From Garden Tours to Giving Back: Our Favorite Local Events For June

Cool nights and perfect days welcome us to the end of June, where there’s nothing quite like having a locally brewed beer out on the back deck after work. While most of us in Portsmouth depend on the tourist season, there is nothing better than these last few weeks where we have summer all to ourselves. With all that our town has to offer, and with this ideal weather, enjoying the outdoors while it’s still all ours is the best part of this month.

 

Always wondered what was tucked away behind your favorite Portsmouth architectural masterpieces? June 24th and 25th is your chance to see! South Church’s Pocket Garden Tour is a regional gem, celebrated for 27 years and raising over $300,000 for the community. With a map and a stroll, you’ll get an intimate view of 11 private gardens at your own pace and leisure, in one of Portsmouth’s most charming and historic areas.

 

In considering those area architectural masterpieces, no list would be complete without including our magnificent lighthouses. With the Friends of Portsmouth Lighthouses sunset cruise on June 24th, you’ll have a unique view of all three of our harbor’s historic towers: Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Whaleback Lighthouse, and White Island Lighthouse in the Isles of Shoals. Expert narration and plenty of raffle prizes make this one of the prime events of the summer, with a classic Portsmouth experience that’s not to be missed.

 

There is no example of early 19th century Portsmouth architecture more exquisite than that of the Rundlet-May House. Built by a local textile merchant in 1807, Historic New England has kept this treasure in near-original condition, with even many of the initial furnishings still in place. Not only is the house open to the public June 18th, but an extensive walking tour will allow you to explore Portsmouth and the house itself through the eyes of the craftsmen who created it, and from the context of the era in which it grew.

 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, probably many times. One of our favorite architectural spots in Portsmouth is one where we worked, and it truly has nothing to do with bias when a place is this beautiful. The Music Hall has provided great event all year round for ages — but this time, for a cause. This year, they are combining their Community Open House with an incredibly important event: Fill the Hall Food Drive. By attempting to fill every seat in the Music Hall’s house with a bag of food for kids at a local food pantry, they are giving back in an amazing way, and haven’t failed yet! Do your part June 25th to support both your community and a regional artistic mainstay.

 

Any evening under the stars here in Portsmouth is just about ideal. But throw a free movie showing at the scenic Prescott Park into the mix, and you know your summer night is going to be great – especially when that movie is of the stars itself. June 27th marks the first of the park’s weekly movie series, beginning with the runaway smash hit Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

 

Garden tours, house explorations, sunset lighthouse cruises, outdoor movie nights, and giving back to your community. As always, our town never disappoints with an amazing array of events for just about anyone. Whether you prefer boats to dry land or intergalactic adventures to architectural magnificence, this June starts the best of Portsmouth summers with all you could ever need.