Welcome!

The Ethan Allen Colonial Fair will be held in Bennington, Vermont on Columbus Day weekend, October 9th-10th, 2010. The Fair will focus on Vermont’s history in the Revolutionary War period, from 1761 to 1800.

We are looking forward and working hard to have a great fair again this year.

Vermont was first settled by a group of 22 individuals who came from Massachusetts to establish a new religious community. Old First Church in Bennington was the result. Within a few years, many others came from Massachusetts and Connecticut, including Ethan Allen. The settlers land claims were rooted in the New Hampshire Grants, first surveyed by Benning Wentworth in 1749. The New York Governor disputed these claims and sought to evict the settlers. Ethan Allen and his peers from the Catamount Tavern formed the Green Mountain Boys to resist the New York Governor’s advances.

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys turned the Yorkers back. The legend was created, but it did not end there.

Ethan Allen led the Green Mountain Boys on the attack of Ft. Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775. Less than one month after the “Shot Heard Around the World” at Lexington and Concord, this was America’s first military action against the British. The Revolutionary War had begun.

The Ethan Allen Colonial Fair will bring together historical societies, places, and crafts to create a family atmosphere and experience. Exhibitions and demonstrations will entertain children of all ages. Period song and dance, musical instruments, games, and farm and home crafts will be presented.

The 25th Continental Regiment will be encamped on the grounds for the weekend and will present a two-day battle.

Walking and driving tours will be available. The Bennington Monument and Old First Church will be open.

The stories of Mathew Lyon, Anthony Haswell, and the Alien and Sedition Acts will be told.

The Bennington Museum and the Park McCullough House are also a part of the local story.

The Bennington Historical Society has a Battle of Bennington Driving Tour.

Click here to view a map of the fair grounds at Colgate Park.