Events & Festivals

There’s always something of interest going on in Manchester and its environs. When you stay at the Equinox you’re sure to find exciting diversions to suit every interest. If you are interested in any of these area events, we would be happy to make arrangements for you through our concierge at 800.362.4747.

2010 Gorgeous Gardens & Green Living Show

March 13th and 14th
Riley Rink at Hunter Park, Manchester Center
The Vermont Nursery & Landscape Association announces a brand new event to premier at the Riley Rink in Manchester, March 13-14. This event will draw attendees and over 40 vendors from Vermont and all over New England. Speakers include Julie Messervy, landscape designer and author; Henry Homeyer, freelance writer, garden designer and auther and Ellen Odgen, noted food and garden writer. Hours on the 13th are 9:30am - 5:00pm and on the 14th from 9:30am - 4:00pm. For more information about the 2010 Gorgeous Garden Show, call 888-518-6484 or visit www.gardenworksvermont.org    Learn more...

Bromley's 2nd Annual Spring Fling Weekend

March 20th and 21st
Bromley Mountain Ski resort
Come on up to Bromley for a $39 lift ticket on either Saturday or Sunday! In Addition to that we have a whole host of events going on over the weekend like pond skimming, a cardboard box race, scavenger hunt & more! Weather permitting the Sun Mountain Flyer will be in action over the weekend!    Learn more...

US Open Snowboarding Championships

March 15th to 22nd
Stratton Mountain Ski resort
The 28th annual US Open Snowboarding Championship is the event of the season and one that you don't want to miss! Whether you are a competitor or a spectator, come take part in the longstanding US Open tradition.

Not only is the USO the final stop of the Burton Global Open Series, where the top male and female in the series will be awarded $100,000 each, but the USO is also the culminating stop on the men's TTR World Snowboard Tour and the top male will be awarded the TTR world title.    Learn more...

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike

2/27; 3/13, 3/27
Stratton Mountain
Join our snowshoe guide for a walk to the Pearl Buck House on the rolling hills of the Stratton Golf Course, where you will sip on some hot chocolate and enjoy a light snack. You won't want to miss out on this memorable experience, it's quintessentially Vermont!    Learn more...

American Museum of Fly Fishing's Spring Training Day

Saturday, March 27th
Fly Fishing Museum, Manchester
Grab your gear: Time for Spring Training. Get ready for Trout Season on March 27th, 1 to 4 pm. Activities include: "Reel Them In": see what it feels like to reel in a fish with our unique practice system; "Practice Rods"; We'll teach you how to make your own practice rod modeled after the Royal Wulff Fly-O;"Fly and Knot Tying"; Learn all the knots you'll need and tie some real flies!

For more information: (802) 362-330. Admission fee charged.    Learn more...

Vermont Maple Open House

March 26th to 28th
Southern Vermont area
Vermont Maple Syrup Open House Weekend is March 26-28, 2010. This is the official celebration of the maple season, when sugar houses around the state are open to visitors.

Vermont is the largest producer of pure maple syrup in the US and was the first state to establish a maple law to mandate high standards of quality. Vermont's maple syrup is 100% natural.

Many Vermont maple sugar houses are open all year long and visitors can learn about the sugarmaking process. Visit vermontmaple.org. for a list of sugarhouses open year round and be sure to visit several during your stay in Vermont.    Learn more...

Merck Maple Sugaring Celebration

March 27 & 28
Merck Forest and Farmland Center
Merck Forest & Farmland Center's Maple operation is open to the public daily from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. Our famous Open House Weekend, with its Pancake Breakfast, Wagon Rides, and Farm Tours will be held March 27-28. Please check back for more details as the event draws nearer.    Learn more...

Author Events

March 2010 -- 7:00 pm
Northshire Bookstore
Join noted authors as they discuss their works at local owned and operated Northshire Bookstore.

March 4 Howard Frank Mosher -- Walking to Gatlinburg
March 6 Douglas Rogers -- The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe
March 9 Armchair Philosophers
March 12 Jonathan Fine -- A Refugee in Sudan
March 13 Alice Lichtenstein -- Lost
March 18 Sustainable Living in Vermont
March 20 Annette Gordon-Reed -- The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
March 20 Northshire Cambridge School Read-a-thon and Stephen Swinburne Wiff and Dirty George: The Z.E.B.R.A. Incident
March 26 Chris Bohjalian -- Secrets of Eden    Learn more...

Bird Walk

Saturday, March 13th
Hildene Welcome Center
The Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch and local birders meet to conduct a survey of the wild birds present on the grounds of Hildene. For more information, please call Randy Schmidt at (802) 362-2270 or email randy@thevermontbirdplace.com. Meet at the Welcome Center Parking Lot, 8:00 am, Free

March 13th and April 10th    Learn more...

Stratton Spring Fling Final Weekend Celebration

April 10th and 11th
Stratton Mountain ski resort
There's no better time to be at the mountain than the last weekend of the year. BBQs, the annual Pond Skim and more!    Learn more...

Seventh Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, 2010
At the world-class Equinox Resort, Manchester, VT
Sponsored by Dutch Gardens, Gardener’s Supply Company, Garden Gate magazine, Proven Winners and Equinox Valley Nursery.

Click here for more information


Gardeners of all ages and abilities, from landscaping pros to backyard hobbyists, will gather at the four-diamond Equinox Resort for the seventh annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium. Six dynamic garden lectures given by national acclaimed speakers and authors. Topics include: Top rated perennials and annuals in the New England Trial Gardens managed by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society; Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love; The Inward Garden - Gardening for Your Soul; Edible landscaping with Charlie Nardozzi; Proven Winners for Designing with Annuals in Containers and Gardens; and Make Me Beautiful: What Your Perennial Gardens are Trying to Tell You. The program opens with a 7:00 p.m. lecture on Friday, April 23 and continues with f    Learn more...

3rd Annual Emerging Poets and Writers Weekend

April 23-25, 2010
Old Forge behind Ye Olde Tavern, Main Street Historic Route 7A, Manchester Center
A small, high quality weekend of classes, readings, panels and events with an emphasis on new work, small house publishing and the writer's craft.    Learn more...

24th Annual Manchester Car Show

June 12th and 13th, 2010
Dorr Farm, Manchester, VT
The 24th Annual Manchester Antique and Classic Car Show will be held at the Dorr Farm in Manchester Center, VT from June 12th and 13th. The car show is the "kick-off" to the summer season. This year elegance and sport will be celebrated through featured models Cadillac and Porsche.

Gates open at 8am
Children under 12 FREE
Adults $8 per day or $12 Weekend Pass
No pets allowed on the show field    Learn more...

Circus Smirkus

July 8 & 9
Dorr Farm, Manchester
Continuing a 23-year tradition of bringing joy and magic to towns all over New England and New York, our traveling youth circus will perform 70+ shows in 14 or more towns all over New England. This year's theme is “Wilderness Wonders: Outdoor Adventures Under the Big Top.” You'll explore the “FUNtier,” as Circus Smirkus celebrates the great outdoors with merrymaking, mirth and a touch of magic, in a fantastically fabulous four-season spectacle! Circus Smirkus is a non-profit, award-winning international youth circus founded with a mission: to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus and to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts.    Learn more...

Sheepdog Trial & Farm Festival

July 10 & 11
Merck Forest & Farmland Center
   Learn more...

Komen Vermont/NewHampshire Race for the Cure

Saturday, July 17th
Hildene Meadows, Manchester, VT
Our Vision: A World without Breast Cancer. Join us for an inspiring walk or run in lovely Southern Vermont with all proceeeds benefitting the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation. For more information, please visit us online.    Learn more...

Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show

July 7 - August 15, 2010
Harold Beebe Farm — East Dorset, VT
The Vermont Summer Festival Horse Shows are a chance for equestrians to spend July and August where the summer is its most beautiful: Vermont's Green Mountains. Quaint New England towns of the Manchester & the Mountains area, noted for their charm, first class accommodations, world-class dining and excellent show facilities, host the fourteenth annual Vermont Summer Festival
2009 Schedule
Vermont Summer Special July 7 - 11
Manchester Summer Festival Horse Show July 14 - 18
Manchester Classic Horse Show July 21 - 25
Valley Classic Horse Show July 28 - August 1
Manchester & the Mountains Horse Show August 4 - 8
Vermont Summer Celebration August 11 - 15    Learn more...