Rummage, tag, and bake sale in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Community Church will hold its annual fall rummage, tag, and bake sale on Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the church on 96 VT Route 112.
There will be four rooms of clothing and home goods, plus a huge indoor tag sale. Stop by the bake sale for some delicious goodies.
West Bratt chicken barbecue
WEST BRATTLEBORO - The West Brattleboro Association is sponsoring a chicken barbecue on Saturday, Oct. 8, starting at 11 a.m. and lasting until it's all gone. Plan to get to the event in front of the First Congregational Church on Western Avenue in West Brattleboro in plenty of time to enjoy the chicken.
Unlike its Memorial Day weekend barbecue, the Association this time won't be offering beans and coleslaw, just chicken. The First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro, however, will be supplying desserts as well as other possible treats.
They will be selling half-chickens, made with the same barbecue sauce recipe used at the Guilford Volunteer Fire Deparment's annual barbecue at the Guilford Fair, for $7. Proceeds from the barbecue help defray the expense of projects undertaken by the Association.
Cider sale in Marlboro
MARLBORO - The annual Marlboro Junior High Apple Cider Sale will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct. 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., under the white tent on the green at the junction of Route 9 and South Road.
Proceeds support the field research curriculum offered at Marlboro Elementary School, with trips to Costa Rica and Washington, D.C.
Some of the featured goodies include Grafton cheddar, homemade apple pies (slices or whole pies), locally baked goods, hot mulled cider, apple cider by the quart or gallon (cider freezes well, so perfect for bringing out for the holidays), and coffee. Visitors can also try the traditional cider press and take home some fresh Vermont apple cider.
Grammar School goes medieval
PUTNEY - The Grammar School in Putney will transform into a 14th century Old English village Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as it hosts its annual Medieval Faire.
The event, a fundraiser for the K-8 Grammar School Student Scholarship Fund, includes games, food, live music, and vendors, all presided over by King Arthur and his royal court. Come one, come all, and feel free to dress the part.
Organizers say most activities will be geared toward children and families, including birds of prey from Southern Vermont History Museum, fencing demonstrations, a candy-throwing catapult, a climbing wall, a haunted dungeon, archery and slingshot ranges, appearances by Merlin the Wizard and King Arthur, pony rides, giant chess, and other carnival activities.
Admission is free for all ages, and all-day passes are available for games and rides.
Donkey fun in Alstead
ALSTEAD, N.H. - Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue, New England's only nonprofit donkey and mule rescue, will hold its eighth Annual Donkey and Mule Fun Show and Benefit on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Milot Green in Alstead, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event will include donkeys and mules on parade, confirmation and showmanship, coon jumping and costume classes, obstacle courses, and driving class. Mammoth, Standard and Miniature donkeys, as well as mules, will all be in attendance. There also will be a parade of Rescue Alumni.
Come for lunch and purchase early holiday gifts at their well-stocked merchandise table with fun items for kids and adults. This year will include craft vendors and a tack sale, music and face painting, and donkey kisses from Louise, SYA's resident social butterfly donkey.
Guilford Church homemade pie sale
GUILFORD - A fall tradition, the Homemade Pie Sale of the Guilford Community Church will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the corner of Route 5 and Guilford Center Road.
In addition to homemade apple, pecan, raspberry, rhubarb, cherry, pumpkin, and specialty pies, the church's famous baked beans and potato salad will be sold. Proceeds go to support the work of the church in the community.
Saxtons River Art Guild presents fall arts festival
WALPOLE, N.H. - The Saxtons River Art Guild's Fall Arts Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the picturesque Walpole Town Hall on the common.
A dozen artists and artisans will be showing and selling their work. For more information, call Donna at 603-835-2387. The Saxtons River Art Guild is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and encourage the advancement of the fine arts with membership throughout the southern Connnecticut River Valley.
Enjoy brews, chili, foliage at Stratton Harvest Fest
STRATTON - Celebrate the season that brings us one step closer to winter with live music by Dark Star Orchestra, hay rides, pumpkin painting and two running races at the Stratton Mountain Columbus Day Weekend Harvest Fest, Oct. 8-10.
