5 Fun NH Weekend Activities To Do Before The New Year

1. Tasty art! Join the Currier Museum in Manchester for their Focus Tour: East, Drink and Be Merry: Food & Spirits in Art on Friday, Dec. 28 at 11:30 a.m. Delicious meals have always brought people together – and now you can enjoy them in a whole new way!  Consider the different ways and reasons artists have included tasty treats in their work over the years, from decadent Dutch-Baroque still-life paintings to the photographic realism of contemporary artists. If you work up an appetite during the tour, be sure to stop by the Winter Garden Café for a snack when the tour is done. Free with museum admission.

2. Blues! The James Montgomery Band will be playing in Londonderry's Tupelo Music Hall on Thursday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. When blues legend James Montgomery plays the harmonica, he "brings it on home". Whether it's recording with Kid Rock, sitting in with Gregg Allman, or fronting his hot band of thirty years, Montgomery plays with authority. While growing up in Detroit he learned first-hand from the masters - James Cotton, John Lee Hooker, and Jr. Wells - at the legendary "Chessmate." Over the years, he's carried on in the tradition and continues to be a vital presence in Blues as one of the most dynamic performers on the scene. Montgomery has toured with many major artists, including Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, the Allman Brothers, Steve Miller and others. He has jammed on stage with B.B.King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Jr. Wells, James Cotton, Charlie Daniels, Bonnie Raitt, Greg Allman, Laverne Baker, Patti LaBelle, and Peter Wolf among others, including an impromptu session with Mick Jagger at New York's "Trax".

3. Bangin'! Legendary New Hampshire drumming group "RECYCLED PERCUSSION" returns to the Palace Theatre in Manchester on Sunday, Dec. 30 for another incredible turbo-charged performance. Featuring an entirely new show that sets the standard for high-energy, mind-blowing drumming, after their stellar appearance on "America's Got Talent" and a show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Recycled Percussion returns home once again to perform for the Palace Audience!! Non-stop energy and fun! Don't miss your chance to experience Recycled Percussion at the Palace! The band's "JUNK RADIO" show launched in August 2008 to rave reviews and sold out performances. The groups signature drumming powerhouses set the beat on discarded industrial junk, power tools and a barrage of buckets and metal cans and together achieve on-stage musical dominance. Packed with the stunning physical performances and incredible visuals the shows has been renowned for PERCUSSION's "JUNK RADIO" show is an all ages visual and musical experience you won't want to miss!!!

4. Delicious! The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is encouraging consumers to get creative when pairing wine, spirits and food by launching the “In the Mix Kitchen Series” at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets’ superstore at 25 Coliseum Avenue in Nashua. This week’s event features delicious Asian Lettuce Wraps from T-Bones Great American Eatery and sparkling wines and scotch from MS Walker. All events will be held at the flagship New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet on Coliseum Avenue in Nashua which features a new, state-of-the-art kitchen and serves more than 6,000 customers per week. Be there Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.!

5. Popa Chubby! This unique artist will be playing in Londonderry's Tupelo Music Hall on Friday, Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. Called “a post-modern Muddy Waters” by New York Times, Popa Chubby plays tough and gritty music fitting of the New York streets he calls home. Popa Chubby expertly combines rootsy blues with more contemporary styles, such as rock and rap. With his razor sharp, aggressive guitar, vocals from the gut and top-notch skill as a songwriter, Popa Chubby takes blues to the cutting edge. "People look at me and expect a certain thing, Popa Chubby reflects, and don't realize theres more behind the picture. They see a big, burly guy with tattoos, and they expect to get beat over the head. And you will get beat over the head, but youll also get rocked to sleep, and there'll be poetry in there too."