Blue Ribbon Season

Fairs, food, art, theater and more — your guide to fall 2009 prize-worthy arts and entertainment
By Hippo Staff letters@hippopress.com

From livestock competitions to art walks, fall is jam packed with events.

Consider yourself a foodie? Lobster, chili and Oktoberfests are on the menu. Always in the front row of the theater? Check out the big musicals like Cats and Chicago or the edgier productions like The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. Looking for stuff to do with the family? Festivals celebrating the change of season fill the calendar and the agricultural and county fairs offer a chance for your kids to see farm animals without having to visit the farm. And the Tupelo, Music Hall and Capitol Center for the Arts have a full section of music, comedy and more.

Feeling a little sad over the end of summer? Don’t retreat to the barn for the season. Here are all the events that will have you psyched about fall.

Art
Take in the works of many artists at once at these events:

• Find work from about 30 artists and artisans at the Concord Arts Market, in Eagle Square near North Main Street Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from Sept. 12 through Oct. 31 this fall (www.concordartsmarket.com).

• Take a free trolley between galleries, studios and museums during Open Doors Manchester, a quarterly downtown event going on Thursdays, Sept. 17 and Nov. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. Framers Market (1301 Elm St., 668-6989), Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-6650, www.art3gallery.com); Manchester Artists Association’s Gallery (1528 Elm St., Manchester, 785-6437, manchester-artists.org); The Art on the Wall at City Hall Gallery in Manchester’s City Hall (1 City Hall Plaza, 624-6455); creative tenants in Langer Place (55 South Commercial St., www.langerplace.com), including East Colony Fine Arts (624-8833, www.eastcolony.com) and Hatfield Gallery (627-7560, www.hatfieldart.com); majestictheatre.net/opendoors.php.

• The Craftworkers’ Guild Harvest Fair is Oct. 2-11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with crafts from 50 juried regional artisans with selections changing daily at Kendall House, (behind the Bedford Library, 5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, 472-8109).

• Galleries around Portsmouth hold receptions during the monthly “Art ’Round Town.” The next is Friday, Oct. 2, 5-8 p.m. Visit artroundtown.org for participating venues, which often includes the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., 431-4230, www.nhartassociation.org). An NHAA juried exhibit, “The Evolution of Photography,” their 30th annual Parfitt Exhibition, runs through Sept. 25.

• Art Walk Nashua now happens once a year, for two days, and provides a tour of galleries, studios and other venues downtown and in Nashua’s millyard. It’s Saturday, Oct. 3, noon-6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 4, noon-4 p.m. A map is at www.cityartsnashua.org. Previous Art Walks have included Gallery One, the Nashua Area Artists Association gallery space (5 Pine St. Extension, 883-0603, www.naaasite.org); Maison de L’Art (57 East Pearl St., 879-9888, www.moniquesakellarios.com); the Image Gallery at the Nashua Library (2 Court St., www.nashualibrary.org, 589-4610); and several tenants in the Picker Building (99 Factory St. Extension, thepickerbuilding.wordpress.com) including Out on a Limb Pottery Studio (882-8180); Renaissance Glassworks (www.renaissanceglass.com), Art Clay Studios (www.artclaystudio.com); A.W. Emboss; River Art Studio (www.riverartstudios.com); Chimera Gallery (www.chimeragallery.net); Ceasar Fine Art (www.ceaserphotography.com); Sara Prindiville Photography (www.saraprindiville.com) and Warm Stone Studio (www.warmstonestudio.com).

• Visit various show openings during the Art Concord gallery walks Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and Thursday, Dec. 3, 5-8 p.m. (concordnhchamber.com, 224-2508). Participating venues may include Cole Gardens (430 Loudon Road); Franklin Pierce Law Center Gallery (2 White St.); Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 North Main St., 255-3932, www.kimballjenkins.com), which hosts a Wine Tasting Celebration benefit for the school Oct. 1, 5-7 p.m. ($35); League of NH Craftsmen (205 North Main St., 224-3375, www.nhcrafts.org); Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden (236 Hopkinton Road, 226-2046. www.themillbrookgallery.com), which hosts an outdoor sculpture exhibit through Oct. 18; NHTI-Concord’s Community College (31 Institute Drive, 271-7186, www.nhti.edu/library); Red River Theatres (11 South Main St., 224-4600, www.redrivertheatres.org); Sulloway Gallery (19 School St.), and Verdigris Artisans (88 N. Main St., Suite 205, www.verdigrisartisans.com).

• “ART in ACTION” is Oct. 10-11, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., in Londonderry, where artists will be demonstrating in locations including Grange Hall No. 44, at 260 Mammoth Road, and White Birch Fine Art. Nutfield Sessions musicians perform at the Grange Hall on both days 1 to 3 p.m. Visit www.LondonderryCulture.org or call 434-0399.

• The Hollis Fine Art Festival usually features about 80 artists, who work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, graphics and photography, Oct. 17-Oct. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Nichols Field on Depot Road in Hollis. Contact Steve Previte at slpaint@charter.net.

• The Deerfield Arts Tour Oct. 17-18, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is a self-guided tour of studios of more than 15 artists and artisans. Visit www.deerfieldartstour.com or a local business for a map.

• While headquartered in Concord, League of NH Craftsmen members statewide are participating in NH Open Doors, Nov. 7 and 8 during Veterans Day weekend. Find a map at www.nhopendoors.com.

• The new Crafts at the Capitol features fine art and craft from more than 20 artists Sat., Nov. 21, and Sun., Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 South Main St., Concord).

Check out these exhibits now:
• Birds of A Feather – The French Connection, an exhibit of photo and oils created by Lloyd Behrendt, is at the Beliveau Gallery in the Franco-American Centre (52 Concord St., 669-4045, www.francoamericancentrenh.com).

• The New Hampshire Institute of Art faculty exhibit is in their main building and French Building galleries (77 Amherst St. and 148 Concord St., Manchester, 836-2573, nhia.edu) through Oct. 2. Their Art Ex Libris - Artists Book Extravaganza is in their Fuller Hall and Vault Gallery in October with an opening Thursday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m. Other events there include an “FBI Art Theft Program” presentation Sept. 17, 5:30- 7 p.m. See drawings by Jerome Witkin Oct. 7-Nov. 6 with a reception Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., Contemporary American Ceramics Oct. 7-Nov. 6 (reception Oct. 14, 5-7 p.m.), with their Biennial 2009 Nov. 9-Dec. 4, with a reception Nov. 18, 5-7 p.m., or Cape Breton: A Visual Diary, by Gary Samson Nov. 9–Dec. 4, with a reception Nov. 18, 5–7 p.m. Other presentations are from Jerome Witkin on Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.; Gary Kelley on Nov. 5, 5:30-7 p.m.; and Paint Caesar Dead on Nov. 19, 5:30-7 p.m.

• UMass-Lowell assistant professor Jim Jeffers’s intermedia exhibit, “Genii Loci (Ghosts of Protection),” runs through Sept. 25 at the University Gallery at UMass-Lowell, 71 Wilder St., Lowell, Mass. (978-934-3491, www.uml.edu/Dept/Art/galleries). “Lauren Kalman, Blooms, Efflorescences and other Dermatological Embellishments, Installation of Photographs and Objects” is Oct. 5–30, with a reception Oct. 7, 3–5 p.m. Exhibits rotate mainly monthly.

• Watercolors by New Hampshire artists Bill Childs, Becky Darling, Ethel Hills and Fran Mallon at UNH Manchester (400 Commercial St., 641-4306, www.unhm.unh.edu) this semester, with a reception Sept. 17, 5-6 p.m.

• New Hampshire Furniture Masters, their 14th annual auction is Sunday, Sept. 20, with a gala reception and silent auction of smaller works at 6 p.m., and a live auction at 7:30 p.m., at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) Tickets cost $75 in advance and $82.50 at the door (www.furnituremasters.org, 898-0242). View the auction pieces at the Currier and see lectures and demonstrations from the Masters starting Sept. 18. See a free preview exhibit of the work at New Hampshire Historical Society Library (30 Park St., Concord, 228-6688, www.nhhistory.org) through Sept. 16.

Put these exhibits on the calendar (some future exhibits are also listed with exhibits and receptions going on this weekend):

• The Alva deMars Megan Chapel Art Center hosts “A Figural Presence” Sept. 24-Nov. 25 (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, 641-7470, www.anselm.edu/chapelart). An opening reception is Thursday, Sept. 24, 4 – 7 p.m. Related events include four panel discussions, a talk from “Visiting Artist: Michael Bergt, Painter and Sculptor” Thursday, Oct. 1, noon-3 p.m.; “Premiere Performance: Sonata No. 5 by Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee and George Lopez, piano,” Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m.; and “The Night of the Poet F.D. Reeve, Poet, Novelist, and Critic” Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. (Gallery closed Oct. 10-13)

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester, www.currier.org, 669-6144, closed Tuesdays), along with exhibiting American and European works, is featuring a “Spotlight New England” series exhibit of sculpture, paintings and drawings by New Hampshire-based artists Gary Haven Smith and Gerald Auten through Sept. 13 and special exhibit “Turning Wood Into Art: The Jane and Arthur Mason Collection” through Sept. 27. “Evolution of a Shared Vision: The David and Barbara Stahl Collection,” is Sept. 26–Jan. 3, 2010, and features prints and drawings collected over 50 years by these New Hampshire residents. “Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow” is Oct. 10–Jan. 3, 2010, with work by the 20th-century photographer organized by the Phillips Collection. Guided gallery tours are included with admission, such as “Focus Tour – Art and Poetry: The Longevity Tour,” Fri., Sept. 25, at noon, and Sun., Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. Call or see the Web site for others.

The Currier also runs tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Zimmerman House Call 669-6144, ext. 108 for schedule and tickets or visit currier.org. “Zimmerman House Focus Tour – Why Does the Music Sound So Good? An Engineer’s Point of View on Acoustics” is Sunday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m.

• The Beaver Brook “Designs of Nature” art show is Sept. 26-27 and Oct. 2-4, noon-5 p.m., at Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, www.beaverbrook.org).

• The McIninch Art Gallery at Southern New Hampshire University (2500 N. River Road, Manchester, /www.snhu.edu/908.asp, 629-4622) opens “Visage: Portraits by Chris Bartlett and Daniel Heyman” Sept. 24 to Oct. 24 (Closed Oct. 12) with a reception Thursday, Sept. 30, 5-7 p.m. with music from a SNHU student ensemble. “Notes from the Field: Learning Through Service” is Nov. 5 - Dec. 12
(closed Nov. 22-28) with a reception Thursday, Nov. 5, 5-7 p.m.

• Along with classes, Sharon Arts Center (30 Grove St., Peterborough, 924-2787, www.sharonarts.org) holds exhibits. “Heaven and Earth,” multimedia art by Humberto Ramirez of Chile (www.humbertoramirez.net), is there through Oct. 31. “Painting Now: From Periphery to Proliferation,” artists’ forum with Ramirez is Friday, Oct. 2, 5-7 p.m. “Storytime in the Gallery (for Families) is Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 a.m. The Sharon Arts Downtown Galleries in Depot Square, Peterborough, feature artists monthly (924-2787, sharonarts.org).

Books
Here are some of the places hosting bookish events open to the public this fall. Events are free unless otherwise noted.

• The seventh annual Nashua Reads: One City, One Book program is reading Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian, who will speak about how he wrote the book and will take audience questions on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. at the Rivier College Dion Center. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing. A private wine-and-cheese reception with the author, limited to 50 people, will be held before the presentation at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for the presentation and book signing. Attendance at the private reception, which supports the work of the Friends of the Library, costs $25 and includes admission to the presentation and signing. Tickets are available (cash or check only) at NPL; also see order form at the library’s Web site, www.nashua.lib.nh.us.

• The eighth annual Concord Reads is focused on two books, one fiction — Pay it Forward, by Catherine Ryan Hyde — and one nonfiction — The Soloist, by Steve Lopez. There are book discussions scheduled for the fall as well as one showing of each film (both books were made into films) at Red River Theatres in Concord ($5), and several related lectures, programs and panel-audience discussions. See www.onconcord.com/Library for a schedule.

