Northeast Kingdom
Around Northeast Kingdom
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Countryside and towns · Vermont · 64k people
Northeast Kingdom
“The Kingdom”, “NEK”
Where the hills hold the sky and the community holds you.
Deep forest greenLake blueAutumn orange
Welcome to the Northeast Kingdom, where the hills are steep and the people are steeper. Come for the maple and the quiet lakes, but stay for the mountain trails and the sense of community that runs as deep as the snowbanks in January.
Clubs for Northeast Kingdom
No clubs for Northeast Kingdom yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Northeast Kingdom. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Northeast Kingdom. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium A Victorian natural history museum with a planetarium in St. Johnsbury.
- St. Johnsbury Athenaeum A public library and art gallery with a stunning collection of Hudson River School paintings.
- Lake Willoughby A deep, glacier-carved lake flanked by Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor.
- Old Stone House Museum A historic granite house in Brownington that tells the story of early Vermont.
- Kingdom Trails A world-renowned network of mountain biking trails in East Burke.
- Crystal Lake A small, clear lake in Barton with a public beach and a historic dance hall.
- Outdoors Hike Mount Pisgah
- Outdoors Mountain bike Kingdom Trails
- With kids Visit the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
- With kids Swim and picnic at Lake Willoughby
- Evenings Live music at local taverns
- Evenings Brewery taprooms
- Locals love Sugarhouses
- Locals love General stores
Through the year
- Caledonia County Fair August Agricultural exhibits, midway rides, and local food in Lyndonville.
- Newport Winter Festival January Ice sculptures, snowmobile races, and family fun on Lake Memphremagog.
- Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival September–October Towns across the NEK celebrate autumn with craft fairs, parades, and leaf-peeping tours.
- Hardwick Summer Concert Series July–August Weekly outdoor concerts in the town common, featuring local and regional acts.
The Northeast Kingdom has a classic northern New England climate: long, snowy winters and short, mild summers. The best times to be out are late spring for maple season and fall for foliage. Best: Fall (September–October) for crisp air and brilliant foliage; late spring for maple season.
Talk like a local
- “NEK”
- The Northeast Kingdom itself; locals often just say 'the NEK'.
- “Flatlander”
- A derogatory but affectionate term for out-of-staters, especially from Massachusetts.
- “Mud season”
- The spring season when dirt roads turn to deep mud.
- “Creemee”
- Soft-serve ice cream, often maple-flavored.
Getaways
- Barre (Granite City) Visit the Rock of Ages granite quarry and historic downtown.
- Stowe Scenic mountain town with hiking, biking, and the famous Trapp Family Lodge.
- Memphrémagog (QC) Cross the border for lakeside villages, vineyards, and Mont Orford.
- North Country (NH) Hike Mount Washington or explore the White Mountains.
Local flavour
Rooting for Boston Red Sox (MLB), New England Patriots (NFL), Montreal Canadiens (NHL), University of Vermont Catamounts (NCAA Division I)
Eat and drink
- Maple syrup Produced in local sugarhouses, a staple and source of pride.
- Maple creemee Soft-serve ice cream flavoured with maple syrup, a summer treat.
- Vermont cheddar cheese Sharp and aged, often from small local creameries.
- Apple cider doughnuts A fall favourite at orchards and farm stands.
- Poutine French fries with cheese curds and gravy, a nod to the nearby Quebec border.
Where people go
- Sugarhouses Small buildings where sap is boiled into syrup, often open for tastings.
- General stores Hubs of small towns, selling everything from groceries to hardware.
- Country diners No-frills spots serving hearty breakfasts and homemade pies.
- Lakeside camps Simple cabins on lakes like Memphremagog, used for fishing and summer getaways.
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Nearby
Every areaBarreVermontWhere granite meets the Green Mountains, and maple runs deep.StoweVermontWhere every season paints its own picture.MemphrémagogQuebecLakeside orchards and rolling hills.North CountryNew HampshireWhere the mountains meet the sky and the rivers run cold.CoaticookQuebecWhere the river winds through the hillsLebanonNew HampshireWhere the Connecticut River runs through every season.BurlingtonVermontWhere the mountains meet the lake — and the maple runs deep.CowansvilleQuebecWhere the hills meet the orchards, and cider flows like autumn.
Caledonia, Orleans and Essex counties, VT. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.