Topsfield Fair
Fall festival · Topsfield · Massachusetts
Running since 1818, America's oldest agricultural fair fills the Topsfield Fairgrounds for ten October days with livestock shows, a midway, and the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, where growers' entries have topped 2,500 pounds.
Don’t miss
Plan your visit
Dates from the official announcement — always confirm before you go.
Color nearby peaks: October 21–October 25
Color builds from October 8 · mostly bare by November 13
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Topsfield Fair’s own coordinates and elevation (16 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
Topsfield Fair on the map
More things to do in Massachusetts
Boston Public Garden
GardenPeak October 23
America's first public botanical garden colors gently through late October, with weeping willows around the lagoon, ginkgos and maples over the promenades, and the Common's big oaks and elms right across Charles Street.
Don’t miss: Lagoon willows · Commonwealth Avenue Mall next door
Arnold Arboretum
ArboretumPeak October 23
Harvard's 281-acre living museum in Jamaica Plain holds one of North America's great tree collections (maples, hickories, ginkgos, and conifer-framed hillsides), usually at its best from mid-October to early November.
Don’t miss: Maple collection · Peters Hill view of the skyline
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Garden cemeteryPeak October 23
America's first garden cemetery is quietly one of Greater Boston's best foliage walks: 175 acres of century-old sugar maples, beeches, and oaks over Victorian monuments, with a tower view back to the Boston skyline.
Don’t miss: Washington Tower view · Auburn Lake dell
Middlesex Fells Reservation
State parkPeak October 22
Twenty-five hundred acres of rocky oak-and-hickory woodland just north of the city. The Skyline Trail's ledges open over reservoirs ringed in October color, close enough to reach on the Orange Line.
Don’t miss: Skyline Trail ledges · Wright's Tower
Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When is Topsfield Fair open in 2026?
- The 2026 season runs Oct 2 – Oct 12. Dates can shift, so check the official site before you go.
- When does Topsfield Fair peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 21–October 25 (best estimate October 23). Color starts around October 8 and is mostly bare by November 13.
- What is Topsfield Fair best for?
- Giant pumpkins and classic county fair.
- How do I get to Topsfield Fair?
- Topsfield Fair is at Topsfield Fairgrounds, near Topsfield. The closest city is Boston, about 19 mi away. It's part of Massachusetts's fall lineup.
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