Nightlife
Trivia Night at Kooks
Tuesday, August 25 · 6:30 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
Team trivia on the deck, 6:30-8:30pm. Trivia and music bingo trade off Tuesdays all summer.
Seacoast Local Loop Spotlight
Kooks Cafe
Right off the shoreline in Rye, Kooks is built for beach days. Grab a coffee and something fresh in the morning, cruise back for bowls and smoothies, then finish it off with tacos, bites, and Beach Bar hangs when the sun starts dropping. Come as you are. Stay a while.
"Me and my dog’s new favorite spot! Genuinely the most wholesome and laid back atmosphere. The girls who work here are so kind and the coffee, drinks, and food are so yummy! You guys are gonna get sick of us this summer- definitely will become a routine outing! ☺️🌞💛"
- Brianna, Google Review
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Restaurants · Rye, NH
What's happening in Rye this weekend?
Rye has 19 upcoming events, 1 of them this weekend (Aug 28–Aug 30). Highlights include Trivia Night at Kooks at Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar; Thursday Night Fever with DJ NDB at Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar; Saturday Market at Kooks at Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar.
Upcoming in Rye
All events → Nightlife
Thursday Night Fever with DJ NDB
Thursday, August 27 · 6:30 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
DJ NDB spins oceanside at Kooks. Kitchen open until 9, bar until 10.
Markets + Shopping
Saturday Market at Kooks
Saturday, August 29 · 2:00 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
Local makers and vendors set up at Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar, steps from the sand on Ocean Blvd. Runs 2-6pm.
Outdoor
BioBlitz at Odiorne Point
Sunday, September 20 · All Day
Seacoast Science Center
Seacoast Science Center's annual community science day - families and experts explore and document the biodiversity of Odiorne Point State…
Markets + Shopping
Saturday Market at Kooks
Saturday, July 25 · 2:00 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
Local makers and vendors set up at Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar, steps from the sand on Ocean Blvd. Runs 2-6pm.
Community
Dog Days of Summer at Kooks
Monday, July 27 · All Day
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
Bring your pup to the patio - Kooks' dog-friendly Monday by the beach.
Nightlife
Trivia Night at Kooks
Tuesday, July 28 · 6:30 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
Team trivia on the deck, 6:30-8:30pm. Trivia and music bingo trade off Tuesdays all summer.
Live Music
Atlantic Grill Music by the Sea: Season Finale
Thursday, July 30 · 6:00 PM
Seacoast Science Center
The final 2026 concert of the oceanside series at Odiorne Point State Park. Gates at 5pm, music 6-8:30pm. Tickets sold only by Seacoast…
Nightlife
Thursday Night Fever with DJ NDB
Thursday, July 30 · 6:30 PM
Kooks Cafe and Beach Bar
DJ NDB spins oceanside at Kooks. Kitchen open until 9, bar until 10.
Where New Hampshire first met the sea
Rye is where New Hampshire began - the state's first settlers landed at Odiorne Point in 1623, and four centuries later the town still belongs to its shoreline. There is no downtown to speak of, and that is the point: Rye is eight miles of the best coastline in the state, strung with beaches, salt marsh, and stone walls.
This is my water town. I paddle board out of the harbor on calm mornings, jog the hard sand at low tide, and have strong opinions about which seawall pull-off has the best sunset. The local rhythm is simple: Wallis Sands for the classic beach day, Jenness for surf, Odiorne for tidepools with kids, and the boat out to the Isles of Shoals when visitors want the full story. It is the quiet exhale between Portsmouth's buzz and Hampton's boardwalk.
Things to do in Rye
- › Explore Odiorne Point State Park and the Seacoast Science Center's tidepools
- › Beach day at Wallis Sands or Jenness Beach (arrive early in summer)
- › Cruise to the Isles of Shoals from Rye Harbor State Marina
- › Bike the coastal stretch of Route 1A - the prettiest ride in NH
- › Winter storm-watching from the seawall pull-offs
Local favorites
- Odiorne Point at low tide - tidepools, WWII bunkers, and the site of NH's first settlement in one walk
- Rye Harbor - lobster boats, whale watches, and the best sunset bench on the coast
- Route 1A in October - surf on one side, flaming maples on the other
Good to know Beach lots fill by mid-morning in summer and most street parking is resident-permitted - carpool, come early, or come after four. The Science Center is the rainy-day save with kids.
The Rye guide
Full food & drink guide →Eat, drink, shop & do in Rye - where locals actually go.
Golfing
See the full guide →
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club
A historic waterside layout where Little Harbor views chase you around nearly every hole. It is private, so cultivate a member friend - the scenery fully justifies the social effort.
Breakfast Hill Golf Club
The locals' go-to public 18 on the Greenland/Rye line - a Brian Silva design that has collected four-star best-places-to-play honors while staying reasonable on green fees. Always in better shape than the price suggests, which is exactly why the regulars keep quiet about it.
Daily 7am-5pm, wknds from 6:30am
Directions
Non-Profits
See the full guide →
Seacoast Science Center
The nonprofit ocean-education hub at Odiorne Point, where kids go from tidepool touch tanks to standing under a full whale skeleton. A family membership pays for itself in one rainy summer week - this is the Seacoast's best bad-weather insurance policy.
Beaches
See the full guide →
Wallis Sands State Beach
The reliable choice: wide, clean sand, a bathhouse, lifeguards in season, and views out to the Isles of Shoals. The lot holds roughly 500 cars and still fills by late morning on hot weekends. One thing the generic lists never mention: surfing is not allowed here, so board people should point toward Jenness instead.
Jenness State Beach
Rye's surf beach, where wetsuits outnumber beach chairs most mornings and the vibe stays mellow all season. The state lot has all of 67 spaces, so dawn patrol is not just for the surfers. It is also my favorite stretch for an early jog on the hard sand at low tide.
Odiorne Point State Park
Less a swimming beach than a shoreline to explore - tidepools, WWII bunkers, bike trails, and the Science Center all in one park, on the site where New Hampshire's first settlers landed. Check the tide chart and go at low tide; it is the best rockpool adventure on the NH coast and my favorite off-season walk.
Local Seafood
See the full guide →
Petey's Summertime Seafood
The Rye Harbor institution where post-beach traffic pulls over for overstuffed lobster rolls and award-winning chowder. Grab a deck seat facing the harbor and time it right - the fishing boats come home while you eat, which is the whole show.
Seaport Fish
A full-service market on the Rye/Portsmouth line where the counter staff actually know which boat your fish came off. My standing advice: walk in without a plan, ask what came in today, and build dinner around the answer. It has never steered us wrong.
Restaurants
The Carriage House
Oceanside restaurant and raw bar with modern New England cuisine on Ocean Boulevard.
Petey's Summertime Seafood & Bar
Full sit-down seafood restaurant with lobster rolls, fried clams, and a bar — open year-round.
