Vermont Travel
A September Weekend in Vermont: A View, A Hike & A Wolf
By Heather Barrett
We love wildlife here at Vermont Woods Studios. Forest conservation
is, afterall, a large part of our mission. So, if you're anything like us, we have an
exciting event for you to attend this weekend. Saturday, September 15, is the third annual
Vermont Wildlife Festival. This day-long event, put together by the Southern
Vermont Natural History Museum, is designed to "showcase the many ways
that we enjoy the outdoors in Vermont."
The day (10am-4pm) is packed full of events by over twenty different organizations. During the Vermont Wildlife Festival you will see live animals (including
raptors and a wolf), have the opportunity to go on a guided hike, a scavenger
hunt, interactive demonstrations, wilderness survival information, and much more. Not quite sold yet? What
if I told you that this event is FREE?
Still not 100% sold? Have I mentioned that this event will
be taking place right near the Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook? It is a
panoramic 100-mile breath-taking view. It is a must-see, and a perfect photo opportunity,
for both Vermonters and tourists alike.
For more information about this event, I encourage you to
visit the Vermont Wildlife Festival website. You will find directions and a
full list of the events.
Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.
Vermont Events for Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day is one of our beloved long weekends, and has
almost become synonymous with fairs in American culture. Vermont
has a few great fairs and festivals scattered through out the state to help you
celebrate this weekend.
Northern Vermont:
The Champlain Valley Fair, located in Essex Junction (about
15 minutes outside of Burlington)
began on Saturday, August 25th, and will continue through Monday, September
3rd. This fair is packed with concerts,
rides, animals, and of course, fair food!
Central Vermont:
The Vermont State Fair is located in Rutland,
Vermont.
The 167 year old family tradition will run from Friday, August 31st to
Sunday, September 9th. There will be
demolition derbies, concerts, tractor pulls, a carnival, food vendors (ever
tried fried dough with maple syrup?), and much, much more!
Southern Vermont:
The 17th Annual Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival is
located in Bennington, Vermont.
This outdoor festival will be open on
Saturday, September 1st, and Sunday September 2nd, from 10am-5pm. Join
fellow garlic lovers in visiting over 100 different vendors, joining workshops,
and listening to live music. Kids will
be happy to tag along when they learn about the hay maze, face painting,
inflatable fun jumps, and the bean bag toss!
Another Southern Vermont event
happening Labor Day weekend (September 1st and 2nd) is the 18th annual Mount
Snow Brewers Festival. Mount
Snow is located in West
Dover. With 35 breweries,
there will be over 80 beers and ciders for sample and sale. In addition to the beverages, there will be a
large music tent and food vendors. Scenic chairlift rides will be available,
allowing people the unique experience of seeing the Mount
Snow view during the summertime.
This Labor Day weekend, there is an event for everybody in Vermont. What are your weekend plans? Tell us on our
Facebook page.
Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods Studios, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont’s finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.
Brattleboro, VT: Shopping On A Lark
I stopped into the Blue Moose Cafe on High Street in Brattleboro the other day to grab a panini and use their free WiFi. On my way in I realized they have a new boutique in the store.
It's Lark's Fine Women's Accessories and it's beautiful! Like many places in Brattleboro, Lark's is small and intimate with a warm, inviting personality. The owner, Lark Eustace was tending shop and we chatted for awhile about her unique selection of clothing and accessories.
Before you head off to the mall for Back to School shopping, stop by and see Lark! Her store is elegant, but surprisingly affordable.
Some of the lines Lark is carrying include: Pine Cone Hill (bathrobes and pajamas), Charlie Leather (cross body bags, custom designed in many colors), Hemptress (eco-conscious hemp handbags that won the 2010 Independent Handbag Designer Awards), Brattleboro resident Kori Leary (velvet scarves), local artisan Donna Wilson (hand knit hats made with wool and finished with added mohair from her Vermont farm’s sheep and lambs) and Brattleboro resident Allen McCarty (Dichroic jewelry). You won't believe the variety of little luxuries that are tucked into this trendy boutique.
