KEEPING THANKSGIVING SIMPLE
- Matthew Myers
In many ways Thanksgiving can be one of the most daunting American holidays of the year. As tradition goes, we feel the need to make sure every Thanksgiving dish is nothing short of perfection. From hand picking our ingredients at local farmers markets to prepping the food, sometimes up to a week in advance, it can certainly get overwhelming.
There’s a lot to think about. Aside from planning a delicious meal, you may also feel pressure about how to keep your family, friends, and guests entertained, especially if they’re visiting for multiple days. You might begin to wonder, “Where will they stay?” or “What else can we do?“ Thankfully, North Central Massachusetts can offer ways to keep Thanksgiving simple.
Stick with tradition and hand pick your ingredients from the local farms and orchards, here is a list of open places with undeniably fresh harvest options.
- The Red Apple Farm (Phillipston) – Open daily 9am to 6pm.
- Bolton Orchards (Bolton) – Open daily 7am to 6pm.
- Carlson Orchards (Harvard) – Mon. – Fri. 9am to 6pm, Sat. & Sun. 9am to 5pm.
- Heifer Farm (Rutland) – Open daily from 9am to 5pm.
- Hollis Hills Farm (Fitchburg) – Mon. – Fri. 10am to 6pm, Sat. & Sun. 8am to 6pm.
- Kalon Farms (Ashburnham & Lancaster) – Lancaster farm open daily 10am to 6pm, Ashburnham farm open weekends only 10am to 2pm
- Lanni Orchards (Lunenburg) – Open daily 8am to 6pm
Lastly, here are some helpful suggestions for those visiting family, friends, or guests planning to stay in North Central Massachusetts.
- The Chocksett Inn – 59 Laurelwood Rd., Sterling
- DoubleTree Leominster by Hilton – 99 Erdman Way, Leominster
- Great Wolf Lodge New England – 150 Great Wolf Drive, Fitchburg
- King Phillip Motor Inn – 35 State Rd., Athol
- Maguire House Bed & Breakfast – 30 Cobbs Rd., Ashburnham
- SpringHill Suites Devens by Marriot – 27 Andrews Pkwy., Devens
