Spring Local Lifestyle Playlist 2026

Time for Tunes with Erin Scollans

Thing in the Spring 2026

Quick Take: Keene’s beloved Thing in the Spring returns May 15–17 with three days of adventurous music, poetry, and art at the Nova Arts Center and Colonial Theatre. The genre-spanning lineup highlights the creativity and community spirit that make the Monadnock Region’s arts scene so incredible.
The change in seasons is always an exciting time in the Monadnock Region. With warm weather rapidly approaching, festival stages are slowly thawing out while residents dust off their dancing shoes. Our region is flush with musical talent. And that, combined with the community’s love and appreciation for said talent, combine to create a host of opportunities to see and experience local music all spring and summer long.

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For starters, this May, Keene will hold its annual Thing in the Spring, an eclectic (and electric) celebration of regional art and music and a staple in Southern NH for close to two decades. This collaborative festival combines more than twenty-five performances across three stages over three days, with shows taking place at the Nova Arts Center and Colonial Theatre from May 15th through the 17th.

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“What Nova Arts does—and what The Thing in the Spring does—is invite people into a place that is safe for artists to take risks and safe for audiences to have new experiences, hear, see, and feel fresh ideas: to feel that deep humanity that comes with surrendering yourself to art,” says Thing in the Spring co-founder Eric Gagne. Gagne,a lifelong Monadnocker, has been putting on shows in the area for the better part of the thirty years, including in spaces like the Rindge Town Hall and Peterborough’s Toadstool Bookshop. These events naturally blossomed throughout the years into what we know as The Thing in the Spring.

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First dreamed up back in 2008 by Gagne, Ryan Wilson, and Mary Goldthwaite, Thing in the Spring has called several places home over the years but now claims the collaborative Nova Arts Center as its base. Nova not only hosts two of the festival’s stages, but it also houses a cafe (the fabulous Brewbakers), a coffee roaster (the delicious Terra Nova), a vinyl shop (the groovy Feeding Tube Records), and an open art studio (the lively Wakadoodles).

This year’s lineup ranges from Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah to Providence’s punk rock marching band Undertow Brass Band, as well as experimental jazz and classical music from artists like Chicago’s Natural Information Society. The festival will also feature New England–based poets John-Francis Quiñonez, Diannely Antigua, Jess Rizkallah, and Maya Williams, along with many more performers.



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“We’ve always featured genre-pushing artists,” Gagne explains, “and we've always sought to push for deep listening and expanding minds.”

Visit this May for a day or a whole weekend. While the weekend passes have already sold out, day passes and tickets to the Colonial show are available for purchase through the festival’s website. There is plenty of fun to find in the greater Keene area in addition to the festival, whether it’s hiking, swimming, biking, or exploring the wonders that downtown has to offer. Don’t miss out on these community-led, springtime jams.




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Going Native

Beneficial Landscapes from Fasset Hill Farm with Sonja Bolton

Quick Dissection:
Maybe old news to you, but back in 2022, the National Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the National Gardening Association, found that a whopping 1 in 4 people are specifically buying native plants to help pollinators like at-risk butterflies, bees and birds. Where were all these folks finding experts in the field? Pun intended. Spoiler, they're in your neighborhood.

Monadnockers, you’re in native landscaping luck, because a gorgeous farm doing just that rests at the base of Mount Monadnock. Fassett Farm Nursery boasts ten artfully designed acres intentionally supporting some of our region's rarest pollinators. Opening for the season on May 9th, they welcome visitors to browse the nursery at their leisure and get inspired while meandering acres of trails and plantings.

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With an extensive selection of plants native to the Northeast, Fassett Farm helps locals build outdoor spaces large and small ready to help humans and wildlife respond and adapt to climate change. Co-owner, Aaron Abitz says, “A good place to start for small lot holders is by just removing a small section of lawn and adding plants! This can be done easily using a sheet mulching method of adding cardboard/mulch right on top of the lawn then planting 3-6 months later after the lawn has died off. Start small. As you add new garden spaces you can divide plants that will self sow from your garden too.”

