Summer in Vermont 2018
Vermont has made it through the long Winter and now summer is here and full of fun and exciting events!
Near the bottom of the post are some ideas of places to visit and restaurants nearby!Some little known fun events are held at the Fable Farm in Barnard, VT. The music programming at Feast and Field grew out of Fable Farm’s early days when artists would play for the pass-of-a-hat under the maple trees. Today, a full music series is produced by BarnArts Center for the Arts at Feast and Field. The Thursday Night Music Series as one of their events along with other Music on the Farm ticketed events. The music is still primarily supported by a “passing of the sap bucket” each Thursday, and by donations from Music on the Farm sponsors. For more info on each music event check the calendar dates below or go to www.BarnArts.org Feast and Field is located at 1544 Royalton Turnpike, Barnard, VT. Music runs from 5:30- 8 pm, or whenever the band quits! Market Hours are 4:30-7:30. New this year and planned to open July 13 is Suicide Six’s Elemental Bike Park. Once open it will be open Friday-Sun. during the summer and all week long in the Fall.
Wagon Ride Wednesdays – at Billings Farm & Museum -every Wednesday – July 11- August 29, 11- 3 pm
32nd Annual Quilt Exhibition at Billings Farm & Museum – July 28 – Sept. 16, 10 – 5pm
Aug. 16 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Patti Casey & the Wicked Fine Players, folk
Aug. 17 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Outdoor Concert – Sabouyouma Afro-Funk – free – bring picnic, chair, blanket, wine/beer on sale, Woodstock History Center Back Lawn, 5:30pm
Aug. 23 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Break Maids, folk/rock
Aug. 24 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Outdoor Concert – Amythst Kiah – free – bring picnic, chair, blanket, wine/beer on sale, Woodstock History Center Back Lawn, 5:30pm
Aug. 26 – Woodstock, VT – Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival – North Universalist Chapel, 4pm
Aug. 30 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Night Tree, new acoustic
Aug. 31 – Woodstock, VT – Brown Bag Outdoor Concert – The Dupont Brothers- free – bring picnic, chair, blanket, wine/beer on sale, Woodstock History Center Back Lawn, 5:30pm
Aug. 31 – Sept. 2 – South Woodstock, VT and area towns – 3 day 100 mile horse ride – watch out for horses on the roads, starts and ends at Green Mountain Horse Assn.
Aug. 31 – Pomfret, VT – Heavy Blues-Grass – noon, Suicide Six
Sept. 6 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Oliver The Crow, folk
Sept. 9 – Woodstock, VT – Leslie Stroud & Matthew Odell -“Old World,NewWorld:Timless Sonatas”-N. Universalist Chapel, 4pm
Sept. 13 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – The Party Crashers, dance/rock
Sept. 20 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Chaque Fois, Cajun
Sept. 21-22 – Woodstock, VT – Pentangle Light Garden on the Green
Sept. 27 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Jeremiah McLane Owen Marshall & Corey DiMaurio, celtic
Oct. 4 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Lula Wiles, folk/roots
Oct. 11 – Barnard, VT – Fable Farm – Barn Arts Music Series – Kafari & Jake Hoffman, Old-time Country and blues
SUMMER CAMPS – check these out!
1. Vermont Institute of Natural Science http://vinsweb.org/…/…/02/vins-nature-camp-schedule-2018.pdf
2. Billings Farm
https://billingsfarm.org/billings-farm-museum-summer-camps…/
3. GMHA https://www.gmhainc.org/event_d…/junior-horsemanship-clinic/
4. Artistree https://artistreevt.org/summer-camps.html
5. Montshire Museum of Science https://www.montshire.org/programs/summer-camp
6. Farm & Wilderness camps https://farmandwilderness.org
7. Soccer Camps https://www.hartlandrecreation.com/…/…/program_details.aspx…
8. Theatre Camp at Northern Stage https://northernstage.org/…/calling-6-12-year-olds-for-jun…/
9. Athletics https://www.woodstockinn.com/resort/event-calendar/kids-camp
10. Rec Center – games & hikes http://www.woodstockrec.com/…/activit…/program_details.aspx…
11. Splash Camp https://uvacswim.org/swimming/splash-camp/
12. Dance and Performing Arts https://pentanglearts.org/class/
13. Art https://avagallery.org/summer-art-camps/
14. Lots of options at these camps http://www.ultracamp.com/info/upcomingsessions.aspx…
Biking and Hiking – New last year is the Ascutney Outdoors organization. They have worked to make Ascutney Mountain in Brownsville, VT a place for all to enjoy various activities.In addition to all the Winter activities held there the trails are great for biking and hiking. There is no charge to use the trails. Check out their website for events planned and future improvements. www.ascutneyoutdoors.org/new-events/
Below are places of interest – dining – touristy – entertainment:
Some fairly new restaurants in the area! Check them out but remember in the Winter and Spring call to check days and hours of opening since they vary as they try to fit in some time off:
New in downtown Woodstock are these restaurants:
Mangalitsa restaurant (for dinner) and Soulfully Good Cafe (for breakfast and lunch).
The Hartland Diner in Jessup’s Plaza at Hartland 3 Corners – open 7 days a week for lunch and breakfast (served all day!).
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 popular 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 on Rt. 4 is the 506 Bistro in the fancy On the River Inn. In Quechee, The Public House, near the putt-putt golf, offering food and craft beers and they have also just opened the Public House Diner in Quechee. A new restaurant in White River Junction is Piecemeal Pies serving English savory pies.
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” called Chef Brad’s Crazy Side. The food truck has relocated from Hartland to Rt. 4 near the Fat Hat on the way to Quechee. They now have an actual building which is open after October when they close up the food truck. It will reopen inside Nov. 1 for lunch 11:30-2:30. Brad is a fantastic chef, thus the big following. You can follow the restaurant specials on his Facebook site. People rave over his fish 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.
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 as well as an adjacent hiking area called Path of Life Garden 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 in nearby Brownsville, along with their Maple Kitchen restaurant which features Prime Rib on Thursday nights.
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 at the cabin! Large selection of beer,wine, and coffee. It’s also the closest place to get diesel and wi-fi.
Montshire Museum in Norwich, VT gets top marks for it’s displays for young and old including the outside grounds www.montshire.org
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.
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. 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
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, VT2016
