Enjoying autumn in New England

Pick-your-own pumpkin patches, secret fall escapes and a tour through four states along the Connecticut River are a few of the ideas for enjoying autumn in New England in the September-October issue of Yankee magazine.

The magazine’s fall edition is typically full of recommendations and guides to seasonal events and experiences in its home region.

The issue includes a guide to pick-your-own pumpkin patches in each of the six New England states: March Farm in Bethlehem, Connecticut; Pumpkin Valley Farm in Dayton, Maine; Belkin Family Lookout Farm in South Natick, Massachusetts. DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, New Hampshire; Barden Family Orchard in North Scituate, Rhode Island; and Sam Mazza’s in Colchester, Vermont.

There’s also a look at the annual Fryeburg Fair which runs for eight days at the beginning of October in Maine. It’s the state’s largest fair and the second-largest in New England, according to Yankee, with some 300,000 fair-goers descending on a village with a population of 3,500.

Events include horse- and ox-pulling, calf and pig scrambles, flower shows, crafts, a milking parlour, truck and tractor pulls, fireworks, a midway and Woodsmen’s Field Day, billed as the largest spectator woodsmen’s event in North America.

For “secret fall escapes”, Yankee lists the village of Chepachet for Rhode Island, which the magazine says offers “the state’s best foliage drive” along Route 102, plus a walk along the nearby Bowdish Reservoir and a hike on the North South Trail.

For New Hampshire, Yankee recommends driving around Newfound Lake, along with a pontoon boat eco tour.

In Connecticut, consider visiting Riverton, where the Riverton Fair takes place October 7-9.

For Maine, the magazine suggests visiting Rockland, particularly along Route 17, which Yankee says is as scenic a road as any in the state. And don’t forget Rockland’s new Center for Maine Contemporary Art.

Sandwich on Cape Cod is a highlighted fall destination for Massachusetts, including the beech tree groves of Lowell Holly and the boardwalk.

Events for the season listed in the issue include Westport, Connecticut’s October 2 Chowdafest, Maine’s September 22-25 Acadia Night Sky festival, the September 29-October 2 Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire, the September 2-4 Rhythm & Roots festival in Charlestown, Rhode Island, the October 13-16 Brattleboro Literary Festival in Vermont, and the October 8-9 Cranberry Harvest Celebration in Wareham, Massachusetts.

In addition the magazine takes a look at the region’s covered bridges and chronicles a month-long ride through four states along the Connecticut River — Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. At 643.73km, the Connecticut is New England’s longest river.