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The Weekly Dish 22/07/28

News from the local food scene

• Culture and community: A citywide celebration of cultural diversity through local food and music, the Lowell Folk Festival is returning in person for its 35th year, from Friday, July 29, through Sunday, July 31, across multiple areas of downtown Lowell, Mass. According to a press release, this year’s festival will feature 18 ethnic food stands operated by area nonprofits and community groups — each will offer a different traditional cuisine that showcases their heritage. Booths will be set up near three of the festival’s four stages, featuring everything from Greek, Filipino, Jamaican and Indian foods to Middle Eastern, African, Brazilian, Polish and Armenian options. There will also be two days of cooking demonstrations and discussions, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., at Lucy Larcom Park. According to the release, these will include moderated presentations with home cooks showing various comfort foods from their cultures, like Polish pierogi, Greek potato fries, Lithuanian vegetable and chicken stews, Vietnamese spring rolls and more. A full schedule of live music and dance performances hailing from all around the world are also planned across each of the festival’s four stages, while local art and craft demonstrations will take place in the courtyard between the National Historical Park Visitor Center and the Brush Art Gallery. Admission is free. Visit lowellfolkfestival.org.

• Fresh food fast: The Common Man Roadside just opened its newest restaurant and cafe inside the Tru by Hilton Manchester Downtown hotel building in the city’s Millyard (451 Commercial St.), Bill Boynton, director of public relations and community engagement for Granite State Hospitality, which owns each store, confirmed. Similar to its sister locations in Hooksett, Plymouth and across town on South Willow Street, The Common Man Roadside features various made-to-order and grab-and-go items, with an emphasis on takeout and mobile and online ordering. All feature eclectic menus of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads, pasta, pastries, ice cream and various hand-crafted coffees and other drinks. Among the already popular new offerings, Boynton said, are crispy cod and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. The interior look of the eatery features an open kitchen with an homage to the past that includes reclaimed wood from New Hampshire barns and brick salvaged from the former Concord rail station. Extensive inside and outside seating is available, as well as a “live edge” wood bar. The Common Man Roadside Market & Deli’s Plymouth location, a restaurant within a convenience store, opened in October 2019, and the South Willow Street location arrived the following summer. Current hours on Commercial Street are Monday through Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit thecmanroadside.com or follow the company’s newest spot on Facebook @thecmanroadsidenhmillyard.

• Can it: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery (297 N. River Road, Lee) recently announced the release of Incognito, the company’s first canned wine. According to a press release, Incognito is a “wine disguised as summer,” featuring a blend of Flag Hill’s raspberry and Cayuga white wines that’s lightly carbonated, with one can equalling two-and-a-half glasses of wine. Cans are currently available at Flag Hill’s store and tasting room, and distribution to other stores is also expected. Visit flaghill.com or follow the Incognito pages on Facebook and Instagram @incognitocanwine for updates.

Turn up the heat

A look at the spicy world of New Hampshire’s craft hot sauces

Growing up in an ethnically diverse community in northern New Jersey, Gabe DiSaverio was introduced to spicy foods at a young age.

“A lot of my friends growing up were Asian and Indian … and I was eating hot food before I was even 10 years old. I remember always going to a fast food place in New York City that was called Curry in a Hurry,” he said. “Even as teenagers in high school, my friend group and I were doing all these eating challenges, like who could eat the hottest, spiciest, most unique foods.”

New England Hot Sauce Festival
Where: Smuttynose Brewing Co., 105 Towle Farm Road, Hampton
When: Saturday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $10 in advance online and $15 at the door; kids ages 10 and under are free
Visit: newenglandhotsaucefest.com

DiSaverio originally started making his own hot sauces “kind of casually” before eventually, with the help of his culinary-minded sister, Adriana, deciding to jumpstart his passion into a business. Today he owns The Spicy Shark, a line of products that includes seven craft hot sauces, a wing sauce, a Sriracha, a hot honey and two hot maple syrups using all natural ingredients. A self-described “Jaws fanatic” since the age of 8, DiSaverio said the “shark” part of the business comes from combining spicy foods with his other lifelong passion, shark conservation.

Since selling its first bottle in early 2019, the Portsmouth-based company has gone on to win multiple national awards for its sauces, and DiSaverio and his team have participated in various hot sauce festivals and expos all over the country. But all the while, these experiences led him to a pivotal question: Why wasn’t there such an event anywhere in New England?

“These festivals are awesome, and I kind of said to myself that since I’ve heard nothing of someone putting one on around here anytime soon, then the heck with it. I’ll do it,” he said.

The inaugural New England Hot Sauce Festival, happening on Saturday, July 30, at Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton, has already generated substantial buzz among its participating vendors. Nearly 30 New England and Northeast-area hot sauce companies will be there, and that doesn’t include the more than 20 others that had to be placed on a waiting list. Food challenges, including hot pepper and hot wing eating contests — and a world record attempt by Canadian competitive eater Mike Jack — are planned throughout the day, along with live music, food trucks and more.

DiSaverio is a regular proponent of Save the Sharks and several other nonprofits that focus on shark conservation and education. In keeping with his passion, proceeds from the festival will benefit the Blue Ocean Society in Portsmouth and the Seacoast Science Center in Rye.

For DiSaverio, the festival’s immense anticipation is a testament to a growing culture.

“I think it’s an understatement to say that New England is not exactly known as a ‘spicy’ region, and that’s fair, up until the last five years or so,” he said. “But as I’ve gotten more entrenched in the hot sauce community, the amount of new hot sauce companies that have popped up in New England is unbelievable. … I think a lot of it has to do with the ethnic diversity that continues to grow within our country … and there’s this growth of more people seeking out those cultures.”

With New England’s first hot sauce festival right around the corner, we took a deeper dive into New Hampshire’s growing hot sauce scene. Here’s a look at how some companies turn up the heat and enhance the flavor of their products, as well as what their top suggestions are for how you should use them.

Smokey Tom pineapple pulled pork
Courtesy of Dandido Sauce, dandidosauce.com

4 to 5 pounds pork butt
⅕ of a bottle of hot or medium Dandido Smokey Tom hot sauce
1 can pineapple chunks
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon cumin

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker and set on high for 7 hours.

Coming in hot

DiSaverio, who worked for Boston Beer Co. for 17 years prior to founding The Spicy Shark, said the surging interest in craft hot sauces is not unlike that of the local craft beer scene.

“You go into any beer store now and there’s craft beer that’s falling off the shelf onto your head,” he said. “Where we were around 10 to 15 years ago with craft beer [is] where I feel like we are now with craft hot sauces. You’re starting to see this huge explosion.”

