Plenty of fish

A look at the 33rd Hampton Beach Seafood Festival

By Katelyn Sahagian, Curt Mackail & Betty Gagne

food@hippopress.com

Seafood is the main attraction at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which will also feature more than 40 food trucks and demonstrations in the culinary tent by Wicked Bites.

There will also be approximately 70 local artisans selling their crafts; live music around the clock; a cornhole tournament; a road race and other family-friendly activities. The festival will have two main stages: the Beach Bar and the Seashell Stage. Instead of doing two bar locations like they have in the past, Bridle said, there will be one supersized bar.

“We call ourselves ‘the largest bar in New England’ on those days,” festival director Nicholas Bridle said. “It’s over 40,000 square feet of bar on the sand.”

The bar area will be family-friendly, like the festival overall, and will also be the site of the cornhole competition. Other new features this year include shuttle buses to transport visitors to the festival from parking lots, and a digital ticketing system.

Seafood galore

More than 25 food vendors are on the bill, many of them long-established local favorites.

“This will be our 20th year,” said Sylvia Cheever, owner of Rye Harbor Lobster Pound.

Cheever said she’s looking forward to entering her specialities in the judging competition and hopes to win again.

“Our traditional creamy New England clam chowder, our fluffy clam chowder that’s topped with lobster, our lobster roll and our lobster bisque always do well,” she said.

Through the past six years Rye Harbor Lobster Pound earned a winner or runner-up award eight times in three different categories.

Perennial local favorites including the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge No. 102, a former champ in the fried seafood category, are returning too.

Swell Oyster Co., the first-ever Hampton Harbor oyster farm and the only one in New Hampshire using a suspended aquaculture system, is back for its second year. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat. The company harvested its first oysters in 2018.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this year,” Hilliard said. “Our menu includes our Swell oysters in the half shell shucked to order. We’ll also offer grilled oysters with Rockefeller butter or our chipotle bourbon butter, grilled clams casino, and extra-large shrimp cocktail.”

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth.

“The menu features first and foremost our signature haddock taco with fried haddock, house slaw in a crispy corn flour shell, cilantro, pico de gallo and Chef Nicki’s mango habanero salsa,” owner Nicole Leavitt said. “Other features are shrimp ceviche cocktail, elotes, a lobster empanada with lemon crema, and mangonadas. A mangonada is a great way to stay cool with a house-made Mexican chili sauce featuring lime salt, cinnamon, sugar and other secret spices layered in with a mango-style slushie served with a Tajin straw.”

More than seafood

There are plenty of options if you’re not a seafood fan: roast beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, gyros, french fries, pizza, pastry and desserts.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, winner in the non-seafood category last year, is one vendor to look for if your taste runs to Austin-style smoked, fall-off-the-bone meats and classic southern “fixin’s” on the side.

When you’re ready for a sweet treat, several options fill the bill, including Clyde’s Cupcakes, Susie’s Sweets and the Boston Cannoli Co, which offers Little Italy-style crispy pastry shells stuffed with traditional ricotta fillings. But Boston Cannoli also pushes the established boundaries a bit with their ice cream, cheesecake and Oreo cannoli.

“A customer from New York City last year told us our cannoli are better than anything she’s ever had there,” said founder Peter Karras, who credits his standard recipes to his 1903 Sicilian forebears.

Clyde’s Cupcakes’ pink dessert truck stands out visually and for its scratch-made delectables. Individual cheesecakes served in a Mason jar, freshly baked shortcake topped with fresh strawberries and a scoop of ice cream, and hot apple crisp are all on the festival menu.

Grab a bite

One of the highlights of this year’s Hampton Beach Seafood Festival is the Wicked Bites culinary demos.

Wicked Bites (wickedbites.tv) is a well-known food show where the staff searches for the best food in the area, and during the festival some of the greatest chefs they’ve found will feature live cooking demonstrations in the culinary tent next to the Hampton Chamber of Commerce beach office.

“The Seafood Festival is always a great time, and the culinary tent is a fabulous part of the fun,” said Dyana Martin, who oversees the tent.

The tent is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will be able to watch cooking demos and sample some of the food.

“The audience can watch the food being prepared live, and there’s also a television screen and camera that are set up to show a bird’s eye view of the preparation,” Martin said. “After the food is cooked, myself along with a group of volunteers pass out samples to the spectators. Afterward, the audience has a brief time to talk to the chefs via questions and answers about the food that was prepared and their methods of cooking.”

