The highlight of Hillsborough’s [1] social calendar is the Hillsborough Balloon Festival (603/464-0377, www.balloonfestival.org [2], mid-July), a combination hot-air-balloon rally and country fair with horse pull, pie-eating contest, and, of course, rides in hot-air balloons ($175/person). If you’d rather admire them from afar, check out the “night glow” event, in which 10 balloons are inflated with a special white flame that makes them glow eerily in the dark.
The town celebrates its German heritage with an annual Schnitzelfest (603/464-5858, www.schnitzelfest.com [3], late Sept.), a traditional Oktoberfest celebration complete with beer, sausage, and lederhosen.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-england/new-hampshire/south-and-seacoast/monadnock-area/hillsborough
[2] http://www.balloonfestival.org
[3] http://www.schnitzelfest.com