Two of the biggest events of the Summer in Keene have come together on the same day – “Keene Music Festival” and “Art in the Park” are both this Saturday!
Both festivals are still in their respective locations, with Music Fest‘s stages being spread throughout downtown Keene from 11am to 10pm and Art in the Park in nearby, beautiful Ashuelot Park from 10am to 4pm (Art in the Park also happens Sunday).
According to the president of the Monadnock Area Artists Association, Wendi Hulslander, the decision to hold both events on the same day was deliberate. Seems like a smart move – lots of people come to town for each festival, so why not have them on the same day so people can cross-pollinate between the two and enjoy a big day full of art in Keene?
If you love music and visual art, you won’t want to be anywhere but Keene this weekend.
Longtime readers of Free Keene remember the controversial and short-lived “Topless Tuesdays” events from 2010. Many critics in the area still cite it as something they didn’t like that liberty activists have done. It’s relevant to point out that none of the females who participated in that were Free State Project participants. They were all townies.
Now, five years later, the topless equality movement has come again to New Hampshire, this time with over 1,100 saying (on Facebook) they will be attending “Free the Nipple” at Hampton Beach. (Who knows what the actual turnout will be.) The event is slated for all-day on Sunday 8/23. There is no specific meeting time or location besides Hampton Beach. This is an interesting approach and one of the event organizers comments on why on their facebook page:
“Even though there is no meeting spot, I have a feeling we will notice each other and make some new friends. I plan on walking around and I’ll gladly introduce myself, but I want to enjoy the beach as much as all of you! We don’t need a giant gathering or “spectacle.” Our goal is to just be normal about it. We want to show everyone that the breast and nipple can be seen without all hell breaking loose, traumatizing kids, giving old men heart attacks, or causing the apocalypse.”
Things are definitely getting interesting. Stay tuned to Free Keene for the latest on this social change in New Hampshire. Though people are legally free to be topless, there’s a large social stigma that needs to be broken. Thanks to the courageous ladies who will be participating in Sunday’s event, and especially to those who will eventually risk arrest in Laconia at an unknown date in the future.
Liberty activist Chris Rietmann has made major news twice this year for first repealing all gun regulations in Alstead, where he serves as selectman. Then a couple of weeks ago, he made further headlines for leading the effort to provide armed guards outside the Keene military recruiting center – a move which was controversial among the liberty community.
Local liberty activists are manning a bitcoin outreach booth at this year’s Cheshire Fair, going on through Sunday. Thus far several bitcoin wallets have been installed, already surpassing the three we had installed last year. Many folks have asked questions and still more are open to accepting an informational flier about the awesome cryptocurrency.
If you’ve been wondering about bitcoin, drop in and see us at the fair! We’ll get you hooked up with a free bitcoin wallet for your smartphone and if you want, you can try out the original Keene bitcoin vending machine!
Derrick J helps two interested young men install bitcoin wallets on Friday morning.
Two of the biggest events of the Summer in Keene have come together on the same day – “Keene Music Festival” and “Art in the Park” are both this Saturday!
