Spontaneity: Weekend of November 3-5, 2023
Check out what's going on this weekend (and this weekend only) across the Granite State
Are you itching to get out and try something new, but aren’t sure where to look and what to do? Have no fear, “Spontaneity” is here! In our new series, we’ll provide a region-by-region breakdown of events and activities from across the Granite State that you won’t want to miss. From arts and crafts, to hole-in-the-wall music venues, our short list will have something for everyone, no matter what you’re looking to do. If you see something you like, make sure you act fast- we’re only looking at what’s going on this weekend. Have an event we should know about or that should be considered for the next edition of “Spontaneity”? Shoot me an email at EGonzalesVerdi@nhmagazine.com
Seacoast:
PMAC Unity of Sound Concert
Nov. 4, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Portsmouth Middle School
155 Parrot Ave., Portsmouth
Join the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center for a celebration of music and community, featuring performances by 16 PMAC Adult Music Ensembles, like the Alt Rock Band, Flute Choir, Brewery Lane Big Band, Ukulele Circle Jam and more. Attendees are welcome to come and go freely throughout the day – just make sure to show your wristband! All ticket proceeds from this event will go towards PMAC’s Creative Aging program, that offers free and reduced tuition to students aged 65 and older.
Seal Walks
Nov. 5, 10-11 a.m. and 11 a.m. – noon
Seacoast Science Center
Odiorne Point State Park
570 Ocean Boulevard, Rye
After a brief introduction to local seal species and our Marine Mammal Rescue program, visitors will walk a half-mile down to the shoreline to view seals that typically haul out on the rocks near the mouth of the Merrimack River. Following federal guidelines for viewing protected marine mammals, everyone will maintain a safe distance of at least 150 feet away from the seals. There will be scopes and binoculars available to use but feel free to bring your own. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the biology, ecology, and conservation of these iconic New England animals and ask our marine mammal experts questions. This walk is fun for all ages and this event happens monthly during November through April.
Annual Seacoast Fall Doll, Bear and Miniature Show and Sale
Nov. 5, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Lafayette Crossing Plaza
45 Lafayette Rd., North Hampton
This event will feature a spectacular selection of dolls, teddy bears, folk art and much more. With antiques, collectibles, fashion dolls, Barbies, Reborns and original artist dolls and bears from the 18th to the 21st century, if you’re a collector or a doll enthusiast, this is a must-see event. Don’t worry, you’ll also be able to browse through tables of accessories, linens, doll houses, and doll parts, which will ensure that any doll house will be fabulously decorated.
Merrimack Valley:
Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
Nov. 2, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
The Rex Theatre
23 Amherst Street, Manchester
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Manchester. “Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift” will be performed by the Listeso String Quartet, and will feature songs from “Midnights”, “1989”, “Red”, and more.
Seth Meyers Live
Nov. 4, 8 p.m.
SNHU Arena
Elm Street, Manchester
Comedian Seth Meyers is returning home to the Granite State for a special show to support the good work of CASA of New Hampshire and the Granite State Children’s Alliance. Tickets are still available, so drop what you’re doing and head out for a night of laughter and fun with the knowledge that you’re helping children throughout the state.
Monadnock:
NH First Saturday Contra Dance
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Peterborough Town House
1 Grove Street, Peterborough
Contra dance is a fun, relaxed style of folk dance which has flourished in New England since the 1700s. Partners form lines and dance a short sequence of steps with their neighbors. Dancers are welcome to bring a partner or a group of friends, but it’s not necessary – traditionally, dancers are encouraged to change partners throughout the evening. Steve Zakon-Anderson will be calling with music from Sam Zakon-Anderson (keyboard), and Eric Boodman (fiddle and feet).
Best of Enemies: National Theater Live
Nov. 4, 4-6:45 p.m.
Peterborough Players
35 Hadley Road, Peterborough
Peterborough Players Arts on Screen presents London’s National Theatre Live screening of the Best of Enemies: a timely look back to 1968 as today’s candidates vie for attention in the 2024 presidential primary. David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) play feuding political rivals. In 1968 America, as two men vie for the presidency, all eyes are on the battle between two others: the cunningly conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and the unruly liberal Gore Vidal. Every night, in a new television format, they debate the moral landscape of a shattered nation. And the nation is transfixed. As beliefs are challenged and slurs slung, a new frontier in American politics is opening and television news is about to be transformed forever. This blistering political thriller, directed by Jeremy Herrin was filmed live in London’s West End and called by The Sunday Times of London, ‘The most satisfying play of the year.’
