Sunday, December 11th Events

Holiday Crafting Camp

Time: 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Moco Arts, Keene
Price: $20
Ages: 4-8

Drop the kids off at MoCo for a fun-filled afternoon, while you get some much needed free time during the holiday rush. Join Miss Danielle and her helpers for a jam-packed afternoon featuring... 1 hour of holiday crafts & gift making, 1 hour of dancing, singing, and games, snack time (provided), Frosty The Snowman movie (pillows and blankies optional) For ages 4-8 years. For more info contact: Mia Houman 603-357-2100 mhouman@moco.org

Festival of Lights

Time: 2:00 PM
Place: Mariposa Museum, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Adults $5, Child $3
Ages: All

On Sunday, December 11th at 2pm the Mariposa Museum will celebrate Festival of Lights. Education Director, Terry Reeves has created an afternoon of festivities including stories, crafts and treats in the traditions of Los Posadas, Diwali, Kwanza, Chanukah, St. Lucia's Day and Christmas. Admission to the event is: Adult $5, Senior $4, Child $3. This program, appropriate for all ages, is only part of holiday activities at the Mariposa. 

Pictures with Santa Claus

Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Place: Colony Mill Marketplace, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All 

Santa's Village, first floor at the Colony Mill Marketplace.

What's special about today?

Germany declares war on the United States
Apollo 17 lands on the moon

Saturday, December 10th Events

Gingerbread Holiday Shop

Time: 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
Place: Keene Public Library, Kay Fox Room
Price: Free
Ages: All

Join us for a fun filled morning of Gingerbread House Decorating @ Your Library.  Bring the whole family.  We supply the gingerbread and all the decorations--you supply the creativity!

Registration is required as this program is limited to 10 families.  Please call Colleen Swider in the Youth Department for registration. 352-0157 or register here.

2-3 Mile Hike with the Harris Center

Time: 12:30 PM-4:30 PM
Place: Meet at Hillsborough Country Store  to carpool to Silver Mountain, Lempster, NH (about 26 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

Moderately strenuous, 2 to 3 mile round-trip hike with a 500 foot elevation gain. Early season snow cover and critter tracks are a good possibility. Meet leaders Ben Haubrich and Geoff Jones at 12:30 p.m. at the Country Store at the junction of Routes 9 and 31 North in Hillsborough, for the 15 mile carpool to the trail head. (Possible optional detour to the Silver Mountain Winery in Lempster). Cosponsored with the NH Forest Society (SPNHF).

Holiday Shopping Extravaganza 

Time: 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
Place: Fast Friends Greyhound Rescue, 14 W. Swanzey, ,NH (about 4 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

This event will include displays by Mary Kay, Tastefully Simple, Healing Beads, Silpada Jewelry, Fabric Art, Discovery Toys, Rain Dog Treats, Pampered Chef, Hand made items, a bake sale and More! This is a great opportunity for children to shop for their parents and also for parents to find gifts for everyone on their list. A portion of the proceeds from all vendors will donated to help the greyhounds. For more information contact: Terri Malloy 603-355-1556 Terri@fastfriendsgreyhounds.org

Family Film Night

Time: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Moco Arts, Keene, NH

Price: Free
Ages: All

Come watch a family-friendly movie on the big screen in our Black Box Theatre. We will be showing The Smurfs. The event is FREE. Donations are encouraged & accepted. No outside refreshments allowed, but refreshments are available for purchase with proceeds benefiting the MoCo Arts Scholarship Fund. Please bring your own blanket or chair.

Holiday Party

Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Rockingham Free Public Library, Bellows Falls, VT (about 22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All
On Saturday, December 10 from 3-5 pm the Rockingham Free Public Library's Board of Trustees and the Friends of the Library invite the community to celebrate the 2011 Holiday Season with an Open House at the Library.There will be music, refreshments, raffle drawings, and everyone is welcome!

Recycled Wrapping Paper

Time: 12:30 PM-4:30 PM
Place: Art & Soul, 75 Main St., Northfield, MA (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 12+
Carve a potato for printing and use it to make your own recycled wrapping paper. Or, use old calendars to make arty envelopes. Other green wrapping techniques will be shared at "Art and Soul", a groovy gift store chock-full of great kids toys and locally made crafts, cards and other creative and beautiful presents. Trolley and horse rides, delicious snacks, musical performances and more all scattered throughout the town of Northfield round out this Special Day.

Holiday Angels Workshop

Time: 12:00 PM-1:30 PM
Place: Sharon Art Center, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Contact for more info
Ages: 6-12

At the Exhibition Gallery.
Create a special handmade angel, using clay, paper mache and paint. A perfectly spirited workshop for children to celebrate the holidays.
Call for info or to register, (603) 924-7256.

Children's Holiday Bazaar

Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Northfield Public Library, Northfield, MA (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

This is our annual event where children shop for holiday gifts for their families. All gifts are just 50¢. Gift wrapping included. Coffee and cookies for the grownups. (Donations now being accepted)

Orchard School Craft Fair

Time: 9:30 AM-4:00 PM
Place: Walpole Town Hall, Walpole, NH (about 17 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Come and be part of The Orchard's School traditional crafts fair and cafe event for its third year at The Walpole Town Hall, Walpole, NH. 

A sampling of the crafted work includes: silver jewelry, re-fashioned clothes, wool items, handmade wooden toys and crafts, pottery, cutting boards, fine beaded jewelry, traditional straw ornaments, handmade books, flannel & wool shirts & dresses, handmade baskets, photography, hand painted glass and ceramic tile  and more. 

7th Annual Cookie Tour

Time: 11:00 AM-4:00 PM
Place: See website below
Price: $10 per person
Ages: All

Kick off the holiday season by participating in the 7th annual Currier & Ives Cookie tour. It will be running from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 10. There are currently 17 stops that will bring you to Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey, Rindge, Troy, Marlborough, Peterborough, and Swanzey. Tickets are $10.00 per person, and good for all locations. The ticket includes a homemade cookie and refreshment at each stop, as well as recipe cards for the treats offered. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity. Get out and visit our local businesses to see how they decorate for Christmas and also what they have to offer throughout the year. Go to the website for more information.

Book Signing

Time: 10:00 AM-Noon
Place: Historical Society of Cheshire County, 246 Main St., Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

HSCC will host a Book Signing of Brad Blodget's new book Marium Foster's Boston and Maine Railroad in HSCC's Exhibit Hall from 10:00 a.m. to noon. For further information, please contact HSCC by email or at 352-1895.

Winter Celebration at Indian Museum

Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Place: Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH (about 49 miles from Keene)
Price: $5 per person
Ages: All

Crafts, games, drumming, singing, exceptional storytelling with hot cider and cookies all day long. See more.

Holly Jolly Gingerbread Craft

Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Place: Brooks Memorial Library, Meeting Room, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Come make a graham cracker gingerbread house and a gingerbread person ornament. Registration required. Call the children's room at 254-5290 x110

What's special about today?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., received the Nobel Peace Prize, 1964
Emily Dickenson's birthday, 1830
Melvil Dewey's birthday, 1851

Friday, December 9th Events

Movie at the Library

Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Auditorium
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd/PG-13

The Cove.

Come learn about different styles of film! This afternoon film is a documentary. In a sleepy lagoon off the coast of Japan is a highly guarded secret. During the night, Taiji fishermen engage in an unseen hunt for thousands of dolphins. The work is so horrifying; the fishermen will stop at nothing to keep it hidden from the outside world. When a team of elite activists, filmmakers, and free-divers embark on a secret mission to penetrate their cover, the shocking discoveries they find there are just the tip of the iceberg.

Rated: PG -13.

Kids Crystal Bowl Concert by Homeschooler

Time: 10:00 PM-10:30 PM
Place: 633 Maple St., Hopkington, NH (about 42 miles from Keene)
Price: Donation welcome
Ages: All

Homeschooler Jacob Garside will be offering a Crystal Bowl concert.

Crystal Bowls have many benefits including a natural internal calm and peace. The kids will lie down for the entire concert and not need do anything. He is more than happy to offer this to the kids. Please RSVP if you think you can make it: here

Christmas Concert at the Rec

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Recreation Center, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

The Westmoreland Town Band will preform their annual free Christmas concert in the multi-purpose room at the Recreation Center on Friday, December 9th. Cookies and beverages will be served. Come and enjoy the Christmas music and get in the holiday spirit. 

Movie at the Marlborough Library

Time: 1:00 PM
Place: Frost Free Library, Marlborough, NH (a few miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd/PG-13

Captain America.
Watch on the big screen  while enjoying Jane's famous popcorn.

Homeschoolers Program at Rindge Library

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Ingalls Memorial Library, 30 Payson Hill Rd., Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Preschool through high school ages

Second Friday of the Month at 1-3 PM. September-May. Preschool through high school age children. Each  month a different theme, guest speakers. 120 minute program. 

Welcome, Yule

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Shea Theatre, 71 Avenue A., Turners Falls, MA (about 29 miles from Keene)
Price: $10 Adults/$7 Children
Ages: All

Join the Shea Theatre as they sing and dance away winter's darkness, and call back the warm sun of spring. Taking place on December 9th, 10th and 11th. See the website here.

What's special about today?

Christmas card day
Archaeologist and anthropologist Mary Leakey died in Kenya at age 83, 1996.

John Milton birthday, 1608

Thursday, December 8th Events

Know Your Nature Nights

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Fremont Field, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: $5 per family
Ages: All

Come take a walk into a full moon night with a Harris Center naturalist as your guide. Discover the seasons as you walk through these Peterborough special places. Turn off the TV and open your family’s door to the wonders of the night. Connect with nature and your family. Call the Peterborough Recreation Department (cosponsor) to register at 924-8080.

KSC Ensemble Percussion Concert

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Keene State College, Alumni Recital Hall, Redferns Art Center
Price: $5 and $10
Ages: All

Let the Keene State College Percussion Ensemble take you on a chronological tour of early American percussion ensemble music from 1929-1941. Works to be performed in order of composition are Amadeo Roldán's Ritmicas No. 5 & 6, Edgard Varèse's Ionisation, Henry Cowell's Ostinato Pianissimo, John Cage's Living Room Music, and Lou Harrison's Labyrinth No. 3. These works represent a select group of 20th-Century composers who scored original works for percussion ensemble in search of new sounds. In this search for new sound, they created the foundation for the modern percussion ensemble. The pieces are scored from 4 to 13 players and take advantage of a wide array of instruments from the standard drums, cymbals, and gongs to the not so standard rice bowls, glasses, bottles, handsaws, playing cards and magazines. Please join us for this rare opportunity to hear this classic literature performed consecutively. 
Box Office - 603-358-2168 - boxoffice@keene.edu 

Open Mic

Time: 7:00 PM-10:00 PM
Place: Marina Restaurant, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

Kevin Parry hosts Open Mic every Thursday at the Marina Restaurant, Brattleboro, VT. from 7-10:00 p.m. Free. Musicians can sign up in advance by calling 802-257-7563. 

Thomasville's Victorian Christmas

Time: 10:00 AM

Place: Downtown Dummerston, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Outdoor event on historic brick-paved Broad Street. Victorian costumed carolers and shop keepers, carriage rides, and much more! 30,000 attendees expected. 

What's special about today?

Eli Whitney's birthday, 1765
National brownie day
Congress declares war on Japan and US entered WWII
John Lennon was shot and killed in New York City, 1980
Sinead O' Connor birthday, 1966

Wednesday, December 7th Events

Teen Harmonica Class

Time: 6:00 PM-7:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Kay Fox Room
Price: Free

Ages: 14+

Grown ups and big kids 14-years-old or older can learn to play the harmonica with Tad Dreis. Together we'll learn the basics of playing rhythms and melodies using folk, campfire and blues songs. No prior musical experience is necessary. 
Everything is free- even the harmonicas! Class size is limited, so sign up for this three week series (Dec. 7, 14, and 21)

Mark Twain Movie Series

Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Auditorium
Price: Free
Ages: All

Huckleberry Finn.

Jeff East is Huck and Paul Winfield is Jim in this musical adaptation of the Mark Twain classic from the songwriting team that brought you 'MARY POPPINS' and 'BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS.'

Jeff East, Paul Winfield

MGM/UA; Directed by J. Lee Thompson

Rated G; 118 minutes; 1974

KSC Jazz Ensemble Concert

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Keene State College, Main theatre at Redfern Arts Center
Price: $5 and $10
Ages: All

The Keene State College Jazz Ensemble will present a concert at 7:30pm on December 7, 2011, in the Main Theatre in the Redfern Arts Center on Brickyard Pond. The theme for this concert is all about songs with proper names that have been associated with Jazz arrangers through the years. Donald Clough on trumpet will be featured as soloist for the evening. The KSC Jazz Ensemble will also feature student vocalists, Amy St. Louis and David Parker. Please join us for an evening of outstanding music. 
Box Office - 603-358-2168 - boxoffice@keene.edu 

The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era

Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Brooks Memorial Library, Main Room, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

David Blight, Yale professor and acclaimed author of Race and Reunion, looks back to the Civil War’s centennial to determine how Americans made sense of the suffering, loss, and liberation a century earlier—and explores the gulf between remembrance and reality. 

What's special about today?

Pearl Harbor remembrance day
Cotton candy day
Tom Waits birthday, 1949

Tuesday, December 6th Events

Transition Tuesday: Talk About Nuclear Power Plants

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Antioch University, Community Room, Keene
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

While citizens around the world are increasingly concerned about how we can kick the global economy's addiction to fossil fuels, the role of nuclear power in our energy future is still controversial. Many, however, now question the safety of nuclear power after the recent disaster at the Fukushima reactor in Japan. Do you think there is any reason to question the U.S. plan to invest $36 billion in new nuclear power plants and extend the life of aging reactors, including those like Vermont Yankee with the same design as the Fukushima reactors? Are you open to considering other alternatives? If so, come to this Transition Tuesday talk and reflect on the impact of the continuous radiation pollution from nuclear power plants and the risk of a core reactor meltdown.

Hattie will also address the growing movement to close Vermont Yankee between now (her choice) and March 21, 2012, the date when the State of Vermont says that Vermont Yankee will have to close down. Transition Keene Task Force and Antioch University New England is glad to welcome Hattie to Keene to speak to us for December's Transition Tuesday event. Whatever our views on our best energy future, let's get together to listen to and discuss the important issues, and the potential citizen action opportunities raised, by Hattie's talk.

Hattie Nestel is a long-time safe energy activist who has worked for decades opposing nuclear weapons and war, and been arrested several times for engaging in civil disobedience in the region's campaign to close the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant and support safe and green energy options instead.

This Transition Tuesday event is co-sponsored by the Transition Keene Task Force and Antioch University New England

Free, Wheelchair Accessible, and Open To The Public.

What's special about today?

St. Nicholas Day
Everglades National Park dedicated
Construction of the Washington Monument completed, 1884

Monday, December 5th Events

Finding Peace During the Holidays

Time: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Place: Unitarian Universalist Church, 25 Main St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

Monday, Dec. 5, 6:30-8 p.m. Non-violent communication workshop led by Sherry Jennings. RSVP.

What's special about today?

Martin Van Buren's birthday, 1782
International volunteer day

Sunday, December 4th Events

Beech Hill High Hike

Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Meet at Dublin Library (about 13 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Moderately strenuous

This is a great place to enjoy conserved land and views! Moderately strenuous, but no bushwhacking. Come to the Dublin Library at 10 a.m. to carpool with veteran Harris Center hike leader Denny Wheeler, and Emily Hague of the Monadnock Conservancy (easement holder and outing cosponsor).

The Selfish Giant Play

Time: 2:00 PM-3:00 PM or 4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: MOCO arts,
Price: $12 per person
Ages: All 

A children's musical based on the short story by Oscar Wilde. For more information contact Mia Houman, Communications Manager (603) 357-2100 

KSC Christmas Concert

Time: 1:00 PM
Place: Keene State College, Mabel Brown Room, Student Center
Price: Free
Ages: All
 
Once again the holiday season will be ushered in with the glorious sounds of Keene's annual MERRY TUBACHRISTMAS® 2011. The free concert will be held in the L.P. Young Student Center's Mabel Brown Room. Dr. Jim Chesebrough, band director at Keene State College, will direct the twenty-first Keene TUBACHRISTMAS. All area tuba and euphonium players are invited to perform. (Please, no instruments other than tubas, euphoniums, and baritone horns.) There will be a rehearsal in the same location as the concert at 10:30 AM. Performers pay a $5.00 fee to the Harvey Phillips Foundation, which is a tax deductible, but the concert is free. 

Free Circus Classes

Time: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM (see specific times below)
Place: 74 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 1 1/2-Adult 

If you have ever been curious about what happens at the circus school come try out the activities and ask questions. Swing on a trapeze, juggle a little, balance on a low wire, climb an aerial fabric, roll on a german wheel, or if you just want to watch and ask questions our experienced staff will be on hand to help. No pre-registration required, but all children under the age of 18 must either have a parent present to sign a waiver, or download a waiver from our web site and bring it with you already signed. Contact: Serenity Forchion — 802 254 978

Sunday, December 4
11 am - 12 pm, Age 1 1/2 yrs - 7 yrs (plus parents)
12 - 1 pm, Age 8 yrs - adult 

What's so special about today?

