The holiday marathon continues this weekend on the Seacoast, and our event highlights reflect that theme. But we’re going to try to put the spotlight on some happenings that are a bit different from the Seacoast’s standard holiday fare. Here’s what we came up with. (For more holiday events, click here.)
A Very Smutty Christmas
Depending on your Christmas spirit, beer is a veritable necessity for enhancing holiday merriment. Smuttynose Brewing has you covered at Portsmouth Book and Bar on Friday, Dec. 14, from 7-10 p.m. There will be seven Smuttynose beers on draft — including some new brews — and every purchase comes with a special present. There will also be live jazz from Chris Klaxton’s quartet, a visit from Santa, and a toy drive with the Seacoast Area Firefighters Toy Bank. Learn more here.
Hip Hop Holiday: A Not So Silent Night
Traditionally, few of the Seacoast’s many Christmas concerts have featured rap. That’s changing with Portsmouth’s first ever Hip Hop Holiday at St. John’s Masonic Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. The event features hip-hop acts STL GLD and Rayel, deejays Teeba and DJ Skooch, and artists Stephen Godlieb, Michael Valotto, and Marisa Kang. There will also be food from Vida Cantina and cocktails from The Nice. Tickets are $20; proceeds benefit Gather. Learn more here.
Bunny and the Fox: Holiday Office Party
Drag duo Joslyn Fox and Bunny Wonderland are teaming up with around 15 local actors, improvisers, burlesque dancers, and drag performers to throw a big, bad, holiday bash at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. The Holiday Office Party on Saturday, Dec. 15, features local improv troupe Dorks in Dungeons in a show that is part dance party, part interactive storyline, and part drag show. The 18-plus event starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $25. Learn more here.
Holiday Concerts, Round 2
Many genres are represented at upcoming holiday concerts: the Rock My Soul Gospel Choir Holiday Show at The Dance Hall in Kittery on Friday (7 p.m., $16-$20); Ed Gerhard’s Christmas Guitar Concert at South Church in Portsmouth on Friday and Saturday (7:30 p.m., $28-$32); the Last Bash Holiday Dance Party with Sharon Jones at The Castle in Rochester on Saturday (7 p.m., $8); and Bill Kirchen’s Holiday Honky Tonk at Red and Shorty’s in Dover on Sunday (8-10 p.m., $25).
Holiday Theater, Round 3
Another new batch of holiday shows comes to local theaters this weekend. Among the highlights are A Charlie Brown Christmas at Star Theatre in Kittery (Dec. 14-23, $15); A Tuna Christmas at the Rochester Opera House (Dec. 13-23, $15); New Hampshire Theatre Project’s It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at West End Studio Theatre in Portsmouth (Dec. 14-30, $26-$30); and Northeastern Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker at Oyster River High School in Durham (Dec. 15-16, $17.50-$25).
For a complete calendar of local events, click here.