Massachusetts has a variety of fun festivals, each highlighting the state's unique diversity and past.
The state of Massachusetts has great diversity from region to region, as shown by the variety of festivals conducted throughout the state each year. From high-end wine tastings in Boston to authentic country fairs on Cape Cod, Massachusetts has plenty of events to choose from, and one that will definitely make your vacation a memorable one.
One of the largest overall events in Massachusetts is the annual running of the Boston Marathon, the oldest marathon in America. For over 100 years, runners from all over the world have attempted the 26-mile trek from the suburb of Hopkinton into downtown Boston on Patriots Day in April. The race and the events surrounding it attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city to line the route. Events built around the marathon include a large fitness exposition, many race parties and outdoor events, and a famous "carb-loading" pasta dinner the evening before.
To see the city of Boston with a different flavor, the Boston Wine Expo is sure to satisfy any casual wine drinker or enthusiast. Held each January for the past 14 years, the Boston Wine Expo showcases over 400 wineries and 1,800 wines from around the world. The weekend includes an famous black tie charity wine and food tasting event called the Spinazzola Gala, as well as a huge wine exposition for the general public. Surrounding the main events are a variety of vintner dinners, lectures and seminars, as well as celebrity chef demonstrations and tastings. The Boston Wine Expo has also donated over $500,000 to local charities over the years.
Travel about 30 minutes north of Boston and you'll find one of the most unique events in the country. Each October, Salem, Massachusetts puts its history and folklore as the country's witch capital on display with three weeks of events called Haunted Happenings. The city's quaint and walkable downtown harbor area showcases not only the historic events of the Salem Witch Trials but also its history as an early American maritime capital. Haunted Happenings include parades, historic harbor cruises, reenactments of the witch trials, haunted house and candlelit ghost tours, and a psychic fair. Salem's many museums and monuments to both witches and its seafaring past are open to the public, include the Witch Museum and the Pirate Museum.
Further to the north in the Merrimack River Valley, the city of Lowell hosts the largest free folk festival in the country. Held each July, the Lowell Folk Festival is a weekend of traditional folk music, parades, storytelling events, ethnic food sampling and family activities. Six outdoor stages are set up along the canals that wind through the city. The festival also includes a massive interactive art exhibition that allows viewers to participate in the arts process in a myriad of ways.
To the west of Boston, the largest fair in the Northeast and the ninth largest in the country takes place in Springfield, MA. Each fall, the Eastern States Exhibition attracts over one million visitors each year from all over the eastern seaboard. Nicknamed the "Big E", this massive event celebrates the diversity of the six New England states, and features everything from agricultural exhibits to musical performers and amusement rides. The Avenue of States includes life-size replicas of each state capital and features a sampling of regional specialties, including Vermont cheddar cheese and Massachusetts cranberries. Storrowton Village is an authentic recreation of a 19th century village, complete with nine reconstructed buildings and a village green. The fair also features a kitchen theater, or large exhibit space for regional chefs, culinary schools and teachers to showcase New England delicacies. A full-size big top hosts a circus on the fairgrounds. One of the most popular souvenirs of the festival is its famous super size cream puffs.
Travel a bit further to the far western part of the state to partake in a very popular New England pastime called "leaf peeping." Each September and October, North Adams, MA in the famous Berkshires region hosts a Fall Foliage Festival celebrating this annual colorful display of nature. Huge parades with marching bands and floats mark the turning of the leaves, while a fall farmers market features the rich local seasonal produce.
Another popular Berkshires event also takes advantage of the area's natural beauty. Each summer, the famed Boston Symphony Orchestra moves to Tanglewood, its summer home. This open air theater showcases breathtaking area views while visitors enjoy the BSO and its many summer musical guests each year, including a visit from the Boston Pops.
Some say no visit to Massachusetts is complete without a trip to Cape Cod. This unique peninsula in southern Massachusetts is a very popular summer destination due to its beaches and picturesque seashore. Two of its largest festivals highlight very different pieces of Cape Cod's unique past.
For over 138 years, the Barnstable County Fair in East Falmouth, MA has been recreating the true New England country fair. Keeping with its roots in history, events include a blacksmith demonstration, agricultural events, authentic arts and crafts and unique New England food. The Barnstable County Fair is held each July.
The Cape Cod Maritime Days celebrate a very different part of the region's past, its seafaring history. This week long event features all facets of maritime heritage, including lighthouse tours, cruises in the Cape's various harbors, tours of its many seaport towns, boat building demonstrations and a variety of history and art exhibits. Events are held throughout the entire Cape Cod area in May.
