Community Calendar

BETHLEHEM, N.H. (Feb. 10, 2025)— Celebrate Spring with the popular NH Maple Experience at Forest Society North at The Rocks in Bethlehem. Registration is open for March 15, March 22, March 23, March 29, March 30, and April 5, with tours on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As the days lengthen and temperatures warm, sap begins to flow through sugar maple trees, ready to be collected and crafted into sweet maple syrup, sugar, and candy. The New Hampshire Maple Experience is a hands-on, educational experience that includes tapping a maple tree, horse-drawn and tractor-drawn wagon rides, a visit to a working sugar house, and maple tasting with syrup, donuts, and sour pickles (to complement the sweetness of the syrup). Participants will leave with the knowledge of how to identify a sugar maple tree, how to tap and boil the sap to make syrup, and an understanding of the history of maple sugaring.

While at The Rocks, participants may also visit the newly renovated 1884 Carriage Barn, which has been transformed into a North Country headquarters for the Forest Society, powered by green energy. The program center hosts a gift shop, exhibits, forest and nature education programs, and offices for locally based conservation and outreach staff. The Gardener’s Cottage at The Rocks has also been renovated and is available during Maple Month for short term rentals via Bretton Woods Vacations for visitors seeking accommodations. (Learn more at https://www.brettonwoodsvacations.com/rocks/)

“We created the New Hampshire Maple Experience with our visitors in mind to share both the history and the continuing practice of maple sugaring in New England,” said Nigel Manley, senior outreach manager for the Forest Society at The Rocks “This hands-on experience is truly unique and exciting for all ages. Participants will hand drill holes and tap metal spouts into the trees, and if you are lucky, and the conditions are right, the sap will start flowing.”

Visitors will also meet fifth-generation sugar maker, Brad Presby, as he plies his trade in the sweet-scented steam of the sugar house.

The spectacular White Mountain views, including the Pliny, Kilkenny, and Presidential ranges, the Christmas Tree Farm, the new solar array, and the allure of an authentic farm experience draw visitors near and far for the New Hampshire Maple Experience at The Rocks. The landmark 1,400-acre property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers agri-tourism and eco-tourism opportunities throughout the year.

"What makes the New Hampshire Maple Experience different is that kids and adults alike will learn how to identify a sugar maple tree versus a red maple, use an authentic brace and bit to tap a tree, and the knowledge and enthusiasm shared by our staff and volunteers, including Brad Presby, a fifth-generation maple sugarer,” adds Manley. “It’s truly a fun and engaging experience for the whole family that is not to be missed.”

Maple syrup from The Rocks’ own sugar bush will be available for purchase inside the New Hampshire Maple Museum, where visitors can see maple artifacts from the extensive collection of legendary sugar maker Charlie Stewart of nearby Sugar Hill.

NH Maple Experience at The Rocks:

Dates: March 15, March 22, March 23, March 29, March 30, and April 5

Times: Tours leave hourly from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and last approximately 2 hours.

Cost: $20/per person (children 5 and under are free). Ticket includes tapping a sugar maple tree, horse-drawn and tractor-drawn wagon rides, maple tasting, and more.

Reservations: https://www.forestsociety.org/the-rocks/nh-maple-experience

Learn more: info@therocks.org

ABOUT THE ROCKS
The Rocks is a 1,400-acre property, owned and managed by the Forest Society. Built as a working farm in the 1880s by John Jacob Glessner, a cofounder of International Harvester, The Rocks retains much of the grandeur of White Mountain retreats – exceptional period architecture, an Olmsted-designed Garden, and a network of woodland trails open to the public year-round. In 1978 descendants of the Glessner family donated The Rocks to the Forest Society, which has operated it since as a vibrant Christmas tree farm, conservation and nature education center, and working forest. Learn more about The Rocks at forestsociety.org/the-rocks.

ABOUT THE FOREST SOCIETY
The Forest Society is a private, non-profit land trust and forestry organization established in 1901. The Forest Society now owns 200 protected forests constituting nearly 65,000 acres in 105 New Hampshire communities across the state. In addition, it currently holds nearly 800 conservation easements statewide permanently protecting an additional 131,000 acres of New Hampshire’s natural landscape.

Calling all youth in CONCORD! Join us at Kimball Jenkins' historic Carriage House on March 30 from 1:00-4:30pm for this fantastic - and FREE! - opportunity for youth artists ages 8 and up!
This event is:
✨ Led by pre-professional student artists from St. Paul’s School, including experienced ballet dancers, actors, and artists.
👩‍🏫 Chaperoned by St. Paul’s School teachers to ensure a safe and structured environment.
🎭 Hosted by Kimball Jenkins, a well-known art school in New Hampshire dedicated to fostering creativity in young learners.
St. Paul's students will bring their talents to teach beginner dance, arts and crafts, and public speaking. Each class will be guided by 1-2 students and the day will end with a 30-minute presentation of the student’s talents and skills. This is an opportunity for kids to gain confidence in speaking, movement, and creative expression.
The event is completely FREE – thanks to generous support from Kimball Jenkins & St. Paul’s School. Just bring your creativity! 
Spots will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your child’s place in this incredible FREE workshop! ✨Sign-up link: https://forms.gle/KhzfPJWDgyi99u4p9
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!

Calling all youth in CONCORD! Join us at Kimball Jenkins in our historic Carriage House on March 30 from 1:30-4pm for this fantastic - and FREE! - opportunity for youth artists ages 8 and up!

This event is:
✨ Led by pre-professional student artists from St. Paul’s School, including experienced ballet dancers, actors, and artists.

👩‍🏫 Chaperoned by St. Paul’s School teachers to ensure a safe and structured environment.

🎭 Hosted by Kimball Jenkins, a well-known art school in New Hampshire dedicated to fostering creativity in young learners.

The event will take place on March 30th, 1:00 - 4:30 pm at Kimball Jenkins Art School in Concord, NH. St. Paul's students will bring their talents to teach beginner dance, arts and crafts, and public speaking. Each class will be guided by 1-2 students and the day will end with a 30-minute presentation of the student’s talents and skills. This is an opportunity for kids to gain confidence in speaking, movement, and creative expression.

The event is completely FREE – thanks to generous support from Kimball Jenkins & St. Paul’s School. Just bring your creativity!

Email grace.guang@sps.edu for any inquiries.

The 16th New Hampshire Literary Awards are now open for nominations. These prestigious awards recognize outstanding published works about New Hampshire as well as works by New Hampshire natives or residents.

All entries must be a first edition published within the eligibility period (January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024.) All submissions will be read and evaluated by a panel of judges vetted and assembled by the NH Writers’ Project Literary Awards Committee Chairperson.

For over 400 years women have been shaping the course of Portsmouth’s history. After the 90-minute walking tour, we hope you will walk away surprised by all the ways that women have impacted the fabric of this city. Your tour will cover almost two miles including Prescott Park and the Old Harbor.

Creativity and sustainability come together in the 4th annual Upcycled Fashion Show, hosted by Makers Mill, with support from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. This highly anticipated event invites everyone to come and see the world of upcycled fashion and rethink how discarded materials and clothing can be repurposed into wearable, functional, fashionable or just plain fun outfits.

An Upcycled Maker Market will be held in the foyer of the Kingswood Arts Center during the Upcycled Fashion Show featuring upcycled items made by local artisans.

1:45pm Doors open and Maker Market
2:30pm Show starts
4:00pm Show ends approximately (depends on how many designs are featured)
Meet the Designers & Models in the foyer
Maker Market continues
4:30pm Doors close

"Hooray for Hollywood! Hollywood Hits brings audiences majestic and beautiful music from some of the world’s greatest films of all time. Experience the thrill of blockbuster movie themes from Gone with the Wind, The Magnificent Seven, Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, James Bond, Rocky, The Pink Panther, Moon River, Dances with Wolves, Ben Hur and many more. Your orchestra is the star of this memorable evening of iconic and beloved film music classics!

Herb Smith, guest conductor

Conductor Herb Smith is widely known in both the classical and jazz worlds as an exciting performer who inspires musicians and audiences wherever he goes. Whether he is performing, conducting, teaching or composing, Herb’s expression of music draws from his multifaceted and dynamic musical experiences from around the world. Read his full bio HERE.

Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 7:30PM | Stockbridge Theater"

Amare Cantare Presents Three Spring Concerts March 28, 30 and April 2: Program of musical gems from Baroque period includes Bach’s Jesu Meine Freude

DURHAM, NH: The Seacoast’s vocal chamber chorus, Amare Cantare, will perform its spring concerts on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Exeter, NH; Sunday, March 30 at 3:00 p.m. in Durham, NH; and on Wednesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Portsmouth, NH.

The spring program features musical gems from the Baroque period, the centerpiece of which is Johann Sebastian Bach’s longest motet, Jesu Meine Freude, performed with instrumental accompaniment. A compact eleven-movement composition, the piece exhibits Bach’s genius for creating brilliant structures that support textual meaning and pure aesthetic beauty.

The concert also includes several vocal duets from Symphonie Sacrae II by Heinrich Schütz accompanied by two violins and continuo, a set of madrigals and part songs; and a special performance of La Primavera (Spring) from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi performed by the guest instrumentalists.

Since 1977, Amare Cantare’s auditioned members from across the Seacoast have performed masterworks and choral music from six centuries. They have also produced several digital albums of their performances. Since 2001, the choir has been under the direction of Catherine “Kitty” Beller-McKenna who is known for her innovative programming, her wide-ranging musical interests embracing a variety of styles and cultures.

Amare Cantare’s spring concerts will be the final performances under the direction of Beller-McKenna, who will be retiring at the end of June.

“Kitty’s musicianship and deep knowledge of choral music have made Amare Cantare one of the premier ensembles in the region and the state,” said tenor singer Mike Herlihy.

Bass Jed Holdeman added, “She crafts concert programs that engage audience and singer alike, often blending the familiar with the innovative, and in doing so, has fostered a deep sense of community and broadened our artistic horizons.”

The spring concerts will be held on March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church, 43 Pine Street, in Exeter; on March 30 at 3:00 p.m. at Oyster River Middle School, 1 Coe Drive in Durham; and on April 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Middle Street Baptist Church, 18 Court Street in Portsmouth.

All tickets are $18 and may be purchased at www.amarecantare.org. Tickets will also be available at the door.

More information about Amare Cantare and the upcoming concerts can be found at www.amarecantare.org.

Kemp Harris
March 30th
Amazing Jazz Vocalist

“Harris has his finger on the pulse of the modern world with an intensity born of awareness, and he writes with an understanding of what our lives lack. He delivers this wisdom with a timeless voice.”

- Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue