Located on 412 acres in Manchester Village, the historic Lincoln family estate, built by Presidential son Robert Lincoln and his wife Mary, is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or a fan of gorgeous architecture, Hildene offers amazing grounds and gardens, trails, Hildene Farm (including goat dairy, cheesemaking facility, and both animals and production gardens in the dene), informative tours, engaging exhibits, and a fabulous museum store. Don’t miss the restored 1903 Pullman railcar “Sunbeam” and the “Many Voices” exhibit (the southernmost stop on Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail). Particularly special times of year to visit include peony season from late-May through mid-June (thousands of flamboyant blooms in the formal garden) and a Victorian Christmas (the home is bedecked in holiday finery, as thought it were Christmas in 1912). Manchester’s most popular visitor destination, Hildene is a favorite of ours in every season. Not to miss!

MISSION

Dorset Theatre Festival’s mission is to create bold, innovative, and authentic theatre that engages a diverse, multi-generational community, and economically diverse region: enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring our audience through the celebration of great plays. We aim to redefine the landscape of theatre by presenting thought-provoking productions drawn from the new and classic canon, as well as through the development of new plays, new audiences, and new artists for the future of American theater. We produce theatre that matters.

ABOUT

In the 2018 season we presented the third production of the award-winning play Cry It Out by Molly Smith Metzler. Dorset’s production was highlighted in American Theatre magazine for being one of the first theatres to present this groundbreaking new play that has become one of the most-produced plays in the country. The 2019 season included two world premieres: Mrs. Christie by Heidi Armbruster and Dig, written and directed by Theresa Rebeck.

The Festival’s 2017 World Premiere of Rebeck’s Downstairs starring Tim and Tyne Daly transferred to New York City the following fall, produced by Primary Stages, and has more regional productions to follow. The shift in our programming towards new plays over the last decade has allowed us to increase our capacity to support new work. This past season showcased a lineup of almost entirely new work, half of which Dorset Theatre Festival had a hand in creating and will be moving on to New York City and productions around the country.

The Pipeline Series of New Plays offers burgeoning playwrights a week-long retreat in Dorset during the summer season. With a director and a cast of professional actors, the playwrights prepare one-night-only staged readings of their new plays, offering our audience a glimpse at the play-development process and our artistic staff an opportunity to gauge a play’s potential for success in future seasons. In 2016, playwright Martyna Majok presented 30 pages of her play that would become the 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winner, Cost of Living.

Our track record of providing industry-recognized support and development opportunities to artists, as well as the world-class theater we produce at the historic Dorset Playhouse each summer, makes Dorset Theatre Festival a national resource and a cherished local treasure for the people who live, work, and vacation here.

Over the past decade the Dorset Theatre Festival has become a national incubator for new play development, committed to nurturing new plays and playwrights who are innovative, authentic and celebrate our common humanity. The Festival has taken huge steps forward in living our mission to create bold, innovative, and authentic theatre, and in any given year, the Festival is developing more than a dozen new plays. As the Festival grows, we build our internal capacity for robustly supporting the production of World Premieres, as well as Regional Premieres and second and third productions of new works.

OUR HISTORY

The Festival’s summer home is an intimate theatre built from 2 pre-revolutionary barns. Opening its doors to local thespians in 1929, the Dorset Playhouse became host to the professional Equity Summer Festival in 1977. Today, Dorset Theatre Festival is a rich cultural resource and integral part of the community. Whether we’re staging dramatic classics, producing great plays from the contemporary canon, or providing a platform for fresh new theatrical voices, the Festival is always pursuing its single mission: to create an environment in which our audiences can experience thought‐provoking, inspiring, and entertaining live theatre.

Through our Giving Back program and educational outreach, we also even the playing field for under-served populations and families and bring them into the theatre experience. We partner with other nonprofit organizations to support creativity, build community engagement, and enrich the cultural landscape. Our goal is to make excellent theatre a shared community experience and inspire our audiences to think, laugh, and feel long after the curtain falls.

Dorset Theatre Festival is a nonprofit organization supported by individuals like you who believe that live theatre enriches our experiences as a community and connects us to what makes us human.

Bringing new meaning to community and education, Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning is an important resource in the Northshire region for all adults (young and old!) to continue learning via their accessible, diversified, and high-quality educational programs.

Open to all inquisitive minds, most classes are interactive, providing hands on learning through programs and workshops in history, religion, sciences, the arts, bridge, and culinary.

Held at various locations in and around Manchester, Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning offers a firm hand in enriching the intellectual and cultural life of our community.

Since opening its doors in 1922, the Southern Vermont Arts Center has been enriching the community with first-class cultural, educational, and creative opportunities on their 100+ acres. With a rotating calendar of member and visiting exhibitions, the largest sculpture park in Vermont, and a busy schedule of dynamic classes for all ages, the Southern Vermont Arts Center has something for everyone.

A wide range of courses, from figure drawing to watercolors, are offered year-round on campus in the Joan Hay Madeira and Carriage House studios. Programming is created for all ages and all skill levels. In the summer, the 400 seat, Arkell Pavilion hosts performing arts events–from ballet to classical music to live theater. Those who come to Vermont for the outdoors will be able to enjoy the Boswell Botany Trail, as well as the many acres of woodland hiking when it’s warm, and sculpture park snowshoeing or cross-country skiing when it’s not.

AS SEEN ON CBS NEW ENGLAND LIVING – New England Living: Southern Vermont Arts Cen… -CBS Boston (cbsnews.com)

Join us on July 7 – 9, 2023 for the annual Dead Music of Summer Festival.  Experience two fun-filled days with live music, food and craft beer and so much more, all happening in our NEW LOCATION in  picturesque Manchester, VT.  This rain or shine event will take place at Hunter Park at the Northshire Civic Center on 35 beautiful acres nestled in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont.

Early Bird discounted tickets on SALE NOW, Limited time and Limited Quantity – ACT FAST!

2023 Current Lineup –

Steely Dead / Pink Talking Fish /  Melvin Seals and JGB /  Damn The Torpedos /  Bearly Dead /

Bella’s Bartok / Dead Man’s Waltz / Hayley Jane / Deadgrass / Clare Maloney & The Great Adventure

Saints & Liars / Misty Blues / ARUKAH

Live Music, Vendors, Food and Craft Beer, Family/Kid Friendly, RV Camping and Tent Camping

Gates Open at 9:00 am Friday, July 7th  / Festival site clears at 10 am Sunday, July 9th

Kids 10 and under are free, all children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Visit – Dead of Summer Music Festival to learn more and purchase tickets.

ART + PROVISIONS + GIFTS
@ellenbogengallery

ABOUT
Ellenbogen Gallery is artist owned and operated, exhibiting Carolina and Michael Ellenbogen’s paintings and photography alongside artworks from selected artists. A dedicated area in the gallery called the “store” specializes in gourmet provisions of respectable provenance including wine, conservas, artisan chocolate and craft bitters from around the world.

ART
Carolina Ellenbogen is a painter who moves back and forth at between abstract and portrait, skilled with both oil and acrylic on canvas. Her abstract series at Ellenbogen Gallery includes “When the Light Breaks into Pieces” and “When the Light Folds” and her portraits are part of a series she calls “People I’ve Never Met”. She is available to do commissions of any size and color, in abstract or portrait.

Michael D Ellenbogen was introduced to black and white photography and had access to his father’s darkroom from a very early age. He photographs people, the landscape and architecture with a street photographer’s sensibility and abstract images inspired by the school of color field painting. He calls his color abstracts “Color Field Photography”.

