A new shop coming soon to Manchester is inviting coffee lovers to make it their new favorite spot, with a full lineup of espresso-based drinks using locally roasted beans, in addition to a food menu of breakfast and lunch wraps and sandwiches, soups, grab-and-go pastries and more.
It’s called Cool Beans Cafe, and it’s the brainchild of owner Kris Gabbard, whose 8-year-old daughter Madilyn picked the name. Last March, Gabbard took over the Queen City storefront — the former home of the Siberia Food Market, a stone’s throw away from the fork between Willow and Pine streets — and he’s been hard at work ever since getting it ready, painting the walls, building his own sitting tables and renovating the kitchen and bathroom. An avid traveler, he has decked out the space with his colorful license plate collection along the walls.
Originally from eastern Kentucky, Gabbard came to New Hampshire to be with family members. He and his brother Jeff managed the Black Bear Cafe of Ossipee for a short time.
“I had always wanted to open some kind of restaurant,” Gabbard said. “The cafe my brother and I had, that was already established. It was already up and running when we went in. … The guy that owned it was an investor, and he ended up selling the property when we left.”
Coffees served at Cool Beans Cafe are made with beans sourced through Mill City Roasting Co. of Londonderry, which is providing Gabbard with his own house blend. He’s also bringing in a variety of handcrafted loose-leaf teas and will have other drink options, like Italian sodas with the option to choose from several flavored premium syrups as add-ins. Bagged coffee beans by the pound or half-pound, both whole-bean and ground, will also be available.
For food items, Gabbard is focusing on breakfast and lunch sandwiches, with options like Italian grilled chicken, a cranberry walnut chicken salad wrap and a rustic grilled cheese, featuring cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato and honey mustard on a ciabatta roll. A refrigerated case at the counter will be where you’ll find some grab-and-go items — he’s thinking fruit and yogurt parfaits with granola, as well as some flavors of cakes and cake bars. Other pastries and baked goods like muffins, scones, cookies and cinnamon rolls round out the food menu.
“Right across the parking lot, I have an office over there that also has a full kitchen,” Gabbard said. “So I’ll do the baking over there, and I have storage over there as well. … The idea is that, where it’s a small space, I’ll have one of everything in that case that’s already dressed up, and then I have the fridge back there that I’ll pull from and serve.”
Down the line, Gabbard said he hopes to add to his menu with new items like smoothies, and he has plans to allow visitors of the cafe to utilize it as a community space.
“I want to be able to rent it out after hours or weekends, if someone wants to have a baby shower or a function or something like that,” he said. “Then, in the evenings, I want to do a paint night here once a month, and I’m just trying to fill some nights with some other activities and things that I can do.”
Cool Beans Cafe An opening date is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates. Where: 100 Willow St., Unit 1, Manchester Anticipated hours: Wednesday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays (hours may be subject to change). More info: Visit coolbeanscafe603.com, find them on Facebook or call 206-5924
• Soup’s on: For the first time in three years, the Brookline Public Library (16 Main St.) is bringing back its popular Soup Night — the annual winter program is set to return on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 5:30 p.m., and all are welcome to participate. The event usually yields more than a dozen soups brought in by amateur chefs for everyone to try and decide their favorite kinds. It started in 2014 as a friendly community gathering in the wintertime, but pandemic woes have shelved Soup Night since 2019. In the past, soup entries have included everything from traditional flavors like chicken noodle to some more inventive options that have often been different each year. There is no cost to enter your soup into the competition, nor requirement to be a town resident or library card holder — simply call or visit the library to sign up if you know which soup you’d like to make, to enter for a chance to win this year’s “Giant Soup Bowl of Honor” that is displayed inside the library all year long. Visit brooklinelibrarynh.org.
• Market update: After a brief break due to the holidays, the Milford Farmers Market will be back on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Town Hall Auditorium on the Oval (1 Union Sq., Milford). The market is then scheduled to continue every other Saturday through the end of March before it prepares to move back outside for the summer months. More than a dozen local vendors are featured, always including a variety of items to shop for, from meats and cheeses to freshly baked goods, baking mixes, teas, spice blends and more. Visit milfordnhfarmersmarket.com to view the full vendor list.
• LaBelle Lights extended: Join LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111) for a special WinterFest happening all weekend long on Saturday, Jan. 14, and Sunday, Jan. 15. Enjoy a wine and food pairing on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. inside the winery’s harvest room — featuring items like spinach and feta stuffed mushrooms, curried chicken salad phyllo cups, mini burgers and Belgium chocolate cups — or a WinterFest Family Bash on Sunday at 3 p.m., which will include a live performance from children’s musician Steve Blunt and winter animal activities with New Hampshire Audubon. LaBelle Lights, meanwhile, continues to be open Thursday through Sunday, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. (On Jan. 8, the winery announced via Facebook that the light show has been extended through Jan. 21.) Visit labellewinery.com to see the full WinterFest schedule.
• May the best bowls win: Calling all soup, chili and chowder makers: Epsom Central School (282 Black Hall Road) is accepting entrants now to participate in its 10th annual cook-off, which is due to return on Monday, Feb. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. inside the school’s gymnasium. There is no fee to register as an entrant — soup and chili makers can access the entry form through the event’s Facebook page, but must do so by Friday, Jan. 27, in order to participate. Each entrant also receives five free sampling tickets. For tasters, tickets will be sold at the door and will include access to up to 10 four-ounce sampling cups per attendee for adults and five sampling cups for kids ages 10 and under, along with sides of cornbread. Part of the fun is that you never know which different flavors of soup, chili and chowder you may encounter at the cook-off in any given year. Winners from each of the three categories receive a “Souper Bowl” trophy, and the top vote-getter also wins a $50 Visa gift card. See “10th Annual ECS Soup/Chili/Chowder Cook-off” on Facebook to access and fill out the entry form, or email cook-off coordinator Stephanie Colvin at scolvin@sau53.org.
