Woodstock Magazine - Fall 2024 by Mountain View Publishing

Echo Market

Where People & the Planet Matter

PENTANGLE

Celebrating 50 Years

MON VERT CAFE

Fresh Local Foods

Make the Menu Shine

re·im·ag·ine

Photo by @JuanKasFoto

Burdick

Mary Gow

Moving forward while celebrating the past.

Senteio One product at a time.

Lisa Ballard

ON THE COVER Victoria and Will Hurd of Echo Market.

Photograph by Lynn Bohannon.

Fine Home Furnishings and Gifts

MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLISHING, LLC

135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 867-9339

greateruppervalley.com

Publishers Bob Frisch

Cheryl Frisch

Executive Editor

Deborah Thompson

Associate Editor

Kristy Erickson

Creative Director

Ellen Klempner-Beguin

Art Director

Brad Wuorinen

Ad Design

Melanie Marston

Web Design Locable

Inbound Marketing Manager Erin Frisch Newton

Advertising Bob Frisch

KEEP US POSTED

Woodstock Magazine wants to hear from readers. Correspondence may be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Woodstock Magazine, 135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755. Or email us at: dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com. Advertising inquiries may be made by email to rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

Woodstock Magazine is published quarterly by Mountain View Publishing, LLC ©2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Woodstock Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

Amazing Autumn

It’s that time of year for sending the kids back to school and heading out to football games on cool, crisp days. As Mother Nature paints the landscape in brilliant hues, we’re grateful once again for the breathtaking beauty of our area.

Enjoy the gorgeous fall weather with an outing to the Billings Farm & Museum’s Harvest Celebration on October 12 and 13 (page 30). e entire family will enjoy a day lled with activities, food, and farm animals. While you’re out and about in Woodstock, stop in to see the friendly sta at the Mon Vert Cafe (page 36). Whether you’re looking for a cup of co ee and a homemade pastry, a signature sandwich or wrap, or a meal made with fresh local ingredients, Sam DiNatale and her crew will make you feel welcome. We’re also celebrating with Pentangle on the observance of their 50th anniversary (page 44). e past ve decades have seen many wonderful performances and events in the community, and we thank the scores of employees and volunteers who have been a part of making them possible over this period of time, enriching so many of our lives. Well done!

Our cover story this time highlights Echo Market (page 56). Victoria Hurd’s goal when opening the store was to provide a place where people could access healthy products that are safe for themselves and their families—and the planet. We think she and her husband Will have succeeded marvelously! Stop in to see them soon.

Wherever this beautiful season takes you, make the most of every day. And stay in touch with local news and events at www.greateruppervalley.com. Enjoy!

Deborah Thompson Executive Editor dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com

A full-time freelance writer and photographer, Lisa is a graduate of Dartmouth College who resided in the Upper Valley for another 25 years. She is the author of 13 books, including Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire and Vermont, Hiking the White Mountains, and Hiking the Green Mountains. She covers all types of travel, outdoor recreation, and conservation topics for over 25 magazines. www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com.

Lynn began her photographic career at the New England School of Photography in Boston assisting commercial photographers and studying custom color printing. Originally from West Virginia, she made her way north, ﬁnally landing in the hills of Vermont, where she has been photographing for over 30 years. Her current assignments include photographing people, architecture, and art.

Pamela has been a journalist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group for 20 years, covering a wide spectrum of subjects, and has a monthly food column in Connecticut Magazine. When she steps away from the computer, Pamela enjoys vacationing in Woodstock, playing tennis, gardening, reading, and spending time with her beautiful daughter, Alexis, and adorable mini Goldendoodle, Rafa.

Mary holds the middle place in a family with three generations of women writers. Best known for her awardwinning history of science books for middle school students, she is also a regular contributor to regional magazines. She lives in Warren, Vermont.

Cassie is a writer, editor, and publisher and the author of a historical novel, Lucy E.—Road to Victory. Her roots in Vermont go back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and two dogs— an English Shepherd and a mini Dachshund.

Mary Gow

Lynn Bohannon

Pamela Brown

Cassie Horner

Lisa Ballard

www . greateruppervalley . com is proudly brought to you by these local businesses. community sponsors

Find a Veterinary Clinic in the Greater Upper Valley 

Caring for our furry friends is imperative; ﬁnding a good doctor to help is even greater. Check out the list of vets in our area to help keep our friends healthy and safe.

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 New Restaurant REDCAN is Open in White River Junction

REDCAN, a contemporary-style restaurant with a nod to prohibition, opened its doors this past summer in White River Junction.

 Looking for Wings in The Upper Valley? Try One of These Places

If you’re looking for a quick dinner or a fun place to watch the game, here is a list of places you should try.

ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Check out these local businesses in our directory.

3 PHASE LANDSCAPING

506 ON THE RIVER INN

ALIGN INN VERMONT

ANNEMARIE SCHMIDT EUROPEAN

FACE AND BODY STUDIO

BETTER HOMES/THE MASIELLO GROUP

BROWN FURNITURE

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CLEARCHOICEMD URGENT CARE

COLBY INSURANCE GROUP

COPELAND FURNITURE

CROSSROADS ACADEMY

DATAMANN

DB LANDSCAPING

DEAD RIVER COMPANY

DOLAN REAL ESTATE

DR. NEELY–HANOVER ORTHODONTICS

FORE U GOLF

GILBERTE INTERIORS

HANOVER EYECARE

HOOD MUSEUM

JEFF WILMOT PAINTING & WALLPAPERING, INC.

JUNCTION FRAME SHOP

LITTLE ISTANBUL

LOCABLE

MARTHA E. DIEBOLD REAL ESTATE

MB PRO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

MORNINGSIDE FLIGHT PARK

MOUNTAIN VALLEY TREATMENT CENTER

MVP MARINE

NEWPORT GOLF CLUB

N.T. FERRO ESTATE AND CUSTOM JEWELERS

OPERA NORTH

RICHARD ELECTRIC

RIVER ROAD VETERINARY CLINIC

RODD ROOFING

SIMPLY BEEUTIFUL EVENTS

THE DORR MILL STORE

THE HANOVER INN AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

THE JACKSON HOUSE INN TUCKERBOX

VALLEY REGIONAL HOSPITAL

WHITE RIVER FAMILY EYECARE

WISE

WOODSTOCK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT

For more information about how your business can get listed on our ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY or for other online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

AROUND & ABOUT

By Cassie Horner

Woodstock Apples & Crafts Fair

Local food, products, and fun

For a lot of people, fall wouldn’t be fall without the annual Woodstock Apples & Crafts Fair. Celebrating over 50 years, this traditional event is important to locals and tourists. It is also important to the organizers at Woodstock Recreation Center since it is the nonpro t’s major fundraiser each year.

Over 100 vendors and an array of food trucks and specialty food producers ll the eld at Bailey’s Meadow just east of the Woodstock Emergency Services building for the two-day festivities. “ e event started small on the Woodstock Green,” says Gail Devine, Recreation Center executive director. “It grew rapidly from there and went to Bailey’s Meadow. A lot of locals Christmas shop and then there are the many foliage tourists.”

Clockwise from le t: Beautiful handmade dried decor for fall. Amazing custom artwork on signs, platters, baskets, and more. Gail Devine, WRC executive director and fair coordinator, enjoys the event with her grandson.

Everything sold is handmade. Vendors sell a wide range of items crafted from wood, metal, and fabric. Beautiful jewelry, pottery, art, and photography are also featured. Handmade jams, jellies, and pickles are popular, too. Families enjoy the event, with plenty of space for kids to run around and have fun. Maple kettle corn and products are favorites of the younger set.

“The event started small on the Woodstock Green. It grew rapidly from there and went to Bailey’s Meadow. A lot of locals Christmas shop and then there are the many foliage tourists.”

— Gail Devine, Recreation Center executive director

About four years ago, food trucks were added to Woodstock Apples & Crafts, and they were an instant hit with fairgoers. ere is a lot of diversity in what is o ered. Some food trucks, such as one specializing in grilled cheese and tomato soup and another in Mediterranean fare, are regulars each year.

Woodstock Apples & Crafts Fair is held this year on Saturday, October 12 from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday, October 13 from 10am to 3pm. e fee is $5 per person and includes on-site parking. Kids 12 and under are free. Vendor spaces are very popular and usually ll up by the end of July. Gail encourages interested vendors to reach out to her at gdevine@woodstockrec. com. For more information, visit wood stockvt.myrec.com.

Woodstock Food Shelf

40th Anniversary

A helping hand for the community

The Woodstock Community Food Shelf turned 40 years old this year, with an amazing history of serving thousands of people facing food insecurity. Completely volunteer-run and managed by a board, the food shelf has an important role in the extended community.

e founding of the food shelf started in 1984 when Reverend Donald Boyer of St. James Episcopal Church asked longtime nurse and parishioner Martha Lussier if she would organize a food shelf for the community. Its initial quarters were in the basement of the church, and food was supplemented by a clothes closet. With the guidance of Martha, many volunteers helped people in need. In 2009,

it was decided that in order to best serve the growing number of guests, the food shelf needed a new location. e Woodstock Community Food Shelf became a nonpro t and relocated to its current address at 217 Maxham Meadow Way.

Today, there are more than 40 volunteers and a board chaired by Judi Greene, who has been connected to the organization for years. is is a working board, where all members play vital roles in the daily food shelf operations.

“ e food budget has doubled since COVID. We have approximately 175 household visits per week. e allotment of food is based on the number of people in a family. Last year, 253 families used the food shelf regularly. We serve families

from anywhere!” Judi says. “While most come from within a 25-mile distance, we have registrations from 27 surrounding towns.”

Judi continues, “ e community is so incredibly amazing and generous. Without food and cash donations, we would not be operating. Without the kindness of the community, there would be no food shelf. Individuals, churches, schools, and businesses often hold food drives for us.”

e group Change the World Kids grows food in gardens at Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret to donate to the food shelf. ey utilize a root cellar at the Woodstock Elementary School to store some of what they grow. “ is is a great partnership between the kids and

Top: Fresh produce for the guests.

Above, from le t: Volunteers Sandy Audsley, Maria Tangredi, Carol Moriarty, Sheila Murray, and Linda Brown.

the food shelf,” Judi says. Another example of community support is the Woodstock Farmers’ Market’s Harvest for Hunger “round up” program that collects cash donations from customers and applies it to providing fresh fruit and vegetables directly to the food shelf from October to June.

Five volunteer shoppers go to a variety of grocery stores based on what the food shelf needs and wants. is shopping supplements the big orders of food that come from the Vermont Food Bank.

e food shelf also o ers a weekend food program for district school students, providing a healthy range of options that kids can make themselves and that accommodates dietary needs. About 60 to 70 families participate.

e guests’ favorite time of year is anksgiving, when the food shelf offers ingredients for a full turkey dinner, including whole turkeys, vegetables, and all the xings. e food shelf often provides close to 150 baskets of food. For more information about utilizing the food shelf, volunteering, or donating food or cash, email woodstock communityfoodshelf@gmail.com or call (802) 457-1185. e food shelf is open Monday from 4 to 6pm, Wednesday 1 to 3pm, and Saturday 10am to noon. Anyone can visit the food shelf once a week, regardless of job status or income level. All are welcome.

