Glendi, the three-day food festival celebrating Greek culture with all kinds of authentic homemade items, is scheduled to return from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18, at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. The festival has been running since 1980 and — aside from 2020 — has occurred in its traditional format every year since.
“We can call this our 43rd annual Glendi, because even during Covid we found a way to pivot and have what we called ‘A Taste of Glendi’ drive-thru,” said George Skaperdas, president of St. George Church’s board of directors and Glendi co-chairman.
Over the course of each of the three days, Skaperdas expects the church to serve roughly 10,000 meals, including 2,300 pounds of lamb shanks, 1,500 pounds of barbecued lamb and 3,000 meatballs.
“The numbers are astonishing,” he said.
Skaperdas gives gratitude to members of the church’s Ladies Society, as well as parishioners and close friends, all of whom have been cooking items for the event since way back in June.
“The planning for each festival begins at the end of February and the beginning of March,” Skaperdas said. “The cooking starts at the beginning of June for a lot of the baked goods and desserts.”
Translated into English, “Glendi” means “celebration,” or “good times.” Prior to 1980 the festival was originally known as the Harvest Bazaar, a small three-day fundraising event for the church and community center. Soon renamed Glendi, the celebration has gained a lot of traction and continues to help spread Greek culture throughout the southern New Hampshire community.
“It’s a chance for us to share our culture and our heritage with people who may not be familiar with our Greek traditions and ways of life,” Skaperdas said. “We’re excited to share our food, and our joy for life. We plan to make sure that everybody feels welcomed.”
The kitchen begins preparation at 5:30 a.m. on each of the three days, ready and in position for the hundreds of people who often show up right as the event begins. There will be up to 150 or so volunteers per day, Skaperdas said.
In addition to the many Greek items such as spanakopita, a famous spinach pie pastry; and pastichio, a baked pasta dish consisting of ground meat and layers of macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce, there will also be different meats. Dinners include barbecue lamb, baked lamb shanks, marinated and baked chicken, Greek meatballs and stuffed peppers — all of the meals come with rice pilaf, a salad and a roll, or you can order each meat separately a la carte. A variety of Greek pastries and cookies will also be available, as well as booths full of imported Greek jewelry, Greek coffee, beer, wine, and even Greek dancing.
Skaperdas and the church understands that there is still some hesitation among potential attendees regarding Covid.
“We have hand-washing stations and plenty of sanitizer around for everybody, and we’re just making sure to try to do the right thing,” he said.
As with last year’s comeback event, Skaperdas said he has hopes for the church to deliver on bringing back the community atmosphere so many returning attendees over the years have come to expect.
“This isn’t just a Manchester thing. This becomes a huge win for southern New Hampshire,” he said. “There was pent up demand last year, and I can only hope that there’s going to be more pent up demand for this year.”
Glendi When: Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (with food services ending at 9 p.m.), and Sunday Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St., Manchester Cost: Free admission: foods are priced per item Visit: stgeorgenh.org/activities/glendi, or find them on Facebook @glendinh Free parking is available at Derryfield Park (Bridge Street) and at the McDonough Elementary School (550 Lowell St.), with shuttle services to the church that will be available throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.
Granite State Comic Con celebrates comic books, sci-fi, games and more
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
What started as a small gathering of friends and fans of comics in Manchester snowballed into a three-day event that celebrates comics, sci-fi, fantasy, cartoons, gaming, wrestling and more. Now, 20 years after it began, Granite State Comicon grabs attention from people around the world.
“The craziest thing is hearing people say, ‘We are traveling from California,’ but now people are coming internationally,” said Chris Proulx, the director of the con.
This is the 20-year anniversary of Granite State Comicon. Proulx is also one of the owners of Double Midnight Comics, the shop that hosts the convention. The con’s first year, Proulx said, it was just a group of people who loved comic books and tabletop games like Magic the Gathering.
Two decades later, the con has meet-and-greets with stars like actor Julian Glover (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back), WWE wrestling hall of famer Mick Foley, and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman.
Families that cosplay together stay together. Courtesy photo.
“I never dreamed it would be this big event,” Proulx said. “We’re using every conceivable space and we still had a waiting list for people wanting to set up booths in artist alley.”
