Life in Nelson

For a town out in the middle of nowhere with a population of around 7oo, Nelson is a pretty vibrant place. How many other rural towns can boast a world class string quartet, a reputation as the contra dance capital of the world (with a weekly dance in the town hall), a place for folk music concerts that draw audiences from even beyond the Monadnock Region, and a town band with around 40 members that travels all over during the summer playing lawn concerts and parades?

Nelson has a quarterly print newsletter called the Grapevine. You can also read it in online magazine format here. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for the print issues, please write to Elizabeth Williams.

Our Old Home Week celebration, in mid August, is full of fun activities, culminating in Old Home Day, which includes games for kids, a road race, bike race, band concert, chicken barbecue, book sale, and more.

A New Minister

Frank’s Kitchen

Trails in Nelson

Off the Beaten Path: Beyond Silver Lake

Foster’s Dismissal

Forum ReUnion

On The Ski Hill at Tolman Pond

Founding the Church

Nelson Community Forum Report

The Town Pound

First Meetinghouse

The Nelson Community Forum Follow-up

Agricultural Commission Update

Party Lines

HOTEL NELSON “REVISITED”

The Hotel Nelson Revisited

Packersfield Becomes Nelson

The New Salt Barn

Fight over Incorporation:

A Great Old Home Day

Cultural Organizations

The hills of Nelson are alive with the sound of music.

The Nelson Town Hall is used every Monday night for contra dancing, and there is also a dance on the second Saturday of every month, both sponsored by the Monadnock Folklore Society. MFS also produces folk music concerts every few weeks. Visit the MFS web site for a calendar of current activities.

The Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music is home to the world-class Apple Hill String Quartet, and also provides the Summer Chamber Music Workshop which draws students of all ages and skill levels from all over the world. Visit the Apple Hill web site for information about their summer concert series, as well as other programs throughout the year.

The Nelson Town Band opens its season every year with a short concert for the Nelson Memorial Day celebration. The band then processes up the hill to the cemetery, where additional music is played. Ice cream socials are held at the beginning and end of the summer with a band concert on the lawn of the Nelson Congregational Church. In between the band always performs at Old Home Day for entertainment during the chicken barbecue, prior to the Old Home Day speaker. But the band also performs throughout the summer at parades and concerts in neighboring towns, and at nursing homes. For more information about the Nelson Town Band, you can visit their website.

Moving In Step facilitates a variety of community projects, including the Nelson Trails Committee, a Welcome Committee for folks who have just moved to town, and a weekly newsletter. Visit the Moving in Step website.

Top