Seven Can’t-Miss Vermont Winter Events to Stave Off Cabin Fever 

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• Cabot Village 12th Night Celebration

In Vermont, hygge and full-spectrum lighting go only so far in combating the winter blues. We love hot cocoa, roaring fires and cozy sweaters as much as anyone, but staving off cabin fever means, well, getting the eff out of the cabin once in a while.

That can be easier said than done during Vermont's roughly eight and a half months of snow and ice. Fortunately, the Green Mountain State suffers no shortage of exciting events to entice Vermonters to bundle up and brave the elements for a good time. Here are seven options to brighten your bleak midwinter.

2023 Stifel Killington Cup

Friday, November 24, to Sunday, November 26, Killington, $10-100. killington.com

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• Stifel Killington Cup

You could spend Thanksgiving weekend bowing at the altar of capitalism on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and, uh... Spendy Sunday? Or you could head to Vermont's largest ski area to root for the best female skiers in the world — and rock out while you're at it.

The Audi FIS Ski World Cup returns to Killington from November 24 to 26 for the 2023 Stifel Killington Cup. The weekend-long race features superstars such as five-time Killington Cup champ Mikaela Shiffrin and former University of Vermont skier Paula Moltzan. It's also a full-blown party with performances by the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike, indie rockers Young the Giant and reggae-rocker Matisyahu.

Highlight: New Year's Eve Burlington

Sunday, December 31, downtown Burlington and the Burlington waterfront. $12-15; free for kids 5 and under. highlight.community

For 35 years, Burlington's First Night was the biggest and best New Year's Eve celebration in the state. But even iconic institutions can use the occasional refresh.

In 2018, Burlington City Arts and Signal Kitchen reimagined the Queen City's NYE bash as Highlight, a festival made not just for Burlington residents but by them. Much of its programming begins with crowdsourced pitches from local artists, producing an increasingly diverse and eclectic mix of entertainment. This year's offerings include Big Gay New Year's Eve, a night of queer music and art curated by Hammydown singer Abbie Morin; local youth circus troupe Circus Smirkus; one-man jukebox the Suitcase Junket; and, because 2023 was truly the year of the Swiftie, a Taylor Swift Eras Tour dance party.

Cabot Village 12th Night Celebration

Friday and Saturday, January 5 and 6, various locations in Cabot. Free. cabotarts.org

By the time New Year's Day comes around, most folks are officially holiday-ed out after a month-plus of feasting and merrymaking. That might be why 12th Night isn't more of a thing, except among especially hearty partiers. Which is a shame — because, as our friends in Cabot know, it's delightful.

Traditionally a Christian celebration of the last of the 12 days of Christmas, 12th Night centers on food and wassailing — aka drinking mulled beverages and cheers-ing to good health. In Cabot, it's a secular community festival focused on live music, theater and storytelling — plus food and mulled beverages. Performers this year include the Jeremy Sicely Band, blues outfit the Dave Keller Band and No Strings Marionette. The two-day festival also features a sunset lantern parade, arts and crafts workshops, a community meal, and, of course, lots of wassailing.

Vermont Burlesque Festival

Wednesday, January 17, to Sunday, January 21, various locations in Burlington and Barre. Ticket prices vary. vermontburlesquefestival.com

Next to global warming, nothing heats up the Green Mountains in the winter quite like the Vermont Burlesque Festival. The five-day celebration of sensuality and body positivity features more than 120 dancers, comedians, artists and variety acts dropping scintillating sets at venues in both Burlington and Barre.

In addition to pulse-quickening performances, the fest offers curious attendees the chance to learn the art of burlesque themselves. Among the classes offered are Burlesque 101, Feather Fan Basics, Flexibility, Intro to Miming and Talk Nerdy to Me.

Stowe Winter Carnival

Thursday, January 18, to Saturday, January 20, various locations in Stowe. Most events are free. gostowe.com

Sure, traffic in the "Aspen of the East" is legendarily awful during ski season. But ritzy Stowe still has plenty to recommend it, even for nonskiers.

Celebrating its 50th year, the Stowe Winter Carnival is a collage of cold-season fun. Check out the 22nd annual Ice Carving Competition, sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association, where amateurs and pros make works of art out of the stuff most of us spend the winter angrily scraping off our windshields. Or you could take advantage of cold, clear skies for an evening of stargazing. And don't miss the snow volleyball tournament, which is exactly what it sounds like: fun.

Winter Renaissance Faire

Saturday and Sunday, February 3 and 4, at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. $5-30; free for kids under 6. vtgatherings.com

Hear ye, hear ye! The seventh annual Winter Renaissance Faire shall henceforth commence in the shire of Essex Junction during the merry month of February in the year of our lord two thousand and twenty-four. Hey, nonny nonny oh.

The family-friendly Faire features performances by many of the realm's finest minstrels, singers, acrobats and dancers, along with a veritable smorgasbord of food and mead vendors. But beware, brave knights: There are also fight demonstrations in which combatants wield the finest medieval weaponry.

Great Ice!

Friday, February 16, to Sunday, February 18, various locations in North Hero. Free. greaticevt.org

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• Great Ice!

Attention, Hallmark movie producers: If you haven't considered setting your next irresistibly wholesome, wintry romantic romp in the Champlain Islands, please allow us to introduce Great Ice! (Note: The exclamation point is part of the title, though we're also quite excited for it, TBH.)

The annual festival takes place on City Bay in the village of North Hero and includes an almost unbelievably charming array of small-town midwinter fun. To wit: sled dog rides, a lighted skating rink on the frozen lake, a food and wine "village" featuring all manner of locavore goodness, fireworks, a Christmas tree bonfire, and, maybe best of all, the chance to drive a Zamboni.