Category: Outdoors

Pet parades, bicycle parades and parade parades over the holiday weekend

Jennifer Kretovic is the Ward 3 Concord City Councilor and a trustee for the Concord Historical Society. She is also the co-chair of Concord’s semiquincentennial/tricentennial committee. All that means that she has a very good seat to view the city’s Fourth of July Weekend celebrations, she said.

“We have so much going on!” she said. “And this is a great way to celebrate all that the State of New Hampshire and the City of Concord has contributed to our rich history. In 1726, King George II declared that the Massachusetts settlers could settle in New Hampshire. And Concord was peeled out as one of these settlement communities along with seven other communities; there were eight in total. There are all kinds of very rich stories about those first settlement years in a culture that wasn’t prepared for winter, in a culture that wasn’t prepared for sandy soil, that wasn’t prepared for granite, and they really had to work together in order to survive and thrive. But the interesting thing is that there were already settlers here.”

And of course, Kretovic said, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“So on July 4, the City of Concord is going to host a parade on Main Street. It is welcome to anybody in the state that would like to come. There are events that are happening at the Statehouse Plaza. The intent is when the parade ends, people can come to the Statehouse Plaza. They will have speakers, the Lafayette reenactors, the New Hampshire Pipe and Drum Corps will be there. We have the Nevers Band that will be on City Plaza, so there’ll still be music for people to enjoy. The Statehouse is going to be open for tours on that Saturday, July 4. It is an amazing opportunity for people because the Statehouse is not typically open on Saturdays for tours. This really is a gem moment. If anybody wants to see and do the historic tour, this is the time to do it. The New Hampshire Historical Society is also going to be open at 11 [a.m.] so that people can attend and go to their museum and see everything that they have on display as well. The City of Concord, later on in the day, we’re doing an old-fashioned baseball game at Memorial Field. It’s the American Legion baseball game, and we hope people will come see it. that. And then of course our Fourth of July fireworks at dusk. As soon as the sun goes down and it’s dark enough for the fireworks, we will do the fireworks. We typically have between 10 and 15 thousand people that attend the fireworks. We would hope to have the same amount of people that attend the parade in the morning.”

Communities throughout New Hampshire will celebrate Independence Day over the coming weekend. These are some of the festivities:

The Town of Amherst will host a fireworks display celebration on Thursday, July 2, beginning at 5 p.m., with local food vendors, music, and entertainment before the fireworks kick off at 9:30 p.m. Oral historians will also record “Voices of Amherst, NH,” a collection of stories and memories from Amherst residents. And on Saturday, July 4, Amherst’s annual Fourth of July parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Wilkins School. Visit amherstnh.gov/home/pages/250th-anniversary-celebration.

In Boscawen there will be an AFMI Fourth of July Party on Saturday, July 4, from 5 to 10 p.m. at 16 Hardy Lane, with food, lawn games like croquet and cornhole, and an open mic for anyone in the community who wants to share their work. Food will be served from 5 to 8 p.m., and fireworks will be on display after sundown, around 9:30 p.m. Attendance is $25 per adult and $10 per child. Visit the events calendar at boscawennh.gov.

Brookline will hold its annual Fourth of July Parade beginning on South Main Street at 10 a.m., according to brooklinenh.gov.

There will be a Fireworks Family Fun Fest in Canterbury from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, with a kids’ parade, kids’ games, food, and a concert by the Club Soda Band, before fireworks after dark, according to a post on the Friends of Canterbury Center Facebook page.

Contoocook and Hopkinton will hold a Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 4, hosted by the Hopkinton Recreation Committee irthday Celebration slated for Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, with events in Roy Memorial Park, the historic town center and more, including fireworks on the Saturday evening, according to litchfieldnh.gov.

Derry will have a fireworks display beginning around dusk (9 p.m.) on Saturday, July 4, according to derrynh.gov/parks-recreation.

The Town of Hollis has a week of patriotic activities planned including ceremonies and field day activities on Saturday, July 4; a movie and kids’ activities on Friday, July 10, and music from The Slakas, inflatables, kids’ games, food for purchase and fireworks on Saturday, July 11. See hollisnh.gov for a schedule of events.

Kingston will hold an America’s 250th Celebration on Saturday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kingston Plains, Town Common and other historical sites, with Revolutionary reenactors, Sons & Daughters of the Revolution, music, games, a barbecue and more, according to kingstonnh.gov/250th-anniversary-celebration-planning-committee.

Bedrock Gardens in Lee (19 High Road, 659-2993, bedrockgardens.org) will host An American Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, which will include garden tours, a talk and demonstration by celebrity chef Mary Ann Esposito, a macaroni pie contest, and a walking lecture on “The Founding Plants of America,” according to the website.

In Litchfield, there will be a Fourth of July parade beginning at 10 a.m. at Hidden Creek golf course, followed by a car cruise and car show at Roy Memorial Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as confirmed by the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library. Litchfield also has a 250th Bican Legion raffle and flag sales. Visit the Historical Society’s website.

Manchester will celebrate America’s 250th birthday on Friday, July 3, at Arms Park starting at 6 p.m. with music, food vendors and more, including fireworks at dusk (around 9 p.m.) over the river, according to the Manchester Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Merrimack’s Independence Day celebrations begin with a concerton Friday, July 3, at 6:30 p.m. featuring the Merrimack Concert Association (which will be performing and selling root beer floats) at Abbie Griffin Park behind the Merrimack Town Hall, according to merrimackparksandrec.org. A parade will take place Saturday, July 4, at 1 p.m. andfireworksat Kollsman Athletic Fields start around 9:15 p.m., with music and food trucks from 5 to 9 p.m., the website said.

Go to nashua.gov now to reserve tickets for theFourth of July Fireworks and Baseball Game on Saturday, July 4, in Nashua — tickets to the Silver Knights game are free for the first 500 adults and children under 13, according to the city’s website. The game, which starts at 10:30 a.m., will feature an expanded kids’ zone and on-field activities, the website said. That evening the program starts with a performance by the band The Slakas at 6 p.m., Nashua Hall of Fame inductions at 8 p.m., the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps at 8:30 p.m. and a fireworks show at dusk, the website said.

New Boston will celebrate Independence Day Saturday, July 4, with a parade, food, music and fireworks. Visit newboston4thofjuly.org.

The Town of Raymond will hold a week of Independence Day celebrations from Friday, July 3, to Sunday, July 12, including an arts presentation, a parade, an ice cream social, a cornhole tournament, a Town Common concert, a musket drill, and more, according to raymondnh.gov, where you can find the full schedule.

The Warner Historical Society (warnerhistorical.org) will hold a Fourth of July pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. on July 4 at the United Church of Warner (43 E. Main St.). There will be an Amerin Riverway Park in Contoocook. Events will include a farmers market, a Tooky Cookie competition, live music, a kids’ parade, an Independence Day parade, family fun at Riverway Park, a pudding-eating competition, and a root beer chugging competition, according to hopkintonnh.myrec.com.

The Town of Windham has been celebrating all year long. See windhamnh.gov for the calendar of events.

Downtown Concord comes together for Market Days

One of the high points of the year for downtown Concord is the Market Days celebration organized by Intown Concord. This year’s Market Days begin Thursday, June 25, and continue to Saturday, June 27.

Berit Brown is the events coordinator for Intown Concord. She said that because virtually all of Concord’s downtown businesses participate in Market Days it is an expression of the community.

“For instance,” she said, “there will be a stage in Bicentennial Square with live music throughout the three days, and we have a Country Day, which will be focused on country music on Friday. Donaher will play at 8 p.m., and that is in partnership with the Capitol Center; that performance will have two ASL [American Sign Language] interpreters, which is new to the festival this year. We’re really excited to be able to offer access to the festival.”

All of downtown Concord will be involved in this year’s Market Days, Brown said.

“We closed down Main Street and a few side streets. There are more than 200 vendors, including the Concord Arts Market. There’s food vendors and different service providers and places to shop. [Most] of our downtown businesses will have a booth and discounts and exclusive items and things like that. It will last from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. all three days. Most of the shops and booths will stay open until 8 p.m., and the music goes on until 10. This is a rain-or-shine event. We have definitely had years where it’s rained in the past, so our vendors have learned to plan for anything. Even if it rains, they will still be there and they’re still excited to interact and have a good time.”

“Something new this year,” Brown said, “is a vintage market with vintage clothing and records on one end of Pleasant Street and the other end will be a food truck alley. The vintage side will have a fill-a-bag sale on Saturday. Saturday will be when all the shops are open,” Brown said. “We’ve got a KidZone with two bounce houses and a bunch of different fun things, including puppies that you can play with. There’s a story time. There are musical performances from children’s performers. The Black History Trail will present a reading of Frederick Douglass’ speech, ‘What to a Slave is the 4th of July?’”

Intown Concord has sponsored a beer tent at the north end of Main Street this year, featuring ’90s music on Thursday, pub trivia on Friday, and live music from Randy McGravey on Saturday.

In previous years, finding parking during Market Days has been a challenge.

