October in Woodstock, VT

Woodstock, Vermont is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. The serene countryside landscapes, the quaint, charming town, and the peaceful quiet make it the perfect place to celebrate all of the best parts of the autumn season. 

I started out my trip by visiting the Norwich Farmers’ Market to pick out ingredients for this recipe. The farmers’ market has a great selection of vendors that sell products ranging from handmade pottery to fresh produce. There’s plenty of options for food too, whether you’re looking for breakfast or lunch. Woodstock’s Abracadabra Coffee Co. even has a booth where you can get a delicious cup of coffee. 

There are limited options for dinner in Woodstock and because of that, a lot of the restaurants do require reservations. Knowing that, I made a reservation before my trip for Cloudland Farm, a farm/restaurant that offers a farm-to-table dinner service. Their menu is different every night and is inspired by whatever ingredients are in season. The night I went, they served a salad with kale, bacon, and delicata squash. Dinner was beef sirloin with cheddar mashed potatoes and cauliflower, while dessert was a tangy and bright panna cotta with pears and brown sugar crumble. Everything was delicious and fresh and it was the perfect way to start out the trip.  

The next day, I visited Silloway Maple Farm. It’s off the beaten path and is a bit of a trek from Woodstock, but it’s a beautiful spot. The past two times I’ve been to Woodstock, it’s been tradition to get a maple creamee from Woodstock Scoops, which is right in the center of town. This time, though, I wanted to try one from Silloway. It was a tasty treat, especially since the day we went the thermometer was nearing 70 degrees! Sitting at a picnic table at the maple farm, eating my maple creamee, what struck me the most was the utter quiet. It was so peaceful and worth the drive for that alone. I brought back coffee infused maple syrup and maple sugar which will be perfect for fall baking. 

The Woodstock Inn & Resort is in the center of town and it’s an absolutely gorgeous inn. I didn’t stay there, but even still, it’s fun to visit their gift shop or cozy up by the huge fireplace in the lobby (that is, if it’s cold enough for a fire). The inn also has a spa, which is where I spent the next morning. Their facility is absolutely stunning and one of my favorite parts was looking out the giant windows and seeing the pretty red, yellow, and burnt orange leaves outside. 

As far as the question of where to get drinks in Woodstock, Au Comptoir is the easy answer. It’s right in town and the space is so cozy and inviting. The seating inside is limited, but there’s plenty of tables outside and even some seating around wood-burning fire pits. I went during the week so I didn’t have any trouble getting a seat inside, but I can imagine it getting a little crazy during the weekend (especially in the fall). Their cocktail menu is inspired by the seasons so all of the drinks had fun, autumnal twists. I got the Forbidden Orchard, which was a delicious gin and cherry cocktail. 

Speaking of drinks, my favorite place to get coffee in Woodstock is the aforementioned Abracadabra Coffee Co. At the farmers’ market, they had a smaller menu, but at their actual location, they had plenty of delicious drinks to choose from. The shop is about an eight minute drive outside of town, but it’s worth going out of the way for. I’ve had some of my favorite coffee drinks ever there (specifically their maple latte, hottie horchattie latte, and iced dirty chai latte). They sell the homemade syrup that they use in their hottie horchattie drink at the store, which I purchased to bring home. It’s made with maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and molé bitters and I’ve been loving putting a splash of it in my coffee every morning. 

There’s so many fun activities to do in Woodstock, but personally, there’s nothing I love more than simply walking around town. I especially loved taking walks in the morning with my coffee. Of course, I had to photograph the iconic (and Pinterest famous) fence with the mini pumpkins and the also iconic and Pinterest famous Woodstock covered bridge. That’s just the beginning, though. I felt like everywhere my eyes landed was a perfect fall scene. Walking through town in the morning, watching the shop owners open their doors for the day, truly made me feel like I was in a Hallmark movie. I was snapping photos on my camera what felt like every second. 

If you like shopping, there’s a great selection of fun stores in town to browse through. There’s a bookstore, a couple of clothing boutiques (one of which I purchased a shirt from), and even a flannel store (The Vermont Flannel Company). Just outside of town is the Farmhouse Pottery store, which is also a fun place to visit. There’s a window where you can actually watch the potters in the studio and it’s a great space showcasing all of their beautiful pottery. 

I also visited Billings Farm & Museum. There’s a short, 30-minute video that you can watch before you explore the farm and museum, which was really educational and interesting. Woodstock has a rich history of conservationism, led by men like George Perkins Marsh, Frederick Billings, and Laurence Rockefeller. There’s a daily program of events at the farm and I happened to be there at 3 pm, which is when they milk their dairy cows. After visiting with the cows and the calves (who were absolutely adorable), I explored the museum for a little while and walked around the farm. As with everywhere else I went on this trip, the farm is a little slice of peace and tranquility. 

Across the road from Billings Farm & Museum is the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park, where there’s lots of different hiking trails. My favorite is the hike to the top of Mount Tom. When you get to the top, there’s a perfect view of the town of Woodstock from above. It offers a fresh perspective and it’s so beautiful. 

Another fun farm to visit is Sugarbush Farm. It’s not too far from the town of Woodstock and not only do you get to explore their maple woods and meet their goats, you get free samples of their cheeses and their maple syrups. All of the products I sampled were delicious, but I have a personal preference for the dark, robust maple syrup. I got a jar of that and also brought home Sugarbush Farm’s jalepeño and cayenne pepper cheddar cheese. 

Like I mentioned before, there aren’t a ton of places to eat in Woodstock. However, I spent a lot of time at the Woodstock Farmers’ Market because they have a great variety of prepared foods. For breakfast, they have a case of hot breakfast sandwiches (which are delicious and very filling), and a huge case of bakery items, like scones, muffins, and croissants. For lunch, they have a ton of different sandwiches, which are conveniently already made up for you. They also have prepared dinners, which seemed to be different every day I went in. Everything was delicious and it was nice to have freshly made meals with no fuss or effort. 

The store also has a huge selection of local cheeses, crackers, and jams, which I took advantage of to make a cheese platter one night. On top of all of that, the Woodstock Farmers’ Market even has its own coffee shop. I got a maple latte on my last morning and it was great. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the store is very small and is already tightly packed with merchandise. It can be a challenge to navigate your way through, but well worth it, in my opinion. 

Woodstock, Vermont is the perfect place to unwind and relax, even just for a weekend. There’s plenty to do, but there’s also so much natural beauty that you don’t even have to do anything but enjoy your surroundings to have a great time. The charm of the town really makes you feel like you’re living in a storybook. I can’t wait to go back again!