Goodbye, 2020!

Goodbye, 2020! We take a look back at how the pandemic affected the arts, food and music scenes in New Hampshire, and we (attempt to) look ahead at what we can (maybe, possibly) expect in the early part of 2021 and beyond.

Also on the cover, find in-person fun for the whole family, p. 14, or make your own beef stew with beer, p. 21. And flex your mind with all kinds of puzzles, starting on p. 31.

Now that 2020 is heading into the history books it seems appropriate to look forward to 2021 and predict with ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of December 21As of December 28Total cases statewide37,38841,670Total current infections statewide6,6885,508Total deaths statewide656715New cases5,513 (Dec. 15 to Dec ...
Where we’re headed with Covid-19 Beth Daly, chief of New Hampshire’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control and director of Public ...
With the year coming to a close, it’s time for the Hippo Sports unorthodox awards that annually focus on things ...
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Tons of toys Hundreds of kids in Manchester and Nashua got to open presents this Christmas thanks to two very ...
2020 became a year of unexpected innovation for arts organizations In 2020, we saw art galleries and performance venues closed, ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • A gift from the harp: Salem resident Dr. Diana Kolben ...
How to make cut flowers last Snow is finally here in Cornish Flat. The cardinals and blue jays are providing ...
Family fun for the weekend Fun at the museum The iBOT wheelchair is SEE’s newest demonstration. Photo courtesy of SEE ...
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News from the local food scene • Free coffee for health care workers: Now through Jan. 31, participating Aroma Joe’s ...
A look at the food scene in 2020, plus a preview of 2021 In what has been a tough year ...
Jared DeBernardo’s family has been in the restaurant business for more than three decades, dating back to the mid-1980s, when ...
A conversation with winemaker Mark Neal On several Napa Valley winery tours, my wife and I were asked by the ...
Let’s get cooking Usually, we make New Year’s resolutions that involve eating less food or at least less of the ...
Real Numbers, Brighter Then (Slumberland Records) …Or at least the two advance singles from the third EP from this Minneapolis-based ...
The Office of Historical Corrections, by Danielle Evans (Riverhead, 288 pages) The late science fiction writer Harlan Ellison once said ...
It was a horrible and great year for movies What even is a 2020 movie? This year’s Oscar race will ...
Wonder Woman 1984 Diana Prince suits up in her golden armor for an all-too-brief fight sequence in the otherwise extremely ...
Local music news & events • Junk out: Ever since America’s Got Talent made them a national sensation, Recycled Percussion ...
The good parts of a not great year, and what’s (maybe, possibly) ahead The year 2020 began well enough, as ...

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Yule love it

Yule love it

A look at the history of this decadent seasonal dessert, plus tips for making them yourself and a few local shops where you can buy a professionally baked version of the holiday treat.

Also on the cover, Nashua students exhibit their “Brave New World” art outdoors, p. 12. Laugh your way out of 2020 with New Year’s Eve comedy, p. 32. And when all else fails, do puzzles! We have plenty, starting on p. 34.

Delicious ways to ring in 2021 Let’s face it — 2020 wasn’t the year any of us hoped for. So ...
2020 is not going silently into the night. It’s going out kicking and screaming. And let’s not be nice about ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of December 14As of December 21Total cases statewide31,87537,388Total current infections statewide6,7526,688Total deaths statewide604656New cases6,059 (Dec. 8 to Dec ...
An update on homelessness in NH The New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness released its annual State of Homelessness in ...
The NBA season kicked off yesterday and goes into high gear on Christmas Day. With a late start, Covid concerns, ...
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More shelters in state’s biggest cities The Concord Coalition to End Homelessness announced last week that it has purchased the ...
Nashua students create uplifting art for the community Nashua high school students are using art to spread messages of hope ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities Holiday vignettes at Canterbury Shaker Village. Courtesy photo. • Currier closed ...
Still a few things left to do in the garden Our gardens are put to bed for the winter: Veggie ...
Family fun for the weekend Just plane fun The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) ...
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News from the local food scene • Concord winter market moves online: The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market has transitioned ...
A look at the holiday indulgence that is the Yule log Growing up in Québec, Nathalie Hirte of Litchfield doesn’t ...
Athanasios Sioras is the owner of Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (125 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-4230, yamasgreektaverna.com), which opened ...
Do you remember reading those Choose Your Own Adventure books when you were a kid?You’d get to a turning point ...
H.P. Lovecraft (read by Andrew Leman), The Festival (Cadabra Records) I’d be more than happy to make part of this ...
Perestroika in Paris, by Jane Smiley (Knopf, 288 pages) My daughter asked what I was reading this week, and I ...
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (R) The late Chadwick Boseman probably secures his Oscar with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a new ...
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (TV-PG) Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski. Dolly Parton is an angel and Christine Baranski is ...
Local music news & events • Holiday green: Trying to make the best of the worst year ever, Celtic Thunder ...
Three comedy shows celebrate New Year’s Eve Most years Headliners Comedy Club is a many-headed monster on New Year’s Eve, ...

