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Food: Showing Some Spirit
FEATURED FOOD
Showing Some Spirit
Distiller's Showcase Returns to Manchester
Written by Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Images: Distiller's Showcase Courtesy Photo
From peach pecan whiskey to blueberry rum, more than 400 spirits will be featured at one of the largest spirits tasting events on the East Coast. The Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits is happening Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Radisson Hotel Manchester. There will be samples from local distillers and some of the world’s top brands, food from New Hampshire restaurants, special guests and a silent auction.
“This is a premium spirits event, meaning it will only have products over a certain price point,” said Mark Roy, spirits marketing and sales specialist for the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, which is hosting the event. “It’s a big opportunity for those companies because most people are hesitant to drop $300 on a bottle of something they don’t know, but [at the showcase] they can try it and see if it’s really worth the price.”
The ballroom and armory will be filled with nearly 150 tables of food and spirits, including whiskey, Scotch, tequila, vodka, rum, gin, cordials and liqueurs. The participating vendors are distilleries close to home, such as Djinn Spirits of Nashua and Flag Hill Distillery of Lee, as well as renowned brands from around the world, like Grey Goose, Jack Daniel’s, Patron, Tanqueray and many more. Each can bring up to four varieties of spirits, and they’re encouraged to offer their samples in both a straight and cocktail form. Roy recommends that guests pace themselves and take advantage of the food samplings and non-alcoholic drinks to make the most out of the tasting.
“Don’t try to hit every table,” he said. “Pick and choose what spirits really pique your interest or spirits you’ve never had a chance to try.”
People will be able to order spirits onsite at a 10-percent discount through a mobile ordering app developed by the Liquor Commission. Their purchases will be available to pick up at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet locations of their choosing.
There will be a dozen notable personalities from the spirits industry at the event, pouring samples and talking with attendees. Headlining is Bert “Tito” Beveridge, founder and master distiller of Tito’s Handmade Vodka in Texas. Beveridge will be joined by Dave and Will Willis, founders of Bully Boy Distillers in Boston; André Marcoux, head distiller at Stark Brewing Company in Manchester; Brian Ferguson, owner and distiller of Flag Hill Distillery in Lee, and others.
At this year’s showcase auction, guests will have the chance to bid on three bottles of the rare Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23-year straight bourbon from Kentucky, and an all-inclusive trip for two to Scotland to visit some of the most historic Scotch distilleries.
“As far as what’s trending right now, there’s a big resurgence of bourbon and whiskey, particularly a lot of high-end bourbon and whiskey,” Roy said, “so the auction is going to be a big draw.”
There will also be a raffle for a bottle of the same Pappy Van Winkle’s bourbon and an exclusive Pappy Van Winkle tasting and fine dining experience in New Hampshire.
Roy said the showcase will appeal to people with any level of interest in spirits, from casual drinkers to connoisseurs.
“There are certainly a lot of people who come and say, ‘I’m not a big spirits drinker, but I want to come and try things that I can’t normally try,’” he said. “It’s very laid back and not an event that anyone should be intimidated by.”
Distiller's Showcase of Premium Spirits
Where: Radisson Hotel Manchester, 700 Elm Street, Manchester NH
When: Thursday, Nov. 10, 6-8:30pm
Cost: $60. Tickets are available online.
Visit: Distillers Showcase
Participating Restaurants
Amphora Fine Greek Dining (Derry), Bedford Village Inn (Bedford), Campo Enoteca (Manchester), Canoe Restaurant & Tavern (Center Harbor, Bedford), The Common Man (Concord, Merrimack, Windham, Ashland, Lincoln, Claremont), Faro Italian Grille (Laconia), The Fresh Market (Bedford), Giorgio’s Ristorante (Merrimack, Milford, Manchester), Ignite Bar & Grille and Hooked Seafood Restaurant (Manchester), JD’s Tavern (Manchester), O Steaks & Seafood (Concord, Laconia), The Quill Restaurant at Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester), Republic Cafe (Manchester), Stark Brewing Company (Manchester), Stella Blu (Nashua), Tuscan Kitchen (Salem), Veranda Martini Bar and Grille (Manchester) , Wild Rover Pub (Manchester), XO on Elm (Manchester)
Participating Distilleries
Djinn Spirits (Nashua), Fabrizia Spirits (Salem), Flag Hill Distillery (Lee), New England Sweetwater Farm and Distillery (Winchester), Sea Hagg Distillery (North Hampton), Smoky Quartz Distillery (Seabrook), Stark Brewing Company (Manchester), Tall Ship Distillery (Dover), Tamworth Distilling (Tamworth)
News: Early Intervention
FEATURED NEWS
Early Intervention
NH's Emerging Focus on Early Childhood Trauma Treatment
By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
Traumatic experiences can take many shapes for children.
It can come from animal attacks, automobile crashes, abuse, hospitalization or not getting their basic needs met. On Sept. 18, a 2-year-old girl’s trauma came from witnessing her mother, Mandy McGowen of Salem, pass out in front of her in a Lawrence, Mass., general store. Bystanders called 911 and recorded the toddler crying as she pulled at her unresponsive mother’s arm and tried to prop up her head. McGowen had overdosed on opiates.
“All I could see was a child experiencing trauma,” Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard said of watching the video. Research shows the traumatic experience can continue to affect children later in life if they are left untreated, leading to problems in school and at work, and to health problems, including substance abuse.
“Children who maybe experienced trauma can have some pretty profound behavioral health needs,” said Erica Ungarelli, the head of the state’s Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health.
The Impact
The foundational study upon which most child trauma research is based is a study conducted in the mid to late 1990s called the Adverse Childhood Experiences study. Maryann Evers at Child and Family Services said that was the first major long-term study that found a strong correlation between traumatic experiences from ages 0 to 7 and a variety of negative outcomes, including risk factors for leading causes of adult deaths.
Research also shows the inverse is true, if adverse exposures are prevented or treated early, and parental relationships are key.
“Supporting parent-child interactions to be healthy … is something that is highly correlated with good outcomes for children in general,” Evers said.
The ripple effects from trauma appear to be so far reaching that catching it and treating it early could improve the economy and save the state and federal governments money on things like prisons, courts, foster care, residential treatment and special education services.
“There’s a potential here for a tremendous impact on all of those budgets,” Evers said.
Those on the front lines of addiction and mental health treatment are able to point to countless examples of how the root of the problems began from trauma. Stephanie Bergeron, the CEO of Serenity Place, a substance use disorder treatment center in Manchester says the public and news media too often focus on the drugs themselves and misunderstand what addiction is. The actual substance use, Bergeron says, is just a symptom. Underlying it are the untreated mental health issues people with substance use disorders suffer from, which can often take root at a young age after they’ve been exposed to things like violence, neglect or sexual abuse. And Evers said children exposed to parents with substance use disorders are more likely to be neglected.
“Years ago, they used to think that child abuse was the big thing. And now, people pretty much recognize that neglect is far more devastating than abuse,” Evers said. “And the implications of that on that child’s development are enormous.”
A psychological study published last month found opioid addiction in particular blunts the parental instincts of the addict.
What We're Doing
Lorraine Bartlett, the director of the state Division of Children, Youth and Families, said DCYF began looking at how it could become a more trauma-centered children welfare system about four years ago.
With the help of the Dartmouth Research Center, DCYF staff were trained on how to screen for PTSD symptoms in children or discern other signs of potential exposure.
Today, that screening is used in every open child protective case, certain preliminary assessments and with kids in the juvenile justice system.
Bartlett said whenever it’s deemed a child would benefit from treatment, they refer their caregiver to a provider.
Bartlett said whenever it’s deemed a child would benefit from treatment, they refer their caregiver to a provider.
Some new programs have been making important strides in getting kids access to treatment. One is called Fast Forward. Ungarelli said it provides quicker access to treatment and goes beyond just those kids in the juvenile or foster system.
Fast Forward came out of a $4 million four-year federal grant that just ran out. Ungarelli said it was spent to help build up the state’s childhood treatment infrastructure through training and freeing up department resources that had previously been siloed in different programs.
Another thing that came out of this grant was the creation of a New Hampshire chapter of Youth M.O.V.E. (motivating others through voices of experience), a peer-support service that just launched in a sort of pilot phase.
“It’s being implemented but it’s very small right now,” Ungarelli said.
Many of these programs are designed to help kids after they’ve begun to exhibit the bad behaviors that trauma-related psychological issues can give rise to, but there is one program that breaks from that pattern.
In Manchester this past summer, Willard launched a unique initiative called the Adverse Childhood Experience Response Team.
The ACERT team, currently funded by a $150,000 grant from the HNH Foundation, consists of a juvenile detective, the domestic violence child advocate and a social worker from the YWCA.
The ACERT team, currently funded by a $150,000 grant from the HNH Foundation, consists of a juvenile detective, the domestic violence child advocate and a social worker from the YWCA.
It’s only active eight hours a week during the times when domestic violence calls tend to spike, but when a call comes in where a child is present, the ACERT team arrives to explain how a child’s exposure to things like domestic violence, overdose and even SWAT raids is likely to affect them and refers them to treatment services.
As far as Willard’s department can tell, this is the first team of its type in the nation, and he thinks it’s a simple model for other departments to replicate.
As far as Willard’s department can tell, this is the first team of its type in the nation, and he thinks it’s a simple model for other departments to replicate.
But for Willard, getting kids access to trauma treatment early is personal.
“I grew up in a violent home with alcoholism,” Willard said. “There were eight of us … Irish Catholic family, and there really wasn’t a system for us. Law enforcement, they weren’t helpful to families back then. They would tell your father to take a walk and tell your mother to stop making him angry and they’d line the eight kids up on a couch and you felt … less human.”
So far, the response to the ACERT program has been positive, according to Christina Lachance at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, who works on early childhood and family initiatives. When news of the team first came out, Willard said, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen came to the police department to ask questions and discuss the potential for expanding services like these.
Lt. Nicole Ledoux at the MPD said 78 of the 213 families who have been offered help for their children received services, 91 declined help and the rest are pending referrals or seeking help independently.
Still, this program is new and small, and most of the kids getting this kind of help are either already in the court system or at risk of entering it. Hundreds of other kids who could benefit from treatment aren’t being reached.