National cookie day
Phonograph invented, 1877

Saturday, December 3rd Events

Know Your Trees-Even in Winter

Time: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Place: Harris Center, Hancock, NH (22 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

The author and naturalist Michael Wojtech will be here to introduce the topic, his new book - Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast. He’ll explain how bark can be classified into ten different types, how differences within each bark type can be used to identify trees, and delve into reasons why some are smooth and some peel, while others are thick and broken. He’ll have books on hand for sale and signing (a great gift!). And we’ll conclude by going outside to practice tree identification. 9 a.m. to noon at the Harris Center. To see sample pages ahead of the event, check out http://knowyourtrees.com.

Gingerbread Christmas Fair

Time: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Place: UCC Keene Women's Fellowship, 23 Central Square, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Tables of gingerbread and other treats, tree decorations, knitted items, doll clothes, plants, jewelry, baked goods, wreaths, stationery, mystery gifts, grandma's treasures, and silent auction. Serving supper on Friday, 5 to 8 pm, and lunch on Saturday, 10:30 to 1 pm.

Cherry Street Artisans Annual Holiday Sale & Cafe 

Time: 9:00 AM-9:00 PM
Place: 44 Cherry St., Brattleboro, VT
Price: Free
Ages: All

Cherry Street Artisans Open House & Café is a show of twelve artisans’ work in a friendly and beautiful Victorian home. The ground floor of Judy Zemel’s house is transformed into a fine craft show and café. The Open House & Café offers something for everyone and every budget – including a sale room. Much of the work offered is not available elsewhere in Brattleboro. 
Contact: Teta Hilsdon — (802) 246-7034
 
Early Season Biathlon FUN Race

Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, Grafton, VT (about 32 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Get ready for the ski season with a fun biathlon race at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center. XC running or XC skiing, depending on the weather, combined with 100% safe laser gun shooting. 10 am start. FREE. All abilities. FUN for all! 
Contact: info@graftonponds.com

Holiday Craft Fair

Time: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Place: 193 Main St., Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All 

This is a family FUN event. There are special activities for all ages including: the Crystal Cave for kids and a Mini Mall (with kid friendly mini-prices), quality craft vendors, beautiful holiday cookies and other baked goods, gently used seasonal decor, a tasty and affordable homemade luncheon, tempting raffle items, an elegant afternoon Victorian Tea and pre-lit Peace Trees decorated with paper cranes for sale. All proceeds to benefit Centre Congregational Church. 

Otters!

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Place: The Homestead Barn Room opposite the Old Tavern on Main Street in Grafton.
Price: Museum members $8/ Non members $12.
Ages: All

This illustrated PowerPoint program is a fundraiser for Museum camperships. Liz Baldwin, Antioch University New England graduate student, will share her research on river otters on Martha's Vineyard. Learn about the ecology and adaptations of the appealing, secretive, and seductive river otter through first-hand stories, slides, and videos. Various show-and-tell items will be on display, including a skull, otter mount, motion-detection camera, and scat samples.

Holiday Angels Workshop for Kids

Time: 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Place: Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Contact for more information
Ages: All

3 Saturdays, Dec. 3, 10, and 17, 1-3PM, at the Exhibition Gallery.
Create a special handmade angel, using clay, paper mache and paint. A perfectly spirited workshop for children to celebrate the holidays.
Call for info or to register, (603) 924-7256.

Create Gingerbread Houses

Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Jaffrey Public Library, Jaffrey, NH (about 17 miles from Keene)

Price: Free
Ages: 5 and up

Kids who are 5 years old and older are invited to join us to construct a graham cracker "gingerbread" house for Christmas. While the frosting dries, we'll share a story or two, then we'll decorate our houses with all sorts of candies. What a fun holiday program! Registration is required, and begins on Monday, November 21. Registration is limited to 20, so call early if you want to come. To register, or for more information, call the Children's Room at 532-7301.

Olde Fashioned Christmas

Time: 8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Place: Downtown Hillsborough (about 28 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Hillsborough Pride hosts this day full of fun family activities and holiday shopping with entertainment,crafts and food. Lots of fun for all ages! 

What's so special about today?

Telescope day
National apple pie day
International day of persons with disabilities 
Ellen Swallows Richard's birthday, 1842

Friday, December 2nd Events

Multi-Genre Movie Series at the Library

Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Auditorium

Price: Free
Ages: All

Singing In The Rain

Come learn about different styles of film! This afternoon's film selection is a classic musical in which actors are caught in the bumpy transition to talking pictures; a spoof of the early days of 'talkie' films.

