Category: This Week

Big Events August 10, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 10

The 66th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show begins today and runs today and tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 11) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton (700 Elm St. in Manchester). Admission costs $15 on Thursday, $10 on Friday or Saturday with free return visits after initial admission and free admission to anyone under 30 with ID, according to nhada.org/new-hampshire-antiques-show. This year’s show will feature 67 exhibitors from around the country with items including folk art, fine porcelain, country and formal furniture, paintings, prints, glassware, metalware, pottery and more, according to a press release.

The event comes at the end of a series of shows and events during NH Antiques Week (antiquesweeknh.com). Today is also the final day of Antiques in Manchester: The Collector’s Fair, which runs today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena on the campus of Saint Anselm College (101 St. Anselm Drive in Manchester). Admission costs $15. The show features free parking, a cafe and an on-site shipper, according to the website. The offerings include antiques, Americana and art from 64 dealers, the website said. See the event’s website, antiquesinmanchester.com,.

Thursday, Aug. 10

The Delta Dental/Elliot Corporate 5K Road Race starts today at 6:20 p.m. on a loop that starts at Stark and Elm streets and circles through the northern end of Manchester’s downtown to finish on Elm Street near Veterans Park, according to millenniumrunning.com, which said race-day registration was available at noon at the tent in Veterans Park (723 Elm St. in Manchester).

Saturday, Aug. 12

The Sunflower Bloom Festival hosted by Sun Fox Farm (sunfoxfarm.org) begins today and runs through Sunday, Aug. 20. Parking is available at NHTI (31 College Drive in Concord); bicycle and accessible parking is at 6 Loudon Road in Concord, according to sunfoxfarm.org, where you can purchase tickets for $10. The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, when the festival will also feature vendors, food trucks and live music from New Hampshire Music Collective.

Saturday, Aug. 12

Catch the 1980 Dan Aykroyd/Jim Belushi movie The Blues Brotherstonight at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) followed by live music. The event is part of the final night of the Manchester International Film Festival and a $29 ticket to this event will get you in to most of the rest of the festival events. See page 17.

Wednesday, Aug. 16

Hey you guys! All three area Chunky’s Cinema Pubs (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) will screen 1985’s classic The Goonies tonight at 7 p.m. Doors open an hour before showtime and during that time attendees can search for treasure boxes. Admission costs $5.99.

Save the Date! For Poutine!
The New Hampshire PoutineFest will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14, midday, at Anheuser-Busch Biergarten in Merrimack, but clear your schedule this Saturday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. when tickets go on sale at nhpoutinefest.com. Tickets cost $54.99 for general admission (with a 12:45 p.m. entry and a T-shirt as well as poutine samples from participating vendors, described as a “healthy scoop”), $74.99 for premiere (11:30 a.m. entry with a T-shirt, winter hat and the samples) and $14.99 for kids (ages 6 to 12, which includes two samples, a cookie and a shirt).

Featured photo: The 66th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show.

Big Events August 3, 2023 and beyond

Saturday, Aug. 5

The annual celebration of fine craft that is the League of NH Craftsmen Fair starts today and runs through Sunday, Aug. 13, at Mount Sunapee in Newbury. The fair is open daily, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 200 craftsmen take part in the event, many offering demonstrations of their work, according to nhcrafts.org, the League’s website, where you can purchase tickets (general admission tickets cost $18, or $28 for a two-day pass). The fair also features music daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This weekend catch Decatur Creek (playing Americana, folk and bluegrass) on Saturday and Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki (pictured) with Matt Jensen playing Celtic fiddle and guitar on Sunday, the website said. The fair features a food vendor area, special daily events and workshops and a Fair Craft Clues’ Scavenger Hunt for kids as well as a Kids Create tent, according to a press release (children under 12 get in free).

Saturday, Aug. 5

The Merrimack Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale today from 8 a.m. to noon at St. James Church (646 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack). The sale will feature perennials, houseplants, a silent auction, a kids’ table, fresh cut flowers and a free pack of wildflower seeds.

Saturday, Aug. 5

Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will unveil a mark today at 1 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) to celebrate William Hobdy, a ragtime musician and the first known Black business owner in Derry, according to the organization’s newsletter. The day will include a pop-up museum and activities exploring Hobdy’s era with music, games and history, the newsletter said. The afternoon will culminate with a walk to the Derry Rail Trail to unveil the new marker at 1:45 p.m. and participants can have some ice cream, according to blackheritagetrailnh.org/derry-historic-marker-unveiling.

Saturday, Aug. 5

NH Roller Derby holds its season closer tonight, starting at 5 p.m. at JFK Coliseum (303 Beech St. in Manchester). Doors open at 4:30 p.m. The first bout is the NH All-Stars vs. Fog City. At 7 p.m. there will be an all-gender mixed scrimmage, according to nhrollerderby.com. Tickets cost $12 at the door (veterans and kids under 12 get in free).

Saturday, Aug. 5

Catch comedian Mark Scalia tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Headliner’s Comedy Club at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Manchester. Tickets cost $20; see headlinersnh.com. Find more shows in our Comedy This Week listings on page 36.

Save the Date! Friday, Aug. 25, & Saturday, Aug. 26
The New Hampshire Irish Festival will run Friday, Aug. 25, and Saturday, Aug. 26, with shows at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester) and the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) as well as outside, according to palacetheatre.org. Shows take place at the Palace at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday and at the Rex at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 26. Tickets cost $49 (for each location and day). Seamus Kennedy, Reverie Road and The Spain Brothers are slated to play the Rex; Ronan Tynan, Screaming Orphans (pictured) and Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones are scheduled to play the Palace. The outdoor lineup: on Aug. 25 Speed the Plough at 5 p.m., Pat Kelleher at 6:15 p.m. and Marty Quirk at 7:30 p.m.; on Aug. 26 Pat Kelleher at noon, Christine Morrison’s Academy of Celtic Dance at 2 p.m., Matt and Shannon Heaton at 3:15 p.m. and Boston’s Erin Og at 4:30 p.m., according to the website.

Featured photo: Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. Photo by Mark Meyers.

Big Events July 27, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, July 27

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats celebrate that classic Manchester food item, the chicken tender, at tonight’s game at 7:05 p.m. versus the Hartford Yard Goats. There will be Atlas Fireworks after the game. The run of games continues at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester (7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday — Saturday will also feature post-game fireworks) through Sunday, July 30, when game time is 1:35 p.m. and the first 1,000 attendees will receive a Fisher Cats flag. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Friday, July 28

The Nashua Silver Knights also have a game this week — tonight at 6 p.m. they will face off against the Westfield Starfires with post-game fireworks. See nashuasilverknights.com.

Friday, July 28

Ro Gavin Collaborative Theatre kicks off the final weekend of its production Big Fish at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com) with shows tonight at 7:30 p.m.; tomorrow, Saturday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, July 30, at 2 p.m. Find more theatrical productions in the Arts section, which starts on page 13.

Friday, July 28

Catch comedians Will Noonan and Andrew Della Vope tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $25. Find more laughs in the Comedy This Week listings on page 36.

Saturday, July 29

Browse sales of books and whatnots, enjoy a frappe bar and sausage grinders, participate in (or just cheer on) a 5K road race and watch an 11 a.m. performance by Mr. Aaron (pictured) at the Canterbury Fair today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at locations in Canterbury Center. The day will also feature live animal encounters and other activities for kids, Canterbury Historical Society exhibits, artisan demonstrations, a full schedule of live music and a wide variety of eats including a chicken barbecue. See canterburyfair.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 1

Author Richard Russo will discuss his new book Somebody’s Fool tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets cost $39 for one admission, $49 for two admissions and include a book. Find more book listings on page 29.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 10
The Manchester International Film Festival returns for its second year on Thursday, Aug. 10, through Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) and the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester). The festival kicks off with Animation Night at 6 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Rex with screenings of animated shorts, an animated student film, a feature film, a Q&A with filmmakers and a presentation of an “Emerging New Hampshire Animator” award, according to the Palace’s website. Friday, Aug. 11, is New England Night and Comedy Night with a screening of the short Nuclear! (see the trailer at gonfalonpictures.com/nuclear), a post-film Q&A, a feature film billed as a “Manchester premiere,” a Q&A with filmmakers and the presentation of “Best New England Short Film” award, the website said. At the Rex, the Saturday, Aug. 12, line up will include a Cartoon Festival with Cereal, short films, a feature presentation and an audience choice film, the website said. Tickets cost $20 ($10 for students) to each day. Call the box office for more ticket info.

