September 27-28, 2008
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

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

NEW THIS YEAR: All submissions from the Fifth Annual Vermont Furniture and Wood Products Design Competition will be exhibited at the park's new Forest Center all day September 27 and 28. Competition winners will be announced at a reception September 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend! Sponsored by New England Home magazine and featuring the music of Spencer Lewis.

• This year the Design Competition will include a Design with Pine category featuring creative uses for wood harvested in the park in 2008. Eastern white pine is a species rich in history and traditional uses, but not often highlighted in contemporary woodworking. The winning designer will be provided white pine, green-sawn to their specifications during the Forest Festival weekend, to use in building their design.

The following Forest Festival programs are free of charge.

• Both Days - Saturday and Sunday
• Saturday Only Events
• Sunday Only Events
• Shuttle Information

Jon Gilbert Fox

Sustainable forestry

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.

Jon Gilbert Fox

Woodcrafting

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.

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.

Saturday Only Events

Understanding the Forested Landscape
9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center
Maximum 15 participants – call 802-457-3368 ext 22 for reservations

• Wander the woods with Walter Poleman, field naturalist at the University of Vermont. Discover the park’s diverse forest communities as you learn to analyze soils, identify plants, and interpret history etched in the land. There will be a one-hour program indoors followed by a two-hour walk. Snacks provided. Please bring water and wear comfortable footwear.

Time for Me to Fly
8:30 am to 10:30 am
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center

• Join an Audubon Vermont naturalist for a two-hour bird walk focused on fall migrants. Binoculars will be provided, but please bring water and wear comfortable and sturdy footwear as we will be walking over moderate terrain.

Jewels of the Northern Forest
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center

• A colorful one-hour presentation about forest birds found throughout Vermont. This indoor program includes recommendations for managing your forested property in a bird-friendly manner. Presented by an Audubon Vermont naturalist.

Jon Olender/Rutland Herald

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

Sunday Only Events

The Future of the Forest
Hikes begin at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm
Meet at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center
Maximum 20 participants - call 802-457-3368 ext 22 for reservations

• Join the Windsor County Forester for a one-hour hike and discussion on the history and sustainable forestry practices for the Mount Tom Forest, the oldest managed forest in the United States.

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.)

Fifth Annual Vermont Fine Furniture & Woodworking Festival

Held at the Union Arena in Woodstock, September 27-28, 2008, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Admission is $7 per person (18 and older)

• Fine furniture and wood products demonstrations
• Live music
• Woodworking demonstrations
• Local food catered by JDC's Just Delicious Catering
• Hands-on activities for kids

For more information call 802-747-7900 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.