• The Easter Bunny’s visit to the Aviation Museum by student-built airplane has been postponed to Saturday, March 30, at 9 a.m. due to inclement weather. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org or call 669-4820.
• The Well Church’s annual free Easter egg hunt at Greeley Park in Nashua(near the bandstand, 100 Concord St.) will be Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. Visit thewellnh.org/egghunt or call 978-419-1756.
• The Salem Community Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Rockingham Christian Church at Hedgehog Pond in Salem will now take place on Saturday, March 30, from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Visit rccsalem.com or call 894-5228.
• The Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford) now has two ticketed time slots for their Egg-citing Egg Hunt at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 30. Each ticket is $20. Visit theeducationalfarm.org.
• The Egg-Citing Egg Hunt continues at Charmingfare Farm in Candia (774 High St.) on Saturday, March 30, and Easter Sunday, March 31, with various times between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. See visitthefarm.com.
• Hudson’s Best Easter Egg Hunt is also Saturday, March 30, at Inner DragonMartial Arts (77 Derry Road in Hudson) with times at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. See funnels.hudsonmartialart.com/egghunt-2024
• The Easter Bunny Party at Carriage Shack Farm in Londonderry (5 Dan Hill Road) is on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $12.95 for ages 16 and over, $10.95 for ages 15 and under. See carriageshackfarmllc.org
Unless you have been living on the far side of the moon, you are aware that a total solar eclipse on April 8 will be visible across a slice of the country from Texas to Maine including New Hampshire.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is ready. Amanda Leith, an education coordinator at the Discovery Center, spoke about plans for the event.
“On the day of the eclipse we are going to be open from 12 to 5 p.m., prime time for eclipse viewing in the afternoon,” Leith said. “We’ll be doing some cyanotype sunprints, which is just light-reactive paper, UV-reactive paper using sunscreens … so people can make … designs and things like that and lay them out in the sun to see how those different SPFs protect the paper from the UV sensitivity.”
“We’re also making pinhole projectors,” Leith said. “We’re going to have some telescopes and other ways to view the solar eclipse on our lawn as well. We are waiting on a large-scale floor mat that shows the different layers of the sun and we have a floor puzzle of the moon … a 9-foot-wide puzzle so when you build the puzzle on top of the sun it will create what a solar eclipse would look like and you’ll see the corona around the outside with the Moon right in the middle, and an accessible version on the table as well for people that can’t get on the floor.”
The New Hampshire Astronomical Society will bring telescopes and help out with the festivities.
If the weather is less than favorable, the Discovery Center has a contingency plan. “All the activities will be the same, except for the sun prints — we need the sun for that, unfortunately,” Leith said. There will be “planetarium shows focused on the eclipse and ways that you can view it. It should still be a fun day regardless.”
The solar eclipse itself “will start at about 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon here in Concord,” Leith said. “That will be what we call first contact…. Then, the maximum for here in Concord will be about 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Fourth contact, or the end of the eclipse, will be at about 4:45 p.m. So it will be over the course of about 2 and a half hours and we’ll get to see varying levels of the moon covering the sun.”
The amount of eclipse you experience depends on where you are in the state.
“Everywhere in New Hampshire will at least experience 94 percent,” Leith said. There will be 96 percent totality at the Discovery Center. “It won’t go completely black. We’re not going to be able to see the stars in the middle of the day, unfortunately, but it should get darker as if we are heading into the evening hours.”
“North of Lancaster,” Leith said, “you are going to see totality. A total eclipse. No matter how you view an eclipse, whether it’s a partial solar eclipse or a total, they are all really special. This is the most coverage of the sun that we are going to get here in the state no matter where you are until 2079.”
What exactly is a solar eclipse? “A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun,” Leith said. “The physics and orbital mechanics of our solar system makes this a very unique event for us on Earth. But when it [the moon] is at its closest point to the Earth, that’s when it does cover the entire surface and we can see that total solar eclipse, so that’s why we are getting one in April.”
Kelly Thompson, a visitor experience coordinator at the Discovery Center, is watching solar eclipse glasses fly off the shelves. “We keep kind of continuously selling out,” Thompson said. “I should be shipping them out until March 31. I’ll stop orders at that point. Those can be purchased over the phone for $3.50 a pair.” Glasses not being shipped can be purchased at the Discovery Center for $2.50.
Do not look at the eclipse without the glasses! Their special film is crucial in keeping your eyes protected from the sun, Leith explained. “The lenses of our eyes are very similarly shaped to magnifying glasses. I am sure many people as kids took magnifying glasses outside and tried to light things on fire and burned ant hills … the same thing would happen to the back of your eyes. It would damage your eyes irreparably.” The glasses do have an expiration date of around three years. “If anybody has them from 2017, definitely throw them away.”
NASA will be closely monitoring the event, Leith noted, because “the sun’s energy impacts our atmosphere in really unique ways, so they are actually sending up weather balloons all across the country.” NASA’s Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project includes a balloon in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, that will be sent up by teams from Plymouth State University.
The University of New Hampshire’s Space Weather Underground (SWUG) will be “deploying magnetometers to understand our atmosphere as well during the eclipse,” Leith said. “There are quite a few things happening here in our state.”
The solar eclipse is “a fun opportunity to connect with people,” Thompson said. “Gosh, we hope the weather is going to be great.”
Eclipse viewing party McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center 2 Institute Dr., Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com Eclipse glasses: $3.50 a pair to have glasses shipped (until March 31), $2.50 a pair in the Science Store Eclipse day: Monday, April 8, open noon to 5 p.m., general admission ranges from $10 to $13, free for members and ages 2 and younger; discounts on memberships available on eclipse day
A partial totality of eclipse events!
The New Hampshire Astronomical Society presents “What to Expect from a Solar Eclipse” on Wednesday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Derry Public Library (64 E. Broadway, Derry, derrypl.org, 432-6140); register to attend at the library’s website. See nhastro.com.
Plymouth State University professor and planetarium director Dr. Brad Moser will present “Lunch and Learn” on Tuesday, April 2, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Puritan Backroom (245 Daniel Webster Highway in Manchester). Tickets cost $15 per person, and includes a lunch buffet and a pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses. Get tickets at plymouth-usnh.nbsstore.net/lunch-and-learn-eclipse.
The UNH Department of Physics and Astronomy welcomes the public to a free informal all-ages event, “The Science of Solar Eclipses,” on Wednesday, April 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the UNH Durham campus. See extension.unh.edu/eclipse for details and eclipse-related resources.
The SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester) will host an eclipse viewing event at Arms Park in Manchester from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 8, with music from WZID and activities to explain eclipse science. Eclipse simulation videos online as well. SEE’s gift shop has eclipse glasses for $2 per pair with extended gift shop hours on Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Monday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit see-sciencecenter.org.
Interested in heading north for the festivities? Check out visitnh.gov/solareclipse for viewing tips, event listings, and lodging information.
How the New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival picks its slate
By Zachary Lewis
zlewis@hippopress.com
As co-chairs of the New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, Patricia Kalik and Ross Fishbein did a lot of movie-watching to put together this year’s event.
“We watched 60 movies this year to pick the 13 that we are showing during the festival,” Kalik said.
The 16th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival begins Thursday, April 4, and runs through Sunday, April 14, with a bonus virtual week beginning that same Sunday, April 14, and ends Sunday, April 21.
Kalik has chaired 12 of the festival’s 16 years and makes sure to watch every minute of every film during this multi-month project.
“That’s a lot of hours of screen time, that’s for sure,” Kalik said. “And I have a rule: Once I start a movie I finish it … even If I don’t think it’s a great movie, because I know someone spent a lot of hours to create this piece of art…. I want to give everyone their fair share of time.”
The entire enterprise echoes that sentiment.
It’s “a labor of love and a community effort,” Fishbein said. He has been co-chair for the last four years. “Luckily, we have a lot of volunteers that are tremendously helpful in making sure that the event is put on and successful.”
Fishbein noted that selecting films “is a challenge.”
“We have about 20 people on the various screening committees. That’s about 20 different opinions that have to be juggled,” Fishbein said. “Our mission is to find a diverse selection of films. We try to make sure that we have comedies, we have dramas, we have English language films, we have foreign films that are subtitled, we have Israeli films, we have films about Jewish life generally. … It’s balancing that with the quality of the film and whether we think it would appeal to our audience.”
Once all the movies are watched, deliberation begins.
“At the end of the whole screening process we do have one final meeting where we vote,” Kalik said. “We take the votes on everything and we rank the films and we see if the top 12 have a balance, and if not we go down a level to get a balance. Because let’s say this year four of our top films were [about the] Holocaust. We choose not to show half of our shows being Holocaust-related.”
Kalik noted, “This year in particular we have [films from] a lot of different countries. We have a French film, one from Belgium, Hungary, several from Israel, a few U.S.A. films, but a nice smattering of films.”
In-person discussions and virtual screenings are part of the festival.
Call Me Dancer is a film about the journey of Manish Chauhan, a young street dancer from India who becomes a ballet dancer in New York. Chauhan will be attendance at the screening on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord.
“His dance instructor was an Israeli dance instructor,” Kalik said. “They did spend some time in Israel. We’re really honored that he is going to be at our screening…. And then he is going to spend some time with the dance students at St. Paul’s Ballet Company. I think that’s exciting.”
There are even sometimes free concessions.
“In some of the venues we actually … give people popcorn as they enter the movie,” Kalik said, noting that the festival is “a way to bring the community together.”
“If it’s a controversial topic, [or] even if it’s not, after the film people mill around in the lobby of the theater and talk about the film, and it builds community. I think especially in today’s day and age that’s important,” Kalik said.
Fishbein was in agreement.
“It is one of those rare events that is truly community-focused,” Fishbein said. “It’s really a great way to be part of the Jewish community and be part of the larger New Hampshire community, without having a religious connotation to it.”
New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival
Thursday, April 4 5:15 p.m. opening night gala reception in the Spotlight Room at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester), $18 7 p.m. Remembering Gene Wilder at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester)
Sunday, April 7 3 p.m. Hotel Transylvania at PJ Library at the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire (273 S. River Road in Bedford), free 4 p.m. Children of Nobody at Southern New Hampshire University, Webster Hall, Mara Auditorium (2546 N. River Road in Hooksett) 6:30 p.m. The Boy at Southern New Hampshire University, Webster Hall, Mara Auditorium (2546 N. River Road in Hooksett), free
Tuesday, April 9 7 p.m. Bella! at Southern New Hampshire University, Webster Hall, Mara Auditorium ( 2546 N. River Road in Hooksett) 7 p.m.All About the Levkoviches at Peterborough Community Theatre (6 School St. in Peterborough)
Thursday, April 11 7 p.m. Call Me Dancer at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord)
Sunday, April 14 1 p.m. The Monkey House at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord) 3 p.m.Matchmaking at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord) 5:30 p.m. wrap party at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord)
Other film screenings in Hanover (Nugget Theaters) and Portsmouth (3S Art Space).
Virtual screenings
Thursday, April 4 – Sunday, April 21
These films will be available for 18 days except 999 (four days). Films are available for 48 hours once unlocked.
999: The Forgotten Girls of the Holocaust (only available April 11–April 14) Home Rabbi on the Block (virtual post-film live discussion Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. with Rabbi Tamar Manasseh and director Brad Rothschild) The Story of Annette Zelman
Virtual screenings bonus week Sunday, April 14 – Sunday, April 21 All About the Levkoviches, Bella!, Call Me Dancer, Children of Nobody, Matchmaking, The Boy, The Monkey House and The Way to Happiness
Tickets $12 in-theater $12 per virtual household $18 opening night reception Ticket packages range from $44 to $200
Advance purchase for all screenings is suggested. Purchase online at www.nhjewishfilmfestival.org, by phone at 627-7679, or at the Jewish Federation office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional tickets for in-theater screenings may be available at the door prior to the show.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Exhibit opening, part 1: Sullivan Framing and Fine Art Gallery (15 N. Amherst Road in Bedford) will hold an opening reception for the exhibit “Once in a Moment” on Saturday, April 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. The exhibit highlights the work of Peter Noonan, an award-winning illustrator, fine artist and cartoonist whose illustrations and designs have appeared in numerous publications and are held in public and private collections throughout the country, according to the press release. Noonan is from New Hampshire and studied at Colby-Sawyer College as well as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Paris. Visit sullivanframing.com.
