Pro Portsmouth Presents Market Square Day 2011

PORTSMOUTH—
On Saturday, June 11, Pro Portsmouth will present its 34th Annual Market Square Day Festival & 10K Road Race, the City’s premier Downtown festival.
At a recent press conference, Pro Portsmouth’s Executive Director Barbara Massar thanked the many area businesses who make Market Square Day possible – in particular several of the long-term partners including the Title Sponsor of the Road Race, Access Sports Medicine & Orthopedics and longtime Festival and Race Supporting Sponsors Liberty Mutual, Oakhurst Dairy, Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Coca Cola of Northern New England.
Festival and Race Sponsors also include this year’s Program Partner, Irving Oil. They are joined by Bottomline, Runner’s Alley, PowerAde and Dasani.
The press conference introduced Dawn Pepe as the 2011 Logo Artist. Dawn’s design was chosen from nearly 80 submissions and will be featured on all Race and Volunteer T-shirts as well as the Festival T-shirt which will be available at the Pro Portsmouth booth in Market Square during the event. The second and third place designs were both submitted by member’s of Terra Merry’s Portsmouth High School Computer Graphics’ classes with second place going to Kevin O’Leary ($125) and third to Andy Zou ($75). Previously, Pepe’s work was featured on the 2004 Market Square Day logo.
This year’s Market Square Day Historic Walk takes place on Friday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. The Walk begins at Market Square in front of the North Church.
Market Square Day features entertainment throughout the day on three stages. Various acts will fill the Downtown with music and dance. “We’re very pleased to feature our First Night® ‘Battle of the Bands’ winner, The Grounded,” noted Massar. “This year’s musical offerings take on a very diverse sound with Salt River, Grupo Fantasia, Martin England and Djoliba Kan – just to name a few.”
An abundance of crafters, local businesses and food vendors will set up ‘shop’ on the streets of Portsmouth. Over 150 will be on hand for this year’s festival.
Parking restrictions do take place in Downtown Portsmouth beginning at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 11. Streets will be posted on Friday, June 10 to indicate where parking is prohibited during the festival. Parking restrictions will be enforced and vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. The Parking Garage offers a flat fee of $5.00 from the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and $3.00 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Shuttle service provided by First Student Transit/Pro Portsmouth runs from the overflow lot at the Fox Run Mall (across from the JC Penny/Lens Crafters side of Mall) to the Hanover Street Bus Station across from the Hilton Garden Inn (Hanover Street Bus Stop) in Downtown Portsmouth. The shuttle runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The event, often referred to as the unofficial start to summer on the Seacoast, draws on nearly 2,000 runners and competitive walkers for the 10K race and 80,000 festival-enthusiasts to the heart of the City. The Road Race starts at 9 a.m. in Market Square. The Festival runs from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Market Square Day is produced by Pro Portsmouth. Pro Portsmouth, Inc. is a 501c (3) organization serving the Seacoast area. Its Mission is to promote the arts, culture, history and community of the area through such events as Children’s Day, Market Square Day, Summer in the Street and First Night® Portsmouth. For more information on the group, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.proportsmouth.org.
Photo caption: Pro Portsmouth’s Market Square Day 2011 will take place this Saturday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 2011 MSD Logo is the creation of Dawn Pepe, whose artwork will be featured in all Market Square Day marketing and on the Race, Volunteer and sale T-shirts. (Courtesy image)

