News of its pending sale at auction has not deterred Smuttynose Brewing Company from hosting a mid-season celebration with its Crackle & Hops Winter Festival. There’s also live music, theater, art, and more coming up this weekend. Here are some of the highlights.
First & Again
Local painter Nicole Ellis’ first gallery exhibit will be on display at Main Street Art in Newfields for the next month. Ellis’ original acrylic works focus on the often-overlooked details of an image, such as rust, peeling paint, and broken edges. The show, “First & Again,” opens with a reception on Friday, Feb. 16, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and remains on the walls through March 16. The opening reception is free, but donations are encouraged. For more information, click here.
Burnt Into Memory
Pontine Theatre’s next production focuses on the real-life wild fires that devastated the town of Brownfield and much of Maine in October 1947. Guest artist Jo Radner will share the story of the fires in three performances this weekend at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth. “Burnt Into Memory: How Brownfield Faced the Fire” takes place Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $24, available here.
Last Waltz Live
Martin Scorcese’s “The Last Waltz,” which documents The Band’s famed 1976 farewell concert in San Francisco, ranks among the greatest concert films ever made. On Friday, Feb. 16, New England group The Rev Tor Band will perform a live reenactment of the legendary concert at the Rochester Opera House. Among the guest performers is local guitarist Bob Halperin, who will fill the role of Muddy Waters. The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $22-$26, available here.
Speakeasy by the Sea
In the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, the next installment of the Speakeasy by the Sea series will focus on love gone wrong. Sixteen performers will play songs with a “Tainted Love” theme at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 7-10 p.m. Seraphina Caligiure will serve as host, and Kathy Fink will accompany the performers on keys. There is a $10 suggested donation, or $50 to reserve a table. For more information, click here.
Crackle & Hops Winter Festival
The future of Smuttynose Brewing Company is uncertain, but it is a virtual certainty that the Crackle & Hops Winter Festival will be a crackling good time. The Hampton-based brewery will be sold at auction in March after nearly a quarter-century on the Seacoast, but not before the festival on Sunday, Feb. 18, featuring food trucks, beer, a bonfire, and a “Trebuchet Snowman Slaughter.” The event, which supports three charities, takes place from 3-7 p.m.; learn more here.
For a full calendar of local events, click here.