I’m looking to find out what your thoughts are on this bracelet. It was my mom’s and she always said it was special. It does not say a name or anything that looks like it’s gold. Any information you can provide would be appreciated.
Bev
Dear Bev,
I want to assume with no maker mark or a gold mark it is costume jewelry. That doesn’t make it less valuable to your mom. It might have had sentimental value to her.
Your bracelet looks like a very common design even now. The stones would be colored glass and the finish of the metal, gold-filled or plated. It has a more modern look to it with the double strand.
I would say the value is in the $20 range. I hope this helped and thanks for sharing with us.
• The Peacock Players’ (14 Court St., Nashua) youth mainstage production Once Upon a Mattress is opening on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. The show, which is a musical retelling of The Princess and the Pea, runs at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through March 26. Tickets start at $12 and can be purchased at peacockplayears.org.
• Join the Kids Coop Theatre for Big, The Musical at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry) on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. The show, based on the 1987 movie, features performers age 8 to adult and also runs Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m.. Tickets cost $15 and are available at kidscooptheatre.ludus.com.
• Join Chunky’s 707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) for a little lunch date featuring the movie Home (PG 2015) on Friday, March 17, at 3:45 p.m. Tickets are free, but a $5 food voucher is required to reserve a spot.
Books galore
• Children’s author Matt Tavares is doing a book signing at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) with his debut graphic novel, Hoops, on Thursday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. The novel, based on a true story, follows Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team in 1975 and how the girls grow from having to make their own uniforms and practice at an elementary school while being undefeated. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com for more information.
• The annual Friends of the Nashua Library Book Sale is happening at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) on Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. Books, movies, music, games, puzzles and more will be on sale, prices ranging from 25 cents to $2. Visit nashualibrary.org.
Indoor adventures
• Join the New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord) for a family fun day on Saturday, March 18, at 10 a.m. Families can tour the historic buildings, test their local trivia knowledge and do a New Hampshire-themed craft. For more information, visit nhhistory.org.
• Learn more about the Girl Scouts at their sign up and unicorn party on Monday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at the Center Woods School’s music room (14 Center Road, Weare). Girls will get to do a unicorn-themed craft as well as find out what the Scouts are all about. Visit girlscoutsgwm.org for more information.
• The Nashua School District Art Exhibition is on Tuesday, March 21, at 6 p.m. at the Nashua High School South (36 Riverside Ave.). Students in all grades will have their artwork on display, and there will be activities like face painting, a scavenger hunt and a $5 ice cream social. Visit nashua.edu/south for more information.
Summer camp catch-up
• Executive Health and Sports Center’s (1 Highlander Way, Manchester) 2023 Summer Camp is open for registration. The camp has eight sessions, each session being one week long. The kids are broken into groups for ages 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10. Pricing for a partial week starts at $130, for a full week at $275. Visit ehsc.com to register.
• Registration is open for You’re Fired’s summer camp Camp Fired. The summer camp will have eight week-long sessions for kids ages 5 to 12 running from June 26 through Aug. 25. Registration for one week is $135, and for two or more weeks it’s $125 per week. For more information or to register, visit yourefirednh.com
Save the date
• The Girl Scouts are offering a kindergarten readiness series on April 4, April 6, April 11 and April 13 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Marion Gerrish Community Center (39 West Broadway, Derry). Girls entering kindergarten in the fall in Derry and the surrounding area are welcome to come and meet new teachers and friends. Visit girlscoutsgwm.org for more information.
The Great Northeast Boat Show is back for the 13th year
Granite State boaters are being summoned to the Great Northeast Boat Show to update their rigs before boating season starts up.
The show, in its 13th year, will have 15 vendors from New Hampshire, between 175 and 200 booths and setups for shoppers to explore, and hundreds of high-tech boating features on display.
“To walk around the boat show and see the variety of what is available is breathtaking,” said Suzette Anthony, one of founders of the show. She added that there is more than just fishing boats, kayaks, canoes, or pontoons to catch people’s eyes.
Anthony started the show, initially, because she had a summer home on Lake Winnipesaukee and wanted to see where she could go to see a bunch of options at one time. She said she was surprised to find that nobody was offering boat shows. After driving around and getting interest from dealers, Anthony decided to start the first.
Now, 13 years later, Anthony said she is thrilled the show has grown to the size it has, large enough for the NH Sportsplex.
One of the brands that will be featured at the show, Sealver Wave Boats, is one to look out for, said Anthony. One of the newest vessels the company is making right now is a jet ski that can be converted into a boat for eight people.
Dealerships and brands will bring in props, lighting and interactive aspects to help shoppers decide what they envision for themselves on the water. Everything from fish-finding technology to upholstery selections will be available for people to peruse.
“Every dealer’s booth has steps and platforms going into the boats,” Anthony said. “These dealers have lights that look like water and docks. They’re trying to set that feeling. [They bring] everything from trees to tubes to building that feeling that you’re sitting on the boat on the water.”
While the brands represented include big names like SeaRay, Boston Whaler and Malibu, all the dealerships showing off the boats are based in New Hampshire. Anthony said that when she started the show she wanted to make sure that the boats were sold and serviced by people in the area.
The New Hampshire Marine Patrol will also have booths set up to talk about the safe way to operate the vessels.
“At the show, it’s just a wonderful opportunity for the buyer to see everything,” said Anthony. “It’s truly a one-stop shop.”
The Great Northeast Boat Show Where: NH Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford) When: Friday, March 17, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, March 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Price: $10; reentry to the show is allowed. Visit: greatnortheastboatshow.com
Featured photo: Great Northeast Boat Show. Courtesy photo.
Reclining in an easy chair on a recent cold and snowy day, I imagined myself a bumblebee. I meandered from flower to flower, taking in the colors and scents and textures of annual flowers, starting with A (alyssum) and ending with Z (zinnias).
I was a bumblebee tourist, seeing everything my mind could imagine, and all were in bloom at once. Then, returning to reality, I got out of my catalogs and started searching for new flowers.
Annual flowers are wonderful. Perennials are great too, but most make a relatively short appearance, rarely more than three weeks. Annuals are born to flower: many start early and keep on blooming all summer if you keep cutting them. They need to make plenty of seeds or their genetic lineage can literally die out and disappear at the end of the season.
I like starting annuals by seed in six-packs indoors, even when it’s warm enough that I could plant them directly in the ground. Flowers can easily get lost or misidentified as weeds when planted directly in the soil, especially things I haven’t tried before, or if I just want a few.
I love zinnias. They come in such a profusion of colors, and range in size from diminutive to giant. I love the lime-green ones such as Envy and Benary’s Giant Lime because they look so great mixed in with other flowers, in a vase or in a flower bed. Zinnias come as singles, such as the Profusion series, which are short (12”), and doubles such as Sunbow (24 to 30 inches) and Oklahoma (30 to 40 inches). I save seed from non-hybrid ones and plant them directly in the soil in large numbers. And the more you cut these flowers, the more they branch and re-bloom.
Most annual flowers are easy to grow from seed, but not all. One of my favorites, lisianthus, takes 17 days to germinate if kept at 72 degrees, longer if cooler. And even after it starts to grow, its seedlings do not grow fast for several weeks. It’s not a flower for impatient gardeners.
