The Hillsboro Summer Festival has been trucking along for over 35 years and is exactly what you want from a summer festival filled with events and activities you might never have imagined.
Admission is free but parking is $10 per carload. The event is hosted with the Lions Club and the Fire Association in Hillsboro and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for various nonprofits.
The festival starts on the evening of Thursday, July 11, at 6 p.m.
“It’s just smack-dab in the middle of the summer; it’s something unique in New Hampshire … we’re incredibly affordable,” said Katherine Charrette, the Creative Director and Co-Chair of the Hillsboro Summer Festival.
For Thursday, “it’s more like a local intro,” Charrette said. That’s the first of three wristband days, which means for only $25 participants can purchase a wristband that allows for unlimited rides like the classic Zipper, Merry-Go-Round, Tilt-a-Whirl and more.
If you are unfamiliar with the Zipper, “it looks like a zipper. Imagine all of the pieces turn into a little roller coaster that spins … that’s the ride kids will go on eight times in a row,” Charette said.
A special Thursday-only bonus is extended to active military families, who will receive half-price admission with ID at the administration table.
The beer tent opens at 6 p.m. Thursday. Beers on tap include Bud, Bud Light, Founders IPA, Arnold Palmer’s Tea/Lemonade, Bud Light Seltzer and Downeast Craft Cider, according to the website, and all drinks will be $5 each.
Besides carnival rides and beer, there will be trivia from 7 to 10 p.m. on the main stage.
On Friday, July 12, the festival starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m.; Friday is another wristband day. At 6 p.m., Hillsboro Police will have their K-9 Unit show, which involves an agility course, and at 6:30 p.m. there will be an obstacle course at Entertainment Field where the Hillsboro Police Department, firefighters and EMS will be competing. Also 6:30 p.m. brings the start of the Angus Lea Golf Course 5K Road Race (pre-registration is $20 and day-of registration is $25). Music will blast from Nick’s Other Band as attendees marinate in the fun from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
Then on Saturday, July 13, the festival opens at noon but attendees will need to wait until 4 p.m. for the beer tent to open. Wristbands for unlimited rides are not available Saturday, but there will be plenty of entertainment. The famed Women’s Skillet Toss will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m, which is exactly as it sounds.
“It’s women only, a real old-time tradition but we do it for women’s heart health and we raise quite a bit of money for that,” Charrette said. “You take a skillet and you have to heave it underhand, you can try overhand if you want to, and you have to throw it as far as you can.”
Music on Saturday night will be performed by Lonesome Train and at 10 p.m. a huge fireworks display will paint the night sky after a performance of the national anthem by Faith Daley. “People come from all over for that … we put a lot of effort into it,” Charrette said.
For the last day, the Festival opens on Sunday, July 14, at noon and will feature a parade that starts at the school and ends at Grimes Field. The theme this year for the parade is Mythical Creatures.
“People go all out for the floats. It really has grown into quite a competitive parade. Very eclectic, colorful, Sunday is a really fun day,” Charrette said. On Sunday participants can acquire an unlimited ride wristband and the beer tent opens at 1 p.m. Also at 1 p.m. is the kids’ cupcake eating contest for little ones under the age of 10; it’s parsed into different age groups, “as young as 1 year old all the way to 10 years old, and they take it very seriously,” Charrette said. “It’s probably 60 kids just looking and waiting to eat more cupcakes than the other ones. You can’t see that anywhere else. It’s very entertaining.”
This event will be followed by a pie eating contest for the grown-ups at 1:30 p.m. The Festival closes at 5 p.m.
“It is a lot of fun packed into a full weekend,” Charrette said. “The atmosphere is just a really fun time, it’s a good-sized crowd but not overcrowded and … it’s just a lot to do that’s eclectic and affordable for families.”
Hillsboro Summer Festival Where: 29 Preston St., Hillsboro When: Thursday, July 11, from 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, July 12, from 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, July 13, from noon to 11 p.m., with fireworks at 10 p.m.; Sunday, July 14, from noon to 5 p.m. Admission: free Parking: $10 per carload Wristbands: $25 for unlimited rides on Thursday, Friday and Sunday More: hillsborosummerfest.com, 464-0377 No smoking. No outside alcohol. No animals allowed except for working service dogs. Free fountain water provided by The Hillsborough Solid Waste Advisory Board.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Final days: The “Metalsum” exhibit at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord; nhaudubon.org) closes on Friday, July 12. The show features rustic metal artwork with an emphasis on portraying the natural world by Jane Kolias, a New Hampshire native now residing in Vermont, according to the event website. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• On stage: All Shook Up is presented by Majestic Productions will run on Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 14, at 2 p.m. at Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway, Derry, majestictheatre.net, 669-7469). The performance features the songs of Elvis Presley and takes place in 1955 in a square little town in a square little state where a guitar-playing young man changes everything and everyone he meets. It’s also loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, according to the press release. Tickets are $15 and $22.
• Opera:The Pittsfield Players host an Evening at the Opera at the Scenic Theatre (6 Depot St., Pittsfield) on Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, at 7:30 p.m as well as Sunday, July 14, at 2 p.m. with a fully staged production of the classicI Pagliacciby the Italian composer Leoncavallo, according to a press release. This one-act opera will be sung in Italian and will feature some singers from the NH Opera Idol competition as well as other emerging opera performers from all over the United States. A pre-opera event will offer a brief introduction to I Pagliacci by the director of the production, Jane Cormier. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children and seniors. Visit pittsfieldplayers.org/tickets.
HEATHERS Heathers: The Musical by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the 1989 film, produced by Ro Gavin Collaborative Theater and presented by Hatbox Theatre and Manchester Community Theatre Players, runs July 12 through July 21 with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at MCTP Theater at the North End Montessori School in Manchester (689 Beech St.). The musical is based on the 1989 film, the darkly delicious story of a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful, ruthless, shoulder-padded clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. Tickets cost $28 for adults, $25 for students, seniors and members, $22 for senior members. See hatboxnh.com for content details.
• Summer concert: As part of the town of Exeter’s summer concert series at Swasey Parkway (316 Water St., Exeter) on Thursday, July 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. the band Forside Funk will perform, according to the town’s website, which says Forside Funk combines soulful melodies, tight rhythms and electrifying horn sections, and takes listeners on a musical journey back to the golden era of funk. Exeter’s concert series has been a summer tradition for over 30 years and occurs every Thursday this summer through Aug. 15. Visit exeternh.gov/recreation/2024-summer-concerts-swasey-parkway.
• The Circus: The Hideaway Circus will be at Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury) on Saturday, July 13, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, July 14, from 2 to 4 p.m., and Monday, July 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with their new family-friendly show, called Canvas Sky, according to a press release. This outdoor circus brings together the thrill of classical circus with a contemporary narrative as world-class performers displays their skill and artistry, according to the same release. Tickets range from VIP $65 to Premium $45 to general admission $25, and children 3 or younger are free. Call 742-4084 or visit hideawaycircus.com.
• Music in the gallery:As part of the Seacoast Artist Association’s Second Friday Music at the Gallery (130 Water St.) series, the SAA will present Terrie Harman on keyboards along with the vocals of Anne Corriveau on Friday, July 12, from 5 to 7 p.m., according to a press release. Harman is a contributing member of the American Guild of Organists, founded The Portsmouth Men’s Chorus, has volunteered on numerous art and music boards and serves as Director of Music at the Exeter Congregational Church, and has also served as Director of Music and organist in several NH Seacoast area churches, according to the release. Corriveau received a master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, continued her studies in Rome at the Accademia Internazionale delle Arti,gave several concerts throughout Italy, including for the Rome Opera Festival, and continues to study in Boston with Angela Gooch at Boston University, according to the same release. Refreshments will be served; admission is free. Visit their Facebook page or call 778-8856.
OUTDOOR MUSIC Londonderry’s Concerts on the Common features the Brian Maes Band on Wednesday, July 17, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Londonderry Town Common (265 Mammoth Road). Returning for their ninth year at Concerts on the Common, this band is packed with all-star musicians performing classic rock favorites by The Who, Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Tears for Fears, Elton John and more. In case of inclement weather the concert will be held inside the Londonderry High School cafeteria. Visit concertsonthecommon.org.
The Broadway musical bonafides of New London Barn Playhouse are solid. Wicked creator Stephen Schwartz wrote his first big hit, Godspell, there. Past “Barnies” include The Book of Mormon director Casey Nicholaw, along with Tony-winning actors Taye Diggs and Judy Kuhn. Laura Linney and Sandy Dennis are also alums.
Upcoming in the current season, which runs through Labor Day weekend, are Jersey Boys (opening July 17) and Rent (opening Aug. 7). These follow successful June productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Little Shop was something of a class reunion, according to New London Barn Executive Artistic Director Keith Coughlin.
“Of the 13 members in the cast, 10 are alumni who have returned to the Barn,” he said by phone recently. “Including some folks who were here not all that long ago and have then continued on and done some really great things in their career. The gentleman playing Seymour was just on Broadway.”
A pair of plays are also scheduled. Driving Miss Daisy opens July 10 for a five-day, seven-show run. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows the relationship between a stubborn Atlanta widow and the chauffeur she’s forced to hire when she crashes her car. It spans from 1948 to 1973, beginning with prejudice and ending in friendship.
“Those that appreciate the movie will like this,” Coughlin said. “It is a wonderful telling of that same story of acceptance. One of the things that really sparked to me is how it shows humans connecting and growing. These characters grow over the decades, their relationships build, and their mindsets grow and change. I think that’s really powerful.”
Clue, running from Aug. 21 through Sept. 1, closes out the summer. Coughlin agreed that the adaptation of a movie based on a board game is a fun way to end the season.
“It’s murder and it’s farce,” he said. “In the recent past couple of years, they’ve actually done a new adaptation of this play that really strikes closer to the tone of the movie. I think it’ll be in the ride of the season, experiencing all of these different performances, with people laughing and just enjoying it, for sure.”
Jersey Boys continues a theme begun last year, shows based on the canon of pop music. It follows 2023’s production of Carole King: Beautiful. Along with the Barn debut of Rent, which Coughlin called “a cornerstone in the genre,” it’s the show he’s most looking forward to this year.
“After trying a number of seasons to get it in our lineup, I’m really excited to share that,” he said. “We have a wonderful director and choreographer who’s coming in to helm it that has been working on Broadway shows and productions in London. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for our patrons. Tickets are already going quick.”
Finally, on July 22, the Barn’s first-ever concert happens, as Steven Leslie performs a tribute to James Taylor.
“I jokingly say that almost every night of the summer there’s some type of performance happening,” Coughlin said. “But there are a couple of nights that are not, [and] I thought that this might be an interesting idea to do something … different than sort of the normal theater productions that we do.”
It’s part of an expansion effort that includes operating as a year-round entity, he continued. “The Barn will always be celebrated by the work that we do inside the barn in the summer,” he said, “but we’re growing in impact to the community in a way that’s really exciting. That’s the next chapter… we have a dynamic education team that’s doing some really powerful things for our community all year long, not just within the summer.”
Driving Miss Daisy When: Wednesday, July 10, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, July 11, and Friday, July 12, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 13, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, July 14, 5 p.m. Where: New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main St., New London Tickets: $34 to $59 at nlbarn.org
The Currier Museum of Art will be hosting its annual Summer Block Party on Sunday, July 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. The entire community is invited to take part in this fun and free celebration of art and Manchester.
“Hopefully those that have not been to the museum before or for a long time can come and get to enjoy the museum for free,” said Karen Graham, interim director & chief operating officer of the Currier Museum of Art. She expects a good turnout.
