Schedule

2021 Planning has started!!! Our festival starts on Friday night, January 29, and finishes more than a week later on a Sunday, February 7. Below is a list of the 2020 events as a sample of what is to come in 2021. We have a lot of events over a lot of days. There’s snowshoeing, skating, and skiing, as you might expect. We also offer warm venues. Try the Vermont Beer Quiz at one of Waterbury’s local pubs. A MUST SEE Game Show at the American Legion. Activities at the library. Or let the kids heat up outside at the Youth Snow Soccer game. Get the details on each event (including what Wassailing, and Drone Racing actually entail below).

Scroll To Day:

Friday, January 29

Family Skate, Ice Games and Opening Ceremonies
  • 5pm  •  Anderson Outdoor Skating Rink

Hosted by the Waterbury Recreation Department, family and friends of all ages are sure to enjoy an evening outdoors with skating, music, and games on the ice! Ice Jug Curling and Human Bowling are sure to please our Winterfest enthusiasts.

wine tasting
  • 4pm – 7pm  •  The Wine Vault

Day One - 1/29

1/29/21

Saturday, January 30

biathlon
  • 9am-12pm  •  Pilgrim Park (behind the train station)

Bring your nordic skis, or borrow a pair for free for this family-friendly event and experience a 1.1km biathlon course complete with light laser rifles. Athletes ages 7 and up and of all abilities and levels are welcome to challenge themselves to the thrill of skiing as fast as you can and then slowing down to accurately shoot a laser rifle at targets along the course. Try out sit skis used by paraolympians and experience the challenge of only using your arms to balance and propel yourself around the course. All equipment provided by Capital Region Nordic Alliance, an organization focusing on year-round activities in the Nordic Sports of Biathlon, Orienteering, Snowshoeing, Cross-Country Skiing and Paralympic Nordic to the entire community, with particular attention to those individuals with special needs or disabilities.

Waterbury Public Library Snowshoe Loaner Program
  • 9am-1:45pm  •  Waterbury Public Library

Check out the new snowshoe lending program at the Waterbury Public Library! Snowshoe to your favorite Winterfest event or make your way along one of the many local snow-covered trails. Use your library card to loan a pair of snowshoes for your next adventure. 10 pairs available in sizes ranging from children’s to adult large. For out-of-town visitors, an ID and deposit is required (cash or check, no credit card), returned to you when you when you return the snowshoes.

broomball
  • 10am-2pm  •  Anderson Outdoor Skating Rink
  • Tickets Required – 2021 tickets not on sale yet  <Add to Cart>

Gather your team for this family-friendly Odyssey for people of all ages and abilities. Broomball is a lot like hockey, but with no skates. Wear your own winter boots or shoes, and helmets. We’ll provide the goals, sticks and balls. Teams need to be a mix of adults and children with a minimum of 6 players and a maximum of 11. Points will be earned for an Odyssey of the Mind competition. On-ice games include 5 team players plus a goalie and your team must have 1 male, 1 female, and 1 child in the game at all times.

Drone races
Come experience the excitement of Drone Racing on an indoor course! Competitors from the Northern New England Drone User Group (NNEDUG) and Multirotor Vermont will be racing their micro and nano drones through an obstacle course throughout the gym to win prizes donated by Waterbury area merchants. New competitors are welcome and spectators and amateur drone users can learn tricks from the masters. 
Game show
Is trivia your jam? Assemble a think tank team of 5 – 6 friends and colleagues to compete for prizes in our trivia game show. We’ll challenge your general knowledge with questions, riddles, puzzles and more! Mature Audiences Only. Registration limited to 12 teams. $120 per team includes snacks, cash bar and lots of prizes. Pre-registration required for this very popular event.

Day Two - 1/30

1/30/21

Sunday, January 31

family fun run/walk

  • Registration: 10:30am, Race start: 11am  •  Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe and Visitor Center

Winterfest Family Fun Run offers a 5K run or a 1 mile Run/Walk for all ages and abilities through scenic Waterbury village. This is a pet friendly event where families are encouraged to include their fur ever friends! Start and finish at GMCR Cafe with a pleasant jaunt that winds through the recently updated state office complex. Great prizes in a number of categories with delicious snacks and hot cocoa at the end. A great event for spectators to cheer runners on at the finish line. Registration cost $5 per person.

