Legendarily vintage and couture: Augusta Auctions makes it in Bellows Falls
By Arlene Distler An old farmstead in Bellows Falls may seem an unlikely location for an international auction business, but Augusta Auctions thrives there, situated on bucolic property behind busy Route 5. Augusta Auctions, an intensely curated sell-point for fine vintage clothing and accessories, had inauspicious beginnings but has grown into a world-class enterprise, sending prized and nearly priceless vintage clothing around the...
Sacred Storytelling: Creative placemaking in Putney
By Elayne Clift There was music ranging from contemporary bluegrass to folk, and a reunion of The Green Mountain Boys Band. There were Native American storytellers and Putney natives sharing oral histories. There was food, film, and dancing. There was also laughter and there were tears, along with lots of smiles and handclapping. It was a festival and a happening, and it all took place in the Vermont village of Putney over 10 days in...
The Classic Cake Returns: Your Southern Vermont wedding
It’s no wonder SoVT has become one of the most popular wedding destinations. “Brides” magazine reports that with two royal weddings under its belt, 2018 felt like the year of weddings. With so much hype, there have never been more options and ideas for planning your own. Looking into to 2019, SoVT, as one of the most popular wedding destinations, is ready to bring on the romance. Whether you prefer cozy country inns, rustic barns and...
Bookmarks: New books with Vermont angles
World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team Peggy Shinn, ForeEdge (2018), 248 pp. How did U.S. cross-country skiers Jessie Diggins, who trains each summer in Stratton, and Kikkan Randall grab gold in the 2018 Winter Olympics team sprint? Peggy Shinn, a Vermonter who writes for the U.S. Olympic Committee website TeamUSA.org, answers the question in her book “World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s...
Music, Theater and More
Brattleboro Music Center 38 Walnut St., Brattleboro http://www.bmcvt.org 802 257-4523 Feb 21: Chamber Series: Escher Quartet, 7:30p. March 1: Chamber Series: Musicians from Marlboro, 7:30p. March 15, 7:30p and March 17, 2:30p: Blanche Moyse Chorale in German Romantic Chamber Choral Music including Brahms’ Op. 17 Four Songs for Women’s Chorus with two horns and harp. Latchis Theatre 50 Main St., Brattleboro http://www.latchisarts.org...
In the Museums
Laumeister Art Center 44 Gypsy Lane, Bennington 10a to 5p daily http://www.thebennington.org 802 442-7158 Seven galleries. Permanent exhibits include two large galleries of Native American art and an artifact room, original paintings by Eric Sloane, and more than 20 wooden bird carvings by master carver Floyd Scholz. Thru Feb 24: A Century of Caring. Artifacts, stories, and images from 100-year history of Southwestern Vermont Medical...
At the Galleries
4th Annual River Gallery School of Art ‘Off The Wall’ Saturday, March 30, 5-8p 118 Elliot St., Brattleboro 802 257-1577 Tickets: http://www.rivergalleryschool.org/index.php/events The River Gallery School of Art’s “Off The Wall” lottery features more than 100 paintings donated by RGS staff, students, friends, and such illustrious artists as Mallory Lake, Paul Bowen, and William Hays—and many other area artists. Images and details of...
Special Events
Harris Hill Ski Jump Feb. 16-17 Cedar Street, Brattleboro 802 254-4565 Tickets: http://www.harrishillskijump.com It’s not easy to prepare a hill like this: It’s perfect.” So opined Austrian ski jumping coach Florian Gugg to the Brattleboro Reformer at last year’s renowned Harris Hill Ski Jump event in Brattleboro. Once again some of the world’s top rising ski jumpers are primed to soar at New England’s only Olympic-size venue, Feb....
Maple Festivals
Whitingham Maple Festival Various locations in Whitingham March 23–24: Whitingham Maple Festival celebrates an important aspect of Whitingham’s economic and cultural heritage. Many Whitingham sugar makers open the doors to their sugar houses to offer a better understanding and appreciation for the art and science of maple syrup and sugar making and the historical importance of sugaring in this town. Craft fair and other activities....
Tourism Talk: Tourism Gets the Job Done
Gov. Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing recently released Vermont’s 2017 Tourism Benchmark Study. The biennial publication illustrates the positive impact tourism has on the Vermont economy through spending, jobs, and revenue to local and state governments. In 2017, 13 million people visited Vermont, bringing $2.8 billion into the state. After manufacturing, tourism represents the largest contribution of...
Off the beaten places
’Fly’ Through the Woods With the Greatest of Ease Who can’t imagine dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh! Taylor Farm, a 180-year-old working dairy farm in Londonderry, sells delicious cheese and gives sleigh rides, too. It’s a great place to invite friends and kids to enjoy a 45-minute ride through scenic SoVT in a large wooden sleigh. The farm offers rides all winter, Fridays–Sundays, 11a to 4p, for up to 10 including...
Upfront notables
North Bennington Nursing Home Revised to Writing Center Thanks to New York City resident and writer Robert V. Hansmann, known as V. Hansmann, an early 20th century building in North Bennington will become a non-profit writer’s center. The building, a former private nursing home, will need extensive renovation to turn it into a space as a writer’s residency with a dozen or so bedrooms for writers and faculty. As he lives in New York...
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