In The News

Check out a traditional 1800s Thanksgiving in Woodstock, Vermont

You can explore the “charming” downtown of Woodstock and visit the historic Billings Farm and Museum, established in 1871, where guests can view displays of a traditional 1800s Thanksgiving celebration, according to the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing. Before you go, read the museum’s COVID-19 safety guidelines and Vermont’s COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Billings Set to Host Annual Christmas at the Farm

Do you hear what I hear? Sleighbells jingling… reindeer hooves clacking… Santa Claus. All the sounds of the season are coming to Billings Farm & Museum beginning this weekend.

The holiday traditions of 19th century New England will engulf the farm in Woodstock, Vt. with Christmas at the Farm celebrations and themed activities to be held on weekends throughout December (Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13), and then daily from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3, 2021 (excluding Christmas Day), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An authentically decorated farmhouse parlor will transport visitors to Victorian times, where they can enjoy holiday stories. Candle-dipping and cooking demonstrations of various holiday foods and gingerbread offer a full traditional experience.

Visitors are encouraged to bundle up and take to the farm fields, too, with snowshoes. It’s a traditional pastime, and one that is perfectly suited for the region. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow some from Billings. Later, warm up with a cup of wassail (hot mulled cider) and homemade cider donuts.

Billings’ holiday celebrations will feature online components this year, including a baking/cooking demonstration and workshop with Chef Emery. On Dec. 5 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), learn how to make holiday cookies and teas. Chef Emery will make two different types of each, using local dried herbs and fruits as well as local jams.

The Woodstock Vermont Film Series is streaming several documentaries online: “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band” (Dec. 3 to 6); “The Last Ice” (Dec. 17 to 20); and “The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” (Dec. 31 to Jan. 3, 2021). Travel the world with these films, all without leaving your living room.

December will also be a time for some additional education, courtesy of Billings Farm. Owned and operated by the nonprofit Woodstock Foundation Inc., Billings offers a lot of educational opportunities at the farm and now online.

Family Wednesdays target students who are learning remotely. Each week throughout the month will focus on a different farm theme. Learn more about the animals, see objects from the museum’s various collections, learn some crafts at home, hear stories read aloud and more. Chickens will be the focus on Dec. 2; Draft Animal Power on Dec. 9; and Giddy Goats on Dec. 16.

This school year, Billings Farm in Woodstock is offering young home-schoolers and remote learners a course that challenges them to “Think Like A Farmer.”

Billings Farm is an operating Jersey dairy farm with a museum of Vermont’s rural past, and VPR spoke with interpretation and education coordinator Christine Scales about the four-week class.

The curriculum is set up to give 7- to 12-year-olds a prompt, like ‘design a way to water your plants,’ or ‘create an invention to feed certain animals on the farm,’ and then to have them problem-solve in ways that farmers have been doing for hundreds and even thousands of years.

“Farmers really have to be mechanics. They have to be engineers,” Scales said. “They have to understand how weather works. They have to understand physics.”

She added that the students will be asked to create contraptions, perhaps using inspiration from the old tools and technologies on display in the Billings exhibit. She also said it’s an opportuniy to introduce kids to the STEAM fields: science, technology, engineering, art and math.

The farm offers classes for older learners, too, in its Billings Backyard series.

You can listen to the recording on the VPR.org website: click here

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – When the virus shuttered many Vermont storefronts and activities, Vermonters stepped up to find creative ways to provide their services, while doing it safely.

This time, it brings a new app to your app store, but only for a limited time!

While a US Passport isn’t going to do you much good with travel restrictions at the moment, soon there will be a virtual passport, perfect for exploring the Green Mountain State.

“It’s a digital passport, so the goal is for people to download our game. They can go to every attraction and scan their QR code and they get points for every attraction they visit. And we’ll have a big prize package for people who win the most points throughout the game,” says Kristin Bogovich of the Vermont Attractions Association.

The Vermont Attractions Association launches their digital Passport App on Monday, October 12th, thanks to $10,000 in microgrants from Restart Vermont.

The goal is to bring more foot traffic to our state’s unique attractions.

“You know, the attraction industry was really really hard hit. It goes hand in hand with the tourism industry. We all lost visitors from all over, we lost them all throughout the summer, the pandemic has hit us for the entirety of our seasons. So our goal is to get people to every corner of the state to experience all of these attractions and to just enjoy places maybe they didn’t know about,” says Bogovich.

Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock is one of more than 50 attractions on the passport, like maple houses, the ECHO Leahy Center, and the Spirit of Ethan Allen.

“I think it’s a wonderful program that offers visitors the opportunity to engage with Vermont’s spectacular array of attractions and we’re pleased to be among them,” says David Simmons, executive director of Billings Farm and Museum.

Established in 1871, Billings Farm is open year round, and represents the history of farming in Vermont.

Usually, this operational dairy farm brings in around 60,000 visitors a year, with many on tour buses.

This year, they’re at about 50 percent of that.

“But what’s rewarding is that we’ve been able to provide a wonderful experience for those who have come, with a very strict set of safety protocols both for our guests and for our staff,” says Simmons.

Simmons says they’ve taken physical distancing very seriously and are excited to welcome guests using the passport, which is good until November.

“One of the things that we offer is a largely outdoor experience. Our sense is that Vermonters and others who have spent time with us this year have been hungry for a chance to get out of the house with the family in a safe environment and enjoy some of the best that Vermont has to offer,” he says.

To do it, scan this QR code starting October 12th.