• Wine AND cheese! The 14th Annual Fulchino Vineyards Wine and Cheese Festival will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15, at the vineyard in Hollis with tickets available for time slots on each day, according to fulchinovineyard.com. Taste wines, artisan meats, cheeses, oils, vinegars and desserts, the website said.
• Supper and suspects: Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) will host “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year,” an 18+ interactive murder mystery experience and 5-course buffet dinner, on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a night of suspense, comedy, clues, and plenty of audience participation, presented by The Murder Mystery Co. While humbug hovers over the holidays, it’s up to you to put on your detective hat and unravel the mystery before this Christmas comedy becomes a tragedy. Tickets are $75 each through the Chunky’s website. The dress code is Festive and Fabulously Tacky.
• Flavor of the month: November’s Flavor Quest at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) for children grades K-5 will introduce cardamom. This hands-on food exploration will take place Monday, Nov. 16, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Take home a few recipes to try in your own kitchen.
• Decorating cookies: Posy Cottage Cookies will hold a cookie decorating class Monday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Station 101 (193 Union Square, Milford, 249-5416, station101nh.com). This event is perfect for all skill levels, recommended for ages 9+. Learn five Thanksgiving-themed cookie designs with four colors of royal icing. Posy Cottage Cookies will provide all the materials you need to create beautiful and delicious cookies. Tickets are $64.80 through eventbrite.com.
• Charcuterie! Just in time for the holidays, Local Street Eats (112 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 402-4435, local-streeteats.com) will host a hands-on Charcuterie Workshop with Cat Gilmour, owner of CG Boards & Co., Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sip, snack and learn how to build a charcuterie board that looks like you actually know what you’re doing. Tickets are $71.21 through the Local Street Eats website.
• Della Terra wine dinner: There will be a wine dinner at the Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring the wines of Della Terra. This will be a curated five-course dinner from the Fondi culinary team, paired with a selection of distinctive Italian wines representing regions and producers from across the country. Tickets are $322.50 each. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com/experiences.
• Crafts! But first, treats: The YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown, 116 Goffstown Back Road, will hold a Holiday Arts Market Monday, Nov. 23, through Thursday, Dec. 24. But first, check out the baked goods auction Nov. 16 through Nov. 23, according to an email from the Goffstown YMCA. “Bid on delicious homemade treats,” the website said. See graniteymca.org.
• Tanger Outlets, 120 Laconia Road in Tilton, will hold a Holiday Festival on Friday, Nov. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m., according to a post on the outlets’ Facebook page. “[G]uests can celebrate selfies with Santa, hot cocoa, holiday cheer and more,” according to a press release, which said Santa will be near the Levi’s store.
• Santa will also make an appearance at the St. Kathryn’s 2026 Christmas Bazaar and Penny Sale at St. Kathryn’s Parish, 4 Dracut Road in Hudson, according to a post on the church’s Facebook page. The fair runs Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Santa is expected Saturday, 1:30 to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the post said.
On stage
• The Ovation Theatre Company will present Frozen on Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway in Derry, featuring a cast of mostly age 12 through adult, according to ovationtc.com, where you can purchase tickets. Showtime is 7 p.m. both days as well as 1 p.m. on Saturday, the website said.
• The curtain rises on Once Upon a One More Time, a Peacock Players Fall Teen Mainstage production, at Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua, Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 22, shows at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as a 10 a.m. performance on Thursday, Nov. 19), according to the website, where you can purchase tickets. “Powered by the chart-topping hits of the undisputed Princess of Pop [Britney Spears], Once Upon A One More Time turns our favorite fairytales upside down with a clever twist! When a fairy godmother goes rogue and plops copies of The Feminine Mystique in the laps of classic heroines, the damsels embark on a quest to rewrite their stories and redefine ‘happily ever after,’” according to the website.
Save the date
• The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains will hold a Cookie Palooza for girls interested in learning more about Girl Scouts in kindergarten through sixth grade on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to a press release. “Learn how Girl Scouts and the cookie program help girls build confidence, leadership, business skills, and lasting friendships. There will be interactive activities, cookie-themed fun, and even a chance to taste the brand new Girl Scout Sparkables cookie,” the release said. Go to 4agc.com/event/cookiepalooza to RSVP.
Can you answer a question for me? I purchased this at a consignment store over the summer. I thought it was old and then a friend said it’s not. It looks like old iron, painted. The measurements are 6” by 3” if that helps. There are no markings on it that I can see. What are your thoughts, Donna?
Thank you,
STF
Dear STF,
I just want to start off by saying it is a sweet bunny door knocker.
Unfortunately it is a reproduction of an earlier antique version. Sometimes it’s really hard to tell.
But the casting is not as fine as an original. The detailing is not the same either. Now depending on the price you paid, I think it still has value as a bunny door knocker. If you paid for it as for an antique one then that’s not right. When stores sell reproductions they should be marked as such.
