Category: Featured Content

Pride on display in Nashua

Gate City to host pride festival, parade

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

The city of Nashua will show love and support for LGBTQ individuals, supporting family members and straight allies with Nashua’s 2022 Pride Festival on Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m.

“It’s important to [Mayor Jim Donchess] that everyone feels welcome and part of the community,” said Kathleen Palmer, the communications and special projects coordinator for the office of the mayor.

Before the festival starts, there will be a Pride parade, said Palmer. Attendees who want to walk in the parade can register online in advance at https://hipaa.jotform.com/200574115477151. At the festival grounds, Daunchess will give a speech and religious leaders will hold an interfaith blessing.

Live music will feature transgender artists Who.iAm and St. Blair, the New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus, and the local rock band Venom & Mayhem Twins. The Nashua Community Music School will preview their evening concert with music by nonbinary composer Aiden Feltkamp.

Food trucks from Kona Ice, Jeannette’s Concessions, and Soel Sistas will offer Hawaiian-style shaved ice, classic festival deep-fried candies and hand-cut french fries, and tender barbecue and soul food. Stonyfield Yogurt will be handing out free yogurt cups.

A free drag show will be held inside the Court Street Theatre from 3 to 4 pm. The show is geared toward an older audience and wouldn’t be appropriate for children, Palmer said. She added that the Peacock Players Youth Theatre will have games and activities for younger festival goers on the lawn between the library and the Court Street Theatre.

After the festival officially ends, some Nashua businesses want to keep the party going. Martha’s Exchange is hosting an adults-only drag show with Pandora Boxx from Ru Paul’s Drag Race as a special guest. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $35 for VIP, and the doors will open at 7 p.m. There will be a free open mic night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Vibe Yoga (182 Main St.) and a 5 p.m. concert at the Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St.).

Palmer said that the Office of the Mayor had wanted to introduce an after-festival event for people too young to attend adult-only events but who want to still keep the party going.

“We discovered after the first few years of Pride that there was a big need for things for the youth of the community to do,” Palmer said. They partnered with the Gender and Sexualities Alliance at Nashua Community College and the Unitarian Universalist Church to host an after-festival dance party.

The party is for youth ages 14 to 20 and free. It’s being held at the Unitarian Universalist Church and will start at 7 p.m.

Palmer said that the fun-filled day is one that the mayor’s office hopes emphasizes the message that Nashua is a friendly place for LGBTQ people.

“The event is important to Mayor Donchess,” Palmer said. “We want everyone to know that Nashua is a welcoming city for the LGBTQ community.”

Nashua Pride Festival
When: Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m.
Where: Parade will kick off at Elm Street Middle School, 117 Elm St., and the festival will be at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St.
Cost: The festival is free; afterparty events prices vary.
Visit: https://hipaa.jotform.com/200574115477151 to sign up to walk in the parade.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Big plans for Market Days

Find live performances, family fun and shopping in downtown Concord

By Delaney Beaudoin

Market Days Festival is returning for its 48th year this weekend in downtown Concord. Located right on Main Street, the festival will run from Thursday, June 23, through Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. At no cost to attend, the festival has events scheduled for the entire family, making it an ideal and affordable way to spend a summer weekend.

This year, the festival will feature more than 160 vendors setting up tents and booths along Main Street, along with three outdoor stages of live music each day, kid-friendly activities including yoga and bounce houses, a dog-friendly park and three beer gardens. Vendors include local retail stores, restaurants and cafes, nonprofit organizations and local service providers.

Originally known as Old Fashioned Market Days, the festival was started as a way for merchants to clear out their old inventory and make room for the new season. Jessica Martin, Executive Director of the nonprofit Intown Concord, responsible for planning the festival, noted the important role that the Market Days Festival has played in the community of Concord throughout its duration.

“It’s just grown and just became this tradition. It’s kind of taken on a life of its own as far as a community event goes, I think it does a lot for bringing people downtown. We really try to focus on making it accessible for everyone,” Martin said.

In addition to playing a large role in building Concord’s community, the festival acts as an important event for the city’s arts scene. Each of the festival’s three stages will feature a wide array of live music performances throughout each day. Most notably, the nationally known band Vertical Horizon is set to perform on the main stage on Saturday, June 25, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. This performance, born from a collaboration between the festival and the Capitol Center for the Arts, is, according to Executive Director Salvatore Prizio, the first time the pair has hosted such a high-profile artist.

“This is our proof of concept. And if it works really well this year, we’ll come back next year,” he said. “We’re going to mix things up and we’re going to try new things with it and just kind of keep the audience happy and entertained. I want everybody to have a good time.”

