37th Annual Putney Craft Tour Named Top Ten Vermont Winter Event and Approved as an Official Vermont Arts 2015 Event Thanksgiving Weekend — November 27, 28, 29 2015
PUTNEY, VT—For the second year in a row, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce has named the Annual Putney Craft Tour as a Top Ten Winter Event (2015/16). The tour has also been approved as a Vermont Arts Council 2015 event. Also of note, the tour is the oldest continuing craft studio tour in North America.
The Putney Craft Tour invites visitors to this craft rich area of Vermont to meet the 23 makers on this year’s tour including blacksmiths, glass blowers, potters, jewelers, weavers, woodworkers – even artisan cheesemakers Part of the fun is meandering through the beautiful Vermont countryside, following the map to find these prominent craftspeople and view the works where they are conceived and created. Putney and Saxtons River, VT. Visitors may start at The Gleanery Restaurant, 133 Main Street, Putney and/or at the Putney General Store for info, maps, and a preview exhibition of the artisans’ works. www.putneycrafts.com
The tour traditionally takes place on the long Thanksgiving weekend November 27, 28 and 29, 10-5p and gives shoppers, visitors and collectors another reason to be thankful.
For the last two years the Putney Craft Tour, Next Stage Arts Project and Sandglass Theatre have joined forces to present and publicize a special Thanksgiving Weekend of Arts. This year the tour is inviting area restaurants to participate by creating a Putney Craft Tour lunch or dinner “special.” The weekend will be celebrated as “Putney Craft Tour’s Craft, Culinary and Stage Weekend.” Participating restaurants include Burdicks Chocolate in Walpole, NH; Popolo in Bellows Falls; The Gleanery in Putney, The Putney General Store; J.D. McCliments Pub in Putney; Katy’s Great Food in Putney; Putney Food Coop; The Saxtons River Inn and the Putney Diner.
The local community, tour goers, and tourists are invited to celebrate the love of food in addition to the love of cultural activities during Putney Craft Tour’s Craft, Food and Stage Weekend. In addition, the tour will be helping to raise funds for the Putney Foodshelf for the second year.
“The Putney Craft Tour is more than a once a year event. Many of the studios are open year round, some by appointment, and the tour wants to be a resource for the community in ways that it can. Using our art to support our neighbors and young people in need is a way for us to give something back,” says Nancy Calicchio, artist on the tour who spearheaded the collaboration with the Putney Food Shelf. Each studio on the Putney Craft Tour will showcase an object for sale with the proceeds going to the Foodshelf.
Ken Pick, one of the founders of the Putney Craft Tour says: “The Craft, Food and Stage weekend will be a great treat for visitors and locals alike. Not only will the craft tour be taking place during the day, Next Stage and Sandglass Theatre will present special performances to tie in with the tour on the weekend and Putney’s restaurants will wine and dine the patrons.
The impetus for the original collaboration grew out of economic pressure and the changes in the economy. “The opportunity to create a bigger and better weekend to draw more people had a positive impact on our respective organizations last year,” says Pick. “We’re looking for the same for this year and more. Bringing in the restaurants really adds to the draw to Putney on Thanksgiving Weekend.
