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Weather & Monday Rundown:

Good morning, Burlington. We are shaking off a damp stretch today, with any leftover showers clearing out early and most of that wet weather sliding off toward New Hampshire. Expect a quieter, milder Monday with partly sunny skies, maybe a stray light shower, and afternoon highs settling into the mid to upper 60s. Overnight stays on the crisp side, so keep a light jacket handy after dark. Tuesday looks pleasant and a touch warmer, partly sunny with highs reaching the upper 60s to around 70. The real treat arrives midweek, when sunshine takes over and it starts to feel like proper summer. Wednesday and Thursday should climb well into the 70s, and Thursday may even flirt with the low 80s, so the timing could not be better for everything happening downtown.

If you would rather ease into the week, Monday keeps things low key. The Getting Active in Burlington crew hosts a free 5K run at Burlington Beer Company [MEETUP] from 5:30 to 7 PM so meet out front in the lot and shake out the legs. Looking for something calmer? Over in Essex Junction, the Burlington Area Ladies Social Group gathers for Crafting in Community [MEETUP] from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, an easygoing evening to knit, color, scrapbook, or simply chat with new faces.

Tuesday fills up fast. Early risers have a few solid options, starting with the new SB3C Power Hour Business Connect at South Burlington City Hall from 8 to 9:30 AM, where board president Alex Judge talks local growth and breakfast comes courtesy of Kestrel Coffee and Dave's Hot Chicken. There is also the Vermont Technology Meetup breakfast [MEETUP] at Zero Gravity Brewery from 8 to 10 AM, an unfussy gathering of founders and developers over waffles, plus the Network of Women's June networking coffee at Hula from 8:15 to 9:30 AM. Come afternoon, the ONE Farmers Market returns to Dewey Park from 3 to 6:30 PM with produce, flowers, baked goods, and local makers, and SNAP, Crop Cash, and Farm to Family coupons are all welcome. As the evening cools, you can flow through Mindful Yoga at the Shelburne Museum from 5:30 to 7 PM, warm up at Afro-Latin Dance Night at Switchback Brewing from 6 to 9 PM, or catch CAKE on the Midway Lawn at the Champlain Valley Expo, with doors at 6:30 and music at 8. Also on Tuesday, you can catch the Vermont Green FC Men’s team take on Boston Bolts at 6 PM.

Wednesday is when the city really turns up, because the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival swings into action and runs straight through the weekend. One marquee opener is The Beat Beneath Us at the Flynn at 7:30 PM, an electric pairing of tap legend Savion Glover, pianist Jason Moran, and drummer Chris Dave, opened by Ronald K. Brown and EVIDENCE dancing in tribute to Max Roach. If free music is more your speed, the festival spills right onto the bricks with Downtown Jazz, where Soule Monde with EVNGwear plays the Top Block Stage from 6 to 9 PM, Birdcode takes College Street, and the Steve Bredice Quartet warms up City Hall Park at lunchtime. Earlier in the day, student bands from across the region take over the Marketplace starting at 11 AM. There’s really tons more for the Discover Jazz Festival that goes into the weekend, so check out the full schedule.

There is plenty more on Wednesday beyond the music. Up on Main Street at 9:30 AM, artist Nancy Winship Milliken's enormous 48-foot-long black locust sculpture arrives by rail and gets paraded into place, a genuinely odd and wonderful bit of public art worth seeing in person as they usher it up Main St, as it’ll be accompanied by “cranes, rigging crews, heavy equipment, and the collective energy of the community". That evening, the Turning Point Center hosts Stand Up for Recovery at Main Street Landing from 5:30 to 8 PM, a comedy and auction fundraiser headlined by Josh Gondelman in support of local recovery services. Entrepreneurs can head to Williston for the Vermont Womenpreneurs Summit at Isham Family Farm from 5 to 8:30 PM, while the tech crowd gathers for ChatBTV and Friends of Climate Tech [MEETUP] at the Energy Hub from 5 to 7 PM. For something more active, there is competitive pickup basketball [MEETUP] at Pomeroy Park from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, a Learn to Skate session with Green Mountain Roller Derby from 8 to 9:30 PM, and indie act Trousdale at Higher Ground's Showcase Lounge with doors at 7.

By Thursday, with sunshine and possible low 80s, downtown stays busy. The jazz keeps rolling with Madaila and Andriana and the Bananas free on the Top Block Stage from 6 to 9 PM, marking Madaila's return after a five year break, while over at the Flynn pianist Jason Moran joins the Vermont Youth Orchestra for My Heart Sings, a Duke Ellington celebration at 7 PM. If storytelling is more your thing, PechaKucha Night Volume 43 brings community visual storytelling to Main Street Landing from 7 to 9 PM, and the new VCA storytelling class makes its free stage debut at Vermont Comedy Club at 7 PM. Baseball fans can catch the Vermont Lake Monsters at Centennial Field at 6:35 PM, where the first 500 through the gates snag a free fanny pack, and music fans can head to the Champlain Valley Expo for Mt. Joy on the Midway Lawn, with doors at 6:30 and the show at 8. For something mellower, belt one out with the 30+ crew at the Golden Hour sing along at Citizen Cider from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, blend your own scent at Custom Perfume Blending with Bloom Lab at Gardener's Supply in Williston from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, or support a good cause at the free Persian Fundraiser for Freedom and Peace at the SEABA Center starting at 5 PM. Early birds with a service streak can join the BTV Cleanup Crew outside Kru Coffee at 7:30 AM, and anyone keen to help the Friends of Burnham Library should swing by the used book sale volunteer kickoff at the Colchester Meeting House from 6 to 7 PM.

See Events Section for full list of events Monday-Thursday.

Can’t see the time with these clouds in the way!

The Btown Brief IRL - We’re now seeing 20–30 people at our weekly events! Here is what we have coming up:

  • STAY TUNED, tons of events are about the hit the calendar this week!

  • Saturday @ 10:00 AM: Coffee Meetup – Our favorite weekly casual social at Zero Gravity.

  • Every Wednesday @ 5:30 PM: Pick-up Basketball – Come play pick up basketball with me at Pomeroy Park! My favorite hobby.

  • Saturday, June 6th @ 11:00 AM: Hike and Beer Crawl – A relaxed trail walk at Red Rocks Park, followed by a South End pub crawl hitting Switchback, BBCO, Queen City, and Zero Gravity.

  • Sunday, June 14th @ 11:00 AM: Hike – Niquette Bay – An easygoing 3.4-mile wooded loop with excellent views of the lake.

If any of those sound fun, be sure to RSVP on Meetup.com. So, be sure to stop by, everyone is welcome! Especially coffee, since it’s a great place to talk about weekend events too, along with news and life updates. So come find things to do this weekend together:

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Developer Doug Nedde promised that "when we're done, the site will be one of the cleanest in the city," per Seven Days.

The plan calls for 112 units across two four story buildings at 453 Pine Street, with about a fifth set aside as affordable, on a brownfield that sits beside one of Vermont's most toxic Superfund sites. A long line of proposals has died here before, including herbal entrepreneur Jovial King's Nordic spa, which collapsed once remediation costs blew past the state's budget. The project still needs Development Review Board approval, and the advocacy group Friends of the Barge Canal would rather see the land become green space.

A surprise windfall "changed the whole equation," said House Appropriations chair Robin Scheu, per Vermont Public.

Lawmakers had balked at Gov. Phil Scott's plan to tap the Higher Education Trust Fund for the 5,000 seat venue, but a $10 million unclaimed property windfall shrank the scholarship fund draw to just $2 million, making the appropriation far easier to swallow. The roughly $175 million complex would replace Patrick Gym and renovate Gutterson Fieldhouse, with UVM still needing to raise another $88 million from donors who say they are waiting on the state to move first. It lands as the university reports fall enrollment down 15 percent, so the bet on a venue as an economic driver is not without its skeptics.

"I am thrilled to feature these companies at Demo Night," said LaunchVT director Noragh Devlin, per Vermont Business Magazine.

The free event caps the Lake Champlain Chamber program's twelve week accelerator, with seven startups pitching to a panel of investor judges and former NBC5 meteorologist Tom Messner serving as emcee. Two of the founders will leave with cash awards, and all of them collect professional services worth tens of thousands of dollars. For anyone curious about what the local startup scene is building right now, this is the night to see it.

"This is a victory for farmworkers," said Migrant Justice spokesperson Thelma Gómez, per Vermont Business Magazine.

After a thirteen month investigation, a Dutch government body ruled that the Burlington nonprofit's human rights complaint against Ahold Delhaize, Hannaford's parent company, can move forward, pulling the chain into mediation at last. Migrant Justice has spent seven years pressing Hannaford to join its Milk with Dignity program, the worker authored standards Ben & Jerry's signed onto back in 2017. For the roughly 1,000 migrant workers in Vermont's dairy industry, this is the first real crack in years of corporate silence.

"Time is of the essence," organizer Rachel Elliott told a rapid response training, per Seven Days.

The group formed in 2010 after the workplace death of a young Chiapas farmworker, and it has since become the public face of Vermont's resistance to the federal immigration crackdown, with about 3,500 people now signed up for text alerts that summon crowds to ICE actions. The piece also surfaces a complication worth watching, namely the arrest of longtime leader José Ignacio De La Cruz on smuggling charges he denies, which could shape how state leaders view the organization. For readers trying to understand the noise around the March confrontations in South Burlington, this is the backstory.

"Magnum has become Trumpified," co-founder Ben Cohen said of the brand's current owner, per VTDigger.

Cohen, now 75, is openly campaigning to win back creative and ethical control of the company he and Jerry Greenfield started nearly fifty years ago, after CEO David Stever was ousted last year and Greenfield quit in protest. The feud traces back to the 2021 decision to stop selling in the Israeli occupied West Bank, and it has only sharpened since Unilever spun the ice cream business off to Magnum. Cohen even raised the possibility that Ben & Jerry's could one day leave Vermont, which would be no small thing for Waterbury and the state's brand identity.

Looking back on that first holiday market, founder Debra Townsend recalled thinking "maybe there's a business here," per VTDigger, in a profile sponsored by lender VEDA.

What began with her mother's shortbread recipe at the Richmond Christmas Market is now a five person, mother and daughter operation selling in 48 states, helped along by a well timed influencer shoutout in 2020 and a string of VEDA loans. The recognition is genuine, though it is worth noting the piece is sponsored content from the financing institution that backed the business. The SBA award ceremony happens June 11 at Hula in Burlington.

"We want responsible growth instead of rapid commercialization," said Mark Darko of Ghana's Chamber of Cannabis Industry, per Seven Days.

A Ghanaian delegation visited the New England Cannabis Convention in South Burlington this month, drawn to Vermont's seed to sale tracking and its preference for small producers over big multistate operators. They are especially interested in adapting Vermont's social equity program, which Darko hopes can help his country's legacy growers move into the legal market. Vermont State University's cannabis studies program in Castleton has become an unexpected pipeline, with the first Ghanaian student set to finish his certificate this fall.

The family's aim is to share "the flavors and traditions we grew up with," Bryan Pineda told Seven Days.

The Arteaga-Pineda family, originally from Ecuador, opened in March at 1834 Shelburne Road, the South Burlington spot where Pauline's Café operated for almost fifty years before closing abruptly in 2024. The menu reaches beyond Ecuadorian staples like cheese stuffed potato pancakes to include Peruvian and Colombian dishes, a nod to the area's growing Latin community. There is also a full bar, and weekend seafood specials lean on coastal Ecuadorian ingredients.

Palilonis says he wants to add "some summer fun" like live music and open mic nights, per Seven Days.

The counter service barbecue spot opened May 20 next to his taco place Caja Taqueria, taking over the space that had been his short lived ax throwing venue, which closed in part over high insurance costs. Opening week seemed to confirm his hunch about local demand, with close to 100 people showing up in the first two hours for brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Hours run Wednesday through Saturday for now, with plans to expand as he staffs up.

El Gato Cantina says May 31 will be its last day on Park Street in Essex Junction, per WCAX.

