May your weekend be filled with joy, laughter, music, dancing, tall ships, and hot sauce!
2024 Tall Ships Festival
The tall ships are back! Hundreds of private crafts and commercial fishing boats will escort the visiting ships up the Piscataqua River and into Portsmouth during the annual Parade of Sail Flotilla on Friday morning from 10:30-11:30 a.m. A full weekend of tall ship tours and day sails follows through Sunday. Learn more here.
Packed weekend at The Word Barn Meadow
Portland-based singer-songwriter Connor Garvey returns to The Word Barn Meadow in Exeter for a show with guest Lee Biddle on Friday from 7-9 p.m. ($25). Boston duo Tall Heights, fresh off the release of a new single, follows on Saturday with an early show from 4-6 p.m. and an evening show from 7-9 p.m. ($25). Speaking of new singles, Boston band Twisted Pine brings their own to town on Sunday from 7-9 p.m. ($25). Learn more here.
Annex Contemporary Dance at STAR Theatre
Seacoast performance troupe Annex Contemporary Dance will present new and repertory works by artistic director Julie Hebb and choreographer Meghan McCoy Seedner during two evenings of dance at STAR Theatre in the Kittery Community Center on Friday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $25. Learn more here.
Doors tribute at The Rockingham Ballroom
The Doors tribute act Crystal Ship has drawn praise from none other than legendary Doors guitarist Robbie Kreiger himself! The band will re-create an authentic Doors concert during its only regional performance at The Rockingham Ballroom in Newmarket on Friday from 8-11 p.m. Tickets are $35. Learn more here.
Two concerts at The Stone Church
Indie-folk favorites Sneaky Miles will return to The Stone Church in Newmarket for a gig with Boston act Copilot and local upstarts The Orrs on Friday at 8 p.m. ($15-$20). A summertime ska party follows on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with headliner Bim Skala Bim supported by The Feel Goods and The Rins ($25-$30). Learn more here.
Three shows at The Dance Hall
A busy weekend at The Dance Hall begins with a triple-bill rock show featuring Rick Rude with Quickdraw and Tin Fish on Friday from 8-9:30 p.m. ($12-$15). Louisville-bred folk and blues icon Tyrone Cotton, who has worked with acts like Bob Weir, Yo Yo Ma, and Josh Ritter, heads to Kittery with Ray Rizzo on Saturday from 7:30-9 p.m. ($17-$22). Jazz trio Altus brings its new album “Mythos” to town on Sunday from 5-6:30 p.m. ($10-$15). Learn more here.
Night Hawk at MrSippy BBQ
What do Edward Hopper’s paintings sound like? Maine-based outfit Night Hawk explores this question with music that blurs the line between indie rock and performance art. The group, featuring a rotating cast of talented players, will take the truck stage at MrSippy BBQ in Rochester on Friday from 8-10 p.m. Tickets are $10. Learn more here.
Live music at WSCA Radio
The team at Dive In Productions will present a live performance of Ryan Scott Oliver’s pop-rock concept album “Three Points of Contact” at WSCA Radio in Portsmouth on Friday from 8-10 p.m. ($10-$15). Then, on Saturday, N.C.-based Americana band The Pinkerton Raid plays at WSCA from 7:30-10 p.m. ($15-$20). Learn more here.
New England Hot Sauce Festival
A year after being featured on “Hot Ones,” The Spicy Shark is back with the third annual New England Hot Sauce Festival. Guests can sample craft hot sauces from around the Northeast at Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton on Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. There will also be music, food trucks, beer, contests, and bouncy houses. Tickets are $13-$17; proceeds support the Blue Ocean Society and the Seacoast Science Center. Learn more here.
Family entertainment at Prescott Park
The Prescott Park Arts Festival is offering fun for the whole family in Portsmouth. Grammy-winning musician Mister G plays a kid-friendly concert on Saturday from 4-5 p.m. RGC Theatre presents A Backyard Beach Summer Splash featuring hits from the animated show “Phineas and Ferb” on Sunday from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Plus, “Legally Blonde The Musical” continues on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Learn more here.
Stand-up comedy in Portsmouth
There will be laughs to go around in Portsmouth on Saturday night. Maine-based comic Karen Morgan, a former finalist on Nickelodeon’s “Search for the Funniest Mom in America,” headlines at McCue’s Comedy Club from 8-9:30 p.m. ($20). And award-winning comic Jim Colliton performs at The Music Hall Lounge at 8 p.m. ($24-$34).
Windham Community Band at Crows’ Feat Farm
More than 40 volunteer musicians with a shared passion for music comprise the Windham Community Band, which will perform on the lawn at Crows’ Feat Farm in Kensington on Sunday from 3-5 p.m. Tickets are $10-$20. A farm-fresh community picnic precedes the show from 1-2:30 p.m. (tickets sold separately for $30). Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.