Show Notes
In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Margaret Joyce and Jed Allen of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce about the 40th annual Cochecho Arts Festival. The free, family-friendly summer concert series kicks off July 9 with a community band performance, followed by the Friday night headliner series beginning July 10 with Jon Nolan & Good Company, and the Tuesday children's series starting with the Seacoast Science Center's "Coastal Critters." Margaret and Jed describe this year's diverse lineup, the fundraising and logistics behind the festival, and several new additions, including a third tier of raffle buttons, the return of the popular "duck race," a yard games area, and a weekly "artist of the week" showcase. A highlight this year is the new Cowabunga Fest, a partnership with the Woodman Museum celebrating Dover as the birthplace of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, featuring a pizza crawl and an Aug. 23 skate jam. They also preview the Creative Arts Showcase on Aug. 1, spotlighting local artists, poets, and singer-songwriters. The pair thank the festival's many sponsors, including The Truette, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Rotary Club of Dover, and La Festa Pizza, and note this year's festival is dedicated to the memory of longtime volunteer Cliff Blake. For more about the festival, visit dovernh.org/artsfest.
In This Week in Dover History, we learn about William Riley Clark, known simply as "Riley," a beloved gatekeeper at the Cocheco Manufacturing Company mills in the early 20th century. Riley began working at the mills at age 11, served with the Strafford Guards and later the Coast Artillery, and returned to Dover in 1870 to resume his career, becoming the mill's gatekeeper in 1883.
More from Dover Download
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