Category: This Week

Big Events September 7, 2023 and beyond

Friday, Sept. 8

The 11th annual New Hampshire Monarch Festival continues this weekend at Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road in Canterbury; petalsinthepines.com, 783-0220) today through Sunday, Sept. 10. Online reservations for two-hour time slots are required; the cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for kids, and infants (non-walkers) get in free. Time slots for this weekend are 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday; 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:15 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Learn about ways to help migrating monarchs and other pollinators at the festival, which will feature kids’ activities and games, monarch tagging, book readings, labyrinths, ask a master gardener, free milkweed seeds and 2 miles of woodland trails and garden paths, according to a press release. Butterfly wings and costumes are encouraged, the release said.

The curtain rises on the merry old land of Oz tonight: The Wizard of Oz at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) runs today through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well as Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $49 for adults, $28 for 12 and under and $33 for seniors, according to the website. The show, which boasts the familiar songs performed by the cast and a live orchestra and “masterful special effects,” opens the 2023-2024 St. Mary’s Bank Performing Arts Series, according to a video posted on the Palace’s social media.

Saturday, Sept. 9

It’s a day of rubber ducks, food trucks and live music! The 2023 Auburn Day will run today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Auburn Village on Hooksett Road, with the 30th Annual Duck Race taking place at 2 p.m. $20 will get you five tickets — a “quack pack,” according to the website. Winning ducks get their ticket-holders prizes — from $1,000 for first prize through $25 for 6th through 10th place. The day will also feature an apple pie contest, a cookie baking contest for kids, a small petting zoo, music by Ray Zerkle, a climbing wall, food trucks, children’s games, local authors and more. See auburnhistorical.org.

Sunday, Sept. 10

The Nashua Multicultural Festival will be held today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Nashua Public Library plaza and parking lot (2 Court St. in Nashua). The day will feature food from area restaurants, art, dance and a celebration of the cultures of Nashua’s residents, according to
nashuanh.gov/1237/Nashua-Multicultural-Festival.

Concorso Italian, the free Italian car show at the Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscano in Salem; tuscanvillagesalem.com), will run today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature live music, street food, entertainment and more than 150 exotic cars.

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Adam Berry, of the Travel Channel and Discovery+’s Kindred Spirits, will bring “Real Ghost Stories” to the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35.75 and $48.75.

Save the Date! – Friday, Oct. 13

Pizzastock: It Takes a Village, a documentary about student and musician Jason Flood and the Pizzastock event created to spread awareness for mental health and suicide prevention, will screen Friday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 44 N. Main St. in Derry; stockbridgetheatre.showare.com). Doors for the event open at 6:30 p.m. and the evening will feature live music, speeches and stories from community leaders, according to pizzastock.org. Tickets cost $15, $10 for youth.

Featured photo: Pizzastock banner.

Big Events August 31, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 31

The Hopkinton State Fair starts today at 905 Park Ave. in Contoocook. The fair is open from 5 to 10 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 3, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4. A five-day pass costs $39. A general admission day pass costs $14 (with discounts for youth and seniors). A Megapass, which includes admission all five days and unlimited access to mechanical rides, costs $45, according to hsfair.org, where you can purchase fair tickets as well as tickets for the demolition derby (Saturday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 3, at 6:30 p.m.; tickets cost $25 in advance, $29 at the fair) and the monster truck show (Thursday, Aug. 31, and Friday, Sept. 1 — gates open at 5 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.; see the website for ticket packages). In addition to the midway full of rides and games and the fair food offerings, the Hopkinton State Fair features agricultural exhibits and events such as livestock and horse shows, pulling competitions, a great pumpkin weigh-off, displays in the home arts building, a 4-H show and auction, educational exhibits, Charmingfare Farm petting zoo and a farmers market, the website said. The fair also features live music, including Rumboat Chili (Thursday, Aug. 31, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.), as well as magic and comedy performances.

Thursday, Aug. 31

Kick off your Labor Day weekend with some art and music. The Currier Museum of Art’s (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) Art After Work program — when admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. — will feature a performance by J Street Extension this evening (this central New Hampshire band describes its style as blues-rock-funk-country). The museum will be open through the holiday weekend, including Monday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and students, and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (12 and under get in free).

Saturday, Sept. 2

Head to Elm Street in downtown Manchester for the 22nd annual Cruising Downtown car show held by the Manchester Rotary Club today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find live music, vendors, food and cars competing in several categories. See cruisingdowntownmanchester.com.

Monday, Sept. 4

Start your morning with Pac-Man and Galaga at Funspot (579 Endicott Road in Laconia; funspotnh.com). The “largest arcade in the world” continues its summer hours — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and until 11 p.m. on Saturdays — through today, Labor Day. (During the off season the arcade is open noon to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.)

Monday, Sept. 4

Milford celebrates Labor Day with a parade! The parade will step off at 1 p.m. and head from Milford High School at West Street to the Milford Oval, around the Oval and then to the Harley Sanford VFW, according to milford.nh.gov. This year’s theme is “Celebration of Sports,” the website said.

Save the date: Sunday, Sept. 24
The Beaver Brook Association (Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org ) will hold a full moon hike on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. Enjoy that crisp fall evening air while a naturalist guides the group through the trail, highlighting seasonal changes and local animals, according to the website. Registration costs $22 plus fees. Find this and other fall programming at beaverbrook.org.

Featured photo: Hopkinton Fair.

Big Events August 24, 2023 and beyond

Friday, Aug. 25

Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com, 206-3888) will hold a family-friendly game of Theater Candy Bingo tonight at 6:15 p.m. Reserve a seat for $10, which includes one bingo card and a $5 food voucher for eats that night.

Friday, Aug. 25

Or play the R-Rated game show Feud Gone Wild, a Family Feud-style game with opportunities for teams and individuals, tonight at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m., at Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets cost $30.75. Need more competition? Check out the listing of area trivia nights on page 38.

Saturday, Aug. 26

It’s an afternoon of blues today from noon to 4 p.m. at the Londonderry town common during the 9th Annual Blues Festival. The festival is free and is slated to feature Rik-Sha Blues Band (noon), Kan-Tu Blues Band (1:15 p.m.) and Dr. Harp’s Blues Revue Band (2:30 p.m.), according to a press release. The day will feature a 50/50 raffle, local vendors, crafters, food and more, with proceeds from the raffle and vendors benefiting the Combat Vets Association, which provides assistance to veterans, veteran care facilities and other veteran organizations and registered charities throughout New England, the release said.

Saturday, Aug. 26

The Four Horsemen, billed as the “ultimate Metallica tribute band,” will perform tonight at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in our Concert listings on page 38.

Sunday, Aug. 27

The silent film The Divine Lady (1929) will screen today at Wilton Town Hall Theatre (Main Street in Wilton; 654-3456, find them on Facebook) at 2 p.m. featuring live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis.

Monday, Aug. 28

Catch a screening of the 2009 movie Coraline (PG) featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the making of this stop-motion animated film based on a Neil Gaiman novella tonight at 7 p.m. at AMC Classic Londonderry, Regal Concord, Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem or Regal Fox Run in Newington. The movies will also screen at the Regals in Concord and Newington and Cinemark in Salem on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. See fathomevents.com for tickets to those shows. O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping will also screen the movie today at 7 p.m.; see oneilcinemas.com.

Save the date: For Comics!
Granite State Comicon, the celebration of all things comics and pop culture, will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown in Manchester. Ticket options include a $110 VIP three-day pass (which includes early entry, a limited-edition print and a goodie bag), a $55 three-day pass, a $40 pass for Saturday and Sunday, and day passes ($10 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, $20 for Sunday). Kids 8 and under get in free with adult admission, according to granitecon.com, where you can purchase tickets and find a schedule of the weekend’s events.

Featured photo: Granite State Comicon

Big Events August 17, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 17

Enjoy a little “yes, and” at the Queen City Improv performance today at 7:30 p.m. at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com). Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students. The event is byob or w, according to the website. Find more places to do some serious chuckling in the Comedy This Week listing on page 41.

Saturday, Aug. 19

Arts Alive invites local artists and art enthusiasts to the renovated mill building at 71 Main St. in Harrisville to learn about the history of the town and the building from local history experts and artists in an event that runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. See monadnockartsalive.org/artist-field-trips to register.

Saturday, Aug. 19

So good! So good! Catch Cherry Cherry, a Neil Diamond tribute band, today at 8 p.m. at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com). Tickets cost $35. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in the Concert listings on page 42.

Saturday, Aug. 19

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4877) will hold PlaneFest! today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the museum. The day will include cake at 1 p.m. to celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday, flight- and airplane-related activities and crafts (geared at elementary and middle school-age kids), an opportunity to meet aviation-related professionals, airplanes on display and more. Admission to the fest is free; admission to the museum costs $10 per person, $5 for ages 6 to 13 and seniors and veterans (free for children 5 and under). Rain date is Saturday, Aug. 26.

Tuesday, Aug. 22

A six-day stretch of games between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies starts today at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester with a 7:05 p.m. game. Games on Thursday, Aug. 24, and Saturday, Aug. 26, will feature post-game fireworks. Friday, Aug. 25, will feature a free hat giveaway, and the game on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 1:35 p.m. will feature a pencil pouch giveaway and a Princess Brunch at 10 a.m. for $26. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Save the date for monsters: Saturday, Aug. 26
Studio 550 Community Art Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 550arts.com, 232-5597) will hold its 11th annual Monster Hunt in downtown Manchester on Saturday, Aug. 26, starting at 11 a.m. until the monsters are found — which happens pretty quickly, according to a press release. Studio 550 makes and hides 100 monster medallions in the downtown with each monster finder asked to keep only one monster to spread the monster-finding fun to as many people as possible, the release said. Bring the medallion to Studio 550 to trade in for a red clay monster. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Studio 550 will also host several low-cost hands-on activities, the release said. There will also be a kids-only hunt at DoubleTree Hotel at 10:30 a.m. for kids 5 and under with 25 monsters available and monster stickers for all kids who search, the release said. See 550arts.com/about/monsterhunt. Photo courtesy of Studio 550.

Featured photo: A vintage PT-23 training plane will be on display by the New England Wing of the Commemorative Air Force during this year’s PlaneFest! Courtesy photo.

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.