• Toadstool Bookshop in Milford (Lorden Plaza, Route 101A, 673-1734, toadbooks.com) has several author events scheduled, including Ethan Gilsdorf (Fantasy Freaks & Gaming Geeks) on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m.; John Clayton (Remembering Manchester) on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m.; Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (The Hidden Life of Deer) on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 11 a.m.; Katrina Kenison (The Gift of an Ordinary Day) on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 2 p.m.; poet Martha Hall (My Side of the Street) on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m.; and romance writers Roxanne Dent (American Heiress) and Gregory L. Norris (writing as Jo Atkinson, Twilight’s Edge) on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m. The Toadstool shops in Peterborough and Keene also have many author visits scheduled; see the list online.

• The New Hampshire Humanities Council co-sponsors In Character, a series of living history portrayals at the Nashua Public Library theater. Richard A. Hesse brings Chief Justice John Marshall to life, circa 1835, on Monday, Sept. 14, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Abraham and Mary Lincoln are portrayed by Steve and Sharon Wood on Monday, Sept. 21, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and Gwedolyn Quezaire-Presulti portrays Sarah Harris, A Woman of Color struggling to reach her goal of opening a school for Africa-American children, on Mon., Sept. 28, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Gibson’s Bookstore (27 South Main St. in Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several author visits lined up for the fall, including Katrina Kenison (The Gift of an Ordinary Day) on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.; Howard Dean (Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform) on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m.; Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (The Hidden Life of Deer) on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.; Andre Dubus III (The House of Sand and Fog, The Garden of Last Days) on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m.; Archer Mayor (The Price of Malice) on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., and several children’s authors. See the full list online.

• Learn about Old and Rare Books with Ken Gloss, owner of Brattle Book Shop in Boston (brattlebookshop.com), the nation’s oldest continuously operated bookshop. He’ll give a talk on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Pembroke public library, 313 Pembroke St. in Pembroke. The public is invited to bring old books for a free verbal appraisal.

• Ponder the History of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with Gary Hildreth on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Milford Town Hall’s banquet hall (1 Union Square), sponsored by the Milford Historical Society.

• The American History Guys of BackStory Radio (backstoryradio.org) present a discussion of Star Quality: Celebrity in America at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Luncheon at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 11:45 a.m. Cost is $30 including lunch; reserve tickets at concordnhchamber or call 224-2508 for info. Sponsored by NH Humanities Council.

• Time magazine columnist Joe Klein presents the Voices from the Stage lecture on Friday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. at Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord (44 S. Main St., 225-1111, ccanh.com). Klein is the author of Primary Colors; The Running Mate; The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton; and Politics Lost: How American Politics was Trivialized by People Who Think You’re Stupid. Ticket prices are $12.50, $30, $60.

• The Manchester City Library holds a big Book Sale at its main branch (405 Pine St., 624-6550) on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Pay $5 to fill one a library-provided bag with books. Then, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., another sale will offer uncommon books and other unique materials. Updates on plans for that sale will be posted at manchesterlibrary.org.

• Writers on a New England Stage returns for another season at The Music Hall in Portsmouth (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 436-2400, www.themusichall.org). The series features artists interviewed on stage, with an audience q&a session following. The season begins with a visit from E.L. Doctorow on Wed., Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Subsequent shows are Tracy Kidder on Mon., Oct. 19; Barbara Kingsolver on Tues., Nov. 3; Stephen King on Tues., Dec. 1; Greg Mortenson on Fri., Dec. 4, and Jodi Picoult on Wed., March 31, 2010. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. and cost $13 ($11 for Music Hall or NHPR members).

• The Fall 2009 Books in the Mill series at UNH at Manchester (400 Commercial St., Manchester, unhm.unh.edu) focuses on works by authors from around the world. Monthly book discussions are held in the library mezzanine conference room at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Oct. 1: Sarajevo Marlboro by Miljenko Jergovic. Nov. 5: The Circle of Karma, by Kunzang Chodhen. Dec. 10: Yoruba Girl Dancing, by Simi Bedford.

• Salman Rushdie will be the keynote speaker at the New Hampshire Humanities Council’s 20th annual dinner gala Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Radisson Center of New Hampshire in Manchester. Tickets to the gala cost $100. See nhhc.org or call 224-4071.

• Area Barnes & Noble (bn.com) stores have some author events planned as well. In Manchester (1741 South Willow St., 668-5557), Elizabeth Marshall Thomas signs The Hidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. In Portsmouth (Fox Run Crossings, 45 Gosling Road, Newington, 422-7733), Dennis Lehane signs The Given Day on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.

• The Tucker Free Library Bookfest is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations of books in saleable condition are being accepted at the library during regular business hours. No textbooks, encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest Condensed Books or magazines will be accepted. You may reserve a flea market space for $10 to sell your goods by calling the library (428-3471); payment must be received at time of reservation, space is limited .

• Marianne O’Connor presents a slide show of Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire on Tuesday, Oct, 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Historical Society, 5 Abbott St., Nashua, 883-0015. She’ll also be at the Barnes & Noble in Nashua (235 DW Highway, 888-0533) on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. to sign books.

• The New Hampshire Writers’ Project presents the 2009 New Hampshire Literary Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosted by New Hampshire Public Radio’s Virginia Prescott, at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. Awards are given for outstanding children’s literature, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, lifetime achievement, and poetry. See nhwritersproject.org.

• Steve and Sharon Wood perform Our National Thanksgiving, a first-person historical presentation in which Sarah Hale tells of her 30-year effort to have Thanksgiving made a national holiday, then President Lincoln reads the official proclamation, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Historical Society, 5 Abbott St., Nashua, 883-0015.

• There’s plenty of poetry to be had in the area this fall. Hyla Brook Poets Workshops meet on the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m.; meetings are at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry (122 Rockingham Road, Route 28) through September, then return to the Coffee Factory in Derry. The Poetry Society of New Hampshire meets regularly at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord; they’ll have a reading featuring Martha Donovan, followed by an open mike, on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. The Bridge Café in Manchester (1117 Elm St., 647-9991) hosts the Slam Free or Die open-mike poetry slam many Friday nights ($3 cover charge); for exact dates visit myspace.com/bridgepoetryopenmic. And the Stone Church (5 Granite St.) in Newmarket offers Zion Hill Poetry Readings, hosted by poets Beau Williams and Ari Cameron of Dover, on the second Tuesday of every month, with an open mike from 7 to 8 p.m. and a full bar and menu until 11 p.m.

