What's New

The Portsmouth NH City Council voted to approve three hours of free parking in the City’s Foundry and Hanover Garages from Monday, December 15, 2025 through January 1, 2026 to encourage enjoyment of holiday events, dining, and downtown shopping.

Downtown employees who use the City’s discounted parking program in the Foundry Garage can receive an additional three hours free of charge.

The City’s 2025 Holiday Tree Lighting and Illuminated Holiday Parade festivities will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025 starting at 5 pm. Portsmouth’s Tree Lighting ceremony takes place on the first Saturday in December each year from 5 to 5:30 pm, followed by the annual Illuminated Holiday Parade. 

The City Welfare Office is continuing its annual holiday tradition by collecting gift cards for families with older children who are often not included in other gift donation programs in the City.

The City's Department of Public Works is continuing leaf collection and composting in parks and greenspaces. Curbside yard waste pickup will run through November 30, and residents may also drop off yard waste at the Recycling Center.

On Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 11 am, Veterans Day will be commemorated in Portsmouth with a wreath-laying at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Goodwin Park. A post-event gathering will take place at the American Legion Post (96 Islington Street). In case of rain, the event will move indoors to the Legion.

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 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.