Falling Through The Cracks
Evers said there are a few common types of treatment for exposure to adverse experiences, including child parent psychotherapy or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral treatment. Those services exist already in the state, she said.
One of the key steps in treatment, according to Bartlett, is getting the kids to let go of their trauma.
“It’s kind of like you’re holding a … beach ball under the water and once they can start to let it up and let it up a little bit at a time and then it comes all the way out, they’re able to go through the healing process and potentially not become future aggressors or people that hurt other people. They’re able to manage their feelings and their trauma,” Bartlett said.
One roadblock is a shortage of psychiatrists who specialize in children.
“Probably the biggest struggle that we have is getting the children into treatment. … Sometimes, there’s lengthy waiting lists for children and their parents to get into and access the therapeutic intervention that they need,” Bartlett said.
She said it can take four to six weeks before a child gets access to trauma treatment, sometimes longer. Some are referred to family resource centers for interim services before they are able to get a first appointment with a treatment provider. And Evers said a study of the general population showed high demand for trauma intervention.
“According to the public health data that we had, we estimated that there’s probably … close to 1,000 people born every year in those counties that could benefit [from intervention services],” Evers said. “The people getting those services are a very small number compared to the numbers of people that could benefit from it.”
She said the hard part is connecting the people who need it with the services available. It requires a system that identifies the need early, offers referrals and builds up the capacity to meet the demands.
She said the hard part is connecting the people who need it with the services available. It requires a system that identifies the need early, offers referrals and builds up the capacity to meet the demands.
Steps are already being taken to create such a system.
On June 6, Gov. Maggie Hassan signed Senate Bill 534 into law. It directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to work together to build a “comprehensive system of care for children’s behavioral health services.”
But change can’t come fast enough, as Willard said hundreds of kids in the state are still not getting the help they need; he sees it all the time in Manchester and not just in abstract reports.
“I went to Parker Varney School last year, had lunch with the kids. I just do it on a whim, it’s fun, and I was sitting with a girl [in] sixth grade and she said that she lost both her mother and her father to drug overdoses,” Willard said. “That’s going to have an effect on her life. She can certainly rise above it, but it’s still something that will never leave her.”
How To Get Help
There is no central statewide number for children’s mental health services. But calling the organizations below is a good place to start if you or your child need trauma-related resources.
• DCYF: 271-6562
• CFS: 518-4000
• Southern NH Services: 668-8010
• Riverbend Child Services (Concord): 228-0547
• The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester: 668-4111
• Greater Nashua Mental Health: 889-6147
• CFS: 518-4000
• Southern NH Services: 668-8010
• Riverbend Child Services (Concord): 228-0547
• The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester: 668-4111
• Greater Nashua Mental Health: 889-6147
Arts: Doors Are Open
FEATURED ARTS
Doors Are Open
Self-Led NH Artisan Tour Returns
Written by Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Michelle Landry Courtesy Photo
This upcoming weekend is one of the best for art lovers in New Hampshire.
The League of NH Craftsmen presents the 11th annual Fall NH Open Doors Saturday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Nov. 6. The statewide self-led tour takes participants to art centers, galleries, studios, farms, retail shops and businesses that have opened their doors and are displaying locally made items, just in time for the holiday shopping season. There will be demonstrations, food samples, raffles, special sales and, most importantly, opportunities to talk with the state’s makers and growers.
“For artists, it’s such a great way to network and meet new customers,” said Kate Sussman, operations manager at the League of NH Craftsmen, who also noted a spike in fine artists for 2016. “But it might not be about making a sale. It might be about showing their process and making that personal connection.”
Many artists, like James Chase in Manchester, are opening their own personal workshops to visitors. Some go all out, staging them like galleries, while others keep them as they are. Chase’s will look like a mix between a “gallery and a mad scientist’s workshop.” He’ll have a variety of collage and mixed-media work on view, plus four-inch by four-inch pieces accessible for smaller wallets.
“But it’s not really about the selling. It’s about sharing that work,” Chase said via phone. “Often times, people only see the end results, the products, which are usually displayed in a store or the vacuum of a gallery. … You don’t get that opportunity to ask questions. An open studio — I view it as a low-pressure opportunity, where you don’t have to buy anything, but you can meet the artist and ask questions.”
The trick to making the most of the weekend is to plan routes beforehand, particularly since many New Hampshire artisans live in rural pockets with poor cell reception. The NH Open Doors website features an interactive map listing participants by region, plus recommended itineraries and information about its passport contest.
Many New Hampshire communities rally hard behind NH Open Doors. Littleton, for example, has a kick-off event Friday and is offering promotion cards with discounts to Littleton shops, restaurants and lodging this weekend through Dec. 18, according to a press release. A group of artists in Exeter, East Kingston, North Hampton and Hampton Falls have planned a fine art and sugar itinerary, with stops at studios, galleries and the Willow Creek Sugarhouse, where visitors will be treated with tours and maple and honey product samples.
Wild Salamander Art Center co-owner KC Morgan said via phone that the staff has created a map of all NH Open Doors participants within a 10-minute drive of Hollis, complete with local eateries and other New Hampshire attractions.
“Most people make a day of it,” Morgan said.
The art center has used the opportunity to open its annual show, “Good Things Come in Small Packages,” this weekend, and celebrates its newly-renovated Wild Little ArtShop with a grand opening Saturday, which will include kids’ activities, raffles and refreshments. She said there will be all kinds of locally made goodies for sale, including pottery, woodwork, stained and fused glass art, handmade stuffed animals and puppets, metalwork and jewelry made from recycled goods.
You might even be surprised to learn how many artists are living and working in your neighborhood, said Betsy Craumer, owner of Creative Ventures Gallery in Amherst, which will house a variety of artists demonstrating and showing their work this weekend as well.
“It allows artists to talk to the average collector or person interested in art and see what they’re looking for,” Craumer said. “And it allows people who are interested in art to get out and see what’s going on.”
New Hampshire Open Doors
Where: Statewide, ask your favorite gallery!
When: Saturday, Nov. 5 & Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016
Admission: Depends on each gallery
Visit: NHOpenDoors.com or LittletonAreaChamberNH.com
Music: Weekly Review - Body Work & More
FEATURED MUSIC
Weekly Review: Body Work & More
Written by Eric Saeger (news@hippopress.com)
Images: Album Art
Negative Gemini, Body Work (100% Electronica Records)
Second album from Lindsey French, who hatted out for Brooklyn after discovering that, as with 99 percent of the rest of the country, her native Richmond, Virginia, wasn’t capable of supporting an electronic scene. Her earliest artistic foray was a rap trio, which she abandoned after discovering beatmaking software, thus on paper she’s not your typical one-hit mini-diva, and furthermore, she’s got a response to all those New York construction workers who yell at her to take her shirt off, namely “Don’t Worry Bout The F--- I’m Doing,” a dreamy, Madonna-ized mid-tempo track built on the drum line to Enigma’s “Return to Innocence,” which would never be a bad choice. “You Never Knew” finds fashion-shopping-techno being menaced here and there by subterranean wub-wubs while French lays down extended, breathy lines supported by her studio weapon of choice, a deep, sometimes cheesy reverb. Lots of downright complicated beatmaking here, some epic moments, a top-drawer indie-techno slab.
Grade: A
Electric Six, Fresh Blood for Tired Vampires (Metropolis Records)
This Detroit six-piece is mostly famous for playing in the same venues as White Stripes during the time they too were coming up. Though not a household name, the E6 are a handy reference for critics when trying to describe semi-joke bands that sound basically like The Tubes did during the 1980s, lots of bad, half-thought references that aren’t what snobs would call “witty,” more sort of madcap, but not going directly for the comedian-musician space of Weird Al and whatnot. Actually, it’d help if these guys threw cream pies at the audience during shows, not that I know or care whether or not they do that, but whatever, this Halloween-themed album is too late for Halloween, which automatically makes it cool. After an intro track stinking of ’80s cheese, it’s off to the salvageable Zappa-esque Daft Punk-gone industrial “Number of the Beast,” the “number” referring to, well, who knows, it’s buried in a bunch of jokes about college math classes. After that, it’s the usual disco-metal-funk that put them on the map, which includes insults aimed at people who eat at White Castle. All I can add is that if you hate Zappa you’ll absolutely detest this. As always.
Grade: B
Film: Introducing the New England Indie Fest
FEATURED FILM
Introducing The New England Indie Fest
SNOB Film Festival Undergoes Rebranding & Expansion
Written by Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Images: Courtesy Photo
The annual November film festival at Red River Theatres is getting rebranded.
For the past 15 years, it’s been known as the SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival, but starting in 2016, organizers are calling it New England Indie Fest.
The change, said Jay Doherty, festival executive director, has to do with the event’s evolution; it’s moved beyond film and into the realms of other indie forms — beer, music, radio, food.
“This year, we’re trying to keep both names so people don’t lose us,” Doherty said via phone. “But next year we’ll be the New England Indie Fest. If you look at the geographic center of New England, it’s pretty close to the I-93 split, which is where Concord’s at. … We also thought it was time to broaden our horizons a little bit, and open it up with a different name.”
Film screenings will be in Concord Nov. 10 through Nov. 13, but celebrations go beyond screening days — they began Nov. 1 with a craft beer hunt throughout the city (nine bars, 12 days, one raffle prize) — and even beyond Concord. On Nov. 2, the Rockingham Brewery in Derry held a screening of short films paired with beer that complemented their themes. (A creepy flick went with a quad called Silence of the Hams, while a funny one went with a light American wheat, Curly’s Gold.)
Rockingham brewers Rob Leleszi and Ali Buinicky also came up with the official festival beer, Final Cut, a chocolate raisin porter — i.e., liquid Raisinets — that features subtle chocolate and raisin tones with a roasty, smooth finish. Attendees can try it out Friday, Nov. 4, during a tasting at Bert’s Better Beers in Hooksett, or at various downtown Concord bars and restaurants until it runs out.
SNOB has invited local brewers to create festival beers the past four years, and it’s something people like Buinicky and Leleszi really appreciate. It helps indie film gurus become craft beer drinkers, or vice versa.
“It’s promoting the craft beer scene in a whole new way,” Buinicky said via phone. “When you pair these things together, you’re raising awareness about what local people are making.”
In Concord on Nov. 5, there’s live music by The Van Burens at Penuche’s Ale House, and on Nov. 6, there’s a screening with Hammer & Saw Films at Area 23. The next two days, the Barley House releases its festival burger, and Dos Amigos Burritos starts selling its festival burrito.
The event’s expansion has a lot to do with the Concord community — Doherty said people kept pitching him festival events or specials — but the movies still come first. Even with the name change, Doherty was happy to see filmmakers reaching out to make sure it was still happening.
“We got lots of feedback before we even opened up the deadline. People were seeking us out,” Doherty said. “We received several hundred films again this year, which is great. … Normally, we screen around 70 films, but this year we were a little more selective and chose 45.”
All are grassroots indie flicks, the kind you’re not typically going to see at the cinema. Eleven are New Hampshire-based, featuring local filmmakers or a local setting, and a quarter are independent international movies. The other half come from the rest of the country.
Doherty said the film scene has encountered an “explosion” of high-quality documentaries, and the 2016 schedule reflects that, strategically put together so festival-goers can choose from fiction or nonfiction at each time slot. He mentioned The Hollywood Shorties, a feature-length documentary directed by Ryan Steven Green about the birth of organized sports in the American dwarf community, and Running the 184, directed by Greg Lassik, about two men who ran the across the state of New Jersey in 2015.
Dover filmmaker and attorney Alfred Thomas Catalfo comes back to Concord to show his eighth short film, Split Ticket, a 20-minute supernatural drama that takes place in 1947 and follows newly minted congressmen and future presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The two travel to Pennsylvania together and share hamburgers in a diner and bunk beds on a train and must make a fateful decision. Catalfo said it has a “Twilight Zone” kind of flair and was inspired by a historical incident recounted in Kennedy and Nixon: The Rivalry that Shaped Postwar America by Chris Matthews.
Split Ticket was shot in six different Seacoast locations and has been making the festival circuit rounds, having screened in places like Orlando, Los Angeles, D.C., Rhode Island, Atlanta, etc. Catalfo always makes sure Concord is on the list.
“I really like the atmosphere Jay has put together with SNOB, now the New England Indie Fest,” Catalfo said via phone. “It’s compact, and the filmmakers and audience members really have a chance to interact and have in-depth discussions.”
SNOB Presents New England Indie Fest
Where: Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org
Thursday, Nov. 10: Beer tasting and screenings starting at 5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11: Screenings start at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12: Screenings from 10 a.m. until the end of the day
Sunday, Nov. 13: Screenings start at 1:30 p.m., encore and awards at 3 p.m.
Admission: Thursday $15, Friday $25, Saturday $50, Sunday $10, full festival pass $75
Contact: snobfilmfestival.com
Other Indie Fest Events
Open Mike: At Great North Aleworks, 1050 Holt Ave., Manchester, Thursday, Nov. 3, 6 to 8 p.m.; and at True Brew Barista, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, with Dusty Gray, Thursday, Nov. 3, 7 to 10 p.m. Rockingham Brewery Tasting: Friday Nov. 4, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Bert’s Better Beers, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett. Try Final Cut and other brews. Live Music, The Van Burens: Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m., at Penuche’s Ale House, 16 Bicentennial Square, Concord. Movies by Hammer & Saw Films: At Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m.
Release of SNOB Burger: Monday, Nov. 7, The Barley House, 132 Main St., Concord
Release of SNOB Burrito: Tuesday, Nov. 8, Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord
Granite State of Mind with Rob Azevedo, live, plus live music: Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m., at New England College, 62 N. Main St., Concord
Pop: Get Out The Energy *
FEATURED POP - * COVER STORY *
Get Out The Energy
Where to Go & What to Do to Get Some Energy Out
Written by Matt Ingersoll (listings@hippopress.com)
Photos: Launch Trampoline Center Courtesy Photo
You don’t have to have a membership or be in a league to enjoy these indoor venues. From basketball courts and batting cages, to scaling rock climbing walls and jumping around in bouncy houses and on trampolines, there are dozens of places around New Hampshire to burn off a little energy and have fun.
Bobo's Indoor Playground
522 Amherst St., Nashua, 718-8721, bobosindoorplayground.com
An indoor play center featuring playgrounds, inflatables, climbing walls and more.
Coolest feature: Adults are admitted as well to play with their children.
Hours: Open gym hours are Monday through Friday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. (closing times vary by day; call for details).
Cost: $8 for walkers, $4 for crawlers, $2 for infants only, and free for accompanying adults and sibling infants.
Concord Sports Center
2 Whitney Road, Concord, 224-1655, concordsportscenter.com
Offers private rentals for its batting cages, indoor field area, and an indoor golf driving range.
Coolest feature: Manager Steve Garrity said the baseball instructors, who offer private lessons in warming up, stretching and pitching mechanics to both baseball and softball players, offer unique professional insights and perspectives. “Matt Tupman, our head instructor, actually played in the major leagues,” he said.
Hours: Monday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; weekends by appointment only
Cost: Batting cage rentals $20 per half hour and $35 per hour; field rentals $100 per hour and $175 per two hours; indoor golf driving range $7 per person every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 3 p.m., from December to April.
Cowabunga's Indoor Inflatable Playground
1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, mycowabungas.com
Known as New England's largest inflatable center, Cowabunga's offers open gym hours, private birthday parties and functions and more.
Coolest feature: According to store manager Michelle LaFrance, the Friday Night Fun events offer opportunities for kids to meet their favorite superheroes or television cartoon characters. “We offer the same price admission and it’s something different every Friday,” she said.
Upcoming special events: Princess Parade Night: Friday, Nov. 4, 5 to 8 p.m.
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (parties are normally Fridays, from 5 to 8 p.m.)
Cost: $10 for kids, free admission for all adults and babies.
Evo Rock & Fitness
10 Langdon St., Concord, 715-9171, evorock.com
Offers indoor climbing for all levels of expertise, in addition to several fitness programs.
Coolest feature: For those new to climbing, beginners’ climbing classes are offered.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $12 child day pass, or $45 monthly pass
The Icenter
60 Lowell Road, Salem, 893-4448, icentersalem.com
An indoor two-rink ice skating facility offering open public ice skating, birthday and holiday-themed parties and more.
Coolest feature: Offers ice hockey instructional programs and weekly open ice skating hours.
Hours: Days and times vary depending on rink availabilities.
Cost: $6 for adults, $5 for children ages 12 and under, and free for children ages 4 and under.
Jump On In
456 W. Hollis St., #3, Nashua, 883-1135, jumponinfun.com/nashua
An indoor inflatable play center offering weekly open gym hours and private birthday parties and functions.
Coolest feature: JumpShot Basketball, a game of basketball involving trampolines and inflatables.
Hours: Open gym dates and times vary each week; call for details.
Cost: $10 per child, with a $2 discount for multiple children. Adults receive free admission.
Krazy Kids Indoor Play and Party Center
60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, krazykids.com
An indoor play center and party venue offering open gym hours and private birthday parties.
Coolest feature: Friday Night Fun, a weekly event at the Center whose theme changes every week.
Hours: Sunday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: $10 per child, free for adults and infants.
Launch Trampoline Park
17 Tanguay Ave., Nashua, 318-7600, launchnashua.com
An indoor trampoline facility offering open jump hours, group exercise classes, private birthday parties and trampoline dodgeball games.
Coolest feature: Several different programs are offered, including Teen Night every Friday and Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m., Sensory Saturdays, from 9 to 10 a.m. every Saturday specifically for children with special needs, and Friday Fun Deals every Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. for homeschoolers and preschoolers.
Hours: Open hours are Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 3:30 to 8 p.m.; Friday, 12:30 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $16 per hour per person ($10 for each additional hour, $8 for a half-hour, $20 for 1½ hours and $25 for two hours); free for children ages 2 and under.
Nashua Sports Academy
90 Northwest Blvd., Nashua, 402-2258, nashuasportsacademy.com
An indoor sports facility with basketball courts, a kick and throw wall, an exercise area, eight batting cages and more.
Coolest feature: “We’ve got a HitTrax baseball simulator that takes your data for swings and makes you feel like you’re hitting baseballs at Fenway Park,” Will Horn of the Nashua Sports Academy said.
Hours: Drop-in times are generally 3 to 5 p.m. during the week and vary during the weekend; call for details.
Cost: $10 drop-in rate with signed waiver, or $25 per month or $150 per year.
Nuthin' But Good Times
746 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2200, nuthinbutgoodtimes.com
An indoor play center offering mazes, activities, tunnels, slides and more.
Coolest feature: Offers a much more reserved soft-play structure for toddlers and children under 4 years old. Tiny slides, climbing walls and more are also offered for younger kids.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $9 for children ages 4 and older, $5.50 for children ages 3 and under, $2.50 for crawlers and adults, and free for infants.
Party PlayLand
45 Gigante Drive, Hampstead, 329-9444, partyplaylandnh.com
An indoor inflatable play center offering open gym hours and birthday parties.
Coolest feature: Private jump times are available at the center by appointment.
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8 to 11 a.m.
Cost: $10 per child; private jump rates are $125 for up to 10 children.
SkyVenture New Hampshire
100 Adventure Way, Nashua, 897-0002, skyventurenh.com
Offers indoor rock climbing, skydiving, surfing, a fishpipe water slide and more.
Coolest feature: Three different routes are offered at the climbing wall for people with various levels of expertise.
Hours: All activities start at 2 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cost: Prices vary from $55 to $105, depending on number of activities and hours spent on each.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
500 Valley St., Manchester, 413-3533, skyzone.com/manchester
An indoor trampoline jumping facility offering open jump hours and special time blocks specifically for toddlers.
Coolest feature: Offers several features and events like Glow Weekends, Dodgeball Derby, “sensory-friendly event” hours and more.
Hours: Open jump hours for all ages available Tuesday through Thursday, 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 3 to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: $10 for a half hour, $15 for an hour, $20 for 1½ hours, and $25 for two hours.
SportsZone Indoor Sports
7 A St., Derry, 537-9663, nhsportszone.com
An indoor sports center offering multi-sport courts for basketball, volleyball and dodgeball, as well as an indoor field for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, wiffleball, softball and more.
