Great New England Events

You Don’t Want to Miss These EventsBoston Wine Festival, Boston, MA January 6-March 30 Your woodstove isn’t the only source of a warming red glow. All through the winter you can catch lectures and wine tastings that invite you to kick back, sip, and dream of Mediterranean climates. At the Boston Harbor Hotel. 888-660-9463; bostonwinefestival.netNew Hampshire Mac & Cheese Bake-Off, Concord, NH January 14 We’ve always privately known it’s an art form; finally there’s an event bold enough to say it out loud. Bring your cheesiest, most decadent recipe and see how it stands up against New Hampshire’s best. At the Holiday Inn. 603-271-3696; nhdairypromo.orgJackson Invitational Snow Sculpting Competition,Jackson, NH January 20-22 This is the event for people who, as children, took building snowmen a little too seriously. Contenders craft everything from giant jack-in-the-boxes to ballerinas: a snowy menagerie that would make even Calvin and Hobbes proud. At Black Mountain. 603-383-9356; jacksonnh.comMushers Bowl,Bridgton, ME January 21-22 What’s the average husky’s mpk (miles per kibble)? Find out at this townwide celebration of the classiest way to travel on snow. Watch the dogsled races or try it yourself. 207-647-3472; mainelakesmushersbowl.comMoonlight Snowshoeing,East Charleston, VT February 7 From the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, tour the Northeast Kingdom. Massive footwear and an awkward gait aren’t usually thought of as romantic, but try snowshoeing on a full-moon night with someone you love. 802-723-6551; northwoodscenter.org</p> Dartmouth Winter Carnival,Hanover, NH February 9-12 Catch this raucous festival of garishly dressed Ivy Leaguers doing ridiculous things in the snow, plus polar-bear swims, massive snow sculpture contests, and even a downhill canoe race. Costumes are optional, but just barely. 603-646-3399; dartmouth.eduNational Toboggan Championship,Camden, ME February 10-12 Dads have been telling their kids for ages that they’re the best sledders in the world; now the folks at the Camden Snow Bowl are challenging them to prove it. Daredevils of all ages are invited to compete for the crown. 207-236-3438; camdensnowbowl.comThe Great Rotary Fishing Derby,Meredith, NH February 11-12 Join the hardy souls on Lake Winnipesaukee for a weekend of stubbornly ignoring the elements, all for the love of fishing. 603-279-7600; meredithrotary.comEagles on the Connecticut River,Essex/Haddam, CT February 11-March 18 In a lesson to all snowbirds, bald eagles suck it up and bed down for the winter along the banks of the Connecticut River. Hop on one of the boat tours organized by the Audubon Society throughout February and early March. 860-767-0660; ecotravel.ctaudubon.orgRhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show,Providence, RI February 23-26 Flowers are much more beautiful when you haven’t seen color in three months. Come delight in the year’s first signs of life, and stock up on everything you need for your garden; vendors will tell you that the more you spend, the sooner spring arrives. At the Rhode Island Convention Center. 401-253-0246; flowershow.comSee the other 42 reasons to love winter!