The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• The festival comes home: The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival held its in-person wrap party on March 26 but the virtual portion of the festival continues through Sunday, April 16. Purchase ticket packages or individual tickets to see the 11 feature films available through the festival — including Dedication and Out of Exile, two films originally not slated for virtual screening — as well as the short films package. See nhjewishfilmfestival.com to purchase tickets and to watch trailers for most of the films.
• Hats off: The Women’s Caucus for Arts’ NH Chapter will present the exhibit “Head’s Up: The Many Hats Women Wear” at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen; 975-0015, twiggsgallery.org) Saturday, April 1, through Saturday, May 27. The show opens with an artist reception on Saturday, April 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. “The hat theme is expressed in a wide variety of works that include paintings, sculptures, one-of-a-kind artist books, small installations, photography and mixed media pieces,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
• New Nashua exhibit: The Gallery at West Pearl Street (100 W. Pearl St. in Nashua; HollisArtsSociety.org) will feature an exhibit from Ukrainian guest artist Natalia Yuresko-Belous, a new member of the Hollis Arts Society who works in landscapes, still life, portraits and mural paintings, according to a press release. The exhibit, her first major exhibition in America, will be on display until Tuesday, May 30, the release said. The gallery will be open Saturday, April 1, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 15, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Friday, April 21, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, April 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. — dates and times that correspond with the nearby Nashua Center for the Arts, which opens this Saturday, April 1, according to the Society’s March newsletter.
• Thursday concert: The Bob McCarthy Trio (described as performing “an eclectic blend of original and traditional music drawing on many styles”) will perform Thursday, March 30, from 7 to 8 p.m. as part of the Belknap Mill’s Bell and Brick Winter Concert Series at the mill (25 Beacon St. East in Laconia; 524-8813, belknapmill.org). Tickets cost $10 at the door.
• Garden art: The exhibit “In Full Bloom: Floral Still Life & Garden Paintings from the 19th century to the present” is on display at the New Hampshire Antique Co–op (323 Elm St. in Milford; nhantiquecoop.com, 673-8499) through Thursday, Aug. 31. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Craft fair: The Founders Academy (5 Perimeter Road in Manchester) will hold a craft fair on Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair is the school’s first spring craft fair and was organized by a student for her senior project, according to a press release.
• April exhibit: New Hampshire resident and scenic designer Hannah Joy Hopkins will have her paintings on display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Art Center Dover (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; nhartassociation.org, 978-6702) in the exhibit “Heart Matters” through Sunday, April 30. A reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, April 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Back by popular demand is Conversations with Concord Authors, produced by local authors Margaret Porter and Paul Brogan and moderated by Concord-based journalist and longtime NHPR radio host Laura Knoy. The event will return for a second year to the Bank of NH Stage on Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m.
“[Brogan] had this idea … sometime over a year ago, I think, to bring together Concord-area authors on a stage … and have Laura … interview them about not just their books but the writing process and … being part of the creative community here,” Porter said of how the event first came to be last April. “We immediately knew … that this was something that we wanted to carry on and have it perhaps be an annual event.”
In addition to the interviews there will be a question-and-answer session as well as a book signing sponsored by Gibson’s Bookstore.
Porter participated in theater growing up and went on to study film in graduate school, writing continuously on the side.
“I’ve been a writer all my life, really,” she said. “Ever since I could hold a crayon I think … I was making up stories in my head and writing them down and illustrating them.”
Writing took the forefront for Porter after she moved across the country to Colorado, where she and her husband lived for 11 years while still seasonal New Hampshire residents on Lake Winnipesaukee. She moved here full-time about 30 years ago.
Having left behind many of her radio and film contacts, Porter found herself without any projects and decided to dedicate her time to writing. Her background in film serves as the basis for many of her stories.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from real-life activities I’ve had,” she said. “I tend to write novels about people … often in the performing arts, actresses or dancers, or [books] set in the golden age of Hollywood about people who were in the film business. … Film history is an area that’s important to me.”
Porter has 15 published historical novels set in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of these stories are set in England, an area she is familiar with due to the time she spent there studying in her teenage and college years and for her husband’s job.
She has recently branched out into the contemporary fiction genre, drawing on her experiences on film sets in production and as an extra.
Porter, Brogan and Knoy have been planning this year’s event for months. In addition to Porter and Brogan, authors Kathleen D. Bailey, Sarah McCraw Crow and Dan Lawton will also be featured. While it is free to the public, reservation is required.
“New Hampshire is historically and currently a very supportive and nurturing place for creative people, and writers in particular,” Porter said. “It’s a very vibrant community and we like to celebrate that within this event.”
Conversations with Concord Authors When: Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. Where: Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Cost: Free admission. Reservation is required. Visit: ccanh.com
Featured photo: Local authors Paul Brogan and Margaret Porter at last year’s event. Courtesy photo.
Sure, governmental elections involve, like, the future of your town and its schools and stuff, but this vote had pizza. And doughnuts. And beer.
In the Best of 2023 Readers’ Poll, you not only voted for your favorite pizza place, you weighed in on the correct way to eat pizza (not with a fork and knife, seems to be the general consensus). Readers also voted for their favorite spots to lace up and go for a long run, where to order lunch from when the boss is paying, where to go for a good margarita, who has the prettiest cupcakes and which fitness instructors keep you in top cocktail-drinking, cupcake-eating form.
Here we present you with, generally, the top five winners in each category — though sometimes we have supersized it and let a few more reader faves join the winners court. And we’ve sprinkled some specific reader responses throughout, because they’re fun.
Looking for a place where they make your coffee perfect every time or a restaurant that will make you love vegetables? Here are Hippo readers’ favorites…
This survey is for entertainment purposes only and all results are final.
The results of Hippo’s readers’ poll are based on readers’ answers to a poll conducted online in February. Readers typed in the names of people and locations they voted for. In situations where the vote is tied or otherwise unclear, Hippo editorial staff makes an effort to determine the will of the greatest number of voters. Hippo reserves the right to disqualify individual votes, ballots and/or entries when they are incomplete or unclear, do not meet the letter or the spirit of the question asked or otherwise do not meet the requirements to make them a usable vote.
Hippo’s editorial staff makes the ultimate determination of the winners in the categories. Hippo’s advertisers play no role in the determination of the winners. All results are final.
The Best of 2023 is a celebration of all things local and is meant to serve as a snapshot of the people and places in southern New Hampshire. Large national and international chains are, for the most part, not included in the count. Information presented here is gathered from sources including the location’s website and social media pages. Double check with the spots before heading out to make sure times, locations and menu items haven’t changed.
Questions, comments, concerns? Did we get an address or phone number wrong? Do you have an idea for a new category? Let us know. Contact editor Amy Diaz at adiaz@hippopress. com. Corrections will appear on the first page of the news section in future issues. Is your favorite category missing? Categories change regularly, with some categories taking a sabbatical and new categories introduced, so please send your suggestions for a category for next year. And, again, all results are seriously final. Hey, there’s always next year.
Arts
Best Performing Arts Venue
Best of the best: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org
Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com
Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, 293-4700,
banknhpavilion.com
Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org/venues/rex-theatre
Best Theatrical Production
Best of the best: Ballet Misha’s production of The Nutcracker, performed by professional dancers and students of Dimensions in Dance, at the Dana Center for the Humanities (St. Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) on Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022.
A Christmas Carol, mainstage production of the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), ran Nov. 25 through Dec. 23, 2022.
Grease, mainstage production of the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), ran Oct. 21 through Nov. 12, 2022.
Legally Blonde, mainstage production of the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), ran June 3 through June 26, 2022.
The All New Piano Men, mainstage production of the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), ran Jan. 20 through Feb. 5, 2023.
Best Local Place to Buy Art
Best of the best: Craftsmen’s Fair, nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair. The annual nine-day craft fair hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is held outdoors at Mount Sunapee Resort starting the first week of August. It features hundreds of craftspeople with vendor booths, plus special craft exhibitions, demonstrations, hands-on workshops and more.
League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Concord Fine Craft Gallery, 36 N. Main St., Concord, 228-8171, concord.nhcrafts.org. The craft organization’s flagship retail shop and gallery features a variety of traditional and contemporary crafts created by juried New Hampshire craftspeople.
Mosaic Art Collective, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester, 512-6209, mosaicartcollective.com. The art cooperative features a gallery with rotating exhibitions and hosts community events and educational programming.
Manchester Craft Market, Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com. This year-round gift shop features handmade items by more than 125 local artisans.
The Museum Shop at the Currier, Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. The gift shop offers art supplies and gifts for artists and art-lovers, including novelty items inspired by the museum’s special exhibitions.
Best Publicly Viewable Sculpture or Statue
Best of the best: Abraham Lincoln statue at Central High School, 535 Beech St., Manchester. The original model of this statue depicting our nation’s 16th president was presented to the city of Manchester by sculptor John Rogers in 1895.
General John Stark statue at Stark Park, 550 River Road, Manchester, starkpark.com. Born in Londonderry in 1728, General John Stark was a Revolutionary War hero and the author of New Hampshire’s motto, “Live Free or Die.”
Millie the Mill Girl statue in downtown Manchester’s Millyard, manchesternh.gov. This 10-foot bronze statue commemorates the female employees of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co., who represented one third of Manchester’s population in 1880. The Mill Girl Stairs Rehabilitation project began this past summer and is ongoing — the result will prominently feature the Mill Girl statue and improve public access from Commercial to Bedford streets.
Daniel Webster statue at New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 N. Main St., Concord, nh.gov. According to information from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, this bronze statue of Portsmouth lawyer and Dartmouth College graduate Daniel Webster was designed in 1853, one year after his death.
Ralph Baer statue at Arms Park (between the Merrimack River and Commercial Street), Manchester, manchesternh.gov. Arms Park is home to “Baer Square,” featuring a memorial statue and bench of Ralph Baer, a longtime Manchester native widely considered to be “the father of video games.”
Best of the best: Chuckster’s Family Fun Park, 9 Bailey Road, Chichester, 798-3555, chuckstersnh.com. The park is currently closed for the season, but its miniature golf, batting cages and go-karts are scheduled to open on April 14.
Mel’s Funway Park, 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com. Opening date for the 2023 season TBA. The park offers a wide variety of attractions, including miniature golf, go-kart racing, batting cages, arcade games and more.
Chuckster’s Family Fun Park, 53 Hackett Hill Road, Hooksett, 210-1415, chuckstersnh.com, This Chuckster’s location is also opening on April 14, and the miniature golf course boasts 36 different holes to test your skills on.
The Links at LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com. The winery’s onsite 18-hole miniature course is currently closed but is scheduled to reopen in April.
Hilltop Fun Center, 165 Route 108, Somersworth, 742-8068, hilltopfuncenter.com. Miniature golf at Hilltop Fun Center is scheduled to open for the season on April 1.
Best Place to Learn to Make Something Cool
Best of the best: Studio 550 Arts Center, 550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com. Pottery is the name of the game at this art center. Right now Studio 550 is offering a spring cleaning sale on classes through April 1.
Tuscan Market, 9 Via Toscana, Salem, 952-4875, tuscanbrands.com. Tuscan Market maintains a monthly schedule of cooking classes, with signups available for all skill levels.
603 Charcuterie, 603charcuterie.com. The charcuterie businesses, which regularly holds charcuterie board building classes at area breweries and wineries, has recently come under new ownership. Leah and Tom Bellemore, who own Vine 32 Wine + Graze Bar in Bedford, have taken over the reins of the store, as announced by 603 Charcuterie in a March 22 Facebook post.
Muse Paintbar, 42 Hanover St., Manchester, 607-6873, musepaintbar.com. Paint-and-sip classes are available to all skill levels.
Best Place to Totally Geek Out
Best of the best: Boards & Brews, 941 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5184, boardsandbrewsnh.com
Game Knight, 545 Hooksett Road, Unit 18, Manchester, 606-2299, gameknightnh.com
Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, nhahs.org. New Hampshire’s only working museum devoted to aviation history in the Granite State features a variety of exhibits covering important people, places, events and artifacts, and features year-round programming geared toward families.
Double Midnight Comics, 252 Willow St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com. In addition to selling comic books, the shop holds game events as well as a day of celebration on Free Comic Book Day (Saturday, May 6, this year).
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com. This hands-on learning center highlighting astronomy, space and aviation also features a planetarium. During the school year the center is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $12 ($9 for children ages 3 to 12, $11 for 62+ and ages 13 to college, free for children 2 and under); planetarium shows cost $6 for ages 3 and up.
Granite State Comic-Con, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester, 669.9636, granitecon.com. Granite State Comic-Con is scheduled to return from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17.
Midgard Hobbies and Games, 55 Crystal Ave., No. 21, Derry, 260-6180, midgardhobbiesandgames.com. In addition to having board games and tabletop role playing games for sale, Midgard has open gaming spaces, a private game room and a regular tournament gaming schedule.
Best Place to Make New Friends
Best of the best: The Collective Studios, 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 216-2345, thecollective-studios.com. The Collective Studios boasts a regular schedule of yoga, meditation and fitness classes. See their website for details on how to join a class.
The Nest Family Cafe, 25 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 404-2139, thenestfamilycafe.com. This Londonderry cafe, which opened in June 2022, was specially designed to cater to families with young children, with a variety of built-in amenities like a Montessori-style play area, a “treehouse” reading nook, a chalk wall, changing tables and a bottle-warming station, all in addition to a menu of coffees, teas, smoothies, baked goods, kid-friendly snack dispensers, bento boxes and more. The roughly 1,500-square-foot space includes traditional cafe seating that’s adjacent to the gated play area, designed to look like a bird’s nest.
The Dam Brewhouse, 1323 Route 175, Campton, 726-4500, dambrewhouse.com. The Dam Brewhouse hosts music bingo on Fridays from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. and maintains a regular schedule of other events, like Paint and Pint on the third Sunday of every month.
Strive Indoor Cycling, 10 Hills Ave., Concord, 513-9464, striveindoorcycling.com. This indoor cycling center maintains a regular schedule of classes. See their website for the full calendar.
Feathered Friend Brewing Co., 231 S. Main St., Concord, 715-2347, find them on Facebook @featheredfriendbrewing. Feathered Friend Brewing Co., which opened in March 2022, is a popular spot for its pop-ups with local restaurants, as well as its live music and video game nights. See their Facebook page for details on upcoming events and happenings.
Best of the best: Trivia Heather, with Heather Abernathy, find her on Facebook @triviaheather. Held various weeknights, most often at Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester) and The Farm Bar & Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester).
Open Mic Nights with Paul Costley and Nate Comp. Held Tuesday nights, from 8 to 10 p.m., at KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net.
Trivia Nights with Bill Seney, see “Trivia Night with Bill Seney” on Facebook.
Held Thursday nights, at 8:30 p.m., at The Hop Knot, 1000 Elm St., Manchester, 232-3731, hopknotnh.com
Trivia Nights at Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com. Held Tuesday nights, at 7 p.m., with prizes awarded. See the Facebook page for an updated list of trivia categories each week.
Ruby Room Comedy, rubyroomcomedy.com. Held Wednesday nights, at 9 p.m., at The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenirishpub.com, and featuring a rotating lineup of up-and-coming comics from across the country.
Best Spot for Some Friendly Competition
Best of the best: Axel’s Throw House, 4 Bud Way, Unit 2, Nashua, 318-9987, axelsthrowhouse.com
The Rugged Axe, 377 S. Willow St., Manchester, 232-7846, theruggedaxe.com
Game Changer Sports Bar & Grill, 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 216-1396, gamechangersportsbar.com. Named after one of the popular brand names of cornhole bean bags, Game Changer Sports Bar & Grill opened in May 2020 and features its own indoor cornhole lanes, with tournaments available for the chance to win prizes.
Par 28, 23 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-7078, par28.com. Par 28 opened in November 2022. The full-service restaurant and bar also features virtual indoor golf and ax throwing with projected targets, and is also home to Rae’s Coal Fired, featuring pizza and appetizers cooked out of a custom-built coal-fired oven.
Best Spot for a Cheap Date
Best of the best: The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com
Best of the best: Axel’s Throw House, 4 Bud Way, Unit 2, Nashua, 318-9987, axelsthrowhouse.com
Boards & Brews, 941 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5184, boardsandbrewsnh.com
Canobie Lake Park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com. Featuring more than 100 rides, games, live shows and attractions, Canobie Lake Park is expected to reopen later this spring.
Best of the best: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com
The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com
The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com
Best New Eatery
Best of the best: Rambling House Food & Gathering, 57 Factory St., Suite A, Nashua, 318-3220, ramblingtale.com. Featuring seasonally inspired menus — with a diverse offering of meat, seafood and vegetarian options — and an outside dining area with unparalleled rooftop views of the Nashua River, Rambling House Food Gathering opened its doors in early March 2022. It’s co-owned and co-founded by members of the Gleeson family, who have also run 2nd Nature Academy (formerly known as The Nature of Things) since 1997. On the first floor below Rambling House you’ll find its sister company, the TaleSpinner Brewery, which can be accessed at the opposite end of the building on Water Street.
The Nest Family Cafe, 25 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 404-2139, thenestfamilycafe.com. This Londonderry cafe, which opened in June 2022, was specially designed to cater to families with young children, with a variety of built-in amenities like a Montessori-style play area, a “treehouse” reading nook, a chalk wall, changing tables and a bottle-warming station, all in addition to a menu of coffees, teas, smoothies, baked goods, kid-friendly snack dispensers, bento boxes and more. Owners Jamie and Ryan Getchell, themselves the parents of three kids, said the idea for the business came to them following their own experiences visiting cafes and coffee shops with their kids in tow. The roughly 1,500-square-foot space includes traditional cafe seating that’s adjacent to the gated play area, designed to look like a bird’s nest.
Pressed Cafe, 216 S. River Road, Bedford, 606-2746, pressedcafe.com. Pressed Cafe, a local chain known for its scratch-made menu of paninis, sandwiches, smoothies and bowls, opened its fourth New Hampshire location inside the former Canoe Restaurant & Bar space in Bedford in March 2022. It’s open for breakfast all day and features a double drive-thru and a full bar.