• Exhibit opening, part 2: The art gallery Outer Space (35 Pleasant St. in Concord) will open the exhibit “Little Red Riding Hood: Polly Apfelbaum & Alice Mackler” on Friday, April 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run until Saturday, June 1, by appointment. This will be the first exhibit of Alice Mackler’s work since her passing earlier this year at the age 92 and will feature her raw and elegantly painted clay sculptures of women and other beings, alongside her paintings and drawings, according to a press release. Apfelbaum’s exhibit presents a vibrant installation with glazed ceramics based on snowball quilts, hung on red-striped painted walls, according to the press release. A woven rug with an image from the 1963 book The Potential of Woman: a Symposium will be on the floor. Visit outerspacearts.xyz.
• Basket class: At Sanborn Mills Farm (7097 Sanborn Road in Loudon) on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Ruth Boland will teach a class on Cherokee-style storage basket weaving, according to a press release. Participants will use twinning, plain weave, down skating, and rim scarfing to weave a finished basket that will be around 10 inches high and 15 inches across, according to the same release. The class is open to all levels of weavers, and all materials and tools will be provided. The workshop fee is $250. A lashing material fee of $60 will be paid directly to the instructor. Participants will have an option of private or shared lodging, as well as meals, if interested. For details and to register visit sanbornmills.org.
Shakespeare-ish Auditions Cue Zero Theatre Co. will hold open auditions for William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged), a play by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, on Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Dr. in Salem), with callbacks on Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. Performances will take place June 21 through June 23. Interested performers should sign up for a time slot on Cue Zero’s website and prepare two monologues: one dramatic Shakespearean piece and modern comedic piece; the total time of the two pieces should not exceed four minutes, according to a press release. The release mentioned that callbacks may include reading from the script, playing improv games, and an interview. See cztheatre.com/index.php/get-involved.
• Mug class: Manchester Craft Market (in the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester) will host a workshop on hand-building ceramic mugs on Friday, April 5, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. with a second session on Friday, April 19, at the same time, according to their website. The workshop will be taught by Jess from Emerson St Pottery. Participants will learn how to create a mug from clay in the first session, after which Jess will professionally fire the mug, and in the second session participants will be able to decorate and glaze their creations, according to the website. The class is intended for adults only and is limited to six students. The cost is $70; this includes both sessions and material. If you cannot make the second session, Jess will glaze your handmade mug, according to the site, and she will fire final pieces, which will be dropped off at the Manchester Craft Market. Visit manchestercraftmarket.com.
• Dance:NSquared Dance will perform on Thursday, April 4, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Citizen of the Year Award to honor Howard Brodsky, at the DoubleTree by Hilton (700 Elm St., Manchester). The dance was altered specifically to showcase Brodsky’s life’s work as an “innovator in the cooperative model” through his company CCA Global, according to a press release. NSquared Dance’s mission is to energize audiences through movement and to enhance creativity, artistry, passion, and the drive of youth and aspiring dancers while they enlighten the community about the importance of performing arts education and further its integration into people’s everyday lives, according to their website. Visit nhdancecollaborative.org/performances or nsquareddance.org.
• From detective to poet: The Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St. in Derry) will host a performance of Robert Frost: This Verse Business on Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m. The poet and former Pinkerton Academy teacher charmed audiences with his celebrated verse and rascally sense of humor, according to a press release. Frost will be played by Emmy-winning actor Gordon Clapp, known for his role on NYPD Blue as Det. Medavoy, among other roles. In Clapp’s performance the poet shares his verse from memory along with his “wild surmises” on art, religion, science, “radicals” and “conservatives,” as the material is gathered from recordings and writings of Robert Frost, according to the same release. A.M. Dolan’s Robert Frost: This Verse Business won Best New Play (the Kaplan Award) at the Eventide Arts Festival in 2010, and Best Production at the United Solo Play Festival in New York City in 2013. Tickets cost $25 to $30 and are available at stockbridgetheatre.showare.com or by calling the box office at 437-5210.
It’s hoped that when the final short of this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival is finished audience members will have a newfound commitment to conservation and an expanded awareness of the microcosmic world. A few of the selections may lead to a heretofore unknown fondness for timber rattlesnakes, as well as sloths and mussels.
Mostly, the festival’s organizer envisions the nature-centric collection of films as a call to action.
Admission to the Friday, March 29, event at Concord’s Bank of NH Stage includes a free one-year membership in New Hampshire Rivers Council (NHRC), the environmental group sponsoring it.
“It’s where inspiration meets activism,” the Council’s president, Michelle Tremblay, said recently. “What we want to do is inspire people to get more involved.”
Tremblay, who is also principal of Naturesource Communications (pronounced nature-resource), brought the festival to New Hampshire. In past years it was held at Red River Cinemas and routinely sold out, with backed-up waiting lists that couldn’t be satisfied.
The decision to move across the street, made after three years spent online due to the pandemic, means capacity is now doubled.
“We decided to come back big,” Tremblay said. “We have the entire facility … we’re able to offer our members, and new members, places that they can spread out, roam and socialize; and also, very comfortable seating.”
An extension of the weeklong Wild & Scenic Film Festival hosted by SYRCL, the South Yuba River Citizens League in California, the event offers regional groups a “best of” selection from each year’s entries. Tremblay said NHRC decided to focus on short works.
“We don’t have the whole week to show the film festival, so we carefully curate films that normally people wouldn’t be able to see,” she said. “You can go to a theater, you can watch full-length films, but finding good shorts which normally kind of fly under the radar, those are harder to access.”
This means lots of films, covering a wide range of topics, she continued. “We’re also able to offer something for everyone. The shorts range the gamut from water to land to animals, and we have films from all over the globe as well as some that are a little closer to home. So we really do try to curate with that in mind.”
SYRCL, affectionately called “The Mothership” by NHRC, does offer a pre-curated “festival in a box,” Tremblay said. “But we decided to do our own because we really feel like we know what the New Hampshire audiences have liked in the past, and we want to make sure that we’re able to continue to serve that.”
Along with shorts about reptiles, shellfish and sloths are “some wonderful films that give a Native American perspective and make people really think differently about natural resources,” she continued, adding she hopes that two “very abstract films that give kind of a micro view of different aspects of our natural environment … will really get people thinking about not just seeing something from a distance.”
PLACE – People, Lamprey, and Cultural Ecology is a short from Jeremy Monroe and David Herasimtschuk that Tremblay believes will resonate with Northeasterners. The SYRCL website describes the eight-minute film as following a Cayuse Tribe member while revealing “the connections between migratory fish, urban forests, and community stewardship … and the work one group is doing to rebuild the strength of these connections for future generations.”
The New Hampshire economy depends on its natural beauty. Asked how that affects NHRC’s mission, Tremblay replied that rivers are “the last populist water body…. They’ve always been the place where everyone can go to them. But they’ve also been hit hard. They receive our waste, hopefully treated; they get withdrawals for drinking water, for farming and for other purposes. Rivers really do work hard, and we work hard for the rivers.”
14th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival When: Friday, March 29, 6 p.m. Location: Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Tickets: $25 ($20 members) at eventbrite.com Video on Demand available, $15
Featured photo: Fresh Water Lamprey. Courtesy photo.
From the spots voted best pizza place to those of us who can go eat that pizza, everybody involved in Hippo’s Best of readers’ poll 2024 is getting a win from this issue.
In this year’s poll we asked you to weigh in with your favorite doughnut, hiking trail, lunch spot and brewery. We also asked for your thoughts on ketchup, music while you work and picnics. We even asked you who, in New Hampshire, you’d like to extend a thank you to (and thank you to the reader who said “Hippo for a great paper”).
And after all that voting in February, now 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 great hair stylist? 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 2024 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:The Palace Theatres 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org
Tupelo Music Hall 10 A St. in Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com
Capitol Center for the Arts 44 S. Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com
Nashua Center for the Arts 201 Main St. in Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com Bringing nationally touring musicians, live comedy, theatre, children’s performances, and more to Downtown Nashua! Come experience a great show!
BankNH Pavilion 72 Meadowbrook Lane in Gilford, 293-4700, banknhpavilion.com
Best Theatrical Production
Best of the best:A Christmas Carol at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) ran Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, 2023.
Ballet Misha’s The Nutcracker at the Dana Center (100 Saint Anselm Dr. in Manchester, 641-7700, tickets.anselm.edu) ran Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, 2023.
Kinky Boots at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) ran Oct. 13 through Nov. 5, 2023.
Dancing Queens at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) ran Jan. 19 through Feb. 11, 2024.
The Wizard of Oz at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org) ran Sept. 8 through Sept. 24, 2023.
Best Local Place to Buy Art
Best of the best: League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Annual Craftsmen’s Fair, which will take place this year Saturday, Aug. 3, through Sunday, Aug. 11, at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury. See nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair.
Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org, Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Mosaic Art Collective 66 Hanover St., Unit 201, in Manchester; 512-6209, mosaicartcollective.com, Wednesday Through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Concord Arts Market, a market with dates May through December. The first 2024 market is scheduled for the first Friday in May — Friday, May 3, at Bicentennial Square in downtown Concord. A market is also slated once a month in Rollins Park in Concord from June through September, as well as during Market Days in downtown Concord (June 20-22), according to concordartsmarket.net.
Manchester Craft Market, Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester, 606-1351, manchestercraftmarket.com, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Best Publicly Viewable Mural
Best of the best: Cat Alley off Elm Street between Manchester and Merrimack streets in Manchester, featuring kitties of various shapes and sizes.
Hanover Street in Manchester titled “Greetings from Manchester” by Hooksett resident and artist James Chase and commissioned by Red Oak Apartments, according to manchesterinformation.com.
Derry Downtown 1½ East Broadway in Derry on the side of Cask and Vine, showcasing a timeline of Derry, according to nhrtc.org.
Derry Rail Trail in Derry. Robert Frost homage with trees and lines of verse painted on the asphalt-paved road, according to nhrtc.org.
Mural by artist Keith Trahan on the building by Lamont-Hanley Park at the corner of Bridge and Elm streets in Manchester.
Entertainment
Best Bookstore
Best of the best: Gibson’s Bookstore 40 S. Main St. in Concord, gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562
Bookery 844 Elm St. in Manchester, bookerymht.com, 836-6600
Balin Books 375 Amherst St. in Nashua, balinbooks.com, 417-7981
Toadstool Bookshop 12 Depot Sq. in Peterborough, toadbooks.com, 924-3543
Water Street Bookstore 125 Water St. in Exeter, waterstreetbooks.com, 778-9731
Best Bowling Alley
Best of the best: Lakeside Lanes 2171 Candia Road in Manchester, lakesidelanes.com, 627-7722
Merrimack 10 Pin 698 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, merrimacktenpin.com, 429-0989
King Lanes 751 Mast Road in Goffstown, kinglanes.com, 623-9515
Leda Lanes 340 Amherst St. in Nashua, ledalanes.com, 889-4884
Yankee Lanes 216 Maple St. in Manchester, manchester.yankeelanesentertainment.com, 625-9656
Best Comic Book Shop
Best of the best:Double Midnight Comics 252 Willow St. in Manchester, dmcomics.com, 669-9636 Double Midnight Comics 341 Loudon Road in Concord, dmcomics.com, 715-2683 Southern NH’s premiere source for the latest and greatest comics and games!
