The post title is a play on words combining two events we attended this past weekend. Both were in New Hampshire; only one required a road trip.Our first weekend event was the 68th Annual Canterbury Fair in Canterbury, NH, an hour's highway drive from Nashua. In the afternoon, we walked downtown for the 2026 Nashua Summer Stroll. Both of these family-friendly community events were free to attend.
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| Canterbury Town Center: United Community Church, post office and general store |
The Town of Canterbury, named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, is located in the central part of New Hampshire bordering the State Capitol of Concord. The town is primarily rural with an active agricultural and farming community. The population, as of 2016, was under 2,500 residents. There's a small commercial area with direct access to Interstate 93, which is how we traveled there.
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| Town Center set up for annual fair |
The Canterbury Fair is always held on the last Saturday in July. It includes a 5K run, artisan demonstrations and music performances. It's completely volunteer run and a great example of small town community involvement. Proceeds from the fair and food sales benefit the Canterbury Fund and community service programs of the Canterbury United Community Church including scholarships and use for family emergencies.
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| Vintage Canterbury Fair poster & folks lined up for shuttle bus to town center |
The fair previously received recognition as part of a National Geographic Society listing of outstanding attractions nationwide.
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| The What-Not Sale is always a very popular fair event |
This was our first time attendance. We soon saw that a couple of events were long-time favorites. The most popular was the large What-Not tag sale featuring a lot of everything from antiques to household goods, toys and holiday decorations donated by town residents and others. Items were laid out end-to-end on large tables in the historic town hall. It was packed with shoppers as seen in the above photos.
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| The book and video sale was the second most popular event |
The used book and video sale also attracted many book browsers and buyers. The sale was housed in a large old barn. Books were displayed by subject matter. I avoided the temptation to buy books after recently donating a bagful. That said, a DVD copy of Titanic made it home. We enjoyed re-watching it this weekend, having forgotten that it's a very long movie and less costly than when first seen in a movie theater.
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| Canterbury, NH, one-room schoolhouse was a primary school until 1956 |
Stepping back in time, we toured the interior of the town's one-room schoolhouse. Built in 1844, it served as a primary school until 1956. The restored red brick building operates as a living history exhibit that's managed by the Canterbury Historical Society. The society runs an immersive One-Room Schoolhouse program which lets students from Canterbury Elementary and surrounding towns experience a full school day circa 1887.
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| Prescott piano in Canterbury one-room schoolhouse |
Many early schools contained a piano for music and singing lessons. This one was built in New England by the Prescott Piano Company originally established as the Prescott Organ Company in Concord, NH, in the 1830s, Prescott built a line of American upright and grand pianos in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company originally catered to local schools, churches and parlors, manufacturing instruments specifically designed to withstand New England's seasonal humidity and temperature shifts. |
| Antique vehicles at Canterbury Fair |
A notice of the fair included information on an antique auto display, unfortunately, there were only a handful of cars and tractors on display this year.
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| Main Street Nashua, NH (photo by Seth Dewey) before & during summer stroll |
Later, Saturday afternoon on a perfect weather day, the 2026 Nashua Summer Stroll turned downtown Nashua's Main Street into a pedestrian-only event of art, live music, food, crafts and activities.  |
| The event include musical performances, boxing demos and ghoulish folks |
The downtown stroll was sponsored by the Downtown Nashua Association and ran from 4 to 8 pm attracting hundreds of residents and visitors. There was a lineup of local musicians with musical performances on the corner of Main and East Pearl Streets throughout the afternoon and evening.  |
| Synthetic roller skating rink, chalk car painting and wall painting |
Interactive attractions included a synthetic roller skating rink and wall painting. A local nonprofit group, Positive Street Art, hosted many of the art events and brought back last year's popular chalk car which members of all ages decorated.
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| Sunday Farmers Market in Renaissance Park, Nashua, NH |
Downtown Nashua will be hosting a series of upcoming events before the end of the year, which seems to be coming up fast. Halloween decos have already been seen in local stores — way too soon! We're looking forward to these events: Coloring Main Street in September, the Main Street Monster Mash in October followed later by the Festival of Trees, Main Street Unwrapped, Plaid Friday and the annual Winter Stroll. The best part is that all of these are within walking distance of our home.
Hope that whatever you did this past weekend, it was good for you.
24 comments:
Oh, how wonderful to be able to attend both interesting events in one day! I love how New Hampshire still has such nice festivals and fairs and events...and even in summertime! Here in Florida it is just too hot in July to have such events, so they are reserved usually for all or spring. How nice that you have so many events within walking distance of where you live! You really picked a great place to retire! Thank you for sharing it with us. I would've loved to have attended the fair in Canterbury! Love that old school house and that barn with old books! wow! How neat!!!!
"Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,"
I thought that was the third line of the Tales but was surprised to see that it is really the 16th.
The won did a similar event on our Main on Saturday. I missed it for our little excursion.
This looks like so much fun. It makes me nostalgic thinking about my former neighborhood and the events that would happen there.
I just love these events! Regarding your purchase of the Titanic DVD: When it first came out, Kjell and I had to go see it in the theater because guests on board kept asking us about it (he worked on a cruise ship as Chief Engineer before retirement). My Honey found the scenes of the engine room interesting and pointed out all sorts of unique things about old ships that were the same as old ships where he worked. When we went back to the cruise ship after vacation, we were entertaining dinner guests in the dining room when the ship's orchestra started playing the theme from Titanic. Uh, that was weird! Our dinner guests laughed and conversation about sinking ships ensued. My Honey instructed the orchestra to take that one off of their play list. Our daughter loved the movie and bought the DVD. She played it over and over (at home, of course) and Dad reminded her it will always end the same. So much about the movie Titanic. ;)
There was a lot to entertain and amuse at both fairs. I'm not sure about the ghouls, though!
The weather for both events was perfect. It really shows with all the colors of the fair.
dear Dorothy your town sounds like a wonderful place to live and enjoy the life to fullest while participating in different interesting activities :)
i really enjoyed getting along you in this amazing fair :) your photos and description made me feel there almost
Titanic is one of the my all time favorite movie too
i loved that old piano ,gorgeous !
one room school reminds me of my own very first school which had no room but students would sit on long mat and rush inside the huge room that was for teachers
seems like less people own antique cars now days sadly
best of luck for upcoming events dear friend !
Summer is the time for festivals.
Looks like a lot of fun
I have one of the old school desks-I should have gotten two of them so the desk would have a seat. Our high school decided to upgrade all the school desks. these iron and wood desks would have lasted a lot more years than the cheap desks they replaced them with mine had the glass ink bottle that went into the hole for it too
Both events look like good ones to attend. Glad you could attend both on the same day. You have many more events coming up.
You had quite a busy and fun looking weekend. I have never heard of the Canterbury Fair, but it looks fun. And the used book booth sounds like a really great place to browse. :)
They look great celebrations. So good you could attend both.
i really enjoy these summer festivals. down the shore here, we have a lot of great ones!! love the truck and those old desks, really love them!!
Thank you for taking me to Canterbury Fair. I looked it uo on the map. It looks like good old fashioned fun. I would like an event like this. A Whot-not sale is always fun as is a book stall. I'm like you. I have to restrain myself not to buy any books. I have a Kindle and a subscription to Audible (audio books) but I always prefer a physical book (but is heavy and not very practical).
The school room is interesting as I was in a classroom like that when I first went to school (in the Netherlands in the 50s). I learnt to write first with a pencil and later with pen and ink. Classes were large, 25 to 30 children. But I believe I had a good education overall.
I loved seeing the vintage vehicles!
What a good idea to pedestrianise the main thoroughfare in Nashua. It's a huge area and much can be organised. What fun!
Happy T-Day,
Lisca
...there's something for everyone!
I would love to visit a fair. They are not very common in my neck of the woods. I remember our school fairs but these were less fun and more managing wild children while trying to raise a bit of money for the school.
Those look like fun events! I would have loved the tag sale and the old books, but I don't need more stuff so it's just as well I wasn't there. :)
Looks like a lot of fun . . . great mix of photographs.
All the best Jan
The fair looks like a lot of fun. I would have loved the books :)
Your description and gorgeous photos make the fair sound wonderful.
I’d love to experience something like that myself, since fairs aren’t very common where I live.
It has been quite a few years since we have been to a fair. Not because we do not like the fairs themselves, but because we have an aversion to crowds. If we were to go to one, I would choose the MN state fair, so many good memories for us there.
This looks like such a fun event, Dorothy! I confess, between a what not and a book sale, I'd be ready to leave after that! I probably couldn't carry anything else around!
So many fascinating upcoming events to enjoy within walking distance. I really like all the hoop-la going on in your area.
Fun things to buy and peruse at the fair.
Thanks for sharing.
Sue
My favorite is Graeter's coconut chocolate chunk. Best ice cream on the planet! That's funny that so many dislike mint chocolate chip, as most of my family loves that flavor. My dad shares the same favorite as Gerald Ford.
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