Festivals | Organizations

Beat Night is a four-year old, monthly series started by guitarist and composer Larry Simon. A collaboration of many artists, the event presents spoken word with live music. Beat Night is a play on words implying both the musical meaning of "beat" and the reference to The Beats, a modern inspiration for the music/spoken word collaboration. groovebacteria@comcast.net.

Hoot Night is a program of The Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program (PPLP). PPLP is dedicated to building community through poetry by appointing and supporting an outstanding local poet as Poet Laureate for the city, sponsoring events that feature area poets and authors from outside the New Hampshire Seacoast, and encouraging a love of poetry among people of all ages. Hoot Night Schedule.

SEACOAST SCIENCE CENTER. Celebrate art, nature and science during a new week-long event, Art in Nature, to be held July 14-20, 2008. We will explore inspiring and creative ways of connecting to the environment through hands-on workshops, programs and activities for all ages. You can learn about organic sculpture in landscape design, get pointers about photographing nature with your digital camera, take home your own weaving or try your hand at painting wildflowers in watercolors. You can also learn about techniques in printmaking, hear about the Isle of Shoals' own literary great, Celia Thaxter, and her visitors that transformed Appledore Island into a summertime working art community in the 1800s, and much more!

The Learning Studio Gallery will feature an exhibition of nature-related art created by the guest artists who are leading programs during the event. From Monday-Saturday, July 14-19, you will have the opportunity to see artists at work "en plein air" during Petite Art in the Park. Petite Art paintings will be 10" x 10" or smaller, on paper, canvas or canvas board and be available for purchase for $60 on Sunday, July 20 from 11am to 4pm, cash and carry. Contact person: Karen Provazza; Seacoast Science Center's Petite Art in the Park; 570 Ocean Blvd. Rye, NH 03870; 603-436-8043 ex 12; k.provazza@seacentr.org; www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/events/

An American Celebration at Strawbery Banke Museum Catch the Spirit!" Join the 4th of July Celebration of America at Strawbery Banke Museum from 12:00 - 5:00 pm. Meet Abe Lincoln, watch the children's bike & wagon parade, play games, win prizes and dance to the rhythms of World Music. Sample some of our Tastes of America from hot dogs and Lobster Rolls to Strawbery Alley Icecream or settle in for the day with your own patriotic picnic! Go on a Kid's Liberty Treasure Hunt, visit the historical houses and learn about our revolutionary past from costumed role players. Train with muskets and march in the Kid's Militia then make a historic craft to take home.

Holiday Candlelight Stroll at Strawbery Banke Museum. Annual Candlelight Stroll is held on the first 2 weekends in December, Saturday and Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Check the Strawbery Banke web site for the calendar, admission prices, etc.

The Ghosts on the Banke at Strawbery Banke Museum. Enjoy Halloween activities such as Trick-or-Treat Safely: 100's of Jack-O-Lanterns light the way as you step over the threshold of time and meet the Ghosts of The Banke while trick-or-treating safely from house to historic house& Scarecrow Hay Rides: Snuggle down into the hay, gaze up at the stars and relax before chancing a visit to& The Witch's House! We dare you to knock on the old witch's door ~ ask for a treat you'll be afraid to eat! Ghost Stories & Bewitched Puppets: Listen to haunting ghost stories in the old barn or be transfixed by bewitched giant puppets (6:00 puppet show for toddlers). Shows begin every 15 minutes starting at 6:00 pm. Pirate's Tavern: Ahoy Mateys! Wayward pirates have taken over the Inn! Get "tattooed", play games and win treasure but beware they don't make you walk the plank! Halloween Bonfire: Celebrate an ancient tradition and warm your weary bones by the All Hallows Bonfire. Cornstalk Maze: Find your way through our 6-foot high cornstalk maze ~ a treat awaits you on the other side! Check the Strawbery Banke web site for the calendar, admission prices, etc.

Jazzmouth, the Seacoast Poetry and Jazz Festival, is a one-of-a-kind four day festival celebrating poetry and jazz through films to workshops, musical performances to poetry readings and even both at once. Jazzmouth features local poets and artists, along with young writers and in past years, has had the privilege of hosting legendary and esteemed writers and musicians such as; David Amram, Eric Mingus, Ed Sanders, Charles Simic and Andrei Codrescu. Please visit Jazzmouth.org for information on the 4th annual Jazzmouth taking place on April 24 - 27, 2008, featuring Billy Collins, former US and NY State Poet Laureate Billy Collins and composer/ multi-instrumentalist David Amram as they headline this year's festival.

New Hampshire Film Expo (NHFX) is an annual even--now held in Portsmouth! 2005 marks the 5th annual NHFX. The event features a wealth of workshops for both young and old, novice and professional, have continually been a success in helping to foster those talents and have become an anticipated part of NHFX. The Young Filmmakers' Workshop and its spin-off, the Young Actors Seminar, draw teenage students from all over New England, who, with the help of our generous corporate sponsors, bring their vision right to the silver screen! NHFX is sponsored by the New Hampshire Film Expo - NHFX, Inc.--a nonprofit corporation established to administer an annual NH event that provides screening and educational opportunities for amateur through professional-level filmmakers and screenwriters. Visit the WFNX web page for information.

