Hampton Beach: Here are new shops, eateries, shows and more you will see in 2024
Hampton Beach's famed boardwalk is bustling with activity in anticipation of the upcoming summer season.
Blink's Fry Doe, the Casino Ballroom, and seasonal restaurants like the Sea Ketch and Boardwalk Inn & Cafe are now open, while McGuirk's Restaurant and Post 8 are slated to open May 17.
A new farm-to-table restaurant is coming to the south end of Hampton Beach in June. Al Fleury, owner of The Goat, Bernie's Beach Bar and Wally's, is working on opening a new bar underneath Bernie's by mid-summer.
“It’ll be the premier people-watching spot on Ocean Boulevard,” Fleury said.
The Americana recently unveiled newly renovated professionally designed updated rooms while JB's on the Boardwalk is "spicing up the inside" with new paint "inspired by Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville with the colors."
Free nightly entertainment kicks off with Eastern Sound on May 25, and the first fireworks show of the summer is Memorial Day weekend.
Hampton Beach Village District co-marketing director Lisa Martineau said they have a slate of big events planned, including the return of the Master Sand Sculpting Classic and Country Music Fest with Parmalee headlining.
"We are trying to create memories at the beach for families," Martineau said. "We focus on families because that is what Hampton Beach is all about."
Here is a look at what's new at Hampton Beach in 2024:
Sand Sculpting Classic to kick off free events with 'Sand Wars'
The Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic kicks off the free events at the beach with 10 of the best sand sculptors in the world competing for bragging rights and $25,000 in cash prizes.
"The competition is pretty fierce, and there is a long line of sculptors that want to come to Hampton Beach," said Greg Grady, organizer of the event.
Sculptors will have three days — eight hours each day — from June 20-22 to create masterpieces using only sand and water.
Before the contest, sculptors will join forces for the sponsorship site. This year's theme is "Sand Wars: May the Beach be with you!"
"Think about it," Grady said. "It should be a lot of fun."
Four new sculptors will be competing this year. They are Karlis Ile from Riga, Latvia; Dmitry Klimenko from St. Petersburg, Russia; David Ducharme of British Columbia; and Andrew Daily of Sarasota, Florida.
Familiar faces returning include last year's winner Mélineige Beauregard, five-time world champion sand sculptor Karen Fralich, and Carl D. Jara, who has the distinction of competing in all 24 Hampton Beach contests.
Other events include Miss Hampton Beach (July 27-28), Children's Festival (Aug. 12-16), Hampton Beach Talent Competition (Aug. 23-25) and Cirque du Hampton Beach with the Boston Circus Guild (Aug. 31).
All events are free, thanks to the taxpayers of the Hampton Beach Village District.
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Tideside Social Club restaurant opening with a fresh twist
A new farm-to-table restaurant is coming to the south end of Hampton Beach.
The storefront at 9 Ocean Blvd. that was once home to the convenience store BZ Ocean Market has been transformed into the new Tideside Social Club restaurant.
Tideside owner Jo McCarran said the restaurant will offer a surf and turf menu filled with fresh ingredients from his Massachusetts farm. Steaks and meats are from Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery, and fresh seafood will come from local vendors. They will also have a raw bar cart.
Their grand opening is June 14.
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Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Bernie's ready to rock
The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom has 50-plus shows announced with 17 sell-outs so far, including Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Lewis, Teddy Swims, KC & The Sunshine Band and Social Distortion.
One of the highlights this summer includes Pete Davidson, who will make his debut at the Casino with two shows on June 22 as part of his 2024 Prehab Tour.
“Pete Davidson coming in is a pretty big deal,” said Hampton Beach Casino marketing director Andy Herrick.
Herrick said the Casino Ballroom’s slate of concerts appeals to a wide range of music fans. The shows span genres that include rock, country, blues, disco, emo and progressive.
Other highlights include Little River Band June 15, Umphrey's McGee July 5, Matt Nathanson July 28 and Joe Bonamassa on Aug. 30-31.
More tribute shows of some of your favorite artists are also coming to the Ballroom this year.
“With the cost of some of the shows to see the actual bands, it’s a really cost-effective way to still enjoy the same music,” Herrick said.
