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WELCOME TO THE MONADNOCK REGION!
Whether you’re here for a visit, exploring the idea of a move, or already call this place home, we’re glad you’re here.
This is a region shaped by reinvention, where history and progress exist side by side, and where each new chapter builds on the one before it. It’s something you’ll see in our downtowns, our businesses, and our communities. It’s something you’ll feel in the energy of the people who live and work here.
Across our towns, you’ll find a place rich in both character and possibility. From six state parks and miles of natural beauty, to Mount Monadnock — the most hiked mountain in North America and one of the most climbed in the world — this is a region that invites you to get outside and explore.
You’ll also discover a deep sense of culture and community. Catch a game with the Keene SwampBats, visit the renowned MacDowell in Peterborough, or experience a piece of history at the nation’s first free public library, Peterborough Town Library. We also encourage you to explore one of our many downtown festivals, where you’ll find everything from live music and artist studio tours to ice sculptures, pickles, and plenty of delicious food and drink.
But what truly defines the Monadnock Region is how it continues to evolve. Reinvention takes many forms here. It’s entrepreneurs bringing new ideas to life. It’s long-standing businesses adapting and growing. It’s communities finding new ways to thrive while staying grounded in what makes them special.
This guide is your invitation to experience it all.
Explore our local shops and restaurants. Discover the outdoors, the arts, and the culture that shape this place. Connect with the people and businesses building its future.
However long you’re here, we hope you find something that inspires you, maybe something that makes you want to come back, stay a little longer, or even put down roots.
Thank you for being here and we hope you have a wonderful time in New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region!
Julie Schoelzel, President and CEO GreaterMonadnock.com
The 2026/2027 Thrive Guide is published by the Greater Monadnock Collaborative Regional Chamber of Commerce.
GREATER MONADNOCK COLLABORATIVE
Julie Schoelzel, President & CEO
EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION SERVICES
Yankee Publishing Inc.
Ernesto Burden, Publisher
Sarah Pearson, Managing Editor
Jodie Hall , Associate Publisher/ Creative Services Director
John R. Goodwin, Art Director
Christian Seyster, Senior Graphic Designer
Nicole Huot , Senior Production Artist
AD SALES
Pamela Wilder, Silver Direct Inc.
PRINTING
Cummings Printing
Greater Monadnock Collaborative Regional Chamber of Commerce 48 Central Square Keene, NH 03431 603-352-1303
GreaterMonadnock.com
MonadnockNH.com
Copyrightt 2026; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher disclaims all responsibility for omissions or errors.
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CONTENTS
10 /// Reinvention rooted in place Where the future is built on historic foundations
18 /// Modern life echoes with the past Quirky, locally owned shops and restaurants give downtowns and villages personality.
26 /// Stay here and sleep well Places to stay in the Monadnock region.
30 /// Natural resources for recreation
The outdoors have always been an economic engine for the region, but now it's for having fun
42 /// Embracing creative license
Stages and galleries are reimaging what it means to be an arts organization and community gathering space
50 /// Family friendly activities
When it comes to making memories, the Monadnock Region has you covered.
56 /// Annual events calendar
From festivals to farm tours and open studios, there’s always something exciting to do
60 /// Membership directory
WESTMORELAND
WINCHESTER HINSDALE
THE MONADNOCK REGION
In the southwestern corner of New Hampshire, newcomers will find diverse and exciting opportunities to work, stay and play in our region’s 34 welcoming communities.
Not only is New Hampshire a perennial Top 10 pick overall in U.S. News and World Report’s Best States rankings, but it’s also the No. 1 pick in the category of “Opportunity.” And that’s exactly what newcomers will find in the Monadnock Region, where history and rural beauty meet a spirit of innovation in business, education and the arts. The area has an estimated 100,000 residents, with the greatest number living in the city of Keene, home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. America’s oldest arts colony can be found in Peterborough, said to be the inspiration for Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Harrisville boasts National Historic Landmark status as one of the best-preserved historic industrial villages, while Swanzey is known for its wealth of covered bridges (four in all!). Sitting at the foot of Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey draws hiking enthusiasts from around the world. When winter arrives, ski buffs head to Bennington to hit the slopes at Crotched Mountain. In Rindge, Franklin Pierce University has been educating students since 1962. To discover what it’s like to Live, Learn, Visit and Work here, visit MonadnockNH.com. WALPOLE
The Dublin School, Dublin Bellows Falls Opera House, VT
Piano Quartets by Suk, Martinů & Dvořák
Sept 4 & 5 2026 in Keene & Bellows Falls
Sitkovetsky Trio play Beethoven, Shostakovich & Schumann
Oct 1 & 4 2026 in Keene & Dublin
Piano Trios by Rachmaninoff, Gade & Ravel
Nov 5 & 8 2026 in Keene & Bellows Falls
Violin Sonatas by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven & Shostakovich
Dec 11 & 13 2026 in Keene & Bellows Falls
Aris Quartett perform Mozart, Shostakovich & Beethoven
Feb 5 & 7 2027 in Keene & Jaffrey
Solo Piano works by Beethoven & Schubert
March 12 2027 in Keene
Piano Quartets by Mendelssohn, Turina & Brahms
Apr 9 & 11 2027 in Keene & Jaffrey
Music for Mothers’ Day: Mozart, Schubert, Kreisler & Grieg
May 7 & 9 2027 in Keene & Bellows Falls
String Sextets by Brahms & Tchakovsky Scan for Tickets
Jun 11 & 12 2027 in Keene & Jaffrey
REINVENTION ROOTED IN PLACE
BY SARAH PEARSON
The Colonial Theatre in Keene has evolved greatly in its century as a entertainment venue. It has recently expanded with an intimate new venue, Showroom (pictured above), while embracing its role as a community gathering space.
Businesses new and old build on past while looking to the
future
Look down Keene’s Main Street on a weekend night to see restaurants full, pedestrians popping into shops and patrons waiting to take their seats in the Colonial Theatre. Or amble along on a rail trail where you’ll take in the view from where trains used to rumble along.
Moments like these have historic foundations, but reinvention has made them part of everyday life.
The vibrant communities of the Monadnock region don’t just preserve history behind glass, but repurpose it to address modern needs, wants and dreams.
SETTING THE STAGE FOR A NEW ERA
Keith Marks became executive director of the Colonial at the beginning of 2025, a period of upheaval as performance venues rebuilt from COVID-era closures. For the first six months of his tenure, he listened to feedback on how the theater functions in the community.
Over 100 years, the Colonial evolved from a vaudeville stage to a movie theater and back to a performing arts space. For the Colonial’s next act, Marks led the creation of a strategic revitalization plan called “Project Blue Sky.” It reaches for a vision unbound by the past of the Colonial and its newer sister stage, Showroom, an intimate venue in a former automotive building on Commercial Street.
“Let’s dream without limitations,” Marks explained. “Then once we have the dream, then
Depot Square in Peterborough has long been a hive of commerce. Today, it's home to locally-owned shopts and speciality services.
we can put resources and time and energy behind it and see what’s possible.”
The plan included a rebranding campaign, facility stewardship, technology updates, audience experience upgrades, financial innovation and increased community partnerships.
The Colonial Theatre sought to position itself, not just as a historic place to consume media, but a hub where people can come for a shared experience.
“We need to become more relevant to people’s lives, and we do that through becoming a community center,” Marks said. “A community doesn’t happen because of geographic proximity.
The Colonial is one of the few places where 900 people can gather in this community to have a shared experience.”
Amid competition for people’s attention, The Colonial has revamped its lineup, bringing in national acts and partnering with other arts organizations such as the Peterborough Players, NH Dance Institute and NOVA Arts.
“We are restructuring how we do programming and thinking more about a curatorial arc and a journey,” Marks said.
That spirit of reinvention extends beyond the arts and into the region’s broader economy.
REVITALIZING A WORKFORCE FROM THE INSIDE
Like New Hampshire as a whole, the Monadnock area has struggled with static workforce growth, with housing and childcare availability exacerbating the issue.
Alstead resident Steve Fortier, administrator of Rural Economic Development for the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, has seen the Monadnock community rely on partnerships and collaboration to address these challenges.
“Swanzey, five or six years ago, went all in on housing, particularly with affordable and workforce housing,” Fortier said.
“Peterborough has done similar policy changes around accessory dwelling units and cottage courts as a way to use the land we already have and build more density for housing.”
He noted that Keene, Hinsdale and Jaffrey have been recognized as NH Housing Champion Communities for updating their zoning and planning policies to support more housing, and Historic Harrisville has repurposed old mill buildings to meet modern needs, including a childcare facility and community center.
Cross-organization partnerships are also helping train the workforce that’s available locally.
The village of Harrisville, a National Historic Landmark, is the only industrial community of the early 19th Century that still survives in America in its original form. Here, Harrisville Designs has spun wool yarn for more than 50 years, while Historic Harrisville has transformed other mill buildings for current needs, like child care.
Granite Works Gym is among the many businesses finding a home at 310 Malboro St., Keene, a former manufacturing site, which soon will add housing.
“Since 1962, the Keene area has been a global leader in the optics industry,” Fortier said. “It’s where diamond-turning, a particular technique that creates the most precise optics cuts, was invented. We are one of four or five hot spots in the entire United States.”
In the area, more than 30 companies work in diamond-turning machining, thin films, specialty glass and advanced optics, such as Moore Nanotechnology Systems in Swanzey and AMETEK Precitech Inc. in Keene.
Last year, to meet the workforce needs of those companies, Keene State College launched a one-year precision optics certificate that provides practical skills needed for the industry. Employees from the industry are helping to teach those students.
Taken together, these efforts reflect a broader shift in how the region approaches growth by looking within to address local economic needs.
“We’ve stopped chasing smoke stacks,” Fortier said. “We shifted to focusing on growing the amazing businesses that are already here.”
Several former industrial sites have found new purposes without bringing in new industry. Douglas Toys, a 70-year-old Keene company, recently expanded into one such vacated building. A location at 310 Marlborough St. now houses offices for smaller businesses in a manufacturing facility where industrial brushes were once made. It’s also building upward with additional floors for nearly 60 units of housing.
“With the challenge of workforce availability, it’s not particularly helpful for the region to develop another 100,000square-foot facility and move a big company in,” Fortier said. “Organizations like the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) have shifted to addressing underlying
Keene was selected as the 2019 site of the Walldogs Mural Festival, which added more than a dozen murals of historic people and places, including the city's long-running newspaper, The Keene Sentinel.
The Peterborough Players has presented summer theatre, including 2016's "Pygmalion", to Monadnock area audiences for more than 90 years.
issues; they’re a leader now in childcare development, dealing with property that can’t be developed because it’s a brownfield site … and even getting involved with financing of housing.”
Revitalizing existing spaces extends to the outdoor areas, too.
“Rail used to define the economy of the Monadnock region for over a century,” Fortier said. “Now it’s the conversion of those rails to trails that network throughout the Monadnock region that are bringing tourists to the area.”
And perhaps some of those tourists might decide to stay awhile, relocate for Monadnock’s quality-of-life and boost workforce numbers.
STAYING TRUE TO WHAT IS SPECIAL, WHILE ADDRESSING MODERN REALITIES
For nine decades, Yankee Publishing has operated out of the same red farmhouse in the center of Dublin. Robb Sagendorph founded Yankee Magazine in 1935 for “expressing and perhaps preserving our great New England culture.” Four years later, he bought The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been published continuously since 1792.
“The Almanac and Yankee have long roots,” said Jamie Trowbridge, who retired as president and CEO of Yankee Publishing this spring. “We have to stay true to what makes those brands special. Even when we take on a new subject, there’s an editorial voice or approach to that content that feels familiar. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but I always said: ‘We know it when we see it.’ ”
While the publications’ storytelling may feel the same as it did years ago, the company itself has evolved.
“We have diversified in reaction to having some of the core tenets of our business challenged,” Trowbridge said.
YPI has brought New Hampshire Magazine, NH Business Review, Family Tree Magazine and other brands under its
umbrella; expanded its web presence; produced magazines for other organizations; launched a robust e-commerce storefront; and created the TV show, Weekends with Yankee, which just finished its 10th season.
“Our business has simultaneously gone deeper in certain areas and broader in certain areas, because just doing what we were doing, it wasn’t going to help us in the long term,” Trowbridge said.
