Saturday, Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. —WESTON— Eight decades of Vermont tradition will be celebrated with a new community event when The Vermont Country Store marks its 80th anniversary during the inaugural Weston Village Fair & Jubilee on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The daylong celebration will combine an old-fashioned village fair with a milestone anniversary for the family-owned retailer, which was founded by Vrest and Mildred Orton in 1946. The event begins with an 11 a.m. parade and continues through 6 p.m. with games, contests, food, vendors, live entertainment and dancing in the heart of Weston.
Admission is free, with tickets available for food and games. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Weston Community Association.
The parade will travel from Walker Farm to the Old Parish Church from 11 a.m. to noon. A welcome and moment of silence in remembrance of Sept. 11 will follow before the fair officially gets underway.
At 12:15 p.m., the celebration expands across the Weston Village Green with fair games, food trucks, a food tent, local crafters and vendors. Horse-drawn wagon rides will run until 3 p.m., while a cake cutting marking The Vermont Country Store’s anniversary is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
A Best in Show dog and pet costume competition follows at 12:30 p.m., while entertainment at the bandstand runs from 12:30-3 p.m.
Fairgoers can also take part in a series of traditional competitions. Categories include floral arrangements, apple desserts, pickled items, chocolate chip cookies and creative children’s crafts, with various judging taking place from 1-2:30 p.m.
The afternoon will transition into an evening celebration beginning at 3 p.m., when the Mount Holly Brewery beer tent opens and music and street dancing take over Park Street. Dancing, music and the beer tent continue through 6 p.m.
The Jubilee also provides an opportunity to recognize The Vermont Country Store’s history. Founded in Weston in 1946, the business remains in the Orton family and has grown from its Vermont roots to serve customers nationwide through its Weston and Rockingham stores, catalog and online business.
Over the decades, the retailer has become known both for traditional Vermont products, including maple syrup, maple candy and Vermont cheese, and for finding and restoring discontinued or difficult-to-find products.
The Vermont Country Store is sponsoring the inaugural Weston Village Fair & Jubilee as it celebrates its 80th year.
Parking for the Sept. 12 celebration will be available at The Vermont Country Store and Walker Farm.
For more information, visit: westonvt.net.
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