ART SERVICES
Ellenbogen Gallery is available to provide art-related services including Art Installation, Artwork Rental, Artwork Photography for archival, reproduction or insurance purposes, Hi-Resolution Flatbed Scanning (up to 8.5” x 11.7”), Artwork Commissions, Art Consultation (for home or office) and Art Handling (boxing or crating) and Shipping (domestic or international).

PROVISIONS (Wine, Chocolate, Bitters and Conservas)
All selections are created by producers who focus on craft, quality, sustainability, and fair market practices. They go to great lengths to source the best ingredients available on the open market, often directly from farmers or fishermen. Many of the provisions are small batch and often numbered upon bottling or packaging.

EVENTS
Ellenbogen Gallery hosts ticketed events, and private events designed to provide guests with a casual learning and tasting experience to share with others in an intimate setting. Contact the Ellenbogens (in person, over email or on the phone) to discuss hosting your next private tasting event at the gallery for 8-12 people.

CONNECT
Connect with Ellenbogen Gallery on social media (@ellenbogengallery) or sign up for our email newsletter at the bottom of our website to always be introduced to new artworks available or to learn about upcoming events, the latest provisions, special promotions or good ideas.

NEW this summer is the OM festival, “The Premiere Yoga and Wellness Festival in Vermont”. Make deep connections and get inspired in the Green Mountains of Vermont, beginning July 26.  Attendees will experience a magical gathering set on 150+ mountainside acres, in neighboring Arlington, overlooking the Battenkill.

Join the festival for a day or two, or why not all five?  With the West Moutain Inn as the host property, its 200-year-old historic barn, lush gardens, and meditation garden you couldn’t ask for a better backdrop for this incredible, don’t miss event.  Offering over 40+ classes and unlimited workshops on yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and more. Tubing down the Battenkill, Farm-To-Table dining experiences, live music every night from kirtan concerts to ecstatic dance parties, and a curated Vendor Village so you can shop till you drop!   Tickets are on sale now! Go to www.theomfestival.com for more info.

WHAT: The OM Festival

WHEN: July 26th to July 30th

WHERE: Arlington, Vermont

BUY TICKETS: www.theomfestival.com

SCHEDULE:  www.theomfestival.com/schedule

HIKING SCHEDULE:  www.theomfestival.com/hiking

Established in 1971, Tilting at Windmills Gallery has grown from a small poster and framing shop to one of New England’s largest fine art galleries. Featuring a broad selection of works by important national, regional and international artists, a world of fine art is housed in their spacious, comfortable, conveniently located gallery in Historic Depot.

While quality and visual appeal are paramount in our choice of inventory, Tilting at Windmills also selects with an eye towards investment and potential appreciation for collectors. Original oil and egg tempera paintings are beautifully presented in framing designed especially for each individual artwork. Visitors will also appreciate their large selection of stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, Africa and original semi-precious gem sculptures from Canada. The work represented by Tilting at Windmills Gallery is a rich tapestry of color, creativity, and imagination, with a depth and diversity that is truly outstanding.

Gallery Hours: Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat: 10am – 5pm
Sun: 11am – 4pm
Wednesday & Thursday by appointment only.

Nestled between the Taconic and Green Mountains, and enriched by the waters of the famous Batten Kill, The Shires has long been a popular four-season destination for those seeking an authentic Vermont experience. Anchored by the two county seats of Bennington and Manchester, fifteen towns and villages are united by a common sense of place, history, and culture. The Shires of Vermont Byway connects the Southshire with the Northshire and beckons visitors to enjoy scenery, hospitality, recreation, and the region’s rich heritage.

Mohawks and Iroquois traced this path as long ago as 5,000 BC, as evidenced by projectile points, but Vermont was not settled by those of European origin until the 1760s. This Byway, then a crude path marked by occasional slashes on trees, became a principal route of migrating pioneers and their cattle trudging northward from Litchfield and Berkshire counties seeking life in wilderness newly opened to settlement.

