Enjoy Fall Fun at Billings Farm & Museum this September
Woodstock, Vermont… From sunflowers to homemade jam to wagon rides, kick off the fall season with fun-filled events and experiences at Billings Farm & Museum. Delight in the spectacular colors of sunflowers and the picturesque landscape as you stroll through the gardens and along the pastures. Enjoy harvest activities, learn food preservation methods and see traditional crafts.
September events and experiences:
3rd Annual Sunflower House. The largest Sunflower House in the United States is in full bloom! Thousands of sunflowers in this almost 20,000-square-foot, maze-like structure form rooms and hallways for exploring, and nearly endless photo opportunities. Wander through over 100 varieties of bright, bold flowers ranging in height from 18 inches to a towering 14 feet. Win Billings Farm cheese in the #SunflowerSelfie Instagram Challenge! One winner will be selected weekly through September 9. The Sunflower House is expected to be in bloom through mid-September.
Making Jam with Chef Emery, September 11, 10:00-11:30 am. – A Billings Backyard Workshop. In a jam about Jam?? Join Billings Farm’s Chef Emery as she leads our next Billings Backyard program and learn how to turn your surplus seasonal ingredients into delicious jams. The presentation is followed by a 30-minute Q&A. Register by September 10 at billingsfarm.org.
Traditional Crafts Day – September 12. Explore some of Vermont’s traditional crafts and discover their history, process, and uses. Demonstrations will include:
- Wheel-thrown Pottery with Laura White of Woodstock, Vermont. Watch Laura demonstrate how to create artful bowls and other vessels for daily use using a pottery wheel.
- Leather Tanning with Mark Humpal of Cornish, New Hampshire. See the craft involved in making and repairing leather harnesses for horses.
- Sheep Shear Cuttings with Carolyn Guest of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Carolyn will demonstrate this traditional art form that originated before the 1800s when farmers’ wives used cutting tools and materials on hand to make decorations for the home.
- Fiber Art Crafts with the Billings Farm staff. See how wool is spun and used for weaving and knitting.
Harvest Weeks at the Farm. As the end of the gardening season approaches, learn about autumn harvest activities and preserving foods through interactive demonstrations and food tastings each week:
- Herbs – Sept. 6-12 & Sept. 20-26. Learn about harvesting and drying herbs and their medicinal and culinary uses. Watch how to make Cheddar Straws and enjoy a sample!
- Harvesting and Putting Food By – Sept. 13-19. Help harvest crops from our gardens and learn about different preservation methods such as canning, pickling and drying. See a demonstration of how to make Quick Pickles and sample the results.
- Apples – Sept. 27-Oct. 3. There are 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. Learn which ones are grown locally here in Vermont. Sample several varieties and taste the differences. See how we make Mini Apple Pies – enjoy a sample and take home the recipe!
Voices from the Land, photography exhibition by Jim Westphalen – Sept. 18-Oct.20 Traveling through Vermont, we might assume rural beauty to be commonplace. But what do we “see” when we pass an old barn or outbuilding? In this exhibition of 22 large-format photographs by celebrated Vermont photographer Jim Westphalen, hosted by Billings Farm & Museum, each picture tells a story, through indelible images of rural structures and landscapes of Vermont.
Wagon Ride Weekend – Sept. 25 and 26. Guests will enjoy fall foliage with a narrated wagon ride around the Billings Farm fields. On Sunday, Trail Break Taps + Tacos food truck will be on site from 11-4:30 serving a variety of tacos, street corn, chips and salsa, and Jarritos Mexican sodas. Trail Break will also offer a beer garden featuring draft beer and margaritas.
Visiting safely. For the continued safety of our staff and guests, all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a face covering in all indoor spaces. For outdoor spaces, mask wearing is optional for fully-vaccinated persons; unvaccinated persons must wear masks when around people and unable to maintain 6’ physical distances. No entry is permitted without a face covering. Visit billingsfarm.org/safety for details.
Billings Farm & Museum, now in its 39th season, is open daily, 10AM-5PM, through October 31 and weekends 10AM-4PM, November-February. Find the Special Events Calendar, daily schedules, admission pricing and membership information at billingsfarm.org. Celebrate Billings Farm’s 150th Anniversary with a visit this season and support its education mission at billingsfarm.org/donate.
The Billings Farm & Museum is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation Inc., a charitable non-profit institution. Billings Farm & Museum is committed to providing educational opportunities and experiences to our visitors, whether here in Woodstock, Vermont or at home wherever you are through our online resources at Billings Farm at Home. Visit us on billingsfarm.org, and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/BillingsFarmMuseum/ and Instagram at instagram.com/billingsfarm/.
PHOTO: Billings Farm’s Sunflower House, COURTESY OF BILLINGS FARM & MUSEUM
