Guide to the 2016 Chester Fall Festival

Handmade jewelry from Parker Posie Designs.

Handmade jewelry from Parker Posie Designs.

©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

F or one weekend every autumn, Chester, Vt.’s Green fills with more than 60 artists, craftspeople and food vendors to celebrate the arts in Vermont and the rich colors of fall foliage that burst upon the Green Mountain State. This year, the event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18.

The Chester Fall Festival is sponsored by the Chester Rotary and proceeds go to support its educational and community initiatives. For the past two years, The Chester Telegraph has teamed up with the Rotary to present this guide to the Fall Festival. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the advertising on this particular page will be donated to the Rotary. Last year, The Telegraph was able to donate $300 to the Chester Rotary. Please frequent these and all of our advertisers.

As always, admission to the Fall Festival is free.

Click the following links to take you to:
MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
TRAIN RIDES, CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES ETC.
DIRECTIONS and PRINTABLE MAP
PARKING INFORMATION
COMPLETE VENDOR LIST

David Marden Photography.

David Marden Photography.

There is a lot to do and see so plan your Chester visit now. For more information about the Fall Festival click here. And to learn more about the artists and craftspeople, check out the Fall Festival’s Facebook page. For answers to questions not answered in the above links, call Nancy Rugg at 802-875-2444.

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MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

F

or the second year in a row, live entertainment will be filling the air at the Fall Festival. There will be something for every musical taste.

Will Danforth. Photo provided

Will Danforth. Photo from Willdanforth.com

Saturday, Sept. 17

  • 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.: The Last Chance Band with its smooth blend of rock ‘n’ roll.
  • Noon to 1 p.m.: Will Danforth playing good time American roots music on guitar, frailin’ banjo and wailin’ blues harp.
  • 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Stars from Broadway and the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company perform Broadway standards and contemporary musical theater songs, including Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Jason Robert Brown. Piper Goodeve, recently in WPTC’s All My Sons, Theresa Kloos, comedian and actress seen in Weston’s Fiddler on the Roof and To Kill A Mockingbird and Ryan Mangan, an alum of last year’s first Broadway Bootcamp, will be among those performing.

Sunday, Sept. 18

  • Noon to 1 p.m.: Root 7 a capella group with lively vocals in all genres and for all audiences.
  • 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Ida Mae Specker and Faith Wood playing a rambunctious fusion of traditional music.

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TRAIN RIDES and MORE

V

Take a delicious dinner train ride or a daytime trek. Photo by Chester Telegraph.

Take a delicious dinner train ride or a daytime trek. Photo by Chester Telegraph.

ermont Rail System, owner of the Green Mountain Flyer, will be launching its chef-catered Dinner Train from the Chester Depot to Ludlow at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16. Enjoy a relaxing two-hour ride as you delight in a wonderful meal with friends and family. Click the Ride & Dine ad on the right to learn more. And be sure to call for your reservations and meal choices.

Just like last year, the Green Mountain Flyer be hosting its 2016 Fall Excursions during the Fall Festival.

Take a train ride on Saturday or Sunday from the Chester Depot Train Station to either Rockingham or Ludlow. Please see the map for location. Parking at the Train Station is available. The Train Station is about a 15-minute walk from the Green. (You can click the Ride and Dine ad to the right to purchase your tickets.)

  • The Chester train to Ludlow leaves at 10 a.m. and returns at noon. Riders have the option of staying the day in Ludlow returning to Chester late in the afternoon.
  • The Chester train to Rockingham leaves at 1 p.m. and returns at 2:30 p.m.
  • The afternoon Chester train to Ludlow leaves at 2 p.m. and returns at 5 p.m.

Children’s and other activities

  • Vermont author Megan Price will be signing her Vermont Wild Series of books midday on Saturday Sept. 17.

    Author Megan Price will be signing her books and Dux the Balloon Man will be creating wonder . Photo by Benjamin D. Bloom

    Author Megan Price will be signing her books and Dux the Balloon Man will be creating wonder. Photo by Benjamin D. Bloom

    Check out our new Children’s Tent, and be sure to visit Dux, the Balloon Man.

  • Demonstrations by Six Loose Ladies, fiber artists.
  • Country Treasures quilting demonstrations in front of the store.
  • Beer Garden at the Fullerton Inn, 40 the Common. (cost of food and drink)
  • Shop at the local galleries and shops and eat at our local restaurants.

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DIRECTIONS

chester map for fall festival working2

Click map to access PDF for printing.

The beautiful Victorian town of Chester, Vt., sits along Routes 103 and 11 in Southern Vermont. You’ll find beautiful homes, charming shops and friendly people at every turn.

From I-91, take Exit 6 and travel 12 miles west along Route 103. Keep going straight into downtown Chester. You can’t miss the Green. (Do not turn right onto Route 103 at Maple Street.)

