Pick your own pumpkins and apples, find adventure in a corn maze and raise a glass to Oktoberfest
Bushel and a peck
Where to pick your own apples
“We raise over 100 varieties of apple this year,” said Tim Bassett of Gould Hill Farm in Contoocook, “though not all of them are for pick-your-own, of course. We started picking in late July for fruit for the store, and we’ll go right through the first or second week of November with fruit. … We open [to the public] the weekend before Labor Day with some earlier varieties like Colorado and Zestar.”
He said picking usually runs until around mid October. “[I]t also depends on if we get picked out or not, we can keep going later. So there’s been some years we’ve been allowing people to pick right up till Halloween time.”
Bassett said that this year there are 21 varities for picking. He said apple picking at his farm makes for a particularly good day out for a family. “It has to do with our location,” he said. “We’re [unusual] that we’re set up on a ridge, so we have an 80-mile view, right to the White Mountains. So on nice clear days you’re looking up toward Mt. Lafayette, over to Mt. Washington and Mt. Chocorua. It’s a really pretty spot that we have; we’re very lucky in that. We also — besides apple picking and cider doughnuts, and cider, and all our baked goods — we also have a hard cider tasting room and restaurant. We make all the hard ciders right here with our own apples. So people can go pick apples and eat their doughnuts and then head right down to our tasting room.”
“Our tasting room and restaurant are open year-round,” Bassett said, “but only on weekends. And we will close our farm at Christmas, and close the farm store, and we won’t open again until we get pick-your-own blueberries in July.”
PYO apples
Here are some farms offering pick your own apples, according to their websites and social media (many of which also idenitify the kinds of apples offered). Call ahead or go online before heading out to make sure that your favorite apple is being picked that day. Know of an orchard we left out? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
• Apple Hill Farm (580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com) Hours: Open seven days 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The picking season ends the day before Thanksgiving. “We have Pick-Your-Own apples! We are currently picking Macs, Cortland, Gala, Jonagold, Fuji and Snow Sweet apples, with many other varieties at the farmstand,” the website said.
• Appleview Orchard (1266 Upper City Road, Pittsfield, 435-3553, applevieworchard.com) Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; PYO apples last picking is 5 p.m. Apple varieties typically available in October include Brock, Cortland, Crimson Crisp, Crimson Topaz, Empire, Fuji, Ginger Gold, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Macoun, McIntosh, Mollie’s Delicious, and Red Delicious.
• Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com) Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last entrance to the orchard is 30 minutes before closing. The website claims “30+ apple varieties throughout the fall!”Apple varieties typically available in October include McIntosh, Cortland, Ruby Mac, Jonamac, Gala, Mutsu, Rising Sun Fuji, Amarillo Soul and many others. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Picking.)
• Carter Hill Orchard (73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com) Hours: Open seven days, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farmstand sells farm-raise fruit and vegetables, baked goods, and hot cider doughnuts. Apple varieties usually available in October include Braeburn, Crispin, Gibson Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Mutsu.
• Currier Orchards (9 Peaslee Road, Merrimack, 881-8864, currierorchards.com) Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is a farm stand with seasonal baked goods, cider doughnuts and other farm products. Apple varieties at Currier include McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Macoun, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Empire, Cortland, Gala, Jonastar, and Liberty.
• DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way, Lee, 868-2111, demeritthillfarm.com) Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is a farm bakery, a farm store, hay rides and recreational trails. Apple varieties grown at DeMerrit that are usually ready in October include Spencer, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Red Cameo, Autumn Gala, Jonagold, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Shizuka, Ida Red and Pink Lady. (See this farm’s listing in Pumpkin Picking.)
• Gould Hill Farm (656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com) Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gould Hill Farm grows more than 100 varieties of apples, though only a few are available to pick yourself. According to the Farm’s website, apples currently available to pick yourself are Cortland, Gala, Honeycrisp, Kearsarge and McIntosh.
• Hackleboro Orchard (61 Orchard Road, Canterbury, 783-4248) Hours: Open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Find them on Facebook.
