Take the family to a holiday show – or 22 – in Concord this season
Welcome to maybe the biggest roundup of theatrical and/or musical performances taking place in the city of Concord of all time. As Christmas gets closer and closer, most of the performance venues around here are getting ready to stage their big holiday shows, so we found as many as we could and put them all in one place for you. As is usually the case, there might be one or two shows out there we missed, but this is still a pretty...
Capital Ski & Outing Club’s annual Ski and Skate Sale has a new home
Here’s a weird thing to say: There wasn’t any available space at Steeplegate Mall. That’s not a sick joke – it’s the reality of the situation that befell the Capital Ski & Outing Club as it looked for a place to set up its annual Ski and Skate Sale, a tradition that goes back 50 years. For many years the sale took place at the Green Street gym. But after 2014, the city needed that space and the club had to look elsewhere. They...
Find out who will be crowned the 2018 Mr. Concord at the Grappone Conference Center on Friday
The contestants are practicing their talents and everyone is anxious to learn who will become the next Mr. Concord. This hilarious pageant is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated events in the capital area, and it’s all for a worthy cause. The Concord Contemporary Club is hosting the pageant, which will be held Friday at 6 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center. Pageant tickets are $50 each, and are available through...
Rotary Club to bring Improbable Players’ show ‘End of the Line’ to Concord High
The Rotary Club of Concord is pleased to sponsor the Improbable Players’ theatrical production of End of the Line at the Concord High School auditorium, 170 Warren St., on Wednesday, Dec. 5. This one-day-only performance, which deals with drug addiction and recovery, will be seen by students at the high school during the 11:15 a.m. performance, and is open to the community at large for the 7 p.m. show at no charge.Improbable Players...
Entertainment: A light week as we all try to recover from Thanksgiving
Well, it’s the end of the month, and also the week after Thanksgiving. Add those up and what you get is a pretty light week on the entertainment front, relatively speaking. One thing to note is that Christmas shows begin this week – hence the theme of this whole issue. For more information on any of the theater shows listed here, see the big Christmas shows roundup we did here. Music Tuesday Mike Walsh at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Crosswalk repair update, Penacook tree lighting and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Wednesday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page. Main Street crosswalk update Over the last two weeks, the city’s contractor, LA Brochu Inc., was...
NEC Concord to host a pair of musical shows this week
So we didn’t get this news until after the entertainment page was already sent to press, so we’re squeezing it in here instead – NEC Concord will host a pair of musical performances this week, each with a unique and different vibe. First up is the Open Jam Night on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for anyone who likes to play any kind of music (instruments or singing) to show up, take the stage and just rock out for a...
On the Road: The ‘Insider’ takes a trip out West
After a nearly 2,000-mile road trip visiting three National Parks in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, longtime friends Margaret Harlan and Liz Dane rode up to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole, Wy. They had to leave their “horses” outside but were able to hop on their saddles at the bar. Yes, all the bar seats are real horse saddles, Dane said.Thanks for bringing us along, ladies!If you’re going somewhere cool, bring your...
Book of the Week: ‘The Toymakers’
The ToymakersRobert Dinsdale2018, 468 pagesAdult fantasy fiction Papa Jack’s Emporium is the magical toy store of everyone’s dreams. It opens each year on the day of the first frost in London, and closes when the first snowdrop blossoms. The Emporium is also a family: Papa Jack and his sons, Kaspar and Emil, who are close in age and intensely competitive in their toy-making. When a runaway girl, Cathy, applies for work on Opening Day...
This Week in Concord history
Nov. 27, 1817: Between 20 and 30 pet dogs throughout Concord are bitten by a dog with rabies. The rabid dog will be killed the next day. Nov. 27, 1884: It is Thanksgiving, but the trains are running in Concord and the mail will be delivered as usual, at 7 and 11 a.m. But in general, “the streets wore a Sunday-like still,” the Evening Monitor reports. Nov. 27, 1999: In a game of word association, voters interviewed around Concord...
