A perfect New England holiday season awaits in Central Massachusetts. West of Boston, the state offers plenty of small-town holiday charm and events.
© Courtesy of Discover Central MA
Check out the holiday light displays at New England Botanic Garden through the end of the month. Save room for s’mores and seasonal drinks and take a gander at the holiday gifts on display.
For an old-fashioned Christmas, visit Old Sturbridge Village for the Christmas by Candlelight event, where the historic village and its costumed historians are decked out for the season. Enjoy songs, stories and baking demonstrations every weekend in December. The village also offers horse-drawn sleighrides throughout the month.
© Courtesy of Discover Central MA
While apple-picking season may be gone, you still have good reason to visit an orchard while you’re in Massachusetts. Red Apple Farm decks out its farmstead in more than 200,000 lights. Visit, see the lights and then stick around for local brews and dinner by the bonfires. The event welcomes guests through New Year’s Eve.
Of course, what’s Christmas without a rendition of Dickens’ Christmas Carol? You can catch a performance on select dates in December at the oldest continuously operating inn in the United States, The Wayside Inn in Sudbury.
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