The 2021 Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving morning is on track! Race starts at 8 a.m. at Hopkinton High School. Race packet pick-up is between 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Advance registration is encouraged (and discounted) but you can register onsite at the high school on Thanksgiving morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. The race route can be found at plotaroute.com/route/1710997?units=km. Cost to register before Nov. 24 is $5 for youth, $10 for adults. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 100 registrants. Day of registrations are $20 for youth, $30 for adults. As before, all proceeds will go directly to the Hopkinton Food Pantry and Operation Christmas.
Canterbury Shaker Village gives guests myriad reasons to be grateful by hosting a Holiday Open House on Nov. 26 to 28. All are welcome to take a tour of the Village, do some holiday shopping, or relish a hot cocoa or apple cider while basking in the afterglow of Thanksgiving. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Village Store will offer complimentary holiday gift wrapping for any present purchased – a Shaker box, book, candle, local honey, maple syrup, handmade children’s toy, or much much more. The Thanksgiving weekend is also the perfect time to experience a “Shaker Stories” tour, offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are available now at shakers.org. Canterbury Shaker is located at 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, New Hampshire, just south of Laconia and north of Concord. For more information, visit shakers.org.
The Walker Lecture Series invites you to join them for “Guatemala, Land of the Maya” with Brent Winebrenner on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium. A high-definition and beautiful travelogue, this film begins by exploring the achievements of the ancient Maya by visiting fabled places like El Mirador, Tikal, and Yaxha. Presenter Brent Winebrenner examines the historic tension between Mayan traditions and Spanish colonialism, using the religious pageantry of Antigua’s Easter Week celebration. Free. For a complete season schedule, visit walkerlecture.org.
The Contoocook Chamber of Commerce is bringing back its annual Starry, Starry Weekend of events. Dec. 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Contoocook Chamber has worked tirelessly to bring almost every facet of the community together. Many businesses (restaurants, offices, retail) are opening their doors to local artists and sharing their spaces. We’ve had an outpouring from businesses wanting to be sponsors for the event, too. The generosity has been astounding! This event is the epitome of what it means to live and breathe community, and we couldn’t be more proud and excited for Starry Starry Weekend. After two tough years with COVID, our community and businesses are coming together and supporting one another. The Chamber is also gathering gift certificates to our local businesses that will be given to the Hopkinton Human Resources and Food Pantry, as a way to give back. There will be visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, cookies and other food, tree lighting and more. A brochure with all the shops and activities will be available. For more information, visit contoocookchamber.com/starrystarryweekend.
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