It's just about April which means pond skimming is just around the corner! For anyone who is at a loss for what this event could possibly be, it's just as it sounds. Contestants race down a small hill and try and see how far they can make it across a 'pond' with their skis or boards as they skim across the water. Awards are typically given out for best splash, longest skim, style, best costume, etc. It's a great pastime that draws hundreds to the mountains for a fun-filled day. 

Bolton, for example, designates a theme for each years' pond skimming event. This year is 1966 to celebrate their 50th year. Visit each mountain's page below for more details on their event.

April 1st - Stowe Mountain Resort

April 1st - Bolton Valley

April 8th - Sugarbush Resort

 

 

We're smack dab in the middle of ski season and there are so many fun races, parties, and events at all the local mountains. Check out everything from a Retro 80's weekend in Stowe to an Island Weekend bash at Sugarbush Resort. Whether you ski, board, or fat bike, there is a race here for you. Check out the links below for detailed information on these events and registration for races. These are only a few of the many events in the area so make sure you check out each resort's calendar of events.

February 26th: Stowe Derby at Stowe Mountain Resort

March 4th: Castlerock Extreme at Sugarbush Resort

March 5th: High Fives Fat Ski-A-Thon at Sugarbush

March 8th: Bolton Valley Rail Jam

March 10th - 12th: Retro 80's Weekend at Stowe Mountain Resort

March 18th: Ski and Ride New England Party at Bolton Valley

March 19th: Sugarbush Mountaineering Race

March 25th: Island Weekend at Sugarbush 

                               

Hopefully, if you're living in Vermont, you actually like the snow, cold temperatures, and all the wonderful activities that come with this type of climate... or at least you don't dislike them. But whether you're a seasoned winter enthusiast, or are just starting to work on your 'icy-parking-lot-walking' form, there are a few winter celebrations in the area you won't want to miss.

Stowe Winter Carnival - January 14 - January 28

In its 43rd year, this Stowe carnival is 15 days long and full of tournaments, ice carving, skating, dance parties, movie nights, karaoke nights, brews, and a fishing derby. 

Shelburne Winterfest - Saturday, January 21

This indoor/outdoor winterfest at Shelburne Farms includes family friendly activities including sledding, horse-drawn rides, crafts, music, and a rock climbing wall by Northern Lights Rock and Ice.

Waterbury Winter Fest - January 17 - February 5

New England Landmark is a Proud Sponsor of Waterbury Winterfest!

10 days of awesome winter activities in and around Downtown Waterbury, and Waterbury Center. Partake in anything from guided hikes and classes to the Winterfest Snowball, craft beer tastings, and the highly competitive annual broomball tournament! (Some preregistration needed, so check out the schedule in advance.)

Montpelier's Ice on Fire Winter Festival - Sunday, January 29

A celebration of community along with the season, this festival features storytellers, theatre acts, music, facepainting, crafts and winter games, hot cider, chili, and warming hut to help keep warm.

Brrrlington Winter Bash - Saturday, February 25

A kid-centered celebration of snow-fun a the Miller Recreation Center in Burlington. Free snowshoeing, xc skiing, face painting, crafts, and youth yoga classes by Spark Youth Yoga. 

 

There are a lot of fun things to do leading up to the holidays. Many local towns have ongoing events for whatever your interest. Check out some of these events this month:

Nov 11: Rusty Nail Dance Benefit for Veterans

Nov 12 & 25: Cider Tasting: Champlain Orchards

Nov 12: 40th Annual Milton Pre-Christmas Craft Show

Nov 14: Pint Night at the Reservoir Restaurant and Tap Room

Nov 24: Turkey Skate in Stowe

Nov 25: Homemade Candy Cane Demonstrations

Nov 25 - Dec 17: Waterbury's Wrap It Up & Win

Nov 26: Waterbury Holiday Artisan Boutique & Small Business Saturday

Dec 2: 24th Annual Vermont International Festival

Dec 2 - 4: Mad River Valley Country Holiday Fest

Dec 3: River of Light Lander Parade

There's something for everyone! We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and holiday season. Click here for more Mad River Valley Events, Waterbury Events, Stowe Events, and Burlington Events.

We all know what September means. School buses back on the road, cooler weather, and lots of great events on their way to the Waterbury, Stowe, and Burlington area! Don't believe us? Here are just a few:

• Sept 2 - 5 Green Mountain Stage Race in the Mad River Valley - Burlington
• Sept 9 - 11 Vermont Fly Fishing Show in Stowe
• Sept 16 - 18 British Invasion Car Show in Stowe
• Sept 17 - Steeple Market Brewfest in Fairfax
• Sept 17 - von Trapp Brewing Oktoberfest in Stowe
• Sept 22 - 25 Oktoberfest Vermont 2016 in Burlington
• Sept 25 Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival in Stowe

Come enjoy fine craft beers, spirits, and ciders at the Stowe Brewers Festival. The Festival starts on Friday, July 29th with a session from 5:30pm-9:30pm and continues on Saturday with sessions from 11:30am - 3:30pm and 5:30pm - 9:30pm. Grab your friends and celebrate the best brews Vermont has to offer. Live music and a food truck round-up keep the good times rolling throughout the event. You must have tickets to enter and be over 21. The event is also looking for volunteers who will receive a free admission ticket for a session other than the one they are working, a free t-shirt, a voucher for a meal from one of the vendors, 15 tasting tickets, and a commemorative tasting glass. Saturday's session one is already out of volunteer slots. 

To learn more about Stowe Brewers Festival visit their website by clicking here.

July 8th brings us the Waterbury Block Party followed by the Arts Fest the next day. Both of these events are free to attend and showcase local artists and performers while raising money for Revitalizing Waterbury. 

On Friday, the Block Party starts at 5:30pm and ends around 10pm. The opening set features Sadie Bloger followed by The Grift aka "Vermont's premier good-time party band" as well as Dojo. Get ready to dance in the middle of the shut-down-streets, because that's what always happens.

Saturday starts up again starting at 10am and goes until 4pm. It is so much fun to stroll around exploring booths with handcrafted jewelry, pottery, woodwork, clothes, people watching, eating great food, and so much more. Learn more here.

There are some basic things to look at when looking for a new home. Waterbury and Stowe offer a variety of housing needs with homes coming into the market frequently. Never settle for less than what you want in a home. We found an article by Kara Masterson about some basic tips for first time buyers.

Investing in real estate is one of the most financially sound things you can do, but buying a new home might feel intimidating when it is your first time. It is understandable that you'd want to make the best decision possible. Here are six things to look for that can help with your decision.

Efficient HVAC System

Heating and cooling count for a large percentage of a home's monthly operating costs. An outdated heating and air conditioning system will drive up your bills and decrease your comfort. Make sure the HVAC system is one of the newer efficient models and has been well maintained.

Good Layout

Decorating a home is easy and inexpensive, but big renovations like knocking out walls or adding rooms can drive up your costs later on. It is better to start with architectural details that you already enjoy. Pay attention to how one space flows to another, ceiling height, number of rooms and the amount of natural light.

A Sturdy Roof in Good Repair

Many homebuyers forget to check out this important home feature. A damaged roof can indicate water damage and mold problems elsewhere in the home. Your real estate agent can supply you with information about any recent upgrades to the structure and a professional home inspection can supply you with any other data you need to know before making your decision. These agents can also help you find solid listings of homes that have recently been repaired.

Upgraded Plumbing

Old homes can possess a lot of charm, but if you are considering buying a piece of vintage real estate, make sure you have the plumbing checked. Old metal pipes can leak or might be corroding and adding visible sediment to the water supply. Upgraded plumbing helps you avoid problems such as burst pipes and high water bills from inefficient plumbing features.

A Great Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home. Even if you don't plan to spend a lot of time there, you will want to make sure the kitchen adds a lot of value to the home in case you put it back on the market in the future. Renovating a kitchen can be costly, and so it is better to start out with a kitchen you know you can live with and enjoy.

The Right Number of Bathrooms

Adding a bathroom is not a simple task. Don't settle for a home that lacks the right number of bathrooms to match your family's needs. Two bathrooms at minimum are ideal.

Remember that details such as cabinet color, carpeting and other decorative features can be changed when you tire of them, but the architectural bones of the home is another story. Put more worth on a sound structure that you can do a lot with, and features such as a stone mantel, rather than easily replaced incidentals.

See the original article here.

Downtown Waterbury's looking forward to the much anticipated upcoming WATA (Waterbury Area Trail Alliance) event. Which includes craft beers... and a lot of it!

Waterbury is known for some of the greatest mountain biking around. It’s partially because of our geography, (ever heard of Perry Hill?) but also because the WATA organization put’s a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears into our trails. So let’s have some fun while supporting this thrilling sport!

The first ever Gears & Beers Bar Crawl will be on April 30th. Sponsoring restaurants such as The Reservoir, Blackback Pub, and Prohibition Pig will donate 5% of their draft sales to WATA. This is going on all day and night! The Alchemist will also be delivering extra cases to Craft Beer Cellars that weekend.

If you were hoping to do more than have fun drinking 80+ kinds of craft beer in awesome restaurants to support our trails, you can! Learn more here.

The Fiscal Times recently came out with the top 25 Best Beer Towns in America. And to none of our surprise, Waterbury, Vermont was on that list. In fact, we were not just on that list, but were located right at the top of it! That's right, Waterbury, Vermont = #1 Beer Town in America according to The Fiscal Times. They listed the Alchemist's Focal Banger as our number one brew which is an American IPA and Heady Toppers' kid sibling.

Freeport, Maine and Cooperstown, New York were named 2nd and 3rd best Beer Towns in America. You can check out the full list of The 25 Best Beer Towns in America here.

But enough about them. Needless to say, great beer and Waterbury these days definatly go hand and hand.