We’ve made it through the snow, slush and mud seasons — high-fives and fist-bumps all around! Now it’s time to relish the warm sunshine and celebrations of the summer season that make Portsmouth special. Don’t wait — take the tour, buy the ticket, taste the seafood, and enjoy the sweet sound of music on a summer breeze. Take the time to watch the sun rise and set, to laugh with friends and family, and to spend the summer doing the things you love.
Here are not-to-be missed events and attractions this summer in Portsmouth:
Prescott Park Arts Festival: Chowderfest, ‘Cinderella,’ concert series
The unofficial kickoff to summer in Portsmouth is Chowderfest, a tasting extravaganza of a regional favorite and a fundraiser for the Prescott Park Arts Festival, which fills the city’s summer with song. The 39th annual Chowderfest will take place on Saturday, June 6, beginning at 11:30 a.m. until the chowder runs out, as they say, with the area’s best restaurants competing for the Best Chowder bragging rights for 2026. There’ll be music and kids’ activities, and ice cream, lemonade and snacks from The Prop if you’re not into chowder. You can also pre-order oysters from the Virgin Oyster Company. Tickets are $25 and available at prescottpark.org.
Summer concert series: The lineup has been rolling out. So far we know Chaparelle will perform on June 22; Infinity Song, June 24; The Walrus, June 29; The Dip, July 1; Kashus Culpepper, July 15; Patti Griffin and Kathleen Edwards, July 20; The Lone Bellow, July 29. Many more to come. Concerts are free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $15 at the gate. You can also buy a season pass or reserve a table or blanket at prescottpark.org.
“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella”: The cast is now rehearsing for opening night on Friday, June 19. Performances will run most Thursdays through Sundays all summer at 7 p.m. with matinees that will be announced soon sprinkled in. Performances are free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $8 at the gate. It’s first-come, first-serve seating on the grass. You can reserve a table, or a blanket up front at prescottpark.org.
More local theater
The Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s will present “Mean Girls,” “Grease” and “Green Day’s American Idiot” with details at seacoastrep.org/2026-season.
Tuesdays on the Terrace
Strawbery Banke Museum presents the Tuesdays on the Terrace concert series from June 16 to Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. on the lawn surrounded by historic houses and gardens. Bring a blanket, a chair and a picnic or you can buy snacks and beverages there. Concerts are free for members and children under 3; $8 for non-members. These are rain or shine as concerts move inside the Visitors’ Center if it rains. Performers are June 16, Truffle; June 23, Ben Baldwin and Kent Allyn; June 30, Sharon Jones; July 7, Raquel Hawkins; July 14, Kids Night with Mr. Aaron and Sages Entertainment; July 21, Ocean Ave.; July 28, Liz and Dan Faiella; Aug. 4, Caitlin Piper; Aug. 11, Kids’ Night with The Clemenzi Crusaders and Sages Entertainment; Aug. 18, North River Music; Aug. 25, Ethan Robbins of Cold Chocolate. Tickets on sale at strawberybanke.org/tuesdays.
Summer in the Streets
Pro Portsmouth presents this free series of concerts in the heart of the city on Saturdays from July 4 to Aug. 1. The city closes Pleasant Street from Porter Street to Market Square to create a pedestrian-friendly, outdoor concert hall from 4 to 9 p.m. Bring a chair and a picnic (no alcohol) and enjoy the music from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This summer features July 4, Seacoast Wind Ensemble; July 11, Portsmouth New Horizons Band; July 18, to be announced; July 25, T.J. Wheeler & Hatrack Gallagher; Aug. 1, Seacoast Wind Ensemble.
Music by the Sea series at Odiorne
The Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in neighboring Rye presents its series of summer nights listening to live music on the shore of the ocean each Thursday in July. Performers are July 2, Fast Times; July 9, Joshua Tree; July 16, Jumbo Circus Peanuts; July 23, RDMTION; July 30, Grand Finale with Entrain. Gates open at 5 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. concerts. Tickets are sold in advance at $28 for members; $33 for non-members for the first four concerts; and $40 for all in advance, $45 on the day of the performance for the Grand Finale. Walk-ins subject to availability. Bring a chair and a picnic, or purchase food there. The Grand Finale will feature expanded, upscale food vendors and a special raffle. This series is the center’s biggest annual fundraiser. Tickets include admission to the center’s exhibits and are available at seacoastsciencecenter.org.
Loading Dock Series concerts at 3S Artpsace
3S Artspace presents its annual Loading Dock Series outdoors on Fridays at 7 p.m. This year’s line-up is July 9, Dover-based singer-songwriter Ezra Cohen and indie rock band Megan from Work; July 16, Fox + Roy; July 23, Caitlin Piper; July 30, Hildaland; Aug. 6, the Seacoast’s own Stu Dias; Aug. 13, Dave Hunter and the Seven Hundred; Aug. 27, Cormac McCarthy Band. Shows are free to attend. A donation of $12 is suggested. Bring a blanket. Reservations are not required, but are appreciated at 3sarts.org.
Halcyon Music Festival
Returning for its 12th season, the Halcyon Music Festival will celebrate America’s 250th birthday by featuring an American composer at each of its concerts from June 11 to 20 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. The Halcyon Festival brings world-class chamber music musicians together to perform, live and practice together for a summer week. Concerts are at 7 p.m. each evening. General admission tickets are $45, students $15, and a wide variety of concert packages are offered. Details: halcyonmusicfestival.org/concerts.
Other places to take in live music and performances in Portsmouth and around the Seacoast include The Music Hall and Music Hall Lounge, Press Room, Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, The Dance Hall in Kittery, Jonathan’s in Ogunquit and Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom.
Portsmouth restaurants a haven for foodies
After and probably during all these events and sights to see, you’re going to be hungry and thirsty. Never fear, Portsmouth has more restaurant seats than residents.
To continue your immersion in history, you could dine at The Puddle Dock at the edge of Strawbery Banke, or The Oar House on the city’s historic waterfront. The Black Trumpet is a cozy bistro and bar also in a historic waterfront building, right near the tugboats. The decks of the restaurants that line Bow Street offer unparalleled views of Portsmouth Harbor and the working waterfront.
Geno’s Chowder and Sandwich Shop has been serving chowder, stews, lobsters and sandwiches for lunch for more than six decades. There Massimo’s for Italian food and romance lovers, Cava Tapas and Wine Bar on Commercial Alley and Moxy on Penhallow Street. The Library restaurant on State Street is known for its steak and mahogany-paneled, white tablecloth ambience. You can’t get fresher fish and oysters than Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe on Congress Street or Row 34 at Portwalk Place.
Some offer outdoor dining in the summer, and many change their menus for the season and celebrate the bounty of the Seacoast’s farmers and fishmongers so pull up one of those restaurant seats and take some time to take in a meal.
Stroll through history in Portsmouth
Many history tours, walks and exhibits fill a Portsmouth summer for history buffs, especially as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this summer. The Portsmouth Historical Society presents five themed walks at portsmouthhistory.org. Learn about the city’s history in the guided walking tours of many themes at blackheritagetrailnh.org. The Black Heritage Trail of NH also offers self-guided tours, bus and trolley tours, and virtual tours. Learn about the Portsmouth Harbour Trail Tours at goportsmouthnh.com.
‘Betty and Barney’ an out of this world exhibit
The Portsmouth Historical Society presents the exhibit “Betty and Barney” all summer long at the Discover Portsmouth Center, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth. The exhibit remembers the incident on the night of Sept, 19, 1961, when Betty and Barney Hill drove through New Hampshire’s White Mountains on their way back to Portsmouth from their honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls and Montreal. On Route 3, near Franconia, they saw a light in the sky, and later reported an alien abduction. This exhibit tells the story of the biracial couple’s rise to fame and cultural influence. As Portsmouth residents, civil rights activists, and community leaders, the Hills became part of local and national history. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the Portsmouth Historical Society center is $10. More info: portsmouthhistory.org.