The tent will feature eight chefs on Saturday and five on Sunday. Most of the chefs are local, and they love to entertain the audience with their skills and their recipes.

“The chefs are animated and creative,” Martin said. “The crowd loves them, and they love the crowds.”

She encourages people to come early to get a seat inside the tent.

“The tent fills quickly, and there are always people standing outside of the tent to look on, but they may or may not get a chance at trying a dish because there are so many people there,” she said.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
Where: Ocean Boulevard (Route 1A North), Hampton Beach. Street will be closed to vehicle traffic and transformed into a pedestrian mall. Free parking at designated locations (see “Parking” box) is available, with shuttle service to the festival.
When: Friday, Sept. 9, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: $24 for full weekend, $8 per day. Digital tickets can be purchased in advance online under the “Admissions” section of the website.
More info: seafoodfestivalnh.com

Featured photo: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/09/08

News from the local food scene

• Chili chowdown: Join The Goat Bar and Grill (50 Old Granite St., Manchester) for its first annual chili cook-off on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m., to raise money for the New Hampshire State Firemen’s Association. Attendees will get to try a variety of locally made chilis and vote on their favorite. Trophies will be awarded for the best chilis, and live music will also be featured during the cook-off. All chili entries must be submitted prior to the start of the event. Visit goatnh.com/manchester.

• Island tastes: The Somersworth Indonesian Festival returns to downtown Somersworth for its ninth year on Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. The event features traditional Indonesian cuisine, along with an array of live cultural performances and a parade that highlights Indonesia’s seven main islands. The festival is organized by Indonesian Community Connect, a Somersworth-based nonprofit that hosts other similar fundraising events throughout the year. Visit indonesianconnect.org.

• Flavors of India: Authentic food and live performances are the highlights of the Indian Heritage Fest, which returns to Lowell Heritage State Park (160 Pawtucket Blvd., Lowell, Mass.) on Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. The signature event of the Gurjar Association of New England, Indian Heritage Fest features the opportunity to try a variety of freshly prepared Indian options from local vendors, along with live music and dancing, various children’s activities and prizes. Visit gurjar.org.

• Food trucks at the Village: Head to Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) for a food truck festival on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. A wide variety of eats from local food trucks will be available, and live music is expected for the duration of the event. Visit tuscanvillagesalem.com.

• Smoked to perfection: Long Blue Cat Brewing Co. (298 Rockingham Road, Londonderry) is scheduled to host its annual BBQ & Brews event on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. General admission is $29 and grants attendees access to an all-you-can-eat menu of barbecue favorites, including slow-smoked meats raised locally and eating spent grains from Long Blue Cat’s beers. Tickets are $40 for VIP admission and come with two draft pours. Live music will also be featured. Visit longbluecat.com.

• Historical brews: Join the Pelham Public Library (24 Village Green) for “Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present,” a program scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m., in partnership with New Hampshire Humanities. Presenter Glenn Knoblock will explore the history of the state’s beer and ale brewing industry from colonial days to today’s modern breweries and brew pubs. The program is available as an in-person or virtual presentation. Visit nhhumanities.org.

On The Job – Derek Griffith

Japanese domestic import auto dealer

Derek Griffith is the owner of Northeast Auto Imports in Hudson, a full-service auto dealer and importer specializing in Japanese domestic imports

Explain your job and what it entails.

I import 25+-year-old vehicles from Japan and sell them here — oddities compared to the U.S. market. I enjoy that I do something different than [selling] the cookie-cutter Chevy pickup and Toyota Corolla. Every day is something completely different.

How long have you had this job?

In August of 2018 we opened as a business.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

My father was in the used car industry, and I worked with him since I was 12. But my love for automobiles is not biased. I fell in love with learning the stories behind why the vehicles were designed as they are, or where they came from. All types of cars come through us, but we love the niche vehicles that come from Japan specifically because they just really nailed the interesting factor in the 1990s — turbo diesel 4×4 minivans, turbocharged mini cars that can fit in a doorway. It has kept me engaged.

What kind of education or training did you need?

Education consisted of on-the-job learning. I have no schooling or degrees past high school.

What’s your typical at-work uniform or attire?

We wear jeans or Dickies and company T-shirts or sweatshirts.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

The sales increased substantially. In fact, so much so that we misjudged and missed out on the potential of more than doubling our normal sales.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I wish I knew that I would be subject to the stress that being an owner causes for such little return. Employees are the most important part of making a business work, and making sure they are happy with their job is not always an easy task.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked as a ‘lot guy’ for my father, making sure the cars were always clean and had fuel.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice, although cliche and overused, is love what you do for work. It is the truth, and I make sure my employees love what they do as well. This life is too short to not enjoy your days, and why would you not want to enjoy what you do day in and day out?

