"When fields are fresh and streams are leaping". . . that's spring in New Hampshire according to the poet Claude McKay. It's the time of year when mud and maple sugaring season give way to festivals, crafts fairs, strawberryfests, and dreams of flip-flops (although the carefree summer days at Weirs Beach are still a ways off). The Lakes Region is home to over 270 lakes, and roughly 85 percent of the area is wooded. Outdoor recreation is what New Hampshire's Lakes Region is all about, and there's no better way to celebrate the outdoors than by festival-hopping across the Granite State.

Memorial Day Weekend Craft Festival: Meredith, May 27–29 

The historic Mills Falls Marketplace in Meredith will feature over 100 artisans from all over New England. The festival's booths and stalls feature fine jewelry, country woodcrafts, pottery, folk art, hand-crafted soap, blown glass, and a wealth of other arts and crafts. Admission is free. The festival takes place rain or shine. For homebuyers looking for properties in the Lakes Region, there's an added bonus—our newest Peabody & Smith office in Meredith is opening May 11. After you browse the booths, come by and browse Lakes Region homes for sale!

Wildquack Duck River Festival: Jackson, May 28

The Wildquack Duck River Festival in Jackson is like an old timey day in the park, a throwback to the era of train rides and toe-tapping music played in town gazebos. The family-friendly event features a parade, Duck Races, kids activities, the Jackson Cake Boss competition, and a fleet of food trucks. Local and visiting chefs will serve kettle corn, ice cream, lobster sandwiches, and a host of other delicious carnival foods. The festival starts at 8 am and admission is free (although some individual events may have a fee).

Annual Celebration of Lupines: Franconia Notch, June 1–30

Sugar Hill is a quiet mountain hamlet, a classic New England town complete with a country store and white-steepled church. It's the sort of sleepy village that time forgets, until its fields of lupines explode with color in June, the purple spires dancing in the spring sunlight. The annual lupine festival is one of northern New England's must-see events. For 20 years, people have toured the blooming lupine fields by foot or horse-drawn wagon. While the flowers are the event's marquee attraction, the festival also includes art exhibits, concerts, open-air markets, and specialty dinners in the area's surrounding inns.