Vermont is praised for its culturally rich communities, sweeping farmlands, historic districts, hand-crafted artifacts and scrumptious maple products. Its mountainous landscape not only provides guests with scenic views, but also exciting recreational opportunities, from hiking and biking to skiing and canoeing. And while adventure sports are popular in Vermont, so are team games like soccer, football, basketball and hockey. Towns across the state welcome sports planners to host events of all kinds.
Burlington Sports Venues
Home to more than a quarter of Vermont’s population, Burlington is the largest city in the state. Nestled in the Lake Champlain region, Burlington is recognized for its cosmopolitan city center, gorgeous mountain landscapes and welcoming environment. It is both a rural community and an active college town, with four universities and a sophisticated culture. Burlington also has lots of outdoor and recreational activities to partake in, making it an ideal location for thrill seekers and sports enthusiasts.
A number of ice arenas in Burlington can be rented out for all levels of play. Paquette Arena at Leddy Park, where Champlain College holds its recreational hockey matches, is open almost year round. It can be used for figure skating and broomball, too.
The University of Vermont has an elite NCAA Division I athletics program, and some of the best facilities in the city can be found on campus. The teams are known as the Vermont Catamounts, and the university features 20 varsity sports. Gutterson Fieldhouse, a 4,035-seat arena, is home to the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. It is the largest indoor arena in the state. The venue has played host to not only collegiate level games, but also national and international league matches.
Patrick Gymnasium has been home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams since 1963 and has undergone many renovations to improve the facility for both athletes and spectators. Events held at this Burlington athletic facility have included U.S. Olympic boxing trials, several NBA exhibitions and hundreds of NCAA basketball competitions.
Centennial Field is home to the Vermont Lake Monsters minor league baseball team. It is located on the University of Vermont’s campus and was opened back in 1906. The field seats 4,415 spectators for a baseball game. It is no longer used by the university, which discontinued its baseball and softball programs in 2009, but Centennial is a popular venue for Burlington high school events and tournaments.
Sports Tournaments in Montpelier
Montpelier Recreation Field. Credit
Serving as the state capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the smallest capital in the U.S. Despite its size, it packs in a lot of amenities to suit all kinds of visitors, offering a lively art and music scene, top restaurants, elite schools and an active community. Montpelier has many top sports venues, all centrally located.
Montpelier Recreation Field is the home of the Vermont Mountaineers and the New England Collegiate Baseball League. It was constructed back in 1940 and featured a 1,200-seat grandstand, which is still used today. When the Mountaineers came to the field in 2003, the stadium underwent massive renovations, including installing a permanent fence, new lights, new dugouts, a press box, scoreboard and handicap ramp. The stadium can now accommodate up to 4,000 spectators and is one of the most popular sports facilities in Montpelier.
Montpelier has many other venues that can be rented out by sports teams and planners. Dog River Recreation Field is used for both softball and soccer leagues. The softball fields are popular for summer youth tournaments and games, while the fall season transforms the facility into a great spot for soccer leagues. For indoor sports events, try Barre St. Recreation Center and Gym. It can be rented out for basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling tournaments. The Central Vermont Civic Center offers ice skating for the general public as well as indoor facilities that can be transformed to accommodate any number of events.
Other Vermont Sports Venues
In Poultney in the southwestern portion of the state, sports planners will find Green Mountain College, home to the Eagles athletic program. The campus offers quality, scenic facilities for all teams. The Waldron Athletic Center is the center of the athletics program and features the Eagle Dome, a swimming pool, training room and fitness center. The university also has four outdoor practice and playing fields for soccer and lacrosse as well as an 800-yard cinder track for running.
Everett Estate, Southern Vermont College. Credit
Bennington is the largest town in the southern part of the state, and the third-largest in Vermont. It is home to the 23-time defending State Wrestling Champion Mount Anthony Patriots, a national record for the high school sport. Clearly, this city has a passion for athletics and a competitive drive that rivals any other large city in the country. Sports teams will find elite venues at both area colleges, Bennington College and Southern Vermont College. SVC offers sports planners a variety of options where they can host a sports tournament, including its baseball venue, Epstein Field; Mountaineer Gymnasium, home to volleyball and basketball; Willow Park, where the softball team competes; and Everett Field, home of the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Bennington offers three outdoor tennis courts, a basketball court and soccer field.
Middlebury, located in the central west portion of the state, is a small town with a lot to offer. Middlebury College, one of the country’s most elite liberal arts institutes, is nestled here and has a talented group of athletes in its varsity sports program. Alumni Stadium, also known as Youngman Field, is the football and lacrosse complex and holds 3,500 spectators. The Allan Dragone all-weather outdoor track is one of the top facilities of its kind, while the Forbes Baseball Field and its softball complex provide Middlebury with two of the finest diamonds in the region. The mountain campus provides athletes with the Snow Bowl for alpine skiing and the Carroll and Jane Rikert Ski Touring Center for Nordic skiing. Sports planners can also take advantage of the Chip Kenyon ice hockey arena, .
Vermont may be a small state, with some of the least populated cities in the country, but there is no denying that its athletic vigor is just as strong, if not stronger, than its larger counterparts. Teams will be welcomed by Vermont’s friendly locals, scenic views, affordable prices and top-notch sports facilities.