Ansanm, 20 South St., Milford, 554-1248, ansanmnh.com. Chris Viaud, owner of Greenleaf in Milford and a Season 18 contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef, opened this Haitian restaurant with his family in October 2022 in the former Wicked Pissah Chowdah storefront on South Street, just a stone’s throw away from the Milford Oval. Ansanm, which gets its name from the word meaning “together” in Haitian Creole, continues the success of the family’s restaurant concept following nearly a year and a half of hosting monthly pop-up dinners. Ansanm’s menu continues to include items that were main staples at the pop-ups — the griot, or a marinated twice-cooked pork, and the poule nan sós, or braised chicken in Creole sauce, to name a couple — as well as all kinds of authentic dishes totally new to the space, and a few new spins on classic flavors.
Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, 127 Rockingham Road, Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com. Manchester couple Jose and Isabel Reyes opened this Mexican restaurant inside Derry’s Hillside Plaza in April 2022. They’re perhaps best known for their birria — Jose Reyes comes from multiple generations of street food vending in Mexico, serving authentic birria, most commonly served on a plate in the form of goat meat. You won’t find goat on their menu, but you can try quesabirras, inspired by the traditional stew and featuring beef, onion, cilantro and a side of consommé, or the stewed broth. Los Reyes is also known for its street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and chimichangas.
Best Fine Dining
Best of the best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com
Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com
Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com
Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com
Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Best Restaurant from which to Get Takeout
Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com
Restaurant where the Meal Always Lifts your Mood
Best of the best: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar, 4 Orchard View Drive, No. 6, Londonderry, 965-3411, troysfreshkitchen.com
The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com
KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net
Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com
Best Food Truck
Best of the best: Messy Mike’s Barbecue & Catering Co., messymikesbbq.com. Messy Mike’s reopened for the season on March 16 — find them in the parking lot of Rockingham Acres Greenhouse (161 Rockingham Road, Derry).
B’s Tacos & More, nhtacotruck.com. Find them outside the BP gas station (2 Mohawk Drive, Londonderry) from May through October. B’s Tacos, meanwhile, has a brick-and-mortar location on Manchester’s West Side, at 372 Kelley Street.
Up In Your Grill, upinyourgrill.com. When he’s not catering for an event, Up In Your Grill owner and pitmaster Dan DeCourcey of Merrimack can often be found in the parking lot of Vault Motor Storage (526 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) — the dates and times vary but are regularly updated on Facebook.
The Sleazy Vegan, thesleazyvegan.com. Find this plant-based food truck at pop-ups across southern New Hampshire — the dates and locations vary but are regularly updated on the website and on Facebook. The truck also offers delivery and catering services.
One Happy Clam Seafood & More, find them on Facebook @onehappyclam. Operated by longtime former Clam Haven owner Rick Metts, One Happy Clam has multiple public events on the schedule this spring and summer across southern New Hampshire.
Buxton’s Pizza, find them on Facebook @buxtonspizza. Find this Derry-based brick oven pizza truck at several pop-up locations mostly throughout the spring and summer months.
Restaurant With the Best Outdoor Seating
Best of the best: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com
KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net
The Crown Tavern, 99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com
Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com
Best Barbecue
Best of the best: KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net
Smokeshow Barbeque, 231 S. Main St., Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbarbeque.com. In March 2022, Smokeshow Barbeque relocated into a new space in Concord’s South End, nearly tripling its seating capacity and sharing a building with Feathered Friend Brewing Co.
Messy Mike’s Barbecue & Catering Co., messymikesbbq.com. Messy Mike’s reopened for the season on March 16 — find them in the parking lot of Rockingham Acres Greenhouse (161 Rockingham Road, Derry).
Best of the best: Steak Bomb at USA Subs, 66 Crystal Ave., Derry, 437-1550, usasubs.com. Available in three sizes, this tried and true classic features tender shaved steak that’s grilled with peppers, onions, mushrooms, cooked salami and your choice of American or provolone cheese.
The Cardiac Sam at KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net. This sandwich is stacked with pulled chicken, pulled pork, bacon, cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce and a garlic and herb mayonnaise.
Roast beef sub at Bentley’s Roast Beef, 134 Route 101A, Amherst, 883-2020, bentleysroastbeef.com. Bentley’s uses eight ounces of freshly thin-sliced USDA choice Midwestern beef for its subs, which are served on a toasted 12-inch Piantedosi sub roll.
Messy 3-Way at Messy Mike’s Barbecue & Catering Co., messymikesbbq.com. “If it ain’t messy, it ain’t barbecue” — that’s the motto of Messy Mike’s. The Messy 3-Way features melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork, served on a bun with mayonnaise, American cheese and James River barbecue sauce. Messy Mike’s reopened for the season on March 16 — find them in the parking lot of Rockingham Acres Greenhouse (161 Rockingham Road, Derry).
Fried chicken sandwich at Ansanm, 20 South St., Milford, 554-1248, ansanmnh.com. Putting a new spin on traditional Haitian flavors, this sandwich features chicken thigh marinated in epis (a blend of peppers, garlic and herbs) and topped with a house epis aioli, crispy plantain and pikliz (a spicy slaw) on a house-made adobo brioche roll.
Best Subs
Best of the best: Nadeau’s Subs, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 110 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 673 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester (inside the Kwik Stop Mobil), 606-4411; nadeaussubs.com
USA Subs, 66 Crystal Ave., Derry, 437-1550, usasubs.com
Bill Cahill’s Super Subs, 8 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 882-7710, find them on Facebook @billcahills
Great American Subs, 44 Nashua Road, Unit 3, Londonderry, 434-9900, greatamericansubsnh.com
Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, 127 Rockingham Road, Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com
Restaurant that Can Make You Love Vegetables
Best of the best: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar, 4 Orchard View Drive, No. 6, Londonderry, 965-3411, troysfreshkitchen.com
The Sleazy Vegan, thesleazyvegan.com. Find this plant-based food truck at multiple pop-ups across southern New Hampshire — the dates and locations vary but are regularly updated on the website and on Facebook. The truck also offers delivery and catering services.
Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com
Prettiest Cupcakes
Best of the best: Queen City Cupcakes, 816 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com. In January, Queen City Cupcakes moved all its operations a few doors down, joining forces with its sister gift shop, Pop of Color, at 816 Elm St.
Bearded Baking Co., 819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com
Carina’s Cakes, 14B E. Broadway, Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook @carinas.cakes
Cupcakes 101, 132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 488-5962, cupcakes101.net
Wild Orchid Bakery, 836 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7338, wildorchidbakery.com
New Hampshire Doughnut Co., 410 S. River Road, Bedford, 782-8968, nhdoughnutco.com. The company’s newest shop, which opened on South River Road in Bedford in September 2022, expanded the menu offerings to include yeast ring and filled doughnuts for the first time, in addition to fritters and French crullers.
Best Ice Cream
Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Moo’s Place Homemade Ice Cream, 27 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-0100, moosplace.com. Moo’s opens for the season on April 1.
Ilsley’s Ice Cream, 33 S. Sugar Hill Road, Weare, 529-6455, find them on Facebook @ilsleysicecream. Opening date for the 2023 season TBA.
Spyglass Brewing Co., 306 Innovative Way, Nashua, 546-2965, spyglassbrewing.com. In late January, Spyglass Brewing Co. moved all of its operations across Nashua to its current location at 306 Innovative Way, where a full kitchen is now available featuring smash burgers, sandwiches, tacos, salads, appetizers and more.
Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com
Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com
Fulchino Vineyard, 187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com
Appolo Vineyards, 49 Lawrence Road, Derry, 421-4675, appolovineyards.com
Best Cocktail
Best of the best: Cosmo at Copper Door Restaurant, 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033, copperdoor.com. The Copper Door’s signature Cosmo features Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Gran Gala orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lemons, pomegranate juice and a sugar rim.
Frozen mudslides at The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com. The Puritan’s original mudslide features Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua coffee liqueur and vodka, while other variations include an Almond Joy Slide, a Milky Way slide, a Snickers slide and a Peanut Butter Cup slide.
C.R.E.A.M. at Industry East Bar, 28 Hanover St., Manchester, 232-6940, industryeastbar.com. Standing for “Cucumber Rules Everything Around Me,” the C.R.E.A.M. cocktail at Industry East is one of the bar’s signature offerings, featuring Mi Campo tequila, ancho verde liqueur, Dolin Blanc, a cucumber shrub, lemon juice and jalapeno tincture. It’s then garnished with a cucumber ribbon, salt and pepper.
Squam Shrub at New Hampshire Pizza Co., 76 N. Main St., Concord, 333-2125, newhampshirepizzaco.com. Changing its flavors with the seasons, from cranberry in the fall or blueberry in the summer to other combinations like apricot rosemary, this craft cocktail features Ice Pik vodka, a simple syrup and soda water.
Painkiller at KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net. Known for being the KC’s Rib Shack’s best-selling specialty drink, the Painkiller features a blend of Cruzan aged Virgin Island rum, coconut cream, pineapple and orange juices, topped with freshly grated nutmeg.
Best Margaritas
Best of the best: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana, 11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 628-6899; 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; lacarretamex.com
El Rincon Zacatecano Taqueria, 10 Lake Ave., Manchester, 232-4530, elrinconnh.com
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill, 865 Second St., Manchester, 935-9182, vallartamexicannh.com
Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant, 791 Second St., Manchester, 782-8762, vallartamexicannh.com
Restaurant with the Most Innovative Cocktails
Best of the best: Tandy’s Pub & Grille, 1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com
The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com
The Hop Knot, 1000 Elm St., Manchester, 232-3731, hopknotnh.com
Industry East Bar, 28 Hanover St., Manchester, 232-6940, industryeastbar.com
T-Bones Great American Eatery, 404 S. Main St., Concord, 715-1999, t-bones.com
Where They Make your Coffee Perfect Every Time
Best of the best: Revelstoke Coffee, 100 N. Main St., Concord, revelstokecoffee.com
Best of the best: Sunnycrest Farm, 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com. Pick-your-own opportunities, depending on the season and on availability, include apples, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, grapes, cherries and flowers.
Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com. Pick-your-own opportunities, depending on the season and on availability, include apples, pumpkins, peaches and pears.
depending on the season and on availability, include strawberries and apples. The farm has additional locations in Milford and Nashua.
Apple Hill Farm, 580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com. Pick-your-own opportunities include several varieties of apples.
Carter Hill Orchard, 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com. Pick-your-own opportunities, depending on the season and on availability, include blueberries, apples and peaches.
Best City Park
Best of the best: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. Amenities include a basketball court, a seasonal pool, walking trails and an ice skating rink.
Livingston Park, 156 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. This park includes a walking trail that circles Dorrs Pond.
Benson Park, 19 Kimball Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov. Benson Park is a 166-acre public park that opened in 2010. The former property of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, a private zoo and amusement park open for much of the early half of the 20th century, the park is now a popular area for hiking, dog walking, fishing and picnicking.
Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua, nashuanh.gov. A public city park spanning 125 acres, Greeley Park features a stage, playgrounds, picnic areas and more, and is a popular spot for outdoor festivals.
Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. This park has around 8 miles of trails across 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordering the Nashua River, Millpond and a canal system on the north side.
Best State Park
Best of the best: Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9874, nhstateparks.org. At more than 10,000 acres, this is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire. There are around 40 miles of trails that run through this heavily forested park, offering a variety of options for hikers and dog walkers. Leashed pets are permitted in the campground and on the trails only — not in the beach area.
Pawtuckaway State Park, 128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org. The park offers campers a family beach on the lake and hiking trails across a diverse landscape, where they can see wildlife and natural points of interest.
Franconia Notch State Park, 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia/Lincoln, 823-8800, nhstateparks.org. Franconia Notch State Park is located in the White Mountain National Forest and is home to the Franconia Notch, a mountain pass crossed by a parkway extending from Echo Lake to the Flume Gorge. Visitors can enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing, biking, horseback riding, camping and more.
Wellington State Park, 614 W. Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org. Wellington State Park offers hiking trails, picnic areas and volleyball and horseshoe courts, and is known for having the largest freshwater swimming beach in the New Hampshire state park system.
Ellacoya State Park, 266 Scenic Road, Gilford, 293-7821, nhstateparks.org. Ellacoya State Park is located on the southwest shore of New Hampshire’s largest lake, Lake Winnipesaukee. It features a 600-foot-long sandy beach area open for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, with views of the Sandwich and Ossipee mountains across the lake, as well as picnic areas, a playground and an RV campground.
Wallis Sands State Beach, 1050 Ocean Blvd., Rye, 227-8722, nhstateparks.org. Wallis Sands State Beach is a sandy beach with ocean swimming and views of the Isles of Shoals. Amenities include a store with food and drinks, a bathhouse with hot and cold showers, walking trails and a grassy area with picnic tables.
Best Hike in Southern New Hampshire
Best of the best: Mount Monadnock, 169 Poole Road, Jaffrey, 532-8862, nhstateparks.org. The 3,165-foot mountain features more than 35 hiking trails of various levels of difficulty leading to the summit.
Mount Major, Alton, forestsociety.org/mtmajor. The mountain’s 1.5-mile Mount Major Trail and 1.6-mile Boulder Loop Trail form a loop at its 1,785-foot summit, which offers a panoramic view of Lake Winnipesaukee to the north.
Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. This park has around 8 miles of trails across 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordering the Nashua River, Millpond and a canal system on the north side.
Mt. Uncanoonuc Trails, Mountain Road, Goffstown. The North Uncanoonuc Trail, about a 0.6-mile hike, is steep in some spots and is known for its wilderness and panoramic views of Goffstown. At about 0.8 miles, the South Uncanoonuc Trail is slightly longer, also serving as a snowmobiling and ATVing trail that features views of Mount Monadnock from a distance.
Pulpit Rock Conservation Area, New Boston Road, Bedford, plcnh.org/pulpit-rock-trails. The 338-acre conservation land features 10 marked trails totalling 3 miles, including a connector trail from the gorge and ledge called Pulpit Rock, through Amherst to Bedford’s Joppa Hill Conservation Land.
Best Bike Trail
Best of the best: Granite State Rail Trail, from Londonderry through Salem, gsrtnh.org. The southern portion of the trail network connects the Londonderry Rail Trail, Derry Rail Trail, Windham Rail Trail and Salem Bike-Ped Corridor, ending in Salem at the Massachusetts border.
Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashua. This paved trail is 12.5 miles and runs along the Nashua River, connecting Nashua to Ayer, Mass.
Northern Rail Trail, fnrt.org. The 59-mile trail runs from Boscawen to Lebanon, crossing nearly a dozen towns across two counties.
Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. This park has around 8 miles of trails across 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordering the Nashua River, Millpond and a canal system on the north side.
Goffstown Rail Trail, Goffstown, goffstownrailtrail.org. The 5.5-mile trail runs between Goffstown and Manchester, connecting Pinardville, Grasmere and Goffstown Village.
Best Spot for a Long Run
Best of the best: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. This park has around 8 miles of trails across 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordering the Nashua River, Millpond and a canal system on the north side.
Manchester rail trails, manchesternh.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks-trails-and-facilities/recreational-trails. The City of Manchester is working to develop a rail trail network, with four rail trails in various stages of planning and development. Rockingham Rail Trail is 3.1 miles and runs from Tarrytown Road to Lake Massabesic; South Manchester Rail Trail runs 2.4 miles parallel to South Willow Street; Heritage Trail runs for 6.1 miles along the Merrimack River and includes the Riverwalk in the Millyard; and Piscataquog Trail runs for 2.4 miles through the West Side of Manchester and connects to the Goffstown Rail Trail.
Goffstown Rail Trail, Goffstown, goffstownrailtrail.org. The 5.5-mile trail runs between Goffstown and Manchester, connecting Pinardville, Grasmere and Goffstown Village.
Londonderry Rail Trail, londonderrytrails.org. The 4.5-mile trail runs through North Londonderry, ending at Harvey Road in Manchester near the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashua. This paved trail is 12.5 miles and runs along the Nashua River, connecting Nashua to Ayer, Mass.
Best Ski Hill
Best of the best: Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com
Best of the best: Lake Massabesic, off the Londonderry Turnpike, Manchester, 642-6482, manchesternh.gov. Spanning 2,500 acres in Manchester and Auburn, the lake is the centerpoint for a network of dozens of trails, including a loop to the Massabesic Audubon Center, a wildlife sanctuary situated on a historic farm site in Auburn. The trails range in length from half a mile to more than 3 miles.
Newfound Lake, Wellington State Park, 614 W. Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org. A boat launch is located just outside the park, providing free 24/7 access to the 4,106-acre lake.
Pawtuckaway Lake, Pawtuckaway State Park, 7 Pawtuckaway Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org. The park offers canoe and kayak rentals at its camp store as well as a public boat launch for the 784-acre lake.
Squam Lake, Grafton, Carroll and Belknap counties, lakesregion.org/squam-lake. Big and Little Squam lakes are naturally spring-fed and connected by a channel in Holderness. Big Squam is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire, at 6,791 acres long with 61 miles of shoreline. The lakes are also host to 67 islands.
Canobie Lake, Salem and Windham, canobielake.org. The 375-acre lake is known for its peaceful waters and resident loons. Canoes and kayaks can be carried into the water from the North Policy Street parking lot.
Lake Winnisquam, Water Street, Laconia, winnisquamwatershed.org/public-access. With 4,264 acres, the lake, fed by Lake Winnipesaukee, is the state’s fourth largest, spanning across the towns of Laconia, Tilton, Sanbornton, Belmont and Meredith. There are two public boat ramps and a floating dock in Laconia.
Best of the best: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, Route 1A, Hampton, seafoodfestivalnh.com. The festival will be back Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, with shopping, live music, entertainment and, of course, lots of seafood.
Taco Tour in Manchester. According to tacotourmanchester.com, the self-proclaimed “World’s Largest Taco Tour,” organized by the Greater Manchester Chamber, will be coming back on Thursday, May 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Manchester and will include more than 60 restaurants selling tacos for $3 each.
Glendi, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St, Manchester, 622-9113, stgeorgenh.org. This festival will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, and will feature a wide selection of Greek food, including lamb, gyro, pastries and more.
Great American Ribfest at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 595-1202, greatamericanribfest.com. The food truck festival that features barbecue, live music, kids attractions and more is back Friday, July 21, through Sunday, July 23.
Concord Multicultural Festival, Keach Park, Concord Heights, 2 Newton Ave., Concord, 568-5740, concordnhmulticulturalfestival.org. Scheduled this year for Sunday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Concord Multicultural Festival features food, music and live entertainment, artists and makers and more — all with the goal of showcasing the many cultures of the community, according to the website.
Best Farmers Market
Best of the best: Concord Farmers Market, which runs Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Capitol Street between North Main Street and State Street (next to the lawn in front of the Statehouse). The farmers market opens for the season on May 6 and will run through Oct. 28, according to concordfarmersmarket.com.
Contoocook Farmers Market, which runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The winter market takes place November through April at Maple Street School (194 Maple St.); the summer mark et runs from May through October at the Contoocook gazebo, according to the market’s Facebook page.
Salem Farmers Market, which takes place year-round on Sundays starting at 10 a.m., according to salemnhfarmersmarket.org. The market’s Easter Market will be held Sunday, April 2; the market will be closed on Sunday, April 9, the website said. The winter market, which runs November through April, is at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry, 833-2311) and goes until 1 p.m.; the summer market will open May 7 at the Mall at Rockingham Park (77 Rockingham Park Blvd. in Salem).
Bedford Farmers Market, which takes place at Murphy’s Taproom (393 Route 101 in Bedford) on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. The market will open for the season on June 13 and will run through Oct. 17, according to bedfordnhfarmersmarket.org.
Derry Homegrown Farm and Artisan Market, which runs Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. at 1 West Broadway in Derry. The season will open on June 7, according to derryhomegrown.org.
Event That Puts the Fun in Fundraiser
Best of the best: Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics. This year’s Penguin Plunge took place in February at Hampton Beach, where 720 participants jumped into the cold ocean to raise funds to support Special Olympics New Hampshire, according to sonh.org/events/penguin-plunge.
Rock ‘N Race. This race, which features 5K walk, 5K run and 1-mile run options, takes place in downtown Concord and supports Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care. The race will kick off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 (with a pre-race program at the Statehouse Plaza at 5:45 p.m.), according to giveto.concordhospital.org.
Glendi, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St, Manchester, 622-9113, stgeorgenh.org. This festival will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, and will feature a wide selection of Greek food, including lamb, gyro, pastries and more.
Abby Lange’s Walk for the Animals, which raises funds for Pope Memorial SPCA (94 Silk Farm Rd, Concord, 856-8756, popememorialspca.org). It’s slated for Sunday, Oct. 1, and will start at Northeast Delta Dental in Concord; details are to come.
Wags to Whiskers Festival, a day of dog demonstrations, kid activities, pet vendors and more to support The Humane Society of Greater Nashua (24 Ferry Road, Nashua, 889-2275). This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack.
Best Community Event
Best of the best: Concord Market Days Festival. Concord’s downtown celebration with music, food, live entertainment, family activities, vendors and more will take place Thursday, June 22, through Saturday, June 24. See marketdaysfestival.com.
Glendi, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St, Manchester, 622-9113, stgeorgenh.org. This festival will take place Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17, and will feature a wide selection of Greek food, including lamb, gyro, pastries and more.
Milford Pumpkin Festival. This celebration of pumpkins and Halloween in downtown Milford will run Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, and historically features live music, a haunted trail, a pumpkin weigh-in, pumpkin carving, scarecrow making, a rubber duck race, live entertainment, a pumpkin catapult, vendors, kids’ activities, food and more, according to milfordpumpkinfestival.org.
Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off and Regatta. Run by Goffstown Main Street, the Regatta has in the past taken place over two days in October and has featured as its highlight a race of carved pumpkin boats in the river. See goffstownmainstreet.org.
Derry After Dark, a celebration of breweries and restaurants that in the past has been scheduled to coincide with Derryfest in September. For information, contact Cask and Vine (1 East Broadway in Derry; 965-3454, caskandvine.com).
Winter Holiday Stroll. This downtown Nashua celebration takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving (this year, that’s Saturday, Nov. 25). Taking place in the evening (in 2022 it ran from 5 to 10 p.m.), the Stroll in the past has featured the lighting of the holiday tree, a Santa’s Village, live entertainment, vendors and more. See downtownnashua.org.
Best Event Celebrating a Holiday
Best of the best: Winter Holiday Stroll. This downtown Nashua celebration takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving (this year, that’s Saturday, Nov. 25). Taking place in the evening (in 2022 it ran from 5 to 10 p.m.), the Stroll in the past has featured the lighting of the holiday tree, a Santa’s Village, live entertainment, vendors and more. See downtownnashua.org.
Midnight Merriment. Organized by Intown Concord (intownconcord.org), the Capital City’s holiday event is usually the first Friday in December and has in the past run from 5 p.m. to midnight. The evening features music, kids’ activities, Santa Claus, shopping and more, according to the website.
Halloween Howl. In 2022, this Halloween event from Intown Concord (intownconcord.org) took place the Friday before Halloween and featured trick-or-treating on Main Street in the downtown, family activities and a trunk-or-treat, according to the website.
LaBelle Lights at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com). In 2022 this lights display was twice the size as in the first year’s, with artistic sculptures that the winery commissioned exclusively for the event, which ran through the holiday season and into January.
Milford Pumpkin Festival. This celebration of pumpkins and Halloween in downtown Milford will run Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, and historically features live music, a haunted trail, a pumpkin weigh-in, pumpkin carving, scarecrow making, a rubber duck race, live entertainment, a pumpkin catapult, vendors, kids’ activities, food and more, according tomilfordpumpkinfestival.org
Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade. The parade traditionally takes place a week or so after St. Patrick’s Day (this year it was Sunday, March 26) and steps off at noon, running down Elm Street through the city’s downtown. See saintpatsnh.com for the countdown clock to next year’s parade.
Best of the best: New Inkland Tattoo Co., 1358 Elm St., Suite C, Manchester, 518-7493, new-inkland-tattoo-co.business.site
Tattoo Angus, 179 Elm St., Unit C, Manchester, 935.9398, tattooangus.com, This shop is owned by Jon Thomas, the founder of the Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo, who also owns Spider-Bite Body Piercing in the same location.
Capital City Tattoo, 8 N. Main St., Concord, 224-2600, capcitytat.com
Blood Oath Tattoo, 15 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-6912, find them on Facebook @bloodoathtattoo
Underworld Tattoo Co., 282 Main St., Salem, 458-7739, find them on Facebook @underworldtattoocompany
Buzz Ink Shop, 85 Manchester St., Concord, 715-1808, buzzinkshopnh.com
Best Workout Space
Best of the best: Get Fit NH, 41 Terrill Park Drive, Suite A, Concord, 848-6138, getfitnh.com
The Collective Studios, 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 216-2345, thecollective-studios.com
SPENGA, 493 Amherst St., Nashua, 324-0355, nashuanh.spenga.com. A combination of spin, strength and yoga, SPENGA focuses on three 20-minute sessions of each activity.
Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com
Best of the best: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, nhahs.org. New Hampshire’s only working museum devoted to aviation history in the Granite State features a variety of exhibits covering important people, places, events and artifacts, and has year-round programming geared toward families.
The Nest Family Cafe, 25 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 404-2139, thenestfamilycafe.com. This Londonderry cafe, which opened in June 2022, is specially designed to cater to families with young children, with a variety of built-in amenities like a Montessori-style play area, a “treehouse” reading nook, a chalk wall, changing tables and a bottle-warming station, all in addition to a menu of coffees, teas, smoothies, baked goods, kid-friendly snack dispensers, bento boxes and more. Owners Jamie and Ryan Getchell, themselves the parents of three kids, said the idea for the business came to them following their own experiences visiting cafes and coffee shops with their kids in tow. The roughly 1,500-square-foot space includes traditional cafe seating that’s adjacent to the gated play area, designed to look like a bird’s nest.
Cowabunga’s Indoor Kids Play & Party Center, 725 Huse Road, Manchester, 935-9659, cowabungas.com
Fun City Trampoline Park, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 606-8807, funcitygoffstown.com
Krazy Kids Indoor Play and Party Center, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, krazykids.com
Best Outdoor Spot to Let Kids Get Out Their Energy
Best of the best: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark. Benson Park is a 166-acre public park that opened in 2010. The former property of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, a private zoo and amusement park open for much of the early half of the 20th century, the park is now a popular area for hiking, dog walking, fishing and picnicking.
White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. Amenities include a basketball court, a seasonal pool, walking trails and an ice skating rink.
