The Adventure Begins

Hi, Friends! It's that time of year again — the time when the caps and gowns get donned and the band plays “Pomp and Circumstance” while a procession of proud students take their seats. Graduation season is here, and this week we tip our hats to the Classes of 2026 at our local schools. 

On the college front, Vermont State University Castleton held its commencement on May 16, sending another class of Spartans out into the world. Bennington College celebrates its 91st commencement on May 29 and 30, with author and political analyst Molly Jong-Fast returning to her alma mater to address the graduating class.

Long Trail School in Dorset kicks things off with its 50th commencement on May 21 — a milestone ceremony in a milestone year for a school that started in 1975 with just 14 students in a borrowed room at the Dorset Sportsman's Club. The Mount Anthony Union High School Patriots will follow on June 5, and the Arlington Memorial High School Eagles will take flight on June 6. And of course, Burr and Burton Academy's Bulldogs will be lining up in their regalia on June 5, adding another chapter to one of Vermont's most storied independent schools.

To every graduate in the region: you've earned this. What comes next is yours to write. Congratulations, Class of 2026!

Arlington Memorial High School, Arlington, VT

Burr and Burton Academy, Manchester, VT

Long Trail School, Dorset, VT

Mount Anthony Union High School, Bennington, VT

Gift Ideas for Your Graduate

The Local & Co., Bennington, VT

Manchester Designer Outlets

The Museum Store at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, VT

Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, VT

Odd End, Manchester, VT

Vermont Country Store, Weston, VT