Category: This Week

Big Events June 30, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, June 30

Bedford’s Family Concerts in the Park starts today at 6 p.m. at the Bedford Village Park Gazebo (off Bell Hill Road) with a performance by the Manchester Community Music School. The concert series continues with performances on Wednesdays and will run until Aug. 10. On Wednesday, July 6, catch Sixties Invasion (pictured, playing the music of the 1960s). The music will range from New Orleans jazz to rock, doo-wop, country, folk and other genres. Concerts are free to attend and bringing a lawn chairs or blankets (and a picnic dinner) is encouraged. bedfordnh.myrec.com.

Friday, July 1

The New Hampshire Boat Museum (399 Center St., Wolfeboro, nhbm.org, 569-4554) will be giving a Free Admission Day today because it will be closed for the Fourth of July. The current exhibits are “Letting Off Steam: Escaping to New Hampshire during the Golden Age of Steam” and “Who’s in the Boat? A Look at the History of the Sport of Rowing.”

Friday, July 1

Communities across the Granite State are doing Readings of Frederick Douglass’s Essay “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” The readings will all be taking place at noon today at Congregational Church of Amherst; Eagle Square in Concord; Dover Public LIbrary; Exeter Town Hall; Hopkinton Town Hall; Manchester City Hall Plaza; Nashua Library Gardens; Teixeira Park (Union Street, Peterborough); Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth); Rochester Performance & Art Center, Colonel Paul Wentworth House (Rochester), and Warner Town Hall. See blackheritagetrailnh.org/frederick-douglass-statewide-readings or call 570-8469.

Tuesday, July 5

Dover Public Library is giving Granite Staters a way to track down their heritage with a Genealogy Class beginning today at 6:30 p.m. The library welcomes everyone, experienced genealogists or newcomers, from across the state for free classes. Contact Anne Nelson at [email protected] or call the library at 516-6050 for more information.

Wednesday, July 6

The Courtyard by Marriott (70 Constitution Ave.in Concord) is taking advantage of its patio with a nine-week lineup of live Music on the Patio, starting on July 6 with April Cushman. The music will play from 5 to 7 p.m. The series is free for anyone to enjoy. Find more live music on area decks in the Music This Week listing, which starts on page 34.

Thursday, July 7

Van Otis Chocolates is holding a Chocolate Happy Hour at its Manchester location (341 Elm St., vanotis.com, 627-1611) for chocoholics age 21 and older. Participants will get a tour of the chocolate factory and make their own special chocolate bark. Guests are invited to bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while they whip up their chocolate creations. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite at eventbrite.com/o/van-otis-chocolates-15034673134.

Save the Date! Friday, July 15
Nashua’s Parks and Recreation department is starting Pics in the Park with a showing of Jurassic Park (PG-13, 1993) at dusk at Greeley Park (100 Concord St.). The movie will be shown on a screen in front of the bandshell and is free to attend.

Featured photo. 60s Invasion. Courtesy photo.

Big Events June 23, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, June 23

This is the last week to see the award-winning musicalLegally Blondeat the Palace Theatre (80 Hannover St., Manchester). The musical follows Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandals while attending Harvard Law School and pursuing her dreams. The high-energy musical closes on June 26. Ticket prices range from $25 to $46. Showtimes are on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at noon. Tickets can be purchased online at palacetheatre.org.

Friday, June 24

The Canvas Roadshow Studio (25 S. River Road, Bedford) is giving people a chance to customize their sneakers at the Custom Sneaker Workshop today from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The studio will supply materials and patterns for people to choose from. Just make sure to bring a pair of canvas shoes to decorate. The workshop is for people ages 12 and older and costs $35 per person. Register at thecanvasroadshow.com/workshop-events/custom-sneaker-workshop.

Sunday, June 26

Help support the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity by entering in their Cornhole Competition from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Budweiser Brewery Experience (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) This is the only fundraiser this year for the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity. Tickets for competing teams costs $75 and they have to register a team name and a T-shirt size. The top three winning teams will earn prizes for their bag tossing skills. In addition to the competition, there will be food trucks and drinks and alcoholic beverages served at the Biergarten. Sign up at nashuahabitat.org/cornhole.

Monday, June 27

Larry Gagnon is holding his fundraiser, PMC Piccola Night, at Piccola Italia Ristorante (815 Elm St., Manchester) tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $50 and include a buffet and drinks. All the money raised will be donated to the Pan Mass Challenge, a biking course that raises money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Email Gagnon at [email protected] for more details.

