Tag: 210729

Kiddie Pool 21/07/29

Family fun for the weekend

National Night Out

Several towns are celebrating the National Night Out, a community event featuring law enforcement, civic groups and others, on Tuesday, Aug. 3 (see natw.org). Here are some of the highlights:

• In Bedford, the celebration features a police department versus fire department softball game, according to the town’s parks and recreation website (bedfordreconline.com). The game starts at 6 p.m. at Selvoski Field on County Road.

• In Concord, the event will be held at Rollins Park (33 Bow St.) from 5 to 8 p.m., according to concordnh.gov. The evening will feature music, police and fire equipment, K-9 demonstrations, touch-a-truck and food for sale, the website said. Call 225-8600, ext. 3738, with questions.

• In Goffstown, the event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at Goffstown High School (27 Wallace Road) and feature food, a car show (antique and muscle cars according to a video on the police department’s Facebook page), a dunk tank, a bounce house, a climbing wall, a petting zoo, tractor rides and live music, according to a July 13 post.

• In Hollis, the police, library and recreation commission will hold the event starting at 6 p.m. on Nichols Field behind Lawrence Barn (28 Depot St.) and will offer bounce houses, music, a cookout and a screening of Finding Nemo (G, 2003), according to hollisnh.org.

• Hooksett celebrates its fourth annual National Night Out from 5 to 7 p.m. in Donati Park (51 Main St.), according to hooksett.org. The evening will feature food, music, a bounce house, touch-a-truck, a K-9 demonstration and more, the website said.

• In Hudson, the police department and the Rodgers Memorial Library are partnering for the event, which will take place in the parking lot of the library (194 Derry Road) from 4:30 to 8 p.m., according to the library website. The evening will feature Frisbee dogs, a climbing wall, giant games, live music, touch-a-truck, food trucks and more, according to rodgerslibrary.org.

• Manchester’s event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in Arms Park (10 Arms St.) with demonstrations, activities, food, a DJ, representatives from local nonprofits and more, according to a July 13 post on the police department’s Facebook page. There will be a display of emergency service vehicles, the Drone Unit, a K-9 unit demonstration and the Mounted Unit, the post said.

• In Merrimack at Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road in Merrimack; merrimackparksandrec.org, 882-1046) the event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with games, crafts, music (DJ Mike Kelly), food (including hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream and more) and booths from local groups, including the Merrimack Police Department. At 8 p.m. the movie The Croods: A New Age (PG, 2020) will screen.

• In Nashua, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua (1 Positive Place) will host the event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The evening will feature raffles, free food, a meet and greet with local agencies, demonstrations from the Nashua Police Department and more, according to a July 17 post on the Boys & Girls Club Facebook page.

More movie fun

• This Friday’s “Pics in the Park” at Greeley Park in Nashua is Tom and Jerry (PG, 2021), which will start screening at dusk on Friday, July 30, at the park’s bandshell, 100 Concord St. The screening is part of the city’s SummerFun lineup; see nashuanh.gov. (See page 9 in this issue for information about Saturday’s FairyTale Concert.)

• Follow the Yellow Brick Road to a screening of The Wizard of Oz(G, 1939) at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping (24 Calef Highway; 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) as part of the summer kids movies series on Monday, Aug. 2, and Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. Tickets to the screening cost $2 for kids ages 11 and under and $3 for ages 13 and up. A $5 popcorn and drink combo is also for sale.

• A movie for the retro-loving teen in your life: 1987’s Adventures in Babysitting (PG-13) starring Elisabeth Shue. It will screen Monday, Aug. 2, at 8:30 p.m. as part of the Prescott Arts Festival’s Monday Night Movie Series. Reserve a spot for this movie in Portsmouth’s Prescott Park at prescottpark.org (reservations start at a $5 general admission with other options for tables or blanket seating).

• The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will be screening some films to raise money for the Manchester Police Athletic League. On Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. catch Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon(PG, 2021). On Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. the theater will screen Rock of Ages (PG-13, 2007). Tickets to either show cost $12.

