Celtic Sounds — 03/12/2026

on the cover

Michael Witthaus looks at the Celtic music — with its roots in Ireland and other lands across the sea — that is a part of New Hampshire’s music scene not just on St. Patrick’s Day but all year long. On the cover and above is fiddler Audrey Budington, courtesy photo by Charles Henry Volk.

Also on the cover Michael Witthaus talks to the organizers of the Old House and Barn Expo (page 12). We’ve got listings for St. Patrick’s Day live music options on page 30. And John Fladd talks to local bakers about Pi Day (page 18).

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
O’Neil in Epping O’Neil Cinemas in Epping will close after the Sunday, March 15, screenings, according to a statement from ...
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It’s pothole season In a March 7 online article, WMUR cited Brian Desfosses, the director of public works for Bedford, ...
The Big Story – Jayson Tatum: It wasn’t exactly Larry Bird coming back out into the Garden after being knocked ...
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Thursday, March 12 The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) will host Bloom: A Floral Palette ...
young woman wearing black black jeans and leather coat, standing on hill in front of stone wall and blue sky, playing fiddle
A look at the scene built on the music of Ireland and beyond One in five of all New Hampshire ...
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Old House & Barn Expo returns The Old House & Barn Expo at Saint Anselm College on March 14 and ...
close up of long, purple blossom covered with thin flower spikes creating a furry tail appearance
You can start plants — even trees — from seed It seems to me that the prices of many things ...
framed baseball memorabilia from the Boston Globe showing three articles of the Red Sox winning
Hello, Donna, I recently saw your info on a New England Patriots shirt in the Hippo. Figured I would ask ...
Family fun for whenever Books for everybody Need some new reads? Children’s paperbacks are 25 cents, hardbacks are $1 at ...
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• Cutting edge learning: LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com/labelle-winery-derry) will host a cooking class focusing on ...
two whip cream covered chocolate pies beside smaller double crust fruit pies
It’s 3.14 times as delicious as any other day This Saturday, March 14, is one of the happiest days of ...
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A taste of the finicky world of French macarons Ashley Savoy is the owner of Savvy Sweets and Treats in ...
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This recipe is adapted from one in a recipe booklet put out by Robin Hood Flour in 1931. It makes ...
album cover art for Quinsin Nachoff, Patterns From Nature and Rivers of Nihil, Rivers of Nihil
Quinsin Nachoff, Patterns From Nature (Whirlwind Recordings) This New York-based saxophonist and composer has earned a rep for “moving fluidly ...
book cover for The Hitch by Sara Levine showing illustration of happy corgi with tongue sticking out
(Roxane Gay Books, 291 pages) “You don’t realize how small your life has become until something wreaks havoc, until the ...
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A look at more Oscar nominees before the big night Happy Oscar day to all who celebrate! The 98th Academy ...
• Join together: A trio of regional indie bands, New England Triple Stack is in the midst of a spring ...
woman on stage under colored lights holding guitar
Nebraska singer-songwriter performs area show When the time comes for career growth, most musicians from small towns move to an ...

Fish Tacos — 03/05/2026

on the cover

Fish tacos can bring crunch, acid, flavor and general taco-ness to fried and grilled seafood. John Fladd talks to experts about what makes a good fish taco. Photo above and on the cover is courtesy Fish & Chix in Derry.

Also on the cover John also gets the details on the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire’s annual winter conference (page 16). Michael Witthaus talks to comic Mystaru ahead of a Concord show on Saturday. Michael also talks to the Currier about their upcoming show “Bloom: A Floral Palette.”

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Trees for schools The New Hampshire Division of Forest and Lands is accepting applications for the Schoolyard Canopy Enhancement Program, ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Dog for Hopkinton Town elections are coming up and in Hopkinton all the town and school office races are uncontested ...
The Big Story – The Spaceman Landing At Boys & Girls Club: There have been many adjectives — feisty, clever, ...
promo image for show Ken Ludwig's Moriarty with text in fancy font and dark, smoky background
Friday, March 6 The Windham Actors Guild (windhamactorsguild.com) will perform Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure tonight, Saturday, ...
fish tacos on wrapper with pile of french fries
A look at this celebration of textures, flavors and tacos New Hampshire diners like fish tacos so much they’ve been ...
a painting of a wooden cross enclosed by a small fence, blue sky and ocean behind, fine art painting with symmetry and stark atmosphere
‘Bloom’ pairs art and floral arrangements A four-day event at Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art pairs paintings and sculptures with ...
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Dear Donna, I found this box of assorted watch pieces and metal. Can you give me an idea of a ...
Family fun for whenever Video game history • On Sunday, March 8, SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, ...
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• Slice of Pi: The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, will celebrate Shaker Pie Pi Day on ...
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Breakfast eats to get you going at The Cure Cafe Rachel Ormond is the owner and operator of The Cure ...
woman sitting behind table at event, baskets and piles of seed baskets
Winter conference returns Of the many events and conferences taking place at this time of year, one that probably escaped ...
Tall ball glass filled ice and a cocktail, sitting beside cocktail shaker and measuring cup on table
A 2-inch chunk of cucumber – I like using the long, skinny English cucumbers; they seem to have a little ...
album covers for IT’sALIE, Wild Games and Onelight, Autobody
IT’sALIE, Wild Games (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) I know it’s lazy of me to write about arena-metal bands, given that I ...
book cover for The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits
(Summit Books, 229 pages) A dozen years ago Tom Layward learned his wife had an affair. He decided he’d stay ...
scene from animated movie showing woman hugging young girl on bridge in the rain - bright colors, 2D animation
A look at the Oscar-nominated animated features This year’s Oscar-nominated animated features are all fairly kid-friendly — though the fact ...
• Roots player: Paul Driscoll, an alt folk and country singer/guitarist who’s played out in the region for more than ...
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Three standups bring the funny to Barley House There are laughs aplenty this weekend at a Concord restaurant/bar, as the ...

