Discover the hottest things to do in New England this month, plus travel deals and opportunities to meet our Yankee team on the road.
By Kim Knox Beckius
Mar 26 2024
Daffodils in Newport, Rhode Island.
Photo Credit : Rachel KH/ShutterstockSpring might officially arrive in March, but April is when the itch to road trip around New England really flares up. Itâs also the month when our national PBS television show Weekends with Yankee begins its eighth broadcast season on public television stations nationwide.
If youâre looking for inspiration to get you on the move, here are our weekend-by-weekend tips on where weâd go in April 2024 if we were you.
If you havenât already lined up a vacation day for Monday, April 8, youâre just going to have to phone in sick. All the buzz this weekend will be about Mondayâs Great North American Solar Eclipse, and if you want to be in the path of totality, youâll need to hightail it to northern New England this weekend (and pack your eclipse glasses).
Yankee produced this New Hampshire 2024 Solar Eclipse guide to help travelers navigate to the best viewing spots in that state. Vermont and Maine are geared up, too, to welcome an influx of eclipse chasers. There wonât be another total solar eclipse visible in the lower 48 U.S. states until 2044, so itâs no exaggeration to consider this a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.
Havenât booked your trip? We hear thereâs last-minute availability at:
~ The Brunswick Hotel in Brunswick, Maine, where the Eclipse Night package includes a complimentary mocktail and cookies, plus the glasses youâll need to view the eclipse safely.
~ Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, New Hampshire, where guests will receive complimentary eclipse glasses and enjoy sâmores by the fire pits during the eclipse-watching experience.
More Solar Eclipse Getaway Packages
Two three-day weekends in a row? Patriotsâ Day is Monday, April 15, so if you live in Maine or Massachusetts, you likely have a holiday. And if you donât, why arenât you lobbying your state representatives?
Head to the Boston Marathon Fan Fest this weekend, ahead of Mondayâs 128th Boston Marathon (shout out to Hopkinton, where the race will begin for the 100th time, and celebratory events are planned). Did you know you can have brunch at The Beacon bistro at View Boston and watch Mondayâs race from 50 stories high?
Lexington, Massachusetts, is another prime place to spend Patriotsâ Day Weekend. Events commemorating the Battle of Lexington take place in this historic city Saturday through Monday.
The 80th annual New England Folk Festival in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is a celebration of traditional dance, music, food, and crafts from diverse cultures. With close to 1,000 performers, youâll be entertained every moment. More than 35 artisans will sell their wares at the Festival Marketplace. Look for more opportunities than ever to get on your feet or make something with your own hands.
Nothing eclipses Vermont maple! So head to St. Albans for the 57th annual Vermont Maple Festival, and enjoy sugarhouse tours, pancake breakfasts, a parade, carnival rides, the annual Sap Run 8.5-mile race, and more syrupy goodness.
Daffodils are also fĂȘted the last weekend in April. These celebrations are guaranteed to be sunny, no matter the weather:
           ~ Nantucket Daffodil Festival â Nantucket, MA
~ Daffodil Days â Newport, RI
~ This is not a prank! For 24 hours only on April 1 (April Foolsâ Day), take 20% off any 2024 stay at one of Kennebunkport Resort Collectionâs Maine hotels.
~ Learn to make beer the weekend of April 5 and 6 with a special package at New Hampshireâs Woodstock Inn Brewery. Priced at $298 per person double occupancy, the Brewers Weekend package includes lodging for two nights, a Friday night reception, breakfast each morning, Saturday lunch, Brewers Dinner Saturday night, a commemorative T-shirt or hat, and a day of learning with the brewers.
The New England Coastal Creativeâs annual BLOOM: Creative Womenâs Conference is April 3-5 in Newport, Rhode Island. Get your one-day or full conference ticket, and youâll not only be inspired to take your talent and your business to new heights in the year ahead, youâll get to hang out with three members of our Yankee editorial and marketing team. You might even find yourself featured on one of Yankeeâs platforms if you attend Travel Editor Kim Knox Beckiusâs keynote on Friday, which is all about how to pitch products and stories to the media. See you there!
What are you excited to do this April in New England? Let us know in the comments below!
Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee Magazine's Travel & Branded Content Editor. A longtime freelance writer/photographer and Yankee contributing editor based in Connecticut, she has explored every corner of the region while writing six books on travel in the Northeast and contributing updates to New England guidebooks published by Fodor's, Frommer's, and Michelin. For more than 20 years, Kim served as New England Travel Expert for TripSavvy (formerly About.com). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and is frequently called on by the media to discuss New England travel and events. She is likely the only person who has hugged both Art Garfunkel and a baby moose.
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