Why I built this
I kept missing things
happening in my own backyard.
I'm Amy, born and raised in the Upper Valley — my family's been here since the 1960s. This is home, and it always has been.
The story starts in 2008, when another mom posted in an Upper Valley Parents group that she needed some help with a website. I love creating and thought it would be a fun way to connect with another mom in the area, so I responded to her request. She wanted to build a site for selling gift baskets full of local products, and I offered to help.
The gift basket idea never quite took off, but the following year she came back with a better one: a place for local parents to find out what was actually happening around the Upper Valley. We hashed it out over coffee at Panera, and in December 2009, Upper Valley Connections went live.
The original flyer, December 2009
In 2012, she moved on to new adventures and handed the site over to me. I ran it for a few years, and then life got busy — a full-time job, young kids of my own — and I let it lapse around 2016.
Fast forward almost a decade: I missed a few events my daughter would have loved, and it bugged me enough that I decided to bring it back. This past year alone, that's meant concerts, a prescreening of Project Hail Mary, slime making, comic camp, and a long list of other things my kids and I wouldn't have known about otherwise.
What started as a place for parents has grown alongside my own kids — these days you'll find farmers markets, food trucks, local craftspeople and vendors, and a full business directory alongside the events calendar. If it's happening in the Upper Valley, this is where to look.
It's still just me running it. No big company behind it, no algorithm deciding what you see — just someone who loves this community and wants to help you find what's happening in it.
"A community is really just people who show up for each other's stuff. This is where you find out what's happening so you can show up."
— Amy, Founder, Upper Valley Connections
The community so far
What you'll find here
Everything happening locally
Events Calendar
Concerts, farmers markets, trail races, art shows, community meetings, and everything in between. Submitted by organizers, curated for quality.
Browse events →Business Directory
Local restaurants, shops, services, and tradespeople. Real listings with hours, photos, and direct contact — no middlemen.
Find businesses →Local Marketplace
Fresh produce, handmade goods, local crafts, and farm products -- shop directly from Upper Valley makers, farms, and vendors.
Shop local →