The Portsmouth Blues Festival is New England's oldest Blues Festival. Each summer it features international Blues stars such as Bobby "Blue" Bland, Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins and Mose Allison, as well as the finest in regional Blues talent. The Portsmouth Blues Festival has maintained a level of artistic excellence seldom found. It is sponsored by the Blues Bank Collective. Contact: TJ Wheeler. P.O. Box 4076, Portsmouth, NH 03802, 603-929-0654, tjw@bluesbankcollective.org .

Held annually the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Portsmouth Holiday Arts Tour features over a dozen artists displaying and selling their work in six studios. This free self-guided tour allows the community a peek into the lives of local artists and also features guest artists. Visit www.portsmouthartstour.com for a map and information on the event, and watch locations around town for the brochure available mid- summer. Maureen Mills, 911 Greenland Road, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, 603-436-3818, info@portsmouthartstour.com.

Redhookfest is an annual event celebrating the Bewery's birthday party on the big stage on the brewery grounds. Redhookfest features nationally renowned musical acts such as Big Head Todd and the Monsters (www.bigheadtodd.com) from Boulder, Colorado. Other bands have included top-selling recording artists Carbon Leaf (www.carbonleaf.com). This day promises to be Portsmouths best music festival of the year and it does not stop with these two bands. Mike Willis and the Escape Artists (www.mikewillis.com), a top band from Atlanta and local band Funkfoot (www.funkfoot.com) (Dover, NH) will kick the day off at 1pm. These bands will all play on the big stage on the brewery ground. For more information call the Redhook concert line @ 603-430-8600 x 382.

Telluride by the Sea takes place at The Music Hall. The weekend of activities features six movies coming to Portsmouth on their first stop after their world and/or North American premieres in Colorado. Telluride restricts its full-program ticket sales to 1,500. It continues to sell out yearly, selling an additional 1,500 single-show tickets. The programming is typically limited to a carefully selected 15 to 20 new works and a dozen retrospective films. Tickets may be purchased at The Music Hall box office located at 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, or by calling (603) 436-2400.

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Art Round Town, on the second Friday of everymonth (year round) from 5-8PM, Portsmouth art galleries present simultaneous gallery openings. See web page for details about exhibits and special happenings.

- Harbour Trail Highlights, learn about Portsmouth's 375 year history.
- Harbour Trail Twilight Tour, hear costumed, role-players tell stories of merchants & medams, sailors and immigrants.

Peace Treaty Tours, guided tours, seasonal.

Knowledgeable tour guides offer regularly scheduled tours of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Trail. A century ago, the eyes of the world turned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire as the center of an international eventthe signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty that ended a bloody war between Japan and Russia. President Theodore Roosevelt initiated the peace process and was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts.

The Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival, held the last week in June, is known for its intimate environment, great artists and faculty, and spectacular surroundings. Founded by Drika Overton in 1995, the Festival is based on beginner to advanced level rhythm tap classes, jazz dance, and African dance and drumming. A variety of other dance and music classes are offered each year, such as Irish step, Flamenco, and body music. An internationally recognized festival, it attracts students, audiences and artists from around the country. Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival, PO Box 4023, Portsmouth, NH, 03802, 207-439-2712.

Prescott Park Arts Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary of presenting music, theater, and dance on the banks of the Piscataqua River. Located in downtown Portsmouth, the Festival has a rich history of successfully presenting the arts with no fixed admission, often allowing people their first live performance experience at Prescott Park. Prescott Park Arts Festival, PO Box 4370, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth, NH 03802, 603-436-2848info@prescottpark.org.

The annual Portsmouth Blues Festival is New England's oldest blues Festival. As the key fundraiser for the Blues Bank Collective, regional, national, and international blues artists offer the highest quality art and entertainment experience to residents and tourists. Blues Bank Collective, PO Box 4076, Portsmouth, NH 03802, 603-436-8596.

Summer in the Street is a program of Pro Portsmouth! With the City's help, they close Pleasant Street in Market Square for live, open-air entertainment.

Who says children aren't in charge? Each year on the first Sunday of May, Downtown Portsmouth becomes headquarters for children of all ages with the celebration of Children's Day. This Festival combines family-friendly activities, entertainment and usually, an ice cream sundae - all sponsored, hosted and supported by the Downtown Merchants, area companies, civic organizations and volunteers of the Seacoast. The event features a logo contest and the artist whose work is selected sees their creation on t-shirts and maps distributed all over the region. 603-610-5521, bmassar@proportsmouth.org.

Market Square Day, held on the second Saturday in June, not only celebrates the renovation and beautification of Downtown Portsmouth - it also marks the anniversary of Pro Portsmouth. The event features regional artists, vendors, music and dance. The day kicks off with a 10K Road Race at 9:00am and continues until 5:00pm with a pedestrian-friendly street festival. 603-610-5521, bmassar@proportsmouth.org.

No surprise, First Night Portsmouthis held annually on December 31st. The event takes place in the West End and Downtown Portsmouth and features music, dance, children's activities, street performers, ice sculptures and fireworks. For the price of a button, festival goers experience great entertainment - smoke-free and non-alcoholic - in multiple venues which include historic churches and civic centers. 603-610-5521, bmassar@proportsmouth.org.