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September 2020
Local businesses matter! #MyLocalMA
Massachusetts has launched an exciting new My Local MA campaign to tell travelers about our distinctive cultural & historical attractions, retail & artisan shops, restaurants & farm products and outdoor amenities. When you vacation in Massachusetts in September, thank you in advance for supporting our small businesses on Main Streets, in cities and towns, resort areas, rural villages and farmlands across the Commonwealth.

Share your experience by using #MyLocalMA on social media, and please, don't forget to #MaskupMA! You can find more information at findmylocalma.com or visitma.com.

For more on what to see + do in Massachusetts, visit massvacation.com.
Featured Region: Johnny Appleseed 
The first cool nights in September are a reminder that harvest season has arrived: Apple tree branches are hanging heavy with crisp fruit and orange pumpkins stand out like beacons in the fields. It's a great time to tour the farms and orchards of Johnny Appleseed Country! But there's more to enjoy than picking your own apples and bright sunflowers, or taking a hayride along a scenic trail. Local orchards have rolled out the red carpet for guests who are anxious for some fresh air time, with live music and lip-smacking barbecues that turn a visit into a country experience. And farms aren't just about food and colorful flowers - the Davis Mega Maze is a cornfield chock-full of twists, turns, and bridges, keeping the family entertained for hours!  

Find more events and information for Johnny Appleseed Country. 
Martha's Vineyard 
Credit L.A. Brown
Martha's Vineyard in September...summer til' the 22nd! More beach-BBQs, clambakes, lobster rolls, fishing (don't miss the September 13th MV Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby)! But there's more - more deserted windswept beaches, conservation/cycling paths with  blushing foliage. Autumn fare at island-wide eateries means culinary excitement post-kayaking, -SUP-ing, -sunbathing, -jumping JAWS bridge or contemplating life surveying passing ferries. Shops, galleries, fairs, farm markets await discovery. Hotels and inns throw open wide-welcoming doors. MVY in September, still summer - but a whole lot more!

 Find more events and information for Martha's Vineyard. 
Mohawk Trail Region
Opening September 2020: The Clark's first outdoor exhibition Ground/work consists of site-responsive installations by six contemporary artists presented in locations across the pastoral setting of its 140-acre campus. International artists Kelly Akashi, Nairy Baghramian, Jennie C. Jones, Eva LeWitt, Analia Saban, and Haegue Yang were invited to conceive of a response to the Clark's landscape and to be in active dialogue with the natural environment and setting. The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. Visit clarkart.edu for more information! 

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MetroWest

Hey, pedal pushers! Explore our beautiful landscapes, historic sites, eateries, and breweries with our new self-guided bike tours.  One leads you through iconic sites related to the Boston Marathon (in Ashland and Hopkinton); one takes you to a variety of Marlborough locations, including the oldest country store and the newest entertainment complex. Turn-by-turn directions, bike rental info, safety tips, fun facts, and more. See the tours! 

Find more events and information for MetroWest.   
Nantucket Island

Nantucket's summer wanes. Thirty miles at sea, September's alchemy intensifies intoxicating scarlet, orange, and lemony leaf-dappled light across the island's landscapes, immensely beautiful beaches and loved ones' faces. Half Nantucket's terrain comprises dreamy conservation lands perfect for strolling, cycling, exploring, painting, photographing, laughing and finding happy places. Sunsets slide into constellations. Stores, restaurants, coffeeshops, galleries, island architecture, cobblestone Main Street extend special welcomes. The pace slows, more room. Spread out. Come once...you may stay.

Find more events and information for Nantucket Island.
North of Boston
Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury is hosting a Cider Hour at the Farm on September 4! Enjoy a relaxing evening outside overlooking the farm with snacks, live music, and hard cider (21+). Explore the "trails" cut through thousands of living cornstalks in the 8-acre corn maze at Marini Farm, in Ipswich, opening September 12. Find what makes Essex County like nowhere else during Trails & Sails from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 27. Be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties and take in cultural experience of all kinds!

Find more events and information for North of Boston.
Plymouth County

Hometown Heroes Walking Tours will be held at 7 pm on Thursdays-Saturdays in September! The Hometown Heroes tour is a 90-minute, easy stroll around Downtown Plymouth. Learn of the early days of Plymouth Colony and discuss Plymouth's contributions to the Revolutionary War. Come walk through time with us! Tours must be reserved 48 hours in advance. Walk ups are not permitted at this time. Please click here, or call
508-517-8355 to reserve dates, times and tours.

