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Good morning, BTown. Monday opens on a fairly quiet note, with early sun that clouds over as the day goes on and a chance of afternoon showers around town. The good news for those of us up north is that the heaviest rain looks to settle well to the south, closer to central Vermont, where a stray inch or two could pile up, so the city should dodge the worst of it with highs near 75. Tuesday brings a real lift, partly sunny and a touch warmer with highs around 79 and noticeably lower humidity, give or take a passing shower. Wednesday is shaping up as the pick of the week, comfortable and bright with readings in the upper 70s to low 80s. Thursday starts pleasant before another round of showers and thunderstorms rolls in by late afternoon and lingers into Friday, so enjoy the midweek stretch while you have it.

The week kicks off with a fitting way to mark the longest day of the year. On Monday evening, Broadway veteran and Vermont native Merritt David Janes brings a roster of New York singers, a live band, and the returning Hot Fiddle duo to Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero for Broadway In The Islands, an outdoor concert of songs and backstage stories beside Lake Champlain starting at 6. New this year is a VIP option with a 5 o'clock meet and greet, appetizers, and a prosecco toast with the cast, and those seats are limited. Elsewhere on Monday, golfers can head to Vermont National Country Club in South Burlington for the second annual Vermont Adaptive Spring Swing Classic, a four person scramble with a 10 a.m. shotgun start that sends every dollar to Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Readers with overflowing shelves can clear some space between 3 and 6 p.m. by dropping off used books at Colchester High School for the Burnham Library sale, which also takes donations Wednesday from 10 to 2. And the regular Spanish Chat crowd gathers at Three Needs from 7 to 8, likely out back now that the evenings are warm, with all levels welcome from first timers to native speakers.

Tuesday leans family friendly. Around a dozen Vermont Lake Monsters players and Champ himself roll into Burlington Beer Company on Flynn Avenue from 5 to 7 for a meet and greet, with the first 50 kids in line scoring a free ball to get signed and half off the kids menu all evening. For something quieter, the Odd Fellows on North Avenue host a linocut postcard workshop starting at half past six, where ten dollars covers tools, ink, and blocks and no carving experience is required.

Wednesday, the nicest day of the stretch, fills up fast. Midday, the BCA lunchtime series brings local swing band The Swingin' Seven to City Hall Park from half past twelve to half past one, free and made for a sunny break. Come evening, animal lovers can dine for a cause at Cucina Antica in Shelburne from 4 to 8, where a tenth of the night's proceeds supports Passion 4 Paws rescue dogs. The curious can settle into the Burnham Room in Colchester at half past five for a talk on the revival of religion in contemporary China led by Middlebury professor Elizabeth Morrison, no background required. There is plenty more after dark on Wednesday. Local acts battle it out in the finals of Jam 4 SLAMT1D at The Old Post in South Burlington from 6, with an auction and raffle benefiting type one diabetes research. The Vermont Comedy Club spins up Challenge Wheel at 7, an improv game show where teams draw absurd handicaps mid scene for a deeply modest prize. Readers who like their fiction unsettling can join the Queer Horror Book Club above Hunny Musturd on Church Street from half past five, this month themed around mushrooms and bodily decay. If you’re in the data, automation, or software space, check out the SearchLight AI Summit [MEETUP] in Williston this Wednesday evening. Running from 5:00 to 7:30 PM, it's a great chance to connect with local tech founders, hear from the Searchlight executive team about their AI evolution, and enjoy some food while you mingle. Finally, of course, I have the weekly pickup basketball [MEETUP] runs at Pomeroy Park at 5:30.

Thursday is the busiest day on the calendar by a lot. It starts early with the BTV Cleanup Crew, which gathers in front of Kru Coffee at the top of Church Street at half past seven and works toward Battery Park collecting litter, with gloves and bags provided and the occasional cider donut as a reward. At quarter past noon, Rosi Gowdey and Sallie Mack offer a free hour of folk and jazz at St Paul's in Vergennes. The afternoon brings the Jericho Farmers Market celebrating 25 years at Mills Riverside Park from 3 to half past six with a birthday cake, face painting, and craft pours from Lucy and Howe. Come evening, South Burlington's beloved SB Nite Out returns to Veterans Memorial Park from half past five with a deep food truck court, music from Sticks and Stones, a free kids zone, and a Cirque de Fuego fire show at 8. The Shelburne Museum runs two things at once, the community focused Shelburne Summer Nights with The Tenderbellies and food trucks from 5 to half past seven, plus a casual museum professionals meet up for the Drinking About Museums crowd. Out in Charlotte, Familiar Faces plays the Old Lantern barn with dinner from 5 and music from 6, and up in South Hero, The Cobras bring classic rock and blues to Snow Farm Vineyard from half past six.