The annual Craft Brew Fest will feature over 100 of the region's best craft brews and ciders to be sampled by all. It wouldn't be a true Brew Fest without a Keg Toss competition, kicking off at 4 p.m. Saturday. Vote for the tastiest homemade chili at the annual Chili Cook-Off.
Ride the gondola all weekend long for a 360-degree view of the world-renowned fall foliage from southern Vermont's tallest peak.
The Heels to Paws 5K returns to the Stratton race route on Saturday, Oct. 8. Runners will be accompanied by their beloved dogs for this 5K run around Stratton to raise money for Second Chance Animal Shelter.
Sunday brings The North Face Race to the Summit, in which runners challenge themselves in a 2.18 uphill race for more than $2,000 in prize money and awards. Dark Star Orchestra, the critically-acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute band, takes the stage at 4 p.m.
For the full schedule of Columbus Day Weekend events, visit www.stratton.com/.
Christmas Under the Tent event at the Chester-Andover Family Center
CHESTER - On Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Chester-Andover Family Center will hold a Christmas Under the Tent sale.
Holiday items for decorating, entertaining, and gift-giving will be available - toys, gifts, items for the holiday table, artificial trees, and decorations. Everything under the tent will be priced from $1 to $10.
Center volunteers will also present their famous bake sale. There will be raffle tickets for sale for a braided rug created by Center volunteer Edie Brown. The rug is approximately 36 inches in diameter.
The Family Center, located at 908 Route 103 in Chester, is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization. In addition to a thrift shop and food shelf, the Center provides heating and utility financial assistance for Chester and Andover residents struggling to make ends meet. Proceeds from this event will support Center programs.
Firefighters host Fall Foliage Festival
GRAFTON - The Firefighters' Fall Foliage Festival on Columbus Day weekend will feature a tag sale with furniture, toys, linens, books, recordings, jewelry, housewares, small appliances, and many other items.
The fire engines and rescue equipment will be on display, and firefighters will be on hand to answer questions.
A major fundraiser for the Grafton Volunteer Fire Department, the sale traditionally draws a great deal of community support, both in donations and buyers.
The Grafton Elementary School Parent Teachers Group will also offer a range of hot coffee and pastries, barbecued hamburgers, hot dogs, and other food specialties to benefit school initiatives.
The festival will take place at the firehouse at 711 Route 121, just east of Grafton Village on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Weston Craft Show runs Oct. 7-9
WESTON - The 33rd annual Weston Craft Show at the Weston Playhouse on The Green opens Friday, Oct. 7, and will run through Sunday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, featuring the work of 45 juried artisans from throughout Vermont.
Begun by a small group of local artisans in 1983, the show has grown to become one of the state's top fall attractions. Admission to the show is $8 and parking is free.
A lunch catered by the Weston Marketplace will be available in the Café at the Falls overlooking the West River.
Proceeds from the show will benefit the preservation of the historic museums in Weston, including the Farrar-Mansur House, the Old Mill Museum and the Craft Building, as well as Cold Spring Brook Park.
For more information, visit www.westoncraftshow.com.
Harvest festival at Putney School
PUTNEY - The 81st annual Putney School Harvest Festival is on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day kicks off with the 5K Red Leaf Ramble running race at 9 a.m. (registration at 8:30 in the Field House).
The International Cafe, with foods cooked by students from around the world, will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be a sword exhibition and Mummers play at 11:15 a.m. on Truck Road, followed by games and races on the East Lawn (behind the Currier Center) at noon.
At 12:45 p.m., there will be a parade, followed by contra dancing at 1 p.m. on the East Lawn. Join students and staff for an all-school sing, featuring the Putney Community Orchestra, in Calder Hall at 2 p.m.
And all day long there are crafts booths, fresh produce, and community groups serving grilled food and baked goods, plus freshly pressed apple cider.
There will be a bouncy house, bouncy slide, and bouncy obstacle course for children. The Putney School is on 418 Houghton Brook Rd. Visit www.putneyschool.org for more information.
