2026 vermont wildlife festival
Wildlife Appreciation & Family Fun
Sunday, September 20 - 10am to 4pm
Mount Snow Resort, West Dover, VT
Admission by Donation
Meet live animals. Explore hands-on activities. Join a guided stroll along the forest edge. Talk to wildlife experts. Take a scenic chairlift. Have lunch. Enjoy a fun fall day discovering Vermont's wild side!
Meet the Animals and Learn Something New
Anna Caputo, the Museum's Education Director and Wildlife Festival host, will guide the day’s presentations and activities and introduce you to live animals and wildlife experts throughout the day.
Explore and Play
Meet Your Backyard! Join a casual, all-ages exploration of the forest edge with Michael Clough of Rockhopper Outdoor Education, looking at local plants and animals and connecting what you might see to what is in your own backyard.
Under the festival tents, join us in the kids activity zone. Get ready to play, have fun, and discover!
Try Your Luck!
50/50 Raffle at $20 a ticket.
- or -
Win a private animal experience at the Pool Nature Center! Free to enter.
Visit our raffle table at the event for more information.
Program Schedule
Presentations and hikes will be offered throughout the day. Keynote talks by VINS, Vermont Museum of Natural History, and Rockhopper Outdoor Education. Raffle winners will be announced at the end of the day.
Ongoing activities include scenic chair lift (tickets through Mount Snow), animal encounters, kids activity zone, food vendors, and education tables.
Schedule to be posted soon.
Plan Your Visit
Hours: 10am - 4pm
Admission: Admission by donation. Note: some vendors prefer cash for merchandise or food items. Venmo may be accepted. An ATM is on the resort grounds.
Parking: FREE. Follow signage to Lot C. From there it is a short walk to the festival entrance.
Lot C is most easily accessed by taking the North Access Road, the 2nd entrance to Mount Snow from Route 100 when heading north. Be on the lookout for signs.
Chairlift Ride: Separate fee. Tickets available online or at Mount Snow.
Food: Food and beverages will be available from local vendors such as Mama Maria's Gyros, 802 Soul Food and More, Shital's Indian Cuisine, and Boy Scout Troop 461.
Weather: Festival is under large tents. Rain or shine, we'll see you there!
Dogs: Leashed dogs are allowed on the resort property, but for the safety and comfort of our animal ambassadors we ask you to keep them away from live animal exhibits and presentation areas.
Who You'll Meet
BEEC: Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center
Boy Scouts #461
CROC: Christina's Reptiles and Other Critters
CT River Conservancy
Ecological Land Management
Feral by Nature - Artist
Grafton Nature Museum
Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners SE Chapter
Jonathan Otto, author of Child of the Wild book series
Pettee Memorial Library
Rockhopper Outdoor Education
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Vermont Fish and Wildlife
Vermont Museum of Natural History
VINS: Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District
Jen Wood - Artist
Thank you to our sponsors!
About the Vermont Museum of Natural History
The Vermont Museum of Natural History brings the rich diversity of Vermont's wildlife and natural world to life through hands-on educational programs, natural history collections, and live animal ambassadors. Currently based at the Pool Nature Center in Marlboro, the Museum is preparing for an exciting new chapter.