Connector trail – 8th decent
  • 11-3pm  •  Blush Hill Country Club

Strap on your snowshoes or backcountry skis for the eighth descent of the Village to Little River Connector Trail. This delightful tour departs from the Blush Hill Country Club parking lot and winds through pristine woods to a lovely rolling finish with scenic views of the Little River. Cross the snow-machine bridge to a warm shuttle bus waiting to bring you back to the start. Bring water, snacks and extra layers. Suggested donation of $10 to support VAST Green Mountain Roamers.

Day Three - 1/31

1/31/21

Monday, February 1

Day Four - 2/1

2/1/21

Tuesday, February 2

Winterfest beer quiz

  • 7:00-8:30pm  •  Blackback Pub  •  $15 for a flight of 6 beers

Hop downtown to Waterbury’s Blackback Pub to test your taste buds. The evening promises a bevy of bountiful brews, bound to create a lingering taste sensation to last throughout the Winterfest season. Enjoy a blind taste of six Fabulous beers. Lawson’s Finest Liquids door prizes and swag!! Contest participants write down their guesses and the winner receives a $25 gift certificate! In the event of a tie, names will be placed into a drawing to choose a winner.

Day Five - 2/2

2/2/21

Wednesday, February 3

Wassailing
  • 6-8pm  • Six downtown businesses

What is Winterfest Wassailing? This signature event is great fun for spectators and participants alike! A handful of pre-registered teams visit 6 participating downtown venues, sing a couple of songs at each stop, and inject music, laughter, and camaraderie into the dark days of winter. A great evening to share with family and friends at your favorite downtown Waterbury establishment! 2020 participating venues are: Prohibition Pig Brewery, Blackback Pub, Reservoir Restaurant and Taproom, The Old Stagecoach Inn, American Legion (downstairs bar open to the public), Waterbury Senior Center (chili dinner, both vegetarian and meat, with cornbread and salad bar $10, BYOB). The finale will be at Stowe Street Cafe where The Alchemist will be offering complimentary pours of their famous beers.

Day Six - 2/3

2/3/21

Thursday, February 4

night sky viewing with the vermont astronomical society
  • 5-7:30pm  •  Waterbury Public Library

Stargazers will delight at “Starry Night,” a nighttime viewing experience of the night sky courtesy of the Waterbury Public Library with the Vermont Astronomical Society (VAS). The VAS will be setting up telescopes in the library’s parking lot for exploration of the numerous, wonderful deep-space objects, and leading participants through the how-to’s of using telescopes. There will be a crescent moon and a very low planet Mercury to view. If the night is cloudy or snowy, the event will be rescheduled to Friday, January 31 from 5-7:30 pm. If the weather precludes viewing on both nights, the VAS will hold a presentation inside the library’s SAL room on Friday, the 31st at 5 pm. Parking is available at the library, but please park in front of the Municipal Center and bring a flashlight or headlamp as the lights will be off in the parking lot for optimal viewing. For more information call 244-7036 or email judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com. The Waterbury Library’s SAL room will be open for warming and snacks.

starlight XC ski, Snowshoe and classic vinyl

  • XC Ski/Snowshoe: 6:30-8pm, Classic vinyl: 7-10pm  • Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe & Visitor Center

Let’s do it again! Come for a cross country ski or snowshoe under a January starlit sky. Join us at Pilgrim Park and later at the Green Mountain Coffee Cafe and Visitors Center to listen to vintage vinyl spun by DJ Weebs from 7-10pm. Bring your own equipment and a headlamp for the XC ski and snowshoe, and a change of clothes for the vinyl party. Don’t ski or snowshoe? No worries, join us in the Cafe and Visitors Center for the after party. Bring your vintage vinyl and join the fun! Complimentary beer pour from Four Quarters Brewery 7-9:30.