Coolest feature: Manager Ben Tufts said the various parties and events held at the Center, in addition to the way the leagues are run, offers a unique atmosphere. “Something we’re very proud of is being open for the community in those ways,” he said.
Hours: Days and times vary per week; see website or call for details.
Cost: Turf field rental $175 per hour; basketball court rental $75 per hour; batting and softball cages $35 per hour or $20 per half hour; virtual sports simulator $15 for 15 minutes, $25 for a half hour, $35 for 45 minutes, $45 for an hour. You can also pay a $10 drop-in fee for the day and use whatever equipment and space is available during the time you’re there; calling ahead or looking online is recommended for drop-ins.
Vertical Dreams Indoor Climbing Gyms
250 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-6919, and 25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 943-7571, verticaldreams.com
An indoor climbing gym with two locations, in Manchester and Nashua. Both offer climbing for all ages.
Coolest feature: Also offers outdoor climbing classes and trips.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 3 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: $30 for up to two hours, and $15 per each extra hour.
Village Idiotz Party Rentals Indoor Entertainment Center
Inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord, 856-8066, vipartyrentals.com/entertainment-center
An indoor play center in the Steeplegate Mall that features bounce houses, a playground, laser tag and more.
Coolest feature: Interactive games like Knockerballs and sumo suit wrestling.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 per day for the bounce houses, $10 per 15 minutes, $15 per 30 minutes and $25 per hour for laser tag.
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Review of Inferno
Film Review
Inferno (PG-13)
Written by Amy Diaz (adiaz@hippopress.com)
Images: Screenshot of Inferno
Tom Hanks returns as the puzzle-solving, city-hopping symbology professor in Inferno, a lazy-Sunday pickup game Robert Langdon mystery.
I’m not saying they didn’t try with this movie, I just don’t get the sense that they, like, try tried.
Robert Langdon (Hanks) wakes up in a hospital with a head wound and a bunch of strange images bouncing around the professorial noggin — are they visions? Memories? Why do they contain so many references to the works of Dante? And, if the last thing Langdon remembers is being in Boston, why does the hospital appear to be in Florence? Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) explains that the head wound appears to be the graze of a bullet and he is missing a couple of days of memory but before they can puzzle out any more, a police officer (Ida Darvish) shows up and starts shooting.
Sienna helps the still woozy Langdon escape, taking him to her apartment. After rifling through his mostly bloody personal effects, he finds a gizmo that projects a slightly doctored version of Botticelli’s illustration of Dante’s Inferno. Langdon and Sienna piece together clues in the drawing that lead them to Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), an eccentric billionaire who recently committed suicide and who was intensely interested in the problem of human overpopulation. Zobrist’s Inferno drawing leads Langdon and Sienna to guess that he has created a virus that will “solve” overpopulation by infecting the world and killing some half the population. (Which, based on the information in Zobrist’s own creepy DEAD Talk, wouldn’t do more than kick the population-problem can down the road a few decades but why let internal logic get in the way of a so-so mystery?)
As Langdon and Sienna try to figure out how to uncover Zobrist’s plan and find the virus, they also discover that they are being followed, both by the shooty policewoman from the hospital (who is maybe working for the American government?) and by a bunch of shadowy types in black vans who are connected to the World Health Organization (or are they?). With officialdom — and unofficialdom, in the form of some organization run from a ship in the Adriatic by Harry Sims (Irrfan Khan) — on their trail, Langdon and Sienna scavenger-hunt around Florence, following Dante clues, in search of a way to save humanity from a new pandemic.
And sure, nobody wants a plague, but it does give Langdon a chance to see his age-appropriate former romantic lady-friend, Elizabeth Sinskey (Sidse Babett Knudsen). She’s a take-charge woman who ultimately picked her WHO career over Langdon and doesn’t really seem inclined to rethink that decision. And, OK, the actress is almost 48, which is still a good dozen years younger than Hanks, but I nonetheless say “hurrah” for the middle-aged suit-wearing lady who gets to be the receiver of longing looks.
Elizabeth is a fun character. Also fun, so fun he feels like he’s from a totally different movie, is Harry Sims, who is a security/fixer-type guy. His weary “guess I’ll have to do it myself” attitude when his agents fail him and he finds out he’s been involved in something he wants no part of is kind of great. So is a scene he has with Elizabeth wherein he suggests they work together, despite her disdain for his clients and amorality. I will totally throw $20 at the Kickstarter for a movie (or, better yet, TNT series!) featuring Elizabeth and Harry reluctantly working together to stop international disasters.
I suspect that movie would be far more entertaining than this one, which never quite revs up, never has the energy of the previous two movies. Sure, all of these Robert Langdon affairs feel fairly silly — there is an “unnecessarily slow-moving dipping mechanism” quality to all of these capers. But Inferno feels both silly and flat.
If anything, this movie is actually a little less cinematic than the book it’s based on. I went back and read my review of the book, which apparently included some more Italian Renaissance factoids as well as an interesting thought experiment that’s lopped off the end of the movie. I understand why, in both cases, the movie edited this stuff out, but as a result Inferno feels sort of thin and empty, like somebody forgot to add sausage and pasta to this stew and we’re left with a lot of cabbage and onions.
I didn’t expect to love Inferno, to clear out a space on a 2016 top 10 list for this movie, but I did expect to have some degree of fun. Perhaps all the jump cuts and montages of apocalyptic hooey wedged sideways into the “figuring stuff out” scenes were supposed to provide that, but giving me the same headache that Robert Langdon has is not, ultimately, a great way to put the viewer in the movie.
Grade: C
Learn Something New
Learn Something New
Hands-On Fun at Museums, Nature Centers & More
Written by Angie Skeny (aslkeny@hippopress.com)
Photos: Seacoast Science Center Courtesy Photo
Learning is fun at these local museums and educational centers. Kids can travel back in time at a preserved Shaker village, explore New Hampshire’s marine life with a tide pool touch tank or even sit inside an aircraft cockpit. From science and nature to history and specialty topics, there’s something for everyone.
Amoskeag Fishways Learning & Visitors Center
4 Fletcher St., Manchester, 626-3474, amoskeagfishways.org
What it is: Nature center focused and located on the Merrimack River with interactive exhibits, games, live animals and educational programs.
Coolest exhibit: New interactive watershed exhibit. “You move sand around in a sandbox and a projector reads the landscape and creates a topographical map of the sand,” Program Naturalist Emily Johnson said, “so you can see from a grander scale how the landscape changes.”
Special events: Fishways Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature presentations, crafts, food and more. Admission is free.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 1 through March 1)
Cost: Free; donations accepted.
Aviation Museum of New Hampshire
27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org
What it is: Museum dedicated to the science, technology, history and culture of aviation, with interactive exhibits and educational programs.
Coolest exhibit: The new Embraer 110 refurbished aircraft cockpit, “complete with seats, instruments and more,” Executive Director Jessica Pappathan said. “This is an interactive exhibit, and our adult visitors have just as much fun checking it out as our young visitors.”
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors 60+ and veterans, $2.50 for kids 12 through 16, free for kids under age 12, $15 max for families.
Canterbury Shaker Village
288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org
What it is: Restored Shaker village and history museum with historic buildings, interactive exhibits and activities, educational programs and more.
Coolest exhibit: “Really, the whole Village,” Marketing Manager Caroline Piper said. “Walking along the same paths the Shakers walked is pretty cool.” Be sure to check out the Dwelling House exhibits, which tell of the Shakers’ unique contributions and way of life.
Special events: Experience a Shaker-style Christmas with entertainment, crafts and food at Christmas at Canterbury on Saturdays, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, from 3 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $8 for kids ages 6 through 17 and free for kids under age 5.
Hours: Weekends through the end of November, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with guided tours on Saturdays, Sundays and Friday, Nov. 25, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Cost: $10 for adults (November only), $8 for kids ages 6 through 17, free for kids under age 6, $42 maximum for families (two adults and two or more kids ages 6 through 17).
Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
6 Washington St., Dover, 742-2002, childrens-museum.org
What it is: Family museum featuring unique interactive exhibits with a focus on art, science and culture.
Coolest attraction: The STEAM Innovation Lab hosts drop-in science projects every day. “For example, kids could build structures out of toothpicks and mini marshmallows as an engineering challenge, or play with glow sticks in water to see how temperature affects chemical reaction,” Communications Director Neva Cole said.
Special events: PizzaFest, an all-ages pizza-tasting event, is Saturday, Nov. 5, 5 to 7 p.m.; tickets cost $10, $7 for kids ages 3 through 10 in advance, and $12/$9 at the door, free admission for kids under age 3. Books Alive! with Clifford the Big Red Dog is Saturday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free with museum admission. Mini Iron Chef cooking competition is Saturday, Nov. 19, with two-hour sessions at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., open to kids ages 6 through 12 with an adult; tickets cost $30. Jingle Bell Express, a Christmas program with DeMeritt Hill Farm, is on Fridays, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, with sessions at 3:45 and 5:15 p.m.; tickets cost $25, free for kids under age 3. Family New Year’s Eve Celebration is Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with countdowns at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m., free with museum admission.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday (and Mondays during school vacation), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: $10, $9 for seniors 65+, free for children under age 1.
Massabesic Audubon Center
26 Audubon Way, Auburn, 668-2045, nhaudubon.org/about/centers/massabesic
What it is: Wildlife sanctuary and nature center with live animals, exhibits and educational programs.
Coolest attraction: The live animals. “Our raven, turtles, frogs and others are available to view year round,” Program Director Angie Krysiak said.
Special events: Get a close-up look at a live bald eagle, American kestrel and others at LIVE! Birds of Prey on Saturday, Nov. 12. One-hour shows begin at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Tickets cost $10, $30 maximum for families.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays in December and January)
Cost: Free admission; donations accepted.
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com
What it is: Museum focused on astronomy and aviation with interactive exhibits, simulations, an observatory, a planetarium and more.
Coolest thing: The “New Views of the Universe” exhibit on loan from NASA, which highlights the discoveries made by the Hubble Space Telescope and features a 1:15 scale model of it. “It’s a very cool exhibit,” Executive Director Jeanne Gerulskis said. “Highly interactive and visually stunning.” On view through Jan. 8.
Special events: Space School, a new planetarium show about NASA astronaut training, premieres Friday, Nov. 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Hours: Friday through Sunday and daily during school vacations, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also 6:30 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of the month.
Cost: $10 for adults, $7 for kids ages 3 through 12, $9 for seniors 62+ and students age 13 through college, $7 per person in groups of 15 or more, free for kids under age 3. Planetarium show tickets are $5, free for kids under age 3.
McLane Audubon Center
84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org/about/centers/mclane
What it is: Nature center with exhibits, live animals and educational programs
Coolest attraction: Raptor mews. “We have a bald eagle, a peregrine falcon, a red-tailed hawk, two barred owls and a screech owl,” Center Coordinator Craig Holmes said. “Inside, we also have live native turtles and a ball python snake.”
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (raptor mews open dawn to dusk)
Cost: Free admission; donations accepted.
Millyard Museum
200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum
What it is: Museum dedicated to Manchester history, particularly the history of the Amoskeag Millyard.
Coolest exhibit: “The one kids like the most is the steam fire engine,” museum educator Suzanne DiBella-Olson said. “It’s a really beautiful piece and always impressive to the kids when they see what it used to look like.” There’s also a scavenger hunt and other games for kids.
Special events: American Girl Doll Tea Party is Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and includes a museum tour, refreshments and crafts with a focus on holiday traditions through the eyes of the American Girls. Tickets cost $10.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 62+ and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18, free for kids under age 12.
New Hampshire Telephone Museum
1 Depot St., Warner, 456.2234, nhtelephonemuseum.com
What it is: Museum featuring nearly 1,000 telephones, switchboards and other telecommunication memorabilia.
Coolest attraction: Interactive kids room. “It’s still growing,” Executive Director Laura French said, “but right now it has books about communications and inventing, switchboards for kids to play with and telephones they can use to talk with each other.”
Hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays through the end of December, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors 60+, $3 for students in grades 1 through 12
Seacoast Science Center
Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye, 436-8043, seacoastsciencecenter.org
What it is: Museum focused on New Hampshire marine life and science with live animals, hands-on exhibits and educational programs.
Coolest attraction: “The indoor tide pool touch tank is a favorite stop for all ages,” Marketing Director Karen Provazza said. “Visitors get up close and hands-on with some of the most fascinating creatures that live on the rocky shore just outside the Center’s door.”
Special events: Learn how the center cares for its animals, be a marine biologist for a day and more at the Veterans Day showcase on Friday, Nov. 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hours: Saturday through Monday and all school vacation days, Nov. 1 through mid-February, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $10. $8 for seniors 65+, active duty military and veterans, $5 for kids ages 3 through 12, free for kids under age 3.
SEE Science Center
200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org
What it is: Museum focused on technology, engineering, mathematics and more with interactive exhibits, demonstrations and educational programs.
Coolest exhibit: The LEGO Millyard Project, the largest permanent minifigure scale LEGO installation in the world, depicting Manchester’s Amoskeag Millyard circa 1900. “It’s got more than 3 million LEGO bricks and more than 6,000 minifigures,” Development Manager Peter Gustafson said. “Other science centers have similar science exhibits, but the LEGO Millyard Project is something truly unique.”
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $9, free for kids under age 3.
Brighten Your Day
Brighten Your Day
Art Centers for Kids
Photos: Courtesy of Will Salamader
Sometimes the best way to warm up a gloomy day is with art. Here are a handful of places in southern New Hampshire to bring the kids to, where they can explore all kinds of media, from painting and pottery to sewing and glass fusion. Some have drop-in options, and others have one-time or multi-day classes to choose from.
Art Happens
37 Wilton Road, Milford, 654-2287, arthappensnh.com
What it is: It was a paint-and-sip shop first, but Art Happens is also a place you can bring the kids for classes and workshops involving painting, drawing, fiber arts, mixed-media art, etc. There are also open studio/family paint time events when you can come in and create with no guided instruction (you get a canvas and access to all supplies without instruction for $15).
Coolest attraction: The location, co-owner Liz Calabria said via phone. It’s inside an old mill building, with brick walls and an old crane system high in the ceiling, plus a skylight.
Special events: There’s an anime art workshop Saturdays, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, at 10 a.m. for kids 9 and older, and an animal drawing class those same days at noon. Kids can paint with Santa on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m.
Hours: The art center is open whenever there are classes happening; check the website for the schedule.
Cost: Cost varies from class to class depending on duration and media; most range in price from $60 to $120 for four- to six-week sessions.
Beck’s Arts Express
89 Amherst St., Nashua, 781-910-3438
What it is: The art center, run by Rebecca Fredrickson, offers art classes, lessons, workshops, and camps in all different kinds of media including pastels, watercolors, clay, oil, acrylics, charcoal and pencil. Fredrickson said via phone she planned on incorporating new styles of workshops soon, like henna and balloons sculpting.
Coolest attraction: Starting this week, the art center will host a drop-in for toddlers and preschoolers, where she'll host age-appropriate crafts. Fredrickson said the small size of the business allows her to customize the programs to customer needs.
Special events: The art center hosts holiday gift-making workshops in November, dates TBA.
Hours: By appointment.
Cost: $10 to $25.
The Canvas Roadshow
25 S. River Road, Bedford, 943-2103, thecanvasroadshow.com
What it is: This paint-and-sip art center offers after-school art classes for kids that involve painting and a variety of other media.
Coolest attraction: The “pick your own painting” activity, said owner Debbie Ellis, where anyone can come and pick out what they want to paint from hundreds of designs. There’s also wine and beer for moms and dads to enjoy while their kids work.
Special events: Ellis said the business holds regular themed parties; the latest Halloween bash featured face-painting, karoake, a photographer and costumes, and the next holiday-themed celebration is Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: On average, $15 to $35.
Creative Ventures Gallery
28-1 Route 101A, Amherst, 672-2500, creativeventuresfineart.com
What it is: The year-old art center houses a studio, gallery and class space in an unassuming house on Route 101, where members teach drawing and painting to kids, teens and adults.
Coolest attraction: Because the space also has artist studios, on any given day you'll find several artists working there so kids can see the magic happen on the spot.
Special events: It hosts a holiday show and sale on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m.
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: About $15 to $25 per class, depending on the duration.
Currier Museum of Art
150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org; Art Center is at 180 Pearl St., Manchester
What it is: The art museum features artwork from all over the world, plus a special rotating exhibition that typically has an activity section for kids; the latest is “Mount Washington: The Crown of New England.” For kids who want to be more active in their art, the Currier Art Center is just down the street and offers a wide range of educational opportunities, from fine art to craft, for kids of all ages.
Coolest attraction: The Discovery Gallery, which is inside the museum and designed for kids of all ages, is recommended by Steve Konick, Currier director of PR and marketing. There are hands-on activities, books and places to exhibit art.
Special events: Free New Hampshire Saturday, during which Granite Staters get in the museum free before noon. The next is Saturday, Nov. 12. There’s also an Art Center open house Saturday, Nov. 19, noon to 4 p.m.
Hours: Sunday, Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Museum admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for youth, free for members and children younger than 13, special $5 exhibition fee to see “Mount Washington: The Crown of New England;” art workshops and classes feature additional prices that vary depending on the media and duration.
Kimball Jenkins School of Art
266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com
What it is: The art center regularly hosts drawing, oil, watercolor, ceramics and printmaking classes for kids, plus summer and teen arts camps.
Coolest attraction: There are two art galleries here — the Carolyn Jenkins Gallery and the Jill Wilson Gallery — that feature rotating shows with art by locals and students.
Special events: The next big events for kids are in 2017: Alice in Wonderland-themed tea parties and fairy festivals, which have attracted as many as 80 kids at once.
Hours: Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment
Cost: Prices vary per class; visit the site for details.
The Place Studio & Gallery
40 Thorndike St., Concord, 369-4906, theplaceconcord.wixsite.com/the-place
What it is: The drop-in “do-it-yourself” art and craft center is almost like an art makerspace for kids where you can come in and make as you please. At the ready is a large selection of prepared canvases, pre-fired ceramics and other materials. The Place also hosts regular classes and workshops that involve glass painting, drawing, Zentangle, decoupage, alcohol ink, etc.
Coolest attraction: Owner and founder Christa Zuber recommended the decoupage shelf at the art center, where kids can buy items to decoupage (a “fancy French word for gluing paper to something,” Zuber said) or bring their own item to decoupage. “Kids can decoupage anything from a small box to a dinosaur or pumpkin,” Zuber said via phone. “We have scrapbook paper, comic books, music sheets, tissue paper and magazines for them to use.”
Special events: There’s a Family Day sale the Friday after Thanksgiving, details to be announced closer to the event.
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment, Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday by appointment.
Cost: Materials start at $2, all-day studio time ranges in price from $6 to $10 and art and craft instruction classes vary but are around $20 per person.
Studio 550
550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com
What it is: The pottery, stained glass and general art studio contains a rotating gallery and space for kids and adults to “play” and make art. The studio has also hosted a variety of events, from a summer chalk art competition to a high school clay challenge.
Coolest attraction: The movement studio, which hosts all kinds of classes from Scottish highland dancing to yoga. The latest addition is a monthly toddler sensory play group aimed at kids ages 1 to 4.
Special events: Every Saturday afternoon the Studio hosts a family clay workshop, and every first Saturday, a family pottery workshop.
Hours: Mondays from 3 to 9 p.m., Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursdays from 3 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Some events, like exhibition openings and empty bowls workshops, are free; things like the toddler playgroup are $8 a child, while art workshops are typically $15 to $30.
Time to Clay
228 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-0462, timetoclay.com
What it is: A drop-in studio where you can paint pottery, create fused glass art or clay creations (though owner Debbi Grimard recommends the latter only for older kids or kids whose parents are there to help). There are also classes and camps throughout the year.
Coolest attraction: “The vibe,” Grimard said via phone. The studio is painted light purple with dark purple trim. It has 16-foot ceilings and “explosions” of color on the walls and shelves in the form of art samples and glass art. The night before, Grimard said, staff were doing the hokey-pokey with customers.
