Entertaining the Lakes Region
The Great Waters Community

At Great Waters we believe now more than ever that it is important to share the power of music and the performing arts.

Great Waters Community Efforts

Street Piano Project

The brightly painted pianos of the Street Piano Project are a visible and hands-on way to engage our community in the joy of music. As part of our core mission, we share the message that “Music Heals” throughout the Wolfeboro area.

Street Piano Project

Our small but mighty fleet of pianos are deployed throughout Wolfeboro from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Each brightly painted piano sits proudly outside numerous Wolfeboro businesses waiting for you to stop and play a few notes or a whole piece!

If it is summer, grab your friends or a family member to record a quick video playing your favorite piece on the piano. You might be featured on our website!

Here’s how:

  1. Upload the video to your social media account
  2. Tag us @GreatWatersNH and #StreetPianosProject

* By submitting your video you are giving Great Waters permission to share your video via our social media channels, website, email, and more. We will list your name with each video for credit.

Education Outreach

Encouraging Local Youth + Scholarships

The Great Waters Education Mission

To encourage local youth to pursue careers related to performing arts by providing scholarships for college students, working with booster clubs to raise awareness for their programs, and collaborating with other arts organizations to support and elevate educational opportunities.

Education Outreach

Encouraging local youth

In 2022, Great Waters is excited to offer some music education programming associated with our inaugural performance of the “Concerts in Town” series. Check back here for updates. 

The Barbara & Dave Lobdell Scholarship Fund

Since its inception, the Great Waters Scholarship Program has contributed financial assistance to music students in the Lakes Region, helping them on the journey to connect their gifts with the needs of the music world. In 2021, the program was renamed the Barbara and Dave Lobdell Scholarship Fund in honor of a couple who have served the organization in a variety of roles over the past 25 years.

Great Waters Scholarship applications are accepted  each year from New Hampshire Lakes Region residents.  High school, college, or graduate students with interest in pursuing a career in some facet of the performing arts and music are encouraged to apply for financial assistance.  Our scholarship recipients are announced typically in May and honored at one of the Great Waters concerts. 

Scholarship recipients are also welcome to apply for the Great Waters’ paid summer internship program. This program provides opportunities for real world experience in stage production, audio, lighting, and music. 

The scholarship program is funded in part through the generosity of donors, including the Nancy P. Marriott Foundation. For every ticket sold, $1 is donated toward our scholarship fund. We are proud to say, Great Waters presented two scholarships to Lakes Region students in 2021, three in 2022, and four in 2023.

Thank you to all who donate during NH Gives, Giving Tuesday, and through donations to Great Waters to make this happen.

Congratulations to:

Mr. Stevens  stated in his recommendation “ Nick’s passion and desire to succeed have served him well during his time at Prospect” and as you said in your essay, “Many forget about the arts, but I want to continue to live my life in my passion of music and promote the arts!”

Nick was selected because we believe in your future success in the Arts!

Mr. Beyrent stated in his recommendation “Olivia’s dedication to learning music is noteworthy. She is always eager to learn and absorb knowledge.” and as you said in your essay, “I will never fall out of love with music, performing and giving others the gift of music will continue to be my motivation.”

Mr. Geissler stated in his recommendation; that you are “an amazing musician,” and as you said in your essay, “there is still so much more for me to do, so much to experience, and so much to accomplish in the world of the arts, and hopefully you can assist me with my journey.”

As your drama teacher stated, “Maria totally immerses herself into the character and plays every scene , beat and nuance to perfection.” and as you said in your essay, “I have a can’t miss plan on becoming a star!”

Christopher taught himself to play the fiddle and later added the guitar and the ukulele as a child. Christopher said that music allowed him to work through emotions he didn’t have the words to express, and his music teacher said he has developed a mature artistry in his playing coupled with self motivation and drive. He has also composed and performed his own original music. “Dudley the Fiddler”, as many call him, will be starting at Oral Roberts University in the music therapy program to help others understand and experience the healing power of music.

Lizzy is heavily involved in the Theater Performance program having acted, built sets and worked on lighting in numerous productions. Lizzy sings, plays the piano, ukulele, guitar, alto and baritone sax and is learning the bass guitar. She was involved for four years in the Kingswood Jazz Band and performed with the Clear Lakes Chorale and The Kingswood Summer Theater as Belle in Beauty and the Beast among other roles. This summer, Lizzy will be working as an assistant director with the Kingswood Summer Theater in their production of Frozen.

