The Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont has it all: the thrill of a 140 year old collegiate football rivalry, quiet days with family and friends picking apples and baking pies, baking classes for home bakers and professionals, drop-in sessions for musicians, working-farm museums and more. There are a lot of fun fall activities in the Upper Valley, you just need to know where to look. Here are a handful of fun things to do, and you won’t have to travel far to enjoy them when you find your perfect home in the region. We look forward to seeing you at the game. Go Big Green!
Dartmouth Football Games: The Dartmouth Big Green football team competes as an NCAA Division I football team as a member of the Ivy League. There is a long and storied rivalry between Dartmouth Big Green and Harvard Crimson dating back to 1882. Dartmouth won its first game against Harvard in 1903. Big Green beat Harvard in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The homecoming game against Harvard will be held at Memorial Field in Hanover, NH at 1:30 pm on Saturday, October 29th, 2022. Root, root root for the home team!
Apple Picking: There are a lot of wonderful apple orchards growing exceptional fruit and making delicious cider for visitors young and old. Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon is one of the biggest and oldest orchards in New Hampshire. The pick-your-own apples season starts in September and ends on Halloween. Visitors are made welcome to picnic and walk through the orchards and woods. A visit to the orchard can be a quiet and relaxing fall day for the entire family. Children’s parties are welcome, they ask you to please call ahead and reserve the picnic tables. This is New England charm at its finest.
Corn Mazes: You can pick your own apples at Patch Orchards in Lebanon, NH...and then get temporarily lost in a tricky corn maze. Pick up some cider donuts at the farm stand first: the donuts will help you maintain your strength and keep a clear head during this annual New England right of passage. The corn maze is $7.00 and free to children 6 and under.
Billings Farm & Museum: There are special events scheduled throughout the year at the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, VT. There are educational exhibits and programs for visitors of all ages. The permanent exhibits at the museum provide an interesting glimpse into the past with beautifully crafted dioramas of a general store, rural farmhouse, and ice cutting and harvesting (needed to cool and store food during the summer). The farm includes 70 Jersey cows, draft horses, steers, Berkshire pigs, goats, chickens, and a flock of sheep.
Fall events include a Harvest Celebration in early October, a Family Halloween in late October, and a Thanksgiving Weekend November 26th-28th, 2022. There will be live music, barn dancing, “slightly spooky” farm displays, trick-or-treating, hayrides, games, crafts, food, and more at the events. Let the pumpkin bowling begin!
Bagels & Bialys: Learn how to make bagels and bialys from the friendly staff of instructors at King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, VT. There is a wide assortment of classes to choose from for home bakers, professionals, and kids. Classes include Be Fruitful: Autumn Pies & Tarts, Do the Twist: Pretzels, Sticky Fingers: Breakfast Buns, and Cookies for Santa: Baking for Kids.
Play the Harp: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play the harp? Do you own a harp? You don’t need any experience and you don’t need your own harp in the Upper Valley. A workshop for beginner players and intermediate players will be held at the Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon, NH on Saturday, October 29th, 2022. Harps will be available to rent from Vermont Violins. Rachel Clemente will be teaching the class and performing a concert afterward.
Upper Valley Music Center: There are a lot of musical opportunities to enjoy from the UVMC including student performances, faculty performances, and drop-in sessions for musicians. The drop-in sessions include a recurring Slow Jams event where players of all abilities and all instruments are welcome to join to play along with a variety of fiddle tunes at a gentle tempo. The Slow Jams sessions are led by Amy Cann and George Fowler and will include Irish, New England, Quebecois, and Old Time genres and styles.
The team at LindeMac Real Estate is looking forward to helping you find your perfect Upper Valley home in New Hampshire or Vermont. We look forward to welcoming you as our neighbor in this beautiful part of the country, cheering together for the home team, and perhaps enjoying a casual drop-in musical session together in the cool Autumn air. Contact us today!