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Weather & Monday Update:
If you like your summer days sunny and your humidity low, soak up Monday while it lasts. Today is the gem of the stretch, mostly sunny with a high right around 83, a light southwest breeze, and air quality back in the good range after a hazy weekend. Tuesday starts decent but turns busier, with humidity spiking, showers and thunderstorms likely by mid afternoon, gusts that could push past 30 mph, and a chance that wildfire smoke sneaks back in on the south wind. Wednesday stays unsettled with showers likely through the morning and storm chances into the afternoon before things dry out at night. Thursday is the reward, sunny and comfortable with a high near 79 and cool sleeping weather behind it. If you have outdoor plans Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, keep half an eye on the radar.
Monday itself eases you into the week. Runners can lace up for Skirack's Run Club at 5:45, a casual paced community run out of the Main Street shop that shoots for 3 to 5 miles with groups by pace. Riders get the same energy in Williston, where Catamount hosts a Novice Monday group mountain bike ride from 6 to 8. If your speed is quieter, the Monday Night Open Mic at Pearl Street Pub in Essex Junction gets going at 6, and parents can start the day early with the free Family Concert Series at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston at 11:15, where Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival students play a short set with a sweet treat after. And from our corner, our group's Sunset Paddle at Shelburne Bay launches at 7 tonight. Bring a kayak or board, catch the sunset from the water, and come say hi.
Tuesday is the big ticket day. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings ($56) play the Ben & Jerry's Concerts on the Green at Shelburne Museum at 7, with kids 12 and under free on the lawn. Earlier in the afternoon, the Old North End celebrates the Pomeroy Park playground grand opening from 2 to 3 with a ribbon cutting alongside the mayor. Curious minds can drop into Where is AI in 2026 and Where is it Going? at Fletcher Free Library at 5:30, a free discussion workshop run through the AI Safety Awareness Meetup where the talking is the point. Night owls can close it out on the waterfront with Swiss psych funk outfit L'Eclair with Two Sev and DJ Rice Pilaf at Foam Brewers at 8:30, or two step into Honky Tonk Tuesday ($10) at Radio Bean at 8:30.
Wednesday is stacked even with the clouds hanging around. The monster show is Trombone Shorty with JJ Grey & Mofro on the Green at Shelburne Museum at 7, though fair warning, Higher Ground lists it as sold out, so it is waitlist or ticket exchange territory now. Colchester counters with the Sam Mazza's Summer Concert Series featuring B-Town from 6 to 8 at the farm market on Lavigne Road. Freelancers and remote workers can talk shop at After Hours at Foam Brewers, a casual 21+ networking evening at 6. The Craftsbury Chamber Players bring their summer season to the Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester at 7:30 with students $10 and kids free, and GYMSHORTS with POLKAROBICS, the Eyetraps, and the Skizm turns Radio Bean loud at 8. Our own Pick-up Basketball at Pomeroy Park runs 5:30 to 7:30, so come out and run some full court games.
Thursday might be the best all around day of the week, sunny, 79, and absolutely stacked. The bricks host Party On The Bricks from 5:30 to 8, free on Church Street with the Fly-By Ride and music on the Opera Block. South Burlington answers with SB Nite Out at 5:30, free live music from A House on Fire plus a blanket giveaway for the first 500 through the gate. Williston gets GARTH Live, a high octane Garth Brooks tribute, at the Maple Tree Place Summer Concert Series at 6, and Shelburne Museum keeps its own streak going with the free Shelburne Summer Nights from 5 to 7:30. Out at Isham Family Farm, loon biologist Eric Hanson gives a free Loon Talk from 5:30 to 7:30, timely since the lake's loon pair hatched two chicks this summer. Animal people can paint their own companion at Paint Your Pet at Queen City Cat Lounge from 6 to 8 (register by Wednesday), trivia types get Music Bingo at Sparky's in Essex Junction at 6:30, and film buffs can catch Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress with the Vermont International Film Festival at 7. Comedy fans should grab Molly Kearney ($25) at Vermont Comedy Club at 7, the SNL alum in for one night. Later on, Winooski's Monkey House hosts King Garbage with C.Shreve the Professor and 3rd Chamber ($10), doors at 8. And if you feel like a short drive, the free Sticks and Stones concert at Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero runs 6:30 to 8:30, lawn chairs and sunset views encouraged.
