Applications open for award
Applications are now open for New Hampshire’s largest student journalism award, the Brodsky Prize, which was established seven years ago by the late Jeffrey Brodsky and his father, Howard, to encourage innovation by student journalists. The $5,000 prize is open to all high school students attending public, charter, or parochial schools in New Hampshire. Judging criteria include a student’s journalistic initiative and enterprise, as...
22nd Annual David Surette Mandolin Festival
The 22nd David Surette Mandolin Festival, to be held March 8-9 at the Concord Community Music School, celebrates the many voices of the mandolin, a stringed instrument heard in bluegrass, old-time, classical, swing, blues, Brazilian, Italian, and Celtic music. The festival is named for its founder, New England musician David Surette. With a reputation that reached across the U.S. and beyond to Canada, England, France, and Italy,...
Concord School District holds student show
By RACHEL WACHMANConcord Insider To celebrate student work in honor of Youth Art Month, the Concord School District hosts an annual art show compiling pieces made by students from kindergarten to twelfth grade across the district. This year’s show opened on Thursday, Feb. 20, and will run through Wednesday, April 2, at the City Wide Community Center. From drawing and painting to printmaking and 3-D installations, the exhibit aims to...
‘A communal place to go’
By RACHEL WACHMANConcord Insider Learning about houseplants, planning a vegetable garden, growing kitchen herbs, and even exploring the world of beekeeping are among the free weekend classes hosted at the Black Forest Nursery in Boscawen. In an effort to prioritize people as much as plants, the nursery provides year-round lessons for community members – with or without a green thumb – to learn alongside one another. “We’ve wanted to...
Help preserve auto racing history
The New England Racing Museum is looking for passionate volunteers to help preserve and share the rich history of auto racing in the region. As we celebrate The Year of The Modified, we are expanding our efforts to showcase legendary Modified race cars and the drivers who made them famous. We need dedicated individuals to assist in various roles, including: ■ Museum Docents – Engage visitors with stories of New England’s racing...
Winter Arts Market coming to Kimball Jenkins
by RACHEL WACHMANInsider staff Jessica Livingston has always loved to draw but never viewed herself as an artist until a few years ago. As her perception of her work changed, so too did her means of sharing it with the world. Livingston began creating collages during the pandemic and posting pictures of her work on social media. Then, a friend encouraged her to exhibit her work at the Kimball Jenkins arts center, so she submitted to...
Orleans brings pop-rock to Concord
With hits such as “Love Takes Time,” “Dance with Me,” and “Still the One,” the smooth melodic pop-rock music of Orleans has stood the test of time in the past 53 years since the group’s formation. Bringing its music to Concord, the band will perform at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage on Thursday, Feb. 27. Known for its tight ensemble playing, gorgeous harmony vocals, and inspired, well-crafted songwriting, Orleans formed in Woodstock,...
Movie screening
In the latest installment of its film series, NHTI will host a screening of “Every Little Thing” on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. “Every Little Thing” is a breathtaking, award-winning documentary about the beauty of hummingbirds and efforts to rescue and care for them. Australian filmmaker Sally Aitken follows the experiences of Terry Masear, who cares for injured hummingbirds. Throughout a 93-minute emotional journey, the film introduces...
book of the week
“What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma,” by Stephanie Foo(2022, 329 pages, Genre: Memoir) Stephanie Foo is an award-winning radio writer, editor, and producer who spent years burying herself in her work to avoid dealing with her past traumas. Unfortunately, the day comes when she can’t hide in her work anymore and she must face the consequences of a diagnosis of Complex PTSD. The prognosis is not good, but Foo is...
Derrick Loughlin captures community on camera
Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to the “Young Professional of the Month,” Derrick Loughlin. Each month, the CYPN Steering Committee recommends an individual in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better. Q: How old are you?30! Q: Where do you live?Mont Vernon, NH. Q: Where do you currently work?All over. Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.I grew up in New Hampshire,...
The art of Azalea Park
Last fall, fifth and sixth grade students at the Henniker Community School studied the art of illustration. They learned about the works of Helen Oxenbury, Dr. Seuss, and Shel Silverstein to gather knowledge about ink style, use of color, and background. At the beginning of the project, the students took a walking field trip down through Azalea Park to gather inspiration for their next art project. Susan Adams of the Azalea Park...
scholarship opportunities
New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs The New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs will award two college scholarships this year – a $2,000 New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. Scholarship and the Jean L. Thompson Scholarship, established in her honor by her daughters, Lindsay Thompson and Elizabeth Thompson, for the amount of $1,000. They will be awarded to undergraduate (sophomores, juniors, or seniors) or graduate...
Art & Bloom awardees
The Concord Garden Club is pleased to announce the winners of its People’s Choice Awards from the annual Art & Bloom exhibition, held at the Kimball Jenkins Estate at the end of January. Each year, club members and local florists create displays to complement artwork created by members of the community. Garden Club member Robyn Cotton won the most votes for her interpretation of Heaven North by Nicki French. Using mostly foraged...
Upcoming ‘Our Town’ auditions
The Community Players of Concord end their 97th season with a national literary treasure: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Set in a small New Hampshire town, Wilder captures the everyday lives, dreams, and struggles of ordinary people as they navigate love, family, and mortality. Auditions for this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, directed by Cindy Dickinson, will be held on Monday, Feb. 17, and Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m....
Civil War monument presentation
Throughout New Hampshire, towns, individuals, and veterans’ organizations have erected an assortment of memorials to the Civil War. Beginning with obelisks of the 1860s and continuing onto re-mastered works of the 21st century, historian George Morrison of Bow will present a diverse selection of New Hampshire’s commemorations and their stories at a presentation at the Pembroke Town Library on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. Hosted by the...