Cosmos varieties have been bred and hybridized in recent years. Looking at the John Scheepers Garden Seeds website I see 23 different kinds of cosmos, including one I must try: “Double Click Cranberries Cosmos,” deep wine-colored and double-petaled like an old-fashioned rose.
A flower good as a cut flower or as a dry flower and spectacular in the garden goes by the unlikely name gomphrena. I plan to plant at least a dozen of these this year, maybe more.
Vines are good, too. I love purple hyacinth bean with purplish leaves and pink-purple flowers. They are slow to start, so I’ll start some indoors in March.
Nasturtiums are vines that don’t climb. They sprawl. Plant these large seeds in full sun after the danger of frost has passed, perhaps in a bed of daffodils. The daffies need sunshine to recharge their bulbs until the foliage dies away, and the nasturtiums will fill in and hide the dying foliage. Nasturtiums like lean soil, so don’t add fertilizer.
I grow some of my favorite annuals not for their flowers but for their leaves. These beauties are always in bloom, which is to say their leaves are a treat to look at. I love their bright colors and shiny surfaces. Here are some good ones:
Perilla: This is a terrific purple-leafed plant that self-sows exuberantly. Pinch off the flowers (which are not at all showy) if you don’t want it to spread next year. Eighteen inches tall. The ‘Magellanica’ cultivar is taller and has foliage in shades of hot pink, deep plum and vibrant green.
Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus): This plant just shimmers with silver overtones on dark purple and pink leaves. It loves hot weather and gets big: One plant can spread over a 3-foot circle and stand 3 to 4 feet tall.
Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare): I buy some of this every summer because I love the silvery leaves, because it mixes so well with bright-colored flowers in planters, and because it takes abuse. It rarely complains if I let it dry out in a pot. It flows over the edge of pots and weaves it way through other plants. It’s also exceptional in flower arrangements. There are also chartreuse and variegated lemon-lime varieties.
So even though annuals are disposable plants — they die when frost comes — I have to have them. I grow them in the vegetable garden, and in pots to fill in drab corners of the flower garden after perennials have finished blooming. If you want, all those mentioned above are available as plants in six-packs at your local nursery, come spring. Most are great cut flowers — and the bumblebees love them.
Featured photo: I grow Persian shield for its foliage. Photo by Henry Homeyer.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Spring youth theater classes: Palace Youth Theatre’s (palacetheatre.org/pyt) Palace Academy has four classes starting in early April. Classes for kids in grades 2 through 6 include “Mini Camp: Comedy Edition” and “Improv and Acting Games I.” There is also an “Improv and Acting Games II” for kids in grades 7 to 12 and “Stagecraft: Behind the Scenes Magic” for kids in grades 3 to 12, according to an email. Classes cost between $100 and $150 and end with a showcase on Friday, May 19, at 5 p.m. See palacetheatre.org/pyt/palace-academy.
• “Window Works”: The Seacoast Artist Association in Exeter (130 Water St.; seacoastartist.org) has continued a pandemic practice of having mini-exhibits in the gallery window. The gallery changes the window exhibit every three months, and in March the new exhibit features works such as Lynn Krumholz “Morning Dew” (featuring oil and cold wax), Adele Buchwald’s “Early Morning Row” (oil), Dennis Skillman’s “Great Blue Heron” (photograph), and Denise Brown’s “White Picket Fence” (watercolor), according to a press release. Check out the gallery’s inside exhibits during its regular hours: Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. .
Multimedia look at “Multi-Mediums” Get a look at the exhibit “Multi-Mediums” running through Sunday, April 30, at Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650, art3gallery.com). The gallery has posted videos showing off the exhibit’s variety of paintings, glasswork, sculptures and other pieces. Then see the exhibit in person Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. Courtesy photo.
• Creepy and kooky: See Wednesday and all the other Addamses at The Addams Family Young@Part, a musical production from Epping Middle High School that will run at the Epping Playhouse (38 Ladds Lane in Epping; eppingtheater.org) on Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 cash or check to EHS at the door, according to a press release. The show is described as family-friendly and about an hour long with a 15-minute intermission. Reserve tickets in advance by emailing melanie.friese@eppingsd.org. See eppingtheater.org/EMHSAddams.html.
• Folk duo: The Massachusetts-based folk duo of Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin, Crowes Pasture, will play the Andover Community Coffeehouse (Highland Lake Grange Hall, corner of Route 11 and Chase Hill Road in East Andover; 735-5135, andovercoffeehouse.org) on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. Hear their music at crowespastureduo.com. The event is free but donations are welcome, according to a press release. The evening will also feature up to five open-mic acts (sign up is first come first served when doors open), the release said. Doors open at 6 p.m. and food and beverages will be for sale.
• Writing romance: The Monadnock Writers’ Group will host local romance novelist Abbi Glines at its monthly speaker series on Saturday, March 18, at 9:45 a.m. at the Peterborough Town Library (2 Concord St). The event is free. See modnadnockwriters.org.
• World Poetry Day: John Hay Estate at The Fells (456 Route 103A in Newbury; thefells.org, 763-4786, ext. 3) celebrates World Poetry Day (Tuesday, March 21) with an online poetry lecture on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. hosted by Alice Fogel. The virtual lecture will be titled “Strange Terrain: How Not to Get Poetry & Let It Get You Instead” and the program is free and open to the public. Register by calling or emailing info@thefells.org.
Visual Verse The Literary Arts Guild of the Center for the Arts (centerfortheartsnh.org) has released Rooted in New Hampshire: Farming the Lake Sunapee Region, the fifth book in its Visual Verse series, according to a press release. The volume features poems inspired by photographs from nine regional farms, the release said. There will be a book release party on Wednesday, March 29, at 5 p.m. at Lethbridge Lodge at Colby-Sawyer College in New London. The book will be available for purchase for $20 at the Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, at Main Street Bookends in Warner, and via the Center for the Arts website, the release said. The image of lambs at Kearsarge Gore Farm in Warner accompanies Amber Rose Crowtree’s poem “Spring Tones.” Courtesy photo.
The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival begins March 16
Eleven feature films, a five-film shorts package and a kids’ event make up the slate of screenings for this year’s New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, which starts Thursday, March 16.
Screenings at locations across the state take place through Sunday, March 26; virtual screenings will run through Sunday, April 16.
“What I think is important is after the film there’s a conversation that happens at a film festival,” said Pat Kalik, one of the co-chairs of the festival. “People gather and are able to talk about what they just saw.”
The festival starts Thursday, March 16, with a screening of Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. The documentary, which showcases the photography of Fred Stein, who shot in 1930s Paris and eventually fled to New York City, will be followed by a post-film discussion with filmmaker Peter Stein, Fred Stein’s son.
The post-film panel is an addition to this year’s program, Kalik said. Three of the films — including Dedication (the filmed version of Roger Peltzman’s one-man play about his mother’s brother, a celebrated pianist, who was murdered at Auschwitz) and Israel Swings for Gold (a documentary about the 2021 Israeli Olympic baseball team) — will feature in-person post-film discussions with their directors. Israel Swings for Gold will screen Tuesday, March 21, at Southern New Hampshire University’s Webster Hall in Hooksett at 7 p.m. and feature a discussion with Seth Kramer. Dedication will screen at the festival’s wrap party on Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord and will feature a discussion with Petlzman.
