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After a few morning flurries, Burlington settled into a calmer Monday with sunshine breaking through this afternoon. Don't get too excited though: temperatures are sliding backward today, dropping from the low 30s into the 20s by evening. The real story is tomorrow's coastal storm rolling in around 6 or 7 AM, bringing steady snow through the day and making for a messy commute. The Champlain Valley can expect 2 to 4 inches by Tuesday evening, with heavier totals to the south. Wednesday offers a brief reprieve before Thursday's cold front muscles through with snow showers and possible squalls. By Friday, we're looking at the coldest air of the season so far, with highs barely cracking the mid 20s. Layer up accordingly.

Monday evening is stacked. The City Council meets at 6 PM with a full agenda including funding for the Howard Center Street Outreach Team, parking enforcement updates, support for the Heineberg Senior Center, and notably, authorization to execute an agreement with Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform for Phase One planning of the Overdose Prevention Center. Public forum starts at 6:30 if you want to weigh in. Over at Queen City Brewery, the Burlington Fermentation Club is hosting Cacao & Other Tropic Treats with Prophecy Chocolate's Mateo guiding attendees through the cultivation and fermentation of cacao from the Peruvian Amazon. Tickets are $20 and include tastings of chocolate and its exotic jungle cousins like Macambo and Copuazu, perfect for holiday gifting inspiration. Meanwhile at The Flynn, A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage celebrates the special's 60th anniversary with the Peanuts gang performing Vince Guaraldi's iconic score at 6:30 PM. If you're in the job market, The Venetian Soda Lounge on Pine Street is holding a speed hiring night from 7 to 9 PM for bartenders, servers, cooks, and performers. Bring a resume and your best three minute pitch. Arrive by 6:30 to get in line. For the Spanish speakers, Spanish Chat Mondays launches tonight at Three Needs at 7 PM with all levels welcome and mistakes encouraged. And over at Higher Ground, Philadelphia's reunited emo legends Algernon Cadwallader play at 8 PM, touring behind their first album with the original lineup since 2008. All ages welcome.

Tuesday's snowstorm makes it a good day to hunker down, but early risers can start the day with Tech Tuesdays Breakfast at Zero Gravity from 8 to 10 AM, where founders, developers, and tech curious folks gather over waffles with no agenda and no slides. That evening, Queen City Indivisible holds their monthly meeting at Queen City Brewery from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, featuring Representative Bram Kleppner presenting a bill requiring law enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves. Also at 6 PM, Switchback Brewing hosts Latin Dance Night with a beginner bachata class followed by a social featuring salsa, kizomba, and merengue. No partner needed. And if you brave the snow, Foam Brewers opens their Holiday Maker's Market from 5 to 9 PM with vendors across Foam and Deep City selling everything from pottery to baked goods while Local Dork spins vinyl.

Wednesday brings day two of the Foam Maker's Market with an entirely different vendor lineup. During the day, the UVM Holiday Craft Bazaar takes over the Davis Center from 9 AM to 3 PM with over 40 vendors and a food drive raffle. That afternoon, Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us, visits UVM's Alumni House for a conversation about hope centered on his new book Hope Dies Last, running 4:30 to 6 PM with snacks and interactive discussion. The Pop Up Market at Last Stop in Winooski runs 5:30 to 8:30 PM with local artisans, food by Fatty Molts, and drink specials from WhistlePig. And the Humane Society of Chittenden County hosts their Holiday Open House from 6 to 8 PM celebrating 124 years of service, with shelter tours, refreshments from Burlington Beer Company and Honey Road, and children's activities. RSVP required as space is limited. Also Wednesday: Burlington's new nonprofit movie theater Partizanfilm opens at 230 College Street with a members only party starting at 5 PM. This volunteer led project rose from the ashes of Burlington's only commercial theater closing last year, and they'll be showing independent and foreign films seven days a week starting December 5th. It's not too late to become a member if you want in on the ground floor.

Thursday is packed. That afternoon, Partizanfilm opens to the public with an open house from 5 to 7 PM featuring food and a cash bar, followed by repertory screenings of Kings of the Road and The Last Picture Show at 7:10 and 7:20. Over in South Burlington, Copper at Dorset hosts the SB3C City Center Social starting at 5:30 PM with the chefs' popular cuisine, dollar off drinks, and a chance to learn about the new City Center Collaborative. Downtown Winooski comes alive Thursday evening with the Holiday Pop Up Shop from 5 to 9 PM. Grab a passport, get it stamped at participating businesses while browsing local vendors, and turn in a full card for prizes.

The Ward 6 NPA Meeting runs 6 to 8:15 PM at Public Works on Pine Street with a free community dinner at 6, followed by discussion of the Opiate Prevention Center, a petition for an Apartheid Free Community, and state legislative priorities with local representatives. At Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Fat Thursday kicks off their weekly guided fat bike rides from 6 to 8 PM through the Community Forest. Bring lights and warm layers. For the creatively inclined, Thursday Night Figure Drawing returns to the Queen City Oddfellows Lodge on North Ave from 7 to 9 PM. Bring your own supplies, suggested donation $15 to $20, no experience necessary. Phoenix Books Burlington hosts Vermont author Margot Harrison at 7 PM to launch her new book The Library of Fates, a mesmerizing novel where books, romance, fantasy, and fate intertwine. And at Allen Brook School in Williston, Womxn's Pick Up Basketball runs 7:10 to 9:10 PM. Women, nonbinary, and transgender individuals welcome, ages 19 and up.

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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 Faces a 12 Percent Increase in Education Taxes

Governor Scott called the projection "totally unacceptable," and the numbers land amid ongoing tension over Act 73, the controversial consolidation plan passed last year. The legislature has twice bailed out the education fund with general fund dollars to blunt projected hikes, spending $118 million last year alone to knock a 5.9 percent projection down to 1.1 percent. The underlying math remains grim: student enrollment has dropped 16 percent over 20 years while costs have risen $924 million. Legislative leaders say they're committed to reform, but opposition to forced district consolidation remains intense, with a task force pivoting away from redrawing maps toward regional service sharing partnerships instead.

Pride Center of Vermont Gets $350K Donation and Works to Revive Operations

The anonymous donation, which came through a donor advised fund, matches the roughly $350,000 the organization said it needed when it announced its closure in October after 26 years. But the board is being deliberate about next steps, prioritizing a community needs assessment and strategic planning over rushing to restore the status quo. The SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program hotline continues operating through the Vermont Network in the meantime.

City Market Closes Downtown Burlington Café for the Winter

Starting Wednesday, the café at City Market's South Winooski Avenue location will shutter for the winter, the second year in a row safety concerns have forced the closure. The public restroom will also close, partly for a plumbing upgrade. When the café reopened last winter after a January closure, it never returned to its original 7 AM to 9 PM hours, instead operating 11 AM to 7 PM. The co-op hopes to reopen tentatively in March.

Teachers' Union and South Burlington School Board Ink New Work Contract

Teachers will receive 4.25 percent raises for the first two years with the third year tied to inflation between 2 and 5 percent. Support staff get 5.25 percent the first year with a similar inflation adjustment for year two. Notably, negotiations wrapped up without the impasse declarations, mediation, fact finding, or strikes that have marked previous contract talks in the district. This comes after a turbulent spring when the teachers' union engaged in months of public activism that ultimately led to former superintendent Violet Nichols leaving her role.

Report IDs Options to Reduce McNeil Emissions

A new consultant report for Burlington Electric found only two of 12 potential emissions reduction strategies make economic sense for the McNeil Generating Station: carbon capture and wood pyrolysis. Carbon capture would trap CO2 before release and chill it into sellable liquid, while pyrolysis would cook wood chips in a low oxygen chamber to produce syngas and biochar, a soil amendment. Both could cut emissions by roughly a third while barely affecting rates. The catch: Burlington only owns half of McNeil, with Green Mountain Power and Vermont Public Power Supply Authority holding the rest, and buyout negotiations are paused pending clarity on Connecticut renewable energy credit purchases.

Stop Signs Cause Commotion at One-Lane Burlington Bridge

Residents of Queen City Park are fuming after the city replaced yield signs with stop signs on both approaches to the one lane bridge over the train tracks on Queen City Park Road. The change came after Champlain Parkway construction closed part of Pine Street and pushed an extra 1,200 vehicles per day onto the bridge. Neighbors say the informal take turns system worked fine for 40 years, and one resident counted 40 cars lined up during the first rush hour commute under the new signs. Public Works says they'll monitor the situation and could return to yield signs once the Parkway fully opens.

Colchester-Milton Rotary Hosts Miro Weinberger to Discuss Let's Build Homes

Former Burlington mayor and Let's Build Homes executive chair Miro Weinberger broke down Vermont's housing crisis for local Rotarians, noting the state is building at roughly a third of its historical rate. The nonprofit recently helped create the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, which lets towns use future property taxes from new developments to fund supporting infrastructure. Weinberger emphasized that the organization cares about both subsidized affordable housing and market rate homes for workers filling essential roles like doctors, and believes the state can build more while still protecting its natural landscape.

