September 4, 2008

Fall 2008
The guide to a jam-packed season of arts, music, foodie events and more
Compiled by Heidi Masek, Dana Unger, Lisa Parsons and Amy Diaz news@hippopress.com

Fall is when fun gets serious.

Sure, there’s still plenty of goofy, silly entertainment (that’s what Halloween is all about). But fall is also when theater companies pull out their big productions, when art galleries fill their days with artist receptions and gallery tours, and when the foodie scene heats up again with wine tastings, special chef meals and hearty food festivals.

For all those who took the summer off to enjoy the sunny weather and the outdoors, fall is the perfect time to check back in with your favorite cultural institutions — whether it’s the Tupelo Music Hall, where you can catch singer-songwriters in an intimate setting, or the Currier Museum of the Art, where the big news this fall will be an Andy Warhol exhibit. From the string section at the symphonies to the brewers for Oktoberfest, everybody’s tuning up and getting ready for three months packed with things to do. Time to roll up your sleeves and have some serious fun.

September
ART

• Hike trails to explore about 50 outdoor sculptures at the Andres Institute of Art, a former ski hill in Brookline. Engineer and innovator Paul Andres founded it with sculptor John Weidman as the director. The 140 acres are free to visit. The Institute does, however, depend on community involvement. Its 10th annual international sculpture symposium runs from Sept. 7 through Sept. 27. It’s how the sculptures end up on the hill. A few artists, usually natives of other countries, are invited to work at Andres each fall. They stay with local host families and volunteers bring meals, provide transportation and help install the finished pieces. A tour of the hill leaves the parking lot (93 Route 13) at 10 a.m. each Saturday during the symposium. They open with a ceremony at Brookline Town Hall, Sunday, Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. There’s a poetry reading at the studio Saturday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. followed by music and dancing at Big Bear Lodge at 7:30 p.m. Join a mushroom walk Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m., or a potluck at the studio at 6 p.m. followed by fire dancers. Visit www.andresinstitute.org or call 673-8441 for details or to get involved.
• The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, www.currier.org, brings together more than 60 images of political figures created by Andy Warhol for the museum’s first major special exhibit since reopening in the spring — 33,000 square feet bigger. “Andy Warhol: Pop Politics” opens to the public Saturday, Sept. 27. Special programming is planned throughout the exhibit, which closes Jan. 4, 2009. The “Warhol After Party” preview is Friday, Sept. 26, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Velvet Underground cover band Velveeta performs. Party tickets cost $20 for nonmembers and $10 for museum members. The Currier stays open one evening per month, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Their Oct. 2 “First Thursday: The Factory” will allow visitors to “party in Warhol’s Factory, record your 15 seconds of fame and create Warhol-inspired t-shirts with your favorite presidential candidate.” Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics hosts a related panel discussion at the Institute on political image-making on Monday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. Curator Sharon Matt Atkins provides an “ARTalk” Sunday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. on the exhibit. Curator Kurt Sundstrom discusses how political leaders have been depicted throughout the history of art during an “ARTalk” Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m., called “From Pharaohs to Presidents: Art and Politics.” The New Hampshire Political Library collaborates Thursday, Nov. 20, at 4:30 p.m. in “Campaigning with Pop Art.” The Currier Art Center next door is hosting related workshops, such as “Political Portraits: Silk-screening and Drawing” Oct. 5.