A Zoom discussion with filmmaker Steve Pressman, whose film Levys of Monticello is available virtually, is slated for Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m.
Kalik and her co-chair Ross Fishbein said that 9 of the feature-length movies will be available virtually — either during the festival’s initial in-person run or in the weeks following (Out of Exile and Dedication will be in-person only). The shorts package is completely virtual. Six of the feature films are getting in-person screenings, along with a special event for kids that will feature a screening of an episode from the cartoon series Shaboom! (that event is scheduled to take place Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire in Manchester and include snacks and making a cardboard car; the program is free but registration is required).
“Offering that virtual component … has enabled us to continue to show films to people that may not be fully comfortable being in person yet, but also just reaching further within the state,” Fishbein said. “People that maybe don’t live within easy driving distance of one of the multiple locations where we’re showing a film, they can still enjoy the programming.”
The viewing and selection processes for the festival are started in the summer the year before it opens, Kalik said. This year, the selection team viewed approximately 60 movies before coming to a final decision.
The movies follow a multitude of themes and stories, Kalik said. She and Fishbein stressed that it was important to have movies that weren’t just about the Holocaust but also weren’t just romantic comedies. They wanted to show the diversity of Jewish and Israeli film.
“For me, it’s hard to pick out a favorite because each film has its own unique quality,” Kalik said. “You know, it’s hard to compare a documentary about a photographer to a film about the Israeli baseball team.”
New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival When: First in-person screening is Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester; wrap party and final in-person screening are Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. Virtual screenings will run through Sunday, April 16 — beginning March 16 or March 27, depending on the film. Price: Individual tickets cost $12. Ticket packages are also available including for all in-person screening and all virtual screenings.
Schedule: • Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein screens Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre). • Farwell, Mr. Haffmann screens Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org) and The Showroom in Keene. • PJ Goes to the Movies: Shaboom! event takes place Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at Jewish Federation of New Hampshire (273 S. River Road, No. 5, Bedford, 627-7679, jewishnh.org). • Israel Swings for Gold screens Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University (Webster Hall, Mara Auditorium, 2546 N. River Road, Hooksett, 645-9700, snhu.edu) • Man in the Basement screens Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org) • America screens Sunday, March 26, at 1 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. • Dedication screens Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. More info: nhjewishfilmfestival.com
Films
Descriptions according to nhjewishfilmfestival.com
Features
• Follow swimming coach Eli in America(2022) as he travels back to Israel after his father’s death and his relationship with his childhood friend’s fiancée, who is a florist.
• In Barren (2022) the young ultra-orthodox couple Feigi and Naftali live at home with Naftali’s parents. While Naftali is away, a visitor named Rabbi Eliyahu comes to stay in the household, promising to help Feigi with treatment for being barren. When Naftali returns, the couple must face a difficult crisis that leads to questions about faith and trust.
• Roger Peltzman turned his one-man play into the film Dedication (2022). The play and film follow Peltzman’s family’s escape from Berlin to Brussels in 1933, focusing on his uncle Norbert, a popular pianist in Belgium, who was killed in Auschwitz at 21 years old.
• Farewell, Mr. Haffmann (2022) follows the story of Joseph Haffmann, a jeweler in occupied Paris in 1941. After sending his family away, Haffmann seeks out the help of his employee after he fails to escape the city.
• In the documentary Israel Swings for Gold (2022), the Israeli Olympic baseball team makes its first appearance at the Olympics. Because there were no professional media devices available at the village, the teammates documented the experience themselves with videos and pictures.
• Join older couple Tova and Meir as they explore what life has to offer them, with the help of their eccentric neighbor Itzik, in the film Karaoke (2022).
• Learn more about the family that owned Thomas Jefferson’s famed estate, Monticello, for more than a century in this documentary. The Levys of Monticello (2022) tells the history of the Levy family, as well as how it intersects with the rise of antisemitism in American history.
• In The Man in the Basement (2022), a couple sell their unused cellar to a former history professor. In a dark turn, they find out that the professor is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist and has befriended their teen daughter.
• Actress Mariette Hartley explores the dating scene as an older woman in Hollywood in Our (Almost Completely True) Story (2022). When she finds herself smitten with comedian Jerry Sorka, and him with her, unexpected challenges arise, leaving Mariette wondering if she’s too old to find love.
• The documentary Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein (2021), follows how a young photographer, fearing the Nazi party, traveled to France in the 1930s to document everything he saw. When an accident ended his life, Stein’s photography seemed to vanish with it, until his son, Peter, brought the pictures back into the art world.
• The documentary Reckonings (2022) follows the untold true story of the negotiations between Jewish and German leaders determining the reparations for the survivors of the Holocaust.
Short films
• A Kaddish for Selim (2022) follows a young British Jewish man who changes his name to fight in World War I.
• Give It Back (2019) follows Olivia, a girl new to Israeli society, and her blossoming friendship with an Ethiopian boy named Alem.
• In Nazi-occupied Albania, Ismail must choose between his nation’s honor code to protect visitors (in his case, two Jewish men) and the safety of his family in Ismail’s Dilemma (2020).
• In Pops (2021), sisters Elli and Roz must honor their father’s dying wish, even though it’s unusual.
• Space Torah (2020) documents the journey of Jewish-American astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman as he brings parts of his religion and culture into space.
Featured photo: Israel Swings for Gold. Courtesy photo.
Compiled by Matt Ingersoll, Angie Sykeny and Amy Diaz listings@hippopress.com
Spring is awesome.
Sure, it can be blizzardy or flower-filled, muddy or suddenly strangely summer-like, but the stretch between mid-March and Memorial Day is packed with fun, from arts and music to the changing outdoor offerings and food events like NH Craft Beer Week in early April. Here are 63 reasons to get excited about spring.
• The 2023 New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival starts on Thursday, March 16, and runs through Sunday, March 26, with screenings at locations in Manchester, Bedford, Keene, Concord, Portsmouth and Hooksett — to be followed by bonus weeks, March 27 through April 16, when four of the feature films shown in theaters will be available for streaming at home. See nhjewishfilmfestival.com for film trailers, tickets (individual and multi-film packages) and all the details, and check out our story in this issue.
• The annual Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament, originally scheduled for late January outdoors, has been postponed to Friday, March 17, through Sunday, March 19, and will take place inside the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). Go to blackicepondhockey.com to view the full schedule.
• When you need a break from emails and spreadsheets throughout your work day, head to the New Hampshire Audubon’s Manchester Peregrine Cam to check out the progress of the breeding season for the peregrine falcons living at 1750 Elm St. in Manchester. A visit to the cams (find the links at nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/peregrine-cam/) on March 9 showed a falcon surveying downtown from the perch. The local peregrine falcon pair in Manchester stays around all winter, according to Chris Martin, conservation biologist at New Hampshire Audubon. The breeding season “really heats up in March. Expect to see eggs appear beginning around the last week in March and hatching to start at the end of April. Early June is when the youngsters will start flying,” Martin said in an email. The Peregrine Cam at Brady Sullivan Tower is operated by Peregrine Networks, an internet services provider based in Dover, Martin said. During the 2022 season five peregrine falcons hatched and fledged from the nest (a photo on the Audubon’s website showed the five chicks newly banded on May 20), according to the Audubon.
• Have fun with versatile fashion pieces that can be modified for spring’s warmer and cooler days, like an oversized blazer. “An oversized blazer is the perfect option to put over thick sweaters now, that will also be perfect when worn as a spring coat over tanks and shorter sleeve options once the weather warms up,” Elyssa Alfieri, owner of Lilise Designer Resale in Concord. Another tip, which comes from Ashley Lyons, owner of Chic Boutique Consignments in Bedford, is to layer with spring and summer dresses until the weather is warm enough to wear them on their own. “With the help of a good tight, bootie or boot, and a leather moto jacket or cardigan, you can take full advantage of your warmer weather pieces even in cooler months,” she said.
• The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) is open to visitors Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with live animals and exhibits, including a reptile room, nature store and raptor mews, which are home to a bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, barn owl and barred owls. The center also features 3 miles of mostly forested trails, pollinator gardens, grassland fields and access to the Great Turkey Pond shoreline, which are free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Call 224-9909 or visit nhaudubon.org.
• You may still (maybe? possibly?) be able to go ice skating outdoors on some city and town ponds that offer it, depending on the current weather conditions. But regardless of what it’s doing outside, public ice skating indoors at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord) remains available through Thursday, March 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $6 per person (free for kids ages 3 and under) and skate rentals are available in the pro shop for $6. See concordnh.gov. Other local spots offering indoor skating include The Icenter (60 Lowell Road, Salem) — this month the arena will be open for about one hour and 20 minutes each time, on Saturday, March 18, at 4 p.m.; and Sunday, March 19, at 2:15 p.m.; as well as on Saturday, March 25, at 4 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 26, at 2:15 p.m. The cost is $8 per person (cash only), and free for kids ages 4 and under. Visit icentersalem.com.
• St. Patrick’s Day is Friday, March 17 — check out a rundown of food and drink specials at area bars and restaurants on page 25 in the March 9 issue of the Hippo. You’ll find details on where to go to get that ceremonious plate of corned beef and cabbage with a glass of green beer, as well as all kinds of St. Paddy’s Day-related festivities from live Celtic music to comedy shows. In this week’s issue Michael Witthaus takes a look at some pub-based celebrations; find that story on page 34.
Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship. Courtesy photo.
• Firefighters and police officers from across New Hampshire will renew their friendly rivalry for charity during the Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship, which returns for a 15th year to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester) on Saturday, March 18. The puck drops at 1 p.m., and proceeds from the game benefit the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD). Tickets are $16 in advance online and $20 on game day for attendees ages 6 and up (kids ages 5 and under are free). See chadhockey.org.
• Springtime means, in many cases, the return of local seasonal eateries — ice cream stands like Sundae Drive (346 Route 13, Brookline) and The Big 1 (185 Concord St., Nashua), for instance, opened for the season in late February, while King Kone (336 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) and Memories Ice Cream (95 Exeter Road, Kingston) are each set to reopen on Saturday, March 18. Clam Haven (94 Rockingham Road, Derry), known for its fried seafood specials, was scheduled to open for the season on Wednesday, March 15, and Cremeland Drive In (250 Valley St., Manchester) is also set to begin its season soon.
• This coming weekend — Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19 — is also New Hampshire Maple Weekend, when sugarhouses and farms across the Granite State welcome visitors for tours, demonstrations, tastings and other family-friendly activities, all revolving around local maple syrup production. Learn how sap is collected and trees are tapped, and enjoy samples of everything from maple syrup to fudge, roasted nuts, ice cream and more, depending on where you go. See the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at nhmapleproducers.com for a full list of participating sugarhouses. Find more coverage of Maple Weekend on page 26.
• Maple Weekend also means the return of the annual Kearsarge Maple Festival, a regional event featuring two days of local sap house tours, pancakes, a syrup tasting contest and more. A pancake breakfast and raffle will be held on Saturday, March 18, from 7:30 to 11 a.m. at the United Church of Warner (43 E. Main St.), with proceeds going toward the town’s 250th birthday celebration committee (Warner will turn 250 in 2024). The cost is $12 for adults, $5 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids under 6, and the breakfast will feature plain and blueberry pancakes, waffles, home fries, baked beans and sausage. The maple syrup tasting contest happens on Sunday, March 19, from noon to 3 p.m. in front of Town Hall (5 E. Main St.). See warnerhistorical.org or kearsargechamber.org for more details on festival happenings.
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) is celebrating Maple Month with its Maple Express event featuring a ride to the sugar shack, where you can watch the syrup making process, get a look at tree tapping, meet farm animals and taste syrup on silver dollar pancakes, according to the website. Admission costs $22 per person. The Maple Express continues this weekend — Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19 — and next (Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26), with entry times starting at 10 a.m. On Saturday, March 18, the farm will hold Sugar Shack Live, with entry times from 5 to 6 p.m.; the evening will feature live music from Morgan-Nelson (Dan Morgan and Lynda Nelson), horse-drawn and tractor rides, a visit to the sugar shack and a campfire (BYO marshmallows for toasting or hot dogs for roasting), the website said. Tickets to this evening event cost $29 per person.
• It may not look like it outside at the moment, but the first day of spring is Monday, March 20. For many — er, or at least those of us who aren’t already year-round iced coffee drinkers — this means the kickoff to iced coffee season! Pinard Street Bakery (1 Pinard St., Manchester; inside Charlie’s) is one shop celebrating spring with several specialty coffee flavors all month long in March, including Scout’s Samoa (coconut with a caramel and mocha swirl) and In Bloom (blueberry, lavender, melted raw honey and white chocolate swirl). See pinardstreetbakery.business.site for their full list of spring-inspired coffee flavors.
• Catch some action on the ice when the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regional Championship comes to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) Thursday, March 23, and Saturday, March 25. See the arena’s website for times (which are to be announced) and tickets.
• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) will host a Cacao Ceremony with Empress Alchemy on Saturday, March 25, from 7 to 8 p.m. In this immersive and interactive experience, held outside around a firepit, participants will be served ceremonial grade cacao in the form of “hot chocolate” while being led through a series of guided meditation exercises. Dress warm and bring a blanket to sit on and a journal to write in. The event costs $35 and is open to participants ages 16 and up. Visit theeducationalfarm.org.
• Catch a show at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry), which has a full lineup of live acts scheduled throughout the season. They host Blues Brothers The Next Generation on Saturday, March 25, for instance, as well as their next Tupelo Nights of Comedy on Friday, March 24, and Friday, April 14. Visit tupelomusichall.com to view the full concert schedule and to buy tickets.
• The Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade returns on Sunday, March 26, kicking off at noon at the intersection of Salmon and Elm streets in the Queen City and continuing south on Elm. Admission is free, and shuttle services will run from 10 a.m. to noon from the corner of Central and Chestnut streets to the parade’s assembly area. See saintpatsnh.com. The parade immediately follows the Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle, a road race organized by Millennium Running starting and finishing in front of Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St.). Visit millenniumrunning.com.
• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Way in Manchester; mcintyreskiarea.com, 622-6159) plans to wrap up its season of skiing, snowboarding and tubing on Sunday, March 26 (see the website for hours), according to an email. On Saturday, March 18, the Pond Skim and Hawaiian Festival will run from 1 to 3 p.m., with competition starting at 1 p.m., according to the website. “End the season with a splash and join us at the pond. Wear your most festive attire as we celebrate the end of an amazing season! Prizes awarded for biggest splash, best costume and best skim!” the website said.
• You voted and we counted. In mere weeks, Hippo will present the Best of 2023 readers poll results. Find out who fellow readers picked as the best pizza purveyor, beer brewer or cupcake creator. Keep your eyes on Hippo newsstands for that issue.
• Get into birding by focusing on the Eastern Bluebird. The New Hampshire Audubon will hold “NestWatch Volunteer Training: Bluebird Monitoring” on Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Massabesic Audubon Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; 668-2045, nhaudubon.org) where there are “almost 100 monitored nest boxes,” according to the website. The workshop costs $5; register by March 30. Learn how to be a volunteer monitor (monitors usually spend about an hour or two weekly from April to August to record data in their sections, according to the website) or just learn more about the Eastern Bluebird. The workshop features inside and outside sessions.
• The Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) will host a guided full moon hike on Saturday, April 1, at 7 p.m. During the hike, a naturalist will share moon facts and lore and talk about how animals are adapted for the night and how they prepare for seasonal changes. The cost is $22, and registration in advance is required. Visit beaverbrook.org.
• Join the Franco-American Centre for a traditional sugaring off celebration on Saturday, April 1, at the Oscar Barn Wedding Venue (191 W. River Road, Hooksett). The event will feature a maple syrup demonstration from Chisholm Farm from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a traditional cabane à sucre (sugar shack) dinner served family-style from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and music and dancing from 7:30 to 10 p.m., featuring a live performance by the Reel McCoys. The cost is $25 for adults, $15 for kids ages 5 to 12 and free for kids under 5. Visit facnh.com to register.
• The craft fair scene ramps up again in the spring. On Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Capital City Craft Festival will bring more than 125 artisans to the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord), according to castleberryfairs.com, where you can purchase tickets ($8 for adults, under 14 get in free; one admission is good for both days). Tickets will also be sold at the door. The spread of arts and crafts includes folk art, candles, apparel, metal art, fiber arts, personal care items, jewelry, glass and more as well as specialty foods, the website said.
• Conversations with Concord Authors returns for the second year to the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. Laura Knoy, formerly the host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s The Exchange, will host a discussion with local authors including Kathleen D. Bailey, Sarah McCraw Crow, Dan Lawton, Paul Brogan and Margaret Porter. Admission is free. Visit ccanh.com/show/conversations-with-concord-authors-2023.
• Enjoy a First Thursday Hike at The Fells (456 Route 103, Newbury) on Thursday, April 6, at 11 a.m., with landscape director Nick Scheu and education director Simon Parsons. No reservations are necessary, and non-members are welcome with the regular admission price ($10 for adults), $8 for seniors and students, $4 for kids and teens ages 6 to 17 and free for kids ages 5 and under, or $25 per family of two adults and 2 or more children under 6. Visit thefells.org.
Arts & Dance Company’s Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Ensemble. Courtesy photo.
• The nationally touring Arts & Dance Company’s Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Ensemble will perform a matinee show at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Thursday, April 6. The show celebrates the art and culture of Latin America and Spain, featuring flamenco dancing in an immersive experience. Visit theaudi.org/events/matinee-arts-dance-company-on-tour-presents-flamenco-ballet.
• Join Etz Hayim Synagogue (1 ½ Hood Road, Derry) for a Passover Second Seder on Thursday, April 6, at 6 p.m. The meal will be catered by Levine’s Kosher Market and will include roast chicken, kugel, carrot tzimmes, chicken soup with matzo balls and gefilte fish and costs $49 for adults and $29 for kids ages 10 and under. Reserve online at etzhayim.org by March 26.
• New Hampshire Craft Beer Week, an annual 10-day celebration of the Granite State’s craft brewing industry, returns from Thursday, April 6, through Saturday, April 15. The campaign is presented by the New Hampshire Brewers Association and is meant to coincide with National Beer Day (April 7). Check back at nhbrewers.org or follow Craft Beer Week’s Facebook page @nhcraftbeerweek for updates on ongoing events and happenings as they become available.
• The Derry Author Fest will bring a day of books, speakers and panels to the Derry Public Library (64 E Broadway in Derry; 432-6140) on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Author Ann Dávila Cardinal kicks off the day with a keynote on “Writing from the In Between: Navigating Identity as a Writer Between Worlds,” according to a press release. Find the lineup of speakers and more at derryauthorfest.wordpress.com.
• The 14th annual Our Promise to Nicholas Indoor Maze to the Egg Hunt returns to New Hampshire Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford) on Saturday, April 8, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. There will be 15,000 plastic colored eggs filled with candy and prizes on the indoor fields for children to collect. Other festivities will include face painting, photos with the Easter Bunny and other mascots, games, DJ music, balloon creations, a bake sale, raffle baskets and an auction. Tickets cost $8 per person, $28 for four to seven people or $56 for eight people if purchased online in advance, and $10 per person at the door. Visit ourpromisetonicholas.com.
• Next year — April 8, 2024 — parts of New Hampshire will be in the “path of totality for a total solar eclipse! This hasn’t happened since 1959 and won’t happen again until 2079!” according to the website for the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827), which has started the countdown for the big event. On Saturday, April 8 (of this year), the Center will hold an “Eclipse Countdown Kick Off Event” from 1 to 4 p.m. with presentations, eclipse giveaways, solar telescope viewing with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and pizza, according to the website. Admission prices are as usual: $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and students 13 through college, $9 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for children ages 2 and under.
• Get your orders in for a special pastry tray sale being offered by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge St., Manchester). The cost is $35 per tray, which includes six pieces of baklava, six kourambiethes (powdered sugar cookies) and koulourakia (butter cookies), and orders must be placed by April 5 for pickup on Friday, April 14 (Greek Easter is observed on Sunday, April 16, this year). Contact parishioner Barb George at bitos1254@yahoo.com or at 925-330-9966 to place your order.
• And while you’re at it, join the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) in welcoming the Easter Bunny by air travel on Saturday, April 1 — he’ll arrive at the museum at 11 a.m. via the student-built RV-12iS aircraft after a planned low pass over Runaway 35. After landing, he’ll taxi under a water cannon arch courtesy of the Manchester Airport Fire Department, greeting families in front of the museum, posing for pictures and giving out candy (courtesy of Granite State Candy Shoppe). The event will take place rain or shine, and the museum will be open for visitors, with regular admission charges applying. See nhahs.org.
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) will hold its Egg-City Egg Hunt on the weekends of Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, and Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9. Pick a time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (morning only on Easter Sunday, April 9) and kids ages 2 to 12 can hunt for candy-filled eggs, meet the Easter Bunny, meet farm animals and new spring baby animals, take a horse-drawn or tractor train ride and more, according to the website. Tickets cost $22 per person and will only be available online.
