We can’t wait to welcome you to campus for a day filled with good company and autumn fun at our October Open House & Harvest Festival!
(Please note, the below schedule is entirely flexible. Please come to the events that interest you most. And if you happen to be nearby on Friday, you are more than welcome to join us for our monthly Community Dinner!)
Saturday, October 11th, 2025
10:00 - 10:30 am:
Arrival and Registration, Dunbar Foyer
Upon arrival, please head to the registration desk to check in, sign up for your chosen Mini-Course, and meet members of our community.
10:30 - 10:45 am:
President's Cabinet Welcome, Dunbar Dining Hall
Grab a cup of coffee or a pumpkin scone while you get a quick update on the new happenings at Sterling from the College Leadership team. Our team will walk you through the schedule before sending you out to enjoy the day.
10:45 am - 12:00 pm:
Mini-Courses with Sterling College Faculty & Students, Various Locations
Step into the classroom for a chance to join current parents, alumni, prospective families & community members for an opportunity to sample what Sterling students are learning now.
12:00 - 1:00 pm:
Feast of the Fields Luncheon, Dunbar Dining Hall
Enjoy a delicious and true farm to table meal prepared by our talented kitchen staff. The best of the fall harvest: winter squash, kale, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, onions, beets, carrots, and apples from the Sterling Farm.
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm:
Walking Tour of Campus, Dunbar Foyer
After the luncheon, stretch your legs and join a guided walking tour of our picturesque campus. This is your chance to explore what has changed on campus since your last visit like the Outdoor Recreation Hub located in the old Craftsbury Common Post Office.
1:15 pm - 2:15 pm:
Alumni Panel: Crafting a Life & a Living Rooted in Values, Place, and Purpose, 1958 Room
Meet Alumni spanning the many years and iterations of Sterling from the Sterling Boys School to the Grassroots Project to recent graduates with both AA and BA degrees. Each will share how the Sterling experience has helped shape their careers, but more importantly, contributed to a life of purpose and connection.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm:
Harvest Festival, Merlin-Mager-Kestrel Quad
Join the Sterling and greater Craftsbury Communities to celebrate autumn for a public Harvest Festival! Kick off the fest at the outdoor climbing wall on Sterling's lower campus (open 2:00-5:00pm). If you've never rock climbed, now is your chance to give it a go! Or maybe, you prefer to sit back and enjoy the day on a wagon. Wagon rides will leave from Sterling Road in front of Dunbar Dining Hall every 20 minutes (or so...) from 2:00-3:00pm. If you miss it, don't worry, there will be another.
Alumni band, Ursa and the Major Key, get the real party started at 3:00pm. When you need a break from dancing, visit the biergarten for a Hill Farmstead brew, or apple cider donut, press apples, play giant lawn games, or join the fiber crew for some crafting. There is something for everybody!
Any questions leading up to the events?
Please reach out to Director of Advancement, Hannah Rushing.