• Underground M.A.P. Project, a space for art, music, poetry, etc., will host a collage exhibit called “Reclaimed Composition” Sept. 5 through Sept. 17. It opens with music by Mystic Out-Bop Review on Friday, Sept. 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. They suggest a $5 donation for the opening. M.A.P. is at 76 Lowell St. in Manchester, across from the Red Arrow Diner.
• Londonderry’s Art on the Common is Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mammoth and Pillsbury roads). See page 20.
• McGowan Fine Art, a longtime gallery at 10 Hills Ave. in Concord, rotates featured work by New England artists. They open an exhibit of work by children’s book illustrators on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and hold a reception Friday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. Artists include Rebecca Bond, Tracey Dahle Carrier, Beth Krommes, Bob Kolar, Scott Magoon, Eva Montanari and Wade Zahares. The exhibit ends Oct. 10. Oils inspired by rural life and landscape by Jane Ryan will be exhibited Oct. 21 through Nov. 28, with a reception for the artist Friday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. (225-2515, www.mcgowanfineart.com).
• The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen focuses on glass art in “Through the Looking Glass” at their Gallery 205 space Sept. 12 through Dec. 12. The opening reception is Friday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. It’s at 205 North Main St. in Concord (www.nhcrafts.org, 224-3375).
• Also new, find booths from artists, local farmers and nonprofits at the indoor Manchester Community Market at the Franco-American Centre, 52 Concord St., Manchester (669-4045). It runs the second Saturday each month starting Sept. 13. Other dates are Oct. 11 and Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• One reason to hang out at Alva deMars Megan Chapel Art Center, the gallery at Saint Anselm College that is a former chapel, is to take in its decorated ceiling and stained glass. It will house an exhibit about the life’s work of a New Hampshire artist known for his enamels in “Karl Drerup: On the Enameled Mountaintop” Sept. 12 through Oct. 4. There’s a lecture on Drerup on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m. followed by a reception. Enamel will be demonstrated Thursday, Sept. 25, at noon. The legacy of sculptor, painter and stained glass maker Sylvia Nicolas is highlighted in the gallery Oct. 17 through Dec. 6 (closed Nov 26 through Dec. 1). A reception is Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. and a tour of her pieces on campus meets in front of Alumni Hall, Thursday, Oct. 30, at 3:30 p.m. Saint Anselm College is at 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester, and the gallery is in Alumni Hall.
• The theme is “Looking In/Looking Out” Sept. 15 through Nov. 10 at the Art 3 Gallery. It opens with a reception Thursday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. in conjunction with Open Doors Manchester. “Close to Home” is Nov. 17 through Feb. 6 highlighting Manchester and the region. A reception is Thursday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. with Open Doors. Art 3 is at 44 West Brook St., Manchester (www.art3gallery.com, 668-6650).
• Open Doors Manchester finishes quarterly events for 2008 with events Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 and Nov. 20. A free trolley brings people to visit venues including Manchester City Hall, the MAA Gallery, Millyard Museum, SEE Science Center at 200 Bedford St., Art 3 Gallery, NH Institute of Art, Langer Place, East Colony Fine Arts Gallery, Franco-American Centre and Manchester Community Access Media at 540 N. Commercial St. Download a map at majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.
• World Quilt Show XII-New England, a showcase of fabric art, features plenty of workshops and comes to the Radisson, 700 Elm St. in Manchester, Thursday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 21. See www.worldquilt.com.
• Concord Arts Market is expected to run weekly during the warm months in 2009. A preview runs this fall Saturdays, Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 33 Capitol St. in Concord behind the Statehouse. (Rain dates are Sept. 21 and 28 and Oct. 5). Visit www.concordartsmarket.com or call 229-2157.
• Instead of holding quarterly events, Art Walk Nashua is one weekend this year, Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 21, from noon to 4 p.m. Visit www.cityartsnashua.org. The Picker Building, Nashua Library, and downtown and millyard galleries participate.
• Beaver Brook Association’s Art & Photography Exhibit, the weekends of Sept. 20, 21, 27 and 28, is in Maple Hill Farms’ barns, but many of its Fall Festival happenings are outside, during the second weekend (www.beaverbrook.org, 465-7787).
• The New Hampshire Moose Parade brings moose sculptures painted by New Hampshire Institute of Art artists to Veteran’s Park in Manchester, Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will be auctioned to benefit the Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America, at the Radisson in Manchester on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. Tickets to the auction cost $150. See www.nhmooseparade.org or call 625-6431.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS
• Enjoy fair foods and attend or compete in contests for Best Apple Pie, best baked goods made with King Arthur Flour, buttermilk doughnuts, home baked goods and preserves at the Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair on Friday, Sept. 5, through Sunday, Sept. 7, in New Boston. The entry to the fair costs $10 for adults for one day, $24 for three days; $5 for children 6 to 12 for one day, $12 for three days; $5 for seniors (63 and over) on Friday and $10 for seniors on Saturday and Sunday; nothing for children under 6. Call 529-2562 or go to www2.new-boston.nh.us/Pages/NewBostonNH_4H/index for more information.

• The second annual People Fest and Art in the Park 2008 will be held this weekend in Veterans Park in Manchester. See page 20.
• The Laconia Multicultural Market Day is an all-day free festival with foods from a variety of ethnic cuisines as well as music, crafts and more on Saturday, Sept. 6, in Rotary Park in Laconia. The Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 524-7683 or go to www.laconiamulticulturalmarketday.org.
• Eastern Mountain Sports is bringing the Nor’Easter Festival to Tenney Mountain in Plymouth Friday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 28. The weekend-long event promotes outdoor activities and will feature top athletes, conservation activists, and musicians. Designed to be a no-waste festival, the day will also be dedicated to cleaning up Tenney Mountain. Visit www.noreasterems.com
• Art shows, poetry contests and more will all be a part of the 8th Annual Fall Festival of the Arts, Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. in Lisbon. Showcasing local artisans, the festival will feature arts and crafts, homemade foods, a quilt show and a pie contest. Call 837-6797.

FOOD
• The Wine Society will offer a monthly book club and wine tasting hosted by Paulette Eschrich. The price of the tasting varies based on the wines served to complement the book. On Friday, Sept, 26, Romancing the Vine: Life, Love & Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo; on Friday, Oct. 24, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty; and on Friday, Nov. 14, Wine & War: The French, The Nazis and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure. The club will meet form 6 to7:30 p.m. at the Wine Society, 18C Pond View Place in Tyngsboro, Mass., 978-649-8993.

