The Hippo: December 22, 2016

FEATURED FOOD   -   * COVER STORY *

Celebrate With Bubbles

Why Sparkling Wines Are Great To Uncork For The Holidays

Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

Sparkling wine is often reserved for things like a holiday party, fancy dinner or birthday celebration, but there’s more to this bubbly beverage than the iconic pop of a Champagne bottle. Local winemakers and aficionados share their knowledge of different types of sparkling wine, where and how it’s produced and why it’s the perfect wine for any day — not just special occasions.

Sparkling Styles

Like regular still wines, sparkling wines are grouped into three color categories.

Svetlana Yanushkevich, sommelier, wine educator and owner of WineNot Boutique and The Wine Steward in Nashua, said white wines are a shade of yellow and are made from green or yellow grapes such as chardonnay, sauvignon and riesling. White wines can also be made from dark-skinned grapes and still maintain their pale coloring through a process in which the grapes are carefully pressed to extract the clear or lightly pigmented inner pulp while excluding the pigmented skin from the wine. This process is commonly used for Champagne made with the black grapes pinot noir and pinot meunier.

Contrarily, red wine is made from dark-skinned grapes to achieve a shade of violet, red or brown. All of the color is drawn from the pigment in the grape’s skin.

The third color category is rosé wine, which has a pink color achieved by extracting a small amount of pigment from dark-skinned grapes or by adding a small amount of red wine to a white wine.

Sparkling wines are also rated on a sweetness/dryness scale, Yanushkevich said. There are seven levels ranging from the driest kind of wine, called “brut nature,” which has only very small traces of sugar, if any, to the sweetest kind of dessert wine, called “doux,” which has the highest sugar content.

As far as ingredients, there are two types of sparkling wines. A varietal is named after a grape that constitutes at least 85 percent of the wine. A local example of a varietal is the Cayuga Sparkling White Wine from Flag Hill Winery in Lee, named after the cayuga grape, which makes up 100 percent of the wine. Other wines are made with blends of two or more fruits or grapes that each make up less than 85 percent of the wine.

Amy LaBelle, owner of winemaker of LaBelle Winery in Amherst, said blended sparkling wine, particularly fruit wine, has been a recent trend and something she’s enjoyed working with.

“It’s like cooking a dish that you love,” she said. “You put a little of this and a little of that, and it gives you freedom to take a single wine varietal and blend it to either express the qualities of that varietal in a different way or transform it into something entirely new.”

Fruit Forward

Most sparkling wines are made in the traditional fashion using grapes, but wines made from other kinds of fruit have recently entered the scene, particularly in New Hampshire. In fact, all four of the locally produced sparkling wines from Hermit Woods Winery in Meredith and all three produced by LaBelle Winery are made entirely or partially from fruit other than grapes. Because most of the grapes used in sparkling wines don’t grow naturally here, winemakers are turning to native fruits.

“You can do it in human constructs and use sprays and various techniques to help [grapes] grow, but to avoid all that we decided to focus on what grows well here on its own without sprays,” said Ken Hardcastle, winemaker at Hermit Woods Winery. “Wild blueberries, apples, rosehips — those all can be handled in a way to still produce world-class fine wines.”

The winemaking process is the same with fruit as it is with grapes, and Hardcastle said that local fruit wines can turn out just as good if not better than grape wines because the fruits that grow in New Hampshire’s cold climate tend to have high acidity, which makes them ideal ingredients for sparkling wines.

However, there is still a stigma in the wine community about sparkling fruit wines and a belief that they are cheap, overly sweet and a lower-quality deviation from traditional grape wines.

“I like to treat fruit wine with the same respect as grape. We don’t use a fruit concentrate; we use fresh fruit just like you would with grapes, so fruit wines don’t all have to be sweet and syrupy,” LaBelle said. “Our dry apple wine is a perfect example of that. It’s dry, crisp and clean with no residual sugar. You don’t feel like you’re drinking a fruit bomb at all.”

Brian Ferguson, owner and winemaker at Flag Hill Winery, said he doesn’t understand the stigma since a big part of winemaking is about capturing the essence of the region in which the wine is made, and New Hampshire fruit wines are doing just that.

“This idea in the wine industry that anyone making fruit wine is perpetuating this major atrocity is just a bizarre concept to me, because last I checked, grapes are a fruit, too,” he said. “One of the reasons for winemaking is to use the local agriculture around you, and we have blueberries, cranberries, apples and so many great fruits available here.”

Aged to Perfection

The process of making a sparkling wine begins with making it as a regular still wine; most carbonation methods are performed after the primary fermentation period for the still wine is complete. The length of fermentation varies depending on what the winemaker is trying to achieve. For example, Ferguson stops fermentation for his white wines early so that there is a significant amount of natural sugars left in the wine.

“It’s a difficult process to do, but by leaving those sugars, it traps and preserves all the aromatic compounds of the grape and doesn’t allow those nice flavors to escape,” he said.
Hardcastle takes the exact opposite approach to achieve the opposite outcome.

“The bulk of fine wines are made in a dry fashion. In other words, they leave little or no residual sugar,” he said. “So we take our blueberries and blackberries and rosehips and ferment them until there’s no residual sugar, which is totally different than what most people do with fruit wines. But those fruit wines aren’t typically age-worthy like the great wines of the world, and that’s what we’re trying to craft.”

After a sparkling wine is carbonated and bottled, a winemaker may choose to bottle age it. The aging time for standard sparkling wines is typically between 9 months and 10 years, but that also depends on the winemaker’s preference and the type of wine being aged.

One of the biggest changes that occurs while a sparkling wine is aging is its flavor profile. Over time, the wine will start to lose the vibrant fruit flavors typical of a young wine, and the more earthy and robust secondary flavors will come to the forefront. The wine’s bubbles will also go through some changes.

“The longer you age a sparkling wine in a cellar, the more delicate and tiny bubbles it will have,” Yanushkevich said. “Tiny creamy bubbles create a sensation of silk, and that is a sign of a very good-quality sparkling wine. … But if you store it too long the bubbles may disappear, especially with Champagne.”

Making It Sparkle

Hardcastle said the most common carbonation method is the charmat method, also referred to as the tank method. It’s most famously used for Italian prosecco. After the still wine goes through its primary fermentation, it’s moved to a pressurized steel tank along with sugar and yeast and left for a secondary fermentation period during which it will become carbonated.

The most romanticized carbonation method, used for Champagne and other high-quality wines, he said, is the traditional method, also known as méthode classique or the Champagne method. The still wine is first fermented in a barrel on its own. After that, the wine is bottled along with added yeast and sugar and left for a second fermentation period during which the still wine will become a sparkling wine.

LaBelle Winery started experimenting with the traditional method for the first time this year.

“That’s the high-end French method so we’re excited to bring that to our process,” LaBelle said. “I don’t know if the average consumer will notice, but there is a style difference with using that method. The bubbles are a little softer on your palate and a little more elegant than the [artificial] carbonated bubbles.”

The simplest method, Hardcastle said, is forced carbonation which involves injecting carbon dioxide directly into the wine. The result is large, ephemeral bubbles, and this method is used only for the cheapest tier of wines. It’s more commonly used for many beers, hard ciders and sodas.

Bubbly Benefits

Carbonation adds more than just bubbles. When it dissolves it creates carbonic acid, which alters the structure and acidity level of the wine.

“That actually changes how you perceive the taste of the wine,” Ferguson said. “Even if you have two identical wines but one is carbonated, you can tell the difference between the two because [the carbonation] really does change the wine’s baseline a little.”

The carbonic acid from the carbonation can also help to balance out overbearing or clashing flavors and enhance the taste of the wine.

Hardcastle gives the example of Coca-Cola: when it’s flat, it has an overly sweet and syrupy taste that doesn’t come through when the soda is carbonated.

“You get that activity of the bubbles and that interplay of sweet and tingly on your tongue,” he said, “and sparkling wines are balanced in the same way to make it work.”

It’s not uncommon for someone who dislikes a particular style of still wine to have a change of heart about it once they try the sparkling version. The bubbles can help to draw out subtle sweet flavors in the background and carry them forward to make a dry wine more palatable, or they can make a full-bodied wine seem a little softer and more refreshing.

Erik Croswell, owner of the make-your-own beer and wine lab Incredibrew in Nashua, said he’ll never forget the first customer to inquire about making sparkling wines. She told Croswell that she didn’t like red wine but wanted to drink it for its health benefits. Then she asked if it would be possible to make a sparkling pinot noir.

“That was the first one we tried, and it came out great,” Croswell said. “Pinot noir is a pretty dry wine, but when we sparkled it, it became more vibrant and had this fruit-forwardness. I was just surprised at how the bubbles could give that sense of the wine being sweet when it had no added fruit flavors.”

Wines of The World

Sparkling wine is produced all over the world and has a wide range of styles. Yanushkevich said the most prestigious sparkling wines and many other varieties, particularly white wines, are produced in regions with cool climates, which are conducive to creating the high acidity and delicate, light-bodied quality commonly associated with sparkling wine.

Warmer climates tend to foster wines that are flatter, bolder and fuller-bodied than what is typically desirable for sparkling wine, although there are some sparkling red wines designed to be a bit heavier than the whites and rosés that are produced in those climates.

Here’s a quick look from Yanushkevich at some of the top sparkling wine producing countries and their most notable wines.

• Germany uses the term sekt to refer to its standard sparkling wines. Sekt encompasses a range of sweet and dry wines and is known for its prominent fizz. The majority of sekt is composed at least partially of imported wine and grapes from other wine regions but premium sekt is made from native grapes such as pinot noir and riesling. Austria also uses the term sekt for its sparkling wines though they are different from Germany’s and are made with their own native grapes.

• Italy is the second largest sparkling wine producing country. It’s home to some of the most popular sparkling wine varieties, including prosecco, a white wine made from glera grapes or a blend of at least 85 percent glera along with another grape such as chardonnay or pinot grigio. It’s carbonated through fermentation in a pressurized tank and is known for its big foamy bubbles that settle on top when poured. Its fruity and refreshing quality makes it a popular ingredient for mixed drinks such as bellinis and mimosas.

“Champagne is used for special occasions, but prosecco is more affordable, so you can use it as a fun everyday wine for a Sunday brunch or a summertime picnic,” Yanushkevich said. “It’s also not as dry as Champagne; it’s fresher and has younger flavors of pears, peaches and nectarines, so it appeals to a larger group of people.”

Another popular sparkling wine produced in Italy is moscato d’asti, a low-alcohol white wine made from muscat blanc grapes. Moscato d’asti is characterized primarily by its strong sweetness, featuring fresh floral notes and peachy fruit flavors. It comes in two styles: frizzante, which has very soft and subtle bubbles, and spumante, which is fully sparkling with prominent frothy bubbles.

Flavored varieties of moscato d’asti, such as coconut, watermelon and strawberry, are also popular.
• Spain is famous for its cava, a high-end white or pink sparkling wine often said to be comparable to Champagne because it is produced through the same traditional method. Cava is available in a range of dry and sweet styles.

• France is the No. 1 sparkling wine producing country and home to what is arguably the most prestigious sparkling wine in the world, Champagne. Grown, fermented and bottled in the famous Champagne wine region, it is the only wine legally allowed to bear the official name. This and many other regulations surrounding Champagne are meticulously upheld.

The three grape varieties used for Champagne are the white chardonnay grape and the dark-skinned pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes. Blanc de blanc (“white from white”) Champagnes are made entirely with chardonnay. Blanc de noir (“white from black”) Champagnes are made from 100 percent pinot noir, 100 percent pinot meunier or a mix of the two. Rosé wines and most of the other styles feature a blend of all three grapes.

Champagne styles range from sweet to dry, though most are on the dryer side. Other characteristics depend on the grapes and blends used. These grapes also act as vessels for the region’s unique terroir, which gives the Champagne an added layer of complexity not found in wines produced in other regions.