This year, the con is bigger than it’s ever been. Proulx said the convention was struggling to find space to accommodate everyone who wanted to be a part of the con. This year, the artist alley alone has over 100 artists, the vast majority of whom come from New England.
The mutant turtles are very near and dear to New Hampshire, said Proulx, since they were created right in Dover.
Eastman agreed to pose with fans for photographs on a set built to mimic the sewer lair the teenage superheroes hang out in. Proulx said this would be the second year Eastman has come to the con.
“Turtle fans travel from all over the country to come to the home of the turtles,” Proulx said. “Whenever [Eastman] is in town, we always make a big deal of them.”
The different guests doing meet-and-greets will be on panels talking about a variety of topics. Voice actors will talk about how they got into their industry, and professional cosplayers will talk about how to start building cosplay costumes.
Proulx said it was super important to him to have events that kids might be more excited about. So when Emily Drouin, one of the creators of Kids Con New England, reached out to Proulx in 2014 about setting up a booth at the Granite Con, he was thrilled.
This year Drouin is offering activities that range from learning to draw Pokemon and Nintendo characters to meet-and-greets with princesses and superheroes. This is in addition to the kids’ costume contest put on every year by Granite Con.
Drouin’s advice for parents who are unfamiliar with comicons is to just take some time and take it all in.
“There’s something for everyone,” Drouin said. “Don’t be intimidated or shy that you’re not too familiar. This is a great way to meet creators firsthand and you’ll be surprised at all the neat things you find.”
Drouin will be in the expo center’s concourse area, and this year she’ll be dressed up as Merida from the Disney Pixar movie Brave.
Proulx said that the Granite Con has been designed to be a place where families can go for a day of nerdy fun. He said that there is no judgment on the type of content people like. Everyone from anime lovers to Trekkies is welcome.
“It’s a celebration of all things fun and geekty,” Proulx said. “Whether it’s the [Marvel Cinematic Universe], Star Wars or The Walking Dead, there’ll be stuff to see.”
Featured photo: Granite State Comicon Costume Contest 2021 Winners. Photo by David Lockhart.
Your guide to finding fruit and fun at the orchard
By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com
Most of southern New Hampshire continues to experience abnormally dry weather, but for local apple orchards recent rains over the past week have given the crops a much-needed boost.
Just under 48 percent of the Granite State remained under moderate or severe drought conditions, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor on Sept. 8 — nearly all of this has been confined to the state’s southern six counties. But a widespread 1- to 3-inch rainfall between Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 occurred at just the right time for apple growers, many of whom are in the midst of harvesting some of their most widely sought after varieties of the season.
Apple schedule For more detailed information, visit each farm’s website to get live updates on which apples are in season. • Late August to early September: Paula Red, McIntosh, Summermac • September: Cortland, Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Red Delicious, Snow Sweet • October: Braeburn, Crispin, Honeycrisp, Gibson Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Mutsu
“We just needed that rain so badly, and it was just the right time for it to come, so we feel very fortunate,” said Kris Mossey of McLeod Bros. Orchards in Milford, which began its pick-your-own apple season on Aug. 27 with Paula Reds, a mildly tart early season variety. “The McIntoshes and the Cortlands will benefit from the rain and size up a little bit as we go forward.”
The McIntosh apple is known for its dark red color and very crisp flavor, making it a great apple for straight eating, while Cortlands have a firmness that makes them great for baking in pies and cakes. According to Mossey, as the season moves through the end of September and into early October, other lesser-known varieties like Mutsus and Jonagolds become available.
“We usually wrap up somewhere around Columbus Day. We never know exactly for sure,” Mossey said. “In 2020, during Covid, we were actually picked out earlier than we thought, because we just had a lot of people who wanted to get outside and pick apples.”
In Hollis, Brookdale Fruit Farm kicked off its apple picking season on Sept. 3 with five varieties — McIntosh, Gala, Zestar, Jonamac and Honeycrisp. A total of 32 varieties are grown in the farm’s pick-your-own operation, encompassing about 24 of the farm’s 200 acres of apples.