• Another movie for the teens with a taste for retro blockbusters: Jaws (1975, PG-13) will begin a run of screenings at Chunky’s Cinema Pubs in Manchester (707 Huse Road), Nashua (151 Coliseum Ave.) and Pelham (150 Bridge St.) on Wednesday, Aug 4, with shows through Saturday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. plus screenings at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets cost $4.99 and can be purchased in advance on chunkys.com.

Showtime!

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) continues its 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series. Finishing up this week’s run isThe Little Mermaid on Thursday, July 29. Next week the production is Beauty and the Beast, Tuesday, Aug. 3, through Thursday, Aug. 5. Showtimes are at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $10 per person.

• RB Productions presents The Wizard of Oz (Young Performers Edition) at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com, 225-1111) on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students. RB Productions is a nonprofit community theater organization founded to provide theater opportunities for youth and young theater professionals, according to the website.

• The Prescott Park Arts Festival’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, this year’s musical in its annual outdoor musical series, continues with shows this weekend on Thursday, July 29, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 31, at 3 and 8 p.m. (the final matinee of the show this season, according to the group’s website). Also, on Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m., the kids in the festival’s camp program will present Frozen Jr. For all Prescott Park shows, go online to prescottpark.org to see the reservation options, which start at $5 per person. Prescott Park is at 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth.

• Kids get in for free at a Shakespeare on the Green production of A Midsummer Nights Dream which will be presented on the green outside the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester). The production will run Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, at 7 p.m. Tickets for adults cost $25. Attendees are invited to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, according to anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities.

Monsters and comics

If you’re looking for an indoor activity for one of these rainy days, there’s still time to enter the Summer Monster Comic Contest being held by Studio 550 (550 Elm St. in Manchester; 550arts.com, 232-5597). Create a one-sheet comic of at least four frames with an original monster and submit it to Studio 550 by 8 p.m. on Aug. 21 (which is the day of the studio’s Monster Hunt event), according to the website, where you can find all the details and guidelines.

Game time

• The next run of New Hampshire Fisher Cats home games at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive in downtown Manchester; nhfishercats.com) starts on Tuesday, Aug. 3, with games against the Hartford Yard Goats through Sunday, Aug. 8 (when the stadium will hold a Princesses at the Park brunch, tickets to which are $24). Tuesday and Thursday’s games start at 7:05 p.m.; Wednesday’s game starts at 12:05 p.m. (For some baseball this weekend, see page 9 for information on upcoming Nashua Silver Knights games).

Treasure Hunt 21/07/29

Dear Donna,

Can you help with a current value on this set of Matchbox cars? As you can see, they are in good condition in the box.

Mindy

Dear Mindy,

Matchbox cars are a very collectible market. It all depends on age, rarity and condition.

Your Circus Comes to Town set was from the 1990s, but Matchbox goes back further than that, and you still can find many untouched and in unused condition. With Matchbox cars that’s the important key to value. The higher prices come with mint condition, in-the-original-box cars.

Your set value ranges from $30 to $60 in the original box and complete, so keeping it as you found it is important.

Mulch madness

What to use and how to use it

Mulch is commonly used to help suppress weeds and to hold in soil moisture in dry times. There are many different kinds of mulch and it is important to get the right kind, and to apply it properly if you wish to get the benefits of mulch.

The most commonly used type in flower and shrub borders is sold as bark mulch. It is sold in bags, or by the scoop at garden centers to people who have access to pickup trucks. Bulk mulch is less expensive than bagged mulch if you have a truck or can borrow one from your brother-in-law.

I’m an organic gardener, so I avoid the orange and black mulches. Read the bag before you buy any to see what is in it. According to a report from the University of Massachusetts, the dyes themselves are probably not toxic, but the wood is usually recycled wood from pallets, old decks and scrap. Those sources are dry and accept dye more easily than fresh bark or chipped branches. Recycled pressure-treated wood, if older stuff, may contain arsenic; pallets may have been exposed to spilled toxins.

I often see deep layers of mulch to keep weeds down. However, a layer 4 inches deep will also keep a short rain shower from getting to the soil and your plants. I use an inch or two of mulch, maximum. Yes, some aggressive weeds will poke through a thin layer of mulch, so I try to do a good weeding first.

