting its Summer Sizzler car show on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Star Speed way (176 Exeter Road in Epping). It will include burnout competitions as well as slalom competitions. See nhmusclecars.com.

Nature Events

• The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Audubon are offering a Black Birders Week 2025 Tour on Saturday, May 31, from 9 to 11 a.m. in Portsmouth. The tour will start at the Black Heritage Trail’s office and head through gardens ending at the water, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can register for a spot. Registration costs $20.

• Sunday, June 1, is World Ocean Day and the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye is celebrating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with touch tanks, tide pool tours, activity stations, an inflatable whale, a beach clean-up and more, according to seacoastsciencecenter.org, where you can purchase tickets for the event.

• New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org) will hold free Massabesic Garden Tours throughout the summer: Tuesday, June 3, at 5:30 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 to 11:30 a.m., and Tuesday, Aug. 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m. RSVP online.

Summer reads
Meet your favorite authors at author readings and other events this summer. Find listings of author events, book sales and more literary fun this week and every week in the Books section.

• Saturday, June 7, is New Hampshire Fish and Game’s summer Free Fishing Day, when state residents and nonresidents are allowed to fish any inland water or saltwater in New Hampshire without a fishing license. Visit wildlife.state.nh.us.

• Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire will celebrate National Trails Day by maintaining the trails at Stonehouse Forest in Barrington on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. Register to participate at seltnh.org.

• The New Hampshire Audubon will hold its annual Native Plant and Craft Sale on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McLean Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord). The event will also include the sale of fresh flower bouquets, a fair featuring more than 15 local artisans, the pizza-serving Greenhouse Food Truck, music from Junk Drawer, guided tours of the gardens, animal ambassadors and more. See nhaudubon.org.

• If you enjoy watching the peregrine falcons and their chicks at the Brady Sullivan Tower in downtown Manchester (you can view them in three different live streams via nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/peregrine-cam) you can learn more about them at a falcon fan meet and greet (for humans) and supply- and fund-raiser for Wings of the Dawn Rescue & Rehab on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Brady Sullivan Tower, according to the daily log. Keep an eye on the cams for falcon updates and to see the daily log.

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

• New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org) will hold an Art Walk in the Garden event on Saturday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a guided tour with the garden team from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (register online for the tour). The event will showcase the newly installed All Persons Trail in the Center’s gardens and sanctuary fields, according to the website. Original, local artworks will be placed through the gardens, with some piece available for purchase, the website said. Greenhouse Pizza Truck will be on site selling lunch and there will be an indoor art exhibit as well, the website said. Register on the site by July 5 for free transportation to the center from Veterans Park in Manchester.

• At the Harris Conservation Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, the SuperSanctuary Butterfly Club will hold a Butterfly Count on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register to help with the survey, whose information will be submitted to the North American Butterfly Association and the New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network. See harriscenter.org.

• The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org) will serve as the home base for the NH Butterfly Monitoring Network Capital Region Butterfly Count on Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants can register online to receive more information about the locations in the Concord area that will be part of the count, according to the website.

Music Festivals

• The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus spring concert series “Celebrations” will be performed at four locations: the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (22 Fox Run Road in Newington) on Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m.; The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) on Sunday, June 1, at 3 p.m.; First Baptist Church of Nashua (121 Manchester St. in Nashua) on Saturday, June 7, at 7 p.m., and the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord) on Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m. See nhgmc.com/tickets for links to tickets at each venue.

• The Northlands Music and Arts Festival will offer three days of music this year — Friday, June 13, and Sunday, June 15, at the Cheshire Fairground in Swanzey, plus music on Thursday as fans show up at the campground. Headliners include The String Cheese Incident on Friday; Cory Wong and Moe. on Saturday, and Umphrey’s McGee and Lotus on Sunday. Food vendors will be at both the concert and the campground as will arts and craft vendors. The weekend will also feature kids’ activities, wellness activities and more. See northlandslive.com for festival, camping and parking passes as well as for the complete music lineup.

• The “Country by the Coast” Country Music Festival takes place Tuesday, July 8, through Thursday, July 10, with music and line-dancing (with Nashville Line Dance at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 5 p.m. on Thursday) each evening. The music line-up includes Red Solo Cup (Toby Keith tribute) on July 8 at 7 p.m.; Stefanie Jasmine Band on July 9 at 7 p.m., and David J. followed by Niko Moon on July 10 starting at 7 p.m., according to hamptonbeach.org. All shows are free.