Justin Marceau is a master electrician and owner of Oak Ridge Electrical based in Weare.
Explain your job and what it entails.
We provide full electrical services, from brand new homes to service work to repair work and renovations for residential and commercial clients.
How long have you had this job?
I have been in the electrical field for 11 years, and I started my business in 2021.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I owned my own business before this doing audio-visual commercial projects in Boston. The opportunity to get into electrical kind of just fell in my lap after that, and once I started working in this space, it just clicked, and I realized fast it was my calling in life.
What kind of education or training did you need?
I needed four years of electrical curriculum and four years of on-the-job training to obtain a Journeyman license, plus an additional year of curriculum and on-the-job training to become a Master Electrician for New Hampshire. There is additional training and curriculum you can obtain for specialties within electrical, and on-the-job training, too, in specialty areas that can make a big difference in the services you can offer. For example, I have training and work experience with HVAC wiring.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
There’s no specific uniform per se, but on a typical day, I wear an Oak Ridge Electrical logoed shirt and hat, loose-fitting pants and work boots. When we do outside projects, I make sure to wear extra layers, with a hat and gloves.
How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?
The scope of work has not changed, but it has gotten much busier since the pandemic. When the pandemic first hit, I was working in downtown Boston, and electrical services were and still are considered an essential service, so I really did not skip a beat. During the pandemic, we had to maintain social distancing and wear masks for quite some time in 2020, but now, in 2023, we are as busy as ever doing home and commercial projects.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
I wish I had known earlier in my working career, like in my early 20s, that this is what I was meant to do. I got into electrical in my 30s and I am so glad I did, but I do wish I had explored this career option right out of high school.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
That this work can be very dangerous and really is only meant for trained, qualified professionals. I see a lot of unqualified people taking on their own electrical projects which then ends up creating fire hazards and personal injury hazards, and they are putting lives and people’s properties at risk. It’s a good idea to always consult a licensed electrician before taking on any electrical task.
What was the first job you ever had?
I sold newspapers in front of a grocery store for the Houston Chronicle in Texas. I was 14 years old. We moved back to New Hampshire shortly after that.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Be on time, and look to learn something new every single day.
Five favorites Favorite book: The Chamber by John Grisham Favorite movie:Lucky Number Slevin Favorite music: Elton John Favorite food: Prime rib and baked potato Favorite thing about NH: The mix of nature, solitude and being in the middle of it all
LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry) will celebrate WinterFest on Saturday, Jan. 14, and Sunday, Jan. 15, featuring tastings and other events. Especially for the kids: on Sunday, LaBelle will hold a WinterFest Family Bash from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The celebration will feature children’s musician Steve Blunt, winter animal activities with the Audubon Society, and hands-on crafts and story time with the Derry Public Library. Admission to the Family Bash costs $10 for ages 4 and up (kids 3 and under get in for free). Admission to LaBelle Lights, the walking tour through a light display, costs $16 for ages 13 to 64; $10 for 65+; $8 for ages 4 to 12 and is free for ages 3 and under. LaBelle Lights runs daily, Wednesday through Sunday, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and has been extended through Saturday, Jan. 21. Purchase tickets for LaBelle events at labellewinery.com.
Learning artsy things
• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) has a full slate of winter classes for kids, both in person and online. In-person classes include “Pen, Pencil and Marker!” a four week drawing class running Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 25) and “Draw, Paint, Print!” a four week class on Saturdays at 12:15 p.m. (starting Jan. 28). On Tuesday, Jan. 17, a five-week “Comics for Kids” class begins running from 4:30 to 6 p.m. via Zoom. All three classes are for students in third through fifth grade. The Currier also has four-week in-person classes for kindergarten through second grade: “Art Explorers” on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 26) and “Strawberries, Ice Cream and Candy” on Saturdays at 10:15 (starting Jan. 28). For grades 6 through 9, a four-week in-person “Expressive Landscapes” class runs Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 25). For teens, a five-week online class “Character Design for Storytelling” runs Saturdays (starting Jan. 21) from 1 to 3 p.m. and a four-week in-person class “Patterns, Paints and Printmaking for Teens” (14+) is on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 26). Go online to register.
• Kids who are curious about learning music can take a free trial class at the Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St.) on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Students ages 8 to 11 can meet one of the teachers, Miss Holly, and test out two of the classes: Master Musicians and Intro to Singing. While the trial is free, the school does request reserving a spot in advance. Visit nashuacms.org for more information. Library activities
• Kids in grades 4 through 6 can join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a hot chocolate bar and book swap on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The library recommends bringing a couple of books to swap over a steaming cup of hot cocoa topped off with goodies from the library’s topping bar. Registration is recommended and can be done at nashualibrary.org.
• The Heights Branch Library (14 Canterbury Road, Concord) is hosting storytime stations on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 9:30 a.m. There will be stories, crafts, activities, felt boards and more. Kids and their caregivers can take their time at each of the stations without feeling rushed through the activities during the two-hour story time. For more information about this event, visit concordnh.gov.
• The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.) is hosting a train party on Tuesday Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. There will be train games and a simple craft, a sing-and-dance-along featuring songs like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and a special train-themed story time. This program is designed for kids ages of 2 through 5. Registration is recommended and can be done by calling 624-6550, ext. 7628. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us for more information.
Showtime!
• Come to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) to see Frozen Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. The show follows the plot of Disney favorite Frozen (PG, 2019) and is cast with teens in the Palace Theatre’s youth theater program. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.
Save the date
Look forward to Dragons and Mythical Beasts at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sunday, Jan. 22. The show brings audience members face to face with fantastical creatures like the Stone Troll, the Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy, a unicorn and a majestic griffin through the puppet mastery of Nicoll Entertainment. Ticket prices start at $25. The show starts at 2 p.m., doors open at 1 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ccanh.com.
We recently moved into a new old home. The previous owners left this stove and we have no need for it. They told us it was functional, but we’re not sure of that for ourselves. So we’re looking for an estimate of value to sell it. Thought you might be able to help, possibly pointing us in the right direction.
Thank you for your time.
Renee
Dear Renee,
I did some research for you on values, even though antique stoves are not something I deal with often. Too heavy!
Your antique enamel wood cooking and heating stove looks to be in good condition for being from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. You want to market it “as is,” though, not knowing if it’s functional.
If it’s in working condition it warms the home, cooks and has warming ovens on top as well. Just imagine using it every day!
The values, Renee, are all over the place from $500 to $2,000 and up. But finding the higher-end value could be so much tougher than finding a good home. So I think if it were me I would start in the under $1,000 range.
I hope this gave you a starting place and you find it a new home. When working they create so much warmth! Like a good hug!
It’s gray and chilly outside, but I have a fire in the new woodstove that warms the house and pleases me as I look through its glass window. I’ve been in the same house since 1970, so I’ve had plenty of time to plan and execute projects. I’d like to share with you some of my memories of those efforts in hopes that some of you will be inspired to take on similar projects of your own.
The biggest projects I did were in the 1980s after returning from my time with the Peace Corps in Africa. My house came with just an acre when I bought it, but I had been able to buy another acre or two while away, and I wanted to utilize it well for gardens. My home was built as a butter factory in 1888 on a hillside. The land dropped off sharply to a field alongside a little stream and some woods.
My first project was to terrace off the hillside behind the house and make a gently sloping access for wheelbarrows, people and dogs to the field where I planned to grow vegetables and flowers. I wanted to terrace off part of the hillside so that I could have drier soil for growing fruit trees — fruit trees hate wet feet!
I was 36 years old when I returned from Africa and had plenty of energy but limited cash reserves, so I did almost all the work myself. I found a local fellow who sold me 13 dump truck loads of topsoil. He looked at the site and told me he couldn’t drive to the far end of the potential terrace with soil, so he dumped it all in one place and I had to move it with a wheelbarrow! The area for fruit trees was 10 to 20 feet wide and 80 feet long, but that did not daunt me at all.
After creating a nice flat place for apple trees and a gentle road 10 feet wide built to the lower field, I constructed an 80-foot-long stone retaining wall. I had plenty of stones on the property so I went about harvesting them using a borrowed “stone boat.” It was a wooden sled on runners about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long.
This brush hook is great for clearing out brambles and small trees. Photo by Henry Homeyer.
I had a chain attached to the front runners of the stone boat so I could pull it with my riding lawn mower (I’ve never thought I needed a tractor). I rolled or flipped big stones end to end until I got them out of the woods to the stone boat and dragged them away. A neighbor also let me have some large rounded stones from a fallen-down stone wall.
I built the wall before the days of the internet and endless YouTube videos, so I asked friends what to do. Drainage is important, they all said: dig out below the site for the wall and put small stones there and behind the wall. Unfortunately, instead of buying crushed stone, I bought pea stone — small round pebbles. Big mistake. Round stones act a bit like ball bearings, allowing stones to move and tumble as the winter frost lifts them. Over the years I have had to repair and rebuild the wall many times. But it still pleases me even though it is not a perfect wall.
The back field had grown up in willows, alders and brambles over the years I was away. I used a brush hook, a simple hand tool with a curved sharp blade, to cut them down. Then, with a cheap used riding lawn mower, I mowed the land to keep things from growing back, and I dug out roots where I could.
The next year I had a farmer with a moldboard plow on his tractor come and plow the area I wanted for a large vegetable garden. This type of plow digs up the soil about 8 inches deep and flips it over, burying all the grasses and weeds. That mostly killed them, and allowed me to start growing vegetables.
I also bought several truckloads of aged manure from a farmer and worked it into the soil with an old potato hoe — a five-tined tool like a rake, but with 2-inch spaces between the 8-inch teeth. Each year for a decade, at least, I worked in a truckload of old manure, increasing soil fertility and improving tilth.
I like having stonework, arbors and sculpture in the garden. Over the years I’ve made plenty of bentwood arbors for the entrance to the vegetable garden. Since neither of the “rot-resistant” trees (cedar and locust) grows here, I used maple saplings that were plentiful but only lasted three or four years. I placed them 4 feet apart and bent the tops together over the walkway, and wired them together. I wired on one-inch branches to make places for decoration and for vines to grab onto.
Later, I decided to use cedar fence posts to make garden structures. Cedar posts are available locally and last for many years. I have one 10-foot-diameter hexagon that I built to support grapes and wisteria vines that only now, after more than 20 years, is falling apart. I plan to extract the vines from the structure this summer and rebuild the whole thing.
Big projects are fun to take on, but at age 76 I am not looking for more of them. I plan to build some more raised beds for vegetables this year — they are great as one need not bend over so far to plant, weed and harvest. I also find that they have fewer weeds and grasses than in-ground beds, where many weeds just creep into the beds from adjacent areas. Even an 8-inch-tall wood bed will prevent that from happening.
I don’t see myself ever giving up on gardening so long as I can still get around. Yes, I may eliminate some high-maintenance plants and substitute shrubs, perhaps. But I started young and hope to garden till the day I die. Winter is the time to plan, so think of your own projects now, too, and tell me what they are if you wish. I’m always interested.
Featured photo: This vine structure is now old and falling down, ready for replacement. Photo by Henry Homeyer.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• MLK Day: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org) will hold a free community celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes will lead a public discussion and mural project (starting at 11 a.m.; the community mural painting will start at noon and go through 4 p.m.), according to a Currier newsletter. Tours will meet in the lobby at 1 and 2 p.m., a reveal of the mural will be at 4 p.m. and there will be a screening of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the auditorium at 4:15 p.m., the newsletter said. The Currier will also be collecting new socks, comfortable clothing and personal hygiene items for Waypoint, according to the website.