“We typically get upwards of 2,500 people,” she said. Usually the building and the whole grounds are full of people enjoying the event.”
Guests can enjoy the fun inside or outside the museum.
“The first year we did it we weren’t sure if people would be interested in going into the galleries or if they would just stay outside because there are so many activities outside,” Graham said, “but the galleries … they were the most crowded of any day during the year during the Block Party.”
Some activities at the Block Party will be inspired by the museum’s new Daniel Otero Torres exhibition, “Sonidos del Crepúsculo (Twilight Sounds).” This is the first exhibition at a U.S. institution of the work of Colombian-born and Paris-based artist Torres. Activities will include a clay leaf project as well as a chance to “create watercolor seascapes inspired by the Stories of the Sea show,” according to the Currier’s website.
There will be a stamp printmaking station set up to mimic abstract patterns like the ones in Elisabeth Kley’s installation in the museum’s Welcome Gallery.
Outdoor activities are held in the Museum’s courtyard, some under tents. The event is held rain or shine.
“We close part of Ash Street on the side of the building and all of Prospect in front of the building … between Ash and Beech,” Graham said. This is where you’ll find food vendors including Deadproof Pizza, Consuelo’s, Arnie’s Place ice cream, Don Quijote, Chez Rafiki and the Gyro Spot as well as ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.
Beer and wine will be plentiful; the Currier typically crafts specialty cocktails based on its current exhibitions.
“We close off the parking lot, obviously, and that’s where the wine and beer tent, the musicians, and all the art activities are, throughout the whole grounds of the museum,” Graham said.
Live music will be performed outdoors by Joey Clark and The Big Hearts, and Party of the Sun. “We had both of them play here on different occasions in the past and the crowd loved them both,” Graham said. Laura Boyce from Rock 101’s Greg & the Morning Buzz will act as emcee.
It’s a good time to sign up for a Museum membership, if you haven’t already.
“New members that join as a member that day, they’ll get a discount. We’ll have some of our staff walking through the crowds inviting people to become members at a discounted rate,” Graham said.
And, as Graham noted, there’s always face painting. It’s one of the most popular activities at the Block Party. “We make it our biggest tent … when we used to leave it up to requests the line would circle the building, so now we pick and give them a few options to pick from … so there’ll probably be a fish, a mermaid, things like that.” The face painting will be themed to go with the current “Stories from the Sea” exhibit. Central High School’s Art Department volunteers with the face painting and are led by museum staff.
That combination of art and the community brings joy to Graham.
“I just love an opportunity to have so much of our community come together in the summer and enjoy art. We always hear the best comments from people that say, ‘Oh, I haven’t been here since I was a kid taking an art class and now I’m coming back with my own kids…. People really, really love the opportunity to come in and see the art.”
The Currier’s Summer Block Party When: Sunday, July 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. Where: 150 Ash St., Manchester Admission: free More: currier.org, 669-6144
Flea markets generally fall into three categories:
Antiques. This doesn’t necessarily mean snooty people arguing over the fine points of Chippendale armoires, although it can. It means that most items on offer are old: boxes of old books, turn-of-the-last-century bottles, antique car parts, used CDs, piles of vintage Barbie dolls, or a stuffed owl or two — cool old stuff waiting for someone with a particular enthusiasm.
Sweat socks. Not just sweat socks, of course, but inexpensive consumer goods like burner phones, cell phone covers, neon-colored tracksuits and lots of shampoo. If you are looking for a velour blanket with a picture of a matador or a howling wolf on it, this is the place to find it. Please don’t think that I am mocking this type of market. It whispers sweet nothings to my heart.
Overgrown garage sale. You’re never sure what you’ll find at this kind of flea market. Yes, there are a few professional dealers specializing in Pokémon cards, or military surplus, but just as many of the vendors are people who have found themselves with too much of something on their hands — some old, some new — that they want to get rid of. For many of them it’s the getting-rid-of that’s the important thing. A sports family might realize they have 20 years’ worth of hockey gear, skis, football helmets and lacrosse sticks, and decide to flea market it.
About three years ago I found my flea market: the late, lamented Hollis Flea Market. It was an antiques market, full of vintage — stuff. There were some stunning antique clocks for customers with much richer blood than mine, but also any number of commemorative plates, piles of old postcards and, once, a giant pile of 3,600 C-clamps.
Unfortunately, this winter, the owners of the Hollis Flea Market announced that they were closing. This has left me searching for a new flea market.
Not counting yard sales and antiques shows, there are four major flea markets in the area:
Londonderry Flea Market
295 Nashua Road, Londonderry londonderryfleamarket.com Open Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April through October Admission $1.50 per person; 60+ and kids under 12 get in free. The basics: The Londonderry Flea Market is an outdoor market on 30 acres, with up to 300 vendors on a given day. Many vendors do not accept credit cards; it’s a good idea to bring cash. There is an ATM on site. According to the Market’s website, there is a “huge assortment of items to find & buy for home, garden, work, pleasure, personal wants & needs. Make a list of things you’d like to buy before you visit the market. Bring the list with you to shop as the sellers here just may have what you’re looking for! f you don’t see it, ask them as it may just be out of sight.” Food: There is a concession tent in the center of the market selling burgers, hot dogs, snacks and drinks.
Londonderry Flea Market. Photo by John Fladd.
The Londonderry Flea Market is very, very large. There are two halves, one on each side of a fire pond. Many of the vendors work under cover, but at the very back of the flea market there are a number of people selling things from tables. I asked one man in the back who was selling old vinyl records and a seriously intriguing pile of 78s how business was. He said he hadn’t made any sales yet, “but it’s about to rain, and I’m located back here in Siberia.”
One of his neighbors in the back section of the flea market was Stephanie St. Pierre, an enthusiastic world traveler and a maker. She was selling a number of trinkets and antiques from Thailand and Myanmar, but her most fascinating items were four handmade cigar-box banjos. They are a reminder of a brief but intense enthusiasm from a few years ago. Some of the banjos have three strings; some have one.
“I like it,” St. Pierre said. “It’s just fun to play with one string. A diddly-bow, I guess is what they call the ones with one string.” At one point, she made electric cigar-box banjos. “The better ones had pick-ups,” she said. “You could plug them into an amp. I’m not musical, but I had fun going to the flea markets to find all the hardware.”
A 3-foot-tall Barbie doll in a crocheted sweater and miniskirt, concrete garden ornaments — I was distracted from these things by a table full of beads. I was struck by a 2-inch bead — a white porcelain cube with a hole through the center, and what appeared to be blue Chinese characters on the sides.
“What’s the story with this?” I asked the lady selling the beads. She examined it closely for several seconds. “I have no idea what that is,” she confessed. I bought it for a dollar, reasoning that I could tie it to my sword scabbard like a samurai, if I ever got really good at using a sword. It pays to be prepared.
Vincent is the Vinnie of Vinnie’s Uniques and Antiques. Unlike most of the vendors’ stalls, his has a sign. He is a regular; he sells at Londonderry every weekend.
“I look for stuff that nobody else has,” he said. “I want something that they [customers] cannot find anywhere else. If it’s something they’re going to have a hard time finding, I want to have that.” On this particular day, his favorite item was a model ship. “I’m going to tell you, I love this boat. This is a beautiful, beautiful boat,” he said. He pulled aside a tarp to reveal a glass case with a model of a four-masted ship inside. “This guy told me that this ship here burned down and they rebuilt it, but it was never the same ship. There isn’t a kit for this ship, so this ship was made by somebody [who knew it well]. I love my ship.”
Coolest item at the flea market that day: It’s a toss-up between a concrete garden statue of a sad dog and a gold-plated reproduction of a crocodile skull.
What I actually bought: The big Chinese bead and a $5 hockey goalie mask to use in my sword class.
Salem Flea Market (Outside)
20 Hampshire Road, Salem salemfleamarket.com Open Saturdays and Sundays 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Year-round Admission $1; a ticket will allow customers to return during the day The basics: The number of vendors at the outside market can vary on any given day, depending on the weather, but there are usually 50 to 60. Public restrooms are located inside the building. Almost none of the vendors accept credit cards. An ATM is located on the premises. According to the Salem Flea Market website, “The Salem Flea Market has been open for business for more than 40 years. We have new and used items, including antiques arriving every week.” Food: There are two or three concession stands at the entrance to the Indoors Market, as well as vendors selling fresh fruit in the Market itself. One review on the Market’s Facebook page reads, “Corn dogs. Corn dogs. Corn dogs. Corn dogs. Corn dogs.”
There are two parts to the Salem Flea Market: an outdoor market and an indoor one. It might be tempting to consider them as a single unit, but they are so vastly different that it makes sense to consider each on its own merits.
The Outside Market butts right up against the parking lot, and there is a lot going on. It is constantly in motion. It comes closest to being another garage sale-type market, but here the focus is on utility. Some of the vendors sell new items, most sell old ones, but virtually everything is practical. If you are looking for a hand-operated winch with 20 feet of chain, or a used large-screen television, this is the place for you.
Salem Flea Market (outside). Photos by John Fladd.
Lucas sells kitchen appliances. His tables are covered with blenders, food processors, microwave ovens and smaller kitchen tools. He has a small generator on hand, if any customers want to test out one of the appliances. Lucas doesn’t mind telling where he gets his merchandise. He buys the items from thrift stores, most of which he has a relationship with and will sell them to him by the pound. He cleans them up, if necessary, and resells them. I asked him how much he paid for a random blender. It was clean, new-looking, and looked like it would work well in most kitchens.
“I paid maybe 10 dollars,” he said with a shrug. “I can probably sell it here for 20.” What really jumped out at me was a variable-speed, hand-held immersion blender. I asked Lucas how much he wanted for it, and he said he was willing to let it go for $10.
On any given day, the outside market has anywhere up to a dozen cargo trucks. Most are from clean-out businesses or junk removal companies.
On this day, one vendor’s stock was mostly old, hard-worked lawn mowers and piles of air conditioners. His neighbor had three or four tables of used shoes. Another specialized in bicycles and stereo speakers. Because almost everything at the Outside Market is practical, and given the time of the year, several vendors at the front end of the market were selling garden plants. The people who sell at both Salem markets are from all over the world, so many of the vegetable plants for sale weren’t ones you might find at a local garden center — bitter melons, makrut lime trees and some with labels written in Asian characters.
A vendor named Melissa was beginning to think she might have come to the wrong flea market. She was located at the very back of the lot.
“I’ve got some bathrobes, some nightgowns, some [porcelain] figurines, some luggage,” she said, “a little bit of everything. It’s actually all mine. I’ve been a shopper my whole life and collecting things over the years. I usually sell on Facebook Marketplace, but that’s exhausting!” I asked what she thought her hidden gem was. She said that for the right person, the bisque porcelain figurines would be a satisfying find. “What is it they say? ‘One man’s junk is another man’s treasure?’”
Coolest item at the flea market that day: Two KitchenAid stand mixers. The vendor was looking for $80 for the small one, and even missing its bowl he was confident he could get $140 for the six-quart model.
What I actually bought: Plants — two brightly colored lilies and a large pot of Thai chile pepper plants for a total of $12.
Salem Flea Market (Inside)
20 Hampshire Road, Salem salemfleamarket.com Open Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round Admission: The same $1 ticket. The basics: Public restrooms are located inside the building. Almost none of the vendors accepts credit cards. An ATM is located on the premises. Food: There is a small snack bar inside.
The Inside Market in Salem definitely falls into the sweat socks category. As soon as you walk through the door you’re greeted by enthusiastic salsa and mariachi music. Neon-colored T-shirts compete for space with affordably-priced perfumes and colognes. One vendor sells apparently new-looking mattresses still in their plastic.
