Holiday Travel

NAUMKEAG PUMPKIN SHOW 2023

Published

2 months ago

February 7, 2023

All About Naumkeag Pumpkin Show

Nights take on a special glow in October at Naumkeag, a community garden and historic home in Berkshire. The Trustees of Reservations hosts a month-long pumpkin show featuring over 1,000 elaborately carved pumpkins, many locally grown.

The pumpkin patch may be one of the most modest of Naumkeag’s famously elegant gardens, but from October 1 until Halloween, the bright orange pumpkins that grow there take center stage, with hundreds of mothers and countless pumpkins playing secondary roles.

Billed as “The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show,” the radiant exhibit includes intricate pumpkin displays featuring cats, cauldrons, witches, dragons, flora, fauna, sea creatures, ghosts, ghosts, and goblins seemingly everywhere you look. as you roam the winding paths. beautiful territory of the estate of the gilded age.

When you look at a seasonal look, you can’t help but wonder, “Who’s carving all these pumpkins?”

“We all do it,” said Brian Crewey, director of the South Berkshire Trustees, in a recent Zoom interview. “Everything you see in the show is hand carved either by an employee or a volunteer.” The pumpkin lives from a week to 10 days after being carved, so to keep the show going for a month, both real pumpkins and fake pumpkins are included in the mix for the Naumkeag Pumpkin show.

“We have about 1,000 fake pumpkins, and then every week we cut out about 250 real ones to put on the ground,” Kroyi said. Amazingly realistic looking artificial pumpkins are made from Styrofoam for the Naumkeag Pumpkin show.

Although they can last several seasons, Naumkeag tries to increase the number of pumpkins and the size of the area they occupy on the site every year, so a new batch of artificial pumpkins is delivered every August for the wonderful Naumkeag Pumpkin show.

The arrival of a delivery truck indicates that it is time to start carving.

“People often think that we are buying artificial pumpkins already carved, but that’s not the case,” Crui said. “They say, ‘Oh, you buy them like that. They are laser cut. And we say: “No, they come as a whole pumpkin, and we need to cut every single one.”

As October rolls around, weekly woodcarving sessions are held to keep the pumpkin part of the show real. They have evolved into a community-wide effort with different groups taking turns working with stencils, trimmers, pokers and shovels.

“Every week we will have a group of volunteers, either a group of our volunteers for Naumkeag Pumpkin show or our corporate volunteers, for example, Berkshire Bank usually comes and spends the day, or the Montessori school comes for the day, or other schools in the area. come and do a lot for us,” Kroyi said. “So it’s a really fun attempt by the community to do all of that and keep doing it throughout the Naumkeag Pumpkin show.”

Krui is always grateful for the ever-changing pool of volunteers, but because woodcarving skills vary so much, he usually outsources the carving of real pumpkins to temporary helpers and leaves the fake pumpkins to his more creative staff and volunteers for the long haul.

“Fakes will become part of our show collection in the future and are more expensive for us than real ones, which will rot in 10 days,” he said. “We have some volunteer performers who will take some of the fake ones home and work really hard on them because they’ll be part of the show for a longer period of time, so that’s our quality control.”

How do you come up with new carving concepts every year?

“This is also a group work,” Croyi said. “We started at the beginning of the summer, reviewing the road layout for the show and adding new elements. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make it bigger and better every year. We’re always trying to promote this creativity and think of new ways to make it really amazing, as the name suggests.”

Some items that have proven to be public favorites are repeated every year. One exhibit that is always a hit is a mist-spewing cauldron mounted on a large number of gourds carved in various versions of the flame motif. “Kids love it, so we make sure to turn it on every year,” Kroyi says.

Aside from these few favorites, Naumkeag Pumpkin show staff tries to mix things up a bit every year, whether it’s adding a pumpkin section with a new theme, re-routing the show to get guests through a new part of the garden, or adding different lighting elements. “There are a lot of tricks we need to do to make sure every year feels new and fresh for people who want to come back and make it a tradition,” he said.

Pumpkins decorate the stairs on the farm. Many pumpkins are grown on the territory for Naumkeag Pumpkin show.

Visitors can look forward to new events this year, including a Chinese garden pumpkin display and a re-routing that takes people through an orchard and pumpkin-adorned forest.

Something that will make a comeback this year is a timed ticket booking system for Naumkeag Pumpkin show. “That was one of the lessons we learned from COVID last year,” Kroyi said. “Having tickets by the time not only made it safer, it also gave guests more enjoyment from fewer people while they made their way through the Naumkeag Pumpkin show.”

Also this year, it is planned to include the inner parts of Naumkeag in the show, if the pandemic allows. “Last year we kept everything outside due to COVID and the restrictions in place,” Kroyi said. “We hope that this year people will be able to see the house and look into it too. prepare autumn decorations and bring some pumpkins inside.”

Naumkeag, a 44-room shingle-style house, was built in 1884 by Joseph Choate, a prominent New York lawyer and US ambassador to Britain, and his wife Caroline. It was designed as a summer retreat by renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead & White. The farm takes its name from the Algonquian word for Salem, where Joseph Choate was born. The house is located on a hilltop in Stockbridge with stunning views of the Housatonic Valley.

Charles and Caroline’s daughter, Mabel Choate, inherited Naumkeag in 1929 and worked with landscape architect Fletcher Steel for the next 30 years to create the internationally recognized gardens, which are visited by over 11,000 people annually. Mabel Choate bequeathed Naumkieg in its entirety, including all home furnishings and art, to the Reservation Trustees, who opened the property to the public in 1959.

In addition to the autumn Naumkeag pumpkin show, this garden hosts a Christmas light show (Naumkeag Winter Lights) and a spring festival of tulips and daffodils every year. “In the summer, we really try to stay true to the nature of the property as a historic home and museum, sort of a snapshot of what life was like for the Chots when they lived here in the Gilded Age until 1959,” Kroyi said. . “But during the season, we like to take some creative freedom with the garden to do fun things, interpret it in different ways and really make it something completely different and new that is fun for everyone.”

Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin show starts at 16:30. to 20:30 pm From Wednesday to Sunday from 1 to 31 October. Advance purchase of timed tickets is required (tickets will not be sold on the spot). Ticket information is available at www.thetrustees.org or by calling (413) 298-3239. Tickets go on sale in September and it is advisable to buy tickets in advance to avoid disappointment as the show sells out every year.

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Public holidays 2023 of America complete guide

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Holiday Travel

Frankies Fun Park: An Exciting Destination for Family Fun

Published

1 month ago

February 24, 2023

EHSAN ULLAH

If you are looking for a place where you can spend quality time with your family and have fun at the same time, then Frankies Fun Park is the perfect destination. It is a family entertainment center located in North Carolina, where you can find a variety of activities that cater to all ages. From arcade games to go-karts, Frankies Fun Park has something for everyone.

About Frankies Fun Park

Frankies Fun Park was founded in 1999 and has since become a popular destination for family fun. It has two locations in North Carolina, one in Raleigh and the other in Greenville. The park features a wide range of attractions, including go-karts, mini-golf, batting cages, laser tag, bumper boats, and an arcade.

Attractions

Go-Karts: If you love speed, then you will love the go-karts at Frankies Fun Park. They have three different types of go-karts, including a kiddie track, a family track, and a slick track.

Mini-Golf: The mini-golf course at Frankies Fun-Park is 18 holes of pure fun. The course is well-maintained and features various obstacles that make the game more challenging.

Batting Cages: The batting cages at Frankies Fun Park are perfect for baseball and softball enthusiasts. They have six cages that range in speed from slow to fast.

Laser Tag: If you are looking for an adrenaline-pumping activity, then laser tag is the game for you. Frankies Fun Park has a multi-level arena that can accommodate up to 30 players.

Bumper Boats: The bumper boats at Frankies Fun Park are a great way to cool off on a hot day. The boats are equipped with water cannons that allow you to spray your opponents.

Arcade: The arcade at Frankies Fun Park has over 100 games, including classic games like Pac-Man and new games like Jurassic Park. You can win tickets that you can redeem for prizes.

Food and Drinks

Frankies Fun Park has a cafe that serves a variety of food and drinks. They have pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and more. They also have a variety of beverages, including soft drinks, iced tea, and lemonade.

