Accessible Fall Festivals and Upcoming Events

Autumn has arrived with refreshing cool temperatures and color changes in the landscape! Celebrate the season by attending an outdoor event! Here are several upcoming festivals and events in eastern Massachusetts and beyond that feature good accessibility. If you know of others, please share!

Saturday, September 29

Blue Hill Weather Observatory Open House & Kite Festival 10:00am –4:00pm

Things are looking up atop Great Blue Hill at Blue Hills State Reservation just outside Boston! Enjoy the amazing view, fascinating history and fun activities at the oldest continually operating Weather Observatory in the country. Join us for an open house and fun festival for all ages. Free admission to events; donation for some activities. Rain or shine. For details and parking info, call 617- 696-0562, especially if you need accessible parking as spots are limited at the top. Learn more at www.bluehill.org. People can bring their own kites or they can buy them from the gift shop.

Annual Fall Festival at Breakheart Reservation, 177 Forest Street, Saugus, MA. 10am -2pm. Scarecrow making, balloon sculpture, candy in the hay, arts and crafts. Eyes on Owls will be at 12noon and Native American songs, stories and dance from 1-2pm. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Breakheart Reservation. For more information call Maria Caniglia at (781) 233-0834.

Sunday, September 30

Fall Festival at Webb Memorial State Park, River Road, Weymouth, MA. 11am - 2pm. Highlights include cider pressing demonstration, fall foliage walk, bayberry candle making, music and more! Contact Person: Jessica Renehan, Phone: 781-740-1605 x 202Email: Jessica.renehan@state.ma.us

Harvest Festival at Belle Isle Marsh, Revere, MA. September 30, 1-3pm. Live animals, hay rides, pumpkin decorating, live music and more at a beautiful coastal marsh with wide trails! For more information, contact Gail Miller 617-567-5072

Saturday, October 7

Kite Fly at Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester, Mass. 10am-4pm. Free. Bring your own kites and enjoy many others in the air at this accessible urban park along I-93. Contact Ralph Reed of Kites Over New England at rreed3@comcast.net for further info. In the event of poor weather, October 8 will be used.  The park has open fields with accessible trails as shown in picture to left.

Saturday, October 20

Keene Pumpkin Festival - downtown Keene, NH. 12-8:30pm
Three hundred and sixty-four days a year Keene, NH, is a quintessential New England community with a pristine church at the head of a welcoming square. On October 20, 2012, that square will abound with jack-o'-lanterns carved by area school children and people from all over New England and beyond! Last year's event had over 16,000 jack-o-lanterns. Recent years have pushed close to 30,000. Every carved pumpkin counts as Keene competes with other cities across the country to beat the record of 32,000 jack-o'-lanterns lit at one time!

The bandstand will come alive and a tower of pumpkins so spectacular it is called "spell-binding" will rival the church steeple. Delectables in the Food and Craft Court will send forth aromas of apple crisp and maple cotton candy throughout the pumpkin-lined city streets. Eight world records and 21 years later, Keene Pumpkin Festival is the darling of New England events. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 per adult plus a carved pumpkin. Many activities and venues include pumpkin bowling and a kid's costume parade. Don't miss it! There are two accessible parking areas with a wheelchair accessible shuttle to the event (short waiting time).

Saturday, October 27

"Howl"-o-ween Canine Costume Parade, Borderland State Park, Sharon, Mass. 1-2:30pm.
Just in time for Halloween, join the Friends of Borderland State Park for our second annual “Howl”-o-ween Canine Costume Parade! Registration begins at 1pm, and the parade begins at 1:30pm. The Friends request a $5 registration donation per dog. The first 75 canine registrations will receive a Borderland dog bandana. Entrants’ costumes will be judged by a volunteer panel, and the owners of the winning canines will receive exciting prizes! Dogs must remain leashed at all times. For all ages; all children must be accompanied by an adult. Rain cancels. $2 per car parking fee. For more information call (508) 238-6566 or visit www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/borderland/.

October 27-28

East Meets West Kite and Cultural Festival. Pope John Paul II Park, Dorchester, MA. Join a large Chinese presence, along with other kite flyers for this annual 2 day event in which an enormous 300 foot long dragon kite is set aloft. Bring your own kite to fly or just come enjoy the sight of a wide variety of kites in the sky!