Livingston Park, 156 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. This park includes a walking trail that circles Dorrs Pond.
Griffin Park, 101 Range Road, Windham, 434-7016, windhamnh.gov. Amenities include a playground and basketball and tennis courts.
Mel’s Funway Park, 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com. Opening date for the 2023 season TBA. The park offers a wide variety of attractions, including miniature golf, go-kart racing, batting cages, arcade games and more.
Best Spot for All-Ages Family Fun
Best of the best: The Nest Family Cafe, 25 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 404-2139, thenestfamilycafe.com. This Londonderry cafe, which opened in June 2022, is designed to cater to families with young children, with a variety of built-in amenities like a Montessori-style play area, a “treehouse” reading nook, a chalk wall, changing tables and a bottle-warming station, all in addition to a menu of coffees, teas, smoothies, baked goods, kid-friendly snack dispensers, bento boxes and more. Owners Jamie and Ryan Getchell, themselves the parents of three kids, said the idea for the business came to them following their own experiences visiting cafes and coffee shops with their kids in tow. The roughly 1,500-square-foot space includes traditional cafe seating that’s adjacent to the gated play area, designed to look like a bird’s nest.
Canobie Lake Park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com. Featuring more than 100 rides, games, live shows and attractions, Canobie Lake Park is expected to reopen later this spring.
Mel’s Funway Park, 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com. Opening date for the 2023 season TBA. The park offers a wide variety of attractions, including miniature golf, go-kart racing, batting cages, arcade games and more.
Funspot, 579 Endicott St. N, Laconia, 366-4377, funspotnh.com. With more than 600 games including classic arcade cabinets, 10-pin and candlepin bowling and indoor minigolf, Funspot is the largest arcade in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, nhahs.org. New Hampshire’s only working museum devoted to aviation history in the Granite State features a variety of exhibits covering important people, places, events and artifacts, and features all kinds of specialty year-round programming geared toward families.
Best Restaurant for the Whole Family
Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Best of the best: Woofmeow, 19 Manchester Road, Suite A, Derry, 965-3218, woofmeownh.com
Sandy’s Pet Food Center, 141 Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-1177, sandyspetfood.com
Pets Choice, 454 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-7297, petschoicenh.com
The Wholistic Pet, 341 Route 101, Bedford, 472-2273, thewholisticpet.com
State Line Pet Supply, 137 Plaistow Road (Route 125), Plaistow, 382-6873, statelinepetsupply.com
Best Place to Let Your Dog Off Leash
Best of the best: Hooksett Dog Park, 101 Merrimack St., Hooksett, 485-8471, hooksett.org. This park is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk.
Hudson Dog Park, located inside Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov. This dog park is securely fenced in and located just inside Benson Park as you enter. It features two separate areas, large and small, for dogs to play leash-free.
Derry Dog Park, Fordway and Transfer Lane, Derry, 432-6136, derrynh.org. Open daily from sunrise to sunset, this dog park also contains a designated area for smaller dogs.
The Dam Brewhouse, 1323 Route 175, Campton, 726-4500, dambrewhouse.com. Well-behaved dogs are welcome off leash outdoors.
Dog Park at Terrill Park, Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. This fenced in dog park is maintained by the Pope Memorial SPCA and open daily from dawn to dusk.
Best On-leash Dog Outing
Best of the best: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark. Benson Park is a 166-acre public park that opened in 2010. The former property of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, a private zoo and amusement park open for much of the early half of the 20th century, the park is now a popular area for hiking, dog walking, fishing and picnicking.
Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. This park has around 8 miles of trails across 325 acres of forest, open fields and wetlands, bordering the Nashua River, Millpond and canal system on the north side.
Livingston Park, 156 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. This park includes a walking trail that circles around Dorrs Pond.
Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9874, nhstateparks.org. At more than 10,000 acres, this is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire. There are around 40 miles of trails that run through this heavily forested park, offering a variety of options for hikers and dog walkers. Leashed pets are permitted in the campground and on the trails only — not in the beach area.
Head’s Pond Trail, off Post Road, Hooksett, 485-5322, hooksett.org. This roughly 1.5-mile trail runs adjacent to Head’s Pond in Hooksett and features mostly flat terrain.
Best of the best: Alec’s Shoes, 1617 Southwood Drive, Nashua, 882-6811, alecs-shoes.com
Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co., 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, gondwanaclothing.com
Joe King’s Shoe Shop, 45 N. Main St., Concord, 225-6012, joekings.com
Alapage Boutique, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 622-0550, alapageboutique.com
George’s Apparel, 675 Elm St., Manchester, 622-5441, georgesapparel.com
Kelly’s Kloset, sales are coordinated through the Facebook group “Kelly’s Kloset LLC,” with pick-ups and drop-offs based in Hooksett
Best Secondhand Store
Best of the best: Corey’s Closet, 1329 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 722-2712, coreyscloset.org
M&C Clothing and Gifts, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-6727, mcclothingandgifts.com
Lilise Designer Resale, 7 N. Main St., Concord, 715-2009, liliseresale.com
Kelly’s Kloset, sales are coordinated through the Facebook group “Kelly’s Kloset LLC,” with pick-ups and drop-offs based in Hooksett
Chic Boutique Consignments, 126 S. River Road, Bedford, 935-7295, chicboutiqueconsignments.com
Best Shop for Browsing and then Spending More than You Planned
Best of the best: Manchester Craft Market, Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com. This year-round gift shop features handmade items by more than 125 local artisans.
Junction 71, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 213-5201, junction71.wixsite.com/mysite. The shop sells an eclectic mix of home decor and gifts.
The Terracotta Room, 1361 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, 935-8738, theterracottaroom.com. This downtown sustainable lifestyle boutique features a wide selection of botanicals as well as sustainably sourced, ethically made clothing and accessories, jewelry, beauty and wellness products, home decor and gifts.
Viking House, 19 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1198, vikinghouse.com. This European imports shop carries food, clothing and gifts from more than 10 European countries.
Deja Vu Furniture & More, 113 Hillside Ave., Londonderry, 437-5571, dejavufurniture.net. This warehouse boutique sells high-end new and used furniture, lighting fixtures and architectural pieces in a variety of styles.
Go-to Store for Making Your Outdoor Space Awesome
Best of the best: Seasonal Specialty Stores, 120 Route 101A, Amherst, 880-8471, seasonalstores.com
House by the Side of the Road, 370 Gibbons Hwy., Wilton, 654-9888, housebythesideoftheroad.com
Manchester Craft Market, Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester,manchestercraftmarket.com.This year-round gift shop features handmade items by more than 125 local artisans.
Bedford Fields Home & Garden Center, 331 Route 101, Bedford, 472-8880, bedfordfields.com
Cyr Lumber & Home Center, 39 Rockingham Road, Windham, 898-5000, cyrlumber.com
Demers Garden Center, 656 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 625-8298, demersgardencenter.com
Dr. Larry Puccini, Puccini & Roberge, 505 Riverway Place, Bedford, 622-3445, pucciniroberge.com
Ray Orzechowski, 280 Pleasant St., No. 4, Concord, 228-4456, orzechowskiarndt.com
Friendliest Mechanic
Best of the best: Tony Morin at Motor-Sport Tire & Auto Repair Center, 3 Tinkham Ave., Derry, 434-1561, motorsportsderry.com
Bill Morin, Morin’s Service Station, 1091 Valley St., Manchester, 624-4427, morinsservicestation.com
Dave Keith at Sunoco, 8 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 437-6530
Dan Weed at Weed Family Automotive, 124 Storrs St., Concord, 225-7988, weedfamilyautomotive.com
Will Chestnut at Will’s Auto Service of Manchester, 720 E. Industrial Park Drive, No. 10, 222-9296, wills-auto-service-of-manchester.business.site
Best Musical Act
Best of the best: Jennifer Mitchell, 236-1015, jennifermitchellmusic.com. Also known as “JMitch,” Mitchell is a singer and instrumentalist who has been winning awards since she was in high school. Mitchell specializes in classic rock, Southern rock, today’s hits and original music.
Justin Jordan, 721-9548, find him on Facebook @justinjordanmusic. Jordan, a Manchester-based singer, bassist and acoustic guitarist, is known for his country and rock stylings. He performs solo as Justin Jordan Music, in the duo 21st and 1st, and in his band Small Town Stranded.
Recycled Percussion, recycledpercussion.com. The Laconia-based band placed third on Season 4 of America’s Got Talent, the highest for a non-vocalist group.
Nicole Knox Murphy, 339-0732, nkmsings4u.com, The country singer-songwriter has three Nashville-recorded studio albums and has won several accolades from the New Hampshire Country Music Awards. Her song “My 603” was recognized in 2020 by the New Hampshire Senate.
Kevin Horan, kevinhoranmusic.com, In addition to being a solo artist performing everything from high-energy rock to stripped down acoustic, Horan gives in-person lessons on guitar and drums and runs summer rock camps for kids ages 8 to 10 and 11 to 14 through the Merrimack Parks and Recreation department.