The Concord Arts Market will also be set up at the festival, on Pleasant Street each day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. More than 30 artists and artisans will be selling their handmade work. Some of the items available to purchase include fine art paintings, jewelry, photography, handmade soaps and pottery.

“I think it’s an opportunity to bring in a wider audience that we don’t always have, or that we’re not always able to tap into for our regular market,” said Christa Zuber, producer of the Concord Arts Market. According to Zuber, the arts market, which previously operated on a weekly basis, has transitioned to monthly in recent years.

“We found that switching it to monthly from weekly … kind of gives it a little more of an event status. A little more urgency for people to come on the day that it’s there … like if you don’t come, and you’re going to miss it,” she said.

Market Days Festival
Here are some of the events planned at this weekend’s festival.

Clueless (PG-13, 1995) film screening
Where: Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord
When: Friday, June 24, dusk
Red River Theatres will also hold its Music, Movie & Poster sale during Market Days.

Headliner: Vertical Horizon Performance
Where: The Main Stage (South Main Street, Concord)
When: Saturday, June 25, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

KidZone presented by Vertical Entertainment
Where: Statehouse lawn
When: June 23 through June 25, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Meet the Instruments and Students
Where: City Hall Plaza
When: Saturday, 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.

Storytime Under the Tree
Where: State House Lawn
When: All three days, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Blossom Yoga
Where: State House Lawn
When: Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Comedy and Juggling with Jason Tardy
Where: City Hall Plaza
When: Saturday, June 25, noon and 3 p.m.

Music & Movement with Miss Heather
Where: City Hall Plaza
When: All three days, 10 a.m.

Zumba for the Whole Family
Where: City Hall Plaza
When: Friday, June 24, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Doggy Splash Pad
Where: By the Statehouse
When: June 23 through June 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Concord Pilates
Where: Statehouse Lawn
When: June 23 through June 25, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Boy Scouts Mobile Base Camp
Where: City Plaza
When: Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Concord Arts Market
Where: Pleasant Street
When: June 23 through June 25, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit: marketdaysfestival.com

Featured photo: Courtesy of Intown Concord.

News & Notes 22/06/23

Covid-19 update Last weekThis week
Total cases statewide 328,834 (as of June 13) 330,116 (as of June 20)
Total current infections statewide 2,707 (as of June 9)2,270 (as of June 16)
Total deaths statewide2,555 (as of June 13)2,570 (as of June 20)
New cases 1,476 (June 7 to June 13)1,282 (June 14 to June 20)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 1,115 (as of June 13)965 (as of June 20)
Current infections: Merrimack County370 (as of June 13)294 (as of June 20)
Current infections: Rockingham County905 (as of June 13)764 (as of June 20)
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Health and safety team for Manchester

A new Public Health and Safety Team has been formed to serve the City of Manchester, combining the efforts of the Manchester Police and Manchester Public Health departments, according to a press release from the mayor’s office. The team, which was announced by Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, Manchester Public Health Director Anna Thomas and Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg at a press conference on June 21, will consist of trained Community Health Workers who have experience and training in advocacy and conflict resolution and speak 14 different languages, collectively. They will be a multilingual point of contact for community and individual health and safety concerns and are trained in “violence interruption,” an evidence-based response technique for non-police and non-emergency matters to help reduce violent crime. The Public Health and Safety Team is one of the programs approved through the American Rescue Plan Act Recommendations.

Safer schools

A request from the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of School Safety and Facility Management to invest more than $10 million in federal funds in improving the safety infrastructure for all schools in the state was approved by the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee, Gov. Chris Sununu announced on June 17. “Ensuring kids are safe in school has been a priority of this administration for years, and this latest $10 million investment into school safety reaffirms our commitment to keeping students safe in the classroom,” Sununu said in a statement. “From our historic school safety taskforce to our initial first-of-its-kind $30 million fund to strengthen security in our schools, New Hampshire remains a leader in school safety investments.”

Voting access

A new law sponsored by Rep. Mark Paige, D-Exeter, will make it easier for New Hampshire students living with disabilities to vote. According to the Associated Press, the legislation requires discussion about voter registration to take place between school officials, parents and students living with disabilities who are age 17 and older as part of the special education planning for the student’s life after graduation. It will take effect in August.

Help for camps

A new program funded by federal Covid relief funds to make summer camp in New Hampshire more accessible to families includes mental health training for camp counselors. According to the Associated Press, 10 staff members from mental health facilities across the state will work with camps across the state to teach counselors how to identify children’s behaviors that may warrant reaching out for professional mental health support. Eight camps have received the training as of mid-June, according to the article.