Revolutionary Portsmouth exhibit
In the 1760s and 1770s, Portsmouth’s citizens were forced to make a choice between democracy or monarchy, between being a Patriot or a Loyalist, as all colonists were. This exhibit at the John Paul Jones House shows what life was like in Portsmouth at the time. The exhibition also gives a brief look at how the Revolution was remembered and portrayed at the U.S. Centennial in 1876 and during the Bicentennial in 1976. The house is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer and admission is $10. Information: portsmouthhistory.org/jpj.
Strawbery Banke Museum
Walk through centuries at Strawbery Banke, where each historic home depicts life in Portsmouth during a specific decade in history. This summer, the Banke is adding an “Echoes of Revolution” guided tour to its regular slate of tours. On Saturday and Sundays, as an add-on to regular museum admission, this tour visits three historic homes to explore how the Revolution and its legacy shaped daily life. It begins at the Pitt Tavern, which was built in 1777, where residents debated loyalty and freedom in real time while the Revolution was going on. Tickets are $15, members; $20, non-members. The museum is also offering a Revolutionary Portsmouth lecture series, a Revolutionary Portsmouth exhibit in its Rowland Gallery, and a special Flag Day celebration for the country’s 250th anniversary. strawberybanke.org/250.
Other historic homes in Portsmouth include: Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, home of New Hampshire’s first royal governor; Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden, the historic home of William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Richard Jackson House, the oldest timber-framed house in New Hampshire; Langdon House, former home of Gov. John Langdon; Wentworth-Gardner House, is hailed as “one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the country.”
Portsmouth farmers market
Seacoast Eat Local presents the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the City Hall parking lot, 1 Junkins Ave. The market features local farmers and vendors, live music, activities for kids, and is free and open to the public.
Market Square Day
The city’s premier street festival is set for Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature hundreds of local artisans, vendors, food producers, non-profits and community groups. There’ll be lots of great food and treats as well as music on the Pleasant Street stage. Scheduled to perform are The Maine Marimba Ensemble, 11:30 a.m.; NH Ukeladies, 12:45 p.m.; Dave Hunter and The Seven Hundred, 2 p.m.; and the Chickenshack Bluegrass Band, 3:15 p.m. There will also be dance performances. The Market Square Day 10K Road Race kicks off the day at 9 a.m. with the starting line in Market Square and the finish line on Marcy Street at Strawbery Banke.
Start Market Square Day right at the60th annual Pancake Breakfast hosted by Middle Street Baptist Church, 16 Court St., from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., on June 13. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for kids 12 and under, $22 for a family. All proceeds support the Seacoast Community Lunch program, which partners with community organizations, local businesses, and individual volunteers to offer a free, hot meal every Wednesday afternoon to anyone who wants one. middle.st/pancake-breakfast.
Juneteenth in Portsmouth
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is celebrating Juneteenth along with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The celebration begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 19 with a Freedom Walk from Kittery to Portsmouth and then the annual African Drumming Ceremony at 11 a.m. at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth. It continues on Sunday, June 21 at 10 a.m. with the living history interpretation “Meet New Hampshire’s Five To Know” at the M&T Bank parking lot. On Saturday, June 27, there is the annual Frederick Douglass Statewide Readings at noon at Strawbery Banke locally and many other locations around the state. On Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m., BHTNH presents a “Reclaiming History, Declaring Dignity” guided bus tour to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. Info: blackheritagetrailnh.org/events/juneteenth-celebration-nh
Pocket Gardens Tour
The 37th annual Pocket Gardens Tour to benefit South Church will take place on June 19 and 20. This tour offers a peak into the private gardens of the South End neighborhood accompanied by musicians, artists and refreshments. The tour runs 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 19, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 20. Early bird tickets are $25 until June 12; then $30 from June 12 to 19. Limited availability on the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased in person until June 12 by cash or check at Churchill’s Garden Center, Exeter; Wentworth Greenhouses, Rollinsford; and Gardener’s Supply, Greenland. More info: southchurch-uu.org/what-we-offer/pocket-garden-tour.
Portsmouth Pride Weekend
Portsmouth Pride returns on Saturday, June 20 about noon when Pride Parade marchers gather outside of 40 Pleasant St., and step off at 12:35 p.m. to proceed down State Street then Atkinson Street to arrive at Strawbery Banke. No registration required and all are invited to participate. The Pride Marketplace on the grounds of the museum will feature 100-plus vendors including local artisans, nonprofits and businesses. There’ll be speeches and entertainment all afternoon on the Pride Mainstage. Details will be announced soon. The Pride After Party will be at The Hawthorn in the West End at 7 p.m.. Tickets available at nhoutright.org/portsmouth-pride. There’ll be a Drag Brunch at The Music Hall Lounge on Sunday, June 21 with a buffet-style brunch and cash bar. Tickets at themusichall.org.
Naturalization ceremony
On Saturday, July 4, Strawbery Banke will once again host a U.S. Naturalization Ceremony at 10 a.m. to welcome new citizens on the country’s 250th birthday. The ceremony occurs rain or shine under a tent on the museum’s grounds. Free and open to the public. Visitors can tour the historic houses and grounds free of charge all day, too. No parking is available at Strawbery Banke and weapons, coolers, signs, banners and pets are not permitted.
Independence Day fireworks
Celebrating America’s 250th, a spectacular fireworks display over downtown Portsmouth sponsored by Wilcox Industries will take place at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. Rain date is July 5. The fireworks will go off over the South Mill Pond and Parrott and Junkins avenues area. The event is free and open to the public. Parking and street closure information will be available on the city’s website closer to the event.
John Paul Jones House Birthday Party
The Portsmouth Historical Society will celebrate the 268th birthday of the John Paul Jones house, 43 Middle St., Portsmouth, on Saturday, July 11, from 10:30 a.m. to noon with yard games and crafts on the lawn, an I Spy house tour, coloring activities and cupcakes. Admission to the historic house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is free.
Piscataqua Riverfest
The nonprofit Gundalow Company’s Piscataqua Riverfest celebrates the region’s rivers and bays and features a traditional boat show, kids’ entertainment, food trucks and beer garden, music, historical live demonstrations, tours and hands-on activities for all ages on Saturday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event takes place in the field at Strawbery Banke Museum and is free and open to the public. More info at gundalow.org/piscataqua-riverfest.
American Independence Festival
The 36th American Independence Festival will take place on Saturday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Exeter, the Revolutionary Capital of New Hampshire a short drive from Portsmouth. Festival-goers will hear a live reading of the Declaration of Independence, view the original copy that was brought to Exeter in 1776, explore what it was like to be a colonist, a soldier and a tradesman, visit the museum and tavern, talk with local historical interpreters including George Washington and Jack Staines, and enjoy a local brew in the beer garden. The first Pursuit of Happiness 5K Road Race kicks off the day at 8 a.m. and runs through downtown Exeter. aicnh.org/american-independence-festival.
Sail Portsmouth tall ships festival Parade of Sail
The Sail Portsmouth Festival’s Parade of Sail will kick off the event Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 p.m. The Sail Portsmouth Festival continues all weekend, Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26 at the Portsmouth Commercial Fish Pier.
Tall ships featured this year are The Oosterscheide, a restored Dutch three-masted topsail schooner; the Great Lakes schooner Denis Sullivan and the three-masted schooner Liberty Clipper. The ships will sail into Portsmouth Harbor escorted by private boats and commercial vessels.
