Vermont’s Forest Festival Welcomes Families for a Day of Woodcraft and Music

Editorial illustration

Woodstock, Vermont, has a full day of forest-centered community activities on Saturday, September 26. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park’s free Forest Festival brings visitors together for carriage rides, woodcraft, music, demonstrations, and hands-on learning in and around the Mount Tom Forest.

The National Park Service lists the festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park. Families can ride between activity stations in horse-drawn carriages from Billings Farm & Museum, explore the Junior Ranger Hub, and meet artists-in-residence Allison Cook and Shawn Dumont.

A day that follows wood from forest to craft

At the Pony Pasture, the festival schedule includes a portable sawmill demonstration by F&F Millworks, horse-logging demonstrations, and a chance to learn about local forest practices from community organizations. Visitors can also see woodcraft demonstrations and meet featured artisans near the Carriage Barn Visitor Center.

For younger visitors and their grown-ups, the Junior Ranger Hub offers tree identification, a Mount Tom Forest-inspired bookmark activity, plant-pressing inspired by historic herbaria, and artist demonstrations. The park also plans a display of a recently conserved historic carriage at the Woodbarn Exhibit.

Music and shared time outdoors

Live music is scheduled throughout the day in the Pony Pasture. Tim and Toben Traver will play Irish traditional and New England contra-dance music in the morning. Dartmouth student Joe Hagerty follows at noon, and Vermont Folklife’s youth trad ensemble Sugar in the Pan is set to close the afternoon with music from several regional traditions.

The Forest Festival combines practical skills, local knowledge, and time together outdoors. Visitors can bring a picnic and chairs or blankets for the music, while the park asks guests to use the Billings Farm & Museum parking area and follow the paved approach or event shuttle to the festival.

Details, directions, and the complete activity schedule are available from Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. The National Park Service event listing confirms the September 26 date, free admission, and festival hours.