Dashing Through the Snow

Let's start with the ultimate winter wonderland fantasy: a horse-drawn sleigh gliding across snow-covered meadows. Bundle under thick wool blankets in a vintage-style sleigh, to the gentle sound of hooves and jingling harness bells echoing in the crisp mountain air. As Belgian draft horses wind through a storybook landscape, framed by evergreens dusted with snow, it's impossible not to feel transported to another time. End the ride with hot toddies or mulled wine by the fire, and you'll understand why this is one of Stowe's most beloved rituals. (Book reservations through Gentle Giants or the von Trapp Family Lodge.)

Gentle Giants

3985 Mountain Rd., Stowe, VT
Daily • 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Von Trapp Family Lodge

800 Trapp Hill Rd., Stowe, VT
Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays • 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Hand-Crafted Cheer

Holiday prep doesn't get more Vermont than this. Mooring Hill Farm's wreath-making workshops are part creative outlet, part festive gathering. Guests are greeted with the scent of balsam and cedar, then guided through assembling their own wreaths from locally foraged greens and natural accents: pinecones, ribbons, flowers, and berries. It's rustic, intimate, and just the right kind of messy—the perfect way to bring a little handmade magic home.

Grant'S Bar

123 Mountain Rd., Stowe, VT
December 10 and 11 • 6:30 p.m.

Night Lights

Winter Lights, a luminous art installation at Shelburne Museum, is pure enchantment. The museum's historic buildings, rolling grounds, and exquisite gardens come alive under the glow of more than 150,000 LED lights. The colorful bulbs reflect on the snow blanketing the ground, lending an effect that's truly other-worldly. Highlights include the 220-foot steamboat Ticonderoga floating in a snowy ocean of undulating lights, a twinkling installation in the woods reminiscent of fluttering fireflies, and an interactive model train exhibit the kids won't want to leave.

Shelburne Museum

6000 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, VT
November 21-January 4 • 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Curtains Up!

For those who prefer their holiday cheer set to music, Spruce Peak Arts delivers the perfect mix of sophistication and soul with a stacked December lineup. Book tickets to the Elan Ballet Theater's beloved Nutcracker rendition, Clara Dreams (Dec. 12-13); the lyrical beauty of Sean Heely's Celtic Christmas (Dec. 16); the gospel brilliance of The Blind Boys of Alabama (Dec. 19); or the immersive joy of Carolmainia! (Dec. 21)—a singalong concert that turns the entire audience into a choir.

Spruce Peak Arts

122 Hourglass Dr., Stowe, VT
All shows at 7 p.m.

Shop Small

BTV Winter Market transforms Burlington's City Hall into a European-style holiday village, where dozens of local makers display Vermont-made goods. Wander through the booths, chatting with artisans, a mug of spiced apple cider warming your palms. Discover hand-crafted soap and candles, oneof- a-kind pottery, jewelry, knitwear, charming artwork, and small-batch confections. Amid festive lights and cheerful music, it's less about checking off a shopping list and more about soaking up that big-hearted, small-city spirit.

Bonus: On select Saturdays during the winter, pop into Burlington's Winter Farmers Market. Sheltered from snow and sleet, the fragrance of sugar and spice lingering in the air, you can shop for everything from fresh produce to organic meat to prepared foods to crafts.

BTV Winter Market

Contois Auditorium, City Hall 149 Church St., Burlington, VT
December 12 • 4-8 p.m.
December 13 • 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Downtown Dazzle

Throughout the month of December, Burlington's main drag is a hub of holiday hustle and bustle. Enjoy caroling by local choirs and a cappella groups (Dec. 12), a brightly-colored fun run (Dec. 19), and a sundown menorah lighting (Dec. 21).

Kids will love the light parade, featuring a fleet of decorated trucks (Dec. 19); North Pole Express mailboxes for letters bound for Santa himself (through Dec. 14); a snowflake scavenger hunt (through Dec. 21); Santa visits (weekends through Dec. 21); and a free kids train ride (Sundays through Dec. 21).

Various Locations

Church Street, Burlington, VT

Family Fun

Spruce Peak's Toy & Candy Co. is Christmas central. Swing by for a photo with Santa, reserve a spot to decorate your own gingerbread house with colorful candies and swirls of icing, or gather round Santa's big chair for storytime, as his helpers share heartwarming holiday tales. Once the wrapping paper settles post-holiday, pop back in for a complimentary professional family photograph—a beautiful way to capture your time together on the mountain.

Spruce Peak Toy & Candy Co.

Spruce Peak Village, Stowe, VT

Christmas Stories

December 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27; January 3, 6-6:30 p.m.

Gingerbread House Building

December 13, 20, and 27, 5-6 p.m.

Photos With Santa

December 20-24, 2:30-5 p.m.

Family Photos

December 26-29, 2:30-5 p.m.

Community Spirit

Right next door to Stowe, neighbors greet each other with mittened hands at Morrisville's heartwarming Festival of Lights. The roads glow with strings of light and families pile onto horse-drawn wagon rides, while carolers sing through the chill. Kids line up for Santa visits and cookie decorating, then gather for puppet shows and s'mores around the campfire. Check out a Nutcracker ballet preview, plus a holiday movie at the quaint Bijou Cinema. The whole event feels like something out of a Christmas card.

24 Upper Main St., Morrisville, VT
December 13 • 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Merry and Bright

The annual Spruce Peak Lights Festival is a highlight of the season, transforming the Village into a real-life snow globe. As dusk falls, the lights go on: Thousands of twinkling bulbs glitter among evergreen trees and sparkling snowflakes. Sip warm drinks, visit Santa at Toy & Candy Co., and gather at the Rink for ice skating performances featuring the cast of Ice Dance International, which includes former Olympians and Grand Prix champions.

Topping off the evening: Bundle up with friends and family and let yourself be awed by a fireworks display over the mountain. Bursts of color light up the night sky, transforming the snow-blanketed hillsides into a vibrant patchwork, an effect that will truly take your breath away.

Spruce Peak Village

Stowe, VT
December 20 • Fireworks at 7p.m. Ice dance performances at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Holiday Glow-Up on Ice

Rent a pair of skates at the Adventure Center and celebrate the season on ice at Spruce Peak's Holiday Hits Glow Skate party. The Rink becomes a swirl of color and music, with neon lights and families spinning under the stars to festive favorites, from Mariah to Michael Bublé. It's the kind of spontaneous, joy-filled night that will make your spirits bright.

Spruce Peak Village Rink

Stowe, VT
December 27 • 5-8 p.m.

High Tea in the High Peaks

When you've spent the morning shredding the slopes, afternoon tea is the perfect cozy way to warm up and unwind, all while gazing out at the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Mansfield. Lift your pinkie finger and sip a cup of specially curated loose-leaf tea from Palais des Thés, served alongside a delectable selection of finger sandwiches and petit fours crafted by Spruce Peak's pastry team.

Tipsy Trout

The Lodge at Spruce Peak, Stowe, VT
December 24 and 28 • 12-3 p.m.

Ring in 2026, Spruce-Style

Don't miss the joyful New Year's Eve celebration at Spruce Peak. Lace up your skates and glide under the glow of stars above and twinkling holiday lights, visit the ice bar at WhistlePig Pavilion (or the kid-friendly version at Toy & Candy Co.), and then warm up with s'mores or a plate of fire-baked raclette to share. The skating shows by Ice Dance International are a must-see—and then get ready to boogie: The performance culminates in a village-wide dance party, followed by fireworks.

Bonus: Club at Spruce Peak members can register for a private New Year's Eve fête at the Alpine Club, complete with a multi-course feast, live music and dancing, and a highenergy countdown to 2026.

Spruce Peak Village

Stowe, VT
December 31 • Fireworks at 7p.m. Ice dance performances at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.