Zach Wenners is a 2022 graduate of Kingswood Regional High School and is enrolled in Plymouth State University’s music, technology and production major. Zach believes strongly in the power of music to heal, as he feels that music has given his life meaning and direction. Bobbie Burns, the head of Performing Arts at Kingswood, described Zach as having a rich knowledge of music, performance and theory plus the will power, strength and perseverance to be extremely successful. His skills as a drummer, a timpanist and a bass guitarist have been showcased in the Lakes Regional Music Festival, All New England Band Festival and New England Jazz Festival. In addition to his music, Zach is committed to community service and giving back to others.

Nick Reed

Alton, NH

Olivia Fanjoy

Gilmanton, NH

Austin Johnson

Ossipee, NH

Austin Johnson

Ossipee, NH

Christopher Dudley

Barnstead, NH

Lizzy Fogg

Wolfeboro, NH

Zach Wenners

Ossipee, NH
Scholarship Award Program

Apply for the Scholarship!

To apply, please fill out the online application and email additional information.
Applications for the 2024-25 school year are due: Friday, April 5, 2024

More information about the Great Waters Scholarship Award Program is available either by calling or emailing us. 

Partnership with Castle in The Clouds

Concerts in the Clouds Series

In the summer of 2021, we connected the Lakes Region through our partnership with Castle in The Clouds.
The Great Waters venue is a stunning and spacious open air performance space, protected from the elements, that offers a one of a kind live music experience. Make it a day up at the Castle in the Clouds with walks/hikes, tours, ponds, and gallery. 

See their calendar of happenings here.

Castle Tours

The Castle is known for its 1914 Arts and Crafts mansion, eating lunch on the terrace, or enjoying a walk on its many trails with beautiful vistas and waterfalls. Be sure to check their website for opening day. 
Make sure you stay up to date with events via their Facebook Page.

Long-term Partnership

Spectacular outdoor venue

Great Waters, the preeminent provider of entertainment for the New Hampshire Lakes Region, and the Castle Preservation Society have formed an exciting long-term partnership to bring live concerts to the meadow at Castle in the Clouds. This partnership will feature some amazing Great Waters events to be held at this spectacular outdoor venue.

Castle Preservation Society

Focused on providing enriching experiences to the community and visitors from all over the world, Castle in the Clouds is operated by the Castle Preservation Society whose mission is to preserve, interpret, and share the buildings and landscape of Castle in the Clouds as a cultural resource for the benefit of the public. The historic estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with national significance. More information can be found at www.castleintheclouds.org.

This one of a kind collaboration offers an exciting and new venue for Great Waters audiences, unique to anything available in the New Hampshire Lakes Region, and we look forward to expanding our relationship in the years to come.

The Partnership

This partnership will serve as a way to bring new cultural activity to the historic estate, provide a spacious outdoor venue for Great Waters, and introduce new audiences to both organizations. The “Concerts in the Clouds” series will be held under a tent overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding Ossipee Mountains.

This partnership is an exciting opportunity to offer visitors the chance to experience amazing musical performances in one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Lakes Region. Bringing new cultural experiences to the Castle is one of our strategic goals and we’ve found a wonderful partner in Great Waters to do just that.

Upcoming Events

Limited Hiker Parking

Hikers, skiers, and snowshoers are welcome to visit the grounds and access the LRCT hiking trails, which are open daily from dawn until dusk. However, please note that public hiker parking will be limited this winter to the designated hiker parking lot at the top of Ossipee Park Road, across from the CG Roxanne water bottling plant. Parking in non-designated areas is not allowed and may lead to your vehicle being towed. Additionally, the historic entry road to the Castle Estate will remain open for winter hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. We do ask that anyone enjoying winter recreation on the estate grounds please respect the No Trespassing area surrounding the Carriage House and Castle. This area is closed to the public at this time.

Virtual Christmas

Just because Christmas at the Castle is not taking place this year doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate together! Stay tuned to our Virtual Library to check out new holiday-themed offerings online that you can enjoy watching, reading, and doing throughout the month of December. Learn how to make holiday cookies, how to create your own Christmas countdown calendar or garland, read about Christmas traditions, and more!