WOODSTOCK COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF

(802) 457-1185

woodstockcommunityfoodshelf@ gmail.com

Tim Sink and Bev Regan deliver a carload of produce.

Photography by Cassie Horner

Woodstock Area Hikes

Get outdoors and explore

The beauty of Woodstock invites locals and visitors to explore the natural world. ere are enough choices of hiking trails that people can enjoy the woods, sunny elds, and mountain views. ere are trails reached by a short walk in the village and others that require a short car ride.

A standard favorite is the approximately 2.8mile loop on the easy switchback trail that begins at Faulkner Park on Mountain Avenue and ends up at the South Peak of Mount Tom overlooking the village and West Woodstock. e nal 100-yard climb to the top is strenuous. Parking is available on the street, and the park o ers shaded benches and picnic tables for quiet time before or after the hike.

An Appalachian Trail sign points the way to two shelters for hikers.

Clockwise from le t: A bridge takes Appalachian Trail hikers from Route 12 to the trails. The Mount Peg trailhead in Woodstock provides hikers with information about the hiking options. Hikers can take a break on benches on a Mount Tom trail in the MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

south of the Woodstock Inn. Parking is

limited, but people can park in the village ing, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing,

crosses Route 12 north of the village. e

visit nps.gov.

A standard favorite is the approximately 2.8-mile loop on the easy switchback trail that begins at Faulkner Park on Mountain Avenue and ends up at the South Peak of Mount Tom overlooking the village and West Woodstock.

Hiking is most enjoyable with good footwear, plenty of water, a hat, and a sweater or jacket. Both the Mount Tom and Mount Peg trails post commonsense alerts at their trailheads. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed and pet waste must be packed out, as well as any trash such as food wrappings.

An important caution is to be aware

Appalachian Trail hikers will ﬁnd detailed information at the kiosk below Route 12.

of ticks, which can be disease carriers for humans and pets. Dress protectively and check over hikers and dogs thoroughly after a walk.

Taking time for a hike expands people’s awareness of this popular area. e local trails invite young and old to breathe deeply, have fun, and contemplate the quiet rural environment.

Both the Mount Tom and Mount Peg trails post common-sense alerts at their trailheads. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed and pet waste must be packed out, as well as any trash such as food wrappings.

The trailhead o Prosper Road at the beginning of the well-marked trails of the Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historical Park.

Feeling Sick?

Make a Habit of Having Fun

There’s a lot to be stressed about— from politics to race relations, violence to inﬂation, the state of our country and our world is negatively a ecting the vast majority of Americans, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association. The good news? The antidote is hiding in plain sight: making room for fun can help counteract stress and the tendency to escape it by zoning out. Take a moment to think of a few memories where you truly had fun. Who were you with? What were you doing? What made the experience fun? Be intentional about making time for experiences that inspire awe, wonder, and genuine delight. It could be as simple as scheduling a hike on your calendar, planning Taco Tuesday with friends, or attending one of the many fall events in the Woodstock area. (Want to try pumpkin bowling with the family or friends? Maybe hot spiced cider and apple cider donuts would make it even better. Head to Billings Farm & Museum on October 27 for Family Halloween!) Real fun o ten involves stimulating the senses and interacting with others. Like any new habit, having fun may take trial and error—but it’s well worth the e ort.

Wait a Couple Days Before a COVID Test

TDID YOU KNOW?

he COVID virus and people’s immune response to it have changed, and experts now recommend waiting at least a couple days a ter symptoms start before taking a COVID test. “For COVID, we found that if you only have one test, it’s best to wait two days a ter symptoms arise to use it because the virus is unlikely to be detectable until then,” says Casey Middleton, the author of a recent study. Researchers found that if you take a COVID rapid test too soon a ter symptoms begin, the test misses the infection 92 percent of the time. Taking the test two days a ter symptoms start lowers the false-negative rate to 70 percent, and the chances of identifying COVID accurately are even higher on day three. However, “For ﬂu and RSV, you’re best o to take that rapid test when you ﬁrst feel symptoms,” she says.

If you take a COVID rapid test too soon a ter symptoms begin, the test misses the infection 92% of the time.

Rake Safely

As lovely as the autumn foliage is in Woodstock, we all know those gorgeous leaves will eventually fall and end up in our yard. It’s important to remember that raking is a workout—it engages your muscles, so loosening your arms, shoulders, neck, and back is key to preventing potential strains or extra soreness. The Cleveland Clinic recommends using proper form and technique to prevent injuries.

Keep your back straight while raking.

Keep one hand positioned at the top of the handle as you rake and occasionally switch hands to spread the workload evenly between your arms and shoulders. 1 2 3

Kindness, Compassion & Special People

Keep the rake close to your body. Reaching it out to grab leaves farther away can cause strain on your back muscles.

Avoid turning your back as you rake in leaves around you. Focus your motion in your arms and shoulders to avoid twisting. Even just a two-degree forced twist can injure the ﬁbers around your discs.

Bend your knees a bit and keep one foot just in front of the other to distribute the weight evenly.

Terrace, 2820 Christian St., White River Jct., VT 05001 (802) 280-1910, Physical Location: Wilder, VT, by Norwich • ValleyTerrace.net Wheelock Terrace, 32 Buck Rd, Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 643-7290 • WheelockTerrace.com Woodstock Terrace, 456 Woodstock Rd, Woodstock, VT 05091 (802) 457-2228 • WoodstockTerrace.com

DYK?

A lighted candle will ﬂicker along the edges of windows if there is a dra t.

Ready Your Home for Winter

Winter will arrive in Woodstock before you know it, so now’s the time to get your home ready for the colder weather. Here are a few chores to take care of this fall:

•Check for dra ts. Move a lighted candle along the edges of doors and windows; if the ﬂame ﬂickers, it’s time to replace the seal.

•Check all home safety devices. Replace batteries in smoke and ﬁre detectors and inspect or recharge ﬁre extinguishers.

•Clean and install storm doors and windows.

•Clean your humidiﬁers. Soak the interiors with undistilled white vinegar and scrub with a so t-bristle brush and replace ﬁlters.

•Have your furnace and chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional.

•Now that the leaves have fallen, check for any limbs that hang over the roof or may interfere with power lines.

•Turn o outdoor faucets and roll up your hoses to store for the winter.

Walking Does Wonders for Back Pain

If you’re one of more than 800 million people worldwide who su ers from chronic back pain, a walk in the crisp fall air may help keep you pain free for longer. New research ﬁnds that, over six months, folks who started a walking regimen kept recurrent back pain episodes at bay for much longer than people who did not walk regularly. “We don’t know exactly why walking is so good for preventing back pain, but it is likely to include the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening of the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief, and release of ‘feel-good’ endorphins,” says study author Mark Hancock. He adds that walking comes with many other health beneﬁts, including improved heart health, bone density, weight maintenance, and mental health.

Celebrate the Harvest

Enjoy family fun on the farm

Story and photos courtesy of Billings Farm & Museum

In the heart of Woodstock, amidst the spectacular fall foliage, Billings Farm & Museum will come alive for the two-day Harvest Celebration on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13, from 10am to 5pm. Guests from near and far are invited to celebrate the season with an abundance of harvest activities, food, and fun for all ages.

Against the breathtaking backdrop of autumn colors, guests can enjoy picturesque wagon rides through the pastures and join in the lively rhythm of a traditional barn dance. Swing your partner and dosi-do to live music by Shady Rill, complete with a caller to guide the joyful steps.

ere will be activities for the whole family, including pumpkin bowling, historic and modern lawn games, and opportunities to meet the farm’s cows, sheep, goats, and calves. Children can create a fall craft and enjoy harvest-themed story time. Capture Instagramworthy photos throughout the site—on a tractor, against the scenic pastures and hills, or with the stunning fall decorations of pumpkins, cornstalks, and the Billings Farm wagon.

Interactive demonstrations of husking and shelling corn, harvesting sun ower seeds for next year’s garden, and pressing apples into cider on an old-fashioned press will add to the harvest fun. Guests can partake in the bounty from the Farmstead Gardens by helping to harvest, wash, and sample late-season produce in Harvest Programs, or explore Vermont’s varieties of apples, trees, and orchards in the Apple Programs.

Don’t miss the chance to sample the sweet and savory combination of apples and Billings Farm Cheddar Cheese. In the 1890 Farm Manager’s House Kitchen, guests can peek into harvest traditions past and present with demonstrations of peeling apples and drying herbs.

A harvest celebration wouldn’t be complete without delicious treats. Sustainable Eats will be serving up delicious food-truck fare throughout the weekend. e Farmhouse Scoop Shop will o er Vermont-made ice cream, including pumpkin and other seasonal avors, as well as local spiced cider and apple cider donuts available for purchase.

BILLINGS FARM & MUSEUM

69 Old River Road

Woodstock, VT

(802) 457-2355

billingsfarm.org

Looking Back at the Pogue

This

THE BOTTOMLESS POGUE

In 1872, a local newspaper, e Vermont Standard, referenced a story of the Pogue’s bottomlessness. “Parties hauling muck from Pogue Hole for Mr. Billings nd the stories about its being a bottomless hole to contain rather more of truth than is for their comfort. C.O. ompson has had his horses in twice. Tuesday they got in all over.”

Top: An early view of the Pogue captures a serene moment. Above: A group of men harvest ice from the Pogue.

Mary Parkinson, a former Woodstock resident, reminisced in the 1938 newspaper about her childhood in Woodstock: “Pogue Hole was great fun for us (chil-

The Pogue has attracted artists and poets, skaters and ice harvesters, picnickers and nature enthusiasts. And it has always inspired lore about its bottomlessness and the quicksand that purportedly sucked in a team of oxen.

dren). We were told that if anyone got into it they would be drawn down and disappear in the quicksand in the bottom of the hole. We would pretend our foot was caught and we were going down, we made a great noise and tried to frighten the others, but they had tried that trick too often themselves to be taken in.”

Not at all playful was the accidental shooting death of Moses Samson in June 1781 at Pogue Hole. is sad event was recorded in Henry Swan Dana’s History of Woodstock, Vermont.

Some real creatures found there amazed the local populace. In 1891, “a

famous mud turtle was caught Monday in Pogue Hole . . . weighing about 40 pounds.” It was identi ed as an alligator terrapin (probably what we call a snapping turtle) and was on exhibit at the Billings barn.

e Pogue was a popular spot for birders as early as the 1930s when the Hartland Nature Club invited people to a bird walk and talk about warblers by local birding expert Richard Marble.

THE POGUE AS A WATER SOURCE

e Pogue as a water source was an ongoing news item. In July 1898, the

Top: An undated postcard depicts an autumn view.

