Category: This Week

Big Events September 8, 2022 and beyond

Saturday, Sept. 10

Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road in Canterbury; petalsinthepines.com, 783-0220) will host the 10th annual New Hampshire Monarch Festival today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will include children’s activities and games, educational and nature vendors, a butterfly tagging demonstration, author readings, labyrinths, an “Ask a Master Gardner” table and free milkweed seeds to help expand milkweed habitat, which is part of monarch butterfly migration, according to a press release. Petals in the Pines also offers two miles of woodland trails and garden paths, the release said. BYO butterfly wings to wear if you have them. Admission costs $5 per adult and is free for children.

Saturday, Sept. 10

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) will hold its AerospaceFest today from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside the center. This free outdoor celebration of all things space will include telescope observations, hands-on science activities, ambassador animals from Millstone Wildlife Center, musician Mr. Aaron’s “Intergalactic Music Spectacular” (at 1 p.m.), the Mad Science of Maine (at noon and 3 p.m.), the new planetarium show Birth of Planet Earth and more, the website said. There will be free tickets to planetarium shows (first come, first served) as well as Center-related discounts. The galleries will be closed Saturday but the planetarium shows and restrooms inside will be open.

Saturday, Sept. 10

Celebrate Auburn by racing some rubber duckies. The annual Auburn Day and Duck Race will be held today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Auburn Village on Hooksett Road. The day will feature food, artisans, authors, a petting farm, music by Ray Zerkle, Wanda the Clown making balloon figures, a climbing wall, a medieval cooking demonstration by Allyson Szabo, an apple pie contest and a kids’ duckling cookie contest, according to a press release. At 2 p.m. head to Sucker Brook for the duck race; get your own ducks in the game by purchasing a ticket (each ticket corresponds with a duck); one duck for $5 or get a “quack pack” of five tickets for $20, the press release said. The ducks race downstream, over a waterfall and under a bridge with the first prize winner getting $1,000, the release said. See auburnhistorical.org.

Saturday, Sept. 10

The Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; shakers.org, 783-9511) will hold its Artisan Market today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day will feature craft booths (with textile, ceramic, wood, glass, jewelry and other items), Beans & Greens Taco Truck, guided tours, music from The Mink Hills Band and more, according to the website. Admission costs $15 for adults.

Sunday, Sept. 11

The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline, andresinstitute.org) once again hosts its annual Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium, which holds its public opening today at 1 p.m. and runs through Sunday, Oct. 2. This year’s theme is “Catch ’22,” according to a press release. The Sculpture Park is open daily from dawn to dusk.

Save the date, laddies and lassies: Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18
The New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival will return to Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln on Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Tickets (for the whole weekend or single day admission) are available online; an adult weekend pass costs $90, a single day pass costs $30 for Friday or Sunday and $55 for Saturday. Special events (requiring separate tickets) include the Whisky Master Classes, beer tasting, Tartan Dinner & Ball, NH Scot’s “Got Talent,” a Cape Breton concert, a harp contest and Highland Brews & Bites, the website said.

Featured photo. Monarch butterfly. Courtesy photo.

Big Events September 1, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Sept. 1

Spend the holiday weekend cheering on the Fisher Cats at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Lane Drive in downtown Manchester; milb.com/new-hampshire), currently in a run of six games against the Portland Sea Dogs. Tonight’s game, which starts at 7:05 p.m. will feature post-game fireworks. The game on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7:05 p.m. will also feature post-game fireworks and is Wizards and Wands Night, with wizard-themed events throughout the night. Friday’s theme is Margaritaville Night (game time is 7:05 p.m). For the game on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 1:35 p.m., the Fisher Cats become the Gatos Feroces with a jersey giveaway for the first 1,000 fans, according to the website.

