Bennington Winterfest this weekend!

This weekend is the annual Bennington Winterfest and Penguin Plunge in North Bennington. A great family event, with lots of activities all day long. Check out the details at http://www.bennington.com/winterfest/

Bennington Museum Re-opens!

The Bennington Museum was closed for the month of January, but re-opens on January 31 with a Free Community Day. With free admission, this is a wonderful time to come and enjoy the special exhibitions, permanent collection, and all that the museum has to offer– Free of Charge. At 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, tours of the museum will be given by museum docents. In addition, there will be free light refreshments and Vermont inspired art activities for children in the schoolhouse. At 2:00 pm, the museum’s winter exhibition Vermont Impressions will be introduced with a gallery talk by Curator of Collections Jamie Franklin.

January 31 also marks the opening of the annual Student Art Show at the Bennington Museum. The Student Art Show brings artwork of the region’s elementary, middle and high school students to the museum in a display ranging from whimsical projects by the young students to more advanced work of older students. Certificates of participation will be presented to youth as they arrive. This exhibit runs from January 31 through February 28.

Winter in Vermont

With all the snow we've had recently, it's truly a winter wonderland here in the Shires of Vermont! For skiers, all the area mountains have terrific snow cover and conditions. Likewise for the cross-country skier crowd, Prospect Mountain in Woodford, and Wild Wings in Peru, both have lots of snow. If you prefer to cross country ski in natural conditions (no groomed trails) I highly recommend Woodford State Park on Route 9, which is closed in the winter but open to cross country skiers at no charge. Do not park right in front of the entrance to the park, instead travel a very short distance east of the park entrance to an off-road public parking area on the north side of the road.

This is also a great year for snow shoeing. One of my favorite spots is the trail to Little Pond also on Route 9 in Woodford, or the public access trail on Dorset Mountain located off Dorset Mtn. Road.

Snowmobiling is also very popular in our area, and there are hundreds of miles of trails. Contact VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) for more details.

Stay warm!