1836 Country Store is a 59-year-old Vermont country store at 28 W Main St, Wilmington, VT 05363 (open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm), founded in 1966 by Al & Sue Wurzberger in the historic Lyman House barn built in 1836 (listed on the National Register of Historic Sites as part of Wilmington Village Historic District), just off scenic Route 9. This authentic New England country store specializes in Vermont artisan foods including Grade A maple syrup from a local farm family producing since 1868, 2-year aged Vermont cheddar cheese by the wheel ($19.99-$21.99), applewood smoked cheddar ($21.99), house-made fudge and handcrafted chocolates produced on premises ($5.75/piece), apple butter ($8.99), wild blueberry jam, honey, old-fashioned candy buttons, and homemade pepperoni, alongside an extensive selection of Vermont gifts, toys, cookie cutters (described as the largest collection customers have seen), kitchen items, and Vermont-themed souvenirs. With a 4.6 Google rating, TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award, 42+ TripAdvisor reviews (20 "Excellent"), and 27 Yelp reviews with 43 photos, customers praise the quaint historic atmosphere, friendly staff offering samples, on-site confection production, and wide variety of authentic Vermont products, though some note inconsistent service experiences and premium pricing on select items. This rambling historic country store near Mount Snow ski resort offers a "stepping back in time" shopping experience with Vermont artisan cheeses, handmade chocolates, local maple products, New England gifts, country store candy, Vermont food gifts, and traditional country store atmosphere perfect for tourists seeking authentic Vermont souvenirs, locally made products, artisan foods, and New England specialty items, plus mail-order services shipping Vermont gifts nationwide and connections to Vermont's farm-to-plate network showcasing genuine Vermont craftsmanship and local food traditions in the heart of the Green Mountains.
The Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market isn't just old, it's Vermont's longest-established farmers' market, period. Founded in 1974 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1980, they'll be celebrating their 51st year in 2025. The permanent location sits at 570 Western Ave (Route 9) creekside, just past the Creamery Covered Bridge, and every Saturday from 9am to 2pm between May and October you'll find 50-60+ vendors. There's also a winter market running November through March. This place won the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award, and they're picky about their vendor mix: 65% produce, 25% handmade crafts, 10% prepared foods. You can grab seasonal Vermont vegetables, grass-fed meats, farmstead cheeses, maple syrup, honey, fresh-baked breads, artisan soaps, pottery, alpaca wool products, silver jewelry, garden starts... the list keeps going. Food-wise, the international options surprised me: Afghan, Thai, Indian, French crepes, Mexican tacos, even Malian food, all served at picnic tables under shady trees beside Whetstone Brook where you can hear the water running while you eat. Fair warning though. Prices run higher than buying direct from a farm (saw mushrooms at $25/pound), but they accept SNAP/EBT benefits with Crop Cash matching programs that add up to $40 extra in purchasing power weekly. Cash, credit cards, and Farm to Family coupons work too. With 19 Yelp reviews and 73 photos, people consistently mention the fresh local produce, friendly vendors, Saturday live music, and the children's sandbox play area. This 50-year-old Southern Vermont farmers market has actually launched restaurants like Tito's and Dosa as a business incubator, and it operates year-round now. It's basically Windham County's weekly cultural gathering spot, where Vermont farmers sell directly to consumers and you can find artisan crafts, farm-fresh ingredients, handmade goods, and organic vegetables all in one park-like setting.
Vermont Artisan Designs has occupied 106 Main St in Brattleboro, VT 05301 for over 50 years (started around 1972-1973), and current owners Suzy and Greg Worden have run it for 35+ years since 1988. They represent somewhere between 300-350 Vermont and New England artisans, with 90% of the inventory locally made and 100% American-made. Open 7 days a week (Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm), the place holds BBB A+ rating and a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award. Two floors of stuff to explore. The main level is all contemporary craft, but head upstairs and you'll find 11 small galleries with museum-quality fine art that genuinely catches people off guard. Hand-blown glass by renowned artist Josh Simpson, pottery, jewelry, wrought iron, fiber arts, hand-painted silk scarves, turned wooden bowls, furniture including Vermont folk rockers, kaleidoscopes, paintings, sculpture, photography, block prints... honestly, walking through feels like getting lost in a really excellent maze. I spent twenty minutes just looking at kaleidoscopes once. Prices range from affordable small gifts up to pieces in the low thousands, and they offer layaway plans which is nice. Brattleboro Reformer readers voted it #1 art gallery in Brattleboro back in 2020, and Culture Trip named it one of Vermont's Top 10 Galleries. The Yelp page has 71 photos, Facebook shows 98% recommend, and reviewers keep mentioning Greg Worden's knowledge and the no-pressure browsing atmosphere. You'll spot established names like Woody Jackson and Simon Pearce alongside emerging artists and refugee community artisans. They do monthly featured artists, participate in Brattleboro's first-Friday Gallery Walk, handle gift wrapping and shipping, and can set up appointments for personalized tours. For Vermont-made pottery, New England glass art, handcrafted jewelry, wood sculpture, textile arts, or artisan furniture, this is the spot.
