events , arts & attractions
“ TUESDAYS IN THE TENT ” AT THE WILBURTON : VERMONT VARIETY SHOW AND CABARET JUL . 13 – AUG . 17 Join us for weekly musical guest stars and local talent in The Marble Pavilion Tent at The Wilburton . Cocktails from 6:30pm , entertainment from 7pm , dance party until 9pm . Select Tuesday evenings . Advance reservations required . 257 Wilburton Dr ., Manchester . 802-362-2500 or wilburton . com
WESTON PLAYHOUSE JUL . 14 – OCT . 24 Celebrating 85 years with a festival series of concerts and special events under the tent at Walker Farm . An Iliad , Jul . 14 – Aug . 7 ; Seussical , Jul . 22 – Aug . 7 ; Ring of Fire , Aug . 11 – Sep . 5 ; The Mountaintop , Sep . 29 – Oct . 24 . Weston Playhouse Theatre Company , 703 Main St ., Weston . 802-824-5288 or westonplayhouse . org
DORSET EQUINE RESCUE ONLINE AUCTION JUL . 16 – 31 Please join us and bid on amazing items ! All proceeds from this auction will support The Dorset Equine Rescue and help us continue our mission of rescuing , rehabilitating and re-homing abused , neglected and slaughter-bound horses . 802-366-1300 or 32auctions . com / equinerescue
EPOCH ALLEY FEST JUL . 17 Please join the EPOCH Artisans family for our 12th Anniversary celebration . Enjoy a fun afternoon outside with craft demonstrations and sales , summer snacks and refreshments . Visit with our talented artisans while listening to live music . Free and open to the public . 12 – 4pm . EPOCH Artisans Gallery , EPOCH Alley , 4927 Main St ., Manchester . 802-768-9711 or epochvermont . com
MOUNTAIN GARDEN WALKS JUL . 17 A self-guided walking tour exploring six enchanting gardens . Each garden captures the beauty of Vermont ’ s perennial , woodland and native plants surrounded by stonewalls and expansive vistas . Nurtured and tended by their owners , these gardens offer serenity , stillness and inspiration . 10am – 4pm . Londonderry , South Londonderry , and Weston . 802-856-7669 or greenmountaingardeners . net
BRIDGERTON WILBURTON GARDEN PARTY & DANCE JUL . 17 Step back in time right here in Manchester at The Wilburton mansion ! Dress in Regency Finery or Summer Whites . Prizes for best costume . Open bar , theme cocktails , hors d ’ oeuvres , croquet , lawn games and dancing . 5 – 7pm . 257 Wilburton Dr ., Manchester . 802-362-2500 or wilburton . com
BIOBLITZ 2021 JUL . 24 – 25 Join fellow naturalists of all experience levels for two days of exploration of everything natural across 3167 acres of forests , fields , and waters . From experts to novice , all curious minds are welcome . All day . Free . Merck Forest & Farmland Center . 3270 Rte . 315 , Rupert . 802-394-7836 or merckforest . org
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS JUL . 24 – AUG . 21 Bring your blanket , lawn chairs , and picnic ! Vermont Jazz Center Big Band , Jul . 24 . Becky Tracy and Keith Murphy , Aug . 14 . Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra ( PESO ), Aug . 21 . All welcome , free . 6:30 – 8pm , gates open 5:30pm . Farmhouse Square at Retreat Farm , Route 30 , Brattleboro . 802-257-4523 or bmcvt . org
TOWN & COUNTRY GARDEN TOUR JUL . 24 Visit the beautiful local gardens of Arlington , with a $ 25 pass that is your ticket to every garden ($ 20 if purchased in advance )! Tour and ticket information are both available on the Arlington Garden Club website or facebook page . 10am – 3pm . 802-375-9991 or arlingtongardenclub . com
SLATE VALLEY EPIC JUL . 31 The inaugural Slate Valley Epic mountain bike race and fundraiser ! Riders can expect some of the best singletrack riding with plenty of climbing ( 5,000 ’) and extraordinary views of southwestern Vermont and the Slate Valley . 7:30am – 2pm . Fairgrounds Trailhead , 131 Town Farm Rd ., Poultney . 802-236-4571 or slatevalleytrails . org
THE VERMONT CHALLENGE AUG . 12 – AUG . 15 Four glorious days of group-lead rides in the Shires and Stratton Mountain area . Registration includes 4 lunches , 2 group dinners , a full bicycling kit , water bottle and tech T-shirt . Starting points for each of the four days are Manchester , Dorset , Pawlet and Bondville . Group kick off dinner on Aug . 11 . 203-668-0194 or vtchallenge . com
SLATE VALLEY SCRAMBLE AUG . 14 Join us for the 2nd Annual Slate Valley Scramble . The Slate Valley Scramble is an 8k and halfmarathon trail running race on some of Vermont ’ s newest and best single & double-track trails on the Slate Valley Trails network . Fairgrounds Trailhead , 131 Town Farm Rd ., Poultney . 8:30am – 2pm . 303-507-8791 or slatevalleytrails . org
WAGON RIDES SEP . 5 – OCT . 24 Wagon ride exploration of Hildene Farm in the dene . Learn about the diverse natural and cultivated ecosystems and sustainable farming systems through exploration into plant , animal and facilities . Morning or early afternoon rides . Registration required . Sundays . Hildene , The Lincoln Family Home . 1005 Hildene Rd ., Manchester . 802-367-7960 or hildene . org
MASTERS IN THE MOUNTAINS SEP . 9 Come play at one of the nation ’ s top collegiate golf courses in support of Southwestern Vermont Health Care . 27th Annual Invitational Golf Tournament , hosted by Taconic Golf Club , Williamstown , MA . 802-447-5017 or svhealthcare . org
MAPLE LEAF HALF-MARATHON AND KOTLER 5K SEP . 11 A beautiful and challenging half-marathon and a flat-ish 5K in the heart of Southern Vermont . Virtual Race Option available . 7am – 12pm . 340 Recreation Park Rd ., Manchester . manchestervtmapleleaf . com
MEETING OF THE GRINDS SEP . 18 Bringing the cycling community together - whether you ride gravel or MTB , hardtail , enduro bike or fat bike . All abilities . Cap it all off with a mountain bikers and gravel riders “ face-off ” in a course that would not favor any particular style of bike . Fairgrounds Trailhead , 131 Town Farm Rd ., Poultney . 802-279-1281 or slatevalleytrails . org
2021 OCR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SEP . 23 – 26 The OCR World Championships is the premier independent world championships for the sport of Obstacle Course Racing . Drawing more than 5,000 athletes from 70 nations , the OCR World Championships features both professional and amateur age-group competitions . 5 Village Lodge Rd ., Stratton Mountain . 1-800-STRATTON or stratton . com
THE 33RD ANNUAL MANCHESTER FALL ART AND CRAFT FESTIVAL OCT . 1 – 3 125 artists and artisans and Specialty Food Exhibitors . Indoors and outdoors , food trucks , rain or shine . Free parking , no pets . Adult admission $ 10 . Riley Rink , 410 Hunter Park Rd ., Manchester . craftproducers . com
GILFEATHER TURNIP FESTIVAL OCT . 23 20th annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival and Gilfeather Turnip Contest . Join the whole town for Gilfeather turnip soup and turnip recipe tastings at the Turnip Café . Outdoor soup kiosk , farmers ’ market , craft vendors , 1000 + lbs of turnip , turnip seeds . Free admission . Rain or shine . 10am – 3pm . Wardsboro Town Hall and Main Street , Wardsboro . 802-896-9490 or friendsofwardsborolibrary . org
2021 KOMEN VERMONT VIRTUAL MORE THAN PINK WALK OCT . 23 Community Fundraiser for all ages ! Supports Komen ’ s Mission to , “ save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer .” Virtual . 9am – 4pm . 802-548-4691 or komennewengland . org
UCS SUPERHERO 5K AND KIDS ’ DASH NOV . 6 This family-friendly race celebrates the unsung heroes we all have in our lives . It takes runners and walkers on a beautiful 3.1-mile course through downtown Bennington . All proceeds from the event will benefit The Gathering Place at Camp Ondawa . 9am . Bennington Rec Center , 655 Gage St ., Bennington . 802-442-5491 or ucsvt . org
THANKSGIVING CONCERT NOV . 27 Taconic Chamber Players present their annual Thanksgiving Concert , live and live-streamed . Program details will be available online . 4pm . Taconic Music . 802-362-7162 or taconicmusic . org
TILTING AT WINDMILLS GALLERY ’ S 50 BIRTHDAY DEC . 4 – FEB . 1 Join us for a grand display of artists and works to celebrate Tilting ’ s 50th birthday . Memory Lane , a combination of retrospective and now , will be a tribute to the gallery ’ s founder Sean Hunt , an amazing individual who had great talents . 24 Highland Ave ., Manchester . 802-362-3022 or tilting . com
BAZAAR AND HOLIDAY CELEBRATION DEC . 4 Arlington ’ s Annual Holiday Celebration , includes a Holiday Bazaar , family events , the Community Tree Lighting and Caroling ! Come get your centerpiece or holiday decor and stay for the activities ! 10am – 4pm . Arlington Community House , 3854 VT-7A , Arlington . 802-375-9991 or arlingtongardenclub . com
42 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine . com