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Brave the cold at these winter festivals, icy fun events across New England
Check out Ice Castles, Stowe Winter Carnival, and more this winter season.
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Winter is well underway, and New England has no shortage of icy fun during the cold months. Ice Castles opened in New Hampshire over the weekend and the region is gearing up for many winter festivals and carnivals. I’ve detailed all of the frosty fun below. And if you’d rather stay indoors, discover the regional hotels, restaurants, food, and drink gaining national attention this year.
Experience Ice Castles in New Hampshire
Ice Castles opened in New Hampshire this past weekend with a new castle design and a local photographer posted beautiful pictures on Facebook, writing, “Never experienced anything like this before.” I felt the same way the first time I visited with my family. We loved exploring the massive, glowing structures and racing down the frozen slides. There are only a handful of Ice Castles locations in the U.S., so it’s well worth a visit to North Woodstock this season.
Check out local ‘must visit’ spots, one of the world’s top cocktails
Need New England travel inspiration? USA Today readers say these are “must visit spots” this year: The Abner Hotel in Litchfield, Conn.; the Longfellow Hotel in Portland, Maine; Irregardless Biscuit in Providence, R.I.; and Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel in Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, Maine. Or head to the Avery Bar at Boston’s Ritz-Carlton for its Meiji Manhattan and Maine’s White Barn Inn Restaurant for its tomato tartare, both recently named among the world’s best by Forbes Travel Guide inspectors.
Massachusetts is top of mind this year
There are many reasons to visit Massachusetts in 2025, and Lexington and Concord top the list, according to The New York Times. The publication named the towns among 52 places to go in 2025. The first Revolutionary War battles were fought in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, of course, and there will be many opportunities for celebrating the 250th anniversary.
Travel Tips
- Here’s another reason to go to Stowe, Vermont, one of the nation’s top ski destinations, this month: the Stowe Winter Carnival taking place Jan. 22-25. Events include professional ice carvers, carnival games, ski movies, snow golf and snow volleyball tournaments, and more.
- Need Valentine’s Day plans? Visit the Maine coast where the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel are gearing up for the 10th annual Paint the Town Red event, taking place Feb. 1-28. Travelers enjoy exclusive dining, shopping, and lodging deals, as well as art classes, wine tastings, music performances, and more.
- New Hampshire’s Keene Ice & Snow Festival takes over downtown Keene on Feb. 1. The free festival brings a professional ice carver competition, roaming circus acts, an interactive art exhibit, a children’s train ride, “find the yeti” scavenger hunt, campfire s’mores, and more.
Deals and Steals
- Booking a winter escape? It’s your last chance to get one-way flights for as low as $49 during JetBlue’s big winter sale. Snag deals through Jan. 14 good for travel between Jan. 11 and April 9.
- Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the following Boston museums for free on Jan. 20: The Museum of Fine Arts hosts its annual MLK Day Open House, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) invites the public for art-making and exhibitions.
- Uber is helping teens who failed their road test with free rides for a month through March 31. Teens must have an Uber teen account and can enjoy six free rides worth a maximum of $20 per ride.
I’ll leave you with this picture that reader Judith Jackson shared of Castelrotto in the Dolomites this past summer.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
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