Lark's an Interior Designer and Fashion Merchandiser trained in Phoenix, AZ, but she grew up in Vermont. Maybe that's why her sophisticated, high end boutique has managed to fit perfectly into Brattleboro's funky scene.
Peggy Farabaugh owns Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture. She travels around the Green Mountain State collaborating with other small business owners and feeling very lucky to live and work in a place where creativity is flourishing.
King Arthur Flour’s Flagship Store in Norwich VT
I've been researching Vermont's flagship stores as we get closer to the possibility of opening up one of our own at Vermont Woods Studios.
A few weeks ago Kendall and I drove up to see the brand new King Arthur Flour campus in Norwich, Vermont, just north of (White River Junction). It's a gorgeous facility with hundreds of baking ingredients, gadgets & classes, a cafe & deli and a baking education center where you can attend classes to become the best baker in your network.
But the best part of the new store is the wonderful smell of fresh baked bread that greets you when you enter.
If you love baking and you're traveling through central Vermont, I should think King Arthur would be a must-see. Try to visit on a nice day and you'll be able to enjoy lunch with freshly baked croissants (and cakes, breads, chiffons, mousse…) in a splendid courtyard in the middle of the campus.
Enjoy!
Vermont Welcome Centers: Art Galleries and More
If you've traveled through Vermont, you've no doubt noticed that the Green Mountain State has no billboards. None. Not a single one. They're illegal here. It's true.
So the way many Vermont businesses reach out to visitors and customers is through our Information and Welcome Centers. These respites are strategically located along our most traveled roads, particularly routes I-89 and I-91. I'll post some photos of their unique Vermont architecture another day but today I wanted to show you something on the inside: Art Galleries!
I took this picture at the I-91 Welcome Center just north of the Massachusetts line in Guilford, VT. It's part of a collection of paintings by Caryn King of Newfane, VT. You can't help but smile at Caryn's paintings of farm animals– so much personality shines through. She also does breath-taking floral paintings and commissions of your favorite pets. Her blog, A Chicken Painting Every Day is a cheerful way to start the day!
Vermont's information and welcome centers also offer tons of information and brochures on local, regional and state-wide events, activities, hotels, inns, restaurants, ski areas, outdoor recreation, shopping, sight-seeing and much more. Stop by and have a look!
What do you think about replacing billboards with Welcome Centers? Let us know below or on our Facebook.
Peggy Farabaugh owns Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture. She travels around the Green Mountain State collaborating with woodworkers and feeling very lucky to live and work in a place where nature and creativity are flourishing.
Vermont Made Beer: A Visit to the Harpoon Brewery
Kendall and I were traveling through Windsor VT last week, coming home from Plattsburgh and decided to stop in and see what all the fuss was about at the Harpoon Brewery. Dennis (our resident Vermont Woods Studios local craft beer expert) had mentioned it a few times — plus it was hot and sunny and we were thirsty!
What a great place: Harpoon's outdoor beer garden is a new addition to their brewery that sits on the banks of the Connecticut River in Windsor VT. It's one of Vermont's 21 craft breweries, including Long Trail, Magic Hat Otter Creek Switchback and Trout River and well worth a stop if you're traveling anywhere near the White River Junction area.
At the beer garden you can relax with one of the dozen or so varieties of locally made beer. The menu includes your favorite pub fare such as paninis, salads, burgers and wings.
Want to learn more about Vermont craft beers? Wikipedia has a nice write-up but a better way might be to experience the beers at one of our many craft beer festivals. Two are on tap in September (Mount Snow Brewers Festival and SIPtemberfest in Fayston VT) and one in October (Killington Brewfest). We'll hope to see you there!
Vermont Farm Stands: Corn Season’s Here Early
It's been such a hot, dry summer in Vermont this year. I know (from following fellow Vermonter, Bill McKibbon's work at 350.org) there is much to fear with global warming. Bu I can't complain about getting the world's best sweet corn a month early this year.
Stop by this quaint farmstand on Vermont Route 142, at the Massachusetts border if you're looking to grace your dinner table with a fresh, local delicacy. You won't be disappointed.
Update On Our Search For A New Home: Stonehurst
It's been well over a year now since we began our search for a new home for Vermont Woods Studios Fine Furniture. Our amazing realtor, Suzanne King of Masiello Realty in Brattleboro VT has been incredibly patient and helpful. She's showed us dozens of possible properties and lived through the whole disappointing saga of Skyline, a property we fell in love with last year which did not work out for us.
Now we're working on acquiring Stonehurst, a beautiful old farmhouse property located right here in Vernon VT (that's just part of the backyard shown on the left. Here's a photo of the main house). It's on 109 acres of forested land with scenic views all the way down to the Connecticut River. It used to be a ski area, Pine Top.
Our plan is to do a green renovation of the property and transform it into a luxury, destination shopping experience for customers seeking Vermont's handcrafted, sustainable furniture. What do you think? Is this the kind of place you'd be interested in if you were shopping for fine wood furniture? Let me know in the comments section below or on our Facebook.
Vermont Furniture To Be Featured on WCAX-TV Tonight
Watch us on Vermont's premiere (and only?) TV station, WCAX tonight. We'll be on the 5:30 or 6pm news and perhaps again at 11pm.
I was traveling around to meet with various furniture makers throughout the state today and I stopped at the I-89 Williston Welcome Center to catch up on emails and make a few phone calls. Gina Bullard was there. She's the reporter who does the Made in Vermont series on WCAX.
Gina was interviewing people in reference to the near loss of FREE WiFi access at the welcome centers due to state budget cuts. She saw me working on my laptop and interviewed me about the importance of free WiFi for small Vermont businesses (VERY important!).
Gina was also interviewing Al Levy of Route 802, a WiFi company that generously stepped in to donate WiFi to the Welcome Centers so we can continue to use it for free.
Check out Route 802's mobile apps for Vermont travelers where you'll find all the latest in Vermont events, restaurants, coupons and other travel and tourism tips and advice.
Watch the WCAX-TV clip here.
Discover Vermont’s Local Artists at the Art and Craft Festival in Shelburne
By Heather Barrett
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about "Five Fantastic Vermont Events In July." The Shelburne Museum Art and Craft Festival was included, and is wrapping up my list of July events. The Art and Craft Festival is this weekend, July 27-29, and after a 6 year hiatus, the festival is returning to the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. This 14th annual event will feature over 150 artists and artisans, who will be showcasing their specialties. Vermont artisans, like the ones who make wood furniture at Vermont Woods Studios, are a large part of Vermont's culture and history. Vermonter's pride themselves on their craftmanship, and the unique items they can handmake. Art items that will be at the festival include hand thrown pottery, fine silver and gold jewelry, photography, paintings, and many more.
The Shelburne Craft School will be demonstrating how their products are made. Kid's will be invited to join in with the activities offered by the school instructors.
This weekend event is more than just art, it is also largely focused on food and drink. This year there will be a new spirit and wine tasting tent, where you can sample local wines. Vermont craft beer will be another local beverage option at the event. Your taste buds will also be satisfied when you discover the small size food portions being served by local restaurants on Sunday. This Sunday event is called the "Taste of Shelburne" and the restaurants will be donating their profits to the Shelburne Craft School.
This is a great opportunity to experience Vermont culture, buy local products, and enjoy delicious food and drink.
Heather Barrett is a Marketing Assistant at Vermont Woods StudiosF, an online furniture gallery which showcases Vermont's finest wood furniture. Follow our blog to learn about Vermont fine furniture, Vermont happenings, our mission, and our team.
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