One of my favorite things to do Thanksgiving weekend is to jump in the car and ride around on the back roads of Putney, Vermont, following the map for the Putney Craft Tour. For three days, November 28, 29 and 30, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the artists in Putney and environs open their studios to the public for this annual event. This year happens to be the 30th anniversary of the craft tour, and it is as diverse and interesting as ever.
You can follow the tour on the map, in location order, or you can look over the list of artisans and pick and choose what you’re most interested in. The artist’s work is as varied as Ken Pick’s colorful pottery and sculpture, to Penelope Wurr’s contemporary glass, to Ian and Jenny Eddy’s hand wrought iron to the Major’s Vermont Shepherd Farm cheese making operation. 
The Craft Tour is a great way to spend a couple of hours or even the better part of a day. The countryside is beautiful, the rolling hills cloaked in greys and brown, bare and ready for the first snowfall. The air is crisp and clear and you can see your breath as you walk from the car to each cozy studio. Each studio is different, reflecting the personality of the artist and the art created inside. The artists are happy to have their studios open to the public and glad to answer any questions that people have about their work.
If you get tired and need a break, you can always stop at the Front Porch Bakery in the center of town and have lunch or a snack in front of the fire curled up in one of their overstuffed chairs. This weekend might be a perfect time to get away and explore the art hidden in the Putney hills. Unwind at Chesterfield Inn after an exciting day seeing all that Vermont art has to offer.