What's New

The City of Portsmouth NH Department of Public Works is hosting a public information meeting on the City’s Asset Management initiative on Thursday,

November 13, 2025 at 6 pm in City Hall Conference Room A and via Zoom. To register to attend via Zoom, visit: portsnh.co/meet_assetmanagement.

The City of Portsmouth announced that trick-or-treat will be rescheduled due to the impending storm on Thursday, October 30. The new trick-or-treat hours are 5 to 8 pm on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. The Portsmouth Police Department reminds everyone to watch out for trick-or-treaters and the increased traffic on the roads that evening.  

Other Halloween events this week include: 

The City plans to start work soon on the South Mill Pond Playground Project, included in the capital budget for FY25 and set to replace the existing South Mill playground with a new, universal design, ADA-compliant, age-friendly, inclusive playground. 

The City’s Public Art Review Committee (PARC) is hosting the dedication of its newest public art project on Thursday November 6, 2025 at 3:30 pm. The sculpture, Vito DiBari’s Spiraling Serenity, is located on Peirce Island (near the first parking lot over the bridge). The dedication ceremonies are free and open to the public.

Kelli Barnaby, City Clerk for the City of Portsmouth NH, announced the filing period for candidates interested in running for office in the City of Portsmouth Municipal Election opened on September 2, 2025 and closes on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The Municipal Elections take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.  Polling hours will be decided by the City Council at their meeting on September 8, 2025.

Non-Partisan Offices
The following non-partisan offices will be filled by the Municipal Election:

The 30th independently-organized Portsmouth Halloween Parade steps off from Peirce Island at 7 pm on Friday, October 31, 2025. The public is advised that there will be significant traffic delays in the parade route area as it passes and motorists are strongly urged to seek alternate routes away from affected streets.

Over the past two weeks, Portsmouth High School welcomed students from schools in the Friendship and Sister Cities of Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, (October 4 to October 12) and Nichinan, Japan (October 10 to October 16). The students stayed with Portsmouth host families, attending classes with their exchange “sisters and brothers,” and enjoying a taste of autumn in New Hampshire. The City also welcomed the son of the man who signed the 1994 Sister City Agreement between Portsmouth and Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland for a short visit on October 10.