Merrymac Games & Comics 550 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, merrymacgc.com, 420-8161
Pop Culture Card Comics and Collectibles 66 Route 27 in Raymond, popculturenh.com, 244-1850
Jetpack Comics 37 N. Main St. in Rochester, jetpackcomics.com, 330-XMEN (9636)
Best Mini Golf
Best of the best: Mel’s Funway 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield, melsfunwaypark.com, 424-229. Opens in April.
Chuckster’s Ice Cream & Miniature Golf 53 Hackett Hill Road in Hooksett, chucksters-hooksett.com, 210-1415. Opens Saturday, April 13.
Chuckster’s Family Fun Park 9 Bailey Road in Chichester, chuckstersnh.com, 798-3555. Opens Saturday, April 6.
Captain’s Cove Adventure Golf 814 Lafayette Road in Hampton, smallgolf.com, 926-5011. Opens Saturday, April 20.
Mini Links at LaBelle Winery 14 Route 111 in Derry, labellewinery.com, 672-9898. Slated to open April 1.
Best Place to Learn How to Make Something Cool
Best of the best: Studio 550 Arts Center (550 Elm St. in Manchester, 550arts.com, 232-5597) Learn to sculpt clay, stain some glass, or make 2D artforms like watercolor, acrylics or pastels.
Manchester Craft Market (Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester, manchestercraftmarket.com, 606-1351) Learn how to use alcohol ink, wire-wrap gemstones or mold polymer clay. If you can craft it there is probably a workshop for it here.
You’re Fired (25 S. River Road in Bedford, yourefirednh.com, 641-3473) A walk-in-friendly establishment where you can create and paint your own pottery.
Cooking School at Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana in Salem, tuscanbrands.com, 912-5467) Create the perfect spaghetti sauce and learn which wines to pair with it. A myriad of Italian-style cooking courses are available.
The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road in Bedford, thecanvasroadshow.com, 913-9217) Offers classes and events for painting, glass art, wood staining and more.
Best Place to Totally Geek Out
Best of the best: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820)
Boards and Brews (941 Elm St. in Manchester, boardsandbrewsnh.com, 232-5184) Play almost any board game that has ever been created while drinking beer and sharing food with friends.
Granite State Comicon (700 Elm St. in Manchester, granitecon.com, 669-9636) Slated for Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22. Head to this Con to meet comic book artists and authors, game creators, actors and more, while enjoying costume contests and parties. Tickets are already on sale, including for weekend passes and VIP packages that include early entry and a goodie bag.
Pop Culture (66 Route 27 in Raymond, popculturenh.com, 244-1850) Your one-stop shop for all things 40k, Magic The Gathering, RPGs, comic books and much more.
Awesome Cards, Collectibles & Games (123 Nashua Road in Londonderry, awesomeccg.com, 404-6996) Anything from Pokemon card games to Dungeons & Dragons, if you can play it on a tabletop, you can find it here.
Diversity Gaming (1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, diversitygaming.store, 606-1176) Set up your favorite board game with friends in one of four private rooms or use free tables where everyone is invited to roll the dice.
Midgard (55 Crystal Ave. in Derry, midgardhobbiesandgames.com, 260-6180) Come for the tournaments and any type of game your Midgardian heart could desire.
Best Place to Make New Friends
Best of the best: The Collective Studios 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, thecollective-studios.com, 216-2345
The Nest Family Cafe 25 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, thenestfamilycafe.com, 404-3512
Feathered Friend Brewing Co. 231 S. Main St. in Concord, featheredfriendbrewing.com, 715-2347
Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210 Join us for Live music 6 nights a week (every night in the summer). Check our website to see who’s playing tonight
The Hop Knot 1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731
Independent Shop Where You’d Have a Win-the-Lotto Shopping Spree
Best of the best: Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co. 13 N. Main St. in Concord, gondwanaclothing.com, 228-1101
Junction 71 707 Milford Road in Merrimack, junction71.wixsite.com/mysite, 213-5201
League of NH Craftsmen’s gallery 36 N. Main St. in Concord, concord.nhcrafts.org, 228-8171
Manchester Craft Market Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St. in Manchester; 606-1351, manchestercraftmarket.com
The Terracotta Room 1361 Elm St., Suite 102, in Manchester, theterracottaroom.com, 935-8738
Best of the best: The Derryfield Restaurant 625 Mammoth Road in Manchester, thederryfield.com, 623-2880
The Backyard Brewery 1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com, 623-3545
The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill: 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
Bernie’s Beach Bar: 73 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, berniesnh.com, 926-5050
KC’s Rib Shack: 837 Second St. in Manchester, ribshack.net, 627-7427
Best Bar or Pub
Best of the best: The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant 909 Elm St. in Manchester, shaskeenirishpub.com, 625-0246
The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill: 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
Backyard Brewery and Kitchen: 1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com, 623-3545
Industry East: 28 Hanover St. in Manchester, industryeastbar.com, 232-6940
The Hop Knot: 1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731
Best Weekly Bar Event
Best of the best: Trivia with Heather at The Farm Bar and Grille (1181 Elm St. in Manchester, farmbargrille.com, 641-3276) takes place Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Tuesday open mic at KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St. in Manchester, ribshack.net, 627-7427) is hosted by Paul & Nate with a featured artist from 7 to 8 p.m. and open mic from 8 to 10 p.m.
Trivia at The Hop Knot (1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731) runs Thursdays at 7 p.m. with Broderick Lang.
Trivia at Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, 206-3888) runs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and is 21+. Each week usually has a theme based on a movie or genre of movies or a TV show or music. About once a month on Sunday, there is an all-ages family-friendly trivia night at 6 p.m.
Music Bingo at Backyard Brewery and Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com, 623-3545) runs Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Best Spot for Some Friendly Competition
Best of the best: The Rugged Axe 377 S. Willow St. in Manchester, theruggedaxe.com, 232-7846
Block Party Social 51 Zapora Dr. in Hooksett, blockpartysocial.com, 263-5408
RelAxe Throwing NH 157 Gay St. in Manchester, relaxethrowing.com, 782-3061
Axel’s Throw House 4 Bud Way, Unit 2, in Nashua, axelsthrowhouse.com, 212-1778
Granite State Escape 795 Elm St. in Manchester, escapenh.com, 935-7455
Best Spot for a Cheap Date
Best of the best: The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
The Farm Bar and Grille 1181 Elm St. in Manchester, farmbargrille.com, 641-3276
The Hop Knot 1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731
Chunky’s Cinema Pub 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, 206-3888
The Gyro Spot 1073 Elm St. in Manchester, thegyrospot.com, 218-3869
Diz’s Cafe 860 Elm St. in Manchester, dizscafe.com, 606-2532
Penuche’s Ale House 16 Bicentennial Sq. in Concord, facebook.com/penuches.concord, 228-9833
Best Spot for a Group Outing
Best of the best: Tupelo Music Hall 10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100
The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
Boards & Brews 941 Elm St. in Manchester, boardsandbrewsnh.com, 232-5184
Axel’s Throw House 4 Bud Way, Unit 2, in Nashua, axelsthrowhouse.com, 212-1778
Canobie Lake Park 85 N. Policy St. in Salem, canobie.com, 893-3506
Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, gamechangersportsbar.com, 216-1396
The Rugged Axe 377 S. Willow St. in Manchester, theruggedaxe.com, 232-7846
Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium 1 Line Dr. in Manchester, milb.com/new-hampshire/tickets, 641-2005. The season begins April 4.
Best Place to Meet a Blind Date
Best of the best: The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
The Farm Bar and Grille 1181 Elm St. in Manchester, farmbargrille.com, 641-3276
The Hop Knot 1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731
Penuche’s Ale House 16 Bicentennial Sq. in Concord, facebook.com/penuches.concord, 228-9833
Stella Blu 70 E. Pearl St. in Nashua, stellablu-nh.com, 578-5557
Charlie’s of Goffstown 1B Pinard St. in Manchester, charliesgoffstown.com, 606-1835
Goldenrod Restaurant 1681 Candia Road in Manchester, goldenrodrestaurant.com, 623-9469
Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Best Date Night Restaurant
Best of the best: Cotton 75 Arms St. in Manchester, cottonfood.com, 622-5488
Revival Kitchen and Bar 11 Depot St. in Concord, revivalkitchennh.com, 715-5723
Copper Door 15 Leavy Dr. in Bedford, copperdoor.com, 488-2677
The Foundry 50 Commercial St. in Manchester, foundrynh.com, 836-1925
Villaggio Ristorante Italiano 677 Hooksett Road in Manchester, villaggionh.com, 627-2424
Restaurant that Brings the Heat
Best of the best: Destination India Restaurant and Bar 14A E. Broadway in Derry, destinationindianh.com, 552-3469
Daw Kun Thai 93 S. Maple St., No. 4, in Manchester, dawkunthai.com, 232-0699
Curry Leaf 6 Pleasant St. in Concord, curryleafus.com, 715-5746
A Lot of Thai 360 Daniel Webster Hwy., Unit 121, in Merrimack, alotofthainh.com, 429-8888
Kashmir Indian Cuisine 396 S. Broadway in Salem, kashmirindianfood.com, 898-3455
Kathmandu Spice 379 S. Willow St. in Manchester, ktmspice.com, 782-3911
Best Food Truck
Best of the best: Up in Your Grill Find them in the front parking lot, 526 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, upinyourgrill.com, 493-3191
The Sleazy Vegan Usually at the Tideline Public House, 15 Newmarket Road in Durham, thesleazyvegan.com, 233-5078
Teenie Weenies Often at Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., 31 Columbia Circle in Merrimack (find them on Facebook, 403-2336)
B’s Tacos May through October they’re at the BP Gas Station, 2 Mohawk Dr. in Londonderry, nhtacotruck.com, 622-8200
Messy Mike’s Barbecue and Catering 161 Rockingham Road in Derry, messymikesbbq.com, 781-710-7832
Restaurant with the Best Outdoor Seating
Best of the best: The Crown Tavern 99 Hanover St. in Manchester, thecrownonhanover.com, 218-3132
Backyard Brewery and Kitchen 1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com, 623-3545
The Derryfield Restaurant 625 Mammoth Road in Manchester, thederryfield.com, 623-2880
Tuscan Kitchen Salem 19 Via Toscana in Salem, tuscanbrands.com/tuscan-kitchen, 952-4875
Cheers Grille & Bar 17 Depot St., No. 1, in Concord, cheersnh.com, 228-0180
Best of the best: KC’s Rib Shack 837 Second St. in Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net
Smoke Haus 278 Route 101 in Amherst, 249-5734, smokehausbbq.com
Smoke Show Barbecue 231 S. Main St. in Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbbq.com
Goody Coles Smokehouse 374 Route 125 in Brentwood, 679-8898, goodycoles.com
Smoke Shack Cafe 226 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com
Best Breakfast
Best of the best:Tucker’s 95 S. River Road in Bedford, 413-6503; 80 South St. in Concord, 413-5884; 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover, 413-5470; 1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, 206-5757; 360 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 413-6477; 207 Main St. in New London, 413-5528; tuckersnh.com Serving breakfast and lunch every day with a menu that includes organic, local and gluten free options for all to enjoy.
Maryann’s Diner 29 East Broadway in Derry, 434-5785; 4 Cobbetts Pond Road in Windham, 965-3066; 3 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Salem, 893-9877; 1 Craftsman Lane in Amherst, 577-8955; maryannsdiner.com
Janie’s Uncommon Cafe 123 Nashua Road in Londonderry, 432-3100, janiescafe.com
Riverhouse Cafe 167 Union Sq. in Milford, 249-5556, damngoodgrub.com
Chez Vachon 136 Kelley St. in Manchester, 625-9660, chezvachon.com Get what you deserve! Comfort food and French Canadian Favorites. Breakfast served all day.
Best of the best: The Foundry 50 Commercial St. in Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com
Tucker’s 95 S. River Road in Bedford, 413-6503; 80 South St. in Concord, 413-5884; 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover, 413-5470; 1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, 206-5757; 360 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 413-6477; 207 Main St. in New London, 413-5528; tuckersnh.com
The Friendly Toast 4 Main St. in Bedford, 836-8907 (also has a location in Portsmouth); thefriendlytoast.com
Firefly 22 Concord St. in Manchester, fireflynh.com, 935-9740
Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Prime at Sky Meadow 6 Mountain Laurels Dr. in Nashua, 888-9000, skymeadow.com
Best Burgers
Best of the best: Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen 237 South St. in Milford, papajoeshumblekitchen.com, 672-9130
The Barley House 132 N. Main St. in Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com
The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery 58 Route 27 in Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com
River Road Tavern 193 S. River Road in Bedford, 206-5837, riverroadtavernbedford.com
T-Bones Great American Eatery 25 S. River Road in Bedford, 641-6100; 404 S. Main St. in Concord, 715-1999; 39 Crystal Ave. in Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road in Hudson, 882-6677; 311 South Broadway in Salem, 893-3444; 1182 Union Ave. in Laconia, 528-7800; t-bones.com
Vibes Gourmet Burgers 25 S. Main St. in Concord, 856-8671, vibes-burgers.com
Best Burrito
Best of the best: California Burritos Mexican Grill: 655 S. Willow St., Suite 103, in Manchester, 722-2084; 2 Cellu Drive in Nashua, 417-6151; 101 Factory St. in Nashua, 718-8745; 35 Lowell Road in Hudson, 402-2130; californiaburritosnh.com
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant 139 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua, 891-0055; 1875 S. Willow St. in Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 628-6899; 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry, 965-3477; 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A in Derry, 421-0091; 172 Hanover St. in Portsmouth, 427-8319; lacarretamex.com
Dos Amigos 26 N. Main St. in Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com
Los Reyes Street Tacos & More 127 Rockingham Road, Unit 15, in Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill (865 Second St. in Manchester, 935-9182)and Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant (791 Second St. in Manchester, 782-8762), vallartamexicannh.com
Best Chicken Tenders
Best of the best: Puritan Backroom Restaurant 245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
Goldenrod Restaurant 1681 Candia Road in Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com
Charlie’s of Goffstown 1B Pinard St. in Manchester, 606-1835, charliesgoffstown.com
T-Bones Great American Eatery 25 S. River Road in Bedford, 641-6100; 404 S. Main St. in Concord, 715-1999; 39 Crystal Ave. in Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road in Hudson, 882-6677; 311 South Broadway in Salem, 893-3444; 1182 Union Ave. in Laconia, 528-7800; t-bones.com
Smoke Shack Cafe 226 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com
Best Fish & Chips
Best of the best: Lobster Boat 453 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 424-5221; 273 Derry Road in Litchfield, 882-4988; lobsterboatrestaurant.com
The Peddler’s Daughter 48 Main St. in Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com
Goldenrod Restaurant 1681 Candia Road in Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com
The Beach Plum 3 Brickyard Square in Epping, 679-3200; 8 S. Village Drive in Salem, 458-7266; 2800 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth, 433-3339; 16 Ocean Blvd., North Hampton, 964-7451; thebeachplum.net
Petey’s Summertime Seafood 1323 Ocean Blvd. in Rye, 433-1937, peteys.com
Best Grilled Cheese
Best of the best: Patz Deli & Catering 900 Elm St., Suite 102, in Manchester, 644-7289
Cheese Louise 76 Congress St. in Portsmouth, 427-8615, eatcheeselouise.com
Copper Door 15 Leavy Dr. in Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com
Prime Time 119 Hanover St. in Manchester, find them on Facebook or Instagram
Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Where the French Fries Are So Good They Could Be a Whole Meal
Best of the best: Goldenrod Restaurant 1681 Candia Road in Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com
The Farm Bar & Grille 1181 Elm St. in Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com
Puritan Backroom Restaurant 245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com
River Road Tavern 193 S. River Road in Bedford, 206-5837, riverroadtavernbedford.com
Smoke Shack Cafe 226 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com
Best Mac & Cheese
Best of the best: Mr. Mac’s 497 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com
The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery 58 Route 27 in Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com
Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive through only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Smoke Shack Cafe 226 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com
Diz’s Cafe 860 Elm St. in Manchester, 606-2532, dizscafe.com
Best Menu of Pasta Dishes
Best of the best: Villaggio Ristorante Italiano 677 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 627-2424, villaggionh.com
Fratello’s Italian Grill 155 Dow St. in Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com
Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano 11 Depot St. in Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com
Luccianos 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, 432-2442, luccianoscafe.com
Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar 524 Nashua St. in Milford, 673-3939; 270 Granite St. in Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road in Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com
Best Pizza
Best of the best: 900 Degrees 50 Dow St. in Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com Voted Best Pizza for 17 years! Inspired by the mouthwatering, wood fired pizza native to Naples, Italy. Join us for gourmet pizza, pasta, and salads.
Alley Cat Pizzeria 486 Chestnut St. in Manchester, 669-4533, alleycatpizzerianh.com
Vintage Pizza 241 Candia Road in Manchester, 518-7800, vintagepizzanh.com
Sour Joe’s Pizzeria 5 Pleasant St. Ext. in Concord, 856-7427, sourjoespizzeria.com
Elm House of Pizza 102 Elm St. in Manchester, 232-5522, elmhop.com
Best Specialty Pizza
Best of the best: “The House Pie” at Elm House of Pizza 102 Elm St. in Manchester, 232-5522, elmhop.com — “house made tomato sauce, cup and char pepperoni, Italian sausage, dollops of ricotta, three cheese blend, hot honey drizzle.”
“Bella Cosa” at 900 Degrees 50 Dow St. in Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com — “Roasted garlic cream sauce, Grana Padano, mozzarella, baby spinach, caramelized red onions, rosemary ham, prosciutto, and EVOO.”
“Saltimbocca” at 900 Degrees 50 Dow St. in Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com — “Roasted garlic cream sauce topped with fresh mozzarella, fontina, roasted chicken, tomatoes, caramelized red onion, prosciutto, torn sage and EVOO.”
“Meat Lovers” at The Pizza Man Bar & Grill 850 E. Industrial Park Dr., Suite 3, in Manchester, 623-5550; 254 W. River Road in Hooksett, 626-7499; thepizzamandelivers.com — “pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, meatball, ham & extra cheese.”
“Eagle Square” at Sour Joe’s Pizzaria 5 Pleasant St. Ext. in Concord, 856-7427, sourjoespizzeria.com — “Crushed tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, ricotta dollops, hot honey.”
Best Sandwich
Best of the best: “Patz melt” at Patz Deli & Catering 900 Elm St., Suite 102, in Manchester, 644-7289 — “Black Angus burger, grilled rye bread, American cheese, brown sugar carmelized onions and garlic pepper aioli”
Roast Beef Sub at Bentley’s Roast Beef 134 Route 101A, in Amherst, bentleysroastbeef.com, 883-2020 — “4 oz. freshly thin-sliced USDA Choice Midwestern beef on a toasted sesame roll.”
“Caprese Panini” at The Green Beautiful 168 Wilson St. in Manchester, 606-1026, greenbeautifulcafe.com — “seasonal pesto, tomato, cashew mozzarella and balsamic reduction served on sourdough.”
“Sabich” at Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com — “grilled lightly breaded eggplant, hummus, hard boiled egg, crunchy cukes, Roma tomatoes, amba sauce, tahini drizzle & schug (cilantro hot sauce) pressed on ciabatta or fresh pita.”
“Chipotle Steak Grilled Cheese” at Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com — “cheddar, Swiss & American cheese with braised beef short rib, chipotle mayo, applewood smoked bacon & Roma tomatoes pressed on ciabatta bread.”
“The Wellington” at Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com — “braised beef short rib, roasted mushroom, caramelized onion, demi jus, Gorgonzola cheese crumbles, Swiss, & Boursin spread pressed on ciabatta.”
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; nadeaussubs.com (there is also a location in Exeter)
USA Subs 66 Crystal Ave., Derry, 437-1550, usasubs.com
Patz Deli & Catering 900 Elm St., Suite 102, 644-7289
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
Best Tacos
Best of the best: Los Reyes Street Tacos & More 127 Rockingham Road, Unit 15, in Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com
La Carreta 139 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua; 891-0055, 1875 S. Willow St. in Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 628-6899; 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry, 965-3477; 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A, in Derry, 421-0091; 172 Hanover St. in Portsmouth, 427-8319; lacarretamex.com
Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana 11 Wilton Road in Milford, 554-1424, tacotimenh.com
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill (865 Second St. in Manchester, 935-9182)and Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant (791 Second St. in Manchester, 782-8762) vallartamexicannh.com
Hermanos Cocina Mexicana 11 Hills Ave. in Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com
Best of the best: Bearded Baking Co. 819 Union St. in Manchester, beardedbaking.com, 647-7150
Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe 436 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place in Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com
Crosby Bakery 51 E. Pearl St. in Nashua, crosbybakerynh.com, 882-1851
Frederick’s Pastries 109 Route 101A in Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road in Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net
Klemm’s Bakery: 29 Indian Rock Road in Windham, klemmsbakery.com, 437-8810
Best Blueberry Muffins
Best of the best: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar 4 Orchard View Dr., No. 6, in Londonderry, troysfreshkitchen.com, 965-3411
Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe 436 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place in Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com
The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. 126 N. Main St. in Concord, thecrustandcrumb.com, 219-0763
Patz Deli 900 Elm St., Suite 102, in Manchester, 644-7289, find them on Facebook
The Bridge Cafe on Elm 1117 Elm St. in Manchester, thebridgecafe.net, 647-9991
Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Best Candy or Chocolate Shop
Best of the best: Granite State Candy Shoppe 13 Warren St. in Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St. in Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com Locally sourced Ingredients. Premium chocolates From New Hampshire.