Phil Pelletier of Manchester, for instance, got into making his own sauces in 2017 when his wife, Melissa, bought him a ghost pepper plant. Her goal? She wanted to see if her husband, an avid lover of spicy foods, could handle the intense heat of the peppers.

bottle of hot sauce beside a cocktail in a mason jar, straws and lemon. — Photo courtesy of Naked Hot Sauces.

“Every time we’d go out to eat … she’d always try to get me to get the spiciest thing to try,” Pelletier said. “So when I got that plant, I had to figure out what the heck I was going to do with all those peppers, because each plant will produce up to 200-plus ghost peppers, easily.”

The Pelletiers are now the husband-and-wife team behind Smokin’ Tin Roof, a specialty sauce company also offering items like a hot pepper jelly, a bacon stout mustard and a spiced pumpkin butter. All of their products, Pelletier said, are created using ghost peppers that are dehydrated and pulverized into a powder. He adds them in different amounts to control the heat level.

Smokin’ Tin Roof’s sauces include the Smoky Peppah, made with roasted red bell peppers; Grow a Pear, a sweeter pear-based sauce; and Burnin’ Raspberry, a raspberry-based sauce.

“The way I developed all of them was by creating a flavor first … and then I would add the ghost pepper powder to give it the amount of heat that I wanted to have,” Pelletier said. “We don’t want the flavor to get destroyed with the amount of heat that we add to it, which is key for us.”

Marshall Irving of the aptly named Hots Hoss, a small-batch producer of countless flavors of craft hot sauces, similarly began dabbling in his own unique flavors late last year.

“I’ve always been the spicy guy, even as a kid,” he said. “Last October, my mother came up from Florida and went to the Concord Farmers Market. I work in Concord, and so she visited me and handed me a bag of some ghost peppers she got from the farmers market. … Then literally that night, I went home and I looked up probably 10 or 20 different hot sauce recipes online.”

bottle of Spicy Shark hot sauce sitting beside plate with burger, hot sauce being drizzled on burger — Photo courtesy of The Spicy Shark.

Since then, Irving has gravitated toward all types of other peppers, experimenting with other ingredients to create his own flavor profiles. He’s done everything from a strawberry carrot habanero hot sauce to a black truffle sauce with Fresno and habanero peppers. New flavors are regularly posted to Hots Hoss’s social media channels and when they’re gone they’re gone.

“I haven’t repeated a batch yet,” Irving said. “I’ve been working on making a bunch of different new recipes and just kind of seeing what sticks and what the crowd favorites are.”

According to DiSaverio, most of the bigger mass-market hot sauce brands — think Tabasco, TexasPete or Frank’s — are considered Louisiana-style and are known for their simplicity.

“They [contain] vinegar, mostly cayenne or tabasco peppers, and salt. That’s it, three ingredients,” he said. “They’re very vinegar-y, [but] that’s what Louisiana-style is.”

Chef Adam Parker, who founded NH Hot Sauce nearly 15 years ago, said he set out to make his own products after growing disenchanted with what was available on the market at the time. For each of his four sauces, he likes to individually roast and concentrate the peppers that are used.

bottle of hot sauce beside a plate holding brownie topped with ice cream and raspberry hot sauce blend — Photo courtesy of Smokin’ Tin Roof.

“What that does … is it really starts to bring out the natural flavors that are in those peppers, as opposed to [the sauce] just being something spicy that you put on your food,” said Parker, who has most recently served as the owner of The Utopian, a cozy scratch-cooked bistro in Amherst.

Kevin Taillon, another chef by trade with his own craft hot sauce company on the side, bottled the first of what would become Naked Hot Sauces in 2015 — a green chile pepper-based sauce called Garden Variety. The sauce received such a positive reaction that it inspired Taillon, who co-owns Fire and Spice Bistro in Newfields with his wife, to make more. Eventually, he began experimenting with other types of sauces and started to sell them at local farmers markets.

Scale of spiciness

In 1912 a pharmacist named Wilbur Scoville created what he called the Scoville Organoleptic Test. Now more commonly referred to as the Scoville Scale, it’s used as a measurement method to determine the pungency of different types of peppers, with each being assigned a range of numbers, or Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The more units assigned, the hotter the pepper is.

“The Scoville Scale goes from zero to 16 million. It’s the scale of the amount of capsaicin, which is the portion of the pepper that causes the heat,” DiSaverio said. “So you’ve got this scale of 16 million, which is pure capsaicin, and even the hottest peppers are in the 1 to 2 million range. … That’s a measure of the pepper itself, and basically what it means is how many drops of water it would take to dilute that drop of capsaicin so that you wouldn’t be able to feel the heat.”

Even bell peppers without a trace of heat in them, Irving said, are technically on the Scoville Scale, but at zero units. As you move your way up the scale, you encounter different types of peppers assigned to different tiers based on their Scoville units — a jalapeno, for instance, sits at a range of about 2,500 to 8,000 units, while a much hotter habanero pepper is about 100,000 to 350,000 units. Ghost peppers are even higher, from 855,000 to just over 1 million units.

The hottest pepper on the Scoville Scale, ranked at about 1.4 million to 2.2 million Scoville units, is known as the Carolina Reaper. In fact, in 2017 Guinness World Records declared it the hottest pepper in the word, citing tests that were conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina.

Ed Currie — a.k.a. “Smokin’ Ed” — of the PuckerButt Pepper Co. in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is the creator of the pepper. He also happens to be a friend of DiSaverio’s and will be supplying Carolina Reaper peppers for the New England Hot Sauce Festival’s pepper eating contest.

“There are so many more different peppers available now in the United States to buy because of the demand … and now you’re seeing people like Ed who are cross-pollinating and cross-breeding to make new peppers … and experimenting, just like with beer,” DiSaverio said.

The Carolina Reaper is used as a base pepper in several of Taillon’s sauces, like the Reaper Madness, and the Red Reaper, which blends them with red Fresno peppers. Dandido Sauce, based in Manchester, also offers its “extremely hot” Dandido Black — its newest product, according to sales consultant Jennifer Renaud. The sauce blends Carolina Reaper peppers with wasabi, hot cinnamon and ginger, among other fresh ingredients.

Can you take the heat?

Here’s a snapshot of various peppers most commonly used in New Hampshire’s craft hot sauces. Peppers are ranked using a method known as the Scoville Scale; each is assigned a range of numbers, or Scoville Heat Units (SHU), based on the amount of capsaicin, the active ingredient in the pepper. The more units assigned, the hotter the pepper is.

