Category: This Week

Big Events June 1, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, June 1

Plant sale season continues.Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (nhnature.org) begins its Kirkwood Gardens plant sale today (900 Route 3 in Holderness); it continues through Sunday, June 18, or until the plants run out. The Derry Garden Club will have a sale on Saturday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Robert Frost Farm (122 Rockingham Road, Derry). The Sandown Garden Club is (sandowngardenclub.org) hosting its plant sale on Saturday, June 3,from 9 a.m. to noon at the Sandown Fire Station (314 Main St.). The Hooksett Garden Club’s (hooksettnhgardenclub.org) annual plant sale will be on Saturday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to noon at R&R Public Wholesalers (1371 Hooksett Road). The New Hampshire Audubon (nhaudubon.org) will have a plant sale and craft fair on Sunday, June 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord). Tell us about upcoming sales at [email protected]

Friday, June 2

Evergreen Woodland Garden (42 Summer St. in Goffstown) is “a naturalistic one-acre woodland garden created by landscape designer Robert Gillmore and named for its extensive massed evergreen plantings,” according to evergreenfoundationnh.org. The garden, which the website says features 220 Catawba rhododendrons and 175 massed rosebay rhododendrons, will open to the public (no children under 12 or pets) to tour for free today through Sunday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Friday, June 2

The town of Bennington will host a rhubarb festival today through Sunday, June 4, at Sawyer Memorial Park (Route 202) in Bennington. The celebration will include a pie contest, food trucks, vendors, live-action roleplay demonstrations, live music (Eyes of Age today at 6 p.m.; Boneshakerz on Saturday at 6 p.m.), petting zoos and more. Admission and parking to the festival are free. Find the event on Facebook.

Friday, June 2

The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost from $25 to $46 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org. The show continues through Sunday, June 25, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays.

Saturday, June 3

The Goffstown Rotary Club’s (Parsons Drive) car show runs today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include food trucks and raffles as well as a show of classic automobiles. Admission for spectators is free. See goffstownrotary.org

Sunday, June 4

The WWE Supershow comes to the the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at snhuarena.com.

Save the Date! Saturday, June 24
The annual In Full Bloom garden tour at the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord) will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The self-guided tour will cover the eight public and private gardens. The event is rain or shine, $20 in advance, $25 the day of. Visit concordgardenclubnh.com/events.

Big Events May 25, 2023 and beyond

Monday, May 29

Several towns celebrate today, Memorial Day, with a parade.

Concord’s Memorial Day runs from 9 to 10 a.m. with the parade starting at Christ the King Church and ending up at City Plaza for a brief ceremony, according to concordnh.gov, where you can find the route.

Windham’s parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. from Center School, according to windhamnh.gov.

Henniker’s parade starts at 10 a.m. and runs from Henniker Community School to Henniker Community Park, according to henniker.org.

Hopkinton’s parade also starts at 10 a.m. and runs along Main Street, starting and ending at Harold Martin School, where there will be a short ceremony and a performance by the Hopkinton Town Band, according to hopkinton-nh.gov.

Litchfield Historical Society starts its parade at 10 a.m. at Litchfield Middle School and ending at the Historical Society building, to be followed by a program featuring Campbell High School Chorus and Band performances and more, according to litchfieldnh.gov.

In Raymond, the parade starts at 10 a.m. at Argo and goes to the New Pine Grove Cemetery and Old Pine Grove Cemetery, according to a post on the town’s Facebook page. The parade is followed by a ceremony from 11 a.m. to noon.

In Pelham, VFW Post 10722 and American Legion Post 100 will host the town’s parade and ceremonies with the parade stepping off at 10:30 a.m. headed to Gibson Cemetery, according to pelhamweb.com, where you can find a full listing of events, which include a town cookout.

The Londonderry American Legion Post 27 will hold a parade and open house with the parade stepping off at 11 a.m. from Robert Lincoln Way, according to Post 27’s Facebook post.

In Hudson, American Legion Post 48 will hold a parade starting at 2 p.m. in front of the Hannaford parking lot to Hudson Common for a memorial ceremony and then to the American Legion, according to a post on the Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce website (hudsonchamber.com).

