New England is definitely not lacking on fun, events and celebrations. From the coast of Maine to the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island and everything in between, New England has lots to offer. Oh, and if you were wondering, New England is roughly 70,054.4 square miles.
Here are our picks of what’s happening now.
Vermont Maple Open House Weekend
Join in the celebration of maple syrup season in Vermont by visiting one of its many sugarhouses. Activities differ from one sugarhouse to the next, and you’ll be able to see maple syrup being made and even taste the sweet stuff! This year’s open house weekend is Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29. For more information, call (800) 837-6668 or visit www.vermontmaple.org.
Springtime in Paris Family Day
Take a trip back in time for fun and celebration! This time, we’re talking 19th century Paris during the springtime! Inspired by its exhibition Toulouse-Lautrec and Paris, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is putting on a free family day. Make your own chapeau, have your photo taken in elegant Parisian costumes with the streets of Paris as your background or learn how to dance the Can Can! This year’s Spring Family Day takes place on Sunday, April 19 from Noon to 4:00 P.M. The institute is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. For more information, call (413) 458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu.
Family Take a Hike Week
Get in touch with nature! Your whole family will enjoy all the hands-on activities such as guided nature hikes, tree plantings and a scavenger hunt with an Earth Day theme. Wildman Steve Brill of Mamaroneck, New York, is returning this year to lead a hike in search of wild edibles. This year’s Take a Hike Week runs Tuesday, April 21 through Thursday, April 23 at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, located at 39 Scofieldtown Road in Stamford, Connecticut. For more information, call (203) 322-1646 or visit www.stamfordmuseum.org.
Boothbay Harbor Fishermen's Festival
You don’t have to be a fisherman to have fun in Boothbay Harbor! Fishermen’s Festival features a seafood feast, exhibits and games. Activities include a codfish relay rac
e, head-to-head lobster trap hauling and dory bailing contests and a bubble gum blowing contest. There are also tours of Burnt Island Lighthouse, the Miss Shrimp Princess Pageant, an arts and crafts show and plenty of delicious food! Children can compete in a lobster crate race during which they attempt to run across a string of floating lobster crates between two harbor docks (and the water temperature isn’t the warmest this time of year!). This year’s festivities take place Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26. For more information about the Fishermen’s Festival, contact the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce by calling (207) 633-2353 or visit www.boothbayharbor.com.
Want more? It’s easy to find out what’s going on in New England. Visit www.visitnewengland.com or you can visit each state’s tourism website:
Maine: www.visitmaine.com
Massachusetts: www.massvacation.com
New Hampshire: www.visitnh.gov
Vermont: www.travel-vermont.com
Rhode Island: www.visitrhodeisland.com
Connecticut: www.ctvisit.com