As a general-interest publication covering everything from weather predictions to meteor showers, the Almanac was in a particularly unique position for diversification. Today, you can get a variety of Old Farmer’s Almanac calendars, Garden Guide magazine, notebooks, gardening supplies and much more.
“We’re seeing now with the Almanac, where online, we continue to drill down and give people more specific and detailed information about their area, most specifically around planting,” Trowbridge said. “The Almanac is really an amazing tool for any beginning gardener, and we’ve really leaned into that. We published a four-part series of gardening books that have sold collectively more than 500,000 copies.”
Even as a competitor ceased publishing this year, The Old Farmer’s Almanac sold more than 2.3 million copies and shows no signs of slowing down.
“Our brands that have rural roots and a rural feeling to them, and we think it’s important,” Trowbridge said. “The Monadnock region has obviously a rural side to it, but it also has a certain level of sophistication, and that combination makes it a great place for publications like Yankee and The Old Farmer’s Almanac to be centered.”
When family owners were looking to sell the company, instead of looking to national publishing buyers, it turned to its staff. Yankee Publishing has been 100% employee-owned since 2022.
“The family knew that if they sold the company, different buyers would buy the different brands and the company would be broken up, employees would lose all their jobs, and the company would no longer be an independent company here in Dublin,” Trowbridge said. “And that was unacceptable.”
Reinvention has allowed Yankee to preserve its 91- and 234-year-old publications and sustain their future.
The character of a Yankee – that New Englander persona – is about making do with what you have to the best of your ability. It’s marked by thriftiness, hard work and quietly helping your neighbor. As the Monadnock region recreates itself for its next chapter, challenges are being addressed in this way.
Businesses, organizations and individuals are taking what they already have — mill buildings, rail beds, industrial sites — to fulfill needs in childcare, recreation and housing. Across 34 communities, Monadnock’s people are reinventing what they have into what matters most.
“Taking the job at the Colonial has allowed me to build relationships in this community and understand the Monadnock region in technicolor,” Marks said. “Take the time to make yourself familiar with all of the amenities, all of the arts offerings, the natural offerings, the food. There’s so much going on here.”
BY
For more than 90 years, Yankee Publishing has grown from its home in Dublin's village. Community roots keep the company grounded as it branches into new media.
PHOTO
OLIVER PARINI
Monadnock Voices
John Knight
HARRISVILLE
Do you have favorite memories of growing up in Greenfield?
I loved swimming at Sunset Lake and the state park. And riding my bike down to a little general store called Carbee’s Corner and marveling at the boxes of colorful penny candy. Then, riding back along the old railroad track with my pockets full of caramels.
What brought you back to the area as an adult?
The vibrancy, intelligence, and pragmatism of the people who live here; the natural beauty of the lakes, streams, and forests; and the promise of an old house.
What does your work with Historic Harrisville look like?
We work hard to adapt historic buildings to serve the people who live and work here. This is a matter of embracing the inherent assets of these buildings as well as their quirks. Some of our buildings are leased to small businesses; some are used for housing. In one of them, we have the Harrisville Children’s Center, and in another, we operate the Harrisville General Store. This summer, we’re opening the Village Community Center in a renovated church. It’s a constant game of looking around for opportunity at the right scale, while preserving a remarkable physical document of American industrial history. What sort of challenges do you face when tackling preservation projects?
Septic and accessibility. It is very hard to create adequate water systems for many of these old sites that don’t conform at all to modern zoning and are usually on steep outcroppings of ledge near streams, ponds, and wetlands. And it can be a puzzle to make these old buildings truly accessible while maintaining their historic integrity. Oh and funding – this work is expensive!
In your free time, what kinds of activities do you enjoy doing with your family?
I love listening to music with them, cooking large dinners, and being outside together--biking, skiing, hiking, swimming, working in the garden or the woods. My kids are 3 and 5 years old, so the world is brimming with intrigue. Right now, we’re making maple syrup on the woodstove.
Do you have a favorite local event?
Children and the Arts Day!
Community Impact
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Monadnock Voices
Courtney Starrett
What attracted you to the Monadnock region as a place to live?
We wanted more space and access to the outdoors than what we had in Manchester, and we knew we wanted to live in an old house with lots of character. We luckily found all of that in Francestown!
What can you tell me about the work and other organizations you’re involved in?
I work with Stay Work Play New Hampshire, a nonprofit focused on making New Hampshire a place where young people want to — and can — build their lives. A lot of our work centers on the big issues shaping that experience, like housing, childcare, affordability, and feeling connected to your community, and helping elevate those conversations across the state.
In what ways, if any, have you seen that the Monadnock region has built on its history with a modern perspective?
I’m still getting familiar after moving here in August, but one thing that’s really stood out to me is how present and connected young families are here. There’s this strong sense that people genuinely love where they live and are investing in their communities in a real way.
It feels like the Monadnock Region is holding onto that classic New England character (tight-knit, big on tradition) but pairing it with a more modern focus on community, creativity, and quality of life.
What are you most excited about in the region?
Personally, raising my family here; I feel so lucky that my son gets to grow up here. Overall, the Greater Monadnock Collaborative is doing a fantastic job of showcasing this region and its amazing perks to the next generation of workers and families that can happily call this place home and continue to bring talent and vitality here.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love skiing (mostly Sunapee, Pats Peak, and Crotched Mountain – all so close). I play volleyball in Peterborough, and I’m excited to get out and explore the region more with my husband and toddler now that the weather is getting nicer!
If you were hosting out-of-town visitors, what would be on your must-visit list for them in the Monadnock region?
Bob’s Chocolate Cafe right in town is an amazing hidden gem! Hard to find a better chocolate chip cookie or a cozier space in my opinion.
Also Peterborough’s downtown is so charming: Post & Beam Brewing Company and Harlow’s Pub are staples, and it’s just a great place to spend an afternoon wandering, popping into shops, and getting a feel for the community.
Beyond that, I’d honestly just build in time to explore — drive around, check out local trails, and appreciate the cute small towns and beautiful scenery that seems to define Monadnock.
MODERN LIFE ECHOES WITH THE PAST
Keene's wide Main Street is a destination unto itself.
Madame Sherri's Lounge and Cabaret is an emerging dining and event space in Keene that takes its name from a local historic figure.
Creativity and local pride fuel an array of quirky shops and notable restaurants
Along Keene’s lively Main Street, a former sports bar is having a second act as Madame Sherri’s Lounge and Cabaret. Adam Toepher, Paulee Mekdeci and Patrick Brown, who met through Keene Pride, imagined a performance space centered on LGBTQ patrons and acts. They happened to be at Hennessy’s Bar and Grill, across the street from the Colonial Theatre, musing that the space, where Keene Pride had hosted fundraisers, would be great.
“Two days later, or something like that, Hennessy’s closed down and we were like, ‘should we fast-forward out plans?’” Topher said.
The new name of the establishment honors Madame Sherri, a French dancer and seamstress, who designed costumes for Broadway after immigrating to New York. Distressed after her husband’s death in the 1920s, she visited stage friend Jack Henderson in Chesterfield, where she eventually built her own “castle.” Here, amid the Prohibition, she was known to throw extravagant parties with friends from the theater world. Today, what’s left of her castle, destroyed by vandals and fire, is a crumbling stone staircase in the middle of the woods managed by the Forest Society.
“From what it seems, from speaking to historians and reading a lot about Madame Sherri, she was surrounded by queer people,” said Topher, who grew up in Keene. “I had always found her fascinating. I was going to the library as little kid with my mom and reading up on her; the idea of the castle in the woods was always alluring and romantic in a way. She built this place up there to throw like big gay parties, literally.”
Today, Madame Sherri’s Lounge and Cabaret is a place where family-friendly dinner service gives way to nighttime drag performances, burlesque dance parties and a steady pulse of creative energy.
On the walls of the lounge, Madame Sherri’s story is shared in photos and placards. Her legacy, the partners felt, was less about nostalgia of the past and more about possibility: a reminder that even in unexpected places, something vibrant can take root.
It’s a transformation that reflects not just a fledgling business, but a broader spirit of reinvention taking hold across the Monadnock Region.
DINE LIKE A LOCAL
Restauranteurs have long created dining experiences in the Monadnock area that put fresh twists on family recipes and cultural mainstays. No matter what you’re in the mood for, you can dine like a local enjoying delicious food in a welcoming space across the region.
Not far apart in downtown Keene, restaurants are serving up dishes from the Asia (Thai Garden, Kurama Omakase and Buba Noodle), Mexico (Margaritas) and Italy (the newly reopened Nicola’s) and Mediterranean (Granita Enoteca).
The Stage in Keene, at the head of the town square, has been in the Benik family for four decades.
Tempesta’s Restaurant in Keene has been a family eatery for 25 years and is now in its largest location yet. Lindy’s Diner opened in 1961 and continues to serve up classic diner fare just off Main Street. Otto’s is a newer family restaurant
named for the owners’ son and focused on making dishes with locally sourced ingredients, quality hand-cut meats and the fresh seafood.
Birdies defies a single descriptor, serving as a place to eat breakfast or lunch, gather with friends, shop for gifts or enjoy local music.
21 Bar & Grill in Keene is a staple in the community and creates a monthly cocktail with proceeds going to local nonprofit.
In Walpole, The Restaurant at Burdick’s lures foodies with its elegant dining room and French-inspired menu. The Hungry Diner is a farmerowned farm-to-table restaurant with a commitment to sustainable agriculture.
In Troy, Royal Spice chef Sushant Dhuri, who grew up in Goa, India, raises herbs for fresh naan to accompany his soups, meat and vegetable curries, and pakoras.
Strolling through downtown Peterborough on a summer evening, you’ll spot diners sitting outside at Coopershill, enjoying the ambiance of an Irish pub as they feast on bangers and mash or Guinness stew with a side of colcannon.
Margarita's is among the Keene restaurants serving up delicious dishes with global flair.
Restaurant and shopping options abound in downtown Keene.
Sometimes the setting is so special it shares top billing with the menu. The Waterhouse in the heart of Peterborough’s Depot Square, for instance, gives you a table right beside tumbling Nubanusit Brook. Pinks Lounge at the Inn at Hancock offers a contemporary blend of classic continental cuisine with seasonal and sustainable ingredients in an innovative and approachable style.
The Peterborough Diner began in 1949 and now operates out of an 1950s Worcester Lunch Car Diner. Enjoy excellent diner fare like eggs and pancakes or burgers and grilled sandwiches with fries.
The region is home to several quintessential general stores. Dublin General Store has great soups, sandwiches and cookies. Sullivan Country Store has cider doughnuts and sandwiches and wraps. Harrisville General Store offers a range of options from empanadas to pizza. Gilsum Village Store just opened this spring, reviving a small-town shopping experience in the heart of town.
STRONG BREWS AND LITTLE BITES
Morning people know there are few better ways to start a day than at a great cafe, one where you can relax with a specialty coffee and an oven-fresh treat and not feel hurried. As daybreak shifts to dawn, bustling bakeries provide menus that span from light pastries to filling lunches. And there are plenty of shops to keep you stocked on sweet treats or artisanal ingredients.
Brewbakers Café in Keene is a microcosm of the community:
where on any given day you’ll find runners post-workout, parents with kids in tow, college students and older folks settling in for conversation over coffee. Prime Roast Coffee Co. in Keene has been bringing small-batch coffee roasts, delicious muffins, and good vibes to the southwest corner of New Hampshire for more than 30 years.
The croissants at Keene’s Fire Dog Breads, where the wheat is milled in-house, may be the tastiest and flakiest you have ever had.
In Westmoreland, Barn & Thistle offers cozy treats like cinnamon rolls and gooey chocolate chip cookies.
Sisters Courtney and Beth Hodge operate Echo Farm in Hinsdale, where they use the milk from their own cows to produce from-scratch puddings that include vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, and rice, as well as seasonal flavors such as maple and spiced pumpkin. Their tasty treats can be found at several local groceries as well as stores across the Northeast.
You might have spied L.A. Burdick’s Chocolatiers in Chicago, Cambridge, or Washington, D.C., but its Walpole location is the second oldest after the New York flagship store. Don’t miss an opportunity to shop from impeccable hand-crafted chocolates.
French, olive-rosemary, and homestyle multigrain are just a few of the many hearty breads turned out at Orchard Hill Breadworks in Alstead, which makes its home on a 1700s farm in quiet Alstead. Gardens and orchards still grace the lands, adding to the summer splendor when owner Noah Elbers cranks up the heat on his outdoor wood-fired oven to serve pizzas to his picnicking visitors.
