This week’s cover story (starting on page 10) looks at the pumpkin fun on offer this weekend — from pumpkin festivals to pumpkin picking. And of course apple picking is still a tasty long-weekend option; find our listing of some area orchards in the Sept. 16 issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the apple story starts on page 13). Also in that issue is rundown of some area corn mazes (see page 12).
Some farms are adding something extra to their offerings this weekend, a three- or even four-day weekend for some area schools. Beans and Greens Farm (245 Intervale Road, Gilford; beansandgreensfarm.com, 293-2853) is holding a Harvest Festival Weekend, featuring their large corn maze, munchkin corn maze (for ages 5 and under), pumpkin maze, barnyard animals, live entertainment, pumpkin carving contest, family games and more, according to the website. Saturday, Oct. 9, the farm will hold an all-you-can-eat farm-to-table brunch; cost is $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids ages 5 to 11 and free for children 4 and under. See the website for tickets and times.
Applecrest Farm (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls; 926-3721, applecrest.com) is holding an Indigenous People’s Day Weekend Festival & Great Pumpkin Carve with live music daily (Monadnock Bluegrass Band on Oct. 9, Unsung Heroes on Oct. 10 and Bolt Hill Band on Oct. 11) and the Great Pumpkin Carve on Sunday, Oct. 10.
Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road, Lee; 659-3572, nhcornmaze.com) will hold its second of three Flashlight Night Mazes at its corn maze on Saturday, Oct. 9, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $12 per person for everyone age 5 and up (4 and under gets in free).
One of the pumpkin festivals on this weekend’s schedule is in Somersworth (see page 13 for details). Stick around afterward for Celebrate Somersworth, which will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at Somersworth High School, which will feature music, food, rides, demonstrations and displays from the police and fire departments and fireworks, according to a press release.
Museum happenings
The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) will be open this Monday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as the usual schedule of Thursday through Sunday (also from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Art After Work on Thursdays running from 5 to 8 p.m.). Admission to the museum costs $15 for adults, $13 for 65+, $10 for students and $5 for youth (ages 13 to 17); kids ages 12 and under get in for free. Everybody can get in free Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., and this Saturday, Oct. 9, New Hampshire residents can get in for free. There will also be a free craft — a WPA mural-inspired collage about New Hampshire nature — in the Creative Studio and family tours of the exhibit “WPA in New Hampshire: Philip Guston & Musa McKim.”
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) will also be open on Monday, Oct. 11. Hours Friday through this Monday are 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Reserve tickets online; admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors, $8.50 for children (ages 3 to 12) and admission is free for ages 2 and under.
After decades of improving my garden soil, I have an infestation of Asian jumping worms. They can eat all the organic material in the soil, depleting it terribly. These foreign invaders multiply more quickly than our common worms, outcompeting them. Everything I have read about them says they are bad news for gardeners.
Scientists are working on organic solutions to the Asian jumping worm problem. I was able to phone Brad Herrick, a researcher at University of Wisconsin who has been studying them for years. He explained that although they came to the United States nearly 100 years ago, the worms are spreading rapidly, now infesting 37 states. Their worst impact may be in the forest: they eat dead leaves and forest duff, potentially creating a soil devoid of the organic matter that nourishes native wildflowers and trees. The soil can become sterile.
To see if you have them, start at a shady, mulched bed — that is where they like it best. Pull back leaves or mulch on your soil. The worms are surface feeders, living in the top inch or two of the soil, and readily seen on the soil surface. Touch one and it moves fast, wiggling and moving — quite a contrast to our relatively sluggish ordinary worms. The soil in infested areas often looks like it has coffee grounds spilled on the soil — which are their castings or excrement.
The clitellum that produces the egg sacs or cocoons is a whitish band near the head end of the worm. This contrasts with our common worms, which have a reddish-brown clitellum that is usually a bit raised.
Brad Herrick explained that unlike the earthworms we know and love, these guys can reproduce asexually, so even one worm can start an infestation. But they also spread when the cocoons, which sit on the soil surface, are washed away by rains. This allows them to expand their territory quickly, especially on hillsides.
How did I get them? I don’t know. They may have arrived when I bought plants for a new flower bed. I know my source of compost and know it has been heated sufficiently to kill all the weed seeds, so that would have killed any cocoons, too. And I see none of the worms in my purchased compost pile. But I had work done on my septic system, and soil was brought in.
According to Brad, freezing temperatures kill all the adult worms each winter. Unfortunately, it does not kill the eggs, which over-winter and start the cycle again. The eggs hatch once the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees, perhaps in April or May. He said it takes 70 to 90 days to reach maturity, at which point they start producing eggs; they continue to produce eggs from late June until frost.
So what can you do? If you have a new infestation you can try removing them by hand. Scientists often use a solution of yellow mustard powder in water to get worms to come to the surface. One third cup per gallon of water. But if you have a large area, that might not be practical. The best time to do this is in early summer before new worms have reached maturity.
Brad said you can heat the soil to kill the worms by solarizing it with clear plastic. Worms — and castings — will self-destruct at 104 degrees for three days, perhaps less. Unfortunately, that will not work in forests or shady beds, which is where I have them.
The worms can live in sunny beds if they are mulched. In fact, Brad told me, the worms have an enzyme that allows them to eat wood mulch. I wonder if mulching with peastone or small gravel instead of bark mulch or leaves might help to reduce the problem. If they run out of food, they may well die out. That theory has not been tested, and you may not like the look of a stone mulch. If you do this, please let me know if it helps.
My worm problem so far exists only in one large shady area. Here’s my plan: After frost I will rake off leaves and mulch (and collect and destroy any worms I see). Worms are usually within an inch or two of the surface. I will treat those leaves as toxic waste as they probably will have cocoons in them, which I don’t want to get into my compost pile
Hopefully I can burn my rakings in the driveway to destroy the leaves and cocoons. Then I will cut back all my perennials and go over the area with a flame weeder. This is a torch attached to an 8-gallon propane tank that sends out a big flame. That should burn up the cocoons on the soil surface. Flame weeders are available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds or Fedco seeds.
Brad told me of a product, BotaniGard, that contains a fungus that is listed for use to kill the worms. However, according to a University of Vermont study I read, it is only about 70 percent effective in a lab setting. That is not good enough for me, especially since even a solitary worm can produce viable eggs. And it sells for $90 a pound.
When buying nursery stock, look for coffee grounds on the surface of the pot, and when removing the root ball, look for worms. If you see either, do not plant it, and report the problem to the seller. Check purchased compost for worms, too. Clean your tools and shoes if working in beds with worms — the egg cocoons are tiny and not visible to the naked eye.
Featured photo: Jumping worms usually have a white clitellum and move fast when disturbed.Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Together again: Don’t miss the final weekend of Greater Tuna at The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). The long-running off-Broadway play by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard first opened in 1981 and is one of the most produced plays in American theater history, according to a press release. Two actors — Andrew Pinard and Eric Stanley — portray 20 different characters as they create a tour de farce of Tuna, a caricature of small-town life. Pinard, who is also the owner of the Hatbox Theatre, and Stanley are reprising the roles they played together in a production of Greater Tuna that ran at the Annichiarico Music Theatre in Concord in 1991, the release said. Showtimes are on Friday, Oct. 8, and Saturday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com or call 715-2315.
• For the kids: The Palace Youth Theatre student actors (kids in grades 2 through 12) will present Clue Jr. High School Edition on Tuesday, Oct. 12, and Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 to $15. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.
• Call for art: Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) is accepting submissions of artwork for its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact.” The exhibit, which will be on display during November and December, features small works of art priced affordably for gift buying. Local professional and non-professional artists are welcome. Artwork may include two- or three-dimensional pieces in any style and medium, with an exterior frame size limited to 13 inches in any direction. The registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 23. Artists are also invited to present their work at an opening reception at the gallery on Friday, Nov. 12. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.
• Shoe show: The Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter has an exhibit, “Kick-Start,” on view at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) now through Oct. 31. Also known as “the shoe show,” the exhibit features shoe-themed art by two dozen artists in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, artist books, small installations, photography, drawings and mixed-media pieces. “All the work is really different,” gallery director Laura Morrison told the Hippo earlier this month. “No one piece is like the other. We have things that are very serious, things that are just plain silly, things that are really powerful.” Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
ART
Exhibits
• JOAN L. DUNFEY EXHIBITION Features artwork in a variety of media by regional NHAA members and non-members that follows the theme “Portals.” On display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. Now through Nov. 28. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com or nhartassociation.org.
• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Opens Oct. 23. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “SALON 2021” Exhibition features offbeat and experimental works in a variety of media by regional artists with diverse studio practices and artistic approaches. The Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com). Nov. 6 through Jan. 6.
• “THE DYSFUNCTION OF SOCIAL PRACTICE” Kelley Stelling Contemporary presents an exhibition featuring paintings, sculpture and performance works by five New Hampshire artists. Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord). Opens Nov. 20. Visit kelleystellingcontemporary.com.
Fairs and markets
• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
• WOMEN’S ARTISAN FAIR Girls at Work, a Manchester-based nonprofit that empowers girls through woodworking and building, features handcrafted fashion pieces, home goods, paintings and other visual arts by women artisans. Fri., Oct 15, and Sat. Oct. 16. Visit girlswork.org or call 345-0392.
