For more than three decades the Milford Pumpkin Festival has brought residents of Milford and surrounding towns, as well as our Massachusetts neighbors, together for three days of fall fun with food, music and, of course, pumpkins. This year’s festival is from Friday, Oct. 6, to Sunday, Oct. 8.
“It has been a staple in Milford for … many years,” said Wade Campbell, president of the Granite Town Festivities Committee, which has hosted the festival since 2018.
The event originally started on The Oval as a way to raise funds for Town Hall renovations. Now, the money goes to fund the following year’s festival as well as to sponsor local leagues, art students and other scholastic areas.
“We take that money and try to donate it back into the community,” Campbell said.
The festival has expanded to the downtown area with many businesses and restaurants becoming involved over the years.
“A lot of them participate by selling their wares out front, or they put on their own events, which is kind of cool because they’ll have special musicians or comedians come into their venues, so everybody gets a little bit of action so to speak,” Campbell said. “They also sponsor … the window painting around The Oval [by] having a pizza party after they’re done decorating.”
Dozens of vendors will be present, including nonprofits supporting local schools, and craft vendors selling handmade products like jewelry and knitted items. Food and drink vendors at the tasting tent include LaBelle Winery, Pasta Loft Restaurant and Spyglass Brewing; there will be a wide range of food like Thai, American, fried dough and fair food. There will also be a beer, wine and spirits tent on the community house lawn Friday and Saturday night, and kid-friendly activities during the day like pumpkin painting, face painting and scarecrow making on Saturday and Sunday.
Other happenings include a pumpkin carving and lighting display, bounce houses and games and pumpkin catapulting.
Throughout the three days there will be live music on the Oval Stage and Community House lawn stage by performers such as Fox & The Flamingos, The Slakas and The New Englanders.
Visitors can watch Eric Escobar create a pumpkin festival mural over the course of the festival, and, weather permitting, do some stargazing with amateur astronomers who will have telescopes set up at Keyes Memorial Park on Friday and Saturday evening.
One of the biggest draws, according to Campbell, is the haunted trail on Friday and Saturday night.
“There’s a little bit of something for everybody,” Campbell said. “I hope that everybody has a great time … [and] for the festival to continue to grow for many years to come. … We try to put a smile on everybody’s face.”
34th annual Milford Pumpkin Festival When: Friday, Oct. 6, 5 to 9 p.m. (opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on the Oval stage); Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Downtown Milford
Haunted trail When: Friday, Oct. 6, 6 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 7, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Where: Emerson Park, 6 Mont Vernon St. Cost: $5 for adults, $1 for kids 10 and under (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult)
Beer, wine and spirits tasting When: Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Community House Lawn Cost: $20 per person for 10 tasting tickets
Milford historical walking tour When: Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Where: Begins at the Carey House, 6 Union St.
Pumpkin painting, scarecrow making and face painting When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Community House Lawn Cost: $15 per pumpkin; $15 per scarecrow; face painting is $1 for one cheek and $5 for full face.
Pumpkin carving and lighting display When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Bring carved pumpkins to Band Stand by 6 p.m. You can also bring your own from home.) Where: On The Oval Cost: $12 a pumpkin
Pumpkin catapult When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Where: TD Bank lower lot Cost: One pumpkin is $3, two pumpkins is $5
Featured image: Milford Pumpkin Festival. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Just keep swimming: The Community Players of Concord will present their Children’s Theatre Project’s Finding Nemo Jr., with a cast of actors ages 7 to 16, on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $15 to the show that runs about an hour, according to communityplayersofconcord.org, where tickets are on sale now.
Book shopping: The Hudson Friends of the Library hold a book sale on the second Sunday of each month at the Hills Memorial Library building (18 Library St. in Hudson; 886-6030, rodgerslibrary.org). Do a little browsing Sunday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Book raffling: The Friends of the Bedford Library will hold their annual Books, Baskets and Beyond raffle. Buy 10 tickets for $10 or 25 for $20 and then select the baskets — featuring books, book-lover items and sweet treats — you hope to win. The raffle runs online through Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Find the link to the online form on the Friends’ Facebook page. There is also a raffle of a signed Tom Brady Patriots jersey, with tickets for that raffle selling for $10 per ticket.