Scroll down to Events Section for full list of events Monday-Thursday.
Track it all week, with patio, swim, and sunset scores, at Burlington Right Now.
Neighborhood views
The Btown Brief IRL - Burlington Social & Activities
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:
Join the Meetup (It’s FREE): Join Meetup group | RSVP here
Join the Telegram Group Chat: [Telegram Link] – Plan casual hangouts with other Briefers, or just another way to find us for our Saturday coffee event. Download Telegram before clicking link.
This Coming Week:
Sunset Paddle or Kayak @ Shelburne Bay – Monday, July 20th @ 7 PM: Bring your kayak, canoe, or paddleboard to Shelburne Bay Park and catch the sunset from the water with us.
Pick-up Basketball – Wednesday, July 22nd @ 5:30 PM: Casual runs at Pomeroy Park, all skill levels welcome, just show up and play.
BTown Coffee Club – Saturday, July 25th @ 10 AM: Easy Saturday morning coffee and conversation at Zero Gravity on Pine Street.
Paddle at Oakledge Beach #2 – Saturday, July 25th @ 11 AM: Round two of our Oakledge paddle, this one filled fast so be sure to RSVP!
Other Upcoming Events:
Centennial Hills Hike and Winooski Circle – Sunday, July 26th @ 11 AM: A group hike from Schmanska Park through the Centennial woods and around the Winooski loop, one of our biggest turnouts of the summer so far.
Tired of scrolling? Play the BTown Digital Arcade instead!
The digital arcade is officially packed with 18 free, Burlington-themed games like Church St Surfers, Flappy Champ, Where in Burlington and BTown Wordle. There are zero ads to skip and no apps to download, just a straightforward way to kill some time. I also added monthly leaderboards that reset on the 1st, and whoever is holding the top spots will get named right here in the Brief. Go claim your bragging rights and set a high score over at play.btownbrief.com.
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The BTown City Guide is your cheat code for the city, and after months of tinkering it’s live for you right now. With 200+ sortable spots, real-time weather filters, and a "Surprise Me" button for when you can't decide, it's the only bookmark you need for weekend plans. Explore it by jumping straight in here. Or go over at btownbrief.com → BTown City Guide
See something good? Say something good. r/GoodBurlington
Check out the news posts in the subreddit! There is a lot of good happening in Burlington that never gets talked about. I built r/GoodBurlington to change that. Think of it as the opposite of doomscrolling. Found a hidden gem? Snapped a great photo? Want to shout out a local worker who made your day? Post it on the subreddit, or submit it through this quick [Google Form] and I'll share it for you. The best of what gets shared will show up right here in the Brief. Come drop your posts: [r/GoodBurlington]
Support the Brief to Keep it Running!
Why support? Every week, I sort through TONS of local sources: Seven Days events, Front Porch Forum calendar, Facebook events, Hello Burlington, Love Burlington, Meetup.com, Eventbrite, Church St Marketplace calendar, Flynn, Higher Ground, Vermont Comedy Club, several local libraries 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. If the Brief saves you time, or has introduced you to something new in Burlington, then definitely consider chipping in!
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Local News (All Links Clickable)
"Every museum claims they're unique, but I like to say we really are," per WCAX.
Shelburne Museum is putting up its 40th building, the Perry Center for Native American Art, its first new construction since 2013 and slated to open around summer 2027. The design has been shaped by input from about 120 representatives of Indigenous communities, a process in the works since 2008, and the center will house works from more than 300 tribal nations. If you want a taste of the campus before then, the museum's free Summer Nights series runs this Thursday evening.
"We can learn that this is how democracy works. It's about courage, conviction and what we believe in," per Community News Service.
While the country gears up for its semiquincentennial, Vermont's own founding story gets a fun retelling here. The state spent 14 years as an independent republic, coining its own money and running its own post, and its 1777 constitution was the first in North America to prohibit slavery and extend the vote to all male residents. The Ethan Allen Homestead Museum right here in Burlington features in the piece, worth a visit if the history itch strikes.
