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Late newsletter, but well worth the wait! Spoiler: new tees out now!! But for later on, grab a jacket before you head out tonight. Friday stays sunny and breezy with a high right around 70, then slides through the 60s after 6 and into the mid 50s by 10 with a steady north wind and no rain anywhere. Saturday is the pick of the weekend, sunny, calm and cool with a high near 64. Sunday turns cloudy with rain likely from the morning through late afternoon and a high in the low to mid 60s, though how far north the steadier rain reaches is still an open question. Track it all week, with patio, swim, and sunset scores, at Burlington Right Now.

Friday night belongs to the waterfront and the South End. Grand Point North is back at Waterfront Park for three days, and tonight's main stage has The Devil Makes Three at 5:30, then Portugal. The Man at 7 and Grace Potter closing from 8:45 ($90 for the day, kids 12 and under free with an adult). Over on Pine Street, Oktoberfest Vermont fills the Coal Collective lot at 377 Pine with doors at 5:30 and beer flowing from 6 to 10, plus a seven piece German band, stein holding, axe throwing and a best dressed contest, 21 and up ($50 day of). I do believe I’ll be there tonight, and thanks Max for the tickets! Downtown, Cheese the Day lines Church Street from 5 to 8 with free tastings from more than 20 Vermont creameries, a wine garden at Pascolo and live music from Trio Gusto. Momo's Market Block Party runs 4 to 7 at Pomeroy Park with Barbacoa playing, Foam Brewers pouring and grilled cheese for sale, and in South Burlington the Common Roots Farm Tour walks the South Village garden beds at 4.

Classical fans have a real choice at 7:30. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra opens its season at the Flynn with the premiere of Clarice Assad's Summerland (tickets from $12), while the Burlington Baroque Festival plays Bach's Mass in B Minor on period instruments at College Street Congregational Church, with a pre concert panel at 6:30. Old Crow Medicine Show plays the green at Shelburne Museum with doors at 6, Jamie Wolf does 7 and 9 PM sets at Vermont Comedy Club tonight and tomorrow, and ECHO's Sturgeon Gala turns the museum into an after hours playground for adults from 6 to 10 with live music, live animals and interactive science experiences ($175). Adventure Dinner's Corn Fest Pop-Up Night serves an all corn menu and four corn cocktails from 5 to 9 on Roosevelt Highway, free to attend with an RSVP. Crafty cat people can make a catnip toy at Crochet with Cats at Queen City Cat Lounge from 6 to 8, capped at eight people, and the Queen City Ghostwalk opens its season at 7 from the Democracy Sculpture at Courthouse Plaza. Later on, Foam hosts the free GAYBAR DJ night of house, drum and bass and pop at 7, and Afropop Night goes from 9 to close at Standing Stone Wines in Winooski with no cover with our favorite DJ TheKwameVibe.

Saturday starts with us. BTown Coffee Club [MEETUP] meets at Zero Gravity at 10, and at 11 our own Bike the Causeway [MEETUP] ride leaves from ECHO for close to 26 miles out the causeway, across to South Hero on the bike ferry and back, with rest stops along the way and nobody left behind. The ferry runs 10 to 6 on Saturdays this fall. From there the day is stacked. The Burlington Farmers Market runs 9 to 2 at 345 Pine Street, and the Burlington Vintage Market Fall Flea sets up next door at Barge Canal Market for the same hours with 15 vendors. Downtown, Latin American Connection kicks off with a Sambatucada parade from the top of Church Street at noon and fills City Hall Park with free music and dance until 9, including a dance class at 7 and Alma Picante at 8. The Green Mountain Book Festival takes over Phoenix Books with a nature writing workshop with Ethan Tapper at 10 and free panels on forests at 11, climate writing at 1:30 and environmental policy at 3, then wraps with Tapper's keynote at Fletcher Free Library at 7, free with registration. Party on the Bricks is back at the Opera Block on Church Street from 3:30 to 6, with Jenni Johnson & The Junketeers starting at 4.

