”Rural lifestyle plus this unbelievable mix of people and things going on. I left city life and never looked back – we eat better food, see more music, spend more time outdoors and less time in traffic.”
– Zirwat, Community Development Director
You can grow here
Southern Vermont is a dynamic place full of people whose families go back generations and folks who had never been to Vermont before moving here last month, and everyone in between. It takes all us of – fresh perspectives from the outside, and a deeply rooted history – to make our region the best it can be.
SoVermont is part of the statewide GROW network to welcome new and returning Vermonters. It looks a little different in every region, but across the state, local organizations are working together to help newcomers feel right at home. Join us!
If you’ve recently moved to Vermont, you can …
Sign up for our monthly(ish) GROW SoVermont newsletter for new and returning Vermonters. We’ll give you …
- Details for upcoming newcomers mixers
- Alerts on local events you don’t want to miss (Guilford Turnip Festival? Townshend Pickle Day??)
- Tips for living your best Vermont life (your town clerk is your friend, and yes, you need snow tires, even if you have an SUV)
A warm and friendly bunch of locals, with both “young” and “professional” being loosely interpreted. A great way to connect for anyone age 22 to 45 who’s looking to have some fun and make some social connections.
- SoVT YPs (Windham County)
- Shires YPs (Bennington County)
Let us connect you with local hosts, who volunteer their time to welcome new and returning Vermonters via the Southern Vermont Welcome Wagon.
Each month we send out short bios of newcomers so that hosts can reach out to set up a personal meetup — coffee, a hike, an informal downtown walking tour, etc. Learn more here or sign up!
Not here yet?
You know you want to move here, but you’re just not here yet . No worries, we’re glad to help!
We’re collaborating with local partners to plan newcomers mixers across the region! Find a GROW mixer at …
- Monthly Brattleboro Gallery Walks (May – December)
- Quarterly Wilmington Works events
- Semi-annual meet and greets by the Southern Vermont Deerfield Valley Chamber
- Occasional Bellows Falls gatherings, hosted by a grassroots community members group
Check back here or sign up for our newsletter for details!
For longtime Vermonters and community partners
Ready to help others navigate their new community?
Join us as a local host at newcomers mixers, sign up for the Welcome Wagon and make individual connections to folks with similar interests, or plan a newcomers gathering of your own! (The GROW program offers hosts a micro-grant to help cover food or fees.) Let us know how you’d like to be involved.
Employers, town officials, realtors, community organizers … we can all work together to help our newcomers thrive in our region. Let’s talk about what we can do together! Reach out to our program manager, Rachel Shields Ebersole.
“When you’re relocating, it’s really hard to go up to strangers and say, “Hey, wanna be my friend?” or “Can you help me figure out where everything is around here?” It was super helpful to have someone to walk around town with me, introduce me to people, and make me feel at home. – Zelda, VP of Operations
Helpful Resources for Newcomers
Find out what's going on around the region
Welcome Wagon
Learn more about Vermont
make more social and professional connections
Start a new business or move a business
Work and Employment
Hoping to get involved in your new home town?
Welcome Home
Maybe you had already been planning a move and the pandemic gave that final nudge. Maybe during this crazy time vortex you looked up one day and found yourself in a picturesque valley. No matter how you landed here, we want to help you connect with the communities and career opportunities that make this region so special.
”My kid can play outdoors for hours, we can live in a community where people know one another, and I get to work with the absolute best people in my field, anywhere. That’s SoVermont. Being here is a dream come true.”
– Jamie, Circus Academy Director