Today it offers a quintessential Vermont road trip experience! Visit a farmers’ markets or browse a neighborhood bakery. Pick your own apples and strawberries. Sip craft cocktails at a boutique hotel or pack a picnic to go from one of our mom-and-pop markets. Take in the views, visit galleries, museums, and historic sites. And stop every so often to sample craft brews, hard cider, farmstead cheeses, and fine chocolates — all in a single drive.

Located on 412 acres in Manchester Village, the historic Lincoln family estate, built by Presidential son Robert Lincoln and his wife Mary, is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or a fan of gorgeous architecture, Hildene offers amazing grounds and gardens, trails, Hildene Farm (including goat dairy, cheesemaking facility, and both animals and production gardens in the dene), informative tours, engaging exhibits, and a fabulous museum store. Don’t miss the restored 1903 Pullman railcar “Sunbeam” and the “Many Voices” exhibit (the southernmost stop on Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail). Particularly special times of year to visit include peony season from late-May through mid-June (thousands of flamboyant blooms in the formal garden) and a Victorian Christmas (the home is bedecked in holiday finery, as thought it were Christmas in 1912). Manchester’s most popular visitor destination, Hildene is a favorite of ours in every season. Not to miss!

Land Rover Experience Centers will resume operations and safely offer a range of physically distanced drive experiences from August 1, 2020.

We want to assure you that every precaution is being taken to protect the health and safety of our guests and local staff. In prioritizing health, safety, while still creating a day to remember, Land Rover Experience has implemented the following actions:

• All guests will be required to undergo a temperature check and wear a face mask upon arrival and when outside their vehicle. Additional PPE equipment (gloves and hand sanitizer) will be provided complementary – or feel free to bring your own.
• All vehicles will be sanitized before every experience.
• Guests and staff will be physically distanced in separate vehicles. Instructors will coach guests and marshall the course via two-way radios.
• Food and beverages will be boxed or pre-packaged and served in an open area while respecting social distancing.

We know that it has been a while and you are looking forward to your off-road experience. Please know that safety is our top priority while creating a memorable and exciting day. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your local Center.

If learning how to drive a really nice Land Rover through rough Vermont terrain sounds fun to you (and it should!), take a lesson or two from the new Land Rover Experience Driving School on their 80-acre, purpose-built course. Open year-round and offering off-road driving instruction in all conditions, drivers face numerous challenges and learn techniques on ascents, descents, side tilts, and rocky terrain. Course terrain and technique difficulty are matched to each driver’s skill, and more advanced drivers are invited to explore the school’s expansive trails through the Green Mountains.

WELCOME TO THE MUSEUM OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS

The Museum was established by Dr. Albert Levis, author of Conflict Analysis, The Formal Theory of Behavior. It features five permanent art exhibits introducing the creative process as a scientific conflict resolution mechanism reflecting the unconscious.

The exhibits demonstrate The Formal Theory, bridging art and science, gaining insight into the human unconscious as a scientific mechanism, revamping our understanding of psychology and of religions as both founded on science. The scientific unconscious revamps psychology from a medical specialty into a pure psychodynamic science, the Science of Conflict Resolution, The Moral Science.

The Moral Science revamps psychology’s key concepts:

• The analysis of the creative process, the plot of stories, identifies the unconscious as a scientific conflict resolution mechanism, the integrative paradigm reconciling psychology, morality and science.

• Diagnostic categories are revamped from illness DSM 5 diagnoses to the four alternative ways of the unconscious resolving conflicts, as four syndromal relational modalities, a wellness personality typology.

• Therapy is simplified into psycho-education for all by introducing the Conflict Analysis Battery, a self-assessment available online free of charge, using creativity for self-discovery. It is didactic, diagnostic and therapeutic representing a concise program of emotional education.

• Religions are viewed as psychological phenomena sanctifying alternative ways of resolving conflict that have evolved as metaphors of conflict resolution.

