History
Jan. 16, 2000: The number of cardiac surgeries at the New England Heart Institute in Manchester has dropped by 17% since the opening of rival centers in Concord and Portsmouth. The Manchester hospital has fought to prevent Concord and Portsmouth from performing heart surgeries since 1995, when they first asked the state for permission. Jan. 16, 1944: All flying and ground school aviation training is suddenly called to a halt at...
Magnify Voices Art Contest open for submissions
The New Hampshire Children’s System of Care (CSoC) is accepting submissions for the seventh annual Magnify Voices Expressive Art Contest. Open to students in grades five through 12, the contest invites youth to share creative works reflecting their experiences with and connections to mental health. Submissions will be accepted through April 20. The contest, part of CSoC’s effort to raise awareness and reduce stigma around youth...
Janelle Drake spreads inclusivity across region
Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to the “Young Professional of the Month,” Janelle Drake. Each month, the CYPN Steering Committee recommends an individual in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better. How old are you? 35 Where do you live? Fitchburg, Massachusetts Tell us a little bit about yourself. I work as a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Setra Systems, designing systems...
Book of the week
“Orange World and Other Stories,” by Karen Russell (2019, 271 pages, Genre: Short Stories) Karen Russell’s imaginative stories in this collection grabbed me from the first page and kept me entranced to the end. In eight fantastical stories, you will find ghosts, possession by a plant spirit, a drowned Florida, Madame Bovary’s greyhound, a boy in love with a perfectly preserved bog body, a woman who believes she must nurse the devil to...
Winter Fest returns with food trucks
Concord’s Winter Fest returns next weekend, Friday, Jan. 24-Saturday, Jan. 25, and it’s bigger than ever. In its seventh year, the event, put on by InTown Concord, will include its staple events, the ice-carving competition, but will now include a food truck festival and a hot cocoa tour. The carving begins with demonstrations on Friday from 3-9 p.m. — sponsored ice carvings at the State House Lawn. Saturday, Jan. 25 11 a.m. — Ice...
Film screening
The acclaimed film “B l ack Dog” will be shown on Friday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. in the Sweeney Hall Auditorium (S122) on the campus of NHTI, 31 College Drive. Winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival “Un Certain Reg a rd ”Award, “Black Dog” is a noir-inspired mystery about redemption and change. The film follows Lang, played by internationally renowned actor Eddie Peng, as he returns to his hometown in Northwest China after being released...
Celebrating the state’s natural beauty
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is hosting For the Love of My Ancestral Home, a solo art exhibit by Wakefield, Mass., artist Leslie Scott-Lysan. The exhibit features paintings inspired by New Hampshire’s natural beauty and is open to the public for free through January and February at the Forest Society’s Conservation Center, 54 Portsmouth St., Concord. Viewing hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5...
History
Jan. 9, 2001 Skateboarders have less than a month to carve up the streets of Suncook, the Monitor reports. After that, they risk a fine for violating a ban just imposed by the Pembroke selectmen. Jan. 9, 1766 A crowd goes to the Portsmouth home of George Meserve, who signed as the royal Stamp Act agent for New Hampshire the previous September. There is a rumor afoot that Meserve will begin collecting taxes under the act. He meets the...
Calendar
Jan. 9 Bach’s Lunch: “A Baroque Beatles Renaissance” (Concert): 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Free. Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St., Concord. Email: reception@ccmusicschool.org. Crafting Joy: The Art of Optimism Exhibition: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 49 South Main St., Suite 100, Concord. Meet the Legislators Networking Reception: 4 to 6 p.m. The Courtyard by Marriott Concord and Grappone Conference Center, EVgo, 70 Constitution Ave.,...
Join Mickey on his search
Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party will bring its interactive and dynamic production to the SNHU Arena in Manchester from Jan. 9–12. The show promises a mix of captivating storytelling and aerial acrobatics, creating a multi-sensory experience for audiences. Tickets for Disney On Ice Preferred Customers are available now, offering early access to secure prime seats before tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 1....
2025 ski and snowboard tour schedule
The Vertical Challenge has announced its 2025 family ski and snowboard tour schedule, featuring 25 races at 24 resorts across seven states. The schedule includes a special Valentine’s Day event at Cannon Mountain. This marks the largest number of events for the Vertical Challenge (VC) since 2015. All races are free with the purchase of a lift ticket at the host resort. Standard Daytime Events Events will follow the traditional format:...
Prescott Farm Events
Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center has announced its New Year lineup of programs designed to help the community restore, rebalance, and learn — in nature, whether you’re looking to learn a new skill, explore the outdoors, or reconnect with the natural world. See registration details at http://www.prescottfarm.org. Introduction to Home Cheesemaking Date: Jan. 11 Time: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Discover the basics of cheesemaking...
Stitched Together
Concord artists Laura Morrison and Maureen Redmond-Scura will present their bead and fiber art in a two-person exhibition, Stitched Together: Friendship, Feminism, and Craft, at the Two Villages Art Society in Contoocook. The show opens Jan. 11 at the gallery, located at 846 Main Street. The exhibit explores themes of friendship, feminism, and craft through complementary works by the two artists, who draw inspiration from nature and...
A majestic ‘Beauty and the Beast JR’ stage show Manchester ’s Majestic
Manchester ’s Majestic Academy to perform one of Disney’s classics Manchester’s Majestic Academy to perform one of Disney’s classics The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts will present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. from Jan. 24 to 26 at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway, Derry. Adapted from the Broadway production and the Academy Award-winning film, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by...
Theme shows for 2025 Artist Association
The Seacoast Artist Association in downtown Exeter has announced their 2025 Theme Show calendar, and all Seacoast artists are invited to enter. All themes are announced ahead of time, so artists have plenty of time to create. Members receive half-price entry, so now is the perfect time to join or renew. This can be done in person at the gallery or online at seacoastartist.org. The first show of the year is “Winter Wonderment.” You can...
Historical Society to host talk on democracy
The Pembroke Historical Society will present “Why Democracy,” a talk by Dr. Joshua Duclos of St. Paul’s School, on Monday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Pembroke Town Library, 313 Pembroke St. The presentation will explore the concept of democracy, historical and contemporary criticisms of it, and arguments supporting its value. Dr. Duclos, a humanities professor at St. Paul’s School, is a former Fulbright scholar and the author of...
FIT4MOM celebrates expansion to Concord
Concord moms are about to get a new community. FIT4MOM – the nation’s largest wellness company with programs exclusively designed for moms – expands its presence with its newest location in the Concord-Kearsarge area, currently the only FIT4MOM location in New Hampshire. A grand opening class will be held at the Boys & Girls Club (55 Bradley St., Concord) on Jan. 22 at 9 a.m.; this will include a free Stroller Strides...
The history of the Grappone’s
“The Founding” is a vivid and detailed story of European immigrant life at the turn of the 19th century in New England, by local author Amanda Grappone Osmer. The tale follows the origin journey of a well-known New Hampshire family through difficult times on their way to settling in Concord. The storytelling sources a wide variety of newspaper accounts, weather conditions, ships’ logs, and family diaries into a...
“Annie” comes to Concord
RB Professional, a branch of RB Productions, will present a production of Annie at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord this January. The show will feature a mix of professional actors and local community performers in a heartwarming tale of hope and resilience. Performances will take place in the Chubb Theatre, located at 44 S. Main Street, Concord. Showtimes are as follows: Friday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)...
A love story comes to the Players’ Ring Theatre
The extraordinary love story of Fyodor Dostoevsky and the woman who became “the architect of his life,” will be on stage at the Players’ Ring Theatre in Portsmouth, from Jan. 3 through the 19, written and directed by Richard McElvain. When his unscrupulous publisher had a gun to his head to complete a book in a month, Fyodor Dostoevsky reached out to a school that taught a new science called stenography. The woman he hired,...
