Category: Featured Content

Downtown sounds

Concord First Friday 2026 unveils six months of music

The rich music scene in Concord will be on display through early November, with the help of a local musician who’s also a local business owner. Eric Reingold was inspired to volunteer for the monthly First Friday series after catching one of its events last year.

Sensing an opportunity to add his expertise to the mix, he reached out to Intown Concord, the organization behind First Friday, Market Days and other downtown events. Reingold has worked with Intown for many years, both as the owner of Endicott Furniture on Main Street, and as a performer in acts like JamAntics, Up and People Skills. Stressing the many hats he wears, Reingold offered his services.

“I’m basically a full-time musician, I know all the bands around here, I run sound, and I can put on a huge festival with equipment I’ve accumulated over the years,” he told them. “By way of shortening the story, they were like, ‘Well, if you think you can do it, why don’t you?’”

That was last summer, and he’s been booking bands since, assembling a lineup that serves as a love letter to the Capital City’s music community.

“I have seen every single one of these bands,” Reingold said. “My opinion is that the music in Concord is incredible. There’s so much good talent here that I’ve been both lucky to be part of and also just experience.”

On May 1, the inaugural First Friday of 2026 will offer live music on two stages. In Bicentennial Square, RGB Trio will kick things off at 4 p.m., followed by Chasing Ghosts from 6:15 to 8 p.m. Over at City Plaza, near the capitol building, Wandering Souls take the stage at 4 p.m.

RGB Trio consists of drummer Ryan King, Gary Smith on bass and a unique eight-string guitar, and singer/guitarist Bob Dwyer. They’re booked at this year’s Strange Creek Campout and are a favorite at Penuche’s and other local night spots. They mix originals and eclectic covers ranging from Phish to Hendrix.

Chasing Ghosts is a young, high-energy ’90s cover band out of Henniker whose drummer once stepped in last-minute for one of Reingold’s own gigs without knowing any of the songs.

“He was a real trooper; it was kind of a legendary move,” he recalled. “They’re young and fresh. They haven’t kicked around too much yet.”

With a setlist touching on the ’90s pop side with songs like Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” Wandering Souls is 10-member band that also hosts a weekly jam session at Christ the King Church. “They’ve been supporting Intown Concord for a long time,” Reingold said. “So it was important to continue using them.”

Upcoming in June are Kyle Erickson, Ashborne and Trade, one of two bands including guitarist Scott Solsky that are part of the series. The latter is organ-forward trio J3ST, on a jam-forward Sept. 4 quadruple bill with Supernothing, Bosey Joe and Superbug.

In deference to Intown’s citywide multi-stage street festival running June 27 through June 29, there’s no July event. “I think that’s kind of their big break,” Reingold said. “It’s kind of a mini-vacation after Market Days because they’re so straight out during that weekend.”

August’s First Friday welcomes the return of Senie Hunt, a local favorite who relocated to Tennessee a few years back but comes back every summer for local dates. Celtic rockers Rebel Collective join Hunt on the Bicentennial Stage, while a band of local doctors called No Copay play from 4 to 8 in City Plaza.

In October, Reingold does double duty, performing both in his band Up and with his old JamAntics mate in Lucas Gallo & the Guise.

“Intown told me I could play as much as I wanted, but I didn’t want to abuse my position, especially because I know so many bands that are better than I am around here,” he said. “But it was important to get my ‘Guise’ up there.”

Heather Smith & the Constants and Robin Gaming round out October’s First Friday, with Lee & Dr. G and Andrew North & the Rangers along with Martha Hubbard in November. Reingold’s overall goal is to reinforce downtown Concord as a go-to hotspot: “Cool and inviting to the locals, but also people that want to visit.”

Concord First Friday Music
When: Friday, May 1
Where: Bicentennial Square – RGB Trio, 4 p.m., Chasing Ghosts, 6:15 p.m. / City Plaza – Wandering Souls, 4 p.m.
Full schedule: firstfridayconcord.com

Featured photo: Chasing Ghosts. Courtesy photo.

Food trucks on Friday

Concord’s First Fridays kick off another season

Beginning Friday, May 1, Main Street in Concord will host a celebration on the first Friday of every month until November.

“Except July,” Berit Brown said. “We’re skipping July, because the first Friday falls right on the Fourth of July, and that would be a little too intense.”

