LOON MOUNTAIN RESORT (Lincoln, NH)

Listen up, beer lovers: White Mountain Oktoberfest returns to Loon Mountain Resort over the holiday weekend. What can you expect at this taste of the Bavarian Alps? Obviously beer, but also a lot more (including everything from an oompah band and stein-hoisting contest to keg tosses, axe throwing, face painting, and even a Touch a Truck event for kids looking to hop in the seat of some of Loon's epic resort machinery). You can also opt for a scenic gondola ride or downhill mountain biking session on property while you’re at it!

2025 Dates: Saturday, 10/11 – Monday, 10/13. 12pm – 4pm. Free admission. Family-friendly event; beer gardens and Beer College are 21+ only. For a full event schedule, visit the Loon Mountain Resort website.

 

SANTA’S VILLAGE (Jefferson, NH)

You might have enjoyed Christmas in the summer at Santa's Village, but what about a Holly Jolly Halloween? We love this fall event at Santa’s Village for its delightful mashup of two of our favorite holidays. Christmas carols and Halloween music make for the perfectly spooky-meets-sweet celebration, and guests are invited to wear either Christmas attire or Halloween costumes. Santa will also certainly be there with his reindeer, along with trick-or-treating and giant Halloween-themed ornaments that beg for a photo opp. Buy your tickets online ahead of time to guarantee entry!

2025 Dates: 10/4 & 10/5, 10/11 & 10/12, 10/18, 10/25. 9:30am – 5pm. Purchase your tickets online ahead of time.

STORY LAND (Glen, NH)

Happy Hauntings 2025 Dates: 9/20 & 9/21, 9/27 & 9/28, 10/4 & 10/5, 10/11 – 10/13. 10am – 5pm. $45 per person. Purchase your tickets online ahead of time on Story Land's website. 

Nostalgia Night 2025 Date: Saturday, 10/11. 5pm – 10pm. ages 21+. For more information and tickets, visit Story Land's website. 

 

View 2025 Dates of Operation for Each Attraction

Fall fairs in the White Mountains offer all your classic festive staples: fried food, fuzzy animals, homey exhibits, and foliage from every viewpoint. Wouldn’t you like to visit one over the holiday weekend?

SANDWICH FAIR (Sandwich, NH)

The Sandwich Fair is the quintessential small-town fair with a lot of flair. Add this event to your holiday weekend agenda if you want to enjoy cute animals, classic amusements, and awesome eats.

2025 Dates: Friday, 10/10 - Monday, 10/13. 

General Admission (cash only): Ages 12+: $13.00 (cash only); Under 12: Free.

Schedule: Friday: Friday Night Special (4pm - 9pm). Free admission. $25.00 for all rides. | Saturday:  8am - 6pm (Ride Special: 9am - 6pm). $35 for all rides. | Sunday: 8am - 6pm. | Monday: 8am - 5pm. Military Appreciation Day. Admissio Specials: $6.00/ages 60+; FREE admission for all Military with proper ID.

No pets allowed on fairgrounds or in parked cars. For more information on fair events and offerings, visit the Sandwich Fair's website.  

ATTITASH MOUNTAIN RESORT (Bartlett, NH)

Cheers to Oktoberfest! Attitash Mountain Resort is hosting their own celebration on the eastern side of the White Mountains, and it has got it all: a traditional Oom-pa-pa band, authentic German fare, a Biergarten, and fun activities for all ages (including a keg toss, stein hoisting, and a dedicated Kinderplatz area).

2025 Date: Saturday, 10/11. 11am - 5pm. All adults need to present valid ID to enter the event. For tickets and more information, visit Attitash's website. 

BURGEON OUTDOOR (Lincoln, NH)

Get your fill of the best locally-crafted outdoor gear at Burgeon Outdoor's semi-annual factory sale! Save up to 70% off factory seconds, aged inventory, and prototypes. 

2025 Semi-Annual Factory Sale runs Thursday, 10/9 through Monday, 10/13. Regular store hours. 

GREAT GLEN TRAILS (Gorham, NH)

Hit the river one last time this season with Great Glen Trails - this legendary outdoor center in Gorham, NH will be offering kayak tours twice a day all weekend long. Enjoy the wild sights of the Androscoggin alongside professional, knowledgeable guides. After your tour, soak in the serenity of autumn with a walk on a few of Great Glen's trails (at no charge) or preview new Nordic gear and clothing in the Outfitters shop (open 9am - 5pm). This is also your last chance of the season to purchase a used bike or boat! Call 603-466-2333 for more information.

Book your kayak tour online at greatglentrails.com. 

INN AT WHITNEY'S FARM (Jackson, NH)

Another great property, another great Oktoberfest! The Shovel Handle Pub, located at the Inn at Whitney's Farm, is hosting a Bavarian bash to remember on Sunday, 10/12. Live music, Oktoberfest-themed food, commemorative beer steins, family-friendly games, and indoor & outdoor fun for the whole family (including face painting) are more than enough reson to break out your lederhosen. 

Sunday, 10/12. 12pm - 10pm. Face Painting: 2 - 6pm. Famous Oom Pa Pas German Oktoberfest Band: 6 - 9pm.

RETURN OF THE PUMPKIN PEOPLE (Jackson, NH)

Bring your boo or your crew along for the ride – Return of the Pumpkin People is back at it again in Jackson, NH throughout October! All month long, visitors will delight in spotting whimsical scarecrow-meets-pumpkin displays propped up outside participating businesses. 

If you want to make sure you see all 60 + displays this year, pick up a map from the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce or participating businesses. Want to plan your route ahead of time? Call 978-580-0905 to request a mailed copy of the map and brochure. 

SETTLERS GREEN (North Conway, NH)

The crisp crunch of a caramel apple. Leaves skittering across the sidewalk. Add to the sweet sounds of fall with one of North Conway’s best local events: the Busker Festival at Settlers Green! Discover music around every corner of this outlet center on Saturday and Sunday over Columbus Day Weekend; there are over a dozen street musicians to entertain you with bluegrass, jazz, and rock and roll while you shop and dine the day away. 

2025 Dates: Saturday, 10/11 – Sunday, 10/12. Buskers play from 11am to 3pm each day at locations throughout Settlers Green.

TOWN OF LANCASTER, NH 

Bid goodbye to a great season of farmer's markets and flea markets with one last tour through Lancaster, NH! 

Farmer's Market: Saturday, 10/11 from 9am to noon in Centennial Park. | Flea Market: Sunday, 10/12 from 7am to 3pm at the Lancaster Historical Society.

TOWN OF WATERVILLE VALLEY, NH 

Count on Waterville Valley for some of the best Columbus Day weekend events in the White Mountains! 2025 schedule below. 

Friday, 10/10 - Monday, 10/13

Fall Foliage Festival 

• Axe throwing | Face painting | Mechanical bull | Giant slide | Inflatable carnival games | Magic shows | Mountain-top celebration | & more!
• All Fall Foliage Fest events take place in Waterville Valley Town Square unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, 10/11 & Sunday, 10/12

Historical Trolley Tours

• Learn about the history of the Valley on weekly 1-hour trolley tours. Every Saturday and Sunday tours will leave at 10am from the Town Square trolley stop throughout the season!
• Historical Trolley Tours are free, no reservations required!

Live Music in Town Square 

• Swing by Town Square to listen to some tunes at the Town Square Gazebo. Enjoy music from the beach, courtyard, or while boating on Corcoran Pond! Presented by Waterville Valley Resort
• Saturday: 12pm - 3pm & 4 - 7pm; Sunday: 12 - 3pm

Schwendi Fest

Schwendi Fest is BACK and BIGGER than ever! Taking place on Sunday, October 12th, this mountain-top extravaganza celebrates the stunning foliage season while looking ahead to ski season! Embrace the fall colors through a scenic chairlift ride up Tecumseh Express. Treat yourself to a Schwendi Hutte BBQ, and check out swag, sweatshirts, tees, and more for purchase! Indulge in some libations, like hot apple cider (spiked and unspiked), beer, and seltzer, and warm up by a massive mountain-top bonfire. Kids will stay busy with plenty of family-friendly games, activities, and a movie showing inside the bottom floor of the Hutte. The Resort Trolley will be running, so if you're staying in the valley, you’ve already secured your DD for this event!