Thursday, Sept. 1

The Hopkinton State Fair begins today at 5 p.m. (find free fair parking at 905 Park Ave. in Contoocook) and will run through Monday, Sept. 5. Throughout the long weekend get live music, midway rides, agricultural exhibits, a petting zoo, performances such as juggling and ax handlers, agricultural competitions and more. And, of course, there will be fair eats: turkey legs, sausage with peppers and onions, giant doughnuts, fried dough, cotton candy, apple crisp with ice cream and more, according to the website. Get tickets to an individual day, all five days or a megapass that includes a day’s admission and rides (additional tickets are required for some events, such as the Monster Trucks Show). See hsfair.org.

Friday, Sept. 2

Find some new wines for your long weekend. WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com, 204-5569) is hosting a wine tasting today from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring five or six potentially new-to-you wines.

Saturday, Sept. 3

The 21st annual Cruising Downtown Manchester classic car show runs today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Elm Street in the Queen City’s downtown, hosted by the Rotary Club of Manchester. The event will feature classic cars, muscle cars (NH Muscle Car Club will hold a rally on the bridge during the event), live entertainment, food, vendors and more. Awards for participating cars will be handed out around 3 p.m. See cruisingdowntownmanchester.com.

Sunday, Sept. 4

The Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; shakers.org) is hosting Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli with special guest Anelise as part of its Music on the Green series today from 4 to 5 p.m. Diamond and Abatelli’s music ranges from blues to pop, with Diamond playing piano and singing complemented by Abatelli on bass and guitar. The concert is free to attend. This is the second-to-last of the scheduled concerts in the series. A special memorial concert with Jan Fuller and Harel Gietheim is slated to close out the series next Sunday, Sept. 11.

Save the Date! Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18
This year’s Granite State ComiCon is calling itself the “Giant-Size 20th Anniversary Edition.” Perfect your costume and get your tickets for the Con, which will run Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18, with events largely at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown (700 Elm St. in downtown Manchester). Get tickets to individual days ($20 for Friday or Sunday, $25 for Saturday) or get a weekend pass ($55 or $125 for a VIP package that comes with a variety of goodies). There will be meet-and-greets with actors, comic book artists from New Hampshire and across the country, a costume contest, a kids costume contest, a Kids Con NE area, gaming and other comic book and pop culture fun. See granitecon.com.

Featured photo. Cruising Downtown Manchester classic car show. Courtesy photo.

Big Events August 25, 2022 and beyond

Saturday, Aug. 27

Today is the in-person Millennium Running AutoFair New Hampshire 10-miler race around Lake Massabesic, beginning at the lake parking lot (1 Londonderry Turnpike, Manchester) at 8 a.m. There will be awards for the top three male and female runners in each age bracket, relay teams, and overall runner awards. Running bib pickup begins at 6:30 a.m. See millenniumrunning.com/newhampshire10 for information on registration and course details.

Saturday, Aug. 27

The New England Racing Museum (922 Route 106 in Loudon) is bringing back the Hot Rods, Muscle and More Car Show today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be 21 awards handed out for categories like best Ford, best custom, best restored original and more. To enter a vehicle costs $20, spectators cost $5 and children 12 and younger are free. Visit nemsmuseum.com for more information about the car show.

Saturday, Aug. 27

The Capital Mineral Club is hosting the 58th annual Concord Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show today at The Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show will continue Sunday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be fossils, gems, carvings and more on display, as well as demonstrations from experts in geology. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and younger who come in with an adult. Tickets are purchased at the door. More information is available at capitalmineralclub.org.

Sunday, Aug. 28

Celebrate Gen. John Stark’s 294th birthday today at Stark Park (550 River Road, Manchester) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. After the celebration, Compaq Big Band will give a performance at the bandstand. Compaq Big Band specializes in swing music with a large brass horn section, vocalists and dancers. The event is free to attend. Visit starkpark.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 30

Starting today, with a game at 7:05 p.m., the Fisher Cats play the Sea Dogs for six days straight at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Each day features a different highlight, like Bark in the Park (where pups are welcomed to the games), fireworks, Fan Friday and more. Game times and prices vary. See a full schedule and buy tickets at milb.com/new-hampshire.

