Summer Guide 2021

Summer Guide 2021
There’s plenty of live, in-person stuff happening this year! Packed with concerts, arts events, foodie fun, festivals and more, our annual guide will help you plan your summer, from now through Labor Day.

Also on the cover, find out how to get the kids in your life to love gardening, p. 20. A local chef presents a monthly Haitian dinner series, p. 28. And find live music for your weekend and beyond in Music This Week, starting on p. 39.

The stores are full of patriotic paraphernalia right now. I can skip past the metallic flag pinwheels; the red, white ...
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.
Covid-19 updateAs of May 17As of May 24Total cases statewide97,77498,349Total current infections statewide1,169411Total deaths statewide1,3331,344New cases973 (May 11 to May ...
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With six no-hitters already, the Mets’ Jacob DeGrom off to a historic start before going on the DL, Shohei Ohtani ...
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Coming to you live The NH Live Venues and Theaters coalition held a press conference via Zoom on May 18 ...
With the return of many live and in-person events, Summer 2021 is already looking more action-packed than last year, as ...
kids book cover with dancing turtle illustration
New children’s book helps kids cope with pandemic life Most people who are stuck at the mechanic’s for three and ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities “The Haze of July Flowers” by Jess Barnett. Courtesy photo. • ...
kid gardening with father
Aim for more fun, less weeding OK, all you parents and grandparents, it’s time to garden with your beloved little ...
Family fun for the weekend Photo courtesy of the New Hampshire Farm Museum. A day at the farm The New ...
Collection of marbles
Dear Donna, I have accumulated several hundred marbles. I display them in jars but think it’s time to move them ...
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Victoria Bombino Dental assistant Victoria Bombino is a dental assistant at Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics in Pelham, where she ...
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News from the local food scene • More markets return: For the first time in two years, the Derry Homegrown ...
Braised chicken with rice and peas, fried plantains, and pikliz.
Chef Chris Viaud is on the far right. From the left is Chris’s brother Phil, Phil’s wife Sarah, their father ...
woman standing in front of shelf of jams and jellies
Becky Costello of Londonderry is the owner of Owl Hill Preserves ([email protected], and on Facebook and Instagram @owlhillpreserves), a business ...
wine bottle next to box with flowers on it
Finding food wines at Angela’s Pasta & Cheese If you haven’t visited Angela’s Pasta & Cheese, on the corner of ...
two album covers
La Battue, Get Set, Go! (Parapente Records) Second EP from this off-kilter but quite accessible group, which consists of a ...
The Audacity of Sara Grayson book cover
The Audacity of Sara Grayson, by Joani Elliott (Post Hill Press, 400 pages) Imagine if Stephenie Myers had died right ...
Dave Bautista in movie scene
Army of the Dead (R) Dave Bautista and team attempt to capture millions of dollars from beneath an abandoned Las ...
Local music news & events • Mellow time: Sip a bit of local wine while watching Sam Hyman & JT ...
musician sitting with guitar
Texan guitar ace Chris Duarte returns Born in San Antonio and a fixture in Austin’s music scene, Chris Duarte is ...

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Back at the Market!

Back at the market

Summer farmers market season is officially underway, with several markets already open and many more starting in the coming weeks. Find out which vendors you can expect to see at your local markets, plus plans for live entertainment and more.

Also on the cover, sculpting at the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium will get underway Monday, May 24, p. 12. Gardening Guy Henry Homeyer talks about the spring blooms that make him happy, p. 14. And speaking of happy, get some good laughs when comedian Shane Torres takes the stage at the Shaskeen in Manchester on Wednesday, May 26, p. 34.

