Thanksgiving Week R&R AND 46th Annual Putney Craft Tour! Nov 25-Dec 1

We invite you to enjoy community, camaraderie & connection during Thanksgiving week November 25-December 1*

Come join with friends new and old for a soak in the hot tub, relax by the fire, get a massage with Dave or a hike on our recreation trails! You’ll return home energized, renewed and relaxed following a weekend detached from the outside world at Frog Meadow’s private paradise exclusively for men!

We are fortunate to have several excellent farm-to-table style restaurants nearby that always have extraordinary menus, plus plenty of other fun local attractions!

Have a seriously indulgent and yummy Thanksgiving Grand Buffet Dinner one of two nearby – and fabulous restaurants:

• The Sawmill Bar & Table, West Dover
• The Hermitage Inn, West Dover

*Note that Frog Meadow  will be open Thanksgiving November 28, however we are not serving a Thanksgiving dinner meal.

46th Annual Putney Craft Tour!

If you’re with us Thanksgiving weekend (November 29 through December 1) you’ll want to check out the nearby Putney Craft Tour – now in it’s 46th year!

The Putney Craft Tour, America’s oldest continuous open studio craft tour, conceived in the late 1970s and timed to coincide with Thanksgiving and holiday shopping, celebrates its 46th anniversary this year on November 29, 30 and December 1, (10-5p) in the historic town of Putney.

For 3 days after Thanksgiving, the studios of 24 of Vermont’s most prominent makers invite the public in to discover, ask questions and snag one-of-a-kind gifts directly from the crafters. Glassblowers, potters, jewelers, woodworker, painters, sculptors, stained glass artisans, an aromatherapist, and even wine and cheesemakers welcome visitors to their studios.

Every year the tour draws art lovers, shoppers and the curious. “The opportunity to experience the uniqueness of the number and the variety of craftspeople and artists in a small rural environment — is the real draw of such tours,” says glassblower Robert Burch, one of the founders of the tour. Well-marked signs and tour maps lead the way. Start at Putney Mountain Winery & Spirits welcome center, where you will find an exhibition of the artisans’ work, maps and brochures and any questions answered about the tour.

Green Mountain Spinnery’s Maureen Clark guesses why people come back year after year – “it’s due to the variety of artists on the tour, and seeing how other people thrive in an artistic lifestyle making beautiful things.” Also, she adds, “holiday shopping at just any box store is so generic — finding and giving a unique gift is so much more rewarding. Jewelry designer Jeanne Bennett adds. “More than anything, the tour is great entertainment. Driving through the Vermont countryside and finding the studios is an adventure in itself.”

Guest artisans new to the tour this year include Blake Johnson, specializing in furniture, sculpture, wall art and useful wooden objects; Marcie Maynard (oil paintings), Kerrianne Harlow (needle felted and soft sculptured wool dolls and animals), Mucuy Bolles (Mayan inspired ceramics), Candace Jensen (calligraphy, letterpress and drawing) and Laurie Alberts (oil painting inspired by rowing).

Tour goers are advised to enjoy the tour in a leisurely fashion. Don’t try to do it in one day. Spend at least a couple of days and take in the rich community of artists and the Putney Historic District that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Save time in the evenings to enjoy other events in Putney that are part of the Putney Craft Tour’s Thanksgiving Weekend:

• Sandglass Theater celebrates the 10^th Anniversary of A Rafter of Crankies and returns to Green Mountain Orchard for the fourth consecutive year. Performances: Fri, Nov. 29 at 5pm and 7:30pm, and Sat, Nov. 30, at 5pm and 7:30pm. www.sandglasstheater.org
• Next Stage offers a triple bill of contemporary folk singer/songwriters — Hayley Reardon, Sam Robbins, and Emily Margaret, on Fri. Nov. 29 and on Sat. the 30th, a screening of Jay Craven’s new film “Lost Nation,” with a Q&A with Craven. Details at: nextstagearts.org/events-calendar.htm

To download the map go putneycrafts.com, For details about wheelchair accessibility, please call each studio.

 

About Us

Frog Meadow Farm Bed & Breakfast and Massage Oasis for Men is a welcoming, non-judgmental place for men of all colors and backgrounds to unwind and shed the trappings of busy modern life.

Frog Meadow frequently hosts men’s gatherings, workshops and retreats. Hosts Dave & Scott are committed to providing a welcoming environment to re-connect with nature and yourself.

Frog Meadow is only 4 miles from the popular Rock River swimming hole, 10 miles from Brattleboro, VT and 30 minutes Mount Snow & Stratton Mountain ski resorts.

Relax in our spring-fed swimming pond, soak in our wood-fired hot tub, or enjoy our 4-season recreation trails and extensive perennial gardens and orchard!

Be sure to check out our special events calendar, photo galleries, rooms/lodging pages & lodging specials and discover all that gay-friendly Southern Vermont has to offer!

Click here to learn why Edge Boston calls Frog Meadow “Vermont’s Gay Oasis”