Manchester Vermont Fall Activities

Local Activities To Fall In Love With

Manchester visitors are invited to watch Vermont transform into stunning shades of orange, gold, and red during Fall. Take in the scenery with iconic leaf-peeping excursions just moments away from Kimpton Taconic Hotel. Feeling adventurous? Hike to Mount Equinox Skyline Drive to take in breathtaking views or explore Manchester like a local.

Fall brings foliage color that depends on the weather of the season. Every year, timing of your favorite fall foliage changes. Take a look at the Foliage tracker to plan your fall trip.

Outdoor Activities

When fall comes to Vermont… our green trees give way to famous bursts of orange, gold and red. What better time to go hiking, with so many options near the Taconic? Try Lye Brook Falls , The Equinox Preserve , Prospect Rock or the Bromley Mountain Trail , or the famous Long Trail to get moving in the crisp autumn air. Apple picking is in full season at Mad Tom Orchard or explore the biggest corn maze in Southern Vermont at Hathaway Farm.

Prefer a set of clubs to a walking stick? We’ve got you covered – contact our front desk for exclusive preferred rates on tee times at Manchester Country Club .

If you’re ready to depart dry land and spend the day traversing the waters in a kayak or canoe, our friends at Vermont River Runners will help you plan your ideal day on the Battenkill.

Seeing Manchester by bicycle is a fun and relaxing way to explore the town. No need to bring your own, as the Taconic offers free use of our Public Bikes ! Hop on and go for a ride in style.

Pumpkin picking (or gourd picking, or squash picking) is a fun fall activity you can try for yourself. Equinox Valley Nursery is open daily in season, right here in Manchester. And you don’t have to pick your own! The farm store has plenty of pre-picked options for you too.

Arts + Culture

When the leaves take on the hues of an artist’s palette each fall, there’s still time to enjoy some amazing works of art in the Manchester area. Whether it’s at the impressive SVAC campus or at an intimate local gallery, you’ll find breathtaking views indoors and out!

The Southern Vermont Arts Center offers a world-class arts experience of the arts to Manchester locals and visitors. Situated on 100 acres of pristine forest, you’ll find permanent and rotating gallery exhibitions, workshops and programs for all ages, performing arts, and Vermont’s largest sculpture park. SVAC is open to the public through November 18 of 2018.

Art galleries nearby include Helmholz Fine Art , Epoch 18 Vermont Artisans Gallery and the Three Pears Gallery in neighboring Dorset. You can also take a self-guided tour of the studios of craftspeople and other artisans during Vermont Open Studio Weekend each fall.

Located in the beautiful historic Depot section of town, Manchester Hot Glass is a glassblowing studio and gallery owned by artist Andrew Weill. Imagine the experience of blowing your own glass objet d’art, and bringing it home with you as a souvenir! Reservations required for glass-blowing classes.

Shopping

Shopping in and around Southern Vermont is a great way to find interesting, unique local finds, as well as some amazing deals on internationally recognized brands. As the snow starts to fall, you can pull on your duck boots to stroll up and down charming Depot Street exploring at the Manchester Designer Outlets boutique. This is not your typical hotel gift shop! The key word here is curated.

In the fall, you can have a great time walking up and down charming Depot Street exploring at Manchester Designer Outlets , featuring values on designer brands including Brooks Brothers, Johnston & Murphy, Marimekko, Le Creuset and so many more. Think of the gifts you could cross off your list!

After you make your way through the variety of outlet shops, you’ll find even more boutique shopping. Manchester area businesses offer intimate apparel at Le Peche Lingerie , and must-have antique home furnishings at The Perfect Piece . To see intricate needlework on hand-stitched lampshades, visit Vermont’s own “lampshade lady” in nearby Pawlet, at Lake’s Lampshades .

When you’ve made your way through the variety of outlet shops, you’ll find even more boutique shopping. Area local businesses offer outdoor apparel and gear at Bradley’s Pro Shop Ski & Sport , high-quality hand-crafted wooden gifts and items at Manchester Woodcraft , and the can’t miss J.K. Adams Kitchen Store in neighboring Dorset.

A visit to Manchester would not be complete without a stop in the sprawling yet cozy Northshire Bookstore , boasting multiple floors of books, keepsakes, gifts and souvenirs in an eclectic classic-Vermont setting. In 1856, Charles F. Orvis founded the Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont, offering superior fly-fishing equipment, and priding himself on customer satisfaction and service. Today, Orvis is the trusted source of discover and adventure in the natural world. Manchester is home to the Orvis Flagship Store .

History + Sightseeing

Two words: Fall foliage. If you’ve always wanted to see the splendor of New England’s explosion of Autumnal color, Vermont is hard to beat. Taconic is a great home base for many leaf-peeping excursions! Opening seasonally through October is Mount Equinox Skyline Drive , the only place to capture expansive views of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. From its 3,848 foot summit you can see the best views in all of Southern Vermont. This is a true Vermont instagrammable moment. This 5.2 mile drive will take your breath away. Feeling adventurous? How about a hike to the top? The trails are just a short drive from the hotel.

Let the experts take the wheel while you sit in comfort for a fun and informative ride with Backroad Discovery Tours . If you want a relaxing and educational experience of picturesque Southern Vermont in its gorgeous fall glory, these affordable tours come highly recommended – and will help you decide what to do on your next visit!

Merck Forest & Farmland Center is a truly special experience just a short drive from the Taconic. With a mission to teach and demonstrate the benefits of innovative, sustainable management of forest and farmland, Merck truly has something for everyone. From walking trails to workshops and demonstrations, to camping and purchasing farm-produced goods at the visitors center, Merck, is a great place to make memories in the fall.

Hildene , the family home of Robert Todd Lincoln, is situated on 412 acres of forestland that offer a great glimpse of foliage (with a healthy dose of history thrown in). Hildene is a quick drive from the Taconic. Start with the informative Visitor’s Center, then enjoy your self-guided house tour, and explore the idyllic walking trails.

Taste of Vermont

The best starting point for your fall Vermont culinary tour is right here at the Taconic, at our year-round breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant, The Copper Grouse . As the air turns crisp and the leaves turn multicolored, there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned apple-picking afternoon to kick off the season. Start at Mad Tom Orchard in nearby East Dorset, where you can pick apples in season from 9AM – 5:30PM every day except Mondays.

One of the things visitors love about the food community in Vermont is the array of small local businesses producing unique, delicious products that can be taken home, shipped to friends & family, or of course consumed on the spot. One such local Manchester gem is North Meadow Farm During winter months, the nice people at North Meadow Farm will take you on a sleigh ride through the backwoods, following sap lines and maple trails, finishing with fresh farm cookies and hot cocoa. On most holidays, they provide special event programming. Remember your visit by taking home some fresh Vermont milk or cheese!

See, feel and taste the bounty of Vermont in autumn, at two unforgettable farmer’s markets near the Taconic. Our own town’s Manchester Farmer’s Market is open Thursdays 3PM-6PM, through October 4, at nearby Adams Park. In our neighboring town of Dorset, the Dorset Farmer’s Market is open year-round on Sundays 10AM – 2PM.