Brown is the events and marketing manager for InTown Concord, the nonprofit organization that sponsors First Friday events as well as other celebrations, like Concord’s Winter Festival, Market Days, Halloween Howl and a holiday celebration in December called Midnight Merriment. First Fridays feature live entertainment and special activities, and downtown businesses stay open until 8 p.m. Art galleries open late with special viewings, wine and cheese, and so on. And, of course, there are food trucks.

Brown said food trucks are a natural fit for First Fridays.

“It’s a good way for somebody to kind of try out their food truck idea,” she said. “They can test out menu items and see what people respond to the best and do it on a much lower budget than opening a brick and mortar restaurant. For a lot of the food trucks that we work with, [First Fridays] are their first forays into selling their food. A lot of their stories are pretty similar. They tell us that family members and friends have always said that they’re good cooks and then they end up opening a food truck. For a lot of them First Fridays in Concord are their first ever food truck experience.”

The food trucks offer the public a variety of types of food to choose from on any given First Friday, Brown said.

“It’s definitely a nice vibe while you’re waiting for your food. You’re able to listen to live music on City Plaza. We’ve actually expanded the number of food trucks,” she said. “Last year we were doing two per event, and this time our goal is to have three to four per First Friday. We’ve definitely opened it up a little bit more and we’ve also tried to find a balance between sweet and savory foods. So you can get a cupcake or a brownie, and you can also get a hot dog or a hamburger.”

“We have a new vendor this year who’s coming in November and they are a gluten-free food truck,” she said. “We have Teenie Wienies, who serve sausage sandwiches. I love their food. They’re fantastic. They have the largest sausage sandwiches you’ve ever seen. This year they’re actually coming to the October First Friday, so they’ll be serving Oktoberfest-inspired sandwiches. I think some of the first events that they ever did were at our First Fridays and they kind of were able to troubleshoot and see how much sausage they needed to bring to different events. And now they’re permanently stationed at one of the breweries around town.” See page 22 for a look at the music planned for First Fridays.

First Friday
The first First Friday of 2026 will take place along Main Street in Concord on Friday, May 1, from 4 to 8 p.m. The theme will be “Petals and Pedals.” The food trucks will be Carly’s Kitchen (a mobile bakery), New Hampshah’s Mini Donuts, and Stacy’s Grill, which will serve hamburgers, hot dogs and other grilled favorites. Visit firstfridayconcord.com/may.

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Teenie Wienies food truck.

Plant-based May

The Vegan Chef Challenge returns to Manchester

During the month of May a number of Manchester restaurants will compete in the 2026 Vegan Chef Challenge. Each restaurant will feature one or more vegan dishes on its menu. These might be existing dishes or new experimental dishes developed for the competition. Customers will vote on which dishes stand out the most. Similar competitions take place in cities across the country.

Joan O’Brien is the president of the New Hampshire Animal Rights League, the group organizing Manchester’s Vegan Chef Challenge. She said last year’s Challenge, the first in Manchester, was an eye-opener for the city’s restaurant community.

“Last year was the inaugural challenge,” she said. “It was very successful. It was fun. It brought in a new customer base for the participating restaurants.” Even now, a year later, several of last year’s participating restaurants still have last year’s vegan dishes on their menus, she said. “That was the goal, to bring more vegan options to Manchester and show people that the food can be delicious, and the fact that they kept some of these dishes on their menus is proof of that, that there’s actually a demand for it. It’s been really, really good feedback.”

“[The Vegan Chef Challenge] is an event that was created by a national organization called Vegan Outreach,” O’Brien said, “and their goal is to raise awareness around vegan lifestyle. They host these challenges in cities across the country, including Manchester. The overall winner, the best overall in Manchester was Stashbox. They had a miso-glazed avocado dish, and their cashew cream gnocchi was outstanding. I’ve been looking through some of the things that diners said last year, and people said things like, ‘Delicious!’ and ‘We wouldn’t know it was vegan. I’m not someone who eats vegan. This is the best gnocchi I’ve ever had.’ — comments like that.”

The 2025 Vegan Chef Challenge in Manchester was a bit of a revelation for the city’s restaurant community, O’Brien said — first, that there is a demand for plant-based dishes, even in a traditionally food-conservative state like New Hampshire.

