Put a little spring in your step this weekend and get to a local event.
Hear & There: A Weekend of Music
Indulge in four nights of live music in Portsmouth and Kittery this weekend. The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth has partnered with local venues and arts organizations to present Hear & There: A Weekend of Music, taking place this Thursday through Sunday. Participants include Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, The Dance Hall, 3S Artspace, Strawbery Banke Museum, Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar, Dwyer’s Pub, WSCA Radio, The Music Hall Lounge, The Press Room, and the Kittery Art Association. Learn more here.
Fledgling artists at NH Art Association
The next generation of New England artists takes center stage at the New Hampshire Art Association this month. “Fledgling Artists Under 30,” a juried showcase dedicated to emerging talent, opens with a reception at the Portsmouth gallery during Art ‘Round Town on Friday from 5-8 p.m. Learn more here.
Art and community at the Millspace
Local feel-good favorite Gnarly Darling will headline a Newmarket Project Graduation Fundraiser at the Millspace Center on Friday at 7 p.m. ($30). The following morning, the Newmarket venue will host a Youth Theatre Workshop for kids aged 9-17 with actor Katherine Cusack on Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ($55). Learn more here.
Music and art workshop at The Word Barn
Following a concert with Boston-based rocker Sarah Borges on Friday from 7-9 p.m. ($25), The Word Barn in Exeter hosts a full day of art and music on Saturday. It begins with a Paint Your Peace art workshop with Jennifer Jarvis from 10-11:30 a.m. ($65), followed by a Suminigashi Workshop (Japanese water marbling) from 12:30-2:30 p.m. ($85). Capping the weekend is a double-bill show featuring rootsy local bands Gnarly Darling and The Mountain on Saturday from 7-9 p.m. ($25). Learn more here.
Mandolin fest kick-off at The Dance Hall
The 2026 David Surette Mandolin Festival kicks off with a special concert at The Dance Hall in Kittery on Friday from 7-10 p.m. Featured acts for the annual weekend of mandolin-focused workshops and performances include Glen Loper, Chris Moore, Noah Fishman, and Steve Roy. Tickets are $15-$30. Learn more here.
“Enid’s Mill” at The Players’ Ring
The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth is hosting the world premiere of a new family drama with a recipe for hope. Set in 1979 in upstate New York, Martha Douglas-Osmundson’s “Enid’s Mill” is on stage March 6-22; show times are Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $29-$32. Learn more here.
Party all weekend at The Press Room
You can party all weekend long at The Press Room in Portsmouth. Get a head start with Montreal dance-punk band Choses Sauvages and guests Children of The Flaming Wheel and Grub Lord on Thursday at 8 p.m. ($18-$22). Follow that with New England jam band Strange Machines and guest Terrafunk on Friday at 8 p.m. ($15-$20). On Saturday, Highway Kind presents A Birthday Celebration of Townes Van Zandt at 7 p.m. ($22-$25), and DJ Vers Queen presents Break Free at 10 p.m. ($10). Finally, folk-rock-pop artist Amelia Day and guest Alice Kristiansen perform on Sunday at 7 p.m. ($15-$18). Learn more here.
Live shows on the Button Factory Stage
Presented by the Dydo Alliance, Boston-area rock trio Angry Hill takes the Button Factory Stage at WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio for a live performance on Friday at 8 p.m. ($10-$15). Saturday brings a triple-bill of regional indie rock featuring Last Pages, Easy Tiger, and Sorry Safari starting at 7 p.m. ($10). Learn more here.
Specialty Foods & Craft Festival
About 125 exhibitors of handmade wares and specialty foods will set up at The Rim Sports Complex in Hampton this weekend. The fifth annual New England Specialty Foods & Craft Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will also be music, beverages, face painting, and more. Admission is $7. Learn more here.
Family Light Night at the Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire will light up the night with glowing cloud dough, glow face paints, a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt, glow jewelry, and light-up party favors on Saturday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Family Light Night is an all-ages fundraiser for the forthcoming Luckey Climber exhibit. Tickets are $25-$35. Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.
