Garden Club blossoms in Chichester

By RACHEL WACHMAN

A garden club recently bloomed in Chichester. With the warmer weather, gardeners are taking advantage of the sunshine and getting outside to interact with plants.

A city for coffee lovers: Northeast Coffee Festival returning to Concord this weekend

By RACHEL WACHMAN

Around a decade ago, Alex Stoyle drank a cup of Ethiopian coffee that changed his life.

Pittsfield Players present “The Laramie Project”

Directors Meggin Dail and Jeff Crowell-Gregoire are pleased to present to “The Laramie Project” by the Techtonic Theatre Project on May 2, 3, 9 and 10. Accompanying this Pittsfield Players show is an opening act of music by Loose Ground, the winners of the Players’ Mic Competition 2025.

Artist spotlight: Elizabeth MacBride

With creativity abounding in the community around us, The Concord Insider, in collaboration with Concord Arts Market, will begin highlighting local artists on a regular basis. The first artist spotlight focuses on Elizabeth MacBride, who lives in Contoocook.

NHTI to screen “The Conversation” for latest Night at the Movies

Calling all movie-goers! NHTI invites you to its next Night at the Movies for a screening of “The Conversation” on Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. The film, released in 1974, is rated PG. 

Summer camp aviation scholarships available to middle school girls

WinnAero, the STEM-education non-profit group using hands-on aviation examples as the focus of STEM activities, announces only 8 seats remaining in its Girls Only summer camp week. The day camp session limited to middle school girls will run from July 14 through 18 at the Laconia Airport. More than half the ACE Academy certified NH teachers are female and will teach the Girls Only session.

Best Buddies Friendship Walk to celebrate inclusion

Best Buddies will hold ​its Friendship Walk in Concord on Saturday, May 10. Over 1,000 people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities are expected to gather to walk for inclusion and celebrate the international nonprofit organization’s mission of establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ​

Franklin holds annual Choose Community Day

Plans are underway once again to celebrate Franklin at the 21st Annual Choose Franklin Community Day. The event will take place on Saturday, May 10, beginning with a parade at 10 a.m. that will step off at Franklin High School and proceed easterly to downtown turning on Smith Street before ending at Odell Park. A fun community event will be held at Odell Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include vendors, crafts, food, games, amusements and entertainment. 

White Birch Center to host Kentucky Derby Party at Pats Peak

White Birch Center in Henniker will host their 6th Annual Kentucky Derby Party at Pats Peak on Saturday, May 3 at 3 p.m..   

Community Players to present “Our Town” at Concord City Auditorium

The Community Players will conclude their 97th season with Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer prize-winning classic, “Our Town.” Set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, this classic play captures the everyday lives, dreams, and struggles of ordinary people as they navigate love, family, and mortality. The play’s innovative structure and minimalist staging highlight the universality of its themes, offering a poignant reminder of the beauty and brevity of life.

‘A vibrant community’: First Fridays kick off in May

By RACHEL WACHMAN

As Concord gears up for a packed summer of outdoor events, First Fridays kick off at the start of May, bringing fun for people of all ages.

Pembroke City Limits to hold screening, Q&A for documentary “It’s Criminal”

Pembroke City Limits in Pembroke will host a film screening and discussion of the documentary “It’s Criminal” (2017) on Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m. The film, which takes place at the New Hampshire State Prison, examines the economic and social inequities that divide the United States and offers a vision of how separated communities can learn to speak to each other.

Creating community: ice-cream making, sing-alongs, shared gardens and more at Peabody Place in Franklin

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

From the moment someone new moves into the building, Peabody Place in Franklin provides a vibrant retirement community with activities ranging from social clubs to exercise groups and field trips. Residents here remain active and engaged, living life to the fullest. Those who call the senior living facility “home” continuously find ways to contribute to the community offerings.

Hopkinton art gallery features wood and mixed media artists in new collaborative exhibit

The next exhibition at Two Villages Art Society in Hopkinton, entitled “Whose Woods These are, I Think I Know,” will run from Saturday, April 24 through Saturday, May 24. This exhibit features the work of artists Kathleen Dustin, Dan Dustin, and Donna Zils Banfield. The creators collaborate across different media, bringing their skills and aesthetics together in a unique exhibit. Using nature and natural forms as a base, they create wood sculptures, jewelry, hanging pieces and vessels that take whimsical and unexpected forms. All three artists are juried members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen.

Book review: “Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection”

Author: John Green

Henniker Area Rotary Club to hold 33rd annual rabies clinic

The Henniker Area Rotary Club will hold its rescheduled of the 2025 Rotary Rabies Clinic for Saturday, April 26, from 2-4 p.m. at the Henniker Fire Station. Proceeds from the clinic will be donated to Monadnock Kitty Rescue & Adoption, a no-kill cat sanctuary and adoption center for adoptable cats as well as feral cats. Many will spend their lives at the rescue site where they are cared for lovingly by our volunteers. The program has no paid personnel.

‘Fresher is always better’: Concord Farmers’ Market offers chance to eat local and healthy

By REBECA PEREIRA

When asked, Wayne Hall doesn’t mind revealing the secret to his sweet tomatoes.

Young Professional of the Month: Sierra Hubbard

Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to the “Young Professional of the Month,” Sierra Hubbard. Each month, the steering committee recommends an individual in the community it thinks readers would enjoy getting to know better.

Five tips to integrate mindfulness into your everyday routine

By Matthew Harkins

Mindfulness can happen in a myriad of ways. It’s about presence, being in the moment and bridging the connection between your body and your mind. Mindfulness instructor Matthew Harkins defines mindfulness as an “awareness of the present feelings in the body and mind without judgment.” For him, it’s about “sensing the physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions without needing to act upon impulse.”

Community service on the rise: Effort underway to launch new Lions Club in Tilton, Northfield, Sanbornton

A new opportunity for community service is taking root as a group of local residents works to establish a Lions Club serving Tilton, Northfield, and Sanbornton. The effort is being led by passionate volunteers who see a need—and an opportunity—to strengthen the fabric of the community through service, outreach, and fellowship.