Featured Events and Promotions
Throughout the year, Waterbury is home to a number of fun, festive and quirky promotions and events. Revitalizing Waterbury (RW) is one of many local nonprofit organizations that hosts these promotions and events that bring our community together, raise awareness about timely issues, encourage consumers to ‘buy local’ and entice visitors to explore Waterbury. For a complete listing of current events, visit our Events Calendar.
ONGOING
Waterbury Bucks - A local currency that's just for Waterbury! Waterbury Bucks make great gifts and can be purchased at Bridgeside Books and spent at over 50 participating local businesses. To purchase large quantities, contact us.
Spring
- Rotary Easter Egg Hunt - Bring your youngsters to this great Easter egg hunt to celebrate the holiday!
- Gravel Grinder - Join mountain biking enthusiasts on this spring bike ride on Waterbury's dirt roads and support the Waterbury Area Trail Alliance work building and maintaining Waterbury's trails.
Summer
- Waterbury Farmers Market - Our farmers market takes place every Thursday in the summer from 4-7 pm. Come buy local and enjoy music from the Concerts in the Park!
- Concert in the Park Series - Put on by the Waterbury Rotary Club, this annual concert series is a free and fun family event that coincides with the Waterbury Farmers Market on Thursday evenings.
- Not-Quite-Independence Day Parade - In Waterbury, Independence Day celebrations get started a little bit early. Every year on the Saturday before the Fourth of July, the Waterbury Rotary Club closes the streets of downtown for the lively NQID parade, which spills over to family fun activities, a concert, and fireworks!
- Waterbury Arts Fest - This RW-sponsored community arts festival delivers fun for everyone and is a showcase for local art, food and entertainment. Taking place every second weekend of July, our festival is a signature summer event for Waterbury. The festivities include the Friday Night Block Party, with great food, beer garden and music for dancing under the stars and Saturday's Arts Fest, an open-air arts and crafts market with over 100 vendors selling their locally crafted wares.
- Vermont Antique and Classic Car Show – The Car Show is one of the largest and oldest in New England and is a cherished summer tradition in Vermont in mid-August. Some of the events that take place are include automobile judging, a flea market & car corral, and antique car parade and street dance and awards ceremony.
Fall
- Sunzilla Sunflower Contest - It's exactly what it sounds like! Come down to Rusty Parker Memorial Park on the second Thrusday in September and see who has grown the tallest sunflower!
- Leaf Peepers Half Marathon - For over 30 years, the leaf peepers half marathon and 5k races have taken place in Waterbury during the first weekend of October. This autumn event highlights the athletic and outdoorsy nature of our town!
Winter
- River of Light Lantern Parade - In 2010, a group of local artists taught community members how to make willow and tissue paper lanterns. After creating the lanterns, they paraded them through town. Since then the parade has grown and artists hold workshops days prior to the event teaching anyone the art behind creating one of these beautiful lanterns. needs better description
- Holiday Stroll - Join us the first weekend in December for the Annual Holiday Stroll, Waterbury's official kick-off to the holiday season. Activities include the Artisans Boutique, the River of Light Lantern Parade, retail and restaurant special offerings and events, and extended shopping hours to draw visitors and families to Waterbury to shop, dine and celebrate.
- Wrap It Up & Win - Each holiday season, RW organizes a four-week annual promotion to encourage locals and visitors to shop and dine downtown. Dozens of businesses participate and prizes are awarded each week to shoppers who fill stamped cards. Annually, we have over 50 businesses participating and thousands of dollars in gift cards given away.
- Waterbury WinterFest - A ten-day festival in the heart of winter that includes great activities for all ages. Some activities include Moonlight Snowshoe, Ice Sculpting, Moonlight Ski, Chess Tournament, Wassailing and much more!