Missed Connections: Look who’s trying to find love on Craigslist
We took to Craigslist last week to see who had been posting on the Missed Connections pages in our neck of the woods during the month of June. And we found a ton of great entries to share – and that we could print, unedited, of course. Irving gas station – m4w (Concord) – June 28 I know this is an incredibly long shot. The other day I stopped by the Irving gas station near I-89 and I-93 in Concord. It was fairly crowded...
Agway to host high-flying dog event
Nothing makes for a great summer like the sight of dogs flying 20 feet through the air and cannonballing into water, right? If that sounds strange (or accurate), you definitely have to check out what is sure to be one of this summer’s best dog-themed events. On July 7 through 9, Osborne’s Agway in Concord will be putting on a Splash and Wag DockDogs event that any dog lover won’t want to miss out on. The fun kicks off at 8 a.m. on...
Food Snob: Pastrami bomb sub from Chief’s Place
Generally speaking, when the name of a food item contains the word “bomb,” it’s usually a very good thing. Furthermore, whenever you have a sandwich that combines multiple types of meat with cheese and grilled veggies, you’re in for a great time. So you can only imagine our level of excitement when we saw a pastrami bomb sub on the menu at Chief’s Place in Penacook. Long ago, before this Insider was even a member of the Insider team,...
Go Try It: Paint Outside the Box at Rattlebox Studio
If you and your child are always looking for new and creative ways to get messy, look no further than Paint Outside the Box.The brainchild of Aaron Jones – the kid-focused musician known as Mr. Aaron – Paint Outside the Box is an art class for kids that’s all about exploring creativity in fun new ways.This isn’t your typical art class, in which kids have a set lesson and follow instructions closely. This one encourages kids to do...
On Display: 2017 Focus on Aviation photo exhibit at NHTI Library Gallery
The NHTI Library Gallery is now exhibiting some high-flying photos. The 2017 Focus on Aviation photo contest winners are on the walls of the library art gallery through July 28, and many of the shots were taken in New Hampshire. Head over to NHTI and check it out while you still can.
Bulletin Board
Science fiction at Discovery Center This summer, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center has lined up special staff picks for its Super Stellar Sci-Fi Series On Friday night at 7 p.m., the center will feature Pacific Rim, a movie about an epic battle between sea monsters and humankind. The following two movies at Super Stellar Fridays will be Galaxy Quest on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. and 2001: A Space Odyssey on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. Doors open on...
This Week in Concord History
July 4, 1820: The fare from Concord to Boston by stagecoach is cut to $1, the result of competition between two lines. July 4, 1842: Hooligans set a barrel of tar on fire in the State House plaza. “The tossing of fire-balls had begun when the police of this town interfered,” according to a city history. July 4, 1858: Congressman Mason W. Tappan reads the Declaration of Independence on the State House lawn. Solon Gould,...
Book of the Week: ‘F*ck Feelings’
F*ck FeelingsMichael Bennett, MD2015, 384 pagesNonfiction Sometimes, life sucks. For everybody. And, when it does, we all look for easy solutions to all our problems. We revere big names like Oprah and Doctor Phil, and I won’t even get started on magazine covers. If you’ve tried, though, and these sources ain’t cutting it – if you’re done with empty promises and the phony self-help craze, F*ck Feelings is an absolute must-read.This...
It’s an easy drive to the Lake Sunapee area
It’s always fun to embark on a trip to a new location. You never really know what to expect and how it’s all going to play out. We’ve done a couple of these here day trip issues over the last few months and each one has been filled with lots of fun, food and entertainment for all – or at least us. And our excursion to the Lake Sunapee region last week, which included stops in Newport, Newbury, New London, Sutton, and of course,...
We took a leisurely cruise on Lake Sunapee aboard the M.V. MT. Sunapee II
We do plenty of cruising for work, but not usually the kind that involves bodies of water and large motor vessels. So when we got the opportunity to board the M.V. Mt. Sunapee II to cruise around Lake Sunapee, we knew we had to jump at the opportunity. The ship departs at 2 p.m. daily from now until Labor Day for 90-minute cruises around the scenic lake. As well as the pleasant views and cool breeze, you also get a little history and...
Check out ‘The Beauty of New Hampshire’ at The Fells
If you’ve never been to The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens in Newbury, it’s worth the drive. It’s home to some breathtaking gardens, outdoor sculptures and great indoor art exhibits. ‘The Beauty of New Hampshire’ features artists from the New Hampshire Art Association, and is on display in the Main House through July 9, along with ‘A Quiet Witness to History-Helen Nicolay.’ After July 9, two new exhibits will be brought into the...
Check out all these cool events around Lake Sunapee we found
In the summer months, it’s always nice to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. And we found that the Lake Sunapee region is a great place to do just that. Over the weeks and months to come, we found some pretty great events for you to check out if you decide to make a trip to that area. As always, this should be looked at as more of a starting point than a list of everything that’s happening. But this should give you a good start....
Escape Room Concord puts your teamwork and problem-solving skills to the test
Escape rooms are all the rage right now. There are locations in Nashua and Manchester, and now Concord is about to get its very own opening Saturday. Gregory and Bobbi Slossar, co-owners of the new Escape Room Concord, were nice enough to let a team of Insider and Monitor staffers get in before the opening to try it out and see what we thought. If you don’t know what an escape room is (as I didn’t before this assignment), it’s...
