Category: This Week

Thursday, Sept. 18

The Amoskeag Quilters Guild meets tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church (14 Mammoth Road, Hooksett). There will be show & tell, signups for various guild activities, and light refreshments. Visit amoskeagqg.org.

Thursday, Sept. 18

Vocal act A Girl Named Tom will perform at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St, Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m., with supporting act Torri Weidinger. This is the only group to ever win a season of The Voice. Tickets start at $33.

Friday, Sept. 19

This year’s NASCAR Weekend kicks off today at 1 p.m. with a Hauler Parade. Forty NASCAR Cup Series haulers will parade through downtown Concord on Main Street. The hauler parade will finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Gov. Kelly Ayotte will wave a green flag from the Capitol, and fans are encouraged to line the Main Street sidewalks to cheer for the NASCAR race team haulers. Visit nhms.com.

Friday, Sept. 19

Hollis Old Home Days are today and tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 20, with events including the town parade (10:30 a.m Saturday), an artisan market, rides, a heritage and demonstration tent, fireworks Saturday evening, tethered hot air balloon rides on Saturday afternoon, youth art activities, a petting zoo on Saturday and more, according to hollisoldhomedays.org.

Saturday, Sept. 20

There will be a New England contra dance tonight at the City-Wide Community Center (14 Canterbury Road, Concord, concordnhcontra.wordpress.com) with caller Don Veino and music by Here on Hill, from 7 to 10 p.m. Beginners, singles and families are welcome. Visit concordnhcontra.wordpress.com.

Saturday, Sept. 20

“A Taste of Ireland” – The Irish Music and Dance Sensation makes a tour stop in Manchester at the the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Performed by former world Irish dance champions and featuring dancers from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, this promises to be a night to remember. Tickets start at $49.50.

Saturday, Sept. 20

The Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com) will host Tupelo Night of Comedy with Chris Pennie, Joni Grassey, Wayne Russell and Ethan Printz tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25.

Saturday, Sept. 20

Derryfest takes place today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Derry’s MacGregor Park. The day will feature a fair, a line up of live performances and vendors, including Kona Ice, Sweet Dreams Confections and more, according to derryfest.org. Live performances for the day include Kids Coop Theatre (11:20 a.m.), Pro-Martial Arts Academy (12:15 p.m.) andWild Life Encounters (1 p.m..), as well as other dance, music and martial arts schools. Find the booth map and vendors on the website as well.

Save the Date! Thursday Sept. 25 through Sunday, Sept. 28
The Deerfield Fair will take place at the fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road in Deerfield. The event features rides, live music, the Flying Wallendas high wire act, horse shows and agriculture events (including pig scrambles), magic shows, dog demonstrations and more. Visit deerfieldfair.com.

Friday, Sept. 12

The “nostalgic pop, funk and dance band” Emily’s Garage Band performs at the Event Center at Hampshire Hills (Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com/eventcenter) tonight from 7 to 11 p.m., according to the venue’s website. Tickets are $17.85.

Saturday, Sept. 13

Bridges and Connections International Sculpture Symposium at the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline, andresinstitute.org, 673-7441) kicks off today with an opening ceremony (at 1 p.m.) and a blues concert at 5:15 p.m. (tickets cost $25), according to the website. The day will include a keynote address by local artist Marek Bennett followed by sketchbook cartooning with Bennett at 2:30 p.m. for a $5 fee, according to an Institute newsletter. This year’s artists are Parastoo Ahovan of Connecticut and Iran; Robert Leverich of Olympia, Washington, and Jorge Van Daele of Kalmthout, Belgium, according to andresinstitute.org, where you can find links at their website to see their works. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. there will be a free Artist Showcase where the sculptors will present their portfolios, the website said. The closing ceremony will be Sunday, Oct. 5.

Saturday, Sept. 13

The Goffstown Rotary Club is holding its 12th Annual Car Show today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Parsons Drive in Goffstown. There will be 16 classes of vehicles, including trucks. Visit goffstownrotary.org/page/12th-annual-car-show-2025.

Saturday, Sept. 13

The Manchester Citywide Arts Festival wraps up with a Free Street Fair today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Hanover Street in downtown Manchester. Then from 4 to 8 p.m., art galleries and other businesses in downtown Manchester will participate in the Downtown Art Walk. See palacetheatre.org/manchester-citywide-arts-festival and get the details in the story in last week’s Hippo on page 29 (find the Sept. 4 issue in the digital library at hippopress.com).

Saturday, Sept. 13

Grasshoppers Garden Center (728 River Road, New Boston, 497-5788, grasshoppersgardencenter.com) is holding its annual Harvest Fest today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be live music, raffles, games, food and wine tastings, local artists, sales on plants and more. Visit grasshoppersgardencenter.com.

Sunday, Sept. 14

A Taste of Ireland brings world Irish dance champions to the Chubb Theatre (Chubb Theatre at CCA, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) today at 3 p.m. This show combines traditional Irish music given a modern twist with jaw-dropping dance performances and vibrant storytelling. Tickets start at $49.

Save the Date! Sept. 19 – 21
This year’s NASCAR Weekend will kick off Friday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m. with a Hauler Parade. 40 NASCAR Cup Series haulers will parade through downtown Concord on Main Street. The hauler parade will finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend. Gov. Kelly Ayotte will wave a green flag from the Capitol, and fans are encouraged to line the Main Street sidewalks to cheer for the NASCAR race team haulers. Visit nhms.com.

Friday, Sept. 5

The 36th Annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival will kick off today from noon to 9 p.m. and continue Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Ocean Boulevard (Center Beach) in Hampton Beach. The weekend will feature an extensive line-up of live music, kicking off with Mica’s Groove Train today at 1:30 p.m., a lobster roll eating competition on Sunday, fireworks Saturday evening, a 5K on Sunday, culinary demonstrations, a cornhole competition on Saturday, crafters and, of course, seafood, according to seafoodfestivalnh.com, where you can see the planned menus for the festival’s food vendors. Find multiple lobster roll and chowder vendors, as well as items such as a lobster slider from Charlie’s Tap House, Scallops wrapped in bacon from the Purple Urchin, fried lobster tails from Ray’s Seafood Restaurant and oysters from Swell Oysters, according to the website which also lists lots of non-seafood and dessert food options.

Friday, Sept. 5

The theme for September’s First Friday in downtown Concord is “‘Fall’ in Love with Concord.” The event takes place ,along Main Street from 4 to 8 p.m. Food trucks will be on site from Batulo’s Kitchen, Kona Ice, and Teenie Wienies. There will be free yoga on the Statehouse lawn, live music from Tyler Levs, and a children’s entrepreneur market. Visit firstfridayconcord.com/september.

Saturday, Sept. 6

The 20th annual Pedaling for Payson, a bicycle-centered fundraising event to benefit Nurse Navigation at the Payson Center for Cancer Care, takes place today starting in the morning at Elm Brook Park in Contoocook. There will be 16-, 30- and 50-mile road rides, 22- and 45-mile gravel rides, a mountain bike loop, a 2-mile short course, and a stationary spin ride. Visit runsignup.com/Race/NH/Contoocook/PedalingforPayson.

Saturday, Sept. 6

Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church (3 Peabody Row, Londonderry, 437-8333, stpeterslondonderry.org) is holding its 38th Fall Artisan Craft Fair today from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 6

The Humane Society for Greater Nashua hosts Wags to Whiskers Festival today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fields of Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 DW Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, anheuser-busch.com/breweries/merrimack-nh). This dog-friendly event will feature K9 demonstrations by the Merrimack and Nashua Police Departments, performances by Granite State Disc Dogs and adoption opportunities. Visit hsfn.org/wags-2025.

Sunday, Sept. 7

Guitarist Shaun Hague leads Journeyman,a tribute to Eric Clapton. Catch them today at 4 p.m., BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St, Concord, $35 and up at ccanh.com.

Save the Date! Monday, Sept. 15
The 2025 VoxPop Poetry Slam Finals will erupt onto the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) Monday, Sept. 15, starting at noon. Prepare to be captivated as the city’s sharpest wordsmiths, fiercest spoken word artists and most captivating storytellers go head to head. Tickets are $20 each in advance through the Capitol Center’s website, or $23 at the door.