• New Hampshire poets and poetry lovers will have all kinds of opportunities throughout April to celebrate National Poetry Month, with readings, workshops, contests and more, spearheaded by state Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary in partnership with NHPR, NH Humanities Council, Poetry Society of NH and others. Peary will present a program on mindful writing techniques at Goffstown Public Library (2 High St., Goffstown) on Tuesday, April 4, and as an online event on Friday, April 14; a poetry reading at NHTI (31 College Drive, Concord) on Wednesday, April 12; a celebration of life for the poet Charles Simic at UNH (105 Main St., Durham) on Wednesday, April 19; and a teen poetry contest with Under the Madness Magazine (underthemadnessmagazine.com). See Peary’s blog, newhampshirepoetlaureate.blogspot.com, for updates on Poetry Month happenings.
• It’s almost time for baseball! The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are due to hold their home opener of the 2023 season on Tuesday, April 11, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) against the Portland Sea Dogs. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m., starting a six-game homestand that continues through Sunday, April 16. See nhfishercats.com for the full schedule of games, which runs through mid-September this year.
• Through the New Hampshire Astronomical Society’s Library Telescope Program, you can check out a telescope from your local library just as you would a book. April is full of astrological events, including the best day of the year to view Mercury on Tuesday, April 11, a hybrid solar eclipse the night of Wednesday, April 19, and a meteor shower expected to peak between Friday, April 21, and Sunday, April 23. Visit nhastro.com for a list of local libraries participating in the telescope program and to connect with a New Hampshire Astronomical Society member who can provide information about upcoming astrological events and tips on how to have your own skywatch.
• It’s Reba Live in Concert! Reba McEntire comes to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) on Thursday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m. with special guests Terri Clark and The Isaacs. Tickets start at $49.75.
• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) presents its annual gala celebration on Friday, April 14, from 6 to 10 p.m. The evening will include a curated fine art auction, a reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner and a fundraising program highlighting the museum’s Art & Wellness programs. Attire is formal. Tickets cost $350 per person, and tables can be purchased for eight people. Visit currier.org/event/gala-celebration or call 669-6144
• The annual Made in New Hampshire “Try It & Buy It” Expo, presented by Business NH Magazine and Events NH, returns for a 26th year to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St.) from Friday, April 14, through Sunday, April 16. Show hours are from 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, when attendees will have the opportunity to sample a wide variety of products and services made right here in the Granite State. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 65 and over and for military service members, $3 for kids ages 2 to 12 and free for kids under 2. Visit madeinnhexpo.com or follow the event page on Facebook @madeinnhexpo to see the full list of this year’s participating vendors.
• The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra presents its annual “Drawn to the Music” concert on Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16, at 2 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center at Salem High School (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem). The program will include music from Copland’s Appalachian Spring, as well as Rossini’s Overture “Barber of Seville,” Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Ginastera’s “Estancia.” The concert is a collaborative arts project for which elementary school students from across New Hampshire submitted their original artwork inspired by the featured music. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $8 for students and $5 for Salem School District students. Visit nhphil.org.
• After the Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) production of the musical Little Women wraps up this weekend (March 17 through March 19 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday) the next big show on the schedule is the musical Rent, which opens Friday, April 21, and runs through Sunday, May 14. As with Little Women, shows run Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. along with a show on Thursday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for adults cost $44 to $51, based on seating ($35 for 60+ and veterans; $30 for ages 6 to 12).
• The Anselmian Abbey Players of Saint Anselm College in Manchester will perform Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the college’s Dana Center for the Humanities (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) with showtimes on Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $8 for youth and students. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities.
• Celebrate the joy of flipping through albums to find new-to-you tunes at Record Store Day on Saturday, April 22. Participating shops will have specialty releases (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, etc.) from a variety of artists. Find a complete list of the offerings this year at recordstoreday.com, where you can also find a list of area participating stores including Music Connection in Manchester; Metro City Records in Manchester; Pitchfork Records in Concord; Bull Moose in Salem, and Newbury Comics in Manchester and Nashua.
• Celebrate Earth Day — Saturday, April 22 — by getting out in the fresh air. Millennium Running’s Stonyfield Earth Day 5K & Fair starts at 9 a.m. and will feature a 3.1-mile course that starts and finishes in Londonderry’s West Soccer Complex (90 West Road), just steps away from the Stonyfield Earth Day Fair, which will include local vendors, live music, games and more. Visit millenniumrunning.com.
• The New Hampshire Audubon will celebrateEarth Day, Saturday, April 22, with a celebration at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; 668-2045, nhaudubon.org) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $15 for a family of four and pre-registration is recommended, according to the website. The day will include guided walks, storytimes, live reptile meet-and-greets, live raptor presentations, crafts, a master gardener available for answering questions, food sales from the Walking Gourmet Food Truck and more.
• Head to Hampstead Congregational Church (61 Main St.) on Saturday, April 29, from noon to 5 p.m. for Hampstead Eats, the third annual food truck festival held outdoors on the church grounds. There will be a variety of options from local food trucks, along with live music, and a portion of the event proceeds goes toward the New Hampshire Food Bank. See “Hampstead Eats” on Facebook for updates as they become available.
• Among Symphony NH’s spring concert lineup is “Momentum! 100 Year Anniversary Concert” on Saturday, April 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com). According to symphonynh.org, the symphony “marks the anniversary of its very first concert to the day” with the celebration featuring cellist Amit Peled, and a movement from Schubert’s “unfinished” Symphony and Strauss’s “On the Beautiful Blue Danube,” two works played at the Symphony NH’s first concert in 1923. Tickets for the concert start at $39 for adults ($12 for ages 12 to 17 and free for children under 12 with an adult or senior ticket purchase). After the concert, Symphony NH will hold a gala from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Courtyard by Marriott Nashua; tickets to this dinner (which must be purchased separately) cost $110 for a single ticket or $1,000 for a table.
• Saturday, April 29, is Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores and the book-lovers who frequent them. Participating bookstores sell merchandise released exclusively for that day, which may include special-edition books, signed art prints and covers and literary-themed novelty items. Some bookstores may host additional festivities, such as author visits, readings and book signings, live music, food, activities for kids, contests and giveaways and more. Visit indiebookstoreday.com to see a list of this year’s featured merchandise and to find a bookstore near you that is participating.
New Hampshire Roller Derby. Courtesy photo.
• New Hampshire Roller Derby returns to JFK Memorial Coliseum (303 Beech St., Manchester) with a season-opening doubleheader on Saturday, April 29, at 5 p.m. More home bouts are scheduled for Saturdays, May 20, June 24 and Aug. 5. Tickets cost $12 at the door; admission is free for kids age 12 and under and veterans. Visit nhrollerderby.com.
• After a successful comeback year in 2022, Taco Tour Manchester will return in full force to downtown Elm Street on Thursday, May 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Now presented by the Greater Manchester Chamber, more than 60 area restaurants, food trucks, bakeries and other establishments will be participating in this year’s event, selling their signature tacos for $3 apiece. Each has a shot at winning a custom “Golden Taco Trophy,” in addition to $1,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, as voted by taco tasters. New to this year’s Taco Tour will be a concert at Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St.), thanks to the support of 92.5 The River, with performing acts to be announced in the coming weeks. See tacotourmanchester.com for details.
