This weekend in Derry, NH

This interactive, four hour natural hair care workshop centers on the Respect Your Crown theme. Participants build discipline, self care, and confidence while focusing on youth development and everyday life skills. It highlights healthy practices for natural textures and encourages wearing your hair like a crown with pride.

The Nashua Area Artists Association presents the 73rd annual Greeley Park Art Show, a two day outdoor juried celebration of visual art that fills the park with fresh work, creative energy, and unexpected discoveries. Artists 18 and older working in both two and three dimensions take part, with more than 56 participants ranging from painters and photographers to woodworkers. Exhibitors display their pieces, demonstrate techniques, and transform 10-by-10 tents into intimate gallery spaces. Live performances are expanded this year, with local musicians and music students appearing throughout the weekend, alongside a marionette show for children. Scheduled acts include ambient music by Cliff Conti, the duo Matt and Melissa, students from Let’s Play Music, and Electriksoul, with puppetry by Teresa Moler. Juried awards span many categories, including 3D, acrylic, drawing and illustration, mixed media, oil, pastel, photography, watercolor, and digital art. Best in Show includes a display at ArtHub, the NAAA gallery, with an artist reception, and there is also a Viewer’s Choice pick. Adult and youth competitions feature both monetary and nonmonetary prizes, and scholarships are awarded to high school students planning to pursue art degrees. Visitors often return to reconnect with favorite creators, discover new voices, and watch artists at work. Family friendly activities add to the experience, with lawn games and hands-on artmaking such as rock painting and a story hour, plus corn hole, giant Jenga, and life size Connect Four. Raffles offer an eclectic mix of artwork, unique items, and gift certificates donated by area supporters. The event is supported in part by a grant from the Nashua Arts Commission, with additional contributions from local organizations, businesses, and artists.

Explore downtown through a playful art scavenger hunt that leads right into hands-on creativity. Studio 550 places art out in the streets to spark joy in walking the city and discovering the unexpected. Instead of hiding the monsters themselves, reusable Monster Medallions are tucked around town. Find one and swap it at Studio 550 for its matching, one-of-a-kind monster. Each finder keeps the monster, with a one-per-person guideline so the fun can be shared widely. Every successful searcher is also entered into a raffle for a Studio 550 gift card. The hunt concentrates in the heart of downtown along Elm Street between Bridge Street and Studio 550, always in public spots and often near public art, the kinds of places people pass every day. Little adventurers have their own mini hunt first, designed for children ages 5 and under in the green space by the DoubleTree Hotel in front of the Center of NH. Look for colorful pennant flags. There are 25 monsters reserved for this round, and all young participants receive a free monster sticker whether or not a clay monster is found. An all-ages kickoff at City Hall Plaza shares the rules, helpful tips, and some free prizes before the broader search begins and continues until everything is discovered. Back at Studio 550, visitors can enjoy a mix of low-cost or free activities whether or not they found a monster. Options include trying the pottery wheel, creating a plant habitat for a new monster friend, tie-dyeing a Studio 550 T-shirt or tote bag, crafting a monster house, taking a quick comic lesson with 2-D instructor Mattea Schevey, and decorating with sidewalk chalk, with more surprises likely. The Manchester City Library BookMobile will be at City Hall Plaza, and Queen City Cupcakes offers monster-themed cupcakes for those who find a monster. No purchase is necessary, and everyone is encouraged to spend a little time downtown to eat and see what the city has to offer.

ArtCity Nashua reimagines the Heritage Rail Trail as a lively corridor of creativity, featuring more than 20 artists, performances across two stages, vendor booths, and food trucks. Explore artist-led workshops, hands-on community activations, and energetic dance cyphers as you move along the trail, with new experiences at every block. The showcase brings art to eight walls and weaves together visual expression, live music, and local makers for a one-day celebration.

Settle in for a relaxed storytime featuring up to three read-alouds, adjusted if one selection runs longer. Late arrivals are welcome, and the session is designed for toddlers through early elementary ages, roughly Pre-K to second or third grade for children who enjoy being read to. It takes place inside Maple Valley Plaza in the former Double Midnight Comics space, and there is ample parking on site.

A weekly Pokemon League at the Relentless Dragon welcomes kids of all ages and adults for a free gathering centered on the Pokemon Trading Card Game. Participants can play, trade, socialize, or learn the basics during league sessions. Promotional prize packs are awarded for participation. Sessions are sometimes supplemented by special events, including Prerelease events, League Cups, and League Challenges.

Eddie Sands performs a live acoustic set at Fodys Tavern.

Part of ODA’s Hot Summer Night Series with Stark Brewing Co., this gathering blends live local music with food, drinks, and easygoing vibes. Plans call for an outdoor setup with fresh air and room to move when the weather cooperates, and an indoor version at Stark Brewing Company if needed. It offers a relaxed setting to dance, unwind, or simply enjoy the atmosphere, with attentive service and opportunities to spend time with friends or meet new people.

