Peek at the Week: July 6 -12

Wow, I hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July weekend! How gorgeous! We enjoyed the Pro Portsmouth Summer in the Street series on Saturday evening, as well at the Dover fireworks! Sunday we tried to hike, but the mosquitoes were too thick! We ended up at the playground, just as well.

Here's a peek at the week...

Cochecho Arts Festival this week:

7/7 - Marcus Gale, Musical Story Teller, Rotary Arts Pavilion

7/9 - Big John and the Twins, Shark in the Park Lunchtime Concert Series, Rotary Arts Pavilion

7/10 - All Together Now, New England's premier Beatles Tribute Band, Rotary Arts Pavilion

July 8 - Somersworth Kids Koncert at 6 pm at the outdoor Festival Pavilion stage at the Somersworth Football Field. This Wednesday will feature Wayne from Maine, sponsored by DF Richard Energy.

July 8 - David Francey with Craig Werth at Prescott Park at 7 pm. See this post for more info!

July 11 - Pro Portsmouth Summer in the Street on Pleasant Street.
5:30 - 6:30 Mary Kaye & Professor Von Wienerschitzel
7:30 - 8:15 The Little Red Wagon Tour/UNH Department of Theatre & Dance
Present: The Fisherman & His Wife

July 11 - Muster Day! 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Folsom Tavern in Exeter, NH. For ages 7 - 11, $40 members, $50 non-members.

We Want You! General George Washington is coming to Exeter for the American Independence Festival and trained troops are needed to escort him. Prepare for his visit by participating in Muster Day! Learn what was it was like to be a soldier during the Revolutionary War at our new one-day camp, practice military muster techniques, set up a tent, and sign an Oath of Allegiance to the Patriot cause with a quill pen! Muster Day graduates are invited to escort General George Washington during the American Independence Festival on July 18th. Sponsored by Ocean Bank.

July 11 - Northwood Meadows Sate Park Discovery Day from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. A fun-filled day for all ages to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Park... and Northwood's best kept secret!

• Explore the forests, waters and meadows in our own backyard.
• Identify wildlife, aquatic bugs and special habitats, see how trees become boards, try your hand at fishing, investigate water quality at Meadow Lake, and more!
• Discover the special natural and cultural features of the Park with expert-led walking tours.
• Help us to honor M. Edward Burtt - whose vision and hard work created the Park - and others who have contributed to its success.
• Meet other community members and neighbors working together across our stone walls in collaborative land management activities.

Lunch available from the Northwood Crankpuller's famous barbecue crew! Admission is free and the park is handicap accessible. Due to the number of people expected, please leave dogs at home (service dogs excepted).

Hosted by the Town of Northwood and The Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative (NALMC) for more information visit www.nalmc.net.

July 12 - Slow Food Seacoast Farm Picnic with Charlie Reid and Anne Dickerson at Osprey Cove Farm, 255 Littleworth Road/Route 9, Madbury, NH.

This year’s picnic celebrates the contributions of local farms with a “Birds & Bees” theme. The focus is on winged wild creatures that act as natural pollinators - without them, there’d be no food. Activities include:

• Honey Tasting: A Sample honeys from different plant crops and regions. Experience surprising variations in color, flavor, and aroma.

• Wildlife Walk: Explore the wild acres of this beautiful riverside farm with a Wildlife Habitat Educator from UNH Cooperative Extension. Walk through the trails and fields to look for signs of the many species who make their homes on the farm.

• Heritage Poultry Who’s Who: Yellow House Farm of Barrington, NH, will give a talk on domesticated poultry and why preserving old-fashioned heritage breed birds is important.

• Launch of 2009 Seacoast Harvest Local Foods Guide: Seacoast Eat Local and Slow Food Seacoast will present the expanded 2009 issue of Seacoast Harvest, a Local Foods Guide. Free copies will be available to take home. The guide includes a listing of farms, orchards, and vineyards in Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties, a map of the region’s farmers’ markets, a harvest calendar to track what is in season at their local farms, and – new this year – a seasonal guide to local seafood.

• Pie Contest: By popular demand, the pie contest returns! Guests are invited to bring a homemade pie to enter into the official Slow Food Seacoast Pie Contest. Any pie filling will qualify – berry, stone fruit, rhubarb, cream pie, etc. Entries will be formally judged for taste, crust, and appearance by a panel headed by Susan Tuveson, culinary educator and owner of Cacao Chocolates in Kittery, ME. Top winners will receive prizes.

• Blueberry Picking: Both highbush and lowbush wild blueberries grow in the woods at Oyster Cove. Bring a pail and pick your fill!

• Activities for Kids: Kids of all ages will have fun trying bean threshing, painting small plant pots and starting a seedling of their own, and making simple bird feeders.

Ongoing - Grease at Prescott Park put on by the Prescott Park Arts Festival. Grease will run till August 23 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.