History
Dec. 19, 1774: The British frigate Scarborough arrives at Portsmouth Harbor, the second of two ships whose presence quells an insurrection. In two raids during the week, dissident colonists have taken light cannons, muskets, and gunpowder from Fort William and Mary. The presence of the British ships is credited with keeping the dissidents from returning to seize the fort’s 45 heavy cannons. Dec. 19, 1975: The state accepts as a gift...
CCA Events
Here’s what’s coming up at the Capitol Center for the Arts through the end of the month: Buzz Ball 7 p.m., Dec. 19, Chubb Theatre deSol 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20, BNH Stage The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight 8 p.m., Dec. 20, Chubb Theatre Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dec. 21, BNH Stage Zach Nugent’s Dead Set 8 p.m., Dec. 27, Chubb Theatre R-Rated Comedy Hypnotist Frank Santos Jr. 8 p.m., Dec. 28, BNH Stage Joe Gatto:...
Calendar
Dec. 19 Concord Handmade Pop-Up Shop: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Join Concord Handmade for handmade goods from 30+ artists local to New England. Open at 3 Bicentennial Sq., Concord. concordhandmade@gmail.com. Crafting Joy: The Art of Optimism Exhibition: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 49 South Main St., Suite 100, Concord. The Greg and The Morning Buzz Ball: 7 p.m. Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord. Winter Solstice Soirée: 4 to 7...
Last-minute holiday gifts
By ARIANNA MacNEILL Insider staff The holidays are so close that you can almost hear the faint ring of bells worn by Santa’s reindeer as he glides through the sky. But for those of us who play Santa (because there’s a little bit of holiday spirit in us all, right?), and also procrastinate, finding those last-minute gifts can feel a tad stressful. That’s where we at the Insider have you covered! Luckily, Concord has a unique blend of...
Local author’s novel is finalist for two awards
“Beautiful and Terrible Things” by S.M. Stevens, published by Black Rose Writing, has been named a finalist in two major book competitions: the 2024 “Shelf Unbound” Best Indie Book Competition and the 2024 American Writing Awards. The “Shelf Unbound” competition selected the novel as one of five finalists across all genres, with awards based on creativity, writing quality, originality, and impact. The winners are featured in the...
Annual popsicle bridge competition
On Nov. 13, NHTI – Concord’s Community College hosted the annual New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition on its Concord campus. The event featured 43 teams from high schools across the state, including Concord High School, Gorham Middle High School, Hopkinton High School, Milford High School, Nashua High School South, Plymouth Regional High School, and Winnisquam Regional Middle School....
Players offer free workshops
Enhance theatre skills for all ages during these 2025 classes The Community Players of Concord (CPC) will offer a series of free workshops designed to develop and enhance theater skills for participants of all levels. Running from December through June, the workshops cover topics such as acting, set design, and Shakespeare. All sessions take place at the Players’ Studio. To reserve a spot, email Cindy Dickinson at...
Calendar
Dec. 12 Concord Handmade Pop-Up Shop: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Concord Handmade, 7 South Main St., Concord. Handmade art and goods from 20+ artists locally and from across the nation. concordhandmade.com. Crafting By: The Art of Optimism Exhibit: 5 to 7 p.m., League of NH Craftsmen, 49 South Main St., Suite 100, Concord. Gene-O-Rit: 10:30 a.m., Free. A genealogy class, Concord Public Library, 45 Green St., Concord. Peter Yarrow: 7 p.m.,...
Dining hall renovations complete
North Branch Construction is pleased to announce the successful completion of several renovations at St. Paul’s School in Concord. The renovations, which took place over the summer, focused on the Coit Dining Hall and aimed to enhance the dining experience for students and staff. The project included a comprehensive range of upgrades and improvements, beginning with the installation of a new epoxy floor in the dish room. This durable...
Seamus Egan’s Celtic Christmas
Live music on Dec. 14 The Wolfeboro Friends of Music will host Seamus Egan’s Good Winter: A Celtic Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. The concert will be held at the First Congregational Church, South Main Street, Wolfeboro. Seamus Egan, a renowned figure in traditional Irish music and founder of the acclaimed band Solas, will perform with his ensemble, The Seamus Egan Project. Known for redefining the sound of Irish music,...