Five favorites

Favorite book: Hatchet
Favorite movie: Turner and Hooch
Favorite music: Rock
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite thing about NH: The freedoms that come with living in the best state

Featured photo: Derek Griffith. Courtesy photo.

Arts in the city

A street fair caps the weeklong Manchester Citywide Arts Festival

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

For one week, Manchester will be an explosion of all types of artistic expression, thanks to the brand-new citywide arts festival.

The Palace Theatre has organized a week-long list of events, finishing off with a two-day Street Fair on Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Street Fair, billed as a family-friendly event, will feature an arts market highlighting dozens of local artists, artisans and crafters, interactive arts installations and live performances by musicians and dancers as well as food trucks.

“It really is … in my wheelhouse of things that I’m passionate about,” said Laura Zorawowicz, the director of the festival, about the weeklong event. “Connecting artists with each other and with the community is just super exciting.”

Zorawowicz, who has a background in art education and community arts, said that this is her first time planning an event of this size. She had only been working at the Palace as a bartender when Palace president Peter Ramsey started talking about an arts festival.

Almost immediately Zorawowicz volunteered to be part of the planning. She said she felt lucky that Ramsey had taken a chance with her.

Because it was important to include all forms of art in the festival, Zorawowicz found community institutions that focused on the arts to partner with The Palace. Bookery, Currier Museum of Art, Dimensions in Dance, Manchester Community Music School, and Studio 550 are all hosting events in conjunction with the theater. There will be all types of dance classes at Dimensions in Dance, an open house at the Community Music School, and artist speaker series at Bookery. The Currier will have special exhibits and The Palace Theatre’s production of The Little Mermaid will open that week.

Studio 550 will have creators building monsters out of clay and an interactive art project that anyone can participate in (but it will live in the studio), said Monica Leap, 550’s founder.

Leap said she was thrilled to see the arts community come together.

“Manchester has a lot of potential with the arts, but it’s not concerted or together, so it’s exciting to see something this big,” Leap said about the festival. “I hope people participate and experience something new.”

Several of Leap’s intermediate potters and former students (known as members) will be taking on the new challenge of selling items during the Street Fair. She said everyone seems excited to participate at the vendors’ booths and everyone is busy sculpting away.

“These people are making some really fantastic things,” Leap said. “You can tell there’s skill. … It’s exciting to see what they’re capable of.”

While many of the artists at the festival will be vendors selling their works, Karen Jerzyk is excited to have the human interaction back in her artwork.

Jerzyk is a photographer but, in her own words, “the photography is almost the documenting of what I do [to set up].”

All of Jerzyk’s sets are designed and built by her. She said she is mostly inspired by post-apocalyptic themes but also loves the aesthetic of the 1960s. Her sets are designed to be interactive, something she is bringing to a studio space provided by Palace Theatre. This set will look like an old-fashioned living room, including an old couch, a vintage television set, and more interesting items and details to explore, including a few sculpted “creatures” to add a sci-fi flair to the mid-20th-century set. People will be able to walk through the set and take selfies.

While it’s only the first year, Jerzyk said she is thrilled to be traveling down the road from her studio to exhibit at an arts fair, as opposed to traveling farther to New York City or Los Angeles. She hopes this will be the first of many arts festivals the city offers over the years.

“There’s a lot of art and culture in Manchester but … it feels like the general public doesn’t realize the talent in the area,” Jerzyk said. “This will bridge that gap and showcase all the talent in this city.”

Manchester Citywide Arts Festival Street Fair
Street Fair
Where: Opera Block of Hanover Street (between Elm and Chestnut streets)
When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Price: free
Visit: palacetheatre.com

Musical performances
The River Stage at the Manchester Citywide Arts Festival Presents Intersection of Hanover Street and Londonderry Lane

Saturday, Sept. 17
10 a.m.: Children’s music concert with Miss Julieann presented by Manchester Community Music School
11 a.m.: Dimensions in Dance performance and interactive workshop
noon: Brother Seamus
1 p.m.: Paul Nelson
2 p.m.: Palace Youth Theatre performance
3 p.m.: Interactive drumming circle with NH Artist Laureate Theo Martey
4 p.m.: Drag performance by House of Marvel Entertainment