Our mission is to: create and provide a safe, compassionate space to practice stillness and study yoga; empower people to learn, be, stretch, transform, heal, know, find peace, connect, and unify with themselves, one another, community, and the world around them through the journey of practicing yoga; expose individuals to this life-long practice that can enlighten all lives, individually and collectively. We offer daily classes, workshops, Teacher Training Courses, and Retreats in Costa Rica, Europe, and Utah.

Who We Are:

We are dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of fly fishing. The American Museum of Fly Fishing was established in 1968 in Manchester, Vermont, by a group of passionate and enthusiastic anglers who believed that the history of angling was an important part of American culture and tradition. The Museum was created to serve as an institution to research, preserve, and interpret the treasures of angling history.

Today, the Museum serves as a repository for and conservator to the world’s largest collection of angling and angling-related items, numbering in the thousands. Our collections and exhibits thoroughly document the evolution of fly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, and industry in the United States and abroad, dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Rods, reels, flies, tackle, art, photographs, manuscripts, and books form the Museum’s permanent collection.

Our Mission:

The American Museum of Fly Fishing is the steward of the history, traditions, and practices of the sport of fly fishing and promotes the conservation of its waters. The Museum collects, preserves, exhibits, studies, and interprets the artifacts, art, and literature of the sport and, through a variety of outreach platforms, uses these resources to engage, educate, and benefit all.

The Museum fulfills this mission through our public programs (including exhibitions, gallery programs, lectures, special events, and presentations), our publications, and our quarterly journal, the American Fly Fisher.

Please note Summer and Winter hours below:

Summer
June – October
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am to 4pm

Winter
November – May
Thursday – Saturday, 10am to 4pm

Opened in 1997, Northshire Civic Center sits on 35 acres in the foothills of Vermont’s bucolic Green Mountain National Forest on Route 7A in Manchester Center, Vermont.  With 22,000 square feet of open floor space and an Olympic-sized indoor ice rink, it is Southern Vermont’s premier civic center for sports, events, and exhibitions.

During mid-October thru early March, we have pubic skating, learn to skate program, youth and adult hockey leagues, and it is home to the Northshire Skating Academy, Northshire Hockey Association and Burr and Burton High School Hockey.

In mid-March thru early May, the ice rink transforms to an indoor Turf arena, where we have youth lacrosse, high school field hockey, youth baseball, youth soccer and men & women soccer league. 

In May thru early October, events & exhibitions begin, including Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Art & Craft Festival, Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival, Komen New England,  Barn Sale, Super Bingo, Shakespeare in the Woods and much more.

Special Events link: https://www.rileyrink.com/page/show/2495223-special-events

BIKE MANCHESTER VT

Looking around town this past year, it is clear that many have rediscovered their bicycles, families, and local hidden treasures.  Umbrellas and outdoor seating popped up everywhere, making it easy to spend the day biking, eating, and breathing outdoors in Manchester.

If you are slow to the movement and need a place to start – bike the River Road on a foggy morning to Hill Farm Road or the Chiselville covered bridge; meander on the Dorset West Road after lunch; or fly down Union Street in the early evening.   Better yet, start with the newest edition in town . . .

Manchester Rec Path & Historic Marble Rail Trail

Downtown Manchester Center to North Road

There is a continuous path from Manchester Center’s Historic Business District to rural North Road. The wide crushed stone path starts to the right of the basketball court at Manchester Elementary & Middle School (MEMS) on Memorial Ave and ends at the North Road parking lot across from Squires Road. It is 5.5 miles roundtrip. Visit Bike Manchester VT for the map and more details.

For a complete visual tour of the path including historical railroad photos: visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6phOlI3oLY&feature=youtu.be

Seven Springs Garden and Sculpture Park is located in Manchester, Vermont between the Green Mountains to the east and the Taconic Range to the west. The name “Seven Springs” refers to the seven springs that run on the surrounding property and figured prominently in its history. The land was first settled before the Revolutionary War and farmed for generations.

