In Autumn, New England and particularly North Conway is full of beautiful foliage, pumpkins, sweaters, boots, fairs, mountains, hot chocolate and everything pumpkin spice.
Fall foliage season is easily the best time of year (hello, pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING).
Autumn in New England is astonishingly picturesque with perfect sweater weather and great activities that are fun for the whole family!
Kids can enjoy autumn just as much as adults can. They can jump into piles of leaves, carve pumpkins, or go on haunted hayrides.
Here are some family-friendly and fun, October activities that happen every year in the North Conway area.
There are plenty of non Autumn things to do in North Conway, some that you'll have to reach for your wallet and others that Mother Nature has provided for us! Family friendly things to do that are low cost or free one of the wonderful side effects of vacationing in North Conway, NH and the White Mountains!
Always held in the first 2 weeks of October, the Fryeburg Fair is the largest agricultural fair in the state of Maine. I don’t even count it as fall until I attend this fair and I’m a local.
Plan to head out early because traffic can be a little hectic.
I remember one year we were sitting bumper to bumper four miles away from the fair (keep in mind, all of the roads have single lanes so that’s seriously crazy) and a Chinese Restaurant had their staff walking up to cars and taking orders. Who doesn't want to munch on delicious Chinese take-out while sitting in traffic?
The Fryeburg Fair has livestock, fried dough, petting zoos, competitions, fried dough, cotton candy, shopping, fried dough and horse races.
Did I mention the fried dough?
It’s a wonderful kid and family friendly event for the whole family to enjoy!
The colorful leaves in New England make every direction you look bright and beautiful.
There are an abundance of hiking trails, ski lifts, gondola rides and there are literally trees everywhere.
You could head to the Mt. Washington Hotel, take a drive down the Kancamagus Highway, head to Chocorua Lake, or take the Mount Washington Cog Railway. Head to any of these locations and you will witness spectacular views of vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds!
Pack a lunch, go for a hike, and enjoy all the breathtaking views in the crisp New England air.
Sounds like a nightmare I had as a child…but it’s really a super fun event here in North Conway that happens throughout the month of October!
Take yourself and your family to some (or all) of the 80+ locations to enjoy Pumpkin People doing all types of activities.
They can be doing anything from scuba diving to posing as Gulliver’s Travels (above), or anything else you could possibly imagine!
The participants out-do themselves year after year and it is totally worth it to drive around and find as many pumpkin people as you can.
Grab the kids and head to Oktoberfest!
This two-day event is a hail to the traditional Oktoberfest in Munich sans expensive tickets to Germany.
Oktoberfest is an annual event held at Attitash Ski Resort held on Columbus Day Weekend. Two days full of beer, live Bavarian music, wiener schnitzel, and more beer.
The resort brings in 20 different breweries with their seasonal beers and ciders. It’s a perfect way to spend a chilly fall day with views of foliage(you can even take a ski lift to the top of the mountain), various activities for kids, great food, and great drinks.
Grab your beer-loving friends (let’s be real who doesn’t love beer) and have a blast at Oktoberfest.
Sherman Farmstand Corn Maze has been rated one of the best corn mazes in New England so you can’t afford to miss it.
It’s open on weekends in Center Conway from September 29th until October 29th.
Not only are the Mazes intricate and huge, they are specifically designed to create an aerial picture. The farm also sets up games, riddles, themes, and on October 28th make sure you dress in costume for trick-or-treating inside the maze.
They also have a petting zoo, mini corn maze, hayrides, a jumping pillow and a pumpkin patch.
Plus, you get to buy some great local produce that is grown and sold year-round at the farm. You can even buy a pumpkin to take home and carve with the family, but don’t forget to bake the seeds! So delicious.
The second agricultural fair to make the list happens annually on Columbus Day weekend in Sandwich, New Hampshire.
This fair hosts parades, animal shows, competitions, great food, more fried dough, tractor pulls, rides, music, local food, and retail vendors.
This is a perfect alternative if you want to enjoy the fair but don’t want to deal with the hassle of shuffling through large crowds like at the Fryeburg Fair. It is smaller, but still just as good!
It’s a great experience for the whole family with learning and fun all packed into one box so go enjoy a true New England experience.
The Ghoullog
The Ghoullog is held at Cranmore Mountain every Friday and Saturday from the end of September to the end of October.
Take a stroll through the woods that they have transformed into a Halloween thrill walk, get chased through the woods by your worst nightmare on a guided haunted walk, or go through all types of dark rooms and creepy mazes (recommended ages 10+).
There’s even a haunted playground for the little ones so it really is an event for the entire family.
At the end of your frightful night you can go into the pub to calm your nerves or stop by the gift shop so you can relive your experience over and over again!
There are also plenty other things to do in North Conway during the year. If you vacation in the White Mountains, you're sure to find something to do that will please everyone!
We are always here to offer help in planning your vacation fun!
Teena
603-662-5391