Above: Early view of a bridge.

practical use of the Pogue was described as a reserve water supply. A so-called “force of men” was building an eightfoot-high dam to contain the pond. Two years later, in October 1900, the Standard reported that the Billings Estate was improving its private water system on the farm by “running a four-inch pipeline from the Pogue to the farm buildings,” o ering re protection and other uses. e Billings family also allowed Pogue water to be used to sprinkle the village streets to mitigate dust from the drought in the summer of 1920.

In December 1953, the Pogue was leased by the Woodstock Aqueduct Company after years of public squabbling over its availability and its safety as a drinking source. In 1930, Richard Billings wrote a scathing rebuttal letter in the Standard, contesting the opinions that the water was not safe to drink.

Another longtime characteristic of the Billings estate was the presence of

A 19th-century view of the Pogue before it was enlarged.

carriage roads used for pleasure driving of horses. In August 1900, a new carriage road was built from the top of the rise above the Pogue. e newspaper observed, “ is makes one of the pleasantest of the many beautiful drives on the estate.”

Today, the Pogue is part of the MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. e three-quarter-mile loop trail around the 14-acre pond is open to the public. No swimming, shing, or wading is allowed. As for the bottomless Pogue story, a few years ago, a study was carried out by the Inventory and Monitoring park crew and two Student Conservation Association interns. Ninety holes were drilled in the ice to create a bathymetric map of the bottom of the Pogue. e maximum depth? Just over 11 feet.

WOODSTOCK HISTORY CENTER

woodstockhistorycenter.org

A bark-covered boathouse on the Pogue.

Mon Vert Cafe

Where community connections and joy collide

By Corey Burdick

Photography by Lynn Bohannon

Walking into Mon Vert Cafe on Central Street in Woodstock, one can’t help but notice the artwork and the convivial atmosphere. Indeed, many of the cafe’s current and former employees have their work proudly displayed (and for sale!) on the walls, and according to cafe owner Sam DiNatale, it truly is the employees and the community that make Mon Vert Cafe such a special place.

Sam has worked in the service industry for most of her life, so the hospitality industry is in her bones. She has deep roots in Woodstock and says she couldn’t imagine opening a cafe anywhere else. In addition to being a business owner, she’s also served on the school board for eight years running. “I volunteer in the ways that I can because the community has given so much to me and my life,” Sam says. “It has supported me and my family for years. I’ve been here through two oods, and we try to take care of each other. It is a very special place.”

Patio seating at Mon Vert Cafe, 28 Central Street, Woodstock.

Clockwise from le t: Aidana Bogembay, a college student from Kazakhstan, works with the cafe's student work abroad program. Pastries are baked fresh daily. A group of local visitors enjoy Mon Vert's outdoor patio. Longtime employee Aidan Reed has worked at the cafe since 2020 as a dishwasher in high school and now works as a barista during college breaks.

“(The community) has supported me and my family for years. I’ve been here through two ﬂoods, and we try to take care of each other. It is a very special place.”

— Sam DiNatale, owner

LAUNCHING THE CAFE

With her mom Sandy, Sam purchased Mon Vert Cafe in 2015. e cafe itself already existed. As Sam settled in and started to make the space her own, she realized the cafe was quickly outgrowing the space, and longevity became a question as the owners were trying to sell the building. Armed with a desire to be able to invest in and grow her business, she ultimately couldn’t justify remaining in that location.

e current location was built in 1805 and has been home to many ventures, including Mooney’s gas station and repair shop. In fact, the lift remains in the garage in back of the cafe and Sam honored that history in part by naming a breakfast platter Sunrise at Mooney’s, which consists of two eggs with home fries, choice of meat (bacon, ham, or sausage), and toast. Sam now has a longterm lease at the current spot and has

The current location was built in 1805 and has been home to many ventures, including Mooney’s gas station and repair shop. In fact, the lift remains in the garage in back of the cafe and Sam honored that history in part by naming a breakfast platter Sunrise at Mooney’s.

Above: Guests enjoy comfy seating in "Woodstock's living room."

Right: A beautiful day outside Mon Vert Cafe.

been there since 2017. e cafe has been in business for more than 12 years, and Sam will celebrate a decade in business this December.

THE PEOPLE MAKE THE CAFE

Aside from the delicious, fresh, and largely local food, what makes Mon Vert Cafe stand apart is the people. Although Sam is the sole owner, she notes that she “would never say it’s just me running this. It’s successful because of the community and the people who work here, now and in the past.” e cafe has 24 full- and part-time employees during the busy season and closer to 18 during the slower months. Her partner of 13 years, Sam Smith, not only o ers great support

but is also the chef and has been running the kitchen for eight years. Erica Smollar, the front of the house manager, has been there for more than four years and, according to Sam, “never forgets a face. Someone could have come in six months prior, and she will remember them. at just adds to the feeling that the cafe truly is Woodstock’s living room.”

FRESH AND LOCAL FOOD

“ e food—it’s delicious,” according to Sam. “ ere is an art to a really good sandwich, and we make really good sandwiches and salads. We always toast good local bread from Red Hen Bakery or from Klinger’s, which is delivered fresh daily and includes classic crusty

“It’s successful because of the community and the people who work here, now and in the past.”

— Sam DiNatale, owner

Above: Owner and operator Sam DiNatale. Below: Guests of all ages enjoy a meal together.

baguettes.” Most of the meats are local from North Country Smokehouse and from Black River. e brisket is rubbed with a house marinade that includes co ee grounds, tying into the cafe component. All the cheese is local save for the Swiss, which is imported from a German company.

Sta and customer favorites include Gobble It Up (roast turkey breast, avocado, chipotle aioli, Cabot cheddar, tomato, and red onion on a whole-wheat wrap), the Salmon Club, the Cobb Salad, the Breakfast Burrito, the West Coast Sando (two over-medium fried eggs, avocado, Roma tomato, and basil aioli), and the Lox Schmear (smoked salmon, capers, red onion, tomato, and your choice of plain or fresh herb cream cheese on a plain or everything bagel). e keys to making the menu shine are the fresh ingredients and the attention that goes into creating each component, from the homemade dressings to the house-made scones. While certain items like the chicken salad sandwich have been in place since the beginning, others have been added more recently such as the Popeye the Fungi (sautéed mushrooms, Swiss

Top: Co eehouse Brisket Sandwich. Above: Homemade Maple Walnut Scone.

The keys to making the menu shine are the fresh ingredients and the attention that goes into creating each component, from the homemade dressings to the house-made scones.

cheese, baby spinach, pickled red onion, and basil aioli on a spinach wrap).

Don’t forget about the sweet treats, which are made by the cafe’s longtime employee, graphic designer, and baker Will Sterling. ese include scones, mu ns, croissants, cookies, bars, and brownies. ere is also a local bakery, Violetta’s Creations, that makes vegan and gluten-free items exclusively. But if

you come for one thing, Sam says, “Our scones are top notch. We are known for them!” Enjoy one with a Vermont Coffee Company espresso drink and you have the perfect pairing.

THE COFFEE TRAILER

When one visits Mon Vert Cafe, it’s hard to miss the trailer across the street, which launched this summer as a co ee

Visitors enjoy a quick treat at Mon Vert Mini.

"Challa" French Toast made with local Klinger's challah and topped with fresh berries. Local syrup is from Richardson's Farm.

and small bites spot. e trailer o ers drinks and some nibbles not available at the cafe. ere is a “Build Your Own Charcuterie Boat” where you can choose salami or prosciutto; lox; cheeses from Plymouth Cheese, Springbrook Farm, and Vermont Creamery; a spread such as house-made date walnut, olive tapenade, or g jam; and crackers.

e idea for the trailer was born from customer feedback noting that they loved the cafe but during the busy seasons, the lines can become quite long. e trailer launched in June and will be open until the end of October, ursday to Monday from 10am to 6pm.

Sam understands the comforting role cafes can play in establishing a sense of place for someone new in town. “I wanted to create the space where you can meet people—the cool, local co ee shop I was always looking for when traveling in my 20s.” She has clearly achieved her aim with Mon Vert Cafe.

Top: Mon Vert Mini is located at 55 Central Street, Woodstock.

Above: Erica Smollar, front of house manager.

Pentangle Turns 50!

Moving forward while celebrating the past

In early 1974, in its very rst newsletter, Pentangle Council on the Arts, a newly formed Woodstock organization, opened with an explanation of its name. “Why

PENTANGLE?

Well, since we have a ve-pointed program, the pentangle, a ve-pointed star, seemed most appropriate. Our ve concerns are the arts, humanities, education, appreciation, and participation.”

Optimistic and energized, Pentangle’s founders were launching an organization to enrich Woodstock and surrounding communities then and into the future. For a half century, Pentangle Arts has delivered on that vision and more.

A letter from the founding board of directors explains the Pentangle mission of the arts, humanities, education, appreciation, and participation.

Mary Gow | Photos courtesy of Pentangle Arts (unless otherwise noted)

Vocalists and musicians have entertained appreciative audiences throughout the years.

Pentangle plays a key role in Wassail Weekend, hosting wagon rides around the village.

Pentangle Arts calls the historic Woodstock Town Hall home.

Music by the River is held each summer at East End Park and hosts national artists such as the Houston Bernard Band.

Top le t: Pentangle has hosted popular live talent showcases attracting participants from across the Upper Valley.

Top right: Pentangle collaborates with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra to kick o annual summer festivities.

Above: Performing Arts Camp is an exciting part of Pentangle's summer calendar, with more than 30 young adults participating annually.

NURTURING APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS

rough these 50 years, Pentangle has consistently brought high-quality arts education programs into area schools, giving thousands of students introductions to and experiences with performing arts, poetry, music, and literature. With concerts, theater, lms, exhibitions, workshops, professional mainstage commercial productions, and veteran and emerging artists’ work and debuts, Pentangle has nurtured appreciation and participation in the arts and humanities. From musical comedies to rst-run movies and kids’ talent shows, audiences of

“We want to honor and incorporate the past and open the door to what is next. We are at an inflection point.”

— Deborah Greene, executive director

all ages have enjoyed great entertainment thanks to Pentangle. Along the way, Pentangle spearheaded the 1980s’ massive upgrade and renovation of Woodstock’s Town Hall eatre. is fall, Pentangle Arts celebrates its rst half century. A

Locals love to get in the spirit at East End Park, enjoying the free Music by the River Concert Series.

Cookies with Santa attracts more than 150 families attending during Wassail Weekend.

The arts and cra ts table allows little ones to get creative while parents enjoy Music by the River.

Prydein has graced the stage at both summer and holiday events, wowing the crowd with their bagpipe rock sound.

PROFILE

Deborah Greene EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Deborah Greene, whose ties to Woodstock date back to her childhood and her family’s home here, began her tenure as Pentangle executive director this summer. Founder of Vermont’s TEDxHartlandHill conference at Billings Farm & Museum, Deborah permanently moved back to Woodstock in 2020.

festive performance is scheduled for November 23. At this milestone, Pentangle is re ecting on its past and present while also looking ahead.

