Ira Street happened to be shopping in Bunny’s Superette in Manchester’s North End one day when a sign advertising a kitchen space for sale caught his attention.
“I started looking around and one of the cashiers told me it’s in the back of the store, and so I walked back there, met the prior owners and got to talking to them,” said Street, an Army veteran and Chicago native who came to the Queen City about five years ago. “I’ve been in the food industry for over 25 years. I’ve cooked basically everything, but I love barbecue and figured this would be something I’d be able to succeed at. … So we bought it and that’s how we started.”
Squaloo’s BBQ, now open for takeout and limited in-store seating, features a menu of fresh meats smoked daily — several items, like the rib tips and the hot links, are traditional barbecue staples of the Midwest. The eatery is named after Street’s childhood nickname.
Jerk chicken with rice and beans. Photo courtesy of Squaloo’s BBQ.
Starting at 1:30 p.m. six days a week, Squaloo’s BBQ accepts phone orders for pickup in addition to third-party deliveries through GrubHub and DoorDash. Meal plate options include a half slab of smoked ribs, a two-piece portion of fried chicken, and an open-faced pulled pork sandwich, each of which is served with french fries and a house-made coleslaw. One plate Street said he’s received positive feedback on out of the gate features smoked rib tips.
“They are a really big seller in a lot of the Midwestern cities,” he said. “The tip part of the rib comes from the top of the spare rib before they become St. Louis ribs.”
Hot links, or spicy smoked sausages, are also unique to Squaloo’s and very popular in and around Street’s home state — a hot link plate features two sausages per order, or, he said, you can get them on a combo plate with rib tips for a double dose of Midwestern barbecue.
For those with a sweet tooth, there’s also a fried apple pie that can come with a side of ice cream.
“It’s like an empanada, and I cook it to order,” Street said. “I deep fry it, take it out and add on a little bit of cinnamon sugar and caramel sauce.”
Other items include beef empanadas, a chicken tender plate, and a jerk chicken plate with rice and beans. Street said it’s possible that a few additional menu options may be making it onto the menu in the near future, like macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cornbread.
Squaloo’s BBQ
Where: 75 Webster St., Manchester (inside Bunny’s Superette) Hours: Monday through Thursday, 1:30 to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 1:30 to 9 p.m. (closed on Sundays) More info: Visit squaloosbbq.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @squaloosbbq or call 232-7288. Ordering through DoorDash and GrubHub is also available. Veterans and active military service members receive 10 percent off on their orders.
Featured photo: Wing dings and rib tip combo plate. Photo courtesy of Squaloo’s BBQ.
Ax throwing, escape rooms and other ideas for fun group outings
Learn from the ax-perts
Bury the hatchet with your friends
By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com
Ax throwing is one of those sports that gets you hooked the first time you try it — at least that’s how it started for Tracey McCormick, owner and founder of RelAxe Throwing in Manchester.
“I actually went down to Texas on a family vacation, went ax throwing on a fluke and fell in love with it immediately,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how good it felt and how much fun it was at the same time. … I remember looking around the room at all the different types of people that were there. People were cheering each other on, even when they didn’t know each other.”
When McCormick returned to New Hampshire and realized there were no indoor ax throwing venues in the state at the time, she began working on a business plan to bring one here. Today, RelAxe Throwing holds four ax throwing leagues per year and has even had throwers represented at three world ax throwing championship competitions.
But you don’t have to be a professional thrower to give it a go. McCormick’s team of “ax-perts” is always on hand to teach you the basics if you’ve never tried it before.
“Ax throwing is not about strength or trying to throw hard. It’s about finesse and technique,” she said. “We work with people of all varying abilities … and so we can adapt some of the things that are needed for their safety in order for them to be successful as well.”
It’s a similar operation at The Rugged Axe, which opened on South Willow Street in the Queen City last June. Co-owner and longtime Goffstown resident Charles Keith dreamed about opening his own ax throwing business after trying it out while visiting his son in Pensacola, Florida.
“Anybody can throw an ax. We’ve had a 90-year-old man throw one and be able to get a bull’s-eye. The skillset is really just hand-eye coordination,” Keith said. “We teach everybody how to do both a two-handed throw and a one-handed throw. … The ax will typically rotate one and a quarter to one and a half times depending on how hard you throw it, and it’s top heavy, so the weight of the ax is actually what makes it rotate. You don’t have to use your wrists at all.”
There are lots of different ax throwing games you can play. In a typical standard game, you would get 10 throws and the player with the most points wins. Each ring on the target is worth a different number of points that increases the closer you get to the bull’s-eye. There are also other ways to score, Keith said, including smaller blue dots that are awarded a higher number of points if the player announces before throwing that they’re aiming for it.
Two of The Rugged Axe’s 18 lanes have a projector that superimposes a target onto the boards, allowing throwers to play other games like Tic-Tac-Toe or Duck Hunt. The venue is open weekly for private parties and for leagues you can sign up for, either individually or as a group.
“It’s such a wonderful activity that’s competitive and a great way to get your aggression out, especially in Covid times,” Keith said. “You can always tell when somebody hits the bull’s-eye, because there’s some yelling and screaming going on from that lane. It’s very satisfying.”
Where to go ax throwing Closed-toe shoes are required and a safety waiver must be filled out. For groups, booking in advance online is recommended; reserve your own lanes by telling them how many people are coming and how long you’ll be throwing for.
Axe Play 142 Lowell Road, Unit 19, Hudson, 809-9081, axe-play.com Hours: Monday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 1 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Cost: $25 per hour per person Axe Play, which opened in August 2020, features seven ax throwing lanes for a total of 14 targets. Ax throwers must be at least 18, with the exception of family hours on specific days and times, when the center is open to kids ages 10 and up.
Block Party Social 51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett, 621-5150, blockpartysocial.com Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight Cost: $30 per hour per person (includes a $5 arcade game card) Formerly the Space Entertainment Center, Block Party Social features a newly renovated space that includes an eight-lane ax throwing lounge with multiple game formats to choose from using superimposed screens and a touch screen interface to keep track of players’ scores. Ax throwers must be at least 18.
RelAxe Throwing 157 Gay St., Manchester, 782-3061, relaxethrowing.com Hours: Monday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) Cost: $25 per hour per person Since opening in June 2019 as an indoor ax throwing venue, RelAxe has added seasonal outdoor throwing, including through an expansion at Candia Springs Adventure Park in Candia, and has had throwers represented at three world ax throwing championship competitions. The minimum age to throw is 10, and all throwers under the age of 16 must have a throwing adult with them.
The Rugged Axe 377 S. Willow St., Manchester, 232-7846, theruggedaxe.com Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. (the center is reserved for leagues on Mondays and private events on Tuesdays) Cost: $25 per hour per person One of the newer spots to join the local ax throwing scene, The Rugged Axe opened in June 2021. It’s also the largest indoor ax throwing venue in the Granite State, with a total of 18 lanes. Ax throwers as young as 12 years old are welcome. A small menu of hot dogs, snacks, beer and wine is available at the center’s onsite “Lumberjack Shack.”
Party of you
Get your own mini restaurant with igloo dining
By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com
Enjoying a meal inside a warm heated igloo keeps outdoor dining alive in the winter and gives you and your own party space. Here’s a list of local eateries offering outdoor igloos by reservation. Due to high demand, some may require you to book them out several days, weeks or more in advance. Be sure to contact each restaurant directly via phone or email for the most up-to-date availability.
• 603 Brewery (42 Main St., Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com) features heated igloos on its patio that accommodate seating for up to eight people. Igloos are available to rent for two-hour time slots for a $50 rental fee per party. Time slots are released online one month at a time.
Averill House Vineyard in Brookline. Courtesy photo.
• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) offers a “vine to wine” igloo and gazebo experience package, available for two to eight people per party. The cost is $100 for the first two people and $50 for each additional person and includes four wine tastings and a charcuterie board inside one of the vineyard’s heated igloos for a one-hour-and-45-minute visit.
• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) offers luxury outdoor dining at its onsite igloo garden, accommodating up to six people per party and featuring heat and air filtration systems. Igloos can be reserved for up to two and a half hours, offering the BVI’s tavern and dining room menus, except on holidays, in addition to a special Simi wine and cocktail menu. The cost is $50 to reserve an igloo for lunch and $100 to reserve one for brunch or dinner (brunches are on Saturdays and Sundays only).
• Boston Billiard Club & Casino (55 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 943-5630, bostonbilliardclubcasino.com) has a few heated igloos on its patio that are available by reservation only. Igloos have a two-hour limit and can be reserved for parties of up to five.
• Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar (17 Depot St., No. 1, Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com) has four heated igloos on its patio that can be reserved for parties of four to eight people. Reservations are two hours per party and require a $50 deposit that’s applied to your bill.
• Tuscan Market (Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana, Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) offers “al fresco igloo dining experience” packages that can accommodate two to six guests per party. The cost is a $150 spend minimum on weekdays and a $250 spend minimum on weekends.
Take aim at your friends
Get messy with paint or hit ’em with lasers
By Alexandra Colella
news@hippopress.com
Want a little healthy competition among your friend group? Paintball and laser tag give you the chance to fight in a fun way — or you can ramp up the mess factor with a private party in a paint splatter room.
Paintball
AG Paintball (158 Deering Center Road, Weare, 529-3524, agpaintball.com) opened in 1988 and today is one of the longest-running paintball parks in the Granite State. The park encompasses 30 acres with nine woodsball fields and one speedball field, and also offers an onsite pro shop with guns, masks and other accessories for sale. “[We have] many different themed paintball rooms that can pertain to any interests and likes,” said Rusty Glaze, Paintball Blogger at AG Paintball. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their average paintball experience package when you come self-equipped is $30 per person. They also have rental packages starting at $40 per person. Private group parties can include 10 players or more to experience your own game of paintball with your group of friends.
OSG Paintball (1053 N. Barnstead Road, Center Barnstead, 1-800-707-7529, osgpaintball.com) is the largest paintball park in the state, with 44 acres and 12 playing fields. Every field is themed, including Star Wars, Pirate Cove, Empire Castle, Hamburger Hill and more, and games can also have themes of their own, like Westerns, Call of Duty, The Simpsons, Family Guy and The Goonies. The park is closed for the winter but is scheduled to reopen March 5. Private parties are available seven days a week with a reservation required. Packages include a private group of 10 or more people for a full day for $49.99 or a half day for $39.99, with full-impact and low-impact options available.
Paint splatter
Rage Cage NH (10 W. Hollis St., Nashua, 402-4197, ragecagenh.com) features a paint splatter room that’s open to all ages. Have a glow paint party with ultraviolet black lights, bubble and fog machines and whatever music you want for $30 per person for an hour, with up to eight people per party. A regular paint splatter party without the glow is $20 per person, with up to 20 people allowed (contact Rage Cage if you have more than 20 people). When you book a paint party online, you pay for just one person to reserve the room for the full hour. For a regular paint splatter party, every participant can pick out 10 colors of washable paint, a 12×12’’ canvas and safety goggles, and additional upgrades are available, like throwable paintballs ($5 to $20), more colors ($2 per color), larger canvases ($5 to $10) and stencils ($10) to make your art. Paint parties do not come with jumpsuits, but white hooded jumpsuits are available for $10 each. For glow parties, participants can pick out 14 colors of UV-reactive washable paint, a 12×12’’ canvas and safety goggles, along with any preferred upgrades. Rage Cage NH hours are noon to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Laser tag
Block Party Social (51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett, 621-5150, blockpartysocial.com) is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m to 10 p.m and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. The price for the laser tag arena is $22 per person for a 30-minute experience (this includes a $5 arcade game card).
Hilltop Fun Center (165 Route 108, Somersworth, 742-8068, hilltopfuncenter.com) is open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m., Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Laser tag prices are $14 for a 30-minute session and $22 for two 30-minute sessions; each session includes three six-minute games. On Friday and Saturday, laser mania is $25 per person, with unlimited laser tag from 5 to 9 p.m. You can also rent out the entire arena for your own group for $300 for the first hour and $100 for additional hours.
