Tag: 251127

A moo-ving experience

Christmas With the Cows returns to Canterbury

By John Fladd

jfladd@hippopress.com

According to Luke Mahoney, owner of Brookford Farm in Canterbury, the farm’s yearly tradition of Christmas With The Cows has its origins in Germany.

“My wife and her mother come from Dresden, Germany,” he said, “where they have this really fantastic Christmas market. And we now live on a farm. So we decided to merge the two worlds where the German Christmas street market meets an organic farm in the countryside. So there’s elements of both throughout the whole thing.”

Brookford Farm’s website describes Christmas With the Cows as “a celebration of our animals returning to their winter housing from their green pastures. Mostly outside, it has a festive atmosphere, with family-friendly DIY crafts, and farm fresh food.” Mahoney said that the food is a cornerstone of the celebration.

“It’s a merger of German cuisine and farm-to-table food,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of what is in the food is grown on the farm, but it’s German-inspired. There’s sausages and [farm-made] sauerkraut. We have cheese and latkes, which are potato pancakes, served with applesauce and sour cream from the farm. There will be quark balls [quarkbällchen in German], which is a real classic German Christmas market specialty. It’s a sort of a doughnut made with fresh quark cheese that we produce on the farm.” (Quark is described as a fresh, soft, and creamy cheese with a mild, slightly sour taste, similar to a cross between thick yogurt and cottage cheese.)

Mahoney said there will also be traditional German goulash and a traditional bread-like cake (or cake-like bread) called stollen.

“I think probably every part of Germany claims to have the best,” he said,” but Dresden is world-renowned for its stollen. When my mother-in-law came to the U.S. she brought the recipe with her, and we’ve been making it every year ever since. Again, it’s made with our own ingredients; we’re not growing the wheat, but the butter and milk come from our farm. We’ll have that for tasting, but also for sale.”

For many years, all of the farm’s fermented products were made by an employee from Russia, whom Mahoney described as “a wizard of fermentation.”
“Sadly,” he said, “this year, she actually passed away. But she wrote all her recipes down, and my wife led the sauerkraut production this year. Her son might be there to help us.”

All the farm’s dairy, Mahoney said, comes from 100-percent grass-fed Normandy cows, a French breed. Ironically, Christmas With The Cows is one of the few events that doesn’t feature Brookford Farm’s trademark Cow Parade, when the dairy herd returns from pasture to marching music. That’s down to the time of the year, Mahoney said.

“They’re in the barn for the winter,” he said, “so this is the one event where a parade is not included, but the cows are like ever-present. They kind of oversee the whole event from their barn and people can approach them, feed them hay, and folks can choose Christmas trees for them. We make a kind of mock Christmas tree forest in front of the cows, to make them part of the event.”

Christmas With the Cows
Where: Brookford Farm, 250 West Road,
Canterbury, 742-4084, brookfordfarm.com
When: three consecutive weekends, Nov.
29-30, Dec. 6-7, and Dec. 13-14, from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets
(13+) are $14 through eventbrite.com or
$15 at the door. Tickets for children 4 to 12
are $9 online, $10 at the door. Children 3
and younger are free.

Featured photo: Cow at Brookford Farm. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 25/11/27

• Wine week: Tickets are on sale now for the 20th Annual New England Winter Wine Spectacular slated for Thursday, Jan. 22, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St. Doors open at 6 p.m. for general admission, 5 p.m. for people with Advanced Entrance and Bellman’s Cellar Select tickets, according to nhwineweek.com. The Wine Week events will also feature Sommelier Select, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Grappone Center in Concord which is a guided blind tasting, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets for that event as well.

• Farmers market goes indoors: The Concord Farmers’ Market has moved indoors for the season. Fresh, local products will be available Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 7 Eagle Square in Concord.

