New England Events – March 2012
It’s March — spring is on its way, but there’s still time to enjoy the last bits of outdoor winter adventure. Happy skiers catch their last runs on the sunny slopes, and the changing temperatures bring about nature’s sweetest treat: pure maple syrup! Learn what it’s all about at maple sugaring days around the region. Mid-March, you’ll find a celebration about all things Irish with St. Patrick’s Day parades and events honoring New England’s strong Irish heritage.
For more New England events in March, check the individual state web sites at the bottom of the page.
10th Annual Jay Peak Mardi Gras CELEBRATION
February 27 – March 4, 2012
Jay Peak Resort – Jay Peak, Vermont
Visit Jay Peak in Vermont’s breathtaking Northeast Kingdom for the 10th Annual Mardi Gras Week! This celebration is filled with authentic New Orleans food, live bands and events for children and adults… including ice skating, fun at the brand new Pump House indoor waterpark, and, of course, fantastic skiing and riding. There’s also ice carving, oyster shucking, Mardi Gras hat making, a parade and much more!
Maple Days at Old Sturbridge Village
Weekends in March 2012
Old Sturbridge Village – Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Visitors to Old Sturbridge Village will be greeted by the sweet smell of wood smoke mixed with maple syrup as historians demonstrate maple-sugar making at the Village’s own working “Sugar Camp.” Old Sturbridge Village is the largest outdoor history museum in the northeast and portrays life in a New England village in the 1830s.
6th Annual Privateers’ Bash at the Connecticut River Museum
March 2, 2012
Connecticut River Museum – Essex, Connecticut
A swashbuckling party with grog, grub, music and great raffle prizes, plus booty for best costumes! This event features Caribbean party music by The Sun Kings and Sea chanteys by Free Men of the Sea. Pirate Attire Encouraged (eye patches provided). Tickets are $75 and include Includes admission for one person including hors d’oeuvres, grog and open bar. Proceeds benefit the museum.
Winter Doe Camp: A Winter Retreat for Adventurous Women
March 2-4, 2012
Fairlee, Vermont
A Winter Retreat for Adventurous Women! Vermont Outdoors Woman sponsors its Annual Winter Doe Camp at the Hulbert Outdoor Center. Participants stay in heated cabins at night and play in the snow all day.
Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade & Block Party
March 2-4, 2012
Burlington, Vermont
View 40+ parade floats along Church Street to the sounds of rock bands and brass orchestras. Sample authentic Louisiana Moonpies and Lake Champlain Chocolates. A wonderful way to break up winter – guaranteed to be a colorful parade! All festivities are free.
9th Annual Chilly Chili Cookoff – Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce
March 3, 2012
Village of North Conway, New Hampshire
Stroll the Village of North Conway and have a great day sampling mouth-watering recipes of homemade chili, ranging from mild and delightful to wild and adventurous – plus a Vegetarian Chili Cookoff as well. Salsa and cornbreads are part of the deal, too!
Enjoy a Tres de Marzo Chilly Chili Stroll through the Village of North Conway. Stroll from Flatbread Company at the Eastern Slope to Chef’s Market to Vintner’s Cellar Winery to Rafferty’s to Rugged Mill — tasting chili and listening to great music at every stop. A filled passport qualifies you to be a “Judge” for People’s Choice and eligible to enter the “Hottest Summer Vacation Giveaway” that will be drawn on April 30, 2012.
Seussational! : A Celebration of Dr. Suess at the Providence Children’s Museum
March 3-4, 2012
Providence Children’s Museum – Providence, Rhode Island
In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, join a wonderfully wacky weekend-long celebration full of Seussational activities! Read silly Seuss stories, experiment with oobleck, dress up in Seuss-inspired costumes and more.
March 3, 2012
Ben & Jerry’s Factory – Waterbury, Vermont
Celebrate the season with fun-filled outdoor activities for all ages. Admission is free. The surrounding grounds are transformed to provide the perfect opportunity to play outside, enjoy the snow, welcome the extended daylight and, of course, eat ice cream! Free ice cream tours. Sample 2012 flavors.
Spring Bulb Show: The Botanic Garden of Smith College
March 3-18, 2012
Northampton, Massachusetts
A spectacular array of crocuses, hyacinths, narcissi, irises, lilies, and tulips provide an early glimpse of spring. View the magic of 5000+ bulbs blooming simultaneously in the Lyman Conservatory! The annual Spring Bulb Show is a long-standing Smith College tradition, dating back over 100 years. Bulbs from South Africa add an exotic flavor to the display.
Stratton Mountain Resort – US Open Snowboarding Championships
March 4-11, 2012
Stratton Mountain, Vermont
The US Open Snowboarding Championship is the longest running snowboard event on the planet, attracting the world’s best athletes and Vermont’s finest riders. The USO is also the culminating stop on the men’s TTR World Snowboard Tour and the top male will be awarded the TTR world title.