New Hampshire towns and cities will get a little over $558 million from President Joe Biden’s stimulus legislation passed in ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of May 10As of May 17Total cases statewide96,80197,774Total current infections statewide1,4921,169Total deaths statewide1,3151,333New cases1,295 (May 4 to May ...
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New state office to focus on outdoor recreation In April, the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs opened ...
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After a year of being a team no one wanted to own, the surprising 2021 Red Sox are back to ...
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A look back at 1995 Girl Scouts who grew up in Goffstown in the ’90s inadvertently brought some nostalgia to ...
Scene from movie Stand By Me
Thursday, May 20 Get some music and some art during “Art After Work: Free Thursday Nights” at the Currier Museum ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities Howling Wolf by Francine Poitras Jone featured in “Alnôbak Moskijik Maahlakwsikok: ...
Four people standing around sculpture
Nashua to host its second pandemic-era Sculpture Symposium After a successful rescheduled and pandemic-adapted event last summer, the 2021 Nashua ...
small blue photos
Blooms that make me happy Spring puts a spring in my step, quite literally. I bounce out of the house ...
necklace
Dear Donna, I have this necklace that is marked 925. I am wondering if it is real silver or not ...
Family fun for the weekend Mr. Aaron. Courtesy photo. Jam with Mr. Aaron Sing and dance your way through fun ...
women in denim jacket standing in front of flowers
Jillian Kalosky Criminal defense investigator , Jillian Kalosky Investigations Jillian Kalosky is a criminal defense investigator based in Concord, investigating ...
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News from the local food scene • ’Cue it up: The Grazing Room at The Colby Hill Inn (33 The ...
two people standing in farmers market tent behind product display
Farmers markets open with plans for a more lively summer Ledge Top Farm in Wilton is a vendor at this ...
2 chefs holding pizzas
Lorna Aouad of Auburn is the owner of Loulou’s Bakery (loulousbakery.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @loulousbakery.nh), a wholesale and ...
blue beer can next to cup
Random beers to help with outdoor chores My wife and I decided this would be the year we would beautify ...
four album covers collage
Alchemy Sound Project, Afrika Love (Artists Recording Collective) I assume you know by now that I try to steer readers ...
black and gold book cover
Freedom, by Sebastian Junger (Simon & Schuster, 147 pages) In 2012 Cheryl Strayed hit publishing paydirt with a memoir of ...
The Woman in the Window (R) Poor Amy Adams plays a severely agoraphobic woman who believes she’s witnessed a murder ...
Oxygen (TV-14) Mélanie Laurent, Malik Zidi. And Mathieu Amalric gives his voice to MILO, the computer system running the pod ...
Local music news & events • Irish vibe: A Celtic-themed pub offers folk, rock and pop from Somerville singer-songwriter Karen ...
stand up comedian
Shaskeen comedy returns with Shane Torres Comedian Shane Torres avoids politics in his act, even though the native Texan has ...

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Garden escapes

Garden escapes

Whether you love getting your hands dirty or you’ve never lifted a gardening tool in your life, there’s something to be said for enjoying the elegance of a garden that other people grow. Find out what it takes to create these public gardens where you can reap the beautiful benefits without any of the work.

Also on the cover, local chef Keith Sarasin talks about his new book, Meat: The Ultimate Cookbook, p. 24. Give your wine experience some French flair, p. 29. And James Montgomery teams up with Bob McCarthy and Billy Martin for a live blues show, p. 34.

