These 10 New England Experiences Sell Out Every Summer

You know that look on a kid’s face when a too-eager lick sends the top scoop of ice cream tumbling off the cone and into the dirt? Well, we don’t want you to have that same heartbroken expression of abject disappointment. So, we’re cluing you in on the New England summer events and experiences that are always sellouts. If you’re even just thinking about going, be sure to make note of on-sale dates, or you’re likely to miss out (or, perhaps worse, overspend on secondary-market tickets or alternate vacation plans that aren’t as much fun). Act early; act fast. Because the traveler who starts thinking about summer when it isn’t even spring is the one who can sit back and enjoy summer’s best moments.

1. Cadillac Mountain Sunrises

Getting your carcass out of bed at 4 a.m. is no longer the most challenging aspect of witnessing the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain: one of the first places in the U.S. to greet the sun each day. Now, Maine’s Acadia National Park has implemented a reservation system for access to the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road, and acquiring a parking pass is akin to scoring Taylor Swift tickets. OK, maybe it’s not quite that impossible, but during the peak summer months, you need a strategy. First, you’ll need to sign up for and log in to your recreation.gov account. Then, either be ready to buy your pass 90 days ahead of your planned visit, when 30% of available reservations are released. Or be ready to pounce at 10 a.m. two days before you want to see a sunrise, when the remainder are snatched up lightning fast. Daytime reservations for the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road are required, too, and can be equally tricky.

2. James Taylor at Tanglewood

Even lawn seats sell out when New England’s beloved troubadour James Taylor plays a show or two at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts: typically on or around the 4th of July. Concerts on the 4th conclude with a fireworks display. Don’t despair if you see the “sold out” message on the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s official website. Online marketplaces like Vivid Seats allow fans to pick up aftermarket tickets, and if you don’t wait until the very last minute, you can still probably score lawn seats for less than $75: a premium, yes, but a small price to pay to hear a living legend.

3. Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Car Ferry Reservations

The Steamship Authority provides the only car transport to the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and in the summer, a vehicle reservation is a must if you really can’t live without your own wheels. Reservations for the period from mid-May to mid-October typically open at the end of January, and you’ll want to have your dates picked out and be quick to click or to call 508-477-8600. The longer you wait, the more likely you’ll have to reserve an ungodly early (6 a.m.!) ferry or a very late boat… if you can find availability at all.

4. Vermont Cheesemakers Festival Tickets

This annual celebration of New England-made artisan foods has grown and grown, but it still sells out each summer, and that’s not likely to change even with its move to a new venue: the Highland Center for the Arts in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. More than 30 cheesemakers (who doesn’t love cheese?) still anchor this one-day, mid-August showcase, where you can sip, taste, shop, and meet makers.

5. Katahdin Hiking Access

It takes strength and stamina and about eight to 12 hours to hike up and down Maine’s mile-high Mount Katahdin. It also takes… a parking or camping reservation. The number of hikers is limited by the availability of pre-reserved campsites or parking spots. And parking, in particular, goes fast the moment reservations open. Be prepared: You’ll need to sign up for an online account and provide your vehicle information before you are able to reserve one of the 62 parking spots available on any given summer day at your choice of three Katahdin trailheads.

6. Grownup Summer Camp Weekends

The more stressful and isolated life feels, the more adults crave the sort of carefree connection that’s usually reserved for kids heading off to summer camp. That’s where Club Getaway in Kent, Connecticut, comes in. This 300-acre, lakeside resort is all-inclusive in more ways than merely meals and activities. During weekends reserved for adults, whether traveling solo or with a partner or friends, programming is every bit as lively as you remember from childhood summers… when wine was not included with dinners. Make reservations early, and start stickering up your footlocker. The weekends that will sell out first are: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Camp Retro Rewind, and Labor Day.

7. Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals

Rhode Island’s hottest tickets are two music-packed weekends, when folk and jazz royalty and emerging talents take the stages at Newport’s Fort Adams State Park. The Newport Folk Festival packs the lawn at the end of July. The Newport Jazz Festival likewise summons legions the first weekend in August. Both sell out long before the first notes are played. If you miss your chance at tickets and don’t want to pay secondary-market prices, here’s a little hint: Boaters can anchor just offshore and listen in for free. So, find a friend with a boat, rent or charter one, or even pack a little cooler and paddleboard out to where you can listen in on memorable performances.

8. Word Barn Concerts

In the southeastern New Hampshire town of Exeter, the Word Barn hosts outdoor summer concerts in The Meadow that are so intimate, you’ll feel like you’re hearing a top-notch performance in your own backyard. Children and leashed pets are welcome, and weather rarely cancels a show because the renovated barn at this 17th-century farm is also a first-rate music venue. By now, you know what we’re about to tell you: Tickets are extremely limited, and most shows are sellouts.

9. Outstanding in the Field Dining Experiences

Late each summer, just as the harvest is rolling in, this national organization brings its long dining tables to scenic spots in New England where food is cultivated. The region’s best chefs are recruited, too, to cook farm-to-table dinners that are as much about the camaraderie as the dazzling cuisine. Needless to say, these dining opportunities sell out fast when they go on sale on the first day of spring.

10. Farm-to-Table Dinners at the Chatham Bars Inn Farm

If your summer travels will take you to Cape Cod, and you want to savor a sumptuous five-course meal in the fields where the herbs and veggies were raised, then check the schedule of Wednesday night Farm-to-Table Dinners hosted by Chatham Bars Inn at the resort’s own farm. Tables are set beneath twinkling lights, each event has its own unique menu, and you’ll spend two-and-a-half memorable hours tasting food that is absolutely farm-fresh while making new friends. That is, if you grab tickets before they’re gone.

SEE MORE:

10 Best Summer Road Trips in New England

32 Must-Do New England Summer Adventures

10 New England Summer Vacations You Need to Book Now