Special events: Kidz Nite Out, which is aimed at kids ages 6 and older and happens about twice a month.
Hours: Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: The cost of the item painted, no studio fee; average price is between $15 and $20.
Wild Salamander Art Center
30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com
What it is: Located in an old Hollis farm house, the art center offers classes for toddlers (“Toddler Studio”), elementary schoolers (like “Imagination Lab,” which focuses on using materials in new and inventive ways) and older kids (like fine art, sewing and fashion design workshops).
Coolest attraction: The Little Wild ArtShop recently underwent an expansion and renovation; now the downstairs of the house is also filled with work by local artisans, from jewelry and prints to cards.
Special events: Art center co-owner KC Morgan suggested the “canvas and cocoa meetups,” which start in November.
Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Workshops typically cost around $35. Class prices vary depending on the media and duration; some go for as little as $15 per week.
You’re Fired
25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; 4 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 204-5559, yourefirednh.com
What it is: Paint your own pottery; choose your piece (there are more than 1,500 bisques, according to the website) and your paints and the company does the firing in its kilns for patrons to pick up in a week.
Coolest attraction: In addition to pottery, kids can make mosaics from a variety of wood cutouts, which they can bring home right away, said Devin Muldowney, Bedford manager, via phone.
Special events: Friday is teen night, with half off the studio fee, and on Mondays kids 12 and younger get half off the studio fees.
Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: $6 studio fee for kids $8 for adults, plus the cost of an item; most are around $15.
Highly Amused
Highly Amused
Indoor Fun for Everyone
Written by Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)
Photos: Fun Spot Courtesy Photo
For endlessly entertaining get-up-and-move-around indoor amusement, New Hampshire has a variety of options, from a multi-level laser tag arena to the largest arcade in the world. You can also spend cold and dreary days at one of the state’s many bowling alleys.
Boutwell’s Bowling
152 N. State St., Concord, 224-0941, boutwellsbowl.com
What it is: A candlepin bowling center with a lounge that opens during league play.
Coolest attraction: Manager Don Weatherbee said the coolest attraction is the glow bowling every Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. He said the place has “black lights, music, fog, strobe lights, a couple of lasers.”
Special events: A 3-6-9 tournament on Nov. 23 available to league bowlers. Players play three games and everyone gets an automatic strike for their third, sixth and ninth frames.
Hours: Monday 1 to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 1 to 11 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Prices range from $3.50 to $4.25 per person, shoe rentals are $3 and glow bowling is $30 hourly per lane. Call for group prices.
Funspot
579 Endicott St. North, Laconia, 366-4377, funspotnh.com
What it is: The Guinness World Record’s largest arcade in the world, complete with more than 600 new and classic games, 20 bowling lanes (for ten-pin and candlepin) and an indoor miniature golf course. There’s also a full-service restaurant and tavern.
Coolest feature: The American Classic Arcade Museum, which features hundreds of old arcade games from the 1980s, is a fully playable arcade and a time-warping experience for Gen-Xers.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight.
Cost: There is no general admission charge. Token prices range from $4 for one token to $20 for 100.
Fun World
200 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-1940 or 888-8735, funworldnh.com
What it is: General Manager Sandra Manougian describes Fun World as “probably the only place that has an indoor roller-coaster, two-story carousel, three-story playground and over 350 coin-operated games inside a building that’s open year-round.”
Coolest feature: Manougian can’t decide which attraction is the coolest, but she said no other entertainment center in the country can compete with her token prices, as far as she can tell. For every $20 spent on tokens you get an extra $7 worth.
Hours: During the school year it’s open Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday noon to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 2 to 9 p.m., and Friday 2 to 11 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays. See website for additional information.
Cost: With the $7 bonus for each $20 spent, tokens are 18.5 cents each. During weekends, holidays, school vacations and summers, visitors can get a $15 wristband that gets them access to any combination of 10 rides throughout the center.
King Bowling Lanes
751 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9215, kinglanes.com
What it is: A candlepin bowling center with about half a dozen arcade games, billiards and ping-pong.
Coolest attraction: Manager Dan LaRochelle said the coolest attraction is glow bowling on most Saturday nights from 5 to 11 p.m.
Hours: Monday 3 to 9 p.m., Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday noon to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
Cost: Bowling is $4 per person per game and an additional $2 for shoe rentals.
Lakeside Lanes
2171 Candia Road, Manchester, 627-7722, lakesidelanes.com
What it is: A candlepin bowling alley that serves alcoholic beverages and hosts birthday parties.
Coolest attraction: Owner Tim Lipke said probably the coolest feature is the glow bowling every Saturday from noon to close. “It’s more like a nightclub atmosphere,” Lipke said.
Special events: From Nov. 6 through Nov. 12, Lakeside is host to the largest candlepin tournament anywhere — the International Candlepin Championships. Twenty-four teams from all over New England and Canada descend upon Manchester to compete.
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Cost: Open bowling is either $4.75 per string or $35 per hour. Glow bowling is $4.75 per string or $38 per hour. Shoe rentals are $3.50.
Leda Lanes
340 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-4884, ledalanes.com
What it is: A candlepin bowling center with a few arcade games and a pro shop.
Coolest feature: Manager Alexis Bouley said Leda Lanes takes glow bowling to the next level with Leda’s Lighthouse. “We have a whole building dedicated to glow bowling all of the time,” Bouley said.
Special events: A pizza party to launch their toy drive will be on Nov. 12. Adults play for $20 and kids pay $15 for three hours of play, pizza and soft drinks. The toy drive goes until the week of Christmas. Toys must be new and unwrapped and each person who donates a toy can play one free string of bowling.
Hours: Regular candlepin is open every day from 9 a.m. to midnight. Leda’s Lighthouse is open Monday through Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: Bowling is $4 to $4.50 per person per game and shoe rentals are $2.50 to $3.
Mel’s Funway Park
454 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com
What it is: An entertainment park with go-kart racing, batting cages and miniature golf. Indoor attractions include an arcade, a laser tag arena and a body-contorting obstacle course called the Laser Maze.
Coolest attraction: The Laser Maze requires you to navigate 36 green laser beams without touching the beams while your friends watch on a video monitor.
Hours: During the Halloween season, hours mirror Spookyworld hours, which can be found at spookyworld.com. Otherwise, check melsfunwaypark.com for an updated schedule.
Cost: Laser tag is $7 per game or three games for $15. Laser Maze is $2 per game or three games for $5. Arcade games vary in price from 25 cents to $1 per game.
Merrimack Ten Pin
698 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-0989, merrimacktenpin.com
What it is: A bowling place with billiards, a redemption game room with 25 games and full-service food and beverage (alcohol included). “We are a clean, family-friendly atmosphere,” said Manager Kristi Grover.
Coolest feature: Grover said some of the coolest features are the six 140-inch projector screens installed above the lanes that use the latest technology to display birthday messages, music videos or live sporting events.
Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Prices vary by day of the week and time of the day. They range from $3.50 to $4.75 per person per game and shoe rentals are $3.75. Additional specials are available.
Pinball Wizard Arcade
150 Bridge St., Unit P, Pelham, 635-1677, pinballwizardarcade.com
What it is: An arcade with more than 90 pinball machines, billiards, arcade games, ticket machines. It also has a function room that can be rented for parties.
Coolest feature: Owner Sarah St. John said it’s the third largest arcade in the country and the second largest pinball arcade.
Special events: Boston Pinball Association league playoffs are coming up on Nov. 19. They attract over 125 players from all over New England.
Hours: Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Summer hours differ.
Cost: $20 gets you 100 tokens.
Space Entertainment Center
51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett, 621-5150, spaceentertainmentcenter.com
What it is: A 30,000-square-foot indoor entertainment center complete with a redemption arcade, bumper cars, billiards, roller coaster, pedestal joust, rock-climbing and laser tag. Food and alcoholic beverages are also available through Frankie’s Grille.
Coolest attraction: Manager Huza Taha said she thinks their multi-level laser tag (on two floors) is their coolest feature. “You have fog, there’s music, it’s dark in there. It has pretty much everything,” Taha said.
Hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: Visitors put money on a card that can be used for any games or attractions. Specials range from $20 for $5 of bonus game credit to $100 for $40 bonus game credit.
Spare Time Manchester
216 Maple St., Manchester, 625-9656, sparetimeentertainment.com
What it is: A bowling center with function rooms for parties, a full-service restaurant and bar and more than 20 arcade games.
Coolest attraction: Manager Dan Lachance believes the coolest feature is Galactic Bowling on Friday and Saturday nights from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. “We turn on the music, we turn down the lights, we turn on the ‘galactic’ lights, or the disco lights as we call them, and we party it up,” he said.
Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Bowling is $5 per person per game plus $4 for shoe rentals. Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 p.m. to close is $2 per person per game. Galactic bowling is $18 per person. Additional group specials are available.
Strikers East Bowling Center
4 Essex Road, Raymond, 895-9501, strikerseast.net
What it is: A bowling center, function hall with full-service restaurant and bar, and arcade section with 10 to 15 games.
Coolest attraction: Manager Mindy Hardy thinks glow bowling on Friday and Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m. is the coolest attraction.
Special events: On Nov. 18, a fundraiser party for the 15th annual New Hampshire High Hopes Foundation will give a child with a life-threatening illness an uplifting experience. The event attracts professional bowlers from around the world.
Hours: Monday and Tuesday 4 to 10 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday 2 to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: Prices range from $3 to $4 per game and $20 to $25 hourly lane rentals. Shoe rentals are $3.
Learn From History
Learn From History
Abbey Players Put on The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later
Written by Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)
Photos: St. Anslem Courtesy Photo
What happens to a community after the nation forgets its tragedy?
Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project address this question in The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, which makes its New Hampshire premiere with a production by the Anselmian Abbey Players Nov. 3 through Nov. 5 at the Dana Center for the Humanities.
The play was first performed in 2009 and looks at Laramie, Wyoming, 10 years after the murder of a gay University of Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard. The original play — The Laramie Project, produced in 2000 — drew on hundreds of interviews conducted by the Tectonic Theater Project, with text taken directly from Laramie residents, company members’ journal entries and published news reports. This one does the same.
There are a few reasons Saint Anselm College’s playreading committee chose this production. One was that the students produced The Laramie Project in 2012, which had a “huge impact” on the school community, English professor and Anselmian Abbey Players Director Landis Magnuson said. It was the fourth most-attended fall play in almost 30 years at the college, having sold close to 800 tickets over three nights.
A few cast members said during a recent rehearsal they also like that the message is so relatable. It’s a story that transcends time and communities.
“We have grown up in an era where there have been a lot of tragedies, from 9/11 to Sandy Hook to Orlando. It’s always in your face for about five minutes — and then it just seems to go away, and everybody moves on with their lives,” said Kelsey Warner, who, along with 11 other actors, will perform in more than 60 different roles this weekend. “One recurring theme is that there’s a constant move to get a hate crime legislation passed. … Matthew’s mother has a line where she says, ‘Ten years have changed. No progress.’ … A lot of times, when something terrible has happened, we say of course we’re going to do something about it. But it’s literally been a decade.”
Another recurring theme is the label “hate crime,” thanks to a 20/20 news story reporting Shepard’s murder was driven by drugs.
“Even with the Orlando shooting, we heard a lot of people, at least in my hometown, who were talking about it and saying it wasn’t because they were gay — it just happened to be a gay club,” Warner said. “People immediately started finding other reasons. And I had that in the back of my mind while reading the show.”
But mostly, people in Laramie just want to move on and forget what happened.
“I found the script to be very moving. For a lot of communities, when something bad happens, they really do try to sweep it under the rug,” said Jake Miller, who’s very familiar with the repercussions of a town tragedy; the sophomore is from Milford, Conn., and went to school with Maren Sanchez, who was murdered on her prom day in 2014. “Two years later, all the faculty, staff and adult members of my town are just trying to forget about it.”
In the Saint Anselm show, actors will wear casual, plain clothes, switching characters with the addition of a prop or costume piece and a sharp change in voice and mannerisms. Sets are minimal, but the multimedia projections are “over the top,” said Magnuson, with designs by Saint Anselm alum Carey and Matthew Cahoon. Four screens will hang upstage and display more than 100 clips and stills to help tell the story.
The true power in the play, said actor and student Garrett Meyer, is when you remember these are words from real people who are talking about real events.
“For me personally, one of the biggest messages I want to get across is, not only is it OK to look back at bad events that have happened in a community, but you should, because that’s the only way you can learn and grow together,” Meyer said.
See The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later
Where: Dana Center for the Humanities, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester
When: Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Talk-back: The Core Council — an organization involving students and faculty allied with or members of the LGBT community — will lead a dialogue with actors and audience members after the opening Nov. 3.
Tickets: $14
Contact: anselm.edu, 641-7700, dana@anselm.edu
Off And Running
Off & Running
Manchester Marathon Returns with New Route and a 5k
Written by Matt Ingersoll (listings@hippopress.com)
Photos: Courtesy Photo
Test your speed at the Manchester City Marathon, powered by SNHU, which kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 8:50 a.m. A Boston Marathon qualifier, the event consists of a full marathon, a half marathon, a relay and a 5K walk or run.
The 10th annual event is the first to feature Southern New Hampshire University as the sponsor and Millennium Running as the director and official timer — and it returns with a completely revamped route. It has also been selected as a marathon championship in the USA Track & Field New England Grand Prix Series.
“We took stock of all of the great things that have been done in the past, and we found things to improve the event in the future,” said John Mortimer, Millennium Running owner. “Most immediately, we refined the course to make it a little more runner-friendly with eliminating some of the extremely challenging hills on the existing course … and also making it more municipality-friendly by avoiding some of the busier intersections.”
Mortimer said while the course of the race has traditionally crisscrossed the city, starting and finishing downtown while traveling from east to west and then north to south, the refined route does not go any farther east than Mammoth Road. Nearly four dozen members of the Manchester Police and Fire Departments and a team from Catholic Medical Center will be hired to preserve all of the race’s perimeters.
All route lengths will depart from an area of Veterans Memorial Park known as “Athlete’s Village.” The 5K portion of the run, which begins about 10 minutes after the others, is also a new feature, Mortimer said. Runners can also register on the morning of the race for the first time, beginning at 7 a.m. Online registrations at slightly lower rates than those on race day close on Friday, Nov. 4, at noon.
“With race-day registration and the added benefit of the 5K, these are some of the expanded fields that we wanted to allow registrants on race day,” he said.
Previous marathons have included wellness events throughout the weekend such as the Health & Wellness Expo. Mortimer said this year Millennium Running will present various sponsors for several nights leading up to the day of the race at its retail store. Early bib pick-ups will also be available each day at the store. The themes began on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m., with “Tasty Tuesday,” a nutrition sampling event.
“Every night we’ll have a different theme,” Mortimer said. “We’ll have a massage therapist in house to provide amenities, for instance, and we’ll have Hoka, a major footwear sponsor, give details on footwear products. … That all ends on Saturday, right before the race.”
Runners will compete for a combined $8,400 in prize money, with individual amounts broken down by gender and age groups. Half of that overall amount is awarded to the top race-finishing individuals, while the other is awarded to participating teams.
Because the race is a qualifier, it has often seen thousands of runners from all across the country, Mortimer said.
“The fact that it’s a marathon certainly draws from a larger audience further away,” he said, “and a nice byproduct of [Millennium Running] being involved is that it will help showcase our store and the events we do to that audience, so hopefully they will enjoy their experience and come visit again.”
Manchester City Marathon, Powered by SNHU
When: Sunday, Nov. 6 (registration and pick-up begins at 7 a.m.; full marathon, half marathon and relays kick off at 8:50 a.m.; 5K kicks off at 9 a.m.)
Where: All races begin and end at Veterans Memorial Park, 889 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: $95 pre-registration and $110 race day for the full marathon; $85 pre-registration and $100 race day for the half marathon; $190 pre-registration and $220 race day for the four-person full marathon relay; $95 pre-registration and $110 race day for the two-person half marathon relay; and $30 pre-registration and $35 race day for the 5K run or walk.
Crazy For Crafts
Crazy for Crafts
Unique Gift Ideas Offered This Holiday Season
Written by Matt Ingersoll (listings@hippopress.com)
As the calendar flips to November, there are more than a dozen holiday craft fairs happening the first week alone.
Some offer a little something extra. At the Snowman Craft Fair at Bow Mills United Methodist Church on Saturday, Nov. 5, for example, nearly 90 gift baskets with special themes will be auctioned off, in addition to the homemade and handcrafted items that will be for sale.
“We normally have dozens of people lining up right outside the door at 8 a.m., even though the fair opens at 9, and we basically take over the entire church,” said Joan Day, one of the Fair’s coordinators. “We put prices on the baskets, but it’s free to come in and everyone gets a free Christmas ornament.”
There’s also a cookie walk, and breakfast items will be served from 9 to 10:30 a.m., with lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Other fairs are very traditional. Dozens of crafters will be on hand at this year’s Goffstown Lions Club Craft Fair, happening Saturday, Nov. 5, and Sunday, Nov. 6, at Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown.
“There will be everything from maple syrup to crocheted items and knitted items, and all … kinds of other handcrafted stuff,” said MaryAnn McKenna of the Goffstown Lions Club, which coordinates the fair.
The cost to attend is $3, with all proceeds going toward the Lions Club, McKenna said. The fair will also feature a silent auction and a lunch hat will include turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, chili and more.
Upcoming Craft Fairs
First Church Christmas Craft Fair
When: Friday, Nov. 4, 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: First Church, 1 Concord St., Nashua
Featuring: Handmade ornaments and wreaths, baked goods, knitted items, jewelry and a silent auction.
St. Jude Parish Country Christmas Fair
When: Friday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: St. Jude Church, 435 Mammoth Road, Londonderry
Featuring: Handmade jewelry, decorations, clothing, floral arrangements, candles and more.
Bow Mills United Methodist Church Snowman Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow
Featuring: Holiday crafts and handmade wearables, gift baskets and gifts for pet owners.
Hampstead Mother’s Club Holiday Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Hampstead Middle School, 28 School St., Hampstead
Featuring: More than 80 hand-selected crafts, a raffle table, food and more.
Thorntons Ferry’s Holiday Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Thorntons Ferry School, 134 Camp Sargent Road, Merrimack
Featuring: Dozens of New England crafters, a raffle, a silent auction and baked goods.
Raymond Boy Scout Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Raymond High School, 45 Harriman Hill Road, Raymond
Featuring: Jewelers, clothing vendors and more.
East Congregational Church Holiday Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: East Congregational United Church of Christ, 51 Mountain Road, Concord
Featuring: Dozens of handmade crafts, a bake sale, a silent auction and themed raffle baskets.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/St. Leo Christmas Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, 189 N. Main St., Rochester
Featuring: Cash raffle, penny sale, baked goods, homemade candies and more. A ham and bean supper will begin at 5 p.m.
Coe-Brown Holiday Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, 907 1st NH Turnpike, Northwood
Featuring: Raffle, baked goods and more.
Chichester Central School Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Chichester Central School, 219 Main St., Chichester
Goffstown Lions Club Craft Fair
When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Mountain View Middle School, 41 Lauren Lane, Goffstown
Featuring: Handmade crafts.
Cost: $3. Children 12 and under are free.
Bedford High School Handmade Fair
When: Sunday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Bedford High School, 47B Nashua Road, Bedford
Featuring: Dozens of local artists and artisans, in addition to handmade crafters.
Hometown Side
Hometown Side
Godsmack Frontman Turns Intimate on New Solor Record
Written by Michael Witthaus (music@hippopress.com)
Sully Erna’s first solo record was a complex tapestry of sound and rhythm — ethereal, even symphonic at times. Erna goes in another direction on his latest, Hometown Life — several, actually. Released in late September, it opens with grandeur with the epic title track, turns a bit Latin on “Your Own Drum,” then offers pedal steel guitar and other country elements on “Different Kind of Tears” — that’s just the first three songs.