A coach retires

NHTI Director of Athletics Paul Hogan announced his retirement on June 19 after 43 years working in education and athletics. According to a press release from NHTI, Hogan served as the men’s basketball head coach and athletic director at the school for more than two decades. Prior to that, his teaching, coaching and administrative career included positions at Woodsville, Litchfield, Laconia, Plymouth State and Spaulding High School in Rochester. Hogan has celebrated a total of 649 college basketball wins during his time as a coach — 513 at NHTI and 136 at Plymouth State, as well as two USCAA National Championships. “NHTI has been a very special place for the past 23 years,” Hogan said in a statement about his retirement. “My time with our Lynx will always be cherished. I look forward to continuing my relationship with NHTI in a different role moving into a new chapter of my life.”

Every dog at Cow Palace Creamery in Epping on June 21 had its day when Golden Dog Adventure Co. was slated to host a fundraiser and party for dogs and their owners in honor of National Dog Party Day. Attendees could enjoy a dog costume contest, ice cream and dog cornhole, and Mary’s Dogs Rescue & Adoption — Golden Dog Adventure Co’s charitable partner for the fundraiser — brought dogs available for adoption for people to meet, according to a press release.

Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen will host its second annual Arts Fest on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a “Fun & Fiber” theme. See the story on page 14 of the June 9 issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com) about the current exhibition “Wool: A Contemporary Fiber Art Exhibition.” Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

The City of Manchester will have its Independence Day celebration on Sunday, July 3, at Arms Park. Starting at 6 p.m., there will be food and beverage vendors, and the 39th Army Band will perform at around 7:30 p.m., until the fireworks begin at around 9:30 p.m. Admission is free, and attendees may bring their own chairs or blankets. The rain date, which would include the fireworks only, is Tuesday, July 5.

It’s the economy

Some of you will remember the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid,” that Clinton’s campaign used in 1992 against President George H.W. Bush. This phrase keeps coming to mind while perusing President Biden’s recent rosy assessment of the current economic climate in the United States. In a speech given by President Biden on June 3 in Delaware, he noted, “A recent survey from the Federal Reserve found that more Americans feel financially comfortable than at any time since the survey began in 2013.”

I am curious to see the details that drove those results, given that Americans are facing a myriad of economic issues. Annual inflation hit 8.6% percent in May versus the current 5 percent pace of wage increases. Gas prices have risen above $5 per gallon. The stock market continues to flirt with bear market territory. While low unemployment is good, too much of a good thing can work against the economy. When too low, it creates negative consequences for businesses in reduced productivity and triggers inflation. A tight labor force is exacerbating shortages in the supply chain and impacting the service industry. There is also the war in Ukraine. And, finally, a shortage of baby formula.

While the current administration tends to put the blame for most of these items on either the war, Covid or the prior administration, Politico reported that Treasury Secretary Yellen publicly admitted that the administration got it wrong on inflation. Trying to recover, the Fed announced the biggest rate hike in 28 years, 75 basis points, and indicated a similar increase could be coming in July.

New Hampshire is certainly not immune to what is happening nationally. According to the Union Leader, Liberty Utilities recently filed to double its price per kilowatt hour, and Eversource is expected to follow suit. It’s an election year, and while Gov. Sununu remains popular, five Republican candidates have filed to run against him in the primary. I happen to like Gov. Sununu and think he has done a fine job leading our state through a tumultuous time. However, voters quickly forget the past when it is time to go to the polls and focus on what their current point of pain is. Voters likely won’t accept finger-pointing at Washington for economic woes in New Hampshire. As a reminder, “It’s the economy….”

Big weekend

Northlands Music & Arts Fest is a packed affair

An effort that began as crisis management in the pandemic’s early days is poised to be a highlight of this summer and many more. The Northlands Music & Arts Festival is a cultural buffet sure to please many palates. It includes five heavy hitters at the top of the bill: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Twiddle, Lotus, Lettuce and Melvin Seals’ Grateful Revue, a collaboration that promoters believe might not happen again. There’s also a stellar undercard.

After indoor venues shuttered in the dark spring of 2020, Seth McNally and Mike Chadinha of M.E. Productions launched socially distanced Drive-In Live shows at Cheshire Fairgrounds. As restrictions eased the next year, it became Northlands, with audience pods and close to two dozen more events.

This time around, they’re packing an entire season into one weekend. They hope to do two festivals in 2023.