• Look for perogis, Polish baked goods and more great eats at the Polish Picnic Festival on Sunday, Sept. 7, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at St. Louis Church Hall, 48 West Hollis St. in Nashua. Tickets for the event cost $20 and include a full meal. Children 8 and under eat free. Call 882-4362.
• The Manchester Great Whisk(e)y Debate, a tasting of bourbons and single-malt scotch whiskies and discussion about which is better, will be held on Monday, Sept. 8. The cocktail reception begins at 5:30 p.m., the debate begins at 7 p.m. at the Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way in Bedford. A “victory party” for the winning drink will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Barley House, 132 N. Main St. in Concord. The events are free and open to the public but reservations are required; RSVP to 847-444-7825 or GreatWhiskeyDebate@KnobCreek.com.
• The fifth annual Taste of Downtown Manchester will be Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25. The event will feature restaurants serving foods in downtown shops. Call Intown Manchester at 645-6285 or go to www.intownmanchester.com.
• New Hampshire Growers’ Dinner series, part of the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection, will hold a dinner on the Mount Washington on Friday, Sept. 12. Cruise departs Weirs Beach at 7 p.m. The cost is $59 for adults. Call 888-843-6686 or go to www.cruisenh.com.
• St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St. in Manchester, 622-9113, www.stgeorge.nh.goarch.org, will hold its annual celebration, Glendi, Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 14. Admission is free but bring money for the Greek meals, spanakopeta, Greek pastries and more.
• The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, will hold a wine tasting on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The benefit event will include hors d’ouerves and performances from Nunsense A-men. Tickets costs $40 in advance; $45 at the door. Call or go to www.palacetheatre.org.
• Chef-owner of Cochon and Herbsaint restaurant in New Orleans Donald Link will be the guest chef at the Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way in Bedford, 472-2001, www.bedfordvillageinn.com, on Thursday, Sept. 18, as part of the Inn’s Chefs Invitational series. See the Web site for menu. Call for reservations, which are required. The cost for dinner is $85. The Inn will host a dinner with Matthew Levin on Thursday, Oct. 16, and with Lorenzo Polegri on Thursday, Nov. 13.
• The New Hampshire Food Bank will hold its third annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the event costs $10 and incudes a pint glass and entertainment by King Ludwig’s Bavarian Band. Food vendors will include the Red Arrow, KC’s Ribshack, T-Bones Great American Eatery, Commercial Street Fishery, Famous Dave’s, The Meat House and The Puritan. Brews available for sampling will include some from Woodstock Inn Brewery, Farnum Hill Ciders, Pennichuck Brewing Company, Tuckerman’s Brewing Company, Milly’s Tavern, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Martha’s Exchange Restaurant and Brewery, Shipyard Brewery, Red Hook Ale Brewery, The Portsmouth Brewery, Magic Hat Breweriy and The Boston Beer Company. The event will be held at the McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester and include some events for the kids. Call 669-9725 or go to www.nhfoodbank.org.
• The Left Bank Restaurant will host Donald Patz of Patz & Hall in California at a dinner featuring his chardonnays and pinot noirs on Monday, Sept. 22, at the Left Bank Restaurant, Stonehedge Inn & Spa, 160 Pawtucket Boulevard in Tyngsborough, Mass., 978-649-4400, stonehedgeinnandspa.com. The cost is $110 per person. See www.patzhall.com for more on the wines. The dinner is one of four wine dinners through the end of the year; other guestts are Larry Maguire of Far Niente (Oct. 20), Laurent Drouhin of Joseph Drouhin (on Nov. 24) and Agustin Huneeus Jr. of Quintess (Dec. 22).
• J.W. Hill’s Sports Bar, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 645-7422, www.jwhills.com, will host its annual Sam Adams dinner on Monday, Sept. 22.
• The 6th Annual Schnitzelfest will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Butler Park (on Central Street) in Hillsborough, featuring German foods (schnitzel, wursts, wieners, German potato salad, sauerkraut, breads, beers, wines and more) as well as an umpah band, vendors and crafts. Admission is free. Hosted by Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Contact them at 464-5858 or German John’s Bakery at 464-5079.

MUSIC
• Los Lonely Boys will play the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, 929-4100, www.casinoballroom.com, on Friday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. Other September shows include Josh Turner (Sept. 5), Rusted Root (Sept. 27) and comedian Louis C.K. (Sept. 20).

• Second World will hold their 5th Annual New EnglandCulturefest on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 2 to 10 p.m. at the Middle Street Enterprise Bank in Lowell, Mass. Billed as “the Nation’s Premiere Fair Trade Festival,” the day will feature film, fashion, music, dance, and fair trade advocacy exhibits and information from all over the world. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 the day of the event. Children under 12 admitted free. Visit www.second-world.com.
• Catch Joshua Tree, a Boston-based U2 tribute band, at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 E. Merrimack St. in Lowell, Mass., 978-454-2299, www.lowellauditorium.com on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $8. More music at the Lowell Auditorium this fall: John Prine (Saturday, Sept. 13) and Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman (Wednesday, Oct. 29).
• All you Parrotheads, take note. The IOKA Theater presents IslandFest on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the IOKA Theater, 55 Water St. in Exeter. The music fest will feature 12 musicians from three bands, many currently touring as part of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Tickets cost $39. Go to www.nhislandfest.com.
• The weather will get colder but Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford has two shows planned for September — Earth, Wind & Fire with Michael McDonald on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sugarland on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. See www.meadowbrook.net for tickets and directions.
• The Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, 437-5100, www.tupelohall.com, has a packed September, with the Paula Cole show already sold out. Other shows to look for in September include Richie Havens (Saturday, Sept. 13), The Subdudes Acoustic (Thursday, Sept. 25), Mighty Sam McClain (Thursady, Sept. 26), Ellis Paul (Saturday, Sept. 27), Matthew Stubbs Band (Sunday, Sept. 28) and comedian Brad Mastrangelo (Sept. 19).
• Weezer plays with Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club on Tuesday, Sept 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Paul E. Tsongas Arena, 300 Martain Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell, Mass., 978-848-6900, paultsongasarena.com. Tickets cost $50.
• Brad Paisley will be joined by special guests Jewel and Chuck Wicks at the Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester, on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m.. See www.verizonwirelessarena.com for tickets.

THEATER
• The Palace Theatre’s new season of professional musicals starts with Off-Broadway’s Nunsense A-Men. In the popular show Nunsense, the Little Sisters of Hoboken stage a variety show to raise money to bury their fellow sisters who were accidentally poisoned by their cook. In this version, the characters are played by men in drag. Shows run at 80 Hanover St. in Manchester on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The Palace is hosting a wine tasting and live auction with the cast of Nunsense A-Men Thursday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. Admission is a $40 donation in advance, or $45 at the door. The stage version of The Wedding Singer is next in the series, and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. from Oct. 31 through Nov. 14, plus 2 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 2 and 9, and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. Tickets for Palace professional musicals cost between $25 and $40. The Palace Youth Theatre performs Godspell Junior Tuesday, Nov. 18, and Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.; The Jungle Book Thursday, Sept. 25, and Friday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. and Cinderella Tuesday, Oct. 21, and Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. ($8-$12). Call 668-5588 or visit www.palacetheatre.org.

• The Peterborough Players, a professional summer stock company, has a season that extends into September. They produce John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable Sept. 3 through Sept. 14 and The Belle of Amherst by William Luce Sept. 17 through Sept. 28 at Hadley Road in Peterborough. Call 924-7585 or visit www.peterboroughplayers.org.
• At the Majestic Theatre, two one-acts make up the Director’s Showcase Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sept. 5 through Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m., $8-$13. Graceland by Ellen Byron is directed by A. Robert Dionne and Riverside Drive by Woody Allen is directed by Kevin Barrett. The community company presents Guys and Dolls with direction and choreography by Candace Glickman Nov. 7 through 16 ($10-$16). Majestic youth present Willy Wonka Jr., Oct. 17 through Oct. 26 ($10-$13).
• Players Ring will start the fall with a New York Theatre Co. presentation of Hideaway, by Michael Kimball, Sept. 5 through Sept. 21. I Never Sang for My Father is produced by Theater on the Rocks Sept. 26 through Oct. 12. Gay Bride of Frankenstein from Lot 20 Productions runs Oct. 17 through Nov. 2 (www.gaybrideoffrankenstein.com). Rolling Die Productions presents The Pain and the Itch Nov. 7 through Nov. 30. Players Ring is at 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth, 436-8123, playersring.org.
6 • M&M Productions presents the Neil Simon comedy The Odd Couple Sept. 12 through Sept. 21, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Neal Blaiklock, Eric Skoglund, Len Deming, Rich Hurley, Marc Pelletier, Joseph Pelonzi, Erica Newhall and Gina Carballo perform. Mark Ferman directs. Shows are at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford ($10-$15). See www.MandMP.com or call 320-1431.  
• The Acting Loft provides classes for all ages and stages community productions. See the musical Oliver! Sept. 12 through Sept. 21 at their studio at 516 Pine St. in Manchester. They perform Stephen Sondheim’s Company Nov. 14 through Nov. 16. Call 666-5999 for tickets or see www.actingloft.org.
• Concord City Auditorium, also known as the Audi, is cared for by well-organized volunteers and users. They open with a variety show sampling their season Sunday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., preceded by an ice cream social at 2 Prince St. ($5). The Serenata Italiana, produced by Irene F. Deschenes, is a showcase of Italian music Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. (free). The Concord Community Players’ Children’s Theatre Project runs Cinderella there Oct. 17 and 18. Their “Page to the Stage” New Hampshire playwrights series is scheduled for Oct. 5 and Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. (225-7474, www.concordcityauditorium.org).
• Notes to the Motherland: A Story of a Lithuanian-American Family visits the Janice B. Streeter Theater at 14 Court St. in Nashua on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. Off-Broadway performer Paulius Bombilitus is a Lithuanian-American who plays almost 12 characters as he unearths family ghosts from World War II. Rajeckas and George Chieffet wrote the play. This production is a Nashua Public Library event sponsored by the Zylonis Fund. Call 589-4610 or see www.nashualibrary.org.
• Yellow Taxi Productions offers Taking Sides, by Ronald Harwood, at the Hunt Building, 6 Main St. in Nashua, Sept. 19 through Sept. 27. Based on facts, the script looks at whether German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler was actually a Nazi. Josiah George directs. YTP’s Susan McIntyre Playwriting Festival will feature new work After Denmark by Dave Robson on Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. and Weekend at the Dreaming Cloud by Kelly DuMar on Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. There’s a panel discussion, “Writing About Race,” Nov. 8 at noon. The festival events are at YTP’s new home at 5 Pine St. Extension in Nashua. They host their gala and silent auction Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua ($50). YTP is offering free “Lunch Box Lectures” monthly at 5 Pine St. Extension. “Art as Documentary vs. Art as Response” from Meron Langster, Playwright-in-residence at New Rep and part-time Emerson College faculty member, is Thursday, Sept. 11, at 12:10 p.m. “Fun Shakespeare Facts” is Oct. 23 and “Keeping it Simple” is Nov. 13 (www.yellowtaxiproductions.org, 791-4558).
• Capitol Center for the Arts hosts professional tours starting with Rob Becker’s Broadway comedy Defending the Caveman, to be performed by Cody Lyman on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. ($37.50-$42.50). The off-Broadway Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding visits Wednesday, Oct. 1, through Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, at 2 and 6 p.m. ($58.50-$68.50). Menopause the Musical runs Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 22, at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 23, at 3 p.m. ($29.50-$49.50). Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre of New Zealand brings a dance performance, Waka, Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. ($29.50-$34.50).
• Rent has been playing on Broadway since 1996, but the run finally ends Sept. 7. Rent is being filmed (no, this is not the movie — they are filming the actual Broadway stage show) for a cinemacast that you can watch at Cinemagic in Hooksett Sept. 24 through Sept. 28. See www.cinemagicmovies.com or call 644-4629.
• New Hampshire Festival of Community Theatre runs Saturday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Amato Center. Genevieve Aichele, artistic director of the New Hampshire Theatre Project; Rick Lombardo of New Repertory Theatre of Watertown, Mass.; and adjunct professor at Keene State and Franklin Pierce PeggyRay Johnson adjudicate. The best production will head to the New England Regional, which feeds a national festival in 2009. So far, the Actorsingers are scheduled to perform Vital Signs, by Jane Martin on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4:30 pm. Ghostlight Theatre Co. is expected to perform We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! by Dario Fo. See www.nhcommunitytheatre.com.

