Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1479836
flower displays, arts and crafts displays, and decorated pumpkins. The fair's lively midway with carnival games and rides stays open well into the night, and you can catch live shows like musical entertainment, bike stunt shows, and equine performances. Don't forget to grab a candy apple, a "Gobbler" sandwich, and a hot apple crisp. CIDER HILL FARM FALL WEEKENDS Each weekend in autumn, Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury puts on every fall happening you could dream of—hayrides, live music, hard cider, an outdoor market, pick-your-own apples, a food truck, and hot cider donuts. Their outdoor hard cider bar takes place on the main lawn on Fridays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays 12 to 4 p.m, where you'll find their 100-percent orchard cider, plus non-alcoholic cider and free live music. Don't forget to grab pumpkins and mums at the outdoor market, take photos at the pumpkin wagon, and grab a bite at the Pitchfork food truck. TAKE A HIKE Foliage on the North Shore typically peaks during the last two weeks of October. There's hardly a better way to explore the region's stunning foliage than a hike through the woods—and our region has no shortage of those. Check out nshoremag.com/faces- places/hiking-hot-spots for some of our all- time favorite trails. Great leaf-peeping trails include Lynn Woods Reservation, with its 30 miles of easy trails and stone tower for great views; Ravenswood in Gloucester for both woods and coastal trekking; and Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, featuring a nineteenth-century walled garden, plus rolling meadows and wooded stretches. On October 22 and 23, Theater in the Open hosts its annual Maudslay Is Haunted show and guided tour at the property. SMOLAK FARMS FALL WEEKENDS Smolak Farms in Andover also puts on Fall Festival Weekends similar to Cider Hill Farm's. Along with apple picking at its picture-perfect orchard, hayrides, and barnyard animals, fall festival weekends will include live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a beer and wine bar with specials like Stormalong hard cider, gluten-free craft beer, and homemade sangria, and a concession stand for hotdogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, and more. Don't forget to stop by the ice cream stand or the farm stand for baked goods, sandwiches, coffee, and cider donuts. VISIT A BREWERY While many area breweries have their traditional Oktoberfests in September, there's still plenty of fun to be had at local breweries, and plenty of breweries to have fun at. Notch's biergarten stays open through October, and breweries like Newburyport Brewing Co., True North Ale Company, and Old Planters Brewing Co. have regular lineups of live music on weekends and evenings. Some spots like BareWolf Brewing in Amesbury have food trucks on the weekends, and Granite Coast