Hayrides and Harvest Season Fun Around the North Shore This Fall

It can easily be argued that fall – which we’ll be welcoming on September 22 – is when the North Shore is at its most glorious. There’s the brilliant foliage, the cider donuts, and the crisp air that inspires cozy sweaters and fire pit gatherings.

Throughout the region we have an abundance of beautiful places to go for a hike, pick apples, or buy from local farms at the peak of their harvest season. If you’re looking for yet more fun, there are plenty of other ways to immerse in the wonders of autumn. We’ve gathered seven of our favorites:

Beverly Main Streets End Of Summer Party

Sept. 21

Start the fall by saying a proper farewell to summer. Beverly Main Streets is throwing a goodbye party for the warmer months in Odell Park, complete with live music, tons of food vendors, local small businesses, tarot readings, massages, nail art, hands-on art activities, and more. And don’t forget to swing into one (or all) of the neighborhood’s four walkable breweries. Check out instagram.com/bevmainstreets for more details about vendors, entertainment, and activities.

Salem Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival, Salem

Sept. 21-22

In the spirit of harvest season feasting, more than 40 food trucks and nearly a dozen local breweries and wineries will gather on Salem Common for a two-day festival of food and fun. Once you’re done enjoying crepes, poke bowls, dumplings, tacos, lobster rolls, whoopie pies, and so much more, browse the wares of dozens of artisan vendors or play a round of cornhole while you digest.

More details and vendor lists available at foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com/salem.

*Cider Hill Farm | Photograph courtesy of Cider Hill Farm*

Fall weekends at Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury

Every weekend through Oct. 14

Through Columbus Day, every weekend at Cider Hill Farm is a celebration of classic New England autumn. Pick your own apples, bump along the farm on a hayride, groove to live music, sip hard cider, and nibble on cider donuts or pumpkin whoopie pies. And don’t forget to pick up some colorful gourds and lush mums to bring the harvest joy home with you.

Learn more at ciderhill.com/fallinformation.

Corn maze, Marini Farm, Ipswich

Weekends through October

Get lost and then find yourself in this sprawling seven-acre corn maze (there’s also a one-acre version for the littlest adventurers). Bring the kids to enjoy the play structures, giant slide, and jumping pillow before or after the maze, or schedule an adults-only visit for September 28, when local beer tasting stations will be set up inside the maze.

Learn more about the maze and all the other fun available at marinifarm.com/corn-maze.

*Mycelial Threads by Nancy Winkler, Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay | Photograph by Bob Watts*

Outdoor sculpture at Maudslay State Park, Newburyport

Closes Sept. 29

Immerse in an abundance of art at the annual outdoor sculpture exhibition at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, this year featuring art on the theme of “Thread.” Nearly 50 artists have installed pieces, ranging from the thought-provoking to the whimsical, that were specifically designed for the site.

Check out some of the art and learn more at facebook.com/SculptureAtMaudslay.

Fall on the Farm, Appleton Farms, Ipswich

Sept. 21, Oct. 5

Enjoy the fruits of the season at an historic working farm. Revel in the colors of fall while wandering the property’s trails through field and forest, taking a hayride, visiting with barnyard animals, playing lawn games, and enjoying snacks including local beer, freshly baked bread, and charcuterie on the lawn.

There is no admission charge and members of the Trustees of Reservations park for free, but non-members must reserve parking in advance. More details available at thetrustees.org/place/appleton-farms.

*Smolak Farms | Photograph by Tony Scarpetta*

Fall festivals, Smolak Farms, North Andover