“There’s been an extreme drought for the last eight weeks, but we run a very aggressive water management program,” said Chip Hardy, the farm’s fifth-generation owner. “We have drip irrigation on all of our apple trees [where] we’ve been spoon feeding them with water and fertilizers throughout the summer, so it looks like we’re going to have a very good apple crop.”
Drip irrigation practices, he said, involve placing tubes underneath the apple tree that have emitters where water is regularly discharged to keep the soil of the tree moist.
“Apples are 80 percent moisture, so in order for them to size, they need available water,” Hardy said. “The nice thing about drip irrigation is … we can control the water, and instead of using conventional overhead irrigation, which takes around 24,000 gallons of water to irrigate an acre, we’re only using around 6,000 gallons of water and accomplishing the same goal.”
Visitors of Brookdale Fruit Farm’s pick-your-own orchard are given a map with directions to each of the available varieties, as well as suggestions for how to use them.
Despite the drought, some apple growers farther north were able to take advantage of some fast-moving thunderstorms that passed through the area in July and August. This was the case at Apple Hill Farm, on the northern end of Concord, according to co-owner Diane Souther.
“We picked up a few storms that went through … and the orchard is based on some soils that are pretty dense, so they’ve been able to sustain without added water,” Souther said. “[The recent rain] will actually make the apples size up quite a bit, because the later apples that are still hanging on still have growing time. So that will just make them a little bit more plump, [and] as they size up they ripen up a little bit more, so the flavors will come out a little bit stronger.”
McLeod Bros. Orchard in Milford. Courtesy photo.
Apple Hill Farm also started pick-your-own on Sept. 3 and will grow about 35 apple varieties during the season through about late October. Going forward, Souther said, the most ideal weather conditions for the crop will include bright sun with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees, as well as cooler nights and the occasional rain shower.
“Going into the 40s at nighttime is fine, because that helps the tree know that fall is coming, and that actually forces the ripeness of the fruit as well,” she said.
Over at Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudon, second-generation owner Shawn Roberts said more than 60 apple varieties are grown. A portion of those are available for pick-your-own, while many others are sold inside the farm’s store. As at Apple Hill Farm, Roberts said Meadow Ledge Farm benefitted from passing thundershowers during the summer months, while they have also run irrigation practices to produce a healthy and bountiful apple crop.
“Every apple I’ve bitten into this year, the flavor has just been incredible,” he said. “Generally if you see a dry summer, the apples are actually going to be a little bit sweeter. … They might have a little less juice in them, but not enough to get worried about. So for the most part it’s going to be a heck of a good year.”
Hannah Turtle contributed to this cover story.
Apple pie Courtesy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis
1 pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie ½ cup unsalted butter 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ cup water ½ cup white sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar 8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and let it simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan and fill with apples. Cover with a latticework of crust. Gently pour the sugar-and-butter liquid over the crust, pouring slowly so that it doesn’t run off. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, then continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft.
More than apples
Find corn mazes and more at orchards and farms
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
In addition to fresh-pressed cider and warm, fluffy doughnuts, orchards and farms offer activities like corn mazes and other attractions to build on the lure of the fall harvest.
“We very early on figured out that the great appeal, besides picking some apples, is what else can [we] offer to give people a true New England farm experience,” said Todd Wagner, owner of Applecrest Farm Orchards in Hampton Falls.
Coppal House Farm’s corn maze. Courtesy photo.
Wagner said that while apple season is an institution at Applecrest, it’s not the only reason families have been coming for generations. In addition to apples, people have a chance to pick the final varieties of peaches and raspberries, and it’s also the start of the harvest season for pumpkins and decorative gourds. The farm offers free hayrides to the orchard locations and even features a 5-acre maze. Every weekend from Labor Day through the end of October, Applecrest Farm Orchards transforms into a harvest festival, featuring a corn roast, a live bluegrass band, tractor rides, and cornhole and other lawn games.
Riverview Farm in Plainfield takes a much quieter approach with its autumnal celebrations. Owner Paul Franklin said that it’s less in their nature to provide festivities, like live music or haunted happenings, and more to encourage visitors to spend time outdoors and as a family.