Ship tours allow visitors to go aboard the Oosterschelde to see a tall ship up close and experience what life on board was like. The guided tours are free for children ages up to 12; $15 for those 13 and above; and a family ticket admits one adult and up to three children 13 to 15 for $39. There’ll be lots of activities, info booths and vendors to enjoy at the pier as well as Day Sails where you can purchase tickets to actually sail on the Liberty Clipper tall ship. More information at sailportsmouth.org
New England Hot Sauce Fest
On Saturday, Aug. 1, the summer heats with the fifth annual New England Hot Sauce Fest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Strawbery Banke Museum. The Fest will celebrate the craft hot sauce of New England and Northeast makers and support the Seacoast Science Center and Blue Ocean Society. Tickets are $15; VIP is $20 and available at newenglandhotsaucefest.com. Presented by Spicy Shark Hot Sauce. Rain date is Aug. 2.
America 250th Gala: An Evening of Food and Drink That Shaped The Nation
Strawbery Banke Museum presents this open air 250th gala on its historic grounds on Saturday, Aug. 29. Rain date is Aug. 30. The gala will honor Martha Fuller Clark for her extraordinary leadership and longstanding dedication to preserving Strawbery Banke and its stories. More details to follow at strawberybanke.org.
Art ‘Round Town
The Art ‘Round Town gallery walk takes place in Portsmouth the first Friday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m. Galleries and community organizations throughout downtown hold open houses to celebrate the local arts scene. It’s a great way to get a picture of the city’s visual arts scene. Information: facebook.com/ARTportsmouth.
A special exhibit: The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Artist Advancement Grant Exhibit at 3S Artspace will honor the work of 2025 Grant Winner Jihye Han of Exeter, and runners-up Cozette Russell of Lee and Isabella Rotman of South Berwick. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant awards up to $25,000 each year to a Seacoast-area visual artist or craftsperson to promote their artistic growth. Exhibit opens June 4 with an artists’ reception from 6 to 8 p.m. and runs through July 26. Free and open to the public. More info, 3sarts.org/exhibitions.
Sunset Lighthouse Cruises
On Fridays, June 19 and 26, you can tour the area’s iconic Portsmouth Harbor and Whaleback lighthouses. The cruises will be aboard the M/V Granite State, departing from Rye Harbor on Route 1A, and will pass close to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Whaleback Lighthouse, and White Island Lighthouse in the Isles of Shoals. The boat will return to the dock at approximately 9:30 p.m. There will be historic narration and raffles on board as well as a snack bar. All ticket sales benefit the lighthouses’ preservation. Tickets are $40 at portsmouthharborlighthouse.org/sunset-cruise-information/.
Explore the Isles of Shoals
The Seacoast Science Center will take you on an Isles of Shoals Excursion on select days this summer beginning June 23. Board the Shining Star departing from Pepperell Cove on Kittery Point for a marine and coastal ecology tour of the Gulf of Maine and Star Island designed for all ages. Information: seacoastsciencecenter.org.
More ways to get out on the water
Take a narrated cruise of Portsmouth Harbor on The Heritage, a 49-passenger boat where you can see the city, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and lighthouses from the water, and learn about the river’s role in the area’s eco-system. Portsmouth Harbor Cruises offers a variety of cruises on both the Heritage and the Utopia, including a trip across the river to the Wood Island Lifesaving Station for a tour. Information: portsmouthharbor.com.
Sail with the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company to tour Star Island and explore Portsmouth Harbor and the Shoals. Information: islesofshoals.com. Sail on The Gundalow Portsmouth, a cargo barge with a shallow draft that was commonly used to transport goods and materials around the area’s rivers and estuaries for centuries. Information: gundalow.org. Get a ride on the Portsmouth Water Taxi with stops on both sides of the Piscataqua and up into Great Bay. Visit portsmouthwatertaxi.com or call (603) 550-1380.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald. Reporting by Jane Murphy.
