Food Snob: Ramen and bubble tea from Noodles & Pearls
If you’ve been following the food scene in Concord lately, you might be curious about Noodles & Pearls.The ramen and bubble tea restaurant on Pleasant Street had a soft opening in mid-October, then after only a few days of business, it abruptly shut down. The sudden move left many people wondering whether the business had already folded. But fear not, ramen fans, because the place is back up and running – they just performed...
Have you seen the gigantic new octopus mural at Area 23?
Area 23 is not your typical bar. The place has a skeleton band hanging out above the bar, a TV that rarely (if ever) shows sports, bowls of bacon and board games galore.Now it has a gigantic fighting octopus mural, too. Because of course it does.The work is the product of artist and bartender Krystin Watts, who used to work at Area 23. “When they were first opening about two years ago, I found an article about them and decided we...
Do you have what it takes to be the top bid?
Just last month, we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a live auction. Numbers were flying everywhere, as people all over the Concord Auction Center raised their hands in hopes of taking certain items home with them. And with that being our first time bidding against others, it got a little intense there for a minute. But we were still able to make our first buy – a child’s rocking chair that was just $10 and no one else bid...
Help restore Rollins Park by taking part in the Adopt a Tree program
If you haven’t been to Rollins Park in a while – or if you haven’t kept up with the Monitor over the past year or so – you might not have noticed that about 250 trees were cut down in February. The move, painful to many Rollins Park fans, was necessary – about 200 red pines were infected with invasive bugs called scales and were expected to die at some point this year. Since then, the once-shady area on the Bow Street side of Rollins...
SPCA is holding an open house, wish list drive
It’s no secret that the Pope Memorial SPCA is an important part of this community.When an animal is abandoned, surrendered or lost, the staff and volunteers at the shelter are there to feed and take care of them until a new forever home – or their owner – can be found.And if you’ve never been to the Silk Farm Road facility, you have a golden opportunity to learn all about the inner workings at the SPCA’s open house on Saturday. It’s a...
Nature journaling class turns into artwork
Once a month, a nature journaling class meets at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art. Led by Becky Darling, the group of nature enthusiasts are introduced to artists and writers who are inspired by nature. They are given monthly assignments and what you see on this page is a result of all their hard work. The work is on display at the N.H. Audubon McLane Center through Dec. 30.
Concord is the place to be for exhibitions
Concord is home to lots of great locations to see some incredible art. So that means at any given time, there will be a wide range of work on display 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. McGowan Closer: Gary Haven Smith and Bert Yarborough Through Dec. 22 Hours:...
Get your winter gear at the ski & skate sale
Have you been putting off getting that new pair of skis? Do you need an upgrade in the ice skate department? Are you looking to expand your winter clothing collection? Well, it might be hard to accept, but the cold weather is just around the corner, and you don’t want to be scrambling in order to take part in that last-minute ski trip. So why not etch out some time this Saturday and head down to the Capital Ski and Outing Club’s...
Bulletin Board
Celebrating 200 years of St. Paul’s St. Paul’s Church, 16 Park St., will host a bicentennial celebration Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. During the duration of the celebration, enjoy the bell tower chimes and organ music, take a self-guided walking tour, see historical displays and precious artifacts and experience hospitality in the Upper Parish Hall. From 1 to 3 p.m., meet some of the artisans who helped rebuild the church after the 1984...
Book of the Week: ‘Glass Houses’
Glass HousesLouise Penny2017, 400 pagesMystery Louise Penny has written another wonderful mystery set in Three Pines.A figure in a black cloak appears on a cold November day on the green in a quiet village in Canada. The person’s face cannot be seen. Is it a man or a woman? And why do they stand there all day long? What at first looks like a joke soon seems threatening to people. Chief Superintendent Gamache speaks to the person, but...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 28, 2001: Former Concord High basketball star Matt Bonner returns to New Hampshire to play with his University of Florida team against UNH. Bonner scores 15 points in a Florida victory. Nov. 28, 2002: New Hampshire is served a Thanksgiving Day appetizer of snowy, slushy weather. Temperatures drop to the mid-20s in Concord, with a high of 31 degrees. Light snow and mist falls across the region throughout the day. ...
Concord, we’re thankful for so much this year
This time of year is the perfect opportunity to sit back and reflect. To think about the things in your life that you’re most thankful for – it is almost Thanksgiving after all. And really, isn’t that the point?Around these parts, there’s plenty to be thankful for. Sure, on a personal note, we both have lovely families and all is good on that side of the equation, but this is about you Concord – and not a longwinded explanation of how...
Get those last-minute essentials you need for Thanksgiving
It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and you open the fridge to discover you have no beer, no pies and no clue where you’re going to be able to stock up at this point in time. It’s true that by now it is probably too late to place your special orders for pies, turkeys or complete, ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals, but that doesn’t mean you have to show up to the in-laws’ empty-handed. There are plenty of local businesses around here that...
Windmill offering Thanksgiving dinner – again
While most like to use Thanksgiving as a way to forget about work for a day, that’s just not how it goes in the Smirnioudis family.In fact, for the last 27 years, the owners of the Windmill Restaurant on Loudon Road have actually created more work from themselves on the fourth Thursday in November (and about 10 days prior) – and for a really good reason.It all started in 1990, when Louie Smirnioudis partnered with the Friendly Kitchen...
Fill your holiday with good choices
Before you go creating a plan to taste-test every appetizer and dessert at your family’s Thanksgiving gathering, you might want to hold off. Sure, you want to enjoy yourself on a holiday that is largely based on eating, but do you really need that second (or third) espresso martini or slice of apple pie? We’d say go for it, so it’s a good thing we checked in with Michelle Smith, a registered dietician with Concord Hospital’s Center...
