The 5th Annual Battenkill Fly Fishing & Arts Festival in Arlington, Vermont

April 30 – May 2, 2026: Three days of casts, conversations, and craft beer in the heart of southwestern Vermont.

Spring arrives gently along the Battenkill, a cold, clear river that once lured Norman Rockwell, wove through the paintings of Ogden Pleisner, and continues to draw anglers from across the country to its notoriously selective wild brown trout.

This spring, the river becomes the centerpiece of something bigger.

Now in its fifth year and newly designated a Vermont Signature Event, the Battenkill Fly Fishing & Arts Festival has earned a reputation as one of the most distinctive events in the region.

Anchored at the Arlington Common Campus and the historic Watkins House, the festival fuses world-class fly fishing instruction, an acclaimed art exhibit, local food and craft beer, and a genuine sense of community into three packed days.

Whether you’re a seasoned cane-rod devotee, a curious first-timer, or simply someone who appreciates a cold Lawson’s in good company, there’s a reason to make the drive to Arlington this spring.

Thursday: Raise a Glass

The weekend kicks off Thursday evening with an Opening Cocktail Party at the Watkins House. Guests get a first look at the “Mountains, Valleys and Rivers” art exhibit alongside a live silent auction, with all proceeds benefiting the Arlington Common and the Battenkill Fund. Appetizers are included; the bar is cash, and all attendees must be 21 or older.

Friday: On the Water and in the Gallery

Early risers can join the 2026 Bamboo Derby on the Battenkill, a special event hosted by the American Museum of Fly Fishing that limits participation to 20 anglers fishing exclusively with bamboo rods.

The grand prize is a custom-engraved Abel reel; the entry fee is $125, and advance registration is required.

Back on campus, the Watkins House opens its galleries from 9 am to 8 pm for the art exhibit, which is open to the public, no wristband required.

“Mountains, Valleys and Rivers” showcases contemporary painters and photographers working in a landscape steeped in American artistic history. A 10 am “Coffee with the Artists” session offers an opportunity to engage in open dialogue with the painters and photographers behind the collection.

At 5 pm, historian and storyteller Don Trachte Jr. delivers what promises to be one of the weekend’s most intimate presentations: a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary artists who once called this valley home — Norman Rockwell, Ogden Pleisner, John Atherton — and how the Battenkill shaped their work. The talk is followed by a Q&A in the Arlington Common Performance Hall.

The evening winds down (or up) at the Lawson’s Microbrew Tent, open from 4 pm to 9 pm with live music from the Ransom Notes, a bluegrass and cosmic rock outfit from southwestern Vermont, and Sauced BBQ serving dinner. No wristband required for the tent.

Saturday: The Main Event

The day opens with a full slate of fly-tying demonstrations in the Discovery Center with hourly seminars led by some of the Northeast’s most respected tyers, including Ted Patlen, Doug Lyons, and Chris Del Plato, broadcast with high-definition projection so every thread wrap is visible.

The Performing Arts Center hosts a morning of headliners: author Steve Woit on the revolutionary legacy of Mary Orvis Marbury; Thomas Ames Jr. presenting his updated guide to eastern hatches; and the day’s marquee event — a keynote by Tom Rosenbauer, Orvis’s “Chief Enthusiast” and mentor to a generation of fly fishers, on the art of prospecting for trout when no hatch is happening.

The 2nd Annual Battenkill Cup Fly Casting Championship runs all day on the campus casting court, with accuracy testing at 11 am and distance at 3 pm. The grand prize is an Orvis fly rod. Registration is limited to the first 25 entrants.

Later in the afternoon, filmmaker Hooké and the Atlantic Salmon Federation screen Scale of Change, a documentary about the high-stakes effort to protect wild Atlantic salmon, before the evening shifts to the Lawson’s Tent for live music and a curated fly fishing film festival running from 6 to 9 pm.

Sunday: A Quiet Close

Sunday winds things down with the easy rhythm of a spring morning on the river.

On-water workshops with Orvis-endorsed guides run from 9 am at the Arlington Recreation Park pond. Brew Moscarello leads a dry fly presentation clinic; Peter Basta covers spey and swinging techniques. The fly-tying masters return for a final, low-key session in the Fitness Center from 10 am to noon.

The “Mountains, Valleys and Rivers” gallery opens one last time for a final walk-through, and the silent auction closes. It’s your last chance to bring home a piece of Battenkill art or a coveted piece of gear, with proceeds flowing back to river conservation.

Good for the River

Running through all three days is something rarer than a good hatch: a genuine commitment to stewardship.

Green Up Day on Saturday invites attendees to clean the riverbanks and country roads of the Battenkill watershed; bags and gloves will be available at the Watkins House information table.

A riparian buffer tree planting on Friday at 381 Sandgate Road asks volunteers to meet at the Sandgate Congregational Church parking lot at 10 am.

Every auction bid, every wristband, and every dinner ticket supports the Battenkill Fund and the ongoing work of the Arlington Common.

Plan Your Weekend

• Dates: April 30 – May 2, 2026
• Location: Arlington Common Campus & Watkins House, Arlington, Vermont
• Wristband: Required for most campus programming; the art exhibit, vendor village, and Lawson’s Tent are open to the public
• Dinner tickets: Pre-order required by April 26 · Friday BBQ chicken $20 · Saturday steak tips $22