“I can’t confirm it yet,” O’Brien said, but I know that Manchester is attracting more young people, more young professionals, and those people are usually looking for healthier food, and more inventive, creative food.” The success of last year’s challenge is an indication of a change in Manchester’s food culture, O’Brien said, showing that Manchester can participate on a level with much bigger, more cosmopolitan cities in other parts of the country.

Another lesson O’Brien has taken from the success of last year’s Challenge is that a non-confrontational exposure to vegan cuisine is a gentle and persuasive way to change people’s conception of vegan food.

“I think that the whole [vegan] movement is realizing, is learning that most of us were not born vegan,” she said. “So you have to be welcoming and not judge people. And sometimes what happens is when people realize that they can still get delicious, satisfying food that happens to be meat-free, then they’re open to considering the other benefits of a vegan lifestyle. People have a lot of things in their lives that they’re trying to get done, and to think that, ‘Ugh! Now I have to change my whole diet!’ is daunting.”

“May will be a big month for going out to eat, for Mother’s Day and graduations,” O’Brien said. “So we do hope that those people who are going out will visit the participating restaurants, try some of these vegan offerings and see that we have some new players, some very talented chefs.”

2026 Vegan Chef Challenge
Manchester’s Vegan Chef Challenge will take place throughout May. For a list of participating restaurants, visit veganchefchallenge.org/manchester.

Featured photo: Jeremy Hart, co-owner of Stashbox, last year’s overall winner of the Vegan Chef Challenge, with his trophy, the coveted Golden Spatula.

Tequila and community

Arts Alley hosts a celebration of agave

The tequila-themed event, called Agave in the Alley, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Concord.

“We’re very excited about our event on Friday,” Jen Abou Raad said. “We’re hosting a pre-Cinco de Mayo party on Friday, in our courtyard.” Abou Raad is the Director of Sales & Programming for Arts Alley, an event space on Main Street in Concord.

“We’ll have 20+ tequila vendors there who will be handing out samples,” Abou Raad said. “[Attendees will] get a memorable collective glass to use for the sampling. Tickets include three tacos as well, that people will be able to redeem out of the diner space. We’ll have a fun DJ who will spin Latin-style music. There will be a photo booth set up, which is going to be awesome, and we have some giveaways and swag and all the fun stuff.”

Abou Raad said the courtyard space at Arts Alley, which opened last August, was designed to host events like Agave in the Alley.

“[The designers of the space] wanted it to be a multi-purposeful space,” she said. “The goal was to create a space for people to come and gather and just hang out and enjoy their time together out in the summertime in the open air. The vision was to be a community-focused spot. We find the space works really well for a variety of different events. We’ve had some dance parties out there. We have people rent the space for birthday parties. Now that the weather’s been nicer again, we can put it to more use. It’s very multi-purposeful and it’s just a really relaxed chill vibe down there. The courtyard’s like a little oasis back there that people don’t even realize is there.”

This will be one of the first vendor-centered events that Arts Alley has held there. Abou Raad said Friday’s event will give tequila fans a chance to compare and contrast different brands and labels of tequila and mezcal in a way that might be difficult to do under other circumstances. “We have a nice mix [of tequila companies],” she said. “Obviously, everyone’s heard of Patron, but we also have smaller brands like Chica Chida, which is really popping up right now, G4, Ocho, Tapatio, Lost Lore, Casa Azul, Ghost, and a bunch more. We have a really nice variety, with brands you’ve heard of, but also brands you haven’t heard of, which we want to show off. Different vendors across the state will be able to represent their brands that they’ve worked so hard on.”

For extremely serious tequila fans there will be a VIP package available, Abou Raad said. “It gets you early entry into the event. You get some premium samples from the vendors. The vendors will also be giving out a swag bag for the VIP ticket holders. And then regular GA holders, it’s from 7 to 9 [p.m.]. And they still, of course, get to come and do the sampling, but without a swag bag. And premium samples are for the VIPs. These are just a little bit of a higher end, maybe a tequila that they haven’t even put on the shelves yet. Something a little special.”

Arts Alley has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Comfort Inn, Abou Raad said.

“On our website, there is a link, if anyone did want to secure a room and kind of make it a fun night in downtown Concord. We offer a discounted rate, so there is that option as well. We want to make sure people can enjoy their time and do it responsibly too.”

Agave in the Alley
When: Friday, May 1, from 7 to 9 p.m. (VIP ticket-holders can enter at 6 p.m.)
Where: Arts Alley, 20 S. Main St., Concord, 406-5666, artsalleyconcordnh.com
Tickets are available through the Arts Alley website at artsalleyconcordnh.com/event/agave-in-the-alley. General admission tickets are $50. VIP tickets are $90. Tickets at the door will be $20.

Featured photo: Courtyard. Courtesy photo.

Lambs, lathes and lumberjacks

Lots to see and do at the NH Farm, Forest & Garden Expo

Kelly Bryer is the manager of the New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo taking place Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at the Deerfield fairgrounds. She said the yearly Expo has changed considerably over the past several years.

“We’re in our 43rd year,” she said. “It’s put on by three agencies: the UNH Extension, the New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands, and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. We were in Manchester for 40 years, as a winter event. Then, three years ago, we moved out to the Deerfield fairgrounds in the spring, and the Expo is a whole new animal now.”

“Now,” she said, “we pretty much take over an entire end of the Deerfield fairgrounds. We’ve got tractors that will be running. We’ve got running sawmills. We’ll have a team of oxen running lumber between the sawmills — it’s a really cool thing. We have free horse-drawn wagon rides. There’s a barn space for the animals. There’s an open exhibition space. … We bring in a lot of partners to hold their events within our bigger event. The Dark Horse Lumberjack Show will go off on Friday. We’ll have the Wildlife Heritage Foundation’s ‘Forever Locked’ display there — that’s the two big taxidermied moose that are engaged in battle.”

Each exhibit or demonstration at the Farm, Forest & Garden Expo will be centered around New Hampshire’s agriculture, Bryer said, from general themes to very specific topics.

“For instance,” she said, “Concord Tractor is doing [a presentation] about safe loading of tractors, which is really fascinating. … We’ll have a chainsaw maintenance and sharpening workshop. We’ll have cider making for kids and maple sugaring for beginners. Averill House Vineyard is coming to talk about growing grapes and vine management.”

“[The Department of Transportation] will have their big trucks there. We’ll have lots of different types of machinery. Kids can sit on the tractors. We have a ‘Playpen’ running so you can actually try out a tractor,” she said.

The Expo will also showcase larger issues in modern agriculture, Bryer said. “Another really popular session that always fills up quickly is the homestead food rules, so if you want to make and sell your own products.”

Other organizations will make presentations of different rural skills, Bryer said. “We have demonstrators coming in. We have rug braiders and some spinners and some chair caners who will be coming in. The Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers will put on some demonstrations, and they’ll have an opportunity for people to join in. There will be beekeepers. And they usually bring bees with them.”

“We are jam-packed,” she said.

The New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo
When: Friday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Deerfield Fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road, Deerfield, 463-7421.
Tickets will be on sale at Gate E. Admission is $10 per person, free for children 12 and younger. Visit nhfarmandforestexpo.org.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Twice as nice

For Free Comic Book Day, industry change means more for fans

It’s counterintuitive that bankruptcy would make a company’s big event bigger, but it happened when the distributor that launched Free Comic Book Day went bankrupt last year. The company that bought it, and with the trademark, promised to continue FCBD. However, one distributor, Penguin Random House, broke away and launched a rival version.

Fortunately, customers are the winners in this battle — both events will happen simultaneously. On May 2, stores will hand out titles from both FCBD and the newcomer, Comics Giveaway Day — no strings attached. Michael Boddy, the owner of Collectibles Unlimited in Concord, summed it up thusly: “It sounds different, but it’s going to be the same.”

Actually, it’s better. In 2025 two dozen titles were given away; this year at least 46 will be available for the event, created in 2002 to build interest in comics and, at the time, promote a new Spider-Man movie.

There are two huge events happening in the state, one spilling out from a store into a function hall with dozens of vendor tables, and another that takes over an entire downtown, with a festival’s worth of musical guests during the day.

Collectibles Unlimited

25 South St., Concord, 228-3712, collectiblesunlimited.biz

Hours: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

A Concord fixture since 1984, taken over in 2005 by Michael Boddy, offering comics, role-playing, board and card games, along with miniatures, paints, coins and bullion. Because the shop skews heavily toward tabletop gaming, FCBD is also a good chance to browse discounted board and role-playing game stock while picking up free comics.

