There’s a reason locals circle October on the calendar. The hills go gold and crimson, the air turns crisp, and the Pioneer Valley unveils its best self. Start your weekend visiting a nearby orchard — Cortland, Macoun and Honeycrisp apples are at their peak — or hiking Skinner State Park or Park Hill Orchard for some of the best views of the autumn foliage.
Then, save Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 9 through 11, for the centerpiece of it all: our Paradise City Arts fall festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton.
Showing Our True Colors
For more than 30 years, this show has been nationally renowned among craft and fine art audiences. It’s the kind of event people travel across the country to attend. Somehow we’re lucky enough to host it right here in western Massachusetts, and thousands of patrons make their way up I-91 to visit us. It’s a reminder of something we believe deeply: supporting local isn’t a nice sentiment, it’s how communities like ours stay alive. With small businesses and independent makers under more pressure than ever, choosing to buy handmade matters. This festival is our chance to celebrate that in a big way, and to give our own community front-row access to world-class craftsmanship without leaving home.
This is the kind of event that rewards slowing down. Nearly 200 artists will be showing and selling original work, from ceramics and woodworking, to jewelry and fine art, much of it made using techniques passed down over generations. Wander the show and you’ll find live demonstrations throughout the weekend, where master craftspeople demonstrate exactly how a bowl gets thrown or a piece of metal gets shaped. You’ll have the rare chance to see the process, not just the finished piece.
Celebrating Creatives
Bring the kids for hands-on craft and clay activities, no experience necessary. When hunger hits, food is made to order on-site, with beer and cocktails / mocktails served throughout the grounds. And don’t miss the music stage, which has become one of the fastest-growing platforms for exceptional regional musicians.
Tickets are available by the day or as a weekend pass, so you can move at your own pace — a quick afternoon browsing the barns, or a full weekend soaking it all in.
Autumn here doesn’t last long. Among the orchards, the trails and a festival that turns our fairgrounds into a gathering place for the whole Valley, there’s no better excuse to spend the weekend outside, supporting the creatives who make this community worth celebrating.
The fall festival runs from Oct. 9 to 11 at the Three County Fairgrounds. Day and weekend passes are available at paradisecityarts.com.
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