Harrisville General Store has a bit of something for everyone, selling a variety of local food, groceries, and gifts. It also serves as a gathering place, hosting events and dinners.
Flag Leaf Bakery, now in Greenfield, offers buns and pies, croissants and breads and more baked goods.
In Hancock, Fiddleheads Café is a space for locals and a destination for travelers alike and where the kale salad is nothing short of legendary. Interested in dinners? Reservations are highly encouraged as spots fill up fast.
If you want a touch of extra sweetness with that morning espresso, Sweet Macaron in Peterborough has almond-flour French delights.
When he founded his home-based bakery, French immigrant Nicolas Papoins decided to name it simply Les Bonnes Miches, meaning “The Good Loaves.” And that’s exactly what the Peterborough resident has been bringing to Monadnock foodies, with his out-of-this-world artisanal sourdough bread made in small batches using 100 percent organic ingredients.
The Root in Temple and Hilltop Café in Wilton combine farm-to-table excellence with a bit of country-bohemian flair.
After some experimentation with surplus milk at the TempleWilton Community Farm and some study from away, Benjamin Meier and Andrew Kennedy launched Abbot Hill Creamery, which makes over a dozen cheese options from its Abbot Hill Blue to a raclette, plus yogurt. All the while, it has trained more than 10 apprentices in the delicious art of cheesemaking.
If Willy Wonka dealt in maple rather than chocolate, he might look a little something like Ben Fisk. A fifth-generation sugarmaker, Fisk was 5 when he became obsessed with making syrup, winning Best in State when he was 15. His Maple Station Market in Temple — a 16,000-square-foot wooden-beamed
emporium—offers shelves laden with Fisk’s own syrup, and treats made with his syrup including cotton candy, popcorn, barbecue sauce, maple creamees and fresh maple doughnuts.
Maple syrup lovers have come to Stuart & John’s Sugar House in Westmoreland since 1975 for the always-comforting pancakes with the real stuff on top.
When warm weather arrives, families begin making their pilgrimages to Kimball Farm in Jaffrey, home to lobster rolls, burgers, and the biggest “small”-size farm-fresh ice cream cone in the region, with flavors you may have forgotten: buttercrunch, grape-nut, rum raisin.
As for nightlife, craft beer enthusiasts can also get their fill here.
In the mid-1990s, Keene’s Elm City Brewing Company had the brewery scene practically to itself; today, it’s still going strong but it’s now joined by The Outlaw Brewing Company in Winchester, Frogg Brewing in Swanzey, Branch & Blade and Black Cloud Brewing in Keene, and Post & Beam Brewing in Peterborough, Granite Roots Brewing in Troy, Hornburg Brewing Co. in Hancock and Brewers of Nye Hill Farm in Roxbury.
SHOP FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL
Keene’s famous wide Main Street makes walking and windowshopping an outdoor outing of its own. Among the myriad inviting storefronts here is Hannah Grimes Marketplace, where you’ll find the work of more than 250 local artists and makers, housewares, and home decor as well as New England-made foods.
For decades, businesses like Miranda’s on Main and Ted’s Shoe and Sport have provided personalized shopping experiences in Keene’s downtown.
Shadow and Soul Emporium, a metaphysical gift shop and tea lounge has had a place on Main Street since 2018. La Peche Lingerie got its start in Vermont, but expanded into Keene where the owners brought their experience in bra-fitting, finding post-
Waterhouse Restaurant and Bar embraces the view of the river off Depot Square in Peterborough.
Sweetwater Farm and Distillery are among the local producers of craft spirits and beers.
mastectomy options and creating a welcoming environment.
And for those seeking a gift with literal sparkle, Mon Amie Fine Jewelry or Good Fortune Jewelry can help you find the just right thing.
Toadstool Bookshop, one of the best independent bookstores in New England, is a fixture of downtowns in Peterborough and Keene.
In a region famous for outdoor recreation, Hubert’s Family Outfitters offers gear and attire for all your adventures.
Just down the road, Depot Square’s riverside shops invite browsing for treasures.
Bowerbird & Friends is where you’ll find that antique butcher’s block, perfect linen-covered chaise, or vintage Scandinavian hutch in hushed shades of gray. Across the street, Alice Blue is an eclectic boutique (think woven scarves from Japan, cotton sundresses, and chunky jewelry). Another fabulous spot for vintage finds is Grove and Main Antiques in Peterborough, where you’ll find pieces for the home as well as jewelry, skincare, and even gifts for kids.
A host of gourmet treats await you at Monadnock Oil & Vinegar with locations in Dublin and Amherst.
And it’s hard to find anything that compares to Frye’s Measure Mill, a National Historic Landmark in Wilton. Its rooms are filled with folk art, artisans’ wares, colonial- and Shaker-style boxes, antiques, and the classic wooden measuring vessels once essential to merchants in the 1800s.
Hannah Grimes Marketplace offers a place for Monadnock area craftsmen and artisans to showcase and sell their work.
Monadnock Voices
Becky Beaton
RINDGE
What brought you to the Monadnock region?
My husband and I were just starting our family and looking to buy our first home. At the time we were both working in Massachusetts, but wanting to stay in New Hampshire, so our search was in all of the border towns. As we were searching, we both fell in love with the Monadnock are and found a local Realtor to help us find our home. We landed in Rindge and are so thankful we did! We have been happily settled in our home for over 17 years now, with our two teenaged boys and our dog, Aurora. What sparked your pivot from working in finance to heading a non-profit organization?
I have always been drawn to supporting my community through volunteerism. In my role in banking, I was involved very closely with our community outreach group and through my church, the Rindge UCC, I took on the program coordinator position for our youth food program, Got Lunch of Jaffrey and Rindge. While volunteering is very fulfilling, I wanted to dedicate more of my time to doing service work. I began my nonprofit work in a Community Development Finance Institute in Fitchburg, Mass., which checked a few of the boxes. However, I knew there was more I could be doing and I also really wanted to stop working in Massachusetts and find something in my own community. So, I looked at the NH Center for Nonprofits jobs website to see if I could find something that I felt pulled to. I think it was meant to be that this position was open right when I started looking and I’m so thankful that the board and hiring committee saw me as the right fit as well!
How does your work at the Hundred Nights Shelter help those in the community who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness to reorient their lives toward stability?
Hundred Nights most important work is proving a safe shelter bed for those who are without housing, but we do more than that. Through our resource center and dedicated staff, including a fulltime case manager, we are able to support people with other basic needs and help them navigate the complex process of moving to permanent housing. A shelter bed and knowing that it is there
provides for the most basic of human needs, safety and security, and the other supports we provide are there when people are ready and able to take the next steps. Without the stability of knowing where you will safely sleep each night, it is very difficult to even think about the future. And for anyone who has tried to fill out an application, we all know how complex the process can be when everything else is already so overwhelming. Our organization and our knowledgeable staff help bridge the gap and navigate the system, and we work with partner organizations within our community to make sure that the people we serve are connected to support all of their individual needs.
Are you involved in any other groups, clubs or organizations?
I am still the program coordinator for the Got Lunch of Jaffrey and Rindge, which provides weekend bags of food to school-aged children during the school year and delivers a week’s worth of food to children and families during all of the school breaks, including the 11 weeks of summer vacation. I work very closely with my friend Carrie to make sure we have all the volunteers needed to pack and deliver to over 40 families and close to 100 children during those breaks.
I also spend one week every summer as a camp counselor for Horton Center, our church’s youth camp. I really enjoy working with kids in this setting and getting to see them be their true selves out in nature. This has been a great way to spend a week with my two boys who have been campers there even longer than me!
I stepped away from most of my other volunteering when I moved to this new role, but once I feel a little more settled and my kids graduate from high school, I’m considering taking on more.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Most of my free time is spent with my family and probably at a soccer game watching my boys play. As a mother of two teenage boys, that pretty much takes up most of it. But I absolutely love a girls’ day or spending time hanging out with my husband and our friends, and I absolutely love a good place to eat! If I’m feeling especially motivated, I enjoy hiking and camping as well. I’ve only hiked Mt. Monadnock a couple of times, but I love it!
If you were hosting out-of-town visitors, what would be on your must-visit list for them in the Monadnock region?
I think everyone who is able should definitely hike to the top of Mt. Monadnock at least once in their life, then enjoy the local food options. I also love walking my dog on the rail trails in Rindge and Jaffrey, and know that there are even more of them to explore throughout the region, so I would recommend that to any avid biker.
I think Main Street in Keene is such a fun spot to walk around and do some local shopping, and I especially love the downtown fairs and festivals that bring people together. I also love the shows and musical artists at the Colonial or plays with Peterborough Players. I’m usually up for any number of fun things, so if anyone wants a friend to go with them, I’m in!
Biased opinion, I think everyone should consider participating in the Hundred Nights annual fundraiser, The Amazing Race, in the fall! It gives people a chance to support our organization while also running around downtown Keene and completing challenges.
STOP BY AND REST AWHILE
When the sun sets during your days in the Monadnock Region and it’s time to turn in for the night, there are options for every style or budget.
One-of-a-kind
Home shares and short-term rentals are accessible in the Monadnock areas. While there are plenty of conventional options, there are some unusual ones too, such as a vintage school bus camper and a treehouse.
Hampton Inn & Suites 126 Key Road, Keene hilton.com
Days Inn by Wyndham 3 Ashbrook Road, Keene wyndhamhotels.com
Riverhouse
80 Concord St., Peterborough stayriverhouse.com
A cozy room at the Chesterfield Inn
Imagine living in a place where charm, comfort and connection come together effortlessly. At American House Keene, you’ll enjoy a worry-free lifestyle in a one-of-a-kind historic setting, giving you more time for the things you truly love. Call today to confirm your personal tour and enter a raffle to win the “Best of Keene Gift Basket” worth up to $200. We look forward to meeting you!
Call (978) 951-4566 to schedule a visit today!
Monadnock Voices
Jacob Favolise
KEENE
You came to the Monadnock area to attend Keene State College. What made KSC an attractive option for you? I love answering this question! I was selecting a college during the COVID-19 pandemic, and chose Keene State sight unseen based on the website, marketing materials and my interactions with my admissions counselor. What made me stay was really the sense of community and access on campus. Staff and faculty knew me by first name, and there were great opportunities to build relationships, get involved and make a difference on campus and in the community. Plus, I studied political science—where better than First-in-theNation New Hampshire?
Do you have a favorite memory from your time as a KSC student? Receiving the Leo F. Redfern Outstanding Citizenship Award.
Service and community have always meant so much to me, which I credit my parents for, and being surprised with that award a few minutes before graduating was really special. It was extra meaningful l for me because Leo F. Redfern’s son is a former councilor and a current constituent of mine. And he had some really nice words for me after. It meant a lot to feel the support from the College and from the community, and was a great way to end my time as a student.
When the Ward 1 Keene City Council seat became available, why did you decide to run to fill it?
I thought I had something valuable to add to the Council. A guiding question for me is always, “Where can I be of most service right now?” and it just made sense for me to take all the experience I had representing students in various roles on campus to the role of representing all of Ward 1 on the City Council. I had a lot of encouragement and support from people on and off campus, and my future constituents and Council colleagues were really interested in having someone with my experience and my perspective be a part of local government. All of that helped me make the decision to go for it.
Is there an issue that’s come before the council that you’ve been particularly interested or invested in?
I’m not a single-issue councilor, but housing is by far the biggest challenge that we are facing as a city, region, and state. I want more young people, including Keene State graduates, to share my story of staying in and being connected to the area, and that’s not possible if housing is unattainable. It’s important that we continue advancing reforms that are thoughtful, reasoned, and advance our shared priority of keeping Keene the best place in New England to live, work, and raise a family.
What are your favorite things to do for entertainment/ recreation in the Monadnock area?
The Monadnock region has a really unique mix of natural beauty, historic charm, and vibrant culture. I try to go to as many festivals as possible, and I am an especially big fan of the Taste of Keene Food Festival. I also like going for walks around downtown and our trail system — and I am of course a pretty consistent supporter of our local bar scene.
If you have out-of-town visitors, what’s one place that’s on your must-see list for the area?