• Hazelton Orchards (280 Derry Road, Chester, 490-9921, hazeltonorchards.com) Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bagged apples are available during the week at the farm store. From the Orchards’ website: “Our family has been growing apples here in Chester since 1898. Some of our trees are over a century old and still producing! We have twelve varieties of apples available in our U-pick orchard or at our farm stand.”
• Lull Farm (615 Route 13, Milford, 673-3119, livefreeandfarm.com) Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Apple varieties include McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Spencer, Mutzu, Yellow Delicious, and Red Delicious. (See this farm’s listing in Pumpkin Picking.)
• Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com) Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Call the Apple Hotline for picking conditions and varieties at 432-3456. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Picking.)
• Maple Gate Farm and Vineyard (183 Amherst Road, Merrimack, 759-9174, maplegatefarmandvineyard.com) Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to the Farm’s website, you should expect “crisp apples [of] many varieties].”
• McLeod Orchards (735 N. River Road, Milford, mcleodorchards.com) Hours: Open weekdays, 1 to 5:30 p.m., weekends and holidays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Apple varieties usually available in October include Mutsu, Jonagold and Roxbury Russets. Check the Orchards’ Facebook page for updates throughout the season at facebook.com/McLeodOrchards.
• McQuesten Farm (330 Charles Bancroft Hwy, Litchfield, 424-9268, facebook.com/McQuesten.Farm) Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (See this farm’s listing in Pumpkin Picking.)
• Meadow Ledge Farm (612 Route 219, Loudon, 789-5860, meadowledgefarm.com) Hours: Open every day, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick-Your-Own varieties of apples typically available in October include Jonathan, Ozark Gold, Empire, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Hampshire, Ida Red, Jonagold, Mutsu, Smokehouse, Wolf River, and Baldwin. Other varieties are available bagged in the farm store.
• Stone Mountain Farm (522 Laconia Road, Belmont, 731-2493, stonemtnfarm.com) Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm stand sells apples, pumpkins, winter squash, gourds, corn stalks and maple syrup. The website says, “Our PYO orchard has more than 45 varieties of apples” and varieties that are typically ready at this time of year include Macoun, Empire, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Golden Russet and others.
• Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com) Hours: Open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Apple varieties include Cortland, MacIntosh, Honeycrisp and Mutsu. “Be sure to call the hotline to see what we are picking fresh today!,” the website says. That hotline is 432-9652. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Picking.)
• Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard (66 Mason Road, Greenville, 878-2101, washburnswindyhillorchard.com) Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Apple varieties include Cortland, Macoun, Red Delicious and others. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Picking.)
Be kind to the apples
Some orchards have a no-pets policy, and some allow pets but only in certain areas or not in the orchard itself. “Please clean up after your dog” is a common sentiment. Check an orchard’s website or socials for their policies.
Pretty much all the orchards have a “Please do not climb the trees” policy and would appreciate it if visitors make sure not to litter. PYO visitors should only pick in designated areas, no matter how enticing the apples on the other side of the fence appear. Generally, children should be accompanied by adults, no one should throw fruit, and no drones are allowed.
As the Mack’s Apples website puts it, “Thank you for being respectful of our hard work!”
Puzzle in corn
Corn mazes offer added fun during a visit to the farm
According to Alicia Trombly, for most New England farms it’s not enough to just grow stuff. Look at almost any area farm during the fall, she said.
“We have a corn maze. We have a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. On the weekends in October we have hay rides and a cow train going — it’s barrels we turn into cows, and they’re pulled by a lawn mower. Some of the kids have to go on it; it’s wicked cute.”
Trombly and her family own Trombly Gardens in Milford, a small family farm that, like most family farms in the Northeast, wouldn’t be sustainable without bringing in visitors. Entertaining visitors is a way to make a go of it, she said. “It’s something that [my husband] Sean and I do together that we love. and we love the new ideas, and we love the feedback from our customers and the new people that find us and you know every kind of little new idea. We go to an agritainment convention every year, and we usually come back with some idea to add.”
One of the most popular of these new farm activities is the corn maze. Farmers will grow densely planted plots of feed corn, then mow paths and mazes through the giant corn plants. Visitors pay enthusiastically for the opportunity to compete against each other, finding their way through the mazes.