Cochecho Arts Festival Lineup Announced

DOVER—
The 25th Anniversary season of the Cochecho Arts Festival opens on Monday, July 4, 2011 at the Rotary Arts Pavilion in Henry Law Park with an Independence Day celebration, sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual.
This year, the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce is pleased to kick off the Festival’s Headliners Series with a Fourth of July performance by one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Top 6 Breakout Bands to Watch,” Wisconsin “Garage Pop” band, Locksley. The concert will begin at 7:00pm at the Rotary Arts Pavilion, concluding with the July 4th Fireworks display at 9:15.
The Festival’s Friday Night Headliners Series presents local and regional music performed by artists like Gazpacho, Wooden Eye and The Spectras. Following the July 4 season opener, the Friday Night Headliners Series continues with: Rock My Soul, July 8 – presented by Wentworth-Douglass Hospital; The Don Campbell Band, July 15 - presented by Federal Savings Bank; Gazpacho, July 22; Wooden Eye, July 29 – presented in part by Measured Progress; Tuckermans at 9, August 5 – presented by D. F. Richard Energy; The Spectras, August 12 - presented by the Rotary Club of Dover
This year’s Friday Night concerts will also feature local artisans displaying their work on the Festival grounds, as well as select food vendors providing picnic-friendly wares, and the ever-present Dover Fire Department Popcorn Stand.
The Tuesday Children’s Series, which is underwritten by Liberty Mutual, has grown dramatically in recent years, and these popular family events now average about 500-700 attendees per week. The Rotary Arts Pavilion’s Henry Law Park location is just footsteps away from the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, the City’s Indoor Swimming Pool, the public playground and grassy riverside expanse of the Park itself. There are also several family-friendly restaurants and retail shops in the immediate vicinity, including the Noggin Factory Toy Store, Ralph’s House of Tone, LaFesta Brick and Brew, Lucy’s Art Emporium and Harvey’s Bakery. Collectively, this creates a template for an extremely enjoyable and fun-filled day that takes place in a very cozy, yet highly visible area of downtown.
Each week, the Tuesday Children’s Series features a different performance, including music, dancing, puppeteers, jugglers, magicians, unicyclists and theatrical performances: The Little Red Wagon, July 5 – presented by CHaD – Dover; Jody Gourlay, July 12 - presented by St. Thomas Aquinas; Wayne from Maine, July 19 - presented by Musical Arts Academy; Todd Wellington, July 26 – presented by Holy Rosary Credit Union; BJ Hickman, August 2; Marcus Gale, August 9.
The Rotary Arts Pavilion is also home to the popular “Shark in the Park” summer lunchtime concert series featuring many of the area’s most popular rock bands. The “Shark in the Park” Series is designed to give downtown residents and employees a chance to get outside during the summer months to enjoy the concerts and the beautiful surroundings of the Henry Law Park. The Thursday noon “Shark in the Park” Luncheon Series includes performances by Big John & The Twins on July 7, Rosie on July 14, The Jen Thayer Band on July 21, Truffle on July 28, Rockfish on August 4 and The Twitch on August 11.
After being successfully introduced to the Festival in 2010, the Wednesday Market Series is being offered again this year between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. every Wednesday from July 8 through August 10, and is the only segment of the Cochecho Arts Festival that is not held at the Rotary Arts Pavilion. The Wednesday Market Series consists primarily of “unplugged” acoustic music, and the setting is the Dover Farmers Market, situated directly in front of the Chamber Visitor Center at 550 Central Avenue. The Farmers Market is presented by the Seacoast Growers Association, with all of the produce, herbs, meats and poultry, cheeses, baked goods and other items being locally grown, produced and harvested. Other nearby points of interest are: Simply Green Biofuels; the Re-Store, where salvaged construction materials are sold to benefit Habitat for Humanity; Dover Cyclery; Garrison Hill Florists; Khaophums Thai Restaurant and the Dover Natural Marketplace.
In celebration of the Festival’s 25th Anniversary, the Festival Committee is also introducing a new component this year. On Saturday, July 16, the Cochecho Arts Festival will proudly present the first ever Festival Movie Night. This highly anticipated event is being co-sponsored by Marion Cheney ReMax legacy, Federal Savings Bank and Bernson Legal, and will feature a showing of the beloved American classic film Casablanca. The event will begin at dusk in lower Henry Law Park, offering attendees the opportunity to enjoy a riverside picnic on the lawn with unobstructed views of the 20’ inflatable outdoor movie screen.
Visit www.CochechoArtsFestival.org for more information on the season’s schedule, including photos of the performers and links to their websites, a history of the Festival, directions to Henry Law Park, news articles, information on how to get involved, and much more.
Festival-goers are encouraged to show their support for the Festival by purchasing a Festival button for $10. This commemorative Button features a unique 25th Anniversary Festival logo for 2011, and includes discounts and free benefits from supporting businesses. In addition to the customary “Button Benefits” that patrons can receive by wearing their Buttons to participating businesses, Button purchasers will also be given “Instant Benefits” packets, which contain coupons and Gift Certificates worth in excess of $250.
Buttons and official Cochecho Arts Festival programs will be available the end of June at the Chamber Visitor’s Center, as well as at all Festival events. The program also will be available through state and local Visitor Centers and various Dover downtown merchants.
The Cochecho Arts Festival is a summer-long series of music and entertainment that is 100% admission free for the entire community, and operated using sponsorship funds from local businesses. The Festival draws tens of thousands of attendees annually to a diverse array of over 25 outdoor events and performances. The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce’s Festival Committee has been producing the event for the past 25 years.
Photo caption: During a recent press conference at the Chamber Visitor Center, the 2011 Festival Schedule, Performance Lineup, and 25th Anniversary Festival Logo were unveiled. (Courtesy image)