• Also at the Currier: The Currier is slated to start a series of conversations over Zoom examining a piece of artwork from the museum’s collection and exhibitions on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. (with “Cityscape with Mill” by Tim Portlock). The free 30-minute program, geared to adults, runs Wednesdays at 1 p.m. The Wednesday, Jan. 18, focus is “Boy Holding Grapes and Hat” by Judith Leyster; on Wednesday, Jan. 25, the focus will be “Yellowave” by Jiha Moon from the exhibit “State of the Art 2020: Locate,” according to a museum newsletter. Registration is required and accepted until noon on the day of the event; see currier.org.
The Sky Within The Concord Chorale will present “The Sky Within,” a concert celebrating the themes of sky, flight and letting go and showcasing musical styles including works by Brahms, Renaissance madrigals and contemporary works, on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. The concerts will take place at South Congregational Church (27 Pleasant St. in Concord) and the Sunday show will also be livestreamed. See concordchorale.org for tickets, which cost $20.
• Two actors, 19 roles: Kari Buckley and Maria Jung play 19 roles — including two best friends — in Is Edward Snowden Single?, a “volcanic comedy about pretty lies and ugly truths” at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org, 436-8123) Friday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 29. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $27 general admission, $24 for students and 65+.
• Mandy Patinkin: Tickets are still available for “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive” at the Capitol Center for the Arts (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40 through $95 (plus fees).
• Hitchcock comedy: The New Hampshire Theatre Project will present The 39 Steps, a comic riff on the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Friday, Jan. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 5, at the company’s 50-seat black box theater at 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth. The show, which is directed by Blair Hundertmark and stars Shawn Crapo and Courtney St. Gelais, will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 general admission, $26 for students, seniors and veterans. See nhtheatreproject.org.
Guys and Dolls The Educational Theater Collaborative (based at Plymouth State University) will present Guys and Dolls at the Flying Monkey Performance Center (39 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com, 536-2551) Wednesday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 22. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $25.
• Be a jellicle cat: The Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for Cats: Young Actors Edition on Friday, Jan. 20, with sessions at 5, 6 and 7 p.m., according to a press release. “Expect to stay for your entire one-hour audition slot. You will learn a dance and be asked to sing after,” said the release, which instructed auditioners to come prepared to sing a short section of a song a cappella (musical theater or Disney preferred). The show will run at the Palace Theatre in Manchester Tuesday, March 7, through Wednesday, March 15. To schedule an audition time, email meganalves@palacetheatre.org with performer’s name, age and preferred time. The auditions will be held at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester).
• Looking for Wolves: Cue Zero Theatre Company will hold auditions for its April production of The Wolves, a gritty drama by Sarah DeLappe directed by Erin Downey, on Monday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem. All characters in the production are female/female presenting, according to the press release. Sign up for an audition slot at CZTheatre.com and those auditioning should prepare a one-minute dramatic monologue and be prepared to read sides on request; callbacks are Sunday, Feb. 5, the release said. Get information about the character breakdowns on the website.
• Camp Encore: The Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth has announced the dates and productions for its three multi-week summer camp sessions. Session 1, Theatre Creatures, will run three weeks, Monday, June 19, through Sunday, July 9, and feature Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids and The Aristicats Kids with public productions Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9 at 11 a.m. Session 2, Stage Folks, runs two weeks, Monday, July 10, through Sunday, July 23, with productions on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Sessions 1 and 2 are open to ages 7 to 17. Session 3, Prescott Teens (Teen Musical Theatre Intensive), runs two weeks, Monday, July 24, through Sunday, Aug. 6, with shows Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 11 a.m. See prescottpark.org for pricing, including sibling and multi-camp discounts, and to register.
Toy planes and model aircraft The “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft” exhibit has been extended at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) through Sunday, Jan. 22, according to the museum’s newsletter. The exhibit features more than 2,000 aviation toys and models. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 per person ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65 and up; ages 5 and under and veterans and active military get in free, the release said.
New gallery in Manchester brings together many forms of art
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
Mosaic Art Collective, a combination of studio space and art gallery, opened in Manchester during the first Manchester Arts Festival in September. The owner, Elizabeth Pieroni, said it was important to her to have a space that celebrated the collaborative spirit studios had in her youth.
“Mosaic is something that I had wanted to do for a long time. Shortly after graduating I missed the idea of being in a studio space and having that community,” Pieroni said. “I realized quickly that this area is really hungry for something like this. A ton of artists needed space and wanted to show work.”
Pieroni, who grew up in Hooksett, left the Granite State to attend Maryland Institute College of Art, before working as an artist in Vermont and ultimately coming back to the Manchester area. During the pandemic, she said, she wished for a spot to do her work and get insight and advice from members of the art community. When restrictions were lifted, she immediately started looking for places to create a studio.
At Mosaic, Pieroni said, studio renters aren’t always working with visual arts. One person who rents a studio space works as a writer and in public relations, another is an art curator, more are artists, and she hopes in the future to have dancers and musicians in the group as well.
“The studio spaces are a hodge-podge. That’s what I intended,” Pieroni said. “I wanted … musicians and artists and performers and writers, looking for all of the arts to come together in a hub situation and be able to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other.”
Nothing highlights the collaborative spirit Pieroni envisioned as much as the ongoing show for January at Mosaic. The show, called “Conversations of home and heART,” combines writing, whether poetry or prose, with visual art. Artists created work to inspire writers, and vice versa, to create the feeling of “hygge,” the Danish term for comfort and coziness.
Pieroni has two of her own pieces on display, one that inspired a writer and a piece of text inspired by an artist. She said that the show will be eclectic and will have pieces from amateur writers and artists as well as professionals , including a poem from the state’s poet laureate, Alexandria Peary.