“We want to honor and incorporate the past and open the door to what is next. We are at an in ection point,” says Deborah Greene, Pentangle Arts’ new executive director. Deborah, who grew up going to Pentangle productions and events, took the helm from Alita Wilson this summer. Alita served as Pentangle’s executive director for 10 years—a tenure that included the COVID-19 pandemic and Pentangle’s rebound from it.

HOW IT STARTED

Pentangle’s history as an organization started with a group of dedicated area residents who got together at the home of Polly and William Billings in 1974. Wishing to expand art opportunities in area schools and the community, they envisioned a nonpro t organization similar to the Vermont Arts Council, but with a local focus. In August 1974, Pentangle organized its rst Summer Festival, four days of arts featuring Apple Hill Chamber Music, Canterbury Contra Dance Orchestra, Rag Time Jazz, an exhibition by local artists, and more. at school year, Pentangle had 11 programs in area schools—a mime, marionettes, the Vermont Symphony Youth Concert, and the Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble among them.

A ﬁlmmaker, actor, director, writer, arts administrator, and educator, Deborah is an alumna of Boston College. She earned her master’s degree in Public Administration, Global Diversity Governance from Coventry University. For ﬁve years she has been a delegate at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, as well as being a guest speaker at each event.

My favorite thing is to sit in an empty theater and dream. Whether I’m in the audience looking at the stage or on the stage looking at the audience, my eyes get bigger and I get creative and I think and dream about what can be.

“To be

here at Pentangle at the moment where we are launching into our next 50 years and I can sit in the theater and dream of what it can be—that is a dream for me.”

Patrons appreciate the spirit of complimentary concerts held to beneﬁt the community.

Programming has featured local participants of all ages. Photo by Lynn Bohannon.

Local local youth o ten have their ﬁrst job at Pentangle. Photo by Lynn Bohannon.

The internationally acclaimed Yale Whi enpoofs provide a unique experience during Wassail Weekend.

rough its rst years, Pentangle had an o ce, but no performance venue of its own. In the 1980s, an opportunity emerged for Pentangle to move forward, also connecting to an arts vision for the community dating back to 1899.

Back in 1899, needing an adequate town hall, Woodstock town built a grand new neocolonial building adjacent to the Green. e ample town hall for meetings occupied the rst oor. Performing arts were prominent in the town’s vision, so the second oor was home to a glorious 400-seat opera house

Pentangle’s history as an organization started with a group of dedicated area residents who got together at the home of Polly and William Billings in 1974.

with proscenium stage, balcony, and stage curtain painted to depict the Bay of Naples. Opened in late 1900, the Opera House was a lively community hub as traveling theater companies,

Live theater resonates with audiences who enjoy the large stage and wonderful acoustics.

Children love the outdoor environment of East End Park, home to Music by the River.

Patrons enjoy renting the theater to host their own special events, such as birthday parties and concerts. Photo by Lynn Bohannon.

The No Strings Marionettes' presentation of The Snow Maiden is among the most beloved children's Wassail Weekend events.

opera, vaudeville, community theater, and speakers on subjects including prohibition graced its stage.

After a 1920s re extensively damaged the building’s interior, in the renovation, the theater moved to the main oor. e structure also got a facelift, adding its stately front porch and Greek-styled columns. Live entertainment resumed—and motion picture screenings. In 1930, a sound machine for the new “talkies” was installed.

A NEW ERA

By the 1980s, the theater was in rough shape, and in violation of building and safety codes. Pentangle’s board and Executive Director David McWilliams recognized the desirability

Pentangle’s Arts in Education Program continues as one of its pillars, enriching lives of thousands of students through performances, artist residencies, after-school programs, and its longrunning popular Summer Performing Arts Camp.

of a community performance center and saw that this historic building and theater could again be a showcase for the town. Pentangle launched an ambitious capital campaign raising nearly one million dollars that funded extensive renovations.

e Town of Woodstock owns the building and has o ces there; Pentangle is steward of the theater.

e Town Hall eatre opened in late 1987 with a sold-out performance by Canadian composer and jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. A few months later, community members were back on their Town Hall’s stage with the New Woolhouse Players production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! directed by Tom Beck. Tom has directed several more musicals there, including e Producers in 2018 and is directing the upcoming 50th anniversary showcase. Selections from those community musicals and much more will be on the program.

Shows in the Town Hall eatre have run the gamut from

The Youth in Arts programs o er scholarships for students to participate in live theater and concerts. Local children and those from other states and countries perform their traditional opening number in Pentangle's Summer Stock in Woodstock camp founded in 2009 by Camp Director Sharon Groblicki.

large-scale professional travelling productions to small, intimate ones featuring local talent. A multiyear partnership with Artistree brought shows including Cats and Cabaret to the theater. Pentangle Players’ productions included Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and e Rocky Horror Show. Along with the big productions, another component of Pentangle is giving local artists a spotlight—a venue for a lm or play debut or concert.

PENTANGLE TODAY

Pentangle’s Arts in Education Program continues as one of its pillars, enriching lives of thousands of students through performances, artist residencies, afterschool programs, and its long-running popular Summer Performing Arts Camp. In the summer, Pentangle’s Music by the River concerts held in East End Park are enduring favorites. Summer 2024 featured six of these free concerts.

A NOTE FROM THE WRITER

Pentangle Arts, like other longstanding vibrant organizations in our area, is an enduring success because of the many, many people who have brought inspiration and years of commitment to it. Few names are mentioned here, because, honestly, it would be impossible to acknowledge all of the generous and farsighted individuals who have given this gi t of Pentangle Arts to the community.

Weekly movies and special events are posted in the Town Hall Theatre marquis. Photo by Lynn Bohannon.

Pentangle keeps up a lively movie schedule. Box-o ce manager Nick Sweetland notes that the screen is still believed to be the largest in the region. First-run movies are screened every week. rowback ursdays bring classics to town. e Wild and Scenic Film Festival and the Vermont Film Festival are among recent multiday events hosted there.

Pentangle collaborates with many, many organizations, including the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce for festive holiday fare over Wassail Weekend in December, Zack’s Place Enrichment Center for their annual immensely popular musical, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra on their summer tour.

At this 50-year milestone, Pentangle is looking ahead. Pentangle’s founders’ vision and action have profoundly enriched the community. is fall, Pentangle celebrates that and opens the door on its next decades involving and inspiring the community with highquality a ordable arts from around the corner and around the world.

PENTANGLE ARTS

Kids express a joyful moment at this year's talent show. Photo by Lynn Bohannon.

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Echo Market:

Where People and the Planet M

One product at a time

By E. Senteio | Photography by Lynn Bohannon

Victoria and Will Hurd sit on the front steps of Echo Market at 6 Central Street in Woodstock.

Echo Market o ers a wide variety of holistic healthoriented goods to support a regenerative lifestyle.

“Ultimately, empowering our c ommunity to lead a healthy, low-waste lifestyle is our North Star in curating our selection of products ”

— Victoria Hurd, co-owner of Echo Market

When someone pursues a life driven by their passions, they can change the world—or at least a part of it. Victoria Hurd is co-owner of Echo Market, alongside her husband Will, whom she calls her “life and business partner.” Victoria opened Echo Market in Woodstock, Vermont, on August 11, 2023. She wanted to make a di erence. “My goal in opening Echo was to create one central place where people could access healthy products.” When you start “peeling back the layers on products in our environment that are both harmful to human health and the planet,” she says,

LIVING HEALTHY

you realize how impactful your everyday choices can be, one way or the other. “Ultimately, empowering our community to lead a healthy, low-waste lifestyle is our North Star in curating our selection of products.”

Echo’s selection ranges from organic clothing to clean skincare and zero-waste products. “One of our bestselling categories is the organic cotton and bamboo clothing that we o er for children. It was important to o er baby and children’s clothes that are organic and natural. More and more research is coming out about how synthetic bers disrupt our endocrine system. As a future mom, I wanted to

“I hadn’t thought of us as a gift store, but it makes me happy people are sharing the gift of health with each other . ”

— Victoria Hurd, co-owner of Echo Market

be able to o er healthier options for our community.”

Selling close behind baby clothes is adult clothing. “We’ve de nitely lled a gap.” Regarding items like skincare, makeup, and lingerie, Victoria says, “So many people have come in and said we’re the only place in town that carries organic makeup, bras, and underwear. We also o er organic tampons and zerowaste feminine products. Ours are 100 percent biodegradable, and our customers love them.”

Victoria hadn’t anticipated these products would be so popular. But she’s happy that people are thinking about their health and the planet more holistically. She likes to see the positive impact they can have on someone’s life. “One thing that’s been speci cally impactful are our vitamins and supplements that help

menopausal women.” It’s anecdotal, but whether it’s the hot ashes or variable mood due to hormonal changes, most customers who try them come back for more. “ ey say how it’s helped them so much, and they’re happy to nd something that actually works.”

Echo’s displays are lled with an array of o erings, from kitchen tools that can help reduce waste, regenerative organiccerti ed co ee and loose-leaf teas, yoga mats and tness equipment, recycled gold jewelry, and an assortment of self-care products. e selection is ample and diverse. Victoria laughs when she shares an anecdote about a woman whose husband always bought her the same gift—one she never even used—then he came to Echo Market. “Now she says she loves the self-care gifts he gets her. And we’re happy to help him when he comes in. I

hadn’t thought of us as a gift store, but it makes me happy people are sharing the gift of health with each other.”

THE COST OF HEALTH

For Echo Market’s products to be helpful, Victoria says, they also have to be accessible. “We want to be able to offer health to everyone in most people’s budgets, so we don’t mark our products up any more than necessary. It wouldn’t make sense to bring a product in and o er it to our community if it’s at an exclusive price. We will o er a $28 pair of organic cotton leggings or a $128 pair of organic cotton sweatpants. You want it to be the most inclusive place because health is something that unites us all, and it’s got to be accessible. People tend to look at something and say, how much is health worth? But then you say,

Bari Ramirez, local ﬁtness instructor and frequent Echo shopper, browses the natural clothing selection.

how much can I a ord to spend on my health? at is really the question, especially with our country’s state of health care. It won’t be sustainable if you can’t a ord it.”

PURVEYORS OF HEALTH

Many of Echo’s vendors, says Victoria, handcraft their products with “the highest level of integrity, both in their ingredients and packaging. at takes people and the planet into account.” Before any brand is sold at Echo, Victoria researches how it is made and shipped to ensure it is healthy and environmentally conscious. “ e vendors we work with use the healthiest ingredients and materials. ey use very little plastic, if at all. Most of the garment bags we receive are biodegradable and home-compostable. And we reuse nearly all the shipping materials for our online store orders or recycle them. We have some locally crafted products, but we’ve had to look abroad for some of our products. Quite a few countries have higher standards in terms of their ingredients, and we prioritize protecting our customers’ health.” Victoria says if they receive a product that does not align with their values, “We don’t hesitate to send it back.”