Double Midnight Comics

252 Willow St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com/freecomicbookday

341 Loudon Road, Concord, 715-2683, dmcomics.com/freecomicbookday

Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Held in The Factory on Willow event hall adjacent to its store, Double Midnight’s Manchester event is one of the largest FCBD celebrations in northern New England. There’s a large vendor floor, artist alley, cosplay contest, and panel/signing area, and the retail space is also open for shopping.

Visitors can grab the official free comics, meet creators like illustrator JK Woodward and Legacy of Valor’s Kurt Springs, check out movie cars like a Back to the Future DeLorean or a Jurassic Park Jeep or participate in the 15th annual costume contest, and watch Clemenzi Crusaders perform “the soundtrack of pop culture.”

“We invite everybody to come on down and experience the events — we go all out for this,” Chris Proulx, owner of Double Midnight along with his brother Scott, said by phone recently. “We love comics, and we want to have a good time … it’s a great event for families to drop in for the day.”

Double Midnight’s Concord location will also hand out official titles (with a per-person limit). It’s a convenient stop for those coming from the Lakes Region or anyone looking to avoid the larger Manchester crowd while scoring a free comic book or graphic novel like Chris Proulx’s pick from this year’s batch, Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Jetpack Comics & Games

37 N. Main St., Rochester, 330-XMEN (9636), jetpackcomics.com/fcbd-cgd

Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Founded by Ralph DiBernardo, Jetpack Comics launched one of the state’s signature FCBD celebrations. The event has grown into a full-day bash in downtown Rochester, with a mini-music festival and a late night afterparty. There’s even a custom city-only title: Dungeon Crawler Carl with a bespoke cover.

A citywide comic book scavenger hunt offers kids, teens and adults special titles at participating downtown businesses. Extras come with the purchase of a $10 Power Up Band. Benefiting Rochester Performance and Arts Center, it includes admission to the seven-band Rock n’ Roll Playground Festival and Curmudjun’s afterparty concert. At official FCBD host Rochester Opera House, there’s a vendor hall and The Turtle Den. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in nearby Dover, and DiBernardo premiered their first comic book at a convention in 1984. “We’ve had close ties forever,” DiBernardo said. “It’s like a big Turtle party.”

Merrymac Games and Comics

550 DW Highway, Merrimack, 420-8161, merrymacgc.com

Hours: Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday noon – 6 p.m.

As in past years, Merrymac’s giveaway is paired with creator appearances, including former Black Caravan co-publisher Rich Woodall, also known for his work on The Bloody Ring of Dracula, Gods of Brutality and others. He’s also worked on covers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Powerpuff Girls and Masters of the Universe.

Also appearing is Sara Richard, a New Hampshire-based artist and writer whose work includes comic book covers and book illustrations for DC Comics, Marvel, Dynamite Comics and other publishers, along with other illustration work for DC Collectables, StormKing and The Witch House in Salem, Mass.

Newbury Comics

777 S. Willow St., Manchester, 624-2842

99 Rockingham Park Blvd. (Mall at Rockingham Park), Salem, 890-1380

310 DW Highway (Pheasant Lane Mall), Nashua, 888-0720

The big New England retailer is listed as a participant on the FCBD website.

Pop Culture Cards Comics and Collectibles

66 Route 27, Raymond, 244-1850, popculturenh.com

Along with comic book giveaways, there will be regular gaming going on. At 10:30 a.m., author Mike Marks will sign copies of the first issue of Helsing Files, his detective and vampire thriller funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Stairway to Heaven Comics

105 Gosling Road, Newington, 319-6134, stairwaytoheavencomics.com

Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Owner Brad Gile expects a “fun, festive atmosphere,” with guests including local creators HG Bradley and Jeff Lorentz (Skin of My Teeth, My Coworker is a Vampire) with Katie McMahon returning from last year. Luke Fletcher will show off Overpower, a game that’s been refreshed from its ’90s beginnings, and give away an Invincible card.

Featured photo: Photo by Zombie Leader of Carolyn and Christian Lopes as Jubilee and Wolverine browsing at Double Midnight.

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