I dragged my family out to Goose Pond for the first time a couple of years ago, and it’s one of my favorite little gems in Keene. When my family visited me from overseas last year, they were very excited to see the covered bridge in Swanzey. I am also always excited to share the local restaurant scene with my out-of-town visitors—and there are plenty to choose from!
16 MONTHS—KINDERGARTEN
Safe, nurturing & peaceful Montessori education where children discover the joy & beauty of learning. Founded 1989. Learn more at mshocc.org
RECREATION HARNESSES THE CYCLE OF THE SEASONS
From mountaintops to river basins, the outdoors provides timeless activity
Mount Monadnock is one of the most hiked mountains in the world.
Where once logging roads cut through the forests and river-spun wheels powered manufacturing, the Monadnock region had reimagined its economy. No longer based on diverting natural resources, residents and businesses value the land and wildlife for accessible, active and year-round recreation. Reinvention here means building on what’s always been: great views, sparkling lakes and opportunities to experience the outdoors in every season.
From indoor climbing gyms to rocky mountain summits, bike parks for emerging riders and rivers with gentle eddies, the region is finding new ways to connect people with the landscape.
PEAKS WITH PERSONALITY
Mount Monadnock offers hiking trails that get you to the summit (3,165 feet) in less than two hours with views of all six New England states. Different routes in Dublin and Marlborough
Monadnock Paddle in Fitzwilliam has everything you need to enjoy a day out on the water.
will lead you to the top, but the best starting point for newcomers is Monadnock State Park, whose 6,000 acres spread across parts of both Dublin and Jaffrey. The grounds include a visitor’s center, campground, and more than 35 miles of trails, including the White Dot, the mountain’s most direct route. There’s no wonder that it is one of the most popular mountain to climb in the world.
If you’re looking to take in the scenery with less company, to the east of Mount Monadnock are North Pack in Greenfield and Pack Monadnock in Peterborough. The pair are the tallest and most northern peaks on the Wapack Trail, which travels over 20 miles south into Massachusetts. Pack Monadnock is part of Peterborough’s Miller State Park, where a summit fire tower offers sweeping views that can stretch all the way to Boston.
The region’s grand hiking route is the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, which runs from Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey nearly 50 miles north, to Mount Sunapee in Newbury. The trail puts the Monadnock Region’s beauty on full display as it winds across the Monadnock Highlands, through historic villages and past many rivers, lakes, and ponds. Along the route is Pitcher Mountain, known for its legendary blueberry picking. The Monadnock-
Sunapee Greenway Trail Committee oversees the route and maintains backcountry campsites and lean-tos for backpackers.
You’ll find more walks to remember in the region’s many state parks, which rank among the best New Hampshire has to offer.
At Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam, get an up-close view of the property’s namesake via a half-mile stroll around a 16acre rhododendron grove. Pisgah State Park is New Hampshire’s largest state park, whose 13,300 acres stretch across the towns of Hinsdale, Winchester, and Chesterfield; it’s a popular year-round destination not only for hiking but also for mountain biking, ATV riding, and snowmobiling.
Woven throughout Cathedral of the Pine’s 236 acres, two trail systems (West and East) offer a mix of hiking, exploring things like “dinosaur egg” and the “peace monument.” You can also crosscountry ski them in the winter.
Trails departing from the Harris Center in Hancock will lead you to Skatutakee Mountain or Thumb Mountain, a pair of peaks just under 2,000-feet elevation. Explore boulders, rocks, minerals and more at Bears Den Natural Area and Gilsum Gorge in Gilsum.
Granite Gorge Mountain Park offers a bike park designed for riders who crave real terrain, substantial elevation and endless laps.
Finally, in the spirit of opening the outdoors to everyone, Distant Hill Trails in Walpole and the Dutton Brook and Gregg Trails on Crotched Mountain were made to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers, creating a natural but accessible hiking experience for people of all abilities.
CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
While wildlife watching is a perk for any outdoor sport, it’s worth making the effort to head up Pack Monadnock for the autumn Hawk Watch run by New Hampshire Audubon and the Harris Center for Conservation Education. As raptors pass overhead on their way to southern wintering grounds, it’s a spectacle of migration not to be missed. An all-terrain wheelchair is available at the center as it works to make accessibility improvements to the grounds.
Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole was founded more than 40 years ago. Take in the hilltop views of neat rows of apple trees—more than 50 varieties in all— and sweeping views of the Connecticut River Valley. Bring a picnic, and top it off with a pie from the orchard’s store. Want to spend more time here? Book an event or a getaway stay in their lodges or glamping tents.
A luxury experience is blended with an agrarian focus at the Farm Wolf Pine Hollow, where they raise flowers; tree fruits like apple, pear and peach; vegetables and berries; eggs and boil maple syrup.
Luscious veggies and home-raised chickens, pigs, rabbits, and lambs are at the center of Blackfire Farm in Hancock’s offerings. You can find their agricultural goods at the Hancock Farmers’ Market throughout the summer, while the weekends feature Blackfire’s made-from-scratch wood-fired pizzas at Post & Beam Brewing in Peterborough.
First-generation farmers Sarah Costa and Sam Canonica of Manning Hill Farm in Winchester keep a unique dairy herd of heritage Dutch Belted cows renowned for their sweet, superpremium milk, which you can buy right on-site at the farm store (the chocolate milk is a must-try). They also raise and sell pastured meats including beef, pork, chicken and eggs—and yes, maple syrup, too.
A place of hilly pastures, lakes, and forests lined with old stone walls, Mayfair Farm sits just up the road from Harrisville Pond. Like many successful family farms in New England, it’s an amalgam of businesses: an orchard, a vegetable garden, an Airbnb
Explore the inlets and eddies around the Monadnock region on a relaxing paddling trip.
cottage, and a farm store that sells maple products, prepared meals, and baked goods. There are pigs in pens, and lambs up on the hill. There’s also an Instagram-ready event space that hosts weddings and community farm dinners from spring through autumn.
Wandering the apple orchard in search of the perfect fruit has been a tradition at Washburn’s Windy Hill Farm in Greenville for over 25 years. When you’re finished your collection, treat yourself with something from the farmstead bakery.
There are few better ways to spend a late summer morning or afternoon than picking blueberries, raspberries, and other fruits at Monadnock Berries in Troy, with Mount Monadnock rising to the northeast and the green hills seeming to float above the fields. Long after you have enjoyed the berries’ sweetness, you’ll recall the feeling of a day passing slowly on this hillside, feasting on what you pick and what you see.
A WHEELIE GOOD TIME
The Monadnock Region is laced with miles of biking trails, many of which have been restored and maintained by crews of volunteers in the Monadnock Region Rail Trails Collaborative; the group’s website is an excellent place for new bikers to get their bearings. Take in a bit of history during your ride by following the Bike the Bridges Tour, a 12-mile route starting in Swanzey that will take you to some of the region’s romantic covered bridges. What were once rail corridors for industry are now pathways for recreation, another example of how the region continues to reinvent itself.
In Keene, you’ll find the Ashuelot Recreational Rail Trail, a 21-mile trek over trestle bridges and past farms that concludes in Winchester. The 42 miles that compose the Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail also runs through Keene, as well as the neighboring towns of Fitzwilliam and Troy, on its way into Massachusetts. For a shorter but no less scenic jaunt, the nine-mile Fort Hill Recreational Rail Trail in Hinsdale is a river-focused ride along the Connecticut River.
There’s also two-wheeled fun to be had right in the heart of town, thanks to a pair of facilities that allow riders of all ages to catch some air as they hone their mountain biking skills: Peterborough Bike Park at Adams Playground, and Keene Bike Park in Wheelock Park.
MAKE A SPLASH THIS SUMMER
You could build an entire summer vacation around exploring the Monadnock Region’s pristine ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. A number of these waterways make for exceptional canoeing and kayaking, but Powder Mill Pond in Bennington is right up at the top. There are different inlets and eddies to explore, and if you go far enough, you’ll paddle under a beautiful covered bridge on the Greenfield-Hancock town line. (Don’t have a watercraft of your own? Fitzwilliam’s Monadnock Paddle has kayak and canoe rentals at the ready.)
Crossing the line between Hancock and Nelson, you can paddle a longer loop on Nubanusit Lake and with a short portage also check out Spoonwood Lake. Nubanusit is partially surrounded
Crotched Mountai's network of trails are accessible so those with mobility aids or pushing strollers can also get out and enjoy the view.
by conservation land so be on the lookout for wildlife, especially eagles and loons.
The same waters that attract paddlers can also offer a proper cool-down when the temperature begins to soar. Among the 200 or so ponds and lakes within the Monadnock Region, there are many gems open to both visitors and residents, such as Otter Lake at Greenfield State Park, Spofford Lake in Chesterfield, and Surry Mountain Lake in Surry.
A bonus of moving to the Monadnock Region: the chance to access the lovely residents-only swimming spots, too, like
Cunningham Pond in Peterborough and Thorndike Pond in Jaffrey. While you’re out there enjoying the water, you might catch sight of the Harrisville Mermaids, a group of women who swim on Harrisville Pond (and are also now engaging in recreational pursuits on land, too.)
WINTER’S WONDERLAND
When winter hits, the skis come out, as many of the Monadnock Region’s paths transform into prime Nordic terrain. Cross-country fans gravitate toward the trails at Stonewall Farm in Keene and Shieling Forest in Peterborough, but the best of the best can be found in Dublin, courtesy of the 20 kilometers of professionally groomed trails at the Dublin School Nordic Center. Even better: The dedicated crew that oversees the network posts daily updates on the center’s website, so you know the conditions before you’ve even clicked into your skis.
While southwestern New Hampshire is within an easy day’s drive of several famed New England downhill skiing destinations, it’s also home to two family-friendly mountains that will keep your crew going the whole day. At Crotched Mountain Ski and Ride in Bennington, 25 trails, 80 acres of glades, and two terrain parks round out the scene. Night skiing makes the days wonderfully long, and on select nights Crotched runs its lifts all the way till midnight. Granite Gorge Mountain Park in Roxbury offers skiing, snowboarding, and tubing as it updates its facilities. Don’t miss the pond skim skiing come springtime.
In true Yankee thriftiness, summer's hiking trails often become winter's Nordic ski network. Groomed trails are maintain in several areas by businesses or ski clubs.
Jaime McGuigan
MARLOW
Can you share a little bit about your work?
As an ecologist and founder of Access Conservation, a nonprofit focused on wildlife research, I use trail cameras and habitat data, alongside storytelling, education, and tools like QR-coded Wildlife Walks, to help people understand and connect with the natural world. The result is a more resilient landscape, shaped by informed decisions, with wildlife as a familiar and compelling entry point for building a deeper relationship with the land.
What is your favorite ‘fun fact’ about something related to Monadnock area ecology?
While we often think of “real” wildlife as something far away, the Monadnock Region is full of amazing species! Take the gray fox, a fox with semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles that lets them climb trees and move into the branches for hunting and safety. As far as I’m concerned, they’re pretty much the coolest.
How you seen any changes about how humans are using the natural resources in the Monadnock Region?
I’ve seen encouraging shifts and ongoing challenges. There’s
growing interest in conservation and outdoor recreation, which means more people are engaging with the landscape, but that also puts pressure on trails, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. At the same time, there’s a growing awareness that stewardship must be active, inclusive, and well-informed.
You attended two area higher-ed institutions: Keene State College and Antioch University. What led you to choose to attend those schools?
You know, I’d like to say I took the shortest path and always knew where I was headed, but I think I’d be doing a disservice to others like me who sometimes take the long way home. I did my undergraduate degree late, and my graduate degree very late. Before that I was just hanging out, working at Brewbakers’ first iteration, on Main Street, in a classic "Gen X Not Living Up to My Potential" way. Pat Rich, who worked at the college, saw something in me and convinced me to pursue a degree at Keene State. Do you know about spark birds? I would say that Pat was my spark person. And thank goodness KSC was here. The science center was just being built, and I immediately got hooked on the biology/ecology program, which honestly was a surprise to me!
After a long-term side quest in chemistry, I was drawn to the Conservation Biology program at Antioch University New England for its creative, applied, and community-based approach. It wasn’t just about theory, but about doing the work, engaging with real conservation challenges, and becoming a changemaker. It’s a unique institution known for its integration of rigorous science with storytelling and advocacy.