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Definitely try this at home

Definitely try this at home

Between Covid, cold and snow, you might be spending a lot of time at home in the coming months. We have a few ideas to keep you from going stir crazy, from growing succulents to creating an indoor obstacle course that’s fun for the whole family.

Also on the cover, if you’re looking for some holiday cheer, there’s a home in Nashua that’s lighting up the night, p. 15. Find new Thai eats in Manchester and new Italian eats in New Boston, p. 22 & 23. And there are lots of holiday brews that can help you get through the rest of 2020, p. 26.

Why is school choice and expansion of the charter school system in New Hampshire such a political hot spot? If ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of December 7As of December 14Total cases statewide25,81631,875Total current infections statewide5,3866,752Total deaths statewide566604New cases4,822 (Dec. 1 to Dec ...
Hillsboro man helping kids learn money management Dan Hebert of Hillsboro has been named a winner of the 2020 Myra ...
With the Patriots’ 10-day trip to Wallyworld hitting the high point of the season — a 45-0 beatdown of the ...
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Light at the end of the tunnelOn Dec. 14, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in New ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • Catch a holiday show: The Majestic Theatre presents a show, ...
7 IDEAS FOR PROJECTS TO LIVEN UP YOUR WINTER Between Covid, snowstorms and shorter days, we’ll all likely be spending ...
Christmas lights at Countryside Drive Turn down Countryside Drive in Nashua and you’ll find your way to a festive display ...
Family fun for the weekend A Shaker Christmas Take a A Magic Journey through the North Shop Barn at Canterbury ...
Alder catkins provide seeds now
Trees and plants for your feathered friends By now many of us are providing seeds to the neighborhood birds. Of ...
Thai Food Connection opens in Manchester Chicken krapow. Courtesy photo. Not long after Republic Cafe moved all its operations down ...
The Chef opens in New Boston For more than two decades, Angel Santiago has built his culinary resume at restaurants ...
Courtney Parker of Nashua is the owner of Simple Sweets Bakery (simplesweetsbakery0.wixsite.com, or on Facebook @simplesweetsbakery11), a homestead business specializing ...
Beers for the holidays You need some beer to get you through the rest of 2020. Has a truer statement ...
Sculptor, Untold Secrets (Frontiers Music) Is “melodic death metal” an oxymoron, a shameless way to sell out, or a sure ...
The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, 253 pages) As I settled down in a chair with ...
The Croods: A New Age (PG) The Neanderthal-ish cave family the Croods meets some yuppie helicopter-parent homo sapiens in The ...
Let Them All Talk (R) Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen. Also starring Dianne Wiest, Gemma Chan and Lucas Hedges. Famous serious ...
Local music news & events • Food music: Though Covid-19 ate his annual booze cruise, Chad LaMarsh is still performing ...
Dan Blakeslee celebrates Christmas LP with show It takes real Grinch-iness to resist the ebullient charms of Christmasland Jubilee, the ...

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Gifts for Everybody

Gifts for everybody

We have some great gift ideas for everyone on your list:
Arts lovers, p 12
Gardeners, p. 14
Foodies, p. 18
Bookworms, p.28
Music fans, p. 30

Also on the cover, check out this week’s Kiddie Pool for seasonal family fun, p. 15. Wild Orchid Bakery is getting ready to open in Manchester, p. 20. Looking for a new beverage? Try mulled wine (p. 24) — or a blue train cocktail (p. 25).