Open studios, part 1: Get a peek inside artist studios in Peterborough, Dublin, Jaffrey and other Monadnock-region towns in the Monadnock Art Open Studios Art Tour this Saturday, Oct. 7, through Monday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A map to the 65 participating locations is available at monadnockart.org.
Season preview: The New London Barn Playhouse (84 Main St. in New London; nlbarn.org) will host a preview of the 2023-2024 Northern Stage Season’s productions with scenes from Selling Kabul, Constellations, The Play that Goes Wrong and a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, on Friday, Oct. 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Northern Stage is located in White River Junction, Vermont; see northernstage.org for more. The event is free and open to the public, seecenterfortheartsnh.org.
Theater insider: Kurt Steelman, founder of Steelman Productions in Keene, will be the “Stories to Share” speaker at the Jaffrey Civic Center (40 Main St. in Jaffrey; jaffreyciviccenter.com) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. Steelman worked as a stagehand at his father Barry Steelman’s theater Cinema 93 in Concord; today his Steelman Productions provides management and labor for live events of every scale, according to a press release. The event is free; register to attend at bit.ly/3E35bsA. Or attend virtually via www.youtube.com/channel/UCvvRObxjqvVsgZ8iOP1UOEw/live.
Open studios, part 2: The Center for the Arts will hold a Lake Sunapee Region Open Studios Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, according to a press release. The studios of 17 local artists will be open throughout New London, South Sutton, Warner, Andover, Bradford, Springfield, North Sutton and Sunapee, featuring paintings, jewelry, photography, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture. There will be a kickoff event at Prospect Hill in Lake Sunapee Harbor on Friday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. featuring new art by current artists. “Open Studios brochures including the list of participating artists, locations, and contact information, as well as a map of the studios, are available to pick up at The New London Inn, Morgan Hill Bookstore, Tatewell Gallery, in New London, and at all artists studios. Visit the Center for the Arts website to view the interactive map to use during Open Studios weekend.centerfortheartsnh.org/open-studios,” the release said.
Artist reception: The exhibit “Seen and Heard” featuring works from the Women’s Caucus for Art Northeast Regional Juried Exhibition (nationalwca.org; see wcanh.org for more on the New Hampshire chapter) is currently on display at the Art Center (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; 978-6702, theartcenterdover.com). An artist reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, Oct. 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you can see the online gallery at theartcenteronlinegallery.com.
Current and upcoming exhibitions at the Currier Museum of Art
This fall the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester will present works by classic and current artists in a multitude of media and styles. “Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris,” which debuted on Sept. 7, will be joined by “Heart of a Museum” on Thursday, Oct. 19, and “Abstraction in the Currier Collection” on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
“I think one of the great things about [‘Fabricating Modernism’] is not only is the art really wonderful, but it comes from a private collection from a person who put most of it together by himself,” said Kurt Sundstrom, a curator at the museum. “He promised the whole collection years ago as a gift to the Currier upon his passing. It was a great honor to work with him, to watch his collection grow and now for him to share it with us.”
The School of Paris refers to 20th-century artists who were from, or worked in, Paris.
According to Sundstrom, these artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, were key in innovating modernism. He says the exhibition explores the themes of modernism instead of focusing on a narrative.
“First of all there’s color theory,” Sundstrom said. “You don’t [have to] paint tree leaves green; you can paint them blue. If you want to … elicit an emotion you can use color that way also.”
He also notes how Picasso’s frustration with the two-dimensional canvas led him to develop cubism to portray three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface.
c“I think part of the strength of this exhibition … is that it provides context for the development of these different styles in conversation with each other,” adds Rachael Kane, curator of education and interpretation. “Prints are hard to display — they age really quickly in light, so we often can’t keep as much of our print collection out as we’d like to, so something like this is a really special moment to be able to see some of those artistic linkages between work that is already regularly on display around the museum.”
“Heart of a Museum” features work by artist Saya Woolfalk, whose career has shown interest in science fiction, empathy and imaginative human connection and often involves images of the human body, according to Kane. Her display will feature projections, hanging glass and ceramic objects and custom wallpaper to create an atmospheric quality that Kane says her work is known for.
