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It's a cold one out there, Burlington. After yesterday's passing front stirred up some snow showers, we're waking up to highs stuck in the teens with wind chills hovering around zero. Any lingering slick spots from last night should be mostly in the higher terrain, but take it easy if you're heading out early. Tonight brings a few inches of snow to southern Vermont, though Burlington stays dry. Saturday starts cloudy but sunshine should break through by afternoon, with temps creeping into the low twenties. Sunday looks decent during the day before a messier system rolls in Sunday night into Monday, likely starting as an icy mix before transitioning to rain. Worth keeping an eye on if you've got Monday morning plans.

If you're looking to shake off the post-holiday fog tonight, there's no shortage of options. Over at The Old Post, Sibling Reverie is hosting a Day After Christmas Party from 8 to 11, promising soul filling songs and free hugs to soothe your holiday chaos. Prefer something dancier? Head to Specs in Winooski for the No Fun Ugly Sweater Soirée starting at 7, where DJs Gaybar, NDK, and Vetica will be spinning house, disco, and techno. Wear your worst looking sweater. And if you want to keep it mellow, Laura Fedele-Rasco is playing everything from Linda Ronstadt to Lady Gaga at the St. Johns Club from 6 to 8.

Saturday brings the reindeer back to ECHO. Yup, actual reindeer. Vermont Reindeer Farm is setting up shop from 11 to 2:30 with presentations at 11:30, 12:30, and 1:30, all free with admission or membership. The timing works nicely with that afternoon sunshine in the forecast. If the kids (or you) need a calmer activity, the Essex Free Library is hosting Read to Chewie from 10:30 to 11:30, where folks can sign up for 15 minute slots to read to a very patient golden retriever therapy dog. The art curious can catch The Parcel Project at the Flynn's Amy E. Tarrant Gallery from noon to 4, an immersive experience where you become a package traveling through the global shipping network. Over in Shelburne, the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory is doing their Beary Magical Lights Tour at 3:30, complete with 3D glasses that turn every light into a floating teddy bear shape.

For those seeking something more grown up on Saturday, the Vermont Comedy Club has their Home for the Holidays standup show at 6:30 and 8:30, featuring Vermont connected comedians back in town for the holidays. Tonight's improv edition kicks off at 6:30 if you want both. Jah Red brings Caribbean dance music to Foam Brewers tomorrow from 7 to 10 for free, and Hard Scrabble plays Shelburne Vineyard at 6 with their tight bluegrass harmonies. Later, McMaple Band closes out 2025 at On Tap from 9 to midnight if you're in a boogieing mood. And for chocolate lovers, Rosie's Confections is hosting a guided tasting at Lucky You from 1 to 3, treating chocolate like fine wine with six varieties plus a bonus confection ($33).

Sunday's your day for community vibes before that weather moves in. The North End Food Pantry is holding their monthly Clothing and Food Drive at the Odd Fellows Lodge from 11 to 1, and they're especially in need of winter coats and boots. Speaking of getting outside, Active Burlington's Niquette Bay hike meets at noon for a 3.5 mile loop followed by beers at Two Heroes Brewery. RSVP is required, and dogs are welcome on the trail but not at the bar. The art curious can catch The Parcel Project at the Flynn's Amy E. Tarrant Gallery Saturday from noon to 4, an immersive experience where you become a package traveling through the global shipping network. There's also ASL Silent Board Games at The Boardroom Sunday from noon to 5, and Pints for Pugs at Switchback from 1 to 5 if you want to hang with pugs while supporting Green Mountain Pug Rescue. Milton Busker plays acoustic brunch at Foam from 1 to 3 ("like church, but with better coffee"), Karaoke takes over the Venetian Soda Lounge from 6 to 9, and Reggae Sundays returns to Orlando's at 8 for a holiday edition. For the networking minded, there's WIN, a new women's outdoor networking group, meeting Sunday from 11 to 1 for a walk and connection. And if you're up early Saturday, Open Cupboard at Malletts Bay Church offers free food shopping from 9 to 10.

The Btown Brief merch store is live with 15 Burlington inspired designs, each with 3–7 color options and your choice of front or back print. T-shirts, long sleeves, and cropped tees. Printed on a personal favorite, Comfort Colors, for that vintage, lived-in feel.

The designs are subtle nods to the places and things that make this city what it is: Church Street, lakefront sunsets, and yes, even those invasive little zebra mussels. Steering away from the typical "I ❤️ Burlington" stuff. If you've ever wanted to rep the city without looking like a tourist, and support your very own Burlington city guide (me!), this is the easiest way to do it! Every purchase helps keep this thing going.

Shop here: [Btown Brief Merch]

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We’ve got an official Meetup group for Burlington! The city’s packed with things to do. Btown Brief highlights it, and Btown Brief IRL gets you out experiencing it with people.

Always a great turn out, ranging anywhere from 7-30 people each week! Another coffee meetup this Saturday at 10am at Zero Gravity. It’s always great seeing familiar faces, and even better meeting new ones each week. We’ll chat about Vermont living, touch on a bit of local news, and share what’s worth checking out around town this weekend. Come hang, have a coffee, and join the conversation.

If you want to connect outside of coffee meet-ups, join the Telegram chat. It’s the easiest place to see what others are up to, share ideas, and make casual plans while I keep improving how these events run. Feedback is always welcome! It’s just a one-man team so any sounding boards are great.

Click here to: Join Meetup group | RSVP here | Support the Newsletter

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Seven Days Food Writers Share Their Best Bites of 2025

Burlington punched well above its weight in this year's roundup. Wilder Wines on College Street earned a nod for its lambrusco spritz (the lower alcohol summer sipper with Castelvetrano olives over pebble ice), while La Reprise on Pine Street drew praise for its perfectly executed pastas and that tomato toast situation. The Wise Fool in the Old North End got the spotlight for its affordable Middle Eastern fare, particularly those cheese fatayer that sell out daily. And Stone Soup's Misty Knoll wings, following a recipe "borrowed" from the late Five Spice Café, were declared Burlington's best. Mr. Creemee's doughnut creemee sandwich also made the cut. Worth bookmarking for your 2026 dining plans. Check all the other picks from around Vermont.

Film Lovers Head to Local Theaters on Christmas Day

Burlington's new Partizanfilm theater on Church Street had a merry Christmas indeed, with sold out screenings of Marty Supreme packing its two room venue. The small arthouse cinema, which opened earlier this year, is carving out its niche as the Roxy's spiritual successor for moviegoers who want something beyond the multiplex experience. One patron put it nicely: we're missing a monoculture, and theaters like this help bring people together in the physical world.

Burlington Opens Emergency Shelter as Extreme Cold Approaches

The city activated its first extreme cold weather shelter of the season Thursday night at the Miller Center, open to adults 18 and older with pets allowed. Here's the frustrating math: state funding kicks in only when wind chill hits negative 10 for four hours within a 24 hour period, meaning earlier cold snaps went without official shelter openings. City officials acknowledged this gap has already contributed to an overloaded emergency department at UVM Medical Center. The underlying issue remains a shortage of year round shelter beds, something officials say they're working with the state to address through longer term solutions.

Drought This Summer Caused $18 Million in Damages to Vermont Farms

A new Agency of Agriculture report tallies the damage from this summer's extended dry spell: $18 million in losses across more than 81,000 acres statewide. Addison County took the hardest hit with roughly $1.4 million in damages across 25,000 acres. The timing is particularly rough for dairy farmers now heading into winter with depleted hay and feed corn supplies, forcing them to purchase animal feed at peak prices. Nearly 60% of surveyed farmers said it was the worst drought they'd ever experienced, a grim footnote to a state still recovering from two consecutive years of devastating floods.

Questions Still Remain for Shelburne Pedestrian and Bike Upgrades

Shelburne's selectboard is weighing a $4.6 million proposal for a bike and pedestrian bridge over the LaPlatte River plus shared use paths connecting to the village, but skepticism runs high given the town's strained finances. The cheaper fix (a $250,000 sidewalk improvement at lower Webster Road) will likely move forward, while the bridge remains a longer shot dependent on grant funding. Adding pressure: regional planners have quietly warned Shelburne about commissioning studies it doesn't follow through on, a reputation the town would prefer to avoid.

South Burlington Needs Growth for TIF Success

South Burlington's Tax Increment Financing district is performing well on paper (the grand list is nearly three times its 2012 value), but projections show the math only works if development keeps pace. The city estimates it needs 56 new rental units added annually just to break even by 2038. Meanwhile, cost overruns are hitting hard: the proposed bike and pedestrian bridge over I-89 has ballooned by nearly $13 million since 2021, forcing the city to value engineer and seek additional gap funding after bids came in way over budget.

Mechanics Question New Hampshire's Decision to End Car Inspections

Starting February 1, New Hampshire will no longer require vehicle inspections, a move its Republican controlled Legislature justified by citing studies showing no correlation between inspections and fewer crashes. Mechanics on both sides of the Connecticut River aren't thrilled. Lakeside Automotive in Fairlee reports that New Hampshire customers have already asked them to continue performing unofficial yearly safety checks. The concern centers on older vehicles where failing components might otherwise go unnoticed until something breaks badly.

Stuck in Vermont: Eva Sollberger and Her Mom, Sophie Quest, Say Goodbye to 2025

Eva Sollberger's annual year in review episode is always a cozy watch, but this one hits a little different. Filmed in her Burlington living room with her 91 year old mother Sophie (and Lexy the cat), the two reflect on a year that included Eva's cartoon cameo in Alison Bechdel's new book Spent, the loss of beloved community members like Rene Kirby and Stan Baker, and that viral episode about Fern Crete's maximalist gardens that racked up 60,000 views. There's talk of coping with winter darkness, gratitude for the firefighters and utility workers who keep the city running, and Seven Days turning 30. It's warm and a little wistful, exactly what you'd want from a year end send off.

Burlington Library Serves Holiday Meals to Community

Fletcher Free Library distributed about 150 pre-packaged meals on Christmas Day, provided by the Farmhouse Group. Volunteers also dropped off baked goods, and library staff kept the doors open as a warm gathering space when most everything else was closed.

Arthur Park's Sea Caves Open for Ice Skating

The wild ice rinks at Arthur Park are officially open for the season, with tracks marked by blue flags. Burlington Parks and Rec reminds skaters the surfaces can be uneven, so proceed with caution. New this year: an online status map shows which rinks are skateable in real time.

CVU Cellphone Ban Gets Mixed Reviews

CVU's first year zero tolerance phone policy has teachers pleased and students less so. Administrators report improved classroom culture and fewer daytime bullying incidents via social media. Upperclassmen are particularly frustrated about losing phone access during free periods. The school is considering loosening restrictions near the end of the day so students can coordinate rides home.

How good of a reader are you? Think you’re keeping up with Burlington news? It's time to prove it. Every Monday and Friday, we're dropping a quick 5-question quiz covering the local news you just finished reading. You've got just 60 seconds to answer them all. No looking back allowed. Use the same unique name each time you play so everyone can track your stats in our Hall of Fame, where you'll compete for titles like Sharpshooter (highest accuracy), Speed Demon (fastest average time), and Streak Leader (most consistent player). Make your name (or cool nickname) known to Btown.

And yes, there are PRIZES. Each month, we'll reward the top performers based on the best combination of Total Score and Average Score. That means playing consistently AND playing well will pay off. The more quizzes you complete with high scores, the better your chances of winning. Who doesn’t want cool Btown Merch gear sent to them!

Ready to play? Click the link below, enter your name, and show us what you've got. Btown Brief Quiz

View the potential prizes on the Btown Brief Merch Store

Dec 28th

Sun ⦁ 2:00pm Women's Basketball vs. Dartmouth

Dec 29th

Mon ⦁ 6:00pm Men's Hockey vs. Merrimack

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Live Music/DJ

I hope you’re enjoying those Wednesday editions! I have plans for a rotation of Food Deal highlights, Poll Questions, Top Reddit Posts, Volunteer Opportunities, Reader Photos, Restaurant Spotlights, Small Business Features, and Btown Explained (quick local deep dive). Or Dine Out Review, Podcast Pick, Pet of the Week (adoptable to user submitted), new local Job Highlights, a Burlington Throwback Photo or Fact, and a quick Burlington Game like “Spot That Location”, VT crossword, or unscramble popular Burlington terms.

Here are some of my favorite btownbrief links:

Full list of 202+ activities to do at anytime is always waiting here when you need a plan: 202+ Things to Do

Full list of restaurant reviews here.

Soon to be updated with even more Burlington food deals. View the full list of food & drink deals here.

Stay warm out there, and maybe dig out that ugly sweater if you're hitting Specs tonight. We'll be back with more soon.

Got a tip, an event we missed, or just want to say hi? Drop us a line. We love hearing from you.

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