Chopped leaves are wonderful mulch. Last fall we raked up our leaves and stored them outdoors in a pile. This summer we ran that pile through a chipper/shredder and turned it into a fine product we use as mulch. You can also use your mower to chop fall leaves before raking them. I have friends who store the chopped leaves in bags in the barn until needed. Chopped leaves rarely blow away after they have been rained on.

In addition to weed suppression, a layer of mulch keeps soils from drying out quickly in the hot summer sun. Essentially, it shades the soil, keeping it moist and cool. In the spring I do not mulch my vegetable garden until after soil temperatures have reached their summer level — say, 60 degrees or more.

In May, I want the sun to heat up the soil as my plants need warm soil to grow in, and seeds need warm soil to germinate. And yes, that means weed seeds will germinate too. But weeding or hoeing the early weeds is not bad and goes quickly — just be sure to get the weeds before they get too big.

Mulch gets broken down over time by soil microbes. That is a good thing — wood chips or leaves that break down add organic matter to your soil and encourage earthworms to aerate the soil and add their castings to the soil, and they are rich in minerals.

Some gardeners tell me that they worry about soil microbes using up nitrogen in the soil as they break down mulch. A nitrogen-starved plant has yellowish leaves, not dark green leaves. But I doubt that you‘ve seen that occur, even in flower beds with plenty of mulch. If it has been a problem, or you worry it will occur, apply some slow-release organic fertilizer on the soil surface before mulching.

In the vegetable garden I mulch with straw or hay. Straw is sold as seed-free and is often grown and cut before seeds are formed. Nonetheless, straw often does have seeds, much to the dismay of gardeners who have paid a premium price for it. Buy it from a source you trust!

Hay is just grass grown for animal feed that has gotten wet after cutting. Those pampered cows or horses won’t eat it, so it is sold as mulch for a few bucks a bale.

I always lay down two to four layers of newspaper on the ground before applying hay or straw. This accomplishes two things: it keeps light away from any weeds that germinate even with a layer of hay, and it slowly breaks down and adds more organic matter to the soil.

In the old days newspapers used dyes with heavy metals, including lead. But now inks are made with soy products and are said to be non-toxic, or at least free of heavy metals. The newspaper itself is made from cellulose derived from trees, though some chemicals are used in producing the paper.

Little or no mulch is needed in a mature garden bed with plants growing shoulder to shoulder. Courtesy photo.

Black plastic will keep weeds from germinating, but it breaks down and goes into the landfill. It’s also ugly, and I avoid it. There are various “landscape fabrics” to put under mulch that do help, though pernicious weeds can grow through some kinds. The woven kind is more susceptible to that.

What about papers that have been through a shredder? I don’t find them easy to use or aesthetically pleasing. What about coffee grounds? These are quite acidic, and if you collect them at your local coffee shop, use them only for acid-loving plants like blueberries, hollies or azaleas.

I use no mulch in my mature flower beds. By letting perennials mature and spread, they will choke out almost any weeds, except perhaps in early spring. But by now, they shade out all but the most difficult of weeds.

Featured photo: This new bed needs mulch to keep down weeds and hold in moisture. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 21/07/29

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

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• Outdoor Shakespeare: The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) presents a Shakespeare on the Green production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m. The play will be performed outside on Founder’s Green in front of the theater. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. General admission tickets cost $25. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities or call 641-7000.

• NH antique art: The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford) has an exhibit and sale, “Fresh Perspectives,” on view in the Co-op’s Tower Gallery now through Aug. 31. It features works by New Hampshire artists Peter Milton, ​Varujan Boghosian, Robert Hughes, Robert Hauser and others, including paintings, prints, sculptures, assemblages and collages. Visit nhantiquecoop.com or call 673-8499.

• A memoir on grief: The Toadstool Bookstore in Nashua and Peterborough presents a virtual author event with Cathleen Elle on Thursday, July 29, at 6 p.m. Elle will discuss Shattered Together: A Mother’s Journey From Grief to Belief. A Guide to Help You Through Sudden Loss. The memoir documents the author’s 10-year journey of finding healing, meaning and forgiveness after the unexpected death of her son. Register online for the free event, which will be held over Zoom. Visit toadbooks.com or call 673-1734.

“Looking for Seashells,” a painting by Maryclare Heffernan. Courtesy photo.

• NHAA artists in Manchester: The New Hampshire Art Association will feature work by two of its artist members at its new exhibit venue, Creative Framing Solutions, located across from the Palace Theatre at 89 Hanover St. in Manchester, during August. Joe Flaherty of Portsmouth is an oil painter whose paintings “aim at being curious, mysterious and peculiar before they aim at being representational or affirmative,” he said in a press release. Maryclare Heffernan of Candia will present a series of paintings titled “A Spray of Sea Salt.” “This body of work is about the essence of the ocean, of the feelings that arise in us when we’re near the sea,” Heffernan said in the release. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Aug. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 320-5988 or visit nhartassociation.org.

• Small town tale: The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) returns with a production of Our Town Aug. 4 through Aug. 15, with showtimes Wednesday through Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. Performances will take place at the Players’ outdoor theater space, located off Phoenix Mill Lane in downtown Peterborough. The 1938 play by Thornton Wilder tells of love, life and death in the fictional small New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners. According to the Players’ website, the company first produced the play in 1940 with consultation from Wilder himself. It has since become the Players’ most produced play to date. There will be a talkback immediately following the show on Sunday, Aug, 8. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org or call 924-7585.

Art

Exhibits

• “FASHION FORWARD: AFRICANA STYLE” Exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Visit saacc-nh.org.

• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM” Exhibit showcases New England painters and masters of impressionism Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley. On view now through Sept. 12. Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.

• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI – I BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “TENSION: PROCESS IN THE MAKING” The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group presents an exhibit featuring fiber art and textiles by New Hampshire artists. July 24 through Sept. 4. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “SUMMER HAZE” Concord artist and gallery owner Jess Barnet hosts her first group art exhibit. Gallery located in the Patriot Investment building, 4 Park St., Suite 216, Concord. On view Aug. 6 through Sept. 3. Visit jessbarnett.com.

Fairs and markets

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR Nine-day craft fair featuring work by hundreds of juried League of NH Craftsmen members. Sat., Aug. 7, through Sun., Aug. 15. Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury). Visit nhcrafts.org.

Theater

Shows

• THE LITTLE MERMAID The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Wed., July 28, through Thurs., July 29, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• TELL ME ON A SUNDAY The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. July 28 through Aug. 14, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Aug. 3, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• DANI GIRL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Now through July 31, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). Now through Aug. 15, with shows daily at 7 p.m. More information is TBA. Visit prescottpark.org.

•​ CABARET The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through Sept. 5. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 3, through Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• RAPUNZEL The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 10, through Thurs., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• CINDERELLA The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 17, through Thurs., Aug. 19, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

•​ MAD HAUS The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Sun., Aug. 18, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. The show is also available to livestream. Visit seacoastrep.org.

Concerts

• SUZUKI STRINGS Violin students perform. Canterbury Shaker Village(288 Shaker Road, Canterbury). Sun., Aug. 15, 4 p.m. Suggested donation $10 per person.

Art by all

Creative Union bringing Nashua community together

Nashua’s arts scene is expanding in the coming months as the whole community teams up for Creative Union, an art project designed to bring people together and showcase all of the programs the city has to offer.

“We’re amplifying and highlighting Nashua’s diverse community and the history of the city and the spirit of the city,” said Samantha Cataldo, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Currier Museum of Art, which co-organized the project as part of the museum’s Nashua Endowment, created to support Currier-organized arts programming for Nashua. “Everything about the project is in and for the communities of Nashua.”

Creative Union got underway in June, and the free workshops have been a success so far, Cataldo said. There are still five public workshops left, and anyone in the city can come create festive paper sculptures and handmade decorations.

“The theme of the work is this idea of a community garden, so people have been making things like large-scale flowers that are made out of papier-mache,” Cataldo said.

The first workshop took place during the Black Lives Matter Nashua Juneteenth Celebration. Cataldo said that more than 100 people made paper freedom flowers and leaves.

Everything created during these workshops, which are Phase 1 of Creative Union, will be part of a final celebration happening this fall.

“By the end of the summer a downtown space that will have been [vacated] will be filled with all of these sculptures that the community has made, from the freedom flowers to the growing vines that people made at the farmers market,” Cataldo said. “It will be an explosion of color, of these really fun paper sculptures and decorations.”

