Discover New England News | | |
As we reflect on 2025 and approach the holidays and the New Year, all of us in New England are deeply grateful for our friends overseas—and for the travelers who choose our region for their bucket-list adventures. New England’s natural beauty, rich culture, and remarkable diversity are strengthened by the people who visit us and by those from around the world who have made this region their home.
Right now, our cities and Main Streets resemble scenes from a holiday film, sparkling with fresh snow and filled with festive cheer. It’s the perfect moment to reflect on how fortunate we are—for the communities we cherish here at home, and for the global community that connects us all.
| | Featured Itinerary: Winter Adventure | | |
Skiers have long known New England as a go-to destination for winter thrills, but ski resorts are just the start. The best part of winter in New England is how there is more to do than you can fit into a single trip! Outdoor adventures fit every style from as calm as ice skating, winter birdwatching and gentle snowshoeing to as extreme as winter surfing, backcountry skiing and ice climbing. Indoor adventures are also in full form from professional hockey and basketball to the world’s largest indoor ropes course and indoor skydiving. The best part of all is that the fireplaces are stoked for your return at the end of your exciting day.
Read more here.
| | Featured Gallery: Cycling in New England | | |
Cycling can be enjoyed all year in New England. Traveling throughout the region is like a tour of a small country, with winding country lanes through historic villages, farmland and covered bridges that await road bikers and mountain bikers alike. Riders will find challenging singletrack in Vermont’s Kingdom Trails, technical descents in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and forested loops throughout Maine and Massachusetts — plus shoreline rides along Connecticut’s coastal byways and quiet backroads through Rhode Island’s rolling countryside.
Read more here.
| | Featured Trip Inspiration: Stay & Play, Destination Resorts | | |
Planning a trip with extended family couldn’t be easier when you choose a New England resort as your home away from home. The region’s top destinations cater to groups large and small with activities for all ages and a range of lodging options to suit varying needs and budgets. Whether you want to stay in the center of the action this winter at a lively ski resort or choose a quieter coastal location offering all the onsite entertainment, luxuries and amenities for off-season pricing, you have plenty of options to choose from.
Read more here.
Photo Credit: Omni Mount Washington Resort
| | Boston is one of the 16 cities to host FIFA World Cup 2026™ with five of the seven matches in June just announced for Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium). Boston, being New England’s largest city, and with the western areas of New England conveniently located next to New York and New Jersey hosting eight events, there’s plenty of reasons to stay and play before, after and in-between events. To help inspire, Discover New England has created an itinerary for sports enthusiast found here. Learn more about host Meet Boston and FIFA World Cup 2026™ here. | | |
News from the Newport Mansions, Newport Rhode Island
Holidays at the Newport Mansions
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Surround yourself with the magic of the Newport Mansions, a beloved holiday tradition. The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Chateau-sur-Mer will welcome visitors with spectacular holiday displays. Nearly 30 Christmas trees are exquisitely decorated to complement the décor and theme of each room, like Mr. Vanderbilt's tree in The Breakers, ornamented with trains and top hats! Hundreds of poinsettias, garlands, wreaths, and fresh floral arrangements add color, warmth, and life. As always, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree in the Great Hall of The Breakers – made up of 150 poinsettia plants – provides a perfect holiday photo opportunity.
Learn more here.
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News from North of Boston, Massachusetts
Go to the Circus at the Wenham Museum
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Wenham Museum invites families to experience the magic of the circus with Step Right Up: Let’s Go to the Circus! Now open in the Family Discovery Gallery. Designed for early learners and their caregivers, the exhibition introduces the colorful world of the big top—where creativity, courage, and imagination take center ring. Throughout the gallery, young visitors are invited to take part in dramatic play—stepping into a colorful circus tent, trying on bright costumes to get ready for the spotlight, giggling at their reflections in funhouse mirrors, and pretending to care for circus animals as they explore the lively world beneath the big top. The exhibition connects the wonder of the circus to the North Shore’s long tradition of artistry and imagination.
Learn more here.
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News from MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau, Massachusetts
New FREE Walking & Driving Tours via SmartGuide
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MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau has just launched a series of walking and driving tours of the region. These free itineraries give visitors an opportunity to engage more deeply with the region and its sites and stories. You can download the free SmartGuide app to access the tours, which include “Many Cultures, One Heart” public art tour of Framingham; “Play Ball!” a baseball tour of the region; “Stories of the Land” covering Indigenous history and sites; “Black Heritage Trail”; and “It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint” of the Boston Marathon.
Learn more here.
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News from Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont
Rebranded von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort
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2025 marked the 75th Anniversary of the iconic Trapp Family Lodge and the unveiling of their new name and brand identity as the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort. Per the official press release, “The von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort is so much more than a name. It’s an enduring commitment to hospitality, natural beauty, and the values that have guided our family for decades.”
Learn more here.
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News from Portland, Maine
Portland Hearts of Pine
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Sports lovers are in for a treat now that professional soccer has come to Portland, Maine. The wildly popular Portland Hearts of Pine is part of the USL League One and fans watch them in action at their home field, Fitzpatrick Stadium. The team has brought an unprecedented level of excitement, engagement, and League One playoffs in their inaugural season, just in time as fans around the world gear up for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Learn more here.
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Featured Destination: Meet Boston
Meet Boston Launches Boston Frostival, Reimagining Winter in the City
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Meet Boston is excited to announce a dynamic lineup of winter events and activations that will commence in late November and run through February. Boston Frostival programming will completely transform and reimagine winter in Boston, taking the iconic seasonal experiences that the city is known for – holiday lights, ice skating, tree lightings, games at the Garden, live theater, and more – and supplementing them with inaugural events such as drone shows over Boston Common, an experiential activation at Copley Square, a Ferris wheel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and an exciting wine festival featuring women-owned wineries. Other captivating winter programming such as Snowport, SoWa Village, and Winteractive, will be promoted as part of this campaign as Meet Boston strives to drive more overnight stays to the city during the colder months.
For more information, visit MeetBoston.com.
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