Vermont Business MagazineThe annual return of Vermont fairs and field days give people traveling in Vermont ample opportunities to enjoy the last full calendar month of summer. Steeped in decades of tradition, the many fairs scheduled for August in the Green Mountain State offer guests throwback fun, great food, carnival rides, farm animals, and entertainment acts.
Some of the top Vermont fairs scheduled include the Vermont State Fair (August 15-19, Rutland), Champlain Valley Fair (Aug. 25 – September 3, Essex Junction), and Addison County Fair and Field Days (August 8-12, Vergennes). Musician John Mellencamp will perform at the Champlain Valley Fair onFriday, Sept. 1.
Please visit VermontVacation.com for more information aboutVermont fairs and field days.
Below are many of the top Vermont events for August 2017:
Farm to Ballet
Multiple dates and venues throughout Vermont
Farm to Ballet is a full-length production that reinterprets classical ballet choreography to tell the story of a Vermont farm from spring to fall. The production is performed outside against the beauty of Vermont farms and their surrounding landscape, and a portion of the proceeds support and honor the work of Vermont's local farmers and food movement.
Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival
ThroughAugust 5, Town Hall and Jamaica State Park Pavilion, Jamaica
The Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival will present a series of evening concerts, including performances by the NakedEye Ensemble and Trio Amphion. A family and community day will include an art/music collaboration involving instrument creation.
Festival of Fools
August 4-6, Downtown Burlington
Festival of Fools combines street performing, comedy, and musical acts during an entertaining weekend in Burlington. This year’s festival features 75shows throughout the weekend, as the Queen City becomes a symphonic landscape of slapstick, comedy, sight gags and song.
Southern Vermont Arts and Craft Festival
August 4-6, Camelot Village, Bennington
Back for the 39thyear, the Southern Vermont Arts and Craft Festival will feature nearly 200 artisans and artists who will display and sell their arts and crafts under Camelot tents. Guests can also relax withwine, beer, and great food while listening tolive music in the dining tent.
ACORN Tour de Farms
August 6, Bristol
Join a biking event through picturesque farming communities of Addison County during this annual fundraising event for the Addison County Relocalization Network. Road cyclists and mountain bikers are welcome to participate in this 30-mile ride that intertwines with area farm stands.
Harpoon Point to Point
August 12, Harpoon Brewery, Windsor
The Harpoon Point to Point has become the Vermont Foodbank’s largest annual fundraiser, raising over $1.3M to date. Riders can enjoy 25-, 50- or 100-mile road courses, or the 20-mile mountain bike trail at Mt. Ascutney.
Pedal to the Plate Farm Tour
August 10, Johnson, Morrisville and Wolcott
In anticipation of Open Farm Week, Lamoille Valley Bike Tours and Sandiwood Farm team up to create a unique farm-to-plate food experience. Guests can ride out of Johnson by E-bike for a scenic ride along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail to the Morrisville Oxbow Park, where they will be shuttled to beautiful Sandiwood Farm in Wolcott for farm and garden tours and a delicious meal.
Stowe Antique & Classic Car Meet
August 11-13, Nichols Field, Stowe
The Stowe Annual Antique Car Show is a perennial favorite with hundreds of antique and classic cars on display. Food concessions, a giant automotive flea market, car corral, and an antique car parade through the town are all part of the weekend.
AMFF Fly Fishing Festival
August 12, American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester
This American Museum of Fly Fishing signature event showcases the joy of fly fishing. Vendors, fly tying and casting demonstrations, and fishing lessons will be part of the festivities.
Vermont Open Farm Week
August 14-20, Statewide
Get an up-close look at Vermont’s working landscapes as dozens of Vermont farms open their gates to visitors. Meet the farmers that bring favorite high-quality Vermont food products to your plate, while enjoying unique agriculture and culinary experiences.
Vermont State Fair
August 15-19, Vermont State Fairgrounds, Rutland
Now in its 172nd year, the State Fair features family fun, carnival rides, a demolition derby, horse and ox pulls, and a host of musical and entertainment acts.
Bennington Battle Day
August 16, State Holiday
Enjoy free admission to all state-owned Vermont Historic Sites, including the Bennington Battle Monument.
Stowe Mountain Lodge Tennis Classic
August 22-24, Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe
Professional tennis returns to Vermont with some of the top players from around the world participating. Vasek Pospisil and Tommy Haas are among the players set to compete in this U.S. Open warm-up event.
Champlain Valley Fair
August 24 – September 3,Champlain Valley Exposition,Essex Junction
Musical performances featuring John Mellencamp and Mark McGrath, carnival rides, games, delicious food, and dozens of exhibitors offer guests plenty of ways to enjoy their time during the fair known as “The Ten Best Days of Summer.”
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
August 24 to 27, Middlebury
The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival returns for a third season with a new program of films by first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world. The event takes place in three venues: Town Hall Theater, Marquis Theater, and the Dana Auditorium at Middlebury College. The Festival will present a diverse array of features and shorts across all genres.
American Buffalo
August 24 - September 2, Dorset Theatre Festival, Dorset
Treat Williams and Stephen Adly Guirgis star in a fresh look at this American classic by David Mamet. In a Chicago junk shop, three small-time crooks plot to rob a man of his coin collection and get caught up in their own game of last-chance, dead-end pipe dreams. American Buffalo crackles with explosive humor, frenetic energy, and surprising tenderness.
Manchester Food & Wine Classic
August 25-27, Manchester and Stratton
In its inaugural year, the Manchester Food and Wine Classic is scheduled to be a premier destination event where master winemakers, culinary experts, and guests gather to wine and dine in the beautiful towns of Stratton and Manchester.
Okemo Valley Antique & Classic Car/Truck Show
August 26-27, South Ludlow and Weston
Classic cars and trucks, food vendors, and a parade are part of this weekend event catering to automobile enthusiasts.
Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Concert Series
Sundays throughSeptember 17,Dog Mountain, St. Johnsbury
This outdoor, dog-friendly concert series brings together local and national performers for musical afternoons against a scenic backdrop. These free concerts bring to the Northeast Kingdom a wide range of musical acts from jazz to alt-country, and from funk rock to bluegrass.
Photo credit:Champlain Valley Fair, Essex Junction