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Abitz shared a few of his go-to garden MVPs:
  • We LOVE the Goldenrods (Solidago)! There are many different varieties that we grow and use in gardens, leaning on the less vigorous ones that won't outcompete other plants. They are also a Keystone species.
  • New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) go hand in hand with the goldenrods and the nectar of the flower provides an excellent source for Monarchs and other butterflies late into the fall. These are drought-tolerant, as well.
  • The Beardtongues (Penstemon) are also ones we enjoy. Early summer drought-resistant flower that attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. We really love their fall color, too!

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  • Mountain Mints (Pycnanthemum) are one of our most visited flowering perennials that also attract a wide variety of beneficial wasps. They can be used in teas and are deer resistant, as well.
  • Lastly we LOVE grasses! Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is usually our go-to. It serves as the larval host for several skipper species including the Dusted Skipper, Cobweb Skipper, Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Swarthy Skipper, and the Crossline Skipper. It also provides a year-round interest in the garden!





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And when it comes to connecting the next generation to the natural world around them, I couldn’t agree more with Abitz’s recommendation. Kids love a sensory experience and eating in particular. Abitz recollected that, “Cedar, my son, walks people around the nursery sampling all the mint and anise flavored plants we grow. He also likes showing folks the elderberrysection and Chokeberry too.” My own daughter, Rose, can attest to this approach as she loves munching the mint, sitting near our aromatic anise hyssop, and snacking on the honeyberries.





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This author can speak to the importance of going native, being born and raised on the 356-acre midwest farm that now supplies one of the largest catalogs of wild native plants in North America, Prairie Moon Nursery. From nesting golden eagles to a migrating kaleidoscope of Monarch butterflies, when nature thrives, life becomes truly magical. If you weren’t one of the 1 in 4 people back in ‘22 planning a native planting, welcome to the club. Diversity simply makes our world a better place for all.





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>>Connect Here<<

After a (seriously!) long winter, spring feels like such a burst of newness, and we’re loving all the stories that come with it. Grateful to spend another season helping this special community tell them.

Caroline Tremblay
Owner & Content Director, Owl & Pen
Exceptional Written Content to Help Local Businesses Thrive...
Wherever Your Local Is

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Stopping by Stuart & John’s with Jen Teachout

Maple Season Magic

Quick Take: At Stuart & John’s Sugarhouse in Westmoreland, maple season means steam from the sugarhouse, sweet syrup samples, and a warm welcome. It’s a classic New Hampshire spring tradition worth experiencing.

In early spring across New Hampshire, there’s a familiar sight that signals one of the sweetest seasons of the year: steam rising from the roof of a sugarhouse. At Stuart & John’s Sugarhouse in Westmoreland, New Hampshire, that billowing steam means maple sap is bubbling away inside, slowly transforming into golden maple syrup.




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And when it’s maple season, visitors are always welcome to step inside and experience the magic.

Every spring between February and April, families, travelers, and maple lovers stop by the sugarhouse to watch the process unfold. Inside the evaporator room, the sweet aroma of boiling sap fills the air while visitors learn how maple syrup is made from tree to table. Staff happily share the story behind the process and, of course, offer free samples of freshly made syrup.

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March weekends are especially lively. Guests can enjoy maple tours of the sugarhouse, free syrup tastings, popcorn, and on select dates, a beloved New England tradition: free sugar on snow. The simple treat of hot syrup poured over snow creates a chewy maple candy that delights visitors of all ages.

The tradition at Stuart & John’s dates back to 1974, when best friends Stuart Adams and John Matthews, then just eighth and tenth graders, decided to start their own sugaring operation. Growing up together in Westmoreland and working at Windyhurst Farm, the pair purchased an oil-fired evaporator and began tapping trees. That first season they tapped 920 trees and produced 230 gallons of pure New Hampshire maple syrup.


