7 Things That Happen in Vermont Once Foliage Season Ends That Nobody Puts on a Postcard
When the last leaf drops, Vermont doesn’t shut down.
The weeks after foliage season bring changes Vermonters plan around, and they don’t make it onto many travel blogs.
Here’s what to expect in Vermont once foliage season ends.
1. Smugglers’ Notch Closure
When the state’s foliage reports wrap up, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) closes Route 108 through Smugglers’ Notch for the winter.
In 2021, VTrans closed the road for the winter on Nov. 24, the station WCAX reported, citing the winter weather so far and the expected trend.
The road will reopen in the spring when weather permits, so your drive through the pass waits until then.
In 2023, the gates shut on Nov. 8 ahead of the season’s first storm.
VTrans announced the official closure for the 2023-24 winter on Nov. 14, Vermont Public reported, citing conditions too dangerous for travel.
Plan another route.
2. Rifle Deer Season
Rifle deer season runs 16 days in 2026, from Nov. 14 through Nov. 29, according to Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
A youth and novice deer weekend comes a week earlier, on Nov. 7 and 8, so you could meet hunters in the woods before the rifle season opens.
If you hike in hunting season, wear orange and stay on the marked trail, the state’s tourism site says.
Take it seriously.
Deer Hunting Beyond the Rifle Season
Archery deer season opens Oct. 1 and runs to Dec. 15 in 2026.
Muzzleloader deer season follows the rifle season, running Nov. 30 to Dec. 13.
That adds up to 76 days from the first archery day to the last.
So hunters can share the woods with you in October and early December too.
3. Burlington Winter Market
The Burlington Farmers Market’s last Saturday of the 2026 season is Oct. 31.
Then comes a four-week gap.
Burlington’s winter market, called the BTV Winter Market, opens on Nov. 28.
That first day runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at BCA Studios, 405 Pine St.
A second weekend follows on Dec. 11 and 12 at Burlington City Hall.
Love Burlington organizes the market, and admission is free.
You’ll find prints, crafts, jewelry, glasswork, woodworking and ceramics from 26 to 33 vendors, plus food and drinks.
Most vendors take cards and Venmo, though the organizers recommend bringing some cash.
4. Overnight Parking Bans
Once Nov. 1 arrives, Richmond’s winter parking ban kicks in and runs to April 1, according to the town’s ordinance.
Between midnight and 8 a.m., you can’t park on town highways in a way that interferes with snow removal, and in municipal parking spaces the same rule applies from midnight to 6 a.m.
The town can also tow your car.
You’d pay for it.
Rutland’s citywide ban doesn’t start until Dec. 1, and it runs from midnight to 6 a.m. through March 31.
If you leave your car on the street during a snow ban in Burlington, you may get a $75 parking ticket and a $75 towing fee, the city says.
Psst! How much do you know about Vermont’s winter? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Vermont Winter Trivia
Answer nine questions on Vermont’s snow, wildlife and ski history. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Which year did Jericho’s Wilson Bentley become the first person to photograph a single snow crystal?
5. Winter Utility Shutoff Limits
With the foliage reports done, the state's winter limits on utility shutoffs begin on Nov. 1 under Vermont Public Utility Commission Rule 3.300.
Through March 31, a gas or electric utility has to take extra steps before it can disconnect your home.
If someone in your household is 62 or older, a cold forecast can stop a disconnection, once you've given the utility advance written notice.
Paperwork matters.
6. Late Bear Season
The late bear season runs from Nov. 14 to 22 in 2026, according to Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
The early season closes the day before, on Nov. 13.
There's no gap.
Rifle deer season opens the same day, so the two overlap for nine days.
If you hike then, you may meet both kinds of hunters.
Which dates apply to a hunter depends on hunter type and method.
7. Killington Opening and Cup Weekend
Once the 2025 foliage reports ended, Killington opened to the public on Nov. 13, a day after season pass holders.
Killington says it doesn't set an opening date, and the snowmaking team gets to work as soon as temperatures allow.
The 2025 release says 175 snowguns ran during the first cold window, the most ever for the start of a season.
Opening day came with no beginner terrain, and you had to walk the Peak Walkway back to the base.
Early means limited.
In 2026, the Stifel Killington Cup returns to Killington Resort for Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 27 to 29.
You can watch women's giant slalom and slalom races on Saturday and Sunday of that weekend, the resort's release says.
Olympic medalists Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Federica Brignone of Italy are expected to compete.
The resort expects the weekend to draw 40,000 fans to Superstar.
What Stick Season Means
Stick season is what the state's tourism site calls the period between fall foliage and winter.
It's a time of leaves on the forest floor, sometimes dusted in fresh snow.
With more leaves on the ground than in the trees, you get longer views from mountain summits and rail trails.
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