The restaurant has been at the Five Corners since 2014 but plans to relocate somewhere in the Essex area, with the new spot to be announced July 1. Its locations in Jeffersonville and at Smugglers' Notch stay open, as does the food truck, though the Burlington location closed back in 2023. Seven Days reported last year that the building is slated for demolition, which explains the search for a new home.

Owners cited an Instagram note that "some of our ingredients have doubled in price," per Seven Days.

After five years, Aisha and Danny Bassett are closing the dairy free creemee business that began at Winooski's Myers Memorial Pool in 2021 and most recently shared space inside Uncommon Coffee in Essex. Rising costs and the arrival of their daughter over the winter both factored into the decision to step away. They have said they would love to see someone carry the brand forward, so this may not be the very last scoop.

Artist Cathy Della Lucia reminds viewers that "wood is actually still alive," per Seven Days.

The show, "What's the Difference? Sculptural Ideas," was guest curated by BCA's Jacquie O'Brien and pairs Della Lucia's modular, almost Lego like assemblages with Lee Williams' animistic, Welsh folklore tinged pieces built from sticks and logs. Both artists work mostly in wood and share a fearless sense of color, treating heavy formal questions with real humor. It runs in the second floor gallery through June 20, so there is still plenty of time to wander up.

How good of a reader are you? Think you’re keeping up with Burlington news? It's time to prove it. Every Monday and Friday, we're dropping a quick 5-question quiz covering the local news you just finished reading. You've got just 60 seconds to answer them all. No looking back allowed. Use the same unique name each time you play so everyone can track your stats in our Hall of Fame, where you'll compete for titles like Sharpshooter (highest accuracy), Speed Demon (fastest average time), and Streak Leader (most consistent player). Make your name (or cool nickname) known to Btown!

And yes, there are PRIZES. Each month, we'll reward the top performers based on the best combination of Total Score and Average Score. That means playing consistently AND playing well will pay off. The more quizzes you complete with high scores, the better your chances of winning. I mean, who doesn’t want cool Btown Merch gear sent to them?

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Vermont Green FC Secures Maple Cup and Advances to Steinbrecher Cup Final

The Vermont Green FC men's team is advancing to the 2026 Hank Steinbrecher Cup Final after a dramatic semifinal victory. The match ended in a scoreless draw after 90 minutes at Moretz Stadium, leading to a tense penalty shootout where the Green converted all five spot kicks to secure a 5-4 victory over Hickory FC. Goalkeeper Seth Wilson produced the decisive save on Hickory's final penalty attempt to seal the win. The club will now host reigning USASA National Amateur Cup champion West Chester United SC for the chance to be crowned Champion of Champions. The Green will host this Steinbrecher Cup Final matchup on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. at Virtue Field.

On the women's side, Vermont Green FC successfully kept the Maple Cup trophy in Burlington for a third straight year with a 2-0 shutout against Ligue1 Québec side Lakeshore SC in a rain-soaked contest. After weathering an early 30-minute lightning delay, the Women in Green took the lead in the 20th minute when newcomer Hannah Kroupa's cross deflected into the back of the net. Late in the second half, Annie Gnidula secured the victory with a volleyed finish in the 83rd minute.

  • Tues. June 2, 6 PM — Men vs. Boston Bolts

  • Fri. June 5, 7 PM — Men vs. West Chester United

  • Sat. June 6, 7 PM — Women vs. New England Mutiny

Events:

Monday, June 1, 2026

General Events

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

General Events

Live Music/DJ

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Thursday, June 4, 2026

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Here are some of my favorite BtownBrief links:

Full list of 202+ activities to do at anytime is always waiting here when you need a plan: 202+ Things to Do

View the full list of food & drink deals here.

That’s All, Burlington!

That is a packed few days, even by our standards, and with the forecast finally trending sunny and warm, there has never been a better excuse to get out and enjoy it. Whether you are chasing jazz down Church Street, cheering on the Lake Monsters, or just grabbing dinner fixings at Dewey Park, the city has something waiting for you. Take a minute to click through the links above and support the local folks putting these events together.

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