Some people just want the look of an antique piece. But they should be charged as a look. Not the real thing.
I hope this answered your question. I hope you bought it for the charm, not for what it isn’t.
Theater company with an improv heart over-serves Macbeth
Like the Comedy Central show Drunk History, which had inebriated commentators explaining the Civil War, women’s suffrage or the invention of penicillin, Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare puts a drunk in the middle of a serious endeavor, acting. There’s one important difference, though. They must remember lines from a play — or try to, anyway.
It can be more fun straying from that mark, SFS company member Evan Taylor explained in a recent Zoom interview.
Each show has one designated drinker and a sober cast. “The drinker is supposed to generate chaos, or do things wrong, or create something that breaks the world,” he said. “Then all of the sober actors have to take whatever has broken the world — whatever doesn’t exist within a classical Shakespearean play — and incorporate it; make it part of the show.”
In one instance, a drunk Romeo accidentally died in Mercutio’s place, forcing a quick pivot. “How do you do Romeo and Juliet without a Romeo?” Taylor recalled. “So Romeo says to Mercutio, ‘I just married Juliet, take my place.’ It’s very satisfying for audiences to watch us struggle.”
During one performance of Macbeth, which the company brings to Concord’s BNH Stage on Nov. 14, an inebriated Lady M demanded a costume change. “She wanted to be the King, so I had to be the queen,” Taylor said. “I had to put the tiara on and just go along with it.”
Taylor found his way into the company after studying Shakespeare at Emerson College and playing Romeo in a Boston-area production. Castmates who’d done SFS suggested he audition. At first his drink of choice was beer; these days it’s gin and tonic, which makes for fewer bathroom breaks.
The job, he continued, doesn’t require a hard-drinking history.
“What makes a good drinker? Somebody who’s going to be, first and foremost, kind when they’re in that inebriated state,” he said. “You want somebody who’s going to be high-energy … and that’s not everybody. I know people who are sleepy drunks. I know people who are angry drunks.”
An imbiber is selected before every performance, and declining is an option.
“People who are slated to drink for a show always have the opportunity to back out, for any reason, and you don’t need to give a reason,” Taylor said. “It’s an incredibly vulnerable thing to do, to impair yourself and then put yourself in front of possibly 500 people.”
Four hours before curtain, the drinking begins — with significant staff assistance provided.
“It’s a physically exhausting task,” Taylor said, explaining that before a drop is poured, the show’s wrangler, in charge of managing booze and food balance, and the showrunner check in with the designee. They will ask, “Do you want to drink today? How do you feel about it? Are there any goals, anything we should know?”
Getting smashed is the hardest part of the job. “A drinking shift is like having the night off. Anything you do wrong is everybody else’s problem and not your own.” The sober actors are left to pick up the pieces, he continued. “The drinker really has nothing to do but lie back, look pretty and be silly.”
Asked about hangovers, Taylor said hydration is key, but added that the night of the morning after can be worse. “You will feel fine all day, and then right as the curtain music starts to play, a headache will come,” he said. “You’ll go, ‘Oh no, I’m in for a rough one tonight.’”
The Concord show runs 90 minutes, with a short intermission and no homework required. “People should come ready to have fun,” Taylor said. “You don’t have to know Shakespeare or be a huge Shakespeare nerd to enjoy this, but you might walk away loving Shakespeare a little bit more than you did before.”
In December 2011, Heather Pierson performed A Charlie Brown Christmas for the first time at a venue not far from her home in Conway. A piano player who as a kid was first drawn to jazz by Vince Guaraldi’s music on the 1965 holiday TV special, she originally intended the evening as a one-off.
The audience that night had other ideas, however. The show’s grown into an annual, region-wide affair.
“It’s become this tradition, not just for me and my trio, but also for families that come out,” Pierson said by phone recently. “It’s just amazing to watch people bringing their kids and watching the kids grow, year after year. It’s such a beautiful tradition, and the music is just so joyful.”
There are 90 or so holiday concerts happening in our region before the big day, with musical genres across the spectrum. There’s big band shows, retro swing from Squirrel Nut Zippers, jazz vocals from The Bean Tones, singers like Abriel Scharff and Chris Isaak, orchestras doing holiday pops, and choral concerts. The holiday shows fill not only venue’s December schedules but performers’ as well.
Pierson’s seasonal shows have evolved to include non-Christmas songs from Guaraldi’s catalog, and every year seems to add more venues to her schedule. Upcoming are two shows each at Hermit Woods Winery in Meredith and Concord’s BNH Stage.
Over time, old songs take on new elements for Pierson and her trio.
“That’s the nature of jazz,” she said. “What can we do differently and what works? There’s also something really magical about bringing people around that particular recording that has meant so much to so many people over so many decades, just to get people in a room experiencing it.”