The 2018 Insider’s Guide to Gifts and Giving
Welcome to the Insider’s 2018 Guide to Gifts and Giving, a collaboration between Granite United Way and the Insider. There are many service organizations in our general area, and they’re always looking for help. That need intensifies as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, but the need is always there. The United Way put out a call to as many organizations as they could reach, asking them to share what some of their needs...
The Windmill Restaurant to continue tradition of serving free Thanksgiving meal
Thanksgiving. When you hear it, you probably immediately think of all kinds of things – turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, family, old friends, wine, pie, football, naps. It’s one of those holidays where it’s perfectly acceptable to just sit around the house all day eating, drinking and dozing off.But for so many people, the holiday isn’t so rosy. For those who don’t have anywhere to go, or anything to eat, it’s just another cold...
Christmas tree lighting ceremony to kick off holiday season in Concord
For the InsiderThe 32nd Concord Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday is shaping up to be a great afternoon and evening downtown to officially kick off the festive holiday season in the capital city. How many people who have lived in Concord all their lives remember it was tradition to light the Christmas tree lights and the Nativity Scene located on the State House Plaza? The Capitol Shopping Center would have a large...
Get fit – in a sustainable and responsible manner – at 43 Degrees North
If you’re at all familiar with the Insider, you probably know that hitting the gym hasn’t always been a priority for our staffers over the years (with the exception of Keith Testa – that guy is ripped). That’s why we were a tad late in getting around to checking out 43 Degrees North Athletic Club off Hall Street.It isn’t exactly brand-spankin’ new anymore – it opened last January – but 43 Degrees North is definitely a place that...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Bagged leaf collection begins, road work continues and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page.Thanksgiving remindersCity offices will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving....
Entertainment: Just because it’s Thanksgiving week doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do
It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and although the holiday itself is a sleepy one on the entertainment front, the rest of the week is packed. Have a look, and enjoy that turkey! Music Tuesday Paul Hubert at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Dark Star Orchestra at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $38 plus fees at ccanh.com. Wednesday Mike Morris at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Open mic with Gardner Berry at Area 23 at 7...
Special events, new beers on tap at Lithermans Limited
If there’s one thing better than Thanksgiving, it’s beer. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. However, you don’t have to choose – Thanksgiving and beer go together like, well, turkey and gravy, and Lithermans Limited has caught on to that. The Hall Street brewery is always busy, and the days leading up to and following Thanksgiving are no different. There are a couple special events on the horizon, as well...
Get your passes for New England Aquarium and other cool places at Concord Public Library
Concord Public Library once again has discount passes to the Museum of Fine Arts and New England Aquarium in Boston. Visit the library’s museum passes web page (accessible through concordpubliclibrary.net) to browse all 15 discount passes to area attractions. There is also a new online reservation service to check availability. Passes and coupons can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. While Concord Public Library provides the...
Bulletin Board: A pair of Chamber events, plus lots of skating
Merrimack County Stamp Collectors to meet Tuesday The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on Tuesday (Nov. 20) beginning at 1 p.m. We invite all who are interested in stamp collecting to attend, share their interest, buy, sell and trade. Meet other collectors and learn more about their hobby and enjoy the fellowship of others with varied...
Instagram: A photo depicting the changing of seasons in Concord
If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s been getting pretty chilly out there lately. It feels like we had about three weeks of legitimate fall and now the bite of winter has already set in. This shot here, taken on Rundlett Street by Instagram user @elodierosereed – a former Monitor staffer and one-time Insider contributor – perfectly encapsulates the harsh transition from “cozy fall weather” to “oh my God, it’s freezing.” Is there any image...