Music Hall Announces Summer Historical Tours

PORTSMOUTH—
The Music Hall, Portsmouth’s landmark Victorian theater and arts center, has announced its schedule for Summer 2011 historical tours. The behind-the-scenes tour of the historic theater, designated An American Treasure, will run on alternate Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., June through September. Running approximately 75 minutes, the tour includes visits to the backstage area where 1901 Vaudeville era “technology” is still in use, the antique front of house dating to 1878, and the enchanting lobby renovated with great flair in 2008.
Arranged and guided by Music Hall Historian Zhana Morris, also the theater’s production manager, the historical tour paints a full picture of the history of the treasured theater, including the tales of sailors who rigged the theater in the late 19th Century, its flashy and famous owners, and stars across three centuries. Its performers have ranged from Mark Twain to Wynton Marsalis and David Crosby; Vaudeville acts with animals to “RENT” the musical and violinist Joshua Bell. Visitors will see the passage of time through the building’s award-winning restorations and renovations, which have brought back details dating back to 1878 and 1901, the hall’s periods of architectural significance.
First stop is the Beaux Arts lobby which has been heralded in the regional and national press as “jaw-dropping” and a “a one-of-a-kind surprise…. a world class space.” The 2,600 sq. ft space, including the box office, lower lobby, restrooms, elevator and coat check, reflects the Beaux Arts beauty of the theater above and showcases the theater’s history in a bold and theatrical way while offering striking 21st century amenities. Since the Lobby opened in September 2008, it has be compared to the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the design of ships that once filled Portsmouth’s harbor, the lushness of turn-of-the-century Colorado gold rush hotels, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The tour continues into the theater’s auditorium and up to its magnificent horseshoe balcony. There the main attractions are the restored decorative paintings on the ceiling dome and the proscenium arch adorned with cherubs – award-winning restorations unveiled to the public in September 2007 and 2006. The extraordinary decorative artistry had been covered over and forgotten for decades, the work of original owners of The Music Hall and artisans from 1878 to 1901. Visitors gain insight into the paintings’ history and their one-of-a-kind discovery in Winter 2007 – a find architectural conservators called “so dramatic, it takes your breath away.”
Finally, visitors are invited backstage to view antique riggings still operating today. Merging a colorful past and present, the tour provides tour-goers with unique perspectives on yesterday, today, and the future of the oldest operating theater in northern New England.
Said Morris, “The artists who come here today are amazed, first, at how beautiful the theater is and, second, how we operate simultaneously in the old world and the new world in terms of technology and architecture. When they see the packed audiences and hear the acoustically perfect sound that comes with our 1878 design, they are even more aware of what a gem The Music Hall is, the ‘beating cultural heart of the New Hampshire Seacoast region.’ Our guest book is full of quotes worthy of framing, from my perspective. All of them encourage us to keep up with our work restoring the theater.”
Historical Tours of The Music Hall will be held on alternate Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.: on June 15, and 29; July 13 and 27; August 10 and 24; Sept 7 and 21 at 5:30 p.m. Tour tickets are $7.50 ($5 member) and can be purchased in advance at www.themusichall.org or at 603-436-2400, or on the day of the tour at the theater’s box office, 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH. Box office hours are noon-6:00pm Monday through Saturday.
Photo caption: The Music Hall in Portsmouth has announced its schedule for the Summer 2011 historical tours. (Photo by Blind Dog Photo, courtesy The Music Hall)

