Milford NH, Cultural Mecca in midst of Country Town

Only 30 min from the Manchester Airport there are plenty of places to stay in surrounding towns of Merrimack, Nashua and Amherst, in the event of a fall weekend getaway. The small quaint town of Milford, however busy and bustling with activity, does not afford much in the way of lodging unlike everything else.

As you enter the town center you are greeted with the Milford Oval. Not a town square or circle. This is the first indication that Milford is a bit different. This is valuable real estate. Though not a huge plot of land Milford uses every inch of it to the maximum benefit. Above you will find a photo of a celebration on the oval going back to the first half of the 1900s just prior to the 50s.

Milford Improvement  Team
FB page photo

Milford Improvement  Team
FB page photo

 One of the biggest events on the Oval is coming up very soon. It is the annual event, the Great Pumpkin Festival.
This year it is planned for the weekend of October 11 through the 13th. There will be pumpkins of course (with a pumpkin lighting), scarecrow making, fireworks, crafts, music, face painting, Beer and Wine Tasting, Chili Round Up and the annual talent show sponsored by and held at the Amato Center which is a part of the Boys and Girls Club of Souhegan Valley.  This club is one of only 6 with fully functioning theater facilities. Along with striving to provide promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence, as is their stated purpose, the club provides a major entertainment element in the Hillsborough county area, which includes Nashua and Manchester. 

This brings me to the cultural center of this bustling town, the .Amato Center for the Performing Arts.

According to Robin LaCroix the Director of Theater Arts at the center, it is also the home theater of the Boys and Girl's Club's Riverbend Youth Company (who will be presenting The Sound of Music from Nov, 8th-17th) and Riverbend School of Theater Arts programs as well as the Milford Area Players who present two annual productions at the theater, one spring and one fall. It is also rented out for private productions. One such production will open October 3rd for a local author who has adapted her children's book Princess K.I.M. to a musical,  
RIVERBEND YOUTH COMPANY AND SCHOOL OF THEATER ARTS  provides training, guidance, and enrichment to youth, producing theater at a professional level for community audiences, supporting the Boys and Girls club goals. The student theater has been recognized  in several ways including awards for acting, set and costume design and choreography as well as requests for performances, producing and directing at National and State regional  theater conferences. The Amato Center is named for the benefactors, Nancy and Paul Amato, who purchased the orignal American Stage Festival land and buildings, which had been closed for approximately 5 years. They donated the land and structure to the Boys and Girls club (which had been operating out of a strip mall plaza on the outskirts of town) with the expressed intent that the club build their facilities around the theater.  Since 2005 the theater and surrounding facility has weathered a major flood and needed to be restored. With the help of a very appreciative community the effort took only 6 weeks to restore in 2007 and when threatened with another such situation in 2009 the emergency plan put in place as a result was a huge success. This is a testament to the appreciation the community holds for the the organization in light of their community service programs inclusive of diversion programs working with the court system and providing after school programs and scholarships. Links above provide details for upcoming shows and events.

There are several unique shopping experiences, antique shops and restaurants in town not to mention the surrounding area. I can only focus on a few and so I have limited myself to what is considered the best and most interesting and located in Milford itself. The NH Antique Coop which defines itself as the finest group shop in NH, could be defined as an alternative to a museum. There are so many museum quality offerings (left picture) it reminds me of the Flagler Museum in St. Augustine which is built around collections, not exhibits. For those of us whose wallets might not support museum quality purchases, the shop also has a Discovery Barn (pictured to right) and a Loft offering diamonds in the ruff with less impact on your wallet. Currently they are celebrating their 30th anniversary with many sales and festivities going on throughout the store through the fall.

Hayward Trading Post and Country Store offers leathers, sweaters, moccasins, jewelry and candy. Fun place to browse. The River Card Room provides table game casino excitement with some food and drink. Tasty Tobacco Shop, next door, provides smokes and accessories and is not the only game in town as the Yessah Smoke shop can be found down the road. In the summer there is the outdoor  Milford Drive-In providing digitally converted movies on dual screens. For days when you have to resort to indoor fun there is also Milford's Lefty's Lanes serving food and drink as well as karaoke and live music. See site for details. 

Restaurants around the oval itself include Riverhouse Cafe for breakfast and lunch, the Pasta Loft for lunch and dinner, Red Arrow Diner and Foodees for pizza. Outside of town there are two very fine restaurants, Giorgio's Mediterranean and Italian  serving lunch and dinner and Mile Away serving dinner limited days of the week.  If you can't  find enough to do in Milford to keep you busy for a great fall weekend, without ever leaving the small town, you are just not trying.

GrotonFest Has It All, Make a Weekend of It

If you are interested in fun, food and collectibles, you will find it all at GrotonFest 2013. Refer to the link for a list of businesses and vendors as well as schedule of events. 


Groton celebrated it's 350th anniversary in 2005. It is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts and so in the country. It has withstood many hardships, not the least of which was being nearly irreparably destroyed by fire during King Phillips war, if not for the resolve of the townspeople to return and rebuild. Still today it appears the quiet New England oasis in a very busy and unsettled world. Just spending the day there can begin to melt the cares away. It is a town with a slower pace where health food stores and eastern medicine coexist profitably with a modern hospital and large grocery chain stores. Expect to find these business represented at the festival along with craft and food vendors. 

To start the first fall weekend, there will be an auction Friday evening Sept. 20, 2013 sponsored by the Groton Historical Society at the Groton Country Club with Hor d'Oeuvres and a Cash Bar.
The festival itself will take place Saturday Sept 21, 2013 (rain date Sunday Sept. 22) in Groton MA. See map below: 

More than 150 business, non-profit and artisan booths, llama's, all kinds of amazing food and much more. FREE, handicap accessible. Craft vendors will include the likes of SQUG where they create these squeezable, huggable, funky, one-of-a-kind toys that children of all ages enjoy
 
and Doll Designs by Jane where they design the most adorable outfits for 18 in dolls.


There are too many other craft vendors represented  to mention but just a few that I can link to, include Harry's Bird Houses,  Balanced Khaos , 8th Wonder Clothing for your Soul , Massapoag Pond Photography , Laura's Loops and so many more. 
As usual representation by many different types of businesses including Food vendors such as Balckbird Cafe, Devens Grille, Gibbet Hill Grille, Whacky Candy Shack and Fudge Everything will be onsite. 

While there are several options for a meal, a uniquely quaint rustic and very inviting New England drive in for breakfast, lunch, dinner or ice cream while in town is the not to be missed Johnson Drive In Restaurant and Dairy Bar. 

Overnight lodging is a bit more difficult to find but in surrounding towns like Ayer and Leominster you will find several options like Hilton Garden Inn, Sheraton, Super 8 etc. 

Take a lazy ride out to Groton Center on a wonderful Fall weekend and enjoy the festivities. 

North Central Worcester County Hidden Jewels

Templeton Mass is a picture perfect New England town with all the typical quiet charm. It is on the edge of Worcester County but seems a world away from some of the more bustling areas that are so geographically close like Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner or even Worcester Mass itself.  In the center of Templeton where you will find some of the most serene settings is where the heart beats. There are town fairs and picnics throughout the summer months.

In the center of town is also a spectacular find for any antique-er or anyone hooked on New England eateries with a charm and personality all their own. It is Country Mischief. It is a restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch and Sunday Brunch as well as several rooms (and now several buildings) of antiques, crafts and collectibles in which to browse and shop before or after your meal. You will not make this a quick bite stop so make sure you schedule your calendar accordingly.

I visited there for a breakfast meeting with my grandchildren and at the suggestion of my grandson's wife. I had never been. First off I was surprised at the size and various settings for the restaurant itself. There is a seasonal summer porch. It is enclosed and overlooking the lawn, which is where we were lucky enough to be seated. There are several indoor rooms, and fireplace, just the thing for a winter visit.  

Most menu items are below $10. So a meal including drinks and dessert would likely be less than $20. 

Several local artisans display their works there as well. One such craft-er is Jan Scott who has her dolls on display there for sale. 

Country Mischief is a magical place to visit and it's kind of like potato chips. You will not visit only once but it is not the only place in the area. There are several shops in Templeton and surrounding towns of similar beauty and once a year, in December, they have a special event called Country Roads Christmas. It is a roadtrip of sorts with many surprises along the way.  In   Petersham for example there is an Alapaca Farm with a shop and it's also a B&B. Phillipston has a Christmas Tree Farm and Barre has a B&B/Herb Farm combination. There are leather shops, quilt shacks, restaurants etc. Check it all out on the Country Roads Christmas link above for directions, hours and contact details. Whether you wait for the event or you visit them all during a nice fall drive you will be surprised to find what is waiting for you on this unbeaten path. Bring your camera.