VisitVT

12/08/2021

Get in the holiday spirit at Billings Farm & Museum this weekend as the town of Woodstock celebrates its annual tradition of Wassail Weekend.

December 10th-12th, visitors can enjoy warm Wassail Punch, cider donuts, a gingerbread recreation of the historic 1890 Farm Manager’s House, horse-drawn sleigh or wagon rides, and holiday stories. Warm up by an outdoor fire, take photos in front of Christmas trees in the decorated holiday barn, and learn about Wassail traditions.

Learn more here: https://billingsfarm.org/events/wassail-weekend-2021/all/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

12/06/2021

Astronomy Day at Montshire Museum of Science is this Saturday, December 11th!

Enjoy a full day of activities for learners of all ages, covering topics from stars to planets, comets to meteorites. Join museum staff and guest astronomers to explore outer space during the darkest month of the year.

Learn more and register here: https://www.montshire.org/calendar/event-detail/astronomy-day

Astronomy Day is this Saturday! Let's do some to celebrate!

Benjamin Banneker was a free Black American mathematician, author, surveyor, landowner, and farmer heralded as the first Black astronomer in the United States.

Using his knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, he wrote one of the first series of almanacs accurately predicting the positions of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. In his late teens, he built a wooden pocket watch that kept precise time for over 40 years until it was destroyed in a fire.

In 1788, he accurately predicted a solar eclipse that occurred in 1789. Working alongside Major Andrew Ellicott, he completed the survey setting the original borders of the District of Columbia in 1791.

Born a freeman on November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland, Banneker was raised on a farm he would eventually inherit from his father. Largely self-educated, he read voraciously about astronomy, mathematics, and history from borrowed books. Any formal education he might have received is believed to have come in a Quaker school near his home.

Though never enslaved himself, Banneker was vocal in his support of abolition. In 1791, he began corresponding with Thomas Jefferson appealing for Jefferson’s assistance in ending the practice of enslavement and securing racial equality for Black Americans. “The time, it is hoped is not very remote, when those ill-fated people, dwelling in this land of freedom, shall commence a participation with the white inhabitants, in the blessings of liberty; and experience the kindly protection of government, for the essential rights of human nature,” he wrote.

Text: by Robert Longley of ThoughtCo from Dotdash Meredith

11/29/2021

Register by Wednesday, December 1 for the next installment of Billings Backyard Series - Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen! This live Zoom workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 4,10-11:30am and will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A with Chef Emery. Learn to make homemade, delicious gifts including an appetizer, dessert, and an after dinner dessert.

Learn more and register here: https://billingsfarm.org/product/billings-backyard-holiday-gifts-from-the-kitchen/

Make something special this year – delicious, homemade gifts for family and friends to complement their holiday table from start to finish!

Next Saturday, Dec. 4, follow along on Zoom in your home kitchen with Billings Farm & Museum’s Chef Emery as she makes:
~ Savory Cheddar Crackers
~ Cherry Wink Cookies, and
~ Butter Mints

In addition to step-by-step preparation of the recipes, Chef Emery will provide tips on presenting and shipping your homemade gifts to faraway friends and family. Register by December 1 to receive advance instructions, recipes and preparation details. billingsfarm.org

11/24/2021

Curious about how Thanksgiving was celebrated in the 1890s? Celebrate Thanksgiving Weekend at Billings Farm & Museum this Friday through Sunday, November 26 – 28.

The special weekend will feature the traditional farmhouse Thanksgiving table setting, holiday programs and activities. Enjoy a wagon ride around the farm and cozy up by the fire pit with hot cider and cider donuts. Share stories about your own family traditions on our “Sharing Wall.”

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/thanksgiving-weekend-3/all/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

11/23/2021

Shelburne Museum invites visitors to see the Museum’s buildings and campus aglow in beautiful holiday lights during the inaugural holiday event, Winter Lights. The Museum will decorate 12 of its buildings and gardens in multicolored light arrangements for the event.

Winter Lights starts on November 26 and runs Thursday through Saturday, ending on January 1 with special dates during the holiday week.

Learn more: https://shelburnemuseum.org/visit/winter-lights/



📷: Shelburne Museum

11/15/2021

Shelburne Museum's Holiday Auction Extravaganza is now live! This fundraising virtual auction supports Shelburne Museum’s multifaceted mission and runs through Sunday, November 21 at 6pm.

Auction items range from favorites from the Museum Store, one-of-a-kind experiences on the Museum grounds, and a variety of items from local Vermont businesses.

Learn more here: https://shelburnemuseum.org/join-support/holiday-auction-extravaganza/

Shelburne Museum’s holiday fundraising virtual auction is back! Auction items range from favorites from the Museum Store, one-of-a-kind experiences on the Museum grounds, and a variety of items from local Vermont businesses.

11/05/2021

Be sure to vote for Trapp Family Lodge has been nominated in the USA TODAY 10Best's Choice Awards as a contender for Best Ski Hotel!

Vote once a day between now and when voting ends on November 22, vote here: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-ski-hotel-2021/trapp-family-lodge-stowe-vermont/

10/21/2021

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is partnering with the St. Michael's Chemistry Department this weekend for a National Chemistry Weekend Celebration!

Enjoy hands-on chemistry activities including the chemistry magic show. Learn how chemistry powers our world and makes things move.

Save the date! ECHO's National Chemistry Weekend Celebration kicks off in 10 days. On Saturday & Sunday, October 23 & 24, ECHO is partnering with the Saint Michael's College Chemistry Department to bring hands-on chemistry activities, including the chemistry magic show. Learn how chemistry powers our world and makes things move. 👩‍🔬🧪

Skip the line and purchase tickets in advance at https://echovermont.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/general-admission-tickets

10/18/2021

Trick or treat at Billings Farm & Museum! Children are invited to march in a costume parade and enter to win the costume contest. Trick or treat at stations around Billings Farm. Listen to spooky Halloween stories, visit the spooky Sunflower House and make a spooky spider web necklace.

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/a-family-halloween-3/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

10/14/2021

This Sunday is Sensory-Friendly Sunday at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. Everyone with sensory processing differences, autism spectrum disorder, or developmental disabilities are invited to experience a sensory-friendly ECHO for free!

From 9-10 am, ECHO will be closed to the general public, and lighting and sounds will be adjusted, allowing visitors to enjoy the museum in a calm environment.

Learn more: https://www.echovermont.org/event/sensory-friendly-sunday-at-echo-6/



📷: ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

10/08/2021

Lonely Planet rounds up some of Vermont’s best beaches that make for stunning fall foliage views and even better pictures 🍁

Despite being a land-locked state, Vermont has a surprising number of beautiful sandy beaches at its over 800 lakes.

10/06/2021

Billings Farm & Museum’s Harvest Celebration is this Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10, 10am–5pm!

The celebration features traditional harvest activities, homemade foods, and a barn dance set in the colorful backdrop of greens, reds, and gold hills. Enjoy activities and demonstrations for all ages and food from the Woodstock Inn & Resort and The Dairy Bar.

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/harvest-celebration-2021/2021-10-09/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

10/05/2021

Check out this feature in Yankee Magazine, highlighting some of the best leaf-peeping spots statewide! 🍁

From the best time for peak color to the perfect foliage towns and road trips, our Vermont fall foliage guide will help you plan a great Green Mountain State escape.

10/04/2021

Vermont's Maple 100 offers the chance to discover new ways to enjoy Vermont's sweetest export, now through October 15th!

Learn more: https://vermontvacation.com/maple100

Vermont maple syrup on pancakes or waffles is a classic – but there are lots more ways to enjoy maple syrup and the beauty of the trees that produce it. This year’s Maple 100 includes family-friendly events, delicious recipes and new ways to enjoy maple.

10/01/2021

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain 's From Here to There Traveling Exhibit opens tomorrow, Saturday, October 2. Lift, launch, and levitate as you experiment with hands-on exhibits that make learning about gravity, friction, and the laws of motion fun!

Learn more: https://www.echovermont.org/event/from-here-to-there-traveling-exhibit/all/



📷: ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

09/28/2021

Dig into science and history! Archaeology Day at Montshire Museum of Science combines both science and history through a day of fun-filled activities. Enjoy a variety of activities that will help you discover your inner archaeologist.

Dig into science and history on a day all about archaeology!

09/22/2021

Looking for new ways to feel fall in Vermont? Here are a few of our favorites 🍎🍂

https://bit.ly/3kjfCPL

Feel Fall in Vermont By Vermont Chamber Vice President of Tourism Amy Spear Have you ever picked crisp apples fresh from an orchard, been surrounded by bright red and orange mountains, or hiked through a towering corn maze? In Vermont, you can do all that and more on an ordinary fall day. This year,...

09/21/2021

Capture the beauty of Vermont fall on a ride around the farm fields at Billings Farm & Museum's Wagon Ride Weekend this weekend, September 25 & 26, 10am–5pm!

Offering three wagon rides, each with a different route, and hands-on activities and demonstrations for all ages.

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/wagon-ride-weekend-2/all/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

09/15/2021

The Voices from the Land Photography Exhibition opens at Billings Farm & Museum this Saturday, September 18th and will run through October 20th.

The Voices from the Land will tell the story of Americans who have forged, and continue to forge, a life from the land. There will be 22 large-format photographs created with Jim’s vintage 4x5 view camera that he’s adapted for digital capture. The featured images will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Billings Farm & Museum.

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/voices-from-the-land-a-photography-exhibition-by-jim-westphalen/all/

The Clearing Storm, Orwell, VT, by photographer Jim Westphalen.

Voices from the Land, an exhibition featuring 22 of Westphalen's stunning large-format photographs, will explore what Vermont's rural structures and landscapes can tell us. Hosted by Billings Farm & Museum, the exhibition will be on display from September 18-October 20.

Billings Farm & Museum is open daily, 10AM-5PM. For the continued safety of our staff and guests, all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a face covering in all indoor spaces.

09/13/2021

Join the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) to celebrate OWLS this weekend! The annual Owl Festival is this Saturday, September 18, 9am to 5pm. Experience a day filled with adventure as you encounter live owls from around the world.

Learn more: https://vinsweb.org/event/owl-festival-921/



📷: Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)

09/08/2021

Celebrate local makers and the handmade at Billings Farm & Museum's Traditional Crafts Day! Visitors can learn how crafts are made, view demonstrations, and meet local artisans.

Skilled demonstrations include:
- Wheel-thrown Pottery
- Leather Working
- Sheep Shear Silhouette Cuttings
- Fiber Art Crafts

Learn more: https://billingsfarm.org/events/traditional-crafts-day-2/



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

08/30/2021

The infamous Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival will celebrate its 41st anniversary this Labor Day weekend!

Come check out the balloons, craft vendors, food vendors, and more, September 3-5.

Learn more: https://www.quecheeballoonfestival.com/



📷: Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce - Home of the Quechee Balloon Festival

08/27/2021

We are just over a week away from Garlic Town, USA, where Bennington transforms into a celebration of all things garlic and agriculture! Over 100 vendors, garlic demonstrations, sidewalk sales, live music, food trucks, kids activities, and more 🧄

Buy tickets and learn more here: https://www.bennington.com/garlictown



📷: Chamber of Southwestern Vermont and Lorianna Weathers Photography

08/23/2021

Billings Farm & Museum's Pollination Celebration is this weekend - August 28th & 29th from 10am-5pm.

Meet local beekeepers, explore the Sunflower House, sample herbal tea or corn and tomato salad, enjoy a Pollinator Sundae, and more!



📷: Billings Farm & Museum

08/17/2021

Fall is just around the corner and Vermont's stunning foliage season is fast approaching!

Every year the color and timing is a little different depending on the weather, so sign up for the Fall Foliage Report to get weekly updates on where to find the best color in the state, along with trip inspiration and fall vacation ideas.

Sign up here: https://vermontvacation.com/seasons/fall

Vermont's world-famous foliage is at the top of many "bucket lists.” It’s the perfect time to explore back roads on a bike, paddle a quiet lake, take in a road race or hike a mountain. With so much to do, the best advice we can give is this: plan early!

08/06/2021

Run, Elle, Run! We are rooting for Elle Purrier St. Pierre this morning and love to see the support of our home-town Olympian.

08/05/2021

Vermont arts organizations are teaming up to present Stages in the Sun, a series of summer outdoor performances jam-packed with events, from outdoor concerts and theater to storytelling and poetry readings.

Learn more here: https://vermontvacation.com/stages-in-the-sun

The excitement and inspiration of art brings people together. As we find each other again, Vermont organizations are teaming up to present Stages in the Sun, a summer calendar packed with safe, outdoor arts showcases in Vermont. From free concerts in a park to poetry readings in the woods, from jugg...

08/04/2021

Vermont Open Farm Week is August 8-15. Visit farms and meet the farmers, plants, and animals that bring favorite high-quality Vermont products to your plate.

Check out this year's offerings from DigInVT: https://vermontvacation.com/open-farm-week-2021



📷: Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center