It is with heavy hearts that the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce informs the greater Bennington community that the 25th Annual Garlic and Herb Festival traditionally held on Labor Day Weekend will be postponed until Labor Day Weekend of 2021.
Read MoreThe Southwestern Vermont Chamber Board of Directors last Thursday (May 21, 2020) voted unanimously to accept a new logo and design for the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce in a year-long branding process.
Read MoreThe Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Hopridge Farms will present the fourth annual Southern Vermont Winter Homebrew Festival on Saturday, March 7th in downtown Bennington, Vermont at the former Brush Building.
Read MoreIn Southwestern Vermont, also known as The Shires of Vermont, residents are never too far without a health clinic of some sort, or knowing someone who is employed by the largest growing industry. Without a 24/7 rescue squad, full-service hospital, and numerous specialty clinics, residents of Bennington County wouldn’t have the quality of health that they do. It’s not just the rolling Green Mountains and maple syrup that keep everyone healthy, it’s on-the-ground and in the community prevention work.
Read MoreAs we gather this holiday season in The Shires of Vermont, we want to provide additional information for those that are inclined to take part in Christmas services throughout the region.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again to fall in love with Vermont! We love fall and we love when other people can see our humble and majestic state in its best season! Book your trip, take out your new iPhone and capture the great shots around The Shires of Vermont in Southwestern Vermont. Not too far from New York, Massachusetts or New Hampshire, this is a great long weekend destination to make your friends and family drool over your Instagram feed!
Read MoreHome of the famed Revolutionary War heroes, the Green Mountain Boys, it doesn’t take long to see that there is an explorer’s heart in most citizens of The Shires. Looking for a little adventure yourself, want to get your explorer on? Check out some of these top spots for the explorer-at-heart!
Read MoreWe thought it would be good provide a list of top 2019 festivals and events this summer in the Shires of Vermont. Here is the 2019 line up for festivals and events in The Shires of Vermont
Read MoreDowntown Bennington, Vermont is transformed this weekend into a bustling street festival as it hosts the 34th annual Mayfest. The event, which takes place this Saturday (May 25th, 2019), is put on every year by the Better Bennington Corporation, in partnership with over 100 local artists and craftspeople, local nonprofits, downtown businesses, and street food vendors.
Read MoreMatt Harrington, the executive director of the Bennington Regional Chamber of Commerce serving The Shires of Vermont, has been appointed by the Vermont Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE) to join their executive board.
Read MoreImagine one place where you could learn about the newest holistic healing practices and places locally to receive them. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, the community of Bennington, Vermont does just that! One weekend focused on the newest and coolest practices and practitioners of holistic health in one location!
Bennington Holistic Healing Practitioners (BHHP) has announced that their 2nd Annual Wellness Fair will be taking place on Saturday, April 27th from 11am-4pm at the Mount Anthony Country Club at 180 Country Club Drive.
Read MorePerhaps you’ve heard of it? The “Fifth” season in Vermont? This “informal” term describes the period in late winter/early spring when dirt paths such as roads and hiking trails become muddy from melting snow and rain. It’s usually between March and Memorial Day in May that we see mud season. It can be fun though! It’s a time when Vermont starts to thaw out, the sap begins to run, and buds begin to spring.
Read MoreThis week is Taste of The Shires Spring Restaurant Week in Southwestern Vermont! As you enjoy the specialities that our chefs and culinary masters whip up, don’t forget that this food haven doesn’t only exist during Restaurant Week. 24/7, 365 if you want to discover the food mecca of the northeast, it's time to check out The Shires of Vermont. Take in the scenery and stop every so often to sample craft brews, eclectic cafés, comfortable bistros, and upscale fine dining restaurants. Here are the best plates this year in The Shires of Vermont:
Read MoreCan you believe it! We just hit the first day of spring this past week! Okay, so its still snowing in Vermont. However, now is the best time to book your next trip to The Shires of Vermont, a picturesque New England region nestled in the Southwesternmost corner of Vermont.
Read MoreThe Winter Homebrew Festival was always meant to be a sign of spring and shaking off the cabin fever. Many hundreds did just that as they piled into 10,000 square feet of homebrewers and wing purveyors. You could see friendships, that perhaps had been packed away in hibernation, again rekindled as they joined together to taste, sample and laugh their way through the festival.
Here are some tips to get your taste buds truly appreciating the eclectic brews that are emerging this spring!
Read MoreStraight out of a Rockwell painting it seems. Vermont Town Meeting Day is a special day exclusively to Vermont and its residents. On the first Tuesday of every March, Vermont observes Town Meeting Day, a day on which the people of Vermont gather in public forums all over the state to “speak their mind” to their government officials, hold local elections, approve budgets, and conduct other town business. Town Meeting Day marks a special event in which residents meet in about 40 towns across Vermont. They discuss the business of their town and any issue is open to debate. They also elect local officials, approve a budget for the following year, and conduct other local business.
Read MoreThe making of Vermont's pure maple syrup in The Shires of Vermont is a tradition that has been handed down generation to generation. Each sugarhouse has its own unique way of producing pure maple syrup to give it that great taste that we all enjoy.
Read MoreThere’s nothing like curling up by a fire on a snowy day in The Shires. What makes that better is if you’re reading some of our favorite, world-renowned authors from the region! A special thank you to The Bennington Bookshop for helping us collect some of these great reads! Pick up a copy today at the Bookshop!
Read MoreRobert Frost, famed Shires’ poet once wrote, “All thoughts, all passions, all delights, Whatever stirs this mortal frame, Are all but ministers of Love, And feed his sacred flame.” The Shires of Vermont, located in Southwestern Vermont, provide that whimsical notion! Take a break from the hustle and bustle to show your lover just how much you care for them. In The Shires there’s plenty to do either with others or if you need some alone time.
Read MoreIt should come as no surprise, that the key to Vermont’s charm in terms of politics is it’s unfettered access to governmental leadership. Perhaps in this day and age it is a surprise! A marvel held by many new Vermonters or transplants from other regions of the country is the access state representatives, senators, house speakers, lobbyists and yes, even the Governor, who can be seen driving to work just like the rest of us.
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