Manabesh Das

Kirti Das at Brookdale Farm picking apples with her mother. As a child, Das is seen grabbing an apple to pluck off the tree. “Kirti was very eager to pick apples for her first time,” said Leena Ray, Das’ mother.

With the fall colors in bloom, the town of Hollis gets ready for the autumn season. With the preparations for the Apple Festival, Brookdale’s pick-your-own season and Beaver Brook’s Fall Festival, people are welcome to come from Hollis and other neighboring towns to celebrate together. 

During the fall season, Brookdale Farm has been holding pick-your-own apples for a long time. It is one of New Hampshire’s largest retail pick-your-own apple stands. But with the weather constantly changing, Brookdale has been suffering, causing the crops to die off. Gina Anton ‘25, who currently works at Brookdale, offers a first-hand perspective on the issue. “This year’s apple season has been kinda bad because we had a frost a couple months ago, maybe in the spring, and so a lot of our apple trees kind of died,” said Anton. Similarly to Anton’s point, Angelina Costa ‘25  has the tradition of picking apples every year at Brookdale. “This year we didn’t go, because all the apples are horrible this season due to the excessive rainfall,” said Costa. Even with all the rainfall and weather changing, Brookdale still perseveres to supply the pick-your-own apples with all varieties of apples this season. 

Every year, Beaver Brook holds a Fall Festival and Art Show where people come to celebrate local artists, booths, and other activities that engage the community. This year, the festival took place from September 23 to the 24 from 11-5 pm. Artists of any age participate in the art show held on this day, showcasing their artistic skills. Main events differ for each day, so it becomes more lively and fascinating for people to come and enjoy both days. Anuhya Chilakapati ‘25 regularly attends the Fall Festival at Beaver Brook with her mother, and thoroughly enjoys the food and animal showcases the festival has to offer. During her recent visit, she enjoyed how the Hollis Historical Society informed the public about the early days of Hollis. Overall, the festival provides a wonderful opportunity for people to connect with their society. 

Hollis also holds an Apple Festival that happened on October 1st on a Sunday. The live band and booths set up around Monument Square bring out the vibrant, festive atmosphere. Free for anyone to come and enjoy, people come to share homemade apple pies, apple crisp and ice cream from Doc Davis. Other activities, such as face painting, are available for all ages. Similar to Beaver Brook, the Apple Festival also holds a raffle for many prizes. Co-sponsored by the Hollis Town Band and the Hollis Brookline Junior Cavaliers, the Apple Festival occurs every year on the first Sunday of October. 

While Hollis is known for their fall festivals, they also hold other events throughout the year such as the Strawberry Festival. The festival is held on the fourth Sunday of every year in June. From strawberry shortcakes to farm-grown strawberries, the summer festival is always a hit. Just like Brookdale’s apple picking, fruit picking (including strawberries and raspberries) are available to pick throughout the summer season. Holding festivals is an important part of Hollis, as it creates lasting bonds and strengthens the community as a whole.