Brad Myrick, bradmyrick.com, A composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer and educator, Myrick has released four albums of original music and has had multiple successful tours in the United States and Italy, as well as touring as a guitarist for singer Vinx.
Best Local Comedian
Best of the best: Juston McKinney, justonmckinney.com. With two Comedy Central specials, two Amazon Prime specials and multiple appearances on the Tonight show with both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, McKinney has been making audiences cry with laughter across the country since he retired from his sherriff job in the late 1990s.
Bob Marley, bmarley.com. Besides holding the Guinness World Record for the longest stand-up comedy show, Marley is known for being a fairly regular presence on Sirius XM radio.
Matt Barry, mattbarrycomedy.com. Since landing third place at “Last Comix Standing” in 2015, Barry has opened for national acts including Tom Green, Gilbert Gottfried and Harland Williams.
Jay Chanoine, find him on Facebook @jay.chanoine. The Manchester-born and -raised stand-up comedian has been performing since 2009. His most recent comedy album, The Texas Chanoinesaw Massacre, reached No. 1 on the Amazon comedy chart.
Jimmy Dunn, jimmydunn.com. The actor and comedian has performed at some of the biggest events in comedy, including Denis Leary’s Comics Come Home, Montreal’s International Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Most recently, Dunn co-starred on the CBS comedy The McCarthys, as Sean McCarthy.
Best of the best: Cat Alley, Dean Ave., Manchester, orbitgroup.com/cat-alley-revival. Located between the Bookery and Wild Orchid Bakery, just off Elm Street, Cat Alley features the unique works of more than a dozen local muralists.
Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark. Benson Park is a 166-acre public park that opened in 2010. The former property of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, a private zoo and amusement park open for much of the early half of the 20th century, the park is now a popular area for hiking, dog walking, fishing and picnicking.
Flume Gorge, 852 Daniel Webster Hwy., Lincoln, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/flume-gorge. This natural gorge extends 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. It’s located within Franconia Notch State Park, which was also the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain.
Lake Massabesic, off the Londonderry Turnpike, Manchester, 642-6482, manchesternh.gov. Spanning 2,500 acres in Manchester and Auburn, the lake is the centerpoint for a network of dozens of trails, including a loop to the Massabesic Audubon Center, a wildlife sanctuary situated on a historic farm site in Auburn. The trails range in length from half a mile to more than 3 miles.
Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua, nashuanh.gov. A public city park spanning 125 acres, Greeley Park features a stage, playgrounds, picnic areas and more, and is also a popular spot for outdoor festivals.
Coolest Historical Site or Monument You Can Visit for Free
Best of the best: New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 N. Main St., Concord, nh.gov. Built between 1816 and 1819, the New Hampshire Statehouse is the oldest state capitol in which both houses of the legislature meet in their original chambers, according to a document from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.
Robert Frost Farm Historic Site, 122 Rockingham Road, Derry, 432-3091, robertfrostfarm.org. This historic site was home to acclaimed New Hampshire poet Robert Frost from 1900 to 1911. Seasonal programs are available to the public from May to October. Admission is free for New Hampshire residents 65+ and under 17; admission costs $4 for residents ages 18 to 64.
9/11 memorial at Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark. This monument was unveiled in September 2011 during a memorial service for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. One of the twin structures contains a steel beam from the elevator shaft of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A grassy structure in the shape of a pentagon surrounds the two beams (representative of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.), and the sidewalk that leads into the memorial was shaped to represent the path of United Airlines Flight 93 before it crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Stark Park, 550 River Road, Manchester, starkpark.com. One of the first public parks to be incorporated in the Queen City, Stark Park occupies a 30-acre tract that was once the site of the Stark family farm in Manchester’s North End. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, 433-1100, strawberybanke.org. Located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, Strawbery Banke is an authentic nearly 10-acre outdoor museum featuring several historic buildings, preservation programs and more, with an overall collection of around 30,000 artifacts. According to its website, the historic houses will reopen for tours on May 1. Though there are admission fees for the historic houses ($19.50 for adults gets you admission for two days; admission for a family of two adults and children ages 5 to 17 costs $48), veterans and active military (including the families of activie military members up to five people) receive free admission. The Museum’s StoryWalk project is free and open to the public.
Attraction Worth Visiting Again and Again
Best of the best: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, nhahs.org. New Hampshire’s only working museum devoted to aviation history in the Granite State features a variety of exhibits covering important people, places, events and artifacts, and features all kinds of specialty year-round programming geared toward families.
Mt. Washington Auto Road (Route 16, Gorham, mt-washington.com) and Cog Railway (thecog.com). You can get to the summit of Mt. Washington — the highest peak in the Northeast, at 6,288 feet — by driving up the Auto Road or by taking the Cog Railway. See each website for scheduling and ticket pricing details.
Flume Gorge, 852 Daniel Webster Hwy., Lincoln, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/flume-gorge. This natural gorge extends 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. It’s located within Franconia Notch State Park, which was also the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain.
Canobie Lake Park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com. Featuring more than 100 rides, games, live shows and attractions, Canobie Lake Park is expected to reopen later this spring.
Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline, 673-7441, andresinstitute.org. Co-founded in 1998 by engineer Paul Andres and master sculptor John M. Weidman, the Andres Institute of Art spans more than 10 miles of trails over 140 acres and features more than 100 sculptures representing dozens of countries. Trails are open daily, from dawn to dusk.
Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. Founded in 1929, the Currier is known for its exhibits featuring paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works from internationally renowned American and European artists.
NH Organization You’d Give $1 Million to if You Won the Lottery
New Hampshire SPCA, 104 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 772-2921, nhspca.org. The oldest and largest animal shelter in the area, the New Hampshire SPCA celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022 and serves more than 120 communities across New Hampshire, southern Maine and northern Massachusetts.
Manchester Animal Shelter, 490 Dunbarton Road, Manchester, 628-3544, manchesteranimalshelter.org. For more than two decades the Manchester Animal Shelter has provided more than just homes for animals. The nonprofit has sheltered, provided medical care for and spayed or neutered more than 25,000 animals since its founding.
Families in Transition, 122 Market St., Manchester, 641-9441, fitnh.org. With headquarters in Manchester and additional locations in Concord, Dover and Wolfeboro, Families in Transition is dedicated to preventing and breaking the cycle of homelessness in New Hampshire. The organization has served thousands of individuals and families with everything from serving meals to providing emergency shelters, and holds a variety of fundraising events throughout the year, including the annual Walk Against Hunger, which returns for the 33rd year on May 21. Families in Transition also includes the Outfitters Thrift Store and Willows Treatment Center brands.
CASA of New Hampshire, 138 Coolidge Ave., Manchester, 626-4600, casanh.org. Founded in 1989, Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, is a nonprofit that recruits, trains and supports community volunteers to serve as advocates for New Hampshire children who have experienced abuse or neglect. CASA volunteer advocates get to know a child and the important people in that child’s life to provide vital information to help a judge make decisions based on the child’s best interests.
Pope Memorial SPCA, 94 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 856-8756, popememorialspca.org. Pope Memorial SPCA is dedicated to protecting and advocating for abandoned and homeless pets and promoting the humane treatment of all animals. Qualified staff medically and behaviorally evaluate all animals that come through the shelter’s doors, provide necessary veterinary care and work closely with prospective adopters to create successful matches and place pets in loving homes that are committed to lifetime care.
Best Homemade Jams and Jellies: Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies, Bedford, laurelhilljams.com. Newly owned and operated by Bedford sisters Rachel Mack and Sara Steffensmeier, Laurel Hill features more than 50 flavors of gourmet jams and jellies, made from local fruits, wines and teas — see the website for a full list on where to find them locally.
Best Dance Studio: Dimensions in Dance, 84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com. Founded in 1995 by Michele Leslie, a professional dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dimensions in Dance was taken over in 2007 by current director Amy Fortier, who also founded the nonprofit dance company Ballet Misha that same year. The studio offers a wide range of dance programs and classes, including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, acro, hip-hop, tap, partnering, contemporary and more.
Best Massage Therapist: Bethany J. Chabot. Chabot is a licensed massage therapist and the owner and founder of 444 Hands Innately Integrative Massage and Energy Therapy (36 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack, 834-2758, 444hands.com). She received her certificate for Massage Therapy and Bodywork from MacIntosh College in Dover in 2004 and her national and state license in 2005. See 444hands.com for a full list of her services; new clients are by referral only.
Best Florist: Flowers by Jennifer, Manchester, flowersbyjennifer.com. A freelance floral artist based out of Manchester, Flowers by Jennifer specializes in artistic floral arrangements for special occasions and events, as well as weekly subscriptions for local businesses.
Best Cigar Shop: Twins Smoke Shop, 80 Perkins Road, Londonderry, 421-0242, twinssmokeshop.com. Twins Smoke Shop’s Londonderry location houses more than 20,000 cigars and is also home to the 7-20-4 Lounge upstairs, offering a wide range of premium tequilas, bourbons, whiskeys and more.
The 48th Annual NH Camping & RV Show is today from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford) and will continue Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will have the latest RVs, trailers, pop-ups, tents and camping equipment on display. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for ages 13 to 17, and free for ages 12 and younger with an adult. Visit nhlovescampers.com for more information.
