Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, Vt., has canceled its “summer dog party” planned for this weekend following another round of flooding in the region. 

Saturday’s event should have seen the grounds filled with musicians, local food vendors and, above all, dogs. The annual gathering has been taking place for more than two decades, according to Dog Mountain managing director Ali Ide. When the weather has been good, she said, as many as 1,000 people have attended.

But on Tuesday, the second flood of the month proved disastrous for the 150-acre property. The roads leading up to the chapel and art gallery became inaccessible, according to Ide.

Artist Stephen Huneck bought the Dog Mountain property with his wife, Gwen, in 1995, using the barn as a studio space, according to the organization’s website. Stephen, who was widely known for his dog-related wood carvings, ultimately constructed a dog-themed chapel on the property.

Along with festivities modeled after the founders’ small gatherings before their deaths, Stephen’s work can also be found in a gallery on the mountain.

The flooding three weeks ago had already inflicted significant damage to the property. “We had just repaired everything,” Ide said. But Tuesday’s rain was “quite a bit worse.”

Staff have had to travel by foot to conduct initial damage assessments due to the washed-out roads. The banks of a large pond on the property collapsed, Ide said, and several private roadways were decimated by the resulting torrent.

One house at the bottom of the property was “taken off its foundation,” she said, and separated from the attached garage.

The pond alone could require $140,000 to reconstruct, Ide said, and it’s hard to estimate how much the total repair cost will be. “It’s been extremely stressful and difficult,” she said. 

The damage has also been tough on nearby businesses. Chris Parker, co-owner of Makin’ Maple, was scheduled to sell his products at Saturday’s party. He lives just 3 miles from Dog Mountain and said he was disappointed the festival had been canceled. 

“It’s one of my biggest events,” he said. “Plus, I like dogs.”

He bought a significant amount of product in preparation for Saturday at Dog Mountain. In addition to his usual offerings, he also makes maple lemonade. “Now I got these lemons,” he said.

Parker said he’s seen the festival draw in significant crowds from out of state. “They come and they see what it’s like up here, and they just are utterly amazed with it,” he said.

The property will be closed at least until Sunday — possibly longer, Ide said. But more than anything, she said, she hates to cancel events that are important to the community. 

“It’s really sad that we’ve had to be closed now,” she said.