InnBrattleboro » July Events

July 4th Fireworks Festivals and Fun

Tim Brady — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:09:34 +0000

Fireworks Under the Stars in Grafton, VT

On July 4, 2010, the United States of America turns 234 years old. In our hamlet of Brattleboro in southern Vermont, we have a tradition that’s not quite as old, but steeped in history nonetheless.

The annual Fourth of July Parade and all-day “Celebration of Community” takes to the streets of Brattleboro on Sunday, July 4… a tradition that dates back to 1973. The parade will take off from Brattelbroro Union High School, just off Exit 1 on Interstate 91, at 1 p.m. sharp, head down Canal St. and connect to Main St. in the heart of Bratt. It ends at the Brattleboro Common, a shady park at the north end of town.

The parade is a celebration of this small Vermont town’s eclectic population. Spectators can expect parade standards like a marching band, provided by the Brattleboro Union High School, and local fire engines. Live rock bands can be expected to cruise by on more than one float, and local business, from organic farms to restaurants to solar panel installers, are enthusiastically represented.

The good times then move on to Living Memorial Park, a large park just a stone’s throw from the farmers market. Spend the afternoon with family and friends playing baseball or frisbee, enjoy barbecue and other delectables from local food vendors and relax to live music and comedy acts.

“But what about fireworks?!”

What, you thought we’d leave you hanging without an explosive display overhead? Of course there are fireworks. The town of Brattleboro gets their fireworks show going just after dusk, with the best views from Living Memorial Park.

Even more spectacular, and growing in popularity, is the Music and Fireworks Under the Stars show in Grafton, Vermont, about a 40-minute drive from Brattleboro. Now in its 20th year, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra will play to an audience and then a dazzling fireworks show will explode overhead. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the show – Saturday, July 3 starting at 7:30 p.m.

Coming up for the weekend? There’s a ton of stuff to do around town, from our farmers market to great hiking to golf. And if you need a place to stay, we hope you’ll spend the night with us at our beautiful Vermont inn.

Whitewater Rafting with Zoar Outdoor

Amy Brady — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:56:52 +0000

Whitewater Rafting is a great way to spend a hot summer day. We recently enjoyed an awesome whitewater rafting adventure with the great team down at Zoar Outdoor. Just a short 45 minute scenic drive from our Vermont Bed and Breakfast, Zoar Outdoor is located in Clarlemont, MA.

Being new to this, we went on the beginner whitewater rafting trip called the Zoar Gap. This trip is 10 miles of fun on the Deerfield River consisting of mainly class I and II but a small stretch of class III rapids. That makes it perfect for all ages and skill levels. Of course if you are a more advanced whitewater rafter they recommend you check out one of their tours down the Miller River where you can find some class IV and V rapids.

But back to our adventure, we arrived, signed in and met their fun staff. We point that out as sometimes guided tours can be a bust solely because of the guides. On occasion we have found that they forget that while they are experts, we are not. The folks at Zoar really went out of their way to introduce the sport to us and got us excited about our trip, and about coming back for more. So after a short lesson on how to use the equipment we were off getting fitted for life jackets PFDs (learned that in the lesson), helmets and oars. Then we jumped on the bus to the “put in”. Once in the water our instructor Katie began cracking a few jokes and chatted us all up so we could get to know one another better. There were 2 other Zoar Outdoor rafts on the water with us, so when we were not navigating the rapids we found ourselves horsing around and having splash fights with the other rafts. Just after we maneuvered our way through the most aggressive part of the journey, the class III rapids, we stopped for a homemade picnic lunch. Lunch consisted of homemade salsa, hummus, organic lunch meat, freshly baked rolls, homemade pasta salad and cookies for dessert. That was just the energy boost we needed to finish our trip.

Overall, we had a blast! Not only was this the perfect activity to cool off on a hot day, but we got a little exercise and made some new friends. So weather you are a beginner or an expert at whitewater rafting, you should check out Zoar Outdoor for a great afternoon adventure during your trip to Brattleboro. And of course, we hope that you’ll spend the night with us at Forty Putney Road B&B!

Tubing in Vermont

Amy Brady — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:06:47 +0000

I am all about spending a sunny summer day outside as you can see from the video above. One of my favorite leisurely outdoor activities is tubing on the West River in Southern Vermont. The best part is the tube rental and the river are located very close to our Bed and Breakfast. The West River is great for tubing as it is not too deep, the water is moving at a good speed, and it offers variety. In some spots you are just floating along while in others you are gently bumping your way through the large smooth river rocks. What a relaxing way to spend a hot summer day.

If you are planning a trip to Brattleboro and you choose to stay with us here at Forty Putney Road B&B, we can help you with your tubing adventure. We will direct you to the tube rental (Vermont Canoe Touring Center 802-257-5008) to pick up a tub and life jacket, you can follow us in your car to the ending point where you will leave your car, we will then drive you and your tubes to the launch site. The launch site is located at the West Dummerston Covered Bridge this trip will take you about 2 hours depending on the speed of the current. Then all you have to do is float down the river and get out at the nearby swimming hole where your car will be parked. What do you need to bring? We suggest water shoes and sunscreen. You will find beach towels at our B&B that you can borrow. So cool off this summer in a tube on the West River – and at Forty Putney Road B&B!

Marlboro Music Festival – Marlboro Vermont

Amy Brady — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:05:35 +0000

Marlboro Music Festival is located in Marlboro, Vermont (only a short 15 minutes from our B&B, Forty Putney Road). Marlboro Music Festival is an amazing group of concerts held throughout July and August. Marlboro Music has gained world-wide acclaim as an institution devoted to fostering artistic excellence and grooming new musical leaders who illuminate all areas of music today. There concept is unique as they invite master artists to play together with exceptional young professional musicians, under the Artistic Direction of celebrated pianists Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida. Below you will find the 2010 schedule directly from Marlboro’s website. We highly recommend you attend and hope you enjoy the wonderful sounds of Marlboro Music Festival

Marlboro’s 60th Season: July 17th-August 15th, 2010

The programs offer chamber music for diverse instrumental and vocal combination’s from all musical periods. Selected each week from among some 70 works in rehearsal at any one time, the programs are announced Saturday just one week prior to weekend performances.

To purchase tickets over the phone, please call our Box Office at (215) 569-4690. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.

Concert Schedule

Please Note: All performances take place in Persons Auditorium at Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT. Please call (215) 569-4690 with any questions or concerns.

Opening Weekend 2010

Saturday, July 17th at 8:30pm
Sunday, July 18th at 2:30pm

Week Two

Saturday, July 24th at 8:30pm
Sunday, July 25th at 2:30pm

Week Three

Saturday, July 31st at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 1st at 2:30pm

Week Four

Friday, August 6th 8:30pm

Saturday, August 7th at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 8th at 2:30pm

Week Five

Friday, August 13th at 8:30pm
Saturday, August 14th at 8:30pm
Sunday, August 15th at 2:30pm

**Final Weekend Package w/ All Three Performances

Yellow Barn Music School and Festival – Putney, Vermont

Amy Brady — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:02:55 +0000

The Yellow Barn Music School and Festival, is an internationally known chamber music professional school and concert located in Putney, Vermont. Join them this year, 2010, for their 41st Anniversary season. Yellow Barn provides a supportive, noncompetitive and challenging learning environment. They offer an inspiring five-week study and performance experience for advanced students and young professionals. Enjoy their imaginative programming at the primary five-week festival session, July 18th through August 7th, which attracts some of the best up-and-coming young string, piano, woodwind and percussion players in the nation.They also provide an intensive workshop for younger students. This Young Artist Program welcomes young instrumentalists and composers age 13-19 and culminates into three public performances. Together with a world-renowned faculty group, they explore and perform works from the Baroque to the contemporary. Treat yourself to some or all 30 amazing public concerts, master classes, pre-concert suppers and discussions this season. Be sure to stay with us at Forty Putney Road B&B, we are located in Brattleboro on Route 5, which is a straight shot to Putney only a short 15 minute drive.

2010 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS from June 18th through August 7th

Yellow Barn Alumni Concert
with the Meehan/Perkins Duo
Friday, June 18, 2010 8:00
Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro, VT

Young Artists Program Concerts
Friday, June 25, 2010 8:00
with guest faculty composer Steven Mackey, electric guitar
Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro, VT

Thursday, July 1, 2010 8:00
Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro, VT

Friday, July 2, 2010 8:00
Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro, VT

Opening Night at Yellow Barn
Friday, July 9, 2010 8:00
Big Barn, Putney, VT

Founders’ Concert
honoring David and Janet Wells
Friday, July 16, 2010 8:00
Big Barn, Putney, VT

Composer Portrait
with Composer in Residence Melissa Hui
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 8:00
Big Barn, Putney, VT

Open House
with Yellow Barn musicians on campus
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Greenwood School, Putney, VT

Scholarship Benefit Concert
honoring George Heller
Friday, July 23, 2010 8:00
Big Barn, Putney, VT

2010 Festival Gala
with pianist Peter Frankl
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Details to be announced

Season Finale
Saturday, August 7, 2010 8:00
Big Barn, Putney, VT

PURCHASE TICKETS

(800) 639-3819 x107
(802) 387-4726 fax
tickets@yellowbarn.org

A great Brattleboro trip itinerary

Tim Brady — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:54:03 +0000

There are so many great things to do in and around Brattleboro. If you are like us, we sometimes obsess over trying to figure out a “plan” when we travel. So for those who want a plan, and for others who may just be wondering what there is to do around Brattleboro, we have now put together a sample itinerary of a great trip to Brattleboro Vermont.

Our sample covers a 5 night stay (we could have gone on even longer!) but combines a fun mix of outdoors, arts, entertainment, dining and of course some relaxing too. You can check out what we have put together on our Inn website under the “Our Area” tab.

If you are from Vermont, or have any suggestions for the itinerary, we would love to hear your thoughts! Leave us a comment or send us an email. Let’s make it easy and fun for people to choose Brattleboro as their summer getaway!

Of course, we hope you’ll stay with us at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast when you do take the trip to Vermont!

Gallery Walk in Brattleboro, Vermont

Amy Brady — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:23:07 +0000

Gallery Walk in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont is the perfect evening for the art lovers out there. Gallery Walk is held on the first Friday of every month and includes art exhibits in over 50 locations around town. Gallery Walk is one of the reasons that Brattleboro was named a top 10 small art town by acclaimed author John Villani in his book “The 100 Best Art Towns in America”. No surprise as our quaint town is home to many artist and art lovers alike.

So how does Gallery Walk work? You should start by getting a copy of the Gallery Walk booklet, if you are staying with us at Forty Putney Road B&B we will have one here waiting for you, if not they can be found at many locations downtown. The booklet contains a map with over 50 locations including restaurants, galleries, etc that will be displaying artists work and will be open to the public the first Friday of the month. Each of the businesses downtown showing an artist has a large bright colored number in the window. This number corresponds to a number in the Gallery Walk book which provides descriptions of the artists and the work that they are showing.

Gallery Walk makes for a great night out and downtown is often bustling with activity on the Friday of the Walk. Turn it into an evening. Make a reservation at one of the great restaurants downtown for dinner and before or after you can stroll through downtown Brattleboro wandering into the various exhibiting locations. Chances are good that even the restaurant you eat at will be showing someones work. Some locations will be playing live music and others will have refreshments set up. In most cases you will even have the opportunity to speak to the artist themselves. Of course the art is exhibited all month long, but with the artists on hand and the energy of the First Friday – Gallery Walk is the ideal time to see whats new.

Gallery Walk is just one more reason we love Brattleboro. If you plan to go, check out the Gallery Walk website for more information. Of course, be sure to also check out our beautiful Brattleboro Inn just a short walk to downtown and all of the Gallery Walk activity. We look forward to seeing you!

Free Concerts on the Common

Amy Brady — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:42:47 +0000

Brattleboro is a lively little town celebrating the arts whenever possible. This past Tuesday Tim and I were sitting out on the back patio chatting with some guests over a cold drink when we heard some great music coming from the park. We strolled down the block to see what was going on and settled into a blanket on the grass. We had stumbled onto a brassy band, Jazzberry Jam, playing a mix of swing music and big band numbers. Turns out that throughout the month of July the Brattleboro Recreation Department organizes Tuesday Concerts on the Common. The Common is the park located just 2 blocks from Forty Putney Road’s front door, just north of downtown. The Recreation Department even had 25 cent lemonades for sale along with some popcorn. All together a great way to spend a relaxed Tuesday evening. We will certainly be back for the rest in the series.

We invite you to join us for the upcoming concerts on Tuesdays at 7pm on the Common:

July 13th Jazzberry Jam
July 20th Wyld Nightz
July 27th 3 Way Street
August 3rd American Legion Band

On Thursday, July 17th there is a different musical event on the Common it is called Summer Park Bands. This event is like an “Open Mike” night for bands and other local musicians. We are looking forward to seeing more great free concerts just steps from the door of our Brattleboro Inn. We hope to see you there!