Embrace Autumn in Massachusetts!
Fall foliage, farmers markets, pumpkin patches, Halloween thrills and new cultural exhibits - October is a perfect time to visit Massachusetts.
As you travel around the Commonwealth this month, please support our small businesses in cities and towns, resort areas, rural villages and farmlands, as well as our museums, art galleries, visitor attractions and historical sites.
You can find more information at visitma.com!
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Featured Region: Greater Merrimack Valley |
The Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival will be held October 6-10! The October festival features tours of novelist Jack Kerouac’s Lowell places, including many sites described in his Lowell-based novels, along with panel discussions, readings, jazz and folk music, films, open mike events, a high poetry competition, book signings, and more. Kerouac fans and scholars from across the United States and around the world travel to Lowell for the festival!
Find more information on Greater Merrimack Valley.
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Calling all paddlers, runners and cyclists to the annual Great River Challenge Off-Road Triathlon in Northfield on Saturday, October 8! The Triathlon will be held at Northfield Mountain Recreation Center, with registration starting at 7:30 am. Grab your boat, sneakers and mountain bikes and head upriver for an incredible race that has challenged and delighted athletes of all levels for many years. There is no better time of year to come out and enjoy the wilds of Western Mass. Register here!
Find more information on Franklin County.
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The 58th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta - the largest three-day rowing event in the world - returns to the Charles River October 21-23! The Regatta is an iconic fall event for Boston and Cambridge, an autumnal rite of passage that draws more than 11,000 athletes from across the globe, and hundreds of thousands of spectators to the banks of the Charles.
Find more information on Greater Boston.
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Autumn is festival season on Cape Cod! On Saturday, October 1, enjoy crafters, kids’ activities, live music, German food and an authentic Bier Garten at Mashpee Oktoberfest. On Sunday, October 2, gather round the vines of Truro Vineyards for a day of American Roots Music at the Vinegrass Music Festival. Arts and crafts, rides, fireworks and live music take center stage at the Yarmouth Seaside Festival on October 8-10, while seafood is the headliner at Wellfleet Oyster Fest October 15-16. And from October 14-31, stroll through downtown Chatham to admire the fascinating pumpkin displays at Pumpkin People in the Park. Read more of our best bets for October happenings on Cape Cod!
Find more information on Cape Cod.
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Photo credit: Peter Simon | |
Martha’s Vineyard’s October is picturesque and cozy. Fall colors dazzle, farmers markets’ harvests inspire. Serenity, solitude and beauty evoke sojourns across the Island. Still much to enjoy — beach forays, swims; trails welcome hikers with colorful carpets, cyclers rejoice, shoppers find deals! Stay at Island inns or rentals. Dine-out at Island eateries! First Friday arts event, Living Local Harvest Fest. Relax, paint, take photos, tour lighthouses, golf, fish, kayak, hike, jog, shop, arts festivals, Women in Film Festival — relaxing and fun!
Find more information on Martha's Vineyard.
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Photo credit: J.Greg Hinson | |
Nantucket’s October, prelude to the quiet season, is best enjoyed outdoors. Hiking/cycling trails, kayaks, stargazing nights, photo safaris, golfing on colorful foliage-strewn turf, sailing, fishing, shopping, beach strolling/swimming, surfing—endless possibilities. Attend the inaugural Nantucket Harvest Fair, Farmers & Artisans Market (October 1 & 8), Cobblestones & Cranberries shopping event, Annual Wet Paint, Nantucket Shorts Festival (10/9), Observatory Open Nights (Thursdays 8-9PM). Many natural and walking tours, sailing excursions, Whaling and Shipwreck-Lifesaving (open to 10-10) Museums, Maria Mitchell, and more on Nantucket Chamber event calendar! Stay awhile!
Find more information on Nantucket Island.
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Photo credit: John Andrews Photography | |
Enjoy eleven days of agriculture, entertainment, and great food at the Topsfield Fair, happening September 30–October 10. The Cape Ann Artisans Open Studios Tour takes place October 8-9. Come explore the artisans' exquisite natural surroundings and see the fine art and craft inspired by the scenic North Shore. Then, Haunted Happenings is celebrating its 40th anniversary! Enjoy a festive celebration of Halloween and fall in Salem, October 1–31. There is something for everyone, from family fun events to haunted history and much more.
Find more information on North of Boston.
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With a crazy year leaving us feeling trapped, we could all use an escape. Southeastern Massachusetts is so close to home you’ll be here by noon. What you won’t be is looking at the same four walls, because you’ll be too busy taking a stroll by the ocean, finding that art you’ve been needing & having the freshest seafood possible...most importantly making memories that will help you escape.
Find more information on Southeastern Mass.
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Fall in Love with the Berkshires! Fall means crisp apples, plump pumpkins, and ghoulish ghost tours! Looking for a hike amidst trees ablaze in color, a spine-tingling connection with ghosts, or warm cider and a hay maze? The Berkshires is the perfect Fall getaway! Get your haunt on with myriad ghost tours, or find your favorite pumpkin among the more than 1,500 jack-o-lanterns at Naumkeag’s Pumpkin Show. It’s sweater weather - come visit #intheBerkshires!
Find more information on The Berkshires.
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Funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism | | | | |