RiverFire Marks 20th Anniversary
By Lee Caldwell
Photos courtesy of Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce
Fires will blaze brightly on Berlin’s historic boom piers at dusk on Saturday, October 19, as RiverFire celebrates its 20th anniversary of illuminating the Androscoggin River below and the sky above.
Paula Kinney, executive director of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce (AVCC), predicts a dazzling display. “It will be a big, amazing RiverFire that will light up the sky with fire. We are planning an exciting 20th anniversary.”
Describing RiverFire as Berlin’s annual fall family festival, she continues, “The day-long event culminates at dusk with a display of hundreds of carved and lit pumpkins and the lighting of bonfires on the river that illuminate the night and appear to be floating on the water.”
Kicking off the festivities is the Zombie ATV Poker Run, which also includes a scavenger hunt of Capture the Zombies. Following a designated course, riders are encouraged to dress as zombies and decorate their ATVs to match the macabre theme. Prizes are awarded for the best use of the theme, the top three best hands, and the worst hand. Paula says, “A total losing hand can win.”
Registration for the Zombie ATV Poker Run is from 9 a.m. to noon. Introduced last year, a Scarecrow Contest proved to be a hit and will return this year. Participants must pick
up a RiverFire t-shirt and incorporate it somehow into their scarecrow creation. RiverFire t-shirts will be available for pickup beginning on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the AVCC office at 961 Main Street in Berlin. Some also will be passed out at RiverFire Pumpkin (distribution) Day on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Heritage Park. Sign-up for the contest will coincide with t-shirt pickup. Shirts are available while supplies last.
According to Paula, the hayrides pulled by antique tractors and driven by local volunteers are very popular. The rides start at Heritage Park and run to the 12th Street Bridge. Hayrides begin at 3 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.
Also popular are bucket truck rides which give the rider an “eye in the sky” bird’s-eye view of the festivities. Bucket truck rides are from 1 to 8 p.m.
The day-long festival has games and activities for all ages, including a Halloween costume parade for children, lining up near the Pumpkin Bridge at 5 p.m.; face-painting; afternoon bouncy houses from 1 to 5 p.m.; train rides from 1 to 8 p.m.; a Not So Scary Cinema from 2 to 4 p.m.; axe-throwing; and food vendors and a beer tent from noon to 9 p.m. RiverFire’s annual corn hole tournament is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Coös County Family Health Services will be sponsoring a RiverFire 5K walk/ run. The race starts at 2 p.m. Sign-up is on the RiverFireNH.com website.
“There will be lots of great food vendors, including mouthwatering fall treats,” says Paula. “We will even have a food truck serving Gumbo.”
She continues, “We will have live music with DIEZEL Band, an amazing rock-and-roll cover band.” DIEZEL has been described by AVCC as “one of New England’s best high-energy rock and dance cover bands”. The live music runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
Dusk will bring the moment that everyone is waiting for: the lighting of the skids, set on the historic boom piers on the Androscoggin River, and the lighting of the hundreds of carved pumpkins, set on the walking bridge above the river.
The boom piers are relics of the days when, at the height of the logging era, they were used to separate and guide the many logs that were sent down the river to the mills of Berlin, known as “the city that trees built”.
Paula describes the coordination of the event as “Quite a process. About a week before the event, volunteers start piling up the boom piers with lumber.
Twenty-five boom piers, from the Heritage Park going north, are piled high with pallets and then stuffed with wood to give a good blaze.
“Also, about a week before the event, the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce gives away about 600 - 700 pumpkins. This will take place, this year, on October 12 at Heritage Park. Participants carve them and then bring them back on the morning of the event. Or, people can carve their own pumpkin and bring it. Kids carve pumpkins. Adults carve pumpkins. Businesses carve pumpkins. We light them using battery-operated candles, and we put them on the Walking Bridge where hundreds of pumpkins glow on the bridge and reflect in the water.
“Lots and lots of volunteers make it happen every single year.”
She continues, “RiverFire has grown by leaps and bounds. The crowd doubles between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. We will be offering a shuttle to Heritage Park from designated parking areas downtown.”
For more information on the event and to see the complete RiverFire schedule, visit RiverFireNH.com or the RiverFire Facebook page.
RiverFire is organized by the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce, with support from many community sponsors, and the main events take place at Service Credit Union Park. RiverFire Berlin New Hampshire’s title sponsor is Service Credit Union. Admission to the park is free, but separate charges may apply to each event.
The Great New Hampshire Pie Festival on September 21
By Lee Caldwell
Are you craving pie? On September 21, the New Hampshire Farm Museum will host the Great New Hampshire Pie Festival, with its rallying cry of “Savory and Sweet you can eat!”
Saturday, September 21, will be a day of pie, pie, and more pie, with bakers competing in various categories. Bakers who submit a pie can get a free entry
into the pie festival. A panel of judges “will be ready to sample pies and award prizes in various categories,” states the NH Farm Museum. “The public is also invited to sample pies from local bakeries and vote for the people’s choice for the best professional baker.”
Entry categories include apple; fruit (non-apple); sweet (non-fruit), and savory. There is also a separate children’s category for youths 12 years old and under. The museum’s
website includes a tempting photo of 35 scrumptious past entries, nestled on a tablecloth of red and white checks. They look lip-smacking good.
In addition to sampling pies, festival activities include the following: learn from the “best” with a pie crust rolling demonstration on the porch; enter a 50/50 raffle; bid in the silent auction; enjoy the music of Lance Maclean and the Moose Mountain String Band; take a tractor ride or hay ride to explore the 50-acre property and visit the animals (including cows, chickens, goats, sheep, and pigs) in the pasture; and tour the Blacksmith Shoppe, historic
House,
Program Director Janet Hotchkiss states that the pie festival began 14 years ago, in 2010 when a board member envisioned such an event as a nice way to celebrate New Hampshire history and its longstanding tradition of bakers.
Among past judges have been residents, Governor Chris Sununu, Fred Kocher of WMUR-TV, and, in 2023, a panel of Milton residents.
• Pie continued on page 10
Photo courtesy of the NH Farm Museum
Jones
1810 Tavern, big yellow barn, and carriage pole barn.
Don’t Miss Jigger Johnson Lumber Jack & Jill Logging Festival
By Thomas P. Caldwell
Albert Lewis “Jigger” Johnson was a New England lumberjack whose legendary exploits rivaled the tales of Paul Bunyan. His reputation is so much a part of the area that the United States Forest Service named a campground in the White Mountain National Forest, near where he once trapped, in his honor. The town of Gorham is planning to hold its fourth annual Jigger Johnson LumberJack & Jill Logging Festival this year on Sept. 29, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The logging festival takes place on the Gorham Town Common at 69 Main Street and is open to competitors who want to test their strength and endurance in contests ranging from stock saw bucksaw, crosscut saw, bow saw, and hot saw (in which a motorcycle engine is connected to a chainsaw blade), to underhand chop, a Jack-and-Jill crosscut, axe-throw, and log-rolling, in which a log is rolled from one spot to another on land.
New this year are women’s birling competitions, which are log-rolling contests on the water in which each contestant tries to knock the other off.
Gorham Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Stewart said 41 competitors had signed up as of Sept. 6.
Jeff is the main planner of the festival, but he receives assistance from a woman who used to be involved in a lumberjack festival that used to take place in Berlin. Several volunteers work on the timed heats for competitors, and then there are judges
for the event.
Those competing pay a $5 fee for each event they enter, while spectators can attend at no cost. Jeff said he would estimate seeing at least 200 people attend the festival in past years.
Beyond the lumberjack competitions, the festival will feature food and craft vendors, a duo providing live music, and opportunities for people to try axethrowing or compete in a frying pan toss.
“We have different divisions on that — kids’, women’s, and men’s — and they throw a heavy cast iron frying pan as far as they can, and we do that as just kind of a fun thing,” Jeff said.
Even Smokey Bear plans to stop by.
“It’s a total family event, totally family-friendly,” Jeff said.
The logging festival honors the memory of Jigger Johnson who, while working on Carter Dome, northeast of Pinkham Notch, came across a potato race in Gorham. He and a friend reportedly were on their way to Berlin to stock up on potatoes and bootlegged hard liquor, but they stopped to enter the race and won a half-bushel of fresh potatoes being awarded as the prize.
Jigger Johnson was born in Fryeburg, Maine, in 1871, and legend has it that he was born with a wad of tobacco in his lip, caulk boots on his feet, and a peavey in one hand and an axe in the other.
His first job was as a “cookie” at a
lumber camp in Milan, New Hampshire, at the age of 12. He assisted the cook in preparing food, serving the meals, cleaning the dishes, and chopping firewood. Once, when some new loggers broke tradition by talking during the meals, Jigger politely asked them to be silent. When one of the men argued with him about the rule, Jigger is said to have leaped upon the much larger man and sunk his teeth into the man’s ear. When other loggers broke them up, part of the man’s ear was still in Jigger’s mouth.
By the age of 20, Jigger was head logger at a camp along the Androscoggin River. He purportedly was able to fall a tree in any direction, regardless of the slope or the wind direction, and could even aim it to fall in such a way as to drive a stake into the ground.
In later years, Jigger served as a fire warden for the US Forest Service at towers on Mount Chocorua, then on Carter Dome. Although he was a heavy drinker, he stayed sober to watch for forest fires. On rainy days, though, he would get drunk and suffer hallucinations that led him to call in reports of snakes and dragons. His drinking eventually led to the loss of his Forest Service job.
He briefly got a job at a privately owned fire tower on Bald Mountain in Maine, but his homemade alcohol still exploded and the fire burned down the
tower, ending that job.
Jigger still managed to get a job teaching survival skills for the Civilian Conservation Corps, until his drinking again led to him being fired.
After that, Jigger turned to trapping, where he managed to further build upon his legend. He is said to have used a deer carcass to lure two bobcats under a tree where he had perched in wait. He leaped onto the bobcats and bagged them, barehanded. He sold one of the bobcats to the University of New Hampshire when it chose the wildcat as its mascot.
Jigger later caught two more bobcats for a man from Portland, Maine, who wanted them for some kind of a show. Jigger supposedly tied their feet together and headed for the train station, periodically hitting their heads together to keep them quiet. When he was unable to gain permission to take them on the train, he hired a taxi so he could hand-deliver the wildcats to the man in Portland.
Jigger Johnson died in an automobile accident in North Conway in 1935.
Participants in the Jigger Johnson LumberJack & Jill Logging Festival will not be required to capture bobcats, chew off opponents’ ears, or drive a stake into the ground with a fallen tree, but they will compete in a men’s division, a women’s division, as a team, or in a Jack-and-Jill contest to prove their logging mettle.