That final installation is part of Phase 2, which will also feature nine days of community programming that may include performances, dance parties, community dinners, artmaking workshops and more. Cataldo said the exact location of the final art installation can’t be revealed just yet, and the exact dates are still being determined as well, though it will likely be sometime in October.

For now, the focus is still on getting the community together to create these paper works of art. Along with the public workshops, Cataldo said the Currier has been working with specific community groups, like kids’ camps, to create the paper flowers and decorations. The kids at Nashua Community Music School’s summer camp, for example, made bigger flowers on which they wrote the things they like about living in Nashua, and then made a smaller flower to write about what they think the community needs more of.

“It’s art-making, but everything has kind of a conversation piece,” Cataldo said. “It’s sort of encouraging … people to think about what’s special about their community and also be more engaged with what’s going on and what’s impacting them.”

For anyone who can’t attend any of the remaining five workshops, there are take-home kits for making triangular bunting, with special markers, blank shapes and instructions. Cataldo said so far about 150 kits have been given out.

The Currier is co-organizing Creative Union with the City of Nashua as well as Elisa Hamilton, a multimedia artist from the Boston area who was brought on to develop the project.

“Whenever I’m working with a new community it’s incredibly important to me to learn about that community before developing a project idea,” Hamilton wrote in an email.

Hamilton has worked closely with the Mayor’s Office throughout the process.

“Early on, I learned so much about vibrant arts initiatives already happening in Nashua, as well as other great public programs such as the Sunday Farmer’s Market … [and] the many fantastic nonprofits for Nashua doing such terrific things,” she wrote. “My work is very much about bringing people together, so the idea of a ‘Creative Union’ — a joyful, creative centerpoint that would bring all of these groups together, along with the broader Nashua community — was really the foundational inspiration for this project.”

Cataldo encourages anyone of any age to come participate in the remaining workshops.

“It’s a really fun way to come together, be part of a whole,” she said. “Everything is provided, and no experience is necessary.”

Upcoming Creative Union workshops

Nashua Farmers Market, Great American Downtown
City Hall Plaza
Sunday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

YMCA of Greater Nashua
24 Stadium Drive
Thursday, Aug. 5, 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grow Nashua
Community Garden on Spring Street
Thursday, Aug. 12, 6 to 8 p.m.

You can pick up the take-home artmaking kit at Arlington Street Community Center (36 Arlington St.) or at YMCA Greater Nashua (24 Stadium Drive in Nashua or 6 Henry Clay Drive in Merrimack). Art should be completed and returned by Aug. 6.

Featured photo: Community members make paper art at recent Creative Union workshop held at Nashua’s farmers market. Courtesy photo.

Cornhole!

When local cornhole enthusiasts Shon Haley and Brian Fletcher started the 603 Cornhole league in 2014, they started it out of necessity; at that time, there were few opportunities for New Hampshire’s small but fervent cornhole community to get together for organized games and events.

“We figured there are leagues for bowling and pool and all that type of stuff,” Haley said, “so why shouldn’t we have a league for cornhole?”

Now, not only does New Hampshire have opportunities to play — it’s a nationwide hotspot for the game. With 78 teams, 603 Cornhole is one of the largest cornhole leagues in the country; Londonderry is home to Game Changer, the country’s only cornhole-specific sports bar; and American Cornhole League Pro Sheila Roy hails from Hooksett.

“I go to events across the country, and I will say that the folks here [in New Hampshire] have so much passion for the game,” Roy said. “That’s not to say people aren’t passionate about it elsewhere, but the people who play here locally love not just the game, but the whole scene of it.”

Phil Parker, a cornhole boardmaker from Deerfield and early member of 603 Cornhole, moved to New Hampshire from Virginia around 13 years ago. Cornhole has always been popular in the South, he said, so its absence in New Hampshire came as a surprise.

“I brought my boards up with me [during the move] and could not find anyone who knew anything about cornhole, so I would just play by myself in my yard,” he said.

Parker said he remembers when the sport really started “taking off” after 603 Cornhole was formed and in the years that followed.

“It grew from [being] just me, Shon [Haley], Brian [Fletcher] and a couple other friends, to six new people the next week, then eight new people, then 20 new people,” he said.

