Join us for a three-night mini retreat for gay, bi, trans and queer men. Wake up to morning yoga, spend the day in creative workshops with other guests or explore the area. End the day with a nighttime gathering at the fire pit.
Willow’s Gay and Bi Men’s Gatherings are “skill share” retreats. At a skill share retreat, we invite guests to make the retreat happen for yourselves. We (Ravi and Tom) do all the logistics and scheduling, and you pitch in to make the retreat happen.
At this retreat, you may pitch in several ways. Guests can opt to:
Offer a skills-building workshop to other guests. In the past, guests have led sessions on guided meditation, writing, story-telling, figure drawing with a live model, cold-process soap making, art collage-making, EFT (emotional freedom technique), fundamentals of kundalini, heart circles.
Prepare and clean up after meals. This is the only Willow retreat where guests are invited to work in our amazing commercial kitchen. So join the cooking side of this retreat to make breakfasts and dinners (guests are on their own for lunches). At bereakfast we offer homemade granola and yogurt with local fruit. A hot option is often also offered: frittata, scrambled eggs, french toast, or pancakes. Locally roasted mocha joes coffee and loose leaf teas are also available. Dinners are based on our guest volunteers’ creativity. create a taco plate, three bean chili, a salad, or chicken biryani, this is the only Willow retreat where guests are invited to work in our amazing commercial kitchen. We (Ravi and Tom) pre-buy all the groceries and all you need to do is show up with your recipe and cooking skills.
Volunteer as a Willow steward. There is literally no end to the work of operating a retreat center in a grand old building of Willow’s size. We are happy to invite you behind the scenes for a variety of enjoyable tasks —clear snow, split wood for winter heat, prepare and maintain garden beds, blaze a trail, pitch in on one of our many building projects. Just ask for a task and you’ll be welcomed in to the epic journey lf stearding this place at the edge of the Green Mountains.
Accommodations and Fees
This retreat is unlike all others. First, we offer this weekend a steep discount - the fees below are a fraction of the cost of a typical retreat at Willow. We can do this because no one is getting paid and we charge only a share of our full operating costs.
Main house All rooms have two beds and their own bathrooms.
$495 per person, double occupancy, inclusive of taxes and fees. Bring a friend or we’ll match you with another retreat guest.
$845 per person, single occupancy, inclusive of taxes and fees.
The Treehouse The treehouse has a sitting area, deck, full bath, kitchenette, and loft queen bed. Read more about the treehouse here.
$695 per person, double occupancy, inclusive of taxes and fees. This option is for couples or close friends only, as the treehouse has one queen bed.
$1,195 per person, single occupancy, inclusive of taxes and fees.
Payment Schedule
A 50% deposit is due at booking. The deposit may be split into two payments of 25% when you book by phone.
The balance is due two weeks before the retreat starts: Friday, June 5, 2026
Cancellations and Refunds
We understand that travel plans may change. We offer a number of refund options.
Grace Window: Willow offers a full refund minus applicable credit card charges for cancelations made within 24 hours of booking. Credit card charges are 3% for most cards or 4.5% for Amex and are applied by your bank on all transactions, including deposits and refunds. Additional charges may be incurred on international cards.
Early Cancelation Window: When you call or email to cancel at least 60 days prior to a retreat, Willow offers a 50% refund of deposit(s).
Travel Insurance and Late Cancelations: Our travel insurance partner, ResNexus, offers partial to full refund options right up to the day your retreat starts. Travel insurance must be purchased at booking. If you opt not to purchase travel insurance at booking, refunds are not possible after the early cancelation window closes.
In very rare circumstances—such as a natural disaster or global pandemic—Willow may be required to cancel the retreat. If we cancel the retreat for any reason, you will receive a full refund of all payments made to date.
The Schedule—join if you wish—everything is optional
Friday
3-5pm: arrive and get settled into your room
6pm: gather in the library and living rooms.
6:30pm: welcome dinner and introductions
830pm: social time
saturday and Sunday
7:30-11am: coffee, tea, and breakfast
8-9:15am: yoga with Tom
11:00am: morning workshop
1:00pm: lunch on your own
2:00pm: afternoon workshop
4-6:00pm: free time
Relax on the property or go for a hike
Get some clothing-optional swimming time at Rock River Preservation gay men’s hangout
Check out other area attractions here
6:30pm: dinner
8:00pm: evening activity
Monday
7:30-11am: coffee, tea, and breakfast
8-9:15am: yoga with Tom
11:00am-1:00pm: on your own
1:00pm: checkout
The Accommodations
Willow is a comforting and nurturing environment — furnished with a harmonious combination of custom contemporary and vintage furniture, rugs, artwork and crafts.