Fall festival people have options in every direction. The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In & Craft Show runs 10 to 4 at Sam Mazza's in Colchester, the Green Community Festival brings live music, food and a Champ appearance to South Burlington's City Center from 11 to 3, the Essex Community Fall Festival has hay rides, food trucks and a vendor market at Foster Road Park from 11 to 4, and Bolton Valley's Apple & Maple Weekend does pie eating, apple bobbing, and cider and donuts at the base area from noon to 4 both Saturday and Sunday. Car people get the last day of the Northeast Street Rod Nationals at the Expo in Essex Junction, gates 8 to 4 ($20), with Rust and Ruin on the bill. The Vermont Sports Card & Collectible Show opens at University Mall at 10, the Ta-Kum-Ta Softballathon plays all day at Centennial Field from 9 in support of Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, and Miles for Migraine gathers at 9:30 at Veterans Memorial Park ahead of a 10 AM start, with a free 2 mile walk and a timed 5K. If you would rather be useful, the Old North End Repair Cafe fixes whatever you can carry in for free at Laboratory B from 11 to 3, and returned Peace Corps volunteers are collecting used bikes and sewing machines in the Ross Center lot at St. Michael's from 8:30 to 1 for a $20 donation per item. Essex Junction has a no fee cyanotype workshop at 10:30, the Ward 1 NPA BBQ & Potluck grills burgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers at Schmanska Park from 12:30 to 6, the Burlington Brewery Book Club talks Lily King's Euphoria [MEETUP] at Queen City Brewery at 2, Tournesol plays Shelburne Orchards at noon, and the Friends Fall Book Sale keeps going at Fletcher Free.

Saturday night is just as full. World Ballet Company brings Swan Lake to the Flynn at 7 with a cast of 50 dancers, and Grand Point North opens its doors at 2 for a day that includes Jackson Browne, Dawes, Trampled By Turtles and Grace Potter. Oktoberfest does its second night from 4:30 to 9. The Big Cheese screens at Main Street Landing at 5, a documentary about American cheesemongers competing in France that comes with a fondue reception and a Q&A ($29). In Winooski, Green Mountain Wrestling puts on free lucha libre at Four Quarters Brewing at 5:30, and they would like you to bring a chair. 90 Proof plays the beer garden at Switchback from 5:30 to 8:30, the Baroque Festival continues with Vivaldi concerti at College Street Congregational Church at 7:30, Boston songwriter Ava Sophia plays a house concert in a Burlington home from 6 to 8 ($14), and Einstein's Tap House has a Comedy Showcase at 8.

Sunday is the one to plan around the rain. The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms is sold out with no tickets at the door, and if you are one of the lucky ones, Bay Road is closed for construction so all festival traffic detours through Harbor Road. Grand Point North closes out with Dark Star Orchestra and Dogs In A Pile. The Forever 38 group is apple picking [MEETUP] at Shelburne Orchards at 11, and the band Sunday Morning plays the orchard at noon. The Sunday Polo Match at Amdez Polo Club in Shelburne starts at 3, and you are invited to pack a tailgate picnic. The Winooski Farmers Market runs 10 to 2, the Strange Little Market sets up 20 plus vintage clothing and local art vendors on the front lawn of the Unitarian church at the top of Church Street from 1:30 to 6, and Vermont Comedy Club hosts its Drag Brunch at 11. The free Vermont Kidney Association Walk starts at 9 in Williston, RunVermont's Island Vines 10K & 5K goes off at 9 at Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero with only a few spots left, and the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association throws a free Community Barbecue with lawn games and music at the Elley-Long Music Center from noon to 4. Third Act Vermont marks Constitution Day with A Celebration of Press Freedom and Free Speech at the Film House at 1:30, free, with FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and VTDigger founder Anne Galloway among the speakers. The Baroque Festival finishes with Handel's Israel in Egypt at UVM Recital Hall at 2. Sunday night, Of Monsters and Men play Higher Ground's final outdoor show of the season at Shelburne Museum with doors at 6, comedian Brad Williams is at the Flynn at 7, and Jensen McRae is at Higher Ground with doors at 7:30.

Scroll down to Events Section for full list of events. Or check my events page.

This is probably the biggest thing I’ve built for BTown Brief so far, and it’s finally here! The new merch store has 87 Burlington and Vermont-inspired designs pulled from the lake, bike path, Oakledge, creemees, sunsets, local sayings, weird landmarks and all the little things that make this place what it is. All designs come as front print, back print, or both, and once the full lineup is finished rolling out over the weekend, across tees, hoodies, crewnecks, totes, stickers and more, it’ll be over 3,000 listings. But don’t let than big number scare you, it’s all about what design catches your eye out of 87, then simply pick what you want it on.

Tees are live right now for $20 with free shipping, with premium Comfort Colors tees at $25. You heard that right, free shipping. Could be for a long time, could be a short time! All tees available now, with the rest of the store rolling out fully over the weekend. I’ve been working on this nonstop behind the scenes, so seeing it finally live feels pretty awesome. I’m genuinely pumped to finally put it out there. Go dig through the 87 designs, find the one that feels the most Burlington to you, and tell me your favorite. → merch.btownbrief.com

TLDR; $20 free shipping for really, really, really cool, Burlington inspired t-shirts!!

We’re now seeing 20–30 people at our weekly events! Thanks to everyone helping host events with me. And thanks to those that show up to make it worth it. Be sure to stop by for our weekly Saturday Coffee meetup at Zero Gravity at 10am. 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:

This Coming Week:

Other Upcoming Events:

I put out a redesign of the website that holds all 80+ projects I made for the city, be sure to take an afternoon and check them all out.

And of course, one of my favorites, the ALL DAY FEED.

Why support? Every week, I sort through TONS of local sources: Seven Days events, Front Porch Forum calendar, Facebook events, Hello Burlington, Meetup.com, Eventbrite, Church St Marketplace calendar, Flynn, Higher Ground, Vermont Comedy Club, and then news stations like VTDigger, Seven Days, WCAX, WPTZ, Vermont Public, Community News Service, VT Cynic, The Other Paper, Vermont Business Magazine, Williston Observer, MyChamplainValley, The Charlotte News, to keep you connected. It takes a long time to curate and write about all this local content, so if this lengthy newsletter saves you time, or has introduced you to new experiences in Burlington, then definitely consider chipping in!

About Me

'Our job is to make mistakes'; New Vermont research hub puts farming practices to the test

The Food Systems Research Station at Nordic Farm officially opened Thursday after two years of prep by UVM and the USDA, which signed a 30 year lease on the site. One early project puts GPS collars on cows to track how they move and which forage they prefer, with research on grazing systems, crop production and adapting to changing conditions to follow. Officials said much of the country's grazing research has focused on the South, Midwest and West, so Vermont's heavy clay soils finally get their own test bed, and the next step is finishing the barn renovation so animals can arrive over the next few months.

September is the perfect time for Oktoberfest in Burlington

Oktoberfest returns tonight at 377 Pine Street, the South End Get Down lot, with more than 25 breweries pouring everything from traditional German beers to non alcoholic options, plus a traditional German band and other live performers. The games run from a stein holding competition and a keg toss to axe throwing and soccer darts, with prizes on the line. It goes 5:30 to 10 tonight and 4:30 to 9 on Saturday, and WCAX's Ike Bendavid is the master of ceremonies.

Lyric Theatre Launches Free Ticket Program

Lyric Theatre sold out all six performances of Frozen at the 1,400 seat Flynn, and now the community theater company wants people in those seats who could not otherwise afford one. Lyric for All launches this fall with 200 to 300 free tickets to the November show, Elf, distributed through partner nonprofits, with Lund and Mercy Connections among the six approached so far, plus tours of Lyric's South Burlington headquarters and workshops on costuming, poster design and staging. The program has collected more than $50,000. The seed money came from Girls Nite Out Productions, the Burlington theater company that is folding after 15 years and giving an estimated $30,000 to $40,000, including proceeds from its farewell show October 29 and 30 at Main Street Landing.

Jason Eaton tries to fire his attorneys midway through his attempted murder trial

Jason Eaton, the Burlington man facing three counts of attempted second degree murder for shooting three Palestinian college students on North Prospect Street in November 2023, stood up Thursday before jurors came in and asked Judge John Pacht to let him fire his public defenders and represent himself. Pacht said no. The state's expert, Boston forensic psychiatrist Dr. Jhilam Biswas, then testified that Eaton meets the criteria for a personality disorder but not a psychotic disorder, which would leave him short of Vermont's legal standard for insanity, rebutting the defense expert who testified a day earlier that he was legally insane. She described cannabis induced paranoia layered on the stress of a lost job and an apartment he was about to lose. Jury deliberations could begin as early as today.

Burlington City Council president considers run for mayor

City Council President Ben Traverse, a Ward 5 Democrat, says he is seriously considering a challenge to Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak if she seeks reelection, and he expects to decide in the coming weeks. The mayor said in a statement that it is good for democracy when people are interested in serving and that she will make her own reelection decision in the fall. The two are at odds over a public safety plan, which Traverse will discuss on WCAX's You Can Quote Me this Sunday at 11:30 AM.

