Friday 5/2/25
9am- 8pm
Art Exhibit
An art show titled “Celebrating the Wilderness of the Last 250 Years," featuring images related to fly fishing and rural landscapes, will occupy the galleries on the first floor of the 1900 Watkins House. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bennington in the Revolutionary War, and we aim to showcase the natural wilderness as it existed in 1775 and 2025. The art exhibit will remain on display through June 9 and will be open five days a week.
Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus
10am
Coffee with the Artists
Come hear the artists talk about their work in the “Celebrating the Wilderness of the Last 250 Years” Art Exhibit
Watkins House, Arlington Common Campus
10am - 11am
Exclusive Orvis Rod Shop Tour with Don Swanson, Director of Rod Shop Manufacturing
Orvis Manchester Rod Shop, Historic Route 7A
10am-3pm
American Fly Fishing Tours (included with festival wristband)
Guided Tour of the American Museum of Fly Fishing (located at 4070 Main Street, Manchester, VT – 8 miles north of Arlington)
AMFF is home to the world’s largest collection of angling and angling-related items, numbering in the thousands. The collections and exhibits thoroughly document the evolution of fly fishing as a sport, art form, craft, and industry in the United States and abroad, dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Join curator Jim Schottenham and explore the following exhibits:
TIED TOGETHER: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES OF JOAN AND LEE WULFF
REFLECTIONS: THE ANGLER AND NATURE IN ART
GUIDING STAR: THE LEGACY OF JOSE WEJEBE
MARY ORVIS MARBURY: THE 1893 WORLDS FAIR FLY PANELS
IN REEL TIME: FLY REELS PAST & PRESENT
American Fly Fishing Museum, Manchester, VT
4pm - 9pm
Lawson’s Microbrew Tent (festival wristband is not required for tent)
Often regarded as Vermont's finest brewery, Lawson’s will be the exclusive beer provider for the BFFF4. Chat with the brewers, taste their award-winning beers, and enjoy a fantastic weekend in southwestern Vermont.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. We recommend purchasing dinner tickets in advance.
5pm - 6:30pm
Come meet Rob Heal, co-host of The New Flyfisher television show. He’ll screen a retrospective of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland, from the high profile rivers, to the lesser known, hidden gems.
Screening, followed by Q and A.
Performing Arts Center, Arlington Common Campus
5pm - 9pm
BBQ Chicken Dinner with Sauced BBQ
Local grillers, Sauced BBQ, will provide delicious BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked potato, and a roll. A vegetarian option is available. Tickets purchased in advance guarantee seating in the dinner tent. Take-out is available for pick-up. $20 per dinner. If you purchase take-out tickets, you can eat on-site; seating is not guaranteed.
Friday, 5/2/25
Live Music featuring
Kind Bud
7:30pm-9:30pm
With a repertoire of 1,000 songs, Kind Bud live loops his acoustic guitar, weaving layers of dynamic rhythms and improvisations to compliment his voice that is soft and strong, sweet and true.
Venues and festivals Kind Bud has played include: Grateful Dead Night at Fenway Park; Sweetwaters; Ashkenaz; Fare Thee Well Pre-shows at the Hyatt Regency Chicago; Jam In The Sand; Island Exodus; Back To The Island; Gathering of the Vibes; Killington Sunshine Daydream; Nateva; Oregon Country Fair; Unbroken Chain Symposium at U-Mass Amherst; Fairfield FTC; Iron Horse Music Hall; August West Fest; Rock & Roll Resort; Bears Picnic; Yasgur’s Road Reunion; Vermont Ski Resorts.