Sunday, Sept. 18
10 a.m.: Palace Youth Theatre performance
11 a.m.: Justin Cohn
noon: Southern NH Dance Theater – Nutcracker demonstration
1 p.m.: Queen City Improv
2 p.m.: Songwriter showcase with Liam Spain
3 p.m.: Manchester Community Music School student performers (location: Spotlight Room)
2 to 4 p.m.: Go Ninja Circus Arts aerial performers (location: intersection of Hanover Street and Nutfield Lane)

Manchester Makes — Community Art Area
Spotlight Room, 96 Hanover St., all day both days
• Live painting demo with local artist Michelle Peterson
• Interactive community mural with muralist Jyl Dittbenner
• Drop-in visits by Eddy the Comfort Pony of the MPD.
• Interactive Sci-Fi photo set with Karen Jerzyk

Featured photo: Brother Seamus. Courtesy photo.

Manchester Citywide Arts Festival

The Queen City celebrates art, dance, theater, music and more with a week of events

Calendar of Events

Event descriptions are according to the organizers. See manchesterartsfestival.com for the latest festival updates and to register for events.

Monday, Sept. 12

• Family Clay Monster Sculpting
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St.)
Make your own monster out of clay. Studio 550 will have pre-made “monster bodies” for you to embellish with your own horns, teeth, eyeballs and texture. Projects can be sculptures or can be modified to be a jar. Preregistration is required.

• Meet & Greet Artists @ Cat Alley
5 to 7 p.m.
Bookery (844 Elm St.)
Learn about the origins of Cat Alley and talk to emerging artists to professional muralists who were part of this project. Registration is recommended.

• Artist Talk with Ryan ORourke, Rich Pellegrino and Emily Dumas
6 to 7 p.m.
Bookery (844 Elm St.)
Ryan ORourke, Rich Pellegrino and Emily Dumas will be chatting about how they’ve gone from emerging artists to published illustrators. David Hady will be moderating. Registration is recommended.

Tuesday, Sept. 13

• Free dance class and story time for ages 2 to 5
10 to 10:45 a.m.
Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St.) Register via Art Fest website.

• Jewelry workshop
3 to 5 p.m.
Institute of Art & Design at New England College (148 Concord St.)
Free. Learn how to make wire rings using basic jewelry tools and copper and brass wire. Registration required.

• Manchester Community Music School open house
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St.)
Come visit the Manchester Community Music School. Take a tour, listen to ensembles rehearsing, try out some instruments, meet the faculty, and learn more about individual and group lessons. Registration is recommended.

Wednesday, Sept. 14

• Free ballet class for adults
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St.)
Register in advance. No experience needed.

• Excerpts & Investigation: A NH Dance Collaborative Performance
5:30 to 7 p.m.
The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St.)
Free event (registration is recommended). Watch three short segments of an evening-length dance called The Shire performed by Nsquared Dance. A post-performance discussion will feature the choreographer and the dancers.

• Pumpkin topiary workshop
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The AR Workshop (875 Elm St.)
Register in advance.

Thursday, Sept. 15

• Jewelry workshop
3 to 5 p.m.
Institute of Art & Design at New England College (148 Concord St.)
Free. Learn how to make wire rings using basic jewelry tools and copper and brass wire. Registration required.

• Printmaking workshop
3 to 5 p.m.
Institute of Art & Design at New England College (148 Concord St.)
Free. This workshop introduces the creative process of Intaglio printmaking. Spend an afternoon working with dry point on copper plates. Registration required.

• Free trial class of our Tap/Jazz combo class for kids in grades 3 to 5.
4 to 5 p.m.
Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St.)
Tap shoes not required.

• Art After Work
5 to 8 pm
Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St.)
Free exhibition tours and gallery admission to the museum, live music in the Winter Garden (tonight’s scheduled performers are Hickory Horned Devils), happy hour drink specials and a full menu available for purchase every Thursday night. See currier.org.

Friday, Sept. 16

• Glass demonstration
3 to 7 p.m.
Studioverne, Fine Art Fused Glass (412 Chestnut St.)
Stop in to meet the artist and see a demonstration. This painterly process of using only glass powders is just one technique to form fused glass art. It’s free to try for yourself. Fall leaves will be available. Browse the gallery and shop new collections early. See studioverne.com.

• Family pottery workshop
4:30 to 5:45 p.m.
Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St.)
Families can get a crash course on the pottery wheel. Kids must be 9+. One finished piece of pottery is included per participant. Pre-registration is required.

