Play reading, tea at Woman’s Club of Concord on Sunday
When it comes to writing a play, the sky is the limit. You can create scripts based on historical figures or dream up characters intertwined in a fantasy tale. It’s your creation, so do as you please. For Concord playwright Brenda Wilbert, co-owner of Schoolhouse Players with her husband Charles, she has chosen to base a lot of her work around medical education. As a retired nurse practitioner, Wilbert’s life was spent in the medical...
The 5th annual Rock On Fest is ready to take over Main Street again
One of the capital city’s most eclectic – and most fun – festivals is returning to Main Street for a fifth year this Sunday, and you won’t want to miss out on all it has to offer.The Rock On Foundation’s fifth annual Rock On Fest will take over downtown for one day only this year, bringing live music, basketball, activities and all-around family fun to the masses. And, very importantly, the whole thing is free, and everyone is...
Multiple art gallery opening receptions on tap
Concord is home to lots of great locations to see some incredible art. That means at any given time, on any given day, there will be a wide range of work all over the city. It’s hard keeping track of all the shows, hours you can view them and how long they’ll be around, so we’ve compiled this trusty list for you, so you can concentrate on checking out the art. League of N.H. Craftsmen Fairy Tales and Fantasies Opens: Friday Reception:...
Making Good Health Simple: Don’t miss the outdoor yoga session at Rock On Fest
It’s free, it’s outside, and everyone can participate – Yoga on the State House lawn. On Sunday, during the Rock On Fest, join 43 Degrees North Athletic Club for an epic experience filled with music, movement and positive energy. What makes this extra exciting? The greater Concord community is coming together to support a great cause. The Rock On Foundation is known for collaborating with local businesses to raise money for great...
Book of the Week: ‘Fact of the Body’
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a MemoirAlexandria Marzano-Lesnevich2017, 326 pagesNonfiction The Fact of a Body, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich’s full-length debut, is a blended nonfiction narrative that combines the best of two genres: true crime and memoir.In it, Marzano-Lesnevich explores the trial of Ricky Langley, imprisoned and on death row for a murder committed in 1992. The author becomes involved with Langley’s case as a law...
Pedal to White Park for the 39th annual Concord Criterium
White Park will be pretty busy this weekend – well, all the streets surrounding it will be, anyway – when the Concord Criterium pedals into town for a 39th year. One of New England’s longest-running cycling races returns for another year on Saturday, with elite and casual cyclists from all over the region converging on the capital city for the New England Criterium Championship, the official regional championship race for USA Cycling....
This Week in Concord History
April 3, 1865: Concord’s church bells ring and a cannon fires in response to news of the overwhelming defeat of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army at Petersburg, Va. April 3, 1905: Douglas Everett is born. Everett will become a member of the 1932 U.S. Olympic hockey team, win a silver medal and be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Everett Arena in Concord will be named in his honor. April 3, 1909: In perhaps the first full-page...
The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. set to expand menu, double in size
Alison Ladman opened The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. on Main Street in Concord seven years ago with a vision – she wanted to fill a storefront with delicate pastries made from scratch with local ingredients. “Starting from sugar and butter and flour and making things completely the way it’s supposed to be done, all the while supporting the community that supports us,” Ladman said. “That’s what I wanted.” Few restaurants still do that,...
We found lots of good ideas for Easter basket candy around Concord
Easter is almost here, which means if you haven’t put together a basket yet, you better get to it. Time is definitely running out – the holiday is less than a week away – but luckily, unlike with Christmas, you can usually get all your Easter shopping done in one trip.We made several trips last week to check in and see what this city had to offer on the Easter basket front. Just because it is possible to get all your basket needs in...
Entertainment: Besides Rock On Fest, a ton of other music on the docket, plus plays and movies
Music Tuesday Scott Solsky at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. The Nevers Band at the State House at 7 p.m. Freese Brothers Big Band at Presidential Oaks at 6:30 p.m. Open mic for poets and writers at True Brew Barista at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday The Buskers at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. April Cushman at Courtyard by Marriott at 6 p.m. Thursday Brian Booth at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Dan Walker at Cheers at 5 p.m. Friday Lez Zeppelin at Bank...
Bulletin Board: Free concerts, Old-Fashioned Field Day, etc.
Free concerts at United Church Wednesday evening at 7 p.m., Canadian soprano Danielle Buonaiuto and cellist Julia Biber will perform a free concert at the United Church of Penacook. Buonaiuto appears as soloist and ensemble musician throughout the United States and Canada. Her artistry is driven by values of community, access and inclusion, and compassion, and her projects explore these issues through a broad range of music. Biber has...
City Manager’s Newsletter: A slew of construction updates, plus a few events coming up
On Friday, Stefanie Breton, the city’s public information officer, sent out the weekly City Manager’s Newsletter. You can read the full newsletter by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the Newsletter button on the home page. Here are some of the highlights:Parking garage updatesSteel erection for the new south stair tower at the School Street parking garage is nearly complete. Once finished, the contractor will pour concrete for...
There are Easter services all over the city
For some of you, going to church is as big a part of your life as picking up the Insider each week. But for others, the major holidays are when you make your way to a service. No matter if you go all the time or rarely, we came up with a list of services and celebrations for Easter weekend. Now, to be totally clear, we aren’t saying this is a comprehensive list of everything happening in Concord, Penacook and Bow on the Easter service...
On Display: Nature photos on canvas by Christine Wrazen at NHTI
NHTI’s library art gallery has a new exhibit, “Nature Easels,” by graphic designer and photographer Christine Wrazen, just installed last week. The exhibit will be on display until the end of September. The art installation features eight pieces consisting of a digital photograph printed on a small, square canvas and presented on a miniature easel adorned with flowers. Any of the works can be yours – they’re priced at $38 apiece. For...
We won a basket at ConcordTV’s Easter Eggstravaganza
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.It’s a saying as old as time, but it’s not just some throwaway inspirational quote – it’s a useful life lesson, especially if you’re into acquiring Easter baskets.After attending each of the previous two installments of ConcordTV’s Easter Eggstravaganza (and each of the past three Feztival of the Trees, which is also held at the Bektash Shrine Center but is not affiliated with the...
The Yogi: In yoga, like in baseball, the pieces fit together to form a team
It’s been a tough year for Mookie Betts. An inconsistent year. After winning Major League Baseball’s MVP Award in 2018, this season has been a grind for the 26-year-old superstar outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Over the last month, Mookie has started to come to life, and to return to that superstar level of play. Last Friday, his bat made some serious noise as the Sox crushed the Yankees at Fenway Park for the second straight...
Author Gault to speak at Gibson’s Bookstore
Miciah Bay Gault will visit Gibson’s Bookstore on Thursday at 6 p.m. to present her debut of literary suspense, Goodnight Stranger, which follows one young woman caught between her desire for the future and the tragedy of her past, and the love she has for her brother and the stranger who drives them apart, all set in a gorgeously atmospheric fictional Cape Cod island town. George Saunders writes of the book: “Somewhere the ghosts of...
SOCK Club is looking for new sock donations
The SOCK Club (Save Our Cold Kids) is a student-run leadership and service project organization at Concord High School. The club meets weekly, and works to provide support and raise awareness for homeless children and their families. Additionally, it is a goal of the group to engage in fundraising and volunteer opportunities in an effort to make a difference in the Concord community.In order to meet the goal of benefiting the...
On the Road: The ‘Insider’ goes to Dead Horse Point State Park
Leah Lundquist and her family recently took a 10-day national (and state) park road trip and, of course, no 10-day road trip of any variety would be possible without bringing along a copy of the trusty Insider. Amid all the excitement surrounding the trip, the group managed only one photo with the Insider, but they sure did make it count. Here are Lundquist’s daughters Ella, 7, and Adeline, 4, posing with the New Food Issue in front...
Former MLB All Star, Concord native Bob Tewksbury to speak at Gibson’s Bookstore about his new book
Major League Baseball’s opening day is Thursday, and what better way to usher in a new season of America’s pastime than by having a former All Star talk about the psychology of the game at his local bookstore?We’re talking about Concord native Bob Tewksbury, who played for the Yankees, Cardinals, Cubs, Rangers, Padres and Twins over a 13-year career that included an All Star selection and a third-place finish in National League Cy...
