Late Summer in the Mad River Valley: Farmers Market, Swimming Holes, and Patio Season

August in the Mad River Valley runs at a slower pace than ski season, and that’s the appeal. The Waitsfield Farmers Market fills the green on Saturday mornings, the river holds onto its swimming holes all month, and our tavern patio stays open late enough to catch the light fading over the pond. Here’s how our staff spends a Saturday in Waitsfield when the mountain isn’t the point.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: Saturdays on the Green

The market sets up on the Mad River Green, right on Route 100, every Saturday from 9am to 1pm, mid-May through mid-October. It’s been running since 1993, and it still feels like a market built for the people who live here, not a tourist stop: produce, cheese, maple, baked goods, flowers, crafts, and usually a band playing somewhere near the tents. Dogs on leash are welcome, so bring yours. It’s a four-minute drive from Hyde Away, an easy stop on the way to or from a swim.

Where to Swim: Three Spots, Three Different Days

Great Eddy Bridge, right in Waitsfield village next to the covered bridge, is the easiest one to reach. There’s a rocky beach and a deep pool under the bridge, and yes, people jump off the bridge — we’re not going to tell you it’s official policy, just that it happens. Lareau Farm, a few minutes south on Route 100, has a wide grassy lawn that makes it the pick for families or anyone hauling a cooler. And Warren Falls, further south past Warren Village, is the one everyone means when they say “the swimming hole” — a series of pools and rock ledges for jumping, mountain-cold water, and a parking lot that fills up fast. Go early or go on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Patio Season at the Hyde Away

Our deck and patio look out over the pond, and August is when that view earns its keep. The tavern’s open seven nights, food service runs 4 to 10pm, and on a warm evening the patio is the better seat over the dining room. If you’ve got a dog with you, it can settle in just off the edge of the patio while you eat — Vermont health rules keep pets out of the seating itself, but nobody’s rushing your table because a leash is nearby.

Planning a weekend around it? Book a room through our lodging page, and stop by the tavern for dinner after a day at the market or the river. We’re a couple minutes from Sugarbush and Mad River Glen either way, in case the mountain calls you back before the season’s over.