5 Fun NH Weekend Activities To Do Before The New Year

1. For the birds. On Saturday, Dec. 29, the Nashaway Chapter of NH Audubon will join with tens of thousands of volunteers throughout North andSouth America to participate in the 113^th annual Christmas Bird Count. For more than 100 years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house in the middle of winter. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation action. In New Hampshire there are 21 bird count areas and each count’s survey area stays the same from year to year.  You can join a team to count a survey area or, if you live in the count circle, you can simply count the birds from your window! At the end of the day, counters from the field will join at the Lawrence Barn in Hollis to record their findings over dinner (a small fee will be collected for those who participate in the tally/dinner). For more information or to be assigned to a count area, contact Richard Bielawski at 429-2537 or rbielawski@mac.com. Get more information here about this bird count tradition.

2. Beer tasting. Check out one of New Hampshire's small craft breweries for a tour and tasting this and every Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m.Tour White Birch Brewery for free and sample some of their beers, also free. Proper ID required by everyone who visits. White Birch is at 1339 Hooksett Road, Hooksett. For more information, call 603-206-5260, email contactus@whitebirchbrewing.com or visit White Birch Brewing's website.

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 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. 'Metropolis' Restored. A silent film hailed as the grandfather of all science fiction fantasy movies will be screened with live music on Sunday, Dec. 30, at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre. The show starts at 4:30 p.m. The screening is free and open to the public. 'Metropolis' (1927), regarded as German director Fritz Lang's masterpiece, is set in a futuristic city where a privileged elite pursue lives of leisure while the masses toil on vast machines and live deep underground. The film, with its visions of futuristic factories and flying cars, set new standards for visual design and inspired generations of dystopian fantasies from Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' to Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil.'

The version of 'Metropolis' to be screened at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre is a newly restored edition that includes nearly a half-hour of missing footage cut following the film's premiere in 1927. The footage, discovered in 2008 in an archive in Argentina, has since been added to the existing 'Metropolis,' allowing plot threads and characters to be developed more fully. The restored 'Metropolis,' now 2½ hours in length, will be accompanied by a score created live by New Hampshire-based silent film musician and composer Jeff Rapsis. The showing is free but donations are accepted. Wilton Town Hall Theater is at 60 Main Street. Get more information at the Town Hall Theater website.