Nurse Shark, Thresher Shark or smoked maple Sriracha breakfast egg bake
Courtesy of The Spicy Shark, thespicyshark.com

12 eggs
½ of a bottle of Nurse Shark (jalapeno hot sauce), Thresher Shark (chipotle hot sauce) or smoked maple Sriracha
5 ounces baby kale
5 ounces baby arugula
1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
2 three-finger pinches each of salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large skillet)

Preheat the oven to bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat eggs in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions for a few minutes, or until translucent. Add salt, pepper, kale and arugula to the onions. Mix and cook for a few more minutes, or until the kale and arugula are wilted. Remove from heat. Coat a 9-by-12-inch baking pan with olive oil, nonstick spray, ghee or butter. Evenly spread the mixture from the saute pan into the baking pan. Sprinkle mozzarella over the mixture. Pour the eggs over the mozzarella. Gently move everything in the baking pan slightly with a fork, so the eggs can reach the bottom. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Universal flavor

When it comes to hot sauce, local makers say their usage opportunities are consistently endless.

“The interesting thing is … you can have it [with] your breakfast, lunch or dinner and it can still be amazing in every way, shape and form,” Parker said. “I like using it on eggs. … Sometimes I’ll mix some into a sour cream or even some yogurt and use that as a dipping sauce.”

Depending on the flavor, Pelletier said, his sauces are great for everything, from ingredients in tacos and nachos to their use as salad dressings or chicken or pork marinades. A regular client even purchases his raspberry sauce by the half-gallon to use as an ice cream topping.

“We get more ideas as people talk to us and come back to buy more when they see us at a show,” he said. “They’ll go, ‘Oh, yeah, I put this sauce on this and, boy, did that make a difference!’”

Most of Dandido’s sauces are also great when incorporated into your cooking — or even as ingredients in shrimp cocktail sauces, co-owner Ed Baroody said.

“It’s not just something to put on top,” Renaud said. “You can build a chili off of it, [or] you can add it to your baked potato in your sour cream. … I’ve even scrambled it into my eggs.”

Irving’s best friend, Rylan Hill, is the head chef of New Hampshire Pizza Co. in Concord — the eatery has incorporated Hots Hoss into its specials, notably using a blackberry hot sauce Irving made for a Delmonico steak pizza special that was topped with chimichurri, pickled red cabbage, leeks, mozzarella and Gouda.

“I put my hot sauce on everything,” Irving said. “That’s the thing about hot sauce. It’s a topping, it’s a condiment, it’s a dipping sauce. … You can do anything with it.”

Scovie Awards
Dubbed the “Oscars of hot sauce” by Gabe DiSaverio of The Spicy Shark in Portsmouth, the annual Scovie Awards recognize the most acclaimed fiery foods and spicy products from around the world. The awards ceremony is held every year at the Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, usually the first weekend in March — a panel of judges rates all applicable submissions in various categories like appearance, aroma, texture, originality, flavor and overall impression.

To date, The Spicy Shark has taken home a total of 11 Scovie awards in either first, second or third place categories for its products. DiSaverio said he is most proud of two of those awards in particular: winning first place last year for his Hammah Gatah 7 Pot Primo pepper sauce, and winning Best in Show, the grand prize award, in 2020 for his hot maple syrup. Manchester’s Smokin’ Tin Roof has a Scovie Award of its own — its Smoky Peppah sauce, made from ground ghost pepper and some pineapple and sweet red bell peppers, was awarded second place in 2021.

New Hampshire-made craft hot sauces

Here’s a list of some of the Granite State’s spiciest hot sauce companies — visit their websites directly or follow them on social media to find out how to order them or where to pick them up.

Dandido Sauce
dandidosauce.com, @dandidosauce
Try this sauce: The Dandido Black This “extremely hot” sauce, the company’s newest product, blends Carolina Reaper peppers with wasabi, hot cinnamon and ginger, among other fresh ingredients.

Effin Sauces Co.
effinsauces.com, @effinsauces
Try this sauce: Sweet Lava This apple cider-based vinegar hot sauce is made with bell and habanero peppers, offering a unique balance of sweetness and heat.

Hots Hoss
marshall4@hotshoss.com, @hots.hoss
Try this sauce: Strawberry carrot habanero One of the more recent offerings from Marshall Irving of Hots Hoss, a one-man operation of small-batch craft hot sauces in Manchester, this sauce combines habanero peppers with strawberry and carrot flavors.

Naked Hot Sauces
nakedhotsauces.net, @nakedhotsauces
Try this sauce: Reaper Madness One of several Carolina Reaper-based offerings from chef Kevin Taillon of Naked Hot Sauces, who also owns Fire and Spice Bistro in Newfields, the Reaper Madness is best recommended for use on tacos or cheesesteaks.

NH Hot Sauce
nhhotsauce.com, @nhhotsauce
Try this sauce: Pull Fire Pull Fire, made with red Fresno peppers and fresh garlic, is one of four products from NH Hot Sauce, brought to you by longtime local chef Adam Parker.

Philbur’s Hot Sauce
philburs.com, @philburs
Try this sauce: Philbur’s No. 21 Hot The hottest offering from Philbur’s of Portsmouth, this sauce starts with sweet roasted peppers, jalapeno and habanero, along with extra ghost and scorpion peppers and a fresh herb finish.

Pogo’s Peppers
pogospeppers.com, @pogospeppers
Try this sauce: Jalapeno lime Pogo’s Peppers of Rye creates this sauce using roasted jalapenos and bright lime flavors, making it a versatile addition to just about any dish.

Rubin’s Hot Sauce
rubinshotsauce.com, @rubinshotsauce
Try this sauce: Inferno This sauce features a unique proprietary blend of twice the normal amount of home-grown Carolina Reaper peppers that’s then infused with a citrus-based blend of tropical fruits.

Smokin’ Tin Roof
smokintinroof.com, @smokintinroof
Try this sauce: Smoky Peppah A 2021 Scovie Award winner, taking home second place in the national competition, Smokin’ Tin Roof’s Smoky Peppah sauce is made from ground ghost pepper and some pineapple and sweet red bell peppers.

The Spicy Shark
thespicyshark.com, @thespicyshark
Try this sauce: Megalodon Named after the largest shark that ever lived, this craft sauce is brought to you by The Spicy Shark of Portsmouth, featuring “a sweet cherry start with the blazing finish of the Carolina Reaper pepper.”

Volcanic Ash Hot Sauce
volcanicashhotsauce.com, @volcanicashhotsauce
Try this sauce: O.G. Volcanic Ash This small-batch sauce features a blend of fresh habanero peppers with slowly caramelized onions, garlic, premium olive oil and a touch of sea salt.