“[The season] is busy enough as it is,” Franklin said, adding that they put the emphasis on nature and enjoying the view of the Connecticut River. “We try to keep things quiet and focus on people enjoying the scenery.”
While picking apples is a huge draw for most people visiting farms, there are lots of other farms without pick-your-own offering family fun activities. Coppal House Farm in Lee doesn’t have apple orchards or any other seasonal produce, but it has won awards for its annual corn maze. This year, the animal theme for the maze is a praying mantis, assistant farm manager Hannah Bendroth said. She added that the design is almost always an animal or insect that can be found on the farm.
At Beans & Greens Farm in Gilford, there’s more than just a fun puzzle to solve — a haunted maze is featured every Friday and Saturday night throughout the season. But that isn’t where the spookiness ends, Beans & Greens Farm owner Chris Collias said. A special haunted farm event in October will have farm hands, actors and volunteers dressed up and ready to give everyone a fright.
Collias said that what matters most is that his farm is a place where everyone feels relaxed and can have some old-school New England fun.
“We want to be the place where the community meets,” he said. “Come hang out, see a beautiful setting and gardens. It’s just a great place to escape that hustle and bustle.”
Easy slow-cooker apple cider beef stew Courtesy of Apple Hill Farm in Concord
1½ to 2 pounds lean stew beef 2 slices bacon 8 carrots, sliced thin 6 medium potatoes, sliced thin 2 apples, chopped (Cortlands or Northern Spys work well) 2 teaspoons salt ½ cup chopped onion 2 cups fresh apple cider
Cook up the two slices of bacon. Remove the bacon and pat dry with a paper towel. Reserve the bacon fat to saute the beef and chopped onion. Pat the beef dry and add to slow-cooker with remaining vegetables and apple cider. Stir to mix, cover and cook on low for eight hours. Thicken juices with a flour and cold water mixture — about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of water.
Pick Your Own
Applecrest Farm Orchards Where: 133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: On weekends through the end of October, look for harvest festivals, which run Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. As of Sept. 12, pick-your-own raspberries, blueberries and peaches are also available. There’s also a 5-acre corn maze. Visit: applecrest.com
Apple Hill Farm Where: 580 Mountain Road, Concord Hours: Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for fresh produce and local food products. Visit: applehillfarmnh.com
Appleview Orchard Where: 1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield Hours: Tuesday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit with the farm animals on site and check out the country shop, which has seasonal food products and local craft products. Visit: applevieworchard.com
Brookdale Fruit Farm Where: 41 Broad St., Hollis Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Pick-your-own pumpkins will be available later in the season. A corn maze is open on the weekends. Visit: brookdalefruitfarm.com
Carter Hill Orchard Where: 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the bakery for fresh treats like pies, cider doughnuts and whoopie pies. Visit: carterhillapples.com
Currier Orchards Where: 9 Peaslee Road, Merrimack Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Try their sweet cider, made fresh on site. Visit: facebook.com/currierorchards
DeMeritt Hill Farm Where: 20 Orchard Way, Lee Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit with farm animals, check out the farm market, go on a hayride, or walk recreational trails. Visit: demeritthillfarm.com
Elwood Orchards Where: 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Elwood will offer pick-your-own pumpkins and also runs a corn maze daily (with nighttime corn mazes on Fridays and Saturdays in October). Visit: elwoodorchards.com
Gould Hill Farm Where: 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the orchard’s onsite restaurant or the Contoocook Cider Co., which features a line of freshly produced hard ciders. Visit: gouldhillfarm.com
Hackleboro Orchards Where: 61 Orchard Road, Canterbury Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Enjoy hayrides, seasonal food trucks and live music. Visit: hackleboroorchard.com
Hazelton Orchards Where: 280 Derry Road, Chester Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: The orchard is home to a small store onsite with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other local food products. Visit: facebook.com/hazeltonorchardschesterNH
Kimball Fruit Farm Where: Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., state line Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bonus activities: Find Kimball’s at local farmers markets and even sign up for fresh fruit and vegetable delivery. Visit: kimball.farm
Lavoie’s Farm Where: 172 Nartoff Road, Hollis Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bonus activities: Look for hay rides on weekends and a corn maze open whenever the farm is open Visit: lavoiesfarm.com
Lull Farm Where: 65 Broad St., Hollis Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: The Daily Haul fish market is on site on Saturdays (pre-order at thedailyhaul.com) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Jamaican Jerk Chicken on weekends from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting, according to the website. Visit: livefreeandfarm.com
Mack’s Apples Where: 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the ice cream shop or the market for a variety of local treats. Visit: macksapples.com
