Bennington Battle Day Weekend

August 13 through August 16

Hi, Friends! This Sunday, August 16, is Bennington Battle Day. State offices and municipal services in Vermont will be closed in observance on Monday, August 17. The commemorative weekend features living history events, cannon firings, encampments at the Bennington Battle Monument, and more.

Photos courtesy of Bennington 250 

It’s always a special day in our community, in part because the holiday is specific to Bennington, Vermont, and celebrated by residents of Bennington County and beyond. It is particularly special this year as we acknowledge the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America with events that began in 2025 and will continue into the culminating year, 2027. Every Battle Day weekend the Town of Bennington’s Fire Department takes the lead in planning the celebrations and its impressively large parade.

As you scroll through this issue, you’ll find more 250th Anniversary events. It’s a great weekend to have unique experiences and immerse yourself in our region’s important history!

Bennington Battle Day Weekend

August 15 events include a Kids Day at the Vermont Veterans Home from 10am to 1pm; the USS Bennington Memorial Service at the Town Offices at 205 South Street from 12pm to 1pm; a Food Truck Festival in Downtown Bennington from 11am to 7pm; and the America 250 Concert by Sage City Symphony and Music Company Orchestra at the Vermont Veterans Home at 6pm.

On August 16 is the Battle Day Parade in Downtown Bennington with a 12:30pm step off. Line-up for parade participants starts at 10am.

Bennington Battle Monument

Monument activities kick off on August 15. The day begins with the annual Battle Day 5K road race at Monument Circle in Bennington. Registration is online. The children’s quarter-mile fun run around Monument Circle starts at 8:30am. Following this, a musket shoot will signal the start of the 5K race at 9am. A Fife and Drum concert will take place in front of the Monument. The Moodus Fife and Drum Corps of Moodus, Connecticut, will perform starting at noon. The Corps played in Bennington in 1891 at the dedication of the Bennington Battle Monument. Leading up to the Moodus Concert will be a poem written and narrated by Warren Roaf at 11:40am. There will also be raffles and prizes! On both August 15 & 16, there will be Reenactor Encampments. Reenactors will be on site with cannon demonstrations, musket firings, and educational programs.

Bennington 250

Historians, educators, business leaders, and others comprise the Bennington 250 Anniversary Committee, a volunteer group dedicated to highlighting the transformational historical happenings in the crucial years of 1775 - 1777.