Friday, March 31
The Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) is hosting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival today. The doors will open at 5 p.m. and movies start at 6 p.m. The festival will show movies that use the art form of film to inspire activism. Tickets range from $15 to $60 and can be purchased at ccanh.com.
Saturday, April 1
Today 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 is back at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord). The event will have 125 artisans selling arts and crafts including folk art, candles, apparel, metal art, fiber arts, personal care items, jewelry, glass and more as well as specialty foods, according to castleberryfairs.com. Tickets will be sold online and at the door. Price is $8 for adults, under 14 get in free; one admission is good for both days.
Saturday, April 1
Balin Books (375 Amherst St., Nashua) is having three local poets do a reading and discussion today at 1 p.m. for National Poetry Month. The poets, Meg Kearney, Charles Kell and Kevin McLellan, will read some of their recent works, discuss their processes and do a book signing. For more information, call 673-1734.
Sunday, April 2
See the American jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra today at 7 p.m. at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry). The band, with more than 40 years of experience, 30 studio albums, and 5,000 shows performed, is bringing its brand of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues to New Hampshire audiences. Tickets start at $50 and can be bought at tickets.tupelohall.com.
Wednesday, April 5
The epic silent science-fiction movie Metropolis is being shown at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester) tonight at 7 p.m. The movie, from 1927, will be a remastered screening, including footage that was rediscovered in Argentina in 2007. Jeff Rapsis, who specializes in scoring silent films, will provide live musical accompaniment. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.
Save the Date! Friday, April 14 Join the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) for its annual gala and art auction today at 6 p.m. The event’s theme is inspired by spring and all things floral, as well as the bloom of new perspectives at the museum. Artists, including Chris Gustin, Al Jaeger, Richard Haynes Jr. and Carl Hyatt, will present and discuss the artwork for auction. Individual tickets cost $350 with tables of eight available for purchase. Visit currier.org for more information.
The peregrine falcon pair living in New Hampshire Audubon’s peregrine nest box atop the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester have welcomed their first egg of the season. According to the Audubon’s daily peregrine falcons log, the egg was laid on Sunday, March 26, at 4 a.m., which is right on schedule as the peregrines typically lay their eggs in late March, hatch their chicks at the end of April and fledge their young by early June. You can watch the falcons on the Audubon’s 24/7 high-definition livestream of the nest box on YouTube; visit nhaudubon.org/education/birds-and-birding/ peregrine-cam for links and more information.
QOL score: +1
Comment: The first egg of 2022 was laid on March 21, with four eggs to follow, one laid every two to three days.
We’re pretty innovative
A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire the ninth most innovative U.S. state. The study looked at various factors, such as the numbers of STEM professionals, science- and engineering-degree holders, invention patents, accelerated start-ups, households with internet access and more. New Hampshire ranked especially high for eighth-grade math and science academic performance (No. 2), projected STEM job demand by 2030 (No. 8) and share of technology companies (No. 9).
QOL score: +1
Comment: Massachusetts is the only New England state to join New Hampshire in the top 10, coming in at No. 2, behind District of Columbia.
Tomie dePaola Forever stamp
The U.S. Postal Service will honor prolific New Hampshire children’s author and illustrator Tomie dePaola with the issuance of a Forever stamp. According to a press release, the stamp art features an illustration from the cover of Strega Nona, the first book in dePaola’s popular series of the same name, published in 1975, depicting the book’s title character, which translates from Italian to “Grandma Witch.” A first-day-of-issue event and dedication ceremony for the stamp will take place at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester), free and open to the public, on Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m. Visit usps.com/tomiedepaola.
QOL score: +1
Comment: Tomie dePaola, who died in March 2020 at the age of 85, wrote and illustrated more than 270 children’s books during his 50-plus-year career.
Another reason to avoid ticks
The tick-borne disease babesiosis has reached the status of “endemic” in New Hampshire, meaning that it is considered to be a regularly occurring disease in the state, New Hampshire Bulletin reported. A study recently released by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the number of reported cases of babesiosis in New Hampshire had risen from 13 in 2011 to 63 in 2019, an increase of more than 370 percent within the eight-year period. The disease, typically carried to humans by infected black-legged or deer ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms and the destruction of red blood cells, or it can show no symptoms. Elderly people and people with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of developing serious health complications.
QOL score: -1
Comment: Visit tickfreenh.org for local resources and information to prevent and protect against tick-borne illnesses.
QOL score: 61
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 63
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?Let us know at [email protected].
The Big Story: The Red Sox kick off the season Thursday, March 30, at Fenway against the Baltimore Orioles. After three last-place finishes in four years and jettisoning the face of the franchise for the second time in four years it is a season that is met with the lowest sense of anticipation since the Butch Hobson era 30 years ago.
It’s so bad I’ve got the over-under for ticket sales at under two million. For a franchise that sold out every seat for 10 straight years that’s an amazing fall from grace. And if they get off to a bad start look out below.
The expectations are so low that I have not mentioned them once all spring in this space.
They have no one to blame but themselves as the owner decided to go small market in 2019 by firing Dave Dombrowski less than a year after putting the best Red Sox team in the franchise on the field and replaced him with a stat geek GM who can’t judge talent and who plays an awful style of baseball while giving the impression that he is thoroughly over his head. And they only signed Raffy Devers after John Henry got booed off the stage at a ticket caravan event in Springfield, Mass. And then he did what he always does — caved to fan pressure with the same kind of penny wise and pound foolish move that cost $190 million on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.
Beyond all that I’m really bullish on the season ahead.
Thumbs Up: Two weeks ago it was Devin McCourty who was hanging them up and now it’s fellow three-time champ teammate Dont’a Hightower. He officially retired last week after sitting out 2023. Three cheers for a career filled with great leadership and clutch play.
News Item – NCAA Hockey Regional Returns: With the Bruins careening toward the possible best regular season in NHL history, Boston got a measure of revenge against the team that shockingly deep-sixed them the last time they did that, as Boston U downed Cornell on Saturday night in front of 7,143 fans in the Northeast Regional at the SNHU Arena. It’s sorta revenge because when the Bobby Orr- and Phil Esposito-led Bs were doing it to the NHL in 1970-71 they were undone by Montreal goalie Ken Dryden, who was all of six games into his career after leaving Cornell at the conclusion of his college career.
And Another Thing – Back to the Sox: Here are questions I have as the season gets started. (1) What is the over-under on wins for alleged ace Chris Sale? Though how you can call anyone who is 11-12 over the last three years “ace” is beyond me. (2) Will the double-play combo of Christian Arroyo and Kiké Hernandez make anyone think of Rick Burleson and Jerry Remy? (3) Will Masataka Yoshida turn out to be Japan’s answer to Rusney Castillo or the real deal he looked to be in the World Baseball Classic? (4) Which will vaunted rookie first baseman Triston Casas turn out to be: the slugger he looked to be hitting five homers in 75 September at-bats, or the one who was .197 then?
Dramatic Moment of the Week: Can’t have a much more dramatic moment than the way the World Baseball Classic Final ended. Two out, full count bottom-of-the-ninth confrontation between huge stars and L.A. Angels teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout with Japan leading 3-2. It gave the WBC the ending it could only dream of with the win going to Japan when Ohtani got his teammate to swing and miss on a final-pitch slider.
The MVP went to Ohtani after a performance many imagined the first true two-way player since the Babe might have someday, hitting .435 with a homer, four doubles, 10 walks and eight RBI to go with a 2-0 record on the mound with 11 Ks in 9.2 innings with a 1.86 ERA.
Thanks for the Memories Award – Willis Reed: May 8, 1970, was the greatest game of my fan experience. And it was all because of Willis Reed, who passed away last week at the age of 80 in Houston.
I can still hear the roar from the Garden crowd as a young Marv Albert told us watching on TV with the sound down and the radio volume up, “Here Comes Willis.”
Never in my lifetime has a player lifted an entire city up the way Willis Reed did by playing through pain of a torn hip muscle in that moment for NY Knicks fans. And believe it or not Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Lakers was won right there. Especially after he scored the first two baskets of the game.
So RIP, big fella.
In My Not So Humble Opinion: There has been a lot of chatter about the Patriots having set their sights on Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins and Denver’s Jerry Jeudy as their top targets in the quest to land a lead receiver with primo speed, raising the so far unanswered question of why would Denver trade their best receiver who is still on his rookie contract. My two cents are, go for Jeudy.
While Hopkins at his peak has the higher upside, he’s coming off two descending years and is at the same age (30) at which similar elite receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones started losing it, in part because of age-related nagging leg injuries. Jeudy on the other hand is on the rise and coming off a year when had a tad under 1,000 receiving yards. Plus he’s still on a rookie contract and makes about $15 million less than Hopkins, so bringing him on board won’t lead to any cuts for salary cap reasons. He’ll cost more in draft capital (asking price is a first-rounder), but he’s ready on Day 1 and they can extend him after 2023 if they like what they see. So the better plan is Jeudy.
