For your convenience, our most common customer questions are answered right here. Not finding what you want?
Reach out directly through our Contact Us page.
Where is The Stone Church located?
The Stone Church is located at 5 Granite Street in the heart of Newmarket, NH. We are the highest point in town… so if you’re lost, just go up! From downtown, turn onto Church Street, between our friends at Kennebunk Savings and the post office. The road takes a sharp left and then a hairpin right which will lead you right to our dirt parking lot. You’ll see us from the bottom of the hill.
Can you tell me about your history? Did Aerosmith, Phish, and Bonnie Raitt really play The Stone Church, or is that just a myth?
Is The Stone Church just a concert venue?
NO! Along with being a music venue, we are also a restaurant, lounge, and function hall. We have our main floor room that serves all of these purposes. We have also opened the Ballroom on the second floor. On many days, our music does not start until 9pm, so you can come in and grab a meal and a beverage of your choice before the music starts. Typically, our weekday shows are free of charge, so you can stay well into the music after eating. For our ticketed shows, we go around about an hour before showtime and ask people who aren’t paying for the show to please plan to head out after they finish their meals.
Where can I park? Are there areas where I can’t park? Can I leave my car overnight?
Yeah, we got parking! There’s are three lots. Our big gravel lot, you cant miss… it’s big and its gravel. We try to squeeze as many cars in there as we can, so please park reasonableyclose. We also have a paved lot on the opposite side. The super secret lot is the upper portion of Church Street.
We absolutely encourage you not to drive if you have been drinking. UBER and LIFT are readily available. If you want to leave your car overnight in our lot, please just tell one of the bartenders that you plan to do so. We do tow cars that have been parked for more than a day, cars that are in our lot during posted outdoor events, cars that are parked blocking our dumpster, and cars that are parked in our lot during snowstorms.
Please do not park your car with any part of it over the white line on Granite St. We know that it doesn’t look like much of a road, but the police do come by to check, and they will ticket cars that might impede emergency vehicles. Also, please don’t park in the small paved lot across the street from our main dirt lot. It’s not ours.
Are you handicapped accessible?
Heck yeah! Please park in the smaller paved lot ton the north side of our building. We have a ramp that leads directly inside from that parking lot. Our bathrooms are located at the end of a ramp, and are accessible. We have ramps available to get musicians in wheel chairs onto the stage.
We highly suggest that you call ahead at 603.659.7700, so that we can have the advance notice necessary to accommodate you as best we can!
How late are you open?
We often serve alcohol until last call 7 nights a week (1am), and legally, we must make sure everyone is out of the building by 1:30am. There are certain nights when we will close earlier than 1am if there is no crowd. We serve a full menu until 10pm, 7 days a week.
Do you have A/C?
Yes we do. You can dance all summer long at the Stone Church! We keep it nice and cool.
Do you have a coat check?
No, we don’t. There are plenty of places to hang your jackets, and if you ask us nicely, we will hold special garments behind the bar for you.
Do you have a lost and found?
Oh yeah! It’s usually overflowing. We hold onto everything for a month, then we donate the stuff that doesn’t fit us quite right.
Do you offer Gift Certificates?
Yes, we offer gift certificates. They can be purchased at the bar and will soon be available on our website, and in any denomination. Please note that gift certificates are only good for food and drink, not for tickets.
Do you sell merchandise?
Yes, we have t-shirts, tank tops, and other seasonal items for sale behind the bar.
I love The Stone Church, and want to throw a private party with you guys! Is this something you do?
Absolutely! We love throwing parties, weddings, receptions, etc. Please CLICK HERE for more information.
I notice you have a patio. Can I eat and drink out there?
Yes, our liquor license allows us to serve you food and drinks out on our patio, and The Stone Church is one of the few places in town where you can eat and drink outside! Please just stay within the fenced-in area. You can go onto the patio year-round, though we only provide service on the patio when our servers don’t need to put a jacket on to go outside. If you come to The Stone Church and would like to be seated on the patio, please come inside first, and tell either the hostess, or come up to the bar and alert a bartender.
