If you're looking for "I Spys," dating or LTRs, this is your scene.
View ProfilesPublished February 6, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. | Updated February 7, 2024 at 3:04 p.m.
Just seven miles south of Burlington, Shelburne offers a refreshing taste of small-town life within Vermont's most populous region — and cows! Near the lake, the 1,400-acre Shelburne Farms provides grassy expanses and wooded trails ideal for wandering. Around the village green, independently owned shops include a circa-1850s country store and upscale boutiques. And right along the main drag, Shelburne Museum’s “collection of collections” ranges from duck decoys to French impressionist paintings to a 220-foot steamboat. Here’s a suggested itinerary.
Note: Check websites to confirm business hours for the day you visit.
Opened in December 2022, Le Marché quickly brought a bit of je ne sais quoi to town — along with favorite treats from Burlington's Leunig's Bistro & Café and Petit Bijou kiosk. Chef-owner Donnell Collins lives in Shelburne and designed the café and bakery to be the kind of place she and her family wanted nearby: somewhere they could go for a takeout sandwich or a box of pastries. Grab breakfast or a sweet creation inspired by a local mountain, such as a maple-inflected Mt. Mansfield Tart or a chocolaty Mt. Philo Cake. Collins’ latest venture, Electra’s Restaurant, is open for dinner just up the street at 5247 Shelburne Road.
5597 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne
Museum grounds will be open for a ticketed viewing of the eclipse, with access to the Weathervane Café, the antique carousel, the 1901 Round Barn and, weather depending, a limited number of the historic buildings brought to Shelburne by museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb to house her many collections. Feeling fancy? With premium tickets to Totality on the Ti, you can view the eclipse from the decks of the steamboat Ticonderoga, which has anchored the museum’s landscape since it left the lake in 1955.
6000 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne
The tasting room for Shelburne Vineyard, Iapetus Wine and Eden Ciders is popping off — and popping bottles — for the eclipse. An “afternoon of celestial amazement” on the vineyard grounds will feature tarot readings, local vendors, wine and cider flights, and a “completely improvised musical score to the entire eclipse,” performed live by Marie Hamilton on harp and Tom Pearo on looping electric guitar. 6308 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne
Wood-fired pizza and IPAs are staples of the Vermont diet, and you can find both in the red roadside building that’s home to Folino’s and Fiddlehead. Grab a pint or a growler fill of Fiddlehead’s hazy classic in the brewery’s taproom or bring it next door to pair with a pie — Folino’s is BYOB. 6305 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne
Shelburne’s shops have something for everyone, and most are walkable from the village green. Find antiques at mother/daughter-owned Brianne’s Vintage Chic (5462 Shelburne Rd.); grab games and gifts for little ones at Jamie Two-Coats’ Toy Shop (54 Falls Rd., Suite 101); browse books at the Flying Pig Bookstore (5247 Shelburne Rd.); and get your boutique on at Mysa (65 Falls Rd.), Mendy’s (30 Harbor Rd.) and Monelle (5597 Shelburne Rd.). Shelburne Country Store (29 Falls Rd.) is stocked with Vermonty souvenirs, and Village Wine & Coffee (5288 Shelburne Rd.) has your buzz covered for both ends of the day.
Shelburne Farms is not hosting a special eclipse program, but visitors are welcome at this working farm, forest and National Historic Landmark. Stock up on the farm's maple syrup and cheddar cheese, loaves from on-site O Bread Bakery, and other picnic provisions at the Farm Store & Welcome Center, then head out for a peaceful walk along the extensive trails — if they're not muddy. Parking is limited, and the Children's Farm Yard, the Farm Cart and the Shelburne Farms Inn are closed until mid-May. 1611 Harbor Rd., Shelburne
Did you have a bear-y good time watching the eclipse? Commemorate it by creating your own bear at Vermont Teddy Bear’s Bear Shop. Factory tours offer a glimpse of the stuff (and stuffing) behind the scenes, where craftspeople make bears one by one. The first-come, first-serve tours also visit the Bear Hospital — good news if your furry friend forgot its viewing glasses and accidentally stared at the sun. 6655 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne
Tags: 2024 Solar Eclipse, 2024 Solar Eclipse, Leunig's Le Marché Café, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne Vineyard, Folino's (Shelburne), Fiddlehead Brewing Company, Jamie Two-Coats' Toy Shop, Flying Pig Bookstore, Mysa Vermont, The Shelburne Country Store, Mendy's Clothing & Accessories, Monelle Vermont (Shelburne), Village Wine and Coffee, Web Only
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