Happy Friday, Manchester. In today’s edition: A new heart care model, The Nutcracker Suite Acts I & II, Once Upon A Christmas Breakfast, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Granite State welcomes businesses: New Hampshire has launched the NH Business Gateway, a one-stop portal unifying 130-plus resources across 11 agencies, with dashboards and single sign-on to streamline permits, filings, and guidance for businesses — see what’s in the portal.

Public hearing draws pushback: Manchester neighbors raised flooding and traffic concerns over a 30-unit Mammoth Road townhouse project. Officials cited stormwater measures and trip impacts. A Planning Board decision was slated for Dec. 18 — get all the details.

A new heart care model: Elliot Health System will launch the Elliot Heart and Vascular Center in January, uniting cardiology, vascular surgery and cardiac surgery to keep advanced care in Manchester and expand access statewide — get all the details.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Experience Christmas classics by candlelight
• Experience A Christmas Carol at Palace Theatre
• Experience A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas
• Support Mill Falls at Winter Craft Fair
• Sing along at Robert Dionne’s Piano Christmas
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Builder deepens regional roots: Wise Construction has opened a new downtown Manchester office at 900 Elm Street, signaling its northward expansion. The hub aims to support the region’s fast-growing healthcare and science and technology clients, following recent project wins, including a 15,000-square-foot hospital addition. The company cites long-standing relationships driving the move. Read the full story.

A merry makers’ market: Holiday Sip & Shop hits Nashua on Saturday, Dec 13 from 5 to 9 pm at the Polish American Club’s upstairs hall. Shop 20+ handmade vendors, catch live tunes by Birch Hill Music, and sip festive cocktails and mocktails. Free entry, plus craft activity tables and a decked-out photo op. Get all the details.

Your hair, but happier: Meet Salon Noir, a cozy Manchester studio where eight independent stylists run the show, and you book directly with your favorite. Open since 2019, they handle precision cuts, blonding, and weddings with an easygoing vibe that turns routine upkeep into something you’ll actually look forward to.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎨 Paint Night @ Chunky’s Cinema Pub | Friday (12/12) at 7:15pm – Ready to go a little Grinchy? Bridget’s back at Chunky’s guiding a full-size painting in the spacious lobby, bar, or theater, with classic crafted cocktails flowing the whole time. Seats are limited, tickets are $45, come early for dinner, and call it holiday therapy.

🎷 Roomful of Blues @ BNH Stage | Friday (12/12) at 8:00pm – Roomful of Blues brings horn-fueled jump, swing, and blues that still packs the floor. They’ve been doing this since ’67, now with D.D. Bastos lighting the fuse, so expect zero sitting. Leave the lawn chairs at home, bring the good shoes.

This weekend

🎄 New Hampshire World Christmas Market @ The Biergarten | Saturday (12/13) at 10:00am – Skip the mall circus and get your European-meets-everywhere Christmas fix at the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten, with live music, lights, Santa photos, and no red-eye. Wander the festive walkway, sample New England food and makers, and feel good it supports Nourish New England.

📚 A Holiday Romance Book Faire @ The Venues at The Factory | Saturday (12/13) at 12:00pm – A Very Merry Bookmas is cozying up town with local romance authors, signed copies, and enough festive fluff to thaw even your Grinchy side. Expect meet-cutes, mistletoe, and mulled cider. Finally, a holiday outing where the drama ends happily, and you get to dog-ear guilt-free.

🎶 A Celtic Christmas @ The Rex Theatre | Saturday (12/13) at 2:00pm – Get swept into the season with a lively Celtic celebration featuring three acclaimed Irish bands. From heart-thumping reels to haunting traditional ballads, this festive concert delivers pure holiday magic with a Gaelic twist. Come ready to clap, sing, and sway your way into Christmas cheer.

🥞 Once Upon A Christmas Breakfast @ Derryfield Country Club | Sunday (12/14) at 9:30am – A fairy-tale breakfast is landing at Derryfield Country Club with singing, dancing, stories, games, and photo ops with the Princesses of Dreamer’s Hollow. Bring the kids, sip coffee, let someone else run the show. Tiaras optional, sticky fingers inevitable.

🩰 The Nutcracker Suite Acts I & II @ Dana Center–Koonz Theatre | Sunday (12/14) at 5:30pm – Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, dazzling dancers, and a story filled with wonder—what more could you want in a holiday evening? Dance Visions Network brings this timeless classic to life with warmth and whimsy. Arrive early, settle in, and let the magic begin.

🎹 The Heather Pierson Trio @ BNH Stage | Sunday (12/14) at 7:00pm – Trade mall jingles for the Heather Pierson Trio doing A Charlie Brown Jazz Christmas live, the whole Vince Guaraldi album plus more Guaraldi gems and holiday favorites. Impeccable piano, warm three-part harmonies, and the right nostalgia, including the one you know as Linus and Lucy.

Next week

💃 Zumba Gold @ William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center | Monday (12/15) at 9:30am – Spice up your morning routine with a fun, rhythm-filled class perfect for active older adults. The music is upbeat, the moves are easy to follow, and the community vibe is always strong. It’s the happiest 45 minutes of your Monday.

🐦 Purple Finches Winter Concert @ Concord Community Music School | Monday (12/15) at 6:30pm – Take a breather and hear Concord Community Music School’s Purple Finches Youth Chorus in a free winter concert, led by Maria Isaak with pianist Kathy Southworth. Three divisions, polished harmonies, and earnest voices that warm even the grumpiest local, donations appreciated.

🧩Puzzle Ornament Painting @ Manchester City Library-Main Branch | Tuesday (12/16) at 3:30pm – Nothing like letting the kids go wild with glitter you do not have to vacuum. Miss Amanda hosts a holiday crafting afternoon where grades K to 3 artists, and their older tagalongs, paint puzzle-piece ornaments with acrylics, puffy paint, and sparkle. Registration required, sanity saved.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 Mollicious Intent @ To Share Brewing Company – 6:30 pm
• 12/13 Christmas Party @ Salona – 7 pm
• 12/14 Corey McLane @ Stonecutters Pub – 4 pm
• 12/17 Adult Student Recital @ Concord Community Music School – 7 pm
• 12/18 Queen City Improv Holiday Show @ Derry Opera House – 7:30 pm
• 12/20 The Deviant Music @ The Pizza Man – 5:30 pm
• 12/21 One Big Soul Jam @ Strange Brew Tavern – 7 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Manchester edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Anne Young (The Aland Realty Group)

North End stunner on a private cul-de-sac, close to everything yet an oasis. A formal entry spills into a cathedral great room, sun-bathed by massive windows. Open kitchen brings the flex, with upgraded appliances, quartz counters, and zippy tile. First-floor oversized suite scores twin walk-in closets, slider to the deck, and a spa bath.

Upstairs adds three bedrooms, an office or study, plus an ensuite that doubles as another primary. Covered front porch frames city and mountain glimpses, while the back deck tracks birds over a rolling hillside. Walkout basement, irrigation, gutters, Smartwing blinds, snow blower, and play set.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →