Here is your guide to NH Seacoast events and beyond for July! This edition also includes your guide to fireworks and events to celebrate the Fourth of July. This is in no way intended to be a comprehensive event guide, so if you have suggestions or any great events that we’ve missed, please leave a comment to let us know!
July 1 (Hampton) :: Every night during the summer there is entertainment on the Sea Shell Stage. With over 80 shows featuring music from the 50’s – 90’s and beyond, everyone is invited to dance in front of the stage. There are two shows each night. The first show is from 7-8 pm and the second show is from 8:30-9:30 pm.
July 1-4 (Portsmouth) :: At Strawbery Banke, the 14th annual An American Celebration extends the festivities all weekend long. Offering something for everyone, from maritime art to a 1940s-style swing dance, each day’s events add something new to the Independence Day traditions.
July 1 (Portsmouth) :: Disney’s The Little Mermaid live in Prescott Park! Showtimes run throughout the summer.
July 2, 9, 16, 23 (Portsmouth) :: Summer In The Street is the result of an initiative to identify/create pedestrian-friendly areas in downtown Portsmouth where musicians, theatrical and dance companies can entertain folks in the heart of the City. Pleasant Street from Porter Street to Market Square closes from 5-9:30pm Saturdays on designated weekends during the summer.
July 2 (York, ME) :: Annual FIREWORKS starting at 9pm at the York Harbor Reading Room.
July 2 – 3 (New Castle) :: It’s the Fourth Annual Family Weekend at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse from 1-5 pm on both days! The lighthouse will be open for tours. Admission to the grounds is free, but there is a suggested donation of $4 for adults and $2 for children (12 and under) to tour the lighthouse. Children must be 42 inches tall to climb to the top, and adults are not permitted to carry children up the stairs.
July 3 (Portsmouth) :: The City’s annual FIREWORKS display is at 9:15 pm at the South Mill Pond, located across from Portsmouth City Hall. The rain date is scheduled for Tuesday, July 5 at the same time. Portsmouth has a long standing tradition of hosting one of the seacoast areas finest displays of fireworks.
July 4 (Brentwood) :: The FIREWORKS begin at dusk at Brentwood County Complex. There is no rain date scheduled.
July 4 (Dover) :: The City of Dover’s Annual FIREWORKS celebration begins at 9:15pm. Henry Law Park and the surrounding downtown areas are the best locations to view the fireworks. The fireworks display will be preceded by a performance of the 39th Army Band at the Rotary Arts Pavilion, from 7-9 pm. Food and novelty vendors will be available at Henry Law Park. The rain date for the fireworks display is Tuesday, July 5.
July 4 (Hampton Beach) :: FIREWORKS at 169 Ocean Boulevard on the beach between streets B and C.
July 4 (Milton) :: Fourth on the Farm is from 12-2 pm and offers delicious homemade strawberry shortcake, patriotic music, and the farm animals. Listen to the reading of the Declaration of Independence, play croquet and old fashioned games, and take a living history farmhouse tours.
July 4 (Ogunquit, ME) :: The annual FIREWORKS kick off at 9pm at the Main Beach Parking Lot. Music will be provided by DJ Jerry Bazata before and after the show. Please note that due to the fireworks display, there will be no parking at the Main Beach lot.
July 4 (Rye) :: The Town of Rye FIREWORKS are at 9pm at Parsons Field. This event is weather permitting with no rain date.
July 4 (Salisbury Beach) :: The Fourth of July Celebration begins at 7 pm with live music followed by FIREWORKS over the beach at 10:15 pm.
July 5 (Portsmouth) :: Family Game Night at Families First Parents will hone the art of setting up for success. The event includes a light family supper followed by active family games and is FREE!
July 5, 12, 19, 26 (Greenland) :: Bodies in Bloom presents The Birth Circle, a community event for women who have become a mother and want to share their birth story, beginning at 10 am. Immediately following is Mother’s Circle, the perfect opportunity to unite in motherhood, reduce stress levels, increase energy, and offers valuable tools to overcome common struggles related to motherhood. Both programs are ongoing, donation-based offerings.
