The Vermont Summer Festival 2019 horse shows start July 2 in East Dorset.
Food Truck Roundup
Retreat Farm, Brattleboro
Route 30 at 45 Farmhouse Square, Brattleboro
802 490-2270
July 4–Sept 5: Thursdays from 5 to 8p. Live music, craft brews, and more than a dozen local food trucks make this weekly event a summer staple for visitors from near and far. See story this issue.
Grafton Food & Spirits Festival
Grafton
http://www.graftonfoodfestival.com
July 13, noon to 5p: Dozens of Vermont vendors celebrate “taste of place.” Booths range from local farm-fresh produce and meats to local jams, syrups, and spirits. From kids’ cooking competition to workshops and guest chef demonstrations, the event is jam-packed with activities.
12th Annual Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival
21 West Main St., Wilmington
http://www.vermontblueberry.com
802 464-8092
July 26—Aug 4: Blueberry Parade, Blueberry Splash, block party, and so much more.
Strolling of the Heifers
Brattleboro
http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com
June 8: Strolling of the Heifers Parade, 10a. Come down to Brattleboro’s historic Main Street and dance to the MOOOsic! Kick off at 10a with scores of lovable heifer calves: groomed, decorated, and led by future farmers. The heifers are followed by farm animals, bands, tractors, floats, clowns, and surprises.
11th Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival
Coach Barn of Shelburne Farms
Shelburne
212 576-2700
Aug 11, 10a to 4p: Vermont is the premium artisanal cheese state with the highest number of cheesemakers per capita: more than 40 of them! Experience passion for making fine cheeses, taste local and fresh foods and wines and meet the artisans who make them. Enjoy cheese, wine, beer, cider, spirits, foods, tastings, demos, and workshops.
Garlic and Herb Festival
Camelot Village
66 Colgate Heights, Bennington
802-447-3311
Aug 31-Sept 1: Beer, music, food.
58th Annual Art in the Park Fine Art & Craft Festivals
The Chaffee Art Center
Festival location: Main Street Park, Junction of Routes 4 & 7
Rutland
http://www.Chaffeeartcenter.org
Aug 10 & 11: Summer Festival Art! Jewelry, fiber, glass, fine art, clay, wood, photography, other; food, music, kids’ activities. Opens at 10a. Oct 12 & 13: Fall Foliage Art in the Park Festival. Opens at 10a.
Bennington Arts Weekend
http://www.betterbennington.com
Aug 4–6: Arts events all over the greater Bennington area with something for everyone. Start with the Southern Vermont Arts and Crafts Festival at Camelot Village for food, beer, wine, and entertainment; then enjoy the Front Porch Music Series, a plein air-style competition on Main Street and live entertainment. Throughout the weekend, visit the Bennington Museum and the Bennington Center for the Arts for more. Finish with Sunday Morning Jazz at the South Street Café.
Brattleboro-West Arts (BWA)
http://www.brattleboro-west-arts.com
Thru May: Works by BWA artists Lesley Heathcote, Walter Slowinski, and Gene Parulis at Horizon Dental, 1212 Putney Road, Brattleboro. Thru Aug: New Passage, Brooks House Atrium Hallway Gallery, 130 Main St., Brattleboro, spotlighting work of three BWA artists: Kay Curtis, Jen Wiechers, Slowinski. Ongoing: works of BWA artists at New England House restaurant, 254 Marlboro Road, West Brattleboro.
“Still Life With Swimmers,” acrylic on panel, 32”x 25”. By Roger Sandes, one of the artists on the Rock River Artists Tour.
Rock River Artists’ Open Studio Tour
Map and representative group show at So. Newfane Schoolhouse, Dover Road, So. Newfane
Tour 17 area studios
July 20 and 21, 10a to 6p
http://www.rockriverartists.com
Free
Rock River Artists’ Open Studio Tour blooms every July, boasting even more depth and range in fine art and craft. In this, its 27th year, three new artists have juried in and three more have returned after years away. The tour, which laces through three of Southeastern Vermont’s sweetest villages, boasts painting in various media, inlaid jewelry, collage, photography, ceramics, pottery, raku, fine woodworking, thread on fabric, metalsmithing, functional ceramics, and more. It’s all yours from rustic studios down county roads and high up in the hills with stunning views amid lush gardens and landscaping, tucked away in the woods along the river’s edge. Start your day at the South Newfane Schoolhouse to catch a representative group show and to grab a map. Top Saturday with the annual barbecue at Williamsville Hall; on Sunday afternoon savor Johanna Gardner’s scrumptious crêpes.
21st Annual North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show (NBOSS)
Bennington
http://www.betterbennington.com
Opening June 29, 4 to 8p: sculpture by more than 40 national and local artists on view at the sculpture park in North Bennington, at the North Bennington Train Depot, and at other locations on Main Street.
Vermont Open Studio Weekend
Statewide
May 26 & 27: Annual statewide celebration of the visual arts when Vermont artists and craftspeople invite the public to visit their studios. Wherever their location, they are exciting places to visit because they reflect the dynamic yet organized process that is used to produce the finished work or art. More than 226 sites will be open during this event, with more than 300 artists and artisans participating. See the website for the full list.
Vermont Summer Festival
Harold Beebe Farm
East Dorset
http://www.vt-summerfestival.com
July 2–Aug 11: Harold Beebe Farm, East Dorset. The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition and the richest sporting event based on purse in the state with more than $750,000 in prize money. The event is a proud member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL). Outside the show ring, exhibitors are immersed in the charm of Vermont’s shopping, dining, and outdoor activities. Spectators and competitors enjoy the entertainment, recreation, shopping, and dining options of Southern Vermont.
Slow Living Summit
Brattleboro
http://www.slowlivingsummit.org
802 258-7070
June 6 & 7, 8:30a to 5p: The Slow Living Summit and Windham Grows present the Future of Women in Food Entrepreneurship conference. Join an active community of like-minded individuals to share expertise and resources, and to explore ways to expand women’s roles in the local, regional, and national food systems.