Thursday, May 25

Watch the work in progress by the four artists participating in this year’s Nashua International Sculpture Symposium at Picker Artists (3 Pine St. in Nashua), where they are working Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See nashuasculpturesymposium.org,.

Saturday, May 27

Bow Garden Club’s plant sale runs today from 8 a.m. to noon at the Bow Community Center (2 Knox Road in Bow), according to the group’s Facebook page.

Sunday, May 28

A few early Memorial Day parades today: The Penacook Memorial Day Parade is slotted for 9 to 10 a.m on Village Street, concordnh.gov. In Bedford the parade steps off at 1 p.m. on County Road from Bedford High School to McKelvie Intermediate School. See bedfordnh.myrec.com.

Sunday, May 28

Check out Chad LaMarsh at the Derryfield (625 Mammoth Road in Manchester) playing an acoustic show on the deck from 5 to 8 p.m. Find more live music in the Music This Week listing, which starts on page 48.

Sunday, May 28

Hampton Beach Village District hosts fireworks tonight at 9:30 p.m. at the top of B and C Streets; see hamptonbeach.org.

Monday, May 29

More town celebrations: The Bow Community Men’s Club hosts a ceremony and community picnic at the Bow Gazebo (1 Knox Road in Bow) from 4 to 6 p.m, according to bownh.gov. The Hollis Memorial Day Ceremony at the Common starts at 4:30 p.m. today, according to hollisnh.org.

Big Events May 18, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, May 18

Find new ways to help the community at The Greater Nashua Volunteer Fair today at 4 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org). There will be more than 30 organizations looking for teen and adult volunteers to sign up.

Saturday, May 20

The Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is hosting its Third Annual Cornhole for a Cause, a tournament fundraiser for the shelter, today at The Biergarten at Merrimack Anheuser-Busch (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). The event starts at 11 a.m. and registration is $75 for a team of two players. There will be raffles and other prizes to win, and registered team members will receive commemorative T-shirts. Visit nashuahabitat.org to register.

Saturday, May 20

It’s another big plant sale weekend! The Bedford Garden Club (bedfordgardenclubnh.org) will hold its sale today at the Bedford Village Common (15 Bell Hill Road) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Goffstown Community Garden Club (facebook.com/goffstowngardenclub) will hold its sale at the Goffstown Commons on Main Street from 8 a.m. to noon. The Nashua Garden Club (nashuanhgardenclub.org) will hold its sale at the Nashua Historical Society (5 Abbott St. in Nashua) from 8 a.m. to noon. The Massabesic Garden Club (massabesicgc.org) will hold its sale today from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Griffin Free Library (22 Hooksett Road in Auburn) on the patio. The Milford Garden Club (milfordnhgardenclub.org) will hold its sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon on the Community House lawn. Stop by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester (669 Union St. in Manchester; uumanchester.org) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for their plant sale. Project Inspire 603 (find them on Facebook) is holding a sale Friday, May 19, and today, May 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 88 Kelsey Mill Road in Northwood (the sale raises funds for school supplies). The GFWC Dover Area Women’s Club (doverareagfwc.org) is holding its spring plant sale at the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce (550 Central Ave. in Dover) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Know of an upcoming plant sale? Let us know at [email protected].

Saturday, May 20

The Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) will feature Samantha Bee on its Chubb Theatre stage tonight in her self-titled show Samantha Bee: Your Favorite Womanat 8 p.m. Bee currently holds the title for being the longest-serving regular Daily Show correspondent of all time and is known for her own weekly late-night show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Tickets start at $48.25.

Saturday, May 20

The Life’s a Drag 21+ Show at Chunky’s (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) tonight at 9 p.m. will feature some of the fiercest performers from New England for a high-energy and interactive experience, according to the website. Tickets cost $25.

Sunday, May 21

The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus wraps up their Spring 2023 Concert Serieswith a performance of “Silver Seasons of Love – How Do You Measure 25 Years?” at the Derryfield School (2108 River Road in Manchester) at 4 p.m. (The chorus also performs Saturday, May 20, in Newington at 7:30 p.m.). The show celebrates the 25th anniversary of the chorus; see the story about the chorus in the May 4 issue of The Hippo (hippopress.com to find the e-edition, the story is on page 16). Tickets for this event start at $17.50 and can be purchased at nhgmc.com.

Save the Date! Saturday, July 29
Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St.) will host An Evening with David Sedaris on Saturday, July 29, at 8 p.m. Sedaris is the bestselling author behind Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. He is celebrating the release of his newest book, Happy Go Lucky. After the reading, he will be holding a Q-and-A session and a book signing. Presale for tickets open to Spectacle Live members on May 19, and presale prices start at $52. Visit nashuacenterforthearts.com for more information.

Big Events May 11, 2023 and beyond

Friday, May 12

Winners of Rolling Stone’s readers poll for “Best New American Band” in 1987, the BoDeans are performing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com). The band, which has had 10 records that hit the Billboard Top 200 Chart, is known for hit songs like “Fadeaway,” “Only Love,” and “Dreams.” Tickets start at $29.

Saturday, May 13

It’s plant sale season!

The Amherst Garden Club (amherstgardenclub.org) will highlight native plants at its plant sale from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wilkins School (80 Boston Post Road in Amherst). The Hopkinton Garden Club (hopkintongardenclub.org) will hold its sale from 8 a.m. to noon at the Hopkinton Town Common (Park Street side). The Colonial Garden Club of Hollis (hollisgardenclub.org) will hold its sale from 9 a.m .to noon today at the Lawrence Barn Field on Depot Road in Hollis. Fuller Gardens (10 Willow Ave. in North Hampton; 964-5414, fullergardens.org) is holding its sale all weekend: Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Have an upcoming plant sale? Let us know at [email protected].

And if you’re more of a plant appreciator than a plant planter, check out the Lilac Walk on Monday, May 15, at 1 p.m. Beaver Brook in Hollis. Registration costs $20; see beaverbrook.org.

Saturday, May 13

Join the Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury) for their opening day today at 10 a.m. The ceremony will have a 5K race, information about the new exhibition “For Shakers, By Shakers: Canterbury Shaker Furniture from the Collection,” and a chance for visitors to meet the curator of collections, Shirley Wajda. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at shakers.org.

Saturday, May 13

Today, SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) welcomes the Monster Jam starting at 7 p.m. World-class drivers will show off crazy skills and all-out racing in fierce head-to-head battles for the event championship. Tickets start at $15.

Saturday, May 13

Boston musician, songwriter and storyteller Ellis Paul is performing today at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Paul will perform songs that weave intimate, provocative and romantic tales, according to the Rex’s website. Tickets start at $29.

Wednesday, May 17

Needlework is on display at the Doubletree Hilton in Nashua (2 Somerset Parkway) for the 29th annual Celebration of Needlework today, starting at 3 p.m. The four-day celebration will have a variety of classes, shopping, raffles and a silent auction. Admission costs $9 for one day, $17 for two days, and $25 for three days. Some classes have additional fees. Visit celebrationofnw.com for more information.

Wednesday, May 17

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jason Moon and Rabia Chaudry will discuss Bear Brook: Season 2 with Rebecca Lavoie at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) today at 7 p.m. The live show looks at the second season of the series which tells the story of Jason Carroll, who is serving a life sentence for a murder he said he didn’t commit, according to ccanh.com, where tickets to the event start at $40.75.

Save the Date! Saturday, May 20
Join the American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) for Trouble in the Tavern: An Escape Room Adventure in the Folsom Tavern. The event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. and ticket prices range from $12 to $25. Visit

Big Events May 4, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, May 4

Get ready for tacos! Taco Tour Manchester returns to Elm Street downtown today from 4 to 8 p.m., featuring more than 90 participating restaurants, food trucks and other businesses selling all-you-can-eat creative takes on tacos for $3 apiece (cash only). Visit tacotourmanchester.com to download the recently released Taco Tour map, and be sure to vote on your favorite taco by the end of the event.

Thursday, May 4

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue their home stand tonight at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) against the Harrisburg Senators — first pitch is at 6:35 p.m., and a special Atlas Fireworks show will immediately follow the conclusion of the game. The team has other games scheduled from Friday, May 5, through Sunday, May 7, before they hit the road next week to take on the Reading Fightin Phils. See nhfishercats.com for the full schedule and to purchase tickets.