Dover Dines ’11 Restaurant Week: Take a Bite Out of Dover

DOVER—
Dover, NH has claimed its place on the map as a place to find fine dining at a reasonable price. In an effort to promote the fabulous restaurants Dover has to offer, Dover Main Street and the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Reverie Designs and PortsmouthNH.com, along with support from Foster’s Daily Democrat, The Shark, Seacoast Media Group, The Wire and Taste of the Seacoast, are all very excited to announce Dover Dines ’11!
June 4-11th will be a week of fine dining at a great fixed price with each participating restaurant offering a 3-course prix fixe dinner for $15.95 or $21.95; many restaurants will also offer a $7.95 two-course lunch.
“This is a great opportunity for people to get out and rediscover a restaurant they might not have been to in awhile or to support a few of their favorites without breaking the bank,” says Carrie Eisner, program director for Dover Main Street.
With 11 local restaurants participating, from a full range of cuisines and tastes, event organizers and Dover Main Street board members. Mike Cartelli and Martha Mason are looking forward to a successful event. “There really is something for everyone being offered this week. We hope people will take advantage of the event and try a couple of different places throughout the week.”
Restaurants participating are Alexander’s Italian Restaurant, Blue Latitudes, Cartelli’s Bar & Grill, Harvey’s Bakery & Coffee Shop, The Farm Bar & Grille, Krave, Kelley’s Row, La Festa Brick & Brew Pizzeria, Orchard Street Chop Shop, Three Chimney’s Inn and The Weathervane Seafood Restaurant. With participation from most of Dover’s fine restaurants, you are bound to be treated to a great meal at a great price.
Molly Hodgson Smith, Executive Director of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, notes, “It’s the perfect week to come to Dover for dinner with family and friends, or lunch with co-workers. The fixed price menu gives you the opportunity to sample all the unique and interesting restaurants in the city at a very affordable price. Now more than ever, it is important for everyone to be supporting locally owned businesses in our community.”
For more information visit the Dover Dines website dedicated to the event through www.WeShopDover.com or by calling the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce at 603-742-2218 or Dover Main Street at 603-740-6435.
Photo caption: Dover Dines ’11 Restaurant Week Logo (Courtesy image)

Annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament Returns

NEW CASTLE—

The fourth annual Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament for Kids returns June 12, with a brand new category for entrants. The alumni category now allows anyone who fished in any previous Striped Bass Tournament as a youth entrant to participate in this year’s tournament.
The popular catch and release fishing tournament for Striped Bass added a Mackerel division in 2009 to increase the opportunity for success for its youngest participants. Fishing begins at sunrise Sunday, June 12, and concludes with an awards ceremony and entertainment on the Marina docks by 2 p.m. Registration is limited to the first 100 entrants. Thirty-five spots will be available on a Tournament vessel for Mackerel Fishing, on a first come, first serve basis.
Organized and managed by the Little Harbor Charitable Foundation Board, each year the Tournament supports a designated beneficiary organization in service to children and youth on the Seacoast.
This year, Tournament proceeds will build upon the success of a 2010 initiative to expand development and delivery of enrichment service programs and opportunities for children and families living at Cross Roads House and the Portsmouth Housing Authority.
Lead sponsor Mercedes-Benz is joined once again by a number of returning organizations, including Holloway Automotive, WMUR-TV 9, Wentworth Marina, Pro-Mariner, Mark and Eva Stern Foundation, Clear Channel, Bid2Win Software, Inc., Construction Services of NH, Center for Assessment, Actio Corporation, Seacoast Media Group, and many others.
Little Harbor Charitable Foundation is credited with gifting over 57 programs and raising over $1.5 million dollars in support for Seacoast area organizations since 1997.
Sponsor funds, 100% of which is annually channeled directly to the designated beneficiary organization, have subsequently assisted thousands of children with basic health, welfare, education services and crisis care in addition to stimulating interest in and access to the arts and personal enrichment opportunities.
Please visit www.stripertournament.com for additional information and your application.
Photo caption: Pictured is a participant in the original Wentworth Marina Striped Bass Tournament in 2008. The event, now its fourth year, will take place on June 12. (Photo courtesy www.lhcfonline.com)

