The Lincoln Forum Symposium Dinner
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 @ 5:30pm
Space is limited.
Join us for the Lincoln Forum Symposium's keynote session, award presentation, and dinner on Saturday evening at Lincoln Hall, Hildene’s programs and celebrations center.
Lincoln scholar and author Harold Holzer, Chairman of the Lincoln Forum, will present the coveted Lincoln Forum Film Award to Ken Burns, the nation’s most honored documentary filmmaker. Following a screening of highlights from the documentary “The Civil War,” Burns will engage in a conversation with Holzer on stage after the award presentation.
As a special added attraction, musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Michaels, who composed and performed the haunting “Ashokan Farewell” theme song for Ken Burns’ “Civil War,” will appear at the Saturday night event to serenade the honoree — and our attendees — with that famous melody and other songs from the Civil War.
5:30 PM
Cash Bar, Lincoln Hall
6:00 PM
Dinner served
Lincoln in Film Award: Ken Burns in conversation with Harold Holzer
Highlight clips from the award-winning PBS series The Civil War
Special music by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason
Little Hooves, Big Appetites: Bottle-Feeding Baby Goats!
Saturdays & Sundays in May (except for May 9)
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
This program does not include, but does require, admission.
Little Hooves, Big Appetites: Bottle-Feeding Baby Goats! Add this hands-on experience to your admission to enhance your visit. Get up close with Hildene's adorable baby Nubian goats. Offered every Saturday and Sunday in May from 12:00–1:00 PM (except for May 9th), participants will help prepare bottles, feed the kids, and enjoy time with the babies while learning from our goat dairy staff in a small‑group setting. The program is limited to 10 participants and costs $10 per person, making it a fun and memorable immersive experience for all ages.
Intro to Birding Workshop
Friday, May 8
9:00 am - 11:00 am
This program does not require admission.
It’s time to spread your wings and learn a delightful new hobby. Join avid birders Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo for a beginner’s primer on the endlessly engaging world of birdwatching. Claudia and Warren will go over the fundamentals of equipment, etiquette, and identification, and then help you put those skills into practice outdoors. The workshop will entail moderate walking. For ages 12 and up. Registration required by May 6: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Registration coming soon.
Bird Walk
Saturday, May 9th
7:00 am - 10:00 am
This program is free and does not require admission.
Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks traverse uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Free.
Bird Note: Ruffed Grouse
Have you ever been walking in the woods and heard what sounded like a tractor starting? It is likely coming from a Ruffed Grouse ‘drumming’ to attract a mate. This sound is made when the male beats his wings against the air to create a vacuum. He usually displays his drumming prowess on a stage: a log, stone or mound of dirt roughly 10-12 inches above the ground. Grouse are crow-sized ground birds of mottled brown, white and reddish plumage. When fanned, the long tail is bordered by a black band with white fringe at the end — a distinctive feather if found alone on the ground. (Photo is used with permission by Mary Holland of Naturally Curious)
A grouse nest is a small depression in the ground lined by sticks, grasses and buds. Grouse forage on vegetation, including leaves, buds, and fruits of ferns, shrubs, and woody plants. Typically, only a small number of the 8-14 chicks will survive to adulthood. Ruffed Grouse are readily heard, but less often seen at Hildene.
Meet The Baby Goats
Saturday, May 9th
10:00 am - 4:30 pm
This program is free with admission.
Hildene Farm will be filled with new life this spring. Come meet the adorable baby goats bouncing around the goat dairy on Saturday, May 9, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. All guests must check in at the Welcome Center to pay admission or pick up their member stickers. Then enjoy a walk to the goat dairy on the level Farm Loop trail. We will provide shuttle bus rides for those who need extra assistance. (Hildene Farm will host another Meet the Babies day at the animal barn in the dene on June 6th). Free with admission.
Intermediate Birding
Sunday, May 10th
9:00 am - 11:00 am
This program does not require admission.
This workshop is for those who know the basics of birding, but want to expand their appreciation of birds and get to the next level of birding. Join avid birders Claudia Burns and Warren Cairo for a guided bird walk on Hildene's trails on Sunday, May 10, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Claudia and Warren will share their tips and techniques for finding and identifying birds in the field, including birding by ear. They will also share some of their favorite birding apps. The workshop will entail moderate walking. Registration details coming soon.
Lincoln Essay Competition Awards Luncheon
Sunday, May 17th
This program does not include or require admission.
To honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Vermont’s 8th graders were invited to reflect on the enduring significance of America’s founding document. Students from around the state weighed in on a wide range of current national issues, answering the question of whether actions being taken to address these concerns align with the country’s bedrock tenets.
Hildene received 147 submissions to this year’s 8th Grade Lincoln Essay Competition, now celebrating its 20th year. First, second, and third-place winners were chosen from each of four regions, with a two-way tie for third in one of the regions. Three honorable mentions were selected from the remaining combined pool of finalists.
Students will be coming from all over the state to be honored at the Lincoln Essay Competition Awards Luncheon in Hildene’s Lincoln Hall on Sunday, May 17th. The public is also welcome to attend what has become one of Hildene’s most uplifting and inspiring occasions. To see the list of winners, learn more about the LEC, and to RSVP, please click here.
Bird Walk
Saturday, May 23rd
7:00 - 10:00 am
This program is free and does not require admission.
Join local birders to gather long-term data on the presence of birds, their abundance, and changes in populations. Appropriate for birders of all skill levels, the walks traverse uneven terrain on forest and meadow trails and around the main house. Meet at the Welcome Center parking lot. Free. No registration is required.
Bird Note: Eastern Phoebe
The Eastern Phoebe is a flycatcher, a family group generally lacking distinctive colors or field marks. About the size of a bluebird, the brownish-gray phoebe has buffy underparts and lacks wing-bars or face/eye markings. When perched waiting to dart out to grab an insect, it pumps its tail up and down. Be on the lookout for this behavioral trademark. The Eastern Phoebe is well known for nesting over a doorway, on a light post or under an eve, persistent in constructing a nest of mud and mosses. It is one of the first birds to return here in the spring. Listen for its namesake call: pheeꞌ-bee.
Storytime on the Farm: Goat Dairy
Saturday, May 23rd & 30th
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
This program is free with admission.
It’s story time on the farm! Put on your overalls and boots and join Hildene’s farmers and frolicking baby goats at the goat dairy for a different interactive story each week. This delightful program is free for members and free with admission for nonmembers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please arrive at Hildene’s Welcome Center at least 30 minutes before story time to pick up your admission or member stickers and to ensure that you have enough time to enjoy a walk to the goat barn or use Hildene transportation.