Imagine a world where parents go off to work and then know their kids are well cared for and safe ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of May 3As of May 10Total cases statewide95,50696,801Total current infections statewide1,9791,492Total deaths statewide1,3051,315New cases1,571 (April 27 to May ...
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UNH students send a biology experiment to space A student team from University of New Hampshire Manchester is one of ...
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It’s weird that in the worst Patriots season in two decades, this football season/off-season has seemed to last longer than ...
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Coming soon: a theater near you! Regal Hooksett 8, the movie theater off Interstate 93 Exit 10 in Hooksett, will ...
pink flower with bee on it
Get all of the flower-filled beauty with none of the work at public gardens Plenty of people like working in ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities The Nashua International Sculpture Symposium returns May 20. Courtesy photo. • ...
painting
Youth artwork celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month New Hampshire youth speak out about mental health through art at the Magnify ...
Family fun for the weekend The tipi set up at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. Courtesy photo. Virtual field trips Watch ...
Catching Japanese beetles with a milk jug and soapy water
Most species aren’t as bad as you think It’s spring, and insects are hatching, flying and munching. Contrary to what ...
antique horse
Dear Donna,I found this small horse charm and it says “Black Horse Ale NY.” It’s only 1 1/2” x 1” ...
Mary Sargent Family mediator, Mary Sargent Mediation Mary Sargent is a certified family mediator based in Bedford. Explain your job ...
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News from the local food scene • More Greek eats to go: Join St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover ...
cook book with knives next to it
Local chef to release new meat-focused cookbook Milford chef Keith Sarasin of The Farmers Dinner has written three books since ...
Margarita pizza
Gusto Italiano Market coming to Bedford Pizza pies cooked in an imported Italian oven — and prepared by a fifth-generation ...
women cooking
Beth Vine of Derry, also known as The Mad Baker (themadbaker.net and on Facebook and Instagram @themadbakernh), offers fresh items ...
cocktail with shaker
I have a theory that the greater the classic rock anthem, the less objective sense it makes. Remember in seventh ...
two wine bottles
A look at American takes on French-style blends While blending of grape varietals is not new to California winemaking, Thomas ...
album covers
Rain Rabbit, Rain Rabbit (self-released) So some guy from Chicago named Kyle Brauch sent me a random email to try ...
book cover
The Five Wounds, by Kirstin Valdez Quade (W.W. Norton, 416 pages) You may think that you have no interest in ...
action movie scene
Jason Statham is a man bent on revenge in a Los Angeles full of dubious accents, face-obscuring beards and excessive ...
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (PG) I know Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Gordon, ...
Local music news & events • Join together: One sign that things are, as the song goes, closer to fine, ...
Blues trio goes way back When James Montgomery arrived at Boston University in 1967 his mind was on more than ...

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Play Ball!

Play Ball!

The Fisher Cats opened their season on the road in Portland on May 4, and their home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11. Find out what this year will be like at the stadium, which players to watch and why a revamped schedule means more fan-favorite match-ups.


Also on the cover, why you don’t have to wait until June to plant strawberries, p. 16. LaBelle Winery is opening its new location in Derry, with a restaurant, minigolf and more, p. 22. Michael Witthaus talks with the band Truffle, which will perform live at the Tupelo Drive-In, p. 31.

My father passed away last summer during the midst of the pandemic in Illinois. I am so grateful I was ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of April 26As of May 3Total cases statewide93,93595,506Total current infections statewide2,7171,979Total deaths statewide1,21,28601,305New cases2,152 (April 20 to April ...
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Plymouth State student recognized for civic service Alyssa Griffin of Londonderry is a second-year student at Plymouth State University, where ...
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With Bill Belichick soon to be on the clock really needing to get it 100 percent right for the first ...
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Running with goats Last week, these two adorable goats followed QOL’s dad home from a run in Derry, staying right ...
baseball player interact with crowd
Baseball returns as the NH Fisher Cats take the field Panoramic view of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, home ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities The work of Roberto Lugo is currently on display at the ...
book cover of street art
Rob Azevedo makes poetry debut Local radio host, columnist, author and filmmaker Rob Azevedo adds poetry to his list of ...
2 pints of stawberries
Now’s the time to buy your strawberry plants Traditionally, June is the month for eating strawberries. But you can, in ...
Family fun for the weekend New Hampshire Children’s Trust is offering a free download of its Strengthening Families Across NH ...
Dear Donna,Enclosed is a necklace belonging to my great-grandma that I believe is of the Victorian era and made of ...
balding man headshot
JC Haze Voice-over actor, JC Haze Voice Over JC Haze is an independent voiceover actor and producer based in Manchester ...
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News from the local food scene • Return of the market: After canceling its winter season, the Milford Farmers Market ...
winery golf course aerial photo
LaBelle opening new restaurant, culinary market and sparkling wine barn in Derry Nearly a decade after opening their flagship location ...
man holding a drink
Steve Zyck of Mont Vernon is the owner and founder of Wood Stove Kitchen (woodstovekitchen.com, and on Facebook and Instagram ...
beer bottle and glass
Exeter Brewing Co. develops strong local following For Justin Cooper and Eric Rackliffe of Exeter Brewing Co., slow and steady ...
album covers
Slinky Vagabond, King Boy Vandals (self-released) The core of this punk-pop (in the real, actual sense) crew comprises Keanan Duffty ...
Face, by Justine Bateman (Akashic Books, 272 pages) In 2018 former Family Ties star Justine Bateman had a tantrum in ...
animated movie scene
A charmingly oddball family is humanity’s last hope during a robot apocalypse in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, an animated ...
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (R) Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith. Michael B. Jordan does the best he can with this ...
Local music news & events • Local light: A regular around the region with his band Dancing Madly Backwards, Lewis ...
band in front of stone wall
Tupelo season continues with Truffle Few New Hampshire bands have the longevity of Truffle; 2021 marks their 35th year. Beyond ...