Pierson will also do two Dec. 20 shows during The Word Barn’s 12 Nights Of Christmas at Orchard Chapel in Hampton Falls. She’s played the series since it began in 2022, after launching online during the pandemic. Word Barn co-founder Ben Anderson praised the chapel as a quintessential New England holiday setting.
“With its old wooden pews with thick cushions, candles and oil lanterns, it’s a scene where you wouldn’t be surprised to see a horse-drawn sleigh go by,” Anderson wrote in an email. “This simple setting lets you shed the bustle of today’s world, and just enjoy great live music … together with friends, family and neighbors.”
Along with Pierson, the 2026 chapel concert schedule includes Halley Neal and Sam Robbins (Nov. 28), John Doyle, Mick McAuley and Cathie Ryan (Dec. 1), Susan McKeown (Dec. 2), Kat Wright & Brett Hughes (Dec. 3), Willie Watson (Dec. 4), The Scottish Fish (Dec. 5), Cóig (Dec. 6), Lunasa (Dec. 8), S. Carey (Dec. 11), Jordan TW Trio (Dec. 12), Liz and Dan Faiella(Dec. 13), High Range (Dec. 18) and the Community Candlelight Carol Sing on Dec. 19, Dec. 20 and Dec. 22.
When it comes to acoustic Christmas concerts, the region’s most enduring figure is probably Harvey Reid. The Maine guitarist began doing holiday shows in 1984. After he married fiddle player Joyce Anderson, she became his musical partner. Their shows together are beloved.
“A lot of people tell me it’s part of their Christmas, they get the family together and they come see us play,” Reid said in a 2013 Hippo interview. “I take it very seriously, it’s a responsibility. The biggest compliment I get is I made them feel connected with the real spirit of Christmas. That is pretty profound.”
He continued, “I don’t want to go around swaggering … but we can do that to people. Music is a kind of magic, and Christmas music has a magical power. If you hit people just right, you can get inside their heads and tinker around in there. It’s powerful stuff.”
On the other hand, Liz Longley is new to doing Christmas shows, though she wrote her first original holiday tune — on commission — 15 years ago. Longley’s Christmas Fuss, an 11-song album with nine originals, drops Nov. 20. A little over a week later she’ll start a holiday tour in Dallas that ends Dec. 20 in Derry.
“Now that I have a repertoire of Christmas songs, I’m ready to hit the road,” Longley said by phone recently. “I’m hoping it becomes a show where people … can get into the holiday spirit in a calm and comforting way, outside of the chaos, hustle and bustle.”
One of the new songs is the lively “Wake Up It’s Christmas Morning,” about restless kids on Christmas Eve. Longley has done it at a few shows, and fans seem to love it. “It’s unlike anything I’ve written before. The energy of it is very childlike and fun. It’s never too early in the season to play that one, I’m finding out.”
Celtic music is well represented, including many shows from regional music treasure Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki.
“We’ve been doing holiday shows of some sort or another ever since we formed our trio 16 years ago,” Tirrell-Wysocki said recently. “The Christmas season and its music is as meaningful to us as musicians as it is to listeners, so doing some special shows each year started as a fun way to acknowledge and celebrate.”
The holiday concerts are among the fiddler and his band’s favorites.
“There’s something inherent in Celtic music that corresponds to the dark, reflective, introspective side of the yuletide season,” he said. They’ll do an afternoon show with the Spain Brothers at Manchester’s Rex Theatre on Dec. 6, and their full schedule is on the jordantwmusic.com website.
“Many of us even outside the Irish or Scottish traditions associate some of those old sounds and moods with the holidays,” he said. “Whether it be a soft, haunting piece reminiscent of moonlight on snow [or] rollicking jigs as a family gathers around a feast, I’ve always felt this music made a perfect soundtrack for the season.”
Holiday gigs
Know of a show not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com. See the websites for each event for ticket prices and purchasing information.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Joyce Andersen and Harvey Reid. Photo by Lauryn Sophia.
An Evening with Peter Billingsley andA Christmas Story at Swope Theater (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 7 p.m. A screening of the 1983 holiday favorite, followed by a moderated conversation and audience Q&A with the actor who played Ralphie in the film.
Sunday, Nov. 22
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen at Congregational Church (881 First NH Turnpike, Northwood, woodpecker.com) 4 p.m. Fourth annual Peace & Joy concert from the married duo — Reid on guitar and fiddler Andersen. The first of several regional holiday-themed shows.
Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 5 p.m. Circus acrobatics and aerial acts paired with a live soundtrack of seasonal favorites. A family-friendly show mixing feats of balance with familiar Christmas music.
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Jessica Lynn’s Very Merry Classic Christmas at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7 p.m. Country singer marks 10 years of her multimedia holiday tour, backed by her family band, dancers, marching bands, choirs and special effects like simulated snow.
Friday, Nov. 27
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, snhuarena.com) 2:30 & 7:30 p.m. With 20 years of touring, the holiday rock juggernaut returns with The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve, mixing symphonic metal, rock opera and storytelling backed by lasers and pyrotechnics.