Best Summer Ever — 02/26/2026

on the cover

Planning for your kid’s best summer ever starts now. In this week’s cover story, we take a look at local summer day camps offering your kids something to do this summer. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com and find more camps in future editions of the Kiddie Pool column.

Also on the cover HEY! Hey, you! Hey, you, skimming the page. It is your Last. Chance. To. Vote. Vote now in Hippo’s Best of 2026 at hippopress.com. Voting runs through 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. Vote for your favorite pizza place, hiking trail and hair stylist now!

Michael Witthaus checks out “The Lost Films of Amoskeag,” which one Millyard Museum official likedned to home movies of the changing millyard (page 27). John Fladd finds out about the new brick-and-mortar home for Slightly Crooked Pies (page 30).

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ICE facility The Department of Homeland Security “will not move forward with a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Gold, silver, bronze, granite In Olympic news, as reported by WMUR in a Feb. 19 online article, “Salem’s Caroline Harvey ...
The Big Story – USA Hockey Rules: The Winter Olympics closed with a reenactment of USA’s magical 1980 “Do You ...
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Thursday, Feb. 26 The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey present The Greatest Show on Earth returns to the SNHU Arena ...
Group of kids pull rope with strong force and emotion over blue sky in park
Your guide to summer 2026 day camps Time to plan your kid’s best summer ever. Some summer day camps start ...
black and white image of group of people standing close together, overlaid with large text "the Amoskeag Transcripts"
Two films chronicle ’60s-’70s urban renewal To bookend an exhibit that’s run for the past several months, the Manchester Historical ...
antique ceramic soup tureen, white with pink and blue flower design circling the top rim and outer edge of the lid, handles on each side
Good evening, Donna, I saw your Treasure Hunt Q&A in the Hippo! I figured I would email and ask about ...
Family fun for whenever February vacation week fun • Pats Peak, 686 Flanders Road in Henniker, patspeak.com, has extended its ...
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• T-Bones on the move: T-Bones Great American Eatery closed its current Hudson location (77 Lowell Road) on Feb. 22 ...
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Slightly Crooked Pies gets a brick-and-mortar spot with hopes to open by Pi Day Lauren Cline was very excited. She ...
flight of four small tumblers of whisky sitting in tray on wooden table
How to taste whiskey Much like wine enthusiasts or microbrew beer fans, whiskey connoisseurs have strong opinions, and a lot ...
slice of tan colored custard smooth pie, on plate on counter
You will need a pre-baked pie crust for this recipe. You can make yours from scratch, but let’s face it; ...
album covers for Namasenda, Limbo and U2, Days Of Ash
Namasenda, Limbo (YEAR0001 Records) This one’ll be out in May, when it’ll be used to soundtrack some backseat romancing most ...
book cover for Dragon Cursed by Elise Kova
(Entangled Publishing, 464 pages) It’s been a minute since I’ve been so enraptured with a book that I removed myself ...
Scene from 2026 Wuthering Heights movie with Jacob Elrodi and Margot Robbie standing solemnly dressed in funeral clothing outside on windy day
Catching up on Oscar nominated (and not) performances In catching up on the Oscar-nominated actor and actress performances, I also ...
• Blues power: Though Willie J. Laws will be there, the 16th Annual New England Winter Blues Festival favors singers ...
band on stage, dark lighting, red highlights
Pointless Culture performs local showcase The upcoming “Locally Sourced” show at Concord’s BNH Stage is a two-band affair. Granite Staters ...