Wednesday, June 29

This is the first night of the Free Concerts on Pelham Village Green for the summer. The green outside the library (24 Village Green) will be ready for families and music lovers to listen to music by All Day Fire Band. The Pelham Parks and Recreation department is encouraging people to bring lawn chairs or blanket, a book, ball, Frisbee, or other outdoor activities to do while they listen to the live music. The concert is free and runs from 6 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 29

Manchester’s “Summer Series Movies in the Park at Veterans Park” kicks off today at 8 p.m. with a screening of Black Panther (PG-13, 2018). Upcoming screenings include Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (PG, 1986) on July 13 and Encanto (PG, 2021) on July 27. The series finishes off with The Wedding Singer (PG-13, 1998), starring Manchester’s own Adam Sandler, on Aug. 10, according to a post on the Manchester Parks & Recreation Division’s Facebook page.

Save the Date! Saturday, July 2
The Fifth Annual Tree Streets Block Party will be on Saturday, July 2, from 2 to 6 p.m., on Ash Street between Central and West Hollis streets in Nashua. There will be a hot rod car show, a cookie competition, a skateboarding and BMX bike competition, and carnival games that will raise money for charity. Food vendors Los Amigos Barbecue and Soel Sistas will also be there, and live music will be featured. Admission is free. Visit involvedtoimpact.wordpress.com/home/tree-streets-block-party for more details.

Featured photo. Black Panther. Courtesy photo.

Big Events June 16, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, June 16

The 22nd annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic runs today through Saturday, June 18, with artists working on their solo creations leading up to voting for the People’s Choice Award on Saturday, June 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. (a fireworks display will follow at 9:30 p.m.). The sculptures will then be lighted for nightly viewing through June 26. See hamptonbeach.org.

Friday, June 17

Grab a burger at The Barley House (132 N. Main St. in Concord; thebarleyhouse.com), which is holding its annual Burgerfest to raise money for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. See the menu of burgers (which includes options such as Brie and Chutney Bison Burger, Beef Wellington Burger, Stuffed Portabello Burger, Bourbon Steakhouse Burger and Bali Lamb Burger) at thebarleyhouse.com/burgerfest-2022. The Burgerfest started June 13 and runs through Saturday, June 18.

Saturday, June 18

The Palace Theatre will hold its 3rd annual Queen City Gardens self-guided tour today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 on the day (register at Demers Garden Center, 656 Mammoth Road in Manchester, from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday or purchase tickets via palacetheatre.org/calendar/queen-city-gardens-garden-tour).

Saturday, June 18

Get 20 acts on three stages at today’s Pizzastock 6, the annual tribute concert held by the Jason R. Flood Memorial. The event runs from noon to 8:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club in Derry (40 E. Derry Road) and will feature family activities, community service tables, food trucks, pizza and musical acts including More Than Jake, The Nostalgics, The Hasbeens, Cozy Throne (the Pizzastock 4.5 winner) and Second To Last Minute (the Pizzastock 5.5 winner; pictured), according to pizzastock.org. Admission is free.

Saturday, June 18

The Nashua Parks and Recreation department kicks off its SummerFun schedule with Celebrating DPW Day today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Greeley Park (100 Concord St. in Nashua), featuring live music (including Joe Birch at 10:15 a.m.), BJ Hickman Magic Show at 11:15 a.m., local stage acts, a bounce house, vendors and more. See nashuanh.gov for more on today’s event and the summer line-up of entertainment and activities. For more family fun, check out this week’s cover story (starting on page 10).

Sunday, June 19

Treat Dad to some strawbereries (today is Father’s Day). Beaver Brook Association is hosting Strawberry Station: A Family Event at Brown Lane Barn (52 Brown Lane in Hollis) today from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn about wild strawberries and make strawberry shortcake, according to beaverbrook.org where you must register for the event in advance. The cost is $45 per family.

Monday, June 20

The SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) will hold its Kickoff to Summer today through Sunday, June 26, with special activities, raffles and “Spinning Science into Fun” performances by Brett “Ooch” Outchcunis featuring yo-yos, spin tops, frisbees and more, according to a press release. The center is open daily at 10 a.m. (through 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends) and admission costs $10 per person ages 3 and up. Advance registration is recommended, the website said.

Featured photo. Second to Last Minute will perform at Pizzastock 6. Courtesy photo.

Big Events June 9, 2022 and beyond

Saturday, June 11

The Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, kicks off its season (it will run one Saturday a month from June through October) today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rollins Park (33 Bow St. in Concord). See concordartsmarket.net.

Saturday, June 11

Get ideas for your garden by touring the public gardens maintained by the Milford Garden Club today from 10 a.m. to noon. See milfordnhgardenclub.org/gardentour.html for a map of the 11 spots where club members maintain gardens.

Saturday, June 11

A week of celebration begins today for 2022 Pride Week in Manchester. Queen City Pride will host an event honoring Mona’s 440 Club with a ladies night drag show at Strange Brew (88 Market St. in Manchester) featuring live music, a DJ and pole dancer Andrew Alvarado starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to this 21+ show cost $15. A Pride brunch will be held Sunday, June 12, starting at noon at Gauchos; the cost is $25, no preregistration required. George Cox hosts Pride karaoke at Stark Brewery on Wednesday, June 15. Find the complete Pride Week schedule at queencitypridenh.org.

Saturday, June 11

Laconia Motorcycle Week returns for its 99th year and is slated to run through June 19 with a variety of motorcycle tours, vendors, daily scenic rides, live entertainment and more, all centered around Weirs Beach in Laconia. See laconiamcweek.com. Today, after the Peter Markis Memorial Ride, you can catch the Kan-Tu Blues Band and the Brassholes from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Naswa in Laconia, followed by Blue Matter from 6 to 10 p.m. For more live music this weekend and beyond, see the Music This Week listings on page 34.

Sunday, June 12

New Hampshire Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord) will hold a native plant sale today from noon to 4 p.m. Native perennial farm Bagley Pond will sell a wide selection of native plants and shrubs, according to a press release. NH Audubon staff and Pollinator Garden volunteers will be on site to answer questions about gardening, pollinators, native wildlife and native plants (such as the bee balm pictured above), the release said. See nhaudubon.org.

Sunday, June 12

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will hold a walking tour in Milford called “Not a Slave, Yet Not Free: Harriet Wilson and the Abolition Movement.” The tour will meet in the Milford Oval at 2 p.m. Registration costs $20 per person, $15 for seniors and military and $10 for students. An author (the first African American to publish a novel in North America) and lecturer, Wilson was born in Milford, where a sculpture of her is in Bicentennial Park. See blackheritagetrailnh.org.

Sunday, June 12

Get some classic cinema today when What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) screens in celebration of its 60th anniversary at Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and Regal Fox Run in Newington at 1 p.m. The Bette Davis/Joan Crawford-fronted film (the subject of the first season of Feud) will also screen Wednesday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at Cinemark Rockingham Park and O’Neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping. See fathomevents.com for tickets.

Save the Date! Thursday, June 16
WineNot Boutique (25 Main St. in Nashua; winenotboutique.com, 204-5569) will hold a tasting of rosé wines on Thursday, June 16, with times at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20 (plus a fee) and get you samples of more than a dozen wines from around the globe, the website said.

Featured photo. Bee Balm. Courtesy photo.

Big Events June 2, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, June 2

Catch the third of six games between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Portland Sea Dogs at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester tonight at 6:35 p.m. Tonight’s game (as well as the game on Saturday, June 4) will feature post-game fireworks. Tomorrow’s game starts at 6:03 p.m. as part of “603 night” honoring the 603 (Friday will also feature a foam NH State giveaway). The team will also play a game Sunday, June 5, at 1:35 p.m. Saturday’s game will also feature an appreciation for Manchester’s culinary history when the team rebrands for one night as the Manchester Chicken Tenders, according to milb.com/new-hampshire.

Thursday, June 2

The Nashua Silver Knights will play the second of four consecutive home games at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua) tonight at 6 p.m. against the Brockton Rox. Like the F-Cats, tomorrow’s Silver Knights game will also start at 6:03 p.m. (they will face off against the New Britain Bees and the game will feature post-game fireworks). The game on Saturday, June 4, against the Westfield Starfires starts at 6 p.m. See nashuasilverknights.com.

Friday, June 3

The Palace Theatre presents Legally Blonde, the, like, totally Tony-nominated musical based on the 2001 film, starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. The comedy musical, which tells the story of sorority girl Elle Woods, who heads to law school at Harvard after being dumped by her boyfriend, runs through Sunday, June 26, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). The show runs on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at noon.

