Tag: 230831

All things extraterrestrial

Annual UFO Festival celebrates the “Incident at Exeter”

It has been 58 years since the Incident at Exeter, when 18-year-old Norman Muscarello saw an unidentified flying object, described as being about the size of the car with flashing red lights, on his way home one night in Kensington. The incident has been celebrated for the past 14 years with the annual Exeter UFO Festival. This year’s event will be held from Saturday, Sept. 2, to Sunday, Sept. 3.

The Exeter Kiwanis Club took over the event as a fundraiser from Dean Merchant in 2014, according to Bob Cox, the president of the organization. All of the profits go to children’s charities and programs and community programs.

“At the time it was only speaking events,” Cox said. “We took [it] on and expanded it to include the whole family [with] arts and crafts and food. … Each year we keep growing.”

Among the 10 speakers at the town hall will be award-winning documentary filmmaker Jennifer Stein, who will give her presentation on Sunday. She is involved with the Mutual UFO Network in Pennsylvania and Arizona, and has been in the UFO field for 25 years. This year Stein will take her audience on a virtual journey through the Sacred Valley of Peru, focusing on Cusco, Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, where, she says, some of the most interesting and significant megalithic architecture exists.

“Ollantaytambo is a megalithic site that sits high up on top of a plateau … and it shows huge megalithic blocks of stone that really defy explanation of how they got there,” Stein said. “On the underside where they are not eroded by sun and weather, some of them have smooth granite blocks. They’re huge, as big as semi trucks. How the heck did they get there and who put them there and why?”

Another mystery is the nazca lines in southern Peru. These massive illustrations seem to depict monkeys, humans, lizards and scorpions among other images that can only be fully viewed from an aerial perspective.

“Many people think that it would be impossible for us to build them and they kind of say maybe an earlier culture that wasn’t from Earth built them,” she said. “Erich von Daniken was one of the first people to bring attention to the amazing enigmas of Peru … and [to] coin the phrase ‘ancient aliens.’ … He claimed in his [1968] book, Chariots of the Gods? that these things had to be built by a culture that had aerial abilities.”

Other speakers include paranormal researcher and investigator Mike Stevens, paranormal adventurers and authors Paul and Ben Eno, and ufologist Peter Robbins.

Other happenings include kids’ activities such as face painting and rock painting, an alien costume and alien pet parade contest, a souvenir shop, an opportunity to meet the speakers, food concessions, and trolley rides to the site of the incident.

“One of the favorite things for the kids and the Exeter community are those trolley rides,” Cox said. “Last year we had only one trolley … and they made four or five trips. It was so popular, we got a lot of feedback that we should have more this year, so we’re having two trolleys on Saturday and one trolley on Sunday to try to respond to their interests and requests, so that’s a big growth [opportunity] for the festival.”

Exeter UFO Festival

Meet the speakers
Where: Hampton Inn & Suites Exeter, 59 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Cost: $25

UFO Festival souvenir shop
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 8 a.m. to Sunday, Sept. 3, 4 p.m.
Where: Exeter Town Hall, 10 Front St., Exeter
Cost: varies

Town Hall speaker series
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sunday, Sept 3., 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Exeter Town Hall, 10 Front St., Exeter
Cost: $35 for both days (no single-day pricing)

Food & refreshments
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m. to Sunday, Sept. 3, 4 p.m.
Where: tent by the bandstand
Cost: varies

Trolley ride to the “Incident at Exeter” site
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Trolley leaves from 10 Front St. and goes to incident site 5 miles south in Kensington
Cost: $5

Kids’ activities
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to Sunday, Sept 3, 2 p.m.
Where: Town House Common Park, corner of Front St. and Court St.
Cost: Free

Alien costume & alien pet parade and contest
When: Saturday, Sept. 2, noon to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Town House Common Park, corner of Front and Court streets
Cost: Free

The Art Roundup 23/08/31

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

• Singing for the holidays: The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus will hold open auditions for its holiday concert series called “Holly, Jolly, Folly” starting Sept. 5. The auditions, which are open to new singers, will be held at the First Congregational Church (508 Union St. in Manchester) on Tuesday, Sept. 5; Tuesday, Set. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, all from 6:30 to 7 p.m. A full chorus rehearsal will follow the first two audition times at 7 p.m. and a tenor rehearsal is at 7 p.m., according to a press release. The chorus is open to men over the age of 18 (gay, straight or male-identifying) who enjoy singing in four-part harmony, the release said. “Auditions are quick, private and easy. You don’t need to have any material or music prepared,” the release said. See nhgmc.com.