Saturday, Nov. 28
The Ugly Seasonal Sweater Soiree at Swope Theater (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 7 p.m. Held in the Cap Center’s main hall with festive music and the season’s loudest knitwear. Wear a reindeer sweater and be ready to sing and dance to holiday favorites.
Sunday, Nov. 29
A Sinatra Christmas with Rich Di Mare & the Ron Poster Trio at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) at noon. “Rich and Ron’s understanding of the Sinatra songbook coupled with their interactions on stage makes this Old Blue Eyes experience unique …” the website said.
Viva Las Elvis: Elvis Christmas Tribute Concert at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry, labellewinery.com) 1 p.m. “Starring award winning Elvis tribute artist Dan Fontaine and the Memphis Sun Mafia Band,” the website said.
Sister’s Christmas Catechism at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 2 p.m. One-woman show starring a no-nonsense parochial-school nun on a quest to solve a holiday mystery of what happened to the Magi’s gold, with audience members drafted into a living Nativity.
Silver & Bronze Granite State Ringers Holiday Handbell Concert at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, labellewinery.com) 1:30 p.m.
A Charlie Brown Christmas with Heather Pierson at Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith, heatherpierson.com) 2 & 7 p.m. Pianist Pierson performs Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts-inspired jazz selections to celebrate the holiday classic.
An Irish Christmas at Unitarian Universalist Church (25 Main St., Peterborough, pfmsconcerts.org) 4 p.m. John Doyle, Cathie Ryan and Mick McAuley come together to perform Celtic-flavored seasonal selections.
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Irish Christmas with John Doyle, Cathie Ryan and Mick McAuley at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. A festive celebration with three beloved Irish musicians performing in a program woven through with song and stories of the season.
Monkey Karaoke Jingle Jam with DJ Angie & Bob at the Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com) 7 p.m.
Chris Isaak – On Tour for the Holidays at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The newly released Everybody Knows It’s Christmas is Isaak’s second career Christmas album and features 13 tracks of originals and covers.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Susan McKeown at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. McKeown, who has performed with Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Lúnasa and Scottish fiddle master Johnny Cunningham, brings her Winter Charms & Songs show to a special venue.
Shaun Cassidy – Unwrapped: Songs & Stories for the Holidays at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The ’70s teen idol turned TV producer offers an intimate seasonal evening of holiday songs, his own hits and backstage stories from a long career.
Thursday, Dec. 3
Christine Fawson Quartet at Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith, eventbrite.com) 6 p.m. Jazz singer and trumpet player Christine Fawson and her outstanding trio play swinging arrangements of jazz and Christmas favorites
Kat & Brett Holiday Show with Tyler Bolles & Will Seeders at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Two of Vermont’s most beloved songbirds join forces once again for their annual holiday tour.
A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) 7:30 p.m. The Eric Mintel Quartet, veterans of shows at both the White House and Kennedy Center, draw from the Vince Guaraldi classic, along with reworked holiday standards and jazz covers.
Sara Evans at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The country hitmaker, known for “Suds in the Bucket” and “A Real Fine Place to Start,” brings her Holiday Road Tour to the Lakes Region, with up-and-comer Braden Hull opening.
Friday, Dec. 4
Upper Valley Ringers Holiday Concert at Colby-Sawyer Black Box Theater (541 Main St., New London, colby-sawyer.edu) Handbell music and seasonal favorites from a community choir of experienced musicians who are dedicated to ringing. See centerfortheartsnh.org.
Willie Watson at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. A founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Watson brings a special and intimate Home for the Holidays show.
Lúnasa at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. Acclaimed Irish traditional band performs an Irish winter solstice celebration, marking the darkest days of the year with reels, jigs and airs built on pipes, flute, fiddle and their trademark driving bass.
Jingle Bell Jive at Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. Led by Jason Cohen, Jingle Bell Jive brings the spirit, excitement, and irresistible energy of the 1950s to Christmas classics and holiday favorites.
Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. One of the world’s oldest boys’ choirs, with roots going back six centuries, sings Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, popular songs and holiday favorites. Its touring choirs give some 300 concerts a year, prized for their pure tone.
Gary Ho Ho Hoey. Photo by Fred Morledge.
Jingle Brass – Symphony NH Brass Quintet at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, symphonynh.org) 7:30 p.m. Symphony New Hampshire’s brass quintet rings in the season with fresh arrangements of carols, bold fanfares and holiday tunes. An intimate, family-friendly alternative to the full-orchestra pops concert, in the cozy Rex.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack with The Heather Pierson Trio at the Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) 7 p.m. The trio is back for the fifth time to tackle Vince Guaraldi’s classic album, the website said.
Gary Ho Ho Hoey at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com) 8 p.m. Blues-rock guitarist Gary Hoey, whose instrumental take on “Hocus Pocus” was a ‘90s hit, brings his annual holiday show, built on his Ho! Ho! Hoey albums of rocked-up Christmas classics. Expect searing guitar versions of familiar carols.
Saturday, Dec. 5
NH Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Show at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) noon. “Love, Peace & Hope” continues an annual holiday tradition from the chorus, a program of seasonal choral favorites and uplifting songs.
Holiday Concert for the Meetinghouse at First Parish Congregational Church (47 E. Derry Road, Derry, fpc-ucc.org) 3 p.m. Seasonal favorites performed by the Granite Statesmen Men’s Chorus in a historic restored sanctuary to support venue preservation.
MUSE: A Salute to Holiday Divas! at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org) 3 and 7:30 p.m. A salute to the holiday hits of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Kelly Clarkson in the Music Hall’s intimate lounge space, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” surely on the setlist.
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen at Congregational Church (504 N. Barnstead Road, Center Barnstead, woodpecker.com) 4 p.m. The married couple’s fourth annual Christmas concert, with Reid on guitar accompanied by fiddler player Andersen.
Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7 p.m. Annual holiday pops concert, with guest vocalist Catherine Martinez. Suggested attire is a festive sweater for this evening of orchestral carols and seasonal favorites.
Scottish Fish Holiday Show at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. The Scottish Fish have been touring a seasonal version of their standard show for five years, featuring creative arrangements of familiar carols woven among traditional, contemporary, and original Celtic tunes.
The Scott Spradling Band Holiday Show at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) 7:30 p.m. Full big band, with live horns and guest vocalists, offers a swing-era holiday program of classics, newer seasonal songs and early rock ’n’ roll like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
The Irish Tenors: A Family Christmas at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The trio that became a PBS phenomenon in the late 1990s brings its Celtic Christmas program of carols, Irish songs and tenor harmonies.
Sunday, Dec. 6
Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio & Spain Brothers at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) 2 and 4 p.m. A Celtic Christmas with two acts promises lively fiddle tunes, haunting airs and classic singalongs that put a fresh spin on traditional music.
NH Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Concert at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 3 p.m. Nearly three decades old, the chorus brings its holiday program of seasonal favorites, sing-along numbers and songs of peace and goodwill.
The Joy of Christmas: Where Peace and Joy Begin at Immaculate Conception Church (216 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua ,eventbrite.com) 3 p.m. Nashua Choral Society sharing Christmas music that promises to bring peace and joy to challenging times.
Holiday Pops Concert: Brass & Strings at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry, labellewinery.com) 1 p.m. Annual show, with chamber renditions by members of the NH Philharmonic Orchestra. Full cash bar before and after, with wine, cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
A Cape Breton Christmas with Còig at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 4:30 & 8 p.m. Cape Breton classics, reels and jigs, world music, Irish themes all wrapped up in the spirit of the season for a joyful holiday program.
Christmas Music with The German Family at Lawrence Barn Community Center (28 Depot Road, Hollis, eventbrite.com) 6 p.m. Christmas Joy: Through the Ages program offers piano, vocals and strings with three generations of family performing seasonal favorites.
Tuesday, Dec. 8
David Benoit at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, jimmysoncongress.com) 7:30 p.m. Benoit has recorded more than 40 solo projects and scored iconic Peanuts animated specials. He has conducted symphonies worldwide, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and London Symphony.
Celtic Christmas with Lunasa at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 5 and 8 p.m. Beloved band comes to the 12 Nights of Christmas series with their joyous holiday show. Called “The hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet” by The Irish Voice.
Thursday, Dec. 10
Vintage Vocal Quartet Holiday Show at Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith, eventbrite.com) 6 p.m. Repertoire inspired by big bands, Nat King Cole, the Andrews Sisters, and Tommy Dorsey’s Pied Pipers, as well as singers like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Jo Stafford.
The LeeVees at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 7 p.m. Guster’s Adam Gardner and The Zambonis’ Dave Schneider formed The LeeVees in 2005 to anthem-ize Festival of Lights music; their album Hanukkah Rocks became a cult seasonal favorite.
The Unholy Three at Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com) 7 p.m. Lon Chaney stars in this 1925 silent movie that’s accompanied live by Jeff Rapsis. The theater calls it probably the strangest Christmas-themed film ever made.
A Cape Breton Christmas with COIG at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu) 7:30 p.m. “With their renditions of timeless Christmas classics, they weave various influences into their Celtic holiday mix from Folk, Classical and Swing, giving your favorite carols a fresh and original sound,” the website said.
The Wizards of Winter at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com) 8 p.m. With alumni from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Alice Cooper and Blue Öyster Cult, performing its rock opera The Christmas Dream with soaring harmonies, strings and stage theatrics.
Friday, Dec. 11
S. Carey with Hrishikesh Hirway at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Special and intimate Home for the Holidays evening.
