Daily
Get Co-op’ed up
Visit the Concord Cooperative Market’s big top tent on South Main Street for face painting, food, wine, hula hoops and more. Throughout the day, Thursday through Saturday, there will be food from the Celery Stick Café, a creation station with children’s art activities, face painting with Linda Weiser, the Sant Bani art show, animals from the SPCA and a doggie rest stop.
There will be special events and vendors each day, too. The lineup includes:
– Thursday: From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., get those achy muscles massaged by Vicky-Ann’s Balanced Hands.
Vendors joining to co-op under the tent will include Happy Critters Soap, Real Green Goods, Gibson’s Bookstore, NH20, Amelia & Maes, Marshalls Flowers, Herbal Energetics & In Joy Organics, Edible White Mountains and White Mountain Kettle Corn.
– Friday: Vicky-Ann’s Balanced Hands will be back from 1 to 6 p.m. Once your hands are balanced, check out the car show from 6 to 8 p.m. or live music by the GrassDawgs from 5 to 7 p.m. Vendors will include Happy Critters Soap, Real Green Goods, Gibson’s Bookstore, NH20, Amelia & Maes, Marshalls Flowers, Herbal Energetics & In Joy Organics, Little Duck Organics, Edible White Mountains and White Mountain Kettle Corn.
– Saturday: There’s a lot in store on Saturday. Special events include: massages by Vicky-Ann’s Balanced Hands from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., reptiles and snakes with P&R Reptiles from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., farm animals from Owen Farm from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., hula hoops with Flashback Hoops from 1 to 2 p.m. and a free wine tasting from 5 to 7 p.m.
But wait, there’s more! On the stage there will be a Masala Bhangra dance class at 10 a.m.,
“Songs for Seniors” with Cindi Meehan at noon, a performance by the New England Jazz Tap Ensemble at 3 p.m., a poetry slam at 4 p.m., a Hollywood memorabilia presentation at 5 p.m. and live music by the African Drumming Circle at 6 p.m.
Vendors will include Walpole Ice Cream, Happy Critters Soap, Real Green Goods, Gibson’s Bookstore, NH2O, Amelia & Maes, Marshalls Flowers, Three Acres Kitchen, Herbal Energetics & In Joy Organics, Edible White Mountains and White Mountain Kettle Corn.
Wowza! That’s a lot for one tent!
For more information, visit concordfoodcoop.coop.
Free family fun
During Market Days, expect your little one to tug on your hand, gesture toward the State House and say, “I want to go there!” Perhaps your kid has suddenly taken an interest in politics, but more likely it’s the free family fun that is getting your little buddy all riled up.
On the State House lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be family-friendly activities each day, rain or shine.
Here’s sample of what’s in store:
– Thursday: A “Music and Movement” class presented by the Concord Community Music School will be held at 11 a.m. Also during the day, there will be a kids workshop presented by Home Depot as well as games and activities with the Concord Recreation Department.
– Friday: Compete against family members in the YMCA obstacle course or show off your creative side with an art project presented by YMCA Childcare. A bike rodeo and a space exhibit presented by the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will round out the day’s activities.
– Saturday: Children’s musician Steve Blunt will perform with children’s author Marty Kelley at noon. Stick around for a kid-powered raceway and a planting project with Cole Gardens.
For more information, e-mail coordinator Kim Murdoch at murdoch.kim@gmail.com.
Banjos, fiddles and a singing family
The New Hampshire Humanities Council will be representin’ at Market Days with the following free events:
– Thursday: Listen to live fiddling by Adam Boyce and recordings from fiddle competitions during “Old Time Rules will Prevail: The Fiddle Contest in New Hampshire and New England.”
– Friday: More of a banjo guy or gal? Jeff Warner will present “Banjos, Bones and Ballads” – a program about tavern songs, banjo tunes, 18th century New England hymns, sailor songs and more.
– Saturday: The Hutchinson Family Singers were one of America’s most popular musical acts in the mid-19th century. Steve Blunt (in character as John Hutchinson) will explain what made these singer so well-loved during “Liberty is Our Motto: Songs and Stories of the Hutchinson Family Singers.”
All programs will be happening on the State House lawn starting at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Kim Murdoch at 226-2150.
Sign my cast: Author meet and greets
Book lovers rejoice! The following authors will be stopping by Gibson’s Bookstore during Market Days:
– James Hayman, author of “The Cutting” and “The Chill of the Night” will be at Gibson’s on Thursday at 7 p.m. “If you enjoy duplicity, murder and revenge – and who doesn’t really – you’ll love the noir narratives of Maine novelist James Hayman,” read a press release from the bookstore.
– Linda Greenlaw, America’s only female swordfish captain, became well-known in Sebastian Junger’s “The Perfect Storm.” Greenlaw went on to write “The Hungry Ocean,” “The Lobster Chronicles” and “All Fishermen are Liars” about her life as a commercial fisher. She will be promoting her newest book, “Seaworthy: A Swordfish Boat Captain Returns to Sea” on July 16 at 7 p.m.
– New Hampshire-based photographer Paul Wainwright will be demonstrating his wooden sheet-film camera, which he used to make the photographs in “A Space for Faith” The Colonial Meetinghouses of New England” on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet Wainwright and learn how photographs were made before there were digital cameras.
For more information, visit gibsonsbookstore.com or call 224-0562.
New Hampshire history, for free
Marvel at the Mystery Stone! Admire an original Concord stagecoach! Sit in a re-created wigwarm! The Museum of New Hampshire History, 6 Eagle Square, is offering free admission each day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
That’s right, history buffs, you can peruse the current exhibition, “Pieced Together: New Hampshire Quilts and Their Stories” without dropping a dime. And of course all your favorite ongoing exhibitions from “Faces of New Hampshire: Portraits from the New Hampshire Historical Society Collection” to “New Hampshire Through Many Eyes” will be on display.