“A lot of it relates back to this idea of wanting to establish this historically grounded and personal connection to the history of the institution,” she said. “I think a lot of her work is really personal for her [and] a lot of it is a reflection on how she sees herself and people like her reflected in these spaces and wanting to get at the heart of that in her own way.”
“Abstraction in the Currier Collection” will also feature work from underrepresented groups with a high proportion of art by female artists like Joan Mitchell. According to Kane, this show is a great opportunity to see the abstract work that the Currier has to offer that people don’t often get to see.
“This is an important time of year for the museum,” Kane said. “I think we’ll see a lot of really celebratory and special events connected to these shows and I think it’s such a range of material it really offers something for everybody.”
Cover photo: Pablo Picasso, Portrait de Jacqueline de Face II, 1962. Courtesy of the Currier Museum of Art.
Currier Museum of Art Where: 150 Ash St., Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144 Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays for Art After Work (when admission is free) Admission: $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and student, $5 for ages 13 to 17, 12 and under get in for free
“Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris” On view through Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024
“Heart of a Museum” On view from Thursday, Oct. 19.
“Abstraction in the Currier Collection” On view from Wednesday, Nov. 15
It takes more than a few great songs to make it as a professional musician, though having a repertoire helps. Without knowledge of business ins and outs — where to play, how to get paid, who wants to hear originals and not Tom Petty covers — even the best players can get lost.
It takes more than a few great songs to make it as a professional musician, though having a repertoire helps. Without knowledge of business ins and outs — where to play, how to get paid, who wants to hear originals and not Tom Petty covers — even the best players can get lost.
Kimayo. Courtesy photo.
How it started When Brad Myrick came back to New Hampshire in early 2011, he’d spent close to a decade chasing his dream of being a professional musician, studying in Los Angeles at USC’s Thornton School of Music, then traveling between the West Coast and Europe, playing shows, making records and learning the ropes.
Myrick was happy to be back home. He fixated on finding a way to continue as a performer in his home state.
“I like the quality of life, and I think this is probably where I want to settle down,” Myrick recalled thinking. “How can I still get that full music business experience while living in a place that is so small and doesn’t have a huge music industry?”
As he dove into getting gigs and building his name, Myrick got caught off guard.
“I was thinking, boy, there’s a lot more going on in New Hampshire than I could have ever imagined; it’s actually a great place to be a musician,” he said. “There’s a lot of live music, there’s a ton of talent … wonderful people doing really great things.”
What was missing was something resembling a centralized scene.
“There’s a cool thing happening in Portsmouth, good stuff in Manchester, and the North Country has got its thing, but people seem to be a little more regional and localized,” he said. “There were a lot of gigs, but not what I was used to seeing in Los Angeles or in some of the cities in Europe.”
“There’s a cool thing happening in Portsmouth, good stuff in Manchester, and the North Country has got its thing, but people seem to be a little more regional and localized,” he said. “There were a lot of gigs, but not what I was used to seeing in Los Angeles or in some of the cities in Europe.”
There was a little bit of self-interest in Myrick’s musical field of dreams but, to mix a metaphor, reaching his goals was going to take a village.
“If this is going to be my home and I want to be a professional musician for the rest of my life, how do we invite people in?” he was thinking. “How do we get everyone connected as much as possible, and then have resources that may exist in bigger places?”
He aimed for the yet-to-be-created indie record label, the singer-songwriter stringing together bar gigs and wondering what to do next, but he was thinking bigger than that.
“What if we had access to local health care for musicians — doctors and chiropractors and naturopaths,” he mused. “Massage therapists that understand musicians because we have different problems than other folks do; what if we had any resource that a musician might need?”
With a brand designed and a Facebook page created, Myrick began obsessively filling notebooks. “I’d be on a plane going to Italy and I’d make bullet points of my ideal scenario if I had infinite money and resources to offer to myself and to musicians in New Hampshire,” he said.
Senie Hunt. Courtesy photo.