But I think the thread through all of that, the in-betweens, and uncertainties, was learning to stay open. Open to inspiration, to people who see something in you before you see it yourself, and to the possibility that you’re allowed to switch up your path at any point. What do you enjoy about living in the Monadnock Region?
There’s a tendency to see rural people and communities as less complex than they are, but that never quite holds up. It’s amazing to watch people change and remake themselves here, sometimes loudly and all at once, other times so gradually you almost miss it. It’s easy to make assumptions, and then you find yourself midconversation thinking, wait, you did what, when? and realizing how much depth has been there all along.
What is your favorite “hangout” spot in the area?
In Keene, it’s Brewbakers Café, and I adore Surry Mountain for recreation. I always suggest it to people who want to experience an ecological treasure trove. I also love Aaron’s in Marlow. Nothing beats stopping by for ice cream on my way home after a long, hot day in the field. But I also have to mention Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail, and the work they’re doing to make nature accessible.
Monadnock Voices
Jessica Quinn
HANCOCK
What brought you back to the Monadnock Region?
I grew up in the area, but moved away after high school. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, it provided an unexpected opportunity to come back. At the time, I was living in Brooklyn with my family, and my parents generously offered an opportunity to get out of the city and stay with them in New Hampshire for as long as we needed. We thought we might just be here for a few weeks, but then my husband’s job transitioned to being permanently remote and I got the wonderful opportunity to work with the Putnam Foundation in Keene. By July 2020, we had packed up our NYC apartment and bought a house in Hancock. It’s been wonderful to be back!
Have you noticed any ways the Monadnock community has repurposed spaces?
This community does an amazing job of continually reinventing itself, finding ways to refresh and repurpose historical spaces and places. I feel lucky to have studio space in Historic Harrisville, a
beautiful collection of historic mill buildings that now house artists, businesses, a childcare center, a general store, a community center, and event space. With beautiful views and history embedded in every beam and brick of the buildings, they provide just the right setting to meet a friend for coffee and a treat at the Harrisville General Store, shop for beautiful locally spun wool at Harrisville Designs, or craft your work of art in a studio.
What do you enjoy about the work you do?
One of my favorite things about working with the Putnam Foundation is getting to connect with and supporting so many outstanding non-profit arts, culture, and historic preservation organizations throughout the community. The Putnam Foundation has been funding many organizations for decades, some of which I personally benefitted from when I was growing up, like NHDI and the Colonial Theatre. It feels like such a wonderful full circle moment to be able to come back and help support these organizations now. It is also amazing to see newer organizations like Firelight Theatre Workshop, Ashuelot Concerts, and NOVA Arts bring such a high level of artistic excellence to our community.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My activities tend to rotate a bit with the seasons and often center around volunteering. Growing up in a small town, I learned from my parents at a young age that thriving communities are built and sustained through a lot of volunteer effort and energy.
In Hancock, my friend Meghan Gould and I started and co-manage a weekly farmers and artisans market on Thursday evenings for eight weeks in the summer. I also love serving on the boards for The Well (an outstanding independent school in Peterborough) and MacDowell (an artist residency in Peterborough that has provided creative space for some of the world’s most impactful artists for over 100 years).
When I’m not volunteering, you might find me swimming at one of our local ponds or walking on trails at the Harris Center in the summer, apple picking at Mayfair Farm in the fall, or cozying up with a good book from The Toadstool in the winter.
What is your favorite local hangout spots?
We are very lucky to have wonderful food options right in Hancock. I love grabbing coffee and breakfast at Fiddlehead’s (the hashbrowns are especially delicious). I’m also a big fan of pizza night at the Inn at Hancock and doughnuts there on weekend mornings.
And while not specifically dining spots, I also love both Roy’s Market and Rosaly’s Garden and Farmstand in Peterborough. I’ve been going to Roy’s Market my whole life (it was one of grandmother’s favorite stores) and it has a great selection of meat and local and specialty products. Rosaly’s is the oldest active certified organic farm in the state of New Hampshire and has outstanding produce, beautiful flowers, and other wonderful little goodies.
Monadnock Voices
Stephon Mehu
KEENE
What about the Monadnock region enticed you to move here?
Friends of mine boasted the low cost of living and beautiful outdoors.
Did anything surprise you about the area when you relocated?
I’d say people’s gravitation to community, networking, and inclusion; I have no blood relatives in New Hampshire, but a ton of family.
What are your main responsibilities as the assistant town planner and health officer in Swanzey?
I am tasked with facilitating zoning applications, inquiries, and town infrastructure/development projects. I respond to community health and safety hazards as the Health Officer, and serve as the Grants Manager to manage awards and secure funding for the Town.
What are some of the challenges you face when handling matters related to new businesses or expansion in a town that has many historic features?
I believe there is a lack of exposure for the resources available to businesses, and residents, through the town; it is often assumptions formed, rather than information communicated, especially when historic features are involved.
Outside of work, what sort of activities do you participate in?
Shenanigans with friends, backyard movies, floating on lakes, softball, working on anything with wheels, plant expos, and more. I serve on Keene’s Planning Board, volunteer with The Community Kitchen, chair the Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation, and go to Keene Young Professionals Network events.
What would you say are your “must-see” places in the Monadnock Region?
Rhododendron State Park, Dublin Pond, Pitcher Mountain, House By the Side of the Road in Wilton, and the spirits made by the family at New England Sweetwater Distillery in Winchester.
Do you have a favorite local restaurant or eatery in the area?
I’d suggest grabbing a bite at Thai Garden or CC&D’s in Keene, or Del Rossi’s Trattoria in Dublin.
CREATIVE LICENSE
Dancers in a performance at Keene State College.
Arts and imagination bring life and culture to historic stages and new spaces
The creativity of visionary Monadnock residents has extended not just to what is on display but also to the creative reuse space. Theaters, galleries and craftsmen have found an artistic home through the reinvention of old farms, town meetinghouses and old mill buildings.
In 1933 when Edith Bond Stearns bought the Hadley Farm, it had no running water or electricity. Stearns was a single mother with limited means in the midst of the Great Depression when she set out to make her vision a reality.
Through decades of effort and several major renovations, the barn is now a modern 250-seat theatre and rehearsal space, and the continued home of the Peterborough Players. Professional equity actors stage a series of mainstage shows throughout the summer. The theatre screens broadcasts from National Theatre Live and The Metropolitan Opera. In recent years, it created an outdoor “Elsewhere Stage” and it trains young artists in its Second Company of interns and apprentices.
It is most known for its production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Wilder wrote the play while at MacDowell and Grover’s Corners is believed to be inspired by Peterborough. The first time the Peterborough Players staged the play in 1940, Wilder himself consulted, and it has become the theater’s most produced play.
Peterborough Players is among the many Monadnock area venues that continue a rich history of fostering artistic expression in the community. These spaces provide a home for traveling performances, film screenings, live acts and gallery displays.
Great artists from near and far have found audience and inspiration in the Monadnock Region.
Each year, some 300 creatives work quietly at MacDowell’s studios through the enduring artist-in-residency program founded by Edward and Marian MacDowell. Artistic pursuits generally happen quietly in the shadow of Mount Monadnock with the exception of its annual Medal Day event, when the public is invited to walk the property’s wooded pathways from studio to studio, meeting the artists and seeing (or hearing) their work. This year’s event, on June 28, will honor composer and musician Anthony Braxton.
The Colonial Performing Arts Center has made its home in Keene for more than 100 years. Originally opened as a venue for film, opera, theater, and vaudeville before becoming a dedicated movie theater in the 1950s, the restored Colonial has reclaimed its place at the center of the region’s performing arts scene. It’s recently expanded with management of Showroom, a more intimate performing arts space, and rebranding effort that highlights the arts as core to community.
The three-stage Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College also hosts a diverse array of artistic performances, both by students and visiting artists.
Down the road in Jaffrey, the Park Theatre reopened in 2021 with two theaters for the presentation of movies, concerts,
and stage shows. And for an extra layer of arty interest, its four WPA-era murals depicting The Four Seasons of Mount Monadnock were restored in concert with a new mural that mosaics 100 works by amateur and professional artists into “The Fifth Monadnock Mural.”
Speaking of younger audiences, Andy’s Summer Playhouse, a youth theater based in an 1860 former town meeting house in Wilton, has been mentoring and training local actors, stage designers, directors, and playwrights in the creation of innovative plays since 1971. A more recent addition to the scene is Project Shakespeare, founded in 1994, which is based in Jaffrey but whose young actors perform classic drama at locations throughout the Monadnock Region.
If alternative theater is your thing, it just doesn’t get better than Peterborough’s Firelight Theatre Workshop, founded in 2017. Whether performing at its own converted space or taking its show on the road, Firelight specializes in creating site-specific and immersive theater in intimate spaces.
Looking to catch a movie? The Peterborough Community Theatre opened as the 500-seat Gem Theatre in 1914. Now a 95-seat theater with an adjoining restaurant, it screens movies and documentaries ranging from new releases to local works and timeless classics. In Keene, the Putnam Theater, aka the Putnam Arts Lecture Hall, is home to the Keene State College
The Colonial Theatre has been a hub for performance art in Keene for more than 100 years.
Hannah Grimes showcase locally-crafted artwork.
A new Monadnock Mural, painted in parts by amateaur and professional artists, joined four WPA-era murals at the Park Theatre in Jaffrey.
Film Society, and its state-of-the-art projection and sound systems make it a slightly off-the-radar gem. If it’s the current blockbuster you seek, Keene Cinemas 6 is a throwback strip-mall theater, complete with video games in the lobby. For something more offbeat, watch for the Monadnock International Film Festival, which offers free community screenings and showcases high-quality independent cinema, both local and international. And movie-history buffs will love the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, located in an 1886 Main Street building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. First opened as a silent-movie house in 1912, it’s known for a well-curated lineup of classics and arthouse favorites.
Established as the Moving Company Dance Center in 1991, MoCo Arts in Keene offers classes in dance and theater and multi-arts camps for children ages 18 months to 18+ years, as well as professional-quality performances by those students, both at their own facility and other local venues.
Founded in 1966 and originally based at the Nelson Meeting House, Monadnock Music has a simple goal: to make exceptional music accessible, and to connect people through musical performances and educational programs. As evidenced by their dedication to bringing chamber music performances to area
schools, the musicians behind Ashuelot Concerts also believe that great sounds matter. Watch for their “grownup” concerts at Stonewall Farm in Keene, Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, and the Park Theatre in Jaffrey. The Peterborough Folk Music Society brings a diverse lineup of singer-songwriters to stages in Peterborough and surrounding towns. In Hancock, Music on Norway Pond has been presenting one-hour classical and world music performances at the town Meeting House since 2008. Electric Earth Concerts, meanwhile, takes its show on the road, offering affordable classical music experiences at smaller venues.
On a beautiful summer day in Nelson, a concert at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music can be the centerpiece of an idyllic day. Apple Hill hosts about 300 students from diverse backgrounds each year for its Summer Chamber Music Workshop, and produces more than 50 concerts. Bands and performers can be found at Nova Arts Block in downtown Keene, where two stages feature eclectic shows in a venue that is also home to a café, a coffee roaster, a flower shop, a record shop, and an open art studio.
For 50 years, the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College has hosted public exhibitions and programs featuring a wide range of contemporary and historical art, as well as lectures, artist talks, workshops, and tours. First conceived as a museum of folk art, Peterborough’s Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center now explores contemporary human experience and culture through a range of media, while just around the corner, the Monadnock Center for History and Culture presents events, performances, and exhibits showcasing the region’s historic and artistic culture.
Peterborough Players brings professional stage shows to a barn that's seen many changes over more than 90 years of theatre history.
Hot Glass Art Center brings delicate beauty into three dimensions through artfully crafted glass pieces.
The brainchild of Jordana Korsen, former head of the glassblowing program at Franklin Pierce University, Hot Glass Art Center is a state-of-the-art glassblowing studio that not only showcases her own work and that of other local artisans, but it also acts an education center that offers glassblowing lessons, workshops, and demonstrations.
Nature’s beauty is at the center of every pot, instrument, and sculpture that Shana Brautigam, a member of the League of N.H. Craftsmen, churns out at her home studio, Rooted in Clay in Rindge. Visitors can watch the artist at work, take a spin through her retail shop, or try their hand at the wheel to make their own keepsake.
New England’s history as a manufacturing and textile hub comes into full focus at Harrisville Design, whose restored brick mill buildings make it the only 19th-century industrial community in the country that still exists in its original form. It’s here you’ll find Harrisville Designs, which beautifully links the past to the present by continuing the tradition of spinning 100-percent-virgin-wool yarn. The internationally recognized textile center offers classes on felting, knitting, and weaving, while its retail shop provides just the colorful incentive you need to start work on that next blanket, rug, or tapestry.
Lastly, if you’re hoping to gain a fuller appreciation for the region’s diverse artists and just how integral they are to our communities, than the annual Monadnock Art Tour and the Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour. Between both organizations, more than 120 artists will open their studios to visitors during the long weekend of the Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day holiday.
MoCo Arts in Keene.
Ashuelot Concerts promotes live, classical music as a powerful force that inspires positive change.
Three Links Archaeology is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Odd Fellows lodge contents and is seeking historical materials from the IOOF and other fraternal societies, including Masons, Foresters, Knights of Pythias, and others.
Items of interest include:
Lithographs
Art Pins Regalia Jewelry
Books
Certificates
Photographs
If you possess Odd Fellows or fraternal items and are interested in selling or receiving a free appraisal, contact: drk_ioof@yahoo.com Facebook: Three Links Archaeology 603-209-3315
Monadnock Voices
Daniel Petrone
PETERBOROUGH
What brought you to the Monadnock region?
I moved here from New Jersey. We had friends living in the Keene area and had been visiting the region for years. Every time we drove into town, we felt an immediate sense of calm.
Our children were reaching key milestones in their schooling, and we were looking for a smaller community and a change of pace. When we shared what we were looking for with friends, they felt Peterborough would be a perfect match. We started connecting with residents online and through social platforms, and after many conversations, we decided to take the leap.
Seven years later, we truly love the community we call home. Through my real estate business, I’ve become a strong advocate for the region. New Hampshire is an incredible state, and the Monadnock Region really puts you in the middle of it all. It offers that quintessential New England charm while still being close to so much: Boston, Portsmouth, Maine, and the Lakes Region.
Did anything surprise you about the area after moving here?
One thing that really surprised me about the area was that there isn’t that much more snow, and it’s not significantly colder than where we were living before. Many people relocating from southern states, myself included at the time, have this misconception that New Hampshire is some sort of arctic tundra in the middle of nowhere.
What we found instead is that the seasons are definitely pronounced, but each one is truly beautiful. There is something to appreciate year-round.
And where we live, we really want for nothing. Everything we had
before, and seemingly more, is available here. From community and regional events to the incredible number of nonprofits and special interest groups you can get involved with, there is a strong sense of connection and opportunity. It is a place where you can be as engaged as you want to be.
In your work as a real estate agent, what are the regional features that those relocating are looking for?
Ultimately, what draws people to the Monadnock Region is the combination of community, natural beauty, independence, and the feeling that life here can be both grounded and full. Most people moving to the Monadnock Region are not just shopping for a house; they are searching for a different way of living. They are looking for a smaller, more connected community with a real downtown, local coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants, and events where people genuinely show up. They want access to nature, such as trails, lakes, mountain views, and open space, but without feeling isolated or cut off from conveniences. Being within a reasonable distance of Boston, Manchester airport, quality healthcare, and reliable internet matters. They want safer neighborhoods, less traffic, and a stronger sense of belonging. What do you like to do in your free time?
I can be a bit of a homebody. I genuinely enjoy working on projects around my home and property. There is something really satisfying about improving your own space. At the same time, I love getting out into the community. We have some fantastic local restaurants and events, and I enjoy supporting them. Peterborough has a great movie theater as well as live professional theater, both of which I truly appreciate.
I also enjoy going for walks and bike rides, and in the summer, I love getting out on the lakes. When I really have free time, I take my ATV up to northern New Hampshire and spend the day riding. That combination of home projects, community life, outdoor recreation, and access to adventure is something I really value about living here.
Do you have a favorite hangout spot?
When we head out, Post and Beam Brewing is always a great time. It is one of those local spots where you can relax, see familiar faces, and really feel part of the community. The bowling alley is also a lot of fun and one of those simple, classic activities that makes living here feel easy and enjoyable.
What’s on your shortlist for places to dine out in the area?
This is impossible; there are just too many great spots to choose from.
In Peterborough alone, I love Coopers Hill Public House, Harlow’s Pub, and Bantam Grill. They each have their own personality and are always reliable favorites.
In Dublin, I am a big fan of Del Rossi’s Trattoria. Over in Keene, you cannot go wrong with Cherry Garden or The Stage Restaurant. Beyond that, there is Woodbound Inn, The Dublin Taproom, Hilltop Cafe, and Riverhouse Cafe.
One of the things I truly appreciate about living in the Monadnock Region is that you do not have to sacrifice quality dining for small-town living. The variety and quality across these communities is genuinely impressive.
FAMILYFRIENDLY ACTIVITIES
Indoors and out, there’s fun everywhere you turn
Caterpillar Lab in Marlborough provides an up close look at natures tiny treasures.
With classic family attractions offering innovative and fresh activities, the Monadnock Region delivers on memorable outings. Discover strollerfriendly trails with StoryWalks, hands-on museums, interactive animal encounters and plenty of places to burn off energy.
Whether you’re exploring a trail or weathering the rain at an indoor space, you’ll find that area destinations know how to put smiles on the faces of young patrons. Whether you’re raising budding naturalists, thrill seekers or ice cream connoisseurs, this pocket of New Hampshire is full of opportunities to spend time together.
EXPEND SOME ENERGY
GraniteWorks Gym in Keene invites climbers to try indoor bouldering. The gym features approximately 1,200 square feet of climbing, consisting entirely of adjustable walls and boards in addition to hangboards, peg boards and fitness equipment. Also in Keene is Climb Monadnock, which offers many routes for wall climbing and has a kids climbing club. Kids under 3 are free at both.
For kids not ready for the wall, Jump and Jive in downtown Keene is an all-ages indoor play space offering parties, one-on-one play and group play sessions. The indoor play space is the perfect place to climb, jump, and explore in a safe, colorful, and joy-filled environment.
Artcade in Keene is a new space that blends video games, crafting and community.
At the Keene Axe House, you can try your hand at axe throwing or book a rage room or paint splatter session.
A delightful amalgamation of activities, the Artcade in Keene offers classic and modern arcade games, a shop of arts and craft guides and materials, displays of local artwork and workshops for different art techniques.
For winter fun, hit the slopes at Granite Gorge Mountain Park. Roxbury’s classic ski area has downhill winter fun for all ages (its snow-tubing hill is a particular hit). During the warm season, take on the mountain with lift-service mountain biking.
Explore the fields and forests at Stonewall Farm. Known for its award-winning children’s camps year-round, this 120-acre learning center and working farm in Keene invites visitors to hike and bike across its beautiful property, as well as visit the farm animals, picnic, and shop at the farm store.
In Chesterfield, the Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area offers a nearly one-mile out-and-back trek highlighted by a stunning gorge and several waterfalls. Leashed, well-behaved pets are also allowed on the trail.
Distant Hill Nature Trail on the Alstead/Walpole line has a nature play area plus a StoryWalk where you can read as you wander. The paths are stroller-friendly too.
Don’t miss a cool place to cool off. Vilas Pool Park in Alstead features a spring-fed swimming area and some nifty historical touches, like a stone bridge and an old tower. Free and open to anyone.
Have a family member who loves animals? One of the more unique offerings in our region is a chance to cuddle a cow at Granite Oak Farm in Harrisville. Sessions are 30 minutes for up to three people and the cows are more than happy to snuggle up and maybe even sneak in a kiss!
NATURAL CURIOSITY
Have a budding scientist who is always asking, “why?” Get some expert explanations on the natural world at The Caterpillar Lab. This Marlborough-based education and research nonprofit hosts
special open hours for the public, when you can come see what happens behind the scenes and get an up-close look at caterpillars of all stripes.
Play and learn at the Cheshire Children’s Museum. Handson exhibits and imaginative play spaces—including a kid-size grocery store, post office, and radio station—will delight young visitors while also giving them some prime bonding time with their parents, all right in the heart of Keene.
Founded in 1965, The Friendly Farm in Dublin is home to “some of the most agreeable animals you’ll ever meet,” from bunnies and chicks to goats and horses, and most are happy to eat right out of your hand.
ALL FUN AND GAMES
Cheer for the home team at a Keene SwampBats game. Head to Alumni Field to see one of the top teams in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in action, honoring the proud tradition of baseball in Keene all summer long. (Be sure to say hi to team mascot Ribby!)
Twinkle Town in Swanzey has been the go-to for oldfashioned family fun since 1961. It offers 19 holes of mini golf at less than 5 bucks per person (and just 50 cents for replays). There’s batting cages, too, and a snack stand that sells everything from pizza and hot dogs to Thai iced tea and homemade ice cream.
If you have time to spare, take the kids bowling. Yankee Lanes in Keene offers 10-pin bowling, while Bowling Acres in Peterborough is home to candlepin. Both offer on-site dining options and arcade games.
THRILLS AND CHILLS
Have a kid that likes to go-go-go? Get revved up for action at the Monadnock Speedway. Hit the road for Winchester, where you can take in the fast-paced excitement on the quarter-mile oval. Vroom!
Create the sweetest of memories at Jaffrey’s Kimball Farm. Nothing says summer like a cone or cup of homemade ice cream, which you’ll find in abundance here—more than 50 flavors in all—along with fried seafood and a country store gift shop. Keene is home to Rick’s Gourmet Ice Cream (right near Keene Cinemas) which offers the usual flavors as well as some new favorites like graham cracker and an almond milk non-dairy soft serve.
Keene Ice is an indoor rink that offers ice skating year-round. Public skating is just $5 per skater and $5 rentals available.
Jump and Jive in Keene offers a space for kids to burn some energy, even on rainy days.
Nothing makes a hot summer afternoon better than a double scoop of your favorite flavor at Kimball Farm in Jaffrey.
PHOTO COURTESY JUMP AND JIVE
PHOTO BY IRINA SCHMIDT
At Antioch University, we believe it can. For more than 60 years, our students, faculty, and alumni have helped define the Monadnock Region—educating local youth, protecting natural ecosystems, expanding access to mental health care, and advancing equity and justice.
Through online, low-residency, and in-person degree and certificate programs, Antioch prepares students for career advancement and to lead in the fields that matter most—to our region, and to our world.
Because education doesn’t just shape your career—it helps you shape your community.
Monadnock Voices
Steven Bultemeier
GILSUM
I understand you’ve lived in many places; what about the Monadnock Region is special to you?
This is my first time living on the East Coast and so far, I really have enjoyed it. The people in the area have been very friendly and welcoming. I like how quiet it is and that we get to enjoy all four seasons. My favorite thing is probably all the trails and hiking areas that Monadnock has to offer. I spend a lot of time outdoors exploring and there are some very beautiful areas around the region. Can you share a little bit about your work or community connections?
I am the local Air Force recruiter for the greater Monadnock region. I have been serving in the Air Force for over 15 years now and have had the privilege to recruit here for the past two years. It has been a very rewarding position, helping people reach some of their life, travel, and educational goals and to see them take their careers to the next level.
The Monadnock region is home to several community colleges, colleges and universities. What are you hearing when speaking with students?
I have really enjoyed getting emersed in the local schools, helping guide the next generation to set them up for success for their future. A lot of the students that I speak to are not aware of some of the great alternatives to the traditional college route. When I share some of the great opportunities that the Air Force offers like the college repayment program or getting a degree without accumulating any type of debt, they seem very intrigued and want to know more about our different educational benefits and programs.
What would your perfect weekend in the area look like?
For me, the perfect weekend is going to Real Steel fitness and getting a good workout in. Then spending time in the outdoors with my family and then going to dinner at one of the local restaurants that we enjoy. If you were hosting visitors, what would be on your must-see-do list?
I would take them to walk around downtown Keene and stop in and eat at my favorite restaurant Guerrilla Grill. Then take a nice drive to check out and hike around Mount Monadnock.
MONADNOCK CALENDAR
From downtown festivals to farm tours and open studios, there’s always something exciting to do in the Monadnock Region.
BY
PHOTO
KRIRK IKIS
Keene Pumpkin Festival is now focused on being a family-friendly gathering after at one point being a Guiness Record holder for most carved, lit jack-o-lanterns.
JUNE
6 NH Bacon & Beer Festival
2026: Bacon and beer: What could be better? A festival celebrating both! Preorder your 10-year anniversary T-shirt and grab your tickets at the festival. Manchester, events.beerfests.com/e/nhbacon-beer-festival/tickets
TBD Monadnock Business and Community Expo: Local businesses come together for a three-day event to share their products and services. Keene, monadnockbusinessexpo.com
19-21 Northlands Music and Arts Festival: Nationally touring musical acts and rising stars come together for a jam-packed weekend. See installation art, performances, food trucks, beer garden and local artisans. Swanzey, northlandslive.com
5-14 Keene Artwalk: This celebration of local artists is the longest running event in downtown Keene and features a showcase of Monadnock region artists. Take a selfguided tour as artists partner with local shops to display a pop-up personal gallery. Keene, monadnockartsalive. org/keene-artwalk
13 Keene Craftfest & Classic Car Exhibition: Cool rides and creative workmanship combine for this free, annual gathering, where handmade crafts and vintage muscle cars merge. Free parking! Keene, explorekeene.org/events/ craftfest-and-car-exhibition/
26 Patton Oswalt: Effervescent: Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt continues to leave his distinctive imprint across all areas of entertainment. The Colonial, Keene, thecolonial. org/event/pattonoswalt
20 Wilton Summerfest: About 500 people are expected at this annual, all-ages summer celebration with fireworks, raffles, fire trucks and a good, old-fashioned rubber ducky drop. About 80 exhibitors are expected at this event, held by the Wilton Main Street Association. Downtown Wilton, visitwilton.com/summerfest
27-28 Gilsum Rock Swap and Mineral Show: The Gilsum Rock Swap features more than 60 dealers and swappers with gems, jewelry and minerals. Pan for minerals, enjoy an old-fashioned New England ham and bean
dinner with homemade pies, have a chicken barbecue lunch and more. Admission is free; donations graciously accepted. Proceeds help youth recreation and community programs. Rain or shine. Gilsum, gilsum.org/rockswap/
28 MacDowell Medal Day: MacDowell’s annual Medal Day 2026 celebration will honor composer and musician Anthony Braxton with the 66th Edward MacDowell Medal. The ceremony begins at 12:15 p.m. MacDowell connects communities with art and artists through free programs, ticketed events, and fundraisers at our residency. Peterborough, macdowell. org/events/2026-medal-day
JULY
3-4
Monadnock 250th celebration: Celebrate America’s 250th birthday with activities for everyone. On Friday, July 3, take in a SwampBats game and fireworks. On Saturday morning, check out the annual Four on the Fourth road race and parade that will work its way through downtown Keene. Everyone in the Monadnock region is invited – prizes for best floats, live music, historical demonstrations at Wyman Tavern and even a public
reading of the Declaration of Independence are planned. monadnock250.com
4 Art Walk in the Park: This 10th annual event, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., takes place during America’s historic weekend. Participating artists, businesses, and live music. More info to come. Peterborough, Depot Square Facebook page
TBD Summer Night Market, Stonewall Farm, Keene: explorekeene.org/events/ summer-night-marketseries-at-stonewall-farm/
30 to Aug. 2 Cheshire Fair: Take your chance at winning $30,000 while supporting the traditions and future of the Cheshire Fair and celebrating America’s 250th anniversary! Classic fun with carnival rides and midway, truck and tractor pulls, farm animal demonstrations and live entertainment. Swanzey, cheshirefair.org
AUGUST
1 Annual Wyman Tavern Brew Fest: Enjoy local beers, spirits, food trucks, and live music at the historic Wyman Tavern. Proceeds support local history preservation. More TBD. Keene, hsccnh.org
TBD Monadnock Farm Tour & After Party: Monadnock farms open their barn doors, pastures, hoop houses, kitchens, and pudding plant for the community to experience work that goes into putting food on our tables. Various locations, mfcommunitycoalition.org
TBD Art in the Park: The Monadnock Area Artists Association brings together more than 80 artists along
Northlands Music & Artsis a family-friendly music and art festival in Swanzey.
Anthony Braxton
the Ashuelot River to share their beautiful paintings, pottery, photography, and more. Keene, monadnockartists.org
7 Peterborough Night Market: Peterborough’s annual festival will feature music, art, food, fun and more. Further details to come. MAXT Makerspace is a place for members of the community to share resources, brainstorm projects, build businesses, network and more. MAXT consists of two facilities: a ceramics center in Dublin and a makerspace in Peterborough which has shops for textiles, 3-D printing, electronics, woodworking, jewelry, welding and more. Peterborough, maxtmakerspace. org/night-market
SEPTEMBER
5 Keene Music Festival. Keene Music Festival: This all day,
annual late summer event features more than 80 bands at 13 performance areas, making it one of the largest free music festivals around. It’s all outdoors and free. Watch social media for more information. Keene, Facebook.
11-13 Dublin Gas Engine Show: Tractor and vintage car parade. This is its 54th year. Explore America’s agricultural and industrial history through demonstrations of antique tractors, vehicles and working engines that were once the tools of the trade. Dublin, dublinnhgasenginemeet.com
12-13 The 15th annual River Valley Artisans’ Art, Wine & Cruise-In Festival: Food vendors, classic cars, local artists and artisans, all at Summit Winery on Route 12 in Westmoreland. Westmoreland and Keene, rivervalleyartisans.com
20 Keene Pride Festival: Celebrate the region’s LGBTQ+ community with live music and performances, children’s activities, artisans, food trucks, and more.This
is the largest Pride event in the region, with over 5,000 attendees and 150 vendors. Keene Pride Week 2026 takes place from 9/12/26 to 9/20/26. Keene, keenepride.org/events.
Peterborough Night Market is a place to shop local crafts and goods.
Keene Pride Festival offers a week of programs to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
TBD Antrim Home & Harvest Festival: Community games and contests, food, arts market, live performances, a parade and fireworks. Antrim, Facebook.
26 Winchester Pickle Festival: The community event celebrates all things “pickle” and local agriculture. Activities include a parade, crafts, food, music and family fun. Winchester, winchesternhpicklefestival.org
26 Keene International Festival: Keene International Festival showcases and celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the community through activities that engage and connect people. Keene, keeneinternationalfestival.org
27 Clarence DeMar Marathon: Lace up your sneakers or cheer on the runners of this year’s Clarence DeMar Marathon, which celebrates the legacy of the former Keene resident, seven-time Boston Marathon champion and Olympic medalist. Keene, clarencedemar.com
OCTOBER
2-15 Monadnock International Film Festival: MONIFF’s 14th annual event features awardwinning films, domestic and foreign, along with premieres of regionally produced films by New Hampshire and New England filmmakers. Events are held Oct. 2-4 in the region and continue
3 Peak Into Peterborough:
Join this free fall community celebration filled with vendors, local businesses, live music, food, family-friendly activities including a bouncy house, horse and buggy rides, vendor village, and a soup contest. More info to come. Peterborough, greatermonadnock.com/ peak-into-peterborough
Oct. 6-15 online. Keene/ Jaffrey, moniff.org
6-8 Radically Rural Summit:
Sessions throughout downtown Keene will inspire you to reimagine rural under the backdrop of a quintessential New England main street with ideas, connections and tools to build your community. Keene, radicallyrural.org
12-14 Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour: Experience a weekend of fine art and fabulous fall foliage in the Monadnock Region. Artists open their studios for selfguided tours. Various locations, fallfoliageartstudiotour.com
10-12 Monadnock Art Open
Studios: The Open Studio Art Tour is a self-guided, beautiful country drive through glorious fall color and picturesque villages in the Monadnock Region, leading you to dozens of working studios! You’ll enjoy an intimate setting to chat with the artists on their home turf and view inspiring, creative artwork. Various locations, monadnockart.org
17 Keene Pumpkin Festival: A community-based celebration of fall with pumpkinthemed activities throughout downtown. The tower of lighted jack-o-lanterns is a highlight not to be missed. Keene, www.pumpkinfestival.org
23-25 Viva Bach Festival: Celebrate J.S. Bach with inspiring performances that bring harmony to the
community. Peterborough, vivabachpeterborough.org
NOVEMBER
7 Kristallnacht Remembrance: This annual event seeks to bring the community together on the anniversary of Kristallnacht (Nov. 9, 1938) when Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany. The community event is to bear witness and recognize our responsibility to promote an active and informed citizenry, recognize individual and societal responsibility for each other, and foster mutual respect and justice. Keene State College
TBD Monadnock Region Natural History Conference: This is on a three-year rotation. The next conference is expected in the fall of 2027 or 2028. Keene, harriscenter.org/conservationresearch/monadnock-regionnatural-history-conference
DECEMBER
5 Lantern Festival: Putnam Park is brightened with a handcrafted lantern art installation and Lantern Parade down Grove Street. Parade planned for Saturday unless weather moves it to Sunday. Peterborough, childrenandthearts.org
TBD Feast on This: Film festival and farmer appreciation. Walpole, mfcommunitycoalition.org
12 Currier and Ives Cookie tour: Enjoy a leisurely pace of holiday shopping experience by visiting locally-own gift shops, inns and other businesses offering holiday wares. Of course, there will be festive cookies. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local nonprofit. Various locations, currierandivescookietour.com
24-Jan.1 Hannukah Menorah Lighting: Keene will mark the days of Hannukah with the lighting of a menorah in Central Square. Keene, keenesynagogue.org
TBD Ice & Snow Festival: Enjoy a free family-friendly outing examining ice carvers’ works. There are activities like a scavenger hunt, sledding, sugar on snow, hot cocoa and other treats. Keene, Facebook.
TBD Wilton Winter Festival: The town green becomes a winter wonderland with ice carvings, campfire, arts market, live music, songs and stories and more. Wilton, visitwilton.org
APRIL 2027
TBD Keene Home Expo: The Keene Home Expo is an annual event put on by the Home Builders Association designed to bring together builders, vendors, and homeowners that promotes local business and makes your dream home a reality. Keene, homebuildersassocswnh.com
TBD Monadnock Earth Day Festival: Keene, monadnockfood.coop/events
MAY 2027
TBD The Thing in the Spring: Musicians from New England and beyond take part in Nova Arts multi-day music festival, which also offers readings and art installations around town. Keene, novaarts.org
TBD Children and the Arts Festival: Peterborough, childrenandthearts.org
MEMBERSHIP
Greater Monadnock Chamber member businesses are the rocket fuel that keep the community thriving forward.
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17ROX Artist Studios
1911 Office, LLC
5 Star Data Systems LLC
AAA
AARP New Hampshire
ABTech Inc
Achille Agway/Blue Seal
Adobe Acrobat
Aflac
Aldworth Manor
All Purpose Storage Management
Alpine Healthcare
Alpine Healthcare Center
Alzheimer's Association
American House Keene
AMETEK Precitech, Inc
AMT Productions
Anderson & Gilbert, Inc.
Andy's Furniture of Keene
Anew Behavioral Health
Anthony L Olson CPA/PFS
Antioch University
AP Cleaners LLC
ARC Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
Arcomm Communications Corporation
Arts Alive Inc.
Ashuelot Valley Academy
ATA Construction
Athens Pizza
Atlantic Wireless
Autex Mazda
B. Bakes Deli & Cakes
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust
Barbara C Harris Camp & Conference Center
Belletetes
Bellows-Nichols Agency, Inc.
Belltower Holdings, LLC d/b/a Belltower
Property Management
Benefit Profiles LLC
Bensonwood
Bergeron Construction Company
Better Homes & Gardens
The Masiello Group
Real Estate Keene
Birch Financial Group
Black Rabbit Creative
Blais & Associates Realtors
BootLegger's Footwear Centers
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern NH
Brattleboro Portable Storage
Bretwood Golf Course
Brewbakers Cafe
Downtown Jaffrey.
PHOTO
Bridges Inn at Whitcomb House
Budget Blinds of Keene & Monadnock
C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc
Caleb Dupuy State Farm
CASA of New Hampshire
Cathedral of the Pines
CC&D's Kitchen Market
Cedarcrest
Chesco Inc
Cheshire Children's Museum
Cheshire County
Cheshire Glass Company
Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Technologies LLC
Cheshire Wellness Center
Chesterfield Inn
Children's Dental Care
City of Keene
Clarence DeMar Marathon, Inc
Clearwater Pool & Spa
Cocoplum Inc. / DBA
Cocoplum Appliances
Colonial Performing Arts Center
Communicators Group
Community Volunteer Transportation Company
Cooper Properties
Corning Specialty Materials
Cota & Cota
Cournoyer Funeral Home
Covenant Living of Keene
Craig Vickers - State Farm
Cranberry Meadow Farm
Crotched Mountain
Ski and Ride
Cup of Life Healing Center
Cushing & Sons Water Wells
D&J Professional Cleaning Inc.
Da Brothers Contractors
Dahle North America
David O'Neil Construction, LLC
Davis Oil & Propane
Dead River Company
Deep Roots Massage & Bodywork
DEW Construction
Diluzio's Foley & Fletcher
Funeral Homes
Draft Gratitude
Dream Clean123
Dublin School
Earthly Elan
East Coast Evolution Leadership
Edward JonesAdam Colombie
Edward Jones - Alan Stroshine
Edward Jones - Beth Lorenz
Edward Jones - Scot Ward
eFix IT Consulting
Electric Earth Concerts
Electronic Imaging Materials
Elizabeth Newcombe
Elm City Church
Emile J Legere
Management Co Inc
Eversource Energy
EyeWorks
Facilitated Change
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Keene Downtown
Fenton Family Dealerships
Fernald, Taft, Falby & Little, P.A.
Fidium
Filtrine Manufacturing Company
Financial Solutions Group
Finley Construction Company LLC
Flourish Marketing Solutions
Foundation for Healthy Communities
Franklin Pierce University
Frazier & Son Furniture
Freitag Marketing
Friendly Farm
Friends of Cheshire County
Recovery Courts
Froling Energy
Galloway Real Estate
GemGraphics
GFA Federal Credit Union
GFA Keene
GFA Peterborough
GFA Rindge
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small
Businesses @ Manchester
Community College
Good Fortune Jewelry
GOODELL GROUP, EXP Realty
Granita Enoteca
Granite Edvance
Great Eastern Radio
Greater Monadnock SHRM
Greeley Farms
Landscaping, LLC
Green Energy Options
Green Peak Junk Removal LLC
Greenwald Realty Group
Grove Street Fiduciary, LLC
Guyer & Son Roofing
Halliday Group | eXp Realty
Hamblet Electric
Hamlin Insurance Agency, Inc.
formerly Campbell & Boyd
Hampton Inn & Suites
Hamshaw Lumber Inc
Hannah Grimes Center & Marketplace
Hannah Magoon
Harris Center for Conservation Education, Inc.
Haskell Electric LLC
HCS, Home HealthCare, Hospice & Community Services
Hearthside Family Health,LLC
Heavy Haulers CDL and Equipment Academy
Historical Society of Cheshire County
HKS Associates Inc
Hogancamp PC
Homestead Covered Bridge Kitchens & Design
Honda of Keene
Houle Wealth Management
Hubbard Farms
Hubert's Family Outfitters
Hundred Nights Inc.
Huntley Survey & Design PLLC
Hyundai of Keene
InsideUP Resourcing
International Software Development, LLC
Isis Latham - Primerica
J & J Discount
Jamsan Hotel Management
Jay Kahn, Mayor of Keene NH
Jenna's Market
Joseph?s Coat
JZ Consulting Agency
K & J Dean Builders Inc.
Kapiloff Insurance Agency
KCS Architects
Keene Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Keene Community Education
Keene Country Club
Keene Day Care Center
Keene Elm City Hotel, Swami Shree LLC
Keene Elm City Rotary Club
Keene Family YMCA
Keene Housing
Keene Housing Kids Collaborative
Keene Lions Club
Keene Pride
Keene School District (SAU #29)
Keene Senior Center
Keene Sentinel
Keene State College
Keene State College Office of Ceremonies and Events
Keeney Holdings LLC
Keller Williams
Metropolitan Keene
KeyBank N.A.
KG Automotive Solutions
Kiwanis Club of Keene
Kona Ice of the Monadnock Region
Korvin Appliance Inc
Kurn Hattin Home and School for Children
Lane & Bentley PC
Langdon Place of Keene
Law Office of Little & Tomasko, PLLC
Lee and Mt Fuji Restaurant
Lehnen Industrial Services
Len-Tex Corporation
Leon's Auto Center and J&L Auto Body
Life Forest
Life Safety Fire Protection, Inc
LPA
LR3 Development, LLC
Luxury Box Photo Booth
M&T Bank
M&T Bank Chesterfield
M&T Bank Jaffrey
M&T Bank Keene
M&T Bank Peterborough
Magnolia On Main
Making Community Connections Charter School
Manchester Community Resource Center
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
Maps Counseling Services
Mascoma Bank
Masiello Employment Services
Mathewson Companies
Matthew Snow - Primerica
Mattson?s Carpentry LLC
Maxcess International
Menadena
Mi-Box of Central NH
Michael Petrovick Architects, PLLC
Milliken Manor
MilliporeSigma
MoCo Arts
Monad Doc Health Direct
Monadnock Art
Monadnock Art/Friends of the Dublin Art Colony
Monadnock Aviation
Monadnock Center for History and Culture
Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention
Monadnock Community Early Learning Center
Monadnock Community Hospital
Monadnock Conservancy
Monadnock Country Club
Monadnock Developmental Services Inc.
Monadnock Discovery Map
Monadnock Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Coalition
Monadnock Family Services
Monadnock Food Co-op
Monadnock Ford
Monadnock Humane Society
Monadnock International Film Festival (MONIFF)
Monadnock Ledger Transcript
Monadnock Media Group
Monadnock Medical & Aesthetics
Monadnock Music
Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.
Monadnock Peer Support
Monadnock Perinatal
Monadnock Private Wealth
Monadnock Region Board of Realtors
Monadnock Region Rail Trail Collaborative
Monadnock Retirement Solutions, LLC
Monadnock Shopper News
Monadnock Shutter & Shade
Monadnock Speedway
Monadnock Sustainability Hub
Monadnock United Way
Monadnock Worksource
Montessori Schoolhouse of Cheshire County, Inc.
Moore Nanotechnology Systems, LLC
Morningside Flight Park
Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA
NBT Bank
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc.
New Hampshire
Charitable Foundation
New Hampshire Dance Institute (NHDI)
New Hampshire
Employment Security
State of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
Insurance Department
NH Navigator Program
NH Oil Undercoating Inc.
NHTrust
Noble Dental Care, PLLC
Norm's Ski & Bike Shop
Northeast Delta Dental
Northern Basement Systems
Norton, Abert & Jordan, P.C.
Noyes Volkswagen
Offit Kurman
Olive Branch Wellness, LLC
Orbis Wealth Management
Orr & Reno, P.A.
Oster & Wheeler PC
Our Own House
Ouranos IT Solutions
Papagallos Restaurant
Paragon Digital Marketing
Pathways for Keene, Inc.
Peachy Keene Yarn Shop
Perry Family Dental Care
Peterborough Diner
Peterborough Folk
Music Society
Peterborough Players
Petrone Real Estate
Pilgrim Pines Camp & Retreat Center
Pinney Plumbing & Heating
Pizza Pie
Positive News For You, LLC
Powers Guaranteed Services
Powers, Smith & Associates, Inc
Prime Roast Coffee Co
Princeton Properties Management Inc
Priority Building & Property
Maintenance LLC
Pyxis Academy
Quality Care Collision
Quality Cleans LLC
R.P. Masiello Inc.
Raynor Dental Keene Office
Raynor Dental
Peterborough Office
RBC Wealth Management
re-Sourced
RE/MAX Town & Country
RealityWise Consulting
Reboot IT
Red House Advisors LLC
Region 14 Applied Technology Center
Residential Resources, Inc
Revo Casino and Social House
Rise for Baby and Family
River Valley Community College
RiverMead
Rust & Company CPA's
Sacred Journey Endof-Life Services
Savings Bank of Walpole
Scott Farrar at Peterborough
Scott Wilson Inc
Scouting America
New Hampshire
Selah Cleaning Company, LLC
Sequoya Technologies Group, LLC
Service Credit Union
SERVPRO Team Paul
Seven Hills NH/Crotched Mountain School and Village
Shaheen & Gordon, P.A.
Shir-Roy Camping Area
Silver Direct Inc.
Slate Roof Films, LLC
SMART Ride LLC
Southwest Region Planning Commission
Southwestern Community Services Inc.
Spoonwood Dental Partners and Spoonwood Dental
(previously Raynor Dental)
Spring Village at Summerhill
Stan's Auto Body
Staples Office Supplies
Steele's Stationers
Stonewall Farm
Stripe-It-Seal-It
Sturtevant Chapel
Subaru of Keene
Summit Chimney & Hearth, LLC
Sunset Tool, Inc.
Surry Village Charter School
SV Electric LLC
Switchback Promotions
Syd's Carpet and Snooze Room
T & W Handyman Services LLC
Takodah YMCA
Talentshare
Targett Cleaners
TD Bank
TEAM Jaffrey
Ted's Shoe & Sport
Thai Garden
The Community Kitchen
The Hilb Group of New England
The Home for Little Wanderers
The Inn at East Hill Farm
The Insurance Source Inc.
The Local Crowd Monadnock
The Masiello Group
The Melanson Company
The Park Theatre
The Richards Group, an IMA Company
The River Center
The Salvation Army Keene
The Toadstool Bookshop
The UPS Store 8172
The Well School
The Works Bakery Cafe
Thomas Eaton
Timken Precision
Town of Hinsdale
Town of Jaffrey
Town of Peterborough
Town of Swanzey
Toyota of Keene
Trident Environmental Group LLC
True North Networks, LLC
True REST Keene
Trusted Choice Eldercare, LLC
Udderly Gutters
Upper Valley Wealth Management - Keene
Upton & Hatfield, LLP
US Cellular Wireless Communications
Verizon
Vocational Rehabilitation of New Hampshire -
Keene Regional Office
Volvo of Keene
W.S. Badger Company
Wallach & Wallach
Wellguide Advocacy, LLC
Wellscroft Fence Systems, LLC
Westside Animal Hospital
Whelen Engineering
Whistlekick Martial Arts
Whitney Blake Company
William Wildes General Contracting
Wireless ZoneVerizon Walpole
Woodland Wanders LLC
Woof Wagon, LLC DBA
Dogs on Depot
Workplace Culture Solutions
World Insurance Associates
Yankee Lanes Entertainment
Yankee Publishing Inc.
Ye Goodie Shoppe
ZenBusiness
October 11 –13 • 10am–5pm
65 Working Studios, Exceptional Art
A self-guided tour through the breathtaking fall landscape and picturesque towns of the Monadnock Region, with a vast array of mediums and styles, and an intimate setting to chat with world-class artists in their element.
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc. (NHBB)
NHBB is a leading manufacturer of precision bearings and complex bearing assemblies for the global aerospace, defense, high technology, and medical markets. Founded in Peterborough, NH in 1946, NHBB is celebrating its 80th year in business.
NHBB’s Peterborough facility produces bearings that are used in critical aerospace and defense applications, such as gas turbine engines, gearboxes/transmissions, airframe control systems, helicopter rotor systems, and more.
Advanced manufacturing principles, combined with automation technologies ensure the continuous improvement of both products and processes.
Generations of families have worked together at NHBB, and many have enjoyed long careers with the company. NHBB employs more than 500 valued employees in Peterborough, and is always welcoming new talent.
NHBB’s elite machinists, engineers, and product assemblers maintain the high quality standards that NHBB’s customers have come to trust and appreciate.
To learn more about NHBB, its products, leadership, and facilities, visit nhbb.com.
Making world-class care possible right here.
For more information, visit go.d-h.org/cheshire
Right here, we have a healthy disregard for the impossible. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire Medical Center provides our community with access to advanced care. Together, we’re making gastrointestinal, orthopaedic and cancer care possible right where you live.
More than 40 locations across the region.One world-class health system. In partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine.
fuller and worry less at Covenant Living of Keene. On an idyllic campus brimming with resort-style amenities, including Lifecare—healthcare security for life—it’s easy to stay engaged and living every day to the fullest. With maintenance-free living, an attentive and courteous staff, chef-prepared dining and support with any unforeseen health issues, we’ve got you covered—so you never need to worry. Ready to get more out of retirement life? Call 1-877-313-2542 or visit CovLivingKeene.org today. 95 Wyman Road, Keene, NH 03431
