July is the perfect time of year to get a head start on your Christmas crafting, shopping
You may not realize it just yet, but this is the absolute perfect time of year to get a jump on your Christmas crafting and decorating. If you wait until November or (gasp) even December to get going on these things, you’re most likely going to have to battle huge crowds, trudge through a few feet of snow, spend hours looking for a parking spot, pay hefty prices and deal with a picked-through selection. None of those problems exist in...
It takes a lot of work to produce good Christmas trees
There’s nothing quite like going to pick out the family Christmas tree.If you’re like us, you prefer to go to one of those farms where you walk around looking for the perfect one. And then cut it down yourself.It can be a little overwhelming with hundreds of nicely pruned trees to choose from. The good thing is that your choices are usually narrowed down a little bit by what height you’re looking for. Then it just comes down to what...
There are only five months until the big day
For as long as we can remember, the term “Christmas in July” has been perplexing.It isn’t the halfway point between Santa’s last visit and his next. If our math serves us correct, that would have been last month.Nothing about July screams Christmas, but yet you hear the phrase all the time.So we took to the internet to see what we could find and according to Wikipedia, “Some people throw parties during July that mimic Christmas...
Mingle and check out a Black Hawk helicopter at National Night Out
The city of Concord is pretty big on community interaction and family fun. Whether it’s Market Days or Midnight Merriment or Halloween Howl, there seems to always be something going on that encourages people to come together and have a good time.National Night Out is one of the main events playing into that theme, and it’s coming up next Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Rollins Park. National Night Out events are held across the country every year...
Go Try It: Order a pint at Concord Craft Brewing Co.
There’s nothing worse than being given a little taste of something you end up really liking, only to be told that’s all you can have. Up until a couple weeks ago, that had been the scenario at Concord Craft Brewing Co. – you could go in and order a small taster of each craft beer they had on tap, but when you finished, you couldn’t get any more (unless you got something to go). Now that’s all changed. The Storrs Street brewery has...
Food Snob: Spicy chicken sandwich from Red Arrow Diner
It really has been a banner couple of weeks for The Food Snob lately. First, there was the opening of Dairy Queen on Loudon Road, which meant we had to go try a burger and a Blizzard. Then, just a short walk down the same road a few days later, Red Arrow Diner opened its doors, which we assume have since never closed due to it being a 24-hour joint. In true Food Snob fashion, we went over to check out the new place as soon as...
Pierce Manse to host open house and concert on the lawn
Do you like open houses, ice cream and live music, all for free?Of course you do – who doesn’t? In that case, you’ll really like the event the Pierce Manse is putting on this Thursday.Festivities begin with an open house and an ice cream social from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. If you’ve never been to the Pierce Manse – the only home ever owned and lived in by President Franklin Pierce, the only president from New Hampshire – this will be a good...
From the Crowd: ‘Barnum’ will keep you entertained all night
It’s the greatest show on Earth – and it just so happens to be at Hatbox Theatre.Well, technically Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was the greatest show on Earth, but that came to an end in May, so we saw the next best thing – Barnum.Barnum first debuted on Broadway in 1980 and follows the life of showman P.T. Barnum as he goes from one sideshow to the next, using “humbug” to get people to take in his shows.There’s...
McGowan to host an opening, artist talk
Fresh off its announcement that McGowan Fine Art will remain open and move to a new space in the fall, the gallery has a new group show, “Inertia,” on display through Aug. 25.There will be an opening reception on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m, which is free and open to the public.Over the past months, artists have brought in a lot of fresh work that has not been in previous shows. “Inertia” will feature the art that has the gallery staff...
Concord Food Co-op introduces online shopping
These days, it seems like you can order just about anything online.While it’s convenient, we’re still big fans of supporting local businesses.But now you can do both – at least at the Concord Food Co-op. A few weeks back, the Co-op launched an online Co-op eShop (powered by Rosie) to allow its customers to do all their grocery shopping from their computer, tablet or smartphone.“The online purchasing convenience, it’s definitely moving...
We got chocolate chip cookies from Intown Concord
We got a nice surprise last week when the Intown Concord team brought us a coupld homemade chocolate chip coookies for all our hard work on this year’s Market Days issue.
The Capital Area Cyclones are going big time
The Capital Area Cyclones had a pretty impressive season on the softball diamond.So much so that the local 10 and under all-star team not only qualified for the Babe Ruth World Series that begins this week in Jensen Beach, Fla., but they did it twice.That’s right, the group earned an automatic bid when they won the Londonderry Memorial Day tournament, but just for good measure, they won the New England regional title, which is also an...
On Display: Watercolorist showing work at N.H. Audubon
The N.H. Audubon McLane Center is home to a new exhibit featuring the work of Tanya Tenkarian. A watercolorist, Tenkarian uses photography and observations to research her subjects before diving into a piece, which will evolve as her work takes shape. She focuses on patterns, colors and the playfulness of nature. The show is on display through the end of August.
Bow Fire Department has an interesting new flag
The Bow Fire Department is all settled in its new home at the Bow Safety Center. And thanks to firefighters Brandon Skoglund and David Eastman, the department has something pretty cool hanging in its kitchen area. About a year ago, Skoglund saw a story about another fire department that had used an old hose that was out of service to create an American flag. He thought it was a cool idea, and when there was a couple sections of hose...
The YMCA puts on a fun-filled summer camp
Summer was such a great time when we were young.Trips to the pool, no school work and lots of ice cream. Now – outside of the ice cream component – our summers are filled with yard work, work work and trips to the playground with our daughters.But if we could go back to a time when life was a little more care free and pick one thing to do, it would probably be a week at summer camp.Unfortunately we’re a little old to participate, but...
It’s official: The ‘Insider’ is king
During a stop at Quality Cash Market last week to grab a mid-afternoon snack, we realized that we have now surpassed The New York Times on the newsstand and overtaken one of the top publication spots. We know we’re popular and it was only a matter of time, but even we didn’t see it happening this fast.
Children’s author Chris Van Dusen to present ‘Hattie and Hudson’ at Gibson’s Bookstore
If you like kids’ books, you’ll want to get over to Gibson’s Bookstore on Saturday for a special storytime with Maine author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen.Van Dusen’s new picture book, Hattie & Hudson, went on sale in May and is Gibson’s lead picture book read for the summer. Van Dusen, who is probably best known as the illustrator of Kate DiCamillo’s bestselling and award-winning Mercy Watson series, is at the top of his game...
Bulletin Board: Where readers can post to other readers
Youth theater at Capitol Center RB Productions will return to the Capitol Center for the Arts stage this weekend for three performances of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. Put on by the theater company’s summer youth program, the shows will be held Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15, and $12 for students and seniors. For more info, visit ccanh.com/series/upcomingevents. Insider staff Hospice volunteer...
Book of the Week: ‘Dragon Teeth’
Dragon TeethMichael Crichton2017, 295 pagesFictionThis is not a tale of dinosaurs coming back to life, but an exciting story set in the Wild West of the 1870s. Pioneers are heading West, Indians are attacking stagecoaches and gold rushes are drawing fortune-seekers in the Western territories. Rich, young Yale student William Johnson takes a bet that he will go out West, and signs on to be the photographer with the fossil hunter...
This Week in Concord History
July 25, 1874: Thirteen months after a fire destroyed the church on the same site, the cornerstone is laid for the North Congregational Church at North Main and Chapel streets. It will be ready for worship in March 1876. July 25, 1927: A police squad of six officers enters the home of Ruth A. McKinnon on Runnels Road in Penacook. The officers arrest MacKinnon and confiscate 106 bottles of beer, empty pint and quart bottles and...
