While winter labors to maintain its grip on New England, the Seacoast resolutely forges ahead with plans for spring. A couple of events coming up this weekend are focused on gardening and landscaping. But there’s also plenty of music, theater, and even a sustainable fashion show on the docket. And there’s a rally expected to draw thousands of concerned citizens to Market Square. Learn more below.
Home and Garden
The University of New Hampshire in Durham opens up its Mcfarlane Research Greenhouses on Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can learn about gardening, landscaping, research, and more. Meanwhile, across campus, more than 200 exhibitors will showcase products and services during the Seacoast Home & Garden Show. It happens at the Whittemore Center on Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25, starting at 10 a.m. Admission is $5 to $8.
In the Heights
Before there was “Hamilton” there was “In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about a Hispanic-American community in New York. A local staging of the show, directed by Tyler Christie, opens this weekend at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth. Show times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The show runs through April 22; tickets are $20 to $38. For more information, click here.
March for Our Lives
Concerned citizens, families, and students shaken by recent mass shootings will congregate in downtown Portsmouth on Saturday, March 24, to demand solutions to the national epidemic of gun violence. Organized by the Resistance Seacoast and other community groups, the local March for Our Lives coincides with simultaneous rallies across the country. Speakers will include local leaders, students, and educators who participated in recent school walkouts. It takes place from 1-3 p.m. in Market Square. Learn more here.
Project Upcycle Runway Show
Project Upcycle is a lot like “Project Runway” — the reality TV show entering its 17th season — but with local designers using sustainable materials. Each contestant has two days to create an original outfit from secondhand clothing provided by Goodwill. The runway show on Saturday, March 24, features community models and VIP judges. The event, which includes a cocktail hour and after-party, takes place from 6-10 p.m. at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. Tickets are $40; learn more here.
Son Lux
Though consisting of members from Los Angeles and New York, Son Lux has a loose connection to the Seacoast: The band recorded its second album, “We Are Rising,” for the RPM Challenge, an initiative born in Portsmouth. This year, the band further refined its entrancing, ethereal sound with its fifth album, “Brighter Wounds.” They’ll play at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth on Sunday, March 25, at 7 p.m., with openers Sinkane and Hanna Benn. Tickets are $18-$20; learn more here.
For a full calendar of local events, click here.