McLeod Bros. Orchards Where: 735 N. River Road, Milford Hours: Monday through Friday, 1 to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for extra fresh produce, or sign up for their CSA program. Visit: mcleodorchards.com
Meadow Ledge Farm Where: 612 Route 129, Loudon Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Look for live music on Saturdays and Sundays in the early afternoons. Also on weekends, hot doughnuts are served until 4:30 p.m. During Columbus Day weekend, there will be games for kids. Visit: meadowledgefarm.com
Poverty Lane Orchards Where: 98 Poverty Lane, Lebanon Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Hard cider and sweet cider tastings are available at the orchard, and trailer rides are held on the weekends. Visit: povertylaneorchards.com
Riverview Farm Where: 141 River Road, Plainfield Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Bonus activities: Artist and illustrator Emily Zea comes up with all kinds of unique themes each year for Riverview Farm’s corn maze. The theme of this year’s 3-acre maze is Ghosts and Monsters of New England. Visit: riverviewnh.com
Smith Orchard Where: 184 Leavitt Road, Belmont Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the store for a variety of local food and hand-crafted items. Visit: smithorchard.com
Stone Mountain Farm Where: 522 Laconia Road, Belmont Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the farm stand for local produce and maple syrup. Visit: stonemtnfarm.com
Sunnycrest Farm Where: 59 High Range Road, Londonderry Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bonus activities: Visit the market and bakery for sweet treats as well as a variety of local food products. Visit: sunnycrestfarmnh.com
Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard Where: 66 Mason Road, Greenville Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bonus activities: Lose yourself in the orchard’s 5-acre corn maze or in the store for local treats, including frozen apple cider. Visit: washburnswindyhillorchard.com
Corn Mazes
In addition to the orchards in our pick-your-own list with mazes, here are some other farms that offer live-sized puzzles. Know of a corn maze or pick-your-own opportunity not mentioned here? Let us know at listings@hippopress.com
Beans & Greens Farm Where: 245 Intervale Road, Gilford Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The farm has both a daytime maze and a nighttime spooky maze, which will be open from Sept. 17 through Halloween. Cost: Tickets for the maze cost $14 for adults and $10 for kids. The cost for the night maze is $22. There is also a harvest festival this year starting on Oct. 9. As of Sept. 13 ticket prices to that event have not yet been announced. Visit: beansandgreensfarm.com
Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn Where: 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton Hours: Daily, noon to 7 p.m. (last time to enter the maze is 30 minutes before dusk), through Oct. 31 Cost: $7 per person (free for kids ages 3 and under) Beech Hill Farm’s 8-acre cornfield is split into two separate mazes, with several scavenger hunt activities that correspond with various themes. This year’s themes are “Ice Cream Jeopardy” and “NH Eco-Spy.” Visit: beechhillfarm.com
Charmingfare Farm Where: 774 High St., Candia Hours: Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: $22 per person and children ages 2 and younger are free. Every year, the farm hosts a Pumpkin Festival with tractor rides, pumpkin picking, characters in costume and other activities. Visit: visitthefarm.com
Coppal House Farm Where: 118 N. River Road, Lee Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a..m. to 5 p.m. (last entrance is at 4:30 p.m.). Columbus Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $9 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for students, seniors and active military service members, and free for kids ages 5 and under In addition to their regular daytime corn maze, there is also a flash night maze. There’s also horse-drawn wagon rides on Saturdays and Sundays starting on Sept 17. Visit: nhcornmaze.com
Emery Farm Where: 147 Piscataqua Road, Durham Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $5 per person and free for kids ages 2 and under, $9 for a combination with wagon ride. The farm features a family friendly, educational corn maze that the farm states takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The wagon rides take visitors on a tour of the farm, around the cornfields, pumpkin patches, honeybee hives, and more. Visit: emeryfarm.com
J&F Farms Where: 124 Chester Road, Derry Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $8 per person In addition to the petting farm and sweet treats at the farmstand, J&F Farms has a seasonal corn maze with different themes. Currently, there’s a fall theme to the maze and when the month changes to October, then it’ll be a Halloween maze. Visit: jandffarmsnh.com
Sherman Farm Where: 2679 E. Conway Road, Center Conway Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: Varies from $12 to $15 per person, depending on the day, and free for kids ages 2 and under While the goats, play area, and ice cream are available, there is also “The Maize,” a corn maze that was designed this year with help from students at New Suncook Elementary School in Lovell, Maine. It’s due to open for the season on Sept. 24 and will welcome visitors every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30. Visit: shermanfarmnh.com
Trombly Gardens Where: 150 N. River Road, Milford Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk Cost: Prices vary per activity. The corn maze is open and ready for people to enjoy. In addition to the maze, there are pick-your-own pumpkins, farm animals to feed and visit, hayrides and more. Visit: tromblygardens.net
Featured photo: Apple Hill Farm in Concord. Courtesy photo.