Break free with your buddies
Escape rooms offer a safe activity for groups
By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com
Since New Hampshire’s first escape room, Granite State Escape, opened in 2015, escape rooms have been popular destinations in the state for group outings and private events like birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, school trips and corporate team-builders. Now, in pandemic times, escape rooms offer something even more valuable:
“I think that people are wanting to once again enjoy the company of others while participating in a fun, safe and interactive experience together,” said Pamela Provencher, owner of Granite State Escape in Manchester. “[Because] escape rooms allow groups to stay in their bubble, escape rooms [are a way] for some folks to begin to safely venture out again while also being … a fun night out for the more adventurous.”
Players do puzzles, solve riddles and crack codes by physically engaging with items in the room in a race against the clock to complete the room’s overall objective. A “gamemaster” explains the backstory, objective and rules to the players and monitors the room remotely during the game, maintaining audio communications with the players to ensure their safety and to provide hints, should they get stuck.
“Escape the Library,” an escape room at Escape Room Concord. Courtesy photo.
Escape rooms are unique in that they appeal to a wide range of people, Escape Room Concord owner Gregory Slossar said, making them a great outing for mixed groups.
“There are few activities out there that offer multi-generational entertainment,” he said. “Escape rooms are great for friends who want to do something fun before or after dinner, or families who are looking to do something with their children that makes everyone put down their phones for an hour, or a place where co-workers can come together as a team and bond on a personal level.”
Christopher McCarthy, who is the co-owner, operations manager and resident gamemaster at The Escape Room Experience in Laconia, said escape rooms are an opportunity for people to let go of whatever is on their mind and be transported to another world where their only focus is to complete the objective of the room.
“It gives you an active goal, with minimal distractions,” he said. “It’s an environment catered to challenging your brain while in a physical space designed to grab your attention and keep it there.”
McCarthy said he is especially excited about The Escape Room Experience’s new room, “Serial Killer Cabin,” which pays homage to classic 1980s slasher films.
“As the designer, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished within the space,” he said. “I feel like, atmospherically, we knocked it out of the park.”
Policies for players vary per escape room. Some escape rooms accept walk-ins, but most require booking in advance. The number of players allowed typically ranges from couples to groups of up to 10 or 12 people, but certain rooms may have their own limit. Families and groups with children should check on the escape room’s age restrictions or recommendations before they go as some rooms may be frightening, atmospherically, or too challenging for young players.
Escape rooms have been taking various safety precautions to prevent the spread of Covid, such as allowing more time between groups to clean and sanitize the rooms and to ensure that the groups don’t run into each other in the lobby area; requiring their staff to be vaccinated; requiring or encouraging staff and players to wear masks; and installing air filter machines.
“We believe escape rooms truly are one of the safest things you can choose to participate in,” said Lara Barkley, creative director at Key to Escape in Nashua. “Not even the movie theater or bowling alley can keep you out of the same room with groups of people you don’t know.”
Play an escape room
• 102 Escape, 123 Nashua Road, Unit 34, Londonderry, 260-6198, 102escape.com • Break Free 603, 141 Route 101A, Amherst, 424-1758, breakfree603.com • Escape Room Concord, 240 Airport Road, Concord, 225-2271, escaperoomconcordnh.com • The Escape Room Experience, 555 Main St., Suite A, Laconia, 366-6296, theescaperoomexperience.live • Granite State Escape, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7455, escapenh.com • Key To Escape, 3 Bud Way, Unit 21, Nashua, 809-4018, keytoescape.com • LOK’d! Room Escape, 1500 S Willow St., Manchester, 945-3113, lokdrocks.com • Monkey Mind Escape Rooms, 10 Vaughan Mall, Portsmouth, 498-8997, monkeymindescape.com • Portsmouth Escape Room, 95 Brewery Lane, No. 13, Portsmouth, 380-9160, portsmouthescaperoom.com
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of The Rugged Axe in Manchester.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
During a Jan. 26 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that, while the test positivity rate of Covid-19 in New Hampshire dropped slightly from 22 percent to 17 percent over the previous week, hospitalization and death rates in the state remain high. “In the last week, we reported 59 new Covid-19 related deaths, averaging more than eight new deaths identified each day,” he said. As of Jan. 31 there were 10,436 active cases and 303 hospitalizations, and all 10 counties are still reporting substantial community transmission.
