Planning day-after-wedding activities near Burlington, Vermont
November 13, 2014 10:38 AM Subscribe
First, I am looking for suggestions of daytime activities on a Sunday afternoon (of a long weekend) in or near Burlington, Vermont. Second, I am looking for those activities to be friendly for an assorted cast of family and friends to do the day after a wedding. Both Vermont-specific and general-wedding-planning answers are welcome!
I am getting married the Saturday night of a holiday weekend, and coming in to Burlington from out of town. We will also be staying over the Sunday night, and hope to invite friends and family who also want to stay until Monday to get together with us to continue low-key activities during the day and evening on Sunday. (We already see plenty of each other, so we don't feel the need to go off and do Couply Things, and would prefer to spend the day hanging with our friends that we don't see enough of.) The plan is to pick a bar for Sunday night to camp out at and invite people to join us, but I am stumped as to what to plan during the day.
A few specifics. We will be staying onsite at the wedding venue on Saturday night, but have a hotel room at a nearby hotel for Sunday night, and need to vacate the wedding venue around 11am on Sunday morning. We like outdoor activities, but this will be May so we will need an indoor plan if the weather is disagreeable. We expect most of the people who choose to stay will be friends in their 20s and 30s, so suggestions should be at least mildly interesting to adults (ie. not exclusively for children). I would be open to planning choices for guests and splitting up (me taking some people to activity A and bae taking others to activity B), but would prefer to settle on one thing we could do together that would accomodate a largish group.
I have a few ideas (picnic at the park? short hike? getting a day room at the hotel and just hanging out inside and chatting/playing board games?) but I would especially love to hear from people who have done something similar about what has worked.
SO
1. daytime activities in or near Burlington for large group
2. general advice on planning events for guests the day after the wedding.
Thank you!
I am getting married the Saturday night of a holiday weekend, and coming in to Burlington from out of town. We will also be staying over the Sunday night, and hope to invite friends and family who also want to stay until Monday to get together with us to continue low-key activities during the day and evening on Sunday. (We already see plenty of each other, so we don't feel the need to go off and do Couply Things, and would prefer to spend the day hanging with our friends that we don't see enough of.) The plan is to pick a bar for Sunday night to camp out at and invite people to join us, but I am stumped as to what to plan during the day.
A few specifics. We will be staying onsite at the wedding venue on Saturday night, but have a hotel room at a nearby hotel for Sunday night, and need to vacate the wedding venue around 11am on Sunday morning. We like outdoor activities, but this will be May so we will need an indoor plan if the weather is disagreeable. We expect most of the people who choose to stay will be friends in their 20s and 30s, so suggestions should be at least mildly interesting to adults (ie. not exclusively for children). I would be open to planning choices for guests and splitting up (me taking some people to activity A and bae taking others to activity B), but would prefer to settle on one thing we could do together that would accomodate a largish group.
I have a few ideas (picnic at the park? short hike? getting a day room at the hotel and just hanging out inside and chatting/playing board games?) but I would especially love to hear from people who have done something similar about what has worked.
SO
1. daytime activities in or near Burlington for large group
2. general advice on planning events for guests the day after the wedding.
Thank you!
The Shelburne Museum has tons of stuff to do.
posted by brujita at 10:51 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by brujita at 10:51 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Mt. Philo was a great hike. The Champlain Island could be good if you want to explore.
I got some good non-wedding ideas in my thread.
posted by TravellingCari at 10:54 AM on November 13, 2014
I got some good non-wedding ideas in my thread.
posted by TravellingCari at 10:54 AM on November 13, 2014
For an indoor plan, how about setting up a game tournament of some kind? Some kind of round-robin is probably best so that people don't lose in the first round and are then out and have nothing to do. I've been to a handful of parties like that in my life and they've generally been very successful.
The best example I can remember is when there was a family gathering to play whist, a card game. Whist is a really simple game that's easy to grasp yet surprisingly intricate, but crucially is quick to play. It's also not the type of game where being bad at it makes anyone feel dumb (as opposed to poker, trivial pursuit and scrabble, for instance) which can be a real moodkiller. There are other simple card games (yahtzee is also pretty good in that way) and board games that are suited to tournaments. It's a pretty good way to while away an afternoon.
posted by Kattullus at 10:58 AM on November 13, 2014
The best example I can remember is when there was a family gathering to play whist, a card game. Whist is a really simple game that's easy to grasp yet surprisingly intricate, but crucially is quick to play. It's also not the type of game where being bad at it makes anyone feel dumb (as opposed to poker, trivial pursuit and scrabble, for instance) which can be a real moodkiller. There are other simple card games (yahtzee is also pretty good in that way) and board games that are suited to tournaments. It's a pretty good way to while away an afternoon.
posted by Kattullus at 10:58 AM on November 13, 2014
Memorial Day weekend is a great time for a hike if the weather's nice -- I think a lot of the trails open up then. This will require transportation planning however -- do you expect enough of your guests to have cars that this will be doable?
posted by goingonit at 11:27 AM on November 13, 2014
posted by goingonit at 11:27 AM on November 13, 2014
Best answer: A big picnic by the waterfront and a ferry ride around Lake Champlain if the weather is bad would be a good simple plan that everyone can get to. Kids can run around, parents can sit and talk. The ferry tour thing is more fun than you would think it might be in case of crappy weather. I think on wedding weekends people just want to be able to eat and catch up with people. The ECHO Center is actually a lot more fun than you would think it would be also and you can get discount passes from the local libraries. Mt Philo is terrific but would definitely involve transportation and logistics.
posted by jessamyn at 11:28 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 11:28 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory with discounted seconds.
Farmhouse Tap and Grill for dinner.
The bikepath around Lake Champlain
posted by canine epigram at 11:30 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Farmhouse Tap and Grill for dinner.
The bikepath around Lake Champlain
posted by canine epigram at 11:30 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
You don't say what time of year, but it sounds like outdoor activities will be possible?
Some friends got married in Chicago in the summer and commandeered a nearby park with a cooler of soda and donuts and played croquet and bocce and such all afternoon. 'Twas lovely. It was like a tournament! The important thing is that people should be able to just swing by and say mazel tov and then peace out if they have to go to work on Monday. So I wouldn't plan anything unending or far from a airport knamsayin?
By the way my invitation seems to be lost in the mail, it's no big deal you can memail it to me or I can just RSVP here: I WILL be able to make it, with 1.5 guests, and for dinner I would like: the squid.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:02 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Some friends got married in Chicago in the summer and commandeered a nearby park with a cooler of soda and donuts and played croquet and bocce and such all afternoon. 'Twas lovely. It was like a tournament! The important thing is that people should be able to just swing by and say mazel tov and then peace out if they have to go to work on Monday. So I wouldn't plan anything unending or far from a airport knamsayin?
By the way my invitation seems to be lost in the mail, it's no big deal you can memail it to me or I can just RSVP here: I WILL be able to make it, with 1.5 guests, and for dinner I would like: the squid.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:02 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I love the idea of doing a big picnic in waterfront park, and inviting people to also check out the chocolate factory (which is apparently free!), aquarium, or go on the ferry ride! Thanks everyone for your help!
posted by likeatoaster at 12:43 PM on November 13, 2014
posted by likeatoaster at 12:43 PM on November 13, 2014
Farmhouse Tap and Grill is an excellent craft beer and food place, but it is wicked pricy. If you are looking for a place to camp consider either Vermont Pub & Brew if you want good local brew-on-premise craft beers (started by a craft brew legend who is unfortunately no longer with us) or Manhattan Pizza and Pub if you want a very nice selection of different styles of beer, pub grub, and a sort of dive atmosphere.
posted by terrapin at 1:25 PM on November 13, 2014
posted by terrapin at 1:25 PM on November 13, 2014
How many guests will be joining you?
The Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour, although I do recommend it, does not run on Sundays.
posted by tckma at 1:41 PM on November 13, 2014
The Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour, although I do recommend it, does not run on Sundays.
posted by tckma at 1:41 PM on November 13, 2014
SHELBURNE FARMS. Get on that property! It is so beautiful and scenic, and a tour of the inn (formerly a Gilded Age vacation mansion) is available a few days of the week. Shelburne Farms is heaven on earth.
posted by magdalemon at 7:50 PM on November 13, 2014
posted by magdalemon at 7:50 PM on November 13, 2014
I still like the skydiving idea...
posted by DesbaratsDays at 11:58 AM on November 14, 2014
posted by DesbaratsDays at 11:58 AM on November 14, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by General Malaise at 10:44 AM on November 13, 2014