The Penacook Village Association's 5th Annual Penacook Memorial Day Parade will be on Sunday, May 24, 2026, starting at 9:00 am. Volunteers are always needed. Contact Cindi Jacques at nhfairgirl@gmail.com for more information.
Penacook business survey
The PVA and UNH Cooperative Extension have created a survey as part of the Penacook Community Business Engagement Program. This effort is designed to better understand the local business landscape in Penacook by identifying needs, opportunities, and challenges. The goal is to learn how to better support the success of our local businesses and organizations. If you're a Penacook business owner please help us by completing the survey. Didn't receive a survey? Send us a note at info@penacook.org.
City Council to set priorities
Weather permitting, on Monday, City Council will meet at 6:00 pm in City Council chambers at 37 Green Street, for its Priority Setting Session covering the next two years. The session will be recorded by Concord TV. The priorities set by Council for 2024-2025, along with the latest report detailing progress made, can be found here: https://www.concordnh.gov/283/Council-Priorities.
Property revaluation
The City's property revaluation process has been focusing on Penacook. If you haven't already had a visit by representatives of the City's vendor, Vision Government Solutions, you can expect one soon. If you are home during the visit, they may ask to come into your home, or you may be asked a few questions by the Vision representative and to sign a document stating that the information they have about your property is correct. If you're not home, a card will be left for you, and the information on file will be used to determine the assessment (permit inspections, sales inspections, periodic re-inspections and exterior reviews). If there are errors, you will have an opportunity to provide corrections.
PVA events videos
For those who may have missed some of last month's PVA events, here are videos from recent events.
Note that the Annual Meeting video features a discussion of the PVA’s engagement with UNH for a Community Business Engagement program. More to come, but our local businesses and non-profit organizations will soon receive a link to an online survey. The survey results will be used to identify opportunities and obstacles and to create next steps to help our business community thrive and prosper. The video at 25:10 features a discussion of community input on what makes Penacook unique. At 57:30, a review of the current Master Plan chapters and community comments is presented.
New coffee shop in Penacook!
William & Sons Coffee Co. plan to open their newest coffee shop in Penacook. They just signed a lease with the Sanders Block owner and will be in the space formerly held by Kaye Place at 324 Village Street. Construction should start next month, and the shop will be open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Community meeting with Merrimack Valley School District
The Penacook Village Association is proud to sponsor a community meeting on Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 pm at the Penacook Elementary School cafeteria (60 Village Street) with MVSD School Board representatives and the Finance Committee chair for an open discussion. This is an opportunity for two-way communication, where the MV Board aims to listen to your feedback and answer your questions to help them prepare the upcoming school budget.
PVA engages UNH for business outreach
The PVA will be working starting this fall with the UNH Extension and their Community Business Engagement Program (CBE). The program is designed to help understand needs, challenges, and opportunities for local businesses, identify key insights, strengthen business community connections and communication, and implement actionable strategies to strengthen our local economy. The end product would be UNH creating a project report with actionable items identifying opportunities and obstacles, along with assistance on how to carry it forward.
As the City is about to embark on writing its new Master Plan, the PVA feels the timing is right for the CBE, as valuable input could be gained and used in the Master Plan.
There is a $3,000 fee involved to engage UNH, so we're asking for your support to help cover these costs. Your donation will help carry forward this project, which will help our local businesses and economy. Thank you!
Route 3 Art Trail, with stops in Penacook
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, the Route 3 Art Trail invites families, sightseers, locals, and art collectors alike to a one-day driving tour on Saturday, November 1 from 10 to 5. Explore a vibrant corridor of creativity stretching from Concord to Franklin, New Hampshire.
Pick up a ‘passport’ at Kimball Jenkins on Main St. in Concord and enjoy an art and creativity filled day. Admission is free, and all ages are welcome. A full map and schedule of events are available at www.route3arttrail.com. Concord Makerspace in Boscawen, will be participating along with Jo Shields, Laborata Studio, The Wild Bean, and Strings & Things in Penacook. Trail locations will offer glimpses into the creative processes with opportunities to meet artists, view creative demonstrations, and purchase original works. Additional local food establishments will be hosting artists and some locations along the trail will have specials - grab a snack, take a look at the creative work, and enjoy.
Penacook 20th Annual Tree Lighting - Save the date
We'll be celebrating the 20th annual Penacook Tree Lighting on Wednesday, December 3 at Boudreau Square on Village Street. Attendees can assemble around 5:30 pm to hear carols and singing, featuring the Penacook Elementary School Chorus and Blanchard Family Singers, and watch Santa arrive courtesy of the Concord Fire Department.
PVA Annual Meeting
The PVA will hold its Annual Meeting on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 6:30 pm at the Penacook Elementary School Library, 60 Village St. Please come provide your input on Penacook, its businesses, and what direction we should take to make Penacook the community you'd like to see in the future.
Our guest speaker to lead this discussion is John Christ, the UNH Extension's Community and Economic Development Field Specialist in Merrimack County. The PVA has begun work with UNH Extension and their Community Business Engagement Program.
The Program is designed to help understand needs, challenges, and opportunities for local businesses, identify key insights, strengthen business community connections and communication, and implement actionable strategies to strengthen the local economy. The end product will be a UNH-created project report with actionable items identifying business opportunities and obstacles; UNH will also be providing assistance carrying out future actions.
This effort should provide valuable information during the creation of Concord's new City Master Plan, which will start sometime next year. The Master Plan sets overall and specific goals for the decades to come.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness
As New Hampshire prepares for the upcoming winter season, the State Fire Marshal’s Office is encouraging residents to take simple but critical steps to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Install CO alarms outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.
Have your heating system serviced annually.
Never run generators indoors or in enclosed spaces.
If your CO alarm sounds, evacuate immediately, then call 911.
More information is available from the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office or at the Fire Department.
Canal Street Riverfront Park official opening!
Save the date for the official opening of the Canal Street Riverfront Park on Wednesday, August 13, at 5:30 pm. Enjoy some pizza from Chiefs and ice cream from Sweet Dreamz, then stick around for the 6:30 pm concert by UP at the pavilion.
Community Meeting
City Councilors Michele Horne and Brent Todd are hosting a Penacook community meeting on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Penacook Library & Activity Center with NH Senator Tara Reardon and NH House Representative Tracy Bricchi.
Community Drive/High Street traffic issues
The City's Traffic Operations Committee (TOC) met in May to follow up on the Community Drive and High Street traffic concerns. Speed limits are posted as 25 mph. Speed data collected for Community Drive between Shaw Street and Dolphin Street during this past April showed the average speed of 27 mph, with 85% of vehicles traveling 33 mph or less. Speed data on High Street, between Hardy Avenue and Brodeur Street for April also showed an average speed of 27 mph, with 85% of vehicles traveling at 35 mph or less. This indicates there is a small population of drivers traveling at speeds that are 10 mph over the limit. Concord Police continued directed patrols on these roads and concluded that generally vehicles were obeying the speed limits. They also installed the radar trailer that operated from April 28 to May 15.
TOC discussed conducting a campaign with Merrimack Valley School District (MVSD) students to discuss safe driving. TOC agreed that they support continued enforcement efforts to reduce the speed in the area, but did not support stop signs to regulate speed, as that is not recognized as a proper use of the signs. They also did not support installing bump outs due to the narrowness of the roadways. Restricting High Street or Community Drive to local traffic only would require further study and input from MVSD.
Neighbors who observe unsafe driving behaviors are encouraged to provide both the license plate number and a description of the vehicle to Police, who will follow up based on that information.
Penacook Library receives design award
The Penacook Library & Activity Center/Penacook Community Center was recently recognized by PlanNH with a 2025 Merit Award for Excellence in Design, Planning, and Development. This was one of four projects recognized by PlanNH in the State.
PlanNH is a nonprofit organization formed in 1989 with a focus on community design and the built environment and their impacts on the health and vibrancy of a city, town, or neighborhood.
Hoyt Electrical Works 121st anniversary
Congratulations on another business anniversary coming up—the 121st year of Hoyt Electrical Instrument Works on July 1. They continue to manufacture a variety of electrical products right here in Penacook, including analog and digital electric meters.
Morrill Farm Dairy 100th Anniversary
Happy birthday to Morrill Farm Dairy, celebrating its 100th year in business on Saturday, July 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 33 Penacook Street with an open farm event.
Stop by to wander around the farm, and pick up some of their fresh fruits and vegetables, local meats, honey, jams, jellies, and more. More information about the farm, and how to donate to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests to help preserve this community asset, can be found here: https://www.forestsociety.org/farming-future-help-protect-morrill-dairy-farm-merrimack-river.
Penacook Historical Society Family Fun Day
The Penacook Historical Society is hosting their annual Family Fun Day and Open Barn on Saturday, July 19, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., 11 Penacook Street, Penacook. The historic 1790 Rolfe Barn will be open to the public, on display will be several Concord Coach vehicles, and there'll be games and activities for all ages. Ice cream and hot dogs will be available from Sweet Dreamz in Penacook.
Upcoming Concerts!
The Summer Music Series, presented by Walker Lecture Series, City of Concord, and Concord Parks & Rec., has planned free concerts at our new Canal Street Riverfront Park, Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m:
July 16: Lucas Gallo & the Guise
July 23: Crawl Space
August 6: TBA
August 13: UP
A free Nevers Band concert will be held in Rolfe Park on July 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.