Yes Pumpkins, but Much More This Fall in Portsmouth
Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash
Fall is here like a breath of fresh air. Out with the hot, humid summer days and onto crisp, cool evenings. Portsmouth has a season full of fun fall activities to help you get your pumpkin fix and beyond. Tis the season for pumpkin carving, farm fairs, pumpkin patches, and even pumpkin smashing? Find it all in Portsmouth this fall at some of our favorite local spots.
Applecrest Farm is actually just a short drive from Portsmouth in Hampton Falls, NH, but well worth the trip. You will find your perfect pumpkin for carving, baking, or decoration, and it’s still pick-your-own apple season. The Farm Market has delicious fresh pies made with the many fruits they produce. Spend a few hours here with friends or the whole family, but if you join them for one of their Harvest Festivals this month you’ll want to spend the whole day. Don’t miss the corn maze!
If you’ve driven around Portsmouth lately, you may have noticed the massive pumpkin patch outside the First United Methodist Church. For the months of October and November, all are encouraged to bring friends, family and kids down to the church to paint, wander the patch, pick up a fresh homemade pie and grab a pumpkin to carve later. Support a great cause while doing some of your favorite fall activities, all proceeds from the pumpkin patch profit goes to help keep the church building open to provide space for AA and NA support group meetings, End 68 Hours of Hunger food storage and packing, Seacoast Santa, Family Promise housing and meals, and much more.
The infamous Pumpkin Smash speaks for itself. This Portsmouth tradition is yet another great way the community has come together, in this case to raise funds for the always incredible Portsmouth Halloween Parade. With a $5 donation, Find them at the Farmer’s Market on October 21st 8am-12pm, where you can find many other local goods and gifts.
Everything is better when you’re in good company. Join the folks at Loaded Question Brewing Company for a Pumpkin Carving Party on Wednesday, October 25th 6:00 pm-8:30pm. Whoever carves the most impressive pumpkin will win a ‘spooky’ prize! What better way to enjoy the festivities than with a seasonal fall or pumpkin flavored brew?
Speaking of Halloween Parade… New Hampshire’s biggest Halloween parade is brought to you by the people, for the people, here visiting and living in Portsmouth, so get in on the fun! Marching into its 29th year, on October 31st at 7pm, the Portsmouth Halloween Parade invites everyone to dress up and gather at Pierce Island by Prescott Park, and march into town for the start to many more spooky nightlife happenings!
When you’re visiting, you have to find a gift or keepsake from the local area. Grab a locally made candle from Sea Love, the ‘Hello Autumn’ scent perfectly captures fall without being too sweet. The real draw is their pour-your-own candle experience. As a fun activity during your time in Portsmouth, come choose from over 100 fragrances and pour some candles at their boutique location - and they welcome you to BYOB if you’d like.