• Gingerbread decor: The Goffstown Public Library (2 High St., Goffstown, 497-2102, goffstownlibrary.com) will host a family gingerbread house decorating session Saturday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the children’s room. Pre-built gingerbread houses and decorating goodies will be provided; you just need to bring your imagination. Space is limited and registration is required. One registration per family please.

• Ramen bar: There will be a DIY Ramen Bar for tweens and teens (ages 10 and up) at the Maxfield Public Library (8 Route 129, Loudon, 798-5153, maxfieldlibrary.org) Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. Customize your own ramen with a variety of toppings in the Community Room. Feel free to bring Thanksgiving leftovers to create some wild options. Registration is encouraged.

• Holiday cooking with wine: On Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 7 p.m., LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com/labelle-winery-derry) will host an interactive cooking demonstration and tasting featuring holiday cocktail party recipes. Sample each class recipe paired with LaBelle Wines. LaBelle’s chefs demonstrate the cooking processes and share culinary tips and techniques. Participants will also receive recipe cards so they can re-create the class recipes at home. The cost is $40 per person at labellewinery.com/public-winery-events.

Fall gardening chores

Rinse your pots, test your soil and more

By Henry Homeyer
listings@hippopress.com

After a severely dry summer, October brought much-needed rains, at least here in Cornish Flat, New Hampshire. It is particularly important for trees, shrubs and perennials planted this year to go into the winter well-hydrated, and it looks like Mother Nature has taken care of that. I always recommend watering new plants before the ground freezes if they are dry.

Because of the drought, there is virtually nothing left blooming. Everything has gone by. The only bloomer in my garden (in early November) is a small native tree, witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), which is loaded with small curly yellow flowers on its branches. It is pollinated by the owlet moth, one of the few pollinators still active now, after many frosts. The seeds are not formed until spring, and it is not until next fall that the seed capsules burst open, sending seeds up to 45 feet away.

Winterberry is not blooming now, but it is loaded with bright red berries. A native shrub, it grows in swamps and wet places in the wild, but it also can be used in regular garden soil. It is dioecious, meaning that there are male and female plants. Fortunately the nursery industry labels their stock as male or female. Only one male is needed for most plantings. It looks great in a vase with cuttings of witch hazel or with sprigs of evergreens.

But on to the late fall chores. Now is the time to empty your clay and enamel pots of their soil. If not, they are likely to burst when wet soil in them expands on freezing. Best to rinse out and put your favorite pots in the garage or barn. Plastic and fiberglass pots won’t break.

What about your lawn? If you have a heavy leaf load, I recommend raking up the leaves. Oaks and other heavy leaves can impede growth in early spring and can encourage snow mold. If you don’t have a smothering load of leaves, you can just mulch them with your lawn mower and leave them in place. They will add needed organic matter to the soil, helping you to have a nice lawn next summer. To avoid snow mold, give your lawn one last mowing, cutting it a little shorter than usual.

By now you probably have brought inside all potted house plants that summered outside. If so, you may have a nice crop of aphids on some of them. Look for sticky excrement on leaves, and tiny aphids. You can get rid of the aphids two ways: first, take the pots outside and rinse the leaves (top and bottom) with the hose. Or take a shower with your plants! Only kidding; just rinse them off in the kitchen sink or shower. Alternatively, you can spray them with “Safer Soap” or your homemade equivalent: one tablespoon of mild dish soap in a quart of water. Spray the leaves and rinse after 20 minutes. It will dissolve the fats in their skin, drying them out and doing them in.

This is a good time to test your soil. In the spring the wait is often long. Now you can get quick results and make improvements to the soil if need be. Each state has a Cooperative Extension Service that offers soil testing for a minimum fee. In my state the standard test includes recommendations for adding fertilizer, pH, mineral content, organic matter content, and a test for lead. If your vegetable garden is near a house that was built before 1970, when lead paint was outlawed, you should get it tested for lead. For an additional fee you can get your soil tested for cadmium and other heavy metals, too.