Tributes include Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, which plays the music of the Grateful Dead, on June 20 as well as Face 2 Face: Tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel on Aug. 10.
The Dark Desert Eagles, a tribute to the Eagles formed by Pat Badger of Extreme, will play July 27. Brit Floyd will play two nights July 18 and 19, while Dirty Deeds the AC/DC experience will play July 20. Badfish, a tribute to Sublime, comes back July 6, and The Fab Four, "the best Beatles tribute ever," returns July 26.
All information, show updates, and ticket links can be found at CasinoBallroom.com.
The Ballroom isn't the only place bringing top acts to the beach.
Bernie's Beach Bar has already announced a slew of shows, including three nights of Ripe May 24-26, Shwayze June 9, the Hot Beach Bash 5 with Mya June 20, John Brown's Body July 28 and Jimmy Kenny & The Pirate Beach Band Aug. 11.
At Wally's, Heartless, New England's tribute to Ann Wilson of Heart, takes the stage May 17, Afroman May 31, Lauren Watkins July 7, and Fighting Friday July 27.
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Blue Harbor Coffee takes over Jumpin’ Jack’s Java space
Blue Harbor’s Sunrise Café recently opened at Hampton Beach, taking over the former Jumpin’ Jack’s Java space at 333 Ocean Blvd.
Owners Coskun Yazgan and Stephanie Bergeron are the owners of the popular Blue Harbor Coffee Shop in downtown Hampton. They are now bringing their hot coffee blends and breakfast sandwiches to Hampton Beach.
Yazgan and Bergeron said they always liked Jumpin’ Jack’s. When they learned of their closing, they decided they wanted to try and move into the space to keep coffee brewing in that part of the beach.
“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Bergeron said.
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Parmalee to headline Hampton Beach Country Fest
Parmalee, the most-played group/band on Country Radio in 2023, is headlining Country Music Fest at Hampton Beach.
The band will be performing the free concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, on the Seashell Stage as part of the three-day festival that "brings country stars to the beach."
The festival kicks off Tuesday, July 9, with April Cushman followed by the award-winning Stefanie Jasmine Band on Wednesday, July 10.
Parmalee comprises brothers Matt Thomas (guitar/lead vocals) and Scott Thomas (drums), along with their cousin Barry Knox (bass) and life-long friend Josh McSwain (guitar).
The North Carolina natives first topped the charts with “Carolina” in 2013 followed by their Platinum-certified No. 1 single with Blanco Brown, “Just the Way” in 2021.
They followed that with the love song “Take My Name,” which was Billboard’s Most Played Country Song of 2022, and scored their fourth No. 1 single with “Girl In Mine.”
Secret Spot returns to North Beach after devastating fire
The secret is out.
The Secret Spot, known for surfer-friendly foods like acai bowls and smoothies, is returning to North Beach.
Joe Gozzo announced earlier this year they would be opening up a new shop at 560 High St., which for years was the home to a convenience store and Carey and Giampa's real estate office.
Their previous shop, next to the North Beach Bar and Grill, was destroyed in a fire on Aug. 19. 2022.
“We needed to get back,” Gozzo said after making the announcement. “I have another shop in Durham, but the Secret Spot is my family business.”
A GoFundMe page to help them reopen in a new location has raised more than $16,000.
The exact opening is still up in the air.
On their Instagram, the company gave an update in April, stating they are in their "disaster phase" in getting the new location up and running.
"But that means we're getting stuff done," they posted on Instagram.
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Swell Oyster brings The Shuck Shack to Hampton Beach
Swell Oyster Company is bringing a new 50-seat patio to the heart of Hampton Beach, serving their own oysters, as well as tacos, ceviche and lobster rolls.
Owners Russ Hilliard and Conor Walsh will open the Shuck Shack this season at 3 D St., one block from the Casino Ballroom.
Hilliard and Walsh have been harvesting oysters out of Hampton Harbor since 2018, having previously worked together at Row 34 restaurant in Portsmouth. In 2020, they opened the Swell Oyster Shack at the harbor, where customers could buy their oysters and enjoy a raw bar.
