Mac and Cheese, Pirates, Salem Spices, Night Hikes, Doggie Events, Craft Beer, Cider Fests, and more: New England Fall Events Top Picks for Sept 7-13

You know we're into the fall when you start seeing the calendar jam-packed with so many events!

New England Fall Events delivers the most trusted fall event coverage in area--here's why:
We know that it's never enough to just tell you what's going on in the area every weekend. We make it a priority to visit events first-hand in order to answer all the questions you may have--What's the parking situation? Should you plan for an hour or a whole day? Will you find food options for kids with allergies? Is it stroller-friendly? What about bathrooms and where to grab lunch?
We take the stress out of trying something new by helping you make informed decisions about what kinds of events fit your style and interests.

In case you missed it...Fairy Houses are kinda popular

One of our most popular articles we've every written was about the upcoming Portsmouth NH Fairy House Tour. It's clear our readers LOVE events like these! With an event as special as Portsmouth's our article will help you discover all the reasons why it's a worthwhile road trip and how much time to spend (hint--a full day).
Click to read: Portsmouth NH Fairy House Tour is a Magical and Imaginative Weekend

If you are looking for more events like these then you'll want to bookmark the following: Fall Guide to Fun Fairy and Princess Events in New England

Contest to WIN a FAMILY PASS to the Portsmouth NH Fairy House Tour

We have a special contest running right now to enter to win a win a FAMILY PASS (4 people) to the Portsmouth Fairy House Festival on Sept 25th and 26th! This is one of our most exciting contests of the season and this gem of a festival shouldn't be missed! Contest ends Saturday Sept 10th and we'll pick TWO winners. No limit entry!

Fall Fun for You and your Pooch!

One of our most beloved guides we publish is our pet-friendly event guide so if you haven't bookmarked it yet, here's a quick link: Pet-Friendly Fall Events for You and Your Pooch.

There are FOUR wonderful dog-friendly events this weekend:
Pet Rock Festival in Leicester MA
The Walk for Greyhounds and Chili Cookoff in Walpole, NH
Doggy Daze Corn Maze at Marini Farm in Ipswich, MA
and the Somerville Dog Festival in Somerville, MA!

Looking to share your apple-picking adventures with your dog? Check out our Guide to Pet-Friendly Apple Orchards and Corn Mazes across New England! Remember to share with your fellow pet lovers!

It's a Food Lovers Weekend in New England!

If gourmet mac and cheese is right up your alley then buy tickets soon for the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Mac and Cheese Challenge! 

New England Fall Events had a gut-bustingly tasty experience there and we know you'll love it too! We have insider tips on attending this festival (with kids or without) so do yourself a favor and read "Our Tasty Carb-venture at the VT Mac and Cheese Challenge".
Insider tip: If your family favors bland, from-the-box mac and cheese, be prepared that this festival features high-flavor, inventive, unusual recipes, and culinary creativity.

Another super family-friendly event with a historic twist is the weekend-long Salem Spice Festival coming up this Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th.

Nestled among the tall trees which enclose the living history museum Salem Pioneer Village, this festival focuses is on sweet and savory spices and their uses throughout history--and the setting couldn't be lovelier in the fall! They will have local food vendors, herbal demos, children's crafts and more.
Read about our first-hand visit in our article "Salem's Spice Festival Celebrates New England Trade History"

The Big E turns 100 years old! 
In honor of one of the largest and oldest New England fair's 100th birthday, we've been rolling out a series of featured articles about different aspects of The Big E experience. If you've ever attended The Big E, you know that it is too varied an adventure to write one short blurb about so we aren't even going to try. Instead, New England Fall Events has written a mega-article covering the full Big E experience and we're highlighting different parts of the fair in the days leading up to their opening.

In case you've missed it, here's our Preview of The Big E and our Stroll through the Avenue of the States which published this week. If you can;t get enough and want to jump to the full article, by all means, grab a cup of coffee and sit down to enjoy!

New England Fall Events' Top Recommendations for this Weekend's Fall Fun

This weekend is abundant with fall fun options--there are many worthwhile events vying for your attention. Our weekly Top Picks are below but remember to visit your state’s Fall and Activities guide or Food and Harvest Festival Guide for many more events and food festivals.