NH Music Collective’s first foray into business turned out to be more down to earth than Myrick’s lofty dreams. He booked a midweek gig at the Stark House Tavern in Weare. It was his first time there, and the managers told him they were pleased with his performance. Moreover, they wondered if he knew anyone else who might play there?
Why, yes, he did.
“Booking is essentially creating jobs for performing musicians,” he said. “I did it for myself and I realized there was an opportunity to get more people involved in that. Suddenly it went from a show for me to like eight shows a month, twice a week or whatever, and other people are getting work from that. That basically told me this thing happened that you’re thinking about, this NH Music Collective idea.”
This was in 2013, and it stayed a one-man side hustle, albeit a growing one. “I’ll make a few bucks off it, it’ll create a bunch of gigs for people,” he said. “I started just doing that casually while I was working as a full-time performer, that was the catalyst of the whole thing.”
It took finding a partner — two of them — for Myrick’s NH Music Collective vision to fully flower.
John McArthur and his wife, Reva Tankle, moved from Massachusetts in 2018 to help their son run The Greenhouse, a Gilford recording studio he’d opened a year before. McArthur quickly met Concord musician Mike Gallant, and Mikey G — everyone calls him that — put McArthur and Myrick together.
The two hung out at Strings and Things, a musical instrument store in Concord, and Myrick ended up bringing a couple of projects to the studio, including the Eric Lindberg Trio, which he played in at the time, and his duo with fellow guitarist Nicola Cipriani. They also talked a lot about Myrick’s idea for NH Music Collective.
McArthur’s path to the music business has a familiar beginning and an atypical middle.
“I dropped out of a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology to play music full-time, which I did while my wife, Reva Tankle, finished her Ph.D. and did a postdoc,” he said by phone from Portland, Maine, where they now live. McArthur gave up music when they moved to Texas. “I didn’t play country at the time, so I stopped playing.”
After that, “I kind of fell into tech for 35 years, then I dropped out of tech to go back into music full-time, thanks in part to my son and thanks in part to Brad,” he said. “I play a few times a month but not at the level that Brad does — those years are behind me.”
Myrick and McArthur’s conversations got more serious in 2020, and during the depths of the pandemic they formed a three-way partnership.
“A downturn is a great time to start, because everything looks like growth from there,” said McArthur with a chuckle. “I’m just loving spending all my time in music now, trying to help emerging artists and help venues create better experiences.
Myrick books shows, McArthur does artist development, and Rankle handles the nuts and bolts. “Contracts, finance, communication with the artists to make sure they know where they’re supposed to be, what they’re supposed to get, that they get there on time and everything’s ready for them when they get there,” McArthur said.
“We kept the brand because I’d already built it for many years and had some success,” Myrick said. “Then we have a small record label and a publishing company underneath this parent company, using them for one-off projects. We haven’t really promoted it, but the infrastructure is there and we’re working on that as a future goal.”
Home is where it’s at One thing they’re trying to dispel is the belief that the region’s musicians are bound to leave for a bigger market.
“I encourage people from here to get out and explore, have an experience, particularly if it’s in a place that’s got some industry where you can go and, frankly, get your ass kicked.” Myrick said. “It’s good to have that experience and get pushed and learn what it’s really like in a larger scale.”
While going to a city like Nashville to work with a big-name producer can be exciting, it’s not necessary.
“We have world-class musicians, recording studios, business folks, promoters, all the things that you need to be a successful professional musician,” he said “It’s helpful to get insight and see what the big world has to offer, and I encourage everyone to do that. But you don’t have to.”
Mikey G. Courtesy photo.
That said, there are trade-offs. NHMC has a growing roster of talent performing seven days a week all over New England. While some shows are listening-room affairs (where original music is the primary focus for the audience), more are at venues where music is one item on a big menu. Myrick, however, believes doing original songs and covering the hits both build the same muscle.
That said, there are trade-offs. NHMC has a growing roster of talent performing seven days a week all over New England. While some shows are listening-room affairs (where original music is the primary focus for the audience), more are at venues where music is one item on a big menu. Myrick, however, believes doing original songs and covering the hits both build the same muscle.
A few NHMC acts talk about their experiences.
Justin Cohn is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who was recently featured on the Rocking Horse Music Club rock opera Circus of Wire Dolls.
“As for my own music, I always have trouble describing it,” Cohn said. “I guess it’s a mix of indie folk, pop, Americana, and rock, with maybe a little bit of soul thrown in…. I like to see where the creative process leads me.”
Cohn contacted Myrick after seeing NHMC’s name at venues he played; the two met for coffee. “Brad described the philosophy and intention as much more than just another booking agency,” he recalled. “Their goal was to empower musicians who also want to make original music … cover gigs are a means to an end. The pitch hooked me immediately, because that’s the direction I wanted to go, but I didn’t really know how to get there.”
He’s been pleased with the results.
“The shows I’ve been fortunate to book through them have been some of the best I’ve ever regularly played, especially in the restaurant and bar scene,” Cohn said. “Depending on the venue, this means I’m able to play some of my original music with more frequency. This seems like a small thing, but it’s dramatically expanded my self-confidence and it’s ultimately led to more creativity.”
Rebecca Turmel. Courtesy photo.
Rebecca Turmel put out her first single a little over a year ago. Her latest is a poignant tribute to touring life called “The Road.” She’s among several NHMC artists nominated for the upcoming New England Music Awards.
“I feel honored to be a part of their roster as they work with some of the most dedicated and talented musicians that I know,” she said. “They have connected me with high-quality venues that I thought I could only dream of performing in. For example, I just had the privilege to perform at the Bank of NH Stage … my first true listening room experience as an original artist.”
“It’s hard to put my sound into a box right now since I still have a lot of growth ahead of me as a songwriter, but what I’ve released so far seems to fall into the country genre,” Turmel said. “I am still discovering who I am, and with that comes finding my sound as an original artist as well. It’s all a learning game.” Turmel has been working with NHMC for around a year.
“I feel honored to be a part of their roster as they work with some of the most dedicated and talented musicians that I know,” she said. “They have connected me with high-quality venues that I thought I could only dream of performing in. For example, I just had the privilege to perform at the Bank of NH Stage … my first true listening room experience as an original artist.”
Ryan Williamson is a past NEMA nominee who uses looping and multiple instruments in his shows.
“I’m a self-taught musician who writes music that covers pop, rock, and Americana,” Williamson said. “ I play a bunch of gigs around New Hampshire and love to play songs you wouldn’t expect to hear from a solo artist with a guitar.”
He knew Myrick before he established NHMC, and got involved early.
“I wanted to do anything I could to help with his efforts to create the local scene he envisioned; there is not a single musician on the planet that I respect more than Brad Myrick,” he said. “He is absurdly talented in his own right … and more committed to creating a thriving local music scene than any person I know.”
His involvement has led to many opportunities, Williamson continued.
“Aside from opening my musical reach to more accepting listening rooms, Brad has joined me on stage and made me a better musician … coordinated events with groups of local musicians, which helps engage the musical community with each other as well as showcasing the brilliant talent of these artists to the public in the spaces that crave entertainment.”
Some of the past and present listening room efforts include a monthly event at Sap House Meadery in Ossipee that mixes music, themed dining and mead tasting. “People really want unique experiences,” McArthur said. “One of the first bands we had was Brazilian, so we had Brazilian food. We had a performer from the Ukraine who sang songs in Russian … he’s a Soviet refusenik, just a beautiful concert. We had traditional Eastern European Jewish food to pair with that.”
Eric Lindberg. Courtesy photo.
The upstairs lounge at Bank of NH Stage hosts regular Sunday afternoon shows, while The Livery in Sunapee had a well-attended summer series with artists including April Cushman playing in a duo with Myrick, Cecil Abels and the New England Bluegrass Band, Eric Lindberg, Ari Hest, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio, Charlie Chronopoulos, Jud Caswell, Hot Skillet Club, Squeezebox Stompers and Peter Mulvey. In November, Senie Hunt will perform there.
Backyard Brewing in Manchester is a long-time customer, and venue manager Marcus Doucet couldn’t be happier.
“Having live music instantly brings a buzz to any space, it engages our customers in their surroundings and makes the experience of dining out feel more personal and inviting,” Doucet said, adding that NHMC performers “are all extremely talented and kind, they are all individuals with a passion for what they do…. We love when musicians will play cover songs that everyone knows, but also love when they perform songs they have written.”
The future The NH Music Collective website lists a range of services available to musicians, including an artist development component that offers coaching services. “Regardless of where you are today and your ultimate music goal,” they “will be by your side providing informed, direct, and specific guidance on steps to take to reach your goals.”
It’s key to McArthur’s role. “My vision is to continue to enhance the level of the musicianship that we provide,” he said. “I want to spend more time working more closely with a handful of artists to really move the needle for people who want to make this their life career. This is a tough business … we want to help those that are serious about it.”
To make it all work — for musicians, listeners and venue owners alike — requires alchemy as much as art.
“Maybe the most important thing as we move forward is we’re really trying to create experiences, if we’re going to have an impact on the music scene and on the community at large,” Myrick said. “We have a chance to really make an experience where people show and know they’re getting live, preferably original music. It can be more than just come and go — that really becomes special.”
Find the music See the musicians of New Hampshire Music Collective. Here are some upcoming shows, according to nhmusiccollective.com.
Thursday, Oct. 5
Ariel Strasser at Contoocook First Thursdays (in Hopkinton), 5 to 7 p.m.
Paul Driscoll at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Justin Cohn at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 6
Kimayo at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Paul Gormley at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
The Sweetbloods at Twin Barns Brewing Co. Meredith, 6 to 9 p.m.
Chase Campbell at Tower Hill Tavern in Laconia, 8 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, Oct. 7
Doug Farrell at the Contoocook Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon
Colin Hart with The hArt of Sound at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Freddie Catalfo at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 1 to 4 p.m.
Ian Archibold at Twin Barns Brewing Co. in Meredith, 3 to 6 p.m.
Dakota Smart at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Karen Grenier at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Scott King at San Francisco Kitchen in Nashua, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Ken Budka at Chen Yang Li in Bow, 7 to 10 p.m.
Chris Lester at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8
Ariel Strasser at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 9
Open Mic with John McArthur at Patrick’s Pub in Gilford, 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Brad Myrick at the Courtyard Marriott in Concord, 5 to 7 p.m.
Chris Lester at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Concord, 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 12
April Cushman at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Dwayne Haggins Duo at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13
Willy Chase at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 5 to 8 p.m.
Brad Myrick at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Garrett Smith at Lochmere in Tilton, 6 to 8 p.m.
Justin Cohen at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Kimayo at Twin Barns Brewing in Meredith, 6 to 9 p.m.
Dakota Smart at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14
Brad Myrick at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Garrett Smith at Beans and Greens in Gilford, 1 to 4 p.m.
Dave Clark at Twin Barns Brewing Co. in Meredith, 3 to 6 p.m.
Brad Myrick at Colby Hill Inn in Henniker, 6 to 9 p.m.
Ryan Williamson at Backyard Brewery in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Tyler Levs at The Foundry in Manchester, 6 to 9 p.m.
Dusty Gray at Foster’s Tavern in Alton Bay, 7 to 10 p.m.
Mikey G at Chen Yang Li in Bow, 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15
Ken Budka at Contoocook Cider Company in Contoocook, 1 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Clint Lapointe at Uno Pizzeria & Grill in Concord, 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 19
Eyes of Age at The Foundry in Manchester, 5 to 8 p.m.
Charlie Chronopoulos at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Cover Photo: April Cushman and Brad Myrick. Courtesy photo.
Friday, Oct. 6 Learn about eclipses tonight as part of the Super Stellar Friday program at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827). The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation by Dave McDonald, New Hampshire Astronomical Society Director and the center’s senior educator, begins at 7 p.m. He will discuss both the partial eclipse in October and the total eclipse on April 8, the website said. Admission costs $12 for adults, $11 for 62+ and ages 13 through college, $9 for ages 3 to 12 and free for children under 2, the website said.
Saturday, Oct. 7 Comedian Juston McKinney offers two opportunities to get some laughs today at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). McKinney will perform at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets to either show cost $32.50. Find more funny in the Comedy This Week listing on page 37.
