23rd Annual Chili Cook-Off Heats Up at Portsmouth's Prescott Park

PORTSMOUTH –

Prescott Park Arts Festival will present the 23rd Annual WHEB Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, October 13. Once again, the chili cook-off will be paired with Strawbery Banke Museum's Fall Festival, and held on the grounds of Strawbery Banke, directly across the street from Prescott Park.

Gates are set to open at 10 a.m. and the chili serving will commence at 11:30 a.m., continuing until all the chili is gone. More than a dozen restaurants from the Seacoast area and beyond will serve up their best chili in decorated booths for thousands of attendees to sample and enjoy. Restaurants will participate in both the Judge's Choice and the People's Choice award categories, including a Best Veggie category, that carry generous prizes of $1,500 advertising packages from event co-sponsors. WHEB will be on hand to provide live entertainment throughout the event and Redhook Ale Brewery Beer will be served to complement the chili and to round out the day.

The event will also be zero-waste through the use of compostable bowls, and real metallic spoons. “This event has typically used more than 10,000 bowls in the past,” said Ben Anderson, Prescott Park Arts Festival's executive director. “We are proud to be able to divert that from our local landfill, and know that attendees appreciate it as well.” Audience members are asked to make a $1 deposit for their metallic spoon, refunded at the end of the event in exchange for the return of the spoon. Alternatively, patrons are welcomed to bring their own favorite spoon for tasting.

Each year, more than 4,000 residents and visitors attend the Chili Cook-off. Participating restaurants include a mix of newcomers and seasoned Chili Cook-Off veterans. Competing restaurants include Riverworks, Zahtar, Thirsty Moose, Fat Belly's, Dos Amigos, Flatbread Pizza Company, Mojo's, Portsmouth Brewery, Old Salt, Press Room, Dolphin Striker, and The Kitchen.

Chili lovers can fill their bowls to the brim, enjoy a frosty brew, and the discover all the New Hampshire Fall Festival has to offer. The Festival features four centuries of tradition home and farm harvest festivities and visitors will be able to experience a traditional New England country fair.

 Exhibits will include live demonstrations of historic crafts, trades, and home activities. There will also be farm animal and livestock demonstrations as master gardeners and horticulture experts. Local artisans will be displaying and selling their work, and local food vendors will be on hand to provide great food and drink to supplement the chili.

Entrance is free for the Prescott Park Arts Festival and Strawbery Banke Museum members, and tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for youths (12 and under) for the general public. Tickets are available for an advance discount price at www.prescottpark.org

For more information on the festival, or to see a full schedule of events, visit www.prescottpark.org or call 603-436-2848.

Scarecrow Decorating Contest

(courtesy photo)

ROLLINSFORD – Support your local library and participate in a fun, family activity through the second annual Friends of the Rollinsford Public Library Scarecrow Decorating Contest.

The library’s largest fundraising activity of the year, the scarecrow contest is open to Rollinsford families, individuals, service organizations and businesses. The event culminates with the Fall Friends Celebration on Sunday, October 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. outside the library at the Lower Mill in Rollinsford.

“The great thing about this event is that it’s inexpensive and fun, yet a great way to support the library,” said Tia Pass, president of The Friends of the Rollinsford Public Library. “Both the project of building a scarecrow and the celebration at the library are traditional fall activities that are fun for families, all while supporting an important cause.”

There is a small $5 fee to register for the contest plus the cost to decorate. Simply register by October 14 in person at the library at 3 Front Street or online at rollinsfordlibrary.org. Families are welcome to build multiple scarecrows. Build your scarecrow however you like. Be creative but keep them tasteful. Scarecrows should be built to withstand the elements, i.e., rain, wind and sun.

Alison and Dan Cullity of South Street participated in the 2011 scarecrow decorating contest with their kids Stella, 6, Shane, 4, and Deirdre, now 12 months. The family made a clown scarecrow finding the necessary pieces – a wig, clothes and a jack o’lantern - around the house.

“It probably took us just a few hours to assemble our scarecrow,” Alison said. “We had a fun time picking through the kids’ dress up clothes to see what would make the wackiest clown scarecrow. The kids definitely had a say on what the scarecrow would look like.  They are excited to do it again this year.”

Once registered for the contest, participants will be provided a registration number which should be added to your scarecrow. Post your scarecrow in a public spot such as outside of your home or business. Submit a photo of your scarecrow to rollinsfordlibrary@comcast.net. Then tell friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to vote for your scarecrow at the library or online at the library’s Web site. Voting costs just $1.

On October 21, bring your scarecrow to the Lower Mill for the Fall Friends Celebration where prizes for first-, second- and third-place will be awarded to contest winners. Scarecrows must be present to win. Voting ends at 3:55 p.m. on October 21.

At the Fall Friends Celebration, from 2-4 p.m., the public is also welcome to tour the library, vote on their favorite scarecrow, and enjoy concessions, kids’ crafts and games. Concessions are being sold for a small fee, all to benefit the library.

Pass said fundraisers like the scarecrow contest and the chocolate tasting in the spring make it possible for the library to have extended hours, services such as public computers and Wi-Fi access, as well as new books, magazines, and other current materials for lending.

For more information about scarecrow contest or The Friends of the Rollinsford Public Library e-mail rollinsfordlibrary@comcast.net or call 603-516-2665.

Children’s Museum Celebrates 1st Anniversary of Special Alzheimer’s Program

Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (courtesy photo)

DOVER –

On Thursday, October 18 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire will celebrate the one-year anniversary of its Alzheimer’s Café program. The Museum launched the first Alzheimer’s Café in the Eastern United States in October 2011 and has attracted widespread attention from families affected by dementia as well as healthcare professionals. The first anniversary café will feature live music, ice cream and a birthday cake provided by Langdon Place.

The Alzheimer's Café is held at the Children's Museum in Dover on the third Thursday of each month from 2-4 pm. People living with Alzheimer's disease are welcomed during this time, along with their family members and care partners, to gather in a supportive, non-clinical setting to chat, relax, enjoy refreshments and socialize. Reservations are not needed and there is no cost to attend, though donations are accepted.

“This concept of offering a regular social gathering for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia began in Europe,” said Paula Rais, director of community engagement for the Children’s Museum of NH. “People often find themselves feeling depressed and self-conscious after being diagnosed, and the people in their network may also feel in need of support. Having a regular place to go and meet others in a purely social setting each month can provide a welcome destination with an understanding community of people.”

The launch of the Alzheimer’s Café at the Museum followed on the heels of another successful community initiative called Exploring Our Way – The Children's Museum of NH's Autism Partnership Program. This program has achieved high attendance and acclaim since it began in March 2010. Exploring Our Way is held at the Museum on the second Sunday morning of each month for families with children on the autism spectrum at no cost. This program takes place when the Museum is closed to the public and offers families the chance to explore the Museum together, with support from museum staff, trained volunteers and special materials such as mapping tools and social stories.

For more information about the Alzheimer's Café or Exploring Our Way, contact Rais via email at paula@childrens-museum.org or by phone at 603-742-2002.