Support your community this weekend with Plaid Friday, Shop Small Saturday and Stuff a Truck
Can you believe the Christmas shopping season is already breathing down our necks? What happened to fall? Anyway, as most of us know, the day after Thanksgiving has become an all-day shopathon known as Black Friday. This is when people pitch tents and sleep in parking lots for a chance to buy an Xbox or a TV or an iPhone – you know, the true essentials in life. But rather than run the real risk of being trampled, mugged or repeatedly...
Go Try It: Try to strike it rich with the Treasure Tree at the Feztival of Trees
The Feztival of Trees is a good time for the whole family. With so much to see – and so much potential to win fun prizes – it can be easy to lose your concentration in there.We’re here to remind you that there’s one tree you definitely don’t want to miss – the Treasure Tree.The Treasure Tree is exciting because of all the potential money it could come with, as well as the inherent risk.What’s this risk, you might be wondering? Well,...
McGowan Fine Art makes move up the street
McGowan Fine Art has finally said goodbye to the only home its ever known (10 Hills Ave., for the last 37 years), and made the big move three streets over to 2 Phenix Ave. The gallery will reopen in its new space on Friday at 10 a.m. There is an open house scheduled for Dec. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., during Midnight Merriment.
Another year, another wacky assortment of displays at the Feztival of the Trees
At long last, the Feztival of Trees has returned to the Bektash Shrine Center on Pembroke Road.Every year before Thanksgiving the function hall fills up with dozens of fake Christmas trees, decked out in some of the oddest decorations you’ll ever see. This year there are 106 trees, and when we stopped by last Sunday, it seemed like there was a truly eclectic assortment – even for the Feztival of Trees.There are also miniature trees,...
Holiday shows are about to take over the city
The holiday season is upon us, and we know how your schedule can fill up pretty quick. So we wanted to let you know about all these great holiday shows on the horizon. Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up, and we’ll go into more detail as the dates get closer. Concord City Auditorium The Concord Community Concert Association & N.H. Theatre Factory will kick off the holiday season with A Christmas Carol: The Musical Ghost Story...
Go pick out that perfect Christmas tree
You know what your living room is missing? A live tree covered in lights, ornaments and tinsel.Yep, it’s time to bust out the old tape measure and determine what size Christmas tree will fit into your space – and then go out and find the perfect one.We typically like to wait until December before bringing home a tree, but we understand that some of you can’t wait more than a day or two after Thanksgiving before setting up for...
Concord is the place to be for exhibitions
Concord is home to lots of great locations to see some incredible art.So that means at any given time, there will be a wide range of work on display 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.McGowanCloser: Gary Haven Smith and Bert YarboroughThrough Dec. 22Hours: Tuesday...
Bow student to perform with Boston Ballet
Aiva Berrigan, a seventh grader at Bow Memorial School, is performing in Boston Ballet’s production of Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker in the role of a soldier.Berrigan will be in 15 shows, including the opening night on Friday at the Boston Opera House. The Nutcracker offers performances through Dec. 31.Berrigan trained locally at Eastern Ballet Institute in Concord and has spent many summers at intensives including Burklyn Ballet,...
Live music, theater and movie listings for Concord
While lesser cities might scale back the entertainment options as Thanksgiving approaches and passes, Concord ramps it up. This week you can check out Pat & the Hats when they play a Friendsgiving show at True Brew Barista, hear some stand-up comedy at Hatbox Theatre and take in a musical version of a classic ghost story at the Concord City Auditorium.Some shows will charge a cover, depending on the venue and the act, so call...
Christine Blain has a nautical exhibit at NHTI
The NHTI Library’s latest exhibit, “Coastal Life: Boats and Harbors of Maine and New Hampshire,” features the work of New Hampshire artist Christine Blain. The nautical-inspired show is on display through Dec. 8.
We crashed opening day of Concord Handmade
If you missed the memo, Concord Handmade, the city’s favorite (and only) holiday pop-up shop is back for a seventh year, landing at a new location – 18 S. Main St. It’s right near the Concord Food Co-op and until recently, still had the American Bodybuilding Supplements sign over the door. But now it’s all Concord Handmade after opening last Wednesday, with about 70 really talented artists from New Hampshire and beyond. There’s a lot...
It’s time to light the annual Christmas trees
Once Thanksgiving has come and gone, our attention quickly turns to Christmas.Because if you think about, there’s really just over a month until Santa makes his way to homes in Concord (and around the world). And what better way to celebrate the official kickoff to the Christmas season, then going to one of those ceremonial tree lightings. It just so happens that Concord, Penacook and Bow are all hosting big ta dos before the calendar...
Bulletin Board
Learn about lending decisions N.H. Federal Credit Union Center for Finance & Education, 47 N. Main St., will host Lending Decisions & How They’re Made on Dec. 5, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Have you ever applied for a loan and anxiously awaited the decision on the loan? Have you ever wondered why you don’t get that great rate the dealer advertised when it comes time to sign the dotted line? This educational session provides you a...
Book of the Week: ‘The Baker’s Secret’
The Baker’s Secret Stephen Kiernan 2017, 309 pages Fiction During World War II in a small village in Normandy, Emmanuelle (Emma) the baker wakes every morning to bake bread for the German occupying force. Emma’s secret is that she’s found a way to stretch the batter of the loaves. This way she can bake 14 loaves instead of 12, and give the other two to the starving people. She thinks of clever ways to help the others in her village,...
This Week in Concord History
Nov. 21, 1987: On a gusty day during which the temperature never hits 20 degrees, Concord High School defeats Salem 14-7 to win its first state football championship since 1974. Nov. 21, 2000: Frank Monahan, a basketball coach revered locally and well-known nationally, dies of a heart attack at age 60. His coaching career included stints at Bishop Brady High School, Concord High School and Merrimack College and in the United...