• The Craftworkers’ Guild presents its Spring Craft Shop from Thursday, May 4, through Saturday, May 13, at the historic Kendall House (5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. There will be handmade items by more than 50 juried artisans and craftspeople, including seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabrics, sewn and knit specialties, stained and fused glass art, mixed media, jewelry, doll clothes and more. Visit thecraftworkersguild.org.
• Get a little magic when the Champions of Magic come to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashuacenterforthearts.com, 800-657-8774) on Thursday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39 to $69.
• The two-day New Hampshire Farm, Forest & Garden Expo returns for its 40th year on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, this time at the Deerfield Fairgrounds (34 Stage Road). Expo hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, when there will be a wide array of local exhibitors, live animal visits, gardener showcases, workshops, demonstrations of farm machinery and other family-friendly activities. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under. Visit nhfarmandforestexpo.org to view the full schedule of expo happenings.
• Perhaps May’s best holiday, Free Comic Book Day takes place Saturday, May 6, at your favorite participating comic book shop. Get totally free comics produced especially for the day; see previews of this year’s books at freecomicbookday.com. Notables on the list so far include a Dog Man comic from Dav Pilkey, a Baby-Sitters Little Sisters comic, a graphic novel biography of Stan Lee, an Investi-Gators comic, Smurfs, Last Kid on Earth, Garbage Pail Kids and several Marvel titles. Local participants include Merrymac Games and Comics(550 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack) and the Double Midnight Comics in Manchester (252 Willow St.) and Concord (341 Loudon Road). For this first Free Comic Book Day at its new Manchester location, Double Midnight is offering free comics in the store and running a free comic con in The Factory’s event space, with artists and vendors, food trucks, a video game truck, movie cars, lawn games, lightsaber training, a scavenger hunt, live music, kids’ activities, costume contests and more, according to an email from Double Midnight’s Chris Proulx. Up in Concord it’s a more laid back Free Comic Book Day and a good alternative for families with kids who have sensory issues, he said. See dmcomics.com.
• Also doing Free Comic Book Day up big is Jetpack Comics (37 N. Main St. in Rochester; jetpackcomics.com), which is the hub for a city-wide Rochester Free Comic Book Day Festival, which starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m., according to the website. The day will include a free comic book scavenger hunt throughout the city, comic creators and special guests, vendors and others at the Event Hall at the Governor’s Inn, a food truck and beer garden, a costume contest at 4 p.m. and more. See the website for locations and other details.
• A few local farmers markets are due to start their seasons outdoors this spring. The Concord Farmers Market is one of the first — it’s due to return to Capitol Street in downtown Concord (adjacent to the Statehouse lawn) on Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, continuing every weekend through October, according to its website.
• The Senie Hunt Project performs at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) on Friday, May 12, at 8 p.m. The blues rock band, fronted by guitarist and singer Senie Hunt, takes influence from classic blues rock and Southern rock and soul powerhouses such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and The Allman Brothers. Tickets cost $21.75. Visit ccanh.com/show/the-senie-hunt-project.
• If your kids love comics, comic book or movie characters, books in general, Jedi training, puppets, princesses, magic or dressing up as their own adventure creations, check out Kids Con New England, a comic book and pop culture convention for kids and families, on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). Tickets cost $12 for adults and kids 5 and over (kids 4 and under get in free) and are available at kidsconne.com, where you can see the line-up of activities, participating authors and artists and more.
• Stock up on annuals, perennials, seedlings, veggie plants, herbs and more at a local garden club’s spring sale. The Amherst Garden Club’s annual sale takes place on Saturday, May 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside on the grounds of Wilkins School (180 Boston Post Road, Amherst); Nashua Garden Club’s sale is on Saturday, May 20, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nashua Historical Society (5 Abbott St., Nashua); and Bedford Garden Club’s sale is also on Saturday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bedford Village Common (15 Bell Hill Road, Bedford).
• Get big truck action when the Monster Jam comes to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) on Saturday, May 13, at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 14, at 1 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 to $73, according to the arena website. See monsterjam.com for details on likely featured competitors (Grave Digger, Megalodon, El Toro Loco, etc.) and for information on the Pit Party events scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each day, when you can meet drivers and see the trucks up close; tickets to the Pit Party cost $20, according to Ticketmaster.
• Sunday, May 14, is Mother’s Day — be sure to check back in early May for our annual listings detailing special Mother’s Day brunches at area eateries. The Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way), for instance, will serve a three-course prix fixe dinner that day, with reservations available from 2 to 7 p.m. The cost is $75 for adults and $39.98 for kids ages 10 and under. See bedfordvillageinn.com or call 472-2001 to make a reservation.
• Tickets are on sale now for the second annual New England Coffee Festival, returning to downtown Laconia on Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20. Organized by Wayfarer Coffee Roasters in Laconia, the inaugural event last year drew more than 5,000 attendees to the area. “We received so much amazing feedback and are excited to elevate the next festival,” Karen Bassett of Wayfarer Coffee Roasters told the Hippo via email, going on to note that this year’s event will feature even more hands-on workshops and outdoor vendors than before, plus a “latte art throwdown” on the Main Stage of the Colonial Theatre in front of a grand audience. See newenglandcoffeefestival.com for the full schedule of events, or follow the event page on Facebook @newenglandcoffeefestival for updates as they become available.
• Preparations are now underway for the annual Greek food festival to return to St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church (500 W. Hollis St., Nashua) on Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20. Following a series of pop-up and takeout events held the past few years, plans are in the works for this year’s event to return in person with a full menu. Visit stphilipnashua.com or follow the event page on Facebook @stphilipgreekfoodfestival.
• Explore all the natural beauty New Hampshire has to offer with a New Hampshire State Parks season pass. Passholders are guaranteed access to day-use parks with exemption from entrance fees. Passes, which are good for one year, cost $60 for individuals; $105 for New Hampshire resident families of up to two adults and up to four dependents; and $120 for non-resident families. Seacoast parking passes are also available for $175, granting one vehicle exemption from the $15 parking fees at Hampton Beach State Park and Wallis Sands State Park for one year. To purchase a pass, visit nhstateparks.org/planning/schedule-and-fees/passes-promotions.
Featured photo: Amherst Garden Club’s annual plant sale. Courtesy photo.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Intown Concord St. Patrick’s Day Celebration today at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) beginning at 5:30 p.m. The show will have performances from step-dancer group In the Field Irish Dancers and folk-rock Irish pub band The Penniless Jacks. There will also be a pot-of-gold raffle, and the ticket includes an Irish-themed dinner at Twelve 31 Café. Tickets cost $45, or $40 for Intown Concord supporters. Visit intownconcord.org. Looking for more St. Pat’s happenings? See the March 9 issuse of the Hippo for a rundown of special meals (page 25). In this week’s issue, find some upcoming Irish music performances listed on page 19 and find live music at area pubs, restaurants and more on Friday, March 17, in the Music This Week on page 36.
Friday, March 17
The Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship begins today at 9 a.m. and continues Saturday, March 18, at 7 a.m. The matches will rotate between six different brackets and 56 teams in total competing to see who is the best in each group. Matches will be at White Park (1 White St., Concord) and Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). Visit blackicepondhockey.com.
Saturday, March 18
Today at 1 p.m. is the Battle of the Badges, a hockey tournament between police officers and firefighters to benefit Dartmouth Health Children’s, at the SNHU Arena in Manchester. General admission costs $16, kids ages 5 and younger are free. To purchase tickets, visit getinvolved.dartmouth-hitchcock.org.
Saturday, March 18
Head to McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Way, Manchester) for their end-of-the-season Pond Skim and Hawaiian Festival today. The competition starts at 1 p.m. with awards going out to people with the best skim, biggest splash and best costume. Entry is included in half-day or season pass for the lift. Visit mcintyreskiarea.com for more information or to reserve a lift time.
Sunday, March 19
Today is the last chance to see Little Womenat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). The show follows the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March and their Marmee as they grow into independent women in post-Civil War America. Tickets start at $25 and the curtain goes up at 2 p.m. Visit palacetheatre.orgn.
Wednesday, March 22
See Composer Amy Beach, a documentary film by John Gfoerer, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St.) at 7:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with Gfoerer. Beach was commissioned to write a choral piece for the opening of the Women’s Pavilion at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago when she was 25 years old. Four years later, her Gaelic Symphony was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the first symphony composed and published by an American woman. Visit walkerlecture.org.
Save the Date! Saturday, April 1 It’s the first day of the annual Capital City Craft Festival at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord). There will be more than 125 vendors selling everything from soy candles and handmade soap to iron works and hand-carved wooden utensils. Tickets cost $8 and customers 14 and younger get in free. Tickets are good for both days. The show will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 2. Visit castleberryfairs.com.
This week’s Hippo highlights events happening as the calendar turns to spring, which officially begins Monday, March 20. Last weekend we all did the “spring forward” of daylight saving time. Brightly colored Peeps and jelly beans fill the candy aisles — so naturally that means in New Hampshire it’s time for a Nor’easter! With big weather bearing down on the state, many towns postponed their town meetings (originally slated for March 14) to March 28. See your town clerk’s office for information. By mid morning on March 14, with big fluffy heavy flakes falling steadily, WMUR was reporting that tens of thousands of New Hampshire customers had lost power so far.
QOL score: -1 (hey, complaining about March weather is a New Hampshire spring activity)
Comments: The kids, meanwhile, may be rejoicing. More snow to play with now and, if this is how your town does this, another day off on March 28.
Yes, coach!
NHTI, Concord’s Community College’s Lynx men’s basketball coach Irvin Harris (pictured above) has been named the Yankee Small College Conference Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach. Yankee Small College Conference is a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II conference that includes two- and four-year schools from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and New York State. According to a press release, Harris led the Lynx to an 11-3 conference record, with which they are now tied for first. The team also came out on top in highest-scoring offense, with an average of 86.2 points per game; rebounds, with 45.2 per game; and steals, with nearly 12 per game, under Harris’s leadership.
QOL score: +1
Comment: Harris hails from Omaha, Nebraska, according to the release.
Ukuleles for the kids
The Dover Rotary Club presented a $1,000 donation to the Ukulele Kids Club, an initiative of the Southern New Hampshire Ukulele Group, to support its mission of bringing music and instruments to hospitalized children. According to a press release, the Ukulele Kids Club operates in more than 200 hospitals and has donated more than 14,000 instruments in conjunction with music therapy sessions. “I have witnessed first-hand how music therapy soothes patients,” June Pinkham, one of the organizers of the Southern NH Ukulele Group, said in the release. “I’ve seen how it relaxes them and makes them more receptive to treatment. It’s amazing. We are honored to accept this generous donation on behalf of the UKC.”
QOL score: +1
Comment:Southern NH Ukulele Group has raised over $90,000 for the Ukulele Kids Club to date, with a goal of reaching $100,000 in 2023, according to the release.
QOL score: 60
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 61
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
The Big Story – NFL Free Agency Begins: The quest to fill the holes the Patriots have for 2023 began yesterday (Wednesday) at 4 p.m. when the NFL’s new year began. It came a few days after Devin McCourty announced his retirement. Which, looking on the bright side, saved them around $9 million in cap space to leave them with around $32 million to $35 million to spend.
The need to score with that became acute following news that All-Pro cornerback JalenRamsey had been traded to Miami and AaronRodgers could be/was traded to the Jets already.
The following are things to consider as free agency unfolds.
Ways To Add Cap Space: The biggest no-brainer way would be to cut wideout Nelson Agholor. Losing him would not hurt in any way and it would save $4 million. A little dicier would be moving out left tackle TrentBrown, who was a disappointment in 2022. If they can find a taker in need of offensive line help, a trade would give them $10.5 million more, which would give them $14.1 million to spend all or part of on a younger upgrade to replace Brown.
BiggestNeeds: To reiterate what I wrote two weeks ago: (1) A ready-on-Day 1 dynamic receiver that teams must game plan for. Pay what they must in draft capital and cap space to get one for their young QB, as the Dolphins and Eagles did to catapult their questionable young quarterbacks ahead a year ago. (2) Fix the offensive line. Specifically, two tackles. The best case scenario would be one coming from free agency and the other from the draft.
Players to Re-Sign: Most important would be to pay their top CB, JonathanJones, because if they don’t they’ll have to draft one and a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
A Worthy Experiment: From the first Super Bowl team to the last when JulianEdelman was the MVP, slot receiver was the bread and butter of the offense. And while I’m fine with JakobiMeyers as the third wideout (at the right free agent price) he does not give them much after the catch and lacks the quickness in space that TroyBrown, WesWelker, DannyAmendola and Edelman gave TomBrady.
They need a dynamic player in that role, as it’s a weapon on first down to get ahead of the sticks on down and distance, and as a target to get 7 yards or less on third down to keep drives alive.
So I’m all in on moving MarcusJones from DB to slot receiver. While it’s not a lock he can do it, he would bring two things to the offense, dynamic speed and an ability to run with the ball when he gets his hands on it. And before you say he can’t do it: He played there some in college and historically it’s a position of misfit players who found success there as Edelman was a wishbone QB in college, Amendola and Welker were undrafted free agents and Brown was overlooked because of his size. Plus all were very good punt returners, which requires the most vital skill needed by a slot receiver, quickness to operate in tight spaces — something Jones demonstrated last year.
And trying him there also means you don’t have to use a draft pick or free agent money to fill that hole as well. Not to mention that since Coach B hasn’t hit on a wide receiver of any note since DeionBranch in 2002 it’s doubtful he’ll hit on one in this draft.
Check those boxes with trades and FA’s; it’s then on to the draft for a tackle and depth.
Thumbs Up – Devin McCourty: Thanks for the memories at the retirement after 13 years for as solid, reliable and durable a player as the Pats have had in the SB years. Bravo.
Sports 101: Detroit Mercy senior Antoine Davis fell just three points short of Pete Maravich’s all-time college record of scoring 3,667 points. Who held the career college scoring mark before Maravich?
Sports 101 Answer: With 2,973 points in 88 games (33.8 per game) OscarRobertson was the all-time college scoring leader before Maravich.
