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media photos | calendar listing | press release | past news _______________________________ May 1, 2015 AKWAABA DANCE AND DRUM ENSEMBLE COMES TO THE NEWMARKET MILLSPACE MAY 30—plus Music on Main Street in historic downtown Newmarket. A “Heritage at the Mills” production by the Newmarket Heritage Festival Newmarket, NH – The Akwaaba Dance and Drum Ensemble brings the rhythms and sounds of Africa to the Newmarket Millspace on Saturday, May 30, from 2-5 p.m. Produced by the award-winning Newmarket Heritage Festival, “Heritage at the Mills” features a high-energy performance by the Akwaaba Ensemble from 4-5 p.m. Download PHOTO here. Before the performance, drum enthusiasts can attend a workshop led by Akwaaba founder Theo Martey: one for children (ages 4-12) from 2-2:45 p.m. or one for adults (ages 13 and up) from 3-3:45 p.m. No experience necessary. Attend the workshops and/or the performance. Admission is $5 (children under 4, free) and covers the whole event. Strolling performers will also provide “Music on Main Street” (12 noon – 6 p.m.), bringing multicultural entertainment to downtown eateries and merchants. Performers include popular musicians from past festivals: Opa’s Oompah Band, Patriot Fife and Drum, Sax Pack, Eastern Sound Trio, and the Granite Statesmen Barbershop Quartets. Stroll the sidewalks and discover the great food, great shops, and great people in historic downtown Newmarket! (Also taking place on May 30 will be the town’s Memorial Day Parade at 11 a.m., the Newmarket Gardeners Plant Sale from 8 a.m. -1 p.m., and an open house at the Art Alley Gallery in the Mills.) “Heritage at the Mills” marks a new chapter for the Newmarket Heritage Festival, which has been celebrating the arts, culture, history, and community spirit for more than 16 years, bringing talented performers and artisans together for one of the most popular events in the Seacoast region. What began with a focus on the town’s immigrant millworker roots has grown to represent the melting pot of cultures that define the American identity. Throughout the years, the festival has enhanced the town’s cultural, historic, and business climate, complimenting the efforts of the Newmarket Main Street Corporation, festival producers, to highlight the town’s heritage. With every change of venue (primarily due to construction and development), the festival has remained committed to hosting the event in the historic downtown, in the shadow of the mills, a location that represents the community’s immigrant roots—and also supports local business. “This year’s event will be a continuation of the “celebration of the arts, culture, history, and community spirit” that has always defined the Heritage Festival,” says Suki Casanave, festival director. “This spirit remains a vital part of what makes this town special.” Admission: $5 (children under 4, free). Three-dozen drums and rhythm instruments available for sharing at the workshops. Bring drums if you have them! Location: Newmarket Millspace, 55 Main Street, Newmarket, NH. For more information: heritage-festival.com. Produced by the Newmarket Heritage Festival/Newmarket Main Street Corporation, in cooperation with the Newmarket Millspace,“Heritage at the Mills” is sponsored by the NH State Council on the Arts, the Town of Newmarket, LOCO Sports, and Liberty Mutual. TheNewmarket Main Street Corporation, a nonprofit group dedicated to revitalizing and preserving the historic and cultural characteristics of the community and to preserving the legacy of Newmarket for future generations. The Newmarket Main Street Corporation is a 501 (c) (3) organization.
_______________________________ April 30, 2014 THE NEWMARKET HERITAGE FESTIVAL IS BACK! NEWMARKET, NH — After a short hiatus in 2013, the award-winning Newmarket Heritage Festival, one of the Seacoast region’s most anticipated annual events, will return this spring on May 31, 2014. Produced by the Newmarket Main Street Corporation, the event celebrates the arts, culture, history, and community spirit, bringing together a host of talented performers and artisans to create an experience recognized by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts as one of the region’s outstanding cultural events. New Location Festival planners have been working closely with local organizations and businesses to determine the shape of this year’s event, which will focus on the music and arts that represent the core of the festival mission. “The Lamprey Arts and Culture Alliance, Chinburg Properties, and Rivermoor Landing Condominiums have been invaluable partners as we work out the logistical details,” says David LeGault, a member of the NMSC board and logistics coordinator for the festival. “Together, we are working to ensure the long-term viability and high quality of the festival.” Great Line-Up! The festival also features dozens of vendors, including local merchants on Main Street and in the Newmarket Mills, who will be open for business and offering festival specials! Don’t miss this chance to stock up on handcrafted gifts, specialty items—and good eats! Learn about local history with walking tours of the downtown and the historic mills or a visit to the Stone School Museum. The Bristol S-Gauge model trains will be running in the American Legion, medieval knights will be strolling the streets, and the Community Church will host a Soup and Chowder Supper. (Main Street will remain open to traffic.) Sponsors “We are delighted to be returning this year in a new location and with a new format,” says Casanave, “and to be able to continue the celebration of the arts, culture history and community spirit that have defined the Newmarket Heritage Festival for so many years. We look forward to seeing everyone at the festival!” About the Festival 2014 Information
_____________________________________ March 15, 2013 NEWMARKET HERITAGE FESTIVAL TO TAKE HIATUS IN 2013— Newmarket, NH — After 15 years, the award-winning Newmarket Heritage Festival, which has become one of the Seacoast region’s most anticipated annual events, will be on hiatus in 2013. Produced by the Newmarket Main Street Corporation, the event celebrates the arts, culture, history, and community spirit, bringing together a host of talented performers and artisans to create an experience recognized by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts as one of the region’s outstanding cultural events. “The festival has been a wonderful community celebration and a boon for Newmarket and the region,” says Suki Casanave, who has served as director of the festival for the past 12 years and works closely with a dedicated volunteer committee to plan the annual event. The organization is now poised to start a new chapter in its history, according to festival organizers, working closely with other local organizations and businesses to determine the shape of the future. “For numerous reasons, financial and logistical, we decided it was time to modify the festival’s current model to ensure the long-term viability of producing a high-quality event,” says David LeGault, the festival’s logistics coordinator and treasurer of the Newmarket Main Street Corporation. LeGault has been involved with the festival since the beginning. The organizing committee wishes to thank all of the performers, artisans, other participants who contributed their many and varied talents to help create a wonderful community event throughout the years. Thanks also to the thousands of attendees who came out to enjoy the festival and to the volunteers who pitched in to make the weekend possible. The festival planners are grateful also to the many faithful sponsors who have supported the festival for so long, making it possible to bring a high-quality event to the region year after year. “We look forward to being in touch again when the festival returns in its new format,” says Casanave, “and to continuing the celebration of the arts, culture history and community spirit that have defined the Newmarket Heritage Festival for so many years.” For updates and more information: Visit our web site (www.heritage-festival.org) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HeritageFestivalNH). Interested in volunteering on the festival planning committee? Get in touch: newmarketfest@yahoo.com.
_____________________________________ Sept. 1, 2012 15th ANNUAL NEWMARKET HERITAGE FESTIVAL: SEPT. 22, 2012 NEWMARKET, NH: It’s the Seacoast region’s annual international block party—and you’re invited! Visit the historic mill town of Newmarket, NH, for the 15th annual Heritage Festival–a weekend of music and dance, arts and history, food and fun. PERFORMANCES: African drumming and Polish accordion tunes; Indian and Irish dancing; a Bavarian oompah band and a Ceili dance workshop; Zimbabwe marimba music and a flamenco dance performance; folk, jazz, and barbershop music; doo-wop tunes and drum circles. More about performers. ARTISANS: The Artisan Tent is always hopping at the festival. Watch a blacksmith, cooper, dulcimer maker, 18th-century printer, wildfowl carver at work. Try Chinese brush painting, fly tying, fused glass work, spinning, weaving and more. More about artisans. ACTIVITIES: Kayaking and boat tours, medieval sword fighting, a model railway, history walks, and a harvest supper. More about activities. FOR KIDS: Try-it-yourself traditional arts in the Artisan Tent, farm animals, a climbing wall, a bungee bounce, juggling, a roaming raceway—and more! More about fun for kids. VENDORS: And don’t forget to visit the vendors in the festival marketplace selling fine arts and crafts, great gifts, good food, and more. More about vendors. MORE INFO: www.heritage-festival.org. OR www.facebook.com/HeritageFestivalNH
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