Waldo Pepper’s Hot Sauce
waldopeppershotsauce.com, @waldopeppershotsauce
Try this sauce: Chipotle Ghost Featuring a blend of chipotle and ghost peppers with other ingredients like cider vinegar, carrots, onions, ground garlic, ginger and lime juice, this sauce is great for spicing up your eggs, burgers or chicken.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Kurt Strandson

Mortgage broker/lender

Kurt W. Strandson (NMLS# 22202) is a mortgage broker and lender and the owner and president of Pinnacle Mortgage Corporation (NMLS #1323739 Equal Housing Opportunity), which is based in Manchester and licensed in 12 states.

Explain your job and what it entails.

We help buyers and homeowners with residential and mixed use and commercial refinance and purchase mortgages. As a broker, we work with over 30 investors to offer a multitude of products not always offered at larger national retail lenders or small community banks or credit unions.

How long have you had this job?

I started my career in the mortgage industry in March of 2003. I opened Pinnacle in April of 2015. We’ve grown from three people to almost 50 and are continuing to grow as we move into more states and look to open more offices throughout the country.

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

I graduated from Bentley University in 2000 and thought I was destined to work as a financial planner and stockbroker. I soon realized the mortgage industry allowed me to utilize my bachelor of science degree in economics and finance … and help people achieve the ‘American dream’ of homeownership, which was rewarding and something I quickly became passionate about.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I was fortunate to obtain a bachelor of science degree from Bentley University and an MBA from UNH in 2012. I do feel both experiences provided the knowledge, education and foundation for me to succeed both as a mortgage broker and a business owner. I found that in the MBA program, I learned as much if not more from my fellow classmates sharing their knowledge and experiences from their careers. I also earned my Certified Mortgage Professional designation.

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

Normal business attire is business casual.

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

Prior to the pandemic, a large percentage of our applications were taken in person. The pandemic expedited the use and development of new technology in our industry to accommodate working remotely. We’re now paperless, and a majority of the process is done online or via technology. We still offer in-person appointments for those who prefer it, but the use and development of technology … has made the process simple, straightforward and fast for our borrowers. The pandemic brought record loan volume as mortgage rates hit historic lows, creating a very high demand for homes.

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

Patience. Sometimes you have to wait for the right situations, relationships and opportunities. I’ve been very blessed with a career that doesn’t feel like a job. I’ve also been blessed with a beautiful wife and family of six children, which I’m grateful for every day.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Many people don’t know or understand the amount of information and data that’s required to be collected and verified throughout the mortgage application process. Technology has made it more efficient but there’s a lot done behind the scenes to get an application to a closing table.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first official job was at 15 years old, working at Giant Pizza in Danielson, Connecticut.

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

Surround yourself with good people. We care about each other and want to support each team member in every way we can. We win as a team.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Winning by Tim Grover
Favorite movie: Diggstown
Favorite music: The Lumineers
Favorite food: Bone-in rib-eye
Favorite thing about NH: I love skiing in the White Mountains with family and friends.

Featured photo: Kurt Strandson. Courtesy photo.

Treasure Hunt 22/07/28

Hello, Donna.

I have a piece of this silver. It’s marked Gorham on the bottom and sterling. It’s 8 inches tall and the bowl is 9 inches. I don’t have any use for it so I’m wondering if you could suggest a new home and selling value.

Thank you for the effort.

Cam

Dear Cam,

What you have is a piece of holloware made right here in New England, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Gorham Manufacturing Co. story is an interesting one if you cared to do more research.

For now, though, let’s help with what you have. Gorham was known for sterling flatware, holloware and many other sterling and silver-plated useful items.

Holloware feels heavy because it is weighted but the sterling is actually thin almost like a foil. This makes it more fragile than a solid sterling piece. It also makes the plain and simple ones like your compote less valuable.

Even so, Cam, the value is in the range of $60+ depending on the condition. No dents or crinkling etc. I’m just not sure these days how to refer you to a buyer. Silver is a lot of work to use or display these days.

Try going to a local antique shop to see what they might offer. Remember always, though, they won’t pay the full value because they will have to find a buyer for it.

I hope this helps and you do find a new home for this compote.

Plants to avoid if you can

Wild parsnips burn and buttercups run rampant

This is the time of year when wild parsnips are in full bloom. They stand anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall and are topped with clusters of tiny flowers facing upward and arranged in a flat cluster called an umbel. The blossoms are similar to those on Queen Anne’s lace, but yellow.

Avoid wild parsnips because you can get terrible burns from the sap of this plant. When the sap on you is hit by bright sunshine, most people develop painful blisters. This is unfortunate, as this common plant is spread by seed, often creating large patches in fields and along roadsides. If you get sap on you, wash it off with soap and water immediately, cover the area, and stay out of direct sunshine for 48 hours.

How can you get rid of wild parsnips? Wild parsnips are biennials, meaning they die after blooming in their second year. I’ve read that mowing a patch of them right after they bloom (but before they produce seeds) will get rid of them, but only if you do this for three to five years. Presumably the repeated mowing is needed to kill plants that come back from seeds that did not germinate in Year 1.

large flowering plant with woody stalk and clumps of white flowers — Giant hogweed is an invasive that can burn you with its sap.

Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is in the same family as parsnips but is bigger, harder to get rid of and even more toxic. I saw it for sale some 20 years ago and was intrigued by its size (6 to 12 feet tall) and blossoms that are up to 3 feet across. I bought it and planted it, having been told that it was not a perennial, though it is.

Even though I didn’t know its sap could cause burns, I quickly decided that giant hogweed was not a plant I wanted. It popped up 50 feet away from where I planted it, and could grow in full sun or full shade, wet soil or dry. I decided it had potential to take over.

At first I just cut off the flower heads before they produced seeds, but in Year 2 or 3 I decided to pull it by the roots. I was lucky that I was able to get out the roots, which can go down 2 feet or more. And even more fortunately, either I did not get sap on me or I am not allergic to it. It is not widely distributed in New England, though it is a real pest in parts of California and elsewhere.

I was less fortunate when it came to getting rid of the Japanese butterbur (Petasites japonicus) I purchased long ago. I was told that yes, it could run, but it was easy to contain with a lawnmower or a stream. Not so. This plant can send roots 20 feet or more, then send up new plants. It is an aggressive plant that will smother almost any other. It likes moisture, and does well in shade as well as sun.

Depending on the variety, this plant can produce clumps of huge leaves that stand up to five feet tall. It has small flowers that erupt from the soil before the leaves. The roots go down deep and break easily, making it tough to remove. In its native Japan it is considered an edible, but I have no interest in eating it.

I have lost control of our Japanese butterbur. It crossed the stream and has gone under the lawn to other beds, and generally become a pest. Even though it is interesting to look at, enough is enough! I wish I had never bought it!

yellow and purple flowering plants growing across a yard — Buttercups are pretty, but tough to control

Another pest I have will surprise you, perhaps: buttercups (Ranunculus repens). Like some of the others mentioned above, at first I welcomed this bright harbinger of spring that displays cheerful yellow blossoms. But it has become a problem because it spreads not only by root but by seed, and once established it is difficult to weed out. And it will choke out other plants. It is glorious in bloom, but very tenacious. If you have moist, rich soil in part shade, watch out. I’d advise removing it early before it starts crowding out other plants. This one is native to Europe, but there are native species that are not a problem, I am told.

Years ago a friend gave me some iris that had the roots of goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) tangled in with the iris roots. It quickly took over the iris bed, choking out everything else. A native of Asia and parts of Europe, it can form a dense mat that outcompetes everything else. The roots are brittle, and thus hard to remove. Even a scrap of root can start a new plant.

I dug out all the goutweed, took away the soil down to 12 inches and replaced the soil after putting down a heavy weed mat. Still, five years later it crawled out from under the mat. If you have it, accept you will probably always have it, though with persistence and a good weeding tool, it is possible to control. But I wouldn’t buy a house that has it!

A variegated form of goutweed called “Snow on the Mountains” has green and white leaves and was sold as a groundcover in the past. But sometimes it reverts back to the more aggressive all-green form and tries to take over the world. So avoid both forms.

Let’s face it: Plants take advantage of us if they can. We like good-looking, interesting plants, so they put on a good show. But among the good ones, there are those aggressive thugs that deserve no mercy. All you can do is be attentive and act quickly when a new plant starts to take over your gardens.

Featured photo: Goutweed will outcompete any other plants and is difficult to eradicate

Kiddie Pool 22/07/28

Family fun for the weekend

It’s showtime at the Palace!

• Join the Lost Boys in Neverland for the Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) next Children’s Summer Series play, Peter Pan. Watch the magical journey of Wendy, John and Michael Darling and their guide, Peter Pan, as they fight pirates, rescue Native American princess Tiger Lily, and cause mischief with the Lost Boys in Neverland. The show runs through Friday, July 29. Show times are Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10 each.

• It’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! The Palace Youth Theatre Summer Camp in Manchester (palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will present Mary Poppins Junioron Friday, July 29, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. The show follows the two young Banks children, Jane and Michael, and their practically perfect nanny, Mary Poppins. The show is performed by campers entering grades 2 to 12. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for kids.

• Don’t forget your shoes for the classic fairy tale Cinderella, which is following Peter Pan in the Palace Theatre’s Children Summer Series (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). The show will run Tuesday, Aug. 2, through Friday, Aug. 5. Show times are Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10 each.

More kid-friendly theater

• The Peterborough Players continue their presentation of The Emperor’s New Clothes at their new outdoor space, the Elsewhere Stage, on the grounds of the Players (55 Hadley St. in Peterborough; peterboroughplayers.org) on Friday, July 29; Saturday, July 30; Saturday, Aug. 6; Wednesday, Aug. 10; Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, with all shows starting at 10:30 a.m. The show is performed by the Players Second Company, which features young professionals and is geared toward a younger audience. Tickets are $15 each for adults, $10 each for children, available online or at the door.

• The North Country Center will present Return to Oz for the Art’s IMPACT Program, a touring children’s theater troupe, Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets are free but must be reserved online.

Movie date

• Get ready for some super-pet fun at Chunky’s three locations (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, and 150 Bridge St., Pelham) for a sensory-friendly showing of Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022, PG) on Thursday, July 28, at noon. Paws of Fury follows Hank, a down on his luck hound in a land filled with cats, who goes on an epic journey to become a fierce samurai to defeat the evil that threatens his new home. The theaters will keep the volumes low and the house lights turned up for this showing, according to the website. Tickets are $5.99 each and can be purchased at chunkys.com.

• Super pets will take over the screen at O’neil Cinema (24 Calef Hwy., Epping) for a sensory-friendly showing of DC League of Super-Pets (2022, PG) on Saturday, July 30, at 10 a.m. The movie follows Superman’s dog, Krypto, and a group of other animal heroes as they work to save the Justice League after the group has been kidnapped. O’neil Cinema will have the volume be softer and the lights on for this showing. More information can be found at oneilcinemas.com.

Playing in the park

• Princesses and knights in shining armor will turn Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) into a real-life picture book. The Nashua Summer Fun program is bringing back the annual Fairy Tale Festival on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature fairy tale characters, a costume parade around the park at 12:45 p.m., a bounce house, vendors and more. Visit nashuanh.gov.

• Keach Park (9 Newton Ave. in Concord) is being taken over by the Friends Program for a Friend-a-Palooza on Saturday, July 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be family-friendly activities ranging from face paint and giant bubbles to Zumba classes and a read-athon. The event is free and will include special outreach to at-risk youth in the local area. Visit friendsprogram.org.

National Night Out

• Meet some of your local first responders during National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 2. Across New Hampshire, police and fire departments are giving families a chance to get up close and personal with the police officers and firefighters who protect local towns. Twenty towns in the Granite State participate in this event. Visit natw.org to learn which towns in New Hampshire are participating.

Concord’s night out will be at Rollins Park (33 Bow St.) from 5 to 8 p.m. and will have touch a truck, arts and crafts, music, a rock climbing wall, and more.

Goffstown’s night out will be more of a block party with food and entertainment. It will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at 27 Wallace Road.

Manchester’s night out will be at the JFK Coliseum parking lot (303 Beech St.), will begin at 5 p.m., and will have a K-9 display, as well as many of the first responder vehicles.

The night out in Nashua will be at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua (1 Positive Place) from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and will have food, games and demonstrations.

New look at nature

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will reopen its Cochecosystem Nature exhibit, which has been reimagined and celebrates the wildlife along the Cocheco River, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, according to a press release. “Visitors will be immersed in the sights, sounds and activities of the animals and people who make their lives along New Hampshire’s rivers,” the release said. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the exhibit space overlook the actual river, the release said. On Aug. 3, kids will also be able to make their own beaver paw track at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reserve a time spot for admission online in advance; admission costs $12.50 for everyone over 12 months old, $10.50 for 65+. The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays with times from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon.

— Katelyn Sahagian

Small-town fun

The Canterbury Fair celebrates close communities for the 61st year

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

The Canterbury Fair is back after its pandemic pause and will once again highlight local artisans, feature a popular barbecue chicken dinner and offer shopping with its used book sale and the What Not sale, a type of white elephant and antique market.

Rick Crockford, a co-chair of the fair, said that this fair is meant to celebrate small towns and communities.

“It started out in the ’50s as a way to get people excited mid-summer about small-town life,” Crockford said. “It’s remained largely, crafty and agricultural. It’s much more low-key than [fairs at] other places.”

The reason the fair started was to help pay for a new parish house at Canterbury United Community Church after a fire had destroyed the original one in 1943. In 1959, a chicken barbecue was added to the fair’s normal activities and, according to the Canterbury Fair’s website, the fair raised close to $2,000.

In addition to the barbecue, there will be regular grilled foods, like hot dogs, burgers, sausage grinders and veggie burgers, Crockford said. He said his personal favorite part of the event is the frappe bar from Jordan’s Ice Creamery.

After the food comes the entertainment and local artisans. Children’s entertainers and musicians will perform throughout the day, and Crockford said that the Morris Dancers, a group that performs a traditional British style of dancing, is a longtime fair favorite.

“They have cymbals on their feet and sticks and they do old English dancing,” he said. “There’s a caller who runs the dance; it’s very cool. They’ve been at probably every fair for the past 15 years.”

kids in tie-dye shirts fishing in troughs at town fair — Photos courtesy of Donna Miller.

For new entertainment, Crockford said that he was especially excited to welcome drummers from the Native American Abenaki tribe.

As for local artisans, Crockford said there will be everything from jewelry to leather goods. Even a local guitar maker will be showing off his instruments.

“We have an unwritten rule that the vendors we rent space to have to produce something themselves,” Crockford said, adding that they didn’t want people to be reselling items they had purchased.

Crockford said that the used book sale, which will be at the Old Town Hall, and the What Not sale, at the elementary school, are among the biggest draws for most visitors. The proceeds from both sales will be used to raise money for the Canterbury Fund, which gets donated back to the town’s schools.

While the vendors are exciting for adults, kids will get the chance to have their face painted and play different games. Kids of all ages can enjoy spending time with the animals at the petting zoo.

Crockford said that the fair isn’t a big fancy shindig, but it is still special and can attract people from as far away as Maine and Vermont.

“We don’t have any rides, and there’s no fried dough,” Crockford said. “[The fair’s] mostly people who want to appreciate local craftspeople and support them financially. See a little bit of the old-timey fair before everything got all rushed.”

61st annual Canterbury Fair
Where: Baptist Road, Canterbury
When: Saturday, July 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
Visit: canterburyfair.com

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Donna Miller.

The Art Roundup 22/07/28

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

• Unwind with art: At this week’s Art After Work at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) catch live music from Halley Neal during the weekly event, which features free admission from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Also on Thursday, July 28, the exhibition tours are of the newly installed second floor east galleries (at 5:30 p.m.) and of the Arghavan Khosravi exhibit (6:30 p.m.), according to the website. In addition to live music and free admission, during Art After Work, the museum’s cafe offers happy hour drink specials and the full menu available for purchase, the website said. Next week, the jazz group Causeway Collective will play the Art After Work on Thursday, Aug. 4.

• Midsummer’s night theater: The Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) will finish up its presentation of Shakespeare on the Green this weekend. Catch A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Thursday, July 28, and Saturday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m. Or (and?) see Romeo and Juliet on Friday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person and can be purchased at tickets.anselm.edu.

• Reports from ‘Little America’: Author Ken Kalfus will discuss and sign his new novel, 2 A.M. In Little America, at the Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough (12 Depot Square; toadbooks.com, 924-3543) on Saturday, July 30, at 2 p.m. The novel “imagines a future in which sweeping civil conflict has forced America’s young people to flee its borders” according to the Toadstool website, which describes the book as “brimming with mystery, suspense and Kalfus’s distinctive comic irony.”

Zoe Brooke’s art in Exeter
A new exhibit will run at the Seacoast Art Association (130 Water St., Exeter) from Aug. 3 through Aug. 28. Zoe Brooke, a self-taught artist whose work can be found in galleries across New England, presents an exhibition with a sense of urgency. Diagnosed last year with a rare genetic eye disease, Brooke will eventually lose her central and color vision. For now, she has set out to create as many works as possible. Her exhibit, called “Wellspring,” is available to be seen during regular gallery hours, Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. A public reception will be held to celebrate the collection on Friday, Aug. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. Visit seacoastartist.org.

• Book signing in Tilton: Poet and artist Jeff Mellin will sign copies of his new book, Player Piano (Dream 19),on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Book Warehouse at Tanger Outlets (120 Laconia Road in Tilton; 286-7880). According to a press release, the book “features Mellin’s ‘hopeful dream-ballad’ illustrated with images he adapted and collages from a painting by pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Coley Burne-Jones and a 16th-century Book of Flower Studies, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

• Under the sea: Tickets are on sale now for the Peacock Players’ production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., which will run Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday Aug. 7, and Friday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Court Street Theater (14 Court St. in Nashua). Shows on Fridays are at 7 p.m., Saturday shows are at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. The show is “our first ever student produced title,” according to the Peacock Players website (peacockplayers.org), where you can buy tickets, which cost $15 to $18 (plus fees) for adults and $12 to $15 (plus fees) for kids. Or call the box office at 886-7000.

• Never too early for celebratory trees: The League of NH Craftsmen’s Meredith Fine Craft Gallery (279 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Meredith; meredith.nhcrafts.org/classes, 279-7920) will host a Wool Feather Tree Class with instructor Jean Reed on Sunday, Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Use wire stems and felted wool to make 18-inch trees and decorate with decorative berries, lighting and ornaments, according to a press release. The class costs $130 per student; call for advance registration (which is required).

Players premiere
The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) introduce the U.S. premiere of Marcia Johnson’s Serving Elizabeth now through July 31. The play follows the story of a Kenyan restaurant owner who is vehemently anti-monarchy but is given the opportunity to cook for Princess Elizabeth in 1952. At the same time, it follows a Kenyan-Canadian film student in 2015 as she reckons with the history of colonialism. Single tickets for Serving Elizabeth are $47 and can be purchased at peterboroughplayers.org or by calling the box office at 924-7585.

