With the official start of summer just days away, there’s a lot going on over Father’s Day weekend. Here are some of the highlights, featuring art, music, comedy, theater, and more.
Cold Chocolate at the KCC
The Dance Hall’s concert series outside the Kittery Community Center continues Thursday with a performance by Cold Chocolate from 6-7 p.m. The Boston group, featuring Ethan Robbins on guitar and Ariel Bernstein on percussion, mixes funk, folk, and bluegrass to create a unique sound. They’ve shared stages with Leftover Salmon and David Grisman. Guests can bring chairs and blankets to spread on the lawn. Tickets are $15. Learn more here.
Concerts at The Stone Church
The Stone Church in Newmarket presents another excellent lineup of outdoor concerts this weekend. First up, local jam band Superfrog shares the bill with People Like You on Friday from 6-9 p.m. Then, New Orleans-style favorite Krewe de Groove takes the stage on Saturday from 6-9 p.m. (low ticket warning!). Finally, jazz guitar phenom Sean Britt and his trio show off their technical and compositional skills on Sunday from 3-5 p.m.
Baxter Koziol’s ‘House Blanket’
Portland, Maine-based artist Baxter Koziol deconstructs used clothing to create new textiles. A new exhibit of his pieces, titled “House Blanket,” will soon be on display at the Buoy gallery in Kittery. The show opens with a reception on Friday from 6-9 p.m. Koziol created the works during the height of the pandemic, and they reflect quarantine themes such as isolation, survival, comfort, the body, and the movies. Learn more here.
Concerts in the Meadow
A word of advice: If you want to see a magical outdoor concert at The Word Barn Meadow in Exeter, you have to act fast. At last check, a handful of tickets had opened up for the shows happening this weekend. First, horn-powered, house-rocking blues band Roomful of Blues performs on Friday from 7-8:30 p.m. ($35). Then, local favorites Soggy Po’ Boys play two shows on Saturday, from 4-5:30 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m. ($25).
‘All Shook Up’ in Newburyport
“Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel” are among the King’s hits featured in “All Shook Up,” a musical loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” but set in 1955. The Firehouse Center for the Arts is presenting “All Shook Up” on the Newburyport waterfront through July 25. Show times are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:30-10 p.m. A $50 pod admits up to four people. Learn more here.
Joyful Juneteenth Celebration
Every year, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The Black Heritage Trail of N.H. is marking the occasion with several entertaining and educational events. The culmination is a concert featuring award-winning singer N’Kenge, who will perform works by Aretha Franklin, Adele, Cole Porter, and others. It takes place Friday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Tickets are $35. Learn more here.
McCue’s Comedy Club Grand Opening
A new comedy club sets up shop within the Roundabout Diner & Lounge in Portsmouth this weekend. McCue’s Comedy Club, founded by local comic Jim McCue, celebrates its grand opening with a pair of stand-up shows headlined by comedy legend Ken Rogerson on Friday and Saturday from 8-9 p.m. The all-star lineup also features McCue, Cher Lynn, Joey Carroll, Jack Lynch, Tom Spohn, and Jim Bishop. Tickets are $20. Learn more here.
Exeter Arts & Music Festival
The Exeter Arts and Music Festival offers a Juneteenth celebration in Swasey Parkway on Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The opening performance features Najee Brown and the cast of “Stokely & Martin,” a play about an imagined dialogue between Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael. There will also be music, art, yoga, food, and more. The suggested donation is $10 ($20 per family); advance reservations are requested. Learn more here.
The Ring presents ‘Tarrytown’
The Players’ Ring, 3S Artspace, and Dive In Productions are teaming up to present the New England premiere of “Tarrytown” in Portsmouth. Written by Adam Wachter, the play is a modern retelling of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” told from the perspective of Ichabod Crane. It’s on stage at 3S for two weekends; show times are Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through June 27. Tickets are sold by the table. Learn more here.
Crown Jules at John Paul Jones Park
Local Motown and soul band Crown Jules headlines an outdoor Juneteenth celebration at John Paul Jones Park in Kittery on Saturday from 5:30-7 p.m. Presented as part of The Dance Hall’s Concerts by the Bridge series, the event will also feature local historian Bob Sheppard and the Seacoast West African Dancers and Drummers. Guests are invited to bring folding chairs and blankets to spread in the grass. Tickets are $15. Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.