Heirloom apple tasting
DUMMERSTON- Scott Farm orchard manager Zeke Goodband will open to the public the farm's packing barn on Sunday, Oct. 9, for Heirloom Apple Day, the farm's annual heirloom-apple-tasting celebration.
Goodband will offer tastings of a select group of more than 100 varieties of apples while sharing information and lore about the fruit.
Informational sessions will take place at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m.
The farm is located at 707 Kipling Rd. For more information, call 802-254-6868 or visit scottfarmvermont.com/heirloom-apples/apple-tasting-day.
Grace Cottage hosts annual Poker Walk
TOWNSHEND - October is National Physical Therapy Month. To encourage everyone to get out and exercise, Grace Cottage Hospital's Rehabilitation Department will hold its 18th Annual Poker Walk on Wednesday, Oct. 12.
This free, fun, two-mile walk/run is held each year, rain or shine. No pre-registration is required. Playing cards are distributed along the way; the community member with the best poker hand at the end will win a gift certificate from the Vermont Bowl Mill.
All participants are also eligible for door prize drawings, which include passes for North Star Bowl and Gaines Farm Corn Maze, maple syrup, homemade pie, a framed photograph, and more.
Participants may walk the course as often as they wish, collecting a new poker hand each time. Start any time 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register at the Grace Cottage Wolff Outpatient Building, Route 35, Townshend. The course goes north for one mile on Route 35, then back again to the Wolff Building, and is relatively flat by Vermont standards.
The event often draws as many as 200 walkers. For more information, call 802-365-3637.
Townshend hosts Pumpkin Fest
TOWNSHEND - The Townshend Business Association will sponsor this year's Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the Common.
Several dozen artists and vendors from around the area will sell their wares alongside the main activities, including a pumpkin decorating contest at 12:30 p.m. and a contest for best apple pie at 1:30 p.m. Free pony rides will be offered from noon to 3. Admission and parking for the event is free.
For more information, visit www.townshendvermont.org.
First United Methodist Church Women to hold Rummage Sale
BRATTLEBORO - The United Methodist Women of the First United Methodist Church will be holding its Fall Rummage Sale on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon.
New and used clothing will be featured. Prices are not marked. Customers may take what they need and pay what they can. Monies received are given to both local and Methodist Mission needs, including the Brattleboro Drop-in Center, Brattleboro Pastoral Counseling Center, Women's Freedom Center, Morningside Shelter, Hospice, Windham Child Care, CHABA, and others.
The church is located at 18 Town Crier Drive, off Putney Road. The entryway is handicapped accessible. There is ample parking. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 802-254-4218.
Chesterfield dishes up soup, chili, and chowder
CHESTERFIELD -The Ashbury United Methodist Church on Route 63 wants to know: Which satisfies the fall appetite better - a hearty bowl of soup, chili, or chowder?
Attendees may decide for themselves at a dinner on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There will be traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, secret family recipes, and one chili will be chosen as this year's best in Chesterfield. Enjoy your choice with a garden salad, some fresh-baked bread, and a few crackers or toppings thrown in. Just when you think it can't get any better, they'll wheel out the chocolate desserts.
Tickets are $10 per person, which includes a hearty meal, beverage and dessert. Hosted and prepared by the Asbury church of Chesterfield, proceeds benefit the ministry and missions of the church.
MSA hosts scarecrow contest, workshop
SAXTONS RIVER - Main Street Arts is holding a scarecrow fest, including a contest Sunday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m., to pick the best traditional, humorous, or celebrity-inspired scarecrows to decorate the village.
Those who need inspiration and help can attend a scarecrow-making workshop at Main Street Arts on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 3 to 5 p.m.
All materials will be provided for a fee of $10 per scarecrow, although participants may bring clothing and other accessories. Families are encouraged to work as a group. Further details and contest rules can be found at www.mainstreetarts.org.
The cost for the workshop is $10 per scarecrow. Registration is required by contacting MSA at (802) 869-2960 or [email protected].