What do you know about The River Guild?
The Smokestack Center is one of those places that if you didn’t know it was there, odds are you’d probably never stumble across it.But there are some pretty happening things going on in that North State Street plaza – including at The River Guild.The holistic health collective offers a wide range of classes and workshops that try to appeal to just about anyone who is looking to maintain (or start) a healthy lifestyle.“We really try to...
The Big Bicycle Project is all around the city
If you’ve been downtown recently, you probably noticed an uptick in the number of bicycles on Main Street. The warm weather always brings the cycling community out of the woodwork, but in this instance, we’re talking about a collection of bikes that don’t actually move – and some that aren’t even in the form of a bicycle anymore. What we’re referring to is The Big Bicycle Project, an initiative by the Kimball-Jenkins School of Art in...
The Concord Chorale loves to sing for others
If you happened to be on South Main Street in front of O Steaks & Seafood and Red River Theatres last Friday a little before 6 p.m., you were one of the lucky few to catch a little show from the Concord Chorale.Since they are a group of people who really like to sing, somewhere along the way someone came up with the idea for a community service day – full of singing. The chorale used to do singing Valentines all over the city, and...
‘Mr. Connolly Has ALS’ playing at Red River
Since former Concord High School principal Gene Connolly’s diagnosis with ALS, his story has played out in the public eye.Through the efforts of the Monitor, Connolly’s now three-year battle with the terminal neurodegenerative disease has been documented through a series of stories updating the community as to how the long-time face of the local high school was dealing with a disease. For two years after his announcement to the...
Unitarian Church is producing solar power
If you’ve driven past the Unitarian Universalist Church on Pleasant Street recently, you may have noticed a new addition to the front lawn.No, it’s not a group of picnic tables to eat your lunch at or hammocks to lounge around in. Rather, it’s a collection of 100 solar panels that will greatly help the church offset the cost of its electric bill.The array went live on May 2 and if the early meter readings are correct, projections of...
You should see the James Foley documentary ‘Jim’
You may not believe it, but being a journalist can be difficult. Trying to get sources to talk, working all hours of the day – usually when it’s convenient for everyone else but yourself – and constantly feeling the pressure of looming deadlines. And now imagine dealing with all those challenges – while navigating your way through a war-ridden country. Welcome to the life of James Foley. Foley was a conflict journalist from New...
Hatbox Theatre is having a launch party
One of the most difficult things about going to see a new onstage performance is the uncertainty of what you’re getting into.Sure, if it’s a well-known play that has been performed all over the world, you’re probably fairly comfortable buying a ticket. But what if it’s an original production? There’s no real good way to tell if you’ll like it, love it or hate it.So Hatbox Theatre is doing something to change that.On May 31 (that’s...
Go Try It: You can get a full pint at Lithermans Limited
If there was one downside to Lithermans Limited’s tap room, it was the restrictions on what you could get for beer.Since the craft brewery opened its doors just over a year ago, you could only get a single 4-ounce taster of each beer they had on tap. No refills and no larger amounts.That is until last Friday.After being given the okay to start serving food, Lithermans not only has a small menu to choose from to cure that after-work...
Get pumped up for the Kiwanis Spring Fair
The Kiwanis Spring Fair is one of those Concord events that you can count on.Like the Christmas parade and tree lighting, Market Days and Rock ‘N Race, each year you know it’s coming back.So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this weekend, the 62nd annual Kiwanis fundraiser (one of the biggest ones for the organization each year) will take over the outside area adjacent to Everett Arena with a sea of carnival rides, games and...
Suncook Valley Chorale is having a concert
Any time the Suncook Valley Chorale hosts a concert, it’s kind of a big deal. The local, non-audition group made up of 60-plus singers between the ages of 18 and 80-something, only puts on a couple programs a year, so you can imagine the anticipation.But add in the fact that this weekend’s pair of performances at Wesley United Methodist Church will feature a live orchestra, and it sets the stage for a can’t-miss event.“It’s been a...