Chris took part in an ice cream eating contest
When I woke up Friday morning, I had no idea my assignment for the day would be to take part in the annual Granite State Candy Shoppe ice cream eating contest at Market Days. However, when posed with the sudden challenge, I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to eat some tasty ice cream and potentially kickstart a competitive eating career. With the contest set for the early afternoon, I thought skipping breakfast and lunch might give...
Some summery scenes from Market Days 2017
Market Days has, sadly, come and gone. It was a whirlwind three days in the capital city, and we have the pictures to prove it. Here’s a little sampling of some of the scenes from Market Days 2017.
We tried some of the flavors of Market Days
One of the main attractions of Market Days is the food. But really, food is one of the main attractions of life in general, so it should go without saying that we made sure to get down to Main Street to try some of the options at our disposal.After parking on South Main Street by The Draft and walking toward the shindig, we could smell the distinct scent of potatoes in the deep-fryer from quite a ways away, and they smelled fantastic....
Jon made an appearance on WKXL radio during Market Days
It goes without saying that the Insider is a really big deal. We’ve basically been running this city for the last 10-plus years through our free, weekly publication. But until Market Days last week, we had never really had much over-the-air exposure. That ended when Rob Azevedo contacted me asking if I wanted to be interviewed on Granite State of Mind, the show he hosts, during Market Days. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. The...
Go Try It: Check out the Conservation Center and cool down in the river
If you haven’t checked your calendar lately, here’s a free update – it’s officially summer.In true New England fashion, we’ve once again moved from winter directly to summer, and the heat seems like it’s here to stay for the next few months. Since we don’t really have any beaches in Concord, one might think it would be tough to stay cool (if you’re not a big public pool person, anyway).One would be wrong.That’s because we have the...
Joyce Kimball movin’ on up in the N.H. Federation of Garden Clubs
Bow resident Joyce Kimball was installed as president of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. at their 84th annual meeting held at the Birch Wood Vineyard Event Center last month. Kimball will serve as state president of this volunteer organization of 20 area clubs and approximately 1,200 members for the 2017-19 term. NHFGC promotes the love of gardening, floral design, civic beautification and both civic and...
RB Productions to open season
RB Productions will kick off its 14th children’s theater summer season with Annie Jr. at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Friday and Saturday. It is the first of four main stage performances this summer for actors and actresses ranging from 9 to 19 years old. And it’s really a fun way to do theater. The kids sign up for one, two, three or all four shows, and it’s open to anyone. In early June, auditions are held for all shows and...
On Display: Check out some student work at Kimball Jenkins
We stopped by the Kimball Jenkins School of Art last week to check out the Spring Student Show, featuring the works of students of the art school. It will be on display until July 14.
Freese Brothers Big Band plays with purpose
We often hear of big-time celebrity musicians putting on benefit concerts to help out after a natural disaster or some other tragedy. Thousands of people buy up the tickets – no matter the cost – in short order to be part of that help.The Freese Brothers Big Band, right here in the Granite State, plays nothing but benefit shows, and the best part is you never have to pay anything to attend them. There also doesn’t need to be some...
Bulletin Board
Friday Family Fun night this week New African Americans will host a Friday Family Fun Night at the Concord Community Arts Center (40 Thorndike St.) on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be music and drumming by Sayon Camara, African meat and veggie pies, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and more. Admission is by donation with a requested amount of $10 per person and $20 per family. Dee Stewart New show at Hatbox Theatre Newly formed...
This Week in Concord History
June 27, 1835: The Concord Railroad Corp. obtains a charter for a railroad between Nashua and Concord. The Boston and Maine Railroad also obtains a charter on this date. The Concord corporation will be delayed by the Panic of 1837 and other factors, and the first train will not pull into Concord until September 1842. The B&M will not open its first line in the state until 1849. June 27, 1860: A large Democratic crowd...
Book of the Week: ‘Siddhartha’s Brain’
Siddhartha’s Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of EnlightenmentJames Kingsland343 pages, 2016Nonfiction This book appears to start out with the same old, familiar story of the life of the Buddha that makes me want to skip the beginning and read ahead to the good stuff. Fortunately, I didn’t skip ahead, and the good stuff began right away. James Kingsland integrates in each chapter: an experience from the life of Shakyamuni Buddha,...
Celebrate diversity at the Multicultural Festival at Market Days
One of the signature elements of Market Days is the Multicultural Festival.The festival, now in its 10th year, celebrates the diversity of cultures in the capital area with music, dance, food, activities and all kinds of other things.This year’s festival – which will be Saturday from 2 to 6:30 p.m. on the State House lawn – is absolutely jam-packed with all of that stuff. In that case, let’s jump right into it. The whole thing starts...
It’s all local on the Homegrown Music Stage
The music scene in Concord – and the Granite State in general – seems to always be expanding and improving. The Homegrown Music Stage at Bicentennial Square will be a perfect testament to that. The stage has a truly full slate of performers from New Hampshire, with the “vast majority” of them coming from the capital area, event coordinator Lucas Gallo said. Gallo is pretty familiar with the local music scene – he used to play in the...
The South Main Street stage will be rockin’ all through Market Days
Everybody has different tastes and interests – it’s what makes life interesting. The South Main Park Stage is one of the many things that makes Market Days interesting, as this stage features a wide array of performances and demonstrations over the course of the weekend. While some areas of Market Days are specifically set up for one type of thing, the South Main stage will host everything from dog tricks to burly men moving seemingly...
