WALPOLE, N.H. – Taylor Naeck and her husband Adam are gearing up to host the third annual SummerFest on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., at Alyson’s Orchard, 57 Alyson’s Lane in Walpole, N.H. Join them for live, local musicians, to include the BabaRay Band, Dave Scotland, and Blue22 Productions, among other festivities. The live music stage is sponsored by Savings Bank of Walpole.
This family-friendly, annual community event is set to offer activities for all ages, with crafts for kids, a water balloon fight hosted by the Walpole Fire Department, a foam party, wagon rides, face painting, fairy hair, a caricature artist, and more. A bounce house and dunk tank will also provide entertainment, and Reptile Shows of New England will be showing off live reptiles. There will also be a petting zoo where you may feed the goats with food available for purchase from farm stand.
A touch-a-truck event is planned for children to explore vehicles, construction equipment, and emergency rigs. An ambulance, police car, and fire truck from Walpole’s police and fire departments are scheduled to be at this event, along with a helicopter from Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team, a monster truck, and a fleet of machines from Townline Equipment, providing a hands-on learning experience for all ages and helping to promote community engagement.
Additionally, attendees can watch live chainsaw carving demonstrations, which will showcase the artistry and skill involved in this unique form of woodworking from start to finish.
A beer garden will serve local craft brews, and vendors will be on site dishing up their own food and beverages. Tickets for the SummerFest may be purchased on site upon arrival.
Alyson’s Orchard has begun working on improvement projects this summer, including a new event tent, replacement of its irrigation system, and additional plantings.
Its premier wedding venue, located in the main building on the property with a maximum occupancy of 250 people, is available year-round. This wedding package includes tractor and wagon rides to and from your choice of three ceremony location options. This year, a new venue tent, called The Runway on Anne Marie’s Point, has been added on the property. It is now set up and available for bookings from May-October, and intended to accommodate smaller events such as birthday parties, family reunions, celebrations of life, smaller weddings, showers, and corporate gatherings. Alyson’s Orchard is currently booking into 2029.
Its planned farm-related improvement projects are also now underway. Taylor explained that, among this year’s improvements, “We planted 700 new trees. Some of them are new varieties of trees, some of them are apples and peaches, and then some of them are replacements to trees that have died over the years…the peach trees that we planted are more cold hardy.” She also stated that they “planted 4,000 more strawberry plants…and expanded [our] vegetable garden this year.”
Alyson’s Orchard offers pick-your-own strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, cherries, and apples throughout the picking season. Additionally, you may find its products locally at co-ops, farm stands, and farmers markets in the area.
Looking ahead, Alyson’s Orchard’s annual harvest celebration is planned for Sunday, Sept. 20.
For more information, call Alyson’s Orchard at 603-756-9800 or visit www.alysonsorchard.com.