At the Palace Theatre on Aug. 12, catch actor and comedian Kevin Pollack at 7:30 p.m. for “An Evening with Kevin Pollack.” Tickets to this event cost $59 to $79 (VIP tickets include a 6:45 p.m. meet and greet) and include a weekend pass to the rest of the festival.

Featured photo: Mr. Aaron.

Big Events July 20, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, July 20

Finally, today, we have reached “Barbenheimer” — the potential for a double feature with Greta Gerwig’s very pink movie Barbie (clocking in at an hour and 54 minutes) and Christopher Nolan’s Manhattan Project-era biopic Oppenheimer (three hours). Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org) sent out a press release explaining some of its Barbenheimer opportunities starting with today’s 4 p.m. screening of Barbie and 6 p.m. screening of Oppenheimer. On Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, you can catch Barbie at 4:15 p.m. and Oppenheimer at 6:30 p.m. Or wait until Sunday, July 23, when you can see Oppenheimer at 12:30 p.m. and Barbie 4:15 p.m. See the website (or our film section on page 30) for more screening times.

Thursday, July 20

Catch the first show in two weekends of Shakespeare under the stars at “Shakespeare on the Green” featuring Macbeth tonight through Saturday, July 22, and A Midsummer’s Night Dream Thursday, July 27, through Saturday, July 29, with all shows at 7:30 p.m., according to a press release. The plays, presented by Theatre Kapow (tkapow.com), will take place on Founder’s Green outside the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; tickets.anselm.edu). Tickets cost $25 for general seating; ages 12 and under get in free. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, coolers and snacks, according to the website.

Friday, July 21

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn — the “rebel girl” who helped found the American Civil Liberties Union, eventually joined the U.S. Communist Party, died in 1964 (while in the U.S.S.R.) and was the focal point of controversy this year when a historical plaque about her was briefly displayed in Concord — is the subject of a presentation from New Hampshire Humanities this evening at 5 p.m. via Zoom. Lara Vapnek, author of a book about Flynn, will give the presentation. Register via nhhumanities.org (click on “programs”).

Friday, July 21

Kick off the weekend with Jon Pond — a singer-songwriter and musician who is a co-founder of Spare Souls — at the Millyard Brewery (25 E. Otterson St. in Nashua; millyardbrewery.com) tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Go to sparesouls.com for a preview of the music). The “funky, high-energy psych rock band” Fiesta Melon will play Millyard Saturday, July 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. Find more live music at area in the Music This Week listings, which start on page 32.

Saturday, July 22

Catch the band Horizon, which plays classic and modern rock covers, at the Event Center at Hampshire Hills (50 Emerson Road in Milford) tonight with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available at hampshirehills.com (click on “events”). Find more area concerts on page 36.

Tuesday, July 25

After a run of games in Portland, Maine, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats return to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for six games versus the Hartford Yard Goats starting tonight at 7:05 p.m. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 5
The League of NH Craftsmen kicks off its 90th annual Craftsmen’s Fair on Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury. It is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Sunday, Aug. 13. The fair will feature the Art, Craft & Design and Sculpture Garden exhibitions as well as artist demonstrations, live music, workshops, a “Craft Clues” Scavenger Hunt, a “Kids Create” tent, food and more, according to a press release. Tickets cost $18 for general admission, $28 for a two-day pass, $17 for 62+, and kids under 12 get in free. See nhcrafts.org.

Featured photo: Barbie.

Big Events July 13, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, July 13

Hillsborough Summer Festival begins tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. at Grimes Field (29 Preston St., Hillsborough). The festival runs through Sunday, July 16, with live entertainment (tonight’s entertainment is a DJ; see the website for a list of performers), a midway and carnival rides, a fireworks show on Saturday night, a 5K road race on Friday, a hometown parade on Sunday at noon and more, according to the website. The festival is open Friday from 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. See hillsborosummerfest.com.