Saturday, May 6

Join the Nashua Historical Society in welcoming author Andrew Noone, who will present his book Bathsheba Spooner: A Revolutionary Murder, today at 3 p.m. at the Florence H. Speare Museum (5 Abbott St., Nashua). The talk will explore the saga of New England’s most notorious crime of the American Revolution, according to a press release. Admission is free and open to the public. See nashuahistoricalsociety.org for more details.

Saturday, May 6

Registration is now open for the second annual Run the Rail Trail 5-Miler road race, taking off from the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) today at 9 a.m. The course includes a 1-mile forested path through undeveloped land and a scenic stretch of the newest portion of the Londonderry Rail Trail, according to a press release. Race day registration is $35, with proceeds benefiting the museum’s youth education programs. Visit nhahs.org/events to register.

Sunday, May 7

The New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble makes a stop at the Derryfield School (2108 River Road, Manchester) today at 2 p.m. — the community orchestra of fiddles, guitars, banjos, mandolins, basses, harps, cellos and even some horns is backed by professionals delivering “a heartwarming and energetic performance,” according to a press release. Advance tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and students and free for kids ages 8 and under. Tickets are $2 extra on the day of the event. See nhfiddleensemble.org.

Wednesday, May 10

New Hampshire Humanities presents Storytelling on Film: A Screening of Lost Boundaries, tonight at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Based on the true story of Dr. Albert Johnston, a Black man and his family who passed as white in early 20th-century Keene, Lost Boundaries “illustrates New Hampshire’s complicated history of racial passing,” according to a press release. Lawrence Benaquist, Professor Emeritus of Keene State College, is a featured presenter at the screening. Admission is free, but registration is required. Register online at redrivertheatres.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, May 20
Grease up those bike gears and get ready to pedal through the back roads of Francestown and nearby towns on Saturday, May 20. The Tour de Francestown is a recreational bike ride that offers 25-mile and 50-mile options of mostly gravel roads. The online registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, and there is a total registration limit of 200 riders. The registration fee — $45 for the 25-mile, $60 for the 50-mile — covers entry, beverage stops, and post-ride eats; extra family and friend meal tickets are available for $5 or $10. Proceeds will go toward preserving the Francestown Old Meeting House. Helmets are required. For more information and to register, visit www.bikereg.com/the-tour-de-francestown.

Featured photo. 2022 Taco Tour. Photo courtesy of Ethos & Able Creative.

Big Events April 27, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, April 27

Today is opening night for Cirque Alfonse-Animal at the Dana Center (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) at 7:30 p.m. The show reimagines Quebec folklore with a troupe of performers that include acrobats, musicians and a former ski champion. Tickets cost $45 and can be purchased at anselm.edu.

Friday, April 28

This is the last weekend to see the art exhibit “Love Our Planet” at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn). The exhibit features works of art celebrating the beauty of the natural world and wildlife. There are more than 30 pieces of artwork in various media including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastel, mixed media, pen and ink, pencil, and photography. For more information visit nhaudubon.org.

Friday, April 28

Get spooky at Fright Kingdom’s (12 Simon St., Nashua) Halfway to Halloween haunted house today from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, April 29 from 6 to 10 p.m. The haunt will have all five unique scary experiences open for people to wander through, with characters outside providing spooky entertainment. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased at frightkingdom.com.

Saturday, April 29

Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale is back today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). There will be thousands of items on sale for visitors to choose from, as well as food and drinks to keep up shoppers’ energy. Tickets cost $5, children ages 12 and younger are free. Email [email protected].

Saturday, April 29

The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester) is hosting Beatles cover band Beatlejuice today at 7:30 p.m. The group, which has been performing for more than 20 years, matches the original foursome note for note so audiences can feel like John, Paul, George and Ringo are performing their greatest hits. Tickets cost $29 and can be bought at palacetheatre.org.

Sunday, April 30

Join the Chubb Theatre at Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) for Swing into Jazz tonight at 4 p.m., doors open at 3 p.m. The concert will feature guitarist John Pizzarelli, who has collaborated with Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald. Tickets start at $33.25 and can be purchased at ccanh.com.

Save the Date! May 6
Celebrate all things theater at the Broadway Rave at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St.) today. Dress up like your favorite Broadway show character, and belt along to the various cast albums at this event. There will be some surprise guests for theater lovers. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19. Visit nashuacenterforthearts.com to order tickets or for more information.

Featured photo. Highlights from past Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sales. Courtesy photo.