Holiday Glow at Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) Friday 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Icon Series concert mixes holiday classics and contemporary favorites with strong vocals and theatrical flair. Eight performances over two weekends (Dec. 11–20).
Rockapella at Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St., Derry, stockbridgetheatre.com) 7 p.m. The a cappella group made famous by PBS’s Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? returns for its long-running annual holiday show, mixing Christmas songs with vocal remakes of pop and soul classics.
Saturday, Dec. 12
Compaq Big Band Holiday Hits at Big Bear Lodge (106 Route 13, Brookline, andresinstitute.org) Just enough seasonal tunes to be festive, with wide-ranging Big Band standards to round out the evening.
Dan & Claudia Zanes Holiday Sing-Along at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 11 a.m. The Grammy winner and his jazz vocalist wife recreate the sing-along parties of his childhood in New Hampshire, mixing Christmas standards with songs from around the world honoring Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa too.
Fezziwig’s After Dark at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The show is a 21+ Christmas revel from Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, with a pre-show mixer, music and dancing, improv from the Circuit Breakers, an ugly Christmas sweater contest and a naughty Christmas carol parody cabaret.
Cherish The Ladies at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, ticketmaster.com) 7:30p The world-class all-female supergroup perform their acclaimed A Celtic Christmas, drawing from three hit holiday albums. Signature instrumentation, lush vocal harmonies, and breathtaking step dancing.
Jordan TW Trio Celtic Christmas at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Putting a fresh spin on traditional Celtic music, the New Hampshire-based Jordan TW Trio delivers a dynamic show full of lively fiddle tunes, haunting airs and their own spin on yuletide classics.
Manchester Choral Society Holiday Concert at Ste. Marie Parish (378 Notre Dame Ave., Manchester, mcsnh.org) 7:30 p.m. Celebrating their 66th season with Poulenc’s Gloria, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio and Vaughan-Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves with strings, harp, organ, and soloists (Dec. 12-13).
Brass Attack Christmas Bash Dinner at Wolfeboro Inn (90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, wolfeboroinn.com) 5:30 p.m. Springfield band brings its powerful eight-piece sound for a high-energy live music experience.
Sunday, Dec. 13
Nearly Diamond Concert: A Neil Diamond Holiday Experience at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, labellewinery.com) at 12:30 p.m. The show “combines the timeless songs of Neil Diamond with the festive spirit of the season,” the website said.
A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Heather Pierson at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 2 and 7 p.m. Pianist Pierson performs Peanuts, Vince Guaraldi’s holiday classic score for the 1965 Peanuts special, from the bounce of “Linus and Lucy” to the wistful “Christmas Time Is Here.”
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen Annual Christmas Concert at Old Meetinghouse (Main Street, Francestown, woodpecker.com) 4 p.m. Award-winning multi-instrumentalists and troubadours, the Maine couple draws from a deep and diverse repertoire of original, traditional and contemporary music.
Handel’s Messiah at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church (21 Centre St., Concord, walkerlecture.org) 4 p.m. Baroque-era performance of the classic oratorio, presented by the Walker Lecture Series and conducted by Benjamin Greene, with professional soloists and a community chorus.
Glorificamus: Works for Choir and Brass at Peterborough Town House (1 Grove St., Peterborough, pfmsconcerts.org) 4 p.m. Advent-themed choral concert pairing a vocal choir with brass instrumentalists featuring works ranging from the Renaissance to Contemporary eras.
Swingin’ Yuletide Big Band Show featuring the NH Jazz Orchestra at the Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) 4 p.m. “‘A Swingin’ Yuletide’ brings together the timeless sounds of the big band era with the warmth and spirit of the season, featuring classic jazz favorites, beloved vocal standards, and festive arrangements of your favorite holiday tunes,” the website said.
Liz & Dan Faiella Christmas Concert at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Beloved Concord siblings bring to life the traditional Celtic and New England music of their roots, with crisp vocals, mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar, lyrical fiddling, and exhilarating rhythmic drive.
Monday, Dec. 14
Strafford Wind Symphony presents “Unwrapped: The Joy of Music, The Spirit of Giving” at the Rochester Opera House (31 Wakefield St., Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.org) 7 p.m. See straffordwindsymphony.org.
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Hometown Holiday Concert – New Horizons Musical Organization at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7 p.m. Directed by Debbi Gibson, a family-friendly mix of traditional holiday favorites, creative twists on familiar tunes and new seasonal music. Free, but reserve a ticket.
Thursday, Dec. 17
Carols, Cookies and Community Sing-Along at First Parish Congregational Church (218 Central Ave., Dover, firstparishdover.org) 6 p.m. Carols and holiday songs are followed by an array of tasty cookies, beverages and conversation. Song books and bells to ring will be provided for all.
Buzz Ball at Swope Theater (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 7 p.m. The annual holiday season bash is always full of surprise guests and usually sells out weeks in advance. It blends the best in regional music with comedy and skits from the Morning Buzz team.
