76th Hospital Fair Day – August 1, 2026, Townshend Common, 9 am – 3 pm
Free Admission/Free Parking/Free Entertainment
Grace Cottage Hospital Fair Day is a highlight of the year for many area families and visitors, including ours.
For decades, the Holts have traveled from far and wide to gather at our farmhouse on East Hill in Townshend to help out on and before Fair Day, always held on the first Saturday in August. Along with many other volunteers (many of them Grace Cottage employees), our cousins, kids, nieces, and nephews help with set up on the Townshend Common the week before the Fair, and pitch in, mostly at the White Elephant Booth, to help sell and, when the Fair ends, to clean up. Many residents and second homeowners hold their annual family reunions, as we do, on Fair Day weekend because it’s such a fun event for all ages.
And it supports a great cause – our local, independent, non-profit community hospital. What could be better?! The net proceeds of this year’s Hospital Fair Day will go toward the construction of the new primary care building at Grace Cottage.
The success of Hospital Fair Day, though, depends on donations to fill our booths: Plants, White Elephant, Books, Art, Jewelry, Pictures & Frames, Toys & Games, and Baked Goods. Items of value are needed for our Auction; this year we will be accepting cars, boats, fine jewelry, silver, antiques, lamps, and small pieces of furniture (the larger the piece, the less likely it is to sell, these days – it’s an unfortunate reality).
Fair Day also depends on volunteers (lots of them!) before, during and after the Fair. Tell us what you’re interested in doing, and we will be happy to put you to work!
Call or e-mail us at 802-365-4455 or e-mail us at gracecottagefair@gmail.com. We gratefully embrace new (and old) volunteers, and we have a lot of fun.
Have you ever wondered how to give thanks for the care you and/or loved ones have received at Grace Cottage? This is a great way to do it!
Come take part in this long tradition of giving back!
Helen & Connie Holt, Hospital Fair Day Co-Chairs
To donate books, contact Katie Morrow.
To donate items for the live auction, send photos of the items to info@gracecottage.org.
To donate items for the White Elephant Booth, contact Helen & Connie Holt.
To donate jewelry, call the Grace Cottage Foundation office, 802-365-9109.
Hospital Fair Day Traditions
The Hospital Fair Day tradition began 76 years ago, and it has been vital to Grace Cottage’s patient care ever since.
The first Hospital Fair Day was held on Saturday, August 5, 1950, organized by the Grace Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, with a healthy mix of fun, fellowship, and fundraising. Thanks to the love, loyalty, and dedication of so many volunteers and fairgoers over the years, this event continues.
Grace Cottage relies on the proceeds from this annual event.
In the photo albums below, you can reminisce about past Hospital Fair Days and see some of the babies born here across the years.
Thank you for continuing to support the Annual Grace Cottage Hospital Fair Day!
Grace Cottage Babies
If you were born at Grace Cottage, send us a current picture and tell us your birth year, and we’ll add you to our virtual Birthday Baby Parade with our beloved Stork (don’t tell anyone, but it’s Dr. Timothy Shafer!)
Reminiscing
We want to reminisce with you. We’re posting videos and photos of past Fairs. If you have photos or videos from past Hospital Fair Days that you’d like to share, e-mail them to info@gracecottage.org, and we’ll add them to the album.
Hospital Fair Day 2026 Sponsors
Norm Holden Painting