New England Fall Events' Top Recommendations for September 7th- 13th, 2016

As always, we have our Top Picks for the weekend below but you can also find even more fall events, harvest and food festivals and must-see events listed for each state at our website!

Local Harvest Dinner at the Phelps-Hathaway House

Suffield, CT    Click for details
Friday, September 9th, 2016

Annual Colonial Cider Festival
Sudbury, MA    Click for details
Friday, September 9, 2016

Night Hike at Fields Pond
Holden, ME     Click for details
Friday, September 9th, 2016
Click for more Moonlight and Sunset Fall Events.

Twilight Hike at Sholan Farms
Leominster, MA     Click for details

Friday, September 9th, 2016
Read about New England Fall Events' visit to Sholan Farms in our article "Family-Friendly Twilight Hiking at Leominster's Sholan Farms"
Click for more Moonlight and Sunset Fall Events.

Fall Newport Secret Garden Tour
Newport, RI     Click for details
Friday through Sunday, September 9th - 11th, 2016

Eastport Pirate Festival
Eastport, ME    Click for details
Friday through Sunday, September 9th-11th, 2016

Great Maine BBQ Festival
Southwest Harbor, ME     Click for details
Friday through Sunday, September 9th - 11th, 2016

Doggy Maze Daze at Marini Farm Corn Maze
Ipswich, MA     Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, September 10th & 11th, 2016
Click for more Dog-friendly Fall Events.
Click for Dog-friendly Apple Orchards.

King Richard's Renaissance Faire
Carver, MA    Click for details
Saturdays and Sundays, September 3rd-October 23rd, 2016
Find everything you want to know about the KRF experience in our  article "King Richard's Renaissance Faire Offers Costumed Charm and Good Cheer"

Spice Festival at Pioneer Village Salem
Salem, MA    Click for details
Saturday, September 10th and Sunday, Sept. 11th , 2016
Read about our visit: "Salem's Spice Festival Celebrates New England Trade History"

Golden Honey Festival
Proctorsville , VT     Click for details
Saturday, September 10th, 2016

Treasure Hunt
Walpole, MA     Click for details
Saturday September 10th, 2016

Boylston Schul-Verein OktoberFest
Walpole, MA     Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, September 10th & 11th, 2016

Annual Lobster Feast at Onion River Campground
Plainfield, VT    Click for details
Saturday, September 10th, 2016

Craft: Artisan Beers and Trades at Old Sturbridge Village

Sturbridge, MA   Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, September 10th & 11th, 2016

Early Guilford Days Family Festival
Guilford, CT     Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, September 10th & 11th, 2016

Wild Edibles Walk at Gilsland Farm
Falmouth, ME    Click for details
Saturday, September 10th, 2016

Annual Rhode Island Heritage Day Festival
Providence, RI     Click for details

Saturday, September 10th, 2016

Norwalk Oyster Festival
East Norwalk, CT    Click for details
Saturday and Sunday, September 10th & 11th, 2016

Annual Vermont Mac & Cheese Challenge
Windsor, VT     Click for details
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Read about our visit to this festival: "Our Tasty Carb-venture at the VT Mac and Cheese Challenge". 

Salem Polish Festival

Salem, MA     Click for details
Sunday, September 11th, 2016

Somerville Dog Festival
Somerville, MA    Click for details
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Click for more Dog-friendly Fall Events.
Click for Dog-friendly Apple Orchards.

Walk for the Greyhounds & Chili Cook-off at Alyson's Orchard 
Walpole, NH     Click for details
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Click for more Dog-friendly Fall Events.
Click for Dog-friendly Apple Orchards.

Apple picking this weekend?  New England Fall Events has you covered with our Activity Guides complete with farm features, maps, and contact info for orchards in your local or road-trip destination in New England. Here are quick links to the Apple Picking Guides:

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

Use our attraction maps to scroll and filter to farms and attractions you! Visit our Orchard and Fall Attraction state maps for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

It's a smart habit 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.