Autumn is officially upon us. Leaves on trees are slowly turning from lush green to burnt orange and brilliant red. The air feels cool and crisp during the early mornings, and the smell of pumpkin spice and newly ripened apples perfumes our Green Mountain state. As the days begin to shorten and the leaves fall from the trees, these local fall festivals will help commemorate the season.
Reading Fall Festival (Oct. 3-4)
Jane Kartsch, Reading resident and festival planner, spoke to the Standard about the second annual fall festival and what participants can expect. “The weekend events will begin Friday evening at 5 p.m. on Oct. 3, with a chili cookoff sponsored by the Reading Green Space Committee. This will be held in Puddledock Park next to the library and is a delicious way to kick off the festivities.” Kartsch said that the next day, Saturday, Oct. 4, children will be invited to meet behind the town hall to decorate bikes, and at 11 a.m., the festival will officially begin with a bicycle parade from town hall to the Reading elementary school. “The school will serve as one of our central festival locations,” she continued. “We will have music, food, face painting, and plenty of games for people of all ages. The Hall Art Foundation will also be open for free to Reading Residents. The Historical Society will be open and will have a little presentation set up by two local archaeologists. The library will be open with a book sale, and the greenhouse will be open with pumpkin painting.” At 2:30 p.m., attendees can participate in the rubber-ducky derby held in the Black River, followed by a friendly baseball game at Bartley Field.
Autumn Moon Festival (Oct. 3)
The Autumn Moon Festival returns on Friday, Oct. 3, from 5-9 p.m. in the historic downtown square of Windsor.
Windsor assistant town clerk and festival planner, Riley White, spoke to the Standard about all the autumnal magic residents can expect from this year’s festivities. “Twenty-five years ago, this festival was founded as a Moon Dance, with a focus on the magic and mysticism of the October season. Over the past two decades, we have moved away from this cosmic festival and have focused more on celebrating the harvest season. Now, we try to create an event that offers fun activities to those of all ages, as well as some educational opportunities sprinkled in. We will have people from the American Precision Museum, the Montshire Museum of Science, and a Wildlife Encounter Show available Friday evening, combining education and entertainment. In addition to this, there will be numerous fun activities for attendees to partake in — from the ‘Hocus Pocus show’ to ax-throwing to riding a mechanical bull. There is also an opportunity to carve pumpkins and revel in the autumn season, or just have a blast trying great local food, supporting wonderful education causes, and interacting with local street performers. There really will be something for everyone,” White said.
Fall Festival at Plymouth Notch (Oct. 4)
A special Fall Festival will occur at the President Calvin Coolidge Historic site in Plymouth Notch on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are invited to witness cider pressings, sample a variety of heritage apples, take a wagon ride, play croquet, and pet the sheep that reside on the premises.
These family-friendly activities are included in a general admission ticket. Tickets are available for individuals or for a bundled family pass. Should attendees choose to stay for lunch, the Plymouth Fire Department will be on site serving up Chicken BBQ diners as part of their annual fundraiser.
Fall for Brownsville (Oct. 4)
Also, in West Windsor this year, the Mary L. Blood Memorial Library will host Fall for Brownsville on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the town hall — a village-wide celebration meant to capture the autumn spirit.
This will be the fourth annual village-wide celebration meant to give local groups and organizations a chance to share their passions with the residents of West Windsor. Activities include an Artisan’s Historic Craft Fair, a community dance, a VINS raptor visit, interactive marimba music, and Ascutney Outdoors gear and pass sale, an apple pie contest, cider pressing, and more.
Harvest Celebration at Billings Farm & Museum (Oct. 4-5)
On Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5, Billings Farm & Museum will offer local patrons and tourists alike an opportunity to partake in traditional autumnal adventures at its Harvest Celebration.
Billings Farm & Museum marketing and public relations manager, Nori Pepe, spoke to the Standard about all the fun local residents can expect this October. “For our annual harvest celebration, Billings will bring back all the favorite traditional activities and sweet treats from years past.” The harvest will include barn dancing, horse-drawn wagon rides, corn shelling, cider pressing, and cooking the harvested food on the historic home site. “Throughout the day, we will have a natural dying demo for clothing, an apple tasting, and cheese sampling,” Pepe continued. “And of course, the fan-favorite pumpkin bowling!”