Find more events and information for Plymouth County.
Southeastern Mass

Did you know New Bedford has been named the seventh most Artistic City in America? Stroll along this gorgeous city's cobblestone streets and you'll stumble upon galleries, museums and restaurant against a backdrop of exquisite period architecture. In fact, the Downtown Area has been designated a Cultural District because of the close proximity and large number of galleries and exhibits within walking distance to each other. Hop in a car and you can visit more galleries, artist studios and antique shops in converted textile mills in both the South End and North End of the City!
 
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The Berkshires

Berkshire Botanical Garden invites you to stroll 24 serene acres of themed gardens bursting with vibrant fall annuals and perennials. Families will enjoy their Children's Garden, Story Walk, and drop-in Activity Table. Harvest Festival activities throughout October include a fall plant sale, live music, pumpkin painting, and animal encounters. Garden hours: 9 am-5 pm daily through October 31. Admission is free Sundays/Mondays, half-price Tuesdays-Saturdays. Children under 12 and members are always free. Advanced ticketing, masks, and social distancing required. 

Find more ev
ents and information for The Berkshires. 
Greater Merrimack Valley

The Concord Museum reopened in August with new safety measures, including admission by advanced online ticketing only, social distancing throughout the galleries, and enhanced sanitizing and cleaning protocols. Explore the museum's new exhibit on Paul Revere and his famous Midnight Ride! The Museum's new permanent galleries, At the Center of Revolution and People of Musketaquid, as well as temporary galleries featuring Thoreau's Walden desk and objects from the Museum's decorative arts collection, are also open for viewing. Come visit the gateway to Concord's remarkable revolutionary and literary history! Reserve tickets online today.

Find events and information for
Greater Merrimack Valley. 
Central Massachusetts

Central MA offers countless opportunities to break out of your routine and enjoy the outdoors with loved ones. Unplug at a campground or unwind on a hiking trail. Find farm-fresh ingredients at a farmers market or picnic at one of these beautiful Worcester parks. Explore outdoor adventures like zip-lining in Berlin, golfing in Boylston or horseback riding in Holden. Visit DiscoverCentralMA.org to find the best of the region and start planning your next visit today! 

Find more events and information for Central Massachusetts.
Franklin County
What's more appealing than bicycling by fragrant meadows, historic houses, or pastures dotted with cows? Or pedaling alongside meandering streams and vibrant fall foliage? Franklin County offers up the New England landscapes of your dreams. Breathe in the fresh air and see it all close up, along the many bike trails running through the small towns and countryside. The Franklin County Bikeway criss-crosses the region with roughly 240 miles of bicycle routes, including both non-motorized bike/pedestrian trails and designated bike lanes along streets and highways. Find out more!

Find more events and information for Franklin County.
Greater Boston
The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) recently revealed an advance schedule of exhibitions, including a major collection show titled i'm yours: Encounters with Art in Our Times with pieces from Kader Attia, Firelei Báez, Louise Bourgeois, Ndijeka Akuniyli Crosby, Nan Goldin, Simone Leigh, Doris Salcedo, Henry Taylor, and more; the first ICA exhibition featuring multi-disciplinary artist and designer Virgil Abloh; a newly commissioned sculpture by Firelei Báez; and the first museum survey showcasing Deana Lawson.

Find more events and information for Greater Boston
Cape Cod
Dive into Cape Cod's Second Summer! Dig into a fresh lobster dinner or succulent Wellfleet oysters at your favorite restaurant. Cruise into one of our picturesque bays, kettle ponds or harbors on a kayak or paddleboard. Explore nature trails that wind through pine and oak woodlands, rivers and lakes, cedar swamps and salt marshes. The garden path at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich is pure eye candy this time of year, with vibrant blooms of dahlias and asters. So many outdoor adventures await, from biking and golfing to fishing and whalewatching. Book your Second Summer getaway today!

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Greater Springfield
Let's face it. We've all been in front of our screens a lot more than usual! It's time to get some culture into our lives and in Western Mass we have plenty of new exhibits to safely see. Why not make a day or two out of it? Many Western Mass attractions and museums have unveiled brand new exhibits including The Basketball Hall of Fame's High Above Center Court exhibit, Springfield Museum's Hall of Heroes, Eric Carle Museum's Let's Talk: Animals From the Collection and Norman Rockwell Museum's Outdoors exhibit. For more information about Western Mass including enhanced safety protocols, click here.

Find more events and information for Greater Springfield.
Hampshire County
Experience the wonder of poetry during the first ever live-streamed Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon, part of the Tell it Slant Poetry Festival from the Emily Dickinson Museum. This year, events are all online-find the full schedule here. If quarantine has got you excited to unleash your inner artist, check out Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program's schedule of spacious and breezy art classes happening this month. Just 2 hours from Boston!

Find more events and information for Hampshire County.
Regional Tourism Councils  
   
Funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism