Tag: 220915

Kiddie Pool 22/09/15

Family fun for the weekend

Fairs and festivals

• The Humane Society for Greater Nashua is holding its annual fundraiser the Wags to Whiskers Festival on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). The festival is billed as “New England’s largest pet dog event” and will have demonstrations by the Granite State Disc Dogs and the Merrimack Police Department K-9 Drei. There will also be dog-friendly vendors, giveaways, carnival games and prizes, adoptable dogs and puppies, and food trucks. Tickets to the festival are $12 per person, free for kids and teens ages 17 and under. For more information visit hsfn.org/wags-whiskers-festival.

• Get ready for a fun-filled day at the Granite State Fair (formerly the Rochester Fair), which opens on Thursday, Sept. 15, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 18, as well as the following week on Thursday, Sept. 22, through Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Rochester Fairgrounds (72 Lafayette Road). The fair will have midway rides, a full schedule of live music, local vendors and exhibitors, a cornhole tournament, circus performances and a delicious variety of fair food. Advance tickets are $10 per person and are available through Sept. 14. Tickets at the door are $12 per person and free for kids ages 8 and under. Visit granitestatefair.com.

• Festivities will take over the town at the Hollis Old Home Days on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, at Nichols Field and the adjacent Lawrence Barn (Depot Road, Hollis). There will be a town parade, midway rides, hot air balloon rides, a local artisan market, live entertainment, and a fireworks celebration on Saturday evening. The event is free. For more information visit hollisoldhomedays.org.

• Derryfest returns to MacGregor Park (East Broadway, Derry) on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will have live entertainment all day, ranging from games and live animal demonstrations to local crafters and vendor booths. For more information, visit derryfest.org.

• Celebrate Pelham with Pelham’s Old Home Day on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3 Main St. A variety of activities, including a pancake breakfast, craft vendors, food trucks, a town parade, live performances, a penny sale and a cornhole tournament will be the highlights of the day. For more information visit pelhamoldhomeday.org.

• The annual Fall Equinox Festival, held by TEAM Exeter, is back for the eighth year on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Swasey Parkway. The fest will feature live music, artisan vendors, local food, children’s activities, dance performances and cultural exhibits. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person or $20 per family. For more information visit teamexeter.com.

• Celebrate the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. Dover) coming back from their week of annual maintenance with the Toddler Fest starting on Friday, Sept. 16, and running through Sunday, Oct. 2. Each day will have different themes and activities, ranging from the bubble dance party to clay nature play. Toddler Fest is included in the price for regular tickets to the museum, $12.50 per child and adult. For more information and a full schedule, visit childrens-museum.org.

Movie Night

• Go on an adventure with Shrek (PG, 2001) on Friday, Sept. 16, at dusk in Greeley Park (100 Concord St. in Nashua). This is part of Nashua’s “Pics in the Park” screenings. The movie follows ogre Shrek as he rescues the princess Fiona with the help of his friend, the donkey named Donkey. This movie is free to attend.

All about animals

• Learn all the different ways to find animals with naturalist and author Susie Spikol as she talks about her new book How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed and 50 Other Activities to Get Wild with Animals on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. at The Toadstool Bookshop (12 Depot Square, Peterborough). Spikol will teach kids how to treat their backyard and neighborhood like their own nature preserve through her new book. The event is free to attend; the book costs $18 and can be purchased at toadbooks.com.

Touch a truck

• The Nashua Parks & Recreation Department is bringing back Wheels & Wings at the Nashua Airport at Boire Field (93 Perimeter Road) on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than just trucks will be at this free touch-a-truck event. There will be various fire trucks, police vehicles, planes, helicopters and electric cars on display for kids to learn about and explore. While admission is free, the local nonprofit 68 Hours of Hunger will be in attendance to collect nonperishable food donations. See “Wheels & Wings 2022” on Facebook for more details.

Treasure Hunt 22/09/15

Dear Donna,

My mom passed along a newspaper article from the Hippo with your contact information. She is looking to see if the Hummel collection is worth anything and how to sell them if they are worth something. She doesn’t have social media so that is off the table.

Thank you,

Karen

Dear Karen,

M.J Hummel figurines have quite a history and are still being made today.

The first thing you want to do is verify that all of them are true Hummels. They all should have the name imprinted into the porcelain. Then each will have a stamp of a V with a bee on the bottom. This will help give you the age with the help of a book or your help online. This is a process, but each one carries a different value, and beware — many reproductions were made.

The only reason for doing research is to determine if she has any rare ones. Common mass-produced ones are worth today around $10 to $20 each, even if you see they are in a price guide for much more. This is due to the fact that so many were made. People collected them thinking they would be an investment. Too many made it through time so now only the rare hold value. People do still collect them because they are sweet and still done well.

One last tip, Karen: Any of them that have any damage have no value. I guess for selling them I might try a more retail environment, like a consignment store at the holiday time.

I hope this was helpful and thanks for sharing with us.

Are your plants suffering from a drought?

Water deep if you can, and mulch properly

Many of my readers are suffering from a serious drought, enough so that plants are losing leaves and going dormant long before they should. Most well-established plants will recover from the effects of drought, even if they lose their leaves now. And new things? If you have not been giving them water weekly or more often, some may die.

Added to the problem is the fact that many places have enacted watering bans or limitations. And wells may not have enough to water everything. And of course watering takes time — time away from family, dogs and recreation.

If you have not been thinking about the drought, you should. Start by looking at your plants. Are leaves limp, withered or turning brown? If so, you need to water them well — today! They need a good deep watering.

Deep watering is not easy. If you take your hose and spray the base of the tree for a minute, you are not actually giving it much water. Wait 10 minutes after watering and go back to the new tree or shrub that you planted last spring. Use your finger or a tool like the CobraHead weeder (a weeding tool with a single tine) to dig down 4 inches or more. Is the soil moist? It should be. Most roots are in the top foot of soil. Add more water as needed.

If your soil is like powder, it is not easy to get water to penetrate the soil. If your tree is on a hillside, water you apply will run away almost immediately and not soak in at all. Even a gentle slope will allow water to run off. You will need to make a ring of soil or mulch around the tree or shrub to contain water.

If you are using a hose, use a watering wand to apply water rather than a spray nozzle held in your hand. These wands are usually 24 inches long with a nice “rose” on the end that makes the water flow in a gentle spray and have a valve to turn the water on, off or part way on. Since the tip of the wand is near the ground, it is less likely to wash away the soil. And it allows you to direct the water just where you want it. Soaker hoses on timers are good if you travel a lot, or vacation when it’s hot and dry.

Before you start watering, learn how much water your hose delivers. Do this by timing how long it takes to fill up a 5-gallon pail. Two or three minutes is usually long enough, but it depends on the diameter of your hose and the water pressure. Half-inch hoses are worthless. Five-eighths-inch hoses are adequate, and three-quarter-inch hoses are good for long-distance runs. Five gallons is the minimum quantity of water needed by a thirsty shrub or newly installed tree.

Most new woody plants need five gallons every week, but it does depend on the soil type. Sandy soil dries out the quickest and needs the most water. Clay soil holds water, but is hard to get thoroughly moist. Even though I have good soil, I always add compost to the soil when I plant anything. Not only does it add biological activity; it also holds water in sandy soil and loosens up clay soils. I buy it by the truckload. Most garden centers sell it in bulk, which is cheaper than buying it by the bag. Of the bagged compost, I like Moo-Doo and Coast of Maine brands.

Grasses and weeds suck moisture out of the soil, so dig them out around your trees. Weed a ring around new or struggling trees that is 3 to 4 feet wide. Then get some fine mulch (double-ground mulch, not wood chips). An inch and a half of mulch is about right, or two inches. Deeper than that and short rain showers will never get moisture to your plants’ roots.

Don’t buy bagged wood chips based on price — or if you do, buy the most expensive. Cheap mulch may be ground up and shredded construction debris and pallets. “Color enhanced” mulch is stained or dyed with something and may spread chemicals in the garden — and fade with time.

