The Casino Ballroom is a professional rock venue originally built in the late 1900's. It sits on the Hampton Beach Boardwalk facing the oceanfront. 2200 capacity non seated events 1800 capacity. All reviews general admission hampton beach beach boys great place to see a concert venue stage bands acoustics summertime nh. Joe K wrote a review Apr 2020. 13 contributions 2 helpful votes. Been to the Casino many times the past 30 years. Just one of the hottest Go To spots in NH. Nothing like the Casino ballroom. Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is a legendary music and comedy venue on the Hampton Beach boardwalk in New Hampshire. According to Pollstar, it ranks No. 23 in the Top 100 Worldwide Club.
Location in Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire. | |
| Coordinates: 42°54′26″N70°48′43″W / 42.90722°N 70.81194°WCoordinates: 42°54′26″N70°48′43″W / 42.90722°N 70.81194°W | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Rockingham |
| Town | Hampton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.4 sq mi (3.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,275 |
| • Density | 1,700/sq mi (650/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 03842, 03843 |
| Area code(s) | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-33140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0867344 |
| Website | www.hamptonbeach.org |
Hampton Beach is a village district, census-designated place, and beach resort in the town of Hampton, New Hampshire, United States, along the Atlantic Ocean. Its population at the 2010 census was 2,275.[1] Hampton Beach is in Rockingham County, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Portsmouth. The community is a popular tourist destination and the busiest beach community in New Hampshire. Ocean Boulevard, the main street along the beach, includes a boardwalk, many shops and businesses, several seasonal hotels, and the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, which hosts national acts in the summer.[2]Hampton Beach State Park was named one of four 'Superstar' beaches in the United States in 2011, for having had perfect water-quality testing results in each of the previous three years.[3]
History[edit]
The Hampton Beach Village District was established on June 26, 1907, to provide electric power and water to the summer tourist community. In 1923, the village's first fire station was built, after two fires destroyed a large section of the beach settlement in 1919 and 1922. The original fire station was razed and replaced in 2014.
On February 26, 2010, during a severe storm[clarification needed], a fire burned down all the buildings in a block at Hampton Beach, including the Surf Hotel, Happy Hampton Arcade, and Mrs. Mitchell's Gift Shop. The fire started in the Surf Hotel and was spread to the other buildings by high winds.[4] The cause of this fire is unknown. The area has been rebuilt, with a larger hotel and a new Mrs. Mitchell's.
Geography[edit]
Most of the resort village lies on a barrierspit separated from the mainland by a large estuary system known as Hampton Harbor. The estuary serves as the mouth of several rivers, the largest being the Hampton River from the northwest. New Hampshire Route 1A serves as the main north-south route through the beach area, connecting the village to Seabrook Beach to the south (across the Hampton Bridge traversing the Hampton Harbor Inlet) and Little Boar's Head in North Hampton to the north. Access from the west is provided by three roads: New Hampshire Route 101 is the main access point to the densely populated southern resort area from most points west, while Winnacunnet Road (officially New Hampshire Route 101E) provides access to the less developed areas at the center of the village near a large salt marsh conservation area. Winnacunnet Road marks the northern edge of the census-designated place, but New Hampshire Route 27, known locally as High Street, marks the northern edge of the resort area.
The heaviest development lies south of the Ashworth-by-the-Sea hotel, located at the eastern terminus of NH 101 where it meets NH 1A, known locally as Ocean Boulevard. From this point south, NH 1A splits into two one-way streets: the southbound Ashworth Avenue, and the northbound Ocean Boulevard. Cross streets through this area run from A Street in the north to M Street in the south. The southern end of the spit is mostly state park, with little to no buildings or development. North of the junction of 101 and 1A, the area is much less developed, dominated mostly by a large salt marsh conservation area, with small businesses and bungalows along Ocean Boulevard (NH 1A). North of Winnacunnet Road (and outside the CDP), a second area of heavier development begins with Kings Highway parallel to Ocean Boulevard, and cross streets numbered from 1st Street in the south to 19th Street in the north. The resort ends at the Windjammer Hotel at its northern end, at the junction of NH 27 and NH 1A.
The census-designated place (CDP) portion of Hampton Beach extends from the Seabrook town line in the south to Winnacunnet Road in the north. The western border, separating it from the Hampton CDP, follows Tide Mill Creek within the Hampton Saltmarsh, and the eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hampton Beach CDP has a total area of 1.37 square miles (3.55 km2), of which 1.27 square miles (3.29 km2) are land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km2), or 7.23%, are water.[1]
Demographics[edit]
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,275 people, 1,227 households, and 555 families residing in the CDP. There were 3,158 housing units, of which 1,931, or 61.1%, were vacant on Census Day. 1,443 of the vacant units were seasonal or vacation rental units. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.8% white, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.8% some other race, and 1.9% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[5]
Of the 1,227 households in the CDP, 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were headed by married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% were non-families. 45.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83, and the average family size was 2.49.[5]
12.0% of residents in the CDP were under the age of 18, 6.6% were from age 18 to 24, 23.6% were from 25 to 44, 41.7% were from 45 to 64, and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.[5]
For the period 2011-15, the estimated median annual income for a household was $53,095, and the median income for a family was $78,929. Male full-time workers had a median income of $56,875 versus $70,461 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $48,728. 14.8% of the population and 12.7% of families were below the poverty line, along with 44.7% of people under the age of 18 and 0.0% of people 65 or older.[6]
Attractions and events[edit]
Is The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Air Conditioned
The New Hampshire Marine Memorial is located on the beach along Route 1A at the terminus of New Hampshire Route 101.
The Hampton Bridge carries Route 1A into the south border of the community.
The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom has been the center attraction at Hampton Beach for more than 100 years. The Ballroom continues to draw some of the top names in entertainment. Recently, the Ballroom placed in the top 30 for worldwide ticket sales in venues under 3,000 seats.[7]
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival - Since 1988, the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Seafood Festival Committee have helped put New Hampshire on the map as a vacation destination. The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival has a profound effect on seacoast businesses, the community, and the overall economy of the area. Restaurants, lodging, shops, and businesses in general depend on the Seafood Festival as the primary contributor to their bottom line. Many Chamber members say it is even bigger than the '4th of July' in sales volume. The Festival, held the weekend after Labor Day, is also instrumental in extending the summer season. Dozens of non-profit organizations also earn a major portion of their income through revenues earned at the Festival, allowing them to continue to support their causes that benefit the citizens of New Hampshire. The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival has evolved dramatically, and has been acclaimed as 'One of the Top 100 Events in North America', by the American Bus Association in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2006. Event attendance is now estimated as exceeding 150,000.[8]
Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture Competition - Since 2001, the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce has sponsored, with the help of Seaside Hotel, a sand sculpture competition that has brought numerous sculptors from across America to Hampton Beach in mid-June. The 4 day contest is seen by thousands and then put up for illumination for two weeks. Prizes (top prize of $50,000) are rewarded via fan voting and through the Chamber.
There are fireworks on the 4th of July and every Wednesday of the summer at 9:30 pm. There are also fireworks held to cap the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival in September, with a launch scheduled for that Saturday at 8:15 pm.[9]
References[edit]
Ashworth By The Sea Hampton Beach
- ^ ab'Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hampton Beach CDP, New Hampshire'. American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom official site
- ^'Superstar Beaches'. Natural Resources Defense Council. June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^Patrick Cronin (March 14, 2010). 'Out of the ashes: Hampton Beach businesses plan economic development summit'. Seacoast Online. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ^ abc'Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Hampton Beach CDP, New Hampshire'. U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^'Selected Economic Characteristics: 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Hampton Beach CDP, New Hampshire'. U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^Casino Ballroom history
- ^Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce official site
- ^Hampton Beach Village DistrictArchived 2008-01-14 at the Wayback Machine official site
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. |
By Ross Bachelder
SPOTLIGHT -- Seacoast Arts & Entertainment
Published by Seacoast Newspapers
Thursday, May 4, 2000
Pages 12-13
The Hampton Beach (Casino Ballroom, the fabled Seacoast area venue for topnotch acts from the world of entertainment, has launched its 101st season this year -- earlier than ever before -- and expects to dazzle Seacoast area audiences with the range and quality of its 2000 schedule.The Casino has already hosted two blockbuster shows: Kenny Wayne Shepherd -- to a sold-out audience of 2,200 -- and Warrant (with local band Choke opening the concert) in a show that filled a very respectable 1,700 seats. Now the Ballroom is preparing to roar through the rest of its action-packed season with a fabulous array of events that are sure to knock the socks off regular Casino fans and first-timers alike.
Here is all of what's been scheduled so far; but stay timed because exciting events are sure to be added as the season unfolds. It's important to note that unless otherwise stated, all Hampton Casino ballroom shows begin at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.
On Friday May 12 Deadheads will be treated to The Mickey Hart Band, including Vince Weinick, with local jam band Percy Hill opening the show. On Thursday, May 18 the Casino will for the first time play host to Vertical Horizon, along with special guest Earth to Andy's. Still another first-timer appearance will be by the bands Dope, Primer 55, and Pimpadelic who will appear together on Friday May 26.
A very special annual event will be staged at the Casino on Thursday June 1 at 7:30 p.m. It's called the WERZ Beach Bash 2000 formerly the WERZ Summer Kick Off Concert — and will feature Train, Splender, Westlife, and Vitamin C. Then, on Sunday, June 11 at 7 p.m. Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and the Edgar Winter Band will make an appearance. On Saturday, June 17, 'Dr. Dirty' John Valby swings into the Ballroom for another powerful performance.
By any measure, July will be a huge month for the Casino. On Saturday, the 1st of July, Little Richard — one of our most cherished pioneers of early American rock music — will take the Casino by storm for the first time in more than two decades. Little Richard's appearance promises to be a major highlight of the 2000 season.
'Weird Al' Yankovic invades the Ballroom with his wacky heartwarming act on Thursday July 6. Yankovic is a perennial favorite on the pop music scene, with a formidable army of loyal followers. You'll want to order your tickets early for this event. Then, on Saturday July 8 -— only two days later — the Casino hosts The Royalty of Doo Wopp. featuring The Delvikings, The Belmonts, The Drifters, The Marvelettes and The Royalty of Rock N' Roll All Stars.
The Robert Cray Band returns on Thursday, July 13, followed the very next night by another signature event at the Casino: the Friday, July 14 ESPN2 Live Friday Night at the Fights. The action for this power-packed evening begins at 7:30 p.m., and you can bet it will be a knockout. On Saturday, July 15, Jimmy Cliff drops into the Ballroom for a night of reggae, and one week later, on Saturday, July 22, MTV's D.J. Skribble — Dance Party will be staged at the Casino for the first time.
The month of August will be just as spectacular at the Ballroom. On Wednesday, Aug. 2, K.C. & The Sunshine Band will return, followed on Friday, Aug. 4 by the ever-popular singing sensation Pat Benatar. Another return act, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, will appear on Saturday, Aug. 5.
Wednesday, Aug. 9 brings Bela Fleck and the Flecktones plus Medeski, Martin and Wood to the Ballroom. Three days later, on Saturday, Aug. 12, Burning Spear will make an appearance. Then, on Saturday, Aug. 19, Eddie Money -- a long- time favorite of Casino audiences -- will bring his musical magic to the Casino stage. On Wednesday, Aug. 23, The Beach Boys, whose very special style changed the course of rock 'n' roll forever will return to the Casino, followed on Thursday, Aug. 24 by another return group, Carrot Top. The final group to appear in August will be The Righteous Brothers, scheduled to perform at the Casino on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Finally, on Sunday, Sept. 3, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes will fill the Casino Ballroom with their hard-driving melodies. Altogether, Hampton Casino 2000 is certain to be one of the Casino's finest seasons in memory.
Hampton Casino has enjoyed a long, proud history as one of the premiere entertainment facilities in northern New England. In its more than 100 years it has proudly hosted a long and impressive list of top-ranked entertainers, from Bing Crosby, Frankie Lane and Sammy Kaye to Fats Domino, Roy Orbison and the Kingston Trio. Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and Bonnie Raitt have performed there. So have Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin and Sinead 0' Connor.
It all began shortly before the 1900s, when Massachusetts businessman Wallace D. Lovell, owner of the Exeter, Hampton and Amesbury Street Railway Company put up the money for the construction of a two-story wood-frame building whose purpose was to draw people into the Hampton Beach area and stimulate business. The building was christened the Hampton Beach Casino, and it soon became a major destination for people who loved to escape their responsibilities by hopping on the trolley and visiting the beach.
A little more than a quarter of a century after the Casino's founding, radio, records and motion pictures were creating a new kind of entertainer — the national star — and because of that a new dance hall was added to the south portion of the original structure in 1927. Soon, more than 20,000 people were dancing at the Casino Ballroom every week. It also helped that the place was air-conditioned. Seventy years ago such a luxury was almost nonexistent, so Hampton Casino soon established itself as a marvelous place to be away from the oppressive heat and occasional stagnancy of small-town life.
Today the Casino Ballroom has a capacity of more than 2,000 seats, and it continues to draw capacity crowds to its high quality events. The place is filled to overflowing with memories of the superior talents that have enriched the Seacoast area with their gifts. Within the last year or two, the 'Gold Sections' — the two seating areas especially well-positioned for viewing — have been more than doubled in capacity to accommodate the increasing demand for top-quality close-up entertainment.
Cindy Burke brings extraordinary credentials to her work as the assistant general manager of the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. She earned a master's degree in psychology and went on to work in college admissions, but her attraction to the world of entertainment couldn't be denied. Soon she landed a job as group sales manager at the Centrum in Worcester, Mass., a 15,500-seat area with a worldwide reputation as a special events facility Within four short years she had worked her way up to the position of director of marketing. Then, on the recommendation of Don Law Productions, the respected big-venue entertainment agency she came north to the Hampton Casino, where fbr the past four years she has employed her entrepreneurial talents to increase attendance and book more and more sought-after entertainers into the Ballroom.
As long as she can remember, Burke has been excited about working in the entertainment field. She loves the performers and thrives on the profusion of creative energy that grows naturally from her work at the Casino. She thinks of performers, staff members and audiences as 'family' and works hard to keep them united in their mission to bring worthwhile entertainment to the Seacoast.
She can cite incident after incident that has given her a lasting sense of fulfillment, but on the day I interviewed Burke in her office in Hampton one moment in particular was on her mind.
'Weird Al' Yankovic is one of the most charming, cooperative and agreeable entertainers I've ever had the pleasure to work with,' she says. 'He's always been more than willing to take part in what the industry calls 'meet and greet' sessions.'
One night, when the parade of post-performance autograph seekers was especially long, she offered to cut the line short and send him on his way home to a good night's sleep.
Surprisingly, he'd have nothing to do with her proposal. 'You know what?' he said with passionate conviction. 'These people are the folks who make it possible for me to have two cars, a beautiful home and a chance to do the thing I love most to do. How could I possibly turn them down?' The line of autograph seekers wasn't depleted until 2:30 in the morning.
That same laudable spirit of generosity motivates Cindy Burke, too. Not content merely to help the Casino make more and more money, she decided early in her tenure as assistant general manager to make the Ballroom a place where giving is as important as receiving. In each of her four years at the Casino, the Ballroom has donated a portion of its ticket revenues to worthy charities in the Seacoast region. As I completed my interview with Burke, she informed me that Hampton Casino was about to write $7,400 checks to each of four important charities -— a direct benefit from the Casino's 1999 ticket sales. A Safe Place, Make a Wish Foundation, Seacoast Hospice and the Fish House Foundation are the lucky recipients. Next year, the town of Hampton will receive one of those checks, which will be used to assist in the renovation of schools, playgrounds and recreational equipment.
For the past several seasons, Hampton Casino has expanded steadily beyond the confines of the traditional Memorial Day opening and Labor Day closing times. Cindy Burke calls those expansions the 'bookends' of the Casino season, and she sees the trend toward expansion as a good omen — a sign of even greater things to come. In fact, the Casino has begun to explore the possibility of heating the Ballroom so that it can stage events far deeper into the second half of the year and earlier in the spring.
'When we scheduled Kenny Wayne Shepherd this year on April 21, the show quickly sold out,' says Burke. 'We've been quietly testing the waters for several years, and we've come to realize that Hampton Casino is no longer merely a summer venue. Now we have proof that the Seacoast area public clearly wants a longer season, and we're delighted to be able to give them what they want.'
For tickets and information about Hampton Casino Ballroom events, call (603) 929-4100. You may also order tickets online at www.casinoballroom.com. The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is located at 69 Ocean Boulevard in Hampton Beach.