Rated: NR

Contra Dance at the Library

Time: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Herberton Hall
Price: Free
Ages: All

The Keene Public Library hosts a monthly free family dance for children and adults of all ages and abilities. Family Dances started at the Keene Public Library in the summer of 2003.  Now the dances are held the first Friday of each month from November through May.  Over the years, the series has become an important library program that helps to develop early literacy skills and is fun too.  Folk dancing helps to encourage the basic concepts of rhythm, repetition, sequencing, patterning, predictability, anticipation, musical cues, auditory discrimination, and counting.  These are all important early learning skills.  Traditional dance also is a great way to introduce children to the world’s rich diversity, to teach the enjoyment of dance, music, and rhythm and to begin a livelong habit of the social enjoyment and physical activity of dancing.

13th Annual Cotton Mill  Open Studio and Holiday Sale

Time: 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
Place: Cotton Mill, 74 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Join us in Brattleboro, VT at the historic Cotton Mill for our annual celebration of the arts. Enjoy live music, demonstrations from trapeze and dance to blown glass, ceramics, woodworking, painting, film, bodyworks, toys, a free raffle and more. Be entertained, meet the artisans and walk away with beautifully handcrafted gifts.

Gifts from the Earth: Ceramic Artists from Stephen Procter's

Time: 5:30 PM-9:30 PM
Place: Through the Music Gallery & Studio, 2 Elliot St., Brattleboro, VT (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

Opening with a reception on December 2nd from 5:30 to 9:30pm and showing through the 28th, Teta Hilsdon, Chuck DeWolfe, Robby Feinberg, Monica Hastings, Martina Lantin, Lucinda Alcorn, Willie Finkel and Stephen Procter will be displaying a dazzling variety of decorative and functional work in clay.

Parish Hall Open Stage

Time: 7:30 PM-10:00 AM
Place: Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, 25 Main St., Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: 

Parish Hall Open Stage Date: Each First Friday of the month 7:30PM - 10:00PM (We are a part of Peterborough's monthly First Friday Celebration).

Sign Up Times: Performers show up between 6:30PM-7:30PM and sign-up at entrance for a performance slot, or email and sign-up by contacting jackkidmusic@gmail.com

Parish Hall Open Mic begins at 7:30 with a main feature artist performing at 8:30 PM
Stage Description: A listening room with sound system provided, grand piano available All acoustic music styles & spoken word welcome.

Horatio Colony Holiday Open House

Time: 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Place: Horatio Colony Museum, Keene, NH
Price: Free

Ages: All

Call for more information: Phone: (603) 352-0460

Mariposa Music Concert & Dance

Time: Starts at 5:00 PM with a kids craft.
Place: Mariposa Museum, Peterborough, NH (about 19 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All

First Friday, December 2nd at 7pm the Mariposa kicks off its holiday season welcoming back Lachrimae of Franklin Pierce University under the direction of Paul Scharfenberger, for their tradition early music concert. "Pastime With Good Company" will feature Medieval and Renaissance music and dance in honor of Christmas and the winter season. The centerpiece will be the magnificent motet "O Magnum Mysterium" by the Spanish composer Toms Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). This year will mark the 400th anniversary of his death. There will also be lighthearted fare with English madrigals, Spanish villancicos, and German lieder. From 5-6pm the Mariposa Kid Craft will be Holidays. From 6-7pm there will be a reception with holiday cheer. 

First Friday events are FREE and open to the public. Mariposa is wheelchair accessible.

SpinJam

Time: 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
Place: Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH (about 20 miles from Keene)
Price: $5
Ages: 

Ever wanted to learn how to juggle? Perhaps you’d like to spin some poi. Maybe you feel you could use a fun core workout and were thinking about hula hooping. Could be you’ve seen those Fushigi commercials and feel drawn to contact juggling. Come to a SpinJam - an open environment for the sharing of movement and object manipulation skills. Professor Lowery, a 12-year veteran of fire performance and an active participant in the Boston SpinJam community, has volunteered his time to help the Franklin Pierce community start playing! Starter tools provided - we’ll have hula hoops, contact juggling spheres, juggling balls, poi, and a few staffs to help you get started. The earlier you start practicing, the sooner you’ll become awesome. All Spinjams are on the basketball courts in the Bubble. Bring appropriate footwear.

All are open to the public, although the SpinJams will require the $5 bubble fee for non-student/staff. 

The Zelda Donovan Craft Night

Time: 6:30 PM
Place: Chesterfield Town Hall, Chesterfield, NH (about 11 miles from Keene)
Price: Free
Ages: All


The Friends of Chesterfield Library host The Zelda Donovan Craft Night on Friday, December 2nd at 6:30 pm in the Chesterfield Town Hall. Wreath Making - Cookie Decorating - Christmas Tree and Snowman Paper Chains - Berry Bowls - Reindeer Ornaments - and more.

What's so special about today?

1st artificial heart transplant
Georges Seurat birthday, 1859

Thursday, December 1st Events

Winterfest Craft Fair

Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Place: Antioch University, ANE Community Room and bookstore, Keene, NH
Price: Free
Ages: All

Celebrate the winter season with ANE at our annual craft fair!

Help support local artisans and enjoy:
home baked goods, art prints & cards, paintings, local honey, jam & maple syrup, beaded jewelry, pottery, hand knits, hand made clothes, and much more!

Sell Locally * Shop Locally. 

This event is free and open to the public.

For information contact: Student Alliance studentalliance.ane@antioch.edu

Film: Forever is Composed of Nows (program b)

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Keene State College, Putnam Lecture Hall, Redfern Arts Center
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

The 49th Ann Arbor Film Festival Traveling Tour: Program B 

The AAFF is a pioneer of the traveling film festival tour concept, starting with film screenings in Paris, Los Angeles and Berkeley in 1964.

Since that time, the AAFF Tour has presented hundreds of influential works, including films by Barbara Hammer, and Gus Van Sant.

This year's films include:

Maramare by Michaela Muller; Atlantiques by Mati Diop; Protoparticulas by Chema Garcia Ibarra; Hand Soap by Kei Oyama; Point Line Plane by Simon Payne; These Hammers Don't Hurt Us by Michael Robinson; In the Absence of Light, Darkness Prevails by Fern Silva. 

Free and open the the public 

Environmental Studies Speaker Series at KSC

Time: 4:00 PM
Place: Keene State College, Student Center, Mountain View Room
Price: Free
Ages: Older Crowd

Bacteria in a petroleum contaminated tidal marsh. 

Dr. Loren Launen of the Keene State College Biology Department will talk about the diversity of particular bacteria found in petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated tidal marsh sediments.

Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public, and students are especially encouraged to attend.
Contact: Tim Allen - 603-358-2571 - tallen@keene.edu 

Observing the Night Sky with Telescopes

Time: 4:30 PM
Place: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord, NH (about 50 miles from Keene)
Price: $15 per student/ $10 for each additional child.
Ages:  All homeschoolers

Homeschool program. Discover the night sky and explore what you can see not just with your eyes but through telescopes as well! Level 1 will view prominent constellations and study Jupiter and the Moon through a telescope. Level 2 will learn the importance of Galileo’s discoveries while observing the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and its moons. Level 3 will also include the observation of Uranus, Neptune, star clusters and galaxies. 
Cloud Dates are Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. 

What's so special about today?

Rosa Parks day
National pie day
Basketball created

Ongoing December Events

Open Games at the Library 

Every Thursday at 3:00 PM-6:30 PM

Keene Public Library. It is all gaming!  And, gaming of any kind; whether it is board games, card games, video games, big games, role-playing games, or any other kind of game you can imagine, we'll play it.  Each week, we'll provide a different variety of games for you to play; we welcome you to bring in your own games to share with the group.  Throughout the series, we will have a number of gaming tournaments, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, because you might be our next grand champion gamer!

Storytime at the Library

Every Saturday at 10:00 AM-10:30 AM

Keene Public Library. This drop-in storytime takes place each Saturday that the library is open. The storytime will include stories, songs, finger plays, and sometimes simple crafts. The storytime is appropriate for children of all ages and their parents or caregivers.

Horatio Colony Fall Quest

Every day and any time until December 21st

Treat the family to a day on the trail and explore the fall colors and wildlife on this exciting and thought-provoking Fall Quest! Enjoy this self-guided hike at your leisure and take the time to absorb the sights and sounds of Autumn in New England as you search for the coveted price at the end of the Quest. Hurry before winter sets in! The Fall Quest closes on December 21st.   

Park your vehicle at the Horatio Colony Preserve parking area off of Daniels Hill Rd., in Keene (off Route 9). Information and Fall Quest guides can be found at the trailhead past the gate near the Horatio Colony cabin. Remember to bring sturdy walking footwear, water/snack, bugsrpray, hat and binoculars. For more information, call Horatio Project assistant Youn Han (770) 846-1157.

Cheshire Ice Skating Rink

Open all of December

Located at 319 Mondadnock Highway, E Swanzey, NH. Call them at (603) 357-4740 for more details.

Library Painting Group

Every Thursday 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

  
 Keene Public Library. Herberton Hall. For many decades, artists living in New England have come together in small social groups to paint and enjoy the art world. The level of ability is wide ranging and includes virtually all media, oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels and more. The painting groups generally paint together in church basements, Town Halls, and lodge halls throughout the rural communities. The groups vary in size and an average group size might be about twenty artists with seven to twelve artists painting together on a given day. Some group members are just starting out but others have been painting for decades. Some are self-taught and some have a formal art education 

December Friday Crafts

Every Friday anytime

  
 Stop by the Youth Department anytime on Fridays in December for a free drop-in craft activity.  If you sign up below, you can receive an email reminder regarding this activity.

Puppet Storytime
Every Tuesday 10:00 AM-10:30 AM

At Keene Public Library. This special puppet, story and craft time is designed for older toddlers who are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of age.

Preschool Storytime
Every Tuesday 1:30 PM-2:15 PM
Or
Every Wednesday 10:00 AM-10:45 PM

Preschool storytimes are geared towards pre-kindergarteners age 3 to 5 who can sit and listen to short stories, and participate in simple songs and rhymes.  Story will always include read-aloud stories and fingerplays and may include poems, music, dramatic play, and crafts.

Wednesday, November 30th Events

Movie at the Library: Mark Twain Film Series

Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Auditorium, Keene, NH
Price: Free

Ages: All

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

In this lavish musical adaptation of the Mark Twain classic, Bing Crosby stars as a Connecticut lad who receives a bump on his head and wakes up in sixth century Camelot, where he introduces such modern conveniences as the wink, the safety pink and the lariat, which adds a new dimension to jousting tournaments.

Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming

Universal; Directed by Tay Garnett

Not Rated; 107 minutes; 1949

Harmonica Class - Last Class! 

Time: 4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Place: Keene Public Library, Kay Fox Room
Price: Free
Ages: 8-12

Kids ages 8 through 12 can learn to play the harmonica with Tad Dreis. Together we'll learn the basics of playing rhythms and melodies using folk, campfire and blues songs.  No prior musical experience is necessary.

Film: Bruce Baillie: The Canyon Cinema Years

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Keene State College, Putnam Lecture Hall, Redfern Arts Center
Price: Free
Ages: Older crowd

Irina leimbacher will introduce the program and the role of Canyon Cinema as an independent film producer and distributor. Bruce Baillie is the co-founder Canyon Cinema and is one of the most important west coast independent experimental filmmakers.
With early screenings on a sheet near Bruce's home in Canyon, California in 1961, Canyon Cinema began as an itinerant existence at various sites (including church basements, morgues, and backyards) across the bay area and quickly became a locus for community; a place where filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers could share their love of cinema.
This program is a celebration of Baillie's documentary and experimental work of the Canyon Cinema period.
 The seven films we are screening were made between 1961 and 1966. Among them is his first film, On Sundays, and the later Mass for the Dakota Sioux. In them, Baillie evokes San Francisco and its human and physical landscapes as no other filmmaker has done. The program concludes with Baillie's color masterpiece, Castro Street.

Wednesday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m. only. Free and open the the public.

KSC Chamber Orchestra

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Keene State College, Maine Theatre, Redferns Art Center
Price: $5/$10
Ages: All

The Keene State College Chamber Orchestra will perform works by Schubert, Rossini, Vivaldi and Chaminade, on Wednesday night November 30, 2011, at 7:30 in the Main Theatre of the Redfern Art center at Birckyard pond on the campus of Keene State College. The overture to "The Barber of Seville" selections from "The Great C Major Symphony" of Schubert, Concertino for Flute" played by KSC student Kristen Morace and Vivaldi's "Concerto for Four Violins" played by members of the Keene State Guitar Orchestra will make for a wonderful evening of orchestral Masterpieces. 

Contact Box Office - 603-358-2168 - boxoffice@keene.edu

What's so special about today?

Mark Twain's birthday, 1835
The fossilized remains of a female human ancestor named Lucy (after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) were found in Ethiopia, 1974