We are spending a long weekend in North Bennington, VT starting Friday. Any suggestions on fine dining restaurants or things to do in the area? Know of any farmers markets. Thanks in advance for your help.

Take the ferry across the lake and back for a beautiful view of the area. Visit the Shelburn museum.

It's a one hour drive to Brattleboro VT but they have a great farmers market on Saturdays. You should be able to find lunch there from one of the prepared food vendors. If you continued to explore the area, Keene NH is a little further east with a great downtown. I love Luca's.

dh would be at the Hemmings Motor Museum.

We had a great dinner at Pangaea Restaurant in North Bennington. Highly recommend it. Reservations a must.
Shelburne Museum and Shelburne Farm are wonderful but at least a 2.5 hour drive north up 2 lane Rt.7. The closest ferry is in Charlotte( to Essex, NY), still a long ride north, but a nice way to see Lake Champlain.

I *love* Brattleboro (used to live there) and the drive between Brat and Bennington is spectacularly gorgeous!

https://www.visitvermont.com/shop/lo...tain-gift-shop
If you want VT souveniers, stop here on the drive between the two.

Another idea - Manchester, VT about 30 minute drive from Bennington has an excellent restaurant and bookstore. Manchester is known for outlet shops, but I go for Chantecleer restaurant and Northshire Bookstore.
http://chantecleerrestaurant.com

Also, the Little Rooster Cafe bkfst & lunch only

Lots of beautiful countryside and scenic villages nearby. If you like art museums, perhaps the nicest one in New England, the Clark, is in Williamstown Mass,a short ride south. Manchester Vt is a very popular village with tourists, and you can tour the Hildene mansion.

What lake is nearby?

On west side of Vemont, Lakes Bomoseen and St.Catherine, south of Rutland.

I think someone was confusing Bennington with Burlington. The latter is near the Shelburne Museum and offers ferries across Lake Champlain.

The views on the drive between Bennington and Brattleboro is outstanding and best seen traveling east.

Drive from Bennington to Brattleboro for market. North along Connecticut River (not interstate) to Cornish, NH and St Gaudens Historic Site. You can include what I believe to be the longest wooden covered bridge. You can explore SW NH as suggested or go back into VT and make a loop around to Manchester and then home. Hildene, a gilded age mansion owned by Lincoln's son, is worth a visit in Manchester..

The suggestion of the Clark (also the Williams College Museum) is excellent. If you like modern art, the MAMoCa in North Adams has outstanding exhibits at the moment, and the drive is scenic.

This is a very compact part of the world, so you can get a lot if variety in a very little time. It is best savory do from secondary roads.