Never let the mulch touch the bark of your tree, or worse yet, make a faux-volcano of mulch. Mulch can harbor fungi that will rot the bark of your tree, killing it in six to 10 years. Once the cambium layer under the bark gets rotted, the tree will die. If you have mulch against any of your trees, please fix it right away.

Years ago I visited my friend Sydney Eddison at her home in Newtown, Connecticut. Sydney is a garden designer, author of many fine gardening books and a poet with terrific gardens. They were in the midst of a terrible drought — so bad that mature oaks were losing their leaves in the forest by August. A water ban was in place, but her gardens looked great.

“Sydney,” I said, “You’ve been cheating and watering your plants.” No, she explained, “It’s all about the mulch.” Each fall her husband, Martin, mowed over all the leaves that fell on the lawns and bagged them. He stored them in the barn until spring, and after all her plants woke up in the spring, she added a layer of chopped leaves. Not only did they hold in moisture, as they broke down they added organic matter to the soil — making it better each year.

This fall, do the same. Collect your leaves, or have the lawn service collect them for you. I don’t bag them up, I just add them to a pile and use as mulch in the spring. It really works. A 2-inch layer is perfect.

Don’t be disheartened if some of your plants go dormant now. It is their way of protecting themselves. But do water if you can — and get it down deep. Your plants will bless you!

Featured photo: A straw used to remove air from a bag of cherry tomatoes. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

20 years of fandoms

Granite State Comic Con celebrates comic books, sci-fi, games and more

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

What started as a small gathering of friends and fans of comics in Manchester snowballed into a three-day event that celebrates comics, sci-fi, fantasy, cartoons, gaming, wrestling and more. Now, 20 years after it began, Granite State Comicon grabs attention from people around the world.

“The craziest thing is hearing people say, ‘We are traveling from California,’ but now people are coming internationally,” said Chris Proulx, the director of the con.

This is the 20-year anniversary of Granite State Comicon. Proulx is also one of the owners of Double Midnight Comics, the shop that hosts the convention. The con’s first year, Proulx said, it was just a group of people who loved comic books and tabletop games like Magic the Gathering.

Two decades later, the con has meet-and-greets with stars like actor Julian Glover (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back), WWE wrestling hall of famer Mick Foley, and co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman.

Man, woman, and two girls posing together in cosplay costumes at event
Families that cosplay together stay together. Courtesy photo.

“I never dreamed it would be this big event,” Proulx said. “We’re using every conceivable space and we still had a waiting list for people wanting to set up booths in artist alley.”

This year, the con is bigger than it’s ever been. Proulx said the convention was struggling to find space to accommodate everyone who wanted to be a part of the con. This year, the artist alley alone has over 100 artists, the vast majority of whom come from New England.

The mutant turtles are very near and dear to New Hampshire, said Proulx, since they were created right in Dover.

Eastman agreed to pose with fans for photographs on a set built to mimic the sewer lair the teenage superheroes hang out in. Proulx said this would be the second year Eastman has come to the con.

“Turtle fans travel from all over the country to come to the home of the turtles,” Proulx said. “Whenever [Eastman] is in town, we always make a big deal of them.”

The different guests doing meet-and-greets will be on panels talking about a variety of topics. Voice actors will talk about how they got into their industry, and professional cosplayers will talk about how to start building cosplay costumes.

Proulx said it was super important to him to have events that kids might be more excited about. So when Emily Drouin, one of the creators of Kids Con New England, reached out to Proulx in 2014 about setting up a booth at the Granite Con, he was thrilled.

This year Drouin is offering activities that range from learning to draw Pokemon and Nintendo characters to meet-and-greets with princesses and superheroes. This is in addition to the kids’ costume contest put on every year by Granite Con.

Drouin’s advice for parents who are unfamiliar with comicons is to just take some time and take it all in.

“There’s something for everyone,” Drouin said. “Don’t be intimidated or shy that you’re not too familiar. This is a great way to meet creators firsthand and you’ll be surprised at all the neat things you find.”

Drouin will be in the expo center’s concourse area, and this year she’ll be dressed up as Merida from the Disney Pixar movie Brave.

