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Weather & Weekend Rundown:

Friday morning's small wintry mix are already behind us. Expect clouds to hang around with highs landing in the upper 30s to low 40s. Winds will pick up out of the south this evening, so keep that in mind if you're heading out tonight. Saturday brings a big jump into the low to mid 50s, but don't put the rain gear away just yet. Showers are likely, especially before mid morning and again in the late afternoon, with gusts that could hit 50 mph. Sunday dries out with some afternoon sun and highs near 50, and early next week looks genuinely gorgeous: mostly sunny skies, mid to upper 50s, maybe even flirting with 60. Enjoy it while it lasts, because a wintry pattern creeps back in by Wednesday.

This Friday evening we have a ton going on. The Mother of All Sales kicks off today on Church Street and runs through Sunday, with 17 businesses offering up to 70% off. Down on Pine Street, the SEABA Center opens By a Thread, a stunning group fiber arts show featuring over 50 artists from across Vermont and New England. The opening reception runs from 5 to 9 tonight, with Green Kettle Band playing bluegrass and folk starting at 8:30. Over at Foam Brewers, DJ Cheetatah brings her funky disco house energy from 7 to 10. If you want something mellower first, swing by The Venetian Soda Lounge at 6 for a Cocktail Piano hour with Paul Webb. And at UVM Recital Hall, the Lane Series presents The Slocan Ramblers at 7:30 for a night of pure, high energy bluegrass (student tickets just $7.50). Over at Higher Ground, Better Things and Taken Alive are launching spring break with an all ages alt rock show at 7:30. Ashley Gavin at Vermont Comedy Club is sold out for tonight and Saturday, but a first come, first served waitlist opens at 5 PM at the box office each night (a 4:30 Saturday matinee was just added too). Catch the "smart and sacrilegious" Hot Priest Sketch Show at Burlington's Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, featuring an all-female cast of comedy veterans with Second City and UCB credits. Tickets are just $10 for this mix of irreverent scripted sketches and live improv, with performances tonight at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 4 and 7 p.m. Also this afternoon, the EEE Talk at Faith United Methodist in South Burlington features co-developer David C. Farrington Jr. giving a 2026 update on Burlington Square (formerly City Place) from 2 to 3 PM, walk ins welcome for $8. And if you want to sweat out the week, Ethos Athletics on Flynn Ave is hosting a free community strength class at 5:30 tonight, with optional donations going to AALV. Don't forget: today is also the last day to drop off submissions for the Irish Eyes Art Show at Fletcher Free Library, running all month as part of the Burlington Irish Heritage Festival.

Saturday keeps the momentum going despite those showers. Start the morning with our BTown Coffee Club [MEETUP] at Zero Gravity on Pine Street from 10 to noon for no pressure coffee and conversation. At Leddy Park Arena, the Skate by the Lake high school figure skating competition starts at 7 AM. Over at Burlington Beer Company, the Girl Scouts are hosting Cookies and Brews from 1 to 4 PM, where $50 gets you cookie inspired beer pairings (yes, really). The Twin Flame Lobster Truck parks at University Mall in South Burlington from noon to 8 if you're craving a lobster roll via food truck. The Media Factory on Flynn Ave holds a free new member orientation from 1 to 3 for anyone curious about their TV studio, gear loans, and radio resources. Saturday evening brings some real gems: the Vermont Italian Cultural Association's Carnevale at the Essex Resort features bass Erik Kroncke, a pasta bar, silent auction, and a raffle for an apartment stay in Tuscany, all for $75. In Winooski, Downtown Winooski's first ever Casino Night at Waterworks runs from 6 to 9 PM, with $60 tickets including starter chips, DJ Craig Mitchell, and raffle prizes. For a quieter evening, the Community Meal by Sage Magazine and Miss Weinerz at Scout Cafe on North Ave (6:30 to 9) offers a sliding scale dinner of local foods with a get to know your neighbor vibe. And if you've still got energy, Pontoon brings smooth, breezy grooves to The Monkey House in Winooski at 9 PM (doors 8:30, $10, 21+). Palmer's Sugarhouse in Shelburne also starts its Sugar on Snow Party this weekend, running Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 4 with pancake breakfasts, live music, maple everything, and goats (which the Btown Brief crew is meeting up at tomorrow too!)