Champagne is made through the traditional method of production. Ideally, the result will be a Champagne dense with lively tiny bubbles that carry the aroma and flavor to the surface and magnify them as they pop.

“Champagne, one of the greatest sparkling wines from one of the greatest regions in the world, has a much higher acidity level that sets it apart from the warmer, richer wines and really lends itself to the bubbles,” Hardcastle said.

French wines that aren’t Champagne but use the Champagne production method are classified as cremant, which translates to English as “creamy.” These wines have larger bubbles and a more diluted fizz, resulting in a texture that’s more creamy than sparkling.

• California has some regions with a cool climate that’s conducive to sparkling wine production, including the production of champagne. Aside from not originating in the Champagne region, California champagnes share the same characteristics that define a French Champagne; they use the same grapes — chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, locally sourced — and the traditional method of production.

“The only difference is that, because the climate in California is warmer, its champagne has a more tropical fruit, green apple flavor and more sensation of sweetness,” Yanushkevich said. “But the quality of the bubbles [in California champagne] is as good as the quality of Champagne [from France].”

If you’re looking for something different from the mainstream wines and you’re willing to do a little digging, consider wine from up-and-coming sparkling wine regions such as Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and its neighboring island Tasmania.

“They can be harder to find on the market, but there are lots of countries and some exotic, unknown regions that are producing beautiful sparkling wines,” Yanushkevich said.

Anytime Wine

You don’t have to wait for a celebration or party to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine. With so many different styles and price ranges, there are sparkling wines to suit any occasion.
Croswell said he’s found that more people are enjoying sparkling wine on a casual basis.

“It’s the new thing that’s trending. It’s like the new wine cooler,” Croswell said. “It tastes great, and it’s certainly a different feel from the non-sparkling wines. People just like bubbly.”

However, LaBelle said there is still a misconception that sparkling wine is only a celebratory drink, and she wants to disprove that and show that it can be the perfect wine any day of the week.

“We’re big proponents of having sparkling wine more often than just for special occasions, and we’d love to try and get it brought to the forefront as an everyday wine,” LaBelle said. “When you open a bottle of sparkling wine, it brings an element of celebration to whatever you’re doing, whether it’s a party or just a regular old dinner at home.”

FEATURED NEWS

New Bills

The Major Legislative Efforts Expected in 2017

Written By Ryan Lessard (news@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

The legislature is set to tackle a number of initiatives in the upcoming session, including reforming the state’s election laws, giving relief to dairy farmers, decriminalizing marijuana and implementing a needle exchange program for opioid addicts.

Election Law

There have been numerous signs in recent weeks from comments made by Republican Governor-elect Chris Sununu, Secretary of State Bill Gardner and others in GOP leadership that election law reform will be a significant priority for the party.

And with majorities in the House and Senate, Republicans will be able to get more done in this area than they have in the past.

In the last session, Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, vetoed a bill that would have created a 30-day residency requirement for new voters. Sununu has signaled that he would consider eliminating same-day voter registration.

But judging by the bills that have been submitted, that doesn’t appear to be one of the particular reforms the party hopes to pass. If there is such a bill, Windham Republican state Rep. David Bates doesn’t believe it will pass.

Other bills sponsored by Bates would try to make sure true residents of the state are allowed to vote.

“Probably the most important thing I want to see accomplished is return to the … law as it used to exist, which required anybody who votes in New Hampshire to be a resident of New Hampshire,” Bates said.

Right now, state law is vague on the issue, allowing anyone who is “domiciled” in the state to vote. That could be a college student from Arizona or a campaign worker who is temporarily working in the state.

Bates would not set a 30-day requirement, but he admits just honing the definition of “domiciled” is tricky. One option could be to require voters have a New Hampshire state-issued ID, or present proof of permanent residence by some other means.

Bates also wants to change the current system that allows people to sign an affidavit attesting to their residency when they don’t have proof. He would do away with most of those, except for same-day voter registration. For that, he would require registrants to return with the required documentation so the state doesn’t have to sift through a backlog of cases they need to follow up on.

Overall, Bates is optimistic the lion’s share of his election reforms will pass this session, largely because of Sununu’s support.

“He’s made it clear that he’s very supportive of election reforms,” Bates said. “I don’t think he’s boxed himself into one particular plan.”

Drug Bills

When the state drug czar, James Vara, released his progress report on the drug crisis earlier this year, he listed the creation of a needle exchange program among a few key initiatives that would help addicts and protect public health.

Needle exchanges allow heroin and fentanyl addicts to drop off used needles in exchange for new ones, which reduces the chances of diseases like HIV and hepatitis C spreading.
Republican state Rep. Harold Parker of Wolfeboro Falls is the prime sponsor of a House bill that would implement such an exchange, and Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley has signed on as the Senate sponsor.

That shows strong support from the GOP leadership, but needle exchanges are fraught with controversy. An enabling bill failed to pass last session, largely due to concerns among law enforcement that having trace amounts of drugs in used needles would still constitute possession of an illegal substance.

Others have qualms about a program they see as enabling an addiction by providing the paraphernalia required to continue the habit. But proponents say the evidence shows the public health benefits and it does not show any signs of increased use.

New Hampshire’s neighboring states all have a form of needle exchange programs already.

Parker says he’s not sure whether his bill will pass this year, but he’s cautiously optimistic.

Another big piece of legislation related to drugs is the decriminalization of a small amount of marijuana. This is seen as a way to redirect law enforcement resources away from cracking down on cannabis, what scientists say is a relatively safe drug, so police can focus more on cracking down on opioids like heroin and fentanyl.

Decriminalization has long been popular in the House, where it has passed with larger margins each time, but it has repeatedly died in the Senate. A lot of new faces in the Senate and a governor-elect who supports decriminalization has led advocates to believe this will be the year it finally becomes law.

New Hampshire is the only New England state that hasn’t decriminalized marijuana.

Miscellaneous

Bradley is the prime sponsor of a Senate bill that would set some funds aside to give dairy farmers some relief. It’s been a bad year for dairy farmers, with global milk prices dropping to extreme lows and supply far exceeding demand. Several New Hampshire farms have already closed or consolidated with other farms as a result. Bradley’s bill is going to be expedited at the start of the legislative session, according to his office.