While the space operates as a studio and gallery primarily, Pieroni hopes Mosaic will become more, with plans to offer art classes and workshops in the future.
“My biggest hope is to make art more accessible for regular people,” Pieroni said. “I want to bring people in who don’t necessarily seek out an art opening on a Friday or Saturday night and have that become a part of the possibility for entertainment.”
Conversations of home and heART Where: 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester When: Through Jan. 29 by appointment. There is an opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Visit: MosaicArtCollective.com
Here are 39 ideas for arts, crafts, outdoor activities and more to help you break out of your routine and find a new source of fun or rediscover a forgotten passion.
• Get hooked on fishing. On Saturday, Jan. 21, you can give fishing a try without getting a license during Free Fishing Day. Two days a year (the third Saturday in January and the first Saturday in June) New Hampshire Fish and Game invites state residents and nonresidents to fish in any inland water or saltwater throughout the state without a fishing license. Visit wildlife.state.nh.us/fishing for everything you need to get started, including maps of fishing locations, fishing season dates, a guide to local fish species and how to bait them, and more. If you want to keep fishing all year long, you can buy a fishing license online at nhfishandgame.com.
• Finally learn how to knit. While knitting can seem intimidating to beginners picking up the needles, the instructors at Elegant Ewe (75 S. Main St., Unit 1, Concord) are offering knitting classes to all levels. Classes range from specific projects to learning specialized stitches and fixing mistakes. The instructors also offer private classes for knitters looking for one-on-one time. The classes vary in price, as well as days and times. Visit elegantewe.com for more information about the classes offered.
• Or expand your fiber arts knowledge with crochet, rug making and more. Yarn and Fiber (14 East Broadway, Derry) isn’t just a yarn store; it also offers lessons in topics such as spinning wool into yarn and casting on for beginner knitters. The shop has an even less formal way of learning for beginners and experts alike, with a lounge area in the store where employees encourage crafters to bring projects and hang out with like-minded individuals. Classes meet on a rotation, and some require signing up in advance. Visit yarnandfiber.com
• Make works of art that keep you warm. Learn how to make quilts with the New Hampshire Modern Quilting Guild at one of their meetings. The guild, which takes a fresh approach to old-fashioned guilds, has challenges for square patterns, charity quilt making and more. The next meeting is on Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.; email nhmodernquilt@gmail.com for location details and to attend as a guest. The first meeting is free to attend as a guest; subsequent meetings cost $5. If you wish to become a member, dues are $65 and can be paid at nhmqg.org.
• Get into opera. The Music Hall (131 Congress St. in Portsmouth) explains the art with Opera Connection, where the Hall screens recordings of famous operas and holds a beginner-friendly conversation about the music and story. The discussions are led by opera writer and producer Dennis Neil Kleinman. The next opera being screened is Fedora by Umberto Giordano on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 11:30 a.m. Tickets cost $15 and can be bought in advance at themusichall.org. The operas themselves, broadcasts from The Metropolitan Opera, also screen via the Capitol Center for the Arts at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord), as is the case with Fedora (also screening Saturday, Jan. 14, with doors opening at 12:30 p.m.). See ccanh.com.
• Expand your movie and TV horizons. Positive Street Art (48 Bridge St., Nashua) is hosting a series of movies followed by creative painting sessions. The series, called “Inspired By,” will show a movie about Jackson Pollock, an American abstract expressionism painter, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27. The tickets to the movie showing are free, and the artistic session afterward costs $30. To learn more about this event or to reserve a spot, visit positivestreetart.org.
Watch movies from the early days of film at silent film screenings at Wilton Town Hall Theatre on Main Street in downtown Wilton. The films, which screen every couple of weeks, feature live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, who presents silent films and plays music at area theaters including the Rex Theatre in Manchester and the Flying Monkey in Plymouth (see silentfilmlivemusic.blogspot.com). Next up at Wilton, Safety Last (1923), a Harold Lloyd comedy, screening on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. Admission is free; $10 donation per person is encouraged.
Get caught up on the most recent episodes of the most popular anime at Double Midnight Comics (252 Willow St., Manchester) on Monday nights. The anime watch partyat the comic shop shows episodes that the crowd chooses that night, with all shows being streamed on the Japanese animation streaming service Crunchyroll. Entry is free and the streaming begins at 7 p.m.
• Draw. Learn how to draw your favorite animal at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester) with Drawing Fundamentals, an adult class that will teach the basics and rules of drawing realistic animal portraits. The four-week class, which starts on Thursday, Jan. 26, is taught by local artist Robin Deary. Deary will walk students through forming the body of animals, creating visual textures and other artistic methods to capture the likenesses. There is a full list of materials available online at currier.org, as well as a link to registration for the class and information about other classes offered. The cost for the class is $200 and there are slots available for nonmembers.
• Make comics. New Hampshire-based cartoonist and educator Marek Bennett teaches comics workshops, which you can find out about at his website, marekbennett.com, where he also has videos with comics-making and drawing tutorials. Bennett spoke with Angie Sykeny in the Jan. 5 issue of the Hippo about his newest book, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby Vol. 3, which is on sale Jan. 25. Find the e-edition of last week’s issue at hippopress.com; the Q&A with Bennett is on page 6.
• Make stuff with added dimension. Port City Makerspace (68 Morning St., Portsmouth) offers an Intro to 3D Printing workshop on the second Wednesday of every month, from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants learn the basics of taking a design or idea and turning it into a 3D model using two different types of programs, and how to print the model using a 3D printer. The cost is $25 for Makerspace members and $45 for nonmembers. Register online at portcitymakerspace.com.
