Here are five festivals worth a visit while vacationing in Vermont this summer:
Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, June 5-7, 2009
Green Expo and Dairy Fest
Brattleboro, Vermont
The main attraction of this event begins at 10 am on Saturday, June 6, with a parade of over 100 heifers wearing flower garlands accompanied by their young farmer friends. After the parade, the Dairy Fest and Marketplace will celebrate Vermont’s dairy industry and the Green Expo will showcase “green” living techniques such as recycling and sustainable building materials. Music will be performed throughout the day with a community contra dance on Saturday night. For more details about the festival, see Jill Arnel's article "Heifers Stroll In Brattleboro, VT".
24th Annual Green Mountain Chew Chew & Music Festival, June 26 - 28, 2009
Waterfront Park
Burlington, Vermont
The Chew Chew Festival is a family-friendly event with plenty of activities for the kids. Sampling a variety of foods (Greek, Vietnamese, Mexican, Chinese, Pakistani, and American) is the focal point of the festival. Music is featured throughout the festival and performances are scheduled to include: Mango Jam (Zydeco, Cajun, Caribbean), The Hitmen (Classic Rock n’ Roll) and the Starlings (Country, Folk), and The WDEV Radio Rangers (traditional Country & Western). This festival will take place in Burlington’s Waterfront Park on the shores of Lake Champlain.
7th Strawberry Festival, June 28, 2009
Cedar Circle Farm
East Thetford, Vermont
For a true localvore experience, nothing beats a visit to a Vermont farm. Over the past decade, Cedar Circle Farm in East Thetford has become a leader in community outreach. Their 7th annual Strawberry Festival will feature pick your own organic strawberries, live music and horse-drawn wagon rides and strawberry foods – homemade shortcake, ice cream, cheesecake, smoothies and more.
17th Annual Vermont Brewers Festival, July 17 – 18, 2009
Waterfront Park
Burlington, Vermont
The Vermont Brewers Festival will feature 30 craft beer brewers from Vermont, other New England states, New York and Quebec. This festival will also take place in Burlington’s Waterfront Park.
1st Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, August 23, 2009
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vermont
Over fifty artisanal cheesemakers are scheduled to participate in the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival. In addition, the festival will feature wines and other artisanal foods from Vermont. The festival will take place at gorgeous Shelburne Farms near Lake Champlain. The cost to attend is $20 per person and is limited to the first 1,000 people who register. The Festival will offer the following seminars:
- Cheesemaking 101 with Marc Druart & Max McCalman
- Cheese Pairing Beyond Beverages with Liz Thorpe & Robin Schempp
- Two Kings Combine — Cheddar Cheese and Micro Brews with Jennifer Kimmich & Matt Jennings
- Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing with Laura Werlin & Dellie Rex
- Behind the Scenes: Exploring Food on the Farm
A special feature of the festival is the Vermont Artisan Food Open Studio Day which will take place on Saturday, August 22 when a variety of Vermont creameries, vineyards and breweries will have open houses. The website features a map of Vermont showing the location of the various venues participating in the Open Studio Day.
Vermont has been a leader in the localvore movement and now features more than a dozen farmer's markets throughout the state. For a complete list of farmer's markets, visit the Vital Communities website.
 |
 |
 |