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More than 50 years later, the operation has grown to nearly 10,000 taps, producing around 2,500 gallons of syrup each year. While equipment has evolved over time, including the addition of reverse osmosis technology to remove most of the water from sap, the dedication to quality maple syrup remains the same.

The sugarhouse has always been a family affair. Stuart’s parents, Roger and Ellie, opened the restaurant on the property in 1975, welcoming visitors with hearty meals after a morning at the sugarhouse. Today, Stuart and his wife Robyne continue that tradition.

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The restaurant is open every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch that keeps guests coming back. One reviewer even called it “THE New England breakfast spot,” praising the fresh food, welcoming atmosphere, and dishes like pumpkin pancakes and perfectly cooked eggs.

There’s more to explore beyond maple season, too. Visitors can stop by the Baby Calf Barn to see the baby cows, relax at outdoor tables beside the restaurant during warmer months, or let kids enjoy the nearby field and play area. In the fall, a towering hill of sunflowers blooms nearby, perfect for strolling, picking flowers, and capturing photos for a small donation.

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Through every season, the spirit of the place remains the same.

“Let Our Family Serve Your Family.”

And during maple season, there’s no sweeter place to experience one of New Hampshire’s most beloved traditions.

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@bestphotographerever

Just a small town girl.

Before they sold out typewriter cred hashtag leggings health goth banh mi single-origin coffee selfies, selvage pok pok. Intelligentsia scenester actually, iPhone la croix banjo forage meditation cold-pressed vinyl XOXO. Occupy flannel hashtag echo park. Prism freegan plaid pug slow-carb 90's, chillwave activated charcoal cornhole.

Truffaut ugh pok pok waistcoat artisan. Swag air plant vaporware, tumeric la croix microdosing offal hexagon tbh. Chambray roof party typewriter coloring book intelligentsia mlkshk lomo umami blue bottle drinking vinegar locavore PBR&B viral. Heirloom poke biodiesel, unicorn wolf leggings hella celiac adaptogen migas. La croix hexagon cold-pressed XOXO art party. Cornhole slow-carb church-key subway tile. Art party master cleanse intelligentsia fingerstache swag craft beer raw denim palo santo salvia pug scenester narwhal occupy single-origin coffee glossier. Stumptown pok pok fashion axe cornhole health goth celiac. Knausgaard YOLO mumblecore lyft glossier.

- I'm obsessed with red shoes
- My iphone 7 is my lifeline
- frogs scare me
- I will do anything for a peppermint mocha
- I've never been on an airplane
- Mountain dew should be a food group

A Springtime Trek with Erin Scollans

Hitting the Muddy Trails

Quick Take: Spring in the Monadnock Region means muddy boots and fresh air. Local nature sanctuaries like the Harris Center, Beaver Brook Association, and Distant Hill Gardens offer miles of trails, family programs, and the perfect excuse to get outside and explore the season’s return.

It might not feel like it, but this extra snowy Monadnock Region winter will be over before we know it, and the underrated spring season is certainly something to stop and enjoy along the way to a sunny summer. Break out those waterproof boots! With the spring solstice comes plenty of time for a muddy nature sanctuary adventure.

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Perhaps the biggest and most well-known sanctuary in the region is the Harris Center, located in Hancock. This conservation giant has helped preserve some 26,000 acres of land and played an integral role in combining the 36,000 acre SuperSanctuary of connected lands across Antrim, Dublin, Greenfield Hancock, Harrisville, Nelson, Peterborough and Stoddard.

The Harris Center teacher-naturalists lead community-based programs for curious naturalists of all ages, from baby backpacker treks, to collaborative school-aged expeditions and retirement-age programs. The Center also offers plenty of outings free of charge year round; their eclectic calendar ranges from snowshoeing to stargazing, birdwatching to canoeing. Some events for the month of April include a family-friendly Earth Day hike and a unique workshop on how to identify spring flowers.

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Meanwhile, The Beaver Brook Association, located slightly outside the unofficial Monadnock Region borders Hollis. This nonprofit nature education program extends through Brookline and Milford. The center offers 35 miles of maintained trails, as well as scouting events, summer camps, guided hikes, gardening and volunteer opportunities. Their busy calendar is packed with weekly bird watching, trail running, preschool-aged enrichment programs, fitness walks for all ages, and more.

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Also, Distant Hill Gardens and Nature Trail in Walpole, NH is an environmental and horticultural learning center, with a goal of making nature and the outdoors accessible to everyone. It spans some 150 acres, including a two-mile network of wheelchair and stroller-accessible gravel trails with an additional three miles of hikable trails. Complete with a children’s StoryWalk trail, a Distant Hill Geology Trail, a nature play area, ten vernal pools, and a boardwalk over a beautiful cranberry bog, there’s something for everyone of all ages and abilities.

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Their two acre shrub garden also contains close to 500 labeled plants, a vegetable garden, beautiful stonework and an energy-efficient passive solar home. Distant Hill offers free butterfly nets, snowshoes, sleds, and wagons on-site for a robust nature experience. Free of charge and open from dusk until dawn, this special spot leaves folks with a better understanding of their environmental surroundings, all while having fun outside.

These nature safe havens only scratch the surface of what the region has to offer for outdoor opportunities. But they are a great reason to get the family out for an educationally inclined adventure. Happy spring, everyone!

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Looking for space to garden? Check out the Community Greenhouse at Mill Hollow Works Heritage Craft School. 

Click Here 

The Shopkeeper of Alsace by Laura Knoy with Sonja Bolton

One Unstoppable Woman

In a sentence or three: When a prologue gives you actual goosebumps, you know you’re about to embark on a pageturning journey that will not only change your view of the world, but maybe even your own life. Taking the world by storm, “The Shopkeeper of Alsace” is the triumphant debut novel from New Hampshire Author Laura Knoy—an uplifting tale of love, family, and ambition.

You may know Laura Knoy from her long-standing and much beloved NHPR show, “The Exchange” or perhaps from her popular podcast ReadLocalNH that broadens literary horizons from within our backyard. But you may not yet know that her inaugural work of historical fiction was published this past winter. Here’s the premise:

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Her heroine, Sarah, was a Jewish girl in Poland in the Great War and later a mother restarting her life in France prior to WWII. Having experienced the horrors of war, she relied on her resilience, know-how, and uncanny knack for staying one step ahead to keep her family safe in the throes of Nazi tyranny. Here’s the kicker. Knoy actually met real-life Sarah as a college student in Alsace, France and is now close with her children.

In a story almost too incredible to be true, Knoy expertly depicts Sarah’s life, the beauty of Alsace, and the unimaginable terrors of how fascism can sweep though countries like wildfire. But don’t take my word for it…

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The Historical Novel Society applauds “Laura Knoy’s debut novel as a skillful and moving depiction of one family’s fight not only to survive but to overcome the hardships of war, antisemitism and displacement.” Meanwhile NH award-winning historical fiction author, Margaret Porter, shares that Shopkeeper is “A beautifully conceived depiction of endurance, determination, and bravery in a time of wartime peril. The Shopkeeper of Alsace, inspired by real-life individuals and lesser-known events of World War II, combines detailed history with an engaging and moving human story.”


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Knoy Featured in the NH Chronicle

Knoy spent seven years researching and perfecting how she wanted to portray Sarah’s story, starting with old family cassette tapes recounting their history and many trips to France to soak in what makes that region of the world so unique. As an award-winning journalist, Knoy dove deep into the archives of history to ensure every detail possible represents an accurate picture.

Whether you are a history-buff or a hopeless romantic, you’ll relish reading “The Shopkeeper of Alsace.” Get your hands on a copy or meet Knoy on her book tour.

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Sarah and her husband, Max

@bestphotographerever

Just a small town girl.

Before they sold out typewriter cred hashtag leggings health goth banh mi single-origin coffee selfies, selvage pok pok. Intelligentsia scenester actually, iPhone la croix banjo forage meditation cold-pressed vinyl XOXO. Occupy flannel hashtag echo park. Prism freegan plaid pug slow-carb 90's, chillwave activated charcoal cornhole.

Truffaut ugh pok pok waistcoat artisan. Swag air plant vaporware, tumeric la croix microdosing offal hexagon tbh. Chambray roof party typewriter coloring book intelligentsia mlkshk lomo umami blue bottle drinking vinegar locavore PBR&B viral. Heirloom poke biodiesel, unicorn wolf leggings hella celiac adaptogen migas. La croix hexagon cold-pressed XOXO art party. Cornhole slow-carb church-key subway tile. Art party master cleanse intelligentsia fingerstache swag craft beer raw denim palo santo salvia pug scenester narwhal occupy single-origin coffee glossier. Stumptown pok pok fashion axe cornhole health goth celiac. Knausgaard YOLO mumblecore lyft glossier.

- I'm obsessed with red shoes
- My iphone 7 is my lifeline
- frogs scare me
- I will do anything for a peppermint mocha
- I've never been on an airplane
- Mountain dew should be a food group

Stitched Together with Ella Diers

The Pattern of Community

Quick Take: At Empowered Threads in Peterborough, Adria Osgood is helping people rediscover sewing, not just as a skill, but as a way to challenge fast fashion, build community, and create clothing that truly fits.

For Adria Osgood, clothing isn’t just something to wear or to consume. Clothing, and creating her own garments, means self-expression, community, and sustainability.

Empowered Threads, her studio in Peterborough, NH, is a space for people of all sewing backgrounds to come together and learn not only how to make their clothes, but their relationship with clothing and fashion.

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“Making my own clothing gave me respite. It offered quiet dignity in how I dressed and how I related to my body. It allowed me to step away from the noise and instead ask: What feels good on my body? What do I actually like? How can my clothing support me—through comfort, style, or simply the pleasure of wearing something made specifically for me?”

Her journey began as a child, when she first picked up sewing as a hobby. Her interest was born from the desire to create something wearing from the fabrics she adored. With a background in teaching and fiber arts, ten years ago Adria truly began the journey of learning how to sew her own closet. And out of this, Empowered Threads Studio was opened in July 2024.

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“Teaching has always been central to who I am, and sewing has long been one of the ways I connect creatively to myself and with my community.”

The inspiration and passion for her work isn’t just a love of sewing or fabric. Adria is guided by a deep understanding of the cost of mass-produced clothing. Fast fashion, made quickly and cheaply, is a detriment to the environment, harmful to the people making the clothes, and less than confidence-building to those who wear them.

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“Beyond the real and horrifying environmental and humanitarian costs of fast fashion, there is also a quieter personal cost: we are left feeling as though our bodies are the problem. When something doesn’t fit well, we assume it’s us. But when it comes to clothing, our bodies are never the problem. If something doesn’t fit, it’s the garment that needs adjusting—not the person.”

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Teaching other people the sentiment of making clothes to fit the body, rather than making the body fit the clothes, is the driving force behind her business. At Empowered Threads, Adria offers group and private sewing classes for adults and children alike (with the occasional alteration and mending thrown in). In these classes, you may go into the studio as a sewing novice, but you will leave with a garment made by you, for you, fitting your style and your body.

“One of my favorite moments is seeing the joy—and sometimes disbelief—on the faces of beginner students who didn’t think they could do it.

They could. And you can too!”

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Visiting Granite Oak Farm with Fern Sandstedt

Bovine Quality Time 

Quick Take: In Harrisville, a 400-pound cow named Biscuit might just offer the calm you didn’t know you needed.

Beautiful Granite Oak Farm is nestled in Harrisville, New Hampshire where owners Brian and Laura Bradford provide a delightful and unique service—cow cuddling.