• Free jazz class for ages 6 to 10
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St.)
Register via Arts Fest webpage. No experience needed.

• The Little Mermaid, opening night
7:30 p.m.
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St.)
Get your ticket to Disney’s The Little Mermaid at palacetheatre.org.

• Friday Night Comedy at the Rex 7:30 p.m.
Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St.)
Featuring Dan Crohn and Emily Ruskowski. Tickets at palacetheatre.org

Saturday, Sept. 17

• Street fair
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Opera Block of Hanover Street.
The Arts Festival will culminate in a free family-friendly street fair in the Opera Block (Hanover Street between Elm and Chestnut streets) featuring an arts market, interactive art installations, live performances, food trucks and more. See the following page for more.

• Glass demonstration
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Studioverne, Fine Art Fused Glass (412 Chestnut St.)
Stop in to meet the artist and see a demonstration. This painterly process of using only glass powders is just one technique to form fused glass art. It’s free to try for yourself. Fall leaves will be available. Browse the gallery and shop new collections early. See studioverne.com.

• Printmaking wood blocks with Steamroller
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Institute of Art & Design at New England College (77 Amherst St.)
Watch students create large scale prints with a steamroller.

• Storytime with illustrator Ryan ORourke
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Bookery (844 Elm St.)
Illustrator Ryan O’Rourke will read and talk about his job creating art for books.

• Witch Crafting Series with Shadow & Soul Emporium
11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (30-minute classes on the half-hour)
At the Soul Emporium tent at the Street Fair
Create magical crafts with Shadow and Soul Emporium. Registration required.

• Painting demo with artist Diane Crespo
noon to 2 p.m.
The Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St.)
See dianecrespofineart.com.

• The Little Mermaid
2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St.)
Tickets for Disney’s The Little Mermaid are available at palacetheatre.org.

• Show opening of “Full Circle” at Mosaic Art Collective
5 to 8 p.m.
66 Hanover St., Suite 201
Mosaic Art Collective is hosting a grand opening and their first show, a group show of southern New Hampsire artists called “Full Circle.” An internal gallery opening for the show “The Locals” will be presented by See/Saw Art. See mosaicartcollective.com.

• Chunky Herringbone Knit Blanket Workshop
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
AR Workshop (875 Elm St.)
The workshop will guide you step by step through the hand knitting process to create a cozy one-of-a-kind blanket with herringbone details. Register via Arts Fest webpage.

Sunday, Sept. 18

• Street fair
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Opera Block of Hanover Street.
The Arts Festival will culminate in a free family-friendly street fair in the Opera Block (Hanover Street between Elm and Chestnut streets) featuring an arts market, interactive art installations, live performances, food trucks and more. See the following page for more.

• Free trial classes for adult tap program
Beginner: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Intermediate: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St.)

• Free trial classes of teen Hip Hop and Contemporary program (grades 4 to 12)
Level 1 Contemporary: noon to 1 p.m.
Level 2 Hip-hop: noon to 1 p.m.
Level 1 Hip-hop: 1 to 2 p.m.
Level 2 Contemporary: 1 to 2 p.m.
Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St.)

• The Little Mermaid
2 p.m.
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St.)
Tickets for Disney’s The Little Mermaid are available at palacetheatre.org.

Throughout the week

• Mini-Mural Monster Hunt
Aug. 29 through Sept 16
During any business hours (specific locations will vary)
Find all the mini-mural monsters for a chance to win a gift card to a participating downtown business. For an official monster mural checklist, visit a participating business. For an updated list of businesses go to 550arts.com or email info@550arts.com.

• Community Threads
Sept. 15, Sept. 17 and Sept. 18
Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St.)
The Currier invites community members to contribute to an ongoing large-scale weaving project that represents individuals and communities.

Featured photo: Dimensions in Dance. Courtesy photo.

Treasure Hunt 22/09/08

Dear Donna,

I just got this sweet lot of old seed sleeves. I thought I might be able to do something creative with them.

I paid $10 for the bunch . Can you tell me if I got a good deal?

Thanks ahead, Donna.

Laura

Dear Laura,

I think you did find a little treasure!

All old garden pieces have a collectible and decorative value today. Seed packets are usually in the range of $2 to $15 each . This depends on the age (the older, the better), graphics producer, rarity and, as always, condition. So if you have more than a dozen, Laura, you got a good deal.

As far as decorating with them I say yes. No matter what you decide to do with them, they will bring color and conversation into your home!

Thanks for sharing your treasure with us.

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