Van Otis Chocolates 341 Elm St. in Manchester, vanotis.com, 627-1611
Nelson’s Candy and Music 65 Main St. in Wilton, nelsonscandymusic.com, 654-5030
Loon Chocolate Center Entrance, 195 McGregor St., No. 121, in Manchester, loonchocolate.com, 932-8887
Dancing Lion Chocolate 917 Elm St. in Manchester, dancinglion.us, 625-4043
Best Cookies
Best of the best: Bearded Baking Co. 819 Union St. in Manchester, beardedbaking.com, 647-7150
Black Forest Cafe & Bakery 212 Route 101 in Amherst, blackforestcafeandbakery.com, 672-0500
The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. 126 N. Main St. in Concord, thecrustandcrumb.com, 219-0763
Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe 436 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place in Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com
Charlie’s of Goffstown 1B Pinard St. in Manchester, charliesgoffstown.com, 606-1835
Lighthouse Local 21 Kilton Road in Bedford, lighthouse-local.com, 716-6983
Prettiest Cupcakes
Best of the Best: Queen City Cupcakes & Gift Shop 816 Elm St. in Manchester, qccupcakes.com, 624-4999
Carina’s Cakes 14B East Broadway in Derry, facebook.com/Carinas.Cakes, 425-9620
Frederick’s Pastries 109 Route 101A in Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road in Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net
Cupcakes 101 132 Bedford Center Road in Bedford, cupcakes101.net, 488-5962
Bearded Baking Co. 819 Union St. in Manchester, beardedbaking.com, 647-7150
Best Doughnuts
Best of the best: New Hampshire Doughnut Co. 410 S. River Road in Bedford, 782-8968; 2 Capital Plaza in Concord, 715-5097; nhdoughnutco.com
Klemm’s Bakery 29 Indian Rock Road in Windham, klemmsbakery.com, 437-8810
Crosby Bakery Inc. 51 E. Pearl St. in Nashua, crosbybakerynh.com, 882-1851
Brothers Donuts & Deli Shop 426 Central St. in Franklin, facebook.com/brothersdonuts, 934-6678
The Bakeshop On Kelley Street 171 Kelley St. in Manchester, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com, 624-3500
Best Ice Cream
Best of the best: Puritan Backroom Restaurant 245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, puritanbackroom.com, 669-6890
Moo’s Place Homemade Ice Cream 27 Crystal Avenue in Derry; 15 Ermer Road in Salem, 898-0199, moosplace.com, 425-0100
Hayward’s Ice Cream 7 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua, 888-4663; 364 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 424-5915; haywardsicecream.com
Goldenrod Restaurant: 1681 Candia Road in Manchester, goldenrodrestaurant.com, 623-9469
The Inside Scoop: 260 Wallace Road in Bedford, theinsidescoopnh.com, 471-7009
Best of the best: The Friendly Toast 4 Main St. in Bedford, 836-8907; 113 Congress St. in Portsmouth, 246-5285; thefriendlytoast.com
Firefly 22 Concord St. in Manchester, fireflynh.com, 935-974
Tucker’s 95 S. River Road in Bedford, 413-6503; 80 South St. in Concord, 413-5884; 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover, 413-5470; 1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, 206-5757; 360 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 413-6477; 207 Main St. in New London, 413-5528; tuckersnh.com
Copper Door 15 Leavy Dr. in Bedford, copperdoor.com, 488-2677
The Foundry 50 Commercial St. in Manchester, foundrynh.com, 836-1925
Best Beer Selection at a Retail Shop
Best of the best: Bert’s Better Beers 545 Hooksett Road in Manchester, bertsnh.com, 413-5992
The Packie 88 W. River Road in Hooksett, 518-8069; 581 Second St. in Manchester, 232-1236; thepackienh.com
The Beer Store 433 Amherst St. in Nashua, 889-2242; 291 South Broadway in Salem, 458-1440; thebeerstorenh.com
East Derry General Store 50 E. Derry Road in Derry, eastderrygeneralstore.com, 432-5302
Lazy Dog Beer Shoppe 27 Buttrick Road in Londonderry, lazydogbeer.com, 434-2500
Best New Hampshire Brewery
Best of the best: 603 Brewery & Beer Hall 42 Main St. in Londonderry, 603brewery.com, 404-6123
Backyard Brewery and Kitchen 1211 S. Mammoth Road in Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com, 623-3545
Pipe Dream Brewing 49 Harvey Road, Unit 4, in Londonderry, pipedreambrewingnh.com, 404-0751
Spy Glass Brewing Co. 306 Innovative Way in Nashua, spyglassbrewing.com, 546-2965
Concord Craft Brewing Co. 117 Storrs St. in Concord, concordcraftbrewing.com, 856-7625
Best New Hampshire Winery
Best of the best: LaBelle Winery 345 Route 101 in Amherst, 672-9898; 14 Route 111 in Derry, 672-9898; labellewinery.com
Zorvino Vineyards 226 Main St. in Sandown, zorvino.com, 887-8463
Fulchino Vineyard 187 Pine Hill Road in Hollis, fulchinovineyard.com, 438-5984
Flag Hill Distillery & Winery 297 N. River Road in Lee, flaghill.com, 659-2949
Sweet Baby Vineyard: 260 Stage Road in Hampstead, sweetbabyvineyard.com, 347-1738
Best Cocktail
Best of the best: Mudslide at Puritan Backroom Restaurant (245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, puritanbackroom.com, 669-6890) This drink is made with Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua coffee liqueur and vodka and is offered in flavor variations.
C.R.E.A.M. at Industry East (28 Hanover St. in Manchester, industryeastbar.com, 232-6940) This drink is made with Mi Campo tequila, ancho verde, cucumber, lemon and jalapeño.
Espresso Martini at Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (524 Nashua St. in Milford, 673-3939; 270 Granite St. in Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road in Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com) This drink is made with fresh-brewed espresso and it carries a froth on top.
Blood Orange Cosmo at Copper Door (15 Leavy Dr. in Bedford, copperdoor.com, 488-2677) This drink is made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, blood orange liqueur, cranberry juice and fresh squeezed lime.
Margarita at HermanosCocina Mexicana (11 Hills Ave. in Concord, hermanosmexican.com, 224-5669) The standard margarita is made with Lunazul tequila, triple sec and a house fresh-squeezed sour mix.
Best Margaritas
Best of the best: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant (139 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua, 891-0055; 1875 S. Willow St. in Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 628-6899; 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry, 965-3477; 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A, in Derry, 421-0091; 172 Hanover St. in Portsmouth, 427-8319; lacarretamex.com) The margarita menu at La Carreta features multiple “signature margaritas” such as the Sangria-Rita, Berry Rita and Pineapple En Fuego.
HermanosCocina Mexicana (11 Hills Ave. in Concord, hermanosmexican.com, 224-5669) The standard margarita is made with Lunazul tequila, triple sec and a house fresh-squeezed sour mix.The menu also features multiple varieties and a build-your-own offering with their extensive tequila menu.
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill (865 Second St. in Manchester, 935-9182)and Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant (791 Second St. in Manchester, 782-8762; vallartamexicannh.com) offer the same Margaritas Especials menu featuring Wildbery Margarita, Vallarta Margarita, Hot Rita and a cucumber margarita.
Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) The Tupelo offers a classic margarita with tequila, triple sec and sour mix.
Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana (1 Wilton Road in Milford, tacotimenh.com, 554-1424) The house margarita is available in strawberry, watermelon, pomegranate, mango, peach, and orange flavors.
Amigos Mexican Cantina (20 South St. in Milford, amigosmilford.com, 673-1500) Their margarita is made with Lunazul Reposado tequila, triple sec and Jamaican Lime Juice.
Restaurant with the Most Inventive Cocktails
Best of the best: Industry East (28 Hanover St., in Manchester, industryeastbar.com, 232-6940) Offerings include the Caribbean Kilt (Scotch, amaretto, orange, lime, orgeat and bitters, with a rum float) and Granny Panties (dark rum, Zucca, creme de violette, pineapple, lemon and grapefruit, with celery bitters).
Stash Box (866 Elm St. in Manchester, stashboxnh.com, 606-8109) Drinks include Religion and Politics (Barr Hill Gin or Peloton Mezcal, ancho, lemon, honey, orange, carrot, and pepper tincture) and Stay Classy (a smoked cocktail with Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple Rum and bitters).
Prime at Sky Meadow (6 Mountain Laurels Dr. in Nashua, skymeadow.com, 888-9000) The menu includes Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail (Plantation Rum, velvet falernum, freshly squeezed lime juice and Cointreau) and a Gin Basil Smash(gin, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, basil syrup and fresh basil).
The Hop Knot (1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731) Offerings include the Nova (blueberry vodka, house-made blueberry syrup and lemon) and a Zero-Proof Margarita (agave, lime and alcohol-free tequila).
Greenleaf (54 Nashua St. in Milford, greenleafmilford.com, 213-5447) The selection includes There’s Something About Rosemary(Uncle Nearest 1884, rosemary red wine reduction and orange bitters) and Fizzy Lifting Drink (prosecco, creme de violette and lemon).
Bar Where They Make You Feel Relaxed as Soon as You Sit Down
Best of the best: The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
The Hop Knot 1000 Elm St. in Manchester, hopknotnh.com, 232-3731
Industry East 28 Hanover St., in Manchester, industryeastbar.com, 232-6940
The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant 909 Elm St. in Manchester, shaskeenirishpub.com, 625-0246
Stash Box 866 Elm St. in Manchester, stashboxnh.com, 606-8109
Where They Make Your Coffee Perfect Every Time
Best of the best: Flight Coffee Co. 209 Route 101 in Bedford, flightcoffeeco.com, 836-6228
Revelstoke Coffee 100 N. Main St. in Concord, revelstokecoffee.com, 715-5821
Hometown Coffee Roasters 80 Old Granite St. in Manchester, hometownroasters.com, 703-2321
Aroma Joe’s locations include 2 S. Beech St. in Manchester, 518-5409; 527 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 782-7173; 13 Manchester Road in Derry, 552-3581; 71 Calef Hwy. in Lee, 749-7700; 478 W. Main St. in Tilton, 729-0030; 3 Chambers Dr. in Hooksett, 932-2890; 135 Loudon Road in Concord, 715-8109; 214 Fisherville Road in Concord, 565-5497; 171 N. Broadway in Salem, 458-6335; 401 Main St., Suite 112, in Salem, 458-2770; 140 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 459-8702; 2 Paul’s Way in Amherst, 402-1195; 1912 Dover Road in Epsom, 736-0505, and others; aromajoes.com.
Best of the best:Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Patz Deli & Catering 900 Elm St., Suite 102, in Manchester, 644-7289
The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill 20 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, stumbleinnnh.com, 432-3210
The Bridge Cafe on Elm 1117 Elm St. in Manchester, thebridgecafe.net, 647-9991
Best Place to Order Lunch for the Office when the Boss is Buying
Best of the best:Pressed Cafe 216 S. River Road in Bedford, 606-2746; 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road in Nashua (drive-thru only); 1 Artisan Dr. in Salem, 458-5922; pressedcafe.com
Best of the best: Glendi at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St. in Manchester, stgeorgenh.org, 622-9113) is slated for Friday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 15.
Taco Tour in Downtown Manchester (tacotourmanchester.com, 792-4107) is Thursday, May 2, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival (on Route 1A in Hampton, seafoodfestivalnh.com, 926-8718) will take place Friday, Sept. 6, through Sunday, Sept. 8, from noon to 9 p.m.
Bacon & Beer Festival at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (Outdoor Fields, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, nhbaconbeer.com) will take place Saturday, June 1, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
NH Poutine Fest from the Franco-American Centre and held at Anheuser-Busch Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, nhpoutinefest.com) will take place Saturday, Oct. 12. Sign up for the newsletter to get information about ticket sales.
Best Farmers Market
Best of the best: Concord Farmers Market takes place Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street next to the Statehouse Lawn, starting May 4 and running through Oct. 26, according to concordfarmersmarket.com.
Derry Homegrown Farm & Artisan Market takes place at 1 West Broadway in Derry on Wednesdays, 3 to 7 p.m., beginning June 5, according to derryhomegrown.org.
Salem NH Farmers Market is open year-round, with the winter market open Sundays, November through April, from 10 a.m through 1 p.m. at the LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, and the summer market open Sundays, May through October, 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. at the Mall at Rockingham Park, according to salemnhfarmersmarket.org.
Candia Farmers Market runs every third Saturday, June 15 through Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at 55 High St. in Candia, according to candiafarmersmarket.org.
Church St. Farmers Market is at 9 Church St. in Deerfield and is open two Saturdays a month June through October (only once in September), 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting June 8, according to churchstmarket.com.
Event That Puts the “Fun” in Fundraiser
Best of the best: Glendi at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St. in Manchester, stgeorgenh.org, 622-9113) is slated for Friday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 15.
Castle in the Clouds Gala (455 Old Mountain Road in Moultonborough, castleintheclouds.org, 476-5900) on Friday, July 12.
Special Olympics Penguin Plunge (Hampton Beach State Park in Hampton, fundraising.sonh.org/event/penguin-plunge, 624-1250) Next year’s high school plunge will be on Saturday, Feb. 8, and the Penguin Plunge will be on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Aviation Museum Car Show ( 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) is Saturday, July 13.
Wags to Whiskers Festival to benefit the Humane Society For Greater Nashua (hsfn.org, 889-2275). Saturday, September 21, at the Anheuser-Busch brewery at 221 Daniel Webster Hwy in Merrimack. See the Humane Society’s website for details.
NH Renaissance Faire Martin Road in Fremont, nhrenfaire.com, Saturday, May 11, Sunday, May 12, Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19.
Best Community Event
Best of the best: Market Days Festival on Main Street in Concord will run Thursday, June 20, through Saturday, June 22, according to marketdaysfestival.com.
Glendi at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St. in Manchester, stgeorgenh.org, 622-9113) is slated for Friday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 15.
Winter Holiday Stroll in downtown Nashua takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving; see downtownnashua.org.
Milford Pumpkin Festival takes place on and at locations near the Oval in downtown Milford and will be held Friday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 13, according to milfordpumpkinfestival.org.
