• 10 – Vintage cars race up Skyline Drive to the top of Mount Equinox in Sunderland Vermont – Saturday and Sunday Aug 9 – Aug 10
  • Great for spectators and photographers – the vehicles are prepped and staged in the parking area and you are welcome to visit the cars and drivers.
    

    Ready to race up the Equinox Toll Road – Sky Line Drive in Manchester Vermont

• 9 – Drive through covered bridges
  • Bridges were covered to keep the wood dry and thereby avoid rot.  This became the trend in 1805 when a bridge designed by architect Timothy Palmer proved most durable.
  • Most covered bridges are painted red because iron ochre was an inexpensive pigment. Here is an early recipe for bridge paint: 2 quarts skim milk, buttermilk or whey; 8 oz. newly slaked lime, 6 oz. oil from ground flaxseed, 2 oz. turpentine; 1.5 lbs. pulverized ochre.
  • The most common type of covered bridge is Town Lattice. All the covered bridges in Bennington County fall under this category.
    

    Chiselville Covered Bridge

•  8 – Fly Fishing the Battenkill River – Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
  • One of New England’s most iconic trout fishing rivers and is considered by many to be the home of fly fishing. It flows from East Dorset, through Manchester, Sunderland, and Arlington before entering New York and
    continuing to the Hudson River.
  • Wild Brook and Brown Trout can be found throughout the Vermont portion of the river, with fish generally larger further downstream.
  • The fish in this all-wild fishery are notoriously wily, making it the perfect
    place for any angler to test their skill. South of the Route
    11/30 bridge, trout are catch-and-release only, and they are
    seasonally catch-and-release further upstream.

• 7 – Music and Arts – Manchester, VT
  • Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival – August 14-17, 2025 – Info
  • Dead of Summer Festival – July 11-13, 2025 – Info
  • Dorset Theatre Festival – Info
  • Taconic Music Summer Festival 2025 –Info

   

• 6 – Celebrate with family and friends 

Don and Beth Fantine

• 5 – Winter Sports – Skiing, Cross Country and downhill skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing

Vermont Mountain Adventures snowmobile tour led by a tour guide

• 4 – Shopping – outlets and unique retail stores
• 3 – March Maple Madness – Tour and Taste  Info
  Visit a Sugar House in March and seeing how maple syrup is made
  • The Sugar Shack in Arlington, Vermont is a family owned and operated business that stocks a full line of Vermont made products, including our very own Pure VT Maple Syrup (made onsite) Maple Creemees, Homemade Cider Donuts, Pies, Cookies, Candies, Jams, Cheese, Meats and a huge selection of VT gifts, apparel, and much more! SUGAR SHACK

Boiling equipment to make maple syrup at the Sugar Shack

The Sugar Shack sellers of all things Maple Syrup and more!

• 2 – History – Hildene – the Lincoln Family home – built by Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert Todd Lincoln

• Vermont’s independent spirit played a significant role in America’s fight for freedom. Visit the many historic sites in Vermont and learn more about its history at Vermont History
• Hildene – the Lincoln Family Home – the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln, located at 1005 Hildene Road in Manchester Center, Vermont. Robert Todd Lincoln was the son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.
• Explore the 400 plus acres and visit the formal gardens, a restored Pullman car, the Hildene goat farm and dairy, and the trail system – 12 miles of walking trails.  The Lincoln Family Home

The gardens of Hildene are spectacular

• 1 – Unique lodging experiences at a Bed and Breakfast.
  • Built in 1764 by Thompson Purdy, the INN at Ormsby Hill  is one of the oldest structures in Manchester. The basement portion of the inn still contains the marble slabs that were abundant in the 18th Century. In the foyer of the old entrance is the smoke room where meats were hung and cured. It is believed that Ethan Allen hid in this “room” during the Revolutionary War. The house also may have served as a safe house for the Underground Railroad. Stay at this iconic Vermont Bed and Breakfast.
    

    South gate entrance to The INN at Ormsby Hill

     

• Honorable Mentions
  • Canoeing, tubing and kayaking
  • Fall foliage
  • Falconry

  • 

    Barn Owl coming to perch on Cheryl’s gloved hand

See a more detailed list of Vermont Experiences and things to do on our website. Visit Manchester Vermont