Comedy
• The Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com, will host Bob Marley (Oct. 3), Justin McKinney (Oct. 24), Loretta LaRoche (Oct. 30) and Paula Poundstone (Nov. 13). Justin McKinney will also be at the Music Hall in Portsmouth and the Colonial Theatre in Keene.

• Bill Cosby will perform two shows at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 Merrimack St. in Lowell, Mass., www.lowellauditorium.com, on Saturday, Dec. 5.

• The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, 436-2400, www.themusichall.org, will feature Justin McKinney (Sept. 12), The Second City (Sept. 25), Stephen Lynch (Nov. 13) and Chipper Lowell (Nov. 27-28; kids’ comedy & magic).

• The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, www.palacetheatre.org, will feature performances from Karen Morgan (Oct. 10), The News in Revue (Oct. 12), Lenny Clarke (Oct. 16) and Jimmy Dunn’s Comedy (Nov. 21).

• The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St. in Manchester, 625-0246, www.theshaskeen.com, hosts an open-mike comedy night on Wednesdays.

• The Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, tupelohall.com, 437-5100, will feature George Hamm, Joe Wong and Ryan Gartley for a night of comedy on Oct. 23.

Fairs & Festivals
• The Rochester Fair is at the Rochester Fairgrounds from Friday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 27. General admission is $7 for adults weekdays and $8 for adults weekends; children under 10 years old free with an adult, seniors (over 60) $5. Tuesdays are kids’ days and admission between noon and 3 p.m. is $2. Wednesday is Rochester day and ticket prices are $4 all day. Parking costs $2 (except for cars with disabled plates). Call 332-6585 or see www.rochesterfair.com.

• The Auburn Town Fair is Saturday, Sept. 19, featuring a duck race, pony rides, face painting, clowns making balloon animals, live music, a barnyard petting zoo, hot air balloon rides, bounce houses and evening fireworks. Tickets cost $5.

• Litchfield’s 275th Anniversary celebration is Saturday, Sept. 19. The morning’s activities kick off with a parade, followed by historical programming and entertainment at notable town buildings such as the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library (269 Charles Bancroft Hwy), Litchfield Community Church Presbyterian, and the Old Meeting House, which currently is the home of the Litchfield Historical Society. The celebration moves to the elementary school grounds (229 Charles Bancroft Hwy) in the early afternoon, and will feature games, refreshments, music, demonstrations and much more. Visit litchfield-nh.gov.

• The Laconia Athletic & Swim Club (North Main Street, Laconia) hosts the WOW Festival (Winnipesauke-Opechee-Winnisquam) on Saturday, Sept. 19, with bicycle rides (a 67.2-mile ride around “The Big Lake” starts at 7:30 a.m. and costs $50; a 15-mile ride around Paugus Bay starts at 10 a.m. and costs $50), a fun walk (2.5 miles at 11:30 a.m.; $20), live music, barbecue, kids’ activities and more. The barbecue and activities only run from noon to 3 p.m. and costs $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Register at www.wowtrail.com.

• The Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road in Canterbury, shakers.org, will hold a variety of events this fall (including their schedule of cooking classes). Special events include the 23rd Annual Wood Day Festival on Sept. 26 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) featuring textile demonstrations, hands-on activities, a look at fiber producing animals and more, and an Antique Show on Sept. 27 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m).

• Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Education and Cultural Center (18 Highland Road, Warner, 456-2600, www.indianmuseum.org) will hold its 18th annual Harvest Moon Festival on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with games, kids’ activities, craft demonstrations, entertainment and food. Grace’s Kitchen will sell lunch featuring popular Native foods. Admission costs $7 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 12 and $20 for a family (museum members receive discounts). A museum tour is included in the price of an admission.

• The 133rd Deerfield Fair, held at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, runs from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 4. General admission is $8 for adults, free for children under 12 years old. Seniors (over 60) are $5 on Thursday and Friday. Bracelet days are Friday and Sunday, offering unlimited rides for $20. Call the Derrfield Fair Association at 463-7421 or see www.deerfieldfair.com for a map and detailed schedule of events.

• Apple Harvest Day in Dover is Saturday, Oct. 3, hosted by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Dover. The day includes a pancake breakfast, music, dancers, carnival games and rides, a petting zoo, raffles, pony rides and an apple pie baking contest. On Friday, Oct. 2, there is an evening concert by Don Campbell Band. The Apple Harvest Day 5K Road Race begins Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. in downtown Dover on First Stree; registration costs $17 for adults, $12 for children 15 and under, and registration closes Wednesday, Sept. 30, at noon. Call 742-2218. See www.dovernh.org.

• The Warner Fall Foliage Festival is Columbus Day weekend, Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11. Enjoying autumn colors plus food, entertainment, carnival rides and fine crafts along the main streets of Warner. Visit wfff.org.

• Concord holds a “Scarecow on Main” contest on Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. The cost to enter is $5, due before Sept. 15. Build your own scarecrow with provided materials; awards will be given in different categories. See www.mainstreetconcord.com or call 226-2150.

• The Children’s Museum of NH (6 Washington St., Dover, 742-2002, www.childrens-museum.org) hosts a Not-So-Spooky Spectacular event Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including a bat cave from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; science experiences with the Wacky Scientist at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; non-food trick-or-treating; costumes; face painting, and art projects. Admission costs $8 per person ($7 for seniors; free for museum members and children under age one).

• Bring the kids in costume to downtown Concord for the Halloween Howl on Friday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Statehouse plaza. There will be trick-or-treating, horse-drawn wagon rides (beginning and ending at the corner of Capitol and Main streets, $2 per person) and a costume parade (line up at 6 p.m.). Visit www.mainstreetconcord.com.

Food & Drink
Here are some of the groups hosting delicious events this fall.