Friday, July 14

It’s NASCAR Weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) from today through Sunday, July 16 — weekend happenings include Friday Night Dirt Duels on Friday; a doubleheader on Saturday featuring the Ambetter Health 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, followed by the Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, and the Crayon 301 race on Sunday. Tickets vary in price, depending on the race. See nhms.com.

Saturday, July 15

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) takes some time off from wings to celebrate wheels at the Classic Car Show today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will feature a student-built aircraft but also ground-bound vehicles of all eras, according to a press release. The day will also feature food trucks, a raffle and a yard sale, the release said. Admission to the show for spectators costs $5 per adult, children 12 and under are free, and includes admission to the museum (which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the release said.

Saturday, July 15

The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane in Exeter; 772-2622, independencemuseum.org) celebrates the arrival of the Declaration of Independence in New Hampshire (on July 16, 1776) with the American Independence Festival today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The day will feature a Traditional Artisan Village with artisans demonstrating shoemaking, coopering, millinery, fiber arts, dancing, tinsmithing, brewing and more, according to a press release. The festival will also feature military exhibits, performances, games, a beer garden, food and more, the release said.

Saturday, July 15

Stop in at WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com) for a tasting of “Exotic Wines from South America” from 1 to 5 p.m.

Sunday, July 16

Jake Shimabukuro brings his ukulele to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com, 800-657-8774) today at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in the listings on page 38.

Save the Date! Friday, July 22
The Palace Theatre’s Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) will host an Intimate Night of Sinatra with Rich DiMare and Ron Poster on Saturday, July 22, with shows at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $29.

Featured photo: Classic Car Show.

Big Events July 6, 2023 and beyond

Friday, July 7

The Raymond Town Fair begins today at 5 p.m.; today will also see the Fireman’s Parade at 7 p.m. featuring the newly crowned Miss Raymond (the pageant for whom is held Thursday, July 6), according to a press release. The fair, which runs through Sunday, July 9, also features a book sale to support the library, bingo and live music all three days — with scheduled performers including Kitchen Party on Friday, the Dave Berry Band (pictured) on Saturday and Ben Eramo on Sunday, the release said. Saturday will see a town-wide yard sale, a children’s parade (at 10 a.m.), children’s activities, a motorcycle show at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m., according to a schedule on the event’s Facebook page, where you can find a complete list of events and locations. Sunday will include a 5-mile road race, a dog parade (11 a.m.) and a children’s whipped cream pie eating contest, the schedule said. The fair will also feature a midway, demonstrations and exhibits, food and more.

Friday, July 7

Intown Concord’s First Friday runs from 4 to 8 p.m. tonight in downtown Concord featuring a food truck, music in Bicentennial Square, a wine tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wine On Main and more, according to a newsletter. See intownconcord.org.

Saturday, July 8

The 22nd Annual Powwow at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) will feature music, dancing, museum tours and more today and tomorrow, Sunday, July 9, with the museum open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature grand entry today at noon, storytelling today from 1 to 3 p.m. and a sensory-friendly hour Sunday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., according to the website.

Saturday, July 8

Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen; 975-0015, twiggsgallery.org) will have a Make & Take activity today from 1 to 3 p.m. Drop in to make a “Little Leaf Book” — the gallery will provide the supplies to make this free nature craft, according to a press release. The gallery’s current exhibit is “NEST,” which runs through Friday, Sept. 1, and features pieces by several New Hampshire artists exploring the concept of a nest, according to the website.

Sunday, July 9

The New England Reptile Expo takes place today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). Visit reptileexpo.com.

Sunday, July 9

See The Allman Betts Band, featuring Devon Allman and Duane Betts (sons of The Allman Brothers’ Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, respectively), tonight at 7 p.m. at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com, 800-657-8774). Tickets start at $39. Find more upcoming concerts in the concert listings on page 42.

Save the Date! Friday, Nov. 10
Save the date for dinosaurs! The Jurassic World Live! Tour comes to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com, 644-5000) Friday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 12. See the video on jurassicworldlivetour.com for a look at this stage presentation. Shows are at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Nov. 11, and noon and 4 p.m. on Nov. 12. Tickets run from $19 through $104, according to snhuarena.com.

Featured photo: Dave Berry Band.