By Matt Collette
It’s finally fall in Boston, and the change in season offers lots to take advantage of. While some of the more traditional fall activities like apple picking, corn mazes and carving pumpkins require getting out of the city, and beyond the reach of the MBTA, there are still plenty of Beantown opportunities to capitalize on.
Jamaica Plain Take the 39 bus to Centre Street and Lester Place stop, and go to the original JP Licks, where you can try limited-time October flavors, like caramel apple and pumpkin ice cream or Vermont maple hard yogurt. They also have a unique assortment of flavors inspired by Thai food: Thai iced tea, coconut curry or Pad Thai ice cream. After, walk down Centre Street to the Arnold Arboretum. The park, owned and maintained by Harvard University, is a great place to see the kind of foliage you normally don’t get a chance to see in the city. The arboretum, established in 1872, covers 265 acres of land. At the park’s highest point, visitors get a unique view of Boston.
Salem Haunted Happenings Salem comes alive every October, celebrating its storied history to levels near exploitation. Residents reenact the April 1692 trial of supposed witch Bridget Bishop at the Old Town Hall several times daily, offering visitors the opportunity to examine and cross-examine witnesses and the accused. The website promises that “every show is different.” The Salem Witch Village offers the only tour in Salem that touches on witchcraft, both during the time of the Salem Witch Trials as well as its modern counterparts. The Salem Wax Museum also offers a tour of the museum and nearby sights, aimed at visitors looking to be scared. Visit www.hauntedhappenings.org for more information. The MBTA has increased commuter rail service to Salem via the Newbury/Rockport line the weekend before Halloween. Check MBTA.com for more details.
Local Brews The 21-plus crowd can visit two of Boston’s most famous breweries, Samuel Adams and Harpoon, to try some of their special fall brews. Harpoon Brewery has a hard cider and Oktoberfest brew, which tends to be stronger and darker than their other beers. Tours of Harpoon are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m., Fridays at 2 p.m and 4 p.m. and Saturdays at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Take the Silver Line to Harbor Street.
Samuel Adams offers brewery tours Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m., Fridays from noon to 5:30 p.m and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with tours leaving every half hour. The tour is free, but there is a $2 suggested donation, which goes to local charities. Students can learn something about beer while they’re there too, which will surely prove useful the next time they’re looking for something to talk about at this weekend’s party.
Boston Pumpkin Festival On Oct. 20, the Boston Pumpkin Festival will be held in City Hall Plaza to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families. Last year’s festival broke a Guinness World Record for having 30,128 lit jack-o’-lanterns and raised more than $280,000 for Camp Sunshine. Vendors will be selling pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers and popcorn. Participants can carve their own pumpkins, which will be lit at 5:30 p.m. and displayed in towers. A number of New England bands will perform throughout the day. The Boston Pumpkin Festival set last year’s world record for highest number of jack-o’-lanterns.
Apple picking in Boston Sure, there aren’t any apple orchards within Boston city limits, but residents can take the Green Line or Orange Line to Haymarket and can choose apples that were recently picked from local farms. Every Friday and Saturday, vendors set up shop at Haymarket to sell fresh produce and other straight-from-the-farm options. Get there early to find the best offerings. The best apples are purchased early in the day before the area develops a pungent aroma later, especially on warmer days.
Savenor’s Market and Prince Postale, both located in the North End, also attract college students from the nearby universities. The produce is inexpensive, especially compared to the prices at grocery stores, or the cost of traveling to nearby farms. But when students can’t go and pick apples straight from the tree, Haymarket offers a convenient alternative.