When you buy blueberry plants the soil they come in is at the proper pH (a measure of the acidity). But as the roots extend outward, they may not have the proper pH. If your blueberries are not producing well, get the pH tested. They need very acidic soil, 4.5 to 5.5 on the pH scale. This is a good time of year to add soil acidifier or elemental sulfur if your soil is not acidic enough. Sprinkle soil acidifier around the plants, extending out 2 to 3 feet from their centers. This will improve production in a year or two. You may want to get the soil around your bushes tested for pH, in addition to a general soil test for your other gardens.

This is a good time to do some pruning. After leaf drop you can really see the branches. You can ask yourself, as you look at a shrub or tree, “What will this branch be like in five years?” If it’s growing toward another branch or shooting through the middle of the shrub, you should remove it now, while it is still small. I never prune a woody plant in the first or second year after planting — it needs all its leaves to produce food for the roots.

If you have cleaned up your vegetable bed and removed annual flowers elsewhere, it is good to cover the soil with chopped leaves. Weed seeds are blowing around now. Don’t offer them a good place to land and spend the winter. I don’t usually pull annuals in the fall for that reason. I just snip off the tops and pull the roots in the spring.

Generally we are most active in the garden in the spring and early summer, but this is the time to do some planning. Put on an extra layer of wool, grab a notebook, and take a walk around your gardens. Make note of places that need more or different plants, and do some research about what would do well there. We have a long winter ahead, so do your homework!

Henry is an organic gardener living in Cornish, N.H. He is the author of four gardening books and frequently lectures to garden clubs and library groups. Reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net or PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746.

Treasure Hunt 25/11/27

Hi, Donna,

I’m wondering if you can provide any information about this desk bell that I purchased at an antique shop several years ago. It’s made entirely of metal. It’s 5.25 inches tall, the base is 4.25 inches across, and the bell is 3 inches in diameter. I’m wondering about its age and value. It’s in very good condition, and it still works! Thank you.

Peter in Manchester

Dear Peter,

Your Victorian Era (late 1800s) service bell was probably used a lot back in its time. Any situation where you would have needed service is what it was for. Countertop bells would be in hotels, stores, etc. Bells are still used today, although most are electric.

Some antique bells are plain, some fancy. I think yours is in the middle but very pretty. I would say the value is in the $90 range. Thanks for sharing with us, Peter.

Donna

Whole lot of Dickens

One-man Christmas Carol back for final bow

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

For three decades in the United States and the past 15 years in Nashua, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens has performed his beloved novel, A Christmas Carol, as a one-man show, bringing 26 characters from the holiday classic to life, each given distinct and unique touches and mannerisms.

Alas, this year marks the show’s final trip ’cross the pond. A farewell tour begins Nov. 28 at Nashua’s Center for the Arts.

“It’s just been an incredibly wild ride … such fun,” Gerald Dickens said during a recent Zoom call from his English home in Abington, Oxfordshire. “But, for a number of reasons — family considerations at home and all sorts of things — I thought 30 years is a pretty good number to hang up the top hat on.”

When he first performed it in 1993, Dickens believed it would be the only time.

“It was an absolute one-off … I insisted I’d never do it again,” he said of the reading, held to commemorate the novel’s 150th anniversary. He used an annotated script that the author had worked from in the 1860s, a time when he was doing more touring than writing.

Dickens’ notes about his characters made them come alive for his descendant.

“You get to the first description of Scrooge,” he recalled, rising to the role. “It says, ‘he was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner. He was hard and sharp as flint, secret, self-contained.’ At the end of it, you’ve just turned into him — you can’t help it.”

One reason that so many Dickens works have been adapted for stage and screen is probably that he was an aspiring actor for many years before starting his career as a writer.

“He was a passionate theatrical man,” Gerald Dickens explained. “He auditioned at the Covent Garden Theater in London, the leading theater in the country at that time. Well, he didn’t audition. He had an audition scheduled, but he was ill on the morning of it. He didn’t have a voice, so he couldn’t go. So, yeah, that’s what he wanted to do.”