• September at Andres: The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline, andresinstitute.org) will hold a “Mindful Outdoor Experience” featuring a trail walk and more with Heather Sweeney, certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to the website. The cost to register is $25.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Andres will kick off its annual International Sculpture Symposium, when artists create new sculptures to add to Andres’ trails, with an opening ceremony at 1 p.m.; the public is invited to this free event. On Friday, Sept. 22, there will be a ticketed, catered barbecue with the symposium artists — Ivona Biocic Mandic from Croatia, Finn Cossar from Australia and Renubala Kashyap Rajput from India, the website said. The public can learn more about the artists at a Symposium Artist Showcase on Saturday, Sept. 23. A lobster boil dinner with the artists (also a ticketed event) will take place on Friday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m. A panel discussion with Symposium Alumni Artists is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7. The closing ceremony for the symposium is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. View the artists’ pieces as they work on them at the Studio, Monday through Friday between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4, the website said.

The Institute’s 12 miles of trails, which feature more than 100 sculptures, are open daily from dawn to dusk, the website said.

Kicking off season 9
Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) will kick off its 9th season with Phylloxera Production’s Stage Struck, a “wild comedic thriller” according to a press release. Robert, a former stage manager in London’s West End, is now a house-husband for famous actress wife Anne, whose therapist threatens to upset the balance of Robert’s life of dalliances in this play from playwright Simon Gray and directed by Gary Locke, the release said. The play contains adult language and violence and is not recommended for children, according to the press release. The production runs through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors and students.

• Poems and prose: Rebecca Kaiser Gibson, who runs The Loom poetry reading series in Harrisville (theloompoetry.com) and is the author of books including the novel The Promise of a Normal Life and the poetry collection Girl as Birch, has several events in September. She will discuss her experience teaching poetry in Hyderabad, India, in the presentation “The Gods Next Door, a Glimpse into India” on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Derry Public Library (64 E Broadway in Derry; derrypl.org, 432-6140); go online to register. On Sunday, Sept. 17, at 1:30 p.m. she will be at Del Rossi’s Trattoria (73 Brush Brook Road in Dublin) with Oliver De La Paz. See rebeccakaisergibson.com for more on the author.

• September at Balin: Balin Books (375 Amherst St. in Nashua, 417-7981, balinbooks.com) has author events on the schedule for September. New Hampshire author Paul August will discuss his novel The Canaries on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Melanie Brooks will read from her memoir A Hard Silence and discuss it with author Suzanne Strempek Shea, according to a social media post from the bookstore. See melaniebrooks.com for more on the author and her book. (Brooks will also be at the Bookery in Manchester on Sept. 14, Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough on Sept. 16 and Gibson’s in Concord on Sept. 20.) On Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. catch the return of naturalist author Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson, this time with their book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, which is slated for release Sept. 19. The duo were at Balin earlier this year for The Book of Turtles. See symontgomery.com for more on all of Montgomery’s works.

Off to see the wizard
Tickets are on sale now for The Wizard of Ozat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). The show, which boasts the familiar songs performed by the cast and a live orchestra and “masterful special effects,” opens the 2023-2024 St. Mary’s Bank Performing Arts Series, according to a video posted on the Palace’s social media. This professional production runs Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well as Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $49 for adults, $28 for 12 and under and $33 for seniors, according to the website.

Summer scrapbook

A season in pictures

Summer, at least in the unofficial vibe-y sense, comes to something of a close with Labor Day weekend. As we all enjoy a weekend of sun (maybe) and heat (possibly), here’s a look at some of the happenings over the past several months.