Starting with Russo as a linchpin, the duo built a blend of big-name anchors and curated support acts, like buzzy Jersey jam band Dogs In A Pile, who kick off the show on Friday, June 24, and Blue Star Radiation, a supergroup that includes moe. members Rob Derhak and Vinnie Amico alongside Tim Palmieri of Lotus, and Percy Hill’s Nate Wilson.

Also eagerly anticipated are sets from progressive bluegrass stalwarts Yonder Mountain String Band, and Haley Jane & The Primates playing together for the first time following a long hiatus. Local favorites Dopapod, Lespecial, Pink Talking Fish and Joe Samba — the latter debuting a new album — are other highlights.

Chadinha brought experience organizing the charity-based Uplift Festival in his hometown of Peterborough for several years, and playing drums with circuit veterans Roots of Creation. McNally’s resume includes booking the Flying Monkey in Plymouth and a few other facilities. Professional chemistry is a big part of their success, the two stated in a recent videoconference interview.

“Our dynamic works because we bounce a lot of things off one another,” Chadinha said. “I have the artist angle, he has the back of the house booking angle, and somewhere in the middle of those two, we make things work perfectly for artists and the venue.”

The hope that doing only one event would mean a quicker process turned out to be over-optimistic. “I thought it was going to be maybe a little less work, but it’s the same amount as an entire season,” McNally said. “A hundred times harder than I thought, and 1,000 times more than anybody in the audience knows.”

In an inverse of horn-honking concerts necessitated by the Covid-19 outbreak, scaling back became the only option when the Swanzey facility returned to its normal schedule of fairs and agricultural events. But both McNally and Chadinha are glad things are returning to normal, as they’ve thought about doing an event like this for a while.

“It was the perfect time to take the leap, because a season wasn’t an option,” McNally said. “We decided to pull the trigger almost right after the end of last season and it’s good…. We needed every moment to prepare. Booking alone took four months at least before we got it fully wrapped up. It’s a long process.”

Along with music, there will be a caravan of food trucks, far more than at last year’s Northlands concerts, and more than a dozen craft artisan vendors. There’s also tent and RV camping available. “A lot of unique things are going to be happening for campers; some of them are going to be surprises,” McNally said. “We’re going to keep them occupied and happy the whole time. It’s going to be 24/7 for us as a crew.”

Music will be nonstop, as setup teams quickly transition between two main stages, different from big festivals that force fans to inevitably skip an act or two. “We like being boutique,” Chadinha said. “The stages aren’t far from each other, so you can do a quick shift. With no overlapping sets, there’s no chance you’ll miss anyone.”

The fans in both of them are eager for everything to begin.

“I can’t wait for the music to actually play,” Chadinha said, adding, “I know Dogs In A Pile are going to come out of the gate smoking, because I know the feeling of being the first band on a big festival and thinking, ‘We’re going to get out there and with the first note we’re going to hit it, we’re going to get this started.’ So get there early, and make sure you see them.”

Northlands Music & Arts Festival
When: Friday, June 24, 1 p.m. and Saturday, June 25, 11 a.m.
Where: Northlands (Cheshire Fairgrounds), 247 Monadnock Hwy., Swanzey
Performers
June 24 – Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lotus, Lettuce, Dopapod, Dogs In A Pile, Blue Star Radiation
June 25 – Twiddle, Melvin Seals Grateful Revue, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Movement, Lespecial, Pink Talking Fish, Haley Jane & The Primates, The Trichomes, Joe Samba Band
Tickets
Two-day: general admission $166.35, VIP $254.95, children $43.76
One-day: general admission $95.62, VIP $201.71, children $25.77
Add-ons: Two-day on-site camping $220.75 (RV or tow $237.07), parking $20 and up

Featured photo: Northlands Music & Arts Fest 2021. Courtesy photo.

Popping the cork

LaBelle Winery unveils new sparkling wine barn in Derry

Last year was quite a busy one for LaBelle Winery — in 2021 alone, the company introduced a farm-to-table restaurant, a retail market, performance and event spaces and even a golf course, all on a 45-acre property on Route 111 in Derry acquired the previous December. The expansions have continued in the form of an on-site sparkling wine tasting barn and vineyard wedding ceremony space, brand new additions that recently began welcoming visitors. Following a June 8 ribbon cutting with the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, a grand opening celebration is planned for Wednesday, June 22, and will include a cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres, tours of the new property, an interactive sparkling wine display and more.

Construction on the 3,448-square-foot barn broke ground last October. A short walking path from the northeast end of the parking lot leads to the front doors of the tasting room.

Amy LaBelle, who founded LaBelle Winery in 2005, said building the barn was always part of the plan since she and her husband, Cesar Arboleda, took over the Derry property. Its chief purpose will be a production facility for new sparkling wine varieties created via Méthode Champenoise, a classic French technique only a few New England area wineries are known for.

“We have all these interesting businesses now under the LaBelle umbrella, but we can’t ever forget that the core of LaBelle is wine,” LaBelle said. “Real French-style Champagne is something that I’ve always wanted to make but just didn’t have enough production space for. … So we’ll be able to do that, and I’m really excited to use New England grapes for that process.”

The wines

Plans are currently underway to soon begin producing red, white and rosé sparkling wines out of the new barn. The building features a retail area and tasting room in the front and a production space in the back, plus a covered outdoor patio and an open-air terrace overlooking the vineyard.

Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines are characterized by a second fermentation inside the bottle during the production process. Bottles are intentionally filled with a lower percent ABV wine before yeast is added, as well as a dosage, or a new small amount of wine and sugar, for the yeast to eat. The bottle is then secured with a crown cap for the yeast to go to work.

“It starts breaking down the sugars, creating that extra one or two percent alcohol from what you’ve put in, and creating carbon dioxide as a byproduct,” LaBelle said. “So that’s how that wine gets bubbly. It’s created in the bottle that you’ll eventually drink from. … It also adds these beautiful bread-y notes, which is one reason why I love this method.”

The yeast eventually causes a residual substance called lees to form at the bottom of the bottle. After the second fermentation, LaBelle said, the next step of Méthode Champenoise involves removing the lees through a gradual process known as riddling.

“There are A-frame riddling racks and we place the neck of the bottle into them so that they’re at an angle … and then we turn those bottles every week, maybe just like an eighth of a turn, and that causes the lees to eventually make its way all into the neck,” she said. “That takes a long time, and I never had the space for all these racks before now. I could’ve put them out, but I would’ve had to move them too many times, and that would’ve disturbed the whole process.”

When the lees reaches the bottleneck, it’s flash frozen with nitrogen so it can be removed.

“When the plug goes out, [the bottle] gets a little low, so we fill it back up, pop in the cork and we’re off to the races,” LaBelle said.

LaBelle’s new sparkling wines created using this method will join its dozens of other wines and handcrafted artisan products available for sale out of the barn’s retail area, which include everything from jams, jellies and infused syrups to cooking oils, seasonings and more.

The vineyard

At about 3 acres, LaBelle’s newly planted vineyard in Derry is roughly the same size as its Amherst predecessor. It spans across a former golf course driving range adjacent to the wine barn, with a direct path from there to a central wedding ceremony space among the vines.

“In the middle of the vineyard, we’ve created an arbor built largely out of wine barrel materials,” LaBelle said. “So the idea is that if you want to get married in the vineyard, that space is available to you, and then you would recess up the path to the terrace, which fits 200 people for your cocktail hour. … Then you can go over to our ballroom for your dinner.”

Three grape varieties that have been planted in the vineyard — known as itasca, petit pear and cayuga — are all cold-hardy varieties suitable to withstand the cold winter climate. It will take about two years for the new vines to produce fruit that can be used for winemaking, LaBelle said, and until then the winery is expected to use grapes grown by local farmers.

“We’ll also be planting at the other side of the barn … so when you stand in the tasting room, you’ll literally be surrounded by vineyards, and you won’t be able to see the outside world,” she said. “We really wanted to give people that sense of being transported to wine country.”

The celebration

If you missed last week’s ribbon cutting ceremony for the wine barn, a ticketed grand opening celebration on June 22 will feature a uniquely intimate opportunity to experience the new space.

Attendees will get a chance to tour the property and learn more about the Méthode Champenoise process of making sparkling wine, as well as enjoy hors d’oeuvres and hear future plans for the barn. All ticket holders will also receive a complimentary signed copy of With a Twist, LaBelle’s own cocktail recipe book. The evening will even feature an interactive sparkling wine display.

“We have a performer coming who has a Champagne dress, so you’ll be served Champagne glasses from her dress, which is a whole thing,” LaBelle said. “It will be a lot of fun.”

LaBelle Winery Derry sparkling wine barn
A grand opening celebration is happening on Wednesday, June 22, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online.

Where: 14 Route 111, Derry
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (the barn stays open an hour later on Thursdays, until 6 p.m., during LaBelle Winery’s concert nights)
Cost: Tastings are six for $14 or 10 for $20
More info: Visit labellewinery.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram or call 672-9898

Featured photo: Sparkling wines are placed on riddling racks during the production process to remove excess yeast. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

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