Billings Farm

Wagon Ride Weekend
2021-09-26 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Capture the beauty of a Vermont autumn on a ride around the farm fields, Saturday, September 25 & Sunday, September 26!
Enjoy different views of the farm’s scenic landscape with three wagon ride options:
~ A 10-minute tractor-drawn wagon ride through the pastures offered from 11:00am-4:00pm,
~ A 10-minute horse-drawn wagon ride offered from 11:00am-2:00pm.
~ A narrated 20-minute tractor-drawn wagon ride from 10:30am-4:30pm – learn more about the landscape and the farm’s history.
Each wagon ride features a different route – ride one or ride all three! No reservations are necessary; however, visitors are required to wear masks on the wagon and in the boarding line.
Additional hands-on activities and demonstrations for all ages are offered on both days:

See Butter churning demonstrations at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm.
Try the pedal tractor obstacle course for kids.
Make a popsicle stick horse craft.
Watch harvest-themed recipe demonstrations in the Learning Kitchen and sample Butternut Squash Gnocchi and Pumpkin Bread.
Families can stroll along the pasture fences and follow the children’s Story Walk Before We Eat: From Farm to Table.

As part of your visit, tour the barns and meet our farm animals, and take a self-guided tour of the 1890 Farm Manager’s House. Guests can also learn about the Vermont’s rural history in the Farm Life exhibits.
Visit Voices from the Land, a photography exhibition by Jim Westphalen hosted by Billings Farm & Museum and on display through October 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 stunning, large-format photographs by celebrated Vermont photographer Jim Westphalen, each picture tells a story, through indelible images of rural structures and landscapes of Vermont.
Enjoy hot and cold local cider and cider donuts or pumpkin ice cream for sale at the Dairy Bar as well as snacks and Billings Farm cheddar.
On Saturday enjoy live music from 12-3.
On Sunday from 11 AM – 4:30 PM, Trail Break Taps and Tacos, from White River Junction, Vermont, will be on site with their food truck serving a variety of tacos, chips and salsa, and Jarritos Mexican sodas. Guests will also enjoy the beer garden featuring draft beer and margaritas. Admission to Billings Farm & Museum is required.
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.

Voices from the Land, A Photography Exhibition by Jim Westphalen
2021-09-27 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-09-28 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-09-29 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-09-30 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-10-01 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-10-02 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-10-03 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-10-04 10:00 - 17:00 and 16 more dates
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.
The photographs are available for purchase and a portion of the proceeds will support Billings Farm & Museum.

Harvest Celebration
2021-10-09 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-10-10 10:00 - 17:00
Dig in the dirt and do-si-do at the Billings Farm & Museum’s Harvest Celebration on Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The weekend features traditional harvest activities, homemade foods, and a barn dance set in the colorful backdrop of green, red, and golden hills.
Activities and demonstrations for all ages are offered on both days:

Help harvest vegetables from our heirloom garden at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 4:00 pm.
Swing your partner in a rousing barn dance with live traditional music at 12:00, 2:00, and 3:00 pm.
Sample homemade Apple Butter and Cider Cake and see how they are prepared.
See demonstrations of cider pressing from 11-3
Learn about pumpkins and squash.
Families can stroll along the pasture fences and follow the children’s StoryWalk Before We Eat: From Farm to Table.
Take a scenic walk along the Ottauquechee River Walking Trail.
Try your hand at pumpkin bowling and make a leaf rubbing.
Sample different varieties of local apples along with Billings Farm cheddar cheese.

Billings Farm & Museum will offer several food options over the weekend.

Warm up with a cup of squash soup made by the chefs at the Woodstock Inn & Resort, along with hot and cold local cider and cider donuts!
The Dairy Bar features Vermont-made ice cream, including this month’s special: pumpkin ice cream, plus Billings Farm cheeses and other snacks.

While at Billings Farm, guests can also visit Voices from the Land, a photography exhibition on display through October 20. In this exhibition of 22 stunning, large-format photographs by celebrated Vermont photographer Jim Westphalen, each picture tells a story, through indelible images of rural structures and landscapes of Vermont.

November at the Farm
2021-11-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2021-11-07 10:00 - 16:00
November is Family Stories Month!
Did you know that all three daughters of Frederick Billings helped oversee the operations of the farm and estate after their father’s death in 1890? And that Elizabeth Billings, as an amateur botanist, collected 1,128 specimens within a 6-mile radius of the Billings estate?
Learn about the Women of Billings Farm and the important roles they had in the farm in today’s programs at 12 pm & 2 pm.
While at Billings Farm & Museum:

Meet one of our prizewinning Jersey cows, get up close and experience brushing a cow in our Gentle Jersey program at 11 am & 1 pm.
See the afternoon Milking of the Herd beginning at 3:15 pm.
Make a paper pumpkin or apple to take home
Hunt for the hidden pumpkins in the Farm Life Exhibits
Enjoy the Giving Thanks StoryWalk along the pasture fences.
Warm up by the fire pit with hot cider and cider donuts, available for purchase from 10-4.

There are many things to do and see:

Visit our barns and meet our Jersey cows, draft horses, chickens, sheep, and goats.
Explore what life on the farm was like in late 19th century Vermont through the Farm Life Exhibits and the 1890 Farm Manager’s House, considered state-of-the-art when it was built.
Learn about the families and history of Billings Farm in the Upon This Land Exhibit.
Go deeper into Vermont’s place in conservation history with A Place in the Land, the Academy Award® – nominee film which chronicles the development of Billings Farm.

Billings Backyard: Homemade Felted Soap
2021-11-13 10:00 - 12:00
Learn how to make your own felted soap! Felted soap lasts longer and helps exfoliate as it cleans. Using locally made soaps and wool from our own Billings Farm & Museum sheep, Tiana will walk participants through the processes of both wet felting and needle felting to make a charming and sustainable product. Try out new skills, embrace your creativity, and have some good, clean fun! For more information visit Billings Backyard: Homemade Felted Soap.
A Q&A period with the presenter may continue for up to 30 minutes past the scheduled end time.
Billings Backyard is a series of workshops designed to teach sustainable living skills to adult participants and is underwritten by a generous grant from the SpringRiver Private Foundation Trust. Each workshop includes hands-on demonstrations and concrete steps for incorporating these skills into everyday life. Find more Billings Backyard Series workshops
This workshop may be offered on Zoom or as a live session at Billings Farm & Museum depending on health and safety restrictions.