The Shack at the harbor will remain open, but Hilliard said the new Shuck Shack at the main beach area will allow them to fulfill their vision for the hospitality side of their business. They learned about the space in December and have since been preparing its patio.
“We always wanted to go a little bigger, if you will,” Hilliard said. “We love tacos, we love cold beer, and those were some things we just couldn’t do in this space (at the harbor).”
Irish Festival coming to Hampton Beach
The Hampton Beach Village District is hosting its first Irish Festival on Sunday, Aug. 4.
"We have a Polka Festival, last year we did a Reggae Festival, so we thought why not an Irish Festival?" said Lisa Martineau, co-marketing director for the Hampton Beach Village District.
The event kicks off at 5 p.m. and will feature "two to three" Irish bands.
The new event comes on the heels of the Polka Festival, which was held for the first time in 2022.
At the time, Chuck Rage, chairman of the Hampton Beach Village District Commission, said they were hoping to add events in the future to "celebrate different cultures and great traditions."
The Polka Festival returns Sunday, Aug. 18, from 3 to 9:30 p.m. on the Seashell Stage, featuring Eastern Sound, Dan’s Beetbox Band, and the Maestro's Men, a Grammy-nominated, Polka Hall of Fame, award-winning band.
Blink’s Fry Doe celebrating 50 sweet years with new owner
Blink's Fry Doe is celebrating 50 years with the same 20 tantalizing flavors on the menu and a new owner.
Hyatt Hodges is the new owner of the shops at 115 and 191 Ocean Blvd.
“I don’t plan on changing anything,” said Hodges, who noted that Blink’s has added just one flavor in the 35 years since she started — Turtle, which features the tasty trio of chocolate, walnut and caramel. “The recipe is the same, everything is the same. Our dough cutter is even original to the store. The sizes and everything are the same.”
That’s not to say the new owner won’t give this Hampton Beach staple a gentle nudge into the 21st century. New this year, credit cards and mobile pay will be available for the first time.
To help celebrate its 50th year at the beach, Blink’s will be selling T-shirts and hats for the first time, along with your favorite sugary selection and their wide array of shakes this season.
“We’re going to be doing some special events within the community, but Blink’s is Blink’s, and that’s one of the reasons Blink’s is so special to Hampton Beach," she said. "We do the same exact thing every year.”
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Free nightly entertainment on the Seashell Stage
While returning favorites like the Continentals and the Reminisants will take to the Seashell Stage this summer, a number of new acts will be making their Hampton Beach debut, like Yellowhouse Blues Band.
"We have a lot of new artists coming in, but also a lot of favorites," said Amanda Morneault, the entertainment director for the Hampton Beach Village District. "It's such a great space and a great opportunity for a lot of bands."
Returning favorites include 38th Army Band July 2, Scott Brown & the Diplomats July 24, Redemption July 16, and The Bel Airs Aug 6.
There are also several tribute bands taking the stage, including Foo! A tribute to the Foo Fighters June 28, Viva Las Elvis: From Sun to Vega on July 29, and LoVeSeXy: A Tribute to the Music of Prince on July 31.
Also returning is "the ultimate Disney cover band," The Little Mermen, on Aug. 27. They play all the Disney hits, from "The Jungle Book" to "The Lion King," and even "Frozen" and "Encanto."
Bernie’s Beach Bar to expand with new downstairs bar
Hampton Beach entrepreneur Al Fleury has plans this summer for new streetside seating underneath his second-floor outdoor deck at Bernie’s Beach Bar.
Fleury said his tenant's underneath, Tasty Food, decided to focus on business elsewhere. He said he’s using the opportunity to build a whole new bar overlooking Ocean Boulevard’s southern end.
The new seating will be available mid-summer after work is done and offer live indoor music as well, he said. He is also opening a new ice cream shop next door named Penny Licks.
A few blocks up the beach, Fleury is also putting in a new addition at his Surf House Hotel on Ashworth Avenue. The new suites, he said, will be ready for visitors by mid-June.
Max Sullivan and Bob Albright contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach: Here are new shops, eateries, shows in 2024
