10 Best Things to Do in Vermont This Summer 2025

Searching for the best things to do in Vermont this summer? From rodeo thrills and sailing on Lake Champlain to farm concerts, golden retriever cuddles, and indulgent mac and cheese, these 10 curated experiences showcase the quirky charm, rugged beauty, and artisanal spirit of the Green Mountain State. Whether you’re into jazz, off-roading, cheese-making, or barefoot dancing, Vermont has a little magic waiting around every bend this season.

10 Best Things to Do in Vermont This Summer

1. Round ’Em Up at Pond Hill Ranch – Saturday-night rodeos bring big sky views and authentic cowboy energy.

Don your Western wear and bring the whole family to the largest working ranch east of the Mississippi. Saturday-night pro rodeos are held for 10 weeks each summer at Castleton’s Pond Hill Ranch. The bleacher seats’ sunset views of the Adirondacks are worth the price of admission, and it’s a kick to witness authentic bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping—all conducted humanely as dictated by the rodeo circuit’s governing body.

2. Go Off-Road with Land Rover – Book a wild ride through Vermont terrain with Equinox’s Land Rover Experience.

Take the wheel of one of the sturdiest, most capable vehicles ever made, and find a thrilling sense of freedom and confidence. Manchester’s The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa is where you’ll find the Land Rover Experience Driving Center, but you don’t need to be a guest to book an off-road experience that will have you navigating steep hills, dramatic side tilts, water, rocks, and whatever sloppy weather Mother Nature may dream up.

3. Find the Magic at The Sparkle Barn – Whimsy, wonder, and one unforgettable shop in Wallingford.

When life hands you lemons, The Sparkle Barn will help you find the zest. You’ll encounter eight dragons and a magic garden before you even venture inside this quirktastic Wallingford gift shop. Unimaginable finds await, but this is more than a destination for retail therapy. Head upstairs to the Bloom Room and discover artist and owner Stacy Harshman’s free gift to anyone who craves comfort and inspiration—a realm so saturated with whimsy, it startles awake the child within.

4. Get in the Groove at the Stowe Jazz Festival – A free, women-led celebration of music under the Vermont sky.

The Stowe Jazz Festival has gotten big, and that means a new venue, the Stowe Events Field, for this 100-percent-free three days of live performances. Be there July 18–20 as the festival bends notes in another way this year, bringing only women-led bands to the main stage.

5. Spend a Day with the von Trapps – Music, beer, and mountain views at a legendary family resort.

If you’re Stowe-bound, make the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort a part of your travel plans. Whether you stay for a few nights, attend a Music in the Meadow or Oklahoma! in Concert performance, or grab a fresh-brewed lager at the Bierhall, you’ll find more than a few of your favorite things on tap as the resort—founded and still owned by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame—celebrates 75 years.

6. Set Sail with Whistling Man Schooner Co. – Lake Champlain cruises that take you back in time (and into total relaxation).

Untether from land and go where the moody winds of Lake Champlain move you on a Whistling Man Schooner Company sailing cruise out of Burlington. Whether you’re aboard the Friend Ship or the Wild Rose, both replicas of early 20th-century lobstering sloops, this throwback mode of travel keeps you remarkably in the present. BYO beverages and finger foods, and keep your eyes peeled for Champ, the local lake monster.

7. Dance Into Sunset at Earth Sky Time – Pizza, live music, and community vibes on a working farm.

At Manchester’s Earth Sky Time, the spirit of Woodstock meets Vermont rurality in the Concerts on the Farm, held Sunday evenings from Memorial Day through Indigenous People’s Day. Admission is discounted for students and farmers. Healthy salads, wood-fired pizzas, beer, and wine are for sale. Dancing barefoot isn’t mandatory—but why wouldn’t you?

8. Meet the Goldens at Golden Dog Farm – The feel-good photo op of the summer (plus maple, honey, and cider).

You’ll never forget your playdate with at least 10 golden retrievers—the photo ops alone are priceless. There’s more to Jeffersonville’s Golden Dog Farm, though, as we discovered while visiting this family-owned organic producer of maple, honey, cider, and sheer happiness in Weekends with Yankee Season 9 (check your local PBS listings). The Golden Retriever Experience can be booked on select dates year-round, and gifting this heartwarming adventure is as easy as tossing a tennis ball.

9. Find a New Favorite Hobby in Woodstock – The Woodstock Inn’s Passion Pursuits help you reconnect—with fly rods, falcons, and more.

Do you have a favorite pastime you’ve neglected? Or one you’d like to try for the sake of relaxation, exhilaration, or social connection? The Woodstock Inn & Resort has introduced a new Passion Pursuits program, designed to start you on your way during your vacay. The inn’s “Passionistas” offer guidance in everything from fly-fishing and pickleball to gardening and antiquing. You can even learn to fly a hawk with the founder of New England Falconry, Chris Davis.

10. Indulge in Vermont’s Cheesiest Experiences – From famous mac and cheese to hands-on cheesemaking, dairy dreams await.

Vermont is a cheese lover’s dream. In Brattleboro, the Vermont Country Deli sold 81,000 pounds—more than 40 tons!—of its ridiculously delicious cast-iron-baked mac and cheese last year. Ready to do more than snack? Reserve a hands-on cheesemaking class or “Cheesemaker for a Day” experience at Hartland’s Fat Sheep Farm & Cabins, where staying overnight means waking to the bleat of lambs and the glint of sun dancing off mountains. Save the date, too, for this year’s Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne: August 10.

What tops your list of the best things to do in Vermont this summer? Let us know!

Kim Knox Beckius

Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee Magazine's Travel & Branded Content Editor. A longtime freelance writer/photographer and Yankee contributing editor based in Connecticut, she has explored every corner of the region while writing six books on travel in the Northeast and contributing updates to New England guidebooks published by Fodor's, Frommer's, and Michelin. For more than 20 years, Kim served as New England Travel Expert for TripSavvy (formerly About.com). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and is frequently called on by the media to discuss New England travel and events. She is likely the only person who has hugged both Art Garfunkel and a baby moose.

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