At turns jazzily buoyant and achingly honest, it’s a rich and wholly winning effort, a more than worthy follow up to 2010’s Avalon. Both records share a common thread: a studio band that includes mostly local musicians. Chris Lester, Lisa Guyer and Dave Stefenalli, ex-bandmates in Mama Kicks, returned for the new disc, along with Seacoast guitarist Tim Theriault and Boston cellist Irina Chrkova. Erna even brought his father in to play trumpet on the record’s most upbeat number, “Turn It Up.”
Erna explained in a recent phone interview that once again looking in his musical backyard was an easy choice.
“They’re all phenomenal, and I knew that no matter what I threw in front of them, they’d be able to not only play it, and play it well, but bring a kind of authenticity,” he said. “What I thought was cool is I could use the exact same musicians that helped me create this really earthy, tribal, mystical record — Avalon — to create something completely different.”
Lester and Theriault are backing Erna for a short tour that stops in Hampton Beach on Nov. 12. The shows will be stripped down affairs.
“I want to present these songs in a very intimate way for now, because I really believe in the songwriting,” Erna said. “I want to touch people on an emotional level.”
Lyrically, Erna is exposed and vulnerable on the new record. The tone is set on the opening track, surprisingly written at the end of the project. He uncovered an “epic-sounding” piano riff from a collection of song notes and began trying to match his emotions to the music.
Soon, memories of growing up in Lawrence, Mass., came to the forefront. One line in the song sums up Erna’s ambivalent relationship with his hometown: “I breathe in the air that’s so unclean/yet keeps me alive,” he sings.
“I don’t think I would have been able to go through these experiences of my life — the trauma, feelings and the ups and downs — if I hadn’t come from such a crazy city like Lawrence,” he said. “So there it was, the content was there and plenty of it. I could probably write a whole album on just that song.”
Initially, he worried that the last-minute addition would disrupt the flow of Hometown Life.
“I was really concerned about it fitting with the record because it’s not like ... it’s disconnected from the textures of the rest of the album,” he said. “Then I thought, you know what? Nothing sounds the same on this record.”
Working with Erna for the first time was Nashville songwriter Zac Malloy.
“Sometimes another writer will steer you in a different direction, they’ll zig when you zag and it really opens up a whole new world of information,” Erna said. “I had my management reach out to see who was available that wasn’t afraid to work with the big bad wolf from Godsmack, and Zac was one of the first who spoke up and said he was really interested. I really loved what he brought to the table.”
Malloy’s contribution led to some of Erna’s favorite moments on the record, particularly “Different Kind of Tears,” a song both drew from their experience raising teenagers.
“Emotional pain in their lives always feels so unique, like no one can understand how badly it hurts ...,” he said. “It’s a different kind of pain for them. Really, it was inspired by the younger demographic that’s experiencing real-life situations for the first time. Same thing with ‘Your Own Drum’ — it was more about making sure that they have identity; don’t be a follower, be a leader. Go find your own path, be in front of everyone else.”
For the linchpin of a high-powered heavy metal band, exploring his softer side energized Erna, and he’s excited to unveil Hometown Life with spare instrumentation.
“I really think the new songs will translate in a much different way, stronger to a degree, when they’re stripped down,” he said. “So we’re gonna play around with this a little bit. See how it feels.”
Sully Erna
When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m.
Where: Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach
Tickets: $29-$49 at casinoballroom.com
Breakthrough Barbecue
Breakthrough Barbecue
Riverside Barbecue Adds Full Bar & New Menus
Written by Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Photos: Angie Sykeny
A Nashua downtown restaurant is proving that barbecue isn’t just for festivals, food trucks and counter service lunch joints — it also makes a great dinner and nightlife cuisine.
Since last spring, Riverside Barbeque Company has been undergoing renovations for a fresh concept with three times more dining space, a full-service bar and a revised and broadened menu. The process has taken longer than expected — it was initially set to be finished by July or August — but the first of the highly anticipated upgrades including the bar and a new to-go menu launched last week, and the expanded dining space is projected to open no later than the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Owner and chief pitmaster Dave Manganello said he originally wanted to debut the revamped restaurant in its completion with a grand reopening but later decided to stagger out the changes for a smoother transition that wouldn’t detract from the new bar.
“We’d be open on a Friday night, watching a packed house [at restaurants] across the street and wondering what they’re doing that we aren’t,” he said. “We could have the same beers for cheaper, but when people go out to drink, they go to a bar, not a counter service restaurant with just beer and wine. … So that’s what we want people to know about the most, that we have a full liquor bar now.”
The new to-go menu features favorites like pulled pork, sliced brisket and Memphis ribs, as well as some of the most popular specials from the last few years and classic sandwiches with a barbecue twist, like a cheesesteak made with burnt end brisket instead of beefsteak, and a reuben made with smoked brisket instead of corned beef and barbecue Thousand Island dressing instead of Russian.
“It gives people another opportunity to try our smoked meats in a vehicle that may be more familiar or enticing,” Manganello said. “Many people think barbecue is just burgers and dogs, and if you already have that preconceived notion and aren’t interested, you aren’t going to [come in the restaurant], so we’d love for people to know that we have more than that.”
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting this week, Riverside also offers a late-night menu with food available until 1 a.m. Once the expanded dining space opens, they’ll introduce a dine-in menu with sit-down appetizers and dinner dishes and southern-style cuisine like shrimp and grits, seafood boils and fried chicken plates, plus a dessert menu.
The revamp is in a “soft opening” phase right now and customer feedback will help determine what food and drinks will become permanent items on the menu.
To add to its appeal as a nightlife destination, Riverside is also building a stage for live music that’s projected to be up and running by January, and an outdoor deck with construction starting in the spring.
Manganello said that between the updated amenities and the popularity of barbecue cuisine in general, he’s optimistic about the future of the new and improved Riverside.
“Barbecue is one of the fastest-growing [food trends] right now, and I can’t think of one type of food that has the same vehement following that barbecue has,” he said. “By this time next year, mark my words, we’re going to be one of the powerhouses of town … but for right now, we begin the task of earning our business and earning that powerhouse position.”
Riverside Barbecue Company
Address: 53 Main St., Nashua
Hours: Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Contact: 204-5110, riversidebarbeque.com
Master The Meal
Master the Meal
Recipies & Tips at Thanksgiving Cooking Classes
Written by Angie Sykeny (asykeny@hippopress.com)
Photos: Stock Photo
Whether you’re making Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or you’re looking for something new to bring to the table this year, there are all kinds of Thanksgiving cooking classes to help you prepare for the big day. You can learn the basics of cooking a turkey, or take it to the next level with a tutorial on apple wine cranberry glazed turkey. Get tips on how to make various sides, pies and other desserts, gluten-free dishes and more. Kids can join the fun, too, with a parent-child workshop and a lesson in leftover turkey lunches. Class sizes may be limited, so call to confirm that space is available, and register soon to secure your spot.
Preparing for Thanksgiving — It’s Easier Than You Think!
Learn how to brine a turkey and other techniques as you make a savory or sweet cranberry sauce, apple wine turkey brine, apple wine cranberry glazed turkey and spiced caramel apple winetini. Wine will be paired and/or prepared with each dish. LaBelle Winery founder and winemaker Amy LaBelle will also share tips for entertaining. This class is part of The Winemaker’s Kitchen Cooking Series.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst
Cost: $25, plus tax/gratuity
Contact: 672-9898, labellewineryevents.com
Turnip Your Thanksgiving
Workshop series includes three sessions, each featuring a demonstration of how to make a Turnip The Beet recipe for a Thanksgiving side. The recipes are grain-free sage biscuits and easy clean gravy; grain-free turkey sausage stuffing; and maple pecan vegetable root puree and cranberry sauce. Participants will receive samples and recipes.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m.
Where: 1 Washington St., Suite 1010, Dover
Cost: $20 per class
Contact: 343-4374, turnipthebeetnh.com
Pie Baking
Learn how to bake apple and pumpkin pies, from creating the fillings to making the dough. Take home a freshly baked pie and a jar of dough to make another pie on your own.
When: Friday, Nov. 11, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: The Farm at Eastman’s Corner, 244 Amesbury Road, Kensington
Cost: $40
Contact: 347-1909, eastmanscorner.com/events
T’is the Season - Party Appetizers
Menu TBD.
When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Chez Boucher Cooking School, 32 Depot Square, Hampton
Cost: $99
Contact: 926-2202, chezboucher.com
All the Thanksgiving Fixin’s Fresh and Local
Kids in grades 4 through 8 will learn how to make creative lunches with Thanksgiving turkey leftovers using cranberries. This class is part of the Fresh Ideas About Food youth series taught by Tracey Miller and Chef Teri Hull from Dig In: Real Food Solutions.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: Exeter Area YMCA, 56 Linden St., Exeter
Cost: Free
Contact: 642-3361, sdymca.org/news-events/events/fresh-ideas-about-food
New Traditions for Thanksgiving
Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast will share tips for creating a Thanksgiving menu that is simple, artistic and delicious. Program includes a presentation on how to prepare a turkey plus a cooking demonstration of two side dishes. Samples and recipes will be included.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Maxfield Public Library, 8 Route 129, Loudon
Cost: $5
Contact: 798-5153, maxfieldlibrary.com
Be Thankful and New for Thanksgiving
Gluten-free cooking demonstration taught by Chef Oonagh Williams, featured chef on WMUR’s Cook’s Corner segment. Menu includes baked brie with orange craisin pecan sauce, fresh kielbasa in hard apple cider gravy, cornbread toaster muffins made into a sausage, sage, onion and apple stuffing; and pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and crystallized ginger.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 to 9 p.m.
Where: Function Hall in Wasserman Park, 116 Naticook Road, Merrimack
Cost: $45 for Merrimack residents, $50 for non-residents
Contact: 882-1046, merrimackparksandrec.org/adult.html
Parent/Child Thanksgiving Dinner Date
Parent-child teams will make their own one-of-a-kind pizzas and decorate turkey cupcakes. Class is open to kids age 6 and up.
When: Friday, Nov. 18, 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: The Culinary Playground, 16 Manning St., Derry
Cost: $40 per pair
Contact: 339-1664, culinary-playground.com
What’s Thanksgiving Without Pie?
Menu TBD.
When: Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Chez Boucher Cooking School, 32 Depot Square, Hampton
Cost: $99
Contact: 926-2202, chezboucher.com