Goffstown’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off and Regatta will take place on Main Street in Goffstown on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, according to goffstownmainstreet.org.
Best of the best: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820
The Nest Family Cafe 25 Orchard View Dr., Unit 1, in Londonderry, thenestfamilycafe.com, 404-2139
Fun Spot 579 Endicott St. North, in Laconia, funspotnh.com, 366-4377
Fun City 553 Mast Road in Goffstown, funcitygoffstown.com, 606-8807
Canobie Lake Park 85 N. Policy St. in Salem, canobie.com, 893-3506
Nova Trampoline Park 300 Main St., Suite 402, in Nashua, novanashua.com, 825-4131
Best Outdoor Spot to Let Kids Get Out Their Energy
Best of the best: Benson Park 19 Kimball Hill Road in Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark, 886-6018
Livingston Park 156 Hooksett Road in Manchester, manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Parks/Livingston-Park, 624-6444
Hampton Beach in Hampton, hamptonbeach.org
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield, melsfunwaypark.com, 424-2292
White Park 1 White St. in Concord, concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/White-Park-21, 225-8690
Best Spot for All-Ages Family Fun
Best of the best: Canobie Lake Park 85 N. Policy St. in Salem, canobie.com, 893-3506
Aviation Museum of New Hampshire 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820
The Nest Family Cafe 25 Orchard View Dr., Unit 1, in Londonderry, thenestfamilycafe.com, 404-2139
Fun Spot 579 Endicott St. North in Laconia, funspotnh.com, 366-4377
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield, melsfunwaypark.com, 424-2292
Hampton Beach in Hampton, hamptonbeach.org
Best Restaurant for the Whole Family
Best of the best: Puritan Backroom 245 Hooksett Road in Manchester, puritanbackroom.com, 669-6890 for the restaurant.
T-Bones Great American Eatery 39 Crystal Avenue in Derry, t-bones.com, 434-3200
The Nest Family Cafe 25 Orchard View Dr., Unit 1, in Londonderry, thenestfamilycafe.com, 404-2139
T-Bones Great American Eatery 25 S. River Road in Bedford, t-bones.com, 641-6100
The Common Man Merrimack 304 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, thecman.com, 429-3463
Superdogs Daycare 637 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-1515, superdogsdaycare.com
Pawquet’s Play & Stay 302 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 216-1147, pawquetsplaystay.com
Best Dog Groomers
Best of the best: Sarah’s Paw Spa 16 Manning St., Derry, 512-4539, find them on Facebook @sarahspawspa
D’Tails Dog Grooming 178 Route 101 in Bedford, 703-6288, find them on Facebook
Wag Grooming Salon & Spa 15 Ermer Road in Salem, 898-0924, wagplace.com
Grooming at Tiffany’s 127 Rockingham Road, Derry, 432-8000, groomingattiffanys.com
Woofmeow 19 Manchester Road, Suite A, Derry, 965-3218, woofmeownh.com
Best Pet Retail Store
Best of the best: Woofmeow 19 Manchester Road, Suite A, Derry, 965-3218, woofmeownh.com
Pets Choice 454 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-7297, petschoicenh.com
The Wholistic Pet 341 Route 101, Bedford, 472-2273, thewholisticpet.com
Sandy’s Pet Food Center 141 Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-1177, sandyspetfood.com
State Line Pet Supply 137 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 382-6873, statelinepetsupply.com
Best Place to Let Your Dog Off Leash
Best of the best: Hudson Dog Park inside Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov
Derry Dog Park Fordway and Transfer Lane, Derry, 432-6136, derrynh.org
Hooksett Dog Park 101 Merrimack St., Hooksett, 485-8471, hooksett.org. This park is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk.
Nashua Dog Park One Groton Road (Route 111A) in Nashua, nashuadog.org (where you can find information about membership)
Bear Brook Canine Camp a fenced area designed for private, pre-booked play in Allenstown; book a time at sniffspot.com
Raymond Dog Bark Park in Riverside Park (98 Sundeen Parkway in Raymond), raymondnh.gov/riversidepark
Best On-Leash Dog Outing
Best of the best: Benson Park 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark
Mine Falls Park Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov
Lake Massabesic Trail a 3.7-mile loop with parking in the Massabesic Center parking lot (though dogs are not allowed on any Audubon trails), according to alltrails.com
Benedictine Park on Wallace Road in Bedford, featuring 27.4 acres of active and passive recreational land and walking trails that are just under a mile, according to bedfordnh.myrec.com
New Boston Rail Trail a 4-mile rail trail with a trail head at Lang Station (Gregg Mill Road in New Boston); see nbrailtrail.com
Windham Rail Trail windhamrailtrail.org, 4.1 miles of trail
Best of the best: Homegrown Barber Co. 18 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, homegrownbarber.com, 818-8989
Lucky’s Barbershop 50 S. State St. in Concord, luckysbarbershop.biz, 715-5470
Polished Man Barbershop & Lounge 707 Milford Road, No. 3A, in Merrimack, thepolishedman.com, 718-8427
Polished Man Barbershop & Lounge 178 Route 101 in Bedford, thepolishedman.com, 233-7991
Dude’s Barbershop 1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, dudesbarbershop.com, 626-0533
Best Salon
Best of the best: Blank Canvas Salon 1F Commons Dr. in Londonderry, find them on Facebook, 818-4294
Pellé Medical Spa 159 Frontage Road in Manchester, pellemedicalspa.com, 627-7000
Salon Bogar 25 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, salonbogar.com, 434-2424
Color Trends Hair Salon 25 Merritt Parkway in Nashua, colortrendshairsalon.com, 880-7504
Topknot Salon and Spa 1 Nashua St. in Milford, topknotnh.com, 212-6863
Best Spa
Best of the best: Renew MediSpa 23B Crystal Avenue in Derry, renewmedispa.com, 931-4345 Redefine The Way You Age To Look and Feel Your Best. Advanced Anti-Aging Technology Combined with Experienced Care
Chill Spa 1224 Hanover St. in Manchester, chillspa.com, 622-3722
Pellé Medical Spa 159 Frontage Road in Manchester, pellemedicalspa.com, 627-7000
Innovations Salon and Spa 228 Naticook Road in Merrimack, innovationsnh.com, 880-7499
Serendipity Day Spa and Float Studio 23 Sheep Davis Road in Pembroke, serendipitydayspa.shop, 229-0400
Where They Do a Good Brow
Best of the best:Renew MediSpa 23B Crystal Avenue in Derry, renewmedispa.com, 931-4345
Pellé Medical Spa 159 Frontage Road in Manchester, pellmedicalspa.com, 627-7000
Art of Eyebrows 449 Amherst St. in Nashua, 888-2186; 1500 S. Willow St., Mall of New Hampshire, in Manchester, 624-1414; Pheasant Lane Mall, 310 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Nashua, 864-8679; 1 Mall Road in Salem, 898-2444; Art of Beauty, 291 S. Broadway, Suite 3A, in Salem, 898-1212; artofeyebrows.com
Beauty Works 123 Nashua Road in Londonderry, beautyworksnh.com, 275-8672
Kriss Cosmetics 145 S. Main St. in Manchester, krisscosmetics.com, 624-2333
Where They Make Your Nails Look Fabulous
Best of the best: Glossy Nails 1 S. River Road in Bedford, 935-8383; 655 S. Willow St. in Manchester; glossynails.net
Exotic 9 Nails 30 Crystal Avenue, Suite 6, in Derry, exotic9nails.com, 425-7731
Chill Spa 1224 Hanover St. in Manchester, chillspa.com, 622-3722
9 Nails and Spa Salon 7 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 9nailsandspasalon.com, 216-1668
Beautiful Nails 1525 S Willow St., Suite 2, in Manchester, 232-4700, find them on Facebook
Best Tattoo Shop
Best of the best: New Inkland Tattoo Co. 1358 Elm St. in Manchester, 518-7493, find them on Facebook
Tattoo Angus 179 Elm St., Unit C, in Manchester, tattooangus.com, 935-9398
Underworld Tattoo Co. 282 Main St. in Salem, 458-7739, find them on Instagram or Facebook
Capital City Tattoo 8 N. Main St. in Concord, capcitytat.com, 224-2600
Wayne’s Tattoo World 6 West Broadway in Derry, waynestattooworld.com, 432-4828
Best Workout Space
Best of the best: Collective Studios 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, thecollective-studios.com, 216-2345
Executive Health and Sports Center 1 Highlander Way in Manchester, ehsc.com, 668-4753)
The Workout Club 18 Orchard View Dr., Unit 2, in Londonderry, theworkoutclub.com/londonderry, 434-6565 (there are also locations at 16 Pelham Road in Salem and 35 Hamel Dr. in Manchester)
Hampshire Hills Athletic Club 50 Emerson Road in Milford, hampshirehills.com, 673-8123
Best of the best: Sunnycrest 59 High Range Road in Londonderry, sunnycrestfarmnh.com, 432-9652
Mack’s Apples 230 Mammoth Road in Londonderry, 432-3456, macksapples.com
Lull Farm 65 Broad St. in Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com
Brookdale Fruit Farm 41 Broad St. in Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com Celebrating 177 years! Seasonal PYO: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, 19 varieties of apples and pumpkins. Check our website for the latest picking options.
J&F Farms 108 Chester Road in Derry, 437-0535, jandffarms.net
Best City Park
Best of the best: White Park 1 White St. in Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov
Livingston Park 244 Hooksett Road in Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov/parks
Benson’s Park 19 Kimball Hall Road in Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark
Greeley Park Concord Street in Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov
Mine Falls Park Whipple Street in Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov
Best State Park
Best of the best: Pawtuckaway State Park 128 Mountain Road in Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org
Bear Brook State Park 61 Deerfield Road in Allenstown, 485-9869, nhstateparks.org
Odiorne Point 570 Ocean Blvd. in Rye, 436-7406, nhstateparks.org
Wellington State Park 614 W. Shore Road in Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org
Hampton Beach 160 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, 227-8722, nhstateparks.org
Best Bike Trail
Best of the best: Derry Rail Trail traillink.org, 3.6 miles of paved trail
Londonderry RailTrail, londonderrytrails.org, 4.5 miles of trail
Windham Rail Trail windhamrailtrail.org, 4.1 miles of trail
Goffstown Rail Trail Goffstown, goffstownrailtrail.org, 5.5 miles of trail
Nashua Rail Trail Nashua, 12.5 miles of paved trail
Best Hike in Southern New Hampshire
Best of the best: Mount Monadnock 169 Poole Road in Jaffrey, 532-8862, nhstateparks.org
Mt. Major in Alton, nhstateparks.org
Pawtuckaway State Park 128 Mountain Road in Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org
Pack Monadnock in Miller State Park, 13 Miller Park Road in Peterborough, 924-3672, nhstateparks.org
Mine Falls Park Whipple Street in Nashua, nashuanh.gov, 589-3370
Best Spot for a Long Run
Best of the best: Mine Falls Park Whipple Street in Nashua, nashuanh.gov, 589-3370
Goffstown Rail Trail in Goffstown, goffstownrailtrail.org, 5.5 miles of trail
Londonderry Rail Trail londonderrytrails.org, 4.5 miles of trail
Windham Rail Trail windhamrailtrail.org, 4.1 miles of trail
Massabesic Lake area Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail, 27.3 miles of trail from Auburn to Manchester, nhstateparks.org
Best Lake to Canoe or Kayak in
Best of the best: Lake Massabesic Off Londonderry Turnpike in Manchester, manchesternh.gov, 642-6482
Pawtuckaway Lake Pawtuckaway State Park, 7 Pawtuckaway Road in Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org
Newfound Lake Wellington State Park, 614 W. Shore Road in Bristol, 744–2197, nhstateparks.org
Lake Winnipesaukee in Belknap and Carroll counties intheLakes Region, lakewinnipesaukee.net, which says it is the largest lake in New Hampshire
Squam Lake located in Grafton, Carroll and Belknap counties, lakesregion.org/squam-lake
Best Ski Hill
Best of the best: Pats Peak Ski Area 686 Flanders Road in Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com,
Loon Mountain 60 Loon Mountain Road in Lincoln, 745-8111, loonmtn.com
Gunstock 719 Cherry Valley Road in Gilford, 293-4341, gunstock.com
McIntyre Ski Area 50 Chalet Way in Manchester, mcintyreskiarea.com
Smoke Shack Cafe 226 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com
Butt-kicking-est Fitness Instructor (in the Good Way)
Best of the best: Biliana Mihaylova is currently an independent instructor in Concord. You can message her via instagram.com/pop.kween.
Claudia Michel of The Collective Studios Apple Tree Shopping Center, 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, 216-2345; 125 S. River Road in Bedford, 782-3321; thecollective-studios.com
Leah Heath of The Collective Studios Apple Tree Shopping Center, 4 Orchard View Dr. in Londonderry, 216-2345; 125 S. River Road in Bedford, 782-3321; thecollective-studios.com
Tricia Hoyt at Journey Fitness 333 27 Buttrick Road, No. 6, in Londonderry, 247-9334, journeyfitness333.com/Londonderry
Ashley Oberg at Barre Life 944 Elm St., No. 23, in Manchester, barrelifenh.com
Best Barber
Best of the best: Traci Evans at Tooky Village Barbershop 12 Maple St., Unit 1, in Contoocook; 746-2170, tookyvillagebarbershop.net
Benny D’Ambrosio at The Polished Man Barbershop & Lounge 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, in Merrimack, 718-8427, thepolishedman.com
Juliet Lord at Clean Cut Jewels Barbershop 604 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack, 657-6376, cleancutjewels.com
Erica Juneau at Juneau The Barber 1802 Elm St. in Manchester; find Juneau the Barber on Facebook, 490-2421) Josh Craggy at Lucky’s Barbershop and Shave Parlor 50 S. State St. in Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz
Best Hair Stylist
Best of the best: Jessica Moll at Lightened & Lifted 22 Greeley St., Suite 10, in Merrimack, lightenednlifted.glossgenius.com
Mariana Bortolossi at Mari Lossi Hair Studio 40 S. River Road, Unit 63, in Bedford, 782-3908, marilossihairstudio.com
Aaron Losier at Hairpocalypse 904 Hanover St. in Manchester, 627-4301, hairpocalypse.com
Tashia Landry at Studio 22 1191 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, 703-7418, vagaro.com/hairbytashia
Amanda Noonan at Topknot Salon 1 Nashua St. in Milford, 213-6863, topknotnh.com
Friendliest Dentist
Best of the best: Danielle London of London Family Orthodontics 502 Riverway Place in Bedford, 622-2100, londonfamilyorthodontics.com
Dr. Elizabeth Spindel and Dr. Victoria Spindel Rubin at Spindel General and Cosmetic Dentistry 862 Union St. in Manchester, 669-9049, elizabethspindel.com Thank you for voting us the friendliest dental office in NH for 16 years in a row!
Leonard M. Attisano, D.M.D. 700 Lake Ave. in Manchester, 668-0227, leonardattisanodmd.com
Dr. Nicholas C. Rizos at the Office of Dr. Nicholas C. Rizos, D.M.D. 103 Riverway Place in Bedford, 669-4384, drnickdmd.com
Charles Pipilas, D.D.S. 280 Main St., Suite 311, in Nashua, 881-8280
Friendliest Mechanic
Best of the best: Chris McNeil in Concord St. Motors 15 Concord St. in Nashua, 882-8642, find them on Facebook
Bill Morin at Morin’s Service Station 1091 Valley St., Manchester, 624-4427, morinsservicestation.com
Sean Roaf at In Tune Automotive 4 Lafayette Road in Hampton Falls, 926-6910, intuneauto.net
Jason Ux at Proficient Automotive 546 Mast Road in Goffstown, 361-4514
Pete Koster at Second Car Center 181 Rockingham Road in Derry, 432-4200, secondcarcenter.com
Best Local Musical Act
Best of the best: Jennifer Mitchell The next events on her calendar are JMitch Karaoke on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at Penacook American Legion Post 31; Good Vibes Music Bingo on Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m. at Salona in Manchester and Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. at Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings in Manchester, and then Jennifer Mitchell Solo Acoustic on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at Hill Top Pizza in Epsom, according to jennifermitchellmusic.com.
Justin Jordan According to his Facebook page, you can next find Justin on Thursday, March 28, at the Copper Door in Salem from 7 to 10 p.m. and on Friday, March 29, at Luna Bistro in Salem from 7 to 10 p.m.
Nicole Knox Murphy See her Saturday, March 30, at the Bristol House of Pizza in Bristol from 6 to 8 p.m., according to nkmsings4u.com.
Small Town Stranded Catch the band Saturday, March 30, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Derryfield in Manchester, where they will return on Friday, May 10, from 8 to 11 p.m., according to their Facebook page.
Ramez Gurung A regular at area restaurants; see his Facebook page, facebook.com/ramezmataz, for updates on his shows.
Best Local Comedian
Best of the best: Bob Marley Bob Marley lives in Maine and regularly performs in New Hampshire — he’ll next be here Thursday, April 11, through Sunday, April 14, during a run of five shows at the Palace Theatres in Manchester. See bmarley.com.
Juston McKinney McKinney lives in New Hampshire, according to justonmckinney.com, where you can find his schedule packed with New Hampshire and New England shows. Up next is a performance at the Park Theatre in Jaffrey on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. He’ll return to New Hampshire for a show at the Colonial Theatre in Laconia on Saturday, May 25, at 8 p.m.
Paul Landwehr Check out Landwehr’s Instagram for new comedy clips. He’s scheduled to be at the Rex Theatre in Manchester on Friday, April 5, at the 7:30 p.m. comedy show and the Saturday, July 20, Tupelo Night of Comedy at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry at 8 p.m.
Matt Barry See Barry Saturday, March 30, at Main Street Grill & Bar in Hillsborough; Thursday, April 4, at the Stone Church in Newmarket and Saturday, May 4, at Chunky’s in Manchester, according to mattbarrycomedy.com.
Queen City Improv This Manchester-based comedy troupe performs regularly, with upcoming shows at Stark Brewing in Manchester on Monday, April 1 (the first of several first-Monday-of-the-month shows slated at Stark Brewing) and Chunky’s in Manchester on Friday, April 19, according to queencityimprov.com, where you can also find information about their upcoming six-week improv intensive starting April 3.
Jimmy Dunn Dunn is now Frasier’s Jimmy Dunn, landing a role on the Paramount+ reboot of the sitcom. He is a fixture of the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival, slated for Aug. 14 through Aug. 18, according to jimmydunn.com.
Coolest Historic Site or Monument You Can Visit for Free
Best of the best: New Hampshire Statehouse (107 N. Main St. in Concord, gencourt.state.nh.us) Self-guided tours are generally available between 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., when you may also be able to get a docent-led tour if one is available. For groups of 10 or more, see the website for information on booking a tour.
Robert Frost Farm Historic Site (122 Rockingham Road in Derry 432-3091, robertfrostfarm.org) opens the New Hampshire home of Robert Frost to visitors from May to October. Admission costs $4 for adult New Hampshire residents and is free for residents who are 65+ or under 17. The grounds and trails around the house and barn are open from dusk to dawn all year, according to nhstateparks.org.
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (139 St. Gaudens Road in Cornish, 675-2175, nps.gov/saga) is a 190-acre park featuring the preserved home, gardens, studios and works of American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (who stayed there during the summers from 1885 to 1897). The park grounds, outdoor monuments and sculptures, gardens and wooded trails are free to visit and open to the public year round, from dusk to dawn. The visitors center and museum buildings are open, with guided tours available, from Memorial Day weekend to Oct. 31. Admission is free for children age 15 and under and for all visitors on Entrance Fee-Free Days (which for 2024 are June 19, Aug. 4 and Sept. 28). Regular admission for adults costs $10.
Stark Park (550 River Road in Manchester, starkpark.com) is 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. Look for a concert series in July and August and see the website for information on sculptures in the park and the Walk in the Woods map.
Madison Boulder (in Madison Boulder Natural Area, 473 Boulder Road in Madison, nhstateparks.org) “is a huge granite rock measuring 83 feet in length, 23 feet in height above the ground, 37 feet in width, and weighs upwards of 5,000 tons” that was deposited on the site by a glacier, according to the state parks site.
The Old Man of the Mountain (Franconia Notch State Park, Exit 34B off Interstate-93, Franconia, oldmannh.org) Get a sense of what was at Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza, which recreates the Old Man profile.
Memorial Arch of Tilton, which is actually on Elm Street in Northfield, was erected in 1882 by Charles Tilton, is made mostly of granite and was modeled on the Arch of Titus in Rome, according to an archives document available at nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com.
Attraction Worth Visiting Again and Again
Best of the best:Aviation Museum of New Hampshire 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820
Canobie Lake Park 85 N. Policy St. in Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com
Flume Gorge (852 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Lincoln, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks flume-gorge) is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty.
Mount Washington (1598 Mt Washington Auto Road in Sargent’s Purchase, nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails/mt-washington-state-park) is the highest peak in the northeastern U.S.
Currier Museum of Art 150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org
Castle in the Clouds 455 Old Mountain Road in Moultonborough, 476-5900, castleintheclouds.org
Strawbery Banke Museum 4 Hancock St. in Portsmouth, 433-1100, strawberybanke.org
NH Organization You’d Give $1 million to if You Won the Lottery
Best of the best: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org
The New Hampshire Food Bank a program of Catholic Charities NH, 700 E. Industrial Park Dr. in Manchester, 669-9725, nhfoodbank.org
Manchester Animal Shelter 490 Dunbarton Road in Manchester, 628-3544, manchesteranimalshelter.org
CASA of New Hampshire 138 Coolidge Ave. in Manchester, 626-4600, casanh.org
Animal Rescue League of NH 545 Route 101 in Bedford, 472-3647, rescueleague.org
NH Person, Place or Thing You Want to Say Thank You To
Most thanked: Gov. Chris Sununu, who will finish his fourth term as governor in January 2025
Readers’ moms and/or dads
Justin Spencer of the band Recycled Percussion and the TV show Chaos & Kindness
Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, who also performs live music to accompany screenings of silent films (see silentfilmlivemusic.blogspot.com) (and is a Hippo associate publisher)
All first responders
Journey 333 — “Tricia and Janice at Journey Fitness 333 in Londonderry, N.H., for helping me gain my confidence back and being the sweetest people!” said one reader
The Old Man of the Mountain — “Thank you for looking over us for so long. Rest in Peace!!!” said one reader
Tupelo Music Hall — “for keeping music alive,” said one reader
Fritz Wetherbee, who appears on WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle
Your Favorite New Hampshire Fun Fact
Most favorite: That our motto is “Live Free or Die”
New Hampshire has the shortest coastline of any coastal U.S. state
We (still, mostly) have the first-in-the-nation presidential primary
The one-time existence of the Old Man in the Mountain (RIP)
We have no sales or income tax
Chicken tenders were invented here
First man in space Alan Shepard was from New Hampshire (born in Derry)
Elm Street in Manchester is the longest dead-end street in the U.S.
New Hampshire had the first free tax-supported public library in the nation (as explained by peterboroughtownlibrary.org).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was created in New Hampshire (in Dover, where there are public markers about the Turtles’ creation including a manhole cover, dover.nh.gov).
Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies (laurelhilljams.com) offers a wide variety of flavors: fruit (such as strawberry rhubarb, Marvelous Multiberry, Raspberry Lavender), Summit Wines (Rosé, Pinotage, Moscato), tea (Earl Grey, chamomile) and spirits (Captain Banana’s Jam, Screwdriver Jelly). In 2023, Rachel Mack and Sara Steffensmeier took over from founder Sue Stretch. See the website for all the offerings.
Best Children’s Birthday Party Business That Comes to You
Party Palace features more than 45 costumed characters and offers live character entertainment at a variety of occasions including business events and children’s parties, where the mission is to empower children “through fun and engaging activities,” according to the business’s website, apartypalace.com.
Best Dance Studio
Dimensions in Dance (84 Myrtle St. in Manchester; dimensionsindance.com, 668-4196) offers camps and classes for the youngest dancers (“Twos in Tutus”) through adult. Dimensions is also the home of Ballet Misha, a dance company that presents productions such as the run of The Nutcracker that was performed at the Dana Center in December.
Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road in Hollis, fulchinovineyard.com, 438-5984) will host a Cigar Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and include a cigar and a glass of wine.
Thursday, March 28
Catch comedian Lenny Clarke tonight at 8 p.m. at Chunky’s (151 Coliseum Ave. in Nashua; chunkys.com). Tickets cost $35.
Friday, March 29
The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, 657-8774) will host Taylor’s Version, an 18+ DJ dance event featuring music from every Taylor era, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19.
Saturday, March 30
Because of last weekend’s weather, the Easter Bunny is now scheduled to touch down at the Aviation Museum (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) in a student-built airplane today at 9 a.m. The event is free; the museum asks anybody wanting to see the touch down to come at 8:30 a.m. After deplaning, the Easter Bunny will visit with attendees and hand out candy, according to a press release. Find more egg- and bunny-related events in the March 21 issue of the Hippo in the story on page 23. See hippopress.com for the e-edition.
Saturday, March 30
Shop Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale at the Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road in Concord) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be thousands of items at dozens of stalls. Adult admission costs $5; children 12 and under are free.
Saturday, March 30
To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St. in Manchester, tosharebrewing.com, 836-6947) will host Big Gay Bingo at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 30. This 21+ event is a fun and educational twist on bingo for anyone who wants to learn more about LGTBQ+ culture. Admission is $5; bingo is free.
Saturday, March 30
WWE’s Road to Wrestlemania will bring the action to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester, snhuarena.com, 644-5000) beginning at 7:30 p.m. This will be a Triple Main Event with 2024 Royal Rumble winner “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes facing off against Drew McIntyre in a Grudge Match. Tickets start at $30.
Sunday, March 31
Enjoy a special Easter brunch or dinner. Find our rundown of special meal offerings in the March 21 issue of the Hippo; see hippopress.com for the e-edition. The story is on page 26.
Wednesday, April 3
See the screening of Harold Lloyd’s 1927 film The Kid Brotherat Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord, in Concord’s City Hall, theaudi.org, 228-2793) , at 7 p.m.. Musical accompaniment for this silent film will be provided by Jeff Rapsis. Admission is free.
Wednesday, April 3
Andrew North and the Rangers provide the backing band for tonight’s open mic show at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) at 6 p.m.
Save the Date! Tuesday, April 9 The Fisher Cats will have their first home game of the season at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Dr. in Manchester, milb.com/new-hampshire/tickets, 641-2005) on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:35 p.m. Tickets start at $10.
Featured Photo: The Easter Bunny at the Aviation Museum of NH. Courtesy Photo.
Winter wasn’t done with New Hampshire. According to WMUR, the Saturday, March 23, storm dropped snow across the state, ranging from a coating to a few inches (often mixed with rain) to more than a foot for some parts of the Granite State. The fallout from the storm: power outages. More than 75,000 customers lost power during the peak of storm outages. On the morning of March 25, more than 20,000 customers were still powerless; by the afternoon WMUR reported that most customers would have their power restored by the end of the day.
QOL score: -2, because we were all set with winter
Comments: OK, who put away all their winter boots and coats and jinxed us? Nobody pull up their driveway stakes until at least mid-April.
Meanwhile…
Ski NH reported Sunday, March 24, that the storm brought more than 2 feet to some ski areas in the state. Wildcat Mountain in Jackson received 30 inches while Cannon Mountain in Franconia and Waterville Valley Resort each reported 27 to 30 inches, according to Ski NH’s press release. Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway received 2 feet and may reopen this coming weekend, the release said.
QOL score: +1
Comments: “23 inches over the last 24 hours, bluebird skies and patrol dropping rope as we speak. Get ready for the best day of the season!” read a Sunday post on the Cranmore Facebook page.
On the other hand…
At 8:03 a.m. on Sunday, March 24, Gilmanton and Alton firefighters responded to a rescue call on Crystal Lake to save a deer that had fallen through the ice about 200 yards from shore, according to the Gilmanton Firefighter’s Association Facebook page. From the pictures the Association posted, it appears that there was only a thin crust of icy snow on the surface of the lake after last Saturday’s snow storm. Rescuers responded in rescue watercraft and pulled the deer from the water.
QOL score: +1 for the assist
Comments: “The deer was rescued, tired, exhausted and shivering but it was last seen up and walking around,” according to the Association’s Facebook page.
Preserving history
Canterbury Shaker Village and the American Independence Museum in Exeter each received grants from Americana Corner, an online resource for education about America in the 1700s and 1800s, according to press releases from the sites. The American Independence Museum was awarded a 2024 “Preserving America” grant for $10,000, which it will use to “fund essential preservation work at Folsom Tavern such as repairs to — and restaining of — various sections of clapboard siding,” the press release said. Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury will use its $7,500 award “to preserve ten windows in its historic Meeting House,” its release said.
QOL score: +1
Comments: See shakers.org and independencemuseum.org for more on the two sites.
QOL score: 61
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 62
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
The Big Story – Baseball’s Opening Day: After an awful off-season and what was the most subdued spring training in decades, the Red Sox kick off the 2024 season today in Seattle vs. the Mariners. As you can guess, it begins without high expectations in light of JohnHenry’s reversal of his once free spending ways. Especially in a division where everyone is spending but the Orioles, who, along with Atlanta, have the best young talent in baseball. Sorry to kick it all off with such an optimistic note, but that’s how it stands on Day 1.
Sports 101: It has only happened once in baseball history that the batting average of every player on one team stayed exactly what it was before the game started. How did that happen?
News Item – Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired After Gambling Disclosure: We could be at the beginning of a whopper of a story around the gambling-related firing of Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, on Friday. Conflicting stories have emerged about the $4.5 million wire transfers to pay off Mizuhara’s gambling debts. Nothing has indicated Ohtani did any betting. There are still many holes to be filled in on what could become baseball’s worst gambling nightmare since PeteRose was banned for life in 1989 if it’s more than just some guy getting in over his head while gambling.
News Item – NCAA Tourney Delivers Usual Thrills: Award winners from Weekend 1:
Best Comeback: Daytona trailed Nevada by 17 before a 24-4 over the final 7 minutes made them 63-60 opening-round winners.
Biggest Upset – Yale Over Auburn: Who had Ivy League champion Yale taking out a SEC power when the 13-seed Bulldogs shocked everyone with a 78-76 win over the 4-seed Tigers?
Say What? Award: OK, maybe the student section at Oakland University (of Michigan) has a point saying 14-seed OU’s 80-76 win over 3-seed Kentucky was a bigger upset.
Phew … Win of the Weekend: Speaking of major upsets, after being just the second 1-seed to lose a 16 last year, Purdue fans breathed a sigh of relief Friday when they put Grambling away early in a 78-50 romp.
Biggest Blown Call: With all the stupid use of replay these days, why don’t they have one for a crucial play like in the Kansas-Samford nailbiter? The zebras clearly blew the call on a spectacular chase down block by A.J.Staton–McCray on a NickTimberlake breakaway in a one-point game with 15 seconds left. It robbed Samford of getting the final shot to conclude a 22-point comeback. Instead Timberlake made two gift free throws and KU won 93-89.
Revenge Win: He’ll probably never admit it, but Tennessee’s 62-58 win over Texas had to feel good for RickBarnes after being fired as Texas HC not long ago.
The Numbers:
7 – magic number over their last 11 games for the Celtics to clinch home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
… Of the Week Awards
Bracket Buster Award – Sorry, Charles: That thud you heard was Charles Barkley’s bracket being busted as Creighton ran past Oregon 78-63 on Saturday. Chuck had the 11-seed Ducks somehow making it all the way to the final fame. He also had opening-round 12-seed George Mason loser taking out 5-seed Wisconsin and 4-seed Duke and going to the Sweet 16. Oh, and King Charles went to Auburn, so it wasn’t a good weekend all around for Chuck.
Sports 101 Answer: It happened April 16, 1940, when Cleveland fireballer BobFeller no-hit the White Sox on opening day, leaving all of Chicago’s hitters with the same .000 batting average every player starts their season at.
Final Thought – How To Enjoy The 2024 Red Sox: First you put a pin in your learned experience from around 1994 to realize they’re not getting within three or four time zones of the World Series. Then focus on watching what happens with their young players to see how good they become by September.
I’m looking forward to seeing if TristonCasas can grow into one of the best hitters, as some believe he can. There’s also the young outfield of JarrenDuran platooning in left, WilyerAbreu in right and exciting rookie CeddanneRafaela, a gifted center fielder who hit .284 with three homers in 64 spring at-bats.
There’s promising second-year hurler BrayanBello, the first home-grown pitcher since now retired ClayBuchholz and JonLester to give any sense of promise. Plus it’ll be interesting seeing if second baseman Atlanta import VaughnGrissom is the first good team-building move by new GM CraigBreslow or part of the ChrisSale salary dump. And with top prospects RomanAnthony and MarceloMayer a step away in AAA this could be the start of a promising young core. Time will tell.
On Friday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. author Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham will be at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord (45 S. Main St., 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) to promote the latest installment in their Kitty-Corn children’s book series, Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn.
How do your own children or family influence your work as an author?
They influence my work a great deal. I have four kids and my first book came out the same year my first child was born. When they were younger I was writing young adult and adult novels, but as they grew up I was reading so many picture books and chapter books with them and graphic novels that what I’ve chosen to write in the last few years is greatly influenced by them. Also, sometimes, they just give me ideas for books, they’ll say something, and I’ll be like, ‘Aha! That’s a great idea.’
Can you talk about the importance of friendship and how that influences your work?
My theory is that all stories are about relationships. The relationships between characters is what makes us invested in them and interested in them and that’s the heart of every story, so I love friendship stories. With me and Uyen [LeUyen Pham], we are legitimately best friends and Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn was born directly out of that friendship. It really is just about our love of each other and learning how to best support each other and take care of each other and have fun together. That’s really the essence of those books.
What are your writing rituals or processes, if any?
I don’t have any rituals. I’m not a fussy writer. I think a lot of that is born out of being a stay-at-home mom with four kids for my whole career. I have to write whenever I get a chance. If the kids are distracted for half an hour, I’m writing. I didn’t have a full-time nanny or that kind of leisure. I’ve never had an office space where I would go to, to work, so that I was alone. I have learned to write in kind of a guerilla warfare way, where, if there’s time, I get myself to focus and I just write.
What is your favorite thing about book tours?
My favorite thing about book tours when I am touring with Uyen is that we get to be together. It’s just like extra friendship time. In between events, we keep very busy, it’s exhausting, but in between events we might go to a coffee shop and start working on a new book together. That’s how Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn started, [it] was in a coffee shop in St. Louis, Missouri, between a couple of events on a book tour for one of our graphic novels. So, I love that. I also really, really love seeing the kids. These picture books are so fun because the little kids are adorable. We get to read the picture book to them and see their reactions and hear their hilarious questions and commentary. I just adore that. My kids are older now. My kids are 13 through 20, so I don’t have any little kids at home anymore, so I just eat that up.
Do you have any advice for aspiring children’s book authors?
I guess the main thing would be to write for fun. You need to be able to develop your craft to the point where you can get your sentences to do what you want them to do and that takes a lot of time and a lot of practice. It’s like learning an instrument or a sport. So the more fun you can have while you’re doing it, while you are developing your craft, the faster it will develop for you.
—Zachary Lewis
Featured image: Shannon Hale. Photo by Jenn Florence.