Gov. Chris Sununu also announced during the press conference the Executive Council’s approval earlier that day to sell 1 million at-home rapid tests across the state’s Liquor & Wine Outlet stores. “We will put them on the shelves and sell them … approximately in the $13 range,” Sununu said, adding that tests should be available at the stores “within the next two weeks.”
On Jan. 31, the New Hampshire Insurance Department released a Frequently Asked Questions sheet regarding the national mandate that private insurers will have to cover the cost of eight at-home coronavirus tests per person per month. According to a press release, those with private individual health insurance coverage or covered by an employer-sponsored health plan who purchase Covid-19 diagnostic tests that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can get them covered by insurance, without a health care provider’s order or clinical assessment and without cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles, co-payments or prior authorization. The costs may be covered up front by their health plan or reimbursed after a claim is submitted. The Frequently Asked Questions document can be found at nh.gov.
Meanwhile, more state-run fixed vaccination sites continue to open for walk-ins, including in Belmont, Lincoln and Manchester as of this week. Go to covid19.nh.gov and click on the “vaccination fixed sites” button to view a complete list — no appointments are required.
U.S. attorney nomination
Last week Attorney General John M. Formella issued a statement after President Biden nominated Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young to serve as the United States attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “We at the Department of Justice greet today’s news with mixed emotions. For almost thirty years, Jane has served this Office and the State of New Hampshire with distinction as an incredible prosecutor and public servant. She is one of a kind and irreplaceable,” Formella wrote. “That said, Jane is more than worthy of this recognition and honor, and … the District of New Hampshire will be well served with Jane Young as United States Attorney.”
Sununu in D.C.
Last weekend Gov. Chris Sununu attended the 2022 National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., where he planned to meet with Canada’s Ambassador to the United States. According to a press release, he also attended NGA meetings with United States Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Infrastructure Coordinator for the White House Mitch Landrieu. The governors were scheduled to have dinner with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and attend a Governors meeting at the White House.
Reducing classroom stress
New Hampshire educators will soon have new resources to reduce stress and dysregulation in the classroom. According to a press release, the Executive Council recently approved an $815,400 contract between the state Department of Education and The Regulated Classroom, a Peterborough-based company that provides tools for educators to help de-escalate adverse and confrontational issues in the classroom and refocus students on academics. The program includes a somatosensory toolkit and four kinds of classroom practices to regulate stress for teachers and students, the release said, and about 2,500 toolkits will be made available to New Hampshire educators. “This new collaboration is aimed to support teachers who may be experiencing disruptions in their school environments, who today are struggling with dysregulated students that have had inconsistent and disrupted instructional schedules going on two years, as well as the high stress level among the teachers themselves,” Frank Edelblut, New Hampshire state education commissioner, said in the release.
The Manchester Fire Department was dispatched to 1 City Hall Plaza on Jan. 29 when a sprinkler pipe burst above the ceiling in a second-floor office. According to a press release, firefighters tried to salvage items by consolidating and covering them with tarps and removing some electronics from the area. Offices on all three levels below the sprinkler pipe sustained significant water damage, the release said.
A first edition novel published in 1859 by Harriet E. Wilson — the first Black woman to publish a novel in English — returned to New Hampshire recently, celebrated in part with a reading of selections from the book at First Congregational Church in Milford on Jan. 22. According to a press release, the book was hand delivered from California by a woman who had found it in a safe when settling her husband’s estate. Wilson was free when she published the novel, but she had been an indentured servant in Milford.
Greater Nashua Mental Health recently received a $60,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, allowing it to expand capacity and offer mental health services to people of all ages, as well as substance use disorder services to ages 12 and older, and primary health care services to clients 16 and up. According to a press release, new clients can walk into the 440 Amherst St. facility Tuesday through Thursday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and be seen the same day.
