Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Sale at Littleton Historical Museum

If you and I go waaaaay back, like pre-Mom In Progress, you've heard me talk about this before. If you're new to Mom In Progress, don't be surprised when I talk about this particular event year after year after year. The Harvest Festival is without exaggeration one of my top five favorite things to do each year. Last year we invited some friends who had never gone before and it just so happened that it was like winter in mid-October. Literally, snow was falling and little fire pits were lining the farm trails.

Now if you've never been to the Littleton Historical Museum, let me start with a word picture for you. This sprawling farm and exhibition center is located on 39 acres in old Littleton and is bordered on one side by Ketring Lake and on another side by a monastery. The working farm is actually split into two time periods: 1860's and 1890's where you will find carefully preserved buildings, live animals, and beautiful gardens along with the exhibition center which is an ever-changing, modern building that touts both local and world-renown art and history.

The day of last year's festival was one to be remembered! The cold did not scare away those of us who love this family festival - hats, gloves, and warm boots were a necessity and the small fires along pathways radiated warmth that was appreciated by both young and old. It was something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. We ate pumpkin pie and sipped on hot cider while we watched a pig roasting over a fire pit. The children took turns churning apples through an old-fashioned apple press and watched the juice flow out into a wooden bucket.

Behind the barns and adjacent to the pumpkin patch, a team of mules waited to give hay rides to visitors. The bumpy ride looped around the back acres and we watched children playing pioneer games in the open fields. Naturally, we also needed a turn at the games, so that was our next stop. Stilts were a favorite.

Then it was time to thaw out! One more stroll along the smoke filled trails. A stop to warm hands by the fire. I absolutely can't wait for next weekend! The festival will be held from 10am until 3pm on Saturday, October 9. Admission is free, but you can purchase tickets for concessions (pie, cider, cookies) and hay rides. Pumpkins are cash only and the price varies by size. This is the biggest fundraiser for the museum and what a great way to have a fun Saturday with your family while supporting a wonderful hometown museum.