Penny Pumpkin, one of Bonnie Watters' favorite motif dolls is ready to welcome visitors to the Fall Vermont Crafts Council Open Studio Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5 from 10 am to 5 pm at her home and gallery in Chester's historic Stone Village.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church at 313 Main Street in Chester will offer the Celebration of St. Francis and Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 4th, beginning at 10 a.m. on the front lawn of the church.

The staff at The Nature Museum at Grafton is warmed by community support and excitement for the upcoming Sixth Annual Fairy House Tour on Saturday, September 27, and Sunday, September 28, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Local individuals, families, schools, libraries, and businesses are collecting pine cones, acorn caps, feathers, moss, and more to create charming fairy houses. Visitors to the Fairy House Tour will delight in these structures as they walk along a forest path, and then return to The Nature Museum to create their own fairy dwellings in the gardens. Tour-goers will enjoy face painting by Mona Frye, interactive fairy activities and crafts, and light refreshments for purchase by the Grafton Elementary School PTG, The Grafton Inn, and The Nature Museum. Visitors are welcome to pack their own picnic.

"The Enchanted Forest" is a well-loved, outdoor storytelling event for families. This year it will take place on Oct. 4th, 2014 on the nature trail behind Green Mountain Union High School in Chester. Audiences travel along a candlelit path through the woods to hear a folk tale, with mimes acting out the story at campfires. The performance finishes with dance and song, which are created especially for this occasion and fully involve the audience.

As a feature of Chester's Fall Festival on the Green, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, just off the Green at 313 Main Street in Chester will celebrate Open Doors Day on Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be seating in the shade, free cold bottled water, free popcorn, access to a handicap bathroom and sanctuary tours. Come visit.

The Chester Beautification Committee's newest project to beautify the town is through its Light Up Chester Campaign! Starting right now, people may order large, yellow King Alfred daffodils to plant this fall to ensure a brilliant floral display in spring of 2015. Participants may plant bulbs on their own property, donate bulbs back to the Chester Beautification Committee [CBC] for its volunteers to plant in sections along the stone wall outside the cemetery opposite the Village Green, donate money to CBC to help with its beautification projects, or do a combination of all three.

Celebrate the 40th annual Fall Festival Craft Show on the Chester Green on September 20-21 from 10AM to 4PM. This weekend offers something for everyone in one of the "Most Beautiful Villages" in New England.

Once a year, those who need some physical help in getting to a most spectacular view of Vermont can take advantage of the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association's Accessibility Day on Saturday September 20. Scheduled from 10:45 AM or 11 AM (depending upon which of two start locations is chosen) to 4 PM in order to allow enough time for the logistics, this is a once-a-year opportunity for a vehicle ride via the often-rough road leading to Paul's Ledges. There participants will gather for lunch and a most outstanding view of the countryside.

This summer Chester has been looking healthy, thriving, and totally loved by the individuals, professionals, and businesses living and working here. A lot of that spirit is due to the first improvement campaign of the Chester Beautification Committee (CBC), which started this past spring. The immediate enthusiasm of contributing supporters enabled a successful campaign that featured flower-filled pots, barrels, and larger planters planted by CBC volunteers and positioned around town. The CBC thanks all those who participated in the 2014 Chester Beautification Planter Program - both those who purchased the flower planters and those owners and volunteers who have faithfully watered and deadheaded the flowers to keep them looking so marvelous for so many weeks.