Quechee’s Annual Balloon Festival is scheduled once again for Father’s Day weekend in Quechee, Vermont – June 18-20, 2010.  We’ll be attending this year with family and looking forward to it with finger’s crossed for great weather and picture opportunities with the magnificent hot-air balloons.

It seems the festival is going social this year with a new facebook page dedicated to the event.

Be sure to check out the latest schedule of activities below and tune in to the official Quechee Balloon Festival website for the most detailed info.

2010 Schedule of Events

6:00 p.m., Friday June 18, 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday June 20

Over twenty colorful balloons ascend over the Quechee valley and beyond.  What a sight! Tethered balloon rides are available during the day (again – weather permitting!)

Friday, 6 pm

The Rubblebucket Orchestra

A wild young band from Boston, Brooklyn, and Burlington, Vermont (i.e. Ver-brook-ston) that currently tours as an 8 piece. Their banging horn sounds and dance beats provide a backbone for the mesmerizing vocals of lead singer, Kalmia Traver. Rubblebucket’s trip-rock sound has been compared to Talking Heads, Bjork, Fela Kuti and Portishead but what’s in the bucket is completely their own.

Rubblebucket won the 2009 Boston Music Award for Live Act of the Year and is featured in the December 2009 issue of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge: 5 Artists You Should Know.” Additionally, they were named “Best New Band of 2008,” by Seven Days Vermont. The title had previously been held by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (2005, 2006) and Phish (2003, 2004).

Saturday, 6 pm

Hey Mama featuring Avi & Celia

“You can tell right away that this music comes from the very fiber of their souls and it is absolutely spellbinding to listen to.”
–Rock and Roll Report

“Immaculately crafted, rock-tinged blues-folk.”
–Seven Days

“…..infused with rock, soul, and blues. It’s more electric, but doesn’t let go of that rootsy twang that is signature in Avi & Celia’s previous work.”
–pH Balanced

Sunday, 4 pm

Banjo Dan & the Mid-nite Plowboys

“The South doesn’t have the corner on good bluegrass groups anymore. In New England…Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys can pick and sing with the best.”

Bluegrass Unlimited

“In Vermont, bluegrass means Banjo Dan.”
Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

The ski hills near Quechee have been getting some good snow recently making 2010 great for a ski vacation to the area.

For guests renting our home or staying elsewhere in Quechee, you should check out Killington if you’re looking for one of the larger mountains in the area (22 lifts/141 trails/$77 lift tickets).

If you’re in the mood for a smaller mountain, Ascutney is a great option (6 lifts/57 trails/$60 lift tickets).

For beginners or those looking for an extremely convenient option, don’t forget Quechee’s own ski hill (13 trails/3 lifts/$34 lift tickets).

For the latest ski conditions at these mountains and more, check out snocountry.com for Vermont and New Hampshire.

Well this year’s annual Balloon Festival in Quechee, Vermont was a little cooler than usual but still fun for those who attended over Father’s Day weekend.  Already looking forward to next year’s event!

Below you’ll find a couple video clips I came across with highlights from this year.

Video montage from Saturday morning’s launch

Mix of video and slides with a nice soundtrack

In case you’re interested in seeing if our home is available for rental during an upcoming trip, feel free to check out our availability calendar.  We keep it updated on a regular basis so it’s a great place to start if you’re not sure about best times for a trip to Quechee, Vermont.

Of course you can always shoot us an email as well.

Thanks for visiting and we hope you can enjoy Vermont soon!

Jack & Jane Banta

Have you ever rented a vacation home only to find when you arrive that it’s in desperate need of an upgrade? Fear not with our home!

You certainly won’t find any shag carpeting or orange furniture here.  In fact, we have just recently updated the home’s kitchen with a new 4 burner range cook top in addition to the many other upgrades we have made over the years to keep this house current with the latest amenities while still keeping it a great value for our renters.

With this latest addition, trimmed in Oak and featuring 4 burners, we think this brand new cook top will serve our guests well and make dining in a joy, even with large groups. Complete with the separate built-in stove and microwave, the kitchen has always been suited for every group from small couples to large, multi-family parties interested in renting our Vermont home.

We hope you find what you’re looking for as you research your perfect New England vacation. If you have any questions about our home or the area, please drop us a line and we’d be happy to help. Read the rest of this entry »

The Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce has posted details on this years annual Quechee Balloon Festival. This is always a fun weekend of events in the Quechee area for both regulars and first time visitors.

As usual, the schedule is subject to the weather conditions but you can generally expect to see many hot air balloons take flight from the fair grounds and sometimes come up right past our rental house.

For first time visitors, be sure to check out pictures of past Balloon Festivals in our Quechee area photos.

This is a great family event and something to check out if you have never been.

Our house usually books well in advance for this annual event and we’re already booked for 2009 but check out our rental calendar for available dates or email us with any questions.

A few recommendations for anyone looking to have a nice dinner in Quechee with their Valentine:

Simon Pearce is offering a special menu

The Parker House is one of our favorites and sure to please

Happy Valentine’s Day!

While we appreciate the idea of escaping to Quechee, Vermont to get away from the daily grind, internet access is becoming as ubiquitous as a telephone. We figured now was the right time to add high speed access to the house for anyone to check in with friends and family, catch up on news and email or check the weather during your stay.

As of this winter, the home now comes equipped with high-speed internet access for your convenience as well as wireless access for you laptop owners. You’ll be glad to hear there’s no additional charges for access, you just need to bring your own computer or laptop.

Plug-in, have fun and enjoy the access, and go ahead and check the work email, we won’t tell.

After more than 20 years, we recently upgraded the floors on the main level with new hardwood flooring. The original carpeting served the home well but we absolutely love the new look and feel of the hardwood and area rugs.

We hope our guests enjoy too!

The oak flooring extends nearly throughout the main level, including the great room (seen here), the dining room and hallways.

Read the rest of this entry »

New wood burning stove

Who would have thought a cast iron stove weighing several hundred pounds has a limited life-span but turns out they do. That being the case, we recently had to replace the original Vermont Castings wood stove with a new, larger capacity and much more efficient model in the main living room. Read the rest of this entry »