It’s also the time when our holiday magazines start popping up in your mailboxes, at your local shops and libraries, and all around the Shires and Mountain Towns! It’s just in time to start getting excited about all the festivities to come, no matter how you celebrate.

November is here, which means stick season, colder weather, cozy sweaters, and that undeniable feeling we get when the holidays are approaching. While the holiday season is mostly a time of joy and gathering with loved ones, it can also be filled with anxiety and sadness for many people. Those of us who are struggling, for any reason, can feel that struggle even more acutely at this time of year. 

Kinhaven Music School and Burr & Burton Academy Launch a Groundbreaking New Semester Program 

How the Manchester Tractor Parade became a beloved Holiday tradition 

How the Northshire Civic Center and Riley Rink at Hunter Park became a strong and enduring hub affecting positive change in Southern Vermont

Valeria Ryan steps in as Manchester Business Association’s new Events Manager 

A closer look at the FIRST youth robotics programs in Southern Vermont and beyond

BOO! Happy Halloween, Friends! Today, I am delighted, in the most dastardly way, to introduce you all to my colleague, Leonard Kenyon (Lenny K.), Art Director and Vice President of Vermont Magazine, Stratton Magazine, Berkshire Magazine, and Manchester Life Magazine (his fantastic illustrations can be seen on the covers of Manchester Life!)

Hey, Friends! Did you get a chance to stop by the First Annual Manchester Harvest Day at Factory Point Town Green this past Saturday? The weather was beautiful, there was music in the air, and people from all over were out and about enjoying the festivities.

Happy Harvest, Friends! By now, you’ve seen that my love for all things Fall runs very deep, but I suspect many of you are right here with me. This past holiday weekend, our region hosted so many folks leaf peeping, pumpkin picking, and sipping hot apple cider. Everywhere I went, I saw people snapping photos of beautiful scenery and loved ones in front of gorgeous, autumnal displays. The happiness in the air was truly infectious.  Photos courtesy of the Manchester Business As

This season’s homemade apple crisp was long overdue in my household, but I remedied that over the weekend!

Hello, Friends. Happy October! I have officially launched into “spooky season,” during which I start watching as many scary movies as I can between now and Halloween.

Hi, Friends! Now that song is in your head, isn’t it? This week kicked off with the official start of my favorite season, the Autumnal Equinox on September 22.

Hi, Friends! While our local businesses and organizations are decorating for Fall, now is also the perfect time to refresh our homes with a touch of the Southern Vermont magic we see outside.

Now, it’s all about apples. I grew up in this region, and apple picking was a big part of every fall season for me. It just doesn’t feel like autumn without the annual trip to an apple orchard, where we walk through the rows of gnarly apple trees, looking for the perfect fruit to pluck and place in our bag of bounty.

Hi, Friends! Summer is still kickin’ along, but seeing all the kids go back to school over the past two weeks puts me in the mood for fall.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a rehearsal of Benjamin Lerner: PERFORMER. Many of you know that Benjamin is my colleague and that I have long admired his work as a musician and recovery advocate.

Guess what’s coming to Bennington on August 30? Everyone’s favorite late summer event: Garlic Town, USA!

Music is such a big part of what we do at Old Mill Road Media and Old Mill Road Recording. Every publication of ours has a dedicated music section and one of our publications, Music in the Berkshires, is entirely dedicated to music. 

Does anyone else get as excited about summer fruit as I do? All the farmstands and farmers markets are bursting with the best of the season.