It’s time to break out the sweaters and boots and celebrate Autumn with your family by attending one of the many New England Fall Festivals!
Enjoy seasonal wine tastings, seafood, hot cider and donuts while listening to live music in the park, cheering on your favorite tractor or voting for your favorite pie!
These fairs and festivals are the perfect venues to enjoy the cool autumn harvest before the winter Nor’easters blow!
So, put on your your favorite Fall sweater and boots! Let’s check out these apple picking, corn mazing, cranberry stomping New England Fall Festivals!
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12 Best Fall Festivals in New England
Connecticut Fall Festivals
Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival
What perfect timing to ward off Dracula before Halloween arrives by attending the Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival!
Check out their garlic cooking demonstrations and learn how to grow garlic. Sample and buy ‘everything garlic’ from growers and specialty food vendors.
And for the foodies, it’s all about the garlic!
Homemade roasted garlic sausage with peppers and onions, wood fired garlic pizzas, garlic roast pork sandwiches, deep fried garlic, and even garlic ice cream are just a small sample of the items you’ll find at the festival food court!
There’s live music and lots of fun rides and games for the kids too! Don’t forget your breath mints!
Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival
Though coastal Connecticut doesn’t get quite the vibrancy of the fall foliage, it still celebrates its’ maritime heritage and history.
The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival is a 3-day September celebration along historic New London’s waterfront.
The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival features lots of old sailing schooners and tall ships along with modern Coast Guard and Navy ships to board and tour.
Watch the fishing industry challenge events at the waterfront park where kids of all ages and adults can try their seamanship at the Mystic Seaport’s Sailor Skills Stations.
And, bring your camp chairs to the Mermaids and Sea Monsters Parade.
Festival goers can sing along to sea shanties and enjoy live music entertainment.
There’s also beer trucks and lots of food vendor tents for the growling bellies of seafarers and landlubbers.
PRO TIP: If you love tall ships, take a trip to Visit the Historic Waterfront Port of Erie, Pennsylvania
Maine Fall Festivals
Maine’s big draws in the summer are the coastal seafood festivals and taking part in blueberry raking.
However, when Fall arrives, Maine gets to be first to put on a vibrant display of color.
And what perfect timing to experience the harvest festivals at the same time!
Fryeburg Fair
Since 1851, the Fryeburg Fair has reigned as Maine’s largest and oldest fair.
For 8 days, fair attendees can enjoy this classic Maine hometown tradition of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Visitors can enjoy blue ribbon classics like horse shows, draft horse pulling, petting farm, over 3000 livestock animals, sheep sheering demonstrations, pie and jelly contests and more!
The Fryeburg Fair also offers amusement and carnival rides, games and food vendors.
But you’ll want to wear your walking shoes because your feet will get quite a workout on it’s 185 acres and 100+ buildings to visit!
Acadia’s Octoberfest – Bass Harbor (2022)
Coastal Maine’s Southwest Harbor puts on a quite an event in October; Acadia Octoberfest!
For 10 full days, visitors can enjoy beer and wine tastings while feasting on regional chowders and lobster, sriracha sesame sausages, gourmet grilled cheese, freshly popped kettle corn and more!
Freeport Fall Festival – Freeport
L.L. Bean provides center stage of the Freeport Fall Festival.
This celebratory autumn event brings in thousands of visitors for the 3 day autumn event in early October.
Festival attendees get to enjoy over 175 local artisan and craft vendors, live music, local food vendors and more.
There’s lots of free activities for the kids such as scavenger hunts, face painting and crafts.
And there’s tons of goodies to buy in the town’s local boutiques and shops as well as the L.L. Bean Flagship store.
PRO TIP: Want to know where the best places to see the Fall Foliage in New England? Check out these 100+ Best New England Fall Foliage Destinations
Massachusetts Fall Festivals
From the Berkshires to Boston’s Beaches, Autumn presents the perfect places to enjoy Massachusetts fall festivals where visitors from all over can enjoy apple pie, parades and local music!
Lenox Apple Squeeze – Lenox
Coined the best fall festival in the Berkshires, the Lenox Apple Squeeze features over 150 food, business, farm stands, artisans and craftsmen, sidewalk sales, and lots of food and drink.
The Apple Squeeze event also includes a 5k, kids activities, wagon rides around town, and live music and entertainment.
And while those are fun, feasting is this fall festival’s highlight! Just as the name of the festival implies, it’s everything apples!
Apple Squeeze attendees will get to enjoy numerous types of apple treats from hot and cold apple cider, apple pie, applesauce, apple donuts, and other delicious apple treats.
Harwich Cranberry Arts and CranJam Music Festival – Harwich
The Harwich Cranberry Arts and CranJam Music Festival is a two day event held behind the Harwich Community Center on Cape Cod. For the Arts Festival, there will be an Artisan Market featuring over 150 different craft vendors.
After you’re done shopping for handcrafts, bring your own chair and blanket to sit and enjoy the CranJam Music Festival.
The CranJan showcases wonderful musicians from far and wide. You’re sure to enjoy the eclectic range of music.
And, there’s a wooden dance floor under the tent to get your boogie on.
