About St. Johnsbury
About St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Named by National Geographic as the #1 Small Town for Adventure, St. Johnsbury combines an energetic business district with a rich cultural life, year-round recreational opportunities, and beautiful historical buildings.
St. Johnsbury lies at the confluence of three rivers. It's conveniently located at the intersection of Interstates 93 and 91. There are 7500 residents in St. Johnsbury, making it the largest town in northeastern Vermont and northwestern New Hampshire. It's just 45 minutes from the Canadian border, an hour's drive from Dartmouth College and many ski resorts are nearby, including the hidden gem of Burke Mountain.
St. Johnsbury is a Preserve America and Main Street Community. The town cares about its history, architecture, cultural and authentic small town life.
Downtown St. Johnsbury is the real deal. Please join us in St. Johnsbury for an adventure that is Very Vermont!
This website is sponsored by St. Johnsbury Works, the Main St. organization responsible for downtown improvements, marketing and promotions in downtown St. Johnsbury.
Summerfest in St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury’s biggest celebration of summer is on its way! Save the date -- Saturday, August 8, 2009 -- for Summerfest! Events will be held in a number of locations around St. Johnsbury, and it’s just a short walk around town to get to them all.
The trains are the highlight of Summerfest. Excursion train rides will leave from the Welcome Center in St. Johnsbury, which was originally the town’s railroad depot. The trains will travel south for a fabulous view of the Vermont countryside, and return to the Welcome Center. These rides are great fun for folks of all ages, according to train aficionado Nat Tripp, who has arranged for the train trips. Local restaurant Tim’s Deli will provide food for sale on the train if you work up an appetite. Trains will leave on a schedule from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.Young children have a special spot at Summerfest, at the park at the
corner of Main and Summer Streets. From 10 am to 1 pm, this area will be devoted to activities for kids, including children’s performer Steve Lindholm and the ever-popular “touch a truck”. Food will be available in this location as well.Live musicians will be performing from 11 am to 3 pm in the gazebo at Courthouse
Park at the corner of Main Street and Eastern Avenue. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the wide variety of music there.The weekly St. Johnsbury Farmers’ Market will be held from 9 am to 1 pm in its usual place, the lot just behind
Anthony’s Diner off Railroad Street. The Farmers’ Market has 40 to 50 vendors who sell everything from the freshest organic produce, farm-raised eggs and meat, plants, maple syrup, fresh-baked breads and other prepared food, fresh-roasted coffee, handmade crafts, and so much more.You can enjoy a self-paced tour of St. Johnsbury’s most beautiful architecture by following the St. Johnsbury Historic Walking Tour. The self-guided walking tour includes the highlights of St. Johnsbury’s magnificent architectural gems, such as the St.
Johnsbury Athenaeum and the Fairbanks Museum, as well as a number of private homes and buildings on or near Main Street. Historic tour maps are available at the Welcome Center and the Athenaeum. Plan for about one hour for the regular tour, and longer if you want to explore the expanded version of St. Johnsbury’s Victorian past.Throughout the day, you can enjoy the great shopping in downtown St. Johnsbury, on Railroad Street, Eastern Avenue, and Main Street. And don’t forget to drop off your donation to the food drive in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot at the corner of Railroad Street and Portland Avenue. Enjoy Summerfest all around the town in St. Johnsbury August 8! For more information about Summerfest, call St. J Works at 802-748-7121 or email to stjworks@kingcon.com.
[Part of an occasional series about people who are making an investment in St. Johnsbury]
Fred and Robin Little have owned Sunshine Boutique in downtown
St. Johnsbury for over 20 years. It’s a thriving business, with beautiful jewelry, clothing, and decorative items for the home.
So why would they want to own Moose River Lake and Lodge, another store in downtown St. Johnsbury that offers jewelry, clothing, and beautiful items for the home?According to Fred Little, “It’s an exciting challenge for us. The two stores are completely different from each other.” Their plan is to maintain the distinct look and feel of Moose River, with its rustic upscale North Country cabin-like atmosphere. “We’re enjoying having the two different kinds of stores,” says Fred.
Robin and Fred take turns being in each store. So far, th
at’s worked out just fine,” says Fred. Years ago, the Littles owned a fine jewelry store in Littleton. “But it was much harder running two locations 20 miles away from each other,” he says. “It’s great being a 28-second walk between the stores.”The transfer of the store from Bob Hoffman to Fred and Robin Little took place
in mid-November. “We’ve had a wonderful holiday season,” says Fred. “Moose River has done much better than we had even hoped, and Sunshine Boutique exceeded our expectations, too.”Fred is pleased to own the magnificent building that houses Moose River Lake and Lodge as well as a number of offices on the second floor. “We think it’s a great investment in St. Johnsbury,” says Fred, “and we’re proud to be part of the historical downtown.”
Thanks to the Littles for their many years of being great merchants in St. Johnsbury. Best of luck in their newest retail venture, Moose River Lake and Lodge.
Next time you’re on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury, look for a friendly face – in fact, three friendly faces! The new “Downtown Ambassadors” for St. Johnsbury are (left to right) Maribeth Long, Susan Apgar, and Heather La Pointe. The three women are charged by the St. Johnsbury Works organization to help keep the downtown area clean, and to plant and maintain the flowerpots on the street. “But we also answer lots of people’s questions,” says Heather. “Where can I park? Where can I find a bookstore? Can you suggest a place to have lunch?”
“People see our ‘St. Johnsbury Works’ shirts,” says Susan, “And right away they start asking questions. We try to direct them to help them find what they’re looking for.” You’ll often see the Downtown Ambassadors out on their rounds with their children in tow – Heather and Susan each have a toddler, and Maribeth has two children under 5 years old. “We try to go out between 11am and 2 pm, 5 or 6 days a week,” says Maribeth. “We’ll be here through the end of the summer.”
The women are very pleased with the job so far – the flowerpots are lush and blooming, the street looks great, and as Heather says, “Lots of people thank us for what we’re doing, and that’s really nice.”
“People see our ‘St. Johnsbury Works’ shirts,” says Susan, “And right away they start asking questions. We try to direct them to help them find what they’re looking for.” You’ll often see the Downtown Ambassadors out on their rounds with their children in tow – Heather and Susan each have a toddler, and Maribeth has two children under 5 years old. “We try to go out between 11am and 2 pm, 5 or 6 days a week,” says Maribeth. “We’ll be here through the end of the summer.”
The women are very pleased with the job so far – the flowerpots are lush and blooming, the street looks great, and as Heather says, “Lots of people thank us for what we’re doing, and that’s really nice.”