October
ART
• The Nashua Area Artists’ Association’s Gallery One displays “The Ripple Effect” Oct. 14 through Nov. 8 at 5 Pine St. Extension in Nashua (www.naaasite.org, 883-0603).
• The third Hollis Fine Art Festival is Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (465-2647, slpaint@charter.net).

FAIRS & FESTIVALS
• The 19th Annual Milford Great Pumpkin Festival will be held on Friday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Oct. 12, around the oval in downtown Milford. The three-day event includes music, magicians, a talent show and a pumpkin carving competition as well as a pumpkin pie contest and a chili contest. Admission varies for the different events. See the complete line-up at www.milfordpumpkinfestival.org.

• Strawbery Banke will hold its first Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. Take a step back in time with period demonstrations from craftsmen, animal exhibits, special autumn activities for kids, and garden tours. Go to www.strawberybanke.org.
• The 61st Fall Foliage Festival will take place in downtown Warner on Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12. Weekend events will feature a farmers’ market, road race, live music, dancers, and a pie-eating contest for kids. Saturday activities run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday activities run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is $5. Visit www.wfff.org for more information.
• The 4th Annual NH Renaissance Faire and Samhain Celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 26 at Three Maples, 44 Tucker Road in Kingston. There will be battle demonstrations, storytelling performances, and art booths, with a traditional Samhain celebration on Saturday night. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for kids (children 4 and under admitted free). Go to www.nhrenfaire.com.
• The Keene Pumpkin Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 on Main Street, Keene. Featuring the colossal tower of jack o’lanterns, the festival also has food, music, a children’s costume parade, pumpkin seed spitting contest, pie eating contest, and fireworks. Parking is $5. To find out more, visit www.pumpkinfestival.com.

FOOD
• The wine tasting/restaurant sampling event known at the Taste of the Towns (to benefit the Nashua Center, 18 Simon St. in Nashua) is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3. For details, call 883-6163 or go to www.nashuacenter.org.
• WHEB will hold its annual chili cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11:30 a.m. until the chili is gone, in Prescott Park in Portsmouth. Rain date is Oct. 5. See www.prescottpark.org.
• Several seasonal brews (along with Oktoberfest and other fall and winter ales) will be available for the tasting at the Second Annual Great Pumpkin Ale Beer Tasting and Halloween party on Friday, Oct. 25. The event will feature beer tastings, music, contests, food and more. For tickets, go to www.beerencounters.com.

