Peak leaf-peeping season is almost here! Did you know Bretton Woods, NH, just made USA Today’s Top 10 fall foliage destinations—coming in at No. 5? Read the full story.

Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter:

⭐️ Highest-rated free things to do in New Hampshire by visitors

📅 Can’t-miss events for your calendar

This newsletter is free as a winter snowstorm (but way easier to handle). Subscribe and share here.

Life in America has gotten pricier—wages rose 1,015% over 50 years, but housing and education costs have eaten away much of that gain, a 2025 Consumer Affairs report shows. Still, plenty of fun doesn’t cost a dime.

Here’s the list of top-rated free things to do in New Hampshire, compiled by Stacker using Tripadvisor data:

🌲 No. 1 — Kancamagus Highway
Rating: 4.7/5 (3,606 reviews)
Location: North Conway
Nicknamed “The Kanc,” this 34.5-mile scenic byway winds through the White Mountain National Forest. It’s one of the most famous foliage drives in the US, especially in autumn. Along the way, visitors can stop at overlooks, waterfalls, and hiking trails.

💦 No. 2 — Diana’s Baths
Rating: 4.6/5 (1,614 reviews)
Location: North Conway
A series of cascading waterfalls and pools on Lucy Brook, Diana’s Baths is a favorite family destination in the summer. The short hike in is easy (about 0.6 miles one way), and kids love splashing in the shallow basins. It’s also a protected site within the White Mountain National Forest.

🏔 No. 3 — Cathedral Ledge
Rating: 4.7/5 (1,044 reviews)
Location: North Conway
Rising 700 feet above the Saco River Valley, Cathedral Ledge offers panoramic views of Echo Lake and the surrounding mountains. You can drive to the top during warm months or hike up for the full experience. It’s also a popular spot for rock climbing.

🏛 No. 4 — Market Square
Rating: 4.6/5 (760 reviews)
Location: Portsmouth
Market Square is a lively district filled with shops, restaurants, galleries, and historic architecture. It’s perfect for strolling, people-watching, and soaking in the charm of one of New England’s oldest port cities.

🏖 No. 5 — Hampton Beach State Park
Rating: 4.4/5 (1,398 reviews)
Location: Hampton
A classic New England beach destination with a wide sandy shoreline, boardwalk, and summer events. Hampton Beach is known for its lively atmosphere, fireworks, sand sculpture contests, and concerts at the Seashell Stage.

New Hampshire’s public schools are notoriously underfunded, but money continues to be invested in students seeking private school opportunities.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte has expanded school vouchers, known as Education Freedom Accounts, by signing SB 295 into law, making New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Accounts universal.

The new law removes income limits but caps enrollment at 10,000 students for 2025–26, with future increases if demand is high.

Last year, 5,321 students used vouchers, averaging $5,204 each. It cost taxpayers nearly $28 million.

Spending is projected to hit $50 million in the first year of universal eligibility.

Do you agree with the ‘Education Freedom Accounts’ program, or is it weakening public schools?

Here’s what you’re saying…

“I am strongly opposed to the EFA program because it is a $39 million drain on the already underfunded allotment for public education and effectively transfers wealth from lower to higher-income families. In addition, the program is highly unpopular and anti-democratic. This year, online testimony was overwhelmingly against SB295 (919-37) but it passed the State House along party lines with the help of over 90 state legislators who are members of the Koch affiliated Young Americans for Liberty.” — Bill Black

🎡 Granite State Fair
Rochester, Sept. 11–21
Rides, live entertainment, arena shows, midway games, agricultural exhibits, and classic fair food. Spotlight events include a circus, school bus derby, demolition derby, and car soccer.
More info

🍺 Manchester Brewfest
Manchester, Sept. 13
Craft beer festival at Arms Park featuring breweries, food vendors, and live entertainment.
More info

🎄 Fall FEASTival at Santa’s Village
Jefferson, Sept. 14, 21 & 28
A fall celebration with park-favorite foods included in admission—pizza, burgers, cookies, ice cream, hot chocolate, and more. Food service ends at 3:30 p.m.
More info

🍔 Gunstock’s Summer Send-Off Food Truck Festival
Gilford, Sept. 14
Food trucks, live music, games, cow patty bingo, beer garden, pre-season ski sale, and more at Gunstock Mountain Resort.
More info

🌿 BioBlitz! at Seacoast Science Center
Rye, Sept. 14
Community science event at Odiorne Point State Park. Participants join naturalists and guest experts to explore habitats and identify as many species as possible in one day. Activities include birding, tide pooling, mushroom foraging, and more.
More info

🎬 The Arts Film Festival — Day 3

Columbia, Sept. 14
Film screenings at the Great North Woods Center for the Arts, including three feature films, shorts, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, and a Saturday evening awards dinner. Sunday brunch at 10 a.m. is free for all attendees.
More info

🎤 Vox Pop Poetry Slam Tournament
Manchester & Concord, Sept. 12–14
Annual festival from Slam Free or Die featuring open mics, poetry workshops, and championship competitions. Events at Stark Brewing Company in Manchester and the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord.
More info

🎨 Hampton Falls Craft Festival
Hampton Falls, Sept. 13–14
Seventeenth annual festival on the Town Common with over 75 juried artisans showcasing handmade arts, crafts, and specialty foods. Local treats and leashed pets welcome. Free admission, rain or shine.
More info

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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