Hundreds of layoffs announced at the 2 largest healthcare networks Vermonters rely on

UVM Health is laying off 199 people and Dartmouth Health is eliminating 124 jobs plus 303 open positions, both announced Tuesday ahead of the October 1 start of the hospital fiscal year. The UVM cuts are expected to save $16.8 million and reach all six hospitals in the network, with 118 of the positions at UVM Medical Center, where a general medicine unit closes and its patients move to a similarly equipped floor. Central Vermont Medical Center loses 24 positions, three mental health technicians among them, and plans to re-post 11 of those roles with changed responsibilities. The two unions estimate about 90 of their members are among those laid off, and the layoffs take effect by the end of October.

Vermont Regulators Order Hospital Price Cuts; UVM Hit Hardest

On Monday the Green Mountain Care Board approved budgets for all 14 Vermont hospitals and ordered UVM Medical Center to cut what it charges commercial insurers by 4.4%, the steepest cut in the state and well past both the board's own 1% guidance and the flat rate UVM requested. The vote was 3 to 2, with chair Owen Foster among the no votes. UVM Health CEO Dr. Stephen Leffler told the board the medical center expects to lose roughly $75 million this year and at least that much again next year, and that its reserves are holding up only because of the stock market. Hospitals account for nearly half of health care spending in Vermont against about a third nationally, and the new budgets take effect October 1.

UVM Health Union protests layoffs

The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and Support Staff United stepped out of an all day bargaining session with the hospital on Wednesday to protest the cuts, which include a management proposal to close a general medicine floor and an inpatient specialty care unit. Bridgett Mobbs, a registered nurse on Baird 3 who was laid off, said the hospital is already at max capacity and nurses already have too many patients. Employees whose positions are eliminated stay employed through a 45 day transition period with career support.

Burlington adds fencing, cameras and toilets at City Hall Park

The city has fenced off two spots in City Hall Park, a ledge next to the Whiskey Room on College Street and an area behind the kiosk, where the mayor says the soil has become heavily compacted. It also placed temporary barriers along College Street to cut down on vehicle roll ins, added two ADA compliant portable toilets while the park's public restroom gets maintenance, and deployed mobile cameras for Burlington police. The mayor described all of it as short term, the work of a Hot Spots working group she reconvened last month.

Planning for new shelter breaks down before reaching South Burlington City Council

CVOEO was slated to bring South Burlington's city council a plan on September 8 for a 100 bed low barrier overnight shelter at 1717 Williston Road, next to Barnyard Pizza, and pulled out on September 2 after seeing a memo city leaders had prepared for the council. City Manager Jessie Baker's chief objection was the location, which she put at a 45 minute bus ride, often with a transfer, from CVOEO's resource center in the Old North End. Executive director Paul Dragon said the site met the group's criteria of being within five miles of that center, would have permanently replaced the pop up cold weather shelter at the Miller Center, and that CVOEO was working with Burlington and UVM Medical Center on passenger vans. At that same meeting, South Burlington passed ordinances that have police refer people they find tenting or in crisis to a new outreach coordinator hired with the Howard Center.

Feds' lawsuit demanding Vermont voter data tossed by federal judge

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier on Thursday threw out the Justice Department's lawsuit against Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, a year after federal officials first demanded Vermont's voter rolls, which include home addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security and driver's license numbers. The administration has filed more than 30 of these suits and federal judges have tossed more than 20 of them. A Justice Department spokesperson said the department is reviewing the decision and will likely appeal.

First Bite: The Harborvale in Burlington Could Make Waves

The Harborvale opened July 1 inside the renovated hotel of the same name at 25 Cherry Street, the former Courtyard that housed Bleu Northeast Kitchen, and Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry calls it one of the most interesting restaurants to open in Burlington this year. Executive chef Doug Paine, who has been with Westport Hospitality for more than 13 years and ran both Bleu and Juniper, built the menu around nostalgia, which lands on the plate as pork belly with house made violet mustard, bucatini with vodka sauce and a duck breast he traces back to reading Walden. Staff ring a brass bell next to the bar every night at sunset. Food runs 6 AM to 11 PM, half of the 90 seats are open to walk ins, and a chef's tasting menu in the 14 seat private dining room launches later this month.

'There's been too many'; safety concerns intensify along Shelburne Road

Todd Ward, 54, died Tuesday after being hit by a car on Shelburne Road in a crash that closed part of the road for hours, and South Burlington police arrested the driver, 33 year old Ryan Southworth, on suspicion of DUI. Police said Ward was either lying or crouched in the road at the time, and the investigation is ongoing. VTrans counts 13 crashes involving a pedestrian or bicyclist on Shelburne Road in South Burlington since 2021, four of them fatal, and possible fixes raised include more crosswalks, shorter crossings, better lighting and a look at speeds.

Vermont girls cleared for takeoff at aviation career event

Middle school students from Enosburgh toured Heritage Aviation, the fixed base operator next to the Burlington airport, on Wednesday in an event aimed at getting girls to consider careers in flight. They toured the building, saw the inside of a plane and got their hands on airline equipment. Heritage says the whole industry faces a workforce shortage, and FAA data puts women at only about 10% of pilots.

Vermont orchards launch digital passport program for apple season The Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association has a new digital passport for apple season, similar to the Creemee Passport. Scan a QR code at more than a dozen orchards and each stamp is a sweepstakes entry, with prizes up to $500. Most harvests wrap up by late October.

New York Times investigative reporter Eric Lipton to speak in South Burlington The four time Pulitzer winner is a UVM alum who started out at the Vermont Cynic, and VTDigger and Seven Days are hosting him for a talk on covering the Trump administration and threats to press freedom. Tickets list it for Friday, October 9 at 5:30 PM at the Delta Hotels on Williston Road, and it is expected to fill quickly.

Ronald McDonald House celebrates 40 years of bingo in Burlington Forty years of bingo has raised more than $2 million for the Ronald McDonald House. Around 100 people showed up Tuesday night, more than double an average week, and organizer Steve Shover has been running the game since 1986. Games happen most Tuesday nights.

How to vote in Vermont's 2026 general election Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Every currently registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot, early voting runs from when ballots are available (by October 1) through November 2, and you can still register on Election Day itself. If you mail your ballot back, allow a week, and polls close at 7 PM.

Last sunset at or later than 7 p.m. in Burlington ahead of autumnal equinox Wednesday was Burlington's last sunset at or after 7 PM this year. Daylight is dropping by roughly three minutes a day across the Champlain Valley, and Tuesday's equinox tips us into more dark than light.

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!

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

No. 18 Vermont beat Hofstra 1-0 on Tuesday night in Hempstead when Islam Houssni headed in a Luis Fischer corner kick with 52 seconds left in regulation, handing Hofstra its first loss of the season. Niklas Herceg made three saves for his fourth straight shutout and fifth of the year, the 21st clean sheet of his career, and the Catamounts are now 5-0-2, unbeaten through seven matches for just the third time in program history. Vermont still has not trailed in 2026.

The road trip ends Saturday when the Cats visit Dartmouth at 7 at Burnham Field in Hanover on ESPN+. Vermont brings a 17 match unbeaten road streak that dates to November 2024, and Herceg's five shutouts are tied for the most in the country.

Women's soccer beat Adelphi 2-0 at Virtue Field on Tuesday behind Madeline Gardner's first goal of the season in the 17th minute and an Eleni Stowell finish in the 65th, with Vermont outshooting the Panthers 11 to 1 on goal. The Cats open America East play against UMBC on Sunday at noon in the annual Rally Around Mental Health game, with a Senior Day ceremony for seven seniors after the final whistle.

Women's hockey is back too. Vermont was picked sixth in the Hockey East preseason coaches' poll, and the Cats host Concordia at Gutterson on Saturday at 3 in a tune up against a team that went 24-2 in its regular season last year and reached the U Sports final.

Upcoming Home Games

This is the curated cut. The full calendar, 25 sources refreshed twice a day, lives at Burlington events.

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

The full list of things to do around town, always waiting for you when you need a plan: Things To Do in Burlington

Every restaurant and bar in town, with their real hours, so you can see what's actually open right now: Open Right Now

Every happy hour, daily special and cheap-night I've gathered so far: Food & Drink Deals

And if you'd rather just have one link for all of it: the guide, the arcade, the whole lot hub.btownbrief.com

The arcade leaderboards reset monthly. Go put your name up while there is time.

That is the weekend. Bundle up for the waterfront tonight, soak up Saturday, and keep an umbrella handy on Sunday. If the Btown Brief makes your week a little easier, you can support it at ko-fi or on Venmo (@btownbrief), and it genuinely helps keep this thing running. Got a tip, a favorite haunt, or an event we should have on our radar? Send it our way, we are always listening.

See you later, Burlington. Hope you like the new t-shirt designs!

If you like what I do, help support the newsletter by buying me a coffee using the link below. Or, right to our Venmo @btownbrief. Or, buy an advertising spot for your business.

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