Queen City Improv Holiday Show at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) 7:30 p.m. Manchester’s improv troupe brings its holiday edition to the Rex: unscripted short- and long-form scenes and games built on audience suggestions, with the season providing plenty of fodder.
High Range at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Part of the Home for the Holidays series, the rootsy acoustic band offers hard-driving music built on tight harmonies and sharp picking.
Squirrel Nut Zippers at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. Jimbo Mathus leads the retro-swing band through its annual holiday show, with vintage jazz, New Orleans swing, klezmer and old-time sounds, including songs from their Christmas Caravan album and other hits.
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen Annual Christmas Concert at Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, woodpecker.com) 7:30 p.m. The Maine couple stops at a venerable roots music venue that usually sells out, offering a diverse repertoire of original, traditional and contemporary music.
Abrielle Scharff’s Abby Holidays! at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org) 8 p.m. Singer Abrielle Scharff’s holiday cabaret residency in the Music Hall’s intimate lounge, four nights of seasonal songs in a club setting just steps from Portsmouth’s Market Square holiday lights. (Dec. 17, 19 & 20)
Friday, Dec. 18
Canadian Brass: Wonderful Time of the Year at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. With 135 albums along with 24 Grammy and Juno nominations, this world-famous brass quintet offers a mix of baroque, classical, jazz and holiday favorites.
Ishna at the Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com) 7:30 p.m. Incorporating stories, ancient Irish ballads, Christmas standards, lively fiddling and step dancing, a memorable holiday show from this traditional band, which regularly hosts sessiuns in Peterborough.
The Bean Tones at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, jimmysoncongress.com) 7:30 p.m. A holiday special from this Berklee College of Music-formed and now L.A.-based jazz vocal quartet blending vintage close-harmony traditions with a fresh, modern aesthetic.
Eileen Ivers: Joyful Christmas at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. Riverdance fiddler Ivers and her band mark the season with Irish and American roots music and foot-stomping fiddling, buoyed by a raft of instruments and voices.
Low Lily at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 7 p.m. Celebrate the winter solstice with instrumentals and songs. Between them, the trio plays mandolins, guitars, fiddle and banjo and sings three-part harmonies.
Saturday, Dec. 19
Mr. Aaron’s Holiday Bash at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 11 a.m. Popular children’s entertainer hosts a morning holiday dance party geared to kids and families. Wear ugly sweaters and enjoy dancing and singing to seasonal classics and originals.
Christmas with The Cats at the Barley House (132 N. Main St., Concord, eventbrite.com) 7 p.m. Request songs from an interactive live duo while enjoying seasonally appropriate cocktails at this venerable Concord pub.
Christmas With The Celts at Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St., Derry, stockbridgetheatre.com) 7 p.m. A wonderful combination of timeless ancient Irish Christmas Carols and lively Irish dance with modern contemporary songs but with Irish instrumentation.
Jon McLaughlin: Home for the Holidays at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, jimmysoncongress.com) 7 & 9:30 p.m. McLaughlin performs a mix of original holiday songs, classic Christmas tunes and fan favorite hits.
Clay Cook Holiday Concert at Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave., Laconia, etix.com). Zac Brown Band member performs holiday songs. At press time, tickets are only available by signing up for a waiting list for this show that’s becoming an annual tradition.
Canadian Brass: Wonderful Time of the Year at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7:30 p.m. The famed brass quintet brings baroque, classical, jazz and seasonal favorites along with an engaging stage rapport.
NH Philharmonic Orchestra at Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive, Salem, nhphil.org) Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. The state’s oldest orchestra plays its annual holiday pops under music director Mark Latham, a mix of classic and modern holiday hits traditionally capped by a visit from Santa. (Dec. 19–20).
Coming Home: A New England Christmas at the Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org) 7:30 p.m. James Gedeon performs a show with music inspired by James Taylor, the website said.
Sunday, Dec. 20
APiano Christmas with Robert Dionne at Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, majestictheatre.net) 2 p.m. “A laid-back afternoon of interactive holiday sing-along fun that will make you smile,” the website said.
Capital Jazz Orchestra: Holiday Pops at BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) 3 p.m. Skip Poole leads the big band with vocalists CJ and Laura Poole through holiday swing, from Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite to “Let It Snow,” plus a world-premiere Rudolph medley arranged by Jerry Ascione.
Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra: Family Holiday Pops! at Portsmouth High School (50 Andrew Jarvis Drive, Portsmouth, themusichall.org) 3 & 6 p.m. The PSO’s annual family concert blends traditional holiday music from around the world with familiar favorites, a sing-along and a few surprises.
Charlie Brown Christmas with Heather Pierson Trio at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 3:30 & 7 p.m. The Heather Pierson Trio (Heather Pierson, piano and vocals; Shawn Nadeau, bass; Craig Bryan, drums) offer their take on Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Irish Christmas in America at Colonial Theatre (609 Main St., Laconia, etix.com) 5 p.m. Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada produces evening of Irish seasonal music, song, dance and stories, with Cathy Jordan, Gráinne Hambly and uilleann piper Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl, set against photographs of Ireland.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party at Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, etix.com) 7 p.m. The swing revivalists bring their annual holiday party, playing standards like “Jingle Bells” as well as “Run Rudolph Run” and a New Orleans-flavored “Frosty.”
Liz Longley at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com) 7 p.m. In support of her forthcoming EP, The Holiday Fuss, new seasonal songs merged with her 2020 EP A Little Magic, the singer-songwriter is on her first holiday tour.
Monday, Dec. 21
A Sinatra Christmas with Rich DiMare and Ron Poster at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org) 5 p.m. (Dec. 22) & 7:30 p.m. Sinatra’s swinging holiday recordings paired with signature hits in a festive saloon-style evening. (Dec. 21–22)
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Candlelight Carol Sing at Orchard Chapel (143 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, thewordbarn.com) 6 p.m. Also Dec. 19 at 3 and 6 p.m. Beautiful and festive music of the season, in the quintessential New England setting of the Orchard Chapel, complete with oil lanterns and candles.
Wednesday, Dec. 23
Christmas Vibes at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club (135 Congress St., Portsmouth, jimmysoncongress.com) 7:30 p.m. Former Berklee College of Music faculty member and Christian McBride bandmate Warren Wolf brings his acclaimed holiday project to the stage, a master class on both the vibes and piano.
Saturday, Dec. 26
Candlelight concerts have two offerings at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org). Christmas Carols on Strings at 6 p.m. and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and more at 8:30 p.m.
There’s still a long way to go, but after seeing the Patriots bombarded by JordanLove and the Packers receivers in a sloppy, turnover-plagued 45-27 loss on Sunday, Patriot Nation has got to be worried.
They are now 5-4, and with Detroit, Buffalo, Minnesota and KC dead ahead (combined record 24-6) in their next five games they do not have an easy path to the 10 wins they’ll likely need to get into the playoffs. Especially with next week’s “easy game” against winless San Diego involving travel to Germany and the early start that comes with European games.
Buckle up; it’s going to be a rough five weeks ahead.
Sports 101: Name the only person to have led the NCAA, NBA and ABA in scoring in a season.
News Item: Patriots Creamed by Green Bay
• Good – Nothing. This was a total embarrassment.
• Bad – The worst game ever by a factor of 5 for ChristianGonzalez, who got destroyed all game long as the D gave up 45 points.
• Ugly – DrakeMaye had another three-interception game and the D gave up 45 points.
• Grade – F- for their worst game on both sides of the ball.
News Item: NFL at Mid-Year
• NFCNorth – This is the toughest NFL division. Only problem is the Pats play all four, where the record is already 0-2, with Detroit up next in Munich on Sunday.
• Surprises –
(1) NFC EastWith the Giants in first and just two years after winning the SB, Philly is in last place after NY gave them their seventh straight loss Sunday.
(2) L.A.Rams The SB-favored Rams are just 5-4 and already three games behind SF.
(3) NFCSouth Even the Jets could compete here as all four teams have just three wins and either five or six losses.
(4) Seattle With that defense they still have four losses after a shellacking by the Bears in Week 8.
News Item: Election Day
We saw themost ever former athletes/announcers run for public office last week, with mixed results.
Yankees sluggerMark Teixeirawon a seat in Congress from Texas. One-time Auburn CoachTommy Tubervillewas elected governor of Alabama.
Michelle Tafoya lost her race for Senate in Minnesota. Which being a sideline reporter for MNF totally prepared her for, I guess.JayFeely, the ex-NFL kicker, got booted by Arizona voters in his bid for Congress.
The Numbers:
19 – years old at which BladesBrown became the youngest PGA Tournament champ in 88 years (1938 for the mathematically challenged) when he fired a 9-under final day 63 to win the World Wide Technology Championship Sunday.
40.1 – scoring average after 10 games for LukaDoncic, which puts him on pace to be the first to average over 40 points a game since WiltChamberlain went for 44.8 in 1962-63.
… Of the Week Awards
Thumbs Up – Game of the Week – Victor Wembanyama: For being the newest member of the 50-point 20-rebound club by going for 54 and 24 along with eight blocks in a match-up of the NBA’s two wonder boys as San Antonio beat Dallas and CooperFlagg 112-111 in a barn-burner.
That’s All She Wrote Award: Goes to LIV Golf, which filed Chapter 11 after its last-ditch attempt to find financing failed.
Sports 101 Answer: The great and somewhat forgotten RickBarry, who led NCAA scorers by averaging 38.1 with U of Miami, led the ABA with the Oakland Oaks (34.0) and led the then San Francisco Warriors (35.6) in 1966-67.