Lakes:
Romancing the Lone Ranger
Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 4, 7- 9 p.m.
Hanaway Theater
14 Main Street, Plymouth
Join conductor Benjamin Greene and the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra for the inaugural concert of their 2023-24 season. They begin in 1829 with The William Tell Overture (popularized by the Lone Ranger TV series), then jump into the mid- and late-Romantic Period. LRSO’s 2023 Concerto Competition Winner Benny Wang performs the 1st movement of the wildly emotional Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1. You will catch your breath before the monumental masterwork – Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68.
An 1863 Thanksgiving
Nov. 4, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
New Hampshire Farm Museum
1305 White Mountain Highway, Milton
Step back into time and enjoy 19th century holiday music, take a horse drawn wagon ride, visit the Blacksmith Shoppe, stop by the open hearth outside for a sip of mulled cider, or try your hand at roasting popcorn over the coals. Guests will get a history lesson while they meet Sarah Josepha Hale, the Newport, NH native, who is considered the inspiration behind the first nationally proclaimed day of Thanksgiving.
Karaoke with DJ Tim
Nov. 4, 9-1 a.m.
Tower Hill Tavern
264 Lakeside Ave., Laconia
Do you have a song in your heart that you just need to get out? Luckily for you, DJ Tim will be at the Tower Hill Tavern all night long, hosting a karaoke night that is sure to knock your socks off.
Dartmouth/Sunapee:
Strange Way of Life
Nov. 4, 7- 8:30 p.m.
Black Family Visual Arts Center, Loew Auditorium
22 Lebanon St., Hanover
Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke and Tilda Swinton star in two English-language shorts from Pedro Almodóvar. Spanish master director Pedro Almodóvar has made two English-language shorts. In Strange, Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal are two gunslingers who reunite after 25 years. With his love of heightened emotion, Almodóvar’s answer to Brokeback Mountain finds a ready home in the Western genre. Tilda Swinton buys an ax toward the start of The Human Voice, a half hour of film that packs the punch of a dozen features. Waiting for a lover who has left her, her breakdown is handled with Almodóvar’s trademark empathy. Sometimes, you need to burn everything to the ground to start over—or to see Swinton do it in a pair of gold lamé pants, which is frankly just as good.
Upper Valley Young Professionals Social Hour
Nov. 3, 6- 8 p.m.
Sawtooth Kitchen
Allen St., Hanover
Join the Upper Valley Young Professionals for a social hour at Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover! Food and drink will be available for purchase from Sawtooth. The bar entrance is located to the right of Still North Bookstore. Go through the door and down the stairs. Once you’re downstairs, you can’t miss it! They’ll be in a private back room, ask at the host stand for directions if needed. As with all UVYP events, you are welcome to attend whether or not you’ve ever been to one of their events before. The Upper Valley Young Professionals (UVYP) brings together young adults who are looking to meet new people socially and/or professionally. Their target audience is 20-40 year-olds living or working in the Upper Valley, but they welcome near-peers too.
White Mountains:
Hand-building and Textures with Darcy Kane
Sundays, starting Nov. 4, 2:30- 3:30 p.m.
North Conway League of NH Craftsmen
2526 White Mountain Highway, North Conway
Learn how to handbuild pottery and clay boxes with basic handbuilding techniques in this three-day workshop with Darcy Kane. Students in this class will learn to use a slab roller and rolling pin to make clay slabs for their projects, and learn some cool new techniques to texture their creations with stamps and textured blocks. All materials and firings are included in the price.
Blackout 5k/10k Mountain Race
Nov. 4, 4-7 p.m.
Cranmore Mountain Arlberg Center
65 N. Chair Rd., North Conway
Head on over to Cranmore Mountain for the 6th edition of the Blackout Mountain Race this Sunday. Check-in will be at 5:15 p.m., where you will receive your bib and swag! The course will be marked with reflective flagging and LED lanterns. It’s a mix of access roads and ski trails, and headlamps are required (, as the 10k race begins at sunset (5:25). Pizza and apres will be provided at 6:15, and the awards ceremony will be held at 6:45.
Great North Woods:
Do Tell!
Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.
The Colonial Theatre
2050 Main St, Bethlehem
Join North Country storytellers for an evening of humor, suspense, and surprise as they take The Colonial Theatre stage to recount true life experiences. Let the magic of storytelling bring us together as we celebrate the diverse and captivating experiences that make our community truly great. So, come join The Colonial for a fantastic night out with friends old and new, as we revel in the vibrant tapestry of the North Country community.