• Find your old camera and put it to use. Expand your photography knowledge and skill with the Manchester Camera Club, a group of amateur photographers who meet up to view and critique each other’s work and host workshops to help each other grow. The meetings for the club are currently done virtually over Zoom, and the group meets twice a month. The next meeting is a critique meeting with an “anything goes” segment, a “color in winter” segment and a “running water” segment. Sign up for a slot at manchestercameraclubnh.wordpress.com.
• Get your start working in clay. Explore pottery at Time to Clay (228 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) with assorted projects and classes beginning in January. The next class available is Clay Handprints, where parents can capture the handprint or footprint of their little one. The studio will complete the clay casting with a personalized painting. One casting costs $35. The event will be on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and Wednesday, Jan. 25, with timed slots available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit timetoclay.com.
• Take clay to the next level. Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) is offering “Beginner Wheel Throwing with Meadows Madsen” Fridays 6 to 8 p.m. starting Friday, Jan. 13, and running through March 17. “Students practice using the potter’s wheel and begin throwing basic forms such as bowls and mugs,” according to the website. The cost of the class starts at $355 and includes clay and tools (though a set of tools and additional clay are available for purchase).
• Make art with glass. Create some light-changing artwork at Studio 550 (550 Elm St., Manchester) with the stained glass class. The class will run for 10 weeks and will introduce people to ways to work with glass, and techniques needed to make the artwork. Students will make everything from a small suncatcher to windows for their home. Classes start and run on different days and at different times. Each class is two hours long and the full session costs $270. Visit 550arts.com for more information or to sign up.
• Make your jewelry just how you want it. The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen offers an ongoing open-enrollment Fundamentals of Making Jewelry class at SRS Studio (35 Howard St., Wilton). The class, open to adults and teens age 14 and up, covers the basic techniques of jewelry making using wire and sheet in copper and silver and how to pierce, solder and finish metals. It consists of six two-hour sessions that can be taken on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. The cost is $240 for tuition, plus $50 to $90 for materials, depending on the type of jewelry made. Participants can expect to complete four to five projects. Visit nashua.nhcrafts.org/classes.
• Start writing and then take your writing to an audience. The New Hampshire Writers’ Project is hosting writers’ night out, an informal gathering for amateur and professional writers to get critique, feedback and encouragement from other writers in their area. The event is also a space to discuss where and how to submit work for publication, and what writers are currently reading. The monthly event is held across southern New Hampshire. While most groups have already met for their January session, there are ways to contact the organizers on the website nhwritersproject.org.
• Get in the reading habit and find some new books. The Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) has monthly book club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, with the next one on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. The book for this month’s meeting is The Paris Apartment, a mystery where Jess, a woman who needs a fresh start, asks her half-brother if she can crash on his couch in Paris, to which he agrees. When Jess reaches Paris and her brother is missing, she has to dig into his life to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. Join the club at bookerymht.com.
• Become a local history buff. New Hampshire Humanities hosts free public programs throughout the state year-round on a wide variety of specialized topics. Some upcoming programs include “12,000 Years Ago in the Granite State,” exploring the native Abenaki people’s role in the history of the Monadnock region, on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Nesmith Library (8 Fellows Road, Windham); “African American Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire During the American Revolution,” held virtually on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m; and “New Hampshire’s Long Love-Hate Relationship with its Agricultural Fairs,” held virtually on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. Visit nhhumanities.org/programs/upcoming to see New Hampshire Humanities’ full schedule of programming.
• Dust off yourFrench language skills. The Franco-American Centre, a nonprofit based in Manchester, is offering a special Traveler’s French virtual class series for adults, geared toward novice visitors to a predominantly French-speaking country. A variety of themes will be discussed in class, including everything from how to check in to a hotel to ordering at a restaurant and navigating local public transportation, among other activities. New classes start on Saturday, Jan. 21, and continue every week from 10 a.m. to noon through Feb. 18. See facnh.com to register (all are welcome regardless of your membership status with FAC).
• Understand wine. Become your own wine sommelier during an upcoming five-week wine course at WineNot Boutique (25 Main St., Nashua), which begins on Thursday, Jan. 19, and continues every Thursday at 6 p.m. through Feb. 16. Facilitated by WineNot owner and wine educator Svetlana Yanushkevich, the first two-hour class will teach you how to “taste wine like a pro” by going over basic vocabulary necessary for exploring wine to the fullest. Called “Sommelier’s Secrets,” the second class, on Jan. 26, will explore how to discern different smells and flavors in wines, while the following class, on Feb. 2, will feature tastings of six wine varietals from different regions around the world. Compare “Old World” and “New World” grape varietals on Feb. 9, and learn all about wine and food pairing do’s and don’ts during the final class on Feb. 16. The cost is $200 per person for all five classes, and includes samples of wine and fine cheeses, salami and chocolate. Visit winenotboutique.com.
• Discover mixology. Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. will hold a class for beginner mixologists (or those just looking to impress their friends at their next social gathering). This class led by Tuscan Brands beverage director Luis Betancur will go over how to craft two seasonal cocktails. All who participate will have the opportunity to snack on some desserts from Tuscan Market. If you can’t make this class, there’s another one scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. The cost is $45 for the Jan. 24 class and $50 for the Feb. 4 class. Visit tuscanbrands.com.
• Make artful food. Charcuterie board-building classes are hosted by the team at 603 Charcuterie. You’re given everything from the ingredients to the tools and walked through step by step to make your own “Instagram-worthy” charcuterie board, as coined by 603 Charcuterie’s Theresa Zwart. From start to finish, each class typically takes about an hour and a half to two hours and, depending on where it’s held, might include a glass of beer or wine per participant. You even get to take the board home at the end of the class. A full schedule of upcoming classes, mostly at area breweries and wineries, is available to view at 603charcuterie.com (next up is on Sunday, Jan. 22, at Pipe Dream Brewing in Londonderry) — click on the date you want to attend to register.
• Up your bread game. Learn the art of challah braiding during a special virtual class being offered by Cheryl Holbert of Nomad Bakery in Derry on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. She’ll walk participants step-by-step through the process of making this popular Jewish artisan bread, including how to prepare and shape the dough, which makes all the difference in the overall braiding process. The two-and-a-half-hour class will cover three ways to braid four strands total, and Holbert will also share various tips for glazing, finishing and baking these challah loaves consistently. The class is $60 per person and is open to all baking levels — it will also include printable versions of Holbert’s signature and water challah recipes and lots of opportunities to ask her questions. Visit nomadbakery.com.
• Expand your cooking skills. Learn how to cook Italian specialties at one of the upcoming Winemaker’s Kitchen cooking classes at LaBelle Winery in Amherst (345 Route 101) and Derry (14 Route 111). Sessions are to take place in Derry on Thursday, Jan. 19, and in Amherst on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. Classes cost $35 per person. See labellewinery.com. Or make your “eat better” resolutions more international with an introduction to the Mediterranean diet being offered by The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St., Derry) either on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 1 to 3 p.m., or on Sunday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. Led by The Culinary Playground’s registered dietitian culinary instructor, the class will cover the many health benefits of the Mediterranean diet while also exploring knife and cooking skills. The cost is $80 per person and pre-registration is required — see culinary-playground.com.
• Broaden your love of chocolate. Journey into the world of cacao beans with a special chocolate adventure class, hosted by Richard Tango-Lowy of Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St., Manchester). To be held next on Thursday, March 2, at 5:30 p.m., the class will cover how to grind cacao beans into chocolate, as well as how to properly taste chocolate like a chocolatier would. You’ll even get to sip the drinking chocolate (called xichoatl) like the ancient Mayans used to. Tango-Lowy will also discuss various myths and realities surrounding fine chocolate. The cost is $125 per person and registration is available online at dancinglion.us.
• Garden. New Hampshire Audubon is presenting a workshop on seed-starting for home gardeners on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m., featuring master gardener Sarah Marcoux of UNH Cooperative Extension. You’ll learn all about the benefits and best practices for starting your own plants indoors from seeds and cuttings, including the requirements for successful germination, and different growing methods, light and temperature needs and avoiding common problems like household pests. Admission is free but registration is required to receive an emailed link to the workshop — see nhaudubon.org.
• Garden herbs, for food and wellness. Become a home herbalist with a special virtual course series taught by Maria Noel Groves of Wintergreen Botanicals in Allenstown. Participants can take the nine-part course online at their own pace — each class covers how to incorporate herbs into your diet and discusses common health concerns related to herbs and herbal medicine. This winter Groves is also offering participants the option of getting a remedy kit to go with the course series, while supplies last. Kits are available first-come, first-served and are expected to be ready for shipping this month. The cost is $495 with the remedy kit included and $395 for just the nine-week series (no remedy kit). Visit wintergreenbotanicals.com.
• Learn to forage. Mushroom walks put the “fun” in fungus. Beginner and intermediate level foragers are invited to take the two-part Mushroom ID Class by Dunk’s Mushroom Products & Foraging in Brentwood (313 Route 125). The Part No. 1 class covers what a mushroom is, a mushroom’s life cycle and the anatomy of a mushroom and will be offered on Mondays, Jan. 23, Feb. 20 and March 20. The Part No. 2 class covers mushroom identification skills, how to make a spore print and how to use resources for mushrooming and will be offered on the Mondays following the Part No. 1 classes, on Jan. 30, Feb. 27 and March 27. Participants can take either or both classes. All classes start at 6 p.m., and the cost is $60 for each. Visit dunksmushrooms.com.
• Become an apiarist. The Deerfield-based Pawtuckaway Beekeepers Association is holding a two-day Beginner’s Beekeeping School on Saturday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Deerfield Community Church (15 Church St.). The course will cover everything from basic bee biology and standard beekeeping equipment to how to obtain bees, honey bee colony management, seasonal responsibilities, pest and disease management practices and more. The cost is $100 per person. Register online at pawtuckawaybeekeepers.org.
• Look to the skies and get acquainted with New Hampshire’s feathered friends. The New Hampshire Audubon holds guided birding walks at the Massabesic Center (26 Deer Neck Road, Auburn) every other Saturday from Jan. 14 through Feb. 25. They start at 9 a.m., and participants should expect to walk 1 to 2 miles. The cost is $8 for NH Audubon members and $10 for nonmembers, and binocular rentals are included. Pre-registration is required. Visit nhaudubon.org/event and select the walk you’re interested in attending on the calendar to register.
• Look to the skies and get acquainted with the stars. The New Hampshire Astronomical Society has regular skywatches, many of which are open to the public, including a monthly skywatch as part of the Super Stellar Fridays on the first Friday nights of each month at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Dr. in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827). The Society, a volunteer nonprofit educational organization, can be a place to start to learn about telescopes and telescope making, astrophotography and more, according to the group’s website, nhastro.com. Annual membership dues are $30.
• Rock climb without having to find rocks. Vertical Dreams, an indoor climbing gym with locations in Manchester (250 Commercial St.) and Nashua (25 E. Otterson St.), offers a beginner lesson package that includes instruction on everything you need to know to start indoor climbing, including how to belay, how to tie a figure-eight knot and basic technique. The cost is $40, and walk-ins are always welcome. Hours at both locations are Monday through Friday, from 3 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m . Visit verticaldreams.com.
• Run with a crowd. In last week’s (Jan. 5) issue of the Hippo, we looked at running clubs and groups and how the camaraderie of fellow runners can keep you going. Find that story, as well as a listing of area clubs, winter running series and a calendar of road races over the next few months in the story that starts on page 10. Find the e-edition of the issue at hippopress.com.
• Become a pickleballer. Your local YMCA might be a good place to start: YMCA of Downtown Manchester (30 Mechanic St., Manchester, graniteymca.org) offers pickleball in the morning Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and Saturday 8 to 10 a.m.; in the afternoon on Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m.; and in the evening on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.; and YMCA of Greater Nashua (90 Northwest Blvd., Nashua, nmymca.org) offers pickleball Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to noon; Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Get fit while stretching outside your comfort zone with pole dancing. New Perspectives Pole and Aerial (35 Londonderry Turnpike, Suite GH, Hooksett) offers an Intro to Pole class on Monday and Friday at 7 p.m., Tuesday at noon, Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. First-time classes are available at a reduced price of $20; single classes after that cost $30 each, and there are packages available as well. Register online at newperspectivesnh.com.
• Go on a quest (with dice). For those who watched Stranger Things and wanted to get involved with a Dungeons & Dragons campaign but didn’t know how to start, Double Midnight Comics (252 Willow St. in Manchester) is hosting Adventure League D&D, a beginner- and drop-in-friendly quest, on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The join fee is $5 per game night. Visit dmcomics.com for more information about the game, or to see a full list of rules and a link to the official Dungeons & Dragons website.
• Quest with costumes. The kingdom of Argost awaits members of Fealty, a New Hampshire-based high fantasy LARP (live-action role-playing) group. This year’s events will take place at Camp Allen in Bedford (56 Camp Allen Road) on the weekends of April 14 through April 16; May 5 through May 7; Sept. 8 through Sept. 10; and Oct. 6 through Oct. 8. In the meantime, visit fealtylarp.com to study up on the campaign and start developing your character; you can be a knight, a noble, a soldier in the royal army, a mercenary or a witch.
• Quest in your own city. Quench your thirst for adventure and put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with scavenger hunting. There are a number of apps and programs offering scavenger hunts in New Hampshire cities. They’re self-guided, so you can do them on your own schedule, alone or with a team. Compete against others and try to beat their times for a top spot on the leaderboard. Let’s Roam (letsroam.com) has hunts for Manchester, Concord and Portsmouth; Puzzling Adventures (puzzlingadventures.com) has hunts for Manchester and Portsmouth; Wacky Walks (wackywalks.com) and It’s a Scavenger Hunt (itsascavengerhunt.com) have hunts for Manchester; and Diversions Puzzles and Games (diversionsgames.com), Cashunt (cashunt.com) and Portsmouth Scavenger Hunts (portsmouthscavengerhunts.com) have hunts for Portsmouth.
• Learn how to create, record, edit and produce your beats. NH Tunes (250 Commercial St., Suite 2017, Manchester) Music Production offers lessons, taught by music professionals, that cover the music-making software program Ableton; recording midi and audio; using instruments; using effects; exporting songs; song writing and structure, and music theory while exploring a variety of musical genres. A half-hour lesson costs $31.50, and a 1-hour lesson costs $56.70. Students are encouraged to take one class a week for several weeks. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Visit nhtunes.biz/learn-music-production to schedule your first lesson.
• Discover an old-school way to socially network. Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, can be a fun way to experiment with communications technology, increase your emergency preparedness and connect with people from all over the world. To learn about how you can get on the air, attend a meeting held by a local radio club. The Granite State Amateur Radio Association (gsara.org) meets on the second Friday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Bedford High School library (47 Nashua Road, Bedford), and the Nashua Area Radio Society (n1fd.org) meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
–Angie Sykeny, Katelyn Sahagian and Matt Ingersoll
Featured photo: The Gate City Striders’ Freeze Your Buns 5K. Courtesy photo.
Catch Joey Clark & the Big Hearts tonight at the Currier Museum of Art’s (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) Art After Work event from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
Friday, Jan. 13
The play Scene Changesat the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord) will take the stage tonight at 7:30 p.m. The show follows a seasoned, cynical performer as her castmate is suddenly taken ill and a young, optimistic actor takes his part. The comedy runs through Jan. 22 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors. Visit hatboxnh.com.
Friday, Jan. 13
The receptionfor the exhibit “B.B. King, from Indianola to Icon: A Personal Odyssey with the King of Blues” is tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St., Concord). The exhibit features more than 60 photographs of King that are for sale. The reception will have a Q&A with program director Yasamin Safarzadeh and Charlie Sawyer, a close friend of King’s. For more information, visit kimballjenkins.com.
Saturday, Jan. 14
Join the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) for a night at the virtual opera with The MET Live in HD: Fedora today at 12:55 p.m. The opera revolves around Fedora, a Russian princess who falls in love with the man who murdered her fiance. Tickets cost $26 for adults, $22 for seniors or MET members, and $15 for students. Visit ccanh.com for more information or to purchase tickets.
Sunday, Jan. 15
Join the Snowflake Shuffle hosted by Millennium Running today at 9:30 a.m. in Bedford. The 3-mile run will start and finish at 25 Constitution Dr. Prizes will be given out to the three fastest men and women runners, in addition to refreshments and beer tickets that can be redeemed at the post-race beer garden. Registration costs $35 until 9 a.m. on the day of the race, after it will be $40 based on availability. Register at millenniumrunning.com.
Sunday, Jan. 15
The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) is welcoming back 1964 the Tribute today with a show starting at 7 p.m. 1964 has been called the best Beatles tribute band in the world by Rolling Stone magazine. Tickets cost $39 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) is hosting the Honorable John T. Broderick Jr. as he shares his memoir Backroads and Highways: My Journey to Discovery on Mental Health today at 6:30 p.m. See gibsonsbookstore.com
Save the Date! Thursday, Jan. 26 The 20th annual Art in Bloom will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., as well as on Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature works from newly juried members of the League of NH Craftsmen that are paired with floral inspirations from the Concord Gardening Club. The event will take place at the League’s headquarters (49 S. Main St., Concord). For more information, visit concordgardenclubnh.com.
