Summer Has Arrived in Vermont!!
New this year is the Ascutney Outdoors organization. They have worked to make Ascutney Mountain in Brownsville, VT a place for all to enjoy for various activities – hiking, biking, skiing, and meeting other like minded outdoors people. Check out their website for events planned.
www.ascutneyoutdoors.org/new-events/
**Repeating events
Friday nights at 6:30pm throughout the summer The Cheese Board at Artisans Way in Windsor is showing free outdoor movies(family oriented). Available for purchase are wood fired pizza and creamies. It’s next door to Harpoon Brewery.
Spectator at Horse Events? – check the calendar at gmhainc.org in nearby South Woodstock
**June 1-30 – Woodstock/Taftsville, VT – Sugarbush Farm Dairy Month Tours & Samples, sugarbushfarm.com
June 4 – Woodstock, VT – Trek to Taste, Billings Farm, 10-3 with VINS Raptor presentation 10-2, www.trektotaste.info
**June 5, 12, 19, 26 – Woodstock, VT – Ice Cream Sundays – Billings Farm Museum
June 5 – Woodstock, VT – Covered Bridges half Marathon
June 11 – South Woodstock, VT – All day Jumper Derby for spectators, Green Mountain Horse Assoc. (GMHA) on Rt. 106
June 11-12 – Vermont – All day Vermont State Park Day – free entry to all state parks
June 12 – South Woodstock, Reading, West Windsor, Hartland – All day 50/25/15 mile endurance horse ride – be careful driving the roads as horses will be abundant.
June 17 – South Pomfret, VT, Last Train Zinkov Concert, Folk Music, ArtisTree, www.artistreevt.org for info
**June 17 -June 19 – Quiche, VT – all day Quechee Balloon Festival, Quechee Village Green, Balloon Glow at night, rides during the day (weather permitting) crafts, food
**June 17 – 26 – Barnard, VT – production of Realistic Joneses by Will Eno, performances outdoors at Fable Farm Theatre, www.barnarts.org for more info – come early and picnic on the grounds
June 18 – Hartland, VT – Jazz Festival, noon – 8pm, Hartland Library field on Rt. 5
June 18 – Brownsville, VT – West Windsor 5 and Dime Trail Run, 7:45-12:15, www.ascutneyoutdoors.org/new-events/ for details
June 18-19 – Tunbridge, VT – VT History Expo 2016, 10-5pm
June 23 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert Series – Interplay Jazz, 5:50pm, free on the Green (donation for food shelf appreciated)
June 24 – Woodstock, VT – The Interplay of Jazz Concert, Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 8pm
June 25 – Woodstock, VT – Jazz in the Park, Concert & Art Show, Vail Field, noon – 3pm, free
June 25 – Pomfret, VT – Pomfret Strawberry Festival, Pomfret Congregational Church, 5, 6:15, 7:30 seatings
June 25 – South Pomfret, VT – The Contenders (Nash & Day) Concert, ArtisTree, 7:30pm, $20, cash bar
June 30 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert Series, Francesca Blanchard, 5:50 on the Green, free (donation to food shelf appreciated)
July 1 – Pomfret, VT – VT Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival Tour, Suicide Six Ski Area, Gate ope at 5pm for picnicking, 7:30 with fireworks at the end, www.pentanglearts.org
July 2 – Brownsville, VT – Ascutney Mountain Triple Ascent Hike, 7am, see www.ascutneyoutdoors.org/new-events/ for details (July 3 rain day)
July 3 – Brownsville, VT – crafts, food and fireworks after dark
July 3 – Reading, VT – 10th annual Duck Derby, 2 pm – lots of prizes
July 3 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(piano), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
July 4 – Woodstock, VT – Old Vermont Fourth – Billings Farm Museum, 10am
July 4 – Woodstock, VT – 40th John Longhans Green Mile Road Race, run, walk, leisurely stroll thru Woodstock, free kids race with medals, free T-shirt for participants, live music on the Green
July 4 – Woodstock, VT – crafts, games, food, fireworks, Woodstock Union H.S., 5-9pm
July 4 – Plymouth,VT – President Calvin Coolidge Birthday Celebration, Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, 10:30am, games, BBQ, wagon rides, craft demos
July 4 – Brownsville, VT – crafts, food and parade at 1pm
(Check closer to the Holiday weekend for a list of celebrations, parades in neighboring villages)
**July 6, 13, 20, 27 – Woodstock, VT – Wagon Day Wednesdays, Billings Farm Museum
July 7 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert Series – Twangtown Paramours, 5:50pm on the Green, free (donation to food shelf appreciated)
July 8 – Woodstock, VT – Concert and Ice Cream Social, back lawn of Woodstock Historical Society, Elm St., 7pm, entry with donation
**July 9 – Aug. 13 – Lebanon, NH – All Day Summeriest 2016 – Opera North, check website for details, www.operanorth.org
July 10 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(ensemble), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
July 14 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert, Amber Rubarth, 5:30pm, on the Green, free (donation to food shelf appreciated)
July 15 – Pomfret, VT – Jeremiah McLane & Annemieke Spoelstra Concert, ArtisTree, 7:30pm
**July 15-18 – Killington, VT, Killington Wine Festival,
July 16 – Woodstock, VT – All day 91st Annual St. James Fair, church near The Green
July 16 – Norwich, VT – Montshire Museum of Science, All day Up,Up, and Away! Glider Rockets and Parachutes Event
July 16 – Woodstock, VT – “A Celebration in Song” Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion, 6pm, free
July 17 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(jazz), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
July 17 – Woodstock, VT – National Ice Cream Day, Billings Farm
July 20 – Pomfret, VT – Chris Pierce & Jay Nash Concert, ArtisTree, 7:30pm
July 21 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert, Carl Pierce, 5:50pm, on the Green, free (donation to food shelf appreciated)
July 23-24 – Windsor, VT – Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival, 11am -7pm (5pm on Sun.)
July 24 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(piano), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
July 28-30 – Woodstock, VT – All Day Bookstock Literary Festival, www.bookstockvt.org
July 30 – Norwich, VT – All day Nature: Up Close and Personal, Montshire Museum of Science, lots of fun activities outside and inside in the Science Discovery Lab
July 31 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(Riverboat Stompers, Toe Tapping Jazz Pops), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
**July 29, Aug. 2,4,6,10,11,13 – Lebanon, NH – Evita, Opera North, Lebanon Opera House
**July 30 – Sept. 18 – Woodstock, VT – Quilt Exhibition, Billings Farm Museum
**July 31, Aug. 3,6,10 – Lebanon, NH – Daughter of the Regiment, Opera North, Lebanon Opera House
**Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 – Woodstock, VT – Wagon Ride Wednesdays, Billings Farm Museum
**Aug. 5,7,9,12 – Lebanon, NH – Tosca, Opera North, Lebanon Opera House
Aug. 4 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Concert, Ashley Sorrow Trio, 5:50pm, on the Green, free (donation to food shelf appreciated).
Aug. 6 – Quechee, VT – Ottauquechee Musicfest, too many activities to list, check it out on www.quecheeclub.com/summer-music-series
Aug. 6 – Plymouth, VT – Plymouth Old Home Day, Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, 10-4pm, wagon rides, BBQ, music, sheep shearing, crafts and games
Aug. 7 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(string band), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
Aug. 13 – Woodstock, VT – Taste of Woodstock, 10am-evening, in the village, food, beverages, crafts, fun
Aug. 13 – Brownsville, VT – Harpoon Point-to-Point mountain bike race, Ascutney Mtn.
Aug. 14 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(cello & piano), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
Aug. 19-21 – Cornish, NH – Cornish Fair, www.cornishfair.org
Aug. 19 – South Woodstock, VT – Derby Day and Tailgating Party, Horse jumping for spectators at Green Mountain Horse Assoc. (GMHA) followed by dog derby
Aug. 21 – Plymouth, VT – Grace Coolidge Musicale No. 2, Calvin Coolidge Historic Site, French Music for Piano and Voice, 4-5:30pm followed by refreshments at the Wilder House Restaurant, donations accepted
Aug. 21 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(string quartet and clarinet), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
Aug. 27 – Quechee, VT – Scottish Festival, Quechee Polo Field, 9-5pm, Scottish games, sheep herding
Aug. 28 – Cornish, NH -Saint-Gaudens Sunday concert(brass), 2pm at the Little Studio in Saint Gardens Historic Site just across the Conn. River from Windsor, VT, with lovely outdoor walking trails, sculptures, art. Perfect for a picnic
**Sept. 1-Fall – Woodstock/Pomfret, VT -Sculpturefest, free, outdoor sculptures of intriguing design on 2 adjacent farms
Sept. 1-4 – South Woodstock, Reading, West Windsor, Hartland, VT – All Day Distance Days and 80th Annual 100 Mile Ride, Green Mountain Horse Assoc. (GMHA) – Watch out for horses on the roads day and night
Sept. 3-4 – Plymouth, VT – Plymouth Folk & Blues Festival, 2-5pm, free, www.plymouthfolk,com
**Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 – Woodstock, VT – Wagon Ride Wednesdays, Billings Farm Museum
Sept. 9-10 – Woodstock, VT – Chamber Art Festival on the Green
Sept. 15-18 – Tunbridge, VT – Tunbridge World’s Fair, www.tunbridgeworldsfair.com/schedules/fair/
Sept. 25 – Brownsville, VT – Vermont 50 Mountain Bike – Ultra Run
Oct. 2 – Brownsville, VT – Lucy Mac 5K-9, canine friendly run
Oct. 8-9 – Windsor, VT – Harpoon Octoberfest
Below are places of interest – dining – touristy – entertainment:
Some fairly new restaurants in the area! Check it out:
The Hartland Diner in Jessup’s Plaza at Hartland 3 Corners – open 7 days a week for lunch and breakfast (served all day!).Note: Hartland Diner in Hartland 3 Corners will be closed on Tues. & Wed. for the months of Feb. and Mar. Back to open 7 days a week April 1st.
The owners of the former Stella’s restaurant have opened a restaurant in Windsor at the railroad station (Windsor Station Restaurant and Barroom)serving dinner with lots of music events as well!
Opened in Quechee, Singleton’s Market and Jake’s Market with food items, deli, Vermont products and clothing. It has almost everything you could need from fresh fish, homemade sausages, wine, beer…the list is endless!
Another restaurant in Woodstock – The Worthy Kitchen where the Eastender used to be (on the East end of Rt. 4)! Very casual atmosphere, limited menu but the specials change and the food is great (highly recommend the steak!). Draft Beer choices are endless and there is also a token wine selection. The bartenders/wait staff are great fun too!
Another new restaurant on the West end of Woodstock is On the River Inn and in Quechee, The Public House, near the putt-putt golf, offering food and craft beers.
If you are returning to the area from previous visits please note there are lots of restaurants in the area you may wish to try: Trap Door Bakery and Deli in Quechee, and in Woodstock: Melaza Bistro, Pi Brick Oven Trattoria and Pi Martini Tapas Bar(with Jazz music every Wed. at 7pm), Anchor Wat and Mon Vert Cafe. Of course, many of my “old” favorites are still there: Kedron Valley Inn and Tavern(S. Woodstock)-every Sun. is Burger and Beer night; Keeper’s (Reading), The Black Rock Restaurant (Springfield), Long Trail Brewery(Bridgewater) for lunch, Harpoon Brewery (Windsor), Simon Pearce restaurant and The Parker House Inn(Quechee) and many more!! The Kedron Valley Inn is only 3 mi. from the cabin. Bentley’s restaurant in Woodstock offers dancing to their DJ on Friday and Saturday nights at 10 pm. Harpoon Brewery (at Artisan’s Place in Windsor) is open some evenings for dinner – check first as their schedule changes. In the summer there is often Oven-Fired Pizza offered outside.
Another food “establishment” which has garnered a big following is the “elevated food truck” off Rt. 12 on Damon Rd. between Hartland and the intersection with Rt. 4 heading to Quechee. It’s called Chef Brad’s Crazy Side. He is a fantastic chef, thus the big following. You can usually see his specials posted on his Facebook site. People rave over his chicken in a basket. I personally like his hamburgers or lamb-burgers and sweet potato fries. When the temperatures are cool I always try one of his homemade soups. You can BYOB and tables are set up outside and also in his bus. Don’t let the casual appearance fool you – the food is great!
I recommend a visit to Sugarbush Farm (www.sugarbushfarm.com) where they have a wonderful educational display and video on sugaring, an animal petting area and a wonderful cheese and maple syrup tasting room with of course a gift shop full of goodies to take home or buy for gifts.
Harpoon Brewery – Windsor – don’t forget live music on Thurs. evenings. And visit Farmstead Cheese (Sustainable Farmer) next door! They offer lots of local products. During the summer they have oven fired pizzas for sale to eat on the picnic tables outside. Also in the same complex there is the Silo making Vermont’s own Vodka/Gin/Whiskey/Moonshine. Often the Silo and Farmstead Cheese team up with some local musical talent and hold a special event at the Silo, serving cocktails and food bites. These places are located in Artisan’s Park in Windsor off Rt. 5 – home to many other interesting places such as Simon Pearce outlet store and Great River Outfitters who feature a lot of Water Activities – check out their calendar http://greatriveroutfitters.com. Sometimes in the winter dog sledding is there – check with www.braeburnsiberians.com
Brown’s Tavern is also open for dinner at the Ascutney Resort nearby along with their Maple Kitchen restaurant which features Prime Rib on Thursday nights. Ascutney Mountain has been revived as Ascutney Outdoors which now has a ski tow rope and there is no charge to ski there. There are also trails which have been opened for biking and hiking.
If you stop at Mike’s Mobil just off Rt. 91 on Rt. 12/5 you’ll find some hot foods to choose from as well as deli sandwiches made to order, to keep you from needing to cook that first meal! Large selection of beer,wine, and coffee. It’s also the closest place to get diesel.
Montshire Museum in Norwich, VT gets top marks for it’s displays for young and old including the outside grounds www.montshire.org
The Windsor Station Restaurant(Windsor, VT) has live music every Tuesday and Friday. Harpoon Brewery (Rt. 5 Windsor) has live music every Thursday and first Saturday as well as brick oven-fired pizzas on the weekends(Summer and Fall). Browns Tavern (Ascutney Resort, VT) has Live music every Sunday Skunk Hollow Tavern (Hartland 4 Corners) has live music every Wednesday and Friday. For details of who is playing check the links below.
For Windsor area entertainment information:
Windsor Station: http://windsorstationvt.com/live-music
Harpoon: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/breweries/windsor
Brown’s Tavern: http://brownstavern.webs.com/apps/calendar
Skunk Hollow: http://www.skunkhollowtavern.com/Entertainment.aspx
For info on what’s happening at the Woodstock Town Theatre then check out: www.PentangleArts.org
For more cultural activities in the nearby area check out these sites:
http://www.woodstockvt.com/woodstockvt/events
http://www.thevermontstandard.com
The nearby Billings Farm Museum has an activity going on most of the weekends.
www.hop.dartmouth.edu Hanover, NH
www.TupeloHall.com White River Junction, VT
www.ClaremontOperaHouse.com Claremont, NH
www.OperaNorth.org Lebanon, NH
www.NorthernStage.org White River Junction, VT
www.ArtistreeVT.org Woodstock, VT
