• Students at South Peak

    Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller

    National Historical Park Vermont

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  • Road Work May 22 -23, 2013

    The segment of road between the Mansion and Belvedere buildings will be closed due to scheduled excavation May 22 & 23. Please use caution and alternative routes.

Forest Festival Weekend

 

September 28-29, 2013
Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm

Held in conjunction with the Vermont Fine Furniture and Woodworking Festival.

The following Forest Festival programs are free of charge.

 
A park ranger in an orange hardhat and orange ear protectors watches as a portable saw mills a thick log.

Sustainable forestry

Jon Gilbert Fox

Both Days - Saturday and Sunday

Portable Sawmill Demonstration
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Pony Shed Pasture

  • A local sawyer will mill logs from the forest, to begin the process of making different wood products, building materials, and furniture. See logs transformed into lumber before your eyes.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center

  • Ride in a horse-drawn wagon with a park ranger to explore areas of the forest. The wagon will leave from the Carriage Barn Visitor Center area and head to the Pony Shed Pasture, where you can see a sawmill in action and explore a unique tree trail. Return trips are also available.
 

Walking Stick Wood Crafting
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Pony Shed Pasture

  • Children will be able to make their own walking stick, which can become a lifelong companion and a record-keeper of travels and hiking adventures. Listen to a park ranger read the beautiful story of Daniel and His Walking Stick by Wendy McCormick.

Open House and Garden Days
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center

  • Explore the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion and gardens at your own pace. See art, architecture, gardens, landscape, forests, exhibits, and more. Guided tours will be held at 10:00 am and 11:00 am.
 
A man in a green shirt holds a wooden tool in each hand; in front of him are blocks of various kinds of wood: maple, walnut, cherry, poplar.

Woodcrafting

Jon Gilbert Fox

Woodcraft Demonstration
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Carriage Barn Visitor Center

  • Join a variety of Vermont woodworkers as they create unique wooden products and discuss the art and value of their craft. Bowls, baskets, furniture, and other woodenwares will be made for all to see.

A Walk Among the Giants: Tree Discovery Walk - Self-guided

  • Take a self-guided family-oriented walk among 10 of the most common trees in New England. A brochure of fun facts will introduce you to these trees - learn how to identify them, how animals depend on them for food and shelter, and how we use the trees' lumber as part of our everyday lives. Brochures are available at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center.

Junior Ranger Program - Self-guided

  • Children ages 7-10 can earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing indoor and outdoor activities. Learn about the history of the park and how to be stewards of our special places. Brochures are available at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center.

Junior Ranger Program - Ranger-led
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center
Maximum 20 participants - call 802-457-3368 ext 22 for reservations

  • Children ages 7-10 can earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing indoor and outdoor activities with a park ranger. Learn about the history of the park and how to take care of special places. A self-guided version is available throughout the weekend at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center.

Forest Quest - Self-guided

  • Seek out treasures hidden in the Mount Tom Forest. Activities and riddles will reveal clues to help you unravel the forest's mysteries. Appropriate for all ages. Brochures are available at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center.
 
Three children and a park ranger sit in the shady grass and work on Junior Ranger actitivies.

You can earn a Junior Ranger badge with a park ranger or on your own

Jon Olender/Rutland Herald

10th Annual Vermont Fine Woodworking & Forest Festival

Held at the Union Arena in Woodstock, September 28-29, 2013 10:00am-5:00pm

  • Fine furniture and wood products demonstrations
  • Live music
  • Woodworking demonstrations
  • Local food
  • Hands-on activities for kids

For more information call 802-457-3368 x22 or visit www.vermontwoodfestival.org

 

Shuttle service is available. Experience both events by taking advantage of our free shuttle service - a 30-minute loop from Union Arena to the park, with stops in downtown Woodstock and at the Billings Farm & Museum.

Did You Know?

A man dressed all in white is contrasted by the dark and knobbly bark of spruce trees. Published in American Forests magazine in 1910.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP and Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt NHS have in common a passion for trees! Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller has the oldest sustainably managed woodland in North America. FDR, an amateur forester, personally supervised the planting of hundreds of trees on his Hyde Park estate.