To celebrate Rita’s birthday we decided to take in the local Mediterranean restaurant Amphora in Derry, New Hampshire. I had been to this restaurant several times but it was Rita’s first time. In the past I have always found the food and service here to be of the highest standard. The smallish restaurant is casual with a take out counter as you come in and several tables and booths to the left. The hostess seated us and the very nice waitress brought over coloring supplies for Alex and left the menus.
The spanakopita was very good crisp with a good mix of feta and spinach. The eggplant frites were fantastic. Long thin strips of battered very crispy eggplant with a mix of Greek seasoning. The saganaki, melted kasseri cheese, was good.
Who doesn’t like melted cheese on warm pita bread, however it did not come out flaming like I have had it in other restaurants. The tempura calamari was a little too chewey but was tasty.
For entries I had the braised lamb shank which fall of the bone tender and served with roasted potato wedges. The shank was good but was not one of my favorites. Rita had the Psari-Sto-Filo which was haddock baked with a cream and mushroom sauce wrapped in filo pastry.
The fish did not seem fresh and Rita had to return the entree. Although somewhat disappointing I would still recommend this restaurant. The previous times I have been here I had no complaints and the appetizers for the most part were top notch. Please put this restaurant on your list for good Greek food at an affordable cost when you are in southern New Hampshirs.
Charmingfare Farm in Candia, New Hampshire is both a working farm and a zoo. The animals on exhibit is heavy on farm animals and local wildlife. A pleasant stroll through the grounds is interspersed with horse drawn carriage rides, petting zoos and fun playhouses for the little ones. There is snacks and animal feed available at the entrance.
The farm is a nice diversion for a quiet weekend afternoon but look for the special events throughout the year. They have trick or treating for the kids at Halloween, a Christmas celebration and other events. You can purchase tickets individually or buy a combined ticket for more than one event.
Fall has always been my favorite season in New England. The coming of the fall colors also brings the fair season where you can stuff yourself with unhealthy food and bask in the agricultural roots of the region. There are 51 agricultural fairs in New England that have we sites and numerous other smaller celebrations in local towns. Most of the fairs in New England with the possible exception of The Big E are much smaller in scale than the big state fairs you will see in places like Texas or Minnesota. The smaller nature of our fairs make them all the more charming and quaint. They just seem to fit in with the fall foliage and rustic charm of old New England.
I certainly have not been to all of the fairs in New England and there are no doubt fantastic fairs that I have not visited, but I have lived in New England my whole life and have visited many of them on the list. This then is my top five favorite fairs:
#5) King Richard’s Faire – A little bit of a cheat here as this is anything but the traditional New England agricultural fair. This is a contrived and manufactured recreation of a fairy tale imagining of what a medieval Renaissance faire would be like. With those caveats in mind this is great fun for young and old alike. Cos=players will love the dress up aspect and the shopping and shows are a delight.
#4) Topsfield Fair – This fair has more of an amusement park and less of an agricultural feel. Its proximity to Boston brings more well known acts to their grandstand. The fair runs a full week culminating on the Columbus Day holiday each year. They seem to always have the areas largest giant pumpkin each year with many records set. The grandstand is at one end of the fairgrounds and the arena is at the other. In between these two areas are a mix of fast food, agricultural exhibits and animals. There is a little too much “flea market” feel for my taste in many of the buildings. Don’t miss the bee and honey display in the center of the fairgrounds.
#3) The Big E (Eastern States Exhibition) – This is the big one, a fair celebrating the agricultural and rural traditions of all six New England states. Enormous and crowded with more than 1.5 million visitors over a two week period in September. Each state has a replica of their state capital where you can go in and experience the sights, sounds and tastes that each state has to offer. This is the one fair on the list that is more than a pleasant afternoon diversion. This is well worth making plans and spending several days taking in the shows and events. Not a fair I go to every year but one you should make the extra effort and plan on staying for a few days.
#2) Fryeburg Fair – This week long fair held the first week in October in Southern Maine is a prototypical example of a traditional New England agricultural fair. Starting in 1851 the fair has grown into Maine’s largest agricultural fair. Despite the growth and the resulting large crowds it attracts the fair maintains its rural charm and has avoided the gentrification many fairs have undergone. Although it is only ~ 2½ – 3 hours from Boston I would recommend you plan ahead and book a stay in nearby Conway, New Hampshire.
#1) Deerfield Fair – This four day fair in southern New Hampshire is the perfect mix for the modern fair goer. The amusements are down at the bottom of a hill away from the exhibits and food stands. The shows are agricultural mainstays such as dressage competitions, horse pulling and animal shows. The food is plentiful and tasty albeit very unhealthy. Try to catch the sheep dog demonstration as you enter the park. The main horse ring is where you will find the horse shows and it is surrounded by food choices. The fresh caramel popcorn (still hot!) is a favorite. If there was one fair that I would go to every year this would be it.
The fall foliage season in New England is on many people’s bucket lists. If it is take the time and go to one of the many fairs in and around the area.
Rochester, New Hampshire has a local county fair that dates back to the 1800s. There were many agricultural fairs at the time and there are still a good many to this day. A lot has changed over the years. In 1890 the fare for adults was 50 cents with a focus on agriculture. As the years have passed the fair has morphed into more of an amusement and event driven experience.
A typical day at the fair is a tour of the farm animal stalls and vegetable buildings, watching the kids on the rides and partaking in the fair food that is plentiful and readily available. As you enter the main fair entrance you will immediately pass by on the main drag the rides and carnival attractions. Save room for the bacon on a stick which is down towards the stadium portion of the fairgrounds. The animals are halfway between the midway and the stadium.
One of the highlights of the fair are the stadium shows which are available for an additional cost. Events such as demolition derby, monster truck or last car standing races are especially fun for the gearheads or kids.
On NH Route 16 about halfway between the “Gateway to the White Mountains” town of Conway, New Hampshire and Mount Washington, the highest mountain in the northeastern United States at 6288 feet you will find a small amusement park. Story Land opened in 1954 and is a great example of the type of small family oriented parks that were popular before the mega-parks like Disney and Six Flags took over.
If you have kids and are in the area please stop and enjoy a bit of the past. This is still fun for the entire family and I only touched on some of the attractions.