Monday, 10/13

Animal Encounter Series: New Hampshire Wildlife

Head to Town Square for the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center's Animal Encounter Series! Live animal presentations will be shown by expert naturalists. Native wildlife ambassadors will inform and inspire children, adults, and families alike. 

THE COLONIAL THEATRE (Bethlehem, NH)

The historic Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem, NH is one of the most iconic concert venues in the White Mountains, and its lineup of acts is equally as lauded. This time around, we are so excited to catch a Friday performance from GRAMMY award winning artist Ruthie Foster, whose heartfelt lyrics and gospel-tinged blues and folk music will light up your long weekend. 

Friday, 10/10. Show starts at 8pm. Tickets: $28 - $46. Purchase your tickets online ahead of time at on The Colonial Theatre's website. 

 

THE FLYING MONKEY MOVIE HOUSE & PERFORMANCE CENTER (Plymouth, NH)

You might not expect it from a small college town, but Plymouth, NH is one of the best places in the White Mountains to listen to live music! Over Columbus Day weekend, the Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center welcomes a rocking good time with Almost Queen - A Tribute to Queen on Friday, 10/10 and Cathedral and Looks that Kill (Van Halen and Motley Crue tribute bands, respectively) on Saturday, 10/11. Book your tickets today! 

Almost Queen - A Tribute to QUEEN: Friday, 10/10. Doors: 6pm; Show: 7:30pm. Learn more. | Cathedral: All Era Van Halen Tribute with Looks That Kill: Motley Crue Tribute: Saturday, 10/11. Doors: 6pm; Show: 7:30pm. Learn more.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Concord, NH)

Headed a little south of the Whtie Mountains? Attend a fascinating lecture hosted at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, NH. In History of the Islands of Southern Lake Winnipesaukee, Stephanie Erickson, author of the recently published book Islands of Southern Lake Winnipesaukee, delves into the rich history of 45 islands in this region. She explores the geology and formation of the islands and the lake, the origins of the island names, an indigenous cremation site, the advent of colonial ownership, youth summer camps on the islands, and the Diamond Island Field Station.

Saturday, 10/11 at 2pm. Admission is free for New Hampshire Historical Society members; $10 for nonmembers. No registration required. 

NORTH COUNTRY CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT JEAN’S PLAYHOUSE (Lincoln, NH)

Get ready for something spooky: Ghost Light, a haunted theatrical affair, is back for another season at North Country Center for the Arts at Jean's Playhouse! Immerse yourself in the otherworldy as you take 45 minutes to explore all corners of Jean's. Jump scares, strobe lights, loud noises, and more make this an event best left for folks who love a good fright. 

Opens Columbus Day weekend! 2025 Dates: 10/9 -10/12, 10/17 & 10/18, 10/24 & 10/25, 10/31 & 11/1. Dusk until 10pm. $35 per ticket.

WEATHERVANE THEATRE (Whitefield, NH)

The Producers takes the stage at the Weathervane Theatre over Columbus Day weekend. Will we see you there?

Winner of a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and based on the cult classic film, this comic tour de force spoofs and pays homage to the big, old-fashioned Broadway musical. From comedic mastermind Mel Brooks comes an outrageous and laugh-out-loud spectacle — a struggling Broadway producer and his unassuming accountant devise a scheme to trick their investors out of millions by staging the most infamous flop in theater history.

2025 Dates: 10/8 -10/12. Contains adult themes. Recommended for ages 10+. Run Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. For showtimes and tickets, visit the Weathervane's website. 

WOODSTOCK INN BREWERY (North Woodstock, NH)

Every weekend, you can count on the Woodstock Inn Brewery for music of all kinds, including a Live Band on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30pm - 11:30pm.