Day Seven - 2/4

2/4/21

Friday, February 5

wine tasting
  • 4-7pm  •  The Wine Vault

beer tasting at craft beer cellar

  • 5-7pm   •  Craft Beer Cellar

Come discover the heartbeat of Vermont’s craft beer phenomenon at a free beer tasting at the Craft Beer Cellar just off Main St across from the Prohibition Pig Brewery. Beer brewing experts will feature a variety of styles and allow you to find the hidden secrets between the malted and hoppy flavors. All featured beer plus hundreds of other hard-to-find craft brews will be available for sale at this historic refurbished store dating back to 1880’s. Get the final weekend of Waterbury Winterfest started in style. This event is sponsored by Vermont Beer Shepherd.

Day Eight - 2/5

2/5/21

Saturday, February 6

winter bocce ball
  • 9-11pm • Anderson Field
  • PLEASE REGISTER AT THE FOLLOWING <LINK>

Is it winter croquet? NO! It’s Winter Bocce Ball. Fun for all ages; mixed teams are encouraged, children welcome, free to participate. Preregistration required so we know if we have enough teams to run with it. 8 teams of 4 people each will compete, tournament style, two games will happen simultaneously.

STORY TIME
  • 10:30am  •  The Tiny Acorn

Bring your little ones to a snow themed story time where all participants enjoy winter/heart stories and songs, a visit from a little old lady who swallowed a rose, 3D snowflakes, and hearts for all! Find your hidden heart for a prize. Face Painting from 11 to 1pm. Treats for all! Appropriate for all ages.

makersphere: love bomb public art project
  • 11am-3pm • MakerSphere @ 30 Foundry Street

Join MakerSphere in a crowd-sourced public art project. We’ll decorate heart ornaments to display throughout the community during the week of Valentine’s Day — a love note for neighbors and friends. Fun for anyone 3 or older! Please stop by and make an ornament to add to the fun.

Art Walk and studio tours
  • 11am-3pm • Multiple locations: Axel’s Gallery, Bridgeside Books, Stowe Street Cafe, Jeremy Ayers Pottery, Tabbatha Henry Designs, Reagan Hough Metalsmith, MakerSphere @ 30 Foundry Street (artist’s studios open), Waterbury Public Library Energy and Flow exhibit, Stowe Street Emporium

Stroll through the historic town of Waterbury while enjoying the best of its thriving art scene. This self-guided, 1-mile tour includes 8 locations and offers the chance to visit art venues and meet Waterbury’s local artists, see their studios, and get a glimpse of how they work.

snow volleyball
  • Registration: 12:30pm, Games: 1-3pm  •  Location: Horseshoe Field at the State Office Complex

Come enjoy playing or watching Volleyball outside as 8 to 10 teams will compete in a Round Robin where the top team will win a $100 gift certificate to Blue Stone Pizza. This co-ed event is open to adults and high school students. Please email pamelaclapp@hotmail.com if you would like to register a team or as an individual. There is a $5 suggested donation per person. Two courts will be set up at the State Complex Horseshoe. Games will go to 25 with rally scoring. After the event, you can cross the street for the Winterfest Party in the Park featuring live music, games, food trucks, hot cocoa (2:30-4pm) and a free pour by Winterfest Title sponsor The Alchemist.

Snow soccer olympics
  • 1-2:30pm   •  Location: Horseshoe Field at the State Office Complex

This family-friendly celebration features Olympic-inspired events and the ultimate super-size soccer ball! Warm-up by the bonfire and roast marshmallows while cheering on your favorite Olympian or watching Capital Soccer’s game of pick-up soccer. Get your photo taken with Regal, the Snow Eagle. Head over to the Train Station for a free concert in the park while kids enjoy hot chocolate (2:30-4pm) and Winterfest’s title sponsor, The Alchemist, offers free tastings at 3pm. Everyone is welcome to this free, all ages event.

Capital Soccer Club Winter Soccer Friendly Matches
  • 1:30-3pm  •  Location: Horseshoe Field at the State Office Complex

Vermont’s own Capital Soccer Club will host a pickup soccer game using a large inflatable soccer ball. This fun and free event is open to everyone!

Fat tire bike demo and group ride including alchemist pour
  • Demo: 11am-2pm, Group Rides: 1-4pm, Rusty Parker Memorial Park • Alchemist pour 3-5pm, Green Mountain Coffee Cafe and Visitor Center

Bicycle Express and WATA present Fat Tire Bike Demo and Group Ride at this year’s Winterfest. Have you ever wanted to try out a fat tire bike in the winter? Are you already an avid fat biker? Come join us on group rides exploring Waterbury on a groomed track. Bicycle Express will be on hand at Rusty Parker Memorial Park with demo bikes and equipment. There will be a demo loop, guided rides, race loop, and more! All demos and rides are free or by donation. Bring warm clothing and a helmet.

The YUM food truck will be on hand and complimentary hot chocolate will be available at the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe and Visitor Center (2;30-4pm). For adults Winterfest Title Sponsor, The Alchemist, will be providing a free tasting at the Visitors Center in the Train Station.

The DEW in concert
  • 2:30 – 4pm, Rusty Parker Memorial Park

Waterbury Winterfest features The DEW in a culminating outdoor concert event just as we conclude Snow Soccer, Snow Volleyball and the Fat Tire Bike Demo events.

The DEW
Creating their band name from their given names (Dylan, Emmett, Wesley), The DEW is made up of three 8th grade boys: Dylan- on the bass, Emmett- on the drums, and Wesley-on guitar. They like to play rock n roll and also have some original songs. The DEW started out as a school project and has become something for the whole community to enjoy.

The YUM food truck will be on hand and hot chocolate will be available at the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe and Visitor Center (2:30-4pm). For adults Winterfest Title Sponsor, The Alchemist, will be providing a free tasting at the Visitors Center in the Train Station.

Big toy night (up to age 6)
  • 3-5pm  •  Thatcher Brook Primary School Gymnasium

Are your littles a little stir crazy? The Thatcher Brook Gymnasium will be open for them to cruise around on their favorite bikes, trikes, scooters, and push toys at this FREE, high-energy, family event geared towards young children (up to age 6). Our indoor track is for toddler-friendly traffic speeds. An infant area will be set up for those little ones who can’t yet ride. Helmets recommended. Snacks will be available.

Still Kickin’

Snow Ball Dance and Silent Auction

This wildly popular, cornerstone event features the timeless music of local dance band, Still Kickin’ and features renowned sax man, Joe Moore! Enjoy a great night hosted by the Country Club of Vermont and sponsored by Lawson’s Finest Liquids to support a great cause. Tickets: $20/person in advance, $25 at the door. Ticket price includes light appetizers and desserts. Tickets available at WaterburyWinterfest.com, Stowe Street Emporium, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cafe and Visitor Center, The Tiny Acorn, and Sunflower Natural Foods. Ticket sales for this fundraiser help support Waterbury recreational opportunities.

We’re Sipping on Sunshine and hope you will too!!

Day Nine - 2/6

2/6/21

Sunday, February 7

snow football
  • Registration: 12:30pm, Game: 1pm  •  Location: Horseshoe Field at the State Office Complex

Join family and friends in a fun-filled game of pick-up football in the snow! This friendly game of two-hand touch is for kids and kids-at-heart, ages 8 and up. Hot chocolate and cider provided. Dress for warmth and action in order to have some football fun before the the Superbowl!

History Snowshoe/hike of Camp Smith
  • 12-2pm  •  Little River State Park

Enjoy a two-hour guided snowshoe or hike through the Historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp Charles M Smith in the Little River State Park. The mile-long camp housed the 2,300 plus CCC men who built the Waterbury dam in the 1930s. The trail passes by remnants of chimneys, foundations, and areas where barracks and mess halls once stood. A fifteen-minute introduction will have pictures and a map of the camp. The trail through the camp is relatively level and easy for all levels of snowshoers and hikers. Bring a snack and some water. Snowshoes may be rented at Waterbury Sports, 46 South Main St., Waterbury or obtained through the Waterbury Library Snowshoe Lending Program.

Women’s Intro to Hockey
  • 3:30-4:30pm  •  Ice Center

Hey women! This is a great chance to gear up and enjoy some ice time with members of the Women’s Waterbury Wicked hockey squad as they provide some basic coaching to build your confidence on and off the ice. If you don’t have equipment to borrow from family or friends, skate rentals and some equipment will be provided at no charge. This is a free event!

Day Ten - 2/7

2/7/21