• August art: The New Hampshire Boat Museum (399 Center St. in Wolfeboro; nhbm.org) will feature the works of local artist Jessica Kelly in August and hold a reception for the exhibit on Friday, Aug. 5. Kelly, a photographer and local kindergarten teacher, will present works with coastal scenes, nature, sunsets and more, according to a press release. The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission costs $9 for adults, $7 for ages 14 to 21 and for 65+; kids 13 and under and active military and their family get in free.

• An evening with Gen. John Stark: The Manchester Historic Association (manchesterhistoric.org) will hold “An Early Glimpse of Manchester” walking tour of Stark Park on Thursday, Aug. 25, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The event, a collaboration with the Majestic Theatre, will feature an actor-led tour with Gen. John Stark and his wife Molly (along with contemporaries Samuel Blodget, Robert Rogers, Samantha Plantin and Elizabeth Stark) giving first-person accounts, according to the website. Registration costs $15 and is required in advance. Go to the website or call 622-7531.

• Save the date for animal knowledge: Author Susie Spikol, a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, will come to Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) to “teach your kiddos how to find critters in their neighborhood” on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. with her book The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, according to a press release. The book, which is slated for release Sept. 13, features “50 hands-on activities and adventures that bring you closer to wild animals than you’ve ever been,” the release said. Spikol will also bring supplies to do one of the crafts from the book.

Uncommon Art in Goffstown
The 14th Annual Uncommon Art on the Common outdoor art show will take place along Main Street in Goffstown on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Forty-two local artists will be featured, including Goffstown artist Ann Trainor Domingue. She will display original coastal-inspired artworks, notecards, prints and more. Uncommon Art is held rain or shine and is sponsored by the Goffstown Main Street Program and other local businesses. Visit goffstownmainstreet.org.

– Hannah Turtle

ART

Exhibits

• SUMMER MEMBERS SHOW Two Villages Art Society presents a mixed-media art show at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) through July 30. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

• “ARGHAVAN KHOSRAVI” Artist’s surrealist paintings explore themes of exile, freedom and empowerment; center female protagonists; and allude to human rights issues, particularly those affecting women and immigrants. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On display now through Sept. 5. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children age 12 and under and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org for more information.

• “THE PEOPLE’S SCULPTOR: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHN ROGERS” Exhibit celebrates the art of American sculptor John Rogers, who came to Manchester in 1850, and explores the influence that Manchester had on Rogers’ life and work. Presented by the Manchester Historic Association. On view now through September. Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester). Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18, and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

• “WOOL: CONTEMPORARY FIBER ART EXHIBITION Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) through Sept. 2. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• ROBIN CORNWELL The New Hampshire Boat Museum will feature local artist Robin Cornwell in the museum’s gallery (399 Center St. in Wolfeboro; nhbm.org) in July. Cornwell produces art quilts as well as bark paper paintings and woven placemats and rugs. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. To learn more about Cornwell, visit robincornwellembellishments.com.

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibition in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email tsink@concordnhchamber.com.

• “PIXELS, WOOD, CLAY” Two Villages Art Society presents an exhibition of work by artists Tony Gilmore, Rick Manganello and Caren Helm. The Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Aug. 12 through Sept. 9. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. There will be an opening reception on Sat., Aug. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

Fairs and markets

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET The juried outdoor artisan and fine art market runs one Saturday a month, June through October, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Market dates are July 30, Aug. 20, Sept. 17 and Oct. 15. Rollins Park, 33 Bow St., Concord. concordartsmarket.net. The first market will be held on Saturday, June 11. Visit concordartsmarket.net/summer-arts-market.html for more information.

• CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR The annual nine-day outdoor craft fair hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen features hundreds of craftspeople with vendor booths, plus special craft exhibitions, demonstrations, hands-on workshops and more. Sat., Aug. 6, through Sun., Aug. 14. Mount Sunapee Resort, 1398 Route 103, Newbury. Call 224-3375 or visit nhcrafts.org for more information.

• GREELEY PARK ART SHOW The annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua. Sat., Aug. 20, and Sun., Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit nashuaarts.org/greeleyparkartshow.

Tours

• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour for more information.

Workshops and classes

• ART CLASSES Art classes for teens and adults, including Pottery, Stained Glass, Intermediate Watercolor and Clay Hand Building. Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). Five-week sessions. Classes met for two hours a week. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com for the full schedule and cost details.

• DRAWING & PAINTING CLASSES Art House Studios, 66 Hanover St., Suite 202, Manchester. Classes include Drawing Fundamentals, Painting in Acrylic, Drawing: Observation to Abstraction, Exploring Mixed Media, and Figure Drawing. Class sizes are limited to six students. Visit arthousestudios.org or email arthousejb@gmail.comfor more information.

• GENERAL ART CLASSES Weekly art classes offered for both kids and adults of all skill levels and cover a variety of two-dimensional media, including drawing and painting with pastel, acrylic, watercolor and oils. Classes are held with small groups of three to eight to five students. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Kids classes, open to ages 10 and up, are held on Thursdays and Fridays, from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. Adult classes are held on Thursdays, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuition is pay-as-you-go at $20 per student per class, due upon arrival. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.

THEATRE

Classes/workshops

• STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS Monthly workshop series hosted by True Tales Live storytelling showcase. First Tuesday (except November), from 7 to 8:30 p.m., virtual, via Zoom. Registration is required. Visit truetaleslivenh.org for more information.

Shows

•

• FOOTLOOSE Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth; prescottpark.org , 436-2848) presents this outdoor musical through Aug. 14, with showtimes on most Thursdays and Sundays at 7 p.m., and most Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with some matinee showtimes TBA. General admission costs $5, and reserved seating tickets cost $55 to $150.

• THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES, presented by the Peterborough Players at their new outdoor space, the Elsewhere Stage, on the grounds of the Players (55 Hadley St., Peterborough; peterboroughplayers.org), will run on Friday, July 29; Saturday, July 30; Saturday, Aug. 6; Wednesday, Aug. 10; Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, all shows starting at 10:30 a.m. The show is performed by the Players Second Company, which features young professionals and is geared toward a younger audience. Tickets are $15 each for adults, $10 each for children, available online or at the door.

• PETER PAN presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) through Thursday, July 28, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, July 29, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• MARY POPPINS JR.presented by Palace Youth Theatre summer camp at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, July 29, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

• LEGALLY BLONDE JR. musical presented by RB Productions Theater Company at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors (plus fees).

• CINDERELLA presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 2, through Thursday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• RETURN TO OZ presented by North Country Center for the Art’s IMPACT Program, a Touring Children’s Theatre Troupe, Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets are free but must be reserved online.

• JACK AND THE BEANSTALKpresented by Palace Youth Theatre summer camp at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

• BEAUTY & THE BEAST presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 9, through Thursday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• JACK AND THE BEANSTALK presented by North Country Center for the Art’s IMPACT Program, a Touring Children’s Theatre Troupe, Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets are free but must be reserved online.

• NUNSENSE, the musical that has been updated with new jokes, will be presented by the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7649) on Fridays, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturdays, Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 to $20.

• SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL JR.presented by Palace Youth Theatre summer camp at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 20, at 11 a.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

•THE GREAT ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC SHAKESPEARE COMPANY presented by Granite Playwrights at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) from Aug. 19 through Aug. 28, 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.

• DISNEY’S FROZEN KIDS presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• LES MISERABLES presented by the Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) teen company from Aug. 25 through Sept. 4, 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 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for students and $30 for adults.

• CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ’90s MUSICAL presented by the Actorsingers at the Janice B. Streeter Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua; actorsingers.org) Friday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 28, 2 p.m. TIckets cost $20 for adults, $18 for 62+ (plus fees).

• SHREK THE MUSICAL presented by the Riverbend Youth Company at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford; svbgc.org/amato-center) from Friday, Aug. 26, through Sunday, Aug. 28.

• TITANIC THE MUSICAL Presented by the Manchester Community Theatre Players. Manchester Community Theatre Players Theatre, located at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester; manchestercommunitytheatre.com, 327-6777). Showtimes on Fri., Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, and Sat., Oct. 15 and Oct. 22.

CLASSICAL

Open calls

• THE RHYTHM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SHOW CHORUS Women’s a cappella chorus is looking for female singers in the region to join. The group, an affiliate of the North American singing organization Harmony, Inc., performs a wide variety of music, including Broadway musical songs, patriotic songs, pop, jazz and seasonal pieces, for community and veterans’ events and private functions. Rehearsals are held weekly on Thursdays from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. at the Marion Gerrish Community Center, 39 W. Broadway, Derry. Masks are required for singing, but both vaccinated and unvaccinated singers are welcome. Visit rnhchorus.org or email info@rnhchorus.org for more information.

Bubble Boy, the musical

Road trip love story goes pop

By Hannah Turtle

hturtle@hippopress.com

Perhaps years ago, nobody would have expected that Jake Gyllenhaal’s most timely work would not be Brokeback Mountain, nor Nightcrawler, nor Donnie Darko, but instead Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio’s 2001 film Bubble Boy. The largely critically panned film (the movie has a 31 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes), part late-night comedy, part road trip flick, part heavy-handed social commentary on the constraints of being raised in a religious household, part surrealist fever dream, follows Gyllenhaal playing Jimmy Livingston, a boy born with no immune system, whose devoutly Christian mother forces him to live in an airtight plastic bubble throughout his adolescence.

Later, Bubble Boy was adapted into a musical by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (whose body of work includes Despicable Me and Schmigadoon!) and received far more favorable reviews than the original film.

While largely allegorical at the time, the idea of a plastic bubble used to protect an immunocompromised boy from viral infection seems far less unrealistic to today’s audience.

The Hatbox Theatre is presenting Bubble Boy, the musical, in Concord from Aug. 5 through Aug. 14, produced by Dive In Productions.

“When I initially signed on to do the project, I don’t think I quite realized just how on-the-nose it really was,” said Jordan Formichelli, director of the production.

“I was drawn to the characters. They’re funny, they’re ridiculous, but ultimately, at the core of the show, it’s a love story. Yes, it’s about how far you’re willing to go for love, but it’s more so about what you’re willing to risk, and about stepping outside of your comfort zone to be with someone you care about,” Formichelli said.

For Formichelli, the bubble is something that’s relatable.

“We all have bubbles we’re trapped inside,” she said.

Formichelli hopes the audience will find something to laugh at — of which there are many options including a singing cult, a biker banned from the state of Nebraska, and of course, a boy in a giant plastic bubble. But most of all, she hopes the love story shines through.

“I think everyone will find something about the show to fall in love with,” she said.

Bubble Boy
Where: Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Road, Concord
When: Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 14, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $25 for adults; $22 for students, seniors and members; $19 for senior members
Visit: hatboxnh.com

Featured photo: Bubble Boy. Graphic courtesy of The Hatbox Theatre.

This Week 22/07/28

Big Events July 28, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, July 28

This year’s Weare Rally begins today and will run through Saturday, July 30, in the area behind Center Woods Elementary School (14 Center Road, Weare). The Weare Rally, which is the largest military vehicle event in New England, will feature vehicle displays, scenic rides, demonstrations, food and more. The Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club organizes the event. Admission is free. Visit mvmvc.org for more information.

Friday, July 29

Lakes Region Art Association is hosting a dance party celebration today to celebrate winning “Best in the Lakes Region – Art Gallery.” The party will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at their gallery in the Tanger Outlets, (120 Laconia Road, Suite 300, Tilton). There will be live music, line dancing lessons from 360 Line, a 50/50 raffle, and local artists to meet. The event is free to attend. Visit lraanh.org.

Friday, July 29

This is the last chance this season to see fireworks at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua), after the Silver Knights take on the Pittsfield Suns. The game starts at 6 p.m. with the fireworks starting after. Tickets cost $10 for the game; fireworks are free to attend. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

Saturday, July 30

The juried outdoor artisan and fine arts market, Concord Arts Market, is running today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rollins Park (33 Bow St.). Vendors sell everything from pottery to chainmail. The market runs one Saturday each monthfrom June through October. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

Sunday, July 31

Catch the Jim Dozet Duo Concert at the Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury; shakers.org, 783-9511) today from 4 to 5 p.m. as part of the Music on the Green series. Bring a picnic and a chair to enjoy the show, according to the website. The event is free; $20 donations are suggested. Find more live music this weekend in our Music This Week listing, which starts on page 38.

Sunday, July 31

Latinos En Vivo and First Gen Multimedia are hosting Latin Festival 2022 today starting at noon at La Parc de Notre Renaissance (23 Water St., Nashua). The festival will celebrate all walks of Latin life and will have programs set up to help educate others about the variety of Latin culture. The event is free to attend. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/events/1018177678801039.

Save the Date! Sunday, Aug. 14
The 10th annual Kids-Try-Athlon will begin today at 8 a.m. Kids ages 4 through 10 will swim 25 yards, without a flotation device, bike 1 mile and run ½ mile, and kids ages 11 through 15 swim 50 yards, without a flotation device, bike 2 miles and run 1 mile. Registration is $40 per competitor and can be done online at friendsofaine.com/kids-try-athlon or in person on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, or the morning of the race, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Featured photo. Courtesy of the Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club.

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