Sunset Electric brings indie and alternative sounds to Riverwalk Pavilion as part of a free summer concert series.

Tupelo Music Hall presents an evening with John Violinist, an internationally recognized artist who blends contemporary R&B and soul with modern instrumental performance. Known for a high-energy stage presence and interactive approach, he delivers concerts that balance rich musicianship with striking visual elements. His appearances have included performances for Tom Werner, Anthony Anderson, Queen Latifah, Valerie Simpson and Simone Biles, and he has been featured on Talk of the Table with Gayle King, with work airing on VH1, BET and MTV. Selected for TikTok’s first 100 Black Creatives program, he now partners with the platform and has generated more than 50 million views across social media. His collaborations include projects with Paramount and JBL Pro, and invitations to notable cultural events such as the National NAACP Gala in Boston, the Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony at the Connecticut State Capitol, the Juneteenth Freedom Foundation Festival in Washington, DC and the BET Soul Train Music Awards 50th Anniversary Soul Luncheon. Tickets range from $55 to $80. His debut album, RISE, showcases his fusion of soul, artistry and modern violin and is available on all platforms.

TFAB brings the crew back to Strangebrew Tavern for an evening of indie rock grooves and plenty of sass, channeling that feral pixie spirit for a lively night of music.

Chris Hayes brings a three hour solo acoustic performance to Revo Casino & Social in Manchester, New Hampshire. Hear familiar hits and deeper favorites reimagined with just guitar and voice, whether you are taking it in from the casino floor or relaxing at the bar. There is no cover charge.

The Busted Stud Garage cruise-in returns to Derry Fody's Tavern for a second year. Expect a new start time, along with perks for participants such as half-price entrees for drivers, trophy presentations during the event, and the return of $10 event T-shirts.

This Swiss-style Dice Throne tournament asks each participant to bring three legal heroes and use the same trio for the entire event. Each round is a single game in a Bring 3, Ban 1 matchup, with 30 minute rounds and ties allowed. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early, since late arrivals after matches begin will be disqualified. Promos will be distributed according to the schedule. Scoring uses 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss. The number of rounds depends on attendance, with 3 rounds for 5 to 8 players, 4 rounds for 9 to 23, 5 rounds for 24 to 47, and 6 rounds for 48 to 64. After the rounds, the player with the most points is the winner. When time is called, play continues until both players have taken an equal number of turns, then the higher health total wins, otherwise the game is a tie. Tiebreakers are applied in order using wins against tied opponents, the Median Buchholz system, then health difference. At the start of each round, both players roll a die twice. The first roll decides who bans first. The second roll decides who takes the first turn or assigns first turn to the opponent. The starting player skips the income phase, and both players should track who started. Prepare by removing all Promo and Mythic cards from your decks, taking out the Buh, Bye instant action card, and ensuring each hero deck contains only its standard cards in the correct quantities with no duplicates. Verify that your heroes are tournament legal and that you have the most recent leaflets where required, including for Tactician, Huntress, Vampire Lord, Thor, and Miles Morales Spider-Man. Allowed heroes include Dice Throne Season One Rerolled characters such as Barbarian, Moon Elf, Pyromancer, Shadow Thief, Monk, Paladin, Ninja, and Treant, Season Two heroes including Samurai, Gunslinger, Tactician, Huntress, Artificer, Cursed Pirate, Seraph, and Vampire Lord, and Marvel Dice Throne heroes including Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Thor, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Loki, Scarlet Witch, Dr. Strange, and Black Widow. Also permitted are Santa vs Krampus, Marvel X-Men heroes like Wolverine, Storm, Iceman, Psylocke, Rogue, Jean Grey or Dark Phoenix, Cyclops, and Gambit, plus Deadpool, the Outcast heroes Pale Lady, Raveness, Necromancer, and Headless Horseman, the Vanguard heroes Forgemaster, Duelist, Sun Elf, and Druid, and the Alchemist. Original print run heroes, Mythic cards, any card marked with a Promo banner, Dice Throne Adventures content, and the Buh, Bye card are not allowed. Accessories such as playmats, dice trays, dice towers, Age alternate art, and Twice as Wild Worthy cards are optional and may be limited at the discretion of judges or organizers. Results count toward ranked leaderboards. Points from this event contribute to placement, national and regional standings use a player's best three results, and players can compete in as many ranked tournaments as they like although only their top three performances will be used.

Tuba Skinny shares a century-spanning slice of Americana, recognized for faithful interpretations of traditional jazz while drawing from jug band tunes, spirituals, country blues, string band traditions, ragtime, and New Orleans R&B. Over more than a decade, the ensemble has toured around the globe and released thirteen albums, earning a broad following of listeners young and old, newcomers and devoted aficionados, through strong musicianship and a wide-ranging roots catalog. Their lens looks to the early 20th century to trace the lineage of popular American music. Even as their profile has grown, they remain connected to street performance, with Shaye explaining that playing in public spaces reaches people from every background and keeps the experience spontaneous and unpredictable.