Seacoast Stories

The best restaurant on the Seacoast? Some will tell you it's The Black Birch . Tucked away in Kittery Foreside, this gastropub is a fan favorite lauded for its deviled eggs, short rib, cocktails, and intimate setting. In fact, when Ben Lord and Gavin Baudry started dreaming of having their own spot while both serving tables of Anneke Jans, the vision they'd laid out is nearly identical to...

In August 1905, the eyes of the world were looking at Portsmouth, N.H. The site of the peace talks for ending the Russo-Japanese War, Portsmouth played host to the delegates from Russia and Japan, who hashed out the particulars of the deal at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In this weeks-long affair, the citizens of Portsmouth rallied around the cause, hosting dinners, parties, and parades to creat...

Jessica Sunshine couldn't take it anymore. New Hampshire's changing policies. The complaints from the parents. The stress. So, after 10 years of teaching high school English across several New Hampshire high schools, the 32-year-old won't be returning to the classroom this year. Instead, she's focusing on building her dream of helping students feel seen and heard in a different way...

On one of the biggest days of their lives, Bill and Bennett Camarda's lives were flipped upside down. On today's episode, the husband-and-wife co-owners of Limitless Fitness (Epping & Greenland, N.H.) open up about the emotional rollercoaster of the last two years, from dealing with unimaginable grief, to acquiring Limitless in 2024, building a second location, and so much more. From the West...

Are you holding yourself back without even realizing it? Julie Costa used to. But then, she found hypnotherapy. And ever since she started getting out of her own way, she's now committed to helping others dig underneath the subconscious so they can unlock their true potential as well. Formerly a high-level employee at Lululemon and a bodybuilding competitor, Julie is now a certified hypnothera...

Where are all the Seacoast men? Every week, it feels like a new women's group pops up. And understandably so! Women NEED a safe space to gather, connect, and feel safe. "Seacoast Stories" supports all of those groups. But we also recognize that men need connection, too, especially as traditional masculinity has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years, partly leaving men to...

"You should sell these!" That's what Jeff Buckwalter said to his sister-in-law, Leigh Kellis , when he first took a bite of the potato-based donut she made in her home kitchen. Soon after, Leigh took his advice by opening The Holy Donut on Park Avenue in Portland, M.E., in 2012. A year later, after the Instagram-friendly potato donuts became a hit in the town, Kellis brought Jeff -- with nearly tw...

Inga Potter knew there was a better way. So when her colleagues told her about the indelible benefits of kelp, the marine biologist couldn't help but go down a rabbit hole about the seaweed strand that looked to be the next big thing in the wellness industry. Then, when Inga told her longtime friend Krista Rosen, a former lawyer, about her kelp-based dreams, the two decided to go all in togeth...

"Who is my father?" Tanya Hart asked herself this question repeatedly through the first 40 years of her life. Until, one day in 2020, she finally found the answer. From the West End of Portsmouth, the Seacoast business tycoon sits down with ⁠host Troy Farkas⁠ to tell the WILD story of how she tracked down her biological father during the pandemic. Then, the Oomph Salon & Ash Alchemy...

David Vargas was a f**k-up. As a teenager in Santa Ana, Calif., the devil tapped him on the shoulder every day. Without a clear direction in life, he started smoking marijuana, which quickly turned into doing all the drugs: Cocaine, ecstacy, ketamine, and more. Drugs were the only thing David believed he was good at. Until, one day, he prepared a fried bologna sandwich for his friends while they w...

Maddie Brandon never felt like she fit in. With no form of safe self-expression available to her growing up in-real-life, she turned to social media. Fast forward 15 years, and she's quickly become one of the top social media creators on the Seacoast. With 14,000 followers, the 27-year-old's Instagram page represents all of our collective fantasies: Luxury Airbnb stays, scenic helicopter r...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains references to eating disorders. Listener discretion is advised. Erin Holt wanted to fix herself. After years of battling eating disorders, she dreamt of learning how to diet better. So when she went to school for dietetics, she did so solely to help herself. Flash forward 20 years later, and now she's one of the foremost voices in the world of functional nutr...

*This episode is presented by ⁠Blue Water Mortgage⁠ in Hampton, N.H. **We're also brought to you by ⁠Portsmouth Paddle Co.⁠ and ⁠Seavasana⁠ ! In front of a SOLD-OUT live audience at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., it's the official kickoff of Season 3 of "Seacoast Stories!" In this episode, host Troy Farkas begins the show by reading an emotional message sent in by a listener of t...

Bill Blum knew something was wrong. They grew up adoring women's fashion. And in 2012, when they hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine!!!), they wore a kilt the entire time. Still, it took a few more years for Bill to put the pieces together. And when they finally did, their entire life came crashing down. Today, Bill is the proud owner of Pride Toolbox, a handyperson&#39...

The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is THIS THURSDAY! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jay Collins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Live Freely's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Pine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , and Cup of Joe's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joanna Kelley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Plus, we'll play Seacoast Trivia, hand out prizes from Loaded Question Brewing, Flamingos Coffee Bar, The Living Room, and more...

The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jay Collins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Live Freely's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Pine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , and Cup of Joe's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joanna Kelley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Plus, we'll play Seacoast Trivia, hand out prizes from Loaded Question Brewing, Flamingos Coffee Bar, The Living...

In the final episode of Season 2, past guest Alex Bynum takes the mic to interview host Troy Farkas ! From the West End of Portsmouth, the two discuss the 6/19 live podcast, why Troy became a yoga teacher this year, and what to expect in Season 3. Plus, Seacoast Rapid Fire -- which may or may not include a rant all of you can relate to. Then, in Part Two, Troy revisits five of the most powerful mo...

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's ⁠⁠Jay Collins⁠⁠ , Live Freely's ⁠⁠Alyssa Pine⁠⁠ , and Cup of Joe's ⁠⁠Joanna Kelley⁠⁠ . To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here. ** Cody Whelan was miserable. Feeling purposeless in his geology career, he came home after...

The Leavitt Theatre almost ceased to exist. In the mid-2010s, after the Ogunquit-based silent film theatre found itself gasping for air in the midst of the home movie theater and streaming revolution, it nearly shuttered its doors. But then, after drawing upon the good faith created over the previous decades with the patrons of Ogunquit, the theatre raised an astounding $70,000 on Kickstarter in 2...

Food insecurity is only worsening in this country. And Gather , one of the longest running social programs in America, is dedicated to battling this growing problem on the Seacoast. With a mission to fight food insecurity with innovative solutions and in dignified ways, Gather is a FORCE when it comes to nonprofits on the Seacoast. In 2024 alone, Gather distributed 1.7 MILLION pounds of food. They...

Laura Fox thinks about her deathbed often. It's why she spends the majority of her time doing what she loves: Playing music, traveling, moving her body, and connecting with others, and it's why -- at Maine Fox Marketing -- she only works with clients who share her values. The secret weapon behind some of your favorite Seacoast brands (Vernon Family Farm, The Press Room, Soul Models, etc.),...

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. For tickets, click here. The Seacoast as we know it today? It nearly never existed. That's because, in the 1970s, the world's then-richest man, Aristotle Onassis of Greece,...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠⁠ In a special bonus episode, one of Troy's favorite people Miss New Hampshire Emily Spencer returns to the show! The two are also joined by 16-year-old Miss Inspiration winner Avery Byron, a little person (or dwarf) who hails from Londonderry, N.H. From t...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating last week's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl this Friday! ⁠ Snag your FREE tickets today.⁠ Tom Bath remembers his first sip of craft beer like it was yesterday. In the 1990s, the Pacific Northwest was at the epicenter of the craft beer explosion. And Tom, stationed in Seattle with the Navy at the time, soon fell in love with not only the bever...

**Seacoast Stories is celebrating today's 50th episode with a Portsmouth West End Bar Crawl on 4/25! Watch here for more details and snag your FREE tickets today. Book 'N Bar, Ten Thousand Villages, Life Is Good, Colby's, Earth Eagle Brewing, Litherman's Brewing, Stroll Cafe. The last year in Portsmouth has been a business bloodbath. Why are so many beloved downtown Portsmouth businesses closing t...