For the industry overall, “I think we’re heading in the right direction regarding merchandising,” Victoria says. “You can look and see fails everywhere. But good people are doing good things in terms of products that people use every day.” She is encouraged by “seeing how many brands really do go above and beyond throughout their whole supply-chain process—from manufacturing to reaching our door—just really wanting to make the world a better place through their creations.”

From the moment you walk through the doors of Echo, Victoria wants each

customer to feel healthier, to feel better, to feel relief. Yet, she says, “I didn’t anticipate this, but the rst thing people say when they walk in is ‘It smells so good in here.’ at’s all the natural fragrances creating this aromatherapy. And our music calms their nervous system as they browse. I’d say most customers immediately have a sense of relief as the stress leaves their bodies. at is exactly what I wanted to curate. Every day is such a gift.”

Echo Market is in the space once occupied by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Even before it was on the market, Victoria kept her “eye on it because it

was such a wonderful space with the high windows and the natural light.”

Victoria’s background in retail, including her time at Nordstrom and her summer intensive at Parsons School of Design, has in uenced her approach to Echo Market. “I had always loved art and design and how people could take ideas and ultimately bring them to fruition in spaces and products.

“To garner a wider audience and help people switch to healthier, more sustainable products, you have to make it attractive. So, we’ve curated a community space where people love coming in. Every day, I see neighbors running into each other or

Echo Market o ers organic cooking oils, co ee and tea, local honey, and zero-waste kitchen essentials.

making new friendships in the store. And it’s ful lling for me to be able to create this space for our community.

“Do I want people to leave with products that I think will enhance their lifestyle and their health? Yes, absolutely. But if nothing else, I would be thrilled if they left with maybe just a little bit of relief. I love that.”

As customers browse the shelves, relaxing as they stroll through the store, Victoria and her team are there to help and answer any questions. Team members Brandi or Jess may greet you. Will also may be nearby, but “his primary focus right now is our farm.”

THE FARM

Victoria’s goals for a better planet don’t stop at Echo’s door. On the border of Woodstock and Barnard, Victoria and her husband are doing their part to heal the planet. After extensive research, she says, “We found that regenerative agriculture is an e ective way of cultivating biodiversity and capturing carbon back into the soil. We know how healing that can be for our planet.”

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming focused on improving the overall health of soil and the diversity of crops to create a balanced ecosystem. is restores the natural environment

making the land more resilient and sustainable over time, allowing the earth to produce healthier foods. e approach not only supports the health of their farm but also aligns with their commitment to sustainability.

“Right now, for us, that means we’re creating the foundation. We have 12 acres.” e farm practices include no-till farming, rotational grazing, and cultivating biodiversity with native species.

“We’ve planted a food forest with fruit and nut trees. One species that I love is the chestnut tree, and that’s because it was proli c in this area until a blight in the early 1900s. Legend has it that squirrels could hop from one chestnut tree to another from Vermont down to Virginia.

“ at’s just not the case anymore. So we’re planting native species and bringing in fruit and nut trees to be able to feed more of the wildlife and also our animals as well. Our goal is to create a self-sustaining system where we can grow the food that we need and that our animals need to survive. Are we there yet? No. We have a long way to go.”

MOO MOO HERE, CLUCK CLUCK THERE

Currently, there are six Devon cows on the farm, one of them being a recent calf. “ at species has been here since the 1600s, so they know how to navigate our hills.” ere are also 15 chickens. Along with the joys of farming, Victoria has also su ered losses: “We lost a calf, and in 2022, we lost our entire ock of chickens because of a predator.” ose were difcult experiences, Victoria says, “because you get attached.”

While they have egg layers, they also have “three girls that are broody right now and should be hatching chicks any day now. e cows and the chickens are soil builders. Friends, not food.”

The mama and baby personal care section boasts healthy skincare, organic accessories, and lactation-supporting chocolate.

“To garner a wider audienc e and help people switch to healthier , more sustainable products, you have to make it attractive. So, we ’ ve curated a c ommunity spac e where people love c oming in.”

— Victoria Hurd, co-owner of Echo Market

e farmland where the cows graze used to be a sheep farm and then stood empty for a long time. “It was pretty degraded. But this year, because of the nutrients that our soil builders leave on the soil, everything is so lush and happy. And, of course, we were fortunate to have wonderful weather this year, too. Because of the size of the cows and how they move through the land, they clear out some of the invasive species, like the honeysuckle and the Japanese knotweed. Now, there’s so much more milkweed.”

e regenerative farm plays a crucial role in helping to heal the planet.

On a conventional farm, Victoria says, “tilling the soil every year is extremely damaging to the topsoil; that’s where a lot of your nutrients are. It also releases more carbon into the atmosphere.” One simple thing she says people can do is

grow perennials, which don’t have to be replanted.

Eventually, she would “love to grow produce and share the nutrient-dense food that the earth is creating. But for now, at Echo, we sell organic seeds for people to grow at home. Sourcing from our amazing vendors is what we can manage right now. But in the future, it would be my goal to produce more products on our farm.” For instance, Victoria says, “We want to produce our own teas and other products.”

For now, she and Will are taking a “very measured approach to what is feasible. is is good for right now, but we would love to expand. Education is also a big part of our vision. We want to hold workshops and even kids’ camps to teach the next generation about regenerative agriculture and sustainability.”

FEASIBILITY AND HOPE

Victoria understands that it is not feasible for everyone to have a regenerative farm or an Echo Market. So, the hope, she says, is to give the community a place and the education for a healthier lifestyle and to support them in creating a sustainable earth for themselves and the future.

ose are values both Victoria and her husband grew up with, and she believes there are others who have the same values and are looking for ways to make a di erence. “Will and I were both fortunate enough to grow up with very holistic parents. Our moms took us to the ‘crunchy’ health stores. My mom has always been very naturopathic when it came to health.”

When Will was 17, his father passed due to a unique blood cancer. “ e doc-

Brandi and Victoria help Julia, a friend and frequent Echo shopper, with a dress selection.

“My main goal is to empower people with knowledge and information that they, too, can make a differenc e. A lot of times, people feel helpless This is a very tangible way of positively impacting our planet ”

— Victoria Hurd, co-owner of Echo Market

tors said it could have been exposure to toxic chemicals in his environment. Will was able to take this tragedy and turn it into the fuel for his re. So, we had these backgrounds separately. I’m also a certied integrative nutritionist and holistic health coach. But I’m not currently practicing.” is combination of experience, passion, and drive has motivated them throughout their lives to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk.

Victoria wants to make that path easier to walk for everyone through education. “We have a newsletter we send out every week. You can sign up for it on our website or read them on the Our Journal tab.” Eventually, she wants to o er workshops. “We’re talking with some local venues about doing recurring series focusing on wellness and sustainability. We would

have guest speakers. And later this year, we’re part of the TEDx talks in town.”

ASPIRATIONS

Victoria’s aspiration list is long, farsighted, and all-encompassing, as is her view of the community and planet’s health and well-being. While she talks about sustainability and regenerative agriculture, it’s also about regenerative lifestyles.

“My main goal is to empower people with knowledge and information that they, too, can make a di erence. A lot of times, people feel helpless. Like they can’t really have an impact outside of reducing their waste and not using plastic shopping bags. But even knowing they can do regenerative gardening in their backyard, when they grow their own tomatoes or produce, well, just creating that awareness

helps people know with climate change, this is a very tangible way of positively impacting our planet.”

Victoria says that if we were all to do that even in our own backyards, “that would be signi cant. How wonderful would it be to be able to reach the younger generation and teach them these fundamental lessons early on that they can carry with them throughout life and share with their friends? is would give them hope and a way to make an impact for themselves and their families.”

And much further down the road, “I want to create other healthy spaces like Echo in other communities. We know part of living healthier lives is about food and environment. One day, I would love to create a health food restaurant where people left feeling more nourished, where

Victoria and Will with their magniﬁcent Milking Devon cows Freya and Greta.

Will and I can share healthy, nutrientrich food from our regenerative farm.” But, she says, that is a very long way o .

ECHO MARKET

e name “Echo” came to Victoria in a moment of inspiration while reading Rick Rubin’s e Creative Act: A Way of Being. “I was sitting up at Silver Lake and randomly opened to a page. And the rst word my eyes went to, like laser-focused, was echo. It made so much sense in terms of the impact we wanted to have and how we wanted our community to continuously impact other communities. And that has already begun to happen.

“So many people say on a day-to-day basis, ‘I came in here because so-and-so recommended I come’ or ‘So-and-so got this product, and they loved it.’ at’s why we’re a regenerative lifestyle store. e dream is to create more places where more people can have ripple e ects that grow and grow, and more people experience health. I truly believe that our actions all have ripple e ects.”

Victoria created a space where health, sustainability, and community converge. Echo Market is more than a store where people can learn about and access healthier products for themselves and the planet. It’s a beacon of hope, o ering the possibility of positive change, saving the planet one product at a time.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “ e creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” In Woodstock, Echo Market may be that acorn.

ECHO MARKET

6 Central Street

Woodstock, VT

(802) 230-4053

Shop, Dine, and Explore Quechee this Fall

Whisper Hill ~ Bath + Body Wellness

5967 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 296-SOAP(7627) www.whisperhill.com

Open daily 10:30am–4:30pm Closed Wed

The Vermont Spot

Quechee Gorge Village Route 4

Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

Open daily 9:30am–5:30pm

Strong House Spa

Discover Red Light Therapy

694 Main Street Quechee, VT (802) 295-1718

www.stronghousespa.com

Gift Certificates Online

Vermont Antique Mall

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-4147

www.vermontantiquemall.com

Open daily 10am–5pm Free Parking

Val’s Hair Trends

6985 Woodstock Road, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 295-6150

Mon & Tue 9:30am–7:30pm Wed & Thu 9:30am–5pm By appointment Instagram @vals.hair.trends

Vermont Snack Shack

130 Quechee Gorge Village Drive Quechee, VT (802) 280-4188

Facebook @ snacktimeisshacktime

Instagram @ vermont_snack_shack

Quechee Pizza Chef & Mini Golf

5893 Woodstock Road

Quechee, VT (802) 296-6669

quecheepizzachef.com

Sun–Thu 11am–8pm Fri & Sat 11am–9pm Instagram @ gethoppy802

Foley Brothers Beer Garden

20 Quechee Gorge Village Drive Quechee, VT (802) 281-6769

www.foleybrothersbrewing.com/Quechee

The Sweet Spot Candy Shoppe

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4

Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

Open daily 10am–5pm

B.F. Southgate & Company

Antiques Collaborative

165 Waterman Hill Road Quechee, VT (802) 478-7748 facebook.com/bfsouthgate Thu–Tue 10am–5pm

Quechee Home

Quechee Gorge Village Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 281-6274

Open daily 10am–5pm

Align Inn Vermont

5817 Woodstock Road Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 295-7600

www.aligninnvermont.com reservations@aligninn.com

Andrew Pearce Bowls

(Between Quechee and Woodstock)

59 Woodstock Road (Route 4) Hartland, VT (802) 735-1884

www.andrewpearcebowls.com Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am-3pm

Quechee General Store

Quechee Gorge Village, Route 4 Quechee, VT (802) 295-1180

www.quecheegeneralstore.com

Open daily 10am–5pm Free Parking

TRAIL BREAK taps + tacos

New location *Now Open*! 5945 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT

www.trailbreakvt.com

Lunches + Dinners most days Booking taco trailer parties for 2025 and 2026!

ANICHINI 802

Luxury Textiles & Soft Furnishings 6931 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 698-8813 www.anichini.com/vermont

Open daily Design Consultations & Personal Shopping

The Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm Restaurant and Tavern 1119 Quechee Main Street Quechee, VT (802) 295-3133

www.quecheeinn.com Serving dinner nightly

Quechee Cuts

6985 Woodstock Road Quechee, VT (802) 291-2648 Mon 9am–2pm Tue, Wed 9am–4pm Thur 10am–6pm, Fri 9am–4pm Sat 9am–12pm

Shop, Dine, and Explore Quechee this Fall

Shepard Interior Selections

115 Town Line Road Route 4 Quechee, VT

For appointments call (802) 457-1116 or email Eleanor@shepardvt.com

Public House Pub Route 4

Quechee, VT (802) 295-8500

www.publichousevt.com

Always Serving Quality Food, Drink, and Fun

FB: PublicHouseVT

Dr. Randy Schaetzke, DC, DIBAK

Wholistic Health Services of Vermont

6985 Woodstock Road (Route 4) Quechee, VT (802) 296-6030

www.doctorrandy.com

Chiropractic, Nutrition

10 Favorite Autumn Activities

Football! Cheer on your favorite high school team—or the Patriots! Visit farmers’ markets for pumpkins and apples.

Rake leaves—and jump into the pile!

Make homemade caramel apples.

Decorate your front porch with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and mums.

Host a potluck dinner, indoors or out.

Pack a picnic and take a drive to enjoy the foliage.

Go for a hike. (See page 22.)

Drink apple cider and eat cider donuts.

Curl up by the ﬁreplace with a good book.

Climbing Mount Mitchell

The tallest mountain east of the Mississippi

Story and Photography by Lisa Ballard

Mount Mitchell, elevation 6,684 feet, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River in the United States. It’s located in the Black Mountains near Burnsville, North Carolina, a towering 15-milelong ridge that’s part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn, is part of the Appalachian Mountains. By comparison, Mount Mans eld, the highest mountain in Vermont and also part of the Appalachians, tops out at 4,395 feet. e only reason I wanted to climb Mount Mitchell was because it’s the highest. To help ensure an enjoyable and informative day on the trail, I partnered with Jake Blood, a Burnsville local who played an integral part in creating and maintaining the Black Mountains’ 80-mile trail network. He had climbed Mount Mitchell more times than he could remember, including a dozen or so ascents already this year before our climb together in May.

We started at a campground by the South Toe River and quickly entered the rhododendron tunnel for which the Southern Appalachians are renowned. We were too early for the colorful show. Instead, the rhododendrons framed the trail like densely tangled wooden tendrils. ere was no question which way to go.

About a quarter mile into the hike, Jake pointed out log steps in the trail made from local locust wood. “Locust wood doesn’t rot, so it’s favored by trail crews here,” he said. e water bars were also made from locust wood as the trail turned upward. We had a 3,500 foot climb ahead. I was grateful for the extensive trail work. ough the rhododendrons were still a month away from blooming, pretty dwarf iris and bluets grew beside the path, a pleasant distraction. We also passed several enormous old-growth oak trees, which had littered the trail with acorns the previous fall.

Below: View of Mount Mitchell and neighboring 6,000-footers of North Carolina's Black Mountains.

Opposite: The author by the caveside trail, one of the few rock formations on Mount Mitchell.

At 1.5 miles, we came to another monstrous oak tree, measuring about 40 inches in diameter, that had fallen across the trail. According to its rings, it was at least 250 years old.

At 1.5 miles, we came to another monstrous oak tree, measuring about 40 inches in diameter, that had fallen across the trail. According to its rings, it was at least 250 years old. e trail crew had already cleared a corridor through the tree. I paused as I passed through the cut. e left side of the trunk was as high as my shoulder!

As we gained elevation, the few rocks that were embedded in the trail glittered in the sunlight. “ ey’re full of mica,” said Jake. “Historically, the mines here were for mica, which was used before

heat-resistant glass was invented. at ended in the early 1960s, but quartz is still actively mined around here.”

“What’s the main rock in the Black Mountains?” I asked, not seeing much quartz around. “Gneiss,” replied Jake.

PROFESSOR MITCHELL ´ S DEMISE

We kept going without a break, but Jake was a walking encyclopedia on the region, which distracted me from the climb. ere wasn’t much to look at besides rhododendrons and locust wood water bars. “Who is Mount Mitchell

named for?” I asked at one point. en Jake told a story that I will never forget.

Mount Mitchell was named for Elisha Mitchell (1793–1857), a professor and minister at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was UNC’s only campus back when he began teaching in the early 1800s. He was a geologist who was more an academic than outdoorsy eld researcher, but as an expert in his eld, he was tasked with surveying the mountains of western North Carolina. Assisted by his students and using barometric measuring devices, he determined that Mount Mitchell, then called Black Dome, was the highest peak not only in North Carolina but of the entire Appalachian Mountain Range. omas Clingman, one of his star students who helped with the survey, vehemently disagreed. Clingman, who

The author passes through a huge fallen oak, now holding a trail marker.

became a United States senator, believed another summit to the south along the same ridge, now known as Clingman’s Peak, was higher. Clingman and Mitchell spent the next decade publicly and bitterly disputing the other’s claim.

In 1857, Professor Mitchell decided to settle the score. He set out to climb his namesake mountain alone to remeasure it, but went up the wrong mountain, got lost, fell o a 60-foot waterfall, and was found dead several days later in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Upon learning of Mitchell’s demise, Clingman conceded the argument to Mitchell, stating, “You don’t keep ghting with a dead man.”

Mount Mitchell was, indeed, proved 39 feet higher a year later by Arnold Guyot, a professor of geology at Princeton University. It was Guyot who ultimately named Mount Mitchell after Elisha Mitchell and also Clingman’s Dome, which straddles the North Carolina–Tennessee border in the Great Smokey

Mountains and is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, after omas Clingman. e cascade where Professor Mitchell fell to his death is now named Mitchell Falls.

MORE INTRIGUE ON THE MOUNTAIN

At 3.2 miles into the hike, as the story of Elisha Mitchell ended, we broke out of the trees where a power line cut a straight swath. We paused to ogle the Blue Ridge Mountains, which spread out before us in their famous blue layers before continuing on our way.

Back in the woods a little farther, Jake called for another break, this time by a at-topped boulder beside the trail. e boulder was notable because there weren’t many rocks on the trail or in the woods, unlike the mountains in New England that contain many boulders of all sizes. “ e continental ice sheets never made it this far south so they didn’t leave behind

the scree, talus, and random boulders that you get up north,” explained Jake, then he motioned for me to follow him past the boulder.

We bushwacked a short way to a smaller boulder beside a tree trunk. A rusty old horseshoe stuck out of the tree trunk just above our heads, as if someone had ipped it into the wood. In fact, the tree had grown up around it, lifting it o the ground. “No doubt the survey crew would have used horses,” said Jake, pointing to the horseshoe, then he bent down to scratch lichen o the rock. Under the moss, “April 21, 1935” was faintly etched into its pocked surface.

“I found this working on the trail crew one day,” said Jake. “It must have been carved by another survey or an earlier trail crew. We were just eating lunch by the old eroded trail that used to go right by here, when I saw it.” e writing was barely discernible, but the horseshoe was obvious.

Below, clockwise: A horseshoe, likely from an early 20th century trail crew, embedded in a tree trunk. Jake Blood on log steps made of rot-resilient locust wood. Jake ascends one of the rare rough sections of trail on the upper Mount Mitchell Trail.

There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from reaching a summit, especially one so signiﬁcant. It’s not every day that I get to climb a prominent peak with such a dramatic backstory.

We returned to the trail and continued upward. As we crested about 5,000 feet in elevation, the trees changed to full-sized conifers, especially hemlocks and rs. How di erent than the Green Mountains where the tops of the 4,000-footers are treeless in the alpine zone!

At little later, we crossed the power line again and paused for another gorgeous view. Mitchell was stingy with its views, but when you got one, it was an eye-popper. As I took some photos, a couple of hikers passed behind us, heading downward. It was the rst people we

had seen all day, though we were already four miles into our climb. “Only about 25 to 30 people per day use this trail,” said Jake. I loved having the trail to ourselves, especially knowing how busy the highest mountains in the Northern states were, but there would be no solitude at the summit.

THE TOP

We got another view closer to the top when we crossed an old railroad grade, the former bed of a narrow-gauge train that was used to transport timber from

the mountain to nearby mills. According to Jake, much of the mountain was clear cut by the late 1800s, then the governor of North Carolina supported letting nature recover. As a result, in 1916, the top of Mount Mitchell became the state’s rst state park. (Its lower anks are now part of Pisgah National Forest.) e forest was now so dense it was hard to imagine open slopes here 130 years ago. “ e wonderful thing about nature is that it perseveres if you give it a chance,” said Jake.

As we neared the top, the route went up some exposed bedrock. Instead of a wooden ladder or steps that you might nd on trails in New England, steps were cut into the rock. We also passed a rock cave formed by a few more of the rare boulders along the path. ough it looked similar to caves in the Green Mountains left behind when the last ice

Clockwise from top: The viewing platform on the summit above the grave of Elisha Mitchell. The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from a power line cut. The author's hiking boot by the benchmark at the summit.

age receded, Jake attributed this cave to wind and rain. “Gneiss and quartz are hard and slow to erode,” he explained. “As the softer rock crumbled away, these rocks ended up like this.”

About a quarter-mile from the summit, the footpath ended at a paved sidewalk. e sidewalk started at the top of the auto road up the mountain. From there, everyone had to walk the last quarter mile. It was a gentle climb with a lot more people, passing under ledges dripping with spongy sphagnum moss. We never did clear tree line.

At the top, the rst thing I noticed was the tomb of Elisha Mitchell. He was truly interred there, which was a little creepy. A sweeping walkway arced around the raised grave to an observation deck above the spindly conifers. e elevated platform a orded a hazy 360-degree view. At rst, I couldn’t stop peering at the gravesite, but it was hard to ignore that heavenly panorama. After a few minutes, the initial shock of seeing the tomb wore o . I forgot about Professor Mitchell and simply enjoyed being on top of his mountain. ere’s a certain satisfaction that comes from reaching a summit, especially one so signi cant. It’s not every day that I get to climb a prominent peak with such a dramatic backstory. “Mitchell is the highest, but it’s much more than that,” said Jake. How true! Mount Mitchell is a geologic landmark, but it also has a human history that makes standing on its top even more rewarding.