Then, lay back and relax while oooing and awwwing with the fireworks and more music.
New Hampshire Fall Festivals
New England’s Granite State has several pumpkin and harvest festivals that make those Fall leaves crunch with excitement!
But it’s also time to slow time down before winter pounds on the door.
These New Hampshire autumn favorites are amongst the best New England Fall Festivals.
Applecrest Farm Fall Festivals – Hampton Falls
Every weekend in September and October, Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls puts on a series of Fall Festivals where you can enjoy storytelling, live music, and lots of fun things to do for kids of all ages.
Your littles can enjoy the animal barnyard, tractor rides, facepainting while adults can enjoy pick-your-own raspberries, pumpkins and apples, farm stand and bakery.
Enjoy lunch at a their farm to table Bistro with patio; their famous corn roast and BBQ, grilled gourmet sausages, Maine clam chowder, fresh pressed apple cider; all while taking in the orchard views.
Check out their Harvest Kick-Off, Indian Summer Festival, Autumn Equinox, Fall Foliage Spectacular, Columbus Day Weekend Festival, Oktoberfest, and Storybook Hayrides.
White Mountain Octoberfest – Lincoln
“Zicke Zacke, Oi! Oi! Oi!” You’re going to want to get your Lederhosen out for the White Mountain Octoberfest!
This long time German tradition comes alive in early October at Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
Craft beers and brats, German culture and cuisine, and fun Bavarian games are on the event itinerary for this fun New England Fall Festival!
Adults from all over take part in the brewfest’s keg tossing and stein hoisting competitions while the kids take part in fun things to do.
Enjoy live music of a traditional Oompah band, potato sack and even pumpkin rolling races round out the many events.
New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival – Laconia
A Fall Harvest without pumpkins is like a festival without lights.
But this fair event won’t have that problem at the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival in downtown Laconia in the heart of the Lakes Region.
Obviously, everything is about the star of the show; the great Pumpkin!
Watch as the townspeople stack Jack-O-Lanterns over 34 feet high!
Take part in pumpkin carving and enjoy other pumpkin-themed events such as scarfing down pumpkin pancakes, drinking pumpkin beer, pumpkin painting, pumpkin races and games for all ages!
But it doesn’t end there! Other fun-filled fall festival events include the children’s costume parade, Jack-O-Lantern Lighting, Zombie Walk, Halloween movie showings and finally the Pumpkin Dump Derby!
Rhode Island Fall Festivals
Although the Ocean State is the smallest state in New England, it’s big on celebrating the fall season in style with these to fall festivals.
Autumnfest – Woonsocket
Every Columbus Day weekend, the largest Fall Festival in Northern Rhode Island takes place in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Autumnfest brings neighboring towns together for a fun-filled fall festival the goes down in the books as one of Little Rhody’s favorites!
The event draws thousands each year starting with their parade, amusement rides and games, food vendors, live bands, entertainment, tons of fair food and a beer garden for the adults.
The festival committee has also added Senior Activities to the list of fun events that take place in Wine Garden Tent.
Misquamicut Fall Festival – Westerly
Who said one can’t enjoy the New England beaches in the Fall?
That’s so not the case in Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island!
Every September, the Misquamicut Fall Festival offers world-class carnival amusement rides and games on the beach!
There’s also non-stop music entertainment, dancing and a classic car show.
For the foodies, vendors will be serving local festival favorites from clam cakes and chowder to sausage subs and steak sandwiches, gyros.
And let’s not forget all the fall festival favorites; fried dough, candy apples, cotton candy, and kettle corn!
And while you’re getting your shopping fix at the craft show, the kids can get their fill with henna tattoos, hair wraps, and face painting!
Vermont Fall Festivals
The Green Mountain State comes alive with color and excitement during Autumn.
Lot’s of fall festivals that include local town fairs, hayrides and tractor pulls, apple picking and pumpkin patches are just waiting for you and your family.
But this one is a sure fire hit for your family for the day!
Burke Fall Foliage Festival – Burke
The Burke Fall Foliage Festival always takes place the last Saturday in September in Northeast Kingdom.
This jam-packed day includes the town parade, BBQ burgers and dogs, free ice cream and face painting for the kids, horse drawn wagon rides and petting zoo.
Also, in the early afternoon, attendees can play Cow Plop Bingo and cheer on their duck in the Rubber Ducky Race at Dishmill Brook.
For those wanting to get a start on holiday shopping, their craft fair features over 70 local artisans and craftsmen.
And, families can enjoy the Wildlife Encounters show at the Gazebo and schoolhouse tours featuring food forest tours, cider pressing demos and lots more!
There’s something for everybody in this Vermont fall festival celebration!
Check out what to expect during your visit to the Burke Fall Foliage Festival:
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Final thoughts on Fall Festivals in New England
Don’t those New England Fall Festivals sound amazing!? Autumn is a great time to gather with friends or make new ones.
From Maine to Rhode Island, there’s plenty of fairs and festivals in most every town or county.
If there’s none listed in your town, check out neighboring towns’ Chamber of Commerce or tourism office.
Want to know where celebrate other holidays and events?
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