My new go-to is yoga. Too much hiking and not enough stretching, not to mention crouching over my keyboard, brings on unaccustomed pains. The breathing, poses and mental habits of yoga rejuvenate me. Even practiced in a drafty community rec center, yoga loosens my muscles and expands my mind.
The language is part of it. I do not mean Sanskrit, the ancient language the first yogis spoke. I mean the word patterns and translations used by my American teachers, each of whom brings their own style and experience to class. They all emphasize that practicing yoga is a personal journey. There are modifications for different bodies and room for different degrees of challenge on different days. After all, it seems, “Leg” and “Hip” and our other body parts are esteemed colleagues. It’s OK, I’m told, if “Back Body” wants to just drape in “Child’s Pose” for an hour.
The descriptive names of yoga’s poses and flows just tickle me. “Downward Dog” and “Cow-and-Cat” are well-known, the stuff of birthday card jokes. But what about “Seated Half-Fish“ or “Revolved Chair’’? I have to wonder if these sound as funny in the original. My teachers actually do refer to the final pose, lying prone on the mat in silence for a few minutes, in Sanskrit. I imagine that’s because we Americans aren’t very comfortable with death and “savasana” means “corpse.” Although there is a practice known as laughter yoga, and various animal-accompanied classes are guaranteed to make one smile (think yoga with goat, butterfly, kitten), I’m not in one of those classes. I giggle as quietly as possible at the imagery of my teachers’ words.
Physical movement is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. Breathing control, behavioral self-restraints and disciplines, withdrawal of the senses, concentration and meditation are others, culminating in liberation. A significant and growing body of research backs up what dedicated yogis have always known about the emotional and mental as well as physical benefits. Yoga reduces anxiety and depression and strengthens parts of the brain important for memory, attention, awareness, thought and language.
The pandemic has caused significant mental health challenges, particularly among younger adults, racial and ethnic minorities, essential workers and unpaid adult caregivers. Experts surveyed by the Pew Research Center predict that some of the worst stressors — economic inequality, misinformation and “tele-everything” — will persist in the new normal. At the very least, life will remain unpredictable. We can ease ourselves into position to handle it, and help others, by stretching our bodies and minds. When my hip joints are screaming as I criss-cross my legs, my teacher says, “Breathe. Sit up tall. Allow the change.” Ever so slowly my pain, thoughts, and feelings do change.
Many communities have ponds or outdoor rinks for ice skating, stick practice and pond hockey. Town- and city-maintained ponds are free to use, making it a fun outdoor activity that doesn’t cost a thing if you already have skates – and a hockey stick, if you want to play, which longtime hockey player and Black Ice Pond Hockey Association Board President Daniel Luker says can totally change your on-ice experience.
“Get a buddy, show up, bring a stick and a couple pucks … and get out there and you’ll automatically start playing hockey,” Luker said. “Once you start skating and once you pick up a stick, it’s a whole different ball game. … Once you pick up a stick, you can’t help but play, and you’ll chase the puck forever.”
Whether you want to give pond hockey a try or would rather just free skate, here are a few local rinks to check out. The open/closed status of the rinks can change from day to day depending on temperatures. Call or check the city’s or town’s website or social media for the most recent information.
• Amherst Middle School Rink, 14 Cross Road, Amherst, 673-6248, amherstnh.myrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Beaver Meadow Pond at Beaver Meadow Golf Course, 1 Beaver Meadow Drive, Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Bow Town Pond, next to the Bow Community Center, 3 Bow Center Road, Bow, 223-3920, bow-nh.com.
• Brown Memorial Field, 740 Swanzey Road, Swanzey, 352-4614, find it on Facebook. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Davis Lane Rinks, Davis Lane, Amherst, 673-6248, amherstnh.myrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 10 a.m. to dusk.
• Dorrs Pond, adjacent to Livingston Park, 56 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.
• Four Corners, behind Holman Stadium, Sargent Avenue, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. When open, hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. for general skating, and before 11 a.m. and between 4:30 and 6 p.m. for hockey.
