Category: News

Wildfire risk

On Monday, Sept. 22, Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a proclamation prohibiting “[k]indling of any open fire, including fires built for camping, the burning of debris, or warming,” and “smoking a pipe, cigar and/or cigarette outdoors in or near woodlands, or on public trails,” according to the proclamation on the NH Forest and Lands website, nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov. The proclamation also lays out the exclusions to the restrictions including training fires and certain campground sites. The restrictions will be in place “until such time as the period of protracted drought or excessive dryness which requires these extraordinary precautions ceases to exist in the State of New Hampshire,” the proclamation said.

The New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau are reminding Granite Staters that summer drought conditions and the lack of “significant rainfall have increased the risk of wildfires statewide,” according to a press release set on Sept. 22 by the New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources and the New Hampshire Division of Forests & Lands. “It is important to note that with the drought conditions we will need multiple rain events to reduce the wildfire risk,” said Chief Steven Sherman, N.H. Forest Protection Bureau, in the release. “While rain may wet the area for a day, it will take a lot to make up for the lack of rain this summer and soak deep into the soil.” The release said that 90 percent of wildfires in New Hampshire are from human causes. “In New Hampshire, fire permits are required for all open outdoor burning, which include campfires and bonfires. With the statewide burn restrictions in effect, no permits are being issued by forest fire wardens, fire departments or via the state’s online fire permit system, nhfirepermit.com,” the release said. See nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov for more.

Food in Manch

Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m. through Oct. 27 the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Fresh Start Farms will hold a Manchester Market at Community Action Partnership Hillsborough & Rockingham Counties, 130 Silver St. in Manchester, featuring New Hampshire-grown produce, according to a flyer at the Manchester Health Department website. The market is open to the public and takes cash and Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits, the flyer said.

The Manchester Health Department website also features the recently posted 2025-2026 Manchester Food Resource Guide, with a listing of food assistance, including for kids and seniors, food pantries, community gardens, farm share and more. See manchesternh.gov/departments/health.

Rebel with a Clause, a documentary featuring grammarian Ellen Jovin with her Grammar Table set up in cities across America, will screen on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. at Red River Theatres in downtown Concord, one of the cities where we see her dispensing grammar advice in the trailer. Tickets cost $15. Find the trailer and more about Jovin at rebelwithaclause.com.

The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, a theatrical presentation celebrating the release of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album will hit area theaters on Friday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 5, and feature the world premiere of the music video “The Fate of Ophelia” along with behind-the-scenes footage and other videos, according to a screening description at the Milford Drive-In, where tickets to the Friday and Saturday night screenings at 7:30 p.m. cost $12 per person and are on sale now (see milforddrivein.com). You can also catch it at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett, Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping, according to releasepartyofashowgirl.com.

The Craftworkers’ Guild Harvest Shop, located in the Oliver Kendall House at 3A Meetinghouse Road in Bedford, behind the Bedford Public Library, is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Monday, Oct. 13 (the shop will also be open that day). See thecraftworkersguild.com.

Funding cuts

NH Navigator, a program from the nonprofit Foundation for Health Communities that “provides free, unbiased assistance to help people in New Hampshire identify the right insurance options available to them,” will cut its in-person services starting this month due to a 92 percent reduction in federal funding, according to a Sept. 11 release from the foundation. The NH Navigator team based in Concord will be dissolved and services will shift to support via phone and virtual appointments, the release said “Assistance is available by calling 1-877-211-NAVI (6284) Monday [through] Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or one can visit acanavigator.com/nh/home,” the release said.

Parking survey

The City of Concord is conducting a study of downtown parking needs, according to the Intown Insider weekly newsletter from Intown Concord. The survey, which you can find via the City of Concord New Hampshire Parking Facebook page, asks about parking habits and experiences. It will be open through Sept. 30, the newsletter said.

Sun Day, Saturday

This Saturday, Sept. 21, is Sun Day in Concord — an event from noon to 4 p.m. on the Statehouse lawn “providing information, resources and opportunities to take action with others who want to be part of clean energy solutions,” according to a press release. The event is being organized by Third Act NH with support from Clean Energy NH and others, the press release said. The event is billed as family friendly and will feature music, speakers and activities including opportunities to learn how solar works, the release said. See thirdact.org/new-hampshire.

Clean Energy NH also will hold its annual Local Energy Solutions Conference on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree in downtown Manchester featuring panels about solar energy, electric vehicles and more. See cleanenergynh.org for tickets.

New cookie

Girl Scouts will sell a rocky road ice cream-inspired cookie called Exploremores during the 2026 cookie season, according to a press release from the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. The Exploremores are described as “[f]illed with delicious flavors of chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond–flavored crème,” the release said. Cookie season runs Jan. 1 through March 15 in New Hampshire, the release said. See girlscoutcookies.org for cookie information and girlscoutsgwm.org for more on local Girl Scouts happenings, such as the Girl Scout Expo at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10.

Tickets are on sale now for the annual holiday show The Greg and the Morning Buzz Ball featuring the Greg and the Morning Buzz radio show team as well as a line-up of musicians, performers, comedians and more, taking place Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. See ccanh.com.

An exhibition by the Women’s Caucus for Art, New Hampshire Chapter, called “Inflection Point: Thirty Years of WCA/NH,” is on display at The Art Center, 1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover, through Friday, Oct. 31, with an artist reception on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m., according to a press release. See theartcenteronlinegallery.com.

The Manchester Artists Association has selected its winning September artists, which will have work on display at locations in Manchester and Bedford through Oct. 6: Cindi Chagaris at Triangle Credit Union, Deb Currier at Day’s Jewelers, Fern Daigle at Bedford Public Library, Sandee Nichols at Creative Framing Solutions, Cindi Peterson at St. Mary’s Bank on Hooksett Road, Rollande Rousselle at St. Mary’s Bank on McGregor Street, Joe Sweeney at Manchester Health Department, and Jim Wong at Triangle Credit Union, according to an email from the Manchester Artists Association.