6 New England towns to visit in September
From antique shopping to a seafood festival, there’s plenty to see and do across New England in September. Ahead, discover six towns worth visiting throughout the month.
Make your way to Yarmouth for crafts and culture
It’s no secret that the Cape is a popular summer destination, but there’s plenty to do in the off-season, as well. In fact, Travel + Leisure recently named the Cape among 25 affordable destinations once the summer crowds leave. Consider Yarmouth, which will hold the two-day Bass River Arts & Crafts Festival, featuring the work of more than 75 juried artisans, on Sept. 2 and 3. You can also enjoy a tranquil day at one of Yarmouth’s freshwater or saltwater beaches, walk the boardwalk into Black Flats Marsh at Taylor-Bray Farm — established in 1639 — and dig into a shellfish platter beside the sea at Skipper Chowder House in South Yarmouth, awarded a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor. Bonus: There’s an ice cream shack at the restaurant.
Drive an empty car to Brimfield for an antique shopping extravaganza
Antique aficionados are definitely going to want to travel to Brimfield Sept. 5-10. The Brimfield Antique Show, billed as the largest outdoor antique show in the country, boasts 23 fields full of treasures along a 1-mile stretch of Route 20, courtesy of more than 5,000 dealers from all over the world. The dealers offer everything from furniture to dolls to records to, as the website calls it, “yard junk” to hundreds of thousands of shoppers. And when those shoppers get hungry, they can eat barbecue and lobster in the field’s food courts. For even more shopping, visitors can head to the nearby Vintage Fashion and Antique Textile Show on Sept. 4, or the daily Sturbridge Flea Market.
Abby Ruettgers of Farm & Fable purchased this old cocktail shaker glass at the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show on May 13, 2014.
Head to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, for seafood galore
The boardwalk at Hampton Beach — named the best boardwalk in America by Coastal Living magazine — generally quiets down after Labor Day. That is, except for when events like the Sept. 8-10 Hampton Beach Seafood Festival take over Ocean Boulevard. Thousands of festivalgoers will have the chance to feast on lobster, clams, and scallops from more than 60 of the New England seacoast’s top restaurants, watch chef demonstrations, take in a lobster roll eating contest on Saturday afternoon, and enjoy fireworks over the beach Saturday night. Fifteen local bands will perform jazz, blues, oldies, and rock and roll on two different stages throughout the weekend, crafts and local goodies will be sold from 80 different tables along the boulevard, and Skydive New England will send 16 skydivers onto Hampton Beach from an aircraft 14,000 feet above the sea.
Visit Bolton for apples and wine
Wine and apple lovers can combine both passions at Nashoba Valley Winery, a 52-acre hilltop orchard where you can pick your own apples beginning in early September. You’ll spotfavorites like Cortland and McIntosh, but also rare, long-growingantique apples, like the 18th century Ashmeads Kernel. (You’ll need to make an appointment to gather those.) Once you get your fill, stop by the retail shop for a wine, spirits, or beer tasting. You can take a 40-minute guided tour of the winery’s production area, which includes a distillery, on weekends. The property’s brewery, which is not usually open to the public, will host tours Sept. 15-16.
The Block Island Ferry.
Get away to Block Island, Rhode Island, for a foodie adventure
From Sept. 15-17, Rhode Island’s Block Island, located 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast, will provide a weekend of discounted gastronomical-themed fun known as Taste of Block Island. Visit the island for beer and wine tastings, restaurant and shopping deals, boat and taxi tours (on the latter, hear island lore), discount bike and moped rentals, and tours of the Historical Society and Southeast Lighthouse. To take part in the festivities, visitors must buy a $5 button from the Block Island Chamber of Commerce.
Take a camera to Montgomery, Vermont, for leaf peeping and covered bridges
The trees in northern New Englandbegin changing color first, so the latter part of September is a good time for a leaf-peeping road trip to Vermont. Head to Montgomery, known as the covered bridge capital of Vermont, to add a historic element to your trip. Montgomery has six covered bridges and one on the border of Enosburg, Vermont, all built between 1863 and 1890. Want a bird’s-eye view of the fall foliage? Catch an aerial tram ride at Jay Peak Resort, where you’ll view Vermont and parts of Canada from the 4,000-foot summit. Or get up-close-and-personal with the turning leaves by hiking 15 miles of trails at nearby Hazen’s Notch State Park.
