St. Johnsbury Visitor Info
Information for Visitors
St. Johnsbury has many attractions for visitors. Walk around downtown for unique shopping experiences. Visit our Welcome Center on Railroad Street and the friendly local guides will tell you about local architecture and history. Take in a movie or a round of golf. We were chosen by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as the "Number One Small Town for Adventure" in the country, so bring your bike, skis, canoe, fishing rod, or hiking boots and you're off for an outdoor adventure!
Here are some resources for visitors to St. Johnsbury:
Calling all foodies! The fabulous St. Johnsbury Caledonia Farmers’ Market is continuing throughout the winter!
From May through October, the market holds court on Pearl Street, 
just behind TC Bank. But starting in November and going through April, the market will be held once a month in the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center on Railroad Street.
The winter farmers’ market will be held the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Elizabeth Everts, owner of Too Little Farm in West Barnet and the organizer of the farmers’ market, says there are twenty vendors lined up to participate in the winter markets.
What products will be available at the winter farmers’ markets? According to Everts, a tremendous variety of goodies: “Winter vegetables, root crops, artisanal bread, baked goods, locally-roasted coffee, Jamaican specialty foods, jams, jellies, eggs, pickles, beef, chicken, pork, trout, 
wood crafts, yarn, wool products, art, and much more.” Many of the fresh and preserved foods are organic and all are from local farmers, chefs, and crafters who are excited to extend the farmers’ market season throughout the year.
The first winter market will be held November 7, 2009, inside the Welcome Center on the main level. There will also be a special farmers’ market held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 21, so you can find the special ingredients you’ll need for your holiday feast. If you want more information about the winter farmers’ markets, call Everts at (802) 592-3088. Bring your appetites and enjoy the fun throughout the winter at the farmers’ markets!
become more beautiful every year," she says. "Even the cow barn is lovely!"
“This year,” says Lawrence, “we have a contemporary country music singer, Chuck Wicks, headlining, and the next day, Jason D. Williams, who brings the Jerry Lee Lewis sound of the ‘60s to life.” A perennial 
favorite is the Demolition Derby on Sunday, the last day of the fair. “The local folks always come out strong for the Demo Derby,” says Lawrence, “no matter what the weather!”
animal and farm product-related exhibits. But the big draw, according to Lawrence, is the entertainment. “The Midway carnival rides, the singers, the motocross -- every day there’s something different, and everyday it’s fun.” Not to mention the pig scramble and the ice cream eating contest!
Dog Mountain
Dog lovers everywhere have a special place to enjoy with their four-legged friends. At Stephen Huneck's Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, you can hike through the beautiful countryside and savor the view everywhere you look.
Huneck's 300 acres 
include hiking trails, a dog agility course, and a pond for dogs to swim in. The Hunecks invite pet people from all over to bring picnics and enjoy the magnificent fall foliage.
The artist's studio and gallery are on the grounds, but it is the unique Dog Chapel that draws visitors and their dogs from all corners of the globe. Built to resemble a small old-fashioned New England church, the chapel includes stained glass windows and pews with Huneck's figures of dogs. In the vestibule and on the chapel's walls are thousands of notes from dog owners, reminiscing about their favorite pets.
So bring Rover and Spot to Dog Mountain -- a special place for your special four-legged friends!
According to “A Brief History of St. Johnsbury,” salesman George C. Cary founded the Cary Maple Sugar Co. around 1904, and produced maple sugar to flavor tobacco. By 1915, Katherine Ide Gray had begun to produce Maple Grove Candies. Cary soon set up a maple sugar distribution plant in the current location of Maple Grove Farms, and this output of maple products from the area made St. Johnsbury known as “The Maple Center of the World.” Today, Maple Grove Farms is still in operation. In addition to producing maple syrup, the company sells many other products, such as pancake and waffle mixes, salad dressings, and maple sugar. But the syrup remains its top commodity.
Most maple syrup gets produced in February, March, and April, when the
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temperature is above freezing during the day but gets below freezing at night. Syrup producers “tap” maple trees by drilling holes in them to collect sap, and this sap is collected in sugar houses. Then the boiling process begins, which eventually thickens the sap to syrup. It takes 40 liters of sap in order to produce one liter of maple syrup, so the amount of water that evaporates is substantial. There are four main grades of maple syrup, Grade A light amber (fancy), Grade A medium amber, Grade A dark amber, and Grade B. Vermont also produces a Grade C syrup which is very dark and strong, used mainly for flavoring other products. According to the folks at Sugarmill Farm, maple producers in Barton, Vermont, “Vermont maple syrup is required to have a heavier density than the U.S. standard and to be free of preservatives. In Vermont the true quality grade must be plainly labeled on each container. The term Vermont Maple Syrup may only be used for maple syrup produced in Vermont.”During the sugaring season, one of the oldest and most delicious traditions is known as a “sugar on snow” party. Hot maple syrup is poured onto fresh snow and then eaten off sticks as it quickly cools into candy. Part of the tradition is to serve the maple candy with yeast-risen doughnuts, sour dill pickles, and coffee. The parties are given at sugar houses across Vermont, and help make the process of making maple syrup fun for the whole family.
Maple syrup “farmers” abound across the state. One family who has been producing maple syrup for over 50 years is the Gadapee family in Danville, Vermont, just a few miles from St. Johnsbury. Keith Gadapee says, “We take pride in maintaining our maple sugar trees and consider maple sugaring as a way to protect Vermont’s ‘sugarbushes’ or stands of maple trees.” During the season, everyone in the family pitches in to help. “We love talking to people who visit our sugarhouse and explaining how maple syrup is made,” Keith says. The Gadapee’s maple syrup is sold at the Caledonia Farmer’s Market in downtown St. Johnsbury from May through October, and they will ship their product all over the world.It’s easy to enjoy maple syrup in many ways. Some people use it in their coffee instead of sugar – others add it to their favorite recipes. But however you like maple syrup, you’re sure to find the best you’ve ever tasted right here in St. Johnsbury, Vermont!