THEATER
Shows
• GLORIOUS The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Now through Oct. 9, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• CRUEL INTENTIONS THE ’90s MUSICAL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents. Now through Oct. 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $50. Visit seacoastrep.org.
• 9/12 New World Theatre presents. Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). Oct. 8 through Oct. 17, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors age 65 and up and students. Visit playersring.org.
• BAREFOOT IN THE PARK The Community Players of Concord present. Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). Fri., Oct. 15, and Sat., Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m., and Sun., Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $18 for youth age 17 and under and seniors age 65 and up before Oct. 13, and an additional $2 after Oct. 13. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.
• MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. The Peacock Players present. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua) from Oct. 15 through Oct. 24, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.
• MAMMA MIA The Palace Theatre presents. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Oct. 15 through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.
• AMERICAN SON The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 15 through Oct. 24, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.
• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Oct. 22 through Oct. 24. Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry. Visit cztheatre.com.
• TRUE TALES LIVE Monthly showcase of storytellers. Held virtually via Zoom. Last Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Now through December. Visit truetaleslivenh.org.
Classical
• “FROM DARKNESS TO HOPE” The New Hampshire Philharmonic concert will feature Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem). Sat., Oct. 16, and Sun., Oct. 17. Visit nhphil.org.
• FALL CONCERT The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra performsTchaikovsky’s Tempest, Julius Eastman’s “Gay Guerilla” and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org, 436-2400). Sun., Oct. 24, 3 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $35 for adults, $25 to $30 for seniors age 60 and up and $20 for students.
• “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.
New photo exhibition, book capture 21st-century life in NH
The “New Hampshire Now” statewide photographic exhibition and accompanying book could just as accurately be called “The Real New Hampshire,” with its honest and heartfelt representation of the good, the bad and the beautiful that makes up the Granite State.
The exhibition and book are the culmination of a two-year project that saw nearly 50 photographers capturing the people, places and events that make the state what it is.
“I felt that we needed to make a photographic document that reflects New Hampshire in the 21st century,” said Gary Samson, who proposed the project to the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. “I was really thrilled that the NHSPA wanted to take [it on].”
The photographers all volunteered their time and covered the state’s seven regions, taking pictures of whatever they personally thought represents the real New Hampshire, in this moment.
“I was not aiming to produce a pretty picture book of New Hampshire,” Samson said. “The story here, really, is the photographers digging in.”
That, of course, meant including the pandemic. Samson said meeting in person became impossible, but it gave them the chance to extend and change the direction of the project, and to safely document the pandemic.
“There were some photographers who really dug into that,” Samson said. “Like life, the project became somewhat unpredictable.”
The project also took an interesting turn when, several months into it, the New Hampshire Historical Society offered to collaborate on it. Originally the photos were going to serve as a sort of historical document that would be archived for future generations. But the Society raised funds to publish a book and arranged for eight cultural centers around the state to host exhibitions.
Each exhibition contains images from the collection that are most relevant to that region. But Samson said there are major themes that are included in most of them, like the pandemic, the presidential election, homelessness and Black Lives Matter.
“I think the shows are pretty fair in what they represent,” he said.
Still, what you see at the show at the Millyard Museum in Manchester is not the same show as the one you’ll get up north, to the west or on the Seacoast.
“I love the bucolic countryside photos that may have come to us from Lancaster or Colebrook or even the Seacoast, but that’s not the reality of Manchester,” Manchester Historic Association Executive Director John Clayton said. “Our particular slice of the state is far more populous, beset with the problems that come with urban areas.”
Samson said there’s a whole section of the book about homelessness in Manchester, which he saw firsthand when he spent part of a day photographing the city.
“I was stunned when I saw so many tents around the courthouse and the park,” he said. “This is also an important story to tell about New Hampshire; there are a lot of people who are in desperate straits.”
Clayton said he hopes that people who come to the Millyard exhibition will look at it and be able to think about the state in greater depth.
“I think this will be an eye-opener,” he said.
Fletcher Manley, one of the project’s most prolific photographers, captured a very different piece of New Hampshire.
“I live up here in the North Country and I wanted to represent the North Country,” he said. “This is not a terribly gentrified part of the state. It’s still “fringey” … and that’s part of the appeal to a good many.”
Manley said he focused on the area’s “tremendous natural resources,” like the White Mountain range. But he also took shots of people that symbolize what it means to live in northern New Hampshire. One was of a young woman working in her garden with a young child on her back; when he saw her, he thought of an earth goddess working the soil. In the image, the little girl’s smile is as big as her mother’s.
“You can’t plan for these shots,” he said.
There’s also an image of a man who has lived up north his whole life and used to work in the paper mills. He built his own home, tills his own soil and played a big part in the grassroots effort to stop Northern Pass.
“He’s typical of the resourcefulness of the people up here,” Manley said.
Manley used his own resourcefulness to take photos that he thinks outsiders wouldn’t have been able to get.
“You really need to be of an area so you know the nooks and crannies … and whose backyards you can cross through,” Manley said.
The “New Hampshire Now” flagship exhibition is at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, with images that represent the state as a whole, so it includes Manley’s North Country along with the six other regions.
The Millyard Museum will host a discussion panel on the exhibit on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 11 a.m. with photographers Samson, Claudia Rippee and Mark Bolton, with Clayton moderating.
“There are many different New Hampshires, and I think people who come [here] will see there’s much more of an urban flavor to the Manchester and Merrimack Valley exhibit.”
“New Hampshire Now”
For more information about the exhibition and where to purchase the New Hampshire Now book, visit newhampshirenow.org.
Region-specific exhibitions Belknap Mill Society, Laconia Davidow Center for Art + Design, New London Historical Society of Cheshire County, Keene Millyard Museum, Manchester Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord Portsmouth Historical Society, Portsmouth Tillotson Center, Colebrook
Events A Discussion with New Hampshire Now Photographers Project Director Gary Samson and photographers Claudia Rippee and Mark Bolton for a panel discussion about their work on the project. Where: Manchester Historic Association’s Millyard Museum When: Saturday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost: Free and open to the public. For advanced registration, call 622-7531 or email [email protected].
New Hampshire Historical Society: New Hampshire Through the Lens of a Camera Join a panel of photographers who participated in “New Hampshire Now” and learn more about their experiences capturing the Granite State and Granite Staters. Where: Virtual When: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Cost: Free. Register through Eventbrite.com.
New Hampshire Historical Society: “More than Just a Pretty Picture” Gary Samson and art historian Inez McDermott explore how “New Hampshire Now” fits in with other documentary photography projects in American history and discuss recurring themes that emerged during the project. Where: New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord When: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 to 4 p.m. Cost: Free with the price of admission ($7)
Featured photo: New Hampshire Now. Courtesy photo.
CELEBRATE YOUR FAVORITE GOURD AT LOCAL PUMPKIN FESTS PLUS WHERE TO PICK YOUR OWN
Flavors of fall
Milford Pumpkin Festival returns
by Matt Ingersoll
When longtime Milford resident Wade Campbell learned that the town’s annual pumpkin festival was at risk of not continuing in 2018, he and several volunteers, local organizations and community members set out to take it over. Three years later, Campbell is now director of the Granite Town Festivities Committee, carrying on the decades-long tradition of the Milford Pumpkin Festival in partnership with the Milford Rotary and Lions clubs.
The three-day event will return to the Milford Oval and surrounding areas from Friday, Oct. 8, to Sunday, Oct. 10, featuring local food vendors, beer and wine tastings, live music and family-friendly activities.
This will be the first in-person version of the Milford Pumpkin Festival in two years, although a scaled back virtual event mainly highlighting local musicians took place in 2020.
“I’m really excited. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since we ramped it back up,” Campbell said. “We did cancel the variety show and we have a few less vendors in the town hall, but overall there really isn’t much of a difference between this year and 2019.”
Friday evening’s opening festivities will include a pumpkin lighting ceremony at the Milford Town Hall, while on the Oval honorees for Milford’s Citizen of the Year will be announced.
At the nearby Community House Lawn, the Milford Rotary and Lions clubs are presenting two nights of beer, wine and spirit tastings on Friday and Saturday from more than two dozen local and regional vendors. Admission is available at the gate either night beginning at 5:30 p.m. — attendees are given a total of 10 tasting tickets, which are redeemable for a four-ounce sample of beer, a one-ounce sample of wine or a ½-ounce sample of liquor per vendor.
Pumpkin Fest Tasting
Beer, wine and spirits tastings
When: Friday, Oct. 8, and Saturday, Oct. 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Milford Community House Lawn, 5 Union St., Milford Cost: $20 per person; includes 10 tasting tickets, each for a four-ounce sample of beer, a one-ounce sample of wine or a ½-ounce sample of liquor Visit: milfordpumpkinfestival.org/bws-tastings Free parking and shuttle bus services will be available at Milford Middle School (33 Osgood Road) on Friday and at Milford High School (100 West St.) throughout the weekend. Per federal regulations, face masks are required while riding the shuttle bus regardless of vaccination status.
This will be the first official festival participation for Concord’s Steadfast Spirits Distilling Co. since it opened in early 2020. Lori Lundergan, whose husband, CJ, is head distiller, said they will likely be pouring their fan-favorite Apple Pie moonshine-mixed cocktail — better known under the name Trouble’s Moonshine — in addition to some other flavors of their signature selections.
