Downtown 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.

Matt 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.

Imagine 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.

Perhaps 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.

This 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:

Can 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.

The 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!

Straight 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.

The 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.

There’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!

Robert 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.

It 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.

Prospect has 144 acres of land and over 30K of well-groomed cross country ski trails. It serves as the home of the Williams College ski team, Mount Anthony High School ski team, and the Bill Koch Youth Ski League. In addition, the Berkshire League from western Massachusetts often uses the venue for races.

A week from this Saturday, on February 2 during free Community Day at the Bennington Museum, join the Curator of the Bennington Museum Jamie Franklin at 2:00 pm when he presents “A Battle of Bennington Veteran’s Portrait Rediscovered – and Acquired” followed by a talk given by Phil Holland and Lion Miles on “Sipp Ives – a Black Green Mountain Boy Killed at the Battle of Bennington”  

Like the website says, “Set your wanderlust free, with over 550 exhibitors representing more than 170 destinations. Travel smarter, with globe-trottting tips from a huge variety of experts. Watch unforgettable cultural performances, savor tastes from the world's most delicious destinations. And make yourself comfortable, anywhere you roam.” The NYTimes Travel Show is an unforgettable experience which sees over 50,000 people over three days every year. In the world of travel and tourism, this is the Super Bowl! So if you’re reading this and either a). You’re going to the NYTimes Travel Show or b).  You’re just interested in visiting Vermont this year…

The Bennington Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted over 200 of its members and stakeholders at its annual meeting, The Mix and Mingle, held at Bennington College this past Friday.

Winter has come!

Pack up, suit up and join us in The Shires to hit the slope! Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend is going to be epic with Winter Storm Harper predicted to drop 2-3 feet! Thanks to Winter Storms Dylan and Ethan, close to two feet of snow has already fallen between Christmas and New Year’s and allowed for Vermont’s ski and snowboard resorts to operate close to 100% of their terrain. 

Snow squall, frost heaves, sub-zero temperatures - they can be the bane of winter in Vermont! Leave it to the hamlet community of North Bennington, Vermont to create something fun for the month of January! Enter: Winterfest! Beat the Winter Blues with the always fun North Bennington Winterfest!

Starting a business can be intimidating, overwhelming - even risky. But here in The Shires of Vermont, the prospect of entrepreneurship becomes much less daunting when you consider the community full of resources and support committed to helping you succeed.

Nor’east Trail Runs, which hosts running events throughout Southern Vermont that provide opportunities for “any runner, any distance” to connect to both the state’s natural environment and their own athletic potential, has announced its 2019 lineup of races.