“We want the weekend to center around harvesting in its many forms,” Pepe added. “Part of the experience is being able to go onto the grounds and harvest produce and then learn how to create something delicious with the crop. We’ll also allow attendees to harvest their own sunflower seeds from the flowers in our sunflower house.”
This year, Billings Farm & Museum is also setting up a “sensory area” for little learners and children of all ages. “We’ll have sensory bins and obstacle courses for little ones to play with. Whether it’s ears of dried corn or trucks to roll over different surfaces — creating interactive and engaging activities for children has become a focus for Billings as we try to incorporate something for everyone at these events,” Pepe said.
Soups, sandwiches, sweet treats, hot cider, mocktails, and cocktails will also be offered throughout the weekend from local vendors. The event is open to families of all ages, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5.
Vermont Food & Music Festival at Mt. Ascutney (Oct. 11)
The Vermont Food & Music Festival at Mt. Ascutney will return on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and organizers say it will have an even sharper focus this year on what makes Vermont such a special setting — great food, live music, and a robust, energetic community.
Festival co-founder and renowned musician Jay Nash spoke to the Standard about the festival, and what patrons can expect from this year’s lineup. “This festival has been a dream of mine, along with my festival partner, Peter Varkonyi of Brownsville Butcher & Pantry…Over the years, Peter and I have become friends and eventually we decided to come together to create an event centered around two things that bring the most people together – food and music. We wanted to create a festival that the local community could partake in and enjoy, where we could host a mix of local artists, national artists, incredible food, and local products, all centered in the mountainside of gorgeous Vermont.”
Grammy-nominated country singer Brent Cobb will be headlining the festival, accompanied by the musical artist Jay Nash, Zach Nugent’s Dead Set, Tuck’s Rock Dojo, Red River North, the jazz stylings of Sklarkestra, and the folksy trio All She Wrote.
“We are expanding our space’s infrastructure to accommodate more people, with two stages and a plethora of food booths set up. It will be the same idea as last year, with the same attention to detail, just on a larger scale,” said Nash.
Killington Harvest Faire (Oct. 11)
Killington’s Snowshed Base Area will host a variety of food, fun, and games for the whole family on Saturday, Oct. 11. Beginning at 10 a.m., families can gather for pumpkin painting, face painting, a bouncy house, tractor rides, and more.
There will also be live music throughout the afternoon from the Mason Brothers Band and an outdoor barbecue for all. For adults, axe throwing will be offered, along with the crowd-favorite stein hoisting competition (for those twenty-one and over). Admission for all Harvest Faire activities is free.
Apples & Crafts (Oct. 11-12)
The Woodstock Apples and Crafts and Food Truck Festival will cap off the fall festival season in our area.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Woodstock Rec Center will host more than 100 juried craftspeople, specialty food producers, and food trucks. Jewelry, paintings, pottery, clothing, handbags, crafts, photography, and much more will be available for locals and tourists alike in the meadow across from Worthy Kitchen.
“For just $10 per person, all are able to experience the fun and autumnal flavor of this year’s festivities,” said Gail Devine, executive director of the Woodstock Recreation Center.
“This is our 53rd year hosting this festival,” Devine continued. “We have people who come to set up shop for the twentieth year in a row, and others who have just started selling at the Apples & Crafts fair. From handcrafted soaps to eclectic jewelry to baked goods and woven tapestries, there is such a rich variety of art to choose from.”
In addition to the plethora of artist booths, Apples & Crafts will also host a variety of food vendors, serving lobster rolls directly from Maine, an assortment of Mediterranean and American cuisine, and, of course, apple cider donuts.
“In the meadow down by the bank, attendees can expect to see two large 40-by-80-foot tents. We’ll have over 100 vendors there and hope to see a wonderful turnout. People can buy some Christmas presents early or just take in all the splendor of foliage season, all while supporting the Woodstock Rec Center.”
For more on this, please see our September 25 edition of the Vermont Standard.
