The Heifers will stroll again, June 1-2-3, 2012

Join us in beautiful downtown Brattleboro, Vermont for the eleventh annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, June 1-2-3 2012 — always chosen as one of Vermont's Top Ten Summer Events!

Stroll Weekend is filled with fun and education for the whole family, built around the world-famous agriculturally-themed Strolling of the Heifers Parade — Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. sharp on Brattleboro’s historic Main Street.

Watch scores of lovable heifer calves led by future farmers, followed by many other farm animals, bands, tractors, floats, clowns and much more. When it’s over, follow the crowd to our all-day 11-acre Live Green Expo for food, music, dance, demonstrations, exhibits and fun, all related to our mission of sustaining family farms by connecting people with healthy local food.

And that’s not all . . . Stroll Weekend starts Friday night, June 1 with Gallery Walk — open studios and art gallery openings throughout Brattleboro — along with a culinary competition and a downtown street fair with food, entertainment and fun.

Stroll Weekend continues Sunday, June 3 with our Royal Farmers Breakfast, the cycling Tour de Heifer and the Farm, Food and Fiber Tour; plus many other related events during the weekend.

In the lead-up to Stroll Weekend, the organization will be presenting the second annual Slow Living Summit in downtown Brattleboro, May 30-June 1 — a gathering of engaged citizens from government, non-profits, business, education and the arts dedicated to sustainable living and social entrepreneurship, to explore common interests, common solutions, and common goals.

For pictures, stories and video links about the 2011 Stroll Weekend, click here!

Stay tuned to this website, and become a fan of Strolling of the Heifers on Facebook, for updates and detailed calendar information as it becomes available. Here's a listing of the individual events that comprise Stroll Weekend:

Strolling of the Heifers Gallery Walk and Street Festival

Brattleboro’s festive monthly first-Friday stroll from gallery to gallery. Stores and restaurants are open as well, and Main Street will be closed to traffic between High Street and Elliott Street to allow street entertainment of all kinds. Culinary Festival and competition at the River Garden; plus Farm Art Exhibit. 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

World-famous agriculturally-themed Strolling of the Heifers Parade — 10 a.m. sharp on Brattleboro’s historic Main Street; pre-parade entertainment from 9 a.m. Watch scores of lovable heifer calves led by future farmers, followed by many other farm animals, bands, tractors, floats, clowns and much more. When it’s over, follow the crowd to the all-day 11-acre Live Green Expo for food, music, dance, demonstrations, exhibits and fun, all related to our mission of sustaining family farms by connecting people with healthy local food.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Enjoy a delicious meal made with fresh local produce at this historic landmark and pick up a map for the self-guided farm tour. Visit the Chelsea Royal Diner online, or phone 802-254-8399 for information.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

A trio of scenic farm-to-farm bicycle rides tailored to all levels of cycling ability, with routes ranging from 6 to 60 miles. The routes feature incredible views, farm and woodland terrain, New England villages (one with a covered bridge) and much more. Come to Brattleboro for the Strolling of the Heifers Parade and Live Green Expo on Saturday, and stay for the Sunday Tour de Heifer!

While there are special events at some farms on June 3, our Farm/Food/Fiber Tour can be taken at any time of year, subject to seasonal opening days and hours of individual farms. Check out southern Vermont’s scenic countryside as you wend your way around on this self-guided expedition and meet farmers and food producers selling direct to the public. Complete details, directions and map at our Farm/Food/Fiber Tour web page.

The original U.S.-based conference designed to foster cross-sector, cross-silo solutions for high-quality, community-centered living that sustains the planet and mankind, in which common good takes precedence over private gain. The Summit gathers sustainability experts and activists from business, education, non-profits and government entities, along with engaged citizens, gathered to hear speakers like Bill McKibben, Majora Carter and Gary Hirschberg, and to participate in dozens of scheduled as well as open-space panels, presentations and discussions built around sustainability concerns like partnerships, governance, economics, community, systems, policies and resilience. See the Summit website for details: www.slowlivingsummit.org.