Vermont Symphony Orchesra Concert at Grafton Pond: Open-air Concert and Fireworks to Benefit Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

Click here for photos of previous years at the VSO Concert at Grafton Ponds and program information.

Weather Update: as of 3pm today the concert will be taking place at Grafton Ponds. Check back for further updates, or call BMAC at (802) 257-0124 ext. 9.

Tickets are available at the gate.
prices: $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 14, and free for children 5 and under

Enjoy inspiring music, a magnificent setting, and spectacular fireworks on Thursday, July 3, with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s annual Independence Eve concert to benefit the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center.

Walk-in ticket outlets will sell tickets today (the day of the concert):

Brattleboro
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Baker’s Office Products
Baker’s Hallmark
Vermont Artisan Designs

Putney
The Putney Inn

Newfane
Newfane Country Store

Marlboro
Sweeties’ Market and Deli

Bellows Falls
Greater Falls Travel

Walpole
Real to Reel Video

Chester
Misty Valley Books

Grafton
The Old Tavern
Grafton Grocery Market

Keene, NH
The Toadstool Bookstore

Tickets may be purchased with cash or check at the gate as available.

“From Vermont with Love” is the theme of this year’s TD Banknorth Summer Festival Tour . From “boy meets girl” in Oklahoma to hot-blooded Carmen to the comic mismatchings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, love conquers all in this program devoted to affairs of the heart. Anthony Princiotti conducts the orchestra, with Esther Kim on violin, including works by Saint-Saens, Smetana, Mendelssohn, Sarasate, Loesser/Custer, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. The evening is capped off with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” accompanied by a crescendo of fireworks against the backdrop of Vermont’s summer outdoor splendor.

Gates at Grafton Ponds open at 5:30 p.m. The concert begins at 7:30, followed by fireworks under the stars. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome, with the section of the meadow in front of the VSO’s enormous domed tent reserved for blankets and low chairs only.

Seasoned picnickers and enthusiastic newcomers come each year, bearing fare ranging from the simple to the elaborate. A few food and novelty vendors are on hand as well. The concert benefits the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and is underwritten by the Windham Foundation. The fireworks display is sponsored by Foard Panel. The Windham Foundation requests no pets and no sparklers. The VSO requests no smoking and no loud talking during the concert.

Major support for the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center’s 2008–2009 season is provided by Entergy Vermont Yankee, Foard Panel, the Brattleboro Reformer, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, and Chittenden Bank. Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents art and ideas in ways that inspire, educate, and engage people of all ages. Each season features compelling new exhibits of contemporary artwork by regional and internationally acclaimed artists, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs.

Driving to Grafton Ponds

The VSO concert is held at Grafton Ponds agricultural meadow on Townshend Road, just a mile south of Grafton village.

To Grafton from Brattleboro: Take Route 30 north 16.5 miles to Townshend. Turn right onto Route 35 north. Drive about 3.5 miles and turn left onto Townshend Road. Drive 6 miles to Grafton Ponds on right.

To Grafton from the north: Take Interstate 91 south to Exit 7 (Springfield). Follow Route 11 west through Springfield approximately 11 miles to Chester. In Chester, turn right and follow Route 11 and 103 about .5 mile. Turn left onto Route 35 south. Drive about 7 miles to Grafton. Come to a T in the road and turn right onto Route 121, over a stone bridge. Drive for about 200 yards. Turn left at the Old Tavern onto Townshend Road. Drive about .8 mile to Grafton Ponds on left.

IN THE EVENT OF RAIN:
The rain location for the concert is Bellows Falls Union High School at 7:30 p.m. Driving directions here.
If weather is uncertain day of event, please listen to local radio stations for announcements, or call the Museum for a message with the latest information at 802-257-0124, x9.

Click here for photos from previous VSO Concerts at Grafton Ponds and program information.