To the editor: Whole new festival this year in Chester

Get ready for a whole new festival this year! For more than 40 years, the annual Chester Fall Festival — now called The Chester Festival on the Green — has been held as a hallmark kickoff to the beginning of fall foliage season here in Chester, where hundreds of people converge on our historic Green from all over New England.

Once again bringing together the best of our local craft and food vendors — we’re also introducing new agricultural-themed exhibits, games and entertainment in an unforgettable experience of Vermont’s unique culture. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s in the works for the event, to be held Sept. 18 & 19:

The Farm Olympics will host potato sack racing, pumpkin bowling, corncob darts, egg tossing, giant pumpkin rolling and more! Participation automatically enters you into our raffle prize contest. Other activities (all kid-friendly) include the hay bale maze, apple cider pressing, scarecrow contest, garlic painting, worm farm exhibit, beekeeping exhibit and traditional tractor hay rides on a loop cruise around the festival grounds. Of course, if you’re an animal lover, you won’t want to miss out on the goats, sheep-herding, and Frisbee dog demos!

We hope you’ll pick and plan your favorite activities for a customized experience at the Chester Festival on the Green. If you’re planning to stay the weekend, click here for local lodging options. Vendors and agriculture entertainment will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 18 and 19. Event schedules will be handed out by our ambassadors and provided at the Chester Information Booth on Main Street during the event. Don’t forget to make your way over to the live music concert series—multiple bands are playing on stage on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The music schedule and lineup are TBA in the next week …  stay tuned to our Facebook page and website for more details.

If you’d like to support our event and are interested in volunteering, we could always use more hands-on-deck! We’re looking for festival ambassadors who can help oversee the Farm Olympic games, assist in agricultural demonstrations, pass out schedule flyers, etc. If you don’t have time to volunteer but would still like to contribute, we are accepting donations  by clicking here or  by mail. Every bit is appreciated on behalf of the entire Chester community. We can’t wait to see you there! For more information, email: chesterfallfestival@gmail.com or call: (802) 579-6831.

Sincerely,

Scott Blair, chair
Lauren Ingersoll, marketing coordinator
and the members of the
Chester Community Events Committee