Prices and Hours

Attraction	Price	Hours
Go-Karts (Kiddie Track)	$6.99	10 am – 10 pm
Go-Karts (Family Track)	$8.99	10 am – 10 pm
Go-Karts (Slick Track)	$9.99	10 am – 10 pm
Mini-Golf	$8.99	10 am – 10 pm
Batting Cages	$2.00 – $3.00	10 am – 10 pm
Laser Tag	$8.99	10 am – 10 pm
Bumper Boats	$6.99	10 am – 10 pm
Arcade	Varies by game	10 am – 10 pm
Fun Pass (All Attractions)	$29.99	10 am – 10 pm

Note: Prices and hours are subject to change. Please check the official website of Frankies Fun Park for the latest information.

Conclusion

Frankies Fun Park is an excellent destination for family fun. With its wide range of attractions, there is something for everyone. It is a great place to spend quality time with your family and make unforgettable memories.

Holiday Travel

Public holidays 2023 of America complete guide

Published

1 month ago

February 15, 2023

EHSAN ULLAH

As the end of the year approaches, many people start planning for the next year, and one thing that comes to mind is public holidays 2023. Public holidays are days set aside by a government or country to celebrate a historical event, tradition, or religious event.

In this article, we will tell you about the public holidays that will be celebrated in 2023, the meaning of each holiday and how to get the most out of them.

New Year – January 1, 2023

New Year marks the beginning of a new year and is celebrated all over the world. It is a public holiday in many countries and most businesses are closed. The New Year is a time for reflection, setting new goals, and spending time with family and friends.

Martin Luther King Jr Day – January 16, 2023

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States that honors a civil rights leader who fought for racial equality. Many schools and businesses are closed on this day.

Presidents Day – February 20, 2023

Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday in the United States that honors the nation’s presidents, especially George Washington, the first president of the United States. Many businesses and schools are closed on this day.

Memorial Day – May 29, 2023

Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It is celebrated on the last Monday of May and is a time to remember and honor those who gave their lives for their country.

Public holidays 2023: your complete guide

Independence Day – July 4, 2023: Celebrating American Freedom

As July 4 approaches, the American people prepare to celebrate their independence and freedom. This day marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, marking the birth of the United States of America. July 4th is a national holiday in the United States, celebrated with parades, fireworks, and barbeques. In this article, we look at the history, meaning, and traditions of Independence Day, and how Americans celebrate this important day.

History of Independence Day

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence declaring the 13 American colonies free from British rule. The document was written by Thomas Jefferson with input from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The Declaration of Independence was a bold and revolutionary statement declaring that all human beings are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The signing of the Declaration of Independence marked the beginning of the American Revolution, which lasted until 1783. The American colonists fought against the British army and navy and, with the help of the French army, achieved their independence.

Meaning of Independence Day

July 4th is an important day for all Americans as it celebrates their independence and freedom. This is a day of reflection on the sacrifices of the Founding Fathers and the men and women who fought for American freedom. This is a day of remembrance for the principles on which America was founded, such as democracy, equality and justice.

July 4th is also a day to celebrate American culture and identity. Americans are proud of their country and its achievements, and July 4th is a day to express that pride. It is a day when families and friends come together, enjoy each other’s company and celebrate common values.

Independence Day Traditions

The 4th of July is celebrated with various traditions in the United States. One of the most common traditions is fireworks, which can be seen in cities and towns across the country. Fireworks have been part of the 4th of July celebration since the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1777.

Another popular tradition is the parade with marching bands, floats and other festive performances. The parade is a way for communities to come together and celebrate their patriotism and pride in their country.

July 4th is also BBQ and picnic day. Many families and friends get together to share a meal and enjoy the summer weather. The traditional 4th of July meal includes burgers, hot dogs, and fried chicken, along with side dishes such as potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans.

Labor Day – September 4, 2023

Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States that celebrates the contribution of workers to the economy. It is celebrated on the first Monday in September and is a time for rest, relaxation and spending time with family and friends.

Columbus Day – October 9, 2023

Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America in 1492. It is celebrated on the second Monday of October and is a time dedicated to the history and culture of the country.

