Vermont Winter Outdoor Events and Activities | Happy Vermont

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Vermont Winter Outdoor Events and Activities You’ll Love

Sunsets after 5 o’clock, sunnier days and warmer temps are easier to come by in February and March. Fortunately, this time of year is also jam-packed with Vermont winter outdoor events and activities.

The second half of winter arrives Monday, Feb. 3, officially marking the season’s midpoint. Even if you haven’t been outside much this winter (it’s been cold!), you can still find plenty of wintery activities in Vermont.

Vermont winter outdoor events and things to do

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-Exploring Slate Valley Trails in winter. Courtesy photo by Chuck Helfer

Guided Moonlight Treks and Daytime Winter Hikes

Umiak Outfitter’s guided Moonlight Cabin Snowshoe Tour in Stowe is a longtime favorite that’s been around since the early 1990s. The three-hour excursion is a chance to explore nature, search for animal tracks in the snow, and learn about the history of snowshoeing and maple sugaring.

Arrive at an old sugar shack cabin to warm up by the fire and enjoy snacks, including Cabot cheese and crackers, hot apple cider from Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and maple syrup from Runamok Maple.  Prices range from $59-$69 per person. Contact Umiak Outfitters for scheduling and availability. (849 South Main St. Stowe; umiak.com)

While you’re in Stowe and looking for things to do, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski in The Notch, a section of Route 108 between Stowe and Cambridge closed to vehicular traffic in winter.

Farther south in Rutland County, Slate Valley Trails offers free guided winter hikes in Poultney on Saturdays at 10 a.m. now through late March. Each hike varies in length and difficulty. Wear and bring footwear suitable for hiking, snowshoes or microspikes (depending on ground conditions), warm layers, water and snacks.

If you would rather venture out on your own, Slate Valley Trails suggest a variety of trails for winter hikes, including the Endless Brook Summit Loop and The Fairgrounds Stroll.

Fat biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed on groomed trails. Check the winter use rules on the Slate Valley Trails website before you go. (212 Main St, Poultney; slatevalleytrails.org)

vermont-outdoor-winter-events

-Looking for Vermont outdoor winter events and activities? Try a guided snowshoe trek or a winter hike with family or friends.

In the Upper Valley, Norwich Trails include the Cossingham Trail, which leads uphill through pastureland with a beautiful view of New Hampshire. The Blue Ribbon trail to Gile Mountain —complete with a 67-foot-tall fire tower—is more challenging, but you’ll be rewarded with a stunning view.

Norwich Trail volunteers also suggest the Ballard Trail, named after Bill Ballard, who taught biology at Dartmouth College and fostered a strong community interest in Norwich’s natural environment. The trail runs along the Charles Brown Brook from Ballard Park, continuing to Norwich’s so-called “Grand Canyon” to the Converse Loop Trail, and arriving at the top near Tucker Hill Road.

You can find maps, directions, winter hiking tips and safety guidelines at norwichtrails.org.

On Feb. 14, Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock hosts a Torchlight Snowshoe trek ($7-$12). Northwoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston also offers its annual Valentine’s Day Candlelit Snowshoe event ($20 single/$30 pair).

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Vermont-winter-outdoor-events

-Artful Ice Shanties at Retreat Farm is an annual exhibit in Brattleboro. Courtesy photo 

Artful Ice Shanties in Brattleboro 

View beautiful ice shanties between dawn and dusk Feb. 15-23 at Retreat Farm in Brattleboro for the annual Artful Ice Shanties outdoor exhibit. These colorful creations were designed and built by imaginative groups and individuals. The exhibit is free and presented by the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and Retreat Farm.

Make time to visit Isaac the Ox and calves Mac and Cortland with their friend Pip on Retreat Farm’s upper pastures, located up the hill behind the barns.

Artful Ice Shanties ends with an outdoor Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m. A panel of local makers and fishing enthusiasts will award prizes for notably artistic, inventive, fun or thought-provoking shanties. (45 Farmhouse Square, Brattleboro; retreatfarm.org)

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-Participants gather for an outdoor trek at Great Ice in North Hero. Courtesy photo

Winter Festivals in Cities and Towns

Vermont communities are hosting winter festivals and carnivals, including the Westford Winter Festival on Feb. 8; the Great Ice in North Hero on Feb. 14-16; the Brattleboro Winter Carnival on Feb. 15-23; the Rutland Winterfest on Feb. 14-22, and the Chester Winter Carnival on Feb. 15.

The Old East End Winterlude Festival, held at Schmanska Park in Burlington on Feb. 7-8, includes snowshoeing, sledding, cross-country skiing, nature walks, crafts, live music, a fire pit, hot beverages and refreshments.

If you’re looking for another annual Vermont winter tradition, watch the Harris Hill Ski Jump competition in Brattleboro Feb. 15-16.

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-The Winterbike Festival returns to East Burke in February. Shutterstock photo

A Fatbike Festival and Torchlight Parade

The 13th annual Winterbike Festival in East Burke returns to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom on Feb. 8. The event is hosted at Mike’s Tiki Bar and on the Kingdom Trails network. It includes over 26 miles of cold-rolled singletrack. Tickets $65+.

Bromley Mountain’s FebFest Fireworks and Torchlight Parade on Feb. 15 is an outdoor party with live music, a Torchlight Parade at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks at 7:30 p.m. This year’s theme will be neon, so wear your brightest attire.

vermont-winter-outdoor-events

-The Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival in Newport is one of many Vermont winter outdoor events in 2025. Courtesy photo

A Winter Swimming Festival, Cold Plunging and a Pig Race

The Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival in Newport on Feb. 20-24 started over a decade ago by local swimmer Phil White. You can read about the festival in a 2024 Christian Science Monitor article. Registration is still open for the 2025 event.

Want to try cold plunging? The Red Hot Chilly Dippers, founded by Burlington artist Kath Montstream, host regular “open dips” in Lake Champlain throughout the winter. Check the Red Hot Chilly Dippers Instagram account for updates and inspiration.

On March 1 at 11 a.m., The Pig Race at Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center in Goshen is a classic Nordic ski event with a legacy dating back to the 1970s. You can choose from 7.5 and 15 km self-timed “races” (plus a kid’s race). Prepare for jumps, spills, singletrack challenges, agility obstacles, some early spring mud and a whole lot of local flavor. Rain or shine. (1288 Goshen Ripton Road, Goshen, blueberryhilltrails.com/the-pig-race)

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-Not The Pig Race, but a lovely winter snowshoe outing at Blueberry Outdoor Center.

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Featured, Mountains, Lakes & Rivers, Outdoors, Things To Do, Winter
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