House Minority Leader Steve Shurtleff is sponsoring a bill that would name the Division of Historical Resources building at 19 Pillsbury St. in Concord after late Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod. McLeod died earlier this year, after being the longest serving-DCR commissioner in state history.

FEATURED ARTS

Building Creativity & Confidence

NH Art Educator of The Year On Art & Teaching

Written By Kelly Sennott (ksennott@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

Mary Ann Lessard’s classroom at Iber Holmes Gove Middle School in Raymond was bustling with activity one recent Tuesday afternoon — members of her after-school art club were working on oil paintings, some with brushes and palette knives, others with their fingers.

“They’re all experimenting right now. It’s much different from watercolor and acrylic painting. We wanted them to get a feel for it,” Lessard explained as she took attendance.

A Taylor Swift song played on one student’s phone, softened by the buzz of chatter and laughter. The room had a relaxed, easygoing air, and the kids slapped paint on their canvases freely.

It’s the kind of atmosphere Lessard, named the 2016 Art Educator of the Year by the New Hampshire Art Educators’ Association, tries to create in her classroom all the time. For many middle schoolers, the idea of expressing themselves creatively is a huge risk, and it’s not one they’re going to take unless they feel comfortable. Her goal is to get them to take that risk.

“I think art makes kids more confident,” Lessard said. “It’s why some kids get up and go to school in the morning. … I give students a lot of choice. I think choice is really important. The more choice, the more variety, the more interesting all the pieces are, too. … When I was growing up, all the kids’ artwork looked the same. And it drove me nuts. Here, you never see two that are the same.”

That day, 13-year-old Amber Arpin was painting a horse, and Thomas Saluto was working on a landscape. Stasja Sytek, 12, was painting with her fingers, which she found was easier than using a brush.

“I love art class. I like that I can express myself through art, and there aren’t any limits to what I can do,” Sytek said.

For Lessard, creating her award submission offered an opportunity to look back. When she first began teaching 31 years ago, she “naively” thought her goal was to turn her students into professional artists.

“I thought everybody loved art that first year. Then I realized, no — not everybody loves art! You have to learn how to adjust and make projects for all kids,” she said.

She put a lot of effort into her submission booklet, which she pulled out that afternoon. It was packed with information, including one essay on her philosophy of art in education (“STEM is all about project-based learning now, but art has always been project-based,” she said) and one on her cancer battle.

“It’s been a struggle. But art helped me get through it. The worst part was when I was too sick to do anything,” Lessard said, flipping through the book. “With art and creating, you can escape the pressure of being sick or whatever — you can create and be at peace.”

Between the text are photos, student art images and newspaper clippings from when 170 of her kids were showcased at the Deerfield Fair.

“I guess I did a lot more work [with the submission] than I had to. But as I was doing it, I was thinking I wanted something nice. I’m getting closer and closer to retirement, and part of me was thinking, you know, I want something I can keep, look back and reflect on. Because this has been my life, teaching,” she said.

Some of her students have gone on to become professional artists or study art, like Tiffany Nye, who had Lessard about 15 years ago and majored in art at UNH. Today Nye is a family consumer science teacher at the middle school and helps out with art club whenever she can.

Outside of school, Lessard has explored art independently; she has painted and restored local church statues and, most recently, she designed the pen and ink drawings that would be plastered on T-shirts for her son’s band.

But that day, she was more interested in showing off her students’ work. She pulled out shoe sketches, paintings on slabs of wood and animal- and fantasy tree-themed projects. For her kids, the sky’s the limit, as far as she’s concerned.

“I think it’s about where you set your standards. I’m a believer that, if you set your standards high, kids will reach up to it,” she said.

FEATURED MUSIC

Saturday Night's Alright

New Year’s Eve With No Worries

Written By Author (listings@hippopress.com)

