This Western Massachusetts Roadside Attraction is a Must-Visit

The Yankee Candle Company may be a name you associate with candles, and for good reason. But candles, and candle shops in particular, aren’t typically the first thing that comes to mind when planning your next family vacation. But at Yankee Candle Village in Deerfield, Massachusetts, candles are only a fraction of the fun, and a visit on your next trip through Western Massachusetts is actually a must for families. This massive company store is home to great shopping, good food and plenty of activities to keep the entire family happy and smiling.

Of course, there are candles, and plenty of them. The store is a great place to pick up new scents along with your favorites (and the fact the company recently changed its wax blend to a soy-based product for a cleaner-burning product is a huge bonus), but you can also buy just about everything you can imagine, from cooking gear to clothing.

© Eugenia Lazaris

As you wander the store, you’ll find different areas like a replica Bavarian village and a candy store. It’s Christmas every day at the village, with more than 10,000 ornaments on display throughout the store, and you won’t want to miss the indoor snow in the Christmas village. Kids, and admittedly adults, too, love the toy and candy shops. There is even a Build-a-Bear workshop for little ones to create their own stuffed friend to take home with them.

© Eugenia Lazaris

Along the way, you’ll find fun things to catch your attention, like an actual tugboat tucked away near the candy section. A full gourmet kitchen does cooking demos to showcase products and tools you can buy in the kitchen store section. You can literally spend hours wandering the aisles and shopping the seemingly endless items; Yankee has thought of everything and made sure there is plenty of food to choose from. If the smell of popcorn or fresh fudge doesn’t grab you (the fudge is practically a must in a store, which sells 13 tons of the stuff every year), maybe the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream will, or you can head to the brewery for some beer and wine, along with hot pizza or fresh wraps.

During the fall, they offer hayrides, live entertainment and Santa even comes out to paint pumpkins for Halloween (not to mention for some meet and greets). All year long, you can do fun activities like creating your own candle or wax mold of your hand at Wax Works, and creating your own signature fragrance for a candle at the Candle Bar.