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We get it; when you visit an area you want to immerse yourself in the local community. Finding authentic restaurants, meeting local characters, shopping in stores that locals love, and spending time at their favorite river spots and on their favorite trails can make it feel as though you're a local too! Feeling like you're part of the crew that has figured out a way to live where you love to visit makes for a really fulfilling vacation in the White Mountains
Before you do anything though, sign the MWV Pledge! This ten-point responsibility code on how to safely and responsibly recreate in the White Mountains helps us spread the word on how protect them! Sign your name and join the others who pledge to care for this forest to ensure it sticks around for years to come!
For more information on planning your Mt. Washington Valley vacation, sign up for our monthly newsletter!
Local breweries are great places to spot local’s in their natural state! Many just got off the trail, and are enjoying a cool and crisp beverage to celebrate their summit. If you’re looking for a brewery in and around North Conway, you’ll find five! Click the link to build your own tasting tour throughout the breweries in North Conway, and beyond. You’ll also find information on the valley’s local wineries and distillery!
Each one offers a unique perspective on hand-crafted and beer! Taste the difference between each beverage; feel the excitement from the local brewers as they perfect their craft; spend time amongst locals who are enjoying a refreshing beverage after a day of hiking, biking, or skiing; and catch some entertainment in the form of live music, corn hole, or food trucks.
Take Tuckerman Brewing Company for example - this OG brewery started over 25 years ago, and has grown to offer a tasting room, outdoor beer garden and stage for live music. It offers weekly live entertainment with regional New England talent, brick oven pizza and regular corn hole tournaments! On October 15th its hosting Fall Fest, so put on your favorite flannel and join the brewery for a day of games and entertainment in its Beer Garden. Activities include a keg toss, stein hoisting, live music, pizza specials and a fall beer release!
Saco River Brewing is constantly collaborating with the community, and takes inspiration from it when creating its next beer. Their upcoming release, Jockey Cap IPA, is coming out September 16th, and it celebrates its next door neighbor - Jockey Cap! A portion of this land was just acquired by the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, (USVLT), a non-profit focused on land management and conversation. USVLT has taken on the responsibility of maintaining Jockey Cap’s trails and surrounding land. A portion of all proceeds from the sale of Saco Brewing’s Jockey Cap IPA supports this endeavor. Both Saco River Brewing and Upper Saco Valley Land Trust invite you to come out for the release party on September 16th.
Ledge Brewing Company is hosting “Ledgetoberfest,” on October 1st, featuring food trucks, live rock music, an oompah band, contests, costumes, prizes, and beer steins. It will also be debuting its Fest Beer for fall!
Vacationing in the White Mountains means you’re vacationing in a mecca for outdoor events! Whether you’re a competitive athlete looking for some serious challenge, or someone who enjoys the community nature of events, there is something for you.
Seasoned athletes in search of serious vertical, this event is for you! The Kilkenny Ridge Race, taking place on September 17th! This is a 50-mile and 25-mile race course that course follows the Kilkenny Ridge Trail with approximately 7500 ft of gain for each direction. Due to trying to keep the trail as natural as possible for hikers, the course is unmarked, which puts not only your aerobic endurance to the test, but also your map reading and directional skills. This course is wild and wooly so expect it to feel very remote. This is not an entry-level course!
This race is hosted by White Mountain Endurance, a company run by endurance athlete and Ultra runner, Kristina Folcok. Her focus with White Mountain Endurance is to showcase the mountains everyone loves to train in while building a community of runners who care about the environment and each other. Other events that White Mountain Endurance hosts include the Chocorua Mountain Race, a 15ish mile lollipop course with roughly 4500ft of gain or the Race the Cog where runners try to beat the famed train that runs up Mount Washington and takes on a 37% grade, among others.
For something less physically demanding, but still rooted in community spirit and outdoor fun, join the Conway Area Humane Society at Great Glen Trails for its Trails for Tails event on September 24th.
Make a donation to the Conway Area Humane Society, and take a hike, walk, or bike ride on the Great Glen Trails network. This is a dog-friendly event that also provides a great opportunity to enjoy some fun with the family in the outdoors! Form teams within your group, and see who can beat who on the trails - or who can beat who in a donation!
Join Jen’s Friends Cancer Foundation for its iconic “Climb Against Cancer” hike-a-thon that takes place at Cranmore Mountain on September 17th. Attracting friends, families, and hikers from around New England, Jen’s Friends is looking to welcome over 800 hikers this year!
The hike starts at 9:30am, where participants meet at the base of Cranmore Mountain, and make their way to the top, and down again. Back at the base, hikers enjoy camaraderie, live entertainment, lunch an auction and awards ceremony. This event is pet-friendly, and a great way to get a feel for the community and culture of Mt. Washington Valley.
Making sure that every member of your traveling crew is having fun is no small feat. If you’re searching for family fun in North Conway, NH and its surrounding areas we have you covered with some ideas below. You’ll find family friendly activities, and will be surrounded by other local families looking for the same thing for their kids. The events in Mt. Washington Valley put on by local businesses and non-profits are always entertaining.
Settlers Green is hosting two family friendly events in North Conway, NH this fall; its Fall Fest and Boo Bash!
Fall Fest at Settlers Green: Experience the best of fall in the White Mountains with family-friendly fun at Settlers Green's annual Fall Festival on September 24th. Featuring a Candy Pumpkin Guessing Contest, complimentary apples on the green, a kids hay maze and pumpkin painting as well as fall displays.
Live Music featuring String Equinox - the talented duo of Shana Aisenberg and Beverly Woods - will be ongoing from 11am to 1pm "on the green" in the Courtyard. Beverly specializes in playing the hammered dulcimer and Shana specializes in the violin. Seating will be provided to sit in and enjoy.
Settlers Green's Boo Bash is also taking place on October 28th! This event is highlighted with a kids costume parade, free outdoor Halloween-themed movie, games and prizes.
Make your way to Jackson Village for the All Things Pumpkin Festival on October 21st! You’ll find Pumpkin Carving Competitions, Pumpkin Tasting Tours, and Pumpkin Sleigh Rides. Kids are invited to join in on pumpkin themed activities in their quest for some really great prizes! They will be able to decorate pumpkins, and roll pumpkins for a chance at winning the top spot!
The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce is also hosting the Return of the Pumpkin People where businesses throughout Mt. Washington Valley create whimsical displays of pumpkin people; the only requirement being that the heads are made of pumpkins. Take a self-guided tour of the pumpkin people and vote on your favorite from September 1s through October 1st.
For complete trip planning resources and information, explore this site, visitmwv.com, or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to talk to a Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce rep. To learn more about New Hampshire vacations, go to www.VisitNH.gov.
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