Festival receives Academy Award qualifying status
The New Hampshire Film Festival recently achieved status as an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards in a new category: documentary shorts. The festival previously received this distinction in the categories of live-action shorts and animation shorts. This third milestone solidifies the festival’s status as a platform for short filmmakers worldwide, providing a direct pathway to Oscar eligibility. “For more than...
BACK IN THE OUTDOORS
By ALEXANDER RAPP and RACHEL WACHMAN Spanning three days, six ice rinks, and eight divisions, the 14th annual 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship and Winter Festival will bring together hockey players from around the state for a weekend of competition and celebration. If the weather holds up, this will be the first year the tournament has been outside since 2022. Inaugurated in 2001, the tournament commemorates the first organized...
Comedic conundrum
The Community Players of Concord will present Ken Ludwig’s comedy The Gods of Comedy from Feb. 14-16 at the Concord City Auditorium. The play follows college professors Ralph and Daphne, who discover a lost translation of Euripides while on vacation in Greece. When the only copy is accidentally destroyed, they find themselves in trouble just as their Ivy League university prepares for a highly anticipated classics event. Their plea...
Local preservation and history enthusiasts gather
A group of Concord residents will host an informal networking gathering on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Kimball Jenkins Mansion to celebrate local historic preservation successes, connect with others, and share ideas for future activities and events. The gathering will include remarks about recent rehabilitation projects and ongoing initiatives at the historic estate, as well as preservation activity in the surrounding neighborhood. The...
Natural habitats
Dotty Holcomb Doherty’s photography exhibit, “Photosynthesis: Portraits of the Wild,” will run Feb. 15–March 15 at Two Villages Art Society, 846 Main Street, Hopkinton, N.H. An opening reception with the artist is scheduled for Feb. 15, noon–2 p.m. Doherty will also give a gallery talk on Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. The exhibit features more than 60 photographs of birds and mammals in their natural habitats, from New E n g...
Students participate in music festival season
By RACHEL WACHMAN The music festival season kicked off last month for students at John Stark Regional High School in Weare. Several band and choral musicians attended the 20th annual Granite State Invitational Music Festival on Jan. 11, alongside students from several other New Hampshire schools. John Stark students also participated in the Chamber Festival at the University of New Hampshire on Jan. 11. This year’s festival...
NH Furniture Masters Association honor founders
Six furniture makers joined together three decades ago to form the NH Furniture Masters Association, creating a new space to share their craft with the world. The organization and its members have helped shape the growth and evolution of the studio furniture movement. To celebrate their contributions, the Furniture Masters Association is holding a “Founders Exhibition” showcasing the work of its original six members—Brian Braskie,...
Mocktails on Main Street
By RACHEL WACHMAN Concord Insider Whether you’re celebrating Dry January, don’t drink alcohol, or simply love fun drinks, mocktails could be the answer you’ve been waiting for. A good mocktail provides not only an alternative to alcohol but something to sip on, to savor, to feel like you’re part of the party. The Concord Insider, in collaboration with InTown Concord, set out to explore Concord’s mocktail scene through a journey down...
Pickleball indoors
long. Club Piklbal’s goal is to provide players with a comfortable and positive play experience, making it easy to show up, play, enjoy some friendly competition, have fun, and make connecClub Piklbal! is a community-centered, state-of-the art indoor pickleball facility that welcomes players of all ages and abilities all year Club Piklbal!, NH’s Lakes Region first indoor pickleball club is now open at Belknap Marketplace at 96 Daniel...
Book of the week
The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves (2024, 372 pages, Genre: Mystery, Vera Stanhope series #11) A social worker is found murdered on the grounds of Rosebank, a “home for troubled teens.” And 14-year-old Chloe, who lives at Rosebank, is missing. Vera doesn’t want to believe that Chloe is the murderer. But they need to find her quickly. Then another body connected to Rosebank is found in the countryside, near the coastal village...
Paul Tuller for speaker series
Just starting to learn to identify the birds in your backyard, the survey is fun for all ages. Each year, dedicated people just like you participate in the Backyard Winter Bird Survey. Last year, there were over 1,500 participants. This is the 38th year of the survey. Over this time, we have seen dramatic changes both in our winters (which are getting warmer) and the birds that call NH home for the winter. Twenty-five years ago,...
Grab binoculars and start counting
Annual bird survey is Feb. 8 and 9 NH Audubon is calling on all nature enthusiasts and bird lovers to participate in the annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey, a unique opportunity to contribute valuable data from your own backyard to help track New Hampshire’s winter bird populations. Scheduled for Feb. 8 and 9, the survey is open to participants all across the state. Whether you are a seasoned birder or just starting to learn to...
$2.5M grant to reinvigorate Village
Canterbury Shaker Village has received a $2,500,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support the Village’s reimagination of its on-site and online interpretive experiences to emphasize the history and culture of the Shaker faith at the core of its visitor engagement strategy. “This opportunity to share much more of the Village’s unparalleled collections is both...
History
Jan. 23, 2002: Snowmobilers, fishermen, hunters, hikers, and wildlife watchers who revel in North Country solitude can relax, the Monitor reports. It appears that the vast, privately owned forest covering the top of New Hampshire will be protected for public recreation and logging forever. In an unusual show of bipartisan support, lawmakers lined up yesterday in favor of a $10 million state bond to secure public access to the land for...
Fab Four to perform
For those who wish they could’ve seen The Beatles live back in the day, or for those who did and want to reminisce about a bygone era, a tribute may be the next best thing. The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute is set to play The Capitol Center for the Arts on Saturday with an all-new show USA Meets The Beatles, which celebrates The Beatles’ first visit to the States, with performances from The Ed Sullivan Show and the Meet The Beatles...