Can I bring my dog to The Stone Church?
Dogs are welcome on our patio, where we have hardware to attach leashes and a community canine water bowl. Unfortunately, we cannot allow dogs inside our establishment due to sanitation laws.
Do you allow smoking?
The Stone Church is a completely smoke-free establishment (as is the rest of NH). We allow people to smoke outdoors, but ask that you remain at least 10 feet from the building and the patio area. The benches by the front stairs or the tables by the parking lot are good places to smoke. And please, please, please toss your butts into intended receptacles! Our staff hand-picks up butts to keep the place clean, and we’re all getting sore backs.
Do you take reservations?
We only take reservations for dinner parties of 6 or more and we do not take reservations on evenings with ticketed shows. Please call or email us with your request.
Does the Stone Church serve food? What are the hours? The menu?
Yes, we serve a full menu from 4pm-10pm, 7 days a week. Our menu can be found HERE. We are very accommodating to gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and other dietary preferences, so please ask your server what your options might be, and specify any allergies and their severity. We offer an area of fountain sodas, craft sodas, hot coffee & tea from White Heron in Portsmouth, lemonade, and juices.
Does the Stone Church serve alcohol?
Yes, we have a full-service liquor license. We offer a wide selection of 14 craft/local beers on tap, as well as more traditional domestics (and a gluten-free and nonalcoholic beer) in cans and bottles. We have a full bar, and a cocktail menu to help you navigate our large stock of liquor! We offer a couple of red wines and a couple of whites.
Do you have a happy hour?
Yes, we have a Happy Hour Monday-Friday, from 4-6pm, which features $2-off drafts, $2-off burgers, and $2-off starters & snacks. During Happy Hour, our complete menu is available as well.
Why do I see some people drinking out of mega mugs or huge goblets?
These are members of our Church Chior, our version of a mug club! You can become a member – no try-outs required. Members receive a 22 oz. mug or chalice for the price of a pint… and their Happy Hour is extended until 7pm every day. Talk to a bartender to get signed-up!
Can we seat ourselves? Do we have a waiter or waitress?
Feel free to seat yourselves when you come in. Occasionally, we will have a hostess on staff during busy evenings, but if you do not see anyone at the front, sit wherever you like! A server will be over to you shortly. We provide table service up until about 9pm every night. At around 9pm, we will keep your tab open, but simply ask you to come up to the bar to order, since it is oftentimes difficult for us to get out from behind the bar and meander around dancing people once the music starts!
Do you have live music every night?
We provide live music 6 nights a week, and trivia on the other night! Our weekly schedule is as follows:
Sunday- Lazy Sunday Busking Series, 4:30-6:30, Open Mic hosted by Dave Ogden, 7pm
Monday- A rotating calendar of events, including Blues Jam hosted by John Webb & Wild Eagle Blues Band, 7:30pm
Tuesday- Root Tootin’ Acoustic Hoot Night with Eli Elkus, 8-Midnight
Wednesday- Pub Quiz with Geeks Who Drink, hosted by Sarah Gerard, 7-9pm
Thursday- Live Irish Music with Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki & Jim Prendergast,6-9 and a late show when its cold out side
Fri/Sat- Local and/or nationally-touring acts
For more details on any of these events, please CLICK HERE
Do you ever have comedy shows?
Yes! We work with a local comic named Josh Day, who puts together our Stone Church Comedy Series every third Saturday of the month, unless we occasionally have to move it to another Saturday. The Stone Church Comedy Series consists of a rotating group of comics, and occasionally we have “bigger-name” comics come in for a special show, so check out our calendar!
I really, really want my band to play at The Stone Church! How do I go about doing that?
For booking inquiries, please CLICK HERE. Please fill in the entire inquiry sheet, and give us all of the information that we need- it will make the booking process much easier.
Also, if you are a new band who doesn’t have much show experience, come to our Open Mic night on Sundays! Many of the bands who are headlining sold-out gigs now got their start by convincing us of how great they were at Open Mic night! Remember, we are a homegrown club, and a number of successful musicians got there start here,
What time should I arrive at a show to get a good seat?
The Stone Church provides a mix of early and late shows. At most of the late shows, it isn’t too difficult to find a seat, as most patrons are dancing, standing, or moving around a lot. However, seating for some early shows (usually 7pm) can be tight, and we typically suggest arriving close to 60 mins before showtime to get a good seat. Seating is first-come, first-served, and becomes standing-room only as the room fills up.
Can we eat during the show?
Yes, we serve our full menu until 10pm each night, and strive to provide full service to every table throughout the majority of our early shows.
What is seating like?
We have a large booth that seats 8 in the back of the room, 8 tall tables around the perimeter of the room that each seat 4, 6 low tables in the middle of the room that each seat 4, a beautifully crafted community table that welcomes 14, and about 18 seats at the bar. During some shows, we create rows of chairs on our dance floor, and we ask that those who are seated in those rows come directly up to the bar to order food and drink.
Please note that we do not always have seating for everyone, and that when all seats are filled, we go to standing-room only.
So you have a dance floor?
You bet, LET’S DANCE!
Why is there a cover charge?
Musicians have to eat too! We want our patrons to know that at least 85% of the cover charge, and sometimes up to 100%, goes DIRECTLY to the band you are seeing. The bigger the audience, the more the musicians get paid. If we do keep portion of the cover charge, it is to help pay for our sound engineers and security staff. If you come to a free show, please consider tipping the musicians, but do know that The Stone Church is paying the band, and that we never expect artists to “donate” their craft for no compensation.
Do I always have to pay a cover/have purchased tickets to come in?
Absolutely not! Sunday through Thursdays are now almost always COMPLETELY FREE, and tickets are not required for entry on Friday and Saturday until our ticketed shows start. Our door guys usually start collecting about an hour before the show. We open at 4pm every day and encourage you to join us for Happy Hour from 4 – 6 during the week. Or just come down for dinner whether you’ll be staying for the show or not.
Where can I buy tickets to shows?
Tickets can be purchased off our website, as well as at The Stone Church on the day of the show. We are not a traditional box office, so you can buy pre-sale tickets only online. Pre-sale tickets typically go on sale about a month before the show. We do not offer pre-sale reservations for free shows.
I see that a show is SOLD OUT. Does this mean that you will still hold some tickets at the door?
If a show is SOLD OUT online, we may still be holding tickets at the door. If you go online and pre-sales are sold out, it will tell you whether or not tickets are still available at the door. They typically are. We now have a capacity of 185, and will do what ever we can to get you in.
I purchased tickets on-line, but I don’t have a printer. How do I get my tickets?
No worriess. Every presale ticket purchase is printed off on a list and held at the door. Simply show up with an ID to confirm the identity of the person who purchased the tickets, and you’ll be all set. If you have the ability to print out your tickets, please do so as a “just in case” measure. If you bought tickets but would like to transfer them to somebody else, simply tell that person to provide your name at the door and state that the tickets were bought for them.
Are tickets refundable? What if a show is rescheduled or cancelled?
All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges for tickets purchased through this website will be made. If a show is cancelled and rescheduled, the ticket holders will be given the option of either having their tickets refunded or transferring their tickets to the rescheduled show. If a show is cancelled but not rescheduled, the tickets will be completely refunded.
I see that your pre-sale price for a ticket is $6, and $8 on the day of the event, but then once I’ve purchased the ticket online, I’m bagged with a service fee that makes the pre-sale price the equivalent of the day of! What gives?
Those fees go to the ticketing vendor. We could never figure out how to do online ticket sales ourselves, so it’s the best we could do. We always encourage people to purchase their ticket ahead of time and to view the extra change as a “peace of mind” investment in case the show sells out. The pre-sale price, even with fees, will always cost less than paying at the door.
It’s snowing really badly. Can I get a refund for my ticket?
We will only provide a refund for weather-related issues if the show is cancelled. Stay tuned to our website and to your email for updates on cancellations. If a show is cancelled, all ticket-holders will be notified via email at least 4 hours before the event.
May I bring my bag or backpack into the show?
Small bags are fine to bring inside, but backpacks are not allowed. Our staff may search your bags.
What are the age requirements for a show? I’m under 18 and want to come to a show.
Many of our regular music nights are all-ages! This means that you would be able to come to our Sunday Open Mic, Monday’s events, Tuesday’s Jam, Wednesday’s Pub Quiz, and Thursday Live Irish Music. You may have to deal with having a giant black “X” on your hands, though!
However, those under the age of 21 are always allowed into shows as long as they are accompanied by a parent/guardian who stays with them for the entire show. This doesn’t mean that you can bring your 23-year old sister and call her your guardian; you need to be with a legit adult.
What about small children? Are they allowed with a parent?
Yes, they are allowed but not encouraged for every show. Our late shows, especially, can be very loud, and smaller children’s ears are much more susceptible to the high decibel levels. On that note, we do sell earplugs!
Over the years, we have created many family-friendly music events, the most popular of which are our Live Irish Music on Thursdays from 6-9pm and our Lazy Sunday Busking Series on Sundays at 4:30. We now have a stack of high chairs, and a special Kids’ Menu to make it even more comfortable for your little ones. CLICK HERE.
Can I take photos? Record audio or video?
You are more then welcome to take photos. Video and audio are at the discretion of the band, so please ask a Stone Church staff member if you intend to record.
I got thrown out of The Stone Church and hate everyone there now.
It happens and it’s not fun for any of us. The State of NH has very strict rules governing the consumption and sale of alcohol, and we take these rules VERY seriously. Reasons you can get thrown out of The Stone Church include: furnishing alcohol to someone who’s underage, drinking while underage, using false ID, being bothersome to those around you, starting a fight, stage diving, damaging our property, or using illicit drugs. We understand if you don’t like us afterwards. Trust us, we don’t like being the bad guys either, but in order to continue bringing shows to the area and maintaining a professional and safe business, we have to enforce these rules.
I purchased tickets but you wouldn’t let me in, what’s the deal?
If you show up to The Stone Church visibly intoxicated, we’re going to refuse you entry. No refunds will be granted if you are refused entry, so please be responsible if you choose to pregame. Again, we don’t like keeping you from seeing a band you’re stoked to see, but we do have to follow state policy.
I left you a voicemail, but haven’t heard back yet.
We check voicemail approximately every 24 hours, and you should expect a call within 48 hours of leaving your message. Please call back if you have not heard from us within that 48-hour window. Sometimes, we have a hard time making out your phone number on the messages you leave, and can’t call you back that first time! You can also email us at [email protected]
Do you have a dress code?
No, provided that you do wear clothes that cover all of the parts that should be covered! And we must ask that you wear shoes at all times. Broken glass is a normal part of bars, and we do not want to be liable for your cut feet!
I forgot to close my tab at the bar. Where can I retrieve my credit card?
Come back to the bar any time after we open (4pm, 7 days). We will give you your credit card back, along with your sales receipt. We run your card at the end of the night on which you visited, and add up to 15% service charge to the total.
Do you have a mailing list? How do I get on it?
Yes! CLICK HERE to receive our weekly newsletter.
Are you hiring?
We are a very small staff, with a low turnover rate, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t looking to meet new people to bring on when a position opens up! We are often looking for experienced cooks. If you are interested in being any part of our team- front of house, bartender, security, cook, sound engineer- please EMAIL US a paragraph describing yourself, and attach your resume! And it never hurts to come in and introduce yourself to us at [email protected]– many of our staff started out as “regulars.”