Veterans Day – November 11, 2023

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the men and women who served in the country’s armed forces. This is a day to thank veterans for their service, attend parades and visit memorials.

Thanksgiving – November 23, 2023

Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This is a day to give thanks for the blessings of the year and to spend time with family and friends. On this day, many also watch American football.

Christmas – December 25, 2023

Christmas is a religious and cultural holiday celebrated all over the world. This is the time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and non-Christians enjoy the holiday season. Many businesses and schools are closed on this day.

At the same time, many people also use this opportunity to plan trips or vacations with family and friends. If you’re planning a trip during a public holiday, it’s important to plan ahead to avoid rushing or last-minute disappointment.

In addition to planning your trip, you can also use the holidays to do something meaningful, like volunteer or take part in community events. This is a great way to give back to the community as well as connect with people who share similar interests and values.

Holiday Travel

Naumkeag Winter Lights

Published

2 months ago

February 5, 2023

EHSAN ULLAH

The winter season has ended, we look forward to seeing you next year!
This holiday season, our three beautiful gardens sparkle with thousands of intricately crafted glittering Christmas lights known as Naumkeag winter lights. Invite the whole family for a magical, fun and safe outdoor experience with food, snacks and more.

November 25, 2022 – January 7, 2023
Wednesday – Sunday
Closed December 24th and 25th.

Prices
Wednesday to Thursday adults: $22/17, children (3-13 years old) $10/5.
Friday-Sunday – Adults: $27/22, Children (3-13) $10/5.
Children under 2 FREE OF CHARGE

FAQs About Naumkeag Winter Lights

Ticket Sales and Entrance at Naumkeag Winter Lights

How many tickets can I buy at once?
Individual participants may purchase up to 2 tickets per date at the participant’s fare; Family members and above can purchase up to 6 tickets per date at the membership rate.

Do children under 2 need a ticket?
No, children under 2 years old are free. The child ticket is valid for children from 3 to 13 years old.

I bought tickets but didn’t receive (or lost) my confirmation email!
Guests who have purchased tickets can find their order and resubmit tickets at ticket.thetrustees.org/orders.

What happens if I arrive earlier or later than the check-in time?
To ensure a positive guest experience, we ask that you arrive at your scheduled time. For example, guests with tickets for 17:00. must arrive between 5:00 pm and 5:15 pm.

Can I change the date or time?
We are unable to accept date or time changes at this time. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable between dates.

What is the weather policy?
Unsafe or extreme weather will cancel this event. If the event is canceled due to weather conditions, guests will be notified by email at 12:00. m. of the day; we will offer a full refund or an alternative return date to the show.

Are masks required at Naumkeag Winter Lights?
Winterlights is outdoor recreation; Masks are not required for guests at Winterlights.

Services and Availability at Naumkeag Winter Lights

Where is the parking for this event?

Bradley:
Parking will be located at The Bradley Estate at 2468 Washington St, Canton MA.

Naumkeag:
Parking will be located in downtown Stockbridge, in designated parking spaces on either side of City Hall at 50 Main Street, Stockbridge MA. If this car park is full, feel free to use any car park on Main Street or Elm Street in Stockbridge. There will be no on-site parking. Pickup and check-in will be at the Stockbridge information booth between 37-39 Main Street.

Stevens Coolidge:
Parking will be on site at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover MA. Available parking is located in front of the lot, closest to the tourist center.

Is the site wheelchair or pram accessible?
Unfortunately, due to uneven terrain and stairs, access to Winterlights is restricted.

How long does it take to walk to Naumkeag Winter Lights?
On average, expect to spend about an hour walking around the area.

Are dogs allowed at Winterlights Hotel?
No, in order to protect our territory, dogs are not allowed in Winterlights.

Will food and drinks be available for purchase?
Yes, discounts (snacks, hot drinks) will be sold on site.

Will there be toilets?
Yes, bathrooms will be available to guests in all properties.

What should I wear at Naumkeag Winter Lights?
The event will take place outdoors. Be prepared to walk dirt roads over uneven terrain through forests and orchards. Trails can be muddy or icy, winter shoes are recommended. Please dress appropriately for the weather on this day.