Saturday, June 4

Today is Free Fishing Day in New Hampshire. Fish in freshwater or saltwater without a license and see if angling is for you. Season rules and bag limits still apply, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Website (wildlife.state.nh.us), where you can find a listing of fish stocking locations and the current fish seasons.

Saturday, June 4

It’s another Saturday in plant sale season!

Today, head to the Derry Garden Club’s sale starting at 9 a.m. at Robert Frost Farm (Route 28 in Derry). Pick up some annuals, perennials, used tools, raffles and advice from two master gardeners, according to a press release, which discussed the methods the club has used to “eliminate any chance of ‘jumping worms’ being transferred.”

The Hooksett Garden Club is also holding its plant sale from 9 a.m. to noon at R&R Public Wholesalers (1371 Hooksett Road in Hooksett). In addition to annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and houseplants there will be a garden-themed yard sale, raffle items, master gardeners available to answer questions and a children’s table, according to an email from the club.

Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org) is holding its plant sale to correspond with Herb & Garden Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Herb & Garden Day (see nhherbalnetwork.wordpress.com/herbday) will feature workshops, vendors and more. All-access admission to Herb and Garden Day costs $35; admission to the market only costs $5.

Admission to the museum’s plant sale is free to attend.

Save the Date! Saturday, June 18
The Brooks Young Band will play the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, June 18, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets in advance cost $15 general admission, $25 for reserved balcony (plus fees); tickets are $2 extra at the door. Valerie Barretto opens.

Featured photo. Legally Blonde. Courtesy photo.

Big Events May 26, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, May 26

Start the weekend off with some music: Ali McGuirk, described on her website as “blending classic soul power with a folk songwriter lyricism,” will perform tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets cost $25 (plus fees). Hear her at alimcguirk.com. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in our concert listings on page 58. Find laughs in our Comedy This Week listings on page 56 and places to get in some friendly competition at area trivia nights on page 58.

Looking for some live music along with a cool beverage or some eats? Find live music at area bars, restaurants and breweries — such as Brad Aiken and Friends’ Friday, May 27, performance at the Millyard Brewery in Nashua from 6 to 8 p.m. — in our Music This Week listings, which start on page 53.

Thursday, May 26

It’s the first home game of the season for the Nashua Silver Knights, described on their website as a “wood-bat baseball team competing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England.” The Silver Knights will play the Pittsfield Suns tonight at 6 p.m. at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua). The team will also play at Holman against the Worcester Bravehearts on Saturday, May 28, at 6 p.m. and they’ll face the Westfield Starfires on Monday, May 30, at 1 p.m. See nashuasilverknights.com.

Saturday, May 28

The Jaffrey Woman’s Club will hold its “Everybody Loves a Plant” sale today, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Cutler Memorial Building (33 Main St. in Jaffrey), according to jaffreywomansclub.org. Know of a plant sale? Let us know at [email protected].

Sunday, May 29

The Memorial Day parade returns to Bedford today, stepping off at 1 p.m. from the Bedford High School and proceeding down County Road to Liberty Hill Road and McKelvie Intermediate School, where there will be vendors, according to bedfordnh.myrec.com.

Tuesday, May 31

Keep the baseball fun going when the New Hampshire Fisher Cats return to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester for a string of games against the Portland Sea Dogs starting tonight at 6:35 p.m. Games continue through Sunday, June 5. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Save the Date! Friday, June 3 — and maybe for two days after that
The Granite State Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit that responds to child abuse investigations and supports children who are victims of abuse, is holding a Jet Gala on Friday, June 3, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Pro Star Aviation Hangar (8 Kelly Ave. in Londonderry). Well, maybe until 10 p.m. For one winner of the event’s raffle, the night will end with a limo ride to a Boston hotel. The second-place winner will ride a helicopter to a luxury hotel at a resort, and the grand prize winner will board a private jet for a weekend at a surprise city destination, according to a press release. All three winners will receive round-trip transportation, lodging and more and return to Manchester on Sunday afternoon, the release said. Gala-goers are expected to come with a suitcase packed. Even the people who don’t end up on a surprise weekend getaway will get an evening of music, cocktails, appetizers and more, the release said. Tickets cost $200 per person (plus fees). See jetgalanh.org.

Featured photo. Ali McGuirk. Courtesy photo.