Images: Stock Photo

For the first time in seven years, New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday, affording most folks two days of recovery time. For those looking to get an early start, regional favorites Pat & the Hats play a Friday night party at Concord’s Area 23. Here’s a long list of ways to ring out 2016 and welcome 2017:
• 603 Bar & Lounge (368 Central Ave., Dover, 742-9283) 11 p.m. $20 covers Champagne toast at midnight and party favors (hats, noisemakers, etc.) with a DJ playing the hottest music to dance into the new year.
• Alan’s (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631) 8 p.m. DJ Tom plays dance music with a buffet featuring honey ham and prime rib carving station plus Champagne toast at midnight. Call for reservations.
• American Legion Post 47 (551 Foundry St., Rollinsford, 742-5833) 7:30 p.m. Acoustic Radio & Hilton Park entertain; bands are coming off recent CD releases and gaining attention from all over the U.S. $12.
• Area 23 (State Street, Concord, 881-9060) holds a New Year’s Eve Eve party at 9 p.m. on Dec. 30 with Pat & the Hats.
• Ashworth by the Sea (295 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton, 926-6762) 7:30 p.m. Uptown Celebration plays at 9 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom; hors d’oeuvres and cash bar reception until 8 p.m. Overnight packages available.
• Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564) 8 p.m. Mo’ Guitar Blues, a weekly favorite at the venue’s open-mic night, provide First Night entertainment.
• Blue Mermaid Island Grille (409 The Hill, Portsmouth, 427-2583) 7 p.m. Boom Lava brings its unique brand of funky reggae, funk, hip-hop and rhymes. $5 cover.
• Blue Ocean Music Hall (4 Oceanfront North, Salisbury, Mass., 462-5888) 7 p.m. Once again, The Fools ring it in; there’s an optional dinner buffet, Champagne toast, party favors and midnight balloon drop. Dinner and show is $90; show only is $26 general admission.
• Boston Billiard Club (55 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 943-5630) 7 p.m. DJ Anthem Throwback spins popular and classic dance music as the balls keep banging.
• Bridgewater Inn (367 Mayhew Turnpike, Bristol, 744-3518) 8 p.m. The popular prime rib buffet returns. $25 includes party with Express Revival downstairs, DJ Di upstairs, party hats and tiaras, noisemakers, beads, glow bracelets and Champagne toast. Reservations strongly recommended. Party only is $15.
• Canoe Club (27 S. Main St., Hanover, 643-9660) 8 p.m. Lydia Gray, Ed Eastridge & Andy Bourke — a first-rate jazz singer, uber-noted guitarist, and bassist extraordinaire serve up a sophisticated jazz mélange.
• Chop Shop (920 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, 760-7706) 6 p.m. Doubleshot Boston and American Ride perform, with dinner, breakfast buffet, party hats, horns and Champagne toast at midnight. $40 at the door.
• City Sports Grille (216 Maple St., Manchester, 625-9656) 8 p.m. Family New Year’s Eve party from 4 to 6 p.m. $54.99, from 7 to 9 p.m. $64.99, and from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. $99.95. Each slot includes two-hour lane rentals, music laser light show, pizza, soda, noisemakers, etc. Vital Signs play live music — $5 per ticket for just the band.
• Club Manchvegas (50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 222-1677) 8 p.m. Cross the Divide and Prospect Hill rock the downtown spot with DJ Bino. Tickets are $14.50 at ticketweb.com.
• Coach Stop Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022) 7 p.m. Steve Tolley performs an early set.
• Coat of Arms (174 Fleet St., Portsmouth, 431-0407) 7 p.m. Enjoy a Greenwich Mean Time toast, sing “Auld Lang Syne” and dance to ’90s-themed DJ music with party favors and a toast at midnight.
• Common Man (88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088) 8 p.m. Karen Grenier mixes originals with an extensive catalog of cover tunes.
• Concord Holiday Inn (172 Main St., Concord, 224-9534) 8 p.m. Comedians Harrison Stebbins and Ryan Gartley top a bill of laughs, with DJ dancing. $84 per person, $168 per couple includes three-course dinner.
• Cork n’ Keg (4 Essex Drive, Raymond, 244-1573) 8 p.m. Switchtrack entertains with party favors etc.
• Country Tavern (452 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-5871) 8 p.m. Soulshine performs.
• Crow’s Nest (181 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-1686) 9 p.m. Jonny Friday and Bite the Bullet provide sounds.
• Daniels Hall (186 Route 4, Nottingham, 942-8525) 9 p.m. A DJ dance party is a fun and inexpensive night at $15; bring your own liquor and party favors.
• Davignon Snowshoe Club (218 Wilson St., Manchester) 9 p.m. Higher Ground Band plays at this members-only club.
• Derryfield Country Club (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880) 9 p.m. Last Kid Picked rocks the party. $15 ticket includes admission to see the band, Champagne toast at midnight and party favors.
• Dolly Shakers (38 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 577-1718) 9 p.m. Nasty Geckos provide musical entertainment.
• Dolphin Striker (15 Bow St., Portsmouth, 431-5222) 8 p.m. Michael Troy, plus $50 three-course dinner with toast.
• Dover Brickhouse (2 Orchard St., Dover, 749-3838) 8 p.m. Gazpacho rocks New Year’s Eve.
• Ellacoya Barn & Grille (2667 Lakeshore Road, Gilford, 293-8700) 9 p.m. Paul Warnick performs at 9:30 p.m., $35 four-course dinner with 5, 7 and 9 p.m. seatings.
• Executive Court Banquet Facility (1199 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-7469) 7 p.m. Majestic Theatre presents While The Lights Were Out, An Off-the-Wall Murder Farce, which features a dinner menu.
• Fireside Inn (25 Airport Road, West Lebanon, 298-5900) 7 p.m. Shana Stack Band plays country rock at this Inn, with multiple ticketing options including $135 and overnight packages.
• Flying Monkey Movie House (39 Main St., Plymouth 536-2551) 8 p.m. Adam Ezra Band and Boston-based singer-songwriter Jay Psaros perform. $24.
• Fody’s Tavern (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015) 7 p.m. ShakesBEER comedy show and supper with three-course meal and comedic performances by The Nashua Theater Guild at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. Champagne toast at midnight. Meal-and-show tickets $60 per person.
• Fratello’s (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022) 8 p.m. Paul Luff plays an early set from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
• Fratello’s Italian Grille (194 Main St., Nashua, 889-2022) 9 p.m. Justin Cohn plays solo covers and originals.
• Fury’s Publick House (1 Washington St., Dover, 617-3633) 9 p.m. Amulus anchors a high-energy party.
• Giuseppe’s (312 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith, 279-3313) 9 p.m. Andre Balazs featured on guitar and vocals early, DJ and dancing later (advance tickets $10).
• Goosefeathers Pub (Mt. Sunapee Resort, Newbury, 763-3500) 9 p.m. DJ Rick Davis, food served until 8 and the fireworks begin at 9 p.m. on Eggbeater, just outside the Pub.
• Governor’s Inn (78 Wakefield St., Rochester, 332-0107) 8 p.m. NYE Comedy Ball with Boston comedian Ace Aceto following a prime rib buffet, capped by DJ dancing into the new year. $70.
• Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, 293-4341) 8 p.m. Classic rockers Sum X perform. Unlimited skiing is $44-$59; enjoy s’mores at the Fire Ring and midnight mountainside fireworks.
• Haluwa Lounge (Nashua Mall, Nashua, 883-6662) 8:30 p.m. Slakas play, with a dinner buffet from 4 to 10 p.m.; no cover, Champagne toast.
• Harlow’s Pub (3 School St., Peterborough, 924-6365) 8:30 p.m. Roots of Creation jams into 2017 at a party that sells out every year.
• Headliners (700 Elm St., Manchester, 988-3673) 8 p.m. One of the year’s biggest parties, with four comics in one room and Dueling Pianos in another, plus a full complement of food, drink and dancing. Full range of packages starting at $30.
• Hermanos (11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669) 8 p.m. Mike Stockbridge plays a jazz-infused mix of covers and originals.
• Hillsboro Moose Lodge (15 School St., Hillsboro, 464-6024) 6:30 p.m. Scott “Snake” Miller & The Helljacks with special guest Cash Dixon playing some good old Southern rock and country music. $5 cover.
• Homestead (641 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2022) 7 p.m. Brad Bosse plays an early set.
• Jewel (61 Canal St., Manchester, 836-1152) 8 p.m. Alec MacGillivray performs modern country music.
• La Mia Casa Pizzeria (1 Jaffrey Road, Peterborough, 924-6262) 7 p.m. Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson rings in the new year. $40 per couple and $30 per single ticket includes buffet dinner and Champagne toast at midnight.
• Magrilla’s (19 Hanson Road, Rochester, 330-1964) 8 p.m. Dancing Madly Backwards plays this year’s party.
• Main Street Grill & Bar (32 Main St., Pittsfield, 436-0005) 6 p.m. Nicole Knox Murphy plays country favorites.
