About

Welcome to the Solarfest Center

Inspiring thriving communities and building a healthy planet since 1995

Solarfest started with an innovative idea: Hold a festival that showcases the power and possibilities of solar energy. Since its inception in 1995, Solarfest promotes artistic excellence and community-building while providing both general and detailed information on a wide range of sustainable living topics. And the entire festival, including the ultra-professional sound and lights on our main stage, ran on renewable energy! We pioneered this concept: inviting a few thousand people to a festival in Vermont to show that SOLAR WORKS.

In just a few years our volunteers, donors and sponsors have created a home on Steinberg Road in Brandon, Vermont: reclaiming fields, restoring barns, completing our 125-kW solar project, and re-establishing our namesake festival and the passions of our community. Our mission remains focused on helping to build a low carbon, climate resilient, and joyful community in fun and creative ways.

After over 30 successful years, Solarfest has achieved many of the things we originally set out to do. Then we identified even more ways we can showcase to power of sustainable energy with the beautiful facilities at the farm. Practical improvements this spring include work on the Dave Conna Hiking & Biking Pathway, the half-mile trail connector to downtown Brandon, installing a new modular all-terrain stage, renovating the Kurkoski Shop, and establishing a demonstration mushroom farm under the community solar array.

There are more exciting new things on the way with dedicated teams exploring opportunities in energy education partnerships, agrivoltaic farming laboratories, and even a green business hub for launching portable solar products. These challenging initiatives require new collaborations to find and share sensible energy, home, and food practices that can have real impact.

We sincerely hope that you will join us as we redouble our efforts in support of energy education and climate protection and become more involved in our struggle for a fair, just, clean energy future.

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