Book of the Week: ‘Beyond the Bright Sea’
Beyond the Bright Sea Lauren Wolk 2017, 283 pages Children’s fiction (over 10 years old) Crow is a 12-year-old girl who lives on a speck of land off Cuttyhunk Island, between Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound, Mass. How she got there is a familiar story to her: she was washed up by the ocean in an otherwise empty skiff and taken in by Osh, an artist who lived alone on that tiny islet. Osh kept her and raised her, with the help of their...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 20, 1884: The Evening Monitor’s City Notes column reports: “One week from today is Thanksgiving. Let the turkeys paste that in their hats.” Nov. 21, 1987: On a gusty day during which the temperature never hits 20 degrees, Concord High School defeats Salem 14-7 to win its first state football championship since 1974. Nov. 21, 2000: Frank Monahan, a basketball coach revered locally and well-known nationally, dies of a heart attack...
Join Gibson’s Bookstore for its 120th birthday celebration
First opening its doors in 1898, Gibson’s Bookstore has served Concord and its greater area for 120 years now, and we feel that we’re long overdue for a party! Come down and a share a slice of cake with us, and partake in some of our raffles as we celebrate on Small Business Saturday. Take a “shelfie” in the store to celebrate! Spend $100 and enter to win a signed copy of some of our books! We’ve got signed titles by Bobby Orr, Bob...
The wildly popular Feztival of the Trees set to return for an 18th year
A function hall packed to the gills with plastic Christmas trees, hundreds of dollars of merchandise hanging from the limbs. Wooden doors standing on their own in the middle of a room, ornate wreaths positioned perfectly in the center. Santa Claus sitting in the corner, keeping a close eye on every boy and girl who comes through. It can only be one thing – the Feztival of Trees at the Bektash Shrine Center. Yes, the annual Christmas...
67th annual Christmas parade to roll through Concord on Saturday
It may not even be Thanksgiving yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start getting festive and diving head-first right into Christmas season.The season unofficially gets underway on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with the 67th annual Concord Christmas Parade, and there will be a few major changes involving the parade route this year. The parade formation will be at the Community Bridges parking lot on Canterbury Road at the...
N.H. Master Chorale to present ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ across the state, including Concord
The New Hampshire Master Chorale, a professional-level chamber chorus, this month offers northern New England audiences three opportunities to hear the much-acclaimed new oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard. The concerts will be performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Portsmouth, Concord and Plymouth, respectively.The concert-length work, by the American composer Craig Hella Johnson, tells the story of the brutal 1998 murder of a...
Entertainment: John Prine tribute at NEC Concord a musical highlight
It’s another busy week on the entertainment front around here, especially on the music side. NEC Concord is hosting a John Prine tribute night, Dark Star Orchestra comes to the Cap Center and the Community Players of Concord perform Annie at the Audi. Have a look: Music Tuesday Mike Loughlin at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Dave Gerard at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Thursday Gerry Beaudoin at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Felix...
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce celebrates Citizen of the Year, kicks off centennial
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce kicked off its centennial anniversary year at the 99th Annual Meeting & Citizen of the Year Award event presented by Merrimack County Savings Bank on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.The Chamber also honored a special member of the community, three local businesses and showcased a new brand to 300 citizens, nonprofit, municipal and business leaders from the...
Bulletin Board: Vietnam program, mystery dinner and more
Vietnam War program at library New Hampshire Humanities Presenter Aaron Blais will be at Concord Public Library on Wednesday for the program “The Vietnam War: Defining America’s Past and Present – Video and Discussion.” Blais will use scenes from Ken Burns’s newest documentary, The Vietnam War, to lead a conversation about how the war has affected (and still affects) community members and the nation as a whole. This program is open to...
City Manager’s Newsletter: Downtown recycling changes, I-93 expansion hearing and more
The city of Concord’s public information officer, Stefanie Breton, sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The newsletter contained too much information for us to fit into this spot, so we’re just printing some highlights here. For the full newsletter, go to concordnh.gov and click the “Newsletter” button on the home page. Recycling bin changes downtown In an effort to reduce recycling contamination and illegal dumping,...
