Once the site of 75 active quarries, Millstone Hill in Websterville lights up the night at RockFire: The Elemental Experience, an homage to the area's granite heritage. The evening starts with music, food and fireworks and culminates in Firewalk, a 1.5-mile bagpipe-led procession to firelit art installations and more live performances, illuminated by bonfires and candles.
New York City-based troupe Dance Heginbotham makes movement magic from the modest mushroom in an outdoor performance of You Look Like a Fun Guy at Dartmouth College's golf course in Hanover, N.H. Against a John Cage-inspired score, the artists portray the full life cycle — from spore to fruiting to decay — of one of nature's most resilient organisms.
Vergennes Opera House gets a jump scare on spooky season with the Vermont premiere of Brooklyn 45, a supernatural thriller about veterans who confront ghosts of their past — and present — when a séance goes off the rails. The film screening includes a meet and greet with local actor and star Jeremy Holm, previously in Netflix's "House of Cards."
Taste of Montpelier Food & Arts Festival returns to celebrate the artisan bakers, brewers, chefs and craftspeople of central Vermont. Start with Hispanic Heritage Month-themed foods and salsa dancing at Barr Hill on Friday night, then enjoy downtown street performances, chef demos, food trucks, restaurant specials and local art on Saturday.
Arlington, historic home of American artist Norman Rockwell, provides the backdrop for Norman's Attic Fall Fest, a picture-perfect autumnal gathering with live music, home-baked goods, a cider press, town-wide tag sales and vendors selling everything from vinyl records to maple syrup. Bonus: Get an early look at fall foliage on the drive in.
Hired Hand Brewing and Bar Antidote get their oom-pah-pah on to host Oktoberfest in downtown Vergennes. Musicians, local artists of all stripes and an array of food — including bespoke batches of ice cream from local specialty shop Lu•lu — keep the Bavarian-inspired vibes rolling.
Saint Michael's College in Colchester honors the work of its first art professor, the late Cyril "Cy" Sloane, with "Retrospective" in the McCarthy Arts Gallery. Many pieces in the exhibit depict the architectural subjects favored by the beloved teacher, including the one he painted most often: the lime kiln that was near campus during his tenure.