Green Mountain Spinnery is a 44-year-old worker-owned cooperative (founded late December 1981) and one of the few certified organic wool mills in the United States, processing approximately 11,000 pounds of fiber annually using vintage machinery dating back to 1896. The mill was founded by four fiber enthusiasts—Claire Wilson, Libby Mills, David Ritchie, and Diana Wahle—inspired by E.F. Schumacher's Small is Beautiful philosophy, operating out of a converted gas station using a 1916 Davis and Furber carding machine still in use today. Their signature GREENSPUN process uses vegetable-based canola oil instead of petroleum and no chemicals for bleaching or moth-proofing, making them a leader in sustainable fiber production. The best-selling Mountain Mohair (70% wool/30% mohair, $17.95/2oz skein, 140 yards) sources wool from Rambouillet sheep in the Rocky Mountains and yearling mohair from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Vermont—approximately 40% of all fiber comes from New England farms. TripAdvisor awards them a 4.9/5 rating with "Travelers' Choice" recognition, and reviewers call it "a Mecca for yarniacs" with "luscious, exquisite heathers" and "sweater-worthy quality." Free mill tours run Monday-Friday 10am-2pm (call ahead), showcasing the entire production process from raw fleece to finished yarn; the mill shop is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm. They offer 14+ yarn lines across all weights, 435+ knitting patterns, two published books, and custom processing services for farmers with a 50 lb minimum—plus free shipping on orders over $90.
Ardent Flame Candles started in 2019 under founder Connor Reed, but husband-and-wife team John and Amber Fisher acquired it in January 2023 and have since turned it into Vermont's largest candle producer with over 50 retail partners including the Vermont Country Store (which isn't easy to get into). Here's what makes them different: every single candle is 100% hand-poured by Amber Fisher in small batches of about 300 at a time, using pure soy wax sourced only from American soybean farmers. No paraffin, no soy blends, nothing sketchy. The 8 oz amber glass jars go for $17.95 each (or grab the Buy 3 Get 1 Free deal) and burn for a solid 40-45 hours with lead-free, zinc-free wicks and phthalate-free, paraben-free fragrances. The scent lineup expanded from 14 options to 27+ now, including Vermont-inspired ones like Maple Sugar Shack, Caramel Coffee Bean (their best-seller and the very first scent they ever made), and Winter Balsam. Light the maple one and your whole kitchen smells like Sunday morning at a sugarhouse. Customer reviews across platforms land at 5 stars pretty consistently, with people specifically mentioning clean burns with no black soot, no tunneling, and fragrance that outlasts competitors. The Fishers committed to never using machinery for the finishing touches either. Every label gets applied by hand, every box gets hand-stamped. That's real Vermont craftsmanship, not marketing fluff. Free shipping across the U.S. comes with every order. You can find their candles at Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Billings Farm, Hildene, JK Adams, and 15+ Big Y grocery stores throughout Massachusetts. For a small operation, they've built something pretty impressive.
