Check out the great many music venues in Concord
If there’s one thing Concord is not short on, it’s places to hear live music – especially during the summer. In case you don’t know of anywhere to catch a show, we’ve compiled a nice list of some of the places we know of. As usual, there’s only a limited amount of space and we’re likely to leave some places out, but it isn’t intentional. This list should give you a pretty good backbone of venues to check out, and when you’ve hit all...
Jazz Sanctuary livens up the service at First Church
For many in so-called evangelical churches, scripture is seen as instructive in inerrant and clear-cut ways – every word literally “true.” On the other side are an increasing number of secular folks who feel that scripture is arcane, irrelevant and, frankly, dangerous when used to judge, shame, or “convince” others of what is right and wrong. On the ever-decreasing middle ground are members of mainline churches who, through the weekly...
Construction work on Heights community center has begun
As you may know, the city plans to develop a new city-wide community center at the site of the former Dame School located at 14 Canterbury Road. This $7.5 million facility will replace the interim community center which the city has operated at the property for the past few years. The new facility will be 31,000 square feet and will feature the following amenities: a high school-size gymnasium, a large multipurpose room with stage,...
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...
Take a trip with us to the Lake Sunapee Region
There is nothing better than embarking on a day trip to an area that you’ve never spent much time in – especially this time of year. With the sun shining, temperatures closing in on 80 and very few clouds in the sky, we hopped in our old Nissan Sentra a little before 8 a.m., filled up the gas tank and took our talents to a little region of the state we’ve come to know as the Lake Sunapee area, which includes the towns of Newport,...
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,...
You’ve got to check out this adventure park
Looking up at the aerial challenge course at the Mount Sunapee Adventure Park, the first loop doesn’t seem all that high off the ground, but being up there is another story – depending on how comfortable you are with heights.You are of course, fitted with a harness, which is attached by carabiners to a cable system above you, so if you do happen to fall off one of the obstacles, you don’t go too far. The obstacles are all a little...
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...
The Barn Playhouse is a go-to spot for a show
When you go on an adventure like this, you want to find those gems – hidden or well known – to enjoy. And when it comes to New London, few fit that criteria better than the New London Barn Playhouse.Now in its 85th year of bringing high-quality theater to that corner of the state, we were told that we had to visit the Barn, stand on the porch and take in a show.So what better way to cap off our day in the area than with a performance...
You can’t go to a new place and not try food
One of the best parts about exploring a new location is all the food you can try.If you’ve never been there, you don’t have any favorites or preconceived notions about any of the local eateries, which can be both a blessing and a curse.But thanks to the trusty Google machine and those people who like to let everyone know just how their experience was when visiting a specific establishment, we were able to do a little research before...
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...
The Flying Goose is putting out tasty brews
It’s well documented that we are huge fans of beer. And we mean huge.So, of course, when we learned we’d be making our way up to the Lake Sunapee region for a day of fun and sun, we almost immediately began looking for a spot to find some local beer.Sure, in an area that attracts tourists from all over during the summer (and winter) months there’s got to be plenty of local watering holes to find a cold pint. But we were looking for...
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...
After seven years, AK Plumbing is back open
For the better part of the last seven years, John Hrycuna has thought about reopening his father’s business.The plan was always for Hrycuna, the fourth generation with that name, to work alongside his dad at AK Plumbing and Heating, which his father started many years before, and eventually take it over. But in July 2010, that all changed. The elder Hrycuna was killed in an accident while riding his motorcycle in Rumney, which left...
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...