Photo above: kids attending the Currier Museum of the Art’s Summer Block Party in July get their faces painted by young artists from Manchester Central High School. Photo by Morgan Karanasios courtesy the Currier Museum.

rock band playing under yellow awning outside on sunny day
Performers at the We Are One Festival in downtown Manchester on Saturday, Aug. 19. Photo by Cindy Telley.
cast in troll costumes on stage, lined up to do a dance
Frozen at the Palace Theatre’s Summer Children’s Series. Photo courtesy of the Palace Theatre.

crowd of people in lawn chairs sitting in field listening to music
Music-lovers gather for Music on the Green at the Canterbury Shaker Village, which runs Sundays from 4 to 5 p.m. through Sept. 17. Photo courtesy the Canterbury Shaker Village.
woman teaching 2 children how to make clay pot on wheel at outdoor demonstration
Pottery tent at the League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair, held at Mount Sunapee Resort Aug. 5 through Aug. 13. Photo by Alicia Bergeron courtesy the League.
3 women running beside each other, holding raised up hands as they celebrate during road race, people watching from sidewalk
Delta Dental Road Race in downtown Manchester on Aug. 10. Photo by Cindy Telley.
group of people, some with dogs, standing in front of van, wearing rainbow tie-die shirts
The Humane Society of Greater Nashua at the Nashua Pride Festival on June 24. Photo is from the organization’s Facebook posts of the event.
woman under demonstration tent holding up colorful painted flags on string
At the July 15 Summer Block Party at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, Rachael Kane, Currier curator of education & interpretation, hangs flags created as part of the community art project “The Wishing House” by Vermont-based artist Mark Ragonese. Photo by Morgan Karanasios courtesy the Currier Museum.
a woman and 3 teenagers putting heads together to take selfie in front of hand made poster for production of The Wizard of Oz
Summer Stage Theater Camp in Merrimack. Courtesy photo from Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
young man dressed in historical army costume talking with group of girls during outdoor history event
33rd American Independence Festival was held on July 15 at the American Independence Museum in Exeter, commemorating the day the Declaration of Independence arrived in New Hampshire (July 16, 1776). Courtesy photo.
young woman sitting on outdoor folding chair behind racks of printed artwork on green lawn
Vivian Rosalee at the Greeley Park Art Festival in Nashua Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. Photo by Judd Duclos.
actors dressed as disney princess characters on stage with hands raised as they sing at outdoor venue
Fairytale Festival on July 29, part of the calendar of SummerFun events in Nashua. Courtesy photo.
2 men and 1 woman posing beside stone sculpture outdoors sunny day
Polish sculptor Anna Rasinska stands next to her sculpture “The Window of Change” at the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium with David Tiller, board member, and Jim Larson, another of this year’s four sculptors and the Artistic Director. This year’s pieces were unveiled June 3. Courtesy photo.
5 men in uniform standing in row, 3 holding state and national flags, one holding ax
Fourth of July in Merrimack. Courtesy photo from Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
woman pouring wine into visitor's wineglass at indoor event
The New England Wine Spectacular, held June 15 in Manchester. Courtesy photo.
kids playing tug of war with long rope in field on suny day
Naticook Day Camp in Merrimack. Courtesy photo Merrimack Parks & Recreation.
some guy who looks like every other guy playing guitar on small stage at outdoor market. boring photo
Concord Market Days in downtown Concord June 20 through June 22. Photo by Cindy Telley.
2 women wearing event shirts printed with sunflowers, standing in door of barn beside buckets of sunflowers, smiling and waving
The Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee ran July 29 through Aug. 6. Photo by Cindy Telley.
actor kevin pollack, a mature man with receding hairline, standing on stage with microphone
Kevin Pollak at the Manchester International Film Festival. Courtesy photo.
boy wearing baseball had, seen from back, holding recurve bow and aiming at blow up target
Pembroke-Allenstown Old Home Days on Aug. 26. Photo by Cindy Telley.
red, white and blue hot air balloon rising into blue sky
Suncook Valley Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally in Pittsfield was Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. Photo by Cindy Telley.
mass of leather coated bikers on motorcycles coming down the street
Laconia Motorcycle Week ran June 10 through June 18. Photo by Cindy Telley.
stage set up outside large historic brick building, people watching play on lawn in front, duck
Shakespeare on the Green outside the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College presented Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream the last two weekends in July. Courtesy photo.
woman placing round, flat tortillas on grill at outdoor event
We Are One Festival in downtown Manchester on Aug. 16. Photo by Cindy Telley.

This Week 23/08/31

Big Events August 31, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 31

The Hopkinton State Fair starts today at 905 Park Ave. in Contoocook. The fair is open from 5 to 10 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 3, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4. A five-day pass costs $39. A general admission day pass costs $14 (with discounts for youth and seniors). A Megapass, which includes admission all five days and unlimited access to mechanical rides, costs $45, according to hsfair.org, where you can purchase fair tickets as well as tickets for the demolition derby (Saturday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 3, at 6:30 p.m.; tickets cost $25 in advance, $29 at the fair) and the monster truck show (Thursday, Aug. 31, and Friday, Sept. 1 — gates open at 5 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.; see the website for ticket packages). In addition to the midway full of rides and games and the fair food offerings, the Hopkinton State Fair features agricultural exhibits and events such as livestock and horse shows, pulling competitions, a great pumpkin weigh-off, displays in the home arts building, a 4-H show and auction, educational exhibits, Charmingfare Farm petting zoo and a farmers market, the website said. The fair also features live music, including Rumboat Chili (Thursday, Aug. 31, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.), as well as magic and comedy performances.

Thursday, Aug. 31

Kick off your Labor Day weekend with some art and music. The Currier Museum of Art’s (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) Art After Work program — when admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. — will feature a performance by J Street Extension this evening (this central New Hampshire band describes its style as blues-rock-funk-country). The museum will be open through the holiday weekend, including Monday, Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and students, and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (12 and under get in free).

Saturday, Sept. 2

Head to Elm Street in downtown Manchester for the 22nd annual Cruising Downtown car show held by the Manchester Rotary Club today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find live music, vendors, food and cars competing in several categories. See cruisingdowntownmanchester.com.

Monday, Sept. 4

Start your morning with Pac-Man and Galaga at Funspot (579 Endicott Road in Laconia; funspotnh.com). The “largest arcade in the world” continues its summer hours — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and until 11 p.m. on Saturdays — through today, Labor Day. (During the off season the arcade is open noon to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.)

Monday, Sept. 4

Milford celebrates Labor Day with a parade! The parade will step off at 1 p.m. and head from Milford High School at West Street to the Milford Oval, around the Oval and then to the Harley Sanford VFW, according to milford.nh.gov. This year’s theme is “Celebration of Sports,” the website said.

Save the date: Sunday, Sept. 24
The Beaver Brook Association (Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org ) will hold a full moon hike on Sunday, Sept. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. Enjoy that crisp fall evening air while a naturalist guides the group through the trail, highlighting seasonal changes and local animals, according to the website. Registration costs $22 plus fees. Find this and other fall programming at beaverbrook.org.

Featured photo: Hopkinton Fair.

Quality of Life 23/08/31

Kids in flight

The “Young Eagles” program, organized by EAA Chapter 106 from Lawrence, Massachusetts, recently provided 37 youngsters with a unique experience of flying in an airplane. According to a press release, the event was part of the annual PlaneFest! celebration held by the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport on Aug. 19. For many participants, this flight marked their first experience in a small aircraft. The program, which started in 1992, has been dedicated to offering children aged 8 to 17 their first free airplane ride, aiming to inspire them about the world of aviation.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The event coincided with the birth anniversary of aviation pioneer Orville Wright.

Money for animals

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) raised $60,000 for local animal rescue and therapeutic organizations through its inaugural “Allies for Animals” Scotch whisky raffle. According to a press release, the raffle prize included almost 35 rare Scotch whiskies valued at over $10,000. The beneficiaries of the raffle were The Animal Rescue League of NH, Friends of the Manchester Animal Shelter, and Back in The Saddle Equine Therapy Center, each receiving $20,000. NHLC has raised $3.6 million for various nonprofits over the last eight years.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Kathrine Lacey of Meredith won the raffle and received the whisky collection, mileage reimbursement, a two-night luxury hotel stay and a $200 dining gift card.

Help for moms-to-be

AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire, a managed care group serving local Medicaid recipients, recently hosted a Community Baby Shower at its Wellness & Opportunity Center in Manchester. According to a press release, the event attracted more than 50 expectant mothers, offering them access to essential tools and community support resources for healthier childbirth experiences. The gathering included activities, raffles and practical demonstrations like baby swaddling.

QOL score: +1

Comment: With an 8.8 percent preterm birth rate in Manchester and New Hampshire’s infant mortality rate at 4.3 per 1,000 live births, AmeriHealth aims to enhance care and health outcomes for mothers and babies, according to the release.

QOL score: 86
Net change: +3
QOL this week: 89

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
Let us know at [email protected].

Featured photo: “Young Eagles” program gives kids airplane rides. Courtesy photo.

Betts big in Fenway return

The Big Story: It was the return of Mookie Betts at Fenway. He picked up right where he left off by going 7-15 with two doubles, a homer, four RBI and five runs scored.

Sports101: Name the two players who share the single-season record for hitting the most home runs in September.

Thumbs Up – Fenway Faithful: For the well-earned warm welcome back those on hand gave to Betts on Friday.

News Item – Pundits Drool Over Douglas and Boutte:It’s weird to have pundits drooling over a rookie wide receiver this late into Patriots camp. Let alone over two of them. But many still are over Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. And some of the comments are over the top. Like Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal saying he sees flashes of Tyreek Hill in Douglas, while ESPN’s Ryan Clark says Boutee could be the “steal” of the entire draft if he re-finds the Top 10 level talent he took to LSU when they recruited him. But I’m a “believe it when I see it” type over hype from a pretty dismal camp overall. The most telling thing will be seeing what role each has in the game plan in Week 1 vs. Philly. That will tell you what the coaches think of them.

The Numbers:

2–wins needed by Cardinals hurler Adam Wainwright to reach 200 for his career as he enters September, which doesn’t seem too tough, except at 41 he’s 3-9 with an ERA of 8.67 so it’s likely now or never for him.

24–season-high number of hits for the Red Sox in Thursday’s 17-1 skunking of Houston when they had six doubles and three homers as the Astros used catcher Martín Maldonado to pitch the final two innings.

50–doublesDodgers slugger Freddie Freeman already has in 2023 after getting three more at Fenway last weekend to keep him on pace to be the first player to get 60 in a season since Famers Charlie Gehringer (60) and Ducky Medwick (64) last did it in 1936.

‘Of the Week’ Awards

Defensive Play of the Week – GarrettWhitlock: It goes to the heads-up play made by the Sox reliever, the kind of play pitchers never make — a running, sliding on his back catch of a foul ball 30 feet behind home plate after catcher Connor Wong became entangled with the batter at home plate. It kept Houston at bay in an eventual 7-5 win in 10 innings on Wednesday.

Lead-off Hitter of the Week – Alex Verdugo:For doing what no Red Sox player and only two others in history have done: leading off three straight games with homers, vs. Houston and L.A. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Random Thoughts:

Granted the offensive line play was just awful, but after a 30-of-51 for 253 yards pre-season, who still thinks Bailey Zappe should be the Pats’ starting QB?

I’m glad the lovable, Casey Stengel-led 1962 Mets will remain the most hapless team in baseball history. Oakland would have to finish 1-31 and even they’re not that bad.

Sports 101 Answer:The all-time one-season September home run champs are Babe Ruth and Albert Belle with 17. Ruth did it 1927 on his way to hitting a then record 60, while Belle did it as he closed out his spectacular 1995 season when he became the first player in history to have 50 doubles and 50 homers in the same season.

Final Thought: Two days ago was the 61st anniversary of the first pro game I ever went to. It was a thrilling day that started with the rarity of me spending half a day at my dad’s office in Manhattan, then it was a subway ride up to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium.

The first vivid memory was the vibrant color bursting out at us as we left the darkness of the tunnel to see the field. It was like when The Wizard of Oz goes from black and white to color as Dorothy opens the cabin door after landing in Oz and the color just jumps out at you.

My favorite guy, Mickey Mantle, had two hits and made a nice shoestring catch in center. The only downside was Cleveland won 3-2 after Terry Francona’s father, the original Tito, knocked in the winning runs with a two-run single during a game the box score reminds me only took 2:33 to play.

I also saw something that day I haven’t seen since. It was when Cleveland right-hander Gary Bell threw an overhand curveball to pinch hitter Yogi Berra that bounced a good 6 feet in front of the plate. I can still see how calm Yogi was patiently staying on the ball before ripping a line drive over the second baseman’s head into right for a single with a picture-perfect level swing after it bounced up belt-high right off the ground.

A glorious day.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

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