Stick season has settled in, the leaves are down, and Vermont is in that brief, quiet hinge between foliage and ski season - which turns out to be a great weekend to be here. The snow guns are running at the resorts (Okemo and Mount Snow are scheduled to open Saturday, November 21, and Stratton on November 25, so there is no lift-served skiing yet), the first holiday markets are opening indoors, and the stages are full: Judy Collins sings with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra in Rutland, Stewart Copeland talks in Stowe, Buddy the Elf takes the Flynn stage, and Zenbarn in Waterbury turns ten.
We have rounded up 40 things to do this Saturday and Sunday, November 14-15, spread across northern, central and southern Vermont, with at least two stops within a half hour of Cavendish, including the gear drop-off for the Okemo Mountain School ski swap and opening day at the new Ludlow Indoor Winter Market. Use the finder below to sort everything by drive time: tap the button to use your location, or type in a town or ZIP code.
A few notes before you head out: this is hunting season in Vermont, so wear blaze orange if you are heading into the woods, and dress for a mountain forecast rather than a valley one - November trails can be icy up high. Most of these are rain-or-shine, but check the event's own page before you drive, since times and ticket availability can change, and several smaller venues keep shorter hours this time of year.
Next weekend the lifts start turning. This weekend, enjoy the quiet version of Vermont: a lantern workshop in Montpelier, a ghost walk in Proctorsville, a makers market in Newfane, and a whole state getting ready for winter. Have a great weekend out there.