• The Alphorn Bistro at the Inn at Danbury offers special meals throughout the season. Next up is the Oktoberfest beer dinner on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 5:30 p.m. The evening will feature five courses paired with beers. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the Inn will host a 6th Annual Oktoberfest Wine Dinner — five courses paired with wines. Holiday bakers can get a jump on cookie making at the 4th Annual German Cookie Making Classes, Nov. 22 through Dec. 13 (noon to 2 p.m., $25 per person). See www.innatdanbury.com.

• Keep an eye on the Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Road off Route 101 in Bedford, 472-2001, www.bedfordvillageinn.com, which regularly features special wine dinners (Thursday, Sept. 10, for example will feature a Sopranos Dinner featuring The Sopranos label Italian wines and Italian dishes as well as a chance to meet Vincent Pastore and John Ventimiglia, who played Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero and Artie Bucco on The Sopranos). The Inn will have more details in the coming weeks about its holiday dinners. See the sample menu and reservation information for its Thanksgiving dinner (noon to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26) online.

• Area farmers’ markets usually run through mid-October. See the list weekly in Hippo’s food section or at www.nhfma.org.

• Great American Downtown (greatamericandowntown.org) will see Nashua’s two downtown farmers’ markets continue into October. The Friday market is in the School Street Parking Lot (see a map online) from 2 to 6 p.m. and runs until Oct. 30. The Main Street Bridge market is on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and runs through Oct. 18. (Nashua has a third farmers market on Tuesdays, 2 to 6 p.m., at 48 W. Hollis St.). Fall Feast Week, similar to the Spring Feast where restaurants offered special menus and deals, is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 23.

• IncrediBREW, 112 DW Hwy., Nashua, 891-2477, www.incredibrew.com, will give beer- and wine-lovers a chance to taste and make drinks that go with seasonal foods. Events on the schedule so-far include the Amber Alefest on Sept. 17, Oktoberfest (featuring the pretzels of German John from Hillsborough) on Oct. 7, Red Red Wine Fest on Sept. 18 and a night dedicated to Italian white wines on Sept. 23. Call to reserve a spot at events.

• The Quill is the new name for the restaurant run by Southern New Hampshire University’s culinary students. Head to the university (2500 N. River Road in Manchester) for lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays or dinner on Thursdays, starting Sept. 17. Dinner costs $25 per person for a multi-course meal to which you can BYO beer or wine. See the menu schedule at www.snhu.edu/restaurant.

• The Wine Society (18 Pondview Place in Tyngsboro, Mass., 978-649-8993; 650 Amherst St. #9 in Nashua, 883-4114; www.winesociety.us) has several upcoming events for your wine-tasting pleasure. Blind @ UnWine’d starts up again for the season on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at UnWine’d, 865 Second St. in Manchester, www.unwined.net. The cost is $25; call 625-9463 to RSVP. The Connoisseur Workshop (a six-week session for wine lovers who want to advance their knowledge) starts Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. The cost is $225 for the workshop ($200 for Society members), which is held at the Tyngsboro store. Call 883-4114 to RSVP. The Society will also start monthly book club meetings in September where a wine-related book will be discussed along with a tasting of related wines. The schedule of books includes The House of Mondavi by Julia Flynn Siler on Sept. 17, Romancing the Vine by Alan Tardi on Oct. 8; Wine & War by Donald Kladstrup & Petie Kladstrup on Nov. 12. For more information and to RSVP, call 883-4114 or e-mail info@winesociety.us. And check with the society for regular tastings and flight nights.

Here are some more food events to keep your tummy full this fall.

• Glendi! The annual food festival at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St. in Manchester, will run Friday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 20. Come early to stock up on pastries or (and?) come for the dinner plate or the gyros. Admission is free but bring cash for the food.

• New Hampshire Fish & Lobster Festival in Portsmouth will run Saturday, Sept. 19, from noon to 4 p.m. in Prescott Park. The event will celebrate fishing in the state and offer a taste of fresh seafood prepared by local chefs. Admission will be free with seafood tasting for $3 per sample. See www.prescottpark.org.

• The Bow Community Men’s Club will hold its annual Lobst’a Fest on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bow Community Building, 2 Knox Road in Bow. Tickets for a meal cost $22 and include a lobster, a bowl of fresh steamers, clam chowder, corn on the cob, gingerbread cake and lemonade. To purchase tickets, call Paul Hammond at 225-4225, Charlie Griswold at 228-9621, Dick Welch at 225-5862 or Kirk Hemphill at 731-8392. Purchase tickets on or before Sept. 24.

• The annual Empty Bowls event to benefit New Horizons for New Hampshire is Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Brookside Church, 2013 Elm St. in Manchester, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests choose and buy a bowl of soup for $20 (lower price for kids.) See www.newhorizonsfornh.org.

• Apple Harvest Day in Dover will be Saturday, Oct. 3, and hosted by the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Dover. The day includes a pancake breakfast, music, dancers, carnival games and rides, a petting zoo, raffles, pony rides and an apple pie baking contest. 742-2218. See www.dovernh.org.

• Prescott Park Arts Festival will hold the New Hampshire Brew Fest 2009 on Oct. 3, noon to 3 p.m. or 5 to 8 p.m. (entrants must choose one session) at Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $35 on the day of the event. Sample a variety of brews and listen to live music. See www.brewnh.com.

• On Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11:30 a.m., it’s the WHEB Chili Cook-Off & Fall Festival at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth. The cost is $15 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under. Sample the chili of several area restaurants competing to have their chili named the best. See www.prescottpark.org.

• Oktoberfest: A Taste of Germany will be held at Rivier College in the Dion Center on Clement Street in Nashua, Oct. 10, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy German-style food paired with German beers and wines. Tickets cost $50 per person. Call 897-8521 or e-mail mbollinger@rivier.edu.

• Taste of Concord will be Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center. Area restaurants will give out samples of their best menu items, with proceeds to benefit the Boy & Girls Club. Plus, the night will feature the second annual Granite State Throw Down competition, when the Granite Restaurant and Bar competes against the Barley House to see who can one-up the other’s signature dish. Tickets are $30. Call 224-1061 or go to www.tasteofconcord.com.

• The 14th Annual New England Craft & Specialty Food Fair Nov. 13-15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. is at Rockingham Park Racetrack (79 Rockingham Park Blvd., Salem). Call 332-2616 or see www.castleberryfairs.com, $5 per adult, under 14 admitted free.

Music
Here’s a look at some of the nationally touring musicians headed to southern New Hampshire in the fall. Go online for complete schedules and ticket information. Look for musical performances at clubs, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and more in the Music This Week listing in Hippo’s Nite section.

• The Dana Center, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester, www.anselm.edu/dana, will feature musical performances including The Gleason-Brown Quintet (Oct. 3), Chic Gamine & DeTemps Antan (Oct. 16), The Barra MacNeils (Dec. 4), DecemberSong (Dec. 5) and Ying Quartet (Dec. 8).

• The Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com, will host the Indigo Girls (Oct. 4), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Oct. 9), Brian Wilson (Nov. 3) and Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson (Oct. 23).

• Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St. in Keene, 352-2033, www.thecolonial.org, will host the Blues Blowout with Johnny Winter Band, The James Montgomery Blues Band featuring J. Geils and the Uptown Horns on Sept. 25. Other shows include Manhattan Transfer (Oct. 9), Keene Chamber Orchestra (Oct. 11) and ABBAMania (Nov. 5).

• The Granite State Symphony Orchestra will play two shows before the holiday season at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord, www.gsso.org, 226-4776. On Oct. 10, it’s “Old World and the New” featuring works from Mozart and Copland. On Nov. 7, “The Winds of November” will feature works of Mozart, Strauss, Stravinsky and Dvorak.

• Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton Beach, 929-4100, www.casinoballroom.com, continues through the fall with Eddie Money, Ernie & The Automatics (Sept. 18), The Disco Biscuits with The Brew (Oct. 8), Social Distortion (Oct. 15), Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys with Buddy Miller (Oct. 16), A.F.I. with Gallows (Oct. 17) and Gov’t Mule with Jackie Green (Oct. 30).

• Lakes Region Opera Company (www.lakesregionopera.com) will present New Hampshire Opera Idol, Nov. 6-8, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Concord. The final round is Nov. 8, at the Concord City Auditorium.

• Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 Merrimack St. in Lowell, Mass., www.lowellauditorium.com, will feature Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan and Hard Kaur (Oct. 2); Newsboys with special guests Seventh Day Slumber and Bread of Stone (Oct. 9); Foreigner (Oct. 17); Michael W. Smith with Matt Maher, Phil Stacey and Meredith Andrews (Nov. 1); Brian Wilson (Nov. 12); Jim Brickman (Nov. 14); and Dark Star Orchestra (Nov. 21).

• The Middle NH Arts & Entertainment Center, located in the Franklin Opera House, 316 Central St. in Franklin, 934-1901, www.themiddlenh.org, will feature the ArtsFest Showcase (musicians Qwill, Revelation, Justin Jaymes and Manchuka) on Sept. 19, Latin American and Spanish guitar and wine on Oct. 17, North Sea Gas on Oct. 2 and Don Watson & Friends on Dec. 5.

• The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, 436-2400, www.themusichall.org, will feature musical performers including Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers (Sept. 29), Rufus Wainwright (Oct. 2), Keb Mo (Oct. 14), Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (Nov. 10), Neko Case (Nov. 12), and The Event (downtown dance party) on Nov. 20.

• The Nashua Chamber Orchestra will present “Windswept” on Nov. 14, at 8 p.m., at the Nashua Senior Activity Center, 70 Temple St. in Nashua, and Nov. 15, at 3 p.m., at Milford Town Hall, 1 Union Square in Milford, $8-$15, children under 12 admitted for free. Call 554-6164 or see nco-music.org.

• Nashua Symphony Orchestra (www.nashuasymphony.org) has concerts this fall including “Uncommon Folk” featuring cellist Sergey Antonov Oct. 17, at 8 p.m., at the Keefe Auditorium, Elm Street Middle School, 117 Elm St., Nashua, 595-9156, and “Awake, My Soul” featuring the symphony and chorus on Nov. 21, at 8 p.m., also at the Keefe Auditorium. “Majesty of Brass” will feature the Nashua Symphony Brass Quintet, on Oct. 18, at 3 p.m., at First Church of Nashua, 1 Concord St. in Nashua, www.firstchurchnashua.org. A Concertmaster Trio of the Nashua Symphony Orchestra will play Nov. 15, at 3 p.m., also at First Church of Nashua.

• New Hampshire Philharmonic (www.nhphil.org) will offer shows this season including Sunday Classics with Beethoven and more (featuring violinist Esther Kim) on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Palace Theatre.

• The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, 668-5588, www.palacetheatre.org, will feature Los Lonely Boys, Alejandro Escovedo and special guest (Oct. 14), The Kingston Trio (Oct. 17), and Stayin’ Alive — One Night of the Bee Gees (Oct. 23).

• The Tsongas Arena, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Lowell, Mass., 978-848-6900, www.paultsongasarena.com, will Tiësto In Concert — Kaleidoscope World Tour on Oct. 1.

• The Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, tupelohall.com, 437-5100, has dozens of shows scheduled for the next few months. Highlights include Al Kooper Rockabilly Trio (Sept. 19), Marcy Playground (Sept. 23), Shemeika Copeland (Sept. 27), (Nick Lowe (Oct. 9), Blues Harmonica Blowout (Oct. 10), Johnny A (Oct. 17), Dar Williams (Oct. 18), Cheryl Wheeler (Oct. 30), Willy Porter (Nov. 8), The Fools (Nov. 14), Enter the Haggis (Nov. 20), Shawn Colvin (Nov. 21), Tom Rush (Dec. 4), John Oates with Pete Huttlinger (Dec. 5) and The Subdudes (Dec. 6).

• Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St. in downtown Manchester, www.verizonwirelessarena.com, will feature American Idol top 10 finalists (Sept. 15), So You Think You Can Dance (Sept. 20), Australian Pink Floyd (Oct. 25) Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Nov. 15) and Mannheim Steamroller (Dec. 7).

Theater
Find work from local and visiting professional companies:

• Merrimack Repertory Theatre opens their season of professional work with a world premiere of Flings & Eros, “a new vaudevillian romp” by the Flying Karamazov Brothers. The four brothers play all the parts, “as they rehearse scenes from their reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,” according to a Merrimack Rep press release. Previews ($23-$31) continue through Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. Flings & Eros continues Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. (opening night – there’s a champagne toast) through Sept. 30 ($34-$56), with performances Wednesday through Sunday at 50 East Merrimack St. in Lowell, Mass. (978-654-4678, www.merrimackrep.org). Student tickets cost $15. Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer, a story of Ireland, the sea and redemption via an all-night poker game involving plenty of drinking, was nominated for four Tony awards. Merrimack Rep presents it Oct. 15 through Nov. 8. Heroes, by Gerald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard ,is a regional premiere of a story about World War I veterans 40 years later in a veterans’ home Nov. 19 through Dec. 13.

• The ACT ONE “Festival of Fun” includes concerts and performances such as Susan Poulin’s Shutting Up Peggy Lee through Oct. 3 at the West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St., Portsmouth ($17-$19). See the schedule at www.actonenh.org or call 300-2986.

• The summer stock company Peterborough Players (founded in 1933) finishes a run of Copenhagen, a drama by Michael Frayn, Sept. 13. They close their season with the The SantaLand Diaries, a comedy by David Sedaris adapted by Joe Montello Sept. 16 through Sept. 27. Performances are mostly Tuesday or Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m., at 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough, 924-7585, www.peterboroughplayers.org ($38-$45. Student rush $15. “Rush for all” $15 on the first Thursday of each show).

• Manchester’s historic Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, www.palacetheatre.org, hosts music, comedy, dance and presents their own professional musical season. Forever Plaid, a 1950s revue runs Sept. 18 through Oct. 3 at the Palace ($15-$45), part of the Citizens Bank Performing Arts Series. Next in that season is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 14. In between, there’s the Palace’s third annual Wine Tasting & Live Auction Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m.

• Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents Altar Boyz, a recent off-Broadway favorite, from Sept. 18 through Oct. 11. Ken Ludwig farce, Lend Me a Tenor, runs from Oct. 23 through Nov. 15 at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth, ($15-$42, www.seacoastrep.org, 433-4472).

• The Dana Center at Saint Anselm College hosts visiting and college performances on the campus at 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, 641-7700, www.anselm.edu/dana. The Martha Graham Dance Company (Graham was known for her impact on modern dance) performs there Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. (with an information session on “Contemporary Dance in America and the History of Martha Graham Dance Company” at 3 p.m., call 641-7710) ($6-$34.50). New Art Theatre/Living Classics Series presents the world’s great plays under the artistic direction of Robert Shea (also the Dana Center director), normally for educational institutions. See a public New Art performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. ($6-$23.50). The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats perform Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. ($6-$27.50). The college’s Anselmian Abbey Players produce As You Like It, by William Shakespeare Thursday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. ($6-$12).

• The national Broadway tour of Camelot comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 South Main St., Concord, ccanh.com, 225-1111, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The musical “follows the love triangle of King Arthur, his queen, Guenevere, and the young Lancelot,” ($12.50-$75). The Stepcrew, Celtic-inspired music and dance, visits Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. ($12.50-$45). Cirque Mechanics Birdhouse Factory includes former Cirque Du Soleil and Pickle Family Circus members Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m.

Ghostlight Theatre Co. of New England presents Psycho Beach Party, in which a perky teenage surfer-wannabee suffers from multiple personality disorder, as part of the Capitol Center’s Spotlight Café series. See performances Nov. 14, at 7 or 10 p.m., or Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ($15-$20). There’s a cash bar and concessions at this show.

• The Laramie Project, 10 Years Later is an epilogue to The Laramie Project focusing on the long-term effect of the murder of Matthew Shepard. The professional Yellow Taxi Productions is one theater in more than 100 cities premiering this play Oct. 12 (see www.tectonictheaterproject.org). YTP’s performance is Monday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m., at the Hunt Building, 6 Main St., Nashua, www.yellowtaxiproductions.org. Suzanne Delle directs. YTP is also offering their Lunch Box Series of free workshops one Tuesday per month, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m., at the Nashua Library, 2 Court St. “Opera vs. Theatre” is led by Josiah George Sept. 22. “Staging the New Play” is led by Suzanne Delle Oct. 13.

• Houston Ballet II visits the Johnson Theatre, at the UNH Paul Creative Arts Center, 30 Academic Way, Durham, 862-2290, www.unh.edu/celebrity, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m., as part of the UNH Celebrity Series ($10-$30).

• Professionals New Hampshire Theatre Project produce Edward Albee’s surreal Seascape Nov. 13 through Nov. 29, at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth, www.nhtheatreproject.org, 431-6644 ($15-$22). Blair Hundertmark directs.

Some companies or venues are dedicated to local original work:

• Catch a Prairie Home Companion-ish live Frost Heaves performance. Fred Marple is your guide to the rural New Hampshire town of Frost Heaves in these comic variety shows. A special “An Evening with Fred Marple” event is Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. at the Merrimack Library. It’s free, but call 424-5021 to reserve a seat. The fall shows are Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. Visit frostheaves.com for updates or to see video from Fred Marple.

• Image Theater produces original plays by New England writers. They premiere a preview of Impasto, an insider look at art commerce, by Regina Eliot Ramsey, in collaboration with the Whistler House Museum of Art, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m., at the Whistler, 243 Worthen St., Lowell, Mass. Visit www.whistlerhouse.org or call 978-452-7641 to reserve seats; $20 suggested donation. Image Theater’s popular “Keep Your Kids at Home Naughty Readings” is scheduled for Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. upstairs at The Old Court in Lowell, with tickets available soon at www.imagetheater.com.

• Specializing in providing a venue for original work and local theater companies, the Players’ Ring, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth, 436-8123, www.playersring.org, closes a thriller set on a submarine, Crush Depth, written and directed by Jacquelyn Benson, Sept. 20. Darwin’s Waiting Room presents “Night of Comedy,” sketch comedy written and directed by Eric Doucet, from Sept. 25 through Oct. 11. Rolling Die Productions presents Serving His Master, by Players’ Ring founder, F. Gary Newton, directed by Todd Hunter, from Oct. 16 through Nov. 1. Phylloxera Productions presents Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Gary Locke, from Nov. 6 through Nov. 22. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. ($8-$12).

Several community companies offer fall productions:

• Nashua Theatre Guild presents Steel Magnolias, set in a Louisiana beauty salon, Sept. 24, through Sept. 26, at 8 p.m., and Sept. 27, at 2 p.m., at the Jan Streeter Theater at 14 Court St., Nashua, www.nashuatheatreguild.org, 320-2530 ($10-$12).

• Bedford Off Broadway is scheduled to produce the Larry Shue comedy about that painfully awkward friend, The Nerd, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., from Oct. 16 through Oct. 24, at the Bedford Old Town Hall, Meetinghouse and Bedford Center roads in Bedford (www.bedfordoffbroadway.com).

• Charlie overhears plenty when fellow guests at a Georgia fishing lodge are told he doesn’t speak English in Larry Shue’s The Foreigner. Milford Area Players presents this at the Amato Center, 56 Mont Vernon Road, Milford, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., from Oct. 16 through Oct. 25 ($7-$12, www.milfordareaplayers.org).

• The Manchester Community Theatre Players produce The King and I, by Rodgers & Hammerstein Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 18, at 2 p.m.; Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m.; and Oct. 25, at 2 p.m., directed by Alan Kaplan, at the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire Theatre, 698 Beech St., Manchester (800-838-3006, manchestercommunitytheatre.com).

• The Peacock Players youth educational company produce James & the Giant Peach from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from Nov. 13 through Nov. 22 at the 14 Court St. Theater in Nashua (886-7000, peacockplayers.org). They host a “Taste of Broadway” benefit auction and dinner, Friday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m., featuring a Broadway Idol contest at the Courtyard Marriott in Nashua ($25-$45).

• StageCoach Productions, presents the true story of a Kentucky man, Floyd Collins, a musical by Adam Guettel, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m., Oct. 24, at 8 p.m., and Oct. 25, at 2 p.m., at 14 Court St., Nashua (www.stagecoachproductions.org, 320-3780, $15-$18).

• In their second season, Theatre KAPOW presents Alone: Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, an adaptation of Poe’s work, written and newly revised by founding tKAPOW member Brian Kennedy. It includes The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado, and poems The Raven and Annabel Lee. See it Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dana Center or Oct. 29 or Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre, at Pinkerton Academy in Derry. Visit www.tkapow.com for details or call 437-5210.

• Best Foot Forward Productions is scheduled to present Chicago from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15 at Central High School, 207 Lowell Road, Manchester (bestfootforwardproductions.org, bffproductions@comcast.net, 641-6066). Their offshoot, Dark Side Productions, is scheduled to produce Isles in the Moon, by Jeff Symes, from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 at Central High.

• The Leddy Center (30C Ladd’s Lane, Epping, leddycenter.org, 679-2781) produces Charlie & the Chocolate Factory from Oct. 30 through Nov. 15 ($18).

• See Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf when M&M Productions produces it Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., from Nov. 6 through Nov. 14 at Bedford Old Town Hall (www.mandmp.com, 320-1431). Deb Shaw directs.

• The Actorsingers of Nashua have been producing musicals since 1955. Their fall show this year is Anything Goes, with music by Cole Porter, Nov. 13 through Nov. 15 at the Keefe Auditorium, 117 Elm St. in Nashua (www.actorsingers.org, 889-9691).

• The Acting Loft has a performance of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s musical A Man Of No Importance, scheduled for Nov. 13 through Nov. 15 at 516 Pine St., Manchester, 666-5999, www.actingloft.org. Alfie Byrne, a bus driver in 1964 Dublin, is harboring a secret. Acting Loft’s new Grooing the Doop sketch comedy troupe performs Sept. 18 and Sept. 19.

• The Majestic Theatre performs the musical adaption of Charles Dickens’ Oliver! from Nov. 13 through Nov. 22 at 281 Cartier St., Manchester, 669-7469, www.majestictheatre.net ($12-$16)

Find out what’s going on at these local venues:

• The Greater Derry Arts Council at the Adams Memorial Opera House, 29 West Broadway, Derry, DerryArts.TicketLeap.com, 437-0505, kicks of Derryfest weekend with “Derry’s Got Talent,” Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. ($5-$7). Band showcases “Jam Night” are Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. ($10), Oct. 23 and Nov. 20. The new Theatre Sports Comedy Improv series in which the audience provides material for improv teams start Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., and continue Oct. 3, Nov. 11 and Nov. 21 ($10-$12). The Opera House will be used as a radio sound stage to re-create the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. ($10-$12).

• Now known as the Middle New Hampshire Arts & Entertainment Center, the Franklin Opera House at 16 Central St., Franklin, themiddlenh.org, 934-1901, is kicking off the season with their ArtsFest Showcase of theater, dance and music Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. ($13-$17). Franklin Footlight Theatre presents musical Sweet Charity there Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. from Nov. 13 through Nov. 21 plus 3 p.m. on Nov. 21.

• The Concord City Auditorium serves as a stage for a number of local performers and events. The theatrical ones include the 1944 Big Band Comedy Canteen, sponsored by Walker Lecture Series. Betty Thomson directs the Community Players of Concord in this musical revue of a World War II radio show, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Sept. 27 at 9:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. Admission is free (225-9004).

Check out a staged reading of Less Rosenthal of Goffstown’s new play Gideon, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m., at the start of the Audi’s second season of Page to Stage. The new monthly series is supported by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and admission is free (225-2164 or 225-6497).

The Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theatre Project presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Oct. 16 at 7 p.m., and Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. ($8, 224-4905, www.communityplayersofconcord.org).

Catch the farce Noises Off which runs Oct. 22 through Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., presented by local company R.B. Productions ($12-$15, www.rbproductions.org, 225-7779, cklose63@comcast.net).

The Miss Capital Area scholarship pageant is Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. ($10, 622-5405, misscapitalarea@comcast.net).

The Walker Lecture Series sponsors Tim Sample’s “Maine Humor” Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m., with free admission.

Community Players of Concord present the Stephen Schwartz musical, Godspell, Nov. 20, and Nov. 21 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. ($12-$17, 224-4905, greymurf@aol.com).