Fall for St. Johnsbury 2026: Foliage Trains, a Model Train Hunt, and Cider Donuts on the Rails
Note: Advertising is how we keep this site free for you to enjoy, and we earn a commission from affiliate links that may be included in this post. Thank you for supporting Vermont Explored!
Vermonters take their fall festivals very seriously, so choosing where to celebrate the season is no easy feat.
For something a little out of the ordinary, check out the only Vermont festival built around trains. Fall For St. Johnsbury celebrates the changing season and the town’s railroad history.
St. Johnsbury became a major industrial and transportation hub after the first train from Boston arrived in 1850, and for one October weekend, it’s offering foliage train rides along the Passumpsic River, model trails hidden throughout downtown, and train-themed films and games for kids and adults.
The festival runs Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 2026, presented by Passumpsic Bank. It falls on Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend, so many of you will have Monday free to recover from your cider donut hangover.
“People absolutely love our scenic train rides along the Passumpsic River, and we are glad to be able to keep the expanded two-day format that we tested out last year to meet demand,” says Gillian Sewake, Director of Discover St. Johnsbury. “St. Johnsbury’s history as a railroad hub is part of what makes our town so special to this day, and it’s great to showcase that history not only through these rides, but with some new activities as well.”
Here are some weekend highlights to inspire you to visit St. Johnsbury for this fun event.
The Foliage Train Rides (Book These First)
Vermont Rail Systems runs one-hour round trips from the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center (51 Depot Square). The route hugs the Passumpsic and Connecticut Rivers down to Barnet and back. You’ll ride in a historic “Green Fleet” car while volunteers narrate the line’s history and the landmarks along the way.
Departures (both days): 9 am, 10:30 am, noon, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm
Tickets: $22 for adults, $12 for children and seniors
My pick is the Saturday sunset ride. It leaves at 5 pm on October 10 only and comes with seasonal cocktails and refreshments from St. Johnsbury Distillery, plus Eddie’s Bakery cider donuts. Leaf peeping, a cocktail, and a cider donut on a moving train in golden hour light is about as Vermont as it gets. If you only ride once, ride this one.
Grab your tickets online or in-person at the Catamount Arts Box Office. I’m sure these will sell out!
A few more things to know:
- Online sales close at midnight on Friday, October 9.
- Any leftover tickets go on sale the morning of the event at the Welcome Center, cash or check only.
- The rides are expected to sell out. Don’t plan on leftovers.
Bonus: Show your train ticket at the front desk of the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium on Saturday or Sunday, and you’ll get a free planetarium show with museum admission.
The Great St. Johnsbury Train Hunt
Discover St. Johnsbury, with help from Passumpsic Bank and local model train fans, has hidden model train cars in more than 20 businesses along Railroad Street, Eastern Avenue, Main Street, and Summer Street.
How it works: Pick up a punch card at the Welcome Center, find the hidden cars, and ask the merchant to initial your card. An interactive map of participating spots will be available the weekend of the festival.
The prizes:
- Track 1: Find four cars (including a locomotive and caboose) to win a classic wooden train whistle. There are 150, while supplies last.
- Track 2: The first 50 people to find eight cars (including a locomotive and caboose) and do at least one train-themed activity to win a custom Fall for St. Johnsbury tote designed by Magic Wolf Co.
Turn in your card at the Passumpsic Bank booth at the Fall Market, open 9 am to 3 pm both days.
Train-Themed Activities that Count
- A foliage train ride
- Train-themed weekend at the Children’s Museum of the Northeast Kingdom (457 Railroad Street), 10 am to 4 pm both days. There’s a Maple Landmark train set, train stickers, and storytime at 10:30 am. Each family gets one free engineer’s hat with admission.
- “Stop! That! Train!” at Catamount Arts, a campy disaster spoof from the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the director of Hairspray. Screenings are Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 3:30 pm. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for students and CA members.
- Free screenings of “The General,” Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent classic about a train engineer chasing his stolen locomotive. It’s also at Catamount Arts, with showings all weekend. Watching it with “Stop! That! Train!” makes the strangest and best double feature in Vermont this fall.
- Saturday: The train exhibit at the St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Center’s new Pearl Exhibition Hall (421 Summer Street), 10 am to 4 pm, admission by donation. Scan the code on the exhibit text to hear the whistle blow and the bell ring.
- Saturday: Ticket to Ride board game night at Sam’s Listening Bar (397 Railroad Street, downstairs), 6 to 8 pm. Tables are first come, first served, and it’s 21+ only.
- An operating model train on display at Catamount Arts (time TBA).
Everything Else on the Schedule
All weekend: The Fall Market runs 9 am to 3 pm in Depot Square Park, with about 20 seasonal vendors and live music. Free tractor-pulled wagon rides loop between the Welcome Center and the Fairbanks Museum from 10 am to 2 pm. Thank your driver!
Saturday, October 10:
- Pancake breakfast by St. Johnsbury Meals on Wheels, 8 to 10:30 am at the St. Johnsbury House (1207 Main Street), by donation.
- Kingdom Challenge Community 5K & Fun Run. Registration opens at 8 am, and the race starts at 9 am from the Father Lively Center (506 Summer Street). A one-mile family loop follows, and strollers are welcome.
- St. Johnsbury Farmers Market, 9 am to 1 pm.
- NEKASAN International Food Festival, 11 am to 1 pm at Catamount Arts, with a $15 suggested donation. It’s a tasting tour of the Northeast Kingdom’s international community, and it’s one of the best-value lunches we can imagine.
- Vintage pop-up at Tunnel Books, 2-5 pm.
- Fall cookie decorating at St. Johnsbury Distillery, 3 pm. It’s $25, and you need to register ahead.
- Halloween Party & Costume Contest at The DiSpencery, 6:30 pm until late.
- Dakota Wilson at Sam’s Listening Bar, 8 pm, $10 cover.
Sunday, October 11:
- The DiSpencery’s closing weekend party starts at 9 am, with $2 beer, half-price food, and hourly door prizes.
- Afternoon tea at The Cherry House B&B (49 Frost Avenue), 2 to 5 pm, $18.50 per person.
Bonus shopping: Moose River Lake & Lodge Store (370 Railroad Street) is holding its biggest sale of the year, 25% off storewide, all weekend.
This is your chance to peep the foliage, ride the train, hunt the cars, and celebrate this short, beautiful season in St. Johnsbury.
Follow us on social media for more Vermont inspiration!