Averill House Vineyard of Brookline will be there with its barrel-aged True Blue blueberry wine and its Little Secret Nebbiolo wine, owner Bob Waite said. The winery will also be promoting a unique Halloween-themed twist for its igloo experiences, which are being transformed into “wine caves” with blacklights and decorative spider webs throughout the month of October.
The beer, wine and spirit tasting on the Community House Lawn, Milford Pumpkin Fest. Courtesy photo.
Of course, in keeping with the festival’s theme, you can expect pumpkin brews. The Loft Brewing Co. of Milford will offer its OMG pumpkin ale, while on Friday only, Martha’s Exchange of Nashua is expected to bring its PumpkinWeizen, in addition to other selections.
“We have a few vendors who couldn’t physically make it but are donating product, so there will be a couple of tables where we’ll have volunteers, Rotarians or Lions doing the pouring,” said Tim Finan, former Milford Rotary Club president and coordinator of the tastings.
Dozens of local vendors, from restaurants and food trucks to crafters and artisans, will be set up at multiple spots throughout the weekend. On Friday night Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen of Milford will be serving burgers at the Community House Lawn. Then on Saturday, members of the Milford Rotary and Lions clubs will team up to offer burgers, homemade sausages and more.
Rotarian Janet Langdell added that The Memo Foundation, a Milford-based nonprofit, will be back to serve Frito Pie, featuring homemade chili and cheese served in a Fritos corn chip bag.
More than 20 bands and singers will hold performances across two stages throughout the weekend. The Flying Gravity Circus will be there on Saturday afternoon, while the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley’s competitive dance team will perform on Sunday morning.
Other featured activities during the festival will include pumpkin and face painting, a “haunted trail” at the nearby Emerson Park, a pumpkin weigh-in contest and a pumpkin catapult.
32nd annual Milford Pumpkin Festival
Official Milford Pumpkin Festival hours are Friday, Oct. 8, 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit milfordpumpkinfestival.org.
Friday, Oct. 8 • Live music performances: 5 to 9 p.m. on the Oval and Community House Lawn stages • Opening ceremonies and Town Hall pumpkin lighting: 6:30 p.m. • Haunted Trail: 6 to 9 p.m. at Emerson Park (6 Mont Vernon St.); tickets are $5 for adults and $1 for children under 10
Saturday, Oct. 9 • Milford history walking tour: 8 or 9:30 a.m.; begins at the Carey House (6 Union St.) and goes around the Oval and nearby sites • Live music performances: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the Oval and Community House Lawn stages • Scarecrow making, pumpkin painting and face painting: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Community House Lawn ($15 per scarecrow, $5 per pumpkin painting, $1 per face painting cheek and $5 for full face painting) • Pumpkin catapult: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the lower parking lot of TD Bank (57 South St.); the cost is $3 for one pumpkin shot and $5 for two shots • Eye-Spy scavenger hunt: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Carey House (6 Union St.) • Pumpkin carving: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Oval • Great Pumpkin Weigh-In contest: Noon on the Oval • Flying Gravity Circus performance: 3 to 6 p.m. along Union Square, near the intersection of Union and Elm streets • Haunted Trail: 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Emerson Park (6 Mont Vernon St.); tickets are $5 for adults and $1 for children under 10
Sunday, Oct. 10 • Milford history walking tour: 8 or 9:30 a.m.; begins at the Carey House (6 Union St.) and goes around the Oval and nearby sites • Pumpkin catapult: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the lower parking lot of TD Bank (57 South St.); the cost is $3 for one pumpkin shot and $5 for two shots • Scarecrow making, pumpkin painting and face painting: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the Community House Lawn ($15 per scarecrow, $5 per pumpkin painting, $1 per face painting cheek and $5 for full face painting) • Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley’s competitive dance team performance: 10 a.m. on the Community House Lawn stage • Live music performances: 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Oval and Community House Lawn stages • Rubber duck race: 1 p.m. on the Souhegan River; ducks can be purchased at the Milford Ambulance Association’s booth on Middle Street, starting Friday at 5 p.m. and ending on Sunday at noon ($5 per duck, or $20 for five ducks)
Boatload of fun
Enormous pumpkins the star of Goffstown’s annual event
by Angie Sykeny
Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta
Where: Downtown Goffstown and the Piscataquog River When: Saturday, Oct. 16, and Sunday, Oct. 17 Cost: Free admission More info: goffstownmainstreet.org/pumpkin-regatta
There are a lot of creative uses for pumpkins, but it’s hard to top Goffstown’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta.
The two-day fall festival will return on Saturday, Oct. 16, and Sunday, Oct. 17, with all kinds of pumpkin-related fun in the downtown area and, of course, the regatta, where teams from local community groups, schools and businesses will race down the Piscataquog River in boats made from giant pumpkins.
Images from previous Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off & Regattas. Courtesy photos.
It all started in 2000 when Jim Beauchemin, a member of the New Hampshire Giant Pumpkin Growers Association, was thinking about what to do with his giant pumpkins once the pumpkin weigh-offs were over. His idea was to use the pumpkins as boats and create a community event centered around a pumpkin boat race on the river. It was a hit, with around 500 people attending the inaugural regatta.
“It’s a tradition and a really special thing … not just for Goffstown but for New Hampshire and even for New England, especially now, being able to come together again when we haven’t been able to for so long,” said Tracey Hutton, executive director of Goffstown Main Street Program, which hosts the event.
Members of the New Hampshire Giant Pumpkin Growers Association will present their pumpkins at the weigh-off on Saturday and compete to be the grower with the heaviest pumpkin. Then, all of the pumpkins that are structurally sound enough to be used as boats — Hutton said she’s expecting around six this year — will be handed over to the regatta teams to be converted.
For a pumpkin to function as a boat, it must be carved out, then filled with sandbags to ensure that it’s balanced and won’t roll over when it’s in the water. Once that’s done, the teams will get to work painting and decorating their boats based on this year’s chosen theme, “Back to the Future.”
“We thought that was an appropriate theme after having to skip last year’s event because of the pandemic,” Hutton said. “It’s like, we’re ‘back to the future’ of the regatta; the regatta is back.”
The regatta itself will take place on Sunday. Each team designates a captain, who is usually in costume fitting the theme, to race their pumpkin boat. Spectators gather along the perimeter as the captains use kayak paddles to float down the river, about 100 yards, to the Goffstown bridge. The team with the first boat to make it under the bridge wins the race and receives a trophy. The team with the best pumpkin boat design will also be awarded, with a travelling trophy to keep until next year’s regatta.
Another highlight of the event, Hutton said, is the pumpkin drop on Sunday.
“We take one of the giant pumpkins and drop it from a crane,” she said. “It’s always exciting to see that big pumpkin go ‘kersplat’ and explode.”
New this year, the event will also feature a fireworks show on Saturday night.
“We’re really excited to be doing something that we’ve never done before,” Hutton said. “I think people will really enjoy that extra bit of festivity.”
Other festivities happening throughout the weekend will include a mini pumpkin race on the river, pumpkin carving demonstrations, a pie eating contest, a dog costume contest, yoga and fitness classes, a scarecrow contest, a 10k road race, activities for kids, street vendors and food concessions.
“There are so many different things going on,” Hutton said. “It’ll be a great time to get something good to eat, buy a few things and just relax and enjoy each other’s company.”
Schedule of events
Saturday, Oct. 16 • 10K Race check-in (behind the Village Trestle) – 7 a.m. • Giant pumpkins arrive on the Common – 9 a.m. • Vendors, demonstrations and activities – starting at 9 a.m. • Doggie costume contest – 10 a.m. • Pumpkin Weigh-off on the Common – 10:30 a.m. • Kids pumpkin dash (Mill Street) – 11 a.m. • Crowing of the Prince and Princess (on the Common) – noon • Giant pumpkin boat building begins (Mill Street) – 2:30 p.m. • Fireworks – dusk
Sunday, Oct. 17 • Giant pumpkin carving demonstration (on the Common) – 10 a.m. • Giant pumpkin drop (Citizens Bank Field) – noon • Pie eating contest – 1 p.m. • 50/50 mini pumpkin race (Piscataquog River) – 2 p.m. • Arrival of the Pumpkin Princess and Prince (parade on Mill and Main streets) – 2:45 p.m. • Pumpkin Regatta (Piscataquog River, Mill Street and Village Bridge) – 3 p.m.
Fields of orange
How pumpkin crops have fared this year
by Angie Sykeny
It’s been a challenging year for growing produce, and pumpkins were no exception.
Holly Kimball, a family owner of Beech Hill Farm in Hopkinton, said the farm had “some disappointments” with its pumpkin crop this year, particularly the gourds and mini pumpkins, due to the large amounts of rain and not enough sunny days.
“Gourds will usually grow pretty much anytime, anywhere, but the one thing they really don’t like is a lot of moisture,” she said, “so they didn’t do very well.”
Beech Hill’s pumpkin crop was at a disadvantage from the start. The rain was particularly heavy in early May, which is when the farm normally plants pumpkins, Kimball said. The ground was too soggy for the farmer to take the tractor out, so they had to hold off on planting the pumpkins until the end of the month.
“If you plant too early or too late by even one week, that can affect your crop,” she said.
Harvesting at the right time is also critical. Beech Hill had to pick their pumpkins prematurely this year, which “wasn’t ideal,” Kimball said, but, if they were to allow the pumpkins to grow for a few more weeks in order to reach full maturity, the farm would be risking a frost, which would wipe out the entire crop.
“It’s tricky, but it is what it is,” she said. “When you’re a farm in New Hampshire, you have to take your losses, because every year is different.”
In the past Beech Hill has invited visitors to pick their own pumpkins right from the patch, but this year, with growing the pumpkins being such a challenge, preservation is the priority, Kimball said, and the farm will be able to preserve more pumpkins if they handle the harvesting.
“If someone steps on a vine, you lose [all of the pumpkins] that are on that plant,” she said, “and if we leave them out in the field [for pick-your-own] there’s a greater chance of them getting frosted, or of animals getting to them, and we just can’t risk losing all those pumpkins.”
There was one upside to this year’s growing conditions. Unlike gourds, the regular orange pumpkins love water; the more rain they get, the bigger and plumper they grow. Kimball said she estimates this year’s pumpkins to be between 20 and 30 pounds, making them the heaviest pumpkins the farm has grown since she’s been there.
“They’re beautiful,” she said. “They’ve got thick, strong stems and nice ridges all the way around, and you can put your arms all the way around them; they’re a perfect armful.”
When you go to pick out your pumpkins, consider what you want to do with them.
As you can gather from their name, sugar pumpkins — the smaller orange ones that you can hold on one hand — have higher sugar content than other kinds of pumpkins.
“Those are the ones that you want to get for eating,” Kimball said. “You can roast them or cook with them or make a pie.”
If it’s the pumpkin seeds you’re after, go for the bigger orange pumpkins.
For decor, the best pumpkins are simply a matter of personal preference, Kimball said. Though the big orange pumpkins are the most popular choice for carving and using as jack-o’-lanterns, other kinds of pumpkins are just as suitable.
“People choose all sizes and shapes and for carving,” Kimball said. “Some people like tall, thin ones, some people like warty ones, and then, there’s the colored pumpkins, too, which are really trendy.”
Pick your own pumpkin
Head to the pumpkin patches at these farms to find your perfect pumpkin. Picking hours and pumpkin availability are subject to change, so call or check the farm’s social media for updates before you go.
• Applecrest Farm Orchard (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com) has PYO pumpkins, including field pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns for 75 cents per pound, sugar pumpkins for 95 cents per pound, and specialty heirloom gourds and pumpkins for $1.25 per pound. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather-dependent.
• Butternut Farm (195 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, 335-4705, butternutfarm.net) has PYO pumpkins for 60 cents per pound, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays. An “All You Can Haul” pumpkin carrying challenge is tentatively planned for the weekend of either Oct. 16 or Oct. 23, TBD. The cost for the challenge will be $25 per person.
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia, 483-5623, visitthefarm.com) has PYO pumpkins for 50 cents per pound, starting at $6, during its Pumpkin Festival, which runs from Saturday, Oct. 9, through Monday, Oct. 11. Admission costs $22, free for children age 23 months and under.
• DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way, Lee, 868-2111, demeritthillfarm.com) has PYO pumpkins, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call for pricing.
• J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com)has PYO pumpkins until Oct. 31, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call for pricing.
• Lavoie’s Farm (172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.com) has PYO pumpkins through October, open daily from 8 a.m. wto 7 p.m. Call for pricing.
• Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com) has PYO pumpkins through the end of October, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call for pricing.
• Moulton Farm (18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 279-3915, moultonfarm.com) has PYO pumpkins through October, open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call for pricing.
• Scamman Farm (69 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 686-1258, scammanfarm.com) has PYO pumpkins for 60 cents per pound, fancies for $1 per pound, Jack B Littles for $1 each, and gourds for $1.50 per pound under 20 pounds or $1 per pound over 20 pounds, through Oct. 31, open weekdays from noon to 5 p.m., closed Tuesday, and open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com) has PYO pumpkins through Oct. 31, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather-dependent. Call for pricing.
• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.com) has PYO pumpkins as well as specialty pumpkins, gourds and mini pumpkins, open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Celebrating Pumpkins
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) holds the last weekend of its Pumpkin Festival this Columbus Day weekend on Saturday, Oct 9, through Monday, Oct. 11. Tickets cost $22 per person (for everyone ages 24 months old and older). Take a tractor train ride to the pumpkin patch to pick your own or get one at the farm stand. The event also includes horse-drawn wagon rides, live music (Lynda Nelson and Dan Morgan, described as having “notes from country, folk and bluegrass”), a cow milking contest, a take-home pumpkin art project (for $8 when purchased online), costumed characters, pony rides (also $8 when purchased online) and visits with the barnyard animals. Purchase tickets online for the specific day and time. • Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls; 926-3721, applecrest.com) will hold another Great Pumpkin Carve Sunday, Oct. 10, when a master carver will work with an 800-pound pumpkin. The day is part of live music (on Sunday, hear Unsung Heroes), pumpkin picking and more. • The Somersworth Festival Association’s Pumpkin Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Somersworth Plaza on Main Street. A $10 bracelet gives kids access to multiple activities including pumpkin decorating and other pumpkin crafts, scarecrow making, hayrides, photos and more, according to a press release, which said the day will also feature a bouncy house and games. Kids in costume get a $1 discount. The event will also feature live entertainment, a food court and raffles.
Pumpkin cookies
This recipe for pumpkin cookies came from Michelle Moulin, who used to own Michelle’s Bakery in Manchester, and first ran in the Hippo years ago. Somewhere between a little pumpkin cake, a cookie and a mini-scone, this pumpkin treat gets much of its sweetness from its icing. Halved, the recipe makes a little more than three-dozen, teaspoon-sized cookies.
1 pound of butter (4 sticks), softened
2 cups of brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
For icing:
1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream softened butter and sugar.
Add eggs and pumpkin and mix until blended.
Stir together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) and add slowly, with mixer set on low, until blended.
Scoop teaspoon-sized dough scoops and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until firm. Cool.
Mix together icing ingredients (confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and water) until smooth.
Spoon onto cookies and let sit for glaze to harden.
The Milford Pumpkin Festival has all kinds of gourd-ertainment planned (see the story about the event on page 10) including live music. Tonight, catch Shawna Deeley, Kayla Helmig, Tony Patterson, Macy Rae, Nick Zumbo and Drewosity all on the Oval Stage starting at 5 p.m. followed by Murphy Clark Band at 7:15 p.m. On the Community House Lawn Stage, catch 13 Steps (5:30 p.m) and Up Chuck Kreek (7:30 p.m.). On Saturday, 14 acts are scheduled to play on two stages from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. including Swipe Left (5:30 p.m.) and Tumbletoads (7:30 p.m.) on the Community House Lawn Stage and Russell Hill (5:30 p.m.) and Ballou Brothers (7:30 p.m.) on the Oval Stage. On Sunday, the music runs from around 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both stages. Also on the schedule is Justin Cohn, slated to play Saturday at 10 a.m. on the Oval Stage. Justin was one of the artists featured in Michael Witthaus’s Sept. 30 story rounding up New Hampshire artists nominated for a New England Music Award. Cohn is nominated in the “Best in State” category (find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story starts on page 32)
Saturday, Oct. 9
Oktoberfest celebrations continue this weekend with Bektash Shriners of New Hampshire’s Oktoberfest today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Bektash Shrine Center (189 Pembroke Road in Concord; bektashshriners.org). The event will feature bratwurst, pretzels and more; call 225-5372 to RSVP. Find more Oktoberfest fun in Matt Ingersoll’s story about the celebration of German beer and eats in the Sept. 23 issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story starts on page 18).
Saturday, Oct. 9
Work up an appetite for the brews and eats at the Oktoberfest 5K beginning and ending at the Backyard Brewery & Kitchen in Manchester today at 9 a.m. Onsite, same-day registration starts at 7:30 a.m. or register in advance at millenniumrunning.com/oktoberfest. The fees are $30 for racers age 21 and over; $20 for racers 20 and younger.
Saturday, Oct. 9
Symphony New Hampshire kicks off its 2021-2022 season with a concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St. in Nashua). See symphonynh.org for tickets and for safety rules. The evening will feature Frank Ticheli’s “Rest,” Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds” and the concert chamber orchestra suite of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Roger Kalia will conduct.
Wednesday, Oct. 13
If the snap of fall weather and the return of the The Great British Baking Show has inspired you to hold your own Bread Week, check out the Decorative Focaccia Bread cooking class tonight at 6 p.m. at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry; labellewinery.com, 672-9898). The class costs $49.05; reserve a spot in advance online.
Save the Date! Oct. 15
Mamma Mia!, the joyful ABBA jukebox musical, will kick off a multi-week run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, Oct. 15, with opening night show at 7:30 p.m. The show will run Fridays (7:30 p.m.), Saturdays (2 and 7:30 p.m.) and Sundays (noon and 5 p.m., most weeks) through Sunday, Nov. 14, with Thursday shows on Oct. 28 and Nov. 11. Tickets run $25 to $46.
Featured photo: Symphony New Hampshire. Courtesy photo.