The Colonial Revival main house offers open living space on the first floor: a grand foyer with sitting area and library, a spacious and light-filled living room with fireplace, a sunny veranda, a dining room, and a 16-person yoga studio.
Each bedroom in the main house has two beds and a dedicated bathroom. Four rooms have en-suite baths and two have dedicated hallway baths. All rooms come equipped with a smart TV, air conditioning, electric fireplace, comfortable beds and linens and ample storage.
The treehouse has one queen bed in a sleeping loft, a sitting rooms, kitchenette for warming prepared meals, and a bathroom.
The Meals
The meals plan includes dinner on arrival day, breakfast and dinner each full day, and brunch on departure day. Ravi’s welcome meal is always a treat from his long list of Indian and Indian-inspired recipes. Ravi’s Indian is balanced with healthy proteins, healthy fats and carbs. Dinners on Saturday and Sunday are made by guests, sometimes with Ravi’s help, sometimes by the guests alone. Lunches are on your own.
Willow amenities and attractions
Willow is located 3 miles from Rock River Preservation in the foothills of the Green Mountains. We are on 5 acres of open space abutting several hundred acres of woods with hiking trails. The property has a large pond, hillside garden, fire pit, and a large south-facing porch for lounging and gathering.
More information on amenities and area attractions is offered on our website.
What to Bring
Shoes: house slippers, outdoor shoes
Hiking shoes and outdoor clothing
Your birthday suit and a robe or a wrap for areas of the yard that are visible to the street
Flashlight or headlamp
Want to stay longer? Extend your retreat experience!
Willow encourages retreat participants who wish to stay in the area longer to book rooms or book the treehouse on nights before and after the retreat at sharply reduced rates. Extended bookings include a hearty continental breakfast.
Individual rooms are $150-375/night for up to two people. A discount of 10% automatically applies to bookings of 3 or more nights.
Traveling to Willow
Willow is located in the beautiful and quintessential village of South Newfane (population 300), a satellite of Newfane (population 1,700). We are located 20 minutes northwest of Brattleboro, 20 minutes northeast of Wilmington, and 20 minutes east of Dover and Mount Snow.
By car:
From Brattleboro, take Route 30 north about 9 miles. Go left on Depot Road where the West River and Rock River meet; travel 2 miles on Depot Road until you cross a small bridge over the Rock River; go left on Dover Road through the village of Williamsville; after passing through Williamsville you will cross a covered bridge. Willow is exactly 1.2 miles on your left. If you come to a stop sign you have gone 300 feet past our driveway.
From Wilmington, take Route 100 north toward West Dover about 3.5 miles. A half mile past the River Valley Market, take a right on East Dover Road; travel 1 mile. Take a right on Dover Hill Road; travel 8 miles on Dover Hill Road and E Dover Road (they are continuous) until you reach a 3-way stop sign in the village of South Newfane. Willow is 300 feet past the stop sign on your right.
By train: the daily Amtrak Vermonter stops in Brattleboro as it travels from Washington DC to Montreal and back. You can pick it up in New York, Hartford, Springfield to the south or in Montpelier to the north. Taxis are available in Brattleboro or Willow’s owners will pick you up in Brattleboro on the Vermonter’s arrival at 5pm (note this is after check in time).
By plane: Travelers may find Hartford (BDL—64.4 miles, 90 minutes) and Boston (BOS—85.7 miles, 2 hours 20 minutes) to be most convenient. Other nearby airports to check are Rutland VT (RUT, 55 miles, 1 hour 20 minutes), Manchester NH (MHT—85 miles, 2 hours), Albany NY (ALB—73 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes), and Worcester MA (ORH, 81 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes).
A note on driving: We are located in rural Vermont! You may have spotty cell service in areas throughout our area. Be sure to set your GPS before leaving from home. Set it by typing our business name “Willow Vermont Retreat” into your search bar. Please don’t use our address, as most GPS engines get rural addresses wrong. But don’t worry one bit, just remember this: following our guidance will land you safely with us; following Google to our address will lead you 4 miles off target.