If you still have no idea what cornhole is or how it’s played, here’s the abbreviated version, based on the American Cornhole Association rules: Two teams of two players compete. There are two smooth plywood boards measuring four feet long and two feet wide, with a hole 6 inches in diameter positioned at the far end of the board, which is elevated one foot above the ground so that it sits at a slant. The boards face each other 27 feet apart, with one player from each team standing on either side of each board. From there, players take a series of turns underhand-throwing 6-by-6-inch square bags, traditionally filled with feed corn, at the board across from them. A bag that lands and stays anywhere on the board is worth one point. A bag that is thrown into the hole or pushed into the hole by another bag — theirs or their opponent’s — is worth three points. The first team to reach 21 points wins.

There are a couple different approaches to the game: You could focus all of your energy on getting the bag in the hole and scoring points for your team — and that’s a perfectly valid way to play, Haley said — or you could employ a bit more strategy to try to keep your opponent from scoring points.

“Sometimes it’s better to throw a bag right in front of the hole on purpose,” Haley said. “That tends to make your opponent not throw as good of a throw, or [they] throw their bag over the top [of the board] because they’re trying not to knock your bag in the hole.”

There are a number of cornhole leagues in New Hampshire with different formats. Some are more casual, with games held on an ongoing basis that are open to drop-ins and will even pair single players with a partner. Others, including 603 Cornhole, run more formal seasons and tournaments.

“Pretty much any night of the week, whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced player, you can find something somewhere within New Hampshire involving cornhole,” Haley said.

In May 2020, brothers Bob and Rodney Carrier opened Game Changer, a 6,000-square-foot facility with a bar and eight indoor regulation cornhole courts. The venue is used by organized cornhole leagues and groups for weekly games and tournaments; private parties, charity fundraisers and corporate events; and people just looking to have a fun night out.

“We started playing with some of these [local] cornhole groups, and we realized that they didn’t have any place to play during the winter. They just kind of stopped,” Bob Carrier said. “We saw an opportunity.”

Game Changer was an instant success.

“We didn’t have to build up a clientele or anything; the cornhole community came right in and hit it hard right from the start,” Carrier said. “We had tournaments going every night almost right away.”

The vision for Game Changer, Carrier said, was to create a sports bar that is also a “family-oriented place,” and having cornhole as the focal point has facilitated that atmosphere.

“We don’t get people coming in here to do a bunch of shots,” he said. “We get families with babies; people in their 50s, 60s, 70s; husbands and wives; fathers and sons; mothers and daughters — cornhole brings everyone together because anyone of any age can play.”

Roy can attest to that; she’s 56 and was accepted for her first season as an ACL Pro this year.

“It doesn’t have a barrier like other sports,” she said. “There’s no advantage to being tall or fast or strong or a certain age. It’s a level playing field for everyone, so I always felt like I could do this, and keep competing at a higher and higher level.”

To anyone who is hesitant about playing due to their athletic ability, Roy said don’t be; she had never played or even heard of cornhole until around seven years ago.

“There are folks who just pick it up really quickly, some who would totally surprise you,” she said. “You just can’t know until you throw a bag.”

Meet Phil Parker

Phil Parker is the owner of Kustom Woodz, where he builds custom cornhole boards out of his home wood shop in Deerfield.

Parker became interested in making cornhole boards around 15 years ago while living in Virginia, not long after being introduced to the game. It started as a hobby, making boards for his family and friends. The first board he ever made was one with a Budweiser/Bud Light logo.

“I was basically just taking a piece of plywood and two-by-fours, painting them and putting a sticker on it,” he said. “It has evolved from that into making league-quality boards with the best materials.”

There wasn’t much demand for cornhole boards in New Hampshire, he said, until around four years ago. That’s when he turned his hobby into an official business. He started working with a local print shop using a UV flatbed printer to transfer the custom designs – which can be personal photos, business logos or any other kind of image – onto the boards.

“The technology with UV printing has really taken off, so I jumped on that,” he said. ‘It’s much better having the image printed directly onto the wood itself, as opposed to a sticker, which is going to end up peeling or getting pulled off.”

All Kustom Woodz boards are made to ACL specifications and are sealed in three coats of a water-based polyurethane, giving them a glossy, water-resistant finish. This not only protects the custom image, Parker said, but also ensures that the boards have the surface texture that regulation boards are supposed to have.

“Pretty much all of the cornhole leagues around here order their boards through me,” he said. “If you go to a cornhole tournament, you’re expecting your bag to [move across the board] at a certain speed, according to the ACL specs that you’re used to.”

Parker said he expects to make and sell between 1,000 and 1,200 boards this year, for leagues as well as for individuals and families who want cornhole boards for their personal use.

“You can give me a picture of your son or your daughter, or your dog or your horse, or your boat or your Harley-Davidson, whatever, and we’ll personalize a board for you,” he said. “People like to have that to take camping or put in their yard.”

See “Kustom Woodz” on Facebook or email [email protected].

Leagues and groups

• 603 Cornhole All skill levels are welcome. League seasons are September through November; January through March; and April through June. The cost is $100 per team for a league session. Drop-ins looking to try it out or play a one-night game can usually be accommodated. Non-league games continue in July and August every Thursday. 603 Cornhole also hosts official ACL events. Visit facebook.com/603cornhole.

• Cornstars Cornhole All skill levels are welcome, with opportunities for both social and competitive play. Blind draw/round robin drop-in tournaments are held most Fridays at 7 p.m. at Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill (4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry), and every Tuesday at 7 p.m. during the summer outdoors at Town Cabin Deli & Pub (285 Old Candia Road, Candia). Bring your own bags. Entry costs $15, $10 for first-timers. Visit facebook.com/cornstarscornhole.

• Franklin Cornhole League All skill levels are welcome. League season starts in the fall; information on the 2021-2022 season TBA. Visit facebook.com/franklincornholeleague.

• Lakes Region Baggerz Cornhole All skill levels are welcome, with social and competitive divisions. Blind draw/round robin games held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lakes Region Casino (1265 Laconia Road, Belmont). Entry costs $15. League games are held on Saturdays. Visit facebook.com/Lakesregionbaggerz.

• Skull It Cornhole All skill levels are welcome. Blind draw/round robin games every Wednesday night at AJ’s Sports Bar & Grill (11 Tracy Lane, Hudson). Players accumulate points, with playoffs held for top players. Entry costs $15. Visit facebook.com/skullitcornhole.

Special events

• Raymond High School students will have a charity Cornhole Tournament for Special Olympics NH and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire in the upper fields at Iber Holmes Gove Middle School (1 Stephen K. Batchelder Parkway, Raymond) on Saturday, July 31, with registration at 9 a.m. and the tournament starting at 10 a.m. The cost is $30 for single players and $60 for teams of two. The tournament is open to ages 14 and up. Visit bbbsnh.org.

• Less Leg More Heart will host its first annual Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. at White Birch Brewing (460 Amherst St., Nashua). The cost is $100 for competitive teams and $50 for social teams. Cash prizes will be awarded. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Visit lesslegmoreheart.com.

• The Bags on the Beach Cornhole Tournament takes place at Hampton Beach on Saturday, Sept. 11, with check-in from 11 to 11:30 a.m., and the first tournament at noon. Signups for a second tournament to be held later that day will be available after the first tournament, estimated to begin around 3 p.m. There will be cash prizes for the top three winning teams. Registration costs $50 per team. Visit seafoodfestivalnh.com/cornhole-tournament.

Anytime play

These venues have open-play cornhole boards and host various cornhole events throughout the year. (Availability and fees may vary depending on demand and when in use for organized events).

• AJ’s Sports Bar & Grill (11 Tracy Lane, Hudson, 718-1102, ajs-sportsbar.com)

• Block Party Social, 51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett, 621-5150, blockpartysocial.com

• Bonfire Country Bar (950 Elm St., Manchester, 217-5600, bonfire.country)

• Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill (4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 216-1396, gamechangersportsbar.com)

• Revolution Taproom & Grill (61 N. Main St., Rochester, 244-3022, revolutiontaproomandgrill.com)

Featured photo: 603 Cornhole hosts a cornhole fundraising event at the fields at Epsom Central School. Courtesy photo.

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