In the 1920s the Doubleday publishing family purchased the property as a summer getaway. In 1931, the Doubleday family sold the property to Lowrie and Hortense Childs. It remained in the Childs family for three generations.

Hortense was an avid gardener who designed and built the formal rose garden next to the main house as well as the border gardens around the house and the fountain garden in the front yard. Hortense’s grandson Pete and his wife Jane, the last of the Childs family owners, cared for and added to the gardens from 1976-1997.

The property was purchased by Stan and Sylvia Stroup in 1997. Over the years following their purchase, the Stroups converted the pasture behind the main house into gardens and added a Japanese and woodland garden. Their interest in sculpture led to the addition of a sculpture collection set in complementary garden rooms.

Seven Springs Garden and Sculpture Park is a labor of love that has been built and cared for by four generations of dedicated gardeners and art lovers. We hope that you love it too.

Book Your Visit

Seven Springs is open to the public on Thursdays and Saturdays from July 10 to September 25.  Book your visit here.

For groups larger than eight people, or if you’d like a guided tour, contact us.

Gallery Hours:  Friday & Saturday 11 am – 5 pm | Sunday 11 am – 4 pm | Wednesday & Thursday by appointment only

The Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park, also known as the Rec. Park by local residents, was named in honor of Police Chief Dana L. Thompson, who was killed in the line of duty in 1972. The Park encompasses more than 88 acres, the newly erected Park House, 6 lane swimming pool, diving board and kiddie pool, three baseball diamonds, multipurpose athletic fields, three playgrounds for kids of all ages, one-mile walking path, a dog park that is owned and operated by the Manchester Dog Park (a not-for-profit organization), skateboard park, outdoor basketball courts and three tennis courts. A trail in the northeast corner of the Park leads to Riley Rink and a trail in the southeast corner leads to Manchester Elementary-Middle School (MEMS) and downtown Manchester. Limited public WiFi is available near the Park House, including Applejack Field, Eckhardt Field and McClellan Field. Restrooms are available at the Park House, on the south side of the building. The Park is open daily until 10:00 PM and is located off of Bonnet Street (Route 30) on Recreation Park Road in Manchester Center. Click her to view a Visitors’ Map of the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park.

Discover Manchester Vermont!

Learn about the numerous places to stay, eat, taste, shop and experience in Manchester, VT and the surrounding area.

Find FREE brochures, magazines, maps, and information

58B Depot Street, Manchester, VT 05255

SAVE THE DATE!

Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival

Friday, Sept 8, 10-5.
Sat Sept 9, 10-5,
Sun Sept 10, 10-4

Craftproducers, in partnership with Charley Dooley of Starbird Events, is pleased to announce the return of the Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival to its original home in Manchester, Vermont! It’s been a while since the great Hildene summer craft shows have happened. But now, suddenly, it’s back with a late summer date, September 8th through 10th. The Riley Rink Events Field has matured nicely, with manicured lawns used for baseball and soccer and concerts.

Situated between the mountains, the verdant lawns will provide a lovely setting for the 125 exhibitors, each one a tented boutique, offering a plethora of handmade goods: pottery, jewelry, clothing, art, graphics, leather, glass, metal, specialty foods, and Vermont wines and distilled spirits to taste and take home.

As with any Craftproducers show, the ambience will be enhanced with creative food fair, local beers on tap, and live music filling the air not to mention convenient onsite (free) parking.

The show is outdoors and includes a large dining tent with the stage. You can purchase tickets either in advance or at the gate. Kids are FREE. Parking is FREE. No pets, please! Visit the show website to see an ongoing list of participating artists and artisans. The show goes on rain or shine.

For all show details, please visit https://southernvtartcraftfest.com/. To apply as an exhibitor, please visit https://craftproducers.com/. We look forward to seeing you all back in beautiful Manchester, VT.