Covid booster vaccinations updated to protect against the omicron variant are now available in New Hampshire. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the boosters, also known as bivalent doses, were recently authorized by the FDA and are recommended by the CDC for anyone age 12 or older who received their primary series of Covid vaccines or a booster dose at least two months ago. “These updated booster doses more closely align to the new Covid-19 omicron variant and [are] the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19,” state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in the release, adding that a “fall surge” of Covid infections is expected. Almost 56,000 doses have already arrived at health care provider offices, pharmacies and urgent care centers throughout the state, and 100,000 additional doses have been ordered. To find a booster vaccination location near you, contact your primary care physician or visit vaccines.gov.
Colleges prepare for monkeypox
The New Hampshire College and University Council, a consortium of 21 public and private institutions of higher education in the state, is working with institution leaders to prepare for an outbreak of monkeypox among student populations on campuses. According to a press release, New Hampshire colleges and universities are closely monitoring for updated information about monkeypox and are ready to respond to an outbreak according to the guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control issued for higher education institutions in late August. “We are working to share information and guidance available to both administrators and students, to ensure they understand what this virus is, how it is transmitted and ways in which it can be treated and prevented,” Debby Scire, president and CEO of the Council, said in the release. “Although we have no information that suggests we are facing an outbreak, just like the lessons of the pandemic have taught us, it is important to be prepared.” Congregate living environments, such as colleges and universities that offer on-campus housing, have an increased risk of a monkeypox outbreak, according to the CDC.
Behavioral and geriatric care ER
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, a member of Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire’s only academic medical center, will open a newly constructed expansion of its emergency department to patients on Thursday, Sept. 15. According to a press release, the $7 million project, built over the course of 16 months, is focused on improving access to behavioral and geriatric health care. It includes nine new patient rooms, some of which feature enhanced safety elements for behavioral health patients that improve visibility and reduce risk of self-harm; space for a wider array of therapeutic interventions; greater privacy for communication with attorneys and the state court system; and a place for social activities for children and adolescents. Six of the new rooms have a window, which Christine T. Finn, M.D., a psychiatrist and director of Emergency Psychiatry Services at DHMC, said in the release is “critical for [behavioral health] patients who stay longer than a few hours” and beneficial for elderly behavioral health patients for whom a lack of natural light can contribute to increased confusion. Other additions include a treatment room with negative pressure capability for high-threat infection, a group therapy and activity room, a mass decontamination room and a single decontamination room.
Extra EZ-Pass Center
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation opened a temporary E-ZPass Walk In Center on the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16) at Exit 16 in Rochester on Monday, Sept. 12, to help travelers prepare for the new 24-hour All Electronic Toll (AET), a cashless collection system, that will be implemented at Dover and Rochester toll plazas in late October. The Center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with customer service representatives ready to help travelers open E-ZPass accounts, accept payments if money is owed and answer questions about the upcoming changes to the toll system. All New Hampshire toll plazas currently operate as AET between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Visit nhaet.com to learn more about AET and the conversion projects in Dover and Rochester.
Praise for Northeast Delta Dental
Northeast Delta Dental has been recognized by Business NH as one of the Best Companies to Work For in NH in 2022, placing sixth out of 30, and marking the fifth time in the last seven years that the company has received the recognition. A nonprofit member company of Delta Dental Plans Association, Northeast Delta Dental provides dental insurance programs for more than 1 million people living in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The company was awarded for creating an engaging workplace and for acknowledging the correlation between employees’ sense of fulfillment and their productivity, according to a press release.
Private movie showings are being offered for a limited time at O’neil Cinemas in Epping (24 Calef Hwy.), featuring new release films. Bookings are available Friday through Sunday at 12:30, 3:30 or 6:30 p.m., according to the website. Rates start at $200 for the theater rental, plus $9 per person. Party packages for groups of 10 or more people are also available. Visit oneilcinemas.com/epping-nh/programs/private-movie-showings.
Colby-Sawyer College in New London was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top colleges in the region, according to a press release. In the publication’s 2023 Best Colleges issue, the college ranked in the top 10 for two categories — Best Undergraduate Teaching (North) and Best Regional College (North) —and ranked 23rd in Top Performers on Social Mobility (North). Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner announced earlier this month that tuition at the college would be cut by more than 60 percent to $17,500 for the 2023 academic year in an effort to increase transparency in higher education pricing.
The Manchester Historic Association presented the Red Arrow Diner with its Century Club Award during the 30th annual Historic Preservation Awards on Sept. 8 at Manchester Community College, according to a press release. The 24-hour diner, on Lowell Street, was established in 1922, and is celebrating its 100th year of business this year. It was named a City Landmark in 2000. The diner has expanded to include locations in Concord, Londonderry and Nashua. Visit redarrowdiner.com/100.
Lakeport Opera House opened in June 2021 after a $1 million renovation, the first of three restored performance spaces in Laconia. The Colonial Theatre and Recycled Percussion’s The CAKE followed later.
“We have the opportunity to turn this part of New Hampshire into a musical hub,” Opera House owner Scott Everett said at the time.
Now in its second season, the 220-seat room is making good on that promise. A packed calendar of events has included Zac Brown Band’s Clay Cook, hitmaker Taylor Dayne and a bevy of tribute acts. Last July the ’80s-centric Aquanett played such a strong show that they were asked to return only two months later. They’ll appear again on Friday, Sept. 9.
The southern New England sextet has been mining the MTV era for over two decades. In a recent phone interview, Matt Macri, who joined Aquanett on bass three years after it formed in 1999, called the effort a labor of love. In the words of a song on their setlist, “it ain’t nothin’ but a good time.”
“We very sincerely enjoy playing this music, and it doesn’t feel like a job,” he said. “We acknowledge that it is a job and we take it very seriously from the business standpoint, but it’s just flat-out fun to do.”
Aquanett started at a time when conventional wisdom held that ’80s rock was passé, replaced by grunge and pretty much anything without bombast and big hair.
“Super heavy metal was the flavor of the moment,” Macri recalled, “so I thought it was kind of daring to do … nobody was really acknowledging that music anymore.”
A teenager in that decade, Macri was a big fan of the music, including a lot of acts that aren’t on Aquanett’s set list. “The stuff I like is a little bit more obscure,” he said. “I like digging a little deeper [and] we don’t get to do those kinds of things. But once in a while we’ll pull out a deeper cut that people will recognize, and that’s always fun.”
The band has seen a few lineup changes over the years. Two founding members remain, guitarist Dave Ward and keyboard player Rick Thompson, and drummer Ed Dupont is a near original. “He joined about 10 months in,” Macri said. Dupont took over for someone who “saw that it was going to explode and knew he wouldn’t be able to handle the rigors.”
Guitarist Michael Abdow came on board in 2008, but the biggest shift happened when Tina Valenti became lead vocalist and the group went from male to female fronted. However, apart from adding more Pat Benatar, Quarterflash and Scandal material to their shows, “the adjustment was very smooth,” Macri said.
“Because she very obviously had what it took to front the band … she handled all the songs with absolutely no problem at all. We said, ‘Where have you been all this time?’ No, it didn’t matter what gender we chose as the singer; it only mattered that the person could handle it, and she could.”
Some tribute acts have written their own homage-like songs, but not Aquanett.
“We all do our own things when time allows, and but as far as the band goes, this is just what we’re all about,” Macri said. Abdow, for example, plays in the band Fates Warning, and recently released his own album, Heart Signal, and Macri does solo gigs as a singer and guitarist.
The group has a varied schedule. Recent gigs included a campground and an all-day SunFest with other tribute acts from their home area. Macri recalled playing an upstate New York show called Harley Rendezvous. “It was pretty outrageous, because for that one weekend every summer bikers took over this resort area and they did whatever they wanted,” he said, adding with a chuckle, “I won’t go into the details.”
The group was surprised by the elegant Laconia opera house when they arrived for their first show there, and are excited to return.
“We’re past the point of dive bars, but we play anywhere we’re wanted,” Macri said. “This place wanted us, and holy cow, it’s very nice.”
Most gratifying was the response they got playing for a crowd so far from their home base.
“We went over really well [even though] we didn’t have any of our local fans there,” Macri said. “It was strictly for brand new folks that hadn’t heard us before and it went fantastic. We were very pleasantly surprised, and from what I understand they were glad that it went so well too. Obviously — they booked us again.”
Aquanett When: Friday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m. Where: Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave., Laconia Tickets: $25 and up at etix.com
Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba tell each other stories in Three Thousand Years of Longing, a vividly realized bittersweet fairy tale for grown-ups.
Literature professor Alithea (Swinton), who describes herself as content in life and alone by choice, travels to Istanbul to talk narratives with other academic literature types. Stories and mythology aren’t just a professional pursuit for her; early on we see her spot otherworldly beings in the airport and lecture hall and later we learn that she had a long childhood friendship with a boy who wasn’t quite there but also was something more than imaginary.
Perhaps this makes her the perfect person to unleash a djinn when she cleans a small bottle she has purchased as a souvenir. The Djinn (Elba), who is at first giant but makes himself more Elba-sized to better blend in with humans, is desperate for her to make three wishes. Three wishes will free him from being tethered to the bottle and this realm and he will be able to return to the land of the djinn. But Alithea is well aware of the monkey’s paw-like effect of making wishes. It never works out, not in any story, she tells him. I’m not that kind of djinn, he tries to convince her. In the process of arguing with each other over the wisdom of making wishes and how it can be done without leading to disaster, the Djinn tells Alithea his story, which starts during his long-ago infatuation with his half-djinn cousin Sheba (Aamito Lagum), his imprisonment in a bottle and the times when he attempted to be released.
Alithea meanwhile explains her life as a person who is “solitary by nature” and how it has led her to look for emotional connection through stories.
Well past the halfway point of this movie I realized that most of the present-day action takes place in a hotel with robe-clad Swinton and Elba just talking to each other. I mean, just on its face, there are worse things in the world than Swinton and Elba just hanging out. But I also liked how their conversation about the nature of stories weaves in and out of these sumptuously lovely flashbacks to the Queen of Sheba’s palace and the court of Suleiman the Magnificent. It’s the tart note that brings balance to the richness of the fairy tale-inflected historical settings and magical visuals.
Three Thousand Years of Longing feels like the sort of movie where if I picked apart the story (particularly its final third) I’m not entirely certain it would all make sense but as a whole it hangs together so nicely and is such a pleasure (at times a sort of melancholy pleasure) to sit through that I’m also not inclined to pick it apart. It’s beautiful, sweetly nerdy (one person’s heartfelt desire is to, basically, know more STEM) and has a kind of mature kindness.
Or, if that sounds “blah,” it has shimmery magic, the delightful Swinton telling off some racist neighbors and an otherworldly Idris Elba. And, with spiritual cousin Everything Everywhere All At Once, it proves that badass fantasy can revolve around the emotions and adventures of middle-aged ladies. B+
Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and brief violence, according to the MPA on filmratings. Directed by George Miller and written by George Miller & August Gore (based on an A.S. Byatt short story called “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye,” Three Thousand Years of Longing is an hour and 48 minutes long and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.
