PENACOOKFood pantry

■The United Church of Penacook Food Pantry, serving Penacook residents only, is open every Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. year-round. If Penacook Elementary/Merrimack Valley School District is closed due to weather, the pantry will also be closed. Visitors coming to the pantry are allowed two bags of groceries and one bag of personal care items every two weeks; unless extra food is available or an emergency situation comes up.

CHERYL STINSON

news03303@aol.com

WEST SIDEOpen Sing

■Do you like to sing? Join the Suncook Valley Chorale at their next semester’s Open Sing on Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Band Room at Concord High School on N. Fruit Street. Meet a friendly crowd, a terrific music director and accompanist and get a taste of the music for the May concerts. No audition is required. Come with documentation of full Covid vaccination and boosters. Masks are recommended but not required. For more information, visit svcnh.org.

■The St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry (21 Centre St.) is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. The pantry has produce, meat, and canned goods. For more information, visit stpaulsconcord.org.

■There is still time to schedule an appointment for IBEW Local 490 (48 Airport Rd.) community blood drive on Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call (800) 733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter ‘IBEW’ to schedule an appointment.

■Visit the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers’ Market (7 Eagle Sq.) on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon in the enclosed atrium. Enjoy live music while you shop with your favorite local farmers and producers. For more information email dcwfm2020@gmail.com.

■The Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord-Merrimack County (94 Silk Farm Rd.) is offering Paws to Read, a program for children in Grades 1 to 8 to read aloud to adoptable animals at the shelter. Children are able to build on literacy skills with a non-judgmental audience, as well as provide valuable socialization to the shelter animals. The next sessions available are on Feb. 1 and 15. The 25-minute time slots fall between 4 and 5:30 p.m. There will be a $10 fee to reserve a session (non-refundable); space is limited and fees help provide care for the animals. Participants must attend with a parent/guardian and follow all safety protocols. One child with one adult, not multiple children, as space is limited. They ask participants to bring their own book(s). This program is planned to accommodate the safety of participants, volunteers and staff. A SPCA volunteer will be nearby to monitor the animal and assist if needed. For more information or to register, go to popememorialspca.org/paws-to-read.

LYNDA PLANTE

717-1632

soxpatscats@gmail.com

SOUTH ENDWinterfest

■Gibson’s Bookstore presents a virtual discussion via Crowdcast on Friday at 8 p.m. with director and author Joyce Chopra who will discuss her memoir, Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond. Along with the successes and failures of her career, she provides an intimate view of a woman’s struggle to balance the responsibilities and rewards of motherhood and marriage with a steadfast commitment to personal creative achievement. Order your copy of Lady Director from Gibson’s Bookstore and receive an autographed bookplate (while supplies last)! Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/487078554067.

■Enjoy ice carving demonstrations, ice sculpture competitions and family-friendly activities in downtown at 10 a.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday at Winterfest!

■From the creators of Dinosaur World Live, calling all brave heroes today at 2 p.m. to the Chubb Theatre, 44 South Main St.! Enter into a magical world of myths and legends in this fantastical new interactive show for all the family. Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Take your place among legendary heroes, just don’t wake the dragon.

■Free pizza night from Checkmate Pizza is Thursday at 5 p.m. at Litherman’s Limited Brewery, 126 Hall St., Unit B! While supplies last, come early! Check out their Facebook. Then on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Litherman’s, it’s Monster’s Trucking Tacos with their Winter St. Taco Menu!

■On Friday at 7:30 p.m., Queen City Improv (QCI), Manchester’s finest improv troupe are bringing their act to the Hatbox Theatre in the Steeplegate Mall! Join QCI as they perform a night of goofs, gaffes, and laughs through a never-before seen show-every night! Buy tickets at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=hbt.

Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard will be at the Hatbox Theatre on Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. This experience takes audiences on a guided tour of the impossible and the absurd. Using only the most ordinary of objects, an accomplished actor, conjuror, puppeteer, storyteller, and award-winning performer Pinard brings the ordinary to life with the most surprising results. In its ninth season of monthly performances! More information is at https://hatboxnh.com/location/.

■Why should you pay attention to ancestors’ occupations? Are you filling in a detail of life or looking for an essential clue to break down a brick wall? Join genealogist Ann G. Lawthers from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) for this one-hour, virtual workshop, conducted via Zoom on Wednesday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. The workshop is $15 for members of the New Hampshire Historical Society or the NEHGS and $25 for nonmembers. Advance registration is required via www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-genealogy-using-occupation-to-trace-ancestors-registration-481774128387?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse.

■On Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., celebrate Youth Mentoring! At the Concord Heights Community Center there will be games, activities, snacks and stories about the impact of mentoring. Come if you are or were a Mentor, think your child could benefit or you’d like to volunteer. RSVPs are appreciated to lmiller@friendsprogram.org.

■The New England Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet for the National Wild Turkey Federation will be at the Holiday Inn Concord Downtown, 172 North Main St. on Saturday at 4 p.m. For more information and tickets go to www.nwtf.org/events/new-england-awards-and-hof-banquet-2.

■Are you a proud nerd in the New Hampshire (and surrounding!) area, hoping to find a group of like-minded individuals? If so, let’s meet up for coffee and have a chat on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Brothers Cortado on Odd Fellows Avenue! Start your day off with Nerd Hampshire and some fresh coffee, ponder background choices, and sip some caffeine with us! Feel free to reach out if you’re unable to attend, but are looking for a group or player! I will pass along your info to the group. There’s more information at www.meetup.com/nerd-hampshire/events/290405723/.

■Are you a cancer survivor? This Payson Center for Cancer Care, 250 Pleasant St., Program on Feb. 1 at 5:30 p.m., offers you and your loved ones support and education related to your diagnosis. Contact Payson Center for Cancer Care at (603) 230-6031. You must register.

■On Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. at 17 Chenell Dr., it’s Books, Boards and Babes! Come spend the day mapping out 2023 and creating a collage of your goals! Books: We will do a book swap! Please bring a personal development book that has helped you! Boards: We will be spending the day creating vision boards! The cost covers basic supplies (Board, glue, tape, stickers and some magazines). Please bring magazines to share. Babes: That is you! This event will be laid back. Please dress comfy. The goal is to bring women together to feed off of each other and empower one another! To build a sense of community, have some laughs and leave with a great book and our visions for the New Year mapped out! Light lunch/refreshments will be included. Tickets are at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-boards-babes-tickets-493963487087.

■There is a street closure for the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship from Wednesday, at 7 a.m. to Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. at White Street, closed from Washington Street to just south of Blanchard Street.

■Another street closure occurs for the fifth Annual Winter Festival on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Capitol Street will be closed from Main Street to North State Street.

JEAN VER HOEVEN

856-304-5830

jeanann@voicenet.com

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