Proulx said that the Granite Con has been designed to be a place where families can go for a day of nerdy fun. He said that there is no judgment on the type of content people like. Everyone from anime lovers to Trekkies is welcome.

“It’s a celebration of all things fun and geekty,” Proulx said. “Whether it’s the [Marvel Cinematic Universe], Star Wars or The Walking Dead, there’ll be stuff to see.”

Featured photo: Granite State Comicon Costume Contest 2021 Winners. Photo by David Lockhart.

The Art Roundup 22/09/15

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

• Part of your world: The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) kicks off its season with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which will have its opening night Friday, Sept. 16, and run through Sunday, Oct. 2. This professional production will be presented Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. throughout its run as well as Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for youth and $15 for adults.

• Call for artists: The Beaver Brook Association (beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) is looking for artists to participate in the Fall Festival & Art Show on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25. The theme this year is “untouched beauty.” The call is open to amateurs and professionals who would like to enter photography, paintings, collage and mixed media. Awards will be presented. The entry fee is $10 for one work, $15 for two and $20 for three works. Find the application form and the dropoff dates online; the dropoff deadline is Monday, Sept. 19, at noon.

• Ode to NH: Symphony New Hampshire also opens its season this weekend with “Ode to NH” on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua). The program, which kicks off the 100th anniversary season, will feature historical and modern pieces written about or in New Hampshire, including Oliver Caplan’s Lunastella Fuga, John Adams’ “Shaking and Trembling” from Shaker Loops, Amy Beach’s Bal Masque and Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite. Tickets cost $10 for youth ages 13 to 17 and full-time students age 29 and under and range from $20 to $60 for adults and from $18 to $55 for seniors age 65 and up. Admission is free for youth under age 13. See symphonynh.org.

• Seasonal views: Two Villages Art Society hosts “Out of the Woods” at the Bates Building (846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org, 413-210-4372) opening Friday, Sept. 16, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon to 2 p.m.. It features a series of collaborative vignettes paying tribute to the seasonal changes of New Hampshire, created by a group of five local artists known as the 9th State Artisans. It will remain on display through Oct. 8. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Currier updates
The Currier Museum of Art’s second-floor galleries have gotten a revamping, with new acquisitions mixed with old favorites, all reorganized and reimagined to provide new context to the work and space. The East Gallery now contains 19th-century collections, and the West Gallery introduces “Nature and Nostalgia,” which focuses on New Hampshire landscapes. To see the newly reworked exhibits, visit the Currier (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144), during regular gallery hours Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Thursdays open until 8 p.m. For more information, visit currier.org.

• Buy art: The Concord Arts Market holds its second to last summer market of the season on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The market features juried artisans and artists and is in Rollins Park (33 Bow St. in Concord). See concordartsmarket.net.

• Fall classes: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) has announced its fall season of adult art class offerings, beginning on Saturday, Sept. 24, including both in-person and online classes, weeks-long courses and single-day workshops. Offerings include “The White Line Woodcut and Beyond” with Kate Hanlon, an in-person workshop on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; “Art Sampler for Adults” with Robin Deary, an in-person six-week class on Thursdays, Sept. 29 through Nov. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m.; “Drawing and Painting the Landscape” with Rachael O’Shaughnessy, an in-person five-week class on Thursdays, Oct. 20 through Nov. 17, from 1 to 3 p.m., and many more.

• Back to school: The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org) presents Seminar, a comedy from Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck, through Sept. 25. The show follows a series of aspiring novelists as they take classes with an unorthodox teaching style. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $27, $24 for seniors.

Sparrows
The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center (39 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2551) will screen Sparrows, a silent film starring Mary Pickford, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, with live musical accompaniment. The classic film is a thriller following orphans who flee an evil caretaker. Local composer Jeff Rapsis will accompany the work with music. The film will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. For more information, visit flyingmonkeynh.com.

— Hannah Turtle

ART

Events

• BRIDGES & CONNECTIONS SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13, Brookline, 673-7441, andresinstitute.org) hosts its annual Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium through Oct. 2. For three weeks, invited artists from all over the world will stay in Brookline to create sculptures for permanent installation at the Institute’s 140-acre outdoor sculpture park and trails. The public is invited to meet the artists and watch them work at designated times, TBA. A presentation of the completed sculptures at their permanent sites will take place on Sunday, Oct. 2. Visit andresinstitute.org/symposium-2022.

Opening

• “STORIED IN CLAY” The New Hampshire Potters Guild presents its biennial exhibition “Storied in Clay” at the exhibition gallery at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen headquarters (49 S. Main St., Concord) Sept. 26 through Oct. 27, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Visit nhpottersguild.org.

• “FROM THE HIPPIE TRAIL TO THE SILK ROAD” exhibit fromTwo Villages Art Society will run at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) Oct. 21 through Nov. 12. This is an exhibition by Kathleen Dustin that includes her original artwork, inspired by and juxtaposed with jewelry and textiles from around the world that Dustin has collected during her travels. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22, from noon to 2 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

Exhibits

• “LAYERED: COLOR AND TEXTURE” runs at Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-6650, art3gallery.com) through Sept. 15. Featured works highlight the interplay between color and texture, how the tactile quality of an object’s surface appeals to the sense of touch, and how the depths of light and color appeal to the sense of sight. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with evening and weekend viewing available by request.

• “MANAGING MISCELLANEA” The Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy (11 Tan Lane, Exeter) hosts “Managing Miscellanea,” an art exhibition that draws from the gallery’s “undefined” collection. It centers around questions of defining and maintaining collections, and showcases unseen works from the storage vault, including works by Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Motherwell. The exhibition runs through Sept. 24, available for viewing during the gallery’s normal hours: Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free but reservations are required. For more information, visit www.exeter.edu/lamontgallery.

• “COLORS OF AUTUMN” The September show for New Hampshire Art Association members runs through Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (139 State St. in Portsmouth; nhartassociation.org). The gallery is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Fairs and markets

• CAPITAL ARTS FEST The Capital Arts Fest, a free event hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25, outside on Main Street in Concord. There will be a fine art and craft fair, live music and dance performances, a historic walking tour of downtown Concord and more. Visit nhcrafts.org or call 224-3375.

THEATRE

Shows

•​ THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith, winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org) professional company presents The Conference of the Birds through Sept. 17; tickets cost $29 to $39.

• MURDER FOR TWO The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (33 Footlight Circle, Meredith, winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org) runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 9; tickets cost $25 to $42. Showtimes are on various dates and times, Tuesday through Sunday.

• MAJESTIC-OPOLY The Majestic Theatre presents Majestic-opoly, its 17th annual auction and performance fundraiser, on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester). The evenings will feature silent auctions, raffles and refreshments as well as performances from the company’s adult, teen and youth actors. Tickets cost $20 per person. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7649.

• MR. WOLF Theatre Kapow presents Mr. Wolf at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) with showtimes on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults and $23 for students. Visit ccanh.com.

• MISS HOLMES The Milford Area Players present Miss Holmes at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) Sept. 23 through Oct. 2, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Visit milfordareaplayers.org.

• THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR​ The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord, hatboxnh.com) will present The Government Inspector, presented by Phylloxera Productions, Oct. 7 through Oct. 23. Showtimes are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., and tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

• FREAKY FRIDAY Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) youth company presents Freaky Friday on Tuesday, Oct. 11, and Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for youth and $15 for adults.

• THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS The Community Players of Concord present The Wind in the Willows at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., and tickets cost $15.

• DISNEY’S THE ARISTOCRATS KIDS The Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua, peacockplayers.org) youth theater company presents Disney’s The Aristocrats Kids Oct. 14 through Oct. 23. Showtimes are on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

• RED RIDING HOOD Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) youth company presents Red Riding Hood on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for youth and $15 for adults.

Classical

Events

•​ DUO BALDO The Concord Community Concert Association presents a classical concert, “Duo Baldo,” featuring violinist Brad Repp on his 1736 Testore violin and pianist Aldo Gentileschi, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 at the door or $23 online. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.

• WINDS OF TIME Symphony New Hampshire presents “Winds of Time,” with performances on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center in Nashua and on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m. at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). It features Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4, Du Puy’s Quintet for Bassoon and Strings in A minor III, Weber’s Clarinet Concertino in E-flat and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings. Tickets cost $10 for youth ages 13 to 17 and full-time students age 29 and under and range from $20 to $60 for adults and from $18 to $55 for seniors age 65 and up. Admission is free for youth under age 13. Visit symphonynh.org.

• PIANIST RICHARD DOWLING​ The Concord Community Concert Association welcomes pianist Richard Dowling to Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $23. Call 344-4747 or visit ccca-audi.org.

• NATURE & MYTH​ The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 118th year with an orchestral showcase, “Nature & Myth,” featuring music by Beethoven, Walker, Grieg and Sibelius, on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem). Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $8 for kids. Visit nhphil.org.

Welcoming weekend

Multicultural festivals celebrate the cultures of Nashua and Concord

By Hannah Turtle

[email protected]

This weekend, the region will host two events, one in Nashua, the other in Concord, but the celebration is a global one. Each city hosts its annual multicultural festival, Nashua’s in Greeley Park on Saturday, and Concord’s in Keach Park on Sunday. The events are part of a wider initiative, Welcoming Week.

“Our philosophy is to be welcoming to the refugees who have settled here, the immigrants who decide to resettle here. It’s about being open and welcoming to them as our neighbors, as part of our community, and making sure that the city government and the institutions here are welcoming as well,” said Jessica Livingston, the director of the Concord Multicultural Festival. “The festival is one of the ways to do that.”

Both festivals will include representation from different groups and cultures that make the two cities their home.

“We have performances and vendors from many different cultures, and we also have the flag parade, which has flags from over 70 countries, and they all represent people from our own community,” Livingston said.

Since the early 1980s, more than 7,000 refugees have made New Hampshire their home, according to Livingston. She said they come from countries all over the world, but many in the area come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing civil war, or from Bhutan and Myanmar, fleeing ethnic cleansing.

“Before we started accepting refugees in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s, Concord was a much whiter community. Bringing in people from other cultures was very new to everyone, so in the early years, it was also a way to introduce the receiving community to new cultures through food and music and art,” Livingston said. “The festival was created in the early 2000s as a way to welcome the refugees that were being settled here, and by continuing to do this we continue to show that we embrace all the new neighbors we have here. … Over the years, it’s evolved. It’s now a place for everyone to share their culture, from the various African countries who have just recently seen settlers here, as well as Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Ukraine, the indigenous communities, and all the people whose ancestors immigrated here.”

In Concord, the festival will include performances from a whole host of different groups, including Emperor T-Jiga and the Akwaaba Ensemble, a group that brings West African drumming and dance to the community; Barranquilla Flavor, a Colombian dance group that specializes in traditional Colombian folkloric dances; and performers of Irish step dance, traditional Nepali dance, Argentinian tango, and much more.

These festivals, however, have a larger purpose than just celebration.

“While it’s a celebratory event, our goal is ultimately to address the racism and intolerance that can come about when we talk about refugees and immigrants, so it’s a way to bring people together over shared values, and mitigate some of the things that pull us apart,” Livingston said.

The festivals allow local community members to get involved in welcoming efforts, support immigrant businesses, and get to know each other. For Livingston, it’s a vitally important event, as well as one of personal significance.

“I’m an event planner by trade, but this is by far my favorite event to do. It’s so much more than an event. There’s all these smaller moments, and they’re wonderful,” Livingston said. “There are some people in this community that came here as refugees and may not have felt welcome, but then seeing the way we celebrate them, it makes them feel seen. There’s a lot of beautiful connections between people.”

Multicultural Festival weekend
When: Sunday, Sept. 18, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Keach Park
More information: concordmulticulturalfestival.org

Nashua Multicultural Festival
When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 1 to 4 p.m.
Where: Greeley Park
More information: cgsnashua.org/events/nashua-multicultural-festival

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

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