Explore Burnsville exploreburnsville.com

Light Up the Night in Nature

By Pamela Brown | Photos courtesy of VINS (unless otherwise noted)

TVisit A Forest of Lights at VINS

his winter, get ready to be wowed by thousands of colorful lights and holiday images that will dazzle you with their mesmerizing beauty. e Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is presenting its third annual A Forest of Lights, an immersive, awe-inspiring experience that will have you swooning with sea-

“It’s

great. It’s a beautiful place to be with lights all around you,” says Chris Collier, senior director of operations and exhibits.

e fun, family-friendly event takes place on weekends, November through January 2025, from 4:30 to 7pm on the expansive grounds of the nonpro t organization at 149 Natures Way in

a magical walk through an enchanted realm to experience the VINS campus like never before.”

— Chris Collier, senior director of operations and exhibits

sonal joy. “It’s a magical walk through an enchanted realm to experience the VINS campus like never before. To have an opportunity in the Upper Valley for a spectacular display like this is

Quechee. Depending on your pace, the walk takes 45 to 60 minutes. It starts at the Welcome Center and winds down through the Forest Canopy Walk that moves from the forest oor to the

Above: Colors of the forest. Photo by Herb Swanson. Below: Visitors enjoy the Snowﬂake Dome on the Forest Canopy Walk. Photo by Herb Swanson. Opposite: The Treehouse on the Forest Canopy Walk.

treetops without a climb and includes a couple side trails to optional experiences.

“It’s a meandering walk where you’re out in nature and step onto the elevated walkway that gives you a di erent perspective as you look down 50 feet of the forest oor. It’s an amazing display that’s all about nature,” he says.

SPECTACULAR FEATURES

e trail is lled with marvelous largerthan-life animal structures and other related items. Some new interactive elements include two cool photo opportunities, including the Bird Wing Photo Station showcasing two sets of color-changing, illuminated wings with wingspans of eight and ve feet where people can “become” a bird, and the Snow Globe that is a dome of lights surrounding guests with ever-changing colors. Other unique displays include the Mandala Trees with trunks wrapped with lights and concentric circles of lights on the ground below; Snow Shower Tower that has the Forest Canopy Walk tower enveloped in pink,

“It’s a meandering walk where you’re out in nature and step onto the elevated walkway that gives you a di erent perspective as you look down 50 feet of the forest ﬂoor.”

purple, and blue lights and adorned with huge snow akes that creates an impressive display; and Whimsical Woodland, where guests can channel their imagination and inner child among the lighted mushrooms, owers, and other fairy features. Afterward, attendees can gather by the camp re to enjoy hot chocolate, s’mores, donuts, and other refreshments that are available for purchase.

View from the top of the 100-foot-tall Treehouse.

— Chris Collier, senior director of operations and exhibits

Clockwise from le t: The Owl's Nest above the Spider Web. Visitors enter the nature center.

Photo by Herb Swanson. There are many photo opportunities for family and friends. Photo by Herb Swanson.

MAGICAL, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Chris notes this event re ects the mission of VINS, enhancing its emphasis on the importance of the environment. e nonpro t’s mission is to motivate individuals and communities to care for the environment through education for adults, families, and schoolchildren. It partners with leading conservation organizations to promote environmental science eld research and operates New England’s premier avian wildlife rehabilitation clinic at the Nature Center. “ e event exposes people to what we have to o er. A Forest of Lights is only one part of VINS and we encourage people to come back and see the other exhibits,” he says. “Part of the reason we present this event is to give people a di erent experience at night, in the woods, in the winter on the Forest Canopy Walk among trees. It’s experiential—a form of education and learning.” All money raised through the event bene ts VINS for rehabilitating birds, its educational programs, and research.

“We want people to have an amazing, enchanted evening with family and friends with the lights washing over them in holiday spirit,” says Chris. “ is captivating exhibit promises to be an incredible experience for guests of all ages and it’s a great opportunity to make special memories with family and friends.”

Beginning November 1, tickets will be available to members; the general public can purchase tickets beginning November 8. The exhibit dates are November 22, 23, 29, 30; December 1, 5–7, 12–14, 19–23, 26–31; and January 1–4, 2025. Adult tickets are $13, youth are $8, and children 3 and under are free.

VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

149 Natures Way Quechee, VT (802) 359-5000

vinsweb.org

Come Closer To Dining That Delights.

Savor meals that connect you to the seasonal produce in our Organic Kelly Way Gardens and that celebrate the incredible purveyors in our community. We invite you to come closer. And to feel the experience of every bite.

It’s Happening in e Mad River Valley

Stephanie Grace Ceramics

Mad River Green Shopping Center

101 Mad River Green Waits eld, VT

www.stephaniegraceceramics.com @stephaniegraceceramics.com

Product ink Tank

Vermont-Based Natural-Fiber Clothing Brand

102 Mad River Green Waits eld, VT (802) 498-3266 www.ProductTT.com IG @product_think_tank

Drip Culture

Infrared Saunas & Cold Plunge

4477 Main Street Waits eld, VT (802) 496-6434 www.dripculturesaunas.com @dripculturesaunas

e Mad Rover

Lifestyle Outdoor Apparel

5523 Main Street Waits eld, VT (802) 496-2500 www.themadrover.com @themadrovervt

Finery by Sasha Walsh

4403 Main Street Suite 207 Waits eld, VT www. neryvt.com hello@sashawalsh.com Wed–Sat 11am–5pm

Addison West Goods for Home + Life Home • Gi • Kitchen • Books • Interiors

5275 Main Street (Route 100) Waits eld, VT (802) 528-7980 www.theaddisonwest.com @theaddisonwest

Open 7 days a week

Inklings Children’s Books

106 Mad River Green Waits eld, VT (802) 496-7280 @inklingschildrensbooks

Moosewalk Studios & Gallery Fine Art and Photography

200 Orion Road Warren, VT (802) 583-2224 www.moosewalkstudios.com

Waits eld Pottery

Featuring Ulrike Tessmer and Alexi High

4366 Main Street, Unit 1 Waits eld, VT (802) 496-7155 www.waits eldpottery.com www.alexihigh.com

A Great Place to Visit

Lincoln Gap Photography

Vermont Family Adventure Photographer

Family • Maternity • Newborn

Senior • Branding (802) 266-1312 www.lincolngapphotography.com @Lincolngapphoto

e Collection

110 Mad River Green Waits eld, VT (802) 496-6055 www.vtcollection.com @vt.collection

Salt & Sand Studios

Glassblowing Classes

3955 VT Route 100 Warren, VT (802) 583-2559 www.saltandsandstudios.com

Mad River Massage

Customized Massage erapy

5677 Main Street Waits eld, VT (802) 496-5638 www.madrivermassage.com

Art in the Village

270 Main Street

Warren, VT (802) 496-5605

Wed–Mon 10am–4pm, Closed Tue

Barrie Fisher Photo Studio

Weddings + Events Pets + People

Children + Families Fine Art + Gi s

182 Mad River Green-Waits eld, VT Call for Appointments (802) 777-5665 (LOOK) www.b sherphoto.com

Whippletree Designs

104 Mad River Green Waits eld, VT (802) 496-9694

www.whippletreedesigns.com @whippletreedesigns

Celebrating 10 years!

Mad River Valley Arts

5031 Main Street, Unit 2 Waits eld, VT (802) 496-6682 www.madrivervalleyarts.org Tue–Sat 1–5pm

Made in Vermont

Artisans’ Gallery

20 Bridge Street Waits eld, VT (802) 496-6256

www.vtartisansgallery.com

HAPPENINGS

THROUGH EARLY SEPTEMBER

Sunﬂower House

Billings Farm & Museum

billingsfarm.org

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 26

Feast & Field Music Series

Fable Farm barnarts.org

Untitled (Unacknowledged/ Untold/Unafraid...) by Barbara Kruger, 2007, Digital print on vinyl, 101 x 134-1/2 in.

A slightly spooky & super sweet event!

OCTOBER 27

A Family Halloween

At this spooktacular Halloween on the farm, there will be fun for the whole family with trick-or-treating, hayrides, and costume parades. Billings Farm & Museum, 2pm billingsfarm.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 1

Exhibit: Zorawar Sidhu & Rob Swainston

Hall Art Foundation hallartfoundation.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 1

Exhibit: Barbara Kruger

Hall Art Foundation hallartfoundation.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 1

Exhibit: Ed Ruscha, Works on Paper

Hall Art Foundation hallartfoundation.org

PENTANGLE ARTS

31 The Green Woodstock, VT (802) 457-3981 pentanglearts.org

SEPTEMBER 25–27

The Quietest Year: Virtual Screening

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while many people sought refuge in the peaceful rural beauty of Vermont, a few established residents found themselves trapped in noisy home environments. This documentary explores the o tenignored crisis of noise pollution, which has signiﬁcant public health and environmental justice implications in Vermont and beyond. Visit www.sustainablewoodstock.org/event/ the-quietest-year/ to register for virtual screening.

OCTOBER 24

Just Getting By: Screening and Q&A

Vermont has the second highest rate of homeless people in the United States, right a ter California. Onethird of Vermonters struggle to put food on the table.

Just Getting By is a sweeping and yet intimate look at the lives of Vermonters who are struggling with food and housing insecurity. Film screening to be held at Town Hall Theatre at 6pm on October 24, followed by panel Q&A with director Bess O’Brien and local nonproﬁts.

Town Hall Theatre, 6–8:30pm

THROUGH DECEMBER 1

Exhibit: Sherrie Levine Hall Art Foundation hallartfoundation.org

SEPTEMBER, SATURDAYS

Kelly Way’s Bouquets Woodstock Inn & Resort, 10am woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, TUESDAYS

Needlepoint Get-Togethers

Norman Williams Public Library, 10am normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, TUESDAYS

Baby Story Time

Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30am normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, TUESDAYS

Play Chess & Backgammon!

Norman Williams Public Library, 5pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, THURSDAYS

Toddler Story Time

Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30am normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, THURSDAYS

Knitters Meet-up on the Mezzanine

Norman Williams Public Library, 2pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, THURSDAYS

Play Bridge at Norman Williams!

Norman Williams Public Library, 2pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 7

Botanical Fiber Dyeing with Rachel Kahn

Billings Farm & Museum, 10am billingsfarm.org

SEPTEMBER 6

Moos & Brews & Cocktails Too! Billings Farm & Museum, 5–7:30pm billingsfarm.org

SEPTEMBER 19–29

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Grange Theatre artistreevt.org

SEPTEMBER 7

NWPL Book Bingo 24 Party!

Norman Williams Public Library, 11am normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 7

She Casts: Women’s Fly-Fishing Clinic

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 12:30pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 7

Flower Arranging Class

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 1pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 7–8

Woodstock Art Festival

The Green woodstockvt.com

SEPTEMBER 7–8

Cook It Speak It: Japanese Is on the Menu: Learn to Make Tofu! Artistree, 11am artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 8

Sunday Supper at the Red Barns

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 6pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 8

Yoga Nidra Artistree, 6:30pm artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 10, 17

Green Thumb Garden Tour

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 3pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 10, OCTOBER 8, NOVEMBER 12

What’s on Your Nightstand? The Not-a-Book-Club Book Club

Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30am normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 11, 18

Can You Dig It? An Agriculture Pun Tour

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 10am woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 14

Old-Time Fair

Woodstock History Center, 1–3pm woodstockhistorycenter.org

SEPTEMBER 10, OCTOBER 8, NOVEMBER 12

Recite! Poetry Sharing Evening

Norman Williams Public Library, 5:30pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 11, OCTOBER 9, NOVEMBER 13

Pre-K Story Time

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 9:30am woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 12, 19

Taste of the Season Tour

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 3pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 12, 20

Family Fun Tour

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 3pm woodstockinn.com

SEPTEMBER 14, OCTOBER 5, NOVEMBER 2

Family Clay Artistree, 1pm artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 15

Family Workshop: Backpack Swag Artistree, 11am artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 19, OCTOBER 17

A ter Hours at the Fly-Fishing Shop

Woodstock Inn & Resort, 5:30pm woodstockinn.com

HAPPENINGS

SEPTEMBER 28

Forest Fairy Hunt

VINS, 10am vinsweb.org

SEPTEMBER 19, OCTOBER 17, NOVEMBER 21

Mix, Minge, and MAKE! Artistree, 6pm artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 23, NOVEMBER 27

Read Between the Lines: Fiction Discussion Group

OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, FRIDAYS

Qigong with Gerry Sandweiss –Online

Norman Williams Public Library, 8:30am normanwilliams.org

OCTOBER 2, NOVEMBER 1

Foundations of Restorative & Yin Yoga

Norman Williams Public Library, 4pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 25, OCTOBER 30, NOVEMBER 27

Zentangle Time!

Norman Williams Public Library, 4pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 26

Mud Dance: At Home in the Stream

Woodstock History Center, 1:30–2:30pm woodstockhistorycenter.org

SEPTEMBER 27

Sheila Curran Bernard: Bring Judgment Day

Norman Williams Public Library, 4pm normanwilliams.org

SEPTEMBER 28

Introduction to Relief and Monoprint Mixed-Media Printmaking

Artistree, 10am artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 5, 12, 19

Honor the Knowing: Three-Day Retreat

Artistree, 9:45am artistreevt.com

SEPTEMBER 24

Mystery Writers: Sarah Stewart Taylor & Flynn Berry

Norman Williams Public Library, 6pm normanwilliams.org

OCTOBER 18

Hocus Pocus on the Big Screen!

Grange Theatre, 7pm artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 5–6

Cook It Speak It: Japanese Is on the Menu: Donburi Artistree, 11am artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 10–12

Telling My (Pandemic) Story: Loss, Growth, Isolation, and Resilience (3-Day Workshop) Artistree, 5pm artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 12–13

Harvest Celebration

Billings Farm & Museum billingsfarm.org

OCTOBER 18

Teens Only: Masks and Costumes Artistree, 6pm artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 20

Family Workshop: Spooky Wall Hangings Artistree, 11am artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 22

Tap Your Way to Presence: A Guided Journey Artistree, 6pm artistreevt.com

OCTOBER 25–NOVEMBER 3

Young Frankenstein Barnard Town Hall barnarts.org

HAPPENINGS

OCTOBER 27

A Family Halloween

Billings Farm & Museum billingsfarm.org

NOVEMBER 3

Family Workshop: Tabletop Sculpture Artistree, 11am artistreevt.com

NOVEMBER 6

Literary Pairs – Book Discussion Group

Norman Williams Public Library, 1pm normanwilliams.org

NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 1

A Family Thanksgiving

Billings Farm & Museum billingsfarm.org

NOVEMBER 16

Printmaking Without a Press for Beginners: Greeting and Holiday Cards

Artistree, 10am artistreevt.com

NOVEMBER 16

Savory Squash Soup with Chef Matthew McClure of the Woodstock Inn & Resort

Billings Farm & Museum, 10am billingsfarm.org

NOVEMBER 16

Escape from VINS! VINS, 1pm vinsweb.org

NOVEMBER 17

Sequencing: A New Approach to Painting Artistree, 1pm artistreevt.com

ADVERTISERS INDEX

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact Bob Frisch at (603) 867-9339 or email rcfrisch1@comcast.net.

121 Home................................................................9

Artisans’ Gallery................................................ 79

Artistree.................................................................21

Au Comptoir........................................................ 52

BF Southgate & Company............................ 65

Barnard Inn Restaurant................................54

Barrie Fisher Photo Studio.......................... 79

Bethel Mills......................................................... 34

Billings Farm & Museum...............................28

Blood’s Catering & Party Rentals.............83

Boss Yoga & Pilates......................................... 52

Brown Furniture.................................................15

Carpet Mill..............................................................2

Chocolate Fusion.............................................. 52

Clover Gi t Shop ...............................................54

Collective–The Art of Cra t........................... 53

Crown Point Cabinetry......................................5

Deirdre Donnelly Jewelry..............................54

Donald J. Neely–Hanover Orthodontics 51

Dr. Randy Schaetzke, DC, DIBAK.................66

Drip Culture Infrared Saunas..................... 78

Elevation Clothing.............................................12

Ennis Construction..........................................28

Estate Wildlife Control....................................77

Evans Paintings Studio & Gallery............. 67

FH Gillingham & Sons....................................54

Finery by Sasha Walsh................................... 78

First Impressions Salon & Spa...................40

Focus–A Vermont Gallery............................. 63

Foley Brothers Beer Garden........................64

Frameworks Studio of Woodstock........... 53

GeoBarns............................................Back cover

Gilberte Interiors............................................... 11

Got It Covered Upholstery.............................4

Green Mountain Fireplace Specialties... 29

Hall Art Foundation......................................... 43

Hillside Builders............................................... 42

Hull Maynard Hersey Insurance.................13

Inklings Children’s Books............................. 78

Jackson House Inn........................................... 49

Jake’s Quechee Market...................................21

Je Wilmot Painting & Wallpapering......83

Junction Frame Shop......................................50

King Arthur Baking Company......................84

LaValley Building Supply.................................7

Lincoln Gap Photography............................. 79

Mad River Massage.......................................... 79

Mad River Valley Arts...................................... 79

Mertens House..................................................86

Mon Vert Cafe.....................................................54

Montcalm Golf Club.........................................73

Moosewalk Studios & Gallery.................... 78

Mt. Ascutney Hospital....................................85

NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers.............. .................................................................19, 53, 86

Pizza Chef.............................................................54

Product Think Tank.......................................... 78

Quechee Club........................................................1

Quechee Cuts..................................................... 65

Quechee General Store................................. 65

Quechee Home, Porch & Closet................ 65

Quechee Pizza Chef.........................................64

R.T. Home.............................................................. 55

Rain or Shine Tents & Events..................... 42

Real Broker, LLC....................................................3

Red Wagon Toy Co............................................ 55

Rose Hill Pet Services....................................19

Salt & Sand Studios........................................ 79

Shepard Interior Selections........................66

Simple Energy.................................................... 67

Sleep Woodstock Motel................................. 55

Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group............. ..............................................Inside front cover

Soulfully Good Café........................................ 53

Splendid Bakes.................................................. 52

Splendid Chaos.................................................54

Stay at Jimmy’s.................................................. 53

Stephanie Grace Ceramics........................... 78

Strong House Spa............................................64

Sugarbush Farm................................................ 82

Teago General Store........................................25

Terrace Communities.......................................27

The Barnard

Ottauquechee Health Foundation........... 52

Pentangle Arts....................................................17

GET CONNECTED

Get listed on the greateruppervalley.com BUSINESS DIRECTORY and you will also be included on our printed list in every issue of WOODSTOCK MAGAZINE. (See page 17.)

HERE’S HOW!

Email Bob Frisch at rcfrisch1@comcast.net, or call Bob at (603) 867-9339. Find out how you can connect with our readers. It’s easy, inexpensive, and another way to reach an a uent and educated audience.

Share the wonder of our beautiful area and the latest news all year long with a gi t subscription. Friends and family who have moved away from the area will be especially appreciative. Be sure to order a subscription for yourself too!

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Every leaf speaks bliss to me, ﬂuttering from the autumn tree.

— Emily Bronte

Woodstock Magazine - Fall 2024

Echo Market

Where People & the Planet Matter

re·im·ag·ine

Fine Home Furnishings and Gifts

KEEP US POSTED

Amazing Autumn

ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY

AROUND & ABOUT

Woodstock Apples & Crafts Fair

Local food, products, and fun

Woodstock Food Shelf

40th Anniversary

A helping hand for the community

WOODSTOCK COMMUNITY FOOD SHELF

Woodstock Area Hikes

Get outdoors and explore

Feeling Sick?

Make a Habit of Having Fun

Wait a Couple Days Before a COVID Test

TDID YOU KNOW?

Rake Safely

Kindness, Compassion & Special People

DYK?

Ready Your Home for Winter

Walking Does Wonders for Back Pain

Celebrate the Harvest

Enjoy family fun on the farm

Looking Back at the Pogue

This

THE BOTTOMLESS POGUE

Mon Vert Cafe

Where community connections and joy collide

LAUNCHING THE CAFE

THE PEOPLE MAKE THE CAFE

FRESH AND LOCAL FOOD

THE COFFEE TRAILER

Pentangle Turns 50!

Moving forward while celebrating the past

PENTANGLE?

PROFILE

HOW IT STARTED

A NEW ERA

PENTANGLE TODAY

A NOTE FROM THE WRITER

PENTANGLE ARTS

Unique Shopping, Dining, and Services

Enjoy Woodstock this Fall

Splendid

Unique Shopping, Dining, and Services

Echo Market:

Where People and the Planet M

LIVING HEALTHY

THE COST OF HEALTH

PURVEYORS OF HEALTH

THE FARM

MOO MOO HERE, CLUCK CLUCK THERE

FEASIBILITY AND HOPE

ASPIRATIONS

ECHO MARKET

Shop, Dine, and Explore Quechee this Fall

10 Favorite Autumn Activities

Climbing Mount Mitchell

The tallest mountain east of the Mississippi

MORE INTRIGUE ON THE MOUNTAIN

THE TOP

Light Up the Night in Nature

TVisit A Forest of Lights at VINS

SPECTACULAR FEATURES

MAGICAL, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Come Closer To Dining That Delights.

It’s Happening in e Mad River Valley

A Great Place to Visit

HAPPENINGS

HAPPENINGS

HAPPENINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEX

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