For more years than I can remember, at this time of year someone within earshot would say, “Christmas carols so ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of November 30As of December 7Total cases statewide20,99425,816Total current infections statewide5,1455,386Total deaths statewide526566New cases3,396 (Nov. 23 to Nov ...
I’ve never been a professional athlete and certainly have never been involved with a business decision where I could get ...
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First storm of the season Last weekend we got our first real taste of what’s expected to be a cold, ...
Symphony NH presents virtual holiday pops, monthly concerts through May After its 2019-2020 season was cut short in the spring, ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • Theater suspended …: The Palace Theatre in Manchester has reclosed ...
Perfect presents for the art-, science- and nature-lovers in your life Art and craft shops and holiday markets are full ...
Family fun for the weekend Let there be lights The Gift of Lights is open now through Jan. 3 at ...
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News from the local food scene • Easy as pie: Join chef and cooking instructor Liz Barbour of The Creative ...
Delicious gift ideas this holiday season Looking for some gift-giving ideas for the foodie in your life? Local shops have ...
Wild Orchid Bakery to open in Manchester Cake by Shelly-Anne Storer. Courrtesy photo. Trinidad and Tobago native Shelly-Anne Storer was ...
Theresa Zwart of Derry is the owner of 603 Charcuterie (603charcuterie.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram), a new business ...
Shortly after the end of the First World War, it became fashionable for wealthy British to spend at least part ...
Looking for a winter drink? Warm up with spices The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. The holiday ...
The Myrrhderers, The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas (self-released) It was with great sadness that I read last week there’d be no ...
No Time Like the Future, by Michael J. Fox (Flatiron, 238 pages) If Michael J. Fox hasn’t been on your ...
Mank (R) Screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz writes Citizen Kane while recuperating from injury and Citizen Kane-ily reflecting on his career in ...
Local music news & events • Scene support: Among those hit hardest by this no good, awful, horrible, please-let-it-end year ...
Will Hatch celebrates new EP with release show While the making of Will Hatch’s first full-length album For You might ...
Hillbilly Elegy (R) J.D. Vance’s popular 2016 memoir gets the awards-season glossy movie treatment in the Ron Howard-directed Hillbilly Elegy ...
Where to dine out this Christmas Eve or Christmas Day If you want to take a break from cooking at ...
Where to order your holiday meals and desserts From specialty entrees to fresh baked sweet treats, check out this list ...
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News from the local food scene • LaBelle Winery expanding to Derry: LaBelle Winery will be expanding its business into ...
Holiday gifts for the gardener I love the holiday season: the lights, the carols, the cookies and more. It’s a ...

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Feeding our neighbors

Feeding our neighbors
Meet some of New Hampshire’s all-star volunteers! This year has posed additional challenges and created more need, and these volunteers have stepped up to help keep their neighbors fed, housed and healthy.

Also on the cover, The Beatles Cartoon Art Show Tour comes to Manchester, p. 14. Get freshly roasted coffee, Nadeau’s subs and more at McLaughlin’s Country Market in Concord, p. 20. And get some laughs live or at home, p. 30.

Being a local merchant before the pandemic was hard. The tides were against us — from competition from Amazon to ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of November 22As of November 30Total cases statewide17,59820,994Total current infections statewide4,1995,145Total deaths statewide512526New cases2,569 (Nov. 17 to Nov ...
Helping families keep their pantries stocked and more ways Granite Staters are supporting each other This year’s need for volunteers ...
The Patriots enter December in the very unfamiliar position of being on the verge of elimination from playoff contention. We ...
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Local projects get Moose Plate Grant funds The Conservation Moose Plate Grant Program has awarded $431,901 in grant funds to ...
Yellow Submarine, classic cartoons animator visits Manchester Relive the golden age of Saturday morning cartoons with legendary animator Ron Campbell, ...
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities • Festive art: The New Hampshire Art Association hosts its holiday ...
Help yours survive and thrive I’ll have to admit that I see many fewer volcanoes of mulch snuggling up to ...
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News from the local food scene • More Greek eats to go: Join St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge ...
McLaughlin’s Country Market opens in Concord While looking for a commercial property to start his own coffee roastery, David McLaughlin ...
Sunny Side Up Deli now open in Nashua A New York-style sandwich shop with a unique New England twist, Sunny ...
Carrie Williams of Contoocook is the owner and chef of the Flannel Tavern (345 Suncook Valley Road, Chichester, 406-1196, flanneltavern.com), ...
Coffee, doughnuts and beer together at last Harpoon Brewery and Dunkin’ teamed up last year to bring the beer world ...
Life in a Blender, Satsuma (Telegraph Harp Records) So here’s this New York long-time quirk-rock guy, David Rauf, leading his ...
A User’s Guide to Democracy, by Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy (Celadon, 349 pages) If there’s anything we can take ...
Eric (Burl Moseley), Matilda (Asiyih N'Dobe), Sloane (Alison Brie), Magnus (Anis N'Dobe), Abby (Kristen Stewart), Harper (Mackenzie Davis), Jane (Mary Holland), Ted (Victor Garber), and Tipper (Mary Steenburgen), from left, in 'Happiest Season.' (Photo by: /Hulu)
Happiest Season (PG-13) Hulu offers a solid bit of Christmas content in the streaming-service-holiday-movie competition with Happiest Season, a sweet, ...
Local music news & events • Northern south: New Hampshire native April Cushman finds musical inspiration from singer-songwriters like Lori ...
Dual platform comedy show On more than one level, Mike Koutrobis knows the strange reality of entertainment in the Covid ...
Holiday gifts for the gardener I love the holiday season: the lights, the carols, the cookies and more. It’s a ...

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Holiday Guide

Holiday Guide
It might not look the same as years past, but this holiday season still has plenty of fun ways to celebrate, from in-person tree lightings and festive dinners to livestreamed concerts and drive-thru visits with Santa Claus.

Also on the cover, whether you want a festive cocktail or a glass of wine (or both) on Thanksgiving Day, our drinks experts have suggestions, p. 30 & 31. If you’re looking to get out of the house, there’s still live music to be found, p. 40. And if you’d rather stay in, we have plenty of extra puzzles to keep you entertained, starting on p. 43.

Ready or not, the holidays are here, with Thanksgiving arriving this week. Thanksgiving has been celebrated in various ways since ...
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Covid-19 updateAs of November 16As of November 22Total cases statewide15,02917,598Total current infections statewide3,3444,199Total deaths statewide500512New cases2,330 (Nov. 10 to Nov ...
Zoom dinners, outdoor meet-ups and more holiday tips Nicole Chute, Health Promotion and Communication Specialist for the Nashua Division of ...
Today is Thanksgiving and we traditionally give thanks to things big, small and less important we sports fans have enjoyed ...
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Drought is a disaster All of New Hampshire is now in a “drought disaster,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced ...
If nothing else, 2020 seems to have inspired a lot of event innovation. Virtual tree-lightings, drive-thru holiday displays and socially ...
Kids’ storytimes, Santa visits and more From storytimes and holiday movie screenings to visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, check ...
Virtual tree-lightings, festivals of trees and more From virtual tree lightings to community-wide light displays, cities and towns all across ...
Virtual races and a couple of in-person events It wouldn’t be the holiday season without a chance to trot off ...
Where to see holiday theater, music and dance There are all kinds of holiday shows coming up — both live ...
Deliciously fun events for your holiday From plated dinners to virtual tastings, there’s still tons of foodie fun to be ...
Where to see and shop for art throughout the season Find all kinds of unique handmade items by local artists ...
Fences, repellent and other deer deterrents Winter is near, and for most of us so are the deer. They need ...
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News from the local food scene • Support local brews: Granite State craft breweries will once again observe Small Brewery ...
Salem’s Fabrizia Spirits launches line of limoncello-infused baked goods Fabrizia Spirits Baking Co. Photos by Mark Feldman. When Fabrizia Spirits ...
Melinda Sergi of Concord is the owner of The Cannoli Stop Cafe & Bakery (239 Loudon Road, Concord, 224-9706, find ...
Holidays are traditionally the time for extended families to gather together. Amid all the hastening and chastening, they are also ...
Wines to consider for your Thanksgiving menu “This Thanksgiving will be unlike all other Thanksgivings!” We have heard that expression ...
Patrick Higgins, Tocsin (Telegraph Harp Records) Just before the election, there was a pretty good meme making the rounds, in ...
The Arrest, by Jonathan Lethem (Ecco, 307 pages) Despite a vague discomfort with what it says about me, there’s never ...
Rey learns a valuable lesson about friendship on Life Day in The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, a gleefully goofy ...
* Once Upon a Snowman (TV-G) Voice of Josh Gad, Chris Williams. Sure, this is a short, but I’m still ...
Local music news & events • Leading in: Enjoy a variety of musical genres with Tim Hazelton, a singer-songwriter based ...
Americana band Raid the Larder performs Raid the Larder perfectly illustrates the intersectionality of Concord’s music scene. At its core ...

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