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Keeping NH in the Picture

Keeping NH in the Picture

The New Hampshire Film Bureau, which has helped bring movies like 1981’s On Golden Pond and this year’s Sound of Metal to the state for filming, may be dissolved if the proposed state budget is approved. Professionals from the New Hampshire film industry explain what’s at stake if that happens and why the Granite State is a film destination worth fighting for.

Also on the cover, the Hampstead Eats food truck festival is rolling into town this weekend, p. 21. Hudson Brews is now open and offering craft beers, p. 22. And find all kinds of live music this weekend in Music This Week, starting on p. 32.

Even as I write these words, some professor at some college is planning a course for the fall semester that ...
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.
Covid-19 updateAs of April 19As of April 26Total cases statewide91,78393,935Total current infections statewide3,3292,717Total deaths statewide1,2701,286New cases2,554 (April 13 to April ...
portrait of woman
NH cemetery introduces a new kind of burial Mel Bennett is the creator of Life Forest, a recently opened conservation ...
Photo of assorted sports equipment for football, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball, and basketball
With Round 1 going off tonight, draft day has arrived. Finally! The mocks are done and all that’s left is ...
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Honoring forgotten soldiers The fourth installation for Flags for Forgotten Soldiers in New Hampshire will be placed at the Anheuser-Busch ...
From the 1981 classic On Golden Pond to parts of this year’s Oscar-winning Sound of Metal, New Hampshire has been ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities Studio 550 bowls. Courtesy photo. • Group art show: The New ...
Which plants are making you sneeze If you suffer from spring allergies, this would be a good time to know ...
New comic book store opens in Dover Jason Lindahl bought his first comic book when he was 6 years old ...
Family fun for the weekend New Hampshire Children’s Trust is offering a free download of its Strengthening Families Across NH ...
Dear Donna, I have a set of clear Pyrex bowls that I got at a yard sale. I’m wondering if ...
guy in sweater
Felix Alvarado, Jr. Founder/director, Straight “A” Academy Felix Alvarado Jr., better known on the job as Mr. “A,” is a ...
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News from the local food scene • Menus for moms: Now is the time to make your plans to treat ...
Sandwich in white takeout box
Food truck festival to roll into Hampstead After a lost festival year for local food truckers in 2020, a new ...
craft beer store outside sign
New craft beer shop opens in Hudson Cousins Jay Parajuli and Bik Basnet love trying new kinds of craft beers ...
two people next to each other
Jamie Mandra and her husband Randy are the owners of JRM Catering (509-9080, jrmcateringllc.com, and on Facebook @jrmcateringllc), also known ...
pink cocktail
In my experience, it is unwise to make broad generalizations about any group of women, but that said, it’s probably ...
2 wine bottles
Other wines to try at that Italian restaurant “A bottle of red, a bottle of white; It all depends on ...
album covers
Subterranean Masquerade, Mountain Fever (Sensory Records) As you’d guess by a band name like Subterranean Masquerade, we have an oddball ...
book cover
Effortless, by Greg McKeown (Currency, 256 pages) In some ways, Boxer the horse is a symbol for the American worker ...
samurai movie scene
Mortal Kombat (R) A rag-tag group of would-be champions must come together to protect Earth in Mortal Kombat, a movie ...
man woman in funky clothes in movie scene
The excellent, Oscar-nominated song from Will Ferrell’s goofy but fun Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga didn’t actually ...
Stowaway (TV-MA) Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim. The four-person cast is rounded out by Toni Collette and Shamier Anderson in ...
Local music news & events • Crafted tunes: Enjoy an early evening set from Nate Cozzolino, a Providence-based singer-songwriter with ...
3 band members play on stage
Married Iguana finally debuts in Manchester After a heady process of assembling a band, then working up and recording three ...

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Tales of New Restaurants

Tales of new restaurants
Owners of new eateries talk about what it’s been like to open up in the midst of a pandemic.

Also on the cover, support your local book purveyor during Independent Bookstore Day, p. 12. What the heck is a West Coast IPA?, p. 26. And Lucas Gallo plays Concord Craft Brewing this weekend, p. 30.

New Hampshire took a huge step a few days ago, announcing that it would lift its statewide mask mandate and ...
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.
Covid-19 updateAs of April 12As of April 19Total cases statewide89,22991,783Total current infections statewide3,3843,329Total deaths statewide1,2571,270New cases3,104 (April 6 to April ...
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The Phoenix to offer recovery support, sober activities The Phoenix is a nonprofit that cultivates free, organized sober activities within ...
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There are seven days left in the endless lead-up to the NFL draft, when mock drafts from so-called experts have ...
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Scooter from scratch A student in an engineering class at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center is helping the ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities “If Hands Had a God” by Donna Catanzaro, featured in “Retablos ...
clothing accessories
NH celebrates Indie Bookstore Day Saturday, April 24, is Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores and the ...
blue birdbath in brush
Contemplating potential garden improvements This is a good time to look carefully at your garden, and to decide what you ...
Family fun for the weekend Millyard Museum. Courtesy photo. Celebrate Earth The New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center in Auburn hosts ...
Dear Donna, Are you familiar with the maker on this pendant? It says 14kt and Jabel, not Jared. I inherited ...
Blonde woman standing on a trail
Amanda Cee Founder/owner, Eye Candy Balloons Amanda Cee is a certified balloon artist and the founder, owner and lead designer ...
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News from the local food scene • Tastes of France: Portsmouth’s The Music Hall will present a virtual author discussion ...
pulled pork dish with chopped jalapenos
Local eateries push through a tough first year What’s it like to operate a new restaurant during a pandemic? Despite ...
women in front of restaurant
Regina Davison and her husband, Jeremy, own R & J Texas-style BBQ On Wheels (183 Elm St., Unit 3, Milford, ...
IPA beer in glass
It’s not fair to call the IPA style ubiquitous. I mean, it totally is, but at the same time, that ...
album covers
Robots Of The Ancient World, “Mystic Goddess” (Small Stone Records) As you know, I’ve been disappointed many times by bands ...
Book cover with monkey
First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami (Knopf, 256 pages) Type “Haruki Murakami” into the Google search engine, and one of ...
movie scene
Why the Oscars and the Oscar movies can be fun I love the Oscars. Sure, the awards ceremony is long, ...
Local music news & events • Hometown girl: Enjoy country songs with a local sparkle as Nicole Knox Murphy starts ...
Man singing on stage
New music and shows from Lucas Gallo Over the past year, Concord singer-songwriter Lucas Gallo noticed a marked shift in ...

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