Vermont Days: Enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming, or relaxing in the sun. Image taken from www.vermontdays.com

Summertime in Vermont is unlike anything else. I went to college here for 4 years before getting to enjoy a Vermont summer, and it certainly changed my perspective of this state. I’ve always known that Vermont was great for a variety of reasons: the sense of community, the foliage, the beer… but what I didn’t recognize before was the beautiful shift that happens when the weather transitions from the springtime rain (or snow) to the summertime sun. Anyone whose spent time here in the summer months knows what I’m talking about.

Vermont really comes alive in the summer. Besides the fact that you get to see your friends and neighbors that you might not have seen in a while (Vermonters are a lot like bears in that they love to hibernate through the colder months), you also get to do so many fun things that you can’t do here in the winter. You can even go outside without having to layer on your hat, boots, fuzzy mittens, parka, and snowsuit! ; )

‘Vermont Days’ is a reminder of just that. During ‘Vermont Days,’ which runs from June 8th to June 9th, Vermonters get to enjoy 2 days of free access to all of the things that make summers here so awesome: fishing, swimming, state parks, historical sites, and the VT history museum!  You can’t really beat that.

For more information on Vermont Days 2013 (such as help finding a local fishing hot-spot, state park, or historical site near you) visit: www.vermontdays.com

Now gather your family or your friends, get moving, and get outside! : )

The post Vermont Days 2013: A Weekend of Free VT Fun! appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.

Looking for things to do in Vermont this July? There are always a bunch of fun summer things to do in Vermont but if you are looking for some organized themed events let me run some of the more “tasty” ones by you! 

The first event on tap (pun intended!) brings the Vermont’s Brewers Festival. Here you will find 40 craft beer brewers not only from Vermont but from New York, New Hampshire, Mass, Maine, California, Ottawa and Quebec as well. Each summer and fall New England hosts dozens of brew festivals but this one up in Burlington is tops. And here’s some interesting Vermont beer trivia… MSNBC listed Burlington, VT as the best city in the US for beer lovers and according to the Brewers Association’s Vermont has more breweries per capita than any other state!

Ok, here we go again… well it seems that Vermont is also the premium artisanal cheese state with the highest number of cheesemakers per capita: over 40 of them! Who knew! So now you must be wondering when the Cheese fesitval is and this one is hard to resist! Check out the Vermont Cheesmakers Festival held at Shelburne Farms. And it’s not just cheese, but also 20 of Vermonts breweries and wineries plus 15 artisan food producers. This farm is an ideal setting for the event where additional activities include walking trails, wagon rides and a farmyard for children. A big part of Vermont Woods Studios reason for exsistance and our main mission is forest conservation. So we would like to point out that Shelburne Farms manages about 400 acres of woodlands filled with all types of beneficial trees. Their sustainable forest provides heating fuel for their buildings, lumber for wood products and habitat for wildlife. We applaud their "green forestry" practices and environmental stewardship!

How about dessert? There is always room for dessert, right? Head up to the Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival. This is a 10 day event starting in late July with dozens of “Blue” themed events across the area. In addition to all things blueberry there will be vintage cars, music and plenty of great food. Head over to the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce in Wilmington to see all the fun happenings.

If you are looking for an “all under one roof” type of event (and in this case under a big tent!) The Taste of Stowe Arts Festival is a unique event which offers a market for artisan crafts, original art, music, and an array of gourmet eats. It’s one of Vermont’s many excellent handcrafts events. There is plenty to see at this festival and it’s a great way to support local handcrafted products.

So that’s a rundown of some of the main Vermont events this July. We hope you get to experience and enjoy some of the sights, sounds, and tastes of Vermont this summer!

Vermont Vacation photo courtesy of WilloughVale Inn and Cottages

Vermont Brewers Festival Illustration courtesy of The Vermont Brewer's Association

Vermont Artisan Cheese photo courtesy of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese

The post The What’s To Do in Vermont in July! appeared first on Vermont Woods Studios.