Museums Open Free to the Public in the Piscataqua Region

PORTSMOUTH/
SOUTH BERWICK, ME—
For over one hundred years, Historic New England has served as the region’s storyteller, opening its doors to share four centuries of New England home and family life. On Saturday, June 4, Historic New England celebrates the 2011 season opening of their historic house museums by welcoming visitors free of charge. Come hear about the people and stories of coastal New Hampshire and Maine as you tour through houses that range from the c.1664 Jackson House in Portsmouth, NH, which chronicles the evolution of rural life over three centuries, to the majestic Colonial Revival interiors of the Hamilton House of South Berwick, ME. Six of Historic New England’s Piscataqua Region museums will offer tours beginning at 11 a.m. and the last tour will start at 4 p.m.
In Exeter, visitors will be welcomed to Historic New England’s Gilman Garrison, 12 Water Street. John Gilman’s 1709 “Logg house by the bridge” was gentrified by his son with a finely ornamented addition c.1770. The interior was restored in the 1950s by direct descendant William Dudley, who opened the house to the public as a private museum.
In Portsmouth, visitors are invited to experience three of Historic New England’s houses. The Rundlet-May House, at 364 Middle Street, is a Federal-style mansion built by merchant James Rundlet in 1807. It is filled with most of its original locally crafted 19th century furniture and a variety of “modern” heating and cooking technologies. The formal garden at Rundlet-May blooms all spring and summer with fruit trees, trellised roses, fragrant peonies, abundant hollyhocks, and vibrant poppies, to name a few, all scattered along narrow pathways original to the 1812 garden plan that survives in the house. The c.1664 Jackson House, 76 Northwest Street, is the oldest surviving wood frame house in northern New England. Visitors at Jackson House will find themselves in the midst of an old two-acre apple orchard overlooking the North Mill Pond, the last surviving orchard in NH that still abuts tidal water. The 1784 Governor Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, home to John Langdon, a signer of the United States Constitution and three-term governor of New Hampshire, is considered to have the best interior carvings to be found north of Boston. The garden of the Governor Langdon House features a 180-foot rose and grape arbor as well as expansive lawns edged by a perennial border, and an intimate shade garden hidden among a stand of mature evergreens.
In South Berwick, the 1774 Sarah Orne Jewett House, 5 Portland Street is not to be missed. Set in the heart of downtown South Berwick, this special home is where the famous 19th century writer spent many years of her life. Visitors can pause in the wide hall on the second floor hallway, by the author’s desk, to look out the center window and imagine Jewett’s artistic inspiration. Also in South Berwick is the c.1785 Hamilton House, 40 Vaughn’s Lane, which was restored at the turn of the century into a romantic summer retreat that draws from the house’s Georgian design and colonial past. Surrounded by beautiful formal gardens, the Hamilton House sits on a high bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River. The interior of the house displays the height of fashion for summer residences at the turn of the 20th century.
In all, thirty-one of Historic New England’s historic house museums will be open free of charge that day. For a full list of sites, please visit www.historicnewengland.org and click on Open House under the Events tab. While visiting Historic New England’s six Piscataqua region historic house museums, plan to check out several other nearby events. Taste the best area restaurants have to offer at the all-you-can-eat 27th annual Chowder Festival in Prescott Park (www.prescottpark.org). Immerse yourself in maritime fun at the free Piscataqua Waterfront Festival, presented by Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden (www.moffattladd.org). Discover the Kids’ Day Festival in downtown South Berwick (sbkidsday.blogspot.com) where free and low cost activities make for a great family-friendly day of games, crafts, a parade, touch-a-truck, free cotton candy, giveaways, and entertainment.
Photo caption: The 1784 Governor Langdon House in Portsmouth is one of the six Historic New England house museums in the Seacoast region that will be open and offering free admission on June 4. (Photo courtesy Historic New England)

Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses Celebrates Anniversary

NEW CASTLE—
This year, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the organization’s founding as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The group will host the first open house of 2011 at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, on May 29, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Visitors are invited to climb to the lantern room to enjoy the magnificent view at the mouth of the Piscataqua River and to see the 18th century lens up close. Volunteers will tell visitors about the history of the light station, and there will be souvenirs for sale.
There are 44 stairs and a 7-rung ladder to the lantern room. Flat shoes (not sandals or flip-flops) are strongly recommended to climb to the top.
No reservations are needed; the guided tours are on a first come, first served basis. Children under 42 inches tall are not permitted to climb to the top, and adults are not permitted to carry children up the stairs.
The admission fee to climb the lighthouse is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Visitors should park outside the gate to Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor and walk to the lighthouse. For more information, visit www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org.
Photo caption: Friends of the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses will host the first open house of 2011 at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse on May 29. (Courtesy photo)