Major Attractions
Back to Top of ListLOON MOUNTAIN RESORT (Lincoln, NH)
Listen up, beer lovers: White Mountain Oktoberfest returns to Loon Mountain Resort over the holiday weekend. Celebrate fall in true Bavarian style- This 3-day festival is the region's largest celebration of German food, drink and music. Enjoy beer and brats alongside stunning views of fall foliage, traditional German food, live music, dancing, games, and festive activities surrounded by the spectacular autumn scenery of the White Mountains. There is a lineup of free fun and games- All weekend long! Whether you’re coming for the food, the music, or simply to soak up the fall atmosphere, Loon’s Oktoberfest offers fun for the whole family. It’s a lively way to enjoy Columbus Day Weekend and take in some of New Hampshire’s best fall color.
2026 Dates: Saturday, 10/10 – Monday, 10/12. Family-friendly event; beer gardens and Beer College are 21+ only. For a full event schedule, visit the Loon Mountain Resort website.
TOWN OF WATERVILLE VALLEY, NH
Count on Waterville Valley for some of the best Columbus Day weekend events in the White Mountains! Waterville Valley’s Fall Foliage Festival is a three-day celebration brings the best of autumn together with family-friendly activities, live music, local vendors, outdoor adventures, and spectacular mountain scenery. Browse the Fall Foliage Farmers Market, enjoy pumpkin painting and yard games, catch live music in Town Square, and gather around the campfire for s’mores. Stay for Saturday night’s dazzling fireworks, then return Sunday for the Fall Foliage Footraces and Schwendi Fest, featuring scenic chairlift rides, games, food, music, and fall fun on the mountain. With vibrant foliage around every corner, Waterville Valley is the perfect place to turn Columbus Day Weekend into a memorable New Hampshire fall escape. Check out the schedule below:
Friday, 10/9 - Monday, 10/12
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, 10/10 & Sunday, 10/11
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 11th, 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!
ATTITASH MOUNTAIN RESORT (Bartlett, NH)
Cheers to Oktoberfest! Attitash Mountain Resort is hosting their own celebration on the eastern side of the White Mountains on October 10th from 11am-5pm! Enjoy a festive day of food, live music, dancing, games, and seasonal activities surrounded by spectacular autumn scenery. With its welcoming mountain atmosphere and beautiful fall setting, Attitash offers a memorable way to experience Oktoberfest and enjoy a Columbus Day Weekend getaway in New Hampshire.
2026 Date: Saturday, 10/10. 11am - 5pm. All adults need to present valid ID to enter the event. For tickets and more information, visit Attitash's website.
SANTA’S VILLAGE (Jefferson, NH)
Celebrate fall with a festive twist at Santa’s Village during Holly Jolly Halloween? This one-of-a-kind holiday mash-up combines the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Village with the fun of Halloween for a day the whole family will love. Enjoy your favorite rides, meet Santa and his reindeer, and let the kids trick-or-treat throughout the park while surrounded by colorful Halloween decorations and Christmas cheer. Costumes are encouraged, so come dressed as a favorite character, a spooky Halloween creation, or even in your Christmas best!
2026 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)
Looking for fun things to do in the White Mountains during fall? Celebrate all things not-too-spooky with the return of An interactive fairy tale trick-or-treat trail, pumpkin painting, Halloween shows, and dance parties are just the start of the shenanigans.
Once the sun goes down on Saturday, 10/11, the 21+ set is invited to Story Land's last Nostalgia Night of the season. If you haven't enjoyed the park after dark yet, now is the perfect time to do so!
Add a little spooky fun to your Columbus Day Weekend at Story Land's Happy Hauntings! Designed especially for families, this fall favorite brings Halloween fun to the Land Where Fantasy Lives with fairytale trick-or-treating, pumpkin painting, a hay maze, bubble dance parties, seasonal shows, and plenty of classic Story Land rides. Later on, once the sun goes down, it’s the parents’ turn to take a spin on favorite rides, explore the park after dark, and enjoy the last Nostalgia Night of the season. If you haven't enjoyed the park after dark yet, now is the perfect time to do so! a memorable evening filled with old-school charm and Halloween fun during Nostalgia Night from 5-8pm. It’s a unique way to celebrate Columbus Day Weekend and make new memories at a New Hampshire family favorite.
Happy Hauntings 2026 Dates: Weekends Sept. 19 - Oct. 25, 2026. 10am – 5pm. $45 per person.
Nostalgia Night 2025 Date: Saturday, 10/10. 5pm – 10pm. ages 21+. For more information and tickets, visit Story Land's website.
Fall Fairs
Back to Top of ListFall 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)
Make the Sandwich Fair part of your Columbus Day Weekend adventure! This classic New Hampshire fall fair is packed with fun for the whole family, from carnival rides and games to live entertainment, delicious fair food, farm animals, and plenty of local flavor. Take a stroll through the fairgrounds, enjoy the crisp fall air, and soak up the beautiful foliage surrounding the charming town of Sandwich. It’s a fun-filled New England tradition and a perfect stop for families looking to make the most of a fall weekend in New Hampshire.
2026 Dates: Saturday, 10/10 - Monday, 10/12. No pets allowed on fairgrounds or in parked cars. For more information on fair events and offerings, visit the Sandwich Fair's website.
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. Pack your cameras, make your reservations and be sure to get your Official Return of the Pumpkin People Map located at most participating businesses and at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce office. Return of the Pumpkin People is a self-guided tour enjoyed at your leisure. You will be visiting some of New Hampshire’s best restaurants, lodging properties, services, stores and more… Plan a weekend around your visit and be sure to stop in to participating businesses, thank them for their hard work and share with them just how much you enjoyed their display!
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! This year marks the 10th Annual Busker Festival at Settler’s Green! Walk around and enjoy a full day of live music on Saturday, October 10*. With more than a dozen street musicians scattered throughout Settlers Green, filling North Conway’s autumn air with sweet sounds of bluegrass, jazz and rock and roll to enjoy while you shop and dine. The 2026 Busker Festival is one day only- Saturday, October 10th
Activities & Deals
Back to Top of ListArts & Entertainment
Back to Top of ListAUTHOR SERIES: ETHAN TAPPER (Conway, NH):
Tin Mountain Conservation Center is excited to host Ethan Tapper on October 12, as he shares his second book: The Forest Year: Finding Hope in a World Worth Saving. Books will be available for purchase. They can also be purchased in advance through White Birch Books
NORTH COUNTRY CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT JEAN’S PLAYHOUSE (Lincoln, NH)
From Columbus Day through Halloween, immerse yourself in the haunted attraction of Ghost Light at the North Country Center for the Arts at Jean’s Playhouse in Lincoln. Ghost Light is designed like a haunted house walk-through, but with a theatrical twist — it’s infused with a cohesive storyline brought to life through an immersive theatre tour. The 40-50 minute experience combines theatrical lighting, sound, scenery, costumes, and special effects to create scary scenes far beyond your typical haunt.
Ghost Light is produced and located at NCCA at Jean’s Playhouse, with tours running every 20 minutes until 10pm. Learm more here.
THE FLYING MONKEY (Plymouth, NH)
On Friday, October 9 at 7:30pm kick back with Badfish- A Tribute To Sublime. This event offers assigned seating at theatre-style and table seats on our main floor. Event is 18+ unless accompanied by an adult. Check out seating and availability at the Flying Monkey 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.