“I think honestly, the most exciting thing that we have happening this year,” Brown said, “is that we have a free trolley, so people can park at NHTI and take a free trolley to the festival and they can avoid the parking hassles. It’s a wheelchair-accessible shuttle. People can ride that every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and it’s on a 30-minute loop and it just drops you right at the festival. I’m really excited about the inclusion efforts that we’ve included this year. We have increased our seating a lot this year so there is somewhere to sit on every block and enjoy a moment of shade or eat food. We also have a diaper-changing and breastfeeding tent that will be available on Friday and Saturday over in the kid zone. That’s a new thing that we’ve decided to incorporate into the festival since so many families attend the festival every year. We want people to be able to enjoy the festival and not feel rushed.”

Intown Concord’s Market Days Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 25, Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27
Where: along Main Street in Concord
More: An interactive digital program and map of the event is available at marketdaysfestival.com.

Market Days music

Music on the Main Stage on South Main Street will include dance band The Party Crashers, Freese Brothers Big Band, country band Mutha Hubbard, country singer Maggie Baugh, Celtic rock band Waking Finnegan, and YellowHouse Blues Band.

Music at the Homegrown Stage at Bicentennial Square will include Goldfish, 4Toes, Lava Llama, No Mango, J3ST, and Hometown Eulogy.

Visit marketdaysfestival.com/music-stages.

Market Days food

There will be more than 40 food vendors feeding the crowd at this year’s Market Days, including Batulo’s Kitchen (Somali food), Empanadas Deluxe 603 (gluten-free Latin American dishes), STREET (international street food), Unlawful Waffles (waffles with decadent toppings), Yankee Farmers Market Buffalo (bison-based burgers and dishes), Social Club Creamery (ice cream and cookies) and many more. Visit marketdaysfestival.com/vendors#Food-Vendors.

Featured photo: Market Days in Concord. Courtesy photo.

Liberty and Legacy kicks off a summer of history

As it turns out, this summer is not only the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“It’s 250 for the U.S.,” said Cindy Foote, a trustee for the Concord Historical Society, “and for Concord it’s 300 [years]. So we are going to have a toast.”

The toast will celebrate a gathering of New Hampshire’s founding fathers in 1776, Foote said. “The men came and sort of broke down the arguments of ‘Do we want to be a part of this? Should New Hampshire be part of [the new American country] and be the ninth state so we can ratify and become our own?’ It took place on June 21, which is why we decided to celebrate it on June 20, this year. The toast took place at a house that’s right there on North Main, on June 20, 1788, so we’re going to do the same.”

This year’s toast will be part of “Liberty and Legacy: a Civic Saturday Social” on Saturday, June 20, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Kimball Jenkins Estate, 266 N. Main St., in Concord, which Foote described as a sort of American history variety show.

“We have performers that are going on the stage. We have a folk singer who plays guitar. We’re going to have a reading of the Declaration of Independence, with a man in garb. We’ll have an organ recital. Obviously, there’ll be a beer tent [“Obviously,” because most of the U.S. Founding Fathers were notoriously fond of drinking.] There will be food trucks, cotton candy and popcorn. It’s an event that’s free to the public, but once you get there, some things will be charged.”

And no, she stressed, the beer will not be free.

“The Concord Coach will be there,” Foote continued. An actor named Andrew Pinard will be on hand, in character as Jonathan Harrington, a 19th-century magician. “He’s doing an hour-long show and it’s based on the time period. We’re going to have historical interpreters walking around in time period clothing, chatting.”

And then there’s the toast.

“The mayor is going to come and lead a toast,” Foote said. “He’ll say a few words, and then everyone in the audience is going to say ‘HUZZAH!’ The Friendly Toast has offered some sparkling cider to the mayor for the toast. That will happen three times during the day. So hopefully everyone will get to experience it. And Captain Bell’s Company, which is a group of Revolutionary War re-enactors, they’re going to shoot off their muskets just before we say ‘HUZZAH!’”

In addition to historical re-enactment, Foote said, “Binney Media is actually going to do two tours of their facility because their facility is actually a very historic place and they have artifacts there and they’ll explain them, so they’re getting in on the act. There will be farm equipment from Morrill Dairy Farm, some old farm equipment. Kids’ games are going to be taking place at Concordia Church. There will be a whole lineup of old-fashioned games for kids. We also have coins for sale — it’s a commemorative coin. There are only 300 of them, and when they go, they go.”

Liberty and Legacy: Civic Saturday Social
When: Saturday, June 20, from 1 to 6 p.m.
Where: Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord
Admission: free
More: kimballjenkins.com

Featured photo: Andrew Pinard as Prof. Harrington. Photo courtesy of Kimball Jenkins.