Time for farm-stand sweet corn, lakeside picnics – and events! Lots of them, showing off the best of Bennington all month long.
Summer Homebrew Festival
Last month we told you about the music. It hasn’t stopped. Catch concerts Thursday afternoons at Merchant’s Park near the center of town and Friday evenings in the courtyard of the Bennington Museum up the hill.
On Saturday the 6th, follow the music (and the people) to the popular 6th annual Summer Homebrew Festival, which runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bennington Sports Center at 230 School Street downtown.
A word of advice: tickets for reserved admission to the beverage tents are going fast and will sell out. Act now if you want to be able to sample a wide range of craft brews from home brewers in the greater Bennington region; cider, wine, and mead are also on the menu.
A ticket allows you to enjoy live music throughout the day, check out a dozen local vendors, and savor the aromas from multiple food trucks (of course, you can purchase as many treats as you like).
If you’re looking for fresh beer beyond the beverage tent, three brew-pubs located in the center of town are also ready to welcome you. More information and Homebrew tickets are available at Vermont Homebrew Festivals.
Battle Day Weekend in Bennington
The following weekend is Battle Day weekend, which commemorates the pivotal 1777 Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington.
Patriots need to eat. The Bennington Fire Department will be putting on a pick-up chicken dinner on Friday the 12th (reserve ahead), and the 4th Annual Downtown Bennington Food Truck Festival gets underway at the corner of School and Main at 11 a.m. on Saturday the 13th.
Food trucks and vendors from Vermont and beyond will be serving a wide variety of dishes, such as Mexican, Jamaican, Slavonian, BBQ, comfort foods, frozen novelties, one-of-a-kind sandwiches, maple items, and baked goods.
Crossover Cloggers will be performing at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.), followed by two local favorites, The Throwbacks (2:30-4:30 p.m.) and Flashpoint VT (5:00-7:00 p.m.). The Beer Garden will be featuring brews from Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant. The event is free, though advance registration is requested so vendors can plan ahead.
Re-enactments
But perhaps you came for the re-enactment, to be staged by the Friends of the Bennington Battlefield and the Brigade of the American Revolution. If so, head over to the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site seven miles away in Hoosick, NY.
The site will be open on Saturday, August 13 from 10 am to 8 pm, and on Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Both Rebel and Crown forces will be encamped in the large fields adjacent to the Barnett Homestead.
On Saturday morning those who like forest treks (this one is three miles or so) can retrace Col. Moses Nichols’ march from the American camp on Harrington Road through hilly, wooded country to the dragoon breastwork, which the rebels will attack at 3:00 p.m.
Later, at 7:00 p.m., the reenactors will recreate Breymann’s advance and the rebel counter-attack. On Sunday morning all are welcome to help reconstruct the Tory Fort; materials will be provided. Then, at 2:00 p.m., you can witness the rebel attack. Troops break camp around 3:30 p.m. On August 16, Battle Day, a commemorative ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the top of the hill at the Battlefield.
Battle Day 5K Race
Meanwhile, in Bennington, Saturday the 13th sees the 17th annual Battle Day 5K race. The race starts and ends at the Bennington Monument. The starting gun (expect a Revolutionary-era touch) goes off at 9:30 a.m. A half-mile Kids Fun Run follows when the 5K race is over. Registration forms for the main event are available at the Monument Gift Shop or you can download one here.
If that level of exertion is not your cup of tea, let an elevator lift you up to the observation level of the Monument and simply enjoy the views.
Bennington Battle Day Parade
On Sunday the 14th comes the Bennington Battle Day parade, beginning downtown at 12:30 p.m. Commemorations of the Battle have been held annually since 1778, and the Fire Department has been organizing parades since the 1960s.
Tuesday the 16th is a state holiday in Vermont, but you’ll find shops and attractions open, and the “’76” flag flying from every lamppost. The original is on display in the Bennington Museum; it’s one of the oldest Stars and Stripes in existence.
Summer Fun at Park McCullough
North Bennington’s Park-McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion offers history with a difference. You can re-live the Gilded Age with a Bourbon and Cigar Night on August 12th, in partnership with Bennington’s own Village Garage Distillery.
On the 19th, the Author’s Series continues with local poet James Crews outside in the formal gardens. Is there such as thing as Vermont terroir? Of course, there is.
Sample for yourself at the season’s second wine tasting, featuring Vermont wines, on August 29th. Also in the works, two pop-up “On The Veranda” events, a mimosa bar and a dinner; check the Mansion’s website for details.
And if you just feel like visiting, and perhaps pretending that you own the place, the Mansion is open for tours every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. “Yoga on the Lawn” every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. will bring you back to earth.
Get Outside: NBOSS
While in North B. why not also take in the 25th annual NBOSS outdoor sculpture show’s exhibits in the vicinity of the train station?
There’s a second location for the show too, at the Bennington Museum. There, on Thursday, August 25, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., the Museum will be hosting an artist’s reception and screening of a short documentary film celebrating NBOSS’ past, present, and future, along with a live performance by John Umphlett, Flipping One Over a Bush, first performed 22 years ago at the 3rd NBOSS in 2000.
Garlic Town, USA!
The climax of the summer event calendar arrives on Labor Day weekend, as it has for more than two decades. Bennington is Garlic Town, USA! on Saturday, September 3, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The event moved downtown last year, and there it shall be once again.
A ticket gets you into all three “cloves,” which in turn feature dozens of purveyors of garlic bulbs, garlic treats, hot sauces, sandwiches, crafts, and more. Be sure to get your tickets in advance to avoid lines.