New England’s most famed and beloved season—fall—is just around the corner! Summer heatwaves will soon be replaced by warm breezes, colorful forest hues, scarves and boots, hot drinks, and leaves crunching underfoot.

That treasured autumn ambiance deserves some celebrating! In the Upper Valley, there are myriad ways to ring in the fall season in the community. 

 

Pick-Your-Own Peaches (and Apples) at Shelburne Orchards

Fall means time for baking seasonal fruits like apples, pears, and peaches into pies and other tasty desserts. Apple crops tend to ripen mid to late fall, but peaches are in season earlier, which gives you something to pick in the meantime! Shelburne Orchards, located at 216 Orchard Road in Shelburne, Vermont, offers pick-your-own peaches by appointment. An eight-pound flat of peaches costs about $32, and Shelburne Orchards provides the containers when you arrive. Sign up for the peach picking newsletter to stay up to date or call (802) 985-2753 for more information.

 

Go for a Foliage Hike or Drive

It wouldn’t be fall in New England without the breathtaking colorful foliage that graces the hills. Lots of tourists flock to Vermont and New Hampshire for foliage season, eager to do some leaf peeping. Some of the best spots to enjoy the changing colors of the trees and weather are local secrets, like the Rail Trail in Lebanon, the back roads of Woodstock, Vermont, or French’s Ledges in Plainfield, New Hampshire.

 

2022 Enfield Shaker Museum Harvest Festival

Scheduled for September 10, join the Enfield Shaker Museum from 11 am to 4 pm to celebrate the arrival of fall! The annual tradition focuses on the autumn harvest with activities like horse-drawn wagon rides, traditional crafts, music, and more. The Let’s Get Loaded food truck and Sweet Doe Dairy will be there, along with Cardigan Mountain Tradition providing musical entertainment!

 

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

The pumpkin patch is a great place to go during the fall to find the perfect pumpkins for making jack-o’-lanterns or other decorations. It’s a great place for a photo shoot, too! In the Upper Valley, check out Cedar Circle Farm in East Thetford, Vermont, or Patch Orchards in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

 

Try a Corn Maze

A corn maze is a fun challenge that’s only around one time of year—during the fall. A corn maze gets the mind thinking and the blood pumping, and it can be a fun family or group bonding activity. Hathaway Farm in Rutland, Vermont, is open every day of the week except Tuesdays from 10 am to 5 pm. They offer a Bloomin’ and Buzzin’ (bees and flowers themed) 12-acre corn maze, a mini maze, a giant corn pit, an interactive livestock barn, and more. Tickets for the corn maze can be purchased on-site or online. The maze is closed during inclement weather.

 

Catch a Dartmouth Football Game (Go Big Green)

Fall means back to school, and back to school means homecoming! Dartmouth College celebrates homecoming on the weekend of October 28 to 29 this year. The homecoming football game is scheduled for October 29, beginning at 1:30 pm. The Dartmouth football team will play against Harvard at the Memorial Field in Hanover, New Hampshire (4 Crosby Street). Be sure to purchase tickets ahead of time as it’s the most popular game of the season!

 

Apple Picking

Apple picking is a fun-filled fall tradition that’s especially family-friendly! It’s great entertainment if you’re looking for an activity on a crisp autumn day or if you’re on a mission to gather ingredients for cooking or baking.

Try these spots in the Upper Valley for apple picking this fall:

• Poverty Lane Orchards, Lebanon, New Hampshire

• Riverview Farm, Plainfield, New Hampshire

• Pleasant View Orchard, Grafton, New Hampshire

• Cedar Circle Farm, East Thetford, Vermont