“We have one corn maze,” Trombly said, “which is open from when [the farm] opens in the morning until dusk. Starting at the end of September, every weekend, we have what’s called the Dark Woods, which is a haunted trail on the other side of the farm, and when that’s going we offer our corn maze to go through at night.” It is very popular with teenagers, Trombly said. “The cost is $9 a person, but we encourage people to bring one unexpired canned good, and we will take $1 off. At the end of October we donate all that to our local food bank.”
Where to corn maze
Here are some of the area corn mazes. Call before you go to make sure the maze is open that day as availability can change based on weather and other factors. Know of a maze not mentioned here? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
• Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com) Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $10 per person and free for ages 5 and under. This 8-acre corn field features a maze of twists and turns that typically remains open through Halloween or early November depending on weather conditions. Applecrest, which features pick your own apples, also hosts a fall festival every weekend through October with live music, tractor rides and food for sale, according to the website.
• Beans & Greens Farm (245 Intervale Road, Gilford, 293-2853, beansandgreensfarm.com) Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $9. On its website, Beans & Greens announced that it has partnered this year with Mayhem Productions (facebook.com/mayhemNH) “for a haunting experience that will bring thrills and chills every Friday and Saturday night throughout October, plus a special night on Halloween.” Guests can still enjoy the corn maze during daylight hours.
• Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn (107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton, 223-0828, beechhillfarm.com) Hours: Daily, noon to half an hour before dusk. Cost: $7 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under. Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn has two 4-acre corn mazes, and $7 gives you access to both. This year’s themes are “Yellowstone – A National Park Scavenger Hunt” and “Where in the World? – a unique corn maze trivia challenge.” Maze-goers search for signs with clues in a scavenger hunt style. Complete the puzzles to navigate through. The mazes are open daily through Oct. 31. In addition to the ice cream and homemade waffle cones, Beech Hill offers pumpkins, mums and more in its Gardener’s Barn.
• Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com) Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $5 per person, which includes a hayride. The corn maze is among several family-friendly activities that will be available at Brookdale Fruit Farm this fall, along with hayrides and apple picking. The farm also features an ice cream stand and a wide variety of local products in its farm stand, including the farm’s own honey, canned vegetables and jellies and more, according to the website.
• Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury, brookfordfarm.com, 742- 4084) Corn maze hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission costs $5 for everyone 3 and over through September, $8 beginning Oct. 3, according to the website. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on the farm’s website. The weekend of Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, and Oct. 10 through Oct. 12, is Pumpkins and Piggies, where visitors are encouraged to pick pumpkins, meet piggies, and try Pumpkin Chuck-a-Chunk — feed the pigs while they help mow down the sunflower fields. Build your own scarecrow, watch the daily cow parade, and ride around the farm on a tractor shuttle.
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia, visitthefarm.com) has a children’s corn maze “[p]erfectly sized for little explorers,” according to the website. The farm will hold its annual Pumpkin Festival Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, and Saturday, Oct. 10, through Monday, Oct. 12, followed by Children’s Trick or Treat Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25 as well as Halloween, Oct. 31, according to the website where you can pick an entry time and purchase tickets.
• Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road, Lee, 659-3572, nhcornmaze.com) Hours: Monday, Thursday and Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entrance is at 4:30 p.m.). Columbus Day hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: $10 for adults, $8 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for students, seniors and active military service members, and free for kids ages 4 and under. This year’s theme is chipmunks. The corn maze is open until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, as well as two evenings, Oct. 10 and Oct. 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Visit nhcornmaze.com.
• J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com) The theme of the 4-acre corn maze in October will be Halloween. The cost is $10 per person. “Our corn maze is grown using field corn. Field corn is not edible to humans. However, it makes excellent cow feed. When the maze closes on Halloween, the entire cornstalk is harvested for feed!” the website said. Visit jandffarmsnh.com/corn-maze.
• Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432- 3456, macksapples.com) Corn maze is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays Mack’s also has weekend Bee Train rides from noon to 5 p.m. and hayrides around the orchard from 1 to 5 p.m.