"In this case, we're a municipal utility, so any benefits we see, our ratepayers will see, our community will see," per Seven Days.
The council unanimously approved a 5 megawatt battery at the McNeil Generating Station, leased from Kearsarge Energy but controlled by Burlington Electric. The math is straightforward, BED's average hourly load is 37 megawatts and peaks hit 60, so a battery that can push 20 megawatts over four hours takes real pressure off during the most expensive hours. GM Darren Springer calls it by far the most significant battery storage on the city grid. Worth noting a similar Vergennes project stalled on community fire concerns, so Burlington moving unanimously stands out.
"By the time that you need the blood, you usually feel pretty crappy... And then right after you get the transfusion, there were days where I was like, 'I think I could run five miles,'" per VTDigger.
The Red Cross declared a nationwide emergency blood shortage after the national supply fell 25 percent in June, and Vermont is feeling it, with about half of the state's 2,860 donation appointments over the next two weeks still unfilled. Only 3 percent of Americans donate in a given year. If you have been meaning to go, this is the week, donors who give by July 31 get a movie ticket out of it, and platelet donations happen at the permanent North Prospect Street site here in Burlington.
"It's just a place where people can kind of be what they want to be, and nobody really even bats an eye about it," per Community News Service.
A fun look inside the fashion side of the Vermont Renaissance Faire at the Champlain Valley Expo, where more than 70 small businesses and vendors lean into handmade and secondhand goods, including Milk Moth Vintage out of Burlington's Old North End. It is a fun inversion of the real Renaissance, when sumptuary laws dictated what each class could wear; the modern faire turns that on its head, making costume a form of pure self expression.
"The claim that the field is 100 percent PFAS free is virtually impossible. I'm not convinced this field would even meet the legal standard required in Vermont now, and it will certainly be litigated," per the Williston Observer.
The Champlain Valley School Board voted 8-3 to accept a donated artificial turf field at CVU, a gift led by Healthy Living CEO Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, over sustained opposition from Hinesburg residents worried about PFAS and microplastics. The district's own consultant found PFAS could reach town groundwater, though below federal drinking water standards. With a Williston legislator predicting a lawsuit under Vermont's new PFAS ban and the gift agreement still not public, the vote reads like the end of the beginning rather than the end.
"Vermont is a place of multiplicity, that people come from all kinds of walks of life... some joyous, some tragedy. But between that, there's this sense of respect for the individual for what they're doing," per VTDigger.
Two new novels put small town Vermont on the page. Hardwick's Brett Ann Stanciu sets "Call It Madness" in a fictional village based on Greensboro, where she works as town treasurer, and Corinth's Catherine Tudish builds "A Thousand Souls" around a village loosely modeled on Strafford. Bonus trivia for the playlist crowd, Tudish knew a young Noah Kahan in Strafford and says his curiosity stood out even at age 3. Two good candidates for the summer reading pile.
"60 percent of residents between the ages of 18 and 34 saying they will 'likely' move away within the next five years," per Seven Days.
A UNH poll of 981 Vermonters puts hard numbers on a familiar worry. Beyond the young resident figure, 86 percent of Vermonters overall find the state at least somewhat unaffordable, and the comparison stings, only 21 percent of young New Hampshirites say the same about leaving. The housing math underneath is the part to keep an eye on, Vermont needs an estimated 36,000 more homes and median prices have climbed roughly 9 percent a year since 2020. Definitely worth a full read.
"There's so much potential in this office to be really useful for our community, but we're just letting all this potential rot on the vine," per VTDigger.
The August 11 primary offers a genuine contrast. Incumbent Dan Gamelin, 65, is a 40 year law enforcement veteran from Winooski who manages 22 full time and nine part time deputies and defends the office's traditional role. Challenger Kevin Bloom, 32, owns a music studio, has no law enforcement background, and campaigns on not carrying out evictions for nonpayment of rent, though he says he would still enforce court orders, with a Ben Cohen endorsement in hand. The piece digs into the money too, from Gamelin's landlord donors to the legal 5 percent of contract revenue he pockets.
Quick Hits
The chipmaker and the waterfront science center signed a five year STEM education partnership that funds ECHO's traveling STEM truck, new exhibits and festivals, and its year long teacher institute. A nice follow-on from the earlier collaboration that built ECHO's current engineering space.
Shawn Loan, a 19 year VSP veteran who came up through the Derby barracks and ran the Vermont Intelligence Center, takes over as colonel August 7, replacing the retiring Matthew Birmingham. He will oversee roughly 300 sworn troopers and says he wants the agency leaning on data to prevent crashes rather than just respond to them.
South Burlington will pay one holdout family $20,000 for easements, ending the eminent domain fight over the final piece of the Dorset Street shared use path from Old Cross Road to Sadie Lane. The section has been a city priority since 2016 and appeared in plans as far back as 1996, and with the final easement settled, construction is expected this year.
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 you can climb the monthly leaderboard, which resets on the 1st. 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
Vermont Green FC: It’s the Playoffs!!
What a weekend for the Green. Start with the women, who took their unbeaten inaugural season all the way to the USL W League national final in Seattle and came agonizingly close. Louisa Thomsen's equalizer six minutes into stoppage time forced extra time against Salmon Bay FC, and after 120 scoreless minutes more it came down to penalties, where the Green fell 5-4. They finish as national runners-up without losing a single match all season, a 9 win, 5 draw, 0 loss debut under 28 year old head coach Abby Carchio, with captain Chloe Allen Gorman playing every minute of every match, the first player in club history to do it. Some season.
The men, meanwhile, are steamrolling through the USL2 playoffs. After Friday's 4-0 win over Ironbound SC at Virtue Field, they did it again Sunday, 4-0 over the Ocean City Nor'easters. That's eight straight wins, a club record, 39 matches unbeaten overall, a sixth clean sheet of the summer for Seth Wilson, and Diego Rosas up to eight goals and nine assists. Next up is Asheville City in the Eastern Conference Final at the USL2 finals site in Texas next weekend, a matchup that mirrors the one the women won on their run.
Upcoming Home Games
None this week. The men's Eastern Conference Final vs. Asheville City is next weekend at the USL2 finals site in Texas. Streaming details at vermontgreenfc.com.
Events:
Want to see events further out? Check out my page: Burlington events.
Monday, July 20, 2026
General Events
9:00 AM: Grab & Go Kit: Boba Tea at South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, South Burlington (Free)
10:00 AM: Dinosaur Safari Exhibit at ECHO at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington (Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under)
11:30 AM: Shelburne Farms Tour 2026 at Shelburne Farms, 1611 Harbor Rd, Shelburne
12:00 PM: Creative Co-Working at The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery, 266 Pine Street, Burlington
12:30 PM: YSO Edmunds Elementary at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
2:00 PM: Sun to Cheese Tour 2026 at Shelburne Farms Welcome Center, 1611 Harbor Rd, Shelburne ($20)
2:30 PM: YSO Battery Park at Battery Park, Burlington
4:00 PM: YSO Intervale Community Barn at Intervale Community Barn, Burlington
4:00 PM: Local Food in Practice: Restaurant & Farm Partnerships at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne (Free; preregister)
5:00 PM: Vermont Adult Learning Book Club at Vermont Adult Learning, 77 College St, Burlington
5:45 PM: Skirack's Run Club at Skirack, Burlington
6:00 PM: Smart Cycling Workshops with E-Bikes at Local Motion Bike Rentals, Burlington
6:00 PM: Make Your Own Beaded Plant at The Makery, 388 Pine Street, Burlington
6:00 PM: Novice Monday: Group MTB Ride at Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston
6:00 PM: Crowdsourced VT Shrek with Media Factory at Fletcher Room, Burlington
6:00 PM: Anime Group at Pathways Vermont Morgan's Place Peer Support Center, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Burlington Elks Bingo at Burlington Elks Lodge, Burlington
6:00 PM: Monday Night Open Mic at Pearl Street Pub, Essex Junction (Free)
7:00 PM: Inversion Lite at RevolVT, Burlington
7:00 PM: South End Singing Circle at 208 Flynn Ave / Oakledge Earth Clock, Burlington
7:00 PM: Play Dodgeball - Every Monday Night! at Robert Miller Center, Burlington ($5/game)
7:00 PM: Sunset Paddle or Kayak @ Shelburne Bay at Shelburne Bay Park, Bay Road, Shelburne
Live Music/DJ
11:15 AM: Family Concert Series at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston (Free)
6:00 PM: Trivia Monday at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex Junction (Free)
7:00 PM: Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment at McKee's Original, Winooski (Free)
7:00 PM: Trivia with Craig Mitchell at Monkey House, Winooski (Free)
7:30 PM: Fan Club w/ Dead Street Dreamers & CORRUPT WORLD at Radio Bean, Burlington ($12/$15)
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
General Events
9:00 AM: Burlington Bitcoin Meetup @ Zero Gravity at Zero Gravity, 716 Pine Street, Burlington — MEETUP.com
10:00 AM: Senior Strength Class at 905 Roosevelt Hwy Ste 100, Colchester
10:00 AM: Educator Days at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne (Free; preregister)
11:00 AM: YSO at SOAR (IAA) at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
11:45 AM: CLiF Book Giveaway and Drawing Demonstration. at Youth Area, Burlington
12:30 PM: YSO at Hunt at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
1:00 PM: Helping Hands - Quilts for the Community Sew In at 9 Main St, Essex Junction
1:30 PM: House & Garden Tour at the Shelburne Farms Inn 2026 at Shelburne Farms Inn, 99 Inn Road, Shelburne
2:00 PM: Pomeroy Park Playground Grand Opening! at Pomeroy Park, 355 North St, Burlington
2:00 PM: 'Building Brain Healthy Habits' at Essex Area Senior Center, Essex Junction (Free)
3:00 PM: Opening Day for the ONE Farmers Market, Burlington (Free)
3:00 PM: Hieroglyphs: Create a Cartouche at Brownell Library, Essex Junction (Free)
3:30 PM: YSO Starr Farm Park at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
3:45 PM: Lacrosse Summer Development Clinic, South Burlington (Free)
4:00 PM: Writer's Circle at Pathways Vermont Morgan's Place Peer Support Center, Burlington (Free)
5:00 PM: Volunteer Night at Old Spokes Home at Old Spokes Home, 664 Riverside Ave, Burlington
5:00 PM: Community Waterfront Cleanup at North Beach, Burlington (Free)
5:15 PM: Community Meditation at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, Burlington (Free; donations accepted)
5:30 PM: House Party for Amanda Janoo! at private home, South End, Burlington
5:30 PM: Recreation on the Go, South Burlington (Free)
5:30 PM: YSO ONE Farmer's Market (Dewey Park) at Dewey Park (ONE Farmers Market), Burlington
5:30 PM: Where is AI in 2026 and Where is it Going? at 235 College Street (Fletcher Free Library area), Burlington — MEETUP.com
6:00 PM: Evening Zentangle With Julia Davenport at Essex Free Library, Essex Junction (Free; preregister)
6:00 PM: Tuesday Trail Running Series at Catamount at Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston
6:00 PM: Vermont Figure Drawing Collective, Burlington ($20 cash)
6:00 PM: Reading Group at Peace & Justice Center, Burlington (Free; preregister)
6:00 PM: Community Stress Release Seminar at Oom Yung Doe VT, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Bashment Tuesday at Akes' Place, Burlington (Free)
6:30 PM: Spanish Conversation Group, Burlington (Free)
7:00 PM: July Charleston! at Vermont Swings / North Star Community Hall, Burlington
7:00 PM: July Beginning Swing! at Vermont Swings / North Star Community Hall, Burlington
7:00 PM: Colchester Town Plan, Colchester