Save the Date! Saturday, Sept. 3
The 57th annual Exeter UFO Festival begins today at 8:45 a.m. at Exeter Town Hall (9 Front St, Exeter). The event will feature expert speakers on the extraterrestrial, a trolley ride from 10 Front St. that covers the locations where a famed UFO sighting happened nearly 60 years ago, an alien costume contest, events for kids, and more. While the festival is free to attend, pricing for different events varies. Visit exeterufofestival.org to learn more about the events.

Featured photo. Millennium Running AutoFair New Hampshire 10-miler race. Courtesy photo.

Big Events August 18, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 18

Londonderry’s Old Home Days, set for Wednesday, Aug. 17, through Sunday, Aug. 21, coincide with the town’s 300th anniversary celebration this year. In addition to a parade, there will be local vendor booths, games, food and an assortment of daily activities. Times and locations for different events vary throughout the week — a full schedule can be found on the Facebook page @townoflondonderryoldhomeday.

Friday, Aug. 19

The Toadstool Bookshop and Andy’s Summer Playhouse (582 Isaac Frye Hwy., Wilton) are hosting a Q&A with Tom Moore today at 5 p.m. about his book Grease: Tell Me More, Tell Me More. The book has stories from the cast and crew that helped build the show Grease into the classic it is today. To reserve a spot, visit andyssummerplayhouse.org.

Friday, Aug. 19

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Shakespeare Company opens at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord) today at 7:30 p.m. The play is written by local playwright Alan Lindsay and will be the first multi-act production from his playwriting group. The show follows actors who are swindled out of money by a greedy director, and hilarity ensues. The show does contain adult themes, so parental discretion is advised. To purchase tickets and to see other dates the show is running, visit hatboxnh.com.

Sunday, Aug. 21

Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) is hosting its annual exotic car show Concorso Italiano today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will feature one-of-a-kind cars and motorcycles and live music. The restaurant’s bar will also be open all day. To register a car, visit tuscanvillagesalem.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 23

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) is hosting a student plane-building open house today at 7 p.m. The open house is to get high school age students interested in aviation and to sign up for the 2022-2023 school year program. The open house will have a flyby by the first completed student-built plane, as well as information sessions. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Wednesday, Aug. 24

The Movies in the Summer Park Series at Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St., Manchester) continues with a showing of Black Panther (PG-13, 2018) tonight at 8 p.m. The film follows T’Challa, the new king of Wakanda, as he is challenged for the throne by a long-lost relative. The movie is free to attend.

Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 27
The Capitol Center of the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) is hosting Ladysmith Black Mambazo today, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The five-time Grammy-award winning group from South Africa is known for its vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. Tickets start at $35.50 and can be purchased at ccanh.com.

Featured photo. Londonderry’s Old Home Days. Courtesy photo.

Big Events August 11, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 11

The 65th annual New Hampshire Antiques Show begins today at 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St.). The show will feature more than 50 antique dealers from all over the region, taking place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, and Friday, Aug. 12, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13. Tickets are $15 on Thursday and $10 on Friday and Saturday. Visitors ages 30 and under — with proper identification — are admitted for free. Visit nhada.org.

Thursday, Aug. 11

Hudson’s Old Home Days return to the grounds outside the Hills House (211 Derry Road, Hudson) today through Sunday, Aug. 14. The hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. There will be games for kids, live music, carnival games, a fireworks display, fair food and more. Visit hudsonoldhomedays.com.

Friday, Aug. 12

The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester) is putting on Nunsense, starting today at 7 p.m. The musical comedy follows the Sisters of Hoboken as they put on a variety show to raise money after the cook, Sister Julia, accidentally poisons 52 members of their convent. The show will run Fridays, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturdays, Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $20 and can be purchased at majestictheatre.net.

Friday, Aug. 12

This is the last week to catch Bubble Boy the Musical at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord). Bubble Boy follows the story of Jimmy Livingston, a teen with immune deficiencies that force him to be trapped inside a plastic bubble with his mother. The final dates of the show’s run are tonight at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for students, seniors and members, and $19 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

Saturday, Aug. 13

The final weekend dates of the 89th annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair are today and tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury). Read more about the event on page 19 of the Hippo’s Aug. 4 issue — visit issuu.com/hippopress to read the e-edition for free.