Saturday, Oct. 7 The 39th Annual Apple Harvest Day will take place in downtown Dover today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature more than 300 vendors including a variety of food vendors as well as live music. The 15th Annual Apple Harvest Day 5K Road Race will be held at 8:30 a.m. at 25 St. Thomas St. in Dover. Registration is $30 for adults age 21 and over, $20 for runners under the age of 21. After the race stick around for some North County Apple Cider. See dovernh.org/apple-harvest-day-5k-road-race. Looking for more races to get you out and running? Find our listing of Fall 5Ks in the Sept. 21 issue (the story starts on page 10); go to hippopress.com.
Saturday, Oct. 7 The New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour takes place today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with happenings on five farms (Spinner Farm in Deering; Glory Be Farm in Bennington; Brimstone Hollow in Hancock; Ten Talents at La Bergerie Dumas in Greenfield, and Maple Lane Farm in Lyndeborough) including demonstrations of creating yarn, hay rides, music, live animals, food, an opportunity to meet fiber artists and fiber from a variety of animals for sale, according to woolartstournh.com.
Saturday, Oct. 7 Lucas Gallo opens for the Adam Ezra Group tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets in advance cost $35.75 for general admission, $48.75 on the balcony ($5 more purchased at the door). Find more concerts this week and beyond on our concert listings on page 38.
Monday, Oct. 9 If today is a day off for you, take a rare Monday visit to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144), which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for students and 65+, $5 for ages 13 to 17 and free for kids under 13. Exhibits currently on display include “Fabricating Modernism: Prints From the School of Paris,” “Celebrating the Art and Life of Tomie DePaola” and “Distant Conversations: Ella Walker and Betty Woodman.”
Save the Date! Wednesday, Oct. 12, through Oct. 15 The New Hampshire Film Festival takes place Thursday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 15, at screening spaces throughout Portsmouth. The lineup will feature more than 100 feature films, documentaries and shorts — including the documentary Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters about a Keene video store. See nhfilmfestival.com.
During a routine shift on a Sunday morning, Sept. 17, NHTI Paramedic Emergency Medicine student Timothy St. Germain and his paramedic partner, NHTI PEM alumna Brittany Lamontagne, found themselves in an unexpected situation. According to a press release, they were responding to a call in Concord for a woman in labor needing transport to a local hospital and they soon realized that the baby couldn’t wait. St. Germain and Lamontagne’s training kicked in, and they delivered the baby without complications, the release said. What makes this timing remarkable is that the NHTI Paramedic Emergency Medicine program had been studying obstetrics with simulated childbirth scenarios for the past two weeks, making it almost feel like a planned “final exam,” the release said.
QOL score: +1 Comment: Both mom and baby girl are healthy, and St. Germain credits the program’s training for making the situation feel almost like second nature.
Food for families
The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, is partnering with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to launch a joint initiative aimed at increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment across the state. According to a press release, this collaborative effort seeks to raise awareness of SNAP, a federal program designed to combat food insecurity by providing funds to lower-income families and households for food purchases. While nearly 40,000 New Hampshire households are already enrolled in SNAP, the New Hampshire Food Bank estimates that around seven percent of the state’s residents still experience food insecurity, highlighting the need for increased participation.
QOL score: +1 Comment:The partnership also aims to dispel common misconceptions about SNAP eligibility, such as the belief that it’s only available to families or individuals who are not employed.
Millions and billions
The New Hampshire Lottery billboard visible as you’re heading south on Interstate 293 through Manchester got an upgrade recently. The new billboard was updated with, among other things, LED lighting, which is brighter and more efficient, and the ability to note whether a current Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot is in millions or in billions (such as with the projected $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot for the Oct. 4 drawing), according to a New Hampshire Lottery spokesperson. The billion-plus jackpots were said to have “busted” the old billboard, with the amount stuck at $999 million even when the jackpot climbed over a billion, the spokesperson reported. Now, we can fantasize with numerical specificity.
QOL score: +1 Comments:Meanwhile, WMUR reported that someone who purchased a Powerball ticket at a Price Chopper in Keene for the Sept. 30 drawing won a $50,000 prize.
QOL score: 87 Net change: +3 QOL this week: 90
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
