This is an annual apple festival (this year was year #21), without apples! No apples anywhere! And,…read morenot in any recipes...no apple cider, apple turnovers, apple dumplings, or apple pie. There were hot dogs, coffee from the local Pierce Bros. (pretty good), and Kettle Corn, but NO apples! What a shock! There were also, as promised in the title, local artisans selling reasonably-priced local honey in bars of soap and lotion, stained glass, goat's milk soap, and Emu oil soap (ick!), pottery, clothing, angora scarves (with the Angora Bunny right there in a big cage!), as well as kids activities. This was like a country fair, and really cute in the town green, but we were slightly disappointed because we wanted some apples or something delicious with apples. So, we went home and drank our apple cider. Sometimes what you want is what you have! ;)

Go to the fair! One…read morereason is that they have candy apples. Candy apples taste so good. Another reason is you can also go on rides. You can go on the rollercoaster. The fair is in Amherst. You can go in the spring. Little kids can get lost. Make sure to stay with your mom and dad!

What- there isn't a review of this?!?!?! No way…read more Ok. Here's one: THIS FESTIVAL ROCKS. I import out of towners for it. Not the usual mega mall of vendors, it's a locals only scene. Very authentic. Not the largest spread of food, but all A-ok, and not corndogs. The music? World class. The crowd? Super groovy, family friendly but not oppressively so. The "no alcohol" policy? Uh- not heavily enforced b/c there are NO DRUNKS! We get there for the hot air balloon show Sat, & always stay through the last gasp on Sunday. DO NOT MISS the dance tent in back: always a band you are glad to discover back there. Bring a cooler, and an umbrella and sunscreen and GET A PARKING PASS EARLY! (even tho there's a free shuttle to parking as of this year.)

Amazing festival that is wonderful for families and al ages. Has always proven to provide a…read morewonderful mix of up and coming acts with legends in the industry and a wide array of New Orleans based acts. The hot air balloons add a unique and beautiful backdrop to the festivities too and make for wonderful sunrise and sunset photos!

I don't see the date of this balloon event posted anywhere, other than another poster that says to…read morearrive on the 1st day = Friday night...? I really want to go to this festival too.

The evening glow was really underwhelming. There were only five balloons. The park was so crowded…read moreyou could hardly move. The food vendors seemed overwhelmed. My son waited over one hour for a Philly cheesesteak. The fireworks were awesome. The logistic support for the parking and shuttle system were handled really well. Been there, saw the balloons. Don't need to go back.

A Saturday well spent…read more Hubby found this botanical garden in Massachusetts while looking for activities. It was a four hour (non highway) drive for us and while we had to fill up our gas (expensive, no doubt) on our way home, the bulb show itself was free of charge. They gave a suggested donation of $5. The campus is beautiful. They do such amazing job with their plants. Would love to explore Northampton again in the warmer months.

We've been members of the Botanic Garden of Smith College for ten years. Last year, I called to…read moreverify I could take pictures in the greenhouse on a weekday. But when I got there, not even 5 minutes pass when a woman comes in saying I'm aren't allowed to take pictures. I said I did get permission, besides that there were other people taking pictures at the same time as me. There were very few people there on a weekday morning. She argued that it was disruptive for others. I apologized and was almost ready to go, when she said nevermind, go ahead, and left me alone. I thought that was very odd, but then this year, while enjoying the spring bulb show, a class of possibly 20 five-year-old school children came through screaming, crying, ripping/pulling on the plants, with chaperones shouting to be heard. It was complete pandemonium and ruined the experience for us. This group was not asked to leave for 'disrupting.' I also don't appreciate the unilateral decision that was made (that is, no consultation of Botanic Garden members who contribute annual membership fees) to shut down the annual chrysanthemum show in the fall. They just sent a letter saying "they decided" to do other exhibits instead. I don't know what the fall botanical exhibit was that they did instead, and can't find anything online about what it was. The chrysanthemum show was an extraordinary event that was held annually since the early 1900s. If it had to be discontinued, it would be nice if the botanical exhibit that replaces it would meet or exceed that experience. Instead, nothing at all. Contributing members should be able to contribute their input when these decisions are made. We are a part of the campus community.

So this is a spot that I was asked to come to to meet and decorate cars for a birthday parade for a…read morelittle girl. Her grandmother had put something on Facebook asking people if they would join the parade because their family is from other states. So I was happy to do it. Next week is my grandson's birthday parade and I know that he will have a lot of friends and family in the parade so it really hit home. I can't imagine being in this pandemic away from family almost completely. I have family in different parts of the country and some that I haven't seen in over a year and it's very hard so I was sympathetic. But this is also the place that has the Portuguese festival in August which is wonderful. They have a carnival with rides and games. Portuguese food that is homemade is served and it is wonderful. They also sell drinks and beer and have entertainment. Parking for the feast can be kind of tricky but there are back roads here that you can go and park on and walk down. They also have the traditional parade down Main Street and it's just a very nice old fashion traditional religious feast. Of course this past summer we did not attend because of the pandemic there was no feast. It was really disappointing but there were still people out with their Portuguese flags in front of their homes. They had their homes decorated and they really did their best to keep the spirit of the feast. I hope that we will be able to celebrate with them next year.

West Warwick boasts a large Portuguese community, with several social clubs. Over Labor Day…read moreWeekend, they hold a four-day extravaganza, led by the Portuguese Holy Ghost Society. I've heard or read many different names for this celebration - which includes a feast, carnival, concerts and parades - but for the sake of brevity, many locals simply call it the "Portuguese Lala" (I'm not Portuguese, so I have no idea what that means). The focal point of activity is the Portuguese Holy Ghost Society's complex, which, beginning Friday, Aug. 31, was the site of carnival rides, concerts and food concessions. Admission to the festival grounds and concert was free and open to the general public. On Saturday, my wife and I saw Dirty Deeds, an AC/DC tribute band, and they were awesome, both looking and sounding like the original band. My wife remarked that it was entertaining to see people of our generation acting like they were in their early 20s again. In order to buy food or beer, you purchase tickets, and then redeem them. Sunday's events included a parade (procession) in the morning, followed by an auction later in the day, and the Parade of Lights at night, with participants throwing candy from floats. My family watched the parade on East Main Street, near Providence Street, as Town Councilman Jay Messier recorded the event and pumped up the crowd. We later watched fireworks from a parking lot near the town's public works garage. All in all, it's a lot of entertainment for little or no money, and also an opportunity to sample some Portuguese food.

The Blandford Fair is a true small town country fair, held each year on the three days of Labor Day…read moreweekend. It's been a part of my childhood, my youth, and my adult life, and I hope it will be for many years to come. In the interests of full disclosure, although I don't work for the Fair, I have plenty of relatives who volunteer there. In fact, I've been told that it's really a family reunion cleverly disguised as a country fair... That's not quite accurate, but I must confess that I'd just closed the car door today when one of my aunts called my name. Blandford is a small town (in population), and it's a nice compact fairground. The two short midways offer an assortment of games and foodstuffs, with relatively little overlap between vendors, but plenty of variety. Fresh lemonade is here; burgers are here; fries are here. In addition to the long-time fair staples of fried dough and soft-serve ice cream, other cuisines have appeared in recent years. The fair's own kitchens produce some amazing meals as well. I tend to favor the booths of the local organizations - the Legion, the Boys Scouts, the Fire Department - but certainly other vendors get my business each year as well. The horse show is a favorite, as well as the pulling contests for teams of horses, oxen, or ponies. Go on the right day and you'll see tractor pulls, and even a demolition derby. In the exhibit halls, local farmers and gardeners still submit their best produce for judging, while the photography contest has grown each year in contestants and in quality. There are cows and chickens to see, pony rides, and craft vendors. The midway rides will make you wish you hadn't eaten quite so much, but you'll be ready to eat again when the scent of frying wafts past. Today I spent quite a bit of time enjoying the fiddle contest, which included some amazing musicians. Set atop a mountain ridge in western Massachusetts, it's a beautiful spot for a relaxing day. Check it out.

gorgeous setting, wonderful small town new england fair…read more great place to visit over the labor day weekend.

A beautiful day to sit outside and listen to music. It's free. Jazz and blues with great local…read moreartists. Food and drink for sale. Arts and crafts to browse. Grab a blanket or a chair and come on down. Going on until 10:00. Hopefully will become an annual event.

"Come a little bit closer Hear what I have to say…read moreBecause I'm still in love with you On this harvest moon" (Neil Young) Want to experience a quintessential small town New England Fair? Well, you sure won't go wrong checking out the Granville Harvest Fair. It's open three days on the Columbus Day Holiday Weekend, from October 12-14, 2024. The fair is spread across multiple locations and there is a shuttle bus connecting the various lots and locations. You'll see hundreds of vendors selling crafts, food, woodworking, clothing, art, books, and more. Alcoholic drinks are well represented, with locally brewed beer from Skyline Beer Company, wine and "slush wines" from Hardwick Vineyard and Winery in Orange, and Mead and Honey Wine from Granville's own Daggers Meadery. Ever have a hankering for maple flavored cotton candy? Well, you can scratch that itch here. Ever want to take a tour of a 160-year-old drum factory? Granville has one. Want to check out a quilt display? Gotcha covered here. Want to hear a pretty good four-piece rock band belt out a very respectable live cover of Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good?" Yup, it's on their playlist. Want to spend a beautiful time in an old school New England town full of friendly people and gorgeous scenery? Well, by now you know where you can.

I just enjoyed an afternoon at the festival. Great food, fun music and so much for the kids from…read morebounce houses to dancing. The trucks I experienced: The Grub Guru 3.5 star - the gen gau was amazing, crispy and sweet. I had wanted orange chicken, but they didnt have it despite it being on the menu. It is an Indian truck and the rice was listed as fried rice but it was clearly basmati. It was not good. I have to say their drink prices are some of the most reasonable at the festival. Ts Jerky House 5 star - the bbq sundae with cornbread, beans, and smokey brisquet was amazing. Topped with crispy onions for texture. Elote corn 3 star - I tried the buttered lime but there was no lime. The corn was definitely best of the season. Shitakaberries 5 star - we opted for something sweet and this was great. We got the reverse tiger, dark chocolate with white drizzle. 7 bucks for 5 berries on a stick. It was definetly about the experience. TC Scoops 4 stars - we each got a single scoop and a topping for 4 dollars. It was just ok, but my bf loved the cherry. Reds 5 star - really personable. Reasonably priced, especially the drinks, which is what drew me there. He realized he ignored me and gave me the drink free of charge. A definite place for customer service.

Excellent location for a huge amount of food trucks! Several adult beverage outlets as well as…read morequite the variety of cuisine. My only suggestion would be to make the sizes of the items smaller so you can try more of the vendors.

Most people were here for apple picking. We only came for the art…read more Suggested donation was $20 a head. It was dog friendly. (But Apple picking is NOT dog friendly). They had a golf cart to bring mobility impaired visitors around to visit the art. It was a nice relaxing afternoon, strolling through the orchard, looking at sculptures.

Gorgeous orchard and awesome art installations!…read more I love that this is here. This area is so beautiful and having more places to explore and enjoy art is really fantastic. I highly recommend checking this orchard and art exhibit out. A great place to bring out-of-towners