July 5, 12, 19, 26 (Portsmouth) :: Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Group at Families First is offering support for mothers during their baby’s first year, when postpartum depression and anxiety are common. Come be with other mothers who know what it’s like. Facilitated by Susan Remillard, PCD DONA, CLC, who is trained in birth and postpartum care. Childcare is provided.
July 7 (Exeter) :: Summer Reading Road Trip on Swasey Parkway from 2:30-4:30 pm will have authors, characters, games, crafts, activities, photo ops, and giveaways, plus loads of great Scholastic books! Join Water Street Bookstore for this fun, free event.
July 7, 11, 14 (Newcastle) :: Portsmouth Paddle Co. and Thrive presents SUP Yoga + Paddle Board Sunset Tours! ALL are welcome and no experience is necessary. BYOB for cocktail rock. Cost: $25 Thrive members, $35 non-members. A perfect mom’s night out activity!
July 7, 14, 21, 28 (Greenland) :: Once Upon An Estuary at The Great Bay Discovery Center is a series ideal for youngsters, ages 2-5. Come dressed ready for some fun outdoors! Each program starts outside with activities, games, and warm walks. Following outdoor exploration, children move inside for a craft and story time! $3 per child participant or $5/family (no fee for parents/guardians). Pre-registration is required.
July 7, 14, 21, 28 (Stratham) :: At Story Time with the Animals at the NHSPCA, children listen to a story about an animal, color a picture of an animal, and visit with REAL animals in the classroom. Starts at 10:30 am; no registration is required. A donation of $5.00 is suggested and appreciated.
July 8 (Portsmouth) :: At the Walk with Washington at the Langdon House, you can follow the footsteps of George Washington’s 1789 visit to Portsmouth. See where he took tea with his secretary’s mother, Mrs. Lear; attended services at St. John’s Church; and was feted at a reception at Governor John Langdon House. The tour returns to Langdon House, which Washington thought “may be esteemed the first in Portsmouth,” where your ticket is good for 50 percent off the cost of a guided tour.
July 11 (Dover) :: It’s the 2nd annual epic week of Super Hero Adventures at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire! Come to the Museum and join one of two competing super hero teams, the Avengers or the Justice League. All throughout the week, guests will have the chance to gain points for their team by playing games, making crafts, and of course, dressing up as their favorite super hero, heroine or villain. The children will also be learning all about how super hero comics are created and every child who visits will go home with a free comic book (while supplies last). It’s sure to be an action-packed and exciting week for both kids and kids-at-heart.
July 11, 18, 25 (Seabrook) :: Hop Skip and Jump with Sandwiches and Stories at Seabrook Library from 12-1 pm! Bring your lunch to the library and eat outside (whenever possible) while listening to stories, then play a game or make a craft to take home. This is an all ages and drop in program–no sign-ups necessary.
July 11 – 22 (Online) :: The First Four Months – Newborn Sleep Foundations is 10-day online group where you will learn how to set healthy sleep foundations for your newborn and young infant. Led by About Expect to Sleep Again Sleep Consulting, LLC, the group will address the changes that occur over the first four months and how to set your baby up for healthy sleep.
July 12, 19, 26 (Dover) :: The Cocheco Arts Festival Children’s Series at Henry Law Park is an extremely enjoyable and fun-filled day for the entire family right in downtown Dover. Each week, the Children’s Series features a different performance, including music, dancing, puppeteers, jugglers and magicians.
July 12, 19, 26 (Portsmouth) :: From 5pm – 7pm, Strawbery Banke offers outdoor concerts of acoustic music each Tuesday evening, overlooking the lush lawn of Puddle Dock. Food, beer and wine for sale. $5/person, free to SBM members. July 12, Gary Sredzienski; July 19, Cuppa Joe; July 26, Liz and Dan Faiella.
July 12, 19, 26 (Portsmouth) :: Families First presents Keeping Your Cool: Anger Help for Everyday Parenting. Learn ways to reduce and handle anger so you can be the parent you want to be. Week 1: Identify and understand your personal triggers; how anger works; how kids “push our buttons”; strategies for you and your kids, with Parkie Boley. Week 2: What happens in our brains when we become angry, with Pete Fifield, LCMHC. Week 3: Stress reduction for parents, with Jill Capobianco. This is a FREE program.
July 14 (Portsmouth) :: Go To Sleep! is a FREE Families First program for sleep support. Baby not sleeping through the night? Child resisting bedtime? Shawnee L. Baker, RN, of Advanced Nurturing LLC will address the foundations, biology and four pillars of sleep, offering solutions for children ages 4 months to 6 years. Parents will learn how to apply positive reinforcement and behavioral strategies to sleep.
July 16 (Exeter) :: The 26th American Independence Festival features an Artisan’s Village, Historic Encampments, Museum Tours, Children’s Activities, Re-Enactments and Portrayals, Independence Ale at the Folsom Tavern, Food, Music, and More!
July 16 (Exeter) :: The Exeter Parks and Recreation Department sponsors the FIREWORKS and band concert following the American Independence Festival. This wonderful festival finishes up with live music by Ryan McHugh Band at 6:45 pm and fireworks at dusk in Swasey Parkway.
July 16 (Kensington) :: The Rocky Hollow clan is coming to Eastman’s Corner for the Little Farmer Series: Bees and Honey to teach us about bees and how they make honey. This is a fun learning experience as we will be playing games and winning prizes! Join us to learn about these incredible insects and exactly why they are so important to us and our planet.
July 19 (North Hampton) :: At Breastfeeding 101, learn how to get off to a great start and trust Mother Nature! Located at the Seacoast Birth & Family Connection, take advantage of an expert instructor who combines discussion, demonstration and hands on components for a great learning experience (and leaves plenty of time to answer all your questions).
July 21 – 24 (Stratham) :: Established in 1967, the Stratham Fair at Stratham Hill Park follows in the traditions of old country fairs.
July 23 (Newburyport) :: See, Think, and Wonder Walks for Preschoolers: Salt Marsh Scavenger Hunt at the Joppa Flats Education Center will focus on the importance of a sense of place. Local and migrating birds, other wildlife, collecting techniques, and environmental awareness will be presented in a fun, energetic format that adults and children alike will enjoy.
July 24 (Portsmouth) :: Seacoast Salutes at the Redhook Brewery is a one day event to honor the sacrifices of our active duty military personnel and their families. As a fundraiser for the Chaplain Emergency Relief Fund 100% of donations raised at this year’s event will help military personnel and families in crisis. As one of New Hampshire’s most anticipated events of the summer, the Seacoast Salutes event is expected to top 5,000 attendees. The event is FREE to children under 12.
July 26 (Portsmouth) :: Herb Society of America Northeast Seacoast Unit: Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life features Michael J. Caduto, a juried artist with the Vermont Arts Council and the New Hampshire Council on the Arts, and coauthor of the national best-selling Keepers of the Earth® series and Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects and Recipes for Families.
July 28 (Exeter) :: The 2016 Outdooor Cinema Series on Swasey Parkway kicks-off with a double feature starting at 6 pm with the sounds of Blue Note Big Band, the final performance of Exeter Park and Recreation Department’s Summer Concert Series. The concert will run from 6-8 pm. The night continues at dusk with a showing of Star Wars – The Force Awakens on the big screen at dusk (approximately 8:20). As usual, the HERON group will be on hand with their fresh-popped popcorn and beverages.
July 29 – 31 (Eliot, ME) :: There are hundreds or tractor and engine displays and demos at the 21st Eliot Antique Tractor & Engine Show. Admission is $7 per person, children 12 and under get in free. The event boasts plenty of free parking.
July 30 (Hampton) :: The Little Miss Hampton Beach Pageant is on Seashell Stage from 2-5 pm.
This is a fabulous compilation, thank you so much for taking the time to put this together!
Thank you so much, Jen!
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