Stretch your Thanksgiving celebration through the weekend with some delectable local events.
Dance parties at The Rockingham Ballroom
Burn off those Thanksgiving calories on the dance floor. The Rockingham Ballroom in Newmarket hosts Thanksgiving Line Dancing with 603 Line Dance on Thursday at 7 p.m. ($15). Saturday night starts with a quick dance lesson at 7:15 p.m., followed by music from the 17-piece New Legacy Swing Band at 8 p.m. ($20-$25). Learn more here.
“A New England Christmas” at Pontine
Pontine Theatre’s annual edition of “A New England Christmas” features adaptations of Eugene Wood’s “Christmas Back Home” and Annie Trumbull Slosson’s “A Speakin’ Ghost.” It’s on stage in Portsmouth from Nov. 28 through Dec. 14. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $29-$32. Learn more here.
High times at The Stone Church
Local legends Truffle headline the annual Turkey Jam at The Stone Church in Newmarket on Friday at 7 p.m. ($20-$25). Cormac McCarthy plays an afternoon set on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. ($15-$20). Grateful Dead tribute act Bearly Dead brings its “High Time” Tour to town on Saturday at 8 p.m. ($25-$30). Learn more here.
Concerts at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club
Five-time Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Duke Robillard brings his All Star Band to Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ($20-$58). Grammy-nominated drummer, composer, producer, and bandleader Nate Smith (pictured) follows with two performances on Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ($20-$95).
Live music at The Press Room
A loaded weekend of live music at The Press Room in Portsmouth begins with headliner The Sheila Divine and guests New Norde and Dummy Ache on Friday at 8 p.m. ($18-$20). Folk singer-songwriter Will Evans follows with Jack Shea on Saturday at 8 p.m. ($25-$28). Say Darling rounds things out on Sunday at 6 p.m. ($20-$25).
Model Airplane’s Funksgiving at 3S Artspace
An annual post-Thanksgiving tradition will return to 3S Artspace in Portsmouth on Friday from 8-11 p.m. Model Airplane’s Funksgiving will feature Gina and The Red Eye Flight Crew, Lyle Divinsky, Kenya Hall Music, and others in an all-ages all-star explosion. Tickets are $15-$20. Learn more here.
Theater and comedy at the Millspace
Newmarket Millspace is offering a one-day youth theater workshop for kids aged 9 to 14 on Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ($55). Then, on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Will Saxe presents “Sign My Yearbook,” featuring local performers and comedians who will recount embarrassing anecdotes from their awkward teen years ($18). Learn more here.
Open studio events in Kittery
Studio artists and local artisans will open their doors during the annual Art on the Hill holiday open studios event in Kittery on Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Also, the Red Door Pottery Gallery & Open Studio will host its annual Holiday Open Studio & Sale on Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Bang Group: Nut/Cracked
Experience “The Nutcracker” like you’ve never seen it before at The Dance Hall in Kittery. New York-based dance company The Bang Group will mix Tchaikovsky’s score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and others in “Nut/Cracked” on Saturday from 7-8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 3-4:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$30. Learn more here.
12 Nights of Christmas at The Orchard Chapel
The Word Barn’s 12 Nights of Christmas series gets underway this weekend in the lantern-lit confines of The Orchard Chapel in Hampton Falls. First up is the duo of songwriters Halley Neal and Sam Robbins on Saturday from 7-9 p.m. ($25). On Sunday, Mr. Sun Plays Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker from 7-9 p.m. ($30). Learn more here.
See the full calendar for move local events.