Labor Day weekend is the unofficial end of summer and kick-off to the fall. Kicking off the weekend is a variety of things to do to keep everyone entertained. Head over to the Rochester Opera House to hear bagpipes and fiddles with Skerryvore (I’ll be there!), get ready for an out of this world experience at the Exeter UFO Festival 2024, laugh the night away with Kathe Farris at McCue’s Comedy Club, or end the summer with a screening of “Casablanca,” the final showing in the Movie Night Series at Prescott Park Arts Festival.
Read on for details on things to do:
Skerryvore at the Rochester Opera House
What: Skerryvore plays a mesmerizing blend of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, complemented by guitar and vocals, with a driving rhythm section. It’s contemporary Scottish traditional music — a fusion of folk, traditional, pop and rock.
When: Friday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m.
Where: Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester
Cost: $38-$42
More info: rochesteroperahouse.com
West Coast Swing at The Rockingham Ballroom
What: Monthly dance with instructor Anne Fleming. Join dancers from stumblers to showoffs.
When: Friday, Aug. 30, 7:30-11 p.m.
Where: Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket
Cost: $15
More info: rockinballroom.club
Joe Bonamassa at the Casino Ballroom
What: Joe Bonamassa’s “Blues Deluxe Tour” features his critically acclaimed albums, including “Blues Deluxe” from 2003 and the current “Blues Deluxe Vol. 2.”
When: Friday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m.
Where: Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach
Cost: $91-$201
More info: casinoballroom.com
Exeter UFO Festival 2024
What: Exeter’s UFO Festival features panel talks featuring eight UFO experts, an alien costume contest, food, and trolley rides to where, the UFO was first spotted.
When: Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Exeter Town Hall, Town House Common and throughout downtown Exeter
Cost: Free
More: Exeter UFO Festival 2024:, what you need to know before you go
Summer Sham 3 at Newmarket Millspace
What: On Aug. 31, Summer Sham returns to the Millspace, brought to you by Stranger than Fiction. Improvisers from our community come together to compete for the championship belt in this theater experience.
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Newmarket Millspace, 55 Main St., Newmarket
Cost: $12-$15
More info: millspace.org
Brandy Clark at Prescott Park
What: A Grammy and CMA Award-winner, Brandy Clark is one of her generation’s most esteemed songwriters and musicians.
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
Where: Prescott Park Arts Festival, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth
Cost: Suggested $5-$15 donation at the gate.
More info: prescottpark.org
Kathe Farris at McCue’s Comedy Club
What: Kathe Farris is a Boston-based stay-at-home mom, stand-up comedian, and snack cake enthusiast who has been comic-in-residence at The Comedy Studio and a finalist in the Boston Comedy Festival.
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
Where: McCue’s Comedy Club, 580 Portsmouth Traffic Circle, Portsmouth
Cost: $25
More info: mccuescomedyclub.com
Green Lion Crew at The Press Room
What:Green Lion Crew’s Zeke Stern and Dana Knowles are students of the sounds of Caribbean culture. After a decade of producing in Jamaica, St. Croix, and the United States their collaboration list features some of the top acts in Reggae music.
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 p.m.
Where: The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth
Cost: $12-$15
More info: pressroomnh.com
‘Casablanca‘ at Prescott Park
What: End the summer with a screening of “Casablanca,” the iconic romantic drama set during World War II.
When: Sunday, Sept. 1, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Prescott Park Arts Festival, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth
Cost: Suggested $5-$15 donation at the gate.
More info: prescottpark.org
Labor of Love: Labor Day Evening Jazz at The Press Room
What: Following the path of some of the Greats, such as Tina Turner, Jim Morrison, Eartha Kitt, Abbey Lincoln, Dexter Gordon, Phil Woods, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stan Getz, Nina Simone, and more, plus some original material thrown in for good measure
When: Sunday, Sept. 1, 6 p.m.
Where: The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth
Cost: $12-$15
More info: pressroomnh.com
Stanley Clarke at Jimmy’s
What: NEA Jazz Master and five-time Grammy winner Stanley Clarke is touted as one of the most celebrated acoustic and electric bass players in the world.
When: Sunday, Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, 135 Congress St., Portsmouth
Cost: $22.50-$157.50
More info: jimmysoncongress.com
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