PYO Berries, Campfire Tales, Steampunk Festival, Hot Air Balloons, Oysters and more: New England Fall Events Top Picks for August 17th-23rd, 2016

Happy almost-end-of-summer fellow New Englanders!

It sure doesn't feel like fall yet as the weather has been awfully steamy but as we round into the second half of August, we are jumping out of our seat to get started with our festival-going!

Our Top Picks we recommend for the weekend will be listed at the end of this post. You can count on us to narrow down the most interesting, diverse, and worthwhile events going on every week from now through early November. Remember, our Top Pick are but a small selection from the 1700+ events we have listed this fall across New England--that is a lot of fun to be had in 3 months' time!

End of Summer fun at the Discovery Museums' new Discovery Woods Treehouse!

Discovery Museums of Acton, MA debuted the incredible new Discovery Woods--a fully-accessible nature playscape and treehouse constructed by DIY TV's The Treehouse Guys!
Discovery Woods "serves as a launching point for outdoor activity and woodland exploration. Accessible, elevated trails with interactive sensory and observation stations along the way. A climbing hill, adventure path, family slide, and nest swing support physical activity and risk taking. A rain garden, beaver lodge, birdhouse village and woodland nooks allow for quiet reflection and observation.

Connecting to nature has a positive impact on children's activity level, concentration, physical and mental health, and creativity, and can be foundational to healthy development. In keeping with The Discovery Museums' tradition of providing meaningful, fun learning experiences driven by kids' natural curiosity, Discovery Woods will open minds and bring families together in the joy of outdoor play."
It's no secret that New England Fall Events is a huge fan of Discovery Museums--a local treasure!
Read about our visit to Fairyborough at The Discovery Museums.

Salem Food Tours - A Memorable Culinary Tour Not to Be Missed!
One of our most beloved fall experiences was joining a Salem Food in September. The weather is ideal to head up to scenic Salem, MA so consider booking yourself early to lock up a spot on an incredible Salem Food Tour adventure hosted by Karen Scalia.
We reveled at the opportunity to delve into Salem's vibrant local food scene and check out numerous unique stops along on the tour. We can't recommend this foodie experience highly enough!
Read about our experience on the Salem Food Tour.

New England Berry and Peach Harvest Update

By now, raspberries, and tomatoes are front and center so keep your eyes peeled for local harvest festivals such as White Silo Winery's Blackberry Festival coming up this weekend in CT!

Lots of local farms are offering Pick Your Own blueberries and raspberries right now so stop by MA's Lanni Orchards and Kimball Fruit Farm, CT's Bishop's Orchards, or Maine's Doles Orchard to stock up on fresh picked fruit!
As you may have heard, the wild spring weather devastated the peach trees this year so unfortunately, nearly all New England orchards have suspended PYO peach picking for 2016.

Full Moon this Week--We'll help you find under-the-moonlight and stargazing events!

Whether you call August's full moon the Sturgeon Moon, the Grain Moon, or the Green Corn Moon, you'll love the chance to bask in the moon glow while enjoying one of dozen of full moon events going on this fall. Check out our Fall Guide to Moonlight and Sunset Events across New England.

Here are our recommended activities for August 17th-23rd, 2016

Great Falls Balloon Festival - FREE
Lewiston and Auburn, ME   Click for details
Friday through Sunday, August 19th-20th, 2016

Mahrajan Middle Eastern Festival
Manchester, NH  Click for details
Friday through Sunday, August 19th-21st, 2016

Campfire and Tales with Amoo
Hebron, NH    Click for details
Friday, August 19th, 2016
Click for more Moonlight and Sunset Fall Events

Blackberry Festival at White Silo Winery
Sherman CT     Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, August 20-21st, 2016

Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival
Charleton, MA    Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, August 20th & 21st, 2016

Gate City Steampunk Festival
Nashua NH    Click for details
Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival
Lowell, MA    Click for details
Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Milford Oyster Festival
Milford, CT      Click for details
Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Power of Play Festival

Boston, MA      Click for details
Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Gate City Brewfest & Wing Competition
Nashua, NH      Click for details
Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Kiddies Carnival - Boston Carnival Village
Boston, MA      Click for details
Sunday, August 21st, 2016

Central VT Chamber Music Festival
Sunday, August 21st, 2016      Click for details
Woodstock, VT

Sunset Kayak & Campfire
Martha's Vineyard, MA      Click for details
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
Click for more Moonlight and Sunset Fall Events

Remember, always double check with fall event hosts before heading out in case the events are adjusted for weather.

Here are quick links to the Apple Picking Guides for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

And while we're at it, here are your shortcuts to the maps for Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

It's good practice to always call ahead before heading out to PYO as some farms will adjust their hours for weather or they close to allow more time for fruit to ripen.