ALL WEEKEND LONG…
October 17-20 & beyond: Watch as four 1960s musicians escape from the afterlife to perform classic hits like ‘Love is a Many Splendored Thing,’ ‘Three Coins in the Fountain,’ and ‘Sixteen Tons when ArtisTree's Music Theatre Festival Presents: Forever Plaid.
October 17-20 & beyond: Green Mountain Horse Association Members (GMHA), now’s your exclusive chance to enjoy the facilities, equipment, and trails during Members’ Days!
October 18-20 & beyond: Experience a different side of Arthur Fleck with a showing of the super-villain origin film, Joker, playing at Pentangle Arts’ Woodstock Town Hall Theatre.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17…
2 – 3:15 PM: Reveal how art influenced the conservation movement as you explore works by acclaimed landscape painters during an Art Tour at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. Reservations recommended, see link for details.
6 – 7:30 PM: Meet the staff at the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) and learn how they advance sustainability in the region during a round of Green Drinks at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP Forest Center! This event is free and open to all and includes complimentary snacks.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18…
10 AM – 5 PM: Get cooking with Billings Farm & Museum interpreters during this edition of Foodways Fridays, where you’ll learn how farm-grown ingredients can be used in historic recipes. See link for pricing and details.
2 – 3 PM: Descend into the Rockefeller-built fallout shelter and learn how the Cold War influenced conservation efforts and beyond during Fallout Fridays at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP. Reservations recommended as space is limited, see link for more information.
6 – 7:30 PM: Then, middle-schoolers, this one’s for you! Sixth through eighth graders will build wearable creepy creations during this edition of Montshire Makers: Monster Heads – coming to the Montshire Museum in Norwich. Registration required.
6 – 8 PM: Paint on a piece of Billings Farm & Museum history – a slate roof tile from their antique barn, to be exact – when you join artist-in-residence Kristina Rodanas for a night of Painting on the Rocks at Billings Farm & Museum! Reservations required, follow the link to learn more.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19…
9 AM – 12 PM: Start you morning off with a rush of endorphins thanks to the Parkrun timed 5k race – where runners (and walkers!) of all abilities are welcome to join in and revel in the beautiful open spaces of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP. Advanced registration required.
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM: It's the final Mt Tom Farmers' Market of the season, so hit the stalls under the autumn sun and stock up on fall veggies, apples, jams, jellies, pickles, honey, maple syrup, handcrafted creations, and more!
Hanging bat photo by Jared Belson
10 – 11 AM: Over half of Vermont’s bat species are threatened or endangered – and these fascinating mammals deserve your help! Join Vermont Coverts, the Vermont Woodlands Association, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP for the Working Woodlands Workshop: Secret Lives of Bats. You’ll hear from NPS biologist Adam Kozlowski on bat ecology, physiology, and mythology to help us better understand the threats bats are facing, delve into the world of both echolocation and hibernation, and review local species and the characters that make them who they are. Be sure to pre-register as space is limited!
2 – 3 PM: Then, stick around at the park and hike through the sustainably managed forests of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP and learn how the landscape has changed over centuries of use during a guided Foliage Hike!
6:30 – 8:30 PM: Close out your Saturday with a classic taste of New England! During the Name That Fish Stew cooking class with Odyssey Events, attendees will learn hands-on skills to combine various vegetables, fish, and shellfish for a delicious tasting New England seafood stew also known as French bouillabaisse or Italian cioppino. See link for details.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20…
1 – 1:30 PM: Want to know what it takes to rehabilitate and release hundreds of wild birds? Then head to the Behind the Scenes tour at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) to meet rehabbers that take care of these injured birds.
1 – 3 PM: Or meet local photojournalist, Rob Strong, for Lens on the Wild, a beginner to intermediate-level photography workshop at VINS, where resident raptors will serve as your stunning subjects! Registration required, see link for pricing and details.
2 – 3:15 PM: Little seen spaces of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP mansion are open to you for a short time during the Hidden Spaces tour, taking attendees through the family bedrooms, service wing, past the soda fountain, and through the private bowling alley! See link for registration details.
7 – 9 PM: It’s an opera production you don’t want to miss. Join Pentangle Arts and the Opera Company of Middlebury for a touring production of Puccini’s Tosca, one of the world’s most beloved operas, bringing this tragic story of passion and jealousy to the Woodstock Town Hall Theatre. See link for details and ticket information.