• Brews & Blues ’25 will feature music from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, including Clandestine Funk, Johnny A. & James Montgomery Band at Anheuser-Busch, (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, budweisertours.com). Tickets to this 21+ event cost $35.

Summer of concerts
Michael Witthaus is cooking up a big guide to summer concerts. Look for that issue in June.

• Hillfest 2025, billed as “New England’s Christian Music Festival,” will take place Saturday, July 19, from 1 to 10:30 p.m. at The Lord’s Valley, 100 Locke Road in New Ipswich. The line-up includes Jeremy Camp, We Are Messengers, Ben Fuller, Terrian, Leanna Crawford and Megan Woods. See hillfestevents.com.

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

• The Granite State Blues Festival will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, in Veterans Memorial Park on Elm Street in downtown Manchester from noon to 6 p.m. See granitestateblues.org for details.

• The Outlaw Music Festival will come to the Bank NH Pavillion in Gilford on Sunday, Aug. 3, at 3:45 p.m. featuring Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Waylon Payne. Other Brother Darryl plays on the Hazy Little Stage at 3 p.m. See banknhpavilion.com.

• The New Hampshire Irish Festival is slated for Saturday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The line-up on stage is scheduled to include The Spain Brothers, Ronan Tynan, Screaming Orphans, Mick McAuley and Eileen Ivers, according to the website, where tickets starting at $43 are on sale now.

Food Events

• The Friends of the Library of Windham will hold their 40th annual Strawberry Festival and Book Fair on Saturday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road, Windham). The festival will feature homemade strawberry shortcake, live music, raffles, local vendors and games. The Book Fair will start with a preview day for Friends members, teachers and seniors at Nesmith Library on Wednesday, May 28, and then open to the public Thursday, May 29, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m and Friday, May 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Saturday the book fair will move to the high school from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a $5 bag of books special from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Visit flowwindham.org.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Palace Theatre’s Kitchen Tour on Sunday, June 1. The tour will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature a self-guided tour at kitchens in Amherst, Bedford, Hollis and Manchester, with a lunch offered at Baron’s Major Brands in Manchester. Tickets cost $55 in advance, $65 on the day. See palacetheatre.org.

• Herb & Garden Day, presented by the New Hampshire Herbal Network, returns to the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner) on Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event features workshops tailored to all skill levels, along with plant walks, an herbal market and plant sale, food vendors and more. Admission is $35 in advance. Visit nhherbalnetwork.org/herbday.

• The Rhubarb Festival at Sawyer Memorial Park (148 Route 202 in Bennington) will take place Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will feature rhubarb eats as well as food trucks, a craft fair, vendors, children’s activities, a petting zoo, a story walk, music, plants and more, according to townofbennington.com/rhubarb-festival.

• The 97.5 WOKQ Chowder Festival Summer Kick-Off takes place Saturday, June 7, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Prescott Park in Portsmouth. Tickets cost $20 per person. See prescottpark.org/event/97-5-wokq-chowder-festival-2025.

• The New Hampshire Bacon & Beer Festival will take place Saturday, June 7, 1:30 to 5 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, budweisertours.com). This 21+ event will feature 60+ brewers as well as barbecue and bacon vendors as well as live music by The Slakas, according to nhbaconbeer.com. Attendees will get beer and bacon samples and can purchase additional items, the website said. General admission tickets cost $70.90 in advance.

• The St. Nicholas Greek Festival will return on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days, at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (40 Andrew Jarvis Drive, Portsmouth, 436-2733). This year’s Greek Festival will feature fresh lamb, moussaka, spanakopita (spinach pie), gyros and Greek pastry. Visit stnicholasgreekfestival.com.

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

• The NH Beer Trail Basecamp Festival on Saturday, June 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Tuckerman Brewing in Conway is a new event from the New Hampshire Brewers Association and a kickoff to the relaunched NH Beer Trail Guidebook, according to nhbrewers.org. The event will feature nearly 40 New Hampshire craft breweries, live music, food trucks, local vendors and more, according to the website, where you can buy general admission tickets for $50 each, VIP tickets (with a noon admission time) for $75 and designated driver tickets for $20 each.

• Farm-a-Q, a celebration of local farmers, chefs and brewers,returns to Tuckaway Farm (36 Captain Smith Emerson Road, Lee) on Sunday, June 29, from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets start at $20. The event is billed as family-friendly and supports the Heritage Harvest Project, whose mission is to promote regional heritage foods and agricultural diversity among farmers, chefs and local communities. See “Farm-a-Q” on Eventbrite to purchase tickets.

• The Spicy Shark presents the New England Hot Sauce Fest, returning to Smuttynose Brewing Co. (105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton) on Saturday, July 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features local hot sauce companies selling and offering samples of their spicy products, as well as with bounce houses, food trucks and more. General admission tickets are $15 in advance; VIP tickets are $20 in advance and give you a 10 a.m. admission time. Proceeds will benefit the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and the Seacoast Science Center, according to newenglandhotsaucefest.com.

• Southern New Hampshire Food Truck Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road in Milford). Tickets cost $8 each or two for $15; kids age 14 and under get in free. The fest will feature live music, craft beer and cocktails, more than 50 vendors, a whoopie pie eating contest and a kids’ zone, according to a post at facebook.com/GreatNEFoodTruckFest.

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

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

News & Notes 25/05/22

Volunteer Fair

The United Way of Greater Nashua will hold a Greater Nashua Volunteer Fair on Thursday, May 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Chandler Wing of the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org), according to a press release. The event will feature more than 30 local nonprofits representing a variety of volunteer opportunities including “youth development, food security, environmental sustainability, or supporting older adults,” the release said. See unitedwaynashua.org.

New at MSD

Last week, the Manchester School District Board of School Committee approved the hiring of an assistant superintendent and principals at Highland-Goffe’s Falls Elementary School and Manchester School of Technology High School, according to a district release. Ryan Roth, currently working in a California school district, will serve as the assistant superintendent of middle schools and student services, the release said. “Longtime District administrator and current Assistant Principal Keith Puglisi was selected as the next Principal at Manchester School of Technology,” succeeding the retiring Principal Tim Otis, the release said. And Tim Larney, an administrator at the Nashua School District, will be Highland-Goffe’s Falls principal, the release said, succeeding the retiring Principal Sue Matthews. All the new positions are effective July 1, the release said.

New executive director

Liberty House, a Manchester-based program from Catholic Charities NH that provides “transitional housing and a community pantry for New Hampshire veterans,” has announced that Ashley Kitchell is the organization’s new executive director, according to a press release. Kitchell has worked at Liberty House for nearly a decade and was most recently the assistant director, the release said. See libertyhousenh.org.

Memorial Day commemorations

The Manchester VA Medical Center (718 Smyth Road in Manchester) will host a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 26, from 10:30 a.m. to noon outside the Eagle entrance of the center, according to a press release.

Bedford holds its annual Bedford Memorial Day Hometown Parade on Sunday, May 25, at 1 p.m. The parade will run up Meetinghouse Road from Bedford Center Road to the Town Hall, followed by a celebration at Bedford Village Common Park, according to a post on the Bedford Parks & Recreation Facebook page.

The Concord Memorial Day Parade will take place Monday, May 26, at 9 a.m. and run from the Christ the King Church parking lot on Thorndike Street and wind toward the City Plaza, according to concordnh.gov.

Indie Lens Pop-up, a series featuring screenings of films from PBS’s Independent Lens, will present Free For All: The Public Library followed by a discussion with Susan Drisko Zago, Law Library Director and Professor of Law at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, on Saturday, May 31, at 11 a.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord, according to a Red River Theatres Facebook post, where you can find a link to reserve a seat for this free event.

Tickets are on sale now for the Palace Theatre’s Kitchen Tour on Sunday, June 1. The tour will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature a self-guided tour at kitchens in Amherst, Bedford Hollis and Manchester, with a lunch offered at Baron’s Major Brands in Manchester. Tickets cost $55 in advance, $65 on the day. See palacetheatre.org.

The Peterborough Town Library (2 Concord St. in Peterborough; peterboroughtownlibrary.org) will hold a two-day craft supplies swap Friday, May 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring in new or gently used art supplies to exchange.

Shirley Phillips will discuss her book How Not To Fly An Airplane: A Female Pilot’s Journey on Saturday, May 24, at 2 p.m. at Balin Books (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; balinbooks.com).

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News & Notes 25/05/22

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