4th annual Vermont Chili festival
March 10, 2012
Middlebury, Vermont
Named one of the Top 10 Winter Events for the past three years by The Vermont Chamber of Commerce, this event includes activities for all ages and award-winning chili, located all on the streets of historic downtown Middlebury. The downtown will be overflowing with chili from restaurants and caterers from around the state. Saturday, March 10th, 2012 beginning at 1:00PM, come enjoy the Chili Contest, taking place on the closed-off streets of downtown Middlebury, recently added beverage tent, face painting, street performers, live music and more! An estimated three-thousand people attended last year’s festival, with even more expected to turn out this year – don’t miss it!
North American Telemark Festival
March 10-11, 2012
Mad River Glen – Waitsfield, Vermont
The world’s largest and oldest gathering of Telemark skiers. Special Telemark Tickets must be purchased to participate in festival events.
22ND Hebron Maple FesItivaL – CONNECTICUT
March 10-11, 2012
Hebron, Connecticut
The Maple Festival is held annually the second weekend in March throughout the town of Hebron, Connecticut. Each year thousands of people come from miles around to enjoy and experience the weekend of maple related events. The goal for this event is to bring families together and provide noncommercial, inexpensive enjoyment during a quiet time of year.
Connecticut Spring Antiques Show
March 10-11, 2012
Eastern States Exposition – West Springfield, Massachusetts
The Connecticut Spring Antiques Show is a fantastic pre-1840′s antiques show. Collectors and historians will enjoy this look at our country’s past and an opportunity to own a piece of history. Come see what Antiques and The Arts Weekly calls “The singular popular showcase for American furniture and decorative arts.
Annual Big Dummy AiR CONTEST AT SUGARBUSH
March 11, 2012
Sugarbush Ski Area – Lincoln Peak, Warren, Vermont
Build your skiing and snowboarding dummy – then hurl it down the trail and see how far it goes! Big prizes for the best Dummy. This is a classic Mad River Valley event.
Maple Sugaring at Remick Farm
Group Tours: March 12-16 and March 19-22, 2012
Event for individuals: Saturday, March 24, 2012
Remick Country Doctor Museum – Tamworth, New Hampshire
See maple sugaring at a real working farm. Visitors will learn about Native American, Colonial, and modern backyard boiler maple sugaring methods, then visit the new Remick Museum Sugar House to see an indoor evaporator system. Participants can learn about tapping maple trees, collecting sap and boiling it down to syrup. Taste maple products such as maple cream, maple jelly, maple candy, and of course, sugar-on-snow. Group tours require a minimum of 12 persons per group; call for advance reservations.
56th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade – NewporT, RHODE ISLAND
March 17, 2012
Newport, Rhode Island
Find your best green attire, keep your eyes open for leprechauns, and join in the revelry to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Newport! Parade begins at City Hall, 43 Broadway, at 11:00am and continues through Washington Square to Thames Street and ends at Augustine’s Church. After, tour a historic Newport Mansion or the International Tennis Hall of Fame, or enjoy the many shops and historic sites in town.
The New Hampshire Maple Experience: The Rocks Estate
March 17, 24, 31; April 7 – 10 a.m.-4 p.m
Bethlehem, New Hampshire
Popular Maple Tours are back at The Rocks Estate, a 1,400-acre property, owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Reservations are recommended.
Discover the history of maple sugaring, participate in the process of tapping trees and making syrup, enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides through the scenic Rocks property, and taste maple sugar treats. Maple tours at the are scheduled for March 17, 24-25, 31 and April 1 and 7, from . each day. Visitors learn how to identify the sugar maple trees that produce the sweet sap for making syrup, hear the history of maple sugaring, and see part of the process demonstrated at the on-site New Hampshire Maple Experience. The Experience is housed in a renovated historic building, which features a working sugar house and Museum featuring a collection of sugaring artifacts. For those looking to turn the springtime Maple Experience into a weekend-long North Country stay, The Rocks collaborates with local inns to offer weekend vacation packages.
Plimoth Plantation: Opening Day
March 17, 2012
Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Massachusetts
Plimoth Plantation opens for its 62nd season. One of America’s best living history museums, Plimoth Plantation is a re-creation of the original Pilgrim settlement on the coast of New England. Come for the Opening Day Rare Breeds Animal Parade. Open 9am-5pm from now through the season.
South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 18, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts
The South Boston St. Patrick’s Parade is the second largest parade in the country, attended by nearly 600,000 to one million people every year and televised nationally. Features marching bands and pipe bands from across the U.S. Colorful floats and a celebration of all things Irish in Boston’s most Irish neighborhood.
March 18-23 & 25-30, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts
What a week for a Boston getaway! More than 200 Greater Boston restaurants offer two weeks of special 3-course $20.12/ $33.12 prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner, as well as a 2-course lighter lunch ($15.12) at many of the participating restaurants. Sponsored & coordinated by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and American Express.