Bennington Potters stands as a Vermont pottery legend, founded in 1948 by designer David Gil and representing 77 years of American ceramic craftsmanship at 324 County Street in Bennington. Physical stores in both Bennington and Burlington remain closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, though the company continues making pottery at Potters Yard and ships nationwide through benningtonpotters.com. This iconic Vermont artisan pottery shop revolutionized mid-century modern design with its famous trigger mug (introduced 1953) featuring two finger holes in the handle, and pioneered the distinctive blue agate spatterware technique that caught President Obama's eye for the White House in 2008. Bennington Potters handmade stoneware dinnerware ranges from $16-18 mugs to $86 three-piece place settings, with dinner plates around $32-36, offering 65 shapes across 15 glaze colors including Morning Glory yellow and the signature spatterware pattern. Customer reviews emphasize exceptional 30-year durability, with longtime customers praising pieces that "last a lifetime" and maintain their beauty through decades of daily use. The pottery earned Museum of Modern Art recognition in 1955 alongside design icons Charles and Ray Eames, with Gil winning Vermont Small Businessman of the Year (1974) and the company maintaining museum-quality standards throughout its history. Manufacturing continues at the historic 1922 grist mill facility using a unique blend of hand-crafting and machine-assisted production, creating functional art where "no two pieces are exactly alike" despite efficient production methods. While pre-pandemic factory tours showcased the vintage equipment and skilled potters at work, today's customers shop online for handmade Vermont pottery that bridges everyday functionality with museum-worthy American craft tradition. The benningtonpotters.com website remains operational with full customer service, shipping authentic Vermont-made pottery gifts and artisan dinnerware nationwide. Search terms like "Bennington Potters Vermont," "handmade pottery Bennington," "Vermont artisan dinnerware," and "American craft pottery" lead directly to this historic brand, though visitors should confirm before planning in-person shopping trips.
Hawkins House Craftsmarket has anchored Bennington's artisan scene for 48 years (since 1977) at 262 North Street, evolving from founder Ron Spivak's vision into a thriving second-generation family business now operated by Elizabeth Ganger and Jonah Spivak since 2000. This Vermont craft shop and multi-vendor craftsmarket showcases hundreds of American artisans across 3,200 square feet in two historic buildings, with particular renown as "the place to shop for jewelry" and claims to be the longest-running retailer of E.L. Designs by renowned jewelry maker Ed Levin Studio. The craftsmarket's moderate pricing offers sterling silver chains described as "very reasonable," with items spanning from affordable everyday pieces to investment jewelry, plus blown glass by Pat Wright and Odie Stout, pottery by Nancy Nardone, wooden ware, handmade scarves Bennington, and a curated Retrendz section featuring new and gently used clothing. Customer ratings shine across platforms with 4.53 stars from 93 reviews, 4.7 stars on Chamber of Commerce (78 reviewers), and 4.8 on Google (36 reviews), with shoppers praising "exceptional customer service," a "cozy atmosphere," and the non-pressure browsing experience where approximately 20 staff members provide knowledgeable assistance. Reviews consistently mention the store being "well worth the trip" (now adopted as their tagline), with customers appreciating the unique Vermont gifts, fair pricing for handcrafted quality, and the treasure-hunt experience of discovering one-of-a-kind pieces from featured artisans like MaryJane Artwear, WinitzerDesign switch plates, and Nancy Nardone pottery. The shop operates Monday-Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sunday 11am-4pm, offering a Frequent Buyer Program (3% back on purchases year-round), free gift-wrapping, and both in-store and online shopping for Ed Levin jewelry through hawkinshouse.net. Located near Bennington Potters in Vermont's historic craft district, Hawkins House connects visitors to Vermont's role as a "birth place to the craft movement" while supporting contemporary American artisans through carefully curated collections spanning jewelry, glass art, pottery, textiles, wooden cutting boards, aromatic candles, and educational children's toys. Contact them at office@hawkinshouse.net to discover why customers return for decades, with one reviewer noting "I had gotten a ring there close to 30 years ago" before returning for more handmade gifts Bennington Vermont and artisan jewelry Vermont.
Epoch Artisans Gallery is a cooperatively-run nonprofit founded in May 2009, now celebrating over 16 years as one of Vermont's premier artisan destinations, featuring work from 20+ New England artists across 15+ mediums. The gallery operates on a unique model where 16 full-time artisan members each work 2 days per month to staff the shop—meaning visitors always meet an actual artist who can discuss their creative process firsthand. After 13 years at their original location, Epoch recently moved to an expanded historic building on Manchester Center's main traffic circle, offering twice the exhibit space with a spacious main floor and open second-floor mezzanine. Price points range from $14 for jewelry and accessories to $5,000+ for fine furniture like handcrafted rocking chairs by Bob Gasperetti and $3,000 blanket boxes—reviewers consistently describe pieces as "museum quality." Featured artists include stained glass masters Karen Deets and Johnny Hinrichs, stone sculptor Jen Herzer (Morphic Stone), potter Sheena Montane, painter Michael Wolski, and fiber artist/weaver Kathy Litchfield. TripAdvisor rates Epoch 4.6/5 stars with reviewers calling it "the exact opposite of mass-produced souvenirs" and "one of the best artisan shops I have ever visited." Hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 10am-4pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas), and large metal animal sculptures of Vermont wildlife greet visitors outside the historic building.
