The 9th annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend

As a way of connecting people with the food they eat, Strolling of the Heifers happens this weekend in VT, supporting local family farms in the region - a fun event for the whole family! (Photo credit: Storm)

Just over the board in Brattleboro, Vermont, the first weekend of June is always Strolling of the Heifers weekend — three days of events packed with fun for the whole family, but with a serious purpose: connecting people with the food they eat, so that family farms in the region can survive.

The weekend’s theme will be “Milk ‘n Jazz: A Moo-sical Extravaganza,” so expect to hear jazz (and lots of other music) throughout the weekend.

The 9th annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, starting Friday, June 4th and continuing through Sunday, June 6th, is highlighted, of course, by the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade, Saturday June 5th at 10 a.m. sharp on Brattleboro’s historic Main Street.

When it’s over, the crowd follows the parade to the Green Expo at the Brattleboro Common and the Dairy Festival on the Brattleboro Retreat grounds to enjoy more music, visit vendors and educational booths, hear speakers on farming, gardening and sustainable living, and sample a wide variety of local foods.

The weekend’s kickoff is roundtable entitled “Slow Money — Investing in Local Food Systems” on Friday, June 4th from 1 to 3 p.m. (with optional lunch noon to 1 p.m.) at World Learning, Kipling Road, Brattleboro, led by Woody Tasch and other leaders of the national Slow Money movement.

Friday evening of Strolling Weekend features Brattleboro’s regular first-Friday Gallery Walk, with art galleries open throughout downtown and elsewhere in town. A large block of Main Street will be closed to allow entertainment of all sorts, including a marching performance by the town’s own New Orleans Brass Band Project.

On Sunday, the weekend is rounded out with a Royal Farmer’s Breakfast Feast featuring local and organic foods at the Chelsea Royal Diner, and a self-guided Farm, Food and Fiber Tour.

Visit http://www.strollingoftheheifers.com for complete information and these and many other events.

Photo credit: (ccl) Storm