Top 20 Vermont Events

Call ahead to confirm dates, times, and admission prices. For hundreds of fairs, festivals, exhibits, shows, and other fun activities, go to: YankeeMagazine.com/events

MAY 1-2: WOODSTOCK,Spring Farm Festival. A weekend packed with traditional spring activities at Billings Farm & Museum, including the annual shearing of the Southdown flock. Farmers demonstrate plowing skills with oxen and draft-horse teams; plus horse-drawn wagon rides and more. 802-457-2355; billingsfarm.org

MAY 2: ROCKINGHAM,Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival. Take an early-morning walk through a renowned birding area and spot a variety of winged species along the Connecticut River. 802-843-2111; www.nature-museum.org

MAY 22: DERBY,Dandelion Run. The world’s prettiest weeds are the backdrop for this half-marathon (with relay options) along dirt roads and through bright fields in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. 802-334-8511; dandelionrun.org

MAY 29: BENNINGTON,Mayfest Arts & Crafts Festival. Historic Main Street transforms into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare with artisans’ booths, more than 12 live entertainment venues, a beer garden, and great food. 802-442-5758; betterbennington.com

JUNE 4-6: BRATTLEBORO,Strolling of the Heifers Parade & Festival. Inspired by Spain’s famous “Running of the Bulls,” this top event features scores of dairy cows strolling up historic Main Street toward the grounds of the Brattleboro Retreat and the family-friendly Dairy Festival. Don’t miss the “Green Expo,” Sunday’s “Royal Farmers’ Feast,” and farm tours, too. 802-257-0249, 802-258-9177; www.strollingoftheheifers.com

JUNE 12-13: MANCHESTER, Antique and Classic Car Show. Cadillacs and Porsches, plus 43 other classes of automobiles and 800 antique vehicles, all at Dorr Farm. Silent auction, raffles, live music, vendors, tech sessions, field games, and a parade through town. 800-362-4144; manchestercarshow.com

JUNE 18-20: STOWE, Wine & Food Classic. Friday evening, a wine tasting at West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park; followed by a gala dinner and live auction Saturday evening, seminars and cooking demos on Sunday, and a grand tasting and silent auction Sunday evening, all at Trapp Family Lodge. 802-253-0399; stowewine.com

JUNE 25-27: ESSEX JUNCTION, Vermont Quilt Festival. New England’s oldest and largest quilt event fills the Champlain Valley Expo, with more than 500 new and antique works on display. Shop more than 85 booths brimming with quilts, fabrics, and gifts; choose from 80 classes and lectures with nationally renowned teachers; plus appraisals, gallery talks, and demonstrations. 802-872-0034; vqf.org

JUNE 26-27: TUNBRIDGE,Vermont History Expo. Tunbridge Fairgrounds bustles with more than 150 local historical societies, museums, and heritage organizations celebrating Green Mountain State history, with exhibits, music, family activities, food, presentations, and performances. Helen Dillon is this year’s featured artist, creating serigraphs (silkscreen prints) inspired by the changing seasons. 802-479-8505; www.vermonthistory.org/expo

JUNE 27: EAST THETFORD,Strawberry Festival. Visit Cedar Circle Farm and celebrate Vermont’s local organic agriculture with horse-drawn wagon rides, strawberry picking, kids’ crafts and games, and live music. Homemade shortcake and cheesecake, local ice cream, and more at this “green” event. 802-785-4737; cedarcirclefarm.org

JULY 3: BRANDON, Independence Day Celebration. Central Park comes to life early with vendors setting up for a full day of events, live bandstand music and entertainment, a silent auction, rides, amusements, parade, the “Great Brandon Ball Race,” a bluegrass concert, and fireworks. 802-247-6401; brandon.org/events

JULY 9-10: VERGENNES, French Heritage Day. Don’t miss Friday’s “Veillee,” an evening of French food, Quebecois music, and dancing at the Opera House. Then celebrate everything Franco-American at City Park on Saturday, with a French-toast breakfast, music, more food, traditional craft demos, genealogy workshops, exhibits, tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a French Mass at St. Peter’s Church. 800-733-8376, 802-388-7951; frenchheritageday.com

JULY 18-AUG. 8: STATEWIDE, Vermont Mozart Festival. This season, the festival celebrates Chopin’s 200th birthday, focusing on his piano concertos, mazurkas, sonatas, polonaises, and preludes. The festival will also feature a number of Mozart masterpieces, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Gilbert & Sullivan’s Yeoman of the Guard. 802-862-7352; vtmozart.org

JULY 24: MONTPELIER, Onion River Century Ride. Choose from three scenic rides through the Northeast Kingdom: the 112-mile full century, 110k (68-mile) metric century, and the 23-mile loop, all to raise funds for Kellogg-Hubbard Library. With food stops every 20 miles, a support truck, and an end-of-ride BBQ. 802-229-9409; www.onionriver.com/century

AUG. 1-SEPT. 6: MAD RIVER VALLEY,Vermont Festival of the Arts. More than 100 events, including music, workshops, and tours. August features local artists’ works at The Big Red Barn in Waitsfield; Labor Day weekend features the annual Mad River Valley Craft Fair at Waitsfield’s Kenyon Field. 800-517-4247, 802-496-6682; vermontartfest.com

AUG. 7: ARLINGTON, Norman’s Attic. The town’s annual crafts fair, named for Norman Rockwell, with gifts, pottery, art, jewelry, china, linens, antiques, collectibles, and home-cooked food on the town green and along Main Street. Check out the special map showing dozens of yard-sale locations throughout the area. 802-375-9952; stjamesarlingtonvt.org

AUG. 14: LUDLOW, Vermont State Zucchini Festival. Get zuked! Honor everyone’s favorite summer veggie, with great food, contests, crafts, entertainment, and sidewalk sales, all at Veterans Memorial Park and along Main Street. 802-228-5830; yourplaceinvermont.org

AUG. 19-22: WILMINGTON, Deerfield Valley Farmers’ Day Fair. Traditional activities, including a children’s lawnmower pull, an ox pull, and a truck pull. Don’t miss the horse show, watermelon-seed-spitting contest, country jam session, kids’ barnyard, pie-eating contest, exhibits, agricultural demos, demolition derby, and more. 802-319-0117; dvfair.com

AUG. 28-SEPT. 6: ESSEX JUNCTION,Champlain Valley Fair. Celebrate agriculture at the Champlain Valley Exposition fairgrounds, with circus acts, shopping, great food, blue-ribbon competitions, animals, concerts, and more. This year’s highlight event is a performance by country-music superstar Keith Urban (Sept. 4). 802-878-5545; cvexpo.org

SEPT. 4-5: BENNINGTON,Garlic & Herb Festival. An event with the slogan “Vermont Stinks!” is bound to be fun. Celebrate this glorious bulb in all its odorous forms, including ice cream, jelly, dips, dressings, salsas, even hot dogs and margaritas. Plus a hay maze and planting, growing, braiding, and harvesting lectures. 802-447-3311; lovegarlic.com