Rock ‘N Race sure does make a big difference
When the first Rock ‘N Race was held 15 years ago, it was done to raise a little money for Concord Hospital’s soon-to-be-opened Payson Center for Cancer Care.The Payson Center opened in June of 2003, and over the last decade and a half, almost $4 million has been raised by the event that has seen participation grow from just over 800 in the first year to almost 6,000 last year. Not a bad little run for an road race that founder Steve...
After 37 years, McGowan is closing the doors
If you live in Concord and happen to like art, then surely you’ve wandered around McGowan Fine Art.It’s what you’d consider an art institution in these parts, having been in business for 37 years. With a new show every month or so, the walls are always filled with something vibrant or thought provoking.But since the recession hit almost 10 years ago, things haven’t been easy for owner Sarah Chaffee. And a few weeks back, Chaffee made...
Brady Players to stage ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
The Bishop Brady Players are making a comeback this spring.With a new director and head of music leading the operation, the drama club is set to take the stage this weekend for a spring musical – the first show since 2015.“The drama club has been dormant for about a year,” said musical director Ben Greene. “But we’re confident were going to bring back the program.”And it all begins this weekend with three performances of Little Shop...
Students to perform ‘Into the Woods’ at Concord High this week
If you know the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk, then you’ll be right at home in the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium this week, beginning Thursday. That’s because the Concord High School drama club is putting on four performances of Into the Woods, a musical that intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales into one big show. The story centers around...
Don’t miss the one and only Capital Arts Fest
If you haven’t heard about the Capital Arts Fest yet, you probably aren’t paying close enough attention to your city’s happenings.There’s promotional stuff all over the place, and a rolling billboard in the form of a Concord Coach Lines bus promoting the thing (even if some of the images are from slightly outside the Concord area, like Europe).Nevertheless, whether you’ve heard about it or are just being informed for the first time...
You can’t have an arts fest without the arts
Just about every week, we like to highlight one of the local art exhibits around these parts.Concord is a big arts community with a collection of highly talented artists.And let’s be perfectly honest, there’s no way you can hold a community-wide arts festival without the visual arts.So on Saturday, there’s a few options for you.Mill Brook GalleryThe gallery that doubles as an outdoor sculpture garden, opened this week with its first...
Make these Kentucky Derby cupcakes at Local Baskit
No matter what sporting event you’re hosting a get-together for, food has to be a priority.If said sporting event turns out to be a huge disappointment, your guests can always find solace in your spread.So if you happen to be a fan of the Kentucky Derby, which is slated for Saturday, Local Baskit has the perfect option for your watch party dessert.At 1 p.m., there will be a workshop at the store’s 10 Ferry St. location to make some...
Attention all ladies: It’s Mom Prom season
We can only imagine this time of year can be a little hard for all you moms of high school aged daughters out there.As your little girl picks out her prom dress, is asked in some elaborate way by the boy next door and makes plans for a big night out, it probably makes you a bit nostalgic for your high school days.We all know we can’t go back in time to relive those moments, but who says that mean you can’t go to the prom?Because the...
A southern day trip – Welcome to Hooksett
When we first established roots in Bow, we kept hearing about this far away land known as Hooksett. Sure, it bordered Bow, which borders Concord, but going beyond those imaginary constraints had always been a bit of a no-no. Look how long it took us to make our way into Bow. But since we thought of this day trip issue series earlier this year – the first of which brought us to Henniker in February – we’ve had our eye on Hooksett. How...
We found lots of food options in Hooksett
One of our favorite parts about exploring a new place is the food.There’s just something about traveling around a town you’ve never visited in search of a great local spot to eat.And when in Hooksett, you’ll have no problem finding some great eateries – no matter what you’re in the mood for.There are plenty of chain restaurant options, and that’s never a bad thing, but on this adventure, we were in the mood for something new and...
Womenade is hosting Couture for a Cause
Some of the latest trends in fashion will be on display at the Womenade of Concord’s fourth annual Couture for a Cause. Seven local stores using anywhere from three to six models each will showcase up to 40 outfits. “It’s just a variety of people in the community who support our organization,” said Womenade member Shannon Arndt. The runway session is the highlight of the evening that will be held at O Steaks and Seafood in May 4, but...
Pedro Pimentel made his longest film yet
It’s been a little more than three years since we first introduced you to filmmaker Pedro Pimentel. Back then, he was a Concord High student creating movies with his friends. Now, Pimentel is a full-fledged director and his Manguetown Pictures is about to put out a flick that is a big jump for the young company. “I’m trying to push myself with larger projects,” Pimentel said. “And this is the biggest project I’ve done in every single...
Help keep Concord beautiful on Earth Day
Saturday is kind of an important day for Mother Nature. When you get around to looking at the ol’ calendar, you’ll see that Saturday is April 22 – otherwise known as Earth Day.If you didn’t know, the first Earth Day was organized in 1970, and in the 47 years that have passed, yearly events have been held to better the planet that we all share.While we believe that every day is an opportunity to better the environment and do our part...
NHTI’s Stage Lynx to perform ‘Anne Frank’
There are many factors that go into choosing a show for NHTI’s Stage Lynx Productions.The powers that be sit down with a collection of scripts (this time the number was eight for the spring show), read them over and start to figure out what will be the best fit. They look for a certain number of character roles needed to put the play on, and then go through the known list of actors available in the club and the school’s acting...
Another season of roller derby is upon us
Now that spring is officially here, it’s time for another season of Granite State Roller Derby.With every trace of ice removed from Everett Arena, those circle-skating ladies can finally take to the track – and try to knock each other down in the process.And since the roller derby season is just getting going, there’s a lot of stuff that the organization is doing to get you excited about it.If you’re a woman and enjoy skating, then...
Songweavers are putting on a spring concert
Peggo Horstmann Hodes believes everyone can sing.And that’s the great thing about the Songweavers women’s community chorus. No matter what level of experience you have flexing the old vocal chords, you’re welcome to join the group, and well, sing.There’s about 120 members in all – with all levels of singing ability – and about 100 will be on stage this Saturday for the annual Songweavers spring concert.“Songweavers is an opportunity...
When you play Bean Boozled, nobody wins
As we’ve said many times before, we’ll do just about anything for a story.That includes taking part in things we know we’ll never succeed at – or on rare occasions, actually enjoy. With this being the Easter Issue, we thought it would be fun to try something to match the theme.We couldn’t go sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap because that would fall somewhere on the scale between creepy and weird, and we’re a little old for the local...
These fine folks are getting ready for the Boston Marathon
If you didn’t know, we’re not exactly the kind of guys who would (or could) run 26.2 miles – let alone do all the training to actually complete a marathon. That’s why we choose to write about people who make a conscious decision to put themselves through what we can only imagine is a considerable amount of pain and sacrifice. But kudos to all the runners who make that kind of commitment, especially when they do it for a good cause....
From the Crowd: What happens when the robots take over?
Imagine a life where robots did all the work.No longer did humans have to man the factories, serve as secretaries or really do just about anything.Thanks to the isolated island factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots, the world is being populated with thousands of new robots by the day. With robots leading the workforce at a productivity rate of 2 times that of a human, there isn’t much need for humans in the workforce. And, in turn, the...
There’s great music in Concord every week
Since a good chunk of this issue is about getting you pumped up for live music, we figured this would be as good a place as any to tell you about what’s coming up.Concord is home to many great venues, from small settings for a low-key acoustic set, to ones that can accommodate hundreds and hundreds of people complete with some pretty rocking sound equipment.And just like there’s a spot in town that will meet whatever type of show...
