Ipswich Massachusetts has a lot of fun things every season to do like in the summer or fall, but in the winter there is so much to do indoors and outdoors. The first thing everyone loves about winter in Ipswich is winter break where all of the kids have a week or two off from school to spend time with the family for the holidays and many various activities Ipswich has to offer. One of the most interesting things to do over winter break in Ipswich is to visit the Crane Estate where the whole estate is decorated throughout the holidays. Another thing they do at the Estate is there 3 days of holiday events from December 6th to the 8th where they “present an old fashioned Christmas” where people decorate the estate and visitors can drink and eat food and explore the castle with its antique rooms full of history.

Some other places full of activities during the winter are visiting Marini’s and Appleton farms. Marini’s farms have a lot of fun things to experience “where it transforms itself from a farmstand into a winter wonderland.” (Although Marini’s is now closed until spring) They start with a tree Jubilee where there are a lot of decorated trees and wreaths for a fundraiser raffle. After that, there are a lot of activities like a “wreath making class, gingerbread house workshop, and hot chocolate buffets.” Appleton Farms also has a lot of fun activities to offer in the winter months such as a “gingerbread story time, a lantern-lit winter solstice stroll, and a scavenger hunt–style walk to seek out wooden reindeer hidden around the property.” If you want more of nature at Appleton Farms or Willowdale you can experience miles of walking trails for snowshoeing or cross country skiing.

When talking to Gardy O’Flynn, the IHS physical education teacher, he had a lot to say. He has a lot of experience in Ipswich and knows what to do in almost every season. He said that during his free time, he would “normally cross-country ski; I love to cross-country ski and without snow, I can’t do that. Otherwise, I would like to fix things up around the house.” After asking what he loves about winter in Ipswich, he responded with “I love it in the summer more, but I love that we’re close to the coast so a lot of times we don’t get as much snow. I also love having my kids home from college.”

The O’Flynn family also has its fair share of family traditions during the holidays. “On Christmas Eve we go to a friend’s house and we do Christmas carols and things like that and we’d usually have dinner. Then we’d usually have people over Christmas Day where we’d get together with my big local family. We don’t travel.” His most favorable Christmas moment is “Simply just cross-country skiing with the snow and the atmosphere here in Ipswich.” 

Ipswich has many various winter holiday traditions around town to experience and enjoy the positive festive nature of the people in the town. During winter break families come together on the holidays to enjoy each other’s company and create long lasting memories to cherish forever.