7:00 PM: FFL's Fictional Book Club: Death of the Author at Pickering Room, Burlington
7:00 PM: 'American Graffiti' at Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington (Free)
7:00 PM: All That Jazz Open Mic Comedy at The 126, Burlington (Free)
8:00 PM: Crafters Drop-In at Main Reading Room , Burlington
Performances
7:00 PM: Sketch Show Class Performance at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington (Free)
Live Music/DJ
1:00 PM: 'Quartet Conversations' at Phoenix Books (Burlington), Burlington (Free; preregister)
6:00 PM: Raised by Hippies at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex Junction (Free)
7:00 PM: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings at Shelburne Museum (Ben & Jerry's Concerts on the Green), Shelburne ($56; free for kids 12 and under)
7:00 PM: Myra Flynn Live at Doma at Doma Bar, 388 Pine Street, Burlington (Free)
7:00 PM: Nora Kelly w/ Nora & Eliza at Radio Bean, Burlington ($10)
7:00 PM: Trivia Tuesdays at 4 Park St, Essex Junction (Free)
7:00 PM: Folk Therapy, HEMU at Monkey House, Winooski (Free)
7:00 PM: Vermont's Freedom & Unity Chorus at Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael's College, Colchester (Free)
8:00 PM: Dead Is Alive with Dobbs' Dead at Einstein's Tap House, Burlington ($15)
8:30 PM: L'Eclair at Foam Brewers, Burlington ($17/$20)
8:30 PM: Honky Tonk Tuesday at Radio Bean, Burlington ($10)
9:00 PM: Big Easy Tuesdays with Jon McBride at The 126, Burlington (Free)
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
General Events
10:00 AM: Italian Conversation Group at South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, South Burlington (Free)
10:30 AM: Current Events at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston (Free)
10:45 AM: MagnaTile Masterpieces at the NNE Branch at New North End Branch, Burlington
11:00 AM: Wild Card Wednesday at 127 East Shore Drive, Colchester
11:30 AM: YSO Ethan Allen Park at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
12:00 PM: Read to a Dog at NNE at New North End Branch, Burlington
1:00 PM: Donation-Based Ear Acupuncture Wednesday! at 366 Dorset St, South Burlington (donation)
2:30 PM: DREAM lunch at Pickering Room, Burlington
3:00 PM: Dinosaur Crafternoon at Fletcher Room, Burlington
3:00 PM: YSO Battery Park at Battery Park, Burlington
3:30 PM: Crafternoon at the Winooski Library at Winooski Library, 65 Winooski Falls Way, Winooski (Free)
4:00 PM: Steps to End Domestic Violence: Community Partners Desk at Main Reading Room , Burlington
4:30 PM: YSO Roosevelt Park at Roosevelt Park, Burlington
5:00 PM: Tree ID & Natural History Tour at Red Rocks Park, Burlington ($10-15; preregister)
5:00 PM: Summer Sketchbook Club at 34 Church St, Burlington
5:00 PM: Voter Registration: Community Partners Desk at Main Reading Room , Burlington
5:00 PM: Yarn Crafters Group at Must Love Yarn, Shelburne (Free)
5:00 PM: The All-Inclusive Dyke-Tacular at Doma Bar, Burlington (Free; cost of food and drink)
5:30 PM: FOTW New Trail Build - Saxon Hill at Saxon Hill Trailhead, Essex Junction
5:30 PM: 3 Summer Evenings - July Session at 39 Main St, Essex Junction
5:30 PM: Pick-up Basketball at 31 Booth St, Burlington (Free)
5:30 PM: Spanish Class at Fletcher Room, Burlington
5:30 PM: 'But Why?' Live: 'What Are Fossils?' at South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, South Burlington (Free)
5:30 PM: Garlic Harvesting & Curing at Landry Park, Winooski (Free)
5:45 PM: First Strides Vermont at Williston Village Community Park, 250 Library Ln, Williston
6:00 PM: After Hours @ Foam Brewers at Foam Brewers, Burlington
6:00 PM: Scrabble at The Boardroom - Board Game Cafe, Burlington
6:00 PM: Scrabble Night @ The Boardroom at The Boardroom, 3 Mill St, Burlington — MEETUP.com
6:00 PM: Lit Club at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Beach Read Book Fair at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex Junction (Free)
6:00 PM: Toastmasters of Greater Burlington at Generator Makerspace, Burlington (Free; preregister)
6:00 PM: Community Cooking at Outright Vermont, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Recovery Dharma at First United Methodist Church, Burlington (Free)
6:30 PM: planBTV New North End Community Meeting, Burlington
6:45 PM: July and August Open Practice at Vermont Swings / North Star Community Hall, Burlington
7:30 PM: Chamber Players Season Continues at the Elley-Long at Elley-Long Music Center, Colchester
8:00 PM: YSO Leddy Beach Bites at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
8:30 PM: Standup Open Mic at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington (Free)
Times Vary: Summer Tomato Party at Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Burlington
Performances
7:00 PM: VCA: Standup Class Show at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington
Live Music/DJ
10:30 AM: Classical Encounters Series at Wild Meadows Books & Café, Williston (Free)
11:00 AM: Free Chamber Music Concert at Burnham Memorial Library at Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester (Free)
1:15 PM: Classical Encounters Series at South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, South Burlington (Free)
5:00 PM: Soul Porpoise, Geoff Kim, the Project at The Old Stage at the Double E, Essex Junction (Free)
6:00 PM: Summer Concert Series 2026: B-Town at Sam Mazza's Farm Market, 277 Lavigne Rd, Colchester
6:30 PM: Bluegrass & Pizza at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski (Free)
7:00 PM: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Higher Ground, South Burlington
7:00 PM: House Trivia Night! at Venetian Soda Lounge, Burlington (Free)
7:00 PM: Trombone Shorty w/ JJ Grey & Mofro at Shelburne Museum (Ben & Jerry's Concerts on the Green), Shelburne
7:00 PM: Ben & Jerry's Concerts on the Green: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne
7:00 PM: Trivia at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington (Free)
7:30 PM: Craftsbury Chamber Players at Elley-Long Music Center - Saint Michael's College, Colchester
8:00 PM: GYMSHORTS w/ POLKAROBICS, The Eyetraps, & The Skizm at Radio Bean, Burlington ($10)
8:00 PM: Karaoke in the Alley at Red Square, Burlington (Free)
8:30 PM: Jazz Night with Ray Vega at Hotel Vermont, Burlington (Free)
9:00 PM: Jazz Jam at The 126, Burlington (Free)
Thursday, July 23, 2026
General Events
5:45 AM: Sculpt HIlT & Flow - Thursdays, Burlington
7:30 AM: BTV Cleanup Crew: Litter Pickup Thursdays, Burlington
7:30 AM: BTV Clean Up Crew at Top of Church St., Burlington (Free)
9:45 AM: Baby & Me Class at Greater Burlington YMCA (Burlington), Burlington ($10; free for members)
11:00 AM: Bay & Brisket Trivia Thursday at 127 East Shore Drive, Colchester
12:15 PM: Networking Lunch at Hula with the Network of Women at Hula, 50 Lakeside Avenue, Burlington ($35)
12:30 PM: YSO South Meadow at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
12:30 PM: Duplicate Bridge Games at Burlington Bridge Club, Williston ($6)
1:00 PM: Italian Conversation Group at Fletcher Room, Burlington
1:00 PM: Mah-Jongg at Shelburne Town Offices, Shelburne (Free; preregister)
1:00 PM: Friendly Game of Bridge at Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington (Free)
3:45 PM: Lacrosse Summer Development Clinic, South Burlington (Free)
4:00 PM: YSO Calahan Park at Fletcher Free Library, Burlington
5:00 PM: CSA Ride! at Old Spokes Home, Burlington (Free)
5:00 PM: Burlington Electric: Community Partners Desk at Main Reading Room , Burlington
5:00 PM: Shelburne Summer Nights at Shelburne Museum, Shelburne (Free)
5:30 PM: SB Nite Out #5 - SBRP Blanket Giveaway at SB Rec & Parks, 1000 Dorset St, South Burlington
5:30 PM: Master's Rollerski Clinic at 497 Talcott Rd, Williston
5:30 PM: Loon Talk by Eric Hanson at Isham Family Farm at Isham Family Farm, Oak Hill Rd, Williston
5:30 PM: YSO Northgate Apartments at Northgate Apartments, Burlington
6:00 PM: Social Thursday: Guided Mountain Bike Ride at Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston
6:00 PM: Laura Fedele-Rasco at 4 Park St, Essex Junction
6:00 PM: ALL your favorite songs at OnTap! at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction
6:00 PM: Winooski City Progressive Party Committee Meeting, Winooski
6:00 PM: Need a New Hobby? Come Try Rugby!, Burlington
6:00 PM: Paint Your Pet - Paint Night at Queen City Cat Lounge at Queen City Cat Lounge, Burlington
6:00 PM: Build Your Own Tasteboard at Mudcraft Pottery Studio! at Mudcraft Pottery Studio, Colchester
6:00 PM: July Poetry Salon: Madeline Wilson & JoAnna Easton at Pierson Library, Shelburne (Free)
6:00 PM: Vinyl Thursdays at Hotel Vermont, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Peer Support Dungeons & Dragons at Morgan House, Burlington (Free)
6:30 PM: Lawn Games at Essex Free Library, Essex Junction (Free)
7:00 PM: Thurs Night Figure Drawing w/ Emanata Art Collective! at Queen City Lodge Oddfellows Hall, Burlington
8:00 PM: Learn to Skate with Green Mountain Roller Derby at Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction
8:00 PM: King Garbage w/ C.Shreve the Professor & 3rd Chamber at The Monkey House, Winooski ($10)
10:00 PM: Thirsty Thursday at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington (Free)
Times Vary: Johanna Rose & The Dreamboats w/ The Bandit Queen of Sorrows at Radio Bean, Burlington
Times Vary: SB Nite Out \#5 at South Burlington Parks & Rec, South Burlington
Performances
7:00 PM: Best Day Ever Film Screening at Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington (Free)
7:00 PM: The Hidden Fortress at Vermont International Film Festival, Burlington ($6-12)
7:00 PM: Molly Kearney at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington
7:30 PM: "No Exit" New Theater Experience at Off Center at The Off Center, Burlington ($27-38)
7:30 PM: 'Oedipussy' at Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington ($33-99 sliding scale)
Live Music/DJ
10:30 AM: Classical Encounters Series at Kestrel Coffee Roasters, Burlington (Free)
12:15 PM: Folk Music at Lunch Time: Sallie Mack & Rosi Gowdey at St. Paul's Church, Burlington (Free)
5:30 PM: Party On The Bricks at Church Street Marketplace, Burlington (Free)
5:30 PM: Thursdays by the Lake: Barbacoa at Union Station, Burlington (Free)
6:00 PM: Maple Tree Place Summer Concert Series: GARTH Live at Maple Tree Place, Williston (Free)
6:00 PM: Trivia at Vermont Cider Lab, Winooski (Free)
6:00 PM: Trivia Night at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski (Free)
6:00 PM: Bob Cotton at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex Junction (Free)
6:30 PM: Music Bingo at Sparky's Bar & Grill, Essex Junction
6:30 PM: Summer Concert Series: Sticks and Stones at Snow Farm Vineyard & Winery, South Hero (Free)
7:00 PM: Bob Wagner Trio at Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne (Free)
9:00 PM: Funk Jam at The 126, Burlington (Free)
Here are some of my favorite BtownBrief links:
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
What changed in Burlington since you last looked, openings, closings, and everything in between: Since You Checked
18 free Burlington-made games, one address: The BTown Arcade
And if you'd rather just have one link for all of it: the guide, the arcade, the whole lot hub.btownbrief.com
That’s All, Burlington!
That should keep you plenty busy through Thursday. Enjoy that gorgeous Monday sunshine, keep the umbrella handy Tuesday and Wednesday, and save some energy for Thursday. If the news section moved you, the Red Cross would love to see you this week.
Got a tip, a favorite haunt, or an event we should have on our radar? Send it our way, we are always listening. And if the Brief makes your week a little easier to plan, you can support us on Ko-fi or Venmo (@btownbrief), every bit keeps this thing running.
See you Friday, Burlington.
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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