From the west, take Route 11 in Manchester, traveling east. You’ll pass Bromley Ski Resort and the town of Londonderry, then head straight into Chester and the Green. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Manchester to Chester.

From the north, take Route 103 South into Chester. You’ll drive through the historic Stone Village and curve past Town Hall on your left and the historic Chester Depot Train Station on your right. Be sure to slow down. When you come to the fork in the road, bear right and head into downtown Chester.

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Rowan Danforth demonstrates felting for Six Loose Ladies.

Rowan Danforth, left, gets a demonstration in felting from Six Loose Ladies.

PARKING

Designated parking will be at the NewsBank parking lot behind NewsBank off of Cobleigh Street. Look for the parking signs at Main and Cobleigh streets. (See map.)

There will be a handicap drop off at the eastern side of the Green.

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Chester Fall Festival Vendor List 2016

Bonnie's BundlesCollectible handmade dolls
Bob & Deb's SugarhouseWood: Wood mosaic ornaments, large wood door harps
Mullberry TreeFood: Dried herb dips and pottery
Grace & Miss Mouse SoapsSoaps
Picture Your GiftWood, tile and marble engraved
Park Slope Homeless Womens ShelterJewelry
Renewed Life in JesusBaked goods
Feel Better PhotosPhotography: Prints, dvds, boxes
Westberg ArtWood Carving, Swedish Christmas
Roots in SilverJewelry: Metal, clay and silver jewelry
Dellamano GlasswareGlass: Handpainted glasswear
Gerry WilkinsArt: Original acrylic paintings
The Ruby ThimbleFiber: Quilts, aprons and accessories
Mimi's MittensFiber: Fleece lined mittens
Frame it in SkiisWood: Recycled skis made into gifts and furniture
Barbara SouthwoodFiber: Quilts, pillows bibs for children
ScherenschnitteFine papercutting, framed pictures
Cute CrittersHandmade dog accessories
Lada Bohac and Route 4 Glassblowing StudioGlassblowing
Mason House PotteryPottery: Functional stoneware pottery
Shannons Beaded Jewelry & Gemstone CreationsJewelry
Chester Conservation CTEducational activities concerning conservation
Children's TentChildren's Tent Activities
Dux the Vermont Balloon ManChildren's activities
Earth CreationsJewelry
Big Brown Dog Wood WorksWood
C.H.Diegel PhotographyPhotography
Fall WoodcraftsWood
Elaine SnowFiber: Gift bags, children's jean aprons
Dan & Lynn BrooksJewelry and Fiber
Farallon SilverJewelry
Deb ClingenpeelFiber
Knit Wit BettyFiber: Knitted items
Lisa MadisonFiber: Fleece
Chester RotaryFood: Soups soups soups
Maple Leaf DesignsJewelry
Sew WhimseyFiber: Bags, quilts, tablerunners
Paul BremerFine Art: Landscape oil paintings
Six Loose Ladies Yarn & FiberFiber: Spinning demonstrations
Ann K. HerrickFiber: Aprons, dog scarves, dish towels
Grandpa Jim'sFood: Salsa, hot sauce, BGQ sauce, seasonings, rubs
Unique TurningWood: Turned bowls, birdhouses
Gary ChaseWood: Cutting boards and more
M&M Carriage House CreationsFine Art and handcrafted pet supplies
Jennifer WilliamsWood: Bowls, frames, furniture
Thompson Goat FarmSoaps and food (canned goods)
Parker Posie Jewelry DesignsJewelry: Silver and 14K gold w natural gemstones
Pippin Tree ArtsGlass: Stained glass and jewelry
BirchcraftWood: Birch bark baskets
American Heritage WoodworksWood: Wooden rocking boats
Fight Scurvy, Drink LemonadeFood: Fresh squeezed, made to order lemon- and limeade
The Lazy CowFood: Ice cream
Sunshine CottageFood and crafts: Teas and accessories
Green Mountain RoseFiber: Catnip toys, tooth fairy pillows, baby bibs, aprons
Papa John's Sugar ShackFood: Maple products, cotton candy
Lynn Larson DesignsFiber: Glass, wood, mixed media items
Ann ConnorsFine Art: Watercolors
Donna MontgomeryArt: Shadow boxes of collectible items
Mo's Fudge FactorFood: Fudge and fudge apples
Bracken Glen CottageJewelry
Hawks Meadow FarmFood: Jams, jellies, pickles, maple syrup, dried herbs
Motel in the MeadowFiber: Handknit doll clothes, handmade microwave hot-pot "bowls"
Gwendolyn LouiseJewelry
Only SilverJewelry: Sterling silver handcrafted wire jewelry

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About the Author: Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 40 years. Cynthia has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland, and has won numerous state awards for her reporting. As an editor, she has overseen her staffs to win many awards for indepth coverage. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.

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