The Fitzwilliam town common is surrounded by historic homes, a white-spire church and a town hall. Adjacent to the common, visitors find the Fitzwilliam Inn, Landy Antiques, Bequaert Old Books, Claire Borowski Antiques, Luddy Antiques, Fitzwilliam Hardwood Furniture, and Four Columns Realty. The Ashburn House is three houses from the Common.
Children enjoy seasonal sports such as fishing in the nearby children's pond or sledding on the town-maintained cross country ski trails. In July, visitors marvel at the resplendent rhododendron in the Rhododendron State Park. One of the entrances to Mount Monadnock, the most frequently climbed mountain in the world by some accounts, is only three miles away. Closer climbs are Gap Mountain and Little Monadnock. Both climbs are easy for children and adults and frequently achieved by preschoolers!
Many visit Cheshire County to send their children to the local camps such as Fleur de lis, Wak-lo, Glenbrook, and Wakoda. Local colleges Keene State, Franklin Pierce, and Antioch attract many students, too. Events at the Cheshire County Fairgrounds in Keene provide a variety of seasonal activities. Many identify this area with the Keene Pumpkin Festival, which again garnered the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most carved pumpkins in one city. (This year Keene defeated a title challenge from Boston!) In the winter, Keene holds an annual Winter Carnival with ice sculptures and activities for the whole family.
Fitzwilliam, a village Natalie Angier describes as the "belle of the bell-towered" in the December issue of Preservation, hosts several activities throughout the year. We hold the Strawberry Festival in June, a popular antique show on the Common in July, several Garden Club events, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in December, and an open house for local antique shops after Christmas.