Lower Connecticut River Valley in the Summer
Top Picks in the Lower Connecticut River Valley
Summer is your gateway to the sense of wonder and well-being that comes with slowing down and taking in your surroundings in Vermont. Plunge into a swimming hole, stroll a local festival, or simply find togetherness on the lakeshore or around the campfire. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what the Lower Connecticut River Valley offers in the summer.
Weathersfield , Vermont
Wilgus State Park
Thanks to its location directly on New England’s longest river, paddling is the prime attraction at this park named for William Wilgus, designer of New York City’s Grand Central Station. Wilgus donated the land to the state in 1933, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built out the park, complete with picnic areas with stone fireplaces that are still in use. Rent a canoe and kayak here—or launch your own—to venture out onto the Connecticut River, a gentle waterway that suits paddlers of all abilities. Back on land, the park’s Pinnacle Trail hike offers lovely views of the river valley. It’s a lot to take in on a single day, so the on-site cabins and camping sites are in high demand.
Rockingham Meeting House, Rockingham
Located just off Route 103 not far from busy Interstate 91, the Rockingham Meeting House is the oldest public building in Vermont that’s still virtually unaltered, not to mention one of the best-preserved colonial-style meetinghouses in New England. Built around the turn of the 19th century, it has never been lit by electricity or heated by anything but wood. Even the minor changes—painting the exterior white, installing a new pulpit—are a few generations old at this point, dating back to a 1906 restoration that cost a then-hefty $1,200. Open to the public from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, the property features a cemetery whose 1,000-plus headstones include those of Rockingham’s first settlers.
Yellow Barn Music Festival, Putney
Musicians come from around the world for this annual chamber music celebration at Yellow Barn, a fixture on the Lower Connecticut River arts and culture scene. From its 1969 roots as a summer retreat for music students, Yellow Barn has grown into one of the world’s finest training facilities, residency programs, and performance spaces for chamber musicians. The main concert series starts in July and runs for five weeks in the intimate, handicapped-accessible “Big Barn” concert hall. The festival also encompasses Young Artists Program concerts, where you can hear work by budding composers and special events including chamber operas and guest performances.
Brattleboro, Vermont
Retreat Farm
Founded in 1837 as an innovative way to provide food and therapy for people residing at a nearby psychiatric hospital, Retreat Farm sits on 500 conserved acres near the junction of the West and Connecticut rivers. Visitors are admitted free to this oasis of relaxation and reconnection, where families can delight in the forest playground, storybook walk, and pastures of farm animals. A 10-mile-plus trail network leads through woods and meadows (look for the one-mile Woodland Interpretative Trail to learn as you stroll). Retreat Farm plays host to special events year-round, but summer’s Harvest Festival is not to be missed.
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro Arts Scene
A town that hosts the Vermont Center for Photography, the New England Center for Circus Arts, and a century-old Art Deco theater is bound to attract fans of visual and performing arts. And that’s before you throw in the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, which has shown work by the likes of Vermont landscape painter Wolf Kahn and pop icon Andy Warhol. In addition to presenting up to 20 art exhibits annually, BMAC is a popular venue for concerts, talks, and other cultural events all year long. Downtown galleries abound, too, such as Vermont Artisan Designs Gallery and Gallery in the Woods. A great way to take in the Brattleboro arts scene is the popular series of Gallery Walks, held on first Fridays from May through December, with live music and happenings at nearly two dozen shops and galleries.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In the Summer
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in summer statewide.