Taylor Farm has been around for 185 years. Let that sink in. Established in 1840, this working dairy farm sits on 825 VT Route 11 in Londonderry, and Jonathan Wright has owned it since 1989 when he took over with nothing but a $20k loan. The smell of hay and woodsmoke hits you the moment you step out of the car. From 1998 to 2018, they made their own award-winning Gouda right on the property, winning First Place at the American Cheese Society for their Maple Smoked Gouda (they also did chipotle pepper, garlic, cumin, caraway, and nettle-aged varieties). These days the cheese operation has wound down, but the farm store is absolutely worth the stop. You'll find Vermont cheeses from local creameries, maple syrup, preserves, handmade soaps, candles, organic eggs, ice cream, and artisan chocolates, with specialty cheese products running about $13.99-$20. Hours are Monday through Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm. It's ranked #1 of 11 things to do in Londonderry on TripAdvisor with 100 reviews, plus 5,577 Facebook likes. The animals alone make it worth the drive (Scottish Highlander cows, goats, pigs, chickens, a celebrity pot-bellied pig, and Belgian draft horses), and kids can just wander around and pet them. Winter sleigh rides through the forest trails run about $20 per adult and $10 per child, complete with bonfire stops for marshmallow roasting and hot cider. In summer they do wood-fired pizza. Year-round wagon rides, fresh bagels... it's the real deal. The property covers 560 acres conserved through the Vermont Land Trust, right in the Green Mountains near Bromley and Stratton ski resorts. Visitors keep saying the same thing: owner Jon Wright makes everyone feel welcome, raw organic milk is available, and this actually feels like a working Vermont farm experience rather than some polished tourist trap. For local foods, handcrafted goods, Vermont cheese tastings, and family-friendly farm activities, Taylor Farm delivers.
Endless Creations Pottery Studio brings 8+ years of paint-your-own pottery fun to Chester, Vermont at 23 Maple Street (previously 442 Elm Street), where owner Melissa Howe operates a welcoming Vermont pottery studio earning 94% Facebook recommendations (44 reviews) and 4.7 Chamber of Commerce stars (36 reviewers) for her "kind," "accommodating" approach that "makes a novice feel like an expert." This Chester Vermont craft studio offers hundreds of precast pottery options from functional dishware to whimsical pieces, plus canvas painting, board painting, wine glass decoration, and monthly pottery wheel classes in a clean, organized facility with a private party room, BYOB policy, and all supplies, glazing, and firing included in the affordable studio fee. Pricing earns consistent praise as "good, not crazy like most places," with budget-friendly rates enhanced by Thursday Ladies Night (5-9pm) offering half-price studio fees, technique instruction nights ($10 reservation plus remainder due at event), and pottery-to-go kits (pottery cost + $4 glazing + $1 per paint color, 7-10 day firing turnaround). Voted "areas best Paint and Sip" with operational hours Wednesday 12-7pm, Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 12-5pm (closed Monday-Tuesday), this paint your own pottery Vermont destination maintains a devoted local following. Customer experiences emphasize the therapeutic, judgment-free environment ("Cheaper than therapy, and way more fun!!"), with reviewers celebrating birthday parties for 10+ friends, family relaxation sessions, and creative expression across all ages and skill levels, while one customer gushed "I'd give it more stars if possible!" and another noted "I have never been disappointed with Endless Creations!" The studio actively engages Chester community through school fundraiser partnerships, after-school programs, and special events including Daddy/Daughter and Mother/Son occasions, paint-and-sip nights, corporate team building, bridal showers, and TGIF Late Friday extended hours. Endless Creations welcomes walk-ins, offers wheelchair accessibility, allows pets, provides wifi and parking, and maintains curbside pickup for pottery-to-go convenience, with Melissa's hands-on involvement providing "so many tips and suggestions to make your art work look like a pro." Contact melissah@vermontel.net to book your creative session, with searches for "pottery painting Chester VT," "paint your own pottery Vermont," "pottery classes Chester Vermont," or "Vermont pottery studio" leading to this family-friendly destination where "the Creations are truly Endless" and memories are made through accessible, affordable Vermont artisan experiences.
