AGP Executive Report

Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, with queer indie films among the works drawing attention as the event approaches. Live Music: Upper Valley Baroque pairs Pergolesi and Handel in a concert program. Local Stages: Rock Hearts return to the Center Theatre, while Jaffrey’s Park Theatre marks its fifth anniversary. Granite State Artists: New Hampshire singers are finding ways to balance their musical ambitions with work and everyday life.

Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18, with queer independent films among the featured offerings. Live Arts: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel together, while Rock Hearts returns to the Center Theatre. Craft: Five regional farms host the 43rd annual New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour. On Screen: The Flying Monkey in Plymouth screens the classic thriller Nosferatu on Oct. 22.

Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival opens Oct. 15 on the Seacoast, with more than 100 films and chances to meet filmmakers. Live Music: Staind has added a spring 2027 leg to its Break the Cycle anniversary tour, with a Manchester stop at SNHU Arena and support from Seether, Hoobastank and Hinder. Classical: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel to Lebanon Opera House on Oct. 18, with soprano Celsea Helm and countertenor Cody Bowers. Screening: The Flying Monkey in Plymouth will show the classic thriller Nosferatu on Oct. 22.

Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival begins Thursday, Oct. 15, bringing more than 100 films, filmmaker talks and events to five Seacoast venues through Oct. 18. Live Music: Staind has added a spring 2027 Manchester stop to its “Break the Cycle” 25th-anniversary tour, with Seether, Hoobastank and Hinder also on the bill. Classical: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel to Lebanon Opera House on Oct. 18, after performances in Vermont. On Screen: The Flying Monkey in Plymouth pairs the silent horror classic “Nosferatu” with live music on Oct. 22. Local Arts: Monadnock Art’s 30th annual Open Studio Art Tour invites visitors to explore Keene-area artists’ work Oct. 11–12.

Classical Music: Upper Valley Baroque brings Pergolesi and Handel to Lebanon Opera House on Oct. 18, with earlier performances in Marlboro and Randolph. Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18 in Portsmouth, featuring more than 100 films, five screening venues, panels and workshops. Local Art: Sugar Hill artist Virginia Bruce is drawing 100 strangers over a year, turning coffee-shop portraits into a project about connection and healing. Halloween Cinema: Plymouth’s Flying Monkey screens the silent horror classic Nosferatu on Oct. 22, with live music by New Hampshire composer Jeff Rapsis. Crafts: The annual New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour brings visitors to five regional farms.

Film: The 24th New Hampshire Film Festival runs Oct. 15–18 in Portsmouth, with more than 100 films, five screening venues, panels and workshops. Six spotlight films lead the program. Halloween on Screen: “Nosferatu” gets a live musical accompaniment from Bedford composer Jeff Rapsis at Plymouth’s Flying Monkey on Oct. 22. Local Artists: Sugar Hill artist Virginia Bruce has drawn 60 of the 100 strangers in her yearlong portrait project, using quick sketches to build connections and find her footing after a difficult period. Craft: Southern New Hampshire furniture maker Aspen Golann’s carved wooden vessel is among three works in a new artisan residency showcase at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fiber Arts: The New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour brings visitors to five regional farms for a celebration of local makers.

Fall Arts & Events: The free New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour returns for its 43rd year, with five farms opening this weekend for fiber demonstrations, livestock visits and local food. Pumpkin festivals and foliage celebrations offer more ways to get out around the state over Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend. Film & Theatre: The 2026 New Hampshire Film Festival is spotlighting queer indie films, while Jaffrey’s Park Theatre marks its fifth anniversary. Local Music: New Hampshire singers are finding ways to balance creative work and day jobs, and country artist Eva Ricci is featured in a WOKQ Sessions spotlight. Creative Community: A look at artist residencies explores how places such as Peterborough’s MacDowell can support human creativity as artificial intelligence reshapes the arts.

Fiber Arts: The 43rd New Hampshire Wool Arts Tour opens five farms in Antrim, Bennington, Greenfield, Lyndeborough and Deering this weekend. Visitors can watch fleece-to-fiber demonstrations; admission is free. Film: The 2026 New Hampshire Film Festival is spotlighting queer independent films, offering a local draw for movie fans. Live Arts: Jaffrey’s Park Theatre marks its fifth anniversary, while the annual Warner foliage festival brings autumn color and events to the region. Music: New Hampshire singer-songwriter Katie Dobbins earned a New England Music Awards nomination, and country artist Eva Ricci is featured in a WOKQ session. Books: New Hampshire author Jodi Picoult’s new novel, Hollow Bones, explores family secrets and loss in the aftermath of 9/11. Visual Arts: The Lakes Region Camera Club has launched its annual exhibition, showcasing local perspectives.

Theater: Jaffrey’s Park Theatre is celebrating five years as a film and performing-arts hub, continuing a community tradition that began at the same Main Street site in 1922. Film: The New Hampshire Film Festival returns to Portsmouth Oct. 15–18, with LGBTQ+ films including Adam’s Apple, a documentary about a New Hampshire family. Halloween: Litchfield’s Spooky World Presents Nightmare New England made America Haunts’ list of the nation’s five scariest attractions, while a separate guide spotlights 11 haunted spots around the state. Onstage: “Dancing with the Stars: Live!” brings its tour to Manchester’s SNHU Arena Jan. 21. Local voices: Singer-songwriter Katie Dobbins has earned a New England Music Awards nomination, and Conway historian Brian P. Wiggin will discuss his book about the town’s past at an Oct. 16 signing in North Conway.

Local History: Conway historian Brian P. Wiggin will discuss his book about the town’s past at White Birch Books in North Conway on Oct. 16. He recalls a close-knit village while noting how its Main Street and community have changed. Live Dance: “Dancing with the Stars: Live!” opens its 2027 tour in Manchester on Jan. 21, bringing professional dancers to SNHU Arena before a 60-city run. Tickets go on sale Oct. 13. New Hampshire Music: Rye singer-songwriter Caitlin Piper balances teaching and family life with music; her debut album, “In Cursive,” features a dozen Seacoast musicians. Country artist Eva Ricci, who has performed at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, is set for WOKQ Sessions this Friday. Halloween: A roundup highlights 11 spooky New Hampshire attractions, from haunted hayrides to immersive scares, for visitors seeking a fright this October.

Warner Fall Foliage Festival: The 79th annual festival brings live music Friday evening, plus a crafts and farmers market, food trucks and family events in Warner this weekend. New Hampshire Music: Indie-rock artist Emily Moales, a New Hampshire native who records as Star Moles, signed with Dead Oceans and released the new single “Born Again.” Live Music: Singer-songwriter Kimaya Diggs brings her new album, Green, to Nova Arts in Keene on Oct. 14, part of a U.S. tour. Local Photography: The Lakes Region Camera Club has opened its annual exhibition celebrating local perspectives.

AI & Ethics: A new wave of AI doomsday talk is tied to a researcher’s resignation from Anthropic, but the debate echoes older warnings about “superintelligence” and human risk. Sports (NH): Quinnipiac men’s hockey opened its 2026-27 season with a pair of dominant wins over UNH and Merrimack, fueled by a deep scoring mix and standout freshmen. Local Food Culture: NH Chronicle spotlights the state’s BBQ scene, from Concord’s 603 BBQ to Muddy River Smokehouse in Newfields. Upper Valley Tourism: Researchers say fall foliage is a short, high-impact tourism boom—great for business, but a challenge for communities when the leaves are gone. Community & Arts/Events: The Inside Scoop in Bedford is keeping ice cream seasonal with a “$10 Stanley stuffings” deal, while Dartmouth’s women’s soccer and other campus sports roundups keep fans busy. Environment: Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance reports declining water health, pointing to stormwater runoff, septic effluent, and salt as key drivers. Tech Access: give IT. get IT. highlights how recycled devices and training expand technology access across Maine and New Hampshire.

AI in Healthcare: New Hampshire signed a law letting an AI system (Nabla) act as a licensed medical provider for diagnosing and prescribing treatment for mild acne, with built-in referrals when cases fall outside its narrow scope. Arts & Community Events: Plymouth Rock’s “Keep Calm and Rock On” campaign returns with two new commercials starring Owl and Bear, continuing the brand’s Northeast-focused creative run. Local Culture & Giving: A new contest invites young artists in grades K-12 to design birthday cards for children in crisis, with winning work reproduced for nonprofit birthday boxes. Public Safety & Accountability: A Bedford steamroller incident killed a construction worker, and New Hampshire also released a first biennial domestic violence fatality review report calling for 11 steps to improve protections. Sports & Entertainment: UNH football is back in the spotlight with a matchup listed against North Carolina A&T, while fall foliage coverage continues to track how good the season is.

Arts & Culture: Lebanon Opera House in New Hampshire’s orbit hosts Lucinda Williams on Oct. 8, while the Disco Biscuits bring trance-fusion improvisation to Paramount Theatre in Rutland the same week; Community Reading: New Hampshire marks Banned Books Week with a push for academic and cultural freedom; Local Arts/Events: Upper Valley Baroque and Classical New Hampshire team up for a cross-border poetry afternoon at the Haskell Free Library & Opera House on Oct. 10; Music Buzz: Aerosmith teases a major return, with Steven Tyler updating the Hollywood Bowl marquee ahead of an Oct. 6 reveal; Public Life & Media: Former New Hampshire press secretary Karoline Leavitt is set to join Fox News as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1, bringing her White House-to-TV pipeline back into the spotlight.

Fox News & NH Politics: Karoline Leavitt, the former White House press secretary and a New Hampshire native, is set to join Fox News as an on-air contributor starting Nov. 1, bringing “commentary and analysis” after leaving the Trump administration in August. Local Travel Disruptions: NHDOT road crews will run overnight rolling roadblocks on I-89 (between Exit 20 and the I-89/I-91 interchange) and close the I-91 northbound Exit 10 off-ramp for sign installation, with detours posted for Oct. 6-8. Sports (UNH & New England): UNH women’s soccer fell 2-1 at Binghamton, while Vermont celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 158-123 win over Northeastern in swimming & diving. Arts & Culture (Greek Music): Konstantinos Argiros drew more than 7,000 fans to a sold-out Boston show at Agganis Arena, billed as the largest Greek concert in New England history.

Upper Valley Education: Strawberry Blossom Montessori in New London opened last month, offering a personalized tuition model for ages 1–6 and already drawing families from across the region. UNH Sports: UNH women’s soccer fell 2-1 to Binghamton as a late UNH penalty kick was stopped by Binghamton goalkeeper Rebecca Kessler; UNH’s season continues in America East play. UNH Athletics Spotlight: UNH football standout Jerry Azumah was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, returning to Durham for the honor after a UNH win. Arts & Community: Classical New Hampshire is partnering with Upper Valley Baroque, continuing the region’s push for accessible classical programming. Local Crime/Outdoors: Three New Hampshire men pleaded guilty in federal court for poaching and exporting more than 40 bobcats’ pelts to Canada, with sentencing set for January. Public Process: The state DOT updated its transportation planning public-comment process for nonmetropolitan areas, keeping remote and hybrid hearings as part of how NH gathers input. Midterms & Media: A Russian-linked disinformation operation targeting 2026 midterms has reached Michigan, using fake reports and manipulated media to attack candidates and journalists.