Thursday, Aug. 28

The Hopkinton State Fair starts today and runs through Monday, Sept. 1, at the fairgrounds, 392 Kearsarge Ave. in Contoocook. In addition to the midway with a selection of rides (see the list at hsfair.org), the fair will feature the Demolition Derby (Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m), Dialed Action Sports (Thursday at 6:30 p.m.), the New England Lawn Mower Racing Association (Friday 6 p.m.) and Dialed Action Sports BMX (various times Friday through Monday). The fair will also feature dog events such as Disc-Connected K9s (shows Thursday through Monday) and Dockdogs (daily) as well as live stock shows, pulling competitions, home arts and NH 4-H show and auction, the website said. Get juggling and magic performances daily on the Country Porch Stage and find live music on The Ag Stage including Linda Nelson (Thursday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m), Dan Morgan (times Friday through Monday), April Cushman (Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Brad Myrick (Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the website said. Fair hours are 5 to 10 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. Buy admission passes, admission and ride mega passes and special show tickets through the website.

Thursday, Aug. 28

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will play Game 3 of a six-game home series against the Erie SeaWolves tonight at 6:35 p.m. at Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester, 641-2005, milb.com/new-hampshire). Come early for a Space Potatoes Koozie Giveaway. Tickets start at $17. Games continue Friday and Saturday (when the team plays at the Space Potatoes and there is a Space Potato socks giveaway) nights at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 28

Post-grunge rock band Creed takes the stage at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) tonight at 7 p.m. with special guests Daughtry and Mammoth will open. Tickets start at $49.

Saturday, Aug. 30

Cruising Downtown returns to downtown Manchester today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., organized by the Rotary Club of Manchester. The day will feature cars on display, along with food, local vendors and live music with Off Duty Angels, Linda Lane Band, Speed Trap and Permanent Vacation, according to the club’s Facebook page. See cruisingdowntownmanchester.com.

Saturday, Aug. 30

Today is the Clear the Shelter Finale at Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord Merrimack County (94 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 856-8756, pmspca.org) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a 50 percent off pet adoption fees for adult pets.

Sunday, Aug. 31

Temple Mountain plays an afternoon solo set today at 3 p.m. at Contoocook Cider Co. in Contoocook. The Peterborough-based singer-guitarist mixes originals with fun covers. Sunday, Aug. 31, 3 p.m., Contoocook Cider Co., 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, templemountainmusic.com.

Save the Date! Friday, Sept. 19
The annual celebration of Scottish culture, music, food and sports returns to Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln. The annual New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival will take place Friday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 21, according to nhscot.org. See events such as stone lifting and caber toss, historical reenactments of life in the Highlands, “Try It” classes, kids’ events and more. Purchase tickets for a single day or the weekend on the website along with tickets for special musical performances and food events, such as the Cape Breton dinner and whisky master classes.

Friday, Aug. 22

Classic heavy metal band Queensryche performs at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 8 p.m. as part of their All Sinners Open tour. Tickets start at $70.

Friday, Aug. 22

As part of its Locally Sourced concert series, the Capitol Center for the Arts hosts hard-rocking bands Doug, the Worst, and Grub Lord tonight at 7 p.m. at the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com). Tickets are $18 , $21 at the door.

Friday, Aug. 22

Join a 120-minute DIY watch-making workshop at Skyrim Watch Studio (427 Amherst St., Nashua, 810-9528, skyrimwrist.com). Learn to assemble your own timepiece step by step, with all parts provided, and take your dream watch home. Workshops are tonight as well as Saturday, Aug. 23, and Sunday, Aug. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost starts at $46 per person; tickets are available through eventbrite.com.

Saturday, Aug. 23

The 13th Annual New Hampshire Monarch Festival takes place today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its new location, Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury. The day will feature exhibits and presentations about butterflies and other pollinators as well as children’s activities and walking trails, according to the event’s Facebook page. Visitors can take home free milkweed and flower seeds, according to a press release. Admission is free for children under 2 years old (and for kids ages 2 to 12 years old if wearing an appropriate costume); admission is $4 for ages 2 to 12 is $4 and $7 for ages 13+, the release said.