The idea began with Brian’s lifetime love of cows. “Every time there was a fair with a farmer kind enough to let people go into the stall with their cow, Brian was there,” says Laura. But fairground encounters were fleeting with long lines, impatient crowds, and not every cow (or farmer) eager for interaction. Once Brian had land and cows of his own, he had a thought: if he loved spending time with cows, maybe others would, too. “He opened up for cow cuddling, and it took off. I married into this,” Laura shares, “but I think it’s amazing!”


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At first glance, cows may seem like an unconventional choice for a therapeutic, animal-centered experience. “Because they’re not the ‘typical’ animal you imagine when you think of a therapy animal, there’s something incredible about being with a 400+ pound animal that’s gentle and snuggly and truly enjoys being around humans,” she says. “It surprises people…in a good way.” Guests often describe a sense of calm washing over them as they commune with the cows.

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A typical session begins with a warm welcome at visitor sign-in. First-timers complete a waiver, then head into the stall of the cow they’ve chosen. If the cow is standing, guests can brush, pet, hug, and take photos. If she lies down, guests can too, nestling or just sitting alongside. Stools are available for those who prefer not to sit in hay and shavings. Importantly, nothing is forced. “We don’t do anything to make the cows interact with people or lie down. We don’t tie them up or force anything,” Laura emphasizes. 

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For many visitors, the experience is joyful, emotional, and always memorable. People have even gotten engaged in the barn! And one story, Laura says, will stay with them forever. One of their guests came in for a special visit her husband had arranged. She was in a wheelchair and struggling with MS, facing mental health challenges because of all the new limitations that came with her diagnosis. She spent that afternoon simply being present and cuddling with a cow named Biscuit. After, she shared that the session had changed her outlook on life during a profoundly dark time. “For most people, it’s something fun to do,” Laura reflects. “But for some, it really is so much more.”

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For your chance to have some much-needed bovine quality time, add cow cuddling to your Spring bucket list! You can get more info and book a session at https://www.graniteoakfarm.com/.

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@bestphotographerever

Just a small town girl.

Before they sold out typewriter cred hashtag leggings health goth banh mi single-origin coffee selfies, selvage pok pok. Intelligentsia scenester actually, iPhone la croix banjo forage meditation cold-pressed vinyl XOXO. Occupy flannel hashtag echo park. Prism freegan plaid pug slow-carb 90's, chillwave activated charcoal cornhole.

Truffaut ugh pok pok waistcoat artisan. Swag air plant vaporware, tumeric la croix microdosing offal hexagon tbh. Chambray roof party typewriter coloring book intelligentsia mlkshk lomo umami blue bottle drinking vinegar locavore PBR&B viral. Heirloom poke biodiesel, unicorn wolf leggings hella celiac adaptogen migas. La croix hexagon cold-pressed XOXO art party. Cornhole slow-carb church-key subway tile. Art party master cleanse intelligentsia fingerstache swag craft beer raw denim palo santo salvia pug scenester narwhal occupy single-origin coffee glossier. Stumptown pok pok fashion axe cornhole health goth celiac. Knausgaard YOLO mumblecore lyft glossier.

- I'm obsessed with red shoes
- My iphone 7 is my lifeline
- frogs scare me
- I will do anything for a peppermint mocha
- I've never been on an airplane
- Mountain dew should be a food group

Everyday Radiance with Sonja Bolton

A Fresh Look with Microblading

The Micro-view:
Local Lauren Hakey is expanding wellness offerings in the region with her new studio for microblading, a popular cosmetic tattooing technique for fuller, natural-looking brows.

After more than a decade helping community members improve their well-being and confidence through massage and skincare, Lauren Hakey of Alstead took it upon herself to learn a sought-after service that can be hard to find in rural areas. “I was always having to refer my clients elsewhere, and that's when I decided to start looking into microblading.” She’d also always wanted to try the service herself. Not familiar? Microblading is a popular form of cosmetic tattooing used to fill in thin eyebrows and make them appear fuller. Each tiny hairstroke is created by the cosmetic artist, requiring an exceptional skill level and attention to detail.  

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After more than a decade helping community members improve their well-being and confidence through massage and skincare, Lauren Hakey of Alstead took it upon herself to learn a sought-after service that can be hard to find in rural areas. “I was always having to refer my clients elsewhere, and that's when I decided to start looking into microblading.” She’d also always wanted to try the service herself. Not familiar? Microblading is a popular form of cosmetic tattooing used to fill in thin eyebrows and make them appear fuller. Each tiny hairstroke is created by the cosmetic artist, requiring an exceptional skill level and attention to detail.  

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Then in December, she found a beautiful space in West Brattleboro, where she now offers microblading, powder brows, and combination brows. “I absolutely love my clients’ reactions when they look in the mirror. Cosmetic tattooing allows me to express my creativity while enhancing each person’s natural beauty,” she describes. Her mission is to help people find their “Everyday Radiance,” which also happens to be the name of her business.

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“Spring is a great time to start thinking about cosmetic tattooing because it’s a season of renewal and fresh starts. As the weather warms up so do all the social events, and having long-lasting brows means you can feel confident and polished without worrying about makeup smudging in the heat,” Hakey describes. As an added bonus, she’s offering a discount on services booked now for March and April—$200 for a brow makeover. Check out her Facebook page for details, and enjoy your next glow up!

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@bestphotographerever

Just a small town girl.

Before they sold out typewriter cred hashtag leggings health goth banh mi single-origin coffee selfies, selvage pok pok. Intelligentsia scenester actually, iPhone la croix banjo forage meditation cold-pressed vinyl XOXO. Occupy flannel hashtag echo park. Prism freegan plaid pug slow-carb 90's, chillwave activated charcoal cornhole.

Truffaut ugh pok pok waistcoat artisan. Swag air plant vaporware, tumeric la croix microdosing offal hexagon tbh. Chambray roof party typewriter coloring book intelligentsia mlkshk lomo umami blue bottle drinking vinegar locavore PBR&B viral. Heirloom poke biodiesel, unicorn wolf leggings hella celiac adaptogen migas. La croix hexagon cold-pressed XOXO art party. Cornhole slow-carb church-key subway tile. Art party master cleanse intelligentsia fingerstache swag craft beer raw denim palo santo salvia pug scenester narwhal occupy single-origin coffee glossier. Stumptown pok pok fashion axe cornhole health goth celiac. Knausgaard YOLO mumblecore lyft glossier.

- I'm obsessed with red shoes
- My iphone 7 is my lifeline
- frogs scare me
- I will do anything for a peppermint mocha
- I've never been on an airplane
- Mountain dew should be a food group

Listening In with Fern Standstedt

The Sound of a Village

Quick Take: Rik Ekström’s new EP blends original and traditional songs into a collaborative, fireside listening experience rooted in friendship and place.

“I seem to return to records that are diverse yet identifiable as a thing, more of a village than an organization,” says Fitzwilliam-based musician Rik Ekström. In his “village,” a recently released EP titled The House of What’s Happening, each track is a distinct character. Yet the instrumentation and voices unify the record into a cohesive listening experience.

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The collection blends original and traditional music, a six-song collection that features “acoustic and electric instruments, ensemble vocals, a multi-day snow storm, a crackling fire, and the occasional down-shifting truck out on Route 9D,” he shares. This album is not a chronology or a linear narrative. Instead, he describes his approach as more like a community than a story. 

The EP’s oldest track, “Hide From The Wind, Run From The Water,” written around 2009, served as a North Star for the sessions. “I suppose it’s about an outsider who also represents a kind of beacon in a stormy world. The band turned it [from a folk sound] into a kind of pop song, which I was excited about,” he shares.

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This reinvention demonstrates how collaboration can reshape a song’s essence, allowing it to transform organically in the recording process.The EP’s final track, “Orange Tree,” a traditional song, exemplifies the true spirit of collaboration on the production side of the music. As a rediscovered old demo, the original recording was digitally transformed by the engineering work of Randy Crafton and Ray Dillard to “sound as if it was recorded in a studio yesterday,” elevating it to studio quality.

Collaboration is central to The House of What’s Happening. Ekström assembled a “collection of old friends and family members,” including his sister Lisa Ekström, a lifelong musical inspiration; Lindsay Horner, a legendary New York bassist; and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Gustav Fagerström. Randy Crafton, percussionist and recording engineer/producer, and Ray Dillard handled engineering and mixing, bringing Ekström’s vision to sonic fruition. Ekström’s daughter, Mina, also contributed vocals and designed the album artwork.

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He plans to bring this album to live audiences, with California shows in March (San Francisco and Santa Cruz) and April shows in Portland, Seattle, and Lopez Island. On April 25th, 2026 he will perform at the Earth Day Festival at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, NH. Listeners can find upcoming shows on his Instagram feed. The House of What’s Happening is a journey through a sonic village; give it a listen at rikekstrom.bandcamp.com

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A Night Out with Caroline Tremblay

Noodles & Neighbors

Quick Take: Buba Street Noodle & Bar brings crave-worthy pho, ramen, and creative small plates like Crab Rangoon Eggrolls and steamed bao to downtown Keene. Pair with a craft cocktail and the lively Main Street atmosphere, and it’s the kind of place that reminds you how good food brings a community together.

Downtown Keene just has a special vibe that’s all twinkle lights, patio tables, and the hum of friends gathering again as spring arrives. Sometimes, I think we Monadnockers may take for granted how remarkable it is to enjoy eats from all over the world right here in our rural city. But those flavors—boy do they make us lucky. And that’s definitely the feeling of gratitude you take with you after a meal at Buba Street Noodle & Bar on Main.

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This place brings on the flavor with unbelievable pho, ramen, and noodle entrees that are rich and layered. Pair with one of their gorgeous cocktails, and you’ll be a very happy camper. A few must-have “Street Snacks” that were new to me and are now absolute favorites are the Crab Rangoon Eggrolls (are you kidding?) and the Steamed Bao, with a choice of Braised Pork Belly, Korean Fried Chicken, Crispy Tofu, or Short Rib. These small plates are perfect shares, and some friends and I enjoyed a few different ones when we stopped in for lunch during Radically Rural. The place was hopping, and they brought out a whole lineup of tasty dishes fast. 

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Though this restaurant is fairly new to the Monadnock Region (they have additional locations in Manchester and Concord), they stepped WAY up for community last autumn when national shutdowns created SNAP/EBT delays and other hardships for many local families. Buba jumped in quickly to offer free meals, despite the extra strain it placed on their team. When asked why they were doing it, owners Trumin & Keisha Nguyen shared in a Facebook post, “The truth is, it’s something that’s been in our hearts long before Buba ever opened its doors.”

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Trumin talked about growing up in Central Vietnam, where floods and storms are a regular occurrence. “During those times, even a small bag of ramen noodles could mean everything,” he said. Though his family didn’t have a lot, they always shared what they could. “At Buba, food has never been just food—it’s comfort, care, and a reminder that kindness always matters.” To jump in and help neighbors with so much grace was an impressive act, one that showed a lot of struggling families they weren’t alone.

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When you read stories like this, it’s easy to feel how lucky we are to live where we live, in a place where even those who have a lot on the line themselves will still make an effort to connect and do good things. Food (like REALLY good food!) brings us together. So does being in community (even when it’s hard—and sometimes it will be). So Monadnockers, consider inviting a neighbor out for a bowl of ramen to see how they’re doing and ask what’s on their mind. There’s a lot to be said for sharing a plate and an open conversation.

And please…order up some of those eggrolls for me.

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