• Hood Park at 4 Rollins St., Derry, 432-6136, derrynh.org. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Ice Skating Rink at Watson Park, 441 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 882-1046, merrimackparksandrec.org/watson-park. When open, hours are daily from dawn to 9 p.m.
• Jeff Morin Fields at Roby Park, 126 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. When open, hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for general skating, and from 8 to 10 p.m. for hockey.
• Kimball Lake, 47 Kimball Lake Road, Hopkinton, 746-8263, hopkintonrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Riverside Ice Rink 223 Route 103, Warner, 491-9019, facebook.com/riversideicerink. When open, hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information and to find out whether it’s currently open for skating, visit the Facebook page.
• Rollins Park at 33 Bow St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Shepard Park, 418 Nashua St., Milford, 249-0625, facebook.com/milfordrecdept. When open, hours are daily from dawn to 9:30 p.m.
• White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, skating hours are daily from dawn until dusk. The Merrimack Lodge offers skate rentals for $5. Lodge hours vary; find it on Facebook for the most up-to-date hours.
Puddle Duck Pond
Puddle Duck Pond
This outdoor rink at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth is another option for those who want a better chance of getting on the ice even if weather conditions haven’t been great.
“Ice is maintained with a refrigeration system and Zamboni, which helps the rink remain open in warmer air temperatures,” Veronica Lester of Strawbery Banke Museum said via email. “Unless the ice is deemed unsafe for skating, Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is open in rain, snow and sunshine. Opening and closing calls are made day-of by rink operations staff.”
The rink is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission costs $12 for skaters age 5 and up. Skate rentals are available for $6, and skate sharpening is available for $7.
Chill fun
Winter Fest returns to downtown Concord
By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com
Coinciding with the Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament is the fourth annual Concord NH Winter Festival on Saturday, Jan. 29. There will be indoor and outdoor festivities for all ages, including shopping, food, entertainment, tours and more.
“There are not a lot of family-friendly events this time of year, and that is what makes this event special,” said Jessica Martin, Executive Director of Intown Concord, which organizes the Winter Festival in partnership with The Hotel Concord.
Ice carvers will demonstrate their craft and compete in a live ice carving competition during the Winter Festival. Courtesy photo.
The highlight of the event is the live ice carving competition featuring “New England’s best ice carvers,” Martin said. It’s free and open to the public on the Statehouse lawn from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ice carvers will also be there on Friday, Jan. 28, the day before the festival, doing live ice carving demonstrations from 3 to 9 p.m.
“This year we have seven carvers participating in the competition, which is the most we have had to-date,” Martin said, adding that the carvings will remain on display at the Statehouse for the week following the festival.
Main Street restaurants and retail shops will be open for a Winter Shopping Stroll; Red River Theatres will have a matinee screening of the animated family film Smallfoot (2018, PG) at 10 a.m. (tickets cost $5); and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will run games and interactive activities starting at 10:30 a.m.
Guided tours of the inside of the Statehouse will be offered, starting every 30 minutes from noon to 3:30 p.m. The tour lasts around 45 minutes and will include opportunities to see the Hall of Flags, which has more than 100 battle flags on display from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War; the House of Representatives chamber and Senate chambers, which have national significance as the oldest continuously used legislative chambers in the U.S.; the Governor and Executive Council chambers and more.
“There are more than 200 portraits to view as you tour the building,” Martin said, “and it’s always fun to see the Visitor Center’s First in the Nation Primary display and Bicentennial dioramas.”
The Winter Festival Stage, which will be set up on South Main Street next to O Steaks and Seafood restaurant, will be a hotspot of activity, including an ice bar, complimentary hot cocoa, s’mores toasting and more. The stage will feature a variety of live entertainment, starting with a dance party with DJ Darren Roy at 11 a.m., followed by storyteller Ade Shields (11:30 to 11:45 a.m., and 1:35 to 1:50 p.m.), local singer-songwriter Jasmine Mann (11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m., and 1:15 to 1:30 p.m.), New England folk-rock band The Penniless Jacks (12:20 to 12:50 p.m., and 2:10 to 2:40 p.m.) and family-friendly drag performer ChiChi Marvel (1 to 1:10 p.m., and 1:55 to 2:05 p.m.)
A free shuttle service will be available, running between the Statehouse, the Hotel Concord, the Holiday Inn and the Black Ice Hockey Tournament at White Park throughout the day.
Martin said attendees should continue practicing Covid safety — masks are not required but are strongly encouraged for indoor activities — and should have no difficulty staying spread out.
“This outdoor festival will offer people the space they need to socially distance themselves,” she said.
Concord NH Winter Festival
Where: Main Street, Concord When: Saturday, Jan. 29. Most activities will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ice carving demonstrations will take place on Friday, Jan. 28, from 3 to 9 p.m. Cost: Admission is free. Certain activities may have a fee. More info: Visit intownconcord.org or call 226-2150.
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Black Ice Pond Hockey Association.
Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament is (almost definitely) happening
The recent cold means the annual Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament will likely take place as scheduled this weekend, with youth games kicking things off on Thursday, Jan. 27, and plenty of other games on the roster — along with concessions, family activities, public skating and fireworks — through Sunday, Jan. 30.
“In recent years we’ve been challenged by global warming,” said Dan Luker, Black Ice Pond Hockey Association Board president. “We hope for below-zero temps at night, and a perfect day for us is 20 degrees during the day.”
Photo Courtesy of Black Ice Pond Hockey Association
The weekend is a tribute to the capital city’s place in hockey history. Luker said the first organized hockey game in the U.S. took place at St. Paul’s School in Concord, and the games being played at the tournament harken back to that old-school style.
“It’s the way the game was played to begin with — no refs, no goalies, 4 on 4,” Luker said. “It’s all about just skating and moving the puck. It’s a different feel.”
The tournament started 11 years ago, when Capital City Hockey League retirees decided they wanted to keep the game alive, for themselves and for younger generations.
“We all grew up playing hockey in the rinks, in the open air,” Luker said. “It brings you back.”
As the years have gone on, the Black Ice Pond Hockey Association has tried to reinvigorate the board by encouraging younger people to join. And the tournament has gone from all adult games to having a full night of youth hockey.
“Part of the goal is to infect [younger players] with the outdoor enthusiasm,” he said. “We’re psyched to have the kids play … [and] the kids love to be a part of it.”
Luker said there will be about 80 adult teams with more than 500 players taking the ice, which includes women’s teams and rec league teams, competitive players and players whose good skating days are well behind them.
“There are people who shouldn’t be skating out there who are having a blast,” Luker said.
Along with the games, there will be open skating time, concessions, a warming tent and family games throughout the weekend, and Friday night will feature fireworks.
“It’s the middle of winter, and there’s not much else going on in Concord,” Luker said. “People drift down and come and watch. … [It’s] something to do on a Saturday afternoon.”
Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament
Where: White Park, Concord When: Thursday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 20
Schedule of events
Thursday Heated spectator tent with family games and concessions open from 5 to 8 p.m. Youth pond hockey games with Concord Capitals, NE Wildcats, NH Avalanche, NH Junior Monarchs from 6 to 8 p.m.
Friday Concessions open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Black Ice Pond Hockey games from 9 a.m. to 8:20 p.m. Heated spectator tent with family games from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Public skate on White Park Pond Rinks & RBC Rinks 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ice sculpture at noon Bonfires start at 5 p.m. Concord Youth Hockey from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dynomites & NH JR Monarchs practice on White Park Pond Rinks & RBC Rinks at 7:15 p.m. Atlas Fireworks show
Saturday Concessions open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Black Ice Pond Hockey games from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Heated Spectator Tent open with family interactive games from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Youth Hockey Shinny Tournament on White Park Pond Rinks & RBC Rinks 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Concord Area Transit Shuttle Bus Winterfest Shuttle runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bonfires start at 3 p.m.
Sunday Concessions open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Black Ice Pond Hockey games from 9 a.m. to noon
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Black Ice Pond Hockey Association.