Big Fun Science — 02/19/2026

on the cover

For 40 years SEE Science Center in Manchester has made science accessible to all ages — long enough that the kids who visited decades ago are now bringing their kids. Michael Witthaus takes a look at the center’s history and its plans for the future.

Also on the cover But first, vote! Vote now! Vote in Hippo’s Best of 2026 readers’ poll, where you can tell us where to get the best ice cream, cocktails and burgers — and rave about non-food faves. See hippopress.com for a link to the survey.

Plus, Michael Witthaus talks to Get the Led Out ahead of their Led Zeppelin tribute show in Concord (page 20). And find more live music in our Music This Week listings (page 21) and our Concert listings (page 22).

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Queen City to Music City Southwest Airlines will offer nonstop flights from Manchester Boston Regional Airport to Nashville International Airport ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Challenge accepted! The Wildcats of Fall Mountain Regional High School faced the Purple Panthers of Nashua South last Thursday night, ...
The Big Story – Hello, Basketball: There’s also the waning days of the Winter Olympics. Not really my cup of ...
a man checking a helicopter on an airfield near a building
Thursday, Feb. 19 Nicholas Coates of Rotor Technologies, a Nashua-based manufacturer of unmanned helicopters — sometimes referred to as the ...
wooden dinosaur skeleton at museum
SEE Science Center Celebrates 40 years of hands-on exploration The fun at Manchester’s SEE Science Center is multigenerational. A 30-year-old ...
four people rehearsing for play
One-act plays in Nashua An upcoming weekend of short plays in Nashua gives aspiring playwrights, directors and actors an opportunity ...
red shirt with graphic of patriots football helmet and banners container worlds New England Patriots
Hey, Donna, Do you know if my New England Patriots shirt could have value? I got it in the 1980s ...
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• The Moka Pot moves — a little: Popular coffee and sandwich shop The Moka Pot in downtown Manchester (854-5921, ...
Dine out with Restaurant Week
Downtown Manchester is setting the table For the second year, the Palace Theatre has organized a Restaurant Week in Manchester ...
couches and stuffed chairs set around coffee tables in room decorated with old fashioned books and trinkets on shelves
CodeX B.A.R. finds a new (secret) spot “You should have seen this place when we walked in the door,” MaryBeth ...
martini glass on wooden table with filtered sunlight, half full with yellow colored cocktail
Some drinks are worth devoting some time to. Herbal Green Gin 2 cups (16 ounces) London dry gin 1 large ...
Album covers for The Grownup Noise, No Straight Line in the Universe and Jennie Arnau, A Rising Tide
The Grownup Noise, No Straight Line in the Universe (self-released) The focus of this Boston-based act, which has had a ...
• Metal moments: The weekend starts early with four bands on the heavier side gathering at Showcase 603. Abel Blood, ...
man dressed in white shirt and white pants posing on stage with standing microphone, beside long haired guitarist, red and blue stage lights behind them
Get the Led Out comes to Concord Paul Hammond has an extra ticket for Led Zeppelin’s reunion show. The caveat ...

A Cup of Delicious — 02/12/2026

on the cover

Yes, box of chocolates is standard, but maybe this Valentine’s Day you get your sweetheart a cup of chocolate. In this week’s issue, John Fladd looks at hot chocolate and its variations.

Also on the cover But first, vote! Vote now! Vote in Hippo’s Best of 2026 readers’ poll, where you can tell us where to get the best ice cream, cocktails and burgers — and rave about non-food faves. See hippopress.com for a link to the survey.

Michael Witthaus talks to The Community Players of Concord ahead of their production of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B, a twist on classic Sherlock Holmes tales.

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A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Safety summits NH Recycles is offering three in-person Solid Waste Safety Summits and one webinar about lithium-ion battery safety open ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Recycling less As reported in a Feb. 3 online article by the New Hampshire Bulletin, data from the New Hampshire ...
The Big Story – Pats Lose Super Bowl: Sadly, the unexpected magic carpet ride of the 2025 Patriots season crash-landed ...
four women on stage wearing the same blue dress, sitting and standing on set for play about bridesmaids
Thursday, Feb. 12 The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester will hold an ...
take out cup of hot chocolate with crumb, sprinkle, and marshmallow toppings sitting beside tray of toppings set out for use
The joy of hot chocolate According to Catarina Mahoney, co-owner of Brookford Farm, it’s important to drink hot chocolate in ...
two actresses on stage set of indoor space, one wearing collared shirt and old fashioned vest with steampunk goggles on her head, fists up as if ready to box. The other actress dressed in black modern leather coat and looking on with dubious expression
Sherlock tale re-told in Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B The game is afoot, and the many tropes ...
hand holding a medium sized plate with red ring around the edge and small shield painted in middle
Donna, My father owned a restaurant years and years ago, and we found these plates from Syracuse China, 11 of ...
Family fun for whenever Winter fun! • The Wilton NH Main Street Association will hold its Winter Fest on Saturday, ...
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• Weather delay: The Fire on Main event hosted by 603 Brewery (42 Main St, Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com) originally scheduled ...
The vegan eatery finds a new brick and mortar home in Concord K.S. LeBlanc is happy to put down roots ...
Pile of assorted chocolate and sugar heart shaped Valentine's Day candy
Valentine’s Day leftovers — sweet! Liz Ryan is a reference librarian and the adult programming coordinator at the Derry Public ...
rectangular corner piece of baked dessert bar, chunks of fruit showing inside
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, browned 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup (120 g) ...
album covers for Amanda McCarthy, Looking For The Lightand Maria Schneider, American Crow
Amanda McCarthy, Looking For The Light (self-released) Surely you recognize this country-pop singer-songwriter’s name if you’ve followed New Hampshire music ...
Oscar documentaries
Many of this year’s Oscar-nominated feature-length (four of the five nominees) and short-film documentaries (three of the five) are available ...
book cover for The Emergency, by George Packer
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 401 pages) During the Covid-19 pandemic, George Packer often traveled between rural New York and New ...
Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang and Wild Cherry. There will be winery selections, a full bar with themed ...
woman with short gray hair, wearing red glasses, holding guitar, in outdoor city space
The Livery welcomes Christine Tassan et les Imposteures With an infectious blend of swing music and jazz created by guitar ...

Nachos — 02/05/2026

on the cover

Layers of comfort and joy — that is John Fladd’s description of nachos, that food that can be a snack, a meal, a party or a dessert depending on how you construct it. Ahead of a weekend when you might be looking to feed a crowd, John gets advice on building a great plate of nachos.

Also on the cover Vote! Vote now! Vote in Hippo’s Best of 2026 readers’ poll, where you can make your opinions known on such issues as where to get the best pizza, tacos, burgers, cookies, chicken tenders and more — plus non-food faves. See hippopress.com for a link to the survey.

In food, John gets the details on the Fire on Main — a bonfire and block party held by the 603 Brewery and slated for Saturday, Feb. 7, in Londonderry. See the story on page 18.

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Greater Nashua Mental Health In a Facebook post on Feb. 2, Greater Nashua Mental Health said that the 440 Amherst ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Frozen pipes As reported by WMUR in a Jan. 27 online article, the recent cold weather has led to frozen ...
The Big Story – Pats and Seattle in SB: New England faces Seattle on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. It’s from ...
book cover for Courtship in Purgatory by Robert B. Perreault
Thursday, Feb. 5 NH Poet Laureate Jennifer Militello will present her new book Identifying the Pathogen: An Inquiry tonight at ...
nachos topped with cream cheese based street corn, peppers, grilled chicken, and green onions
Experts weigh in on this fully loaded party-ready snack Nachos might be the most social food; they are meant to ...
man standing at podium in front of blank wall, woman at table a few feet away, sitting and looking at him
Theatre Kapow performs What The Constitution Means To Me When Theatre Kapow put together its current season last spring, the ...
close up of rough textured bark on tree in winter
Identifying trees in winter If you like to hike or snowshoe in the winter, you might like to learn the ...
Family fun for whenever Valentine’s fun The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, childrens-museum.org, will hold ...
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Hi, Donna, I enjoy reading your column in the Hippo and was wondering if you could identify this tool I ...
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• Reopened-ish: Caesario’s Pizza at 1057 Elm St., which had been closed following a fire in 2022, reopened under new ...
poster for Fire on Main showing graphic illustration of large bonfire on grass field with red truck and woods in background at night
Bonfire block party at the 603 “When you drive by,” Kellyn Thompson said, “there’s a big field out behind the ...
clear plastic cafe case with baked goods on shelves, four sizes of drink cups on top with fruit inside - on counter in cafe
New location and new name for smoothie purveyor born in the mall The name is different, but the smoothies are ...
short ball glass on counter filled with ice and a light brown cocktail
Most Americans don’t seem to appreciate bitter tastes. We’re fine with other strong flavors — we love sweets, many of ...
album covers for Transatlantic Radio, “City Of Angels” Midnight Transmission and The Stripp, Life Imitates Art
Transatlantic Radio, “City Of Angels” Midnight Transmission (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) Any time a press release bumbles into my inbox touting ...
book cover for Off the Scales by Aimee Donnellan
(St. Martin’s Press, 287 pages) From Hollywood stars who microdose the drug to people who were once hundreds of pounds ...
• Church chuckles: The upstairs lounge at Stone Church has a slate of standup comics including Rob Steen, Shawn Ruiz, ...
man holding guitar, smiling
Jazz guitar accompanies art opening Art and music go together like chardonnay and a fine brie. The pairing of jazz ...

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