Book of the Week: ‘Art Matters’
Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the WorldBy Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell2018, 100 pagesNonfiction – Motivational Art Matters is a small book full of big ideas. Neil Gaiman has combined four personal essays with vibrant illustrations by Chris Riddell to create an inspirational manifesto for living, reading, assembling furniture and, especially, making art.“Credo” expresses Gaiman’s belief in and love of...
Food Snob: Cannolis from The Cannoli Stop @ The Candy Shop
“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”There’s a reason this is still one of the most famous lines from any movie, even 40 years later, and it’s because cannolis are really fantastic, and most people prefer them over guns.Count this Food Snob as one of them.We were tipped off a few weeks ago about a new cannoli shop on Loudon Road, right next to Red Arrow Diner. While we usually follow up on tips like that the same day (and when there’s...
This Week in Concord History
July 30, 1777: After riding all night from Exeter, Lt. Col. Gordon Hutchins, Concord’s legislative representative, bursts into the Sunday service at Concord’s meeting house to say that Gen. John Stark is marching west but needs more men. “Those of you who are willing to go had better go at once,” Rev. Timothy Walker tells his congregation. All men present leave. July 30, 2003: According to documents that are unsealed in Concord...
Entertainment: Shakespeare, political humor on stage, plus tons of music
As the calendar flips from March to April, we have a whopping six stage shows on the slate this week, spanning the realms of Shakespeare to political satire likely written in the past couple weeks. And, as usual, there’s plenty of live music and a whole bunch of movies, too. Enjoy! Music Tuesday Paul Bourgelais at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Mike Morris at Hermanos at 6:30 p.m. Concord Community Music School...
There are plenty of ways to stay cool in Concord this summer
How did everyone enjoy that brutal, oppressive heat wave last week? Nothing says “hot town, summer in the city” like a stretch of days approaching 100 degrees with humidity so high it feels like a wall of warm water hits you as soon as you open the door and step outside. And this is in a state that borders Canada. If you’re reading this, it means you survived last week’s heat wave – but don’t count your chickens yet, because we’re not...
Author K.D. Mason to present her book ‘Canceled Out’ at Gibson’s Bookstore
On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., author K.D. Mason will be at Gibson’s Bookstore to present the newest in his Jack Beale series, Canceled Out.Best friends Jack and Dave get an unwelcome surprise at the local Thanksgiving Turkey Trot race when they meet Kim, an attractive runner who strongly resembles Sylvie, a mysterious woman from Jack’s past. To the complete dismay of Max, Jack’s girlfriend, the surprise intensifies when the real Sylvie...
Making Good Health Simple: Staying out of the heat does a lot more than just keep you cool
No one in New Hampshire is ever happy with the current weather we have. It’s too hot, too cold, too windy, too rainy, too humid, too not what they wanted. Bottom line, people, is that we live in New England and, more specifically, the heart of New Hampshire. These drastic temperature, weather and seasonal changes are precisely why living in the good ol’ Granite State keeps us on our toes. Don’t you love having a walk-off welcome mat...
Bulletin Board: Stop the bleed, multicultural day and awards
Presentation for parents at Rundlett There will be a parent presentation on Thursday in the Rundlett Middle School library – Connecting with Your Kids: A Conversation about Drugs, Alcohol & Bullying. Research suggests that one of the most important factors in healthy child development is a strong, open relationship with a parent. Join us for a conversation on the importance of keeping open lines of communication with your children...
Adventure Shopping: Summer fun edition
Since we’re in the dog days of summer, we decided to head over to Ocean State Job Lot for a little summer fun edition of Adventure Shopping. As usual, we found all kinds of cool, interesting and ultimately weird stuff that’s sure to improve your summer – and your life, really.
Say goodbye to Tom Devaney’s Eye on Thursday
If you’ve happened to glance up to the second floor at 3 Pleasant St. (above Pitchfork Records) over the last couple years, you may have had the eerie feeling that somebody was watching you. And there’s good reason for that. But it’s not really a somebody, but rather a something. Artist Tom Devaney created the Eye a few years back, a large projection of his right eye (with few other eyes that make guest appearances) that gazes upon...