Giving readings allowed him to re-indulge that passion, he continued. “He absolutely loved … that direct contact with his audience that, of course, you don’t get as a novelist.” His final completed novel, Our Mutual Friend, came in 1865. “For the rest of that decade, he didn’t write anything. He was purely on the road, touring and performing.”

Dickens had a particular affinity for New England. On a U.S. reading tour in 1867 and 1868, he made Boston’s Parker House Hotel a home base, and performed at the adjacent Tremont Temple. Gerald Dickens has also appeared at that venue.

For the past several years, Gerald Dickens’ annual Christmas Carol tour has been sponsored by collectibles maker Byers’ Choice, whose caroler figures are de rigueur holiday decorations in many American homes. To commemorate the farewell tour, the Pennsylvania company released a special edition caroler in his likeness.

In a recent blog post, Dickens wrote about “the huge sense of honour — no, I shall write honor in deference to my hosts” he felt seeing his miniature likeness. It wears a gray frock coat over a red and gold waistcoat, along with a top hat and green knitted scarf. One hand holds a wooden cane that represents Tiny Tim’s crutch, the other a gold pocket watch chain.

“They’ve done a really great job with it,” he said. It’s likely they’ll be available at his Nashua show, he added, and if not, they can be ordered direct from the company, perhaps containing a special touch. “I have no doubt they’ll have me sat in a little boardroom somewhere, signing hundreds of copies.”

He’s eager to begin the farewell tour.

“I love coming to Nashua,” Dickens said. “Over the last three years, I’ve been able to perform in the beautiful Center for the Arts there … what a facility; a great, great theater … a real treat.” For anyone with any preconceptions about the show, he shared this message.

“It’s not a stuffy, dusty old Englishman doing a lecture,” he said. “There’s a lot of chance for the audience to join in, shout out and get involved in the story. We have a lot of fun with it. There’s a lot of laughter, and a few tears. It’s a bit scary sometimes, joyous other times. You get to see me dance. No one else in the world ever sees that.”

A Christmas Carol with Gerald
Dickens – Farewell Tour
When: Saturday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.
Where: Nashua Center for the Arts, 201
Main St., Nashua
Tickets: $24 and up at etix.com

Featured photo: Gerald Dickens. Courtesy photo.

Carols with a beat (& Holiday laughs)

Jazz, rock, Celtic music and more

Compiled by Amy Diaz
adiaz@hippopress.com

From rocking holiday shows to celebrations with a Celtic flavor, here is some music to keep the season bright.

• The Stone Church Music Club, 5 Granite St. in Newmarket, stonechurchrocks.com, will present its annual Turkey Jam with Truffle on Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.

• After Thanksgiving Night Out, described as a “chance to swap the cozy couch for the dance floor and celebrate with a variety of music, dazzling lights, and great company,” will take place at the Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave. in Laconia, lakeportopera.com, on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.

• The Word Barn in Exeter, thewordbarn.com, will hold its 12 Nights of Christmas Series at the Orchard Chapel, 143 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls. The shows include Halley Neal and Sam Robbins on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.; Mr. Sun Play Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m.; An Irish Christmas With John Doyle and Cathie Ryan on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.; A Winter’s Evening with Ryanhood on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.; Hannah Juanita and The Hardliners on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.; Harrison Goodell with a full band on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.; A Cape Breton Christmas with Còig on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.; A Nova Scotia Christmas with Cassie & Maggie on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.; Scottish Fish Holiday Show on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.; A Celtic Christmas with Lunasa on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m.; Kat & Brett Holiday Show with Tyler Bolles & Will Seeders on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m.; Jordan TW Trio Celtic Christmas on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m., and a Charlie Brown Christmas with Heather Pierson Trio on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m.

• Viva Las Elvis: Christmas Tribute Concert will take place at LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, labellewinery.com, on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 1 p.m.

• The Divas with a Twist: Holiday Concert, featuring five “powerhouse female vocalists with professional theater backgrounds combined with Grammy nominated musicians,” will hit the stage at The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 2 p.m., according to palacetheatre.org.

• The Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas Caravan 2025 will come to the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m.

• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party will come to the Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, coloniallaconia.com, on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m.

• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

• The Drifters’ Christmas will come to the Flying Monkey, 39 Main St. in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com, on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

• The annual Gary Hoey — Ho! Ho! Hoey! show will return to Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, on Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m.

• Joe Deleault Jazz Quartet will play the four-course holiday brunch at LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, labellewinery.com, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m.

• MUSE: A Salute to Holiday Divas! Will be at The Music Hall Lounge, 131 Congress St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 and 8 p.m.

• The Scott Spradling Band: Rockin’ Big Band Christmas will come to The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

• Joe Deleault Jazz Quartet will play the four-course holiday brunch at LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101 in Amherst, labellewinery.com, on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 11 a.m.

• Jane Lynch’s A Swingin’ Little Christmas will come to the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.

• LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, labellewinery.com, will host a Winter Sound Bath & Yoga Nidra Experience on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., the website said.

• Cherish the Ladies: A Celtic Christmas will be presented on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, according to tickets.anselm.edu.

• Catch David Benoit’s Charlie Brown Christmas at the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

• Nashville Christmas, featuring “traditional Christmas favorites along with some legendary classic country tunes … all performed by the fantastic cast of The Country Jamboree,” will come to The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m., according to palacetheatre.org.

• One Tree Holiday: Tyler Hilton & Kate Voegele celebrating the music of the TV show One Tree Hill will perform at Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, tupelomusichall.com, on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. Alex2e opens; tickets to a pre-show meet and greet are also available, the website said.

• Rockapella will bring their sounds of the holidays to Stockbridge Theatre in Derry, pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre, on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.

• A Celtic Christmas with The Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio and The Spain Brothers will take place Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 and 7 p.m. at The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, according to palacetheatre.org.

• Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, will hold its annual Holiday Folk Concert on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m., according to ccmusicschool.org, where you can purchase tickets.

• Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, kimballjenkins.com, will host a KJ Holiday Open Mic on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Carriage House, according to the website. The event is free but advanced signup to perform is available online and at the door starting at 6:30 p.m., the website said.

• The Heather Pierson Trio plays A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas at the BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m.

• Catch the Capitol Jazz Orchestra Holiday Pops at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m.

• The Compaq Big Band Holiday Hits show will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13 in Brookline, andresinstitute.org.

• The Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas comes to the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.

• Catch A Very Cher-y Christmas the Flying Monkey, 39 Main St. in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m.

• The Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas will be at Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com, Monday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

• Nat Zegree: The Nat Before Christmas will be at the Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Monday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

• John Denver Christmas featuring Chris Collins & Boulder Canyon comes to the Flying Monkey, 39 Main St. in Plymouth on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m.

• The Milk Carton Kids: Holiday Tour 2025 will come to the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

• The annual Buzz Ball, where “Greg and the Morning Buzz team host an All-Star Cast of musicians, performers, comedians, and special guests,” will be at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m., according to ccanh.com.

• Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen Annual Christmas Concert at The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille, 40 Andover Road in New London, will take place Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m., according to flyinggoose.com.

• The Wizards of Winter, billed as “holiday rock Event for the whole family,” will be at the Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m., according to tupelomusichall.com.

• Christmas with the Celts, a show featuring “a vibrant mix of ancient Irish carols, classic Christmas favorites, electrifying Irish dance, and spontaneous humor,” will take place on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. at Stockbridge Theatre, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry, according to pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre, where you can purchase tickets.

• A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas with the Eric Mintel Jazz Quartetwill be on stage at the Rex Theater, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m., according to palacetheatre.org.

• Catch Eileen Ivers: Joyful Christmas on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St. in Laconia, coloniallaconia.com.

• Catch A Holiday Concert with Clay Cook on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 3 and 7 p.m. at the Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave. in Laconia, lakeportopera.com.