Saturday, Aug. 23

The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St, Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) hosts a night of soul-stirring music at the Devon Allman Blues Summit tonight beginning at 8 p.m. Joining blues great Devon Allman will be the legendary Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie and Jeff Beck fame, blues icon Larry McCray, and New Orleans singer Sierra Green. Tickets start at $43.

Sunday, Aug. 24

Merrimack High Schools FIRST Robotics Team hosts its second annual Cars, Robots and Coffee event this morning from 8 a.m. to noon. The event is a blend of a traditional Cars and Coffee event mixed with demonstrations from local FIRST Robotics teams. The event will take place at Merrimack High School (38 McElwain St., Merrimack).

Sunday, Aug. 24

The Summer Silent Boxing Film Series concludes with a screening of Buster Keaton’s Battling Butler (1926) today at 2 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton. Admission is free; a donation of $10 per person is suggested. There will be live musical accompaniment by organist Jeff Rapsis.

Save the Date! Thursday, Aug. 28
Post-grunge rock band Creed will take the stage at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) Thursday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. as part of their Return of the Summer of ’99 tour. Special guests Daughtry and Mammoth will open for them. Tickets start at $49.

Friday, Aug. 15

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will host the traveling exhibit “Rise Above” today through Sunday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, featuring “an iconic P-51C Mustang fighter aircraft painted in the Tuskegee Squadron’s ‘Red Tail’ design — one of the few still flying today. Also included are a mobile theater featuring films and displays about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots — two groups that overcame adversity to make crucial contributions to the Allied effort during World War II,” according to a museum newsletter. The exhibit and admission to the museum are free during the weekend, the newsletter said. The museum’s annual Planefest takes place Saturday, Aug. 16, when a “1943 Grumman Widgeon amphibious aircraft” will be on display and the day will feature family activities and food trucks. See aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Friday, Aug. 15

Osborne’s Farm & Garden Center of Hooksett will hold Dock Dogs,a family-friendly event where dogs compete to see who can jump the farthest and the highest. Try it out today from 4 to 8 p.m. The actual competition will be tomorrow, Saturday Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register dogs at dockdogs.com.

Saturday, Aug. 16

Media Power Youth will host its second annual Summer Youth Film Festival today from 9 to 11 a.m. at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org). The festival features short films and other media creations made during Media Power Youth’s programs over the past year. Purchase tickets at mediapoweryouth.org.

Saturday, Aug. 16

A mural unveiling at Sheehan-Basquil Park, 297 Maple St in Manchester, is slated for today from noon to 4 p.m. The afternoon will feature a pop-up gallery as well as the unveiling of “Thoughts Projected,” according to posts on Positive Street Art’s Facebook page.

Saturday, Aug. 16

The Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) is hosting an Uncruel Summer Dance Party tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $21.

Saturday, Aug. 16

Granite State Generosity (gsgnh.org) is hosting its 2nd Annual Shhhake It Off Silent/Headphone Dance Party tonight at Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564, auburnpitts.com) from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Attendees will be given a pair of three-channel headphones to pick between three playlists playing simultaneously. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Visit gsgnh.org/shhake-it-off-silent-headphone-dance-party.

Sunday, Aug. 17

The Folksoul Festival returns today, kicking off at 10:30 a.m. The performers include Peter and Linda Simoneaux’s Cajun-flavored Back O’ Town, old-time gospel group Long Journey, Ivychum Trio, roots music favorites Low Lily, and the host Folksoul Band — plus a second line parade. Outdoor Stage, Driscoll & Mountain Road, Greenfield, $20, under 12 free, folksoul.com.

Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 23
The New Hampshire Irish Festival will take place Saturday, Aug. 23, starting at 5 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, palacetheatre.org. The line-up on stage includes The Spain Brothers, Ronan Tynan, Screaming Orphans, Mick McAuley and Eileen Ivers, the website said. Tickets start at $43.