MUSIC
• See Panic at the Disco and Dashboard Confessional with Plain White T’s and The Cab on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Paul E. Tsongas Arena, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell, Mass., 978-848-6900, www.paultsongasarena.com. Tickets cost $36.50.

• The Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, 437-5100, www.tupelohall.com, kicks off October with an open-mike show featuring PJ Pacifico on Thursday, Oct. 2. Other October shows include the James Cotton Band (Friday, Oct. 3), Richard Marx and Matt Scannell (two shows on Saturday, Oct. 4), Perpetual Groove (Wednesday, Oct. 8), The Fools (Saturday, Oct. 11), The Mystix (Friday, Oct. 17), Twiddle (Saturday, Oct. 180, Willy Porter (Saturday, Oct. 25) and comedians Robbie Printz and Johnny Joyces (Friday, Oct. 24).
• Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford has shows scheduled at its Meadowbrook Center Café Stage in October. See Miracle Drug: The U2 Show on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. and Yellow Brick Road: A Tribute to Elton John on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. See www.meadowbrook.net for tickets and directions.
• Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton, 929-4100, www.casinoballroom.com, will feature the Classic Rock Experience (featuring the Led Zepplin Experience, AC/DC Experience and Pink Floyd Experience) on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. Other October shows include the Sassy Back Tour: Cobra Starship (Friday, Oct. 10), the Appeal to Reason Tour (with Akaline Trio, Thrice and Gaslight Anthem on Saturday, Oct. 11) and a tribute the music of Jimi Hendrix (Wednesday, Oct. 15). Comedy includes Terry Fator (Sunday, Oct. 19) and Cheech and Chong (Friday, Oct. 3).
• See Celtic Thunder on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester. See www.verizonwirelessarena.com for tickets.

THEATER
• The Seacoast Repertory’s season includes Twelfth Night Oct. 9 through Oct.19, at 125 Bow St. (www.seacoastrep.org, 433-4472).

• New England Fringe Festival is put on for the second year by Atlantis Playmakers and has venues in Boston and Nashua. Theater, music, stand-up, improvisation, dance and other performance is scheduled at the Boston Center for the Arts, Sept. 24 through Sept. 27 and at 14 Court St. Theater in Nashua Oct. 1 through Oct. 4. Festival-goers vote for Fringe Favorites to win cash. See www.nefringefestival.com or call (978) 667-0550.
• The Reduced Shakespeare Company brings their Complete History of America (abridged) to Saint Anselm College’s Dana Center Friday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. New Art Theatre and Advice to the Players are collaborating on a contemporary adaptation of Romeo and Juliet which will be staged Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. and Philadanco! dance company performs Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. (www.anselm.edu, 641-7273).
• Peacock Players, a youth educational group, presents The Laramie Project Oct. 9 through Oct. 12 followed by Once Upon A Mattress Nov. 14 through Nov. 23 at the 14 Court St. Theater in Nashua (peacockplayers.org, 886-7000).
• Nashua Theatre Guild presents Lend Me a Tenor, by Ken Ludwig, directed by Larry Pizza and Kim Cassette, Oct. 16 through Oct. 19 at 14 Court St. Theater in Nashua ($12). See www.nashuatheatreguild.org or call 320-2530.
• Deborah Shaw directs the Arthur Miller play All My Sons for Milford Area Players Oct. 17 through Oct. 26 at the Amato Center at 56 Mount Vernon St. in Milford (milfordareaplayers.org).
• Bedford Off Broadway produces Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Seascape Oct. 17 through Oct. 25 at the Bedford Old Town Hall, 70 Bedford Center Road (www.bedfordoffbroadway.com).
• Following recent success of the film version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, StageCoach Productions (www.stagecoachproductions.org, 320-3780) produces the Stephen Sondheim musical Oct. 23 through Oct. 26 at the 14 Court St. Theater in Nashua ($15-$18).
• Music & Drama Company’s fall community production House of Seven Gables runs Oct. 24 through Oct. 26 at Adams Memorial Opera House, 29 West Broadway in Derry, ($12-$15). Visit madco.org for details.

November
FAIRS & FESTIVALS
• The Inn at East Hill Farm, 460 Monadnock St. in Troy, 242-6495, www.east-hill-farm.com, will hold a Fall Family Farm Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Participants (kids must be accompanied by adults) can milk the cow, pat the bunnies, make butter, ride a tractor, help groom and ride the ponies, collect eggs, feed farm animales and swim in the indoor pool. Events begin at 9 a.m. The cost is $25 for adults, $15 for children.

FOOD
• Eat Thanksgiving dinner at one of the area’s inns on Thursday, Nov. 27. The Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way in Bedford, 472-2001, www.bedfordvillageinn.com, will offer seatings for a Thanksgiving Day dinner which will include a special children’s menu. See the Web site closer to the date for prices and menu. The Inn at East Hill Farm, 460 Monadnock St. in Troy, 242-6495, www.east-hill-farm.com, will hold its Thanksgiving Day Dinner (Thursday, Nov. 27) with seatings at noon and 2:30 p.m. The cost is $17.95 per adults, $11.95 per child 8 to 14, $6.50 for children 2 to 7. Reservations are required and the event is BYOB.

• The Manchester Choral Society is hosting a wine tasting event on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Bedford Olde Town Hall, Meetinghouse Road in Bedford. Wine providers will offer tastings of wines and ciders. The event will also include food. For tickets and more information, call 472-6627 or go to www.mcsnh.org.
• The March of Dimes New Hampshire chapter will hold its Manchester Signature Chef’s Auction at the Executive Court Banquet Facility, 1199 S. Willow St. in Manchester, on Monday, Nov. 10. The event will feature food from about a dozen southern New Hampshire chefs as well as auctions, raffles and more. Call the March of Dimes at 228-0317 for tickets.
• The 13th Annual New England Craft & Specialty Food Fair will be held Friday, Nov. 14, through Sunday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at Rockingham Park in Salem. Tickets cost $5 for adults; children under 14 get in free. Call 332-2616 or go to www.castleberryfairs.com.

MUSIC
• Revel in your dark, dark feelings at the Nine Inch Nails show on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester. See www.verizonwirelessarena.com for tickets and for information on other November performers including the Trans-Siberian Orchestera (Wednesday, Nov. 26) and, for the kids, The Cheetah Girls (Sunday, Nov. 16).

• The Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, 437-5100, www.tupelohall.com, kicks off November with comedian Paula Poundstone on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. Other November shows include The Bruce Marshall Group (Friday, Nov. 7); Roomful of Blues (Saturday, Nov. 8); David “Honeyboy” Edwards (Sunday, Nov. 9); Rory Block (Friday, Nov. 14); John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson and Cliff Eberhardt (Saturday, Nov. 15); Janis Ian (Thursday, Nov. 20); Carlene Carter (Friday, Nov. 21); Enter the Haggis (Sunday, Nov. 23), and George Winston (Friday, Nov. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 29).
• Arlo Guthrie will play two shows in New Hampshire this November. Catch him on Friday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com, or at The Colonial, 95 Main St. in Keene, 352-2033, www.thecolonial.org, on Friday, Nov. 21. During November, the Cap Center will also host the Dark Star Orchestra (Tuesday, Nov. 11).
• See Staind with special guests Seether and Papa Roach on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Paul E. Tsongas Arena, 300 Martain Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell, Mass., 978-848-6900, www.paultsongasarena.com. Tickets costs $39.75 and $35.75 and go on sale on Saturday, Sept. 6.

SYMPHONIES
• Alyson Cambridge of the Metropolitan Opera debuts with the Granite State Opera as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata. It is sung in Italian with English titles. See La Traviata Friday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. at the Music Hall, or Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts. ($19-$72) Visit www.granitestateopera.org or call 436-8476.
• Nashua Chamber Orchestra’s fall concert includes Robert Edward Smith’s “Polish Renaissance Suite,” Carl Reinecke’s “Octet for Winds, Op. 216,” Camille Saint-Saens’ “Morceau de Concert for horn, Op. 94” and Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony No. 103 E-flat “Drum Roll.” Performances are Saturday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. at the Collings Auditorium at Daniel Webster College, 20 University Drive in Nashua, and Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. at Milford Town Hall, 1 Union Square. Buy tickets at Darrell’s Music in Nashua or The Toasdstool Bookshop in Milford or at the door. See nco-music.org for details.

THEATER
• Actorsingers, which has produced community musicals in Nashua since 1955, performs Seussical the Musical Nov. 7 through Nov. 9 at the Keefe Auditorium, 117 Elm St., Nashua (www.actorsingers.org, 320-1870).
• The Concord Community Players produce the musical The Secret Garden based on a Victorian novel by Frances Hodges Burnett, Nov. 20 through Nov. 23 at the Concord City Auditorium.