Newport RHODE ISLAND Restaurant Week
March 23 – April 1, 2012
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport Restaurant Week Spring A three-course meal from some of the finest area restaurant without breaking the bank! From a steaming cup of chowder overlooking the harbor to fine dining in romantic restaurants, Newport & Bristol County restaurants offer an array of creative menus. $16 for a three-course lunch and $30 for a three-course dinner.
9th Annual Mystic Irish Parade
March 25, 2012
Historic Downtown Mystic – Mystic, Connecticut
The annual event has close to 2000 participants and 30,000 spectators making it the largest single day event in the area. The Mystic parade starts at Mystic Seaport’s South Lot and heads into Historic Downtown Mystic where the parade’s “marquis act” will perform.
2nd Annual Bromley Rando Race
March 18, 2012
Bromley Mountain, Vermont
Rando – short for randonnée – ski racing hearkens back to skiing’s early years, when skiers challenged the mountain both up and down, without the help of chairlifts. Using climbing “skins” with alpine touring or telemark bindings (or even “split” snowboards), racers start at the base of the mountain, ascend it, then descend it (on marked in-bounds ski area trails), as fast as possible, over multiple laps, up to 5,000′ cumulative vertical, in the truest test of the most complete skier overall.
U.S. Freestyle Skiing National Championships
March 20-26, 2012
Stratton Mountain Resort, Vermont
Watch Vermont native and Olympic Gold Medalist Hannah Kearney defend her title. You won’t want to miss this world-class event. Meet the stars of freestyle as they compete for medals and a spot on the 2013 National Team. The contest will bring the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team as well as the best of divisional skiers from across the country to Stratton Mountain Resort to compete for the top title in moguls, aerials, halfpipe and dual moguls. With six days of events on and off the hill, including concerts, free swag and a chance to meet the superstars, the Championships have something in store for everyone!
Be sure to book early, space on the mountain is limited and demand to get into the country’s biggest Freestyle event is sky high.
Portsmouth New Hampshire Restaurant Week
March 22-31, 2012
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Featuring special 3-course prix fixe menus: lunch $16.95 per person, dinner $29.95 per person at 30+ participating restaurants throughout Portsmouth and the Seacoast. Restaurant Week Portsmouth is a bi-annual culinary event which spotlights Greater Portsmouth as a culinary and cultural destination. Wine and dine, shop and gallery hop, visit the theatre, and make it a getaway.
Vermont Maple Open House Weekend
March 24-25, 2012
Statewide
The Eleventh Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend will be held at sugar houses throughout Vermont. The Open House Weekend is the public celebration of the maple syrup season in Vermont and an opportunity for the public to visit one or more “sugar houses” throughout the state. Activities during Open House Weekend will be different at each sugarhouse but will include the opportunity to watch maple syrup being made (weather permitting) and often sample maple products.
March 24-25, 2012
Statewide
Over 60 sugar houses across the state will participate in this open house weekend. Visit a sugar house near you and learn how maple syrup is made and the modern methods used to carry on this ancient tradition. Enjoy free samples, horse- drawn rides, sugar on snow, pancake breakfasts and more! Fun for the whole family.
March 25, 2012
Statewide – see web site for details
In Maine, always on the fourth Sunday in March, you can travel across the state to maple syrup farms and see firsthand how sap is magically turned into your favorite sugary topping. There are lots of free tastings and other activities, too. See the Maine Maple Sugar Map for 2011 for specific locations.
Annual March Maple Madness: A Weekend of Maple Sugaring
March 24, 2012
Mount Washington Valley – New Hampshire
Mount Washington Valley invites guests and residents alike to join in a scavenger hunt, and an inn to inn tour featuring maple tastings. The weekend includes a self-guided inn-to-inn tour where ticket holders will sample tasty delights both savory and sweet. The inns’ recipes can be found in a keepsake booklet included in the ticket price. Ticket holders can also choose to take the challenge of “A Hare Raising Quiz” and “The Maddening Scavenger Hunt”, competing for hundreds of dollars in prizes. Along the way there will be opportunities to visit several “Sugaring” locations to experience the maple syrup process first hand, as well as, ‘Maple Country Partners’ happy to share clues and information.
Old Deerfield Craft Fair
March 31 – April 1, 2012
Village of Old Deerfield – Deerfield, Massachusetts
As a juried craft fair, the Old Deerfield Craft Fair selects its exhibitors for their quality. The wonderful variety of crafts includes quilts, baskets, wood carvings, pottery, dolls, dried flower arrangements, teddy bears, decoys, tin, theorem, stenciling, jewelry and more. The Old Deerfield Craft Fairs have been among the highest ranked shows in Massachusetts and New England by Sunshine Artist Magazine, for 25 years a major publication of the arts and crafts movement in the United States.
Explore more New England events:
- Connecticut Events
- Maine Events
- Massachusetts Events
- New Hampshire Events
- Rhode Island Events
- Vermont Events
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