New Buy-Local Campaign Urges 'Main Street Over Wall Street'

Phoenix Books and Burlington online shopping platform Myti have launched a holiday campaign encouraging Vermonters to shop local, with pointed messaging like "Your money has the power. Don't hand it to Bezos." The timing is notable as Amazon seeks to build its first Vermont distribution center in Essex, a plan the town's Development Review Board rejected in July over environmental and economic concerns. According to the American Independent Business Alliance, about $68 of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the local economy, compared to $43 at nonlocal businesses.

Paid Parking on the Horizon in South Burlington City Center

South Burlington's City Council approved a parking management study that will likely bring paid parking to Market Street, Garden Street and Dattilio Drive. Consultants are proposing a two hour maximum at $1 per hour from 8 AM to 8 PM, with payment via smartphone app or physical kiosk. The goal is keeping at least one spot open for every ten spaces so drivers aren't circling the block. Some councilors expressed concern about signage and kiosks cluttering the streetscape, and the city still needs to work out enforcement staffing.

Doma Bar Brings 'Your Coolest Friend's Living Room' to Burlington

The former Paradiso Hi-Fi space on Pine Street has reopened as Doma Bar, a cocktails and vinyl lounge with a more relaxed vibe than its predecessor. Owner Sadie Williams kept the high fidelity sound system and several hundred albums but added a sparkly disco ball and dialed back the serious listening lounge atmosphere. The all femme leadership team includes chef Emily Calhoon serving salty snacks like fried cheese curds and soft pretzels, and bar manager Tatiana Bruno mixing cocktails with Puerto Rican influences. Open Tuesday through Saturday with DJs Thursday through Saturday nights.

Burlington's Winter Market Returns with Indoor Format — The market kicked off Saturday at BCA's Pine Street location and returns December 12 and 13 at City Hall's Cantois Auditorium with a mix of returning and new vendors.

New Program Provided 30,000 State Park Passes to Low-Income Vermonters — Vermont Parks Forever launched a first in the nation program allowing anyone with an EBT or WIC card to get free day passes to state parks. About 100,000 Vermonters were eligible, and the nonprofit hopes to continue next year pending fundraising.

Vermont Researchers Discover 9 New Bee Species in First Statewide Count Since 1962 — UVM's Gund Institute found Vermont now has 352 bee species, up from 98 in 1962, making it home to the most bee species in northern New England. About a third are considered endangered in the state.

Vending Machine Dispenses Local Art in Brandon — Leicester artist Caitlin Gildrien bought a 700 pound vending machine off Facebook Marketplace, filled it with work from two dozen local artists, and installed it at a bookstore in Brandon's old Briggs Carriage building. Push a button, get art. I wonder if that idea could work in Burlington. Thoughts?

The University of Vermont women’s basketball team secured a tournament championship in Honolulu, while the women's hockey program highlighted the weekend's ice action with a victory over a top-five opponent.

In Hawaii, the women's basketball team clinched the Rainbow Wahine Showdown title despite concluding the weekend with a 58-54 loss to Lindenwood. Seniors Nikola Priede and Keira Hanson were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances. The Catamounts opened the tournament by topping the host Rainbow Wahine 73-67, led by 18 points from Priede. They followed that victory by beating Santa Clara 63-51, a game in which Hanson scored 19 points and Priede recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

At Gutterson Fieldhouse, the women's hockey team garnered their first top-five win since the 2021-22 season, defeating No. 5 Cornell 4-3. Lauren O'Hara scored the game-winning goal, while Julia Mesplède found the back of the net twice. The Catamounts wrapped up the final non-conference weekend with a split against the Big Red, falling 5-1 in the second game of the series despite a goal from Mesplède.

The men's basketball team navigated a busy week, starting at the ESPN Events Invitational where they fell to Rhode Island 80-65 before rebounding to defeat Princeton 79-74. Gus Yalden led the scoring against the Tigers with a career-high 27 points. Upon returning to Patrick Gym, the Catamounts came up short against Yale, losing 77-74 in a contest that saw Yale secure the win with free throws in the final seconds.  

In men's hockey action, No. 10 Dartmouth topped Vermont 7-2 in a Border Battle matchup. Jonah Aegerter posted a goal and an assist for his first career collegiate multi-point game.

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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.

Bundle up, plan your snow day strategy for Tuesday, and maybe knock out some holiday shopping at one of the many maker's markets this week. Whether you're catching a film at Burlington's brand new theater, learning bachata at Switchback, or braving the cold for a fat bike ride, there's no shortage of ways to stay engaged with your community.

If you read something interesting in the linked articles or have a tip worth sharing, send it our way. Stay warm out there, Btown.

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.

**Dropping tasteful merch for the Btown Brief VERY soon, stay tuned!**