Ongoing
ART
• Find rotating artwork at non-galleries such as A & E Roastery in New Boston and Jewell & the Beanstalk in Manchester, and libraries including those in Nashua, Brookline, Wilton, Epsom and Contoocook. Other galleries to check out include Kimball-Jenkins School of Art at 266 North Main St. in Concord, Manchester Artists Association Gallery at 1528 Elm St., E.W. Poore at 531 Front St. and the Franco-American Centre in Manchester, and the Massabesic Audubon Center at 26 Audubon Way in Auburn, New Hampshire Antique Co-op at 323 Elm St. in Milford and the Rivier College Art Gallery at 435 South Main St. in Nashua.
• At the Art on the Wall at City Hall, the artwork rotates every few months. Lynn Pauley’s landscapes are displayed Sept. 8 through Oct. 3. There’s a reception during Open Doors, Sept. 18. Jill Fischman’s work will be featured in October.
• The Forest Society rotates artwork at the Conservation Center Gallery, 54 Portsmouth St. in Concord. Concord photographer Catherine Bligh’s work is there through Sept. 29. Anne Garland of Jackson is featured Oct. 1 through Nov. 14. Call 224-9945 before visiting.
• Beyond special exhibits, the Currier Museum of Art has 11,000 objects in its permanent collection (they are not all on view) which are mainly American and European. Through September, peruse “Recent Acquisitions from the Dawn of Photography” in their Focus Gallery. On First Thursday, Nov. 6, meet artist Kirsten Reynolds during a focus on New England artwork. An “ARTalk” on “The Clues behind a Masterpiece” is Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. when Sundstrom and conservator Lance Mayer will explain how they proved the Currier’s “Madonna and Child” was created by 15th-century artist Antonio Rossellino. Regular Currier programs include “Drawing in the Galleries” on the third Sunday of each month. Bring your pencil and paper, or use the Currier’s, between 1 and 3 p.m. Each Wednesday the Currier has a themed art activity for kids and their adults between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Themed gallery walks for families are on the second Saturday of each month. The Currier is at 150 Ash St. in Manchester. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org for details. It’s closed Tuesdays, and there is free admission from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Adult admission costs $10, and youth under 18 are admitted free. The Currier Art Center is at 180 Pearl St.
• East Colony Fine Art, a member-run gallery, features Robin Frisella’s pastels through Sept. 27, oils by Ruth Bowler and Elaine Farmer Sept. 30 through Oct. 25 and pastel and oil by Randy Knowles Oct. 28 through Nov. 22. They host a themed “Old Time Rock ‘n Roll” show that opens Thursday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. during Open Doors and runs through Sept. 27. East Colony offers free gallery talks at 10:30 a.m. on second Saturdays. Knowles demonstrates a street scene in pastel Sept. 13. Bill Earnshaw talks about watercolor collage Oct. 11. Laurel Jamieson demonstrates making water-based paints with earth pigments Nov. 8. East Colony is at 55 South Commercial St. in Manchester (www.eastcolony.com, 621-7400).
12 • View outdoor sculptures in the garden that make up Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Gardens’ 11th annual Invitational Sculpture Exhibit through Oct. 19. Toland Sands’ art glass is shown indoors Sept. 26 through Nov. 9, with a reception Friday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. New Hampshire Women’s Caucus for the Arts-Juried Exhibit is Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, with a reception Sunday, Nov. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. Gallery artists are also featured indoors through Nov. 9 at 236 Hopkinton Road in Concord (226-2046, www.themillbrookgallery.com).
• McIninch Art Gallery at Southern New Hampshire University starts its year with “Drawing the Line,” Sept. 25 through Oct. 25 (closed Oct. 13). The show displays media, techniques, subjects and styles of drawings from the 18th to the late 20th century. A reception is Thursday, Sept. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. “Distant Shores: Culture Exchange in Contemporary Art” runs
Nov. 3 through Dec. 13 (closed Nov. 23 through Nov. 30). A reception is Thursday, Nov. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. SNHU is at 2500 North River Road in Manchester (www.snhu.edu, 629-4622). McIninch is inside Robert Frost Hall.
• New Hampshire Institute of Art is hosting a faculty exhibit through Oct. 1. Meet the artists Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. Ceramics faculty John Baymore gives a slideshow and lecture on his work in Kanayama, Japan, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the French Building (free). The NHIA’s “Ceramics Biennial” runs Oct. 8 through Nov. 7 with a reception and awards Friday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the French Building. “Marcus Greene Exhibition” runs Nov. 17 through Dec. 10 in the Amherst Street Gallery with a reception Nov. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. NHIA’s French Building Gallery is at 148 Concord St., and Amherst Street Gallery is at 77 Amherst St. in Manchester (www.nhia.edu, 836-2573).
• The Picker Building, a former cotton mill at 99 Factory St. Extension in Nashua, houses studios for several artists and artisans. Warm Stone Studio features the pottery of Kim Griffin during the 2008 Nashua Art Walk Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 (www.warmstonestudio.com, 595-9500). Find links to other studios at thepickerbuilding.wordpress.com.
• The Wine Studios offer wine and gifts, and they rotate artwork for sale each month. Wine tastings normally occur at the same time as the artists’ receptions. At the Manchester Wine Studio (53 Hooksett Road), Pat Hurd’s watercolors are featured in September, Paul Laro’s oils in October and Robin Parnell’s multi-media in November. Receptions are Thursdays, Sept. 4, Oct. 2 and Nov. 16. The Londonderry Wine Studio (27 Buttrick Road) features Lawrence Donovan’s oils in September, Roxanne Labbe’s colored pencil work in October and Cori Caputo’s watercolors in November. A reception is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5. Call 622-9463.
• Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Zimmerman House, which was left to the Currier. Tours are available through the museum with “Focus Tours” available, such as “Acoustics at the Zimmerman House — An Engineer’s Point of View” on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. Book space by calling 669-6144 ext. 108.