Okemo Valley in the Fall
Top Picks in the Okemo Valley
Vermont is world-renowned for its bright, colorful fall foliage, making the season a celebration. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what the Okemo Valley offers in autumn.
Proctorsville, Vermont
Vermont Golden Honey Festival
You may think you know what honey is: a concentrated solution of simple sugars made by honeybees from flower nectar. But especially in the case of local honey, harvested by people living close to the bees and the land, it’s something far more complex and fascinating. Learn more about Vermont’s state insect and taste its many delicious gifts when the Golden Stage Inn hosts its annual honey festival in September. The one-day event showcases a variety of honeys—raw, honeycomb, lavender, and more—alongside honey-related foods and drinks, plus local crafts and gifts. Chat with an expert beekeeper, enjoy live music, and get in on some wood-fired pizza (topped with honey, of course) from event co-sponsor Goodman’s American Pie.
Ludlow, Vermont
Okemo Mountain Resort
Seeking a bird’s-eye view of changing leaves? Find your autumn overlook at Okemo, one of the rare New England ski areas with a paved auto road to the summit. From the resort, the road winds about 4.5 miles up the mountain, offering views of Green Mountain grandeur along the way. At the top, a short hiking trail leads to a 60-foot fire tower where the views change to a 360-degree panorama of fall color. For more adventurous visitors, there are hiking trails to the summit that run 2.5 to 3 miles one-way, as well as the option to book a scenic gondola ride on Okemo’s Sunburst Six chairlift and soar high above the foliage display.
Weston, Vermont
Weston Priory
Back in the 1950s, one of the oldest monastic traditions in the Western world planted new roots on an abandoned farm in Weston. Following the teachings of the 1,500-year-old Rule of St. Benedict, the Benedictine monks of the Weston Priory combine prayer and contemplation with a commitment to shared labor. They work at gardening, sugaring, beekeeping, and maintaining an apple orchard, while honoring their order’s traditions of hospitality. Visitors are welcome to join in prayer with them, and a gallery shop offers books, sacred music recorded at the priory, and examples of the monks’ fine craftsmanship.
CIDER DAYS
– Mount Holly, Vermont
Mount Holly’s village of Belmont goes all out for apple cider every year during Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend. The festival’s main attraction is made on-site using a 1903 hydraulic cider press, and the resulting sweet amber beverage is perfect for pairing with cheddar from Crowley Cheese, a Mount Holly treasure that’s been crafted here since 1824. Among the other sweet treats on offer are cider doughnuts, apple pie, and apple crisp with ice cream. Meanwhile, local musicians provide live tunes; food and drink vendors serve up barbecue, craft beers, and more; and area artisans show off their creations. For kids, there’s a petting zoo and the chance to try their luck at the ever-popular cow plop bingo.
GRAFTON TRAILS & OUTDOOR CENTER
– Grafton, Vermont
Quiet but thriving, Grafton ranks at the top of the best-preserved historic small towns in Vermont. That’s thanks in large part to the nonprofit Windham Foundation, which bought and renovated the landmark Grafton Inn and revived Grafton Village Cheese, founded in 1892. But the foundation’s influence extends beyond Grafton’s pretty downtown to include the 2,000-acre Grafton Trails & Outdoor Center. Here you’ll find hiking paths as well as mountain biking trails, with single-track hand-built to include a lot of technical features. A swimming pond and nine-hole disc golf round out the offerings, which in the winter shift to cross-country skiing, fat biking, tubing, and snowshoeing.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In Fall
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in autumn statewide.