One stall was filled to the brim with brightly colored Catholic statuary — figures of saints and religious figures of all sizes, religious paintings, and ceramic bowls and flower pots.
Salem Flea Market (inside). Photo by John Fladd.
The Inside Market has several twisting aisles that branch off unexpectedly. Just when you think you’ve seen most of it, you turn a corner and find a completely new group of stalls. Like almost all the shops, my vote for the coolest one doesn’t have a name above the door. It is about twice the size of other shops, and there are dozens — probably hundreds — of used bicycles hanging from the ceiling. It would be a mistake to think of it as a bike shop, however. The main focus of the business seems to be knives of all kinds and replica swords. Tucked away in a corner are two reproduction helmets, one Spartan and one medieval. Plus the truly impressive number of ceiling bikes.
The chain-link wall of a nearby stall is covered with hundreds of wrestling action figures. A man named Tony runs it with his wife. “I mostly sell Pokémon, wrestling, and action figure toys,” he told me. “That’s all I sell. Well, that and some baseball cards. And football cards — things that people collect.”
Another stall is about half the size of Tony’s and looks for all the world like a storage closet. It is packed full of packages of disposable cups and takeout containers. The owner had stepped out when I visited, so I made small talk with a lady who had come in looking for cups. “This is for a church event tonight,” she told me. “I always come here, and I’ve been coming here since before Covid. I always find what I’m looking for.”
A hand-written sign at another stall nearby read, “Good Quality According to the Price You Pay.”
Coolest item at the flea market that day: A trademark-skirting box of brightly colored toy ponies called Horse Lovely. “THAT BEAUTIFUL HORSE SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY,” the box announced cheerfully.
What I actually bought: Three small resin figurines of babies doing kung fu, for $2 each.
Davisville Flea Market
805 Route 103, Warner davisvillefleamarket.com Open Sundays 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. (The website advises visiting between 6 and 11 a.m.) Open May 5 until the last Sunday in October rain or shine. Admission and parking are free. The basics: An outdoor market with anywhere from 50 to 150+ vendors. Live music, outdoor toilets. Food: There is a concession stand that sells cold drinks, coffee, foods and snacks. Frequently there will be food trucks or vendors selling food.
The Davisville Flea Market is an antiques-centered one. A few artists and craftspeople sell their work, but the majority of the vendors sell old items. There are vintage tools, piles of old photographs, and beer steins on offer.
Aiden and Myles are 9 years old. I met them as they stood, spellbound, in front of the Holy Grail for 9-year-old boys: a giant pile of dozens of Nerf guns. Aiden was willing to give me some flea market advice, though he was incredibly distracted. His friend Myles stood next to him, his mouth agape. Aiden picked up a bright orange Nerf machine gun and examined it as he said, “I’m looking for one that has an attachment that can hold a lot of bullets.”
Aiden said that he likes the look of the guns. “If they made these look like camo [camouflage pattern] that would be good, if you’re into that,” he said, “but I like the bright colors. I think they make them this bright, so you buy them more.”
Davisville Flea Market. Photo by John Fladd.
As I walked around to different tables, I was reminded of some lessons about flea market etiquette I’ve learned the hard way. I approached a table under the shade of some trees that was covered with antique tools. The vendor was having a conversation with another man, but in a slow, laconic way, with many pauses. When I was new to flea marketing, I would have used a lull in the conversation as an opportunity to ask a question, but that has rarely worked out well for me. The polite thing to do is wait until the conversation is completely done.
In this case, I waited four or five minutes for the two men to finish their conversation before talking with the vendor.
“How ya doin’ this morning?” he asked. This is a time-tested traditional greeting that indicated that he was willing to talk. I made a friendly but non-committal answer, because being too enthusiastic about anything sets the wrong tone in negotiations like this. I asked him about a hatchet on his ax table. “What’s the story with this?” I asked. (I could have asked him how much he wanted for it, but that could be interpreted as enthusiasm.)
Clearly this was the right thing to ask. He gleefully told me the brand name of the hatchet. Apparently, at least according to him, it was generally used for splitting shakes. At this point a couple of other customers had wandered over, but I was pleased to find that he had made me one half of the old-guy conversation, so he could make the other people wait.
He tried to sell me a bear trap.
I made my way to a tent run by artists Courtney Norton and Matt West. Their business, 7 Glass Studio, specializes in glass work and pyrography — using heat to burn designs into wood or leather. Matt works in low-heat, non-blown glass. Today he was selling extremely life-like glass caterpillars. “The black, yellow and white ones are your traditional monarch colors,” he explained. “The other ones are just fantasy. People like to stick them in their potted plants.”
John Zapollo sells a lot of different things. Today it was mostly books. He was questioning the wisdom of bringing them to the market. “Books have gone way down,” he said with a rueful shake of his head. “Books here at the flea market don’t seem to sell. It seems like more people are looking for tools and stuff to take care of their houses. The antique stuff that I sell doesn’t seem to get a lot of traction.”
The coolest item at the flea market that day: The bear trap.
What I actually bought: Three antique cookbooks from John. The most interesting one was published by the Heinz Corporation in 1939. I paid $1 apiece.
Pipe Dream Brewing (49 Harvey Road, Unit 4, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com) will host a Sea Glass Workshop tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Create colorful sea glass art by using an assortment of shells, colorful pebbles, sand and sea glass. All materials are included in the price of the class, but participants are welcome to bring their own. This class costs $60 per person. Tickets are required and are available at thecanvasroadshow.com/#Classes.
Friday, July 12
The Raymond Town Fair returns for its 48th year starting today and continuing through Sunday, July 14, at the Raymond Town Common (Epping and Main streets, Raymond). It will feature live music, family-friendly entertainment, a children’s parade, a fireworks display and more. See “Raymond Town Fair” on Facebook to keep up to date on details.
Friday, July 12
Chunky’s (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) will host Feud Gone Wild tonight starting at 8:30 p.m. The game and answers will be on the big screen. Expect about six or more 15-minute rounds. Tickets are $20 at the Chunky’s website.
Saturday, July 13
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) annual Classic Car Show is happening today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., welcoming vehicles of all makes and eras. Trophies will be given out for the People’s Choice Award and the Museum Award. Vehicle registration is $10, or you can come as a spectator for $5 (cash only; kids ages 12 and under are free). A rain date of July 22 is planned. Visit nhahs.org.
Saturday, July 13
LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will host an outdoor Vinyasa Flow Yoga class next to its vineyard, in partnership with New Hampshire Power Yoga of Merrimack. A glass of wine in the Bistro Restaurant may be added after your class; the class takes place from 11 a.m to noon. The cost is $20.
Saturday, July 13
The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner, 456-2600, indianmuseum.org) will host its 23rd Annual Intertribal Powwow from 10 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be singing, dancing, drumming and more than 20 traders with handmade crafts. Admission is free for Native Americans, $15 for other adults; members and children are $8. Children 6 and under are free. Visit the Museum’s website.
Monday, July 15
900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria (50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will host a Raising Dough event starting at 5 p.m. to benefit Jenni Share, of To Share Brewing. Jenni was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and the funds raised from this event will directly help with her medical bills. Visit 900degrees.com/events.
Wednesday, July 17
Bring your blankets and chairs to Veterans Park in downtown Manchester tonight at dusk for a screening of 1989’sHoney, I Shrunk the Kids. Concessions will be available for purchase, according to a post on the Manchester Economic Development Office Facebook page.
Save the Date! Sunday, July 21 North America’s premier Celtic act, Tartan Terrors, will play the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St, Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) Sunday, July 21 at 7 p.m. The Terrors blend the energy of a rock show with humor and step dance. Tickets start at $39.