Saturday, Aug. 13

The Alton Bay Boat Show returns today for its 45th year at the Alton Town Docks from 9 a.m. to noon. The show is sponsored by the New Hampshire Boat Museum and features a variety of vintage boats on display. Admission is free. Visit nhbm.org.

Wednesday, Aug. 17

Londonderry’s Old Home Days, which kick off today and run through Sunday, Aug. 21, will also celebrate the town’s 300th anniversary this year. Vendors, games, food and a parade are just some of the events planned for the town’s tricentennial celebration. Follow the Facebook page @townoflondonderryoldhomeday for details and updates.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 18
Maple Hill Farm (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) is bringing back Music in the Gardens with a brass quintet from Symphony New Hampshire. The gardens open at 4:30 p.m., with music beginning at 5:30 p.m. On the Rocks New Hampshire will be there serving drinks out of its horse trailer bar. Tickets are $30 and children 12 and under are free. Visit beaverbrook.org.

Featured photo. Music in the Gardens at Maple Hill Farm. Courtesy photo.

Big Events August 4, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 4

Catch the final home games of the regular season for the Nashua Silver Knights at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) today at 6 p.m. against the Pittsfield Suns and Sunday, Aug. 7, at 3 p.m. against the Worcester Bravehearts. Tickets cost $10 each and can be purchased at nashuasilverknights.com.

Thursday, Aug. 4

Author Laurie Stone is speaking at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord) about her book Streaming Now: Postcards From the Thing That is Happening. Stone’s book is a collection of feminist narratives and essays that discuss the paradoxes of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the rise of using podcasts to combat loneliness. The discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to attend. See gibsonsbookstore.com

Friday, Aug. 5

Up, up and away for the 40th annual Suncook Valley Rotary Club Hot Air Balloon Rally beginning today at 3 p.m. at Drake Field, 17 Fayette St., Pittsfield. It will continue on Saturday, Aug. 6, and Sunday, Aug. 7, starting at 5:30 a.m. both days. The Rally will have carnival rides, helicopter rides, a regatta and live entertainment, and each night will end with a balloon lift off at 5:30 p.m., with a night glow at dusk to follow. The event is free and more information can be found at suncookvalleyrotary.org/sitepage/hot-air-balloon-rally/welcome.

Saturday, Aug. 6

The Belknap County Fair is returning today and will continue Sunday, Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, at 174 Mile Hill Road in Belmont. The fair features animal shows, demonstrations, live entertainment, exhibits and food. Admission at the gate is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors over 65 and for police, fire and EMS personnel, and free for kids under 10 and for military service members. Visit bcfairnh.org for more information.

Saturday, Aug. 6

The Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford) is hosting WrestleQueerdom, the first ever wrestling event with all transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming wrestlers in North America. The main match is going to be VENY vs. Edith Surreal, what the venue is calling a dream match. There will be other wrestlers from across the country and world competing against each other. The doors for general admission open at 7 p.m. and general addition tickets cost $20. For more information, visit the organization’s Twitter page at twitter.com/w_queerdom.

Monday, Aug. 8

Local author and journalist Kathleen Bailey is debuting her new book New Hampshire War Monuments: The Stories Behind the Stones, at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) at 6:30 p.m. Bailey and her daughter Sheila Bailey, the photographer for the book, will discuss the history behind war monuments across the Granite State, and why it’s important to understand what these monuments mean. The event is free to attend. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com for more information.

Save the Date! Saturday, Sept. 17
Inconceivable! The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes will grant the wishes of The Princess Bride-loving Granite Staters for a behind-the-scenes look at the classic film on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. The event, which will be at the Chubb Theatre (44 S Main St, Concord), will feature a screening of the film, followed by a Q&A session with the actor. Tickets cost $36 to $46, and VIP tickets are $150. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets can be bought at ccanh.com.

Featured photo. The Silver Knights. Courtesy photo.