![]() ![]() And for local camaraderie, it’s hard to beat Rapscallion Pub, which pairs a neighborhood-hangout feel with a lineup of Rapscallion Brewery beers that range from honey ale to coffee stout, alongside a menu of inventive cocktails made with either spirits or beers (Spicy Pineapple Shandy, for instance). In the Sturbridge area, the settings are as eclectic as the offerings: Settle in with a Belgian-style farmhouse ale in a 160-plus-year-old mill building by the Quinebaug River at Altruist Brewing Company, or sip the award-winning wines of Brimfield Winery & Cidery on a historic farmstead less than 10 miles from downtown Sturbridge. Photo Credit : Altruist Brewing Company via Facebookįrom raising a toast to summer at an outdoor beer garden to escaping into a cozy taproom when the weather turns chilly, visiting a homegrown winery, cidery, brewery, or distillery can be a perfect pick-me-up no matter the time of year. Tap into local flavor at Sturbridge’s Altruist Brewing Company. The local craft-beverage scene is a heady experience. Travel tip: History-loving hikers should plan to visit The Trustees’ Tantuisques Reservation: Situated on land once mined for graphite by the native Nipmuc tribe and English colonists alike, it still bears signs of New England’s first-ever mining operation in an open mine shaft and a partially filled mine cut. Factor in the preserved fields and woodlands of Heins Farm (two miles of trails) and the beaver ponds, wetlands, and other diverse habitats of Opacum Woods (four miles of trails), and it’s clear that variety is the hallmark of Sturbridge’s green spaces. Accessible paths also can be found among the 11 miles of trails at the Leadmine Mountain Conservation Area, an 880-acre swath filled with opportunities for not just hiking and mountain biking, but also fishing, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Designated a National Recreation Trail, this wide, smooth, and well-maintained crushed-rock trail is ADA-compliant and suitable for everything from wheelchairs to mountain bikes. For an easy stroll through the woods along the Quinebaug River, seek out the Grand Trunk Trail, whose path was originally cut for a railroad. More than a quarter of the land in Sturbridge, nearly 6,500 acres, is protected or recreational open space, which makes it a haven for hiking and biking. The Grand Trunk Trail invites outdoors lovers of all ages and abilities. The great outdoors are everywhere you look-and accessible to all. (Don’t miss the cider doughnuts at the farm market, either!) 3. Travel tip: If you’re visiting in autumn, be sure to swing by Hyland Orchard, a third-generation farm situated on 150 scenic acres, for apple picking, hayrides, and live music. Indulge in the fruits of their labors at the Sturbridge Farmers Market: Held on Sundays from June to October on the Town Common, it offers a bonanza of local agricultural and artisan products from more than 20 vendors, plus food truck fare and free entertainment. But the agricultural roots laid down by 18th-century settlers still flourish today in the form of family-owned farms throughout Sturbridge and surrounding towns. Sturbridge rose to prominence as a manufacturing hub, with the Quinebaug River powering gristmills and textile mills, and also was home to the first mining operation in New England. Photo Credit : Sturbridge Farmers Market via Facebook A rainbow of vegetables meets the eye at the Sturbridge Farmers Market. The region’s farm-fresh flavor is ripe for the picking. Travel tip: Get in on a weekend of free family fun when the Harvest Festival returns for its 33rd year on Oct. Today the town common with its tidy little bandstand remains the beating heart of the community, hosting everything from concerts to ice skating to the Christmas tree lighting. 1740, where the earliest settlers are interred monuments on the common pay homage to residents who served their country from the Civil War onward. Once used as a Revolutionary War training ground, the lovely Sturbridge Town Common is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is bordered by trim antique buildings - including the 1897 Colonial Revival public library and the regal 1838 Town Hall - that gives Sturbridge its quaint and timeless feel. Families gather on the Sturbridge Town Common for a summer concert. The Sturbridge Town Common is quintessential New England.
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