InnBrattleboro » June Events

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!

Strolling of the Heifers

Amy Brady — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:23:39 +0000

It is that time of year once again, that’s right, the Strolling of the Heifers here in Brattleboro. You may be thinking why or who would possibly want to see a bunch of cows walk down Main Street? It is pretty clear by last year’s photos as to who would attend such an event, everyone! So here are my top 3 reasons this is the biggest event in Brattleboro, and a must attend.

#3 Cows are cute!

Who can resist the cute face of a cow. Not only will you see their cute faces you will see them all dressed up for the event. We are not just talking about live cows either. We are talking about paper machete cows on floats, stuffed cows on the side of the road, cow aprons, cow T-shirts, balloon cows, people dressed up like cows and finally cow scarecrows (with a political message of course…this is Brattleboro, VT after all).

#2 Not just cows?

That is correct this parade is not all about cows it is about a community joining together to celebrate local agriculture and do what we love to do here in Brattleboro… that is to parade down Main Street. According to local historians the town of Brattleboro has been parading down Main Street since the 1800’s. You will find more than just cows parading down Main Street, you will also see the kind of parade you may remember as a child. That’s right this parade has marching bands, unicyclists, stilt walkers, clubs, local businesses, men and women driving historic tractors and little cars. That’s not all…don’t forget about the circus. The local circus school will be in the parade and performing afterward.

Be sure to be here Friday night as well for a killer Gallery Walk. Downtown will be blocked off to traffic for an awesome block party. A stage will go up for live performances and street performers will be out in full force.

#1 Free Ice Cream and Cheese!

After the parade we stroll just a few blocks to the Brattleboro Retreat where tent after tent is set up. Each tent is serving locally made dairy products including milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream. The best part is it is all free…that’s right free!

Clear your schedule on June 4th and 5th (2010), book a room at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast and join the festivities. This is sure to be worth the trip!

Vermont Days – Free Hiking, Fishing, and Museums

Amy Brady — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:44:52 +0000

Looking for a reason (or excuse!) to get outside this weekend? Check out Vermont Days, June 13 & 14, 2009.

Vermont Days offer free admission to all State Parks, Forests, and State owned Historic Sites. This means you can take advantage of some free hiking (not that we mind the normal $4 or so, which just goes to supporting the parks). In the southern Vermont area, I would highly recommend Molly Stark State Park, which is just minutes from our B&B, Fortry Putney Road.

Molly Stark has several trails to chose from, most are fairly gentle and a few lead to a fire tower you can climb and take advantage of beautiful Vermont views. Molly Stark is also a great place to have a picnic.

Vermont Days also offer free fishing, with no license required, on Saturday and in addition, all of the State Historic Sites and Museums will be free. So why not take this as the perfect excuse to go ahead and check out something new around Vermont.

You can find all of the details and a list of locations on the Vermont Vacation website.

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!