With all that extra change in your pocket, you can finally get that Chinook bobblehead you’ve been eying in the museum gift shop.
For more information, visit nhhistory.org.
Buy a record, soak the mayor
How’s your pitch?
PlusTime NH and Every Child Matters will once again be putting Concordians underwater with a dunk tank.
Scheduled dunkees include Mayor Jim Bouley (Thursday at noon), Concord Police Detective Sean Ford and Officer Joe Wright (Thursday 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.) and City Councilor Steve Shurtleff (Friday at noon). There will be more local celebrities added, so be sure to warm up your throwing arm.
PlusTime NH will also hold a vinyl record sale from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. Approximately 12,000 albums will be for sale plus some cds, cassettes and more. All proceeds from the sale will benefit PlusTime NH, a nonprofit dedicated to creating and sustaining New Hampshire’s after-school programs. That means when you finally get your hands on “Rock This Town: Rockabilly Hits 2,” you’ll do some good. Find the vinyl record tent and dunk tank near the corner of School and Main streets. For more information, visit plustime.org or call 856-8837.
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Give your brain a workout, Concord style
Put all that useless knowledge you’ve accumulated over the years to good use.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., The Barley House will host downtown trivia on the Main Stage.
The event will be similar to the pub trivia held every Wednesday night at The Barley House, but on a much larger scale. Teams will be able to brood over their answers for the duration of one song. One lucky team will win the grand prize of $500 downtown dollars. Just think of all the Dublin burgers you can get with that!
Registering is free and signups begin at 5:30 p.m.
Bring some of your buddies, too. 150 people competed in last year’s downtown trivia. This time, the Barley House wants to break that record and have even more people pondering on the Main Stage.
For more information, visit thebarleyhouse.com.
Friday, 1 p.m.
A scoop of chocolate and 12 of pistachio
Laugh in the face of danger and ice cream headaches by participating in an ice cream eating contest hosted by Granite State Candy Shoppe. The competition will be held Friday at 1 p.m. in Bicentennial Square.
Amounts of ice cream doled out will range from kiddie-size to a quart, so bring your appetite. The winners will be chosen by who eats the ice cream fastest in their age group. Prizes include gift baskets and gift cards.
To join in the fun, fill out an entry form at Granite State Candy Shoppe, 13 Warren St. Entries will be accepted up until the start of the contest.
It costs $5 to compete, but you’ll certainly get your money's worth if you gobble the cold stuff quick enough. Plus, everyone who enters will walk away with a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream.
Eat a scoop of peppermint stick in our honor.
For more information, call the shop at 225-2591.
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Read like a celeb
If your favorite reads include “Touch Me: The Poems of Suzanne Somers” and “Tommyland” by Tommy Lee, we have some exciting news for you.
This fall, “Celebrity Autobiography” is coming to the Capitol Center for the Arts. In the show, a cast of New York comic actors read passages from the memoirs of such celebrities as Star Jones, Sly Stallone and the Jonas Brothers.
On Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., there will be an open mic inviting locals to take a stab at some of the show’s funniest excerpts. One person will be chosen to perform with the cast of “Celebrity Autobiography” when it comes to the Capitol Center on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m.
Think you have what it takes to speak the words of Vanna White? Arrive at the Capitol Center’s booth (near the Concord Cooperative Market) at 1 p.m. on July 17. Performances begin at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact Angela King at aking@ccanh.com or 225-1111, ext. 116.
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Rev it up, buddy!
A vintage and custom motorcycle show will be held Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. on Capitol Street.
These aren’t any ol’ bikes. According to event co-organizer Kurt Muhlfelder, for a bike to quality as a classic it should be more than 20 years old. Show bikes are a different story, however. They can be brand spankin' new as long as they have some seriously sweet custom work done on them.
Kurt said he’s hoping for 25 to 50 bikes from all over New England to show up. “We’re going to put on a good show as long as the weather is nice,” he added.
For more information, call Tom Arnold at 228-3225 or Kurt Muhlfelder at 228-4243.
Saturday, 8:45 p.m.
Outdoor movie fun
What would Market Days be without an appearance from Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn?
Red River Theatres will be holding an outdoor screening of “Charade” (Unrated, 1963, 113 min.) on July 17 at 8:45 p.m. In the comedy directed by Stanley Donen, Peter (Grant) aids the recently-widowed Regina (Hepburn) in recovering a fortune hidden by her late husband. Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy play three crooks whom also have their eyes on the prize.
A sod lawn will be rolled out in the middle of South Main Street for this event. Be sure to bring lawn chairs and blankets to get comfy. If it rains, the movie will be shown inside at Red River Theatres.
Admission is free.
For more information, visit redrivertheatres.org.
Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Fire and ice
Officer Joe Wright of the Concord Police Department has one question for all you would-be criminals out there: You may be able to dodge the law, but can you dodge a ball?
This weekend, he’ll be directing that question to members of the Concord Fire Department, when officers and firefighters face off in the ultimate test of skill: badge ball (or dodge ball, in layman’s terms)
The 10-person teams will throw down intersection of Main and Pleasant streets on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. A 60-by-30-foot temporary construction fence will be put up to shield innocent bystanders, though it’s possible some rouge balls that may fly over the fence, so keep an eye out if you’re nearby.
Wright, who helped organize the event, said it’s tough to predict what team will prevail in the games, which will go on for about an hour.
The police department has a good mix of players, Wright said, but when both departments faced off over a recent paintball match, the fire department walked away with bragging rights.
You can catch the game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets.