Sunday is shaping up to be a full day. The WOKO Gigantic Indoor Flea Market at Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction opens at 8:30 AM ($5 entry, free parking) for treasure hunters. The Women's Festival of Crafts returns to the Essex Resort from 10 to 3 with 40+ women artisans, plus $5 off at the Lazy Goat Tavern with proof of purchase and a free spa enhancement voucher. It's International Women's Day, and there's no shortage of ways to celebrate: Standing Stone Wines in Winooski throws a Taylor Swift themed brunch and karaoke party from noon to 4, and the WIN Women Introverts Networking Group heads out for a light hike at 11 AM. And of course, for our meetup crew, we have Sugar on Snow party [MEETUP] at Palmer's Sugarhouse continues, with the Btown Brief group meeting up from 10 to noon. At 2 PM, there's a Community Celebration for Pastor Steven Tendo at The Film House at Main Street Landing, where you can hear about his community work through ELOI Ministries. The Irish Music Pub Singalong at Rí Rá on Church Street runs from 2 to 4, featuring songs, ballads, and a reading from Irish poet Greg Delanty as part of the Burlington Irish Heritage Festival. For a creative afternoon, there's a Paint and Sip [MEETUP] from 1 to 3 (location TBD, bring your own supplies and drinks). And Womxn's Pick-up Soccer [MEETUP] at the Miller Center rounds out the day from 6 to 8 PM (register through Burlington Parks and Rec first). The Mother of All Sales wraps up on Church Street, so Sunday is your last chance to grab those deals.

Take a step back in time. We’ve officially passed the one-year mark! To celebrate, I created a digital archive where you can browse past news stories and photos from our first year. See what Burlington has been up to this year by checking out the randomizer:

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The Btown Brief IRL - We’re now seeing 15–30 people at our weekly events! Be sure to stop by for our weekly Saturday Coffee meetup at Zero Gravity at 10am. Everyone is welcome! It’s a great place to talk about weekend events too, along with news and life updates. So come find things to do this weekend together:

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Town Meeting Day results are in! Because of that, we’ve got a crop full of election results and stories on that. If politics isn't your thing, no worries, just skip the next FIVE stories to get straight to the rest of this week's local news:

"Along with the tax increase, voters approved a $140.8 million Burlington School District budget; a charter change that permanently enshrines the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in city code; and a $2,000 annual stipend for school board members." — per Seven Days

The 5 cent police and fire tax bump is expected to generate about $3 million in new revenue, but that still leaves a sizable chunk of the city's $12 million budget gap unresolved. For homeowners, the math works out to roughly $186 more per year on a home valued at $353,000. The closest vote was the charter change for the racial equity office, which squeaked by at 57 percent and still needs legislative approval and the governor's signature to take effect. Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's ModernGov initiative has produced about $2 million in savings through department mergers and reorganization, though layoffs and vacant positions have also been part of the equation. The tax increase will also fund two new firefighter positions and six first responder vehicles, per Vermont Business Magazine, with REIB Director Dr. Kelli Perkins calling the charter change "critical momentum at a crucial moment."

"The work isn't done to make Burlington a city that all of us can afford to live in and thrive in," Broderick said in an interview on Town Meeting TV. — per Seven Days

Democrats hold seven of 12 council seats after both incumbents ran the table: Litwin took 75 percent in Ward 7, and Broderick held Ward 8 with about 60 percent. The big strategic takeaway is that Mulvaney-Stanak's veto power stays intact, since Democrats needed Ward 8 to reach the eight seat supermajority required to override her. The Ward 8 race got heated late, with activists circulating claims about opponent Ryan Nick's father, including allegations about harassment of homeless individuals and a property leased to the Department of Homeland Security. Laura Sánchez-Parkinson joins the council as a new Progressive in Ward 3, replacing Joe Kane.

"Town Meeting Day is one of the clearest ways that Vermonters show what they value," said Sue Ceglowski, executive director of the School Boards Association. — per Vermont Public

The 82 percent passage rate is well above the 2024 bloodbath when a third of budgets went down, but 19 rejections still came in above historic norms. The deeper story is the equity gap: per pupil spending across Vermont ranges from about $10,800 to over $19,000, and it's consistently the lower income, lower spending districts that keep failing. Meanwhile, Act 73's push to consolidate districts into larger governance units remains deeply contested, with the superintendents' association calling it a "sledgehammer." Governor Scott is pushing to use $115 million in one time money to buy down property tax rates, but Democratic lawmakers are wary of creating yet another fiscal cliff. Notable mentions from VTDigger's coverage: Burlington, Colchester, and Winooski all passed their budgets, voters in Marlboro and Readsboro approved shuttering their small elementary schools, and Woodstock passed a $111 million bond for a new regional high school and middle school.

"With the most recent news coming out with regard to FEMA requests that were being denied for Vermont, we were hesitant to rely on that funding for possible future emergenc(ies)," said Bristol Select Board member Ian Albinson. — per VTDigger

At least 19 towns weighed new 1 percent taxes on meals, rooms, alcohol, or sales, and a majority of them passed. Bristol stood out by earmarking 20 percent of its projected $250,000 in new revenue specifically for climate resilience and emergency preparedness, a direct response to FEMA denying Vermont recovery funding after last summer's flooding. Stowe went even further, voting to double its existing local option taxes from 1 to 2 percent, which would bring in roughly $3 million in new revenue. Towns like Chester and Londonderry pushed back, with local business owners worried that even a 1 percent bump would deter visitors. The split results highlight a growing tension between communities that can lean on tourism dollars and those that can't.

"The town has not only ignored all the science and the data that so many citizens have provided and testified to throughout the permitting process, but they have turned a deaf ear to the people that will bear the burden of this irresponsible decision for decades to come," said resident Jeanne Welch. — per VTDigger

Colchester's Development Review Board approved plans for "The H on Malletts Bay," a 20 room hotel with a 40 seat restaurant and 60 person event space on a 2 acre lakefront slope owned by the Hazelett Strip-Casting Corp., now part of Austria's EBNER Group. Opponents, organized as Save Malletts Bay with support from the Vermont Natural Resources Council, argue the project is inconsistent with the 2019 Town Plan and raises serious stormwater concerns, noting that developed land runoff increases phosphorus loading into an already polluted Lake Champlain. Residents plan to appeal, and the project still faces Act 250 review. The town's track record on waterfront infrastructure isn't helping confidence: a Superior Court judge found "abject failure" on the town's part in a related stormwater case last year.

Other Local News this Week:

"Once the weather shifts, the ice is going to shift. I think people just need to be mindful of that and aware of it," said Vermont Game Warden John Trung. — per NBC5

With temperatures jumping into the 50s this weekend and rain on the way, officials are warning that Lake Champlain's ice will start cracking and loosening, creating dangerous pockets of open water. State law requires ice fishing shanties to be removed before the ice weakens, including all debris and supports. If you're still heading out, Game Warden Trung recommends carrying ice picks and an auger, telling someone your plans, and always retreating to confirmed strong ice if you encounter weak spots ahead. Ice jam concerns are also in play this weekend, with the Department of Environmental Conservation monitoring rivers and placing excavators near jam prone areas.

"I think it's nice that it also brings together people of shared interests. People are here for the games and not just kind of as a night out with friends," said customer Sophie Carbin. — per WCAX

Owner Jaret Williams, a 28 year old UVM grad, opened Vermont's first and only rhythm arcade on College Street last October after inheriting some money. The concept draws from Game Underground in Waltham, Massachusetts, and Williams, who is trans, has been intentional about creating an inclusive, alcohol free gathering space. The most popular cabinet is Wacca, a circular neon game with a 360 degree touch screen, and Williams says there's nowhere else to play most of these games for hundreds of miles. In a town where social options often revolve around bars, it's a welcome addition.

"Since a young age, Silverman was drawn to photography. He moved to Vermont in 2000 to work as a reporter, and later editor, at the Burlington Free Press." — per Seven Days

Silverman spent 18 years in journalism before becoming the public information officer for the Vermont State Police, keeping his camera close through all of it. About 11 years ago he started sharing his fine art landscape photography online and has since built a following of more than 42,000 across social media. Seven Days' Eva Sollberger met him at the Burlington waterfront, where they walked across frozen Lake Champlain to the Breakwater North Lighthouse to photograph the sun setting behind the Adirondacks. He sells an annual calendar and says he'd be shooting whether anyone was watching or not.

"President Trump, along with his right-wing extremist Israeli ally Benjamin Netanyahu, has begun an illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war," said Senator Sanders. — per Vermont Business Magazine

Vermont's entire congressional delegation issued forceful statements after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with all three condemning the strikes as illegal or unconstitutional and demanding Congress reconvene to vote on a War Powers Resolution. Sanders framed the strikes as fulfilling Netanyahu's long held goal of dragging the U.S. into conflict with Iran, while Welch pressed on the lack of clearly stated objectives, asking whether the goal is destroying Iran's nuclear program, regime change, or something else entirely. Balint called for the House to reconvene immediately, noting there was no evidence of imminent risk to the U.S.

Quick Hits

Burlington Sea Caves and Outdoor Skating Rinks Close for the Season The warm weather isn't just cracking lake ice. Burlington's Sea Caves and outdoor skating rinks are shutting down for the season as temperatures climb. A sure sign that winter's grip is loosening, even if it's not quite done with us yet.

Beta Technologies Teams Up with J Skis on Limited Edition Collaboration South Burlington's electric airplane startup Beta Technologies partnered with Burlington ski company J Skis on the "Beta Blueprint," a limited run of just 200 ski sets. Both founders emphasized the value of keeping the collaboration local. The skis are available exclusively on Beta's website.

Burlington Sees Its Snowiest Winter Since 2004 Burlington has logged 73 days with snow on the ground this season, the longest stretch in over two decades, with 71 inches recorded as of late February and plenty of winter still ahead. The city has out-snowed Denver, Anchorage, Boston, and Minneapolis. Up in the mountains, Jay Peak is having a monster year with 353 inches and counting, already past its season average.

Vermont Maple Syrup Production Expected to Exceed 3 Million Gallons Sugaring season is in full swing and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture expects statewide production to top 3 million gallons this year. Governor Scott made it official with a tree tapping at April's Maple in Canaan, a sugar house and café where owner April Lemay hopes to produce 4,000 gallons herself. The upcoming warm stretch should help get the sap flowing.

Vermont Cheesemakers Earn Recognition at World Championship Several Vermont producers made waves at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin. Jasper Hill Farm landed among the competition's 20 finalists, while Cabot Cheddar, Middlebury Whey, and Vermont Creamery all picked up best of class awards. The world champion title went to a cheesemaker from the Netherlands.

IT’S MARCH!! The winner of February’s news quizzes is: Anja!

You played nearly every quiz and had great scores throughout! If this is you, shoot me an email at [email protected] with your requested shirt design and size!

Quick shoutout to the following players that came in the top 5 overall this month! Keep playing for your chance to win free merch!

Runrabbit17, Jessica Mesec, Plt, avak5253, & 30mac!

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. I mean, 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

UVM Athletics: Women's Basketball Sweeps Awards and Advances, Men's Basketball Wins on Senior Night, and Women's Hockey Falls in Semifinals

The Vermont women's ice hockey team saw its season come to an end with a 3-1 loss to No. 5 Northeastern in the Hockey East Women's Tournament Semifinals at Walter Brown Arena. After falling behind 3-0, Natalie Zarcone scored her first goal of the season in the final minutes with an extra attacker on the ice, assisted by Julia Mesplède and Sophia DeAnzeris. The Catamounts’ penalty kill was perfect on the night, shutting down all six of Northeastern's power plays.

The Vermont men's basketball team secured a 69-56 victory over UAlbany on Senior Night from Patrick Gym. Gus Yalden led the offense with 19 points and two steals, while TJ Hurley contributed 13 points to help the Catamounts finish their regular season strong. The men's basketball team will host Bryant in the America East Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. at Patrick Gym.

In women's basketball, head coach Alisa Kresge was named America East Coach of the Year after leading the Catamounts to their fifth consecutive 20-win season and an outright regular season title. Additionally, Nikola Priede earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Keira Hanson and Jadyn Weltz received All-Conference recognition. Following the award announcements, the top-seeded Catamounts defeated UAlbany 55-40 in the America East quarterfinals. Priede paced the team with 16 points and three blocks, while Malia Lenz added 13 points, seven rebounds, and five steals to help Vermont pull away and advance to their fifth straight America East semifinal. The women's basketball team will host UMBC in the America East Semifinals on Monday, March 9 at 6 p.m. at Patrick Gym.

  • Mar 6: Women's Lacrosse Season 2026 vs. Villanova (Fri ⦁ 1:00pm)

  • Mar 6: VPA High School Events 2026 VPA D1 Girls Basketball Championship (Fri ⦁ 7:00pm)

  • Mar 7: 2025-26 Men's Basketball America East Men's Basketball Quarterfinal (Sat ⦁ 2:00pm)

  • Mar 7: 2025-26 Men's Hockey vs. Maine (Sat ⦁ 7:00pm)

  • Mar 8: VPA High School Events 2026 VPA D1 Boys Basketball Semifinals (Sun ⦁ 5:30pm)

  • Mar 9: 2025-26 Women's Basketball 2026 America East Semifinals (Mon ⦁ 6:00pm)

Events:

Friday, March 6, 2026

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Saturday, March 7, 2026

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Sunday, March 8, 2026

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

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

View the full list of food & drink deals here.

That’s All, Burlington!

That's a wrap on this week's Btown Brief. If something caught your eye, click through and show up. The best version of this city is the one where people actually go to the things. Support local, tip your bartender, say hi to someone new at one of those community meals.

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