For further information about the event, contact the Gorham Parks and Recreation Office at 603-466-2101.
Come visit this c. 1880 historic building. Our general store
a porch to rock on. ‘They don’t make ‘em like Ira’s anymore.’
The Music Mill
BAKED GOODS BEYOND BELIEF!
Artisan Breads • Pies • Cookies • More! Your favorites upon request by a multiple award winning baker. Our own locally crafted maple syrup. Open 1 day a week ~ Saturday from 9-3 66 Moose Mtn. Road, Brookfield, NH seabrisket.com • 603-832-3090 (no texts)
Iron Cookin’
We are a small batch, local, eco-friendly cast iron skillet café. Strong Community & Small Footprint! Breakfast & Lunch, with an occasional dinner event. Find us on FB, search: bucky’s skillet milton nh Wednesday-Saturday: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM - Noon • Monday & Tuesday: CLOSED
What’s UP
Sept. 13, Club Sandwich with John Davidson, 7 p.m., 12 Main St., Center Sandwich, admission/info: https://www.johndavidson.com/weekendshows.
Sept. 13, Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com.
Sept. 14, Frank Santos Jr. Comic Hypnotist, 7 p.m., Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St., Gorham, 603-466-3322, www.medallionoperahouse.org
Sept. 14, Start Making Sense: A Tribute to Talking Heads, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com
Sept. 14, Tomato Taste-Off, 9:30 a.m. – noon, Cook Memorial Library, 93 Main St., Tamworth, 603-323-8510, www.tamworthlibrary.org
Sept. 14, Woodland Queens, 7:30 p.m., Barnstormers Theatre, 104 Main St., Tamworth, 603-323-8500, www.barnstormerstheatre.org
Sept. 15, Alana McDonald, 7 p.m., Feel the Barn Concert Series, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua, 603-323-6169, www.thefarmstand.net
Sept. 15, Historic Figures Tea, 2 - 4 p.m., Clark Museum Barn, 233 South Main St., Wolfeboro, www.wolfeborohistoricalsociety.org
Sept. 15, Touch a Truck, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., The Children’s Center, at The Nick Recreation Park, 10 Trotting Track Rd., Wolfeboro, 603-569-1027, www.thechildrenscenternh.org
Sept. 16, Roller Skating Night, 5 – 7 p.m., Ossipee Town Hall, free skating format, bring your own skates, 55 Main St., Center Ossipee, waver/info.: 603539-2008.
Sept. 17, Lecture Series: Howard Manfield – I Will Tell no War Stories : What Our Fathers left unsaid about WWII, 7 p.m., Wright Museum of WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-1212, www.wrightmuseum.org
Sept. 19, Becoming Wolf: Eastern Coyotes in New England, 7 p.m., held at Nature Learning Center, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, 1245 Bald Hill Rd., Albany, space limited, pre-registration/info.: 603-447-6991, www. tinmountain.org.
Sept. 19, Jane O’Brien and Mike Levine, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Sept. 19-29, Torch Song, M&D Playhouse, 2760 White Mt. Highway, N. Conway, 603-733-5275, www.mdplayhouse.com
Sept. 20, Jordan TW Trio, Barnstormers Theatre, 104 Main St., Tamworth, 603-323-8500, www.barnstormerstheatre.org
Sept. 20, Tim Sample, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com.
Sept. 21, Danny Klein’s Full House, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com.
Sept. 21, Dennis O’Neil and Davey Armstrong, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic. org.
Sept. 21, Extreme Survival with Michael Tougias, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Cook Memorial Library, 93 Main St., Tamworth, 603-323-8510, www.tamworthlibrary.org
Sept. 21, Great NH Pie Fest, 10 am-4 p.m., all you can eat from an array of pies, NH Farm Museum, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, 603-6527840, www.nhfarmmuseum.org.
Sept. 21, Moose on the Move Bike Fest, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Abenaki Trails, 309 Pine Hill Rd., Wolfeboro, by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, 603-473-2020, www.mmrgnh.org
584 White Mountain Highway, Milton • RTE 125 2.5 Miles north of Exit 17 (Milton/Farmington) or 4.8 Miles South of Exit 18 (Union/Milton) Lakeside dining with a view to Maine. The former Ray’s Marina building - we are cash only ~ a little hard to find, impossible to forget ~ When you’re ready for something different Come rediscover Milton, NH
Sept. 21 & 22, Middleton Fly-In, Car Show & Vendor Fair, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., crafts, fly-in, cars on display, food trucks, bounce houses, Ben Lane Band from 1 – 3 p.m., Therriaults Landing Airfield, 120 Ridge Rd., Middleton, 603-231-0284.
Sept. 22, Miriam featuring Amy Fairchild and Carla Ryder, 7 p.m., Feel the Barn Concert Series, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua, 603-323-6169, www. thefarmstand.net.
Sept. 22, Wild Life Photography from the Water with Matt Cohen, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., ArtWorks Gallery & Fine Crafts/CCAC, 603-323-8041, 132 Rte. 16, Chocorua, www.chocoruaartworks.com.
Sept. 24, Lecture Series: David Chrisinger – The Soldiers Truth: Ernie Pyle and the Story of WWII, 7 p.m., Wright Museum of WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-1212, www.wrightmuseum.org
Sept. 26, Castle Sunset Tour, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Castle in the Clouds, Rte. 171, Moultonborough, 603-476-5900, www.castleintheclouds.org.