• David Clark’s The Music of Billy Joel with a Christmas Twist comes to The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m., palacetheatre.org.

• Abrielle Scharff’s Abby Holidays! will be at the Music Hall Lounge, 131 Congress St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21, at 5 p.m.

• A Sinatra Christmas with Rich Di Mare and the Ron Poster Trio comes to The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m., palacetheatre.org.

• The Beach Boys Christmas Concert with the Beach Bums takes place Sunday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. at LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111 in Derry, labellewinery.com.

• A Piano Christmas with Robert Dionne will take place at the Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester, majestictheatre.net, on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.

• A Sinatra Christmas with Rich DiMare and Ron Poster heads to the Music Hall Lounge, 131 Congress St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Monday, Dec. 22, at 5 and 7:30 p.m.

• Christmas with the Celts will be at the Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St. in Laconia, coloniallaconia.com, on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

• Recycled Percussion begins its annual run of shows New Year’s Eve and into January at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org, with 15 shows through Jan. 11, starting Wednesday, Dec. 31, with shows at 3 and 7 p.m.

• Adam Ezra Group plays the New Year’s Eve show at the Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St. in Derry, with a dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the show at 9 p.m., according to tupelomusichall.com.

• The New Year’s Eve Gala at Arts Alley in Concord in the Main Venue kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and includes a cocktail hour with appetizers, a dinner buffet, Dueling Pianos and a DJ, according to artsalleyconcordnh.com, where you can purchase tickets to this 21+ event.

• A New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring a DJ, dancing, live music form Eric Grant Band and more will take place Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at Lakeport Opera House, 781 Union Ave. in Laconia, lakeportopera.com.

• Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Cold Engines & Soul Rebel Project at Stone Church Music Club, 5 Granite St. in Newmarket, stonechurchrocks.com, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, starting at 8 p.m.

• The New Year’s Eve Party at the Strand, 20 Third St. in Dover, kicks off at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31, and includes hors d’oeuvres, live comedy, live music from Little Lies, a Champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight, a DJ after party and more, according to thestranddover.com.

• The New Year’s Eve Roaring 1920s Gatsby Dinner, Dancing and Jazz will take place at LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101 in Amherst, labellewinery.com, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m.

Holiday laughs
Here are some of the holiday season
comedy shows on the schedule:
Emily Ruskowski’s Thanksgiving
Leftover Comedy Show featuring special
guests Chris D, Adam Hatch and Dan
Donahue will take the stage at The Rex
Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, on
Friday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m., according to
palactheatre.org.
Catch Bob Marley throughout the season
including on Thursday, Dec. 4, and
Sunday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Amato Center
for Performing Arts in Milford, and
Tuesday, Dec. 30, and Wednesday, Dec. 31,
at 8 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House. See
bmarley.com.
Juston McKinney will perform his
annual Comedy Year in Review show at
the Music Hall in Portsmouth, themusichall.
org, with five shows Friday, Dec. 26,
through Monday, Dec. 29; at the Nashua
Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua,
nashuacenterforthearts.com, with three
shows Tuesday, Dec. 30, through Wednesday,
Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 3, at 7:30
p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St.,
Laconia, coloniallaconia.com. See justonmckinney.
com.
Headliners, headlinersnh.com/newyears-
eve-events.html, has comedy shows
in Nashua at the Sheraton Nashua and
Sky Meadow Country Club; Manchester
at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester
and at Chunky’s Cinema Pub, and in Concord
with Dueling Pianos at the Arts Alley
on Wednesday, Dec. 31, according to the
website, where you can find ticket packages
and the line-up of comedians for each
event.
Comedian Jimmy Dunn’s New
Year’s Eve will be at the Rex Theatre, 23
Amherst St. in Manchester, on Wednesday,
Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m., according to palacetheatre.
org.

Featured Photo: Rockapella. Photo from pinkertonacademy.org.

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