Christopher Volpe Sea and Shore
Work by Christopher Volpe is at the Kennedy Gallery in an exhibit opening during Art 'Round Town. Above, a detail of "Tide Pools and Vapor Trails."

Top five things to do: Jan. 5-7

A roundup of weekend entertainment on the Seacoast

Having survived the bomb cyclone, it’s time to seek our entertainment for the first weekend of 2018. There’s plenty to do, including new art exhibits, plays, sleigh rides, and a freak-tastic drag party. Here are some of the highlights.

Mural Mission Retrospective

Wrong Brain Mural Mission Retrospective

Sam Paolini, founder of the Wrong Brain artist collective, recently spent 77 days on the road, painting murals for nonprofits, art groups, and communes across the country. She’ll host a Mural Mission Retrospective at the Wrong Brain headquarters in Dover on Friday, Jan. 5, from 4-8 p.m., in conjunction with the monthly Dover Art Walk. She’ll also take the opportunity to release her new Mural Mission Zine, which documents her travels. For more information, click here.

Botanical Transmutations

Nathan Sullivan Botanical Transmutations

The new exhibit at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth presents painter Nathan Sullivan’s “Botanical Transmutations: Selections from the Form and Space Series.” The Form Series explores the power of natural forms, while the Space Series reimagines these forms’ sources of origin, scale, and orientation. The opening reception takes place on Friday, Jan. 5, from 5-8 p.m., coinciding with Art ’Round Town, during which other new exhibits will be unveiled at galleries around downtown Portsmouth. For more information, click here.

Full Moon Sleigh Ride

Coppal House sleigh ride

With a thick blanket of fresh snow on the ground and a full moon in the sky, it’s the perfect night to experience winter in New England. Coppal House Farm in Lee offers horse-drawn sleigh rides on Friday, Jan. 5, at 5:30, 6:15, or 7 p.m. There will also be a bonfire, hot cocoa and cookies after the ride. Tickets are $10 (free for kids under 3); seats must be reserved in advance. Click here for more info.

Ray of Light

Ray of Light

Favorite local playwright G. Matthew Gaskell’s seventh full-length play comes to The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth from Jan. 5-14, with show times on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. “Ray of Light” follows the plight of Emily Burke, who awakes one morning to face the challenge of an exceptionally brutal hangover. The results are both hilarious and heartwarming. Presented by Brownwater Productions, tickets are $18. For more information, click here.

Red Light Drag Night

Red Light Drag Night

Back by popular demand, the Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s Red Light Series presents a Fabulous Evening of Drag Queens on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m. in Portsmouth. The evening will feature singing, comedy, lip-syncing, dancing, performance art, imitations, puppetry, and more, all presented by fabulous drag divas. There will also be drag trivia and bingo, with naughty prizes up for grabs. Tickets are $15 (or pay what you can); the cash bar is open until midnight. Learn more here.

For a full calendar of local events, click here.