14 magical holiday events in New Hampshire

Celebrate the season by attending some of these 14 holiday events in New Hampshire, from a Thanksgiving tour to Christmas plays. 

Nobody loves the holidays more than Granite Staters. We like to celebrate at home but also plan family outings that create memories (and not just piles of presents!). Here are 14 of some of our favorite holiday happenings in New Hampshire, divided by month.

November holiday events

A History of Thanksgiving Guided Tours

Location: Strawbery Banke, 1 Hancock Street, Portsmouth.

When: LaBelle Winery – Derry 14 Route 111 Derry November 2 to December 1.

Admission: Members $20; Non-members $25

Details: Expert guides for a 90-minute tour exploring three centuries of Thanksgiving traditions. 

Labelle Lights

Location: LaBelle Winery, 14 NH-111, Derry.

When:  November 12, 2024, to January 19, 2025, Tuesday through Sunday, 4:30-9:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Admission: $4-$19. Children 3 and under are free.

Details: Thousands of twinkling lights illuminate outdoor displays along a walking path. Before the walk, visitors can purchase hot cocoa, drinks, and snacks. Near the end of the path is a large Christmas Tree where carol singing is encouraged.

Lebanon Art & Crafts Association 52nd Christmas Show & Sale

Location: Upper Valley Plaza, Route 12A, West Lebanon.

When: Now through December 24, open Friday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Admission: Free

Details: If you’re sick of holiday shopping at big-box stores and online shopping just isn’t for you, this event offers a weeks-long opportunity to buy local crafts. Offerings include ceramics, stained glass, jewelry, purses, paper crafts, and local products such as honey and maple syrup.

30th Annual Peterborough Holiday Stroll

Location: Downtown Peterborough

When: November 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission: Free

Details: Stroll through the historical local churches of Peterborough and enjoy a day of holiday sweets, treats, and shopping to get everyone in the holiday spirit! There will be food trucks, vendors, live performances, and Santa.

The 73rd Annual Concord Christmas Parade

Location: Starts at New Hampshire Heights, Concord

When: November 23, 10:30 a.m., starting at Concord Heights. 

Admission: Free

Details: The parade will feature floats based on this year’s theme, “Silver Bells.”

Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism/CC BY-ND 2.0.

Celebrate the Jingle Bell Chocolate Tour

Location: Sleighs leave from The Snowflake Inn, 95 Main St., Jackson

When: Five weekends starting November 23 and November 24, through December 21 and 22.

Admission: $40, including ride and chocolates.

Details: Tale horsedrawn sleigh rides through Jackson Village, stopping at local businesses and collecting chocolate along the way.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Gift of Lights

Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 Route 106, North Loudon, South Entrance.

When: November 28 through January 5

Admission: $35 per car

Details: This 2.5-mile trip through a display of 3 million lights is a yearly tradition for many Granite Staters. This year’s theme is “Gift of Lights,” as it’s also a fundraiser for community organizations.

Christmas with the Cows

Location: Brookford Farm, 250 West Road, Canterbury 

When: November 30, December 1, December 7, and December 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: $10 in advance, $15 at the door for those 13 and older. Children 3 to 12, $7 in advance, $10 at the door. Children two and under are free.

Details: This is just like what it sounds. Visitors can enjoy farm-fresh food, live music, and activities like caroling, DIY candles, gnomes, wreaths, and a bevy of beautiful bovines. Other activities include calf and piglet feeding, professional photos with farm animals, hayrides, and campfires.

Photo courtesy of Stacy Milbouer.

29th Annual Winter Holiday Stroll

Location: Main Street, Nashua 

When: November 30. The stroll up Main Street begins at 5 p.m., and the festivities continue until 9 p.m.

Admission: Free

Details: For the 29th year, Nashua will draw tens of thousands of visitors who stroll down Main Street with candles in hand, singing carols and enjoying over 60 live performances, rides, street vendors, ice sculptures, a visit with Santa, and a tree-lighting celebration.

December holiday events

Strawberry Banke’s 2024 Candlelight Stroll

Location: Strawbery Banke, 14 Hancock Street, Portsmouth

When: Fridays, December 6, 13, and 20; Saturdays, December 7, 14, 21; and Sundays, December 8, 15, and 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Admission: $16 to $32. Children three and under are free.

Details: Candlelight Stroll invites visitors to step into the past and experience more than years of seasonal and traditions in the Puddle Dock neighborhood. The Museum’s furnished historic houses are decorated with handmade objects made from greens and dried flowers from the Museum’s heirloom gardens. Costumed role players portray families who once lived in the waterfront neighborhood and how they celebrated the holidays while wandering musicians perform outside.

There’s also hot apple cider, a bonfire, and Ice Dance International’s Currier and Ives Vintage Christmas Skaters each night.

Photo courtesy of Amy Meredith/CC BY-ND 2.0.

Hearth Cooking: Christmas Fare

Location: The Monadnock Center for History and Culture, 19 Grove Street, Peterborough

When: December 7, 10 a.m. to 2 pm.

Admission: Admission is free, donations are appreciated. 

Details: Christmas fare is on the menu for the December Phoenix Mill House hearth cooking day, during which samples of historic New England recipes are prepared over an open hearth. Visitors will go home with free copies of the day’s recipes.

Handmade Holiday Market on the Seacoast 

Location: The Whittemore Center, University of New Hampshire, 128 Main Street, Durham

When: December 13, 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 14, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Admission: $7. Ages 14 and under are free.

Details: Over 100 artisans and specialty food makers come together to offer their wares.

A Christmas Carol: The Musical Ghost Story

Location: Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia

When: Dec 13, 7:30 p.m., December 14, 2 and 7:30 p.m. December 15, 2 p.m.

Admission: $18 to $22

Details: Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative is excited to bring this Holiday classic to Laconia once again. This original adaptation by NH native Joel Mercier features a bright score, some twists and turns in the plot, stunning costumes, special effects, and some frightful ghosts, all while staying true to Dickens’ original novella.

Photo courtesy of Stephen McKay/A Christmas Carol.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – Live on Stage

Location: Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene

When: Saturday, December 28, 3:30 p.m.

Admission: $35 to $70

Details: This national tour of the “Peanuts”-inspired classic has numbers inspired by beloved scenes from the television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which was first aired 59 years ago.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.