• Moulton Farm (18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 279-3915, moultonfarm.com) According to the Farm’s website, “In addition to our 4-acre corn maze, enjoy our sunflower field, PYO pumpkin patch, and, on select weekends, free wagon rides and live music. Our maze opens at 8 a.m. The last admission is one hour before our farm closes. Admission costs are $12 per person, with a special rate of $6 for each child age 3 to 6. Children under 3 are free.”
• Riverview Farm (141 River Road, Plainfield, 298-8519, riverviewnh.com) Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. through 5:30 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Riverview Farm has a new maze designer this year, according to its website, “and he is hard at work getting new characters designed and painted as well as a new story all focused around cryptids of New England. The maze is $8/person, ages 4 and under are free. For a spooky experience, visit our maze the weekend of Halloween from 7 to 9 p.m., when it becomes haunted! The haunted maze is a fundraiser for the Lebanon High School and Middle School Nordic Ski Teams and all proceeds go to them. Come with a flashlight but please leave your costumes at home.” The Farm Store is open through October, offering doughnuts, cider, jams, honey and more; visitors can bring a packed lunch to eat at the picnic tables on the lawn.
• Sunfox Farm (Gully Hill Road, Concord, 244-9888, sunfoxfarm.org) Hours: Open Thursday through Sunday throughout October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission to the farm is free. Corn maze wristbands, pumpkins, food and drinks are purchased separately. There will be two fall festival weekends, featuring live local music, artisan vendors, food trucks, games, and even more seasonal fun: Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Spooky Season Weekend, Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be two special 21+ evening events: Cocktails and Cornstalks, Friday, Oct. 9, 6:30 to 9 p.m., and Boos and Brews, Saturday, Oct. 24, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Cocktails & Cornstalks and Boos & Brews are separately ticketed 21+ events.
• Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com) Hours: The 5-acre corn maze is open through Oct. 31, Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A farm store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, with fresh apples, peaches, nectarines and plums, as well as local produce, milk, honey, jams, syrup, pies and ice cream. Colbie’s Cones is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. selling homemade ice cream and soft serve.
• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.com) Hours: Daily, from 9 a.m. to dusk. Cost: $9 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under. Bringing in a canned good will result in $1 off entry (one can per person) and the item will be donated to a local food bank. Visitors can also “grab an ice cream and visit the animals while you are here,” according to a recent Facebook post from the Gardens. Starting in October on Friday and Saturday there will be a night maze whose times vary based on the schedule of The Dark Woods (thedarkwoodsnh.com), which is a haunted trail on the other side of the farm, through Halloween.
• Washburn’s Windy Hill (orchard 66 Mason Road, Greenville, 878-2101, washburnswindyhillorchard.com) Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $5 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under. The 5-acre corn maze at Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard is open daily, rain or shine, through October. Visitors can visit farm animals and browse the gift shop; there are picnic tables and a play area for children. Much of the maze is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
A maze! A maze! A maze!
Corn mazes have rules. For instance, at Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard, “Rule #1 is Have Fun!,” says the website, but also no running, no smoking or open flames, no breaking the cornstalks, and children age 12 and under must be attended by a guardian.
Check the rules at the corn maze you’re going to before you head out.
Corn mazes may be wheelchair-accessible or not, to varying degrees, depending on the landscape.
Oktoberfest!
Celebrating fall brews
Oktoberfest is a state of mind, says Anthony Caruso, general manager at Henniker Brewing Co.
“The idea of Oktoberfest is about getting together, having a bunch of fun, drinking some great beers and being with people and partying,” he said. He said Henniker Brewing’s Oktoberfest, Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, is about finding that state of mind. “We could get an oompah band and try to be German, but we’re not [German]. The music is heavily influenced by everyone getting together in a beer garden outside, listening to music. It just happens to be music from around here — our favorite local bands. It’s not like we’re pretending like we’re in Germany. It’s kind of like our New Hampshire version of Oktoberfest.”
That isn’t to say that there won’t be anything German at this Oktoberfest.
“We have different food trucks every day,” Caruso said. “So Friday’s Stacy’s Grill. Saturday’s Blue Nose Pitmasters, which is a barbecue truck, and then Teenie Wienies is here on Sunday. They usually do an Oktoberfest menu as well. And on top of that, on Saturday we typically do some stein-hoisting and we also have a traditional clothing contest because there are people who like to dress up.”
And of course there will be German-style beers, he said. “Obviously, we’re serving our Oktoberfest, which is a Marzen. And we have a couple other German beers too, like the Kolsch, that’s Northern German.”
There is another beer tradition from Munich’s Oktoberfest that Henniker Brewing has adopted, Caruso said. In some of the locations, “they drink out of a barrel of beer in a beer garden, which is pretty cool. When I went to Munich I did that at Hofbrauhaus. So our version of that is where we have a cask and we tap that as a kind of ceremonial tapping on Saturday. This is the third year we’ve held our Oktoberfest, and the first year, we had our owner Dave do it. Last year, our newest member did it. I think this year, the head brewer wants to do it. We open the tap, and everyone has cups, and they’re in a line. We never let [the beer] stop flowing, and everybody holds up their cups.”
“It’s like the sort of stuff that they do in Germany,” Caruso said, “but kind of our own version of it.”
Oktoberfests & fall brew fests
Here are some area brew and Oktoberfests. Did we miss your favorite marzen and festbier? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
• The Henniker Brewing Co. (129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com) will celebrate Oktoberfest Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct 4, with food from Stacy’s Grill, Bluenose Pitmasters, and Teenie Wienies, and live music from Rubik’s Muse, Hammy Sagar, Speedtrap, The Bullzeye Band, Northern Lites, and Beechwood. An online poster for the event implies that “Bier!” will have a strong presence. Visit hennikerbrewing.com/elementor-2375/taproom-events.
• Barley House Restaurant and Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) will celebrate Oktoberfest Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 11. From the Barley House website: “… enjoy the festive atmosphere of our indoor Barley Haus Biergarten, Bavarian beer, and a special menu of homemade German-inspired favorites, including Schnitzel, NH-made Bratwurst Sausage Farmer’s Plate, the Über Burger, and Kaiser Dog.” Visit thebarleyhouse.com/events/go-to-munich-without-the-flight.
• 603 Brewery and Beer Hall (42 Main St., Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com) will host Fall Fest 2026 Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 8 p.m. According to the 603 website, this is “Southern New Hampshire’s biggest Fall Fest.” There will be live music, DJs, food and vendors in attendance. Visit 603brewery.com/event-details/fall-fest-2026.
• The 14th annual Powder Keg Beer & Chili Festival arrives in downtown Exeter on Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. at Swasey Parkway. VIP admission is at noon; general admission starts at 1 p.m. All tickets include beer and chili samples and live entertainment. Visit powderkegbeerfest.com.
• Post & Beam Brewing (40 Grove St., Peterborough, 784-5361, postandbeambrewery.com) will hold an Oktoberfest celebration Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 9 p.m. From the Post & Beam website: “We’ll be pouring our festbier, Cardigan on one Lukr faucet, and a new release lager on the other. And just like last year, we’ll be pulling our other eight beers and giving those lines to lagers brewed across the state by some of our favorite breweries. When they kick, they kick, so come early! And of course, Blackfire will be making special Oktoberfest-themed food for the occasion.” Visit postandbeambrewery.com/events-1/2026/10/3/oktoberfest-2026.
• According to posts on social media, KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) will hold its annual Oktoberfest Sunday, Oct. 4, from noon to 6 p.m. Activities and raffles of gift baskets from local businesses will raise money for the Manchester Animal Shelter. There will be traditional beer-hoisting, a Bavarian-themed costume contest, festive german foods, brats, and cold beers on tap served on the patio
• Feathered Friend Brewing (231 S. Main St., Concord, 715-2347, featheredfriendbrewing.com) will put on its annual Rocktoberfest Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 10 p.m. According to Feathered Friend’s website, the festivities will include beer steins, stein-holding competition, hammerschlagen, sausage swinging games, awards for best dressed, food specials, and live rock music from four bands. Visit featheredfriendbrewing.com/monthly-events.
• Sunstone Brewing, 298 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, will hold its Oktoberfest Renaissance Faire Weekend Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, according to a post on its Facebook page. “Our Oktoberfest Renaissance Faire Weekend is bringing local artisans & vendors, full-armor medieval knight duels, Oktoberfest food specials, live music, ridiculously fun competitions, games, and plenty more shenanigans all weekend long to Londonderry,” according to the post, which also mentioned Oktoberfest and Pumpking of the North beer. See sunstonebrewing.com.
• Loon Mountain Resort (60 Loon Mountain Road, Lincoln, 745-8111, loonmtn.com) will play host to the White Mountain Oktoberfest Saturday, Oct. 10, through Monday, Oct. 12. Sponsored by Sam Adams Brewing, this three-day event will feature beer, beer workshops, axe-throwing, face painting, live music, live chainsaw wood carving, and animal exhibits. Visit loonmtn.com/events/oktoberfest.
• Mactoberfest will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, from noon to 8:30 p.m. at McIntyre Ski Area, 50 Chalet Way, Manchester, 622-6159, according to mcintyreskiarea.com. The event is hosted by Miller Lite and Sam Adams Oktoberfest, according to McIntyre’s Facebook page. “Hosted in partnership with the Manchester Fire Department, Mactoberfest is a fundraising event benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA),” the website said. The event includes food trucks, games, live music, keg toss and more, the Facebook page said.
• Mountain Base Brewery (553 Mast Road, No. 111, Goffstown, 935-7132, mountainbasebrewery.com) and The Worker Bee Fund (workerbeefund.org) will host the 5th Annual Mount Uncanoonuc Brewfest on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Shaw’s Plaza at 533 Mast Road, Goffstown. All ticketed attendees receive a 5-ounce branded taster for unlimited tastings (designated drivers excluded), and there will be food vendors and live music as well as a stein-hoisting competition, cornhole and axe throwing. This event is 21+. Visit events.beerfests.com/e/mount-uncanoonuc-brewfest.
• The Oktoberfest + Ski & Snowboard Sale will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pats Peak in Henniker, according to patspeak.com. The Oktoberfest will feature German food offerings available for purchase, a Sam Adams German beer garden, live music by the Bavarian Brothers Band, kids activities, axe throwing and more, the website said.
O’zapft is!
According to Wikipedia, the official start to Munich’s Oktoberfest happens when the Mayor of Munich taps the first wooden beer barrel at noon on the opening day. As soon the tap is pounded in with a wooden mallet, the mayor traditionally shouts, “O’zapft is!” [“It is tapped!”], then 12 gunshots are fired outside, and the crowd traditionally cries out, “Oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!” [“One, two, three, drink!”], at which point Oktoberfest officially starts.
Pick your own pumpkins
Where to find a patch
Visiting a farm, especially with young children, and searching through a field for just the right pumpkin is a way for families to feel connected with the land, with the soil, said Greg Pollock.
Pollock and his wife, Amber, own Sunfox Farm in Concord.
“We’ve gone to numerous pick-your-own pumpkin patches,” he said, “and what we’re trying to do is to keep a sense of adventure as part of it. We’ve gone to some [other farms] in the past where you show up and it’s just an open mowed field with a bunch of pumpkins spread out. You can tell they weren’t really grown right there. So we’re trying to keep that actual pick-your-own-right-out-of-the-pumpkin-patch aspect and adventure alive.”
The Pollocks like to offer visitors a choice of pumpkins. “[Visitors] can grab a wagon and head out into the pumpkin patch and choose the ones they like, and bring them back, and we’ll weigh them up for them. We have multiple varieties [of pumpkins], some small, some white, some medium-sized and large carving pumpkins as well. Some of them are even warty — unusual varieties that you can get really creative with.”
Pollock’s advice for picking the best pumpkins is to make use of the natural shape of a pumpkin. “What I always do,” he said, “is sort of have a design in mind and then I kind of find the pumpkin that will fit that design so that I can use the characteristics of the pumpkin for that design.” He said he’s seen people get really creative with non-standard pumpkins. “The warts on the warty varieties are good for that, too.”
Pollock said they’ll be open Thursday through Sunday for all of October. “And then we do have two bigger weekends on Columbus Day weekend and then the weekend before Halloween, where we have live music all day and vendors and food trucks and all that sort of thing. So that’ll be on those weekends. This is our first year doing [pumpkins and a corn maze]. We’re excited and hope for the best. We’re planning a number of interactive puzzles to go into the corn maze to point you in the right direction. We have kind of a scavenger hunt where you need to find all the hidden scarecrows that we’re going to have in there. If you do and take a selfie with those, you’ll be able to get entered into a drawing that we’ll be having every Monday.”
PYO pumpkins
Here are some area farms that let you pick your own pumpkin from the patch, according to their websites and social media. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know at adiaz
• Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com) Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to the Farm’s website, you can expect “acres and acres of big orange fun. Minis (kids love ’em), Sugar Pumpkins (great for pies) and traditional old jack-o’-lanterns. Sold by-the-pound.” There are fruits and vegetables available in season, as well as cider, “made-from-scratch confectioneries (including our famous hot cider donuts) and an array of other locally produced farm goods.”
• Brookford Farm (250 West Road, Canterbury, 742-4084, brookfordfarm.com) Hours: daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Join a mailing list on the Farm’s website to be notified of what is in season. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes.)
• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia, visitthefarm.com) will hold its annual Pumpkin Festival Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, and Saturday, Oct. 10, through Monday, Oct. 12, where “[y]our kids will love searching for the perfect pumpkin in our expansive pumpkin patch,” according to the website where you can pick an entry time and purchase tickets.
• DeMeritt Hill Farm (20 Orchard Way, Lee, 868-2111, demeritthillfarm.com) Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Farm’s website advises pumpkin pickers to expect “Orange, White, Big, Little and every size in between, we grow them here. Each fall, our 3 pumpkin patches start to overflow with a sea of orange. We offer pumpkins for PYO or they can be picked out at the farm store. Have you seen the ‘Pumpkin Alley’ within Haunted Overload yet? Each October, we host a pumpkin carving contest and the winners get to display their jack-o’-lanterns in ‘Pumpkin Alley’ during Haunted Overload. Dates will be posted for the carving contest when they become available.”
• Devriendt Farm Products (47 Story Road, Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com) Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends only. Tractor rides are available to the pumpkin field. Last entry is at 4:30 p.m. The last day for picking pumpkins will be Sunday, Oct. 25.
• Lavoies Farm (172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.wordpress.com) Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pumpkin varieties include sugar pumpkins, jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, white pumpkins, princess pumpkins and small decorative pumpkins.
• Lull Farm (615 Route 13, Milford, 673-3119, livefreeandfarm.com) Hours: Open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit livefreeandfarm.com/pick-your-own.html for information about what is available to pick on a given day. Fresh-baked bread, pastries, farm-raised beef, pork and chicken are also available at the Farm’s seasonal farm store.
• Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com) Hours: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to the orchard’s website, “Mack’s Apples is the largest Pick-Your-Own destination in New Hampshire, with many different U-Pick stations. You’ll want to drive between each one and the main farm stand. Watch for the signs and maps at each one to know which are open for picking and how to get there.” PYO pumpkins will continue until November.
• McQuesten Farm (330 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield, 424-9268, facebook.com/McQuesten.Farm) Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tractor rides are available to the pumpkin patch at this ninth-generation farm.
• Sunfox Farm (Gully Hill Road, Concord, 244-9888, sunfoxfarm.org) Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes.)
• Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com) Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes.)
• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.com) Hours: Open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes.)
• Washburn’s Windy Hill Orchard (66 Mason Road, Greenville, 878-2101, washburnswindyhillorchard.com) Hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. From the Orchard’s website: “Thousands of pumpkins to choose over several acres in our mud-free hayfield! We provide wagons for transporting your perfect pumpkins. Carving pumpkins must be weighed in at our farm stand and are sold by weight. A large variety of carving pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, and ornamentals.” (See this farm’s listing in Corn Mazes.)
Pretty, pretty pumpkins
These pumpkin patches are on private property, not public parks. Picking pumpkins is one thing, but procuring pictures is another, and some proprietors explicitly prohibit portrait photography without permission and possibly payment. Mack’s Apples, on its Visitor Guidelines page, says, “Do not move crates, bins, pumpkins, equipment, and other farm stuff around to stage a photo.” Your chosen patch’s policies are probably posted online; call or check the website if you’re curious.