Sept. 26, BluGrit Blues, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Sept. 26, Guided Hike: Oak Ridge, 10 a.m. – noon, Castle in the Clouds, Rte. 171, Moultonborough, 603-476-5900, www.castleintheclouds.org.
Sept. 26, Harp Twins, Barnstormers Theatre, 104 Main St., Tamworth, 603323-8500, www.barnstormerstheatre.org.
Sept. 26, The Search for Spirit Bears, 7 p.m., Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Albany, space limited, pre-registration/info.: 603-447-6991, www. tinmountain.org.
Sept. 27, Friday Jazz: John Hunter (bass) & Paul Heckel (vibraphone), 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Sept. 27, Juston McKinney Comedy @ the Medallion 2024, 7 p.m., Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St., Gorham, 603-466-3322, www.medallionoperahouse.org.
Sept. 27, Shemekia Copeland, 8 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com.
Sept. 27-28, Wolfeboro Sidewalk Sale Days, 9 a.m., sales all over Wolfeboro, 603-569-2200, www.wolfeborochamber.com.
Sept. 27-29, Wolfeboro Fall Festival, 10 a.m., details: www.wolfeborochamber.com.
Sept. 28, Fall Festival, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., kids pumpkin painting, candy corn guessing contest, free apples & cider, live music, kids hay maze, Settler’s Green, White Mt. Highway, North Conway, www.settlersgreen.com, 888-6679636.
Sept. 28, Hawk Watch with Scott Weidensaul, 9 a.m. – noon, Birch Ridge Community Forest, New Durham, renowned ornithologist and best-selling nature writer Scott Weidensaul, Moose Mountain Regional Greenways, www. mmrgnh.org., 603-473-2020.
Sept. 28, Kingswood Youth Center’s 15th Annual Chili Challenge, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Foss Field Pavilion, 88 Lehner St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-5949, www.thekyc.org.
Sept. 28, Winni Chase Regatta – The Winni Chase, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., Pinkney Boathouse, Brewster Academy, 80 Academy Drive, Wolfeboro, 603-5697198, www.brewsteracademywinni-chase.com.
Sept. 29, Mark Erelli, 7 p.m., Feel the Barn Concert Series, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua, 603-23-6169, www.thefarmstand.net.
Sept. 29, PorchFest 2024, noon - 5 p.m., Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com.
OCTOBER
Oct. 2, Open Mic Night at the Medallion - October, 6 p.m., Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St., Gorham, 603-466-3322, www.medallionoperahouse.org.
Oct. 3, Al Shanfer & Ray Ryan, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 4, Friday Night Jazz: Mike Hathaway, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 5, Dennis O’Neil and Davey Armstrong, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic. org.
Oct. 5, Harvest Happenings, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., NH Farm Museum, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, 603-652-7840, www.nhfarmmuseum.org.
Oct. 5, Teneriffe Mountain Forest Clean Up, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Moose Mountain Regional Greenways, www.mmrgnh.org., 603-473-2020.
Oct. 5 & 6, Autumn Craft Festival on the Lake, Mill Falls Marketplace, 312 DW Highway, Meredith, free admission, rain or shine, friendly pets on a leash are welcome, 10/5: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; 10/6: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., info: www castleberryfairs.com.
Oct. 5 & 6, Mount Washington Valley Fall Craft Fair, 10/5: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 10/6: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Schouler Park, 1 Norcross Circle, N. Conway, 603-3871510, www.joycescraftshows.com.
Oct. 6, Jim Kweskin with Samoa Wilson, 7 p.m., Feel the Barn Concert Series, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua, 603-323-6169, www.thefarmstand.net.
Oct. 9, James Fernando Jazz Trio, 7 p.m., Medallion Opera House, 20 Park St., Gorham, 603-466-3322, www.medallionoperahouse.org.
Oct. 10, White Mountain Ceili Band, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 10-12, Rocky Horror Picture Show, M&D Playhouse, 2760 White Mt. Highway, N. Conway, 603-733-5275, www.mdplayhouse.com
Oct. 11, Friday Night Jazz: All Hospers with Jarrod Taylor & Craig Bruan, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-4474737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 11, Maia Sharp & Willy Porter, 8 p.m., Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield, ME, www.stonemountainartscenter.com, 207-935-7292.
Oct. 12, History of Stone Walls, 10 a.m. – noon, Birch Ridge Community Forest, New Durham, Moose Mountain Regional Greenways, www.mmrgnh. org., 603-473-2020.
Start Your Day Off Over
Easy
BREAKFAST & LUNCH - MADE FRESH DAILY
Grab breakfast or lunch at The Farmer’s Kitchen. We use only the freshest ingredients for our homemade creations. Come by today to try our:
100% Colombian Coffeefreshly ground from whole beans Farm fresh eggs | Specialty Omelets Eggs Benedict - topped with homemade hollandaise, made fresh to order Buttermilk Pancakes | French Toastserved on thick Texas toast Sandwiches & Burgers | Don't forget to check out our daily breakfast & lunch specials!
NH Route 11 Farmington | 603-755-9900
www.Farmerskitchen-NH.com
Oct. 12 – 14, Sandwich Fair, 7 Wentworth Hill Rd., Sandwich, 603-284-7062, www.thesandwichfair.com
Oct. 13, Rhett Miller, 5 p.m., Feel the Barn Concert Series, 1118 Page Hill Rd., Chocorua, 603-323-6169, www.thefarmstand.net
Oct. 15, Make A Knitting Basket, create a 10″x6″ knitting basket with Mary Jeanne Luckey at the Gallery Art Barn, Artworks Gallery, Chocorua, 603-3238041, www.chocoruaartworks.com.
Oct. 17, Comedian Bob Marley, 8 p.m., Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield, ME, www.stonemountainartscenter.com, 207-935-7292.
Oct. 17-Nov. 3, Woman In Black, M&D Playhouse, 2760 White Mt. Highway, N. Conway, 603-733-5275, www.mdplayhouse.com
Oct. 18, Friday Night Jazz: Dave Trooper, Fabio Gutierrez & Justin Ramos, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 19, Explore Teneriffe Mountain Forest with Tom Eid, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Teneriffe Mountain Forest, 120 Sam Plummer Rd., Milton, Moose Mountain Regional Greenways, www.mmrgnh.org., 603-473-2020.
Oct. 19, Kevin Dolan & Simon Crawford, 7 p.m., Majestic Café, jazz, blues and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, www.mountaintopmusic.org.
Oct. 19, Riverfire and Zombie ATV Poker Run, 5K race, food vendors, hayrides, pumpkins on the bridge, fires on the water, Kids Halloween Parade & much more, Berlin, www.androscogginvalleychamber.com.
Oct. 19, Waterfall Photography with Matt Cohen, meet at Castle in the Clouds to photograph 7 accessible waterfalls and fall foliage, Artworks Gallery,
ONGOING
ArtWorks Gallery & Fine Crafts/CCAC, art, workshops and events, open year-round with seasonal hours, 603-323-8041, 132 Rte. 16, Chocorua, www. chocoruaartworks.com.
Bad Mom Night, every Thurs., Trenta, 30 Middleton Rd., Wolfeboro, 603515-1068, www.trentanh.com.
Believe in Books Literacy Foundation/Theatre in the Wood, Intervale, programs for children, 603-356-9980, www.believeinbooks.org.
Castle in the Clouds, Rte. 171, Moultonborough, 603-476-5900, www.castleintheclouds.org.
Chapman Sanctuary and Visny Woods, nature trails open for hiking, 740 Mt. Israel Rd., Center Sandwich, 603-284-6428, www.chap.m.ansanctuaryvisnywoods.com.
Chocorua Lake Basin View Lot, free, directions/info: www.chocorualake.org. Cog Railway, 3168 Base Station Rd., Mount Washington, 800-922-8825, www. thecog.com.
Conway Historical Society, historical info., 603-447-5551, www.conwayhistoricalsociety.org.
Conway Public Library, 15 Greenwood Avenue, Conway, many learning experiences, 603-447-5552, www.conwaypubliclibrary.org.
Conway Scenic Railroad, train rides to White Mt. areas, reservations: 603-3565251, station located at 38 Norcross Circle, North Conway, www.conwayscenic. com.
Cookbook Club, meets on 3rd Wed. every other month, 12:30 p.m., Pope Memorial Library, 2719 Main St., North Conway, 603-356-2961, www.popelibrarynh.org.
Corn Hole Tournaments, sign-ups: 5 p.m., games begin 6 p.m., Wednesdays through late Oct., Tuckerman Brewing, 66 Hobbs St., Conway, 603-447-5400, www.tuckermanbrewing.com. (Held in beer garden.)
Cruise Nights with MWV Old Car Club, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., free, Settler’s Green, White Mt. Highway, North Conway, www.settlersgreen.com, 888-6679636.
Dam Brewhouse, events, 1323 NH Rte. 175, Campton, 603-726-4500, www. dambrewhouse.com.
Dover Farmers Market, Wednesdays until Oct. 2, 3 - 7 p.m., Jenny Thompson Pool Parking Lot, Guppy Pak, Dover, 603-241-4400, www.seacoasteatlocal.org.
First Friday Receptions, through Dec., 5 - 7 p.m., refreshments, conversation & art, ArtWorks Gallery & Fine Crafts, 603-323-8041, 132 Rte. 16, Chocorua, www.chocoruaartworks.com.
Freedom Gallery, artwork/exhibits by area artists, 8 Elm St., Freedom, 610762-2493.
Freedom Village Store, artisan items, baked goods and more, 11 Elm St., Freedom, call for info./hours: 603-539-3077, www.freedomvillagestore.org.
Friday Night Market at Hobbs Tap Room, 5 – 8 p.m., with local farmers & makers, rotating food trucks, live music and more, Hobbs Brewing Company, 760 White Mt. Highway, Ossipee, 603-539-2000.
Friday Painters, 12:30 - 3 p.m., meets weekly, Mt. Washington Valley Arts
Assoc., Gibson Center, 14 Grove St., North Conway, ken@gibsoncenter.org.
Gorham Farmers Market, weekly event on Thurs. through Sept. 26, 3 - 6 p.m., Town of Gorham Common, 69 Main St., Gorham, fresh produce, fruits, meats, baked goods, cheeses, soaps, handmade items, live music, and much more, 603-466-3322.
Great Glen Trails, outdoor center/activities, Mt. Washington Auto Rd., Gorham, 603-466-3988, www.greatglentrails.com
In the Round, Sundays at 8:45 a.m., thought-provoking topics related to tolerance, Benz Center, Sandwich, 603-284-7532.
Jackson Historical Society, open Saturdays & Sundays, 1 - 3 p.m. or by appointment, special summer hours, Jackson Historical Society, 23 Black Mt. Rd., Jackson, 603-383-4060, www.jacksonhistory.org.
Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild, meets second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 115 Main St., Wolfeboro. A second group meets first and third Tuesday of each month at Community Center, 22 Lehner St., Wolfeboro, www.llqg.net.
Lancaster Farmers Market, 9 a.m. - noon Saturday through Oct. 12, Centennial Park, Main St., Lancaster, www.lancasterfarmersmarket.org
Majestic Café, jazz, blues, and more, 34 Main St., Conway, 603-447-4737, mountaintopmusic.org.
Makers Mill, variety of workshops, classes in arts and crafts and more, Makers Mill, 23 Bay St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-1500, www.makersmill.org.
Model Yachting - Back Bay Skippers, meets every Tuesday & Thursday, 1 - 4 p.m., model yacht group, spectators welcome, Cotton Valley Rail Trail, Glendon St., Wolfeboro, until Oct., info: NH Boat Museum, 603-569-4554.
Mount Washington Valley Farmers Market, through Oct. 1, Tuesdays from 4 - 7 p.m., beside N. Conway Community Center, 78 Norcross Circle, N. Conway, www.mwvfarmersmarket.com
Naturalist Led Hikes, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, 1245 Bald Hill Rd., Albany, space limited, registration/info.: 603-447-6991, www.tinmountain.org.
NE Ski Museum, ski exhibits, 2628 White Mt. Highway, North Conway, www. newenglandskimuseum.org.
NH Boat Museum, boating exhibits, programs, boat building workshops, 399 Center St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-4554, www.nhbm.org.
NH Farm Museum, old-time farm events, tours, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, 603-652-7840, www.nhfarmmuseum.org
Outdoor Nature Based Storytime for Young Children, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Cook Memorial Library, 93 Main St., Tamworth, 603-323-8510, www.tamworthlibrary.org.
Quilting Group, 1 - 4 p.m., meets every 2 weeks, Ossipee Public Library, 74 Main St., Ossipee, schedule/info: 603-539-6390
Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm, events, tours, 58 Cleveland Hill Rd., Tamworth, 603-323-7591, www.remickmuseum.org.
Song and Jam Circle, 6:30 – 8 p.m., community created jams and song circle, 3rd Monday of each month, Runnells Hall, 25 Deer Hill Rd., Tamworth, free, bring your favorite instruments, Arts Council of Tamworth, 603-5842712, www.artstamworth.org
Tamworth Farmer’s Market, Saturdays, 9 a.m. - noon, 30 Tamworth Road, Tamworth, info: www.tamworthfarmersmarket.org.
Tamworth History Center, 25 Great Hill Rd., Tamworth, info: www.tamworthhistorycenter.org.
Thursday Night Book Club, meets fourth Thursday of every month for discussion of books; Mystery Book Club meets second Thursday of the month, White Birch Books, 2568 White Mt. Highway, North Conway, 603-356-3200, www. whitebirchbooks.com.
Tin Mountain Conservation Center, 1245 Bald Hill Rd., Albany, programs, hikes, nature learning center, 603-447-6991, www.tinmountain.org.
Ukulele Club, second & fourth Tuesdays of each month, 6 p.m., 2718 Wakefield Rd., Wakefield Corner, 603-522-3189. Wakefield Marketplace, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., produce, fruit, baked goods, flowers, handmade items and more, Rte. 16 north and Wakefield Rd., Wakefield, 603608-2319, www.wakefieldmarketplace.org
Wolfeboro Farmers’ Market, Thursdays noon - 3:30 p.m., local farm-raised meat, vegetables, fresh fish, fruit, eggs, baked goods, flowers, maple syrup, honey and a variety of artisanal products, held at The Nick, 10 Trotting Track Rd., Wolfeboro, 603-391-5661, wolfeborofarmersmarket@gmail.com.
Wolfeboro Table Tennis, meets every Wed. from 4 - 6 p.m., in basement of All Saints Church, Wolfeboro, all skill levels welcome, $5 admission charge each week, info: 603-520-5651.
Wright Museum of WWII, exhibits and lectures on life on the home front during WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, 603-569-1212, www.wrightmuseum. org
• Pie
continued from page 4
Janet mentions that last year, there were 50 pie entries. She runs through a brief listing of some of the past pie selections: squash pie; sweet potato pie; blueberry pie; Boston cream pie; apple pie; apple rhubarb pie; butterscotch pudding pie; chicken pot pie; and venison pie.
Typically, the pie-eating crowd is in the neighborhood of 150 to 200 hungry souls. She comments that many of the bakers have New England roots. “We love showcasing our bakers.”
A baker herself, Janet’s favorite centers around apple creations. She comments, “I just love apple pie. I make pies regularly, including a milehigh apple pie.”
She continues, “In past entries, one of the most creative pies was an apple pie with lavender as an ingredient. One of the prettiest was a savory chicken pot pie where the top crust was designed to have cut-outs of yellow, green, and orange, echoing the colors of fall. One of the winners of best overall pie was Paul Leblanc’s entry of a fourinch-thick pork pie. In the children’s
division, we sometimes have teams of sibling bakers. We have had children ranging from age 7 upward to 11.”
Continuing on the cooking theme, Janet is enthusiastic about how many school groups visit the Farm Museum annually. “In addition to all the other
• Pie continued on page 13
Honey Crisp, Cortlands
Cider
Fun and Easy Kid-Friendly Recipes the Whole
By Kelly Ross
Hello again to my North Conway friends and all the towns close by. I hope all of you are well, I know this time of year brings many smiles and tears now that the kids are back in school as I know many parents are smiling big time, and many kids and teachers crying. This article is dedicated to the kids who need to find their smile again with some fun kid-friendly recipes since some feel they are being tortured in school. These are some of the most basic, but also some of the most fun recipes you will bump across when trying to find something to get the kids to smile. I have a fun hot dog recipe, a couple of different quesadilla kid-friendly recipes, and a delicious apple nacho recipe for dessert, but let’s start with a great twist on a kid sandwich classic. Even though I am 63 years old, I still dig into a classic PB&J sandwich, although I have always had twists on how to make them. The only PB&J sandwiches I generally eat when I grill them, to get all that peanut butter and jam so nice and gooey and gooey. This sandwich is even better when a sliced banana is stuck in between, which is what we are doing today. Extremely simple, but also extremely popular with the kids, and adults like me. Like any grilled sandwich, these will go together in barely a heartbeat. This is for 4
sandwiches, but I feel confident you can figure out how to make more or less lol. Although butter is a go-to when making almost any grilled sandwich, I prefer using coconut oil, but that’s your call.
Grilled Peanut Butter
Jam Nana Sandwich
8 slices of quality sourdough bread, or bread of choice
8 tbsp peanut butter
8 tbsp strawberry preserves/jam, or jam of choice
4 medium bananas
4 tsp coconut oil
Heat your griddle or pan over medium heat. Spread one side of each slice of bread with coconut oil or butter. Spread peanut butter on the opposite side of 4 of the slices of bread. Peel the banana slice it lengthwise into 3-4 slices and place it on top of the peanut butter. Place the slice with peanut butter and banana, buttered side down on the griddle. Spread a thin layer of jam on the other side of the remaining slices of bread. Spread the rest of the jam on top of the bananas. Place the remaining slice of bread jam side down on top of the bananas. Grill until golden brown, just over a minute or so, before flipping and grilling the other side until golden brown. Remove, plate, and slice. I know this is hardly rocket science, but you will be a rock star with the kids my
friends. I love these with orange marmalade as well as raspberry preserves. Kids all love hot dogs, well at least all the kids I have dealt with on a personal basis over the years. No matter how I prepare doggies for the kids in my family/friend circle, they generally get all pumped as prepping one of their favorite fun foods differently is always an eye-popping moment. These are done on the grill using croissants and a whole other bunch of flavors. OK, so all these ingredients will not be kid-friendly with many, but most of the adult crowd will, you can easily omit certain ingredients when putting any or all of these together. The main ingredient that could chase some away is a Cole slaw-ish mixture that is fabulous. The dogs are sliced in a unique way that will amaze the younger kids, but regardless of age, you make these yummy for any hot dog lover. This recipe will get you 4 crosshatch hot dogs and will take you maybe a half hour to make. Depending on your company, you may need to at least double up on this one.
Crosshatch Hot Dogs on Grilled Croissants
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp honey
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sherry vinegar
6 cups finely shredded green cabbage, from ½ small head
3 fresh red chiles such as Fresno,
seeded and thinly sliced
Salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 croissants, split but still attached on one side
4 large hot dogs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
In a large bowl, stir the honey with the sherry vinegar until the honey is dissolved. Add the shredded cabbage and red chiles, season with salt and toss. Let stand until the cabbage is slightly softened, tossing a few times, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend the butter and the mustard. Gently spread the cut sides of the croissants with the butter. Light a grill. Thread each hot dog lengthwise onto a thick metal or wooden skewer. With a small, sharp knife, make cuts at an angle in 3 rows down each hot dog, about ½ inch apart, cutting partway into the hot dog. The cuts should look like rounded half-circles. Lightly run the knife down the center of the cuts to halve the half circles. On a large plate, mix the ketchup with the soy sauce, oil, and garlic. Turn to coat each hot dog with • Stay In continued on page 12
the mixture. Grill the croissants over high heat, cut side down, until toasted, about 30 seconds. Turn and grill the other side for about 10 seconds. Grill the hot dogs over high heat all over, until nicely charred and the cuts open, about 2 minutes total, and the hot dogs should resemble pinecones when finished. Mound the cabbage salad on one half of each croissant, set the hot dogs on top, and serve. Feel free to make the cabbage mix a day or two before as it will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
It’s quesadilla time boys and girls. So, I have two recipes to share, and like all recipes today, they are incredibly easy to make. The first one I do on the grill, and the second is done in the oven and it’s a cakewalk to do any type of quesadilla with any filling you like on either cooking setting. Traditionally, quesadillas are cooked on a flat top grill or in a large sauté pan, so both of today’s approaches give you different options. This first one off the grill is done pepperoni pizza style, but as I said earlier, you can adjust it with many different ingredients for those eating it. I suggest using 12-inch thin flatbreads or flour tortillas. As for the adult crowd, I also suggest using flavored tortillas of flatbreads, such as sun-dried tomato, garlic, and herb, or any other flavor that gels well with your fillings. This recipe will get you 2 dozen triangle wedges of pizzalike goodness. These can be made in 10 minutes.
4 sundried thin tomato flatbreads or flavored 12-inch flour tortillas, maybe plain for some of the kids
½ - ¾ cup or more pizza sauce
1+ cup shredded mozzarella
24 slices of pepperoni and/or other toppings of choice
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lay the flatbread or tortillas on your countertop and spread half with pizza sauce. Top with cheese and pepperoni and fold in half. Carefully place on grill and grill for 1 minute on each side or until crisp on the outside and cheese melts on the inside. Cut and enjoy immediately.
Now it is time for oven-style quesadillas, and this batch is perfect for a party or any group. Again, the ingredients in this quesadilla may not be kid-friendly, but it’s the process and mentality that is what is to be remembered as you can stuff this with whatever kid-friendly ingredients your family enjoys. This batch has black beans, corn, and seasoned chicken to go along with the melted cheese. This is made with a dozen 6-inch flour tortillas on a sheet pan where when you lay them on the pan with half the tortillas overhanging the pan so once all of the fillers are on the tortillas, you fold the overhangs over the guts of this so once finished, it’s a large stuffed tortilla that you then slice into your desired triangles or squares. It’s a fun way to make a bunch at once, and if you have the right fillings for your crowd, your crowd will be very happy. Prep is 10-15 minutes and cooking time is a little over a half hour. This will give you as many cuts as you care to cut, but 8 is the norm. Also, you can easily sub taco burger instead of chicken if that is favored, or you make this vegetarian by loading it with your favorite veggies.
Sheet Pan Quesadillas
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can black beans, 15 oz, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn, 15 oz, drained and rinsed
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
8 oz bag Mexican shredded cheese 12 flour tortillas, 6 inches in diameter
Optional Extras
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Cilantro
Jalapeno peppers or cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a sheet pan. In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Line the sheet pan with the tortillas, letting half of the tortillas overhang the sides of the pan so that you can fold them over onto the mixture. Spread the chicken mixture evenly onto the center of the tortillas then top with shredded cheese. Fold each tortilla that is overhanging to cover the chicken mixture and place 2-3 additional tortillas over the center where any meat mixture is still showing. Place a 2nd sheet pan on top of the tortillas to hold them down in place. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the top sheet pan and cook uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cut into triangles or squares. Top with your favorite garnishes.
It’s time for a fun dessert or snack option for everyone. This is a healthy
and simple “nacho” recipe using sliced apples as tortilla chips, and then they are topped with a combo of peanut butter and honey and then finished with chocolate peanut butter granola. Pretty cool, huh? Again, bust out extra or different ingredients, such as caramel sauce, chopped walnuts, and bananas, among many other choices. These are not cooked as they are at their best immediately after making them, but it’s a fun way to get the kids to eat something good that they will want many times in the future. You can have these made in 10 minutes and this uses 4 apples, generally getting you 4 portions. I often make a whole pizza pan full of these for a happy kid crowd.
Crunchy Apple Nachos
4 apples
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter granola
Combine the peanut butter and honey in a glass bowl and warm it in the microwave. Stir to combine, until it is smooth and pourable. Slice the apples into wedges and spread the wedges across a large plate or platter. Drizzle the melted peanut butter and honey across the slices and sprinkle with granola. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Until next week, spoil the kids in your life with a few of these fun options, and tweak the ingredients as needed. Keep your taste buds happy and smiling and if you care to touch base with any questions or feedback, please reach out at fenwaysox10@gmail.com
activities on the farm, we give them a chance to make something in an authentic 1940s kitchen.”
The site of the New Hampshire Farm Museum consists of two adjoining homesteads, the Jones Farm and the Plummer Homestead. It has a collection of historic buildings and barns.
The Jones farmhouse, according to the NH Farm Museum website, is an “astounding 275 feet from one end to the other and includes a 104-foot barn that is filled with historic artifacts. The Farm Museum is situated on 50 acres of fields and forests on beautiful Plummer’s Ridge in Milton NH. In addition to agricultural exhibits, displays, and collections, we’re also a working farm, keeping a selection of heritage breed farm animals and a variety of gardens on the property. While we keep the chickens yearround, the other animals come to live with us when the farm is open. In our off-season, the animals all return to the local farms where they have families to care for them.”
The late 18th-century Jones farmhouse and the Plummer homestead are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Great NH Pie Festival, according to the New Hampshire Farm Museum’s website, is an “essential fundraiser” for the Museum. The museum’s mission statement states, “The mission of the New Hampshire Farm Museum is to preserve, present, and carry forward New Hampshire’s
rural and agricultural heritage. We seek not only to conserve and preserve the artifacts of New Hampshire’s rural past but to inquire carefully into the uses of those artifacts, considering the patterns of work and leisure in the daily lives of the people who used them. Our goal is to paint a full picture of our agricultural history, to share this knowledge with as many people as possible, and to carry forward some of the practices, allowing our visitors to authentically experience rural family life.”
Pie contestants should bring their pies on the morning of the day of the contest. There, they will receive an entry form and will be given a number. The judges will select winning pies solely by number, to ensure that the contest will remain unbiased.
The date: Saturday, Sept 21, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $15 per person. Free for pie-makers. Children 12 and under are admitted at $5 each.
Besides pie, luncheon items will be available for purchase.
For more information, call 603-6527840; go to the nhfarmmuseum.org website; or check out the museum’s Facebook page.
The New Hampshire Farm Museum is located at 1305 White Mountain Highway/Route 125 in Milton.
Comfort for Every Home. mfort