• Margate Resort (76 Lake St., Laconia, 524-5210) 6 p.m. Along with DJ music, Back 2 Back (formerly Undercover Operatives) play hits from the ’50s through ’80s. $249-$339 inclusive with hotel, buffet dinner, complimentary Champagne and ball drop; there’s a breakfast buffet in the morning.
• Martingale Wharf (99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 431-0901) 9 p.m. Black and White Ball with hors d’oeuvres stations, martini and Champagne bars, party favors, photo booth, a midnight Champagne toast and more, $125.
• Molly’s Tavern (35 Mont Vernon Road, New Boston, 487-2011) 8 p.m. NYE Entertainment with rock band Next of Kin starting at 8:30 p.m.
• Mountain Meadow Events Center (478 Route 4, Canaan, 769-4093) 9 p.m. Party Crashers rock out. $15 ticket includes an appetizer spread and Champagne toast at midnight. Four-course meal package is $49.95 for adults.
• Mountain View Grand Resort (10 Mountain View Road, Whitefield, 827-2100) 8 p.m. A Crystal Ballroom gala offers a cocktail reception and dinner, music and dancing by the Sharon Jones Band, with a Champagne toast and fireworks display at midnight. $120 per person. Ages 16 and up only.
• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535) 9 p.m. Wize Crackaz promises a raucous First Night party.
• Old Salt Tavern (409 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 926-8322) 9 p.m. Jimmy D is back, with room packages at Lamie’s Inn once again available.
• Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588) Recycled Percussion is home for the holidays to ring in 2017 with junk rock at two shows, 4 & 7 p.m.
• Pasta Loft (241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270) 7 p.m. Baby Jakes plays country-infused rock in the restaurant’s Country Strong room.
• Pat’s Peak Ski Area (686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 728-7732) 6 p.m. Party & POP (skiing) family celebration with dancing to The McMurphys, comedy show, fireworks and lots of food — Party&POP tickets are $50-$90, party-only $35-$70, POP-only $41.
• Patrick’s (18 Weirs Road, Gilford, 293-0841) 8 p.m. Justin Jaymes performs at the infamous No Hassle No Frills Party with hats, noisemakers and a Champagne toast at midnight — oh, and there’s a photo booth.
• Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535) 5 p.m. Great Craic, Pure Irish; three-course meal for two with four drinks (beer or wine) is $80 and served 5 to 10 p.m. with party favors and midnight Champagne toast.
• Penuche’s (96 Hanover St., Manchester, 666-3667) 9 p.m. Supernothing performs with a Champagne toast when the ball drops, along with games and prizes all night long.
• Penuche’s Ale House (6 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-9833) 9 p.m. Evidence Lies rocks the basement bar.
• Pit Road Lounge (388 Loudon Road, Concord, 226-0533) 8 p.m. Dirty Looks Band performs at a party with a $20 cover that includes midnight Champagne toast and party favors.
• Pitman’s Freight Room (94 New Salem St., Laconia, 527-0043) 8 p.m. Racky Thomas Blues Band plays at this popular BYOB Lakes Region haven for original music.
• Portsmouth American Legion (96 Islington St., Portsmouth, 436-7575) 9 p.m. Rosie rocks at this members-only club; free admission, but guests must be signed in by a member.
• Portsmouth Gas Light (64 Market St., Portsmouth, 430-9122) 8 p.m. A triple treat, with the elegant and swanky Gatsby Party upstairs. $60 tickets include plenty of party favors, passed hors d’oeuvres, a Champagne toast and a late-night buffet. Downstairs it’s Clint LaPointe in the Grille and Ryan Williamson in the Pizza Pub.
• Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186) 7:30 p.m. Dance party with BlacKat Productions starring Sarah Blacker & Aaron Z. Katz, Vitamin C and members of Percy Hill. $12/$15, 21+.
• Radisson Inn (11 Tara Boulevard, Nashua, 888-9970) 8:30 p.m. Billy Joel and Elton John tribute show, both performing with full bands.
• Red Door (107 State St., Portsmouth, 373-6827) 9 p.m. DJ Patrick Barry ignites a dance explosion, “dusk till done” party.
• Ri Ra Irish Pub (22 Market Square, Portsmouth, 319-1680) 7:30 p.m. Red Sky Mary performs a Great Gatsby-themed party, or is that O’Gatsby?
• River Casino & Sports Bar (53 High St., Nashua, 881-9060) 7 p.m. At the former Arena Sports Bar, it’s Casino Royale Night with DJ dancing and gambling. Arrive “dressed to impress” and receive $20 in match play for poker and blackjack tables; champagne toast at midnight.
• River’s Pub (76 Derry St., Hudson, 943-7832) 9 p.m. Project Mess plays rock covers at this party.
• Riverwalk Cafe (35 Railroad Square, Nashua, 578-0200) 7 p.m. Parsonsfield brings its unique brand of roots and Americana to this Nashua music room, with great craft cocktails.
• Rudi’s (20 High St., Portsmouth, 430-7834) 6 p.m. PJ Donahue performs at this party.
• Salt hill Pub Hanover (7 Lebanon St., Hanover, 676-7855) 7 p.m. Michael Spaulding performs, with the usual array of party favors and Irish spirit.
• Salt hill Pub Lebanon (2 West Park St., Lebanon, 448-4532) 9 p.m. Conniption Fits, fresh off winning new single “Misinformed Informant,” provide the music.
• Salt hill Pub Newport (58 Main St., Newport, 863-7774) 9 p.m. Regular favorites Flew-Z perform at an upstairs party that features Irish charm and noisemakers aplenty.
• Salt hill Pub Sunapee (1407 Route 103, Newbury, 763-2667) 9 p.m. Tirade plays the party at Salt hill’s resort location, nestled a stone’s thrown from Mount Sunapee.
• Savory Square Bistro (32 Depot Square, Hampton, 926-2202) 9 p.m. Husband-and-wife duo Mel & John perform.
• Shaskeen (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246) 8 p.m. Lock the Doors Bash is reprised with limited $60 tickets covering a food buffet, midnight Champagne toast, giveaways, DJ music and open bar. The club will be closed to anyone without tickets (21+ only).
• Sheraton Hotel (250 Market St., Portsmouth, 431-2300) 8 p.m. Comedy — early show $25, late show $35 with Carolyn Plummer, Steve Scarfo and Mike Koutrobis. Tickets at livefreeordielaughing.com.
• Smokey’s Tavern (11 Farmington Road, Rochester, 330-3100) 9 p.m. Poor Howard and the Bullfrog perform.
• Stella Blu (70 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 578-5557) 9 p.m. Mystical Magic party at this tapas restaurant.
• Stone Church (5 Granite St., Newmarket, 659-7700) 6 p.m. DeadBeat makes the tie-dyed crowd “grateful” on New Year’s Eve
• Strange Brew Tavern (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292) 9 p.m. Howard Randall & Friends perform at the popular taproom and restaurant.
• Tandy’s Top Shelf (1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614) 8 p.m. Black & White Party with DJ Iceman at 10 p.m. Grand Buffet from 6 to 9 p.m. is $30 per person, $50 per couple. Standard admission $10, starting at 8 p.m.
• Taverne on the Square (2 Pleasant St., Claremont, 287-4416) 8 p.m. Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers play rootsy rock music. $75 per couple includes dinner for two, party favors and a Champagne toast at midnight.
• Telly’s (235 Calef Highway, Epping, 679-8225) 8 p.m. Max Sullivan performs rock ’n’ roll music.
• The Yard (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545) 8 p.m. Headliners Comedy starring Larry Norton and Main Event DJ, with a buffet dinner and Champagne toast. $75.
• Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St, Portsmouth, 427-8645) 9 p.m. Jamsterdam gets down and dirty in the basement music space, while great beer flows on both floors.
• Thirsty Turtle (8 Temple St., Nashua, 402-4136) 8 p.m. Gate City Sound provides live music, with Champagne toast at midnight. No cover charge.
• Union Coffee Co. (42 South St., Milford, 554-8879) 8 p.m. Wink & A Smile, Crowne Victoria, Jake McKelvie & the Countertops and DJ Tekhed perform.
• Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230) 9 p.m. Off Duty Angels play rock and country covers at this good-time bash.
• Wally’s Pub (144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, 926-6954) 9 p.m. The Bars rock out at this popular Seacoast bar.
• Wentworth by the Sea (588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 422-7322) 9 p.m. Casino Royale Black Tie Affair has seven-piece show band Protege, blackjack, roulette and craps tables and midnight toast. $235.37 at presstosell.com.
• Whiskey’s 20 (20 Old Granite St., Manchester, 641-2583) 8 p.m. Biggest party of the year with DJs Shawn White, Chris Drake and DJ EP, $10, with VIP packages starting at $200.
• Wild Rover (21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722) 9 p.m. DJ Ron entertains at this no-cover party, with midnight Champagne toast and Captain Morgan/Crown Royal sampling from 10 p.m. to midnight.
• Wolfeboro Inn (90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016) 9 p.m. DJ Shamar spinning tunes in Wolfe’s Tavern with dancing, favors, Champagne toast.
• Woodwards Resort (527 Route 3, Lincoln, 745-8141) 8 p.m. Jimmy & Marcelle perform.

FEATURED FILM

Film Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13)

Written By Amy Diaz (adiaz@hippopress.com)

Images: Movie Screenshot

A girl with a difficult family history (no, not that girl or that family) helps the rebellion against the Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a post-prequels, pre-originals, plot-point backstory.
But in a good way! (Some spoilers ahead.)

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is a scrappy sorta criminal serving time in an Empire work camp. Members of the Rebel Alliance break her out to get her help finding Saw Gerrara (Forest Whitaker), a fellow traveler in the sense of being anti-Empire but no longer allied with the Alliance. He is holding an imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), prisoner — well, sort of prisoner as Bodhi defected and came looking for Saw on orders from Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen).

Galen, Jyn’s father, whom she hasn’t seen in years, was once an engineer for the Empire, left and lived on a farm with Jyn and her mother (Valene Kane) but was later forced back into service. Now, he’s using Bodhi to get a message to the Alliance to let them know about a massive weapon that the Empire is close to having operational. This Death Star, as the Empire calls it, has the ability to destroy whole planets and thus wipe out any dissent to its rule.

Though initially in this quest only for the promise of freedom and the hope of seeing her father again, Jyn becomes invested in the idea that her father can help the rebellion find a way to beat his Death Star. She joins Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his snarky robot friend K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) on the quest for Galen. Along the way, they meet up with Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), a blind holy man who is a total Jedi-like bad-ass but with a stick instead of a light saber, and his buddy Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), also great in a fight.

They fight against a variety of imperial baddies but primarily they must outmaneuver Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), who runs the weapons program and is determined not to let information about the Death Star get out.

There are things you can quibble with in this movie if you want to quibble with things:

• The almost-but-not Star Wars theme music had a tendency to take me out of the movie.

• There is a lot of This planet and That moon and The Other outpost and I was never quite sure what was new and what I was supposed to be remembering and what I was totally missing. Also, do just half the planets look like Tatooine in this galaxy far far away?

• One planet that does not look like Tatooine looks, and maybe this is just a coincidence, kinda like Florida, complete with palm trees and a sort of monorail-looking thing that you might find at a certain Florida theme park.

• The appearance of some original Star Wars people as their original Star Wars ages is, uhm, odd. The strange Peter-Cushing-like Grand Moff Tarkin (who is also played by Guy Henry in this movie, under the digital hocus pocus, I guess) really does seem like Peter Cushing but is clearly not Peter Cushing, because, among other reasons, he’s been dead for more than two decades. The visuals aren’t bad, exactly, but my brain had a hard time understanding what I was seeing when I looked at his face. This is not the infamous final Livia scenes on The Sopranos but it’s still weird.

• And yeah, I know that the thing I always called Star Wars is now Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. I could probably guess this even if I didn’t know that because there is a lot — a lot — of jabbering on about “hope” in this movie. Rebellions are built on hope, giving the rebellion hope is a cause worth fighting for, all you need is hope, hope is all you need.

• This movie is something like two hours and 14 minutes long. While this movie has a nice energy about it, at about an hour 50, it might have really zipped along.
This is not a perfect movie. And yet, so what, because:

• Dogfights! Awesome original Star Wars and Return of the Jedi-style dogfights, both in space and in a planet’s atmosphere!

• Hand-to-hand combat! Well-choreographed fights — there’s some great hand-to-hand combat in this movie, most of it featuring Chirrut Imwe, that seem to be taking place in a real, grubby, physical space (versus, not to constantly dump on the prequels but, a cold green screen sound stage).

• Not unlike The Force Awakens, the movie captures the spirit of the original but, because it’s taking place immediately before the original movie, it captures the look of the original as well. And sure, some of what you’re seeing is a little strange but a lot of it really works and allows you to believe you are there, back in 1977, about to feel a disturbance in the Force.

• This movie ties in just enough of the prequel trilogies to make it feel like they were worth something. You know that feeling you get when you think “hey, I’ve heard of that literary device; thanks, college!”? That’s how I felt when a character from the prequels showed up.

• There is a nice balance of humor. Some of it comes from the comic relief robot but some of it comes from the humans. It lends the dialogue a more natural feel. Even...
• That “hope” stuff — sure, it’s heavy-handed, but the movie actually sells it in the end.

Rogue One is to Star Wars storytelling sort of what Ant-Man is to the Marvelverse. This is not a Star Wars story at its very best; it’s more Star Wars at its pretty goodest. Episodic movie-making isn’t easy to get even somewhat good — see for example a lot of what came out in 2016. But Rogue One is an example of a well-run, thoughtfully considered cinematic universe, adding new characters with new adventures while keeping us tied to the story we know and giving us an adventure (and a movie) that is fun in its own right.

Grade: B+

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A Stellar View

NH Astronomical Society Presents Winter Skywatch

Written By Author (listings@hippopress.com)

Images: Courtesy Photo

While the weather may be getting chillier and nightfall arriving more quickly, low humidity levels are bringing generally clearer skies, creating perfect opportunities to bring out that telescope collecting dust in your closet.

If you want some tips from the experts while you look at the stars, there’s a winter skywatch scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nesmith Library in Windham.

Steve Rand, a retired earth science teacher at Merrimack High School and current board member of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, will be leading the event, which will consist of a presentation and discussion followed by a guided tour of all you can see up above this time of year.

Rand said the Society normally brings along at least three or four telescopes for viewing, but anyone is welcome to bring their own as well. The library will be providing its own telescope given to them as part of the NH Astronomical Society’s library telescope public outreach program.

“Most of our skywatches will typically have a 30- to 45-minute slideshow presentation to start with while the telescopes are being set up,” Rand said, “and it’s basically an overview of astronomy and of where we are in space and time, as well as of the specific objects that we’ll be looking at in the night sky.”

Telescopes are then set up at a designated location, usually in a nearby area that is dim enough for viewing. Rand said among the objects that are visible this time of year is the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31.

“The Andromeda is one of our closer companions in this part of the universe. It’s about 2.5 million light years away,” Rand said. “Any star you see with the naked eye is in the Milky Way galaxy, but [the Andromeda] is another whole island of stars.”

The Orion Nebula, or M42, is also visible this time of year through a telescope. Rand said it is often called a “stellar nursery” because new stars are always being formed in that particular part of the sky.

“There are globular clusters of hundreds of thousands of stars that are neat to see, and other galaxies are an awesome thing as well,” Rand said. “The moon is always awesome too, seeing the craters, and when there are planets that are visible, that’s always a popular thing to see. … For instance, Jupiter will be coming up later in the winter. Right now it is rising at around 2 in the morning, but as we get into January and February, then it’ll be rising at a more decent hour in the evening for viewing.”

The New Hampshire Astronomical Society is a nonprofit made up of volunteers, and skywatches are always free. All you have to do is be sure to dress warmly for outdoor viewing and be mindful of the cloud cover before you head out.

“You never know what the conditions are going to be like, but if it’s overcast and a skywatch gets cancelled or postponed, oftentimes we’ll still have the presentation,” Rand said. “It’s totally up to the group involved, so sometimes we might stretch the presentation into an hour and then follow it with the skywatch on an alternative date the next night or two nights later.”

The New Hampshire Astronomical Society holds several area skywatches and other astronomy events each month, usually at libraries or schools.

“The skywatches that are associated with schools basically pretty much get restricted to the target audience, because they might coincide with a physics or astronomy course going on at the school,” Rand said. “However, with the library skywatches, we’re apt to get anybody. It might be friends of the library or senior citizens, but it might also be family members that bring smaller kids in as well. … Everybody that just has an interest in astronomy is welcome.”

Winter Skywatch

When: Wed., Dec. 28, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Nesmith Library, 8 Fellows Road, Windham
Cost: Free; registration required. Visit nesmithlibrary.org or call 432-7154.
Visit: nhastro.com
There are also free public skywatches Saturday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Market Square in Portsmouth and Friday, Jan. 6, 7 to 10 p.m. at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord