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Hope you're staying warm out there, Burlington. Monday has been cold, with highs stuck in the teens and lower twenties under mostly cloudy skies and wind chills in the single digits. Tuesday brings a bit more sunshine and temps creeping toward the upper twenties, but the bigger story is a significant warm up arriving midweek. By Wednesday expect highs near 40 with gusty southerly winds, and Thursday pushes into the mid forties before a storm system brings soaking rain Thursday night into Friday morning. The rain should taper to snow showers Friday afternoon as temperatures tumble back through the thirties. Flooding isn't expected, but the snowpack will take a hit. Next weekend settles back into more seasonable mid December weather with highs in the twenties and thirties.

Tonight kicks off the week with a couple of soulful options. The Burlington Dharma Collective hosts its monthly dharma talk at 7pm at 21 Buell Street, a nice opportunity to find some stillness as the winter darkness settles in. Meanwhile, over in Shelburne, Chabad Burlington is holding a festive Menorah Lighting on the Town Green at 5pm with latkes, donuts, music, and hot drinks. City Council also meets tonight at 6pm with a packed agenda including updates on the Memorial Block redevelopment, a public hearing on Burlington's Open Space Plan, proposed adjustments to police pay scales, and several ordinances addressing everything from sidewalk vegetation to unlawful vehicle entry. You can attend in person or join via Zoom. And if you're into gaming, don't sleep on the video game meetup at Burlington Beer Company's Lumiere Hall from 4 to 10pm, a biweekly gathering with fighting games, Japanese arcade cabinets, and nearly forty years of gaming history across PCs and consoles.

Tuesday brings the festive vibes. Switchback Brewing is hosting a Holiday Cookie & Beer Pairing from 5 to 9pm at 160 Flynn Ave, part of their Hoppy Holidays series running every Tuesday in December. You can craft a handwritten holiday card while you're there. Over at Vermont Comedy Club, Nate Venet leads a Holiday Singalong at 6:30pm with live piano, holiday songs, and showtunes. It's free and delightfully low stakes. Trivia lovers can head to Queen City Brewery for their December Trivia Night starting at 6pm with Pizza44 providing the food. And if you'd rather celebrate the approaching solstice on two wheels, Local Motion's EZ Breezy Solstice Spins meets at 6pm at the Trailside Center for a casual, lights up group ride around town. Also Tuesday evening, The Monkey House in Winooski hosts Nour Harkati, a Tunisian musician blending traditional North African sounds with contemporary rhythms, with Mikahely opening. Doors at 7:30pm, $17.

Wednesday is stacked. The deadline hits at noon for South Burlington's Holiday Decorating Contest, so snap that photo of your festive setup and email it in for bragging rights. At 3:45pm, Chabad Burlington kicks off a Chanukah Car Parade starting at 57 South Williams Street, featuring S.D. Ireland's light up cement mixer and a fire show by the Burlington Burn Club. The South Burlington Public Library opens its new exhibition "The World in Our Minds" with a reception from 5 to 7pm featuring eight Vermont illustrators exploring imagination through various media. For live music, Shakey Graves brings his inventive Austin sound to Higher Ground, and The Old Post hosts an Ugly Sweater Party with Charlie Rice (formerly of Downpour) from 6 to 8pm.

Thursday is absolutely packed. The Fletcher Free Library hosts a Winter Solstice Dance from 2 to 4pm in the Fletcher Room, a candlelit celebration with circle dances from many cultures. Wear white if you're feeling it, and bring a snack to share. The Holiday Senior Dinner at the ONE Community Center from 4:30 to 6:30pm offers a free roast turkey dinner with all the fixings for neighbors 55 and up. Reservations encouraged. Over in South Burlington, grab your mixing bowls for the Community Cookie Swap at 180 Market Street from 5:30 to 6:30pm, where you can trade two dozen of your homemade cookies for a delicious variety. Thursday evening brings Mom's Night Out at Citizen Cider from 6 to 9:30pm with dinner, drinks, and DJ Fattie B spinning from 7:30 on. The Ward 5 NPA Winter Social and Swap runs from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Burlington Public Works on Pine Street, offering treats, conversation, and a community swap of clothes, toys, and books. At Radio Bean, comedian Gary Simons (who's opened for Mike Birbiglia and Roy Wood Jr.) takes the stage at 7pm. Later that night, also at Radio Bean, Carols for COTS runs from 8:30 to 10:30pm with a singalong benefit concert, ugly sweater contest, and a gingerbread house competition judged by the crowd. Elsewhere, Seth Yacovone Band makes their debut at Einstein's Tap House at 8pm, and Sparky's in Essex Junction hosts Blues Night with an Ugly Sweater Party starting at 6pm.

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.

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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! 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.

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Vermont Air National Guard Is Heading to Puerto Rico to Join U.S. Buildup in the Region

The deployment is part of Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon's military buildup in the Caribbean aimed at countering narcotics trafficking and pressuring Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Senator Peter Welch isn't mincing words, calling the mobilization "a relentless march to war" and insisting any military action against Venezuela would require Congressional authorization. Guard members have been told to expect at least 100 days away and will be sleeping in tents at the recently reopened Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. Governor Scott says he has no additional information and has referred questions to the Pentagon.

Burlington Considers Using License Plate Readers to Help with Traffic Enforcement

This is one of four priorities the mayor and council have identified for 2026. The DMV enforcement team has already been monitoring Route 127 during commute hours and confirmed there's a genuine traffic safety problem. State lawmakers will need to address privacy concerns when they reconvene in January, though Senator Andrew Perchlik is proposing a three year pilot program for automatic traffic law enforcement that would only capture vehicles committing violations, exclude driver photos, and delete images after officer review. The ACLU previously testified in support of a similar approach.

Beta Gears Up for Major Expansion After Going Public

The South Burlington electric aircraft maker went public last month to the tune of $1.2 billion and plans to add close to 1,000 jobs in Vermont over the next 18 months. They're sitting on about $3.5 billion in aircraft backlog (roughly 490 planes) plus another billion in propulsion technology sales to other aerospace companies. Clark says a new federal program could allow them to start flying cargo and medical missions before full FAA certification, with applications due December 19th and deployment potentially happening next summer if selected.

Burlington Program Offers Homeowners Cash to Cut Stormwater Runoff

BLUE BTV, a nonprofit founded in 2017, is partnering with the city to offer residents up to $2,000 for rain gardens, permeable driveways, and other projects that absorb stormwater before it reaches the lake. Runoff from Burlington and surrounding suburbs accounts for 16% of the excess phosphorus fueling harmful cyanobacteria blooms. So far the program has awarded over $39,000 for 38 projects. With the city limited to working within public rights of way, empowering individual homeowners opens up new ground for improvement.

Burlington Progressives Aim to Retain, Not Gain, Seats in March

At last week's nominating caucus, Progressives endorsed incumbents Carter Neubieser, Gene Bergman, and Marek Broderick for Wards 1, 2, and 8, while Laura Sánchez-Parkinson won a contested race for Ward 3 (replacing Joe Kane, who isn't running). Notably, the party isn't challenging any sitting Democrats, meaning even a clean sweep won't change the balance of power on the Dem-controlled council. Democrats will hold their caucus early next year with four incumbents headed for the ballot. Petitions to appear on the ballot are due January 26th.

Shelburne Museum Explodes with 'Winter Lights'

Now in its fifth year, Winter Lights features hundreds of thousands of lights illuminating the museum campus, including the 220 foot steamship Ticonderoga floating in an amethyst sea and the immersive Beach Woods installation. New this year is an interactive Illumination Station for kids and a special model train layout built by local enthusiasts called Electra's Engineers. The event runs through January 4th, with a Sensory Friendly evening tonight (Monday, December 15) and four upcoming drive around dates for those who prefer to stay in their cars. I went there just other day, check out my photo further up in this email!

From Skatepark Lines to Gallery Walls: Chris Colbourn's Dual Career

Williston native Chris "Cookie" Colbourn, 34, has been a pro skateboarder for almost seven years and is now signed to Element, where he achieved his childhood dream of designing his own board graphics. But he's equally prolific as an artist, with gallery shows across the country. Colbourn got his start at Burlington's Talent Skatepark in middle school and has stayed connected to the Vermont skate community, volunteering with the Chill Foundation and mentoring young skaters even as his career took him to California and competitions worldwide.

Vermont Music Icon Jon Gailmor Departed the Way He Came In — With a Song

Gailmor, who died November 30th at 77 following a leukemia diagnosis, spent nearly half a century planting songs across Vermont, from his 25 year run hosting "Just Kidding" on WDEV to songwriting workshops to performances with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. A Manhattan native who settled on the shores of Lake Elmore in the late 1970s, he also served as Elmore's town moderator for decades. His wife Cathy Murphy died in 2022. True to his 1990 song "I'm Gonna Die With a Smile If It Kills Me," he passed peacefully at his son's home in New Orleans.

Fish and Wildlife Board to Debate Rules for Wounded Game Trackers

Vermont's Leashed Dog Tracking Service, founded in 1996, provides free volunteer assistance to help hunters locate wounded game. On Wednesday, the Fish and Wildlife Board will debate whether to allow trackers to charge for gas and expenses, and whether to expand the times they can work beyond traditional hunting seasons. The department previously recommended against reimbursement, citing concerns about creating a business rather than volunteer work, but did support expanding operating times. About 40 certified handlers currently volunteer statewide.

Burlington Reveals New Plans for Memorial Auditorium Redevelopment — The latest conceptual plan would tear down Memorial Auditorium (shuttered since 2016) and create a hotel with residential and community spaces while preserving the east wing and veterans' memorial. The proposal also includes a park and playground between the church and Fletcher Free Library, plus potential repurposing of Central Fire Station. Developers say there's currently a $33 million funding gap. A work session is on tonight's City Council agenda.

45th Annual Pomerleau Holiday Party Celebrates Local Families — More than 200 people gathered at Hotel Champlain on Sunday for the Pomerleau family's annual holiday celebration, which started 45 years ago as a simple act of kindness. The event featured a meal, DJ, gifts for kids, and magic shows.

Wreaths Across America Honors Vermont Veterans — Volunteers placed over 10,000 wreaths on veterans' graves across Vermont on Saturday, including more than 1,000 at Fort Ethan Allen Cemetery in Colchester. The next ceremony is scheduled for December 17th in Stamford.

It was a winning weekend on the hardwood for Vermont, as both basketball programs secured victories. In men’s basketball, Noah Barnett scored a career-high 16 points to propel Vermont to a 66-59 win over Merrimack at Patrick Gymnasium. Graduate student Ben Johnson also reached a career milestone, scoring his 1,000th career point on a first-half three-pointer. Sean Blake added 14 points and five assists, while Gus Yalden contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.

The women’s basketball team triumphed on the road, defeating Sacred Heart 63-46. Senior Nikola Priede led the way with her fourth double-double of the season, recording a team-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Keira Hanson added 17 points, shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, while Jadyn Weltz dished out nine assists. The Catamounts used a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

In other action, men’s hockey fell 3-0 to Army West Point at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Army goaltender JJ Cataldo made 22 saves to shut out the Catamounts. despite Vermont holding Army to just three shots in the first period—the lowest total for an opponent in an opening frame this season.

In Florida, the women’s swimming and diving team competed at the CSCAA Open Water Championship. Katie Lester led the Catamounts in the 5k race, finishing 57th overall and 42nd among Division I athletes with a time of 1:02:10.8. Gabby Puryear-Lynch followed in 69th place overall, while Autumn Bullinger placed 99th.

General Events

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

I hope you’re enjoying those Wednedays 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.

Another week, another chance to get out and connect with your neighbors. Whether you're bundling up for a solstice ride, swapping cookies with strangers, or just trying to figure out what's happening at City Council, we hope this helped point you in the right direction. Click through to the full articles if something catches your eye, and remember that showing up is half the battle when it comes to community.

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