The Thursday night music keeps coming across the area. Foam Brewers hosts a Reggae Fest pre party with Jamaican veterans Papa Michigan and Carlton Livingston from 6, an all ages show backed by Boston's Dub Apocalypse. Radio Bean celebrates Winnipeg band Living Hour's new album with an album release show alongside local acts Neato and Peddle from 8, for the 21 and up crowd, while alt country cult favorites Souled American surface from a long quiet stretch for a rare seated show at Higher Ground at 8. Out in Williston, the Maple Tree Place summer series opens with Fleetwood Mac tribute Little Lies from 6, and Mary Mercik plays acoustic covers on the patio at Folino's that same evening. For the indoor types, comedian Myq Kaplan, a veteran of the late night circuit, headlines the Vermont Comedy Club at 7 both Thursday and Friday, the Emanata collective hosts its weekly figure drawing session at the Odd Fellows on North Avenue from 7 to 9 (drop in, 18 and up), and the Forever 38 Ladies Book Club [MEETUP] meets over dinner on the patio at Sweetwaters from 6 to talk through a Kenya travel memoir.

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

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

This Coming Week:

Other Upcoming Events:

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:

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

For these Burlington vintage dealers, selling clothes is a full-time job

The Burlington Vintage Market, which Cyr started in 2021, now anchors a small ecosystem of full time dealers who source, warehouse, and resell secondhand clothing across New England and beyond. Sellers credit the college town demand and social media thrifting trends, but also a longer Vermont habit of valuing durable, hand me down clothing. With higher end pieces drawing buyers from as far as Japan, the scene shows how a sustainability ethos has quietly grown into real local livelihoods.

Canadian visitors returning to Vermont parks ahead of Summer rush

With Canada Day approaching, federal data shows travel from the north slowly recovering, though still short of past levels after a stretch of soft cross border tourism. Parks like Sand Bar in Milton lean heavily on these day trippers, and managers there are openly hoping the trend holds. For a tourism dependent state, the rebound is encouraging, but officials caution it is early to call the season.

Are Vermonters hungry for neighborhood connection?

A new Streets as Places grant offered modest microgrants for neighborhood block parties and drew 210 applications for just 21 awards, a lopsided demand the organizers tied to lingering post pandemic isolation. Burlington was among the recipients, alongside towns as small as Peacham, and the backers include Local Motion, the Preservation Trust, AARP Vermont, and Front Porch Forum. The takeaway worth noting is that several neighborhoods went ahead without funding, which suggests the appetite for in person community runs deeper than any grant budget. Want to help out as best you can? Come help me host community events!

Burlington man charged with stalking, harassing Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak

Ari Moskowitz, 40, who runs a social media account critical of the mayor and is a fixture at council meetings, pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stay 300 feet from City Hall. His attorney frames the case as a First Amendment dispute and accuses the mayor of weaponizing the courts against a constituent, while the affidavit describes a year of escalating confrontations that left her carrying pepper spray and planning escape routes with her family. Notably, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George recused herself, handing the prosecution to Franklin County, a detail worth watching as the case unfolds.

Dairy Farmers of America to 'idle' its St. Albans plant, affecting 80 employees

The plant winds down August 17, taking roughly 80 jobs and a decades old processing hub that supplied vendors like Ben & Jerry's and Cabot. It lands as the latest in a brutal run for Franklin County dairy, following recently announced closures at Franklin Foods, Perrigo, and HP Hood in Barre. State agriculture officials say they are studying whether any of these idled plants can be repurposed, but the pattern points to deeper trouble across the regional dairy economy.

Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants Surpasses $1 Million Goal

Launched a year ago by State Treasurer Mike Pieciak alongside Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale and the United Way, the fund drew thousands of donors across more than 30 states to bolster Vermont's thin bench of deportation defense attorneys. The money funded 13 new hires across six organizations, and groups like the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project have since filed habeas petitions that won releases for some detainees. With the goal met and funds distributed, Pieciak says the effort has wrapped, which raises the question of what sustains that legal infrastructure going forward.

A new Burlington film series pairs silent films with live music

The Vermont International Film Festival's Musical Silents series sets century old films against live improvised guitar from musician Matt Hagen, who never previews the movies before scoring them on the spot. The idea pushes back on the notion that silent films are dusty relics, swapping old timey accompaniment for something immediate and modern. Anyone curious can catch the next installment, Paul Wegener's "The Golem," on July 8.

Soundbites: Remembering Late Burlington Rocker Matthew Stephen Perry

Matthew Stephen Perry, a beloved bartender and front man who played with the Lestons, Party Star, and Dino Bravo, died in March at 49, and a few hundred people packed the SEABA Center for a raucous, potato flinging send off. The night ran through his three bands in order alongside surprise reunions, including the Jazz Guys onstage for the first time in nearly two decades. It’s a great example of how tightly Perry stitched together Burlington's music and barroom worlds, the kind of connector a scene rarely replaces.

Q&A: Lucy and Steve Boyajian Share Their Memories of Burlington

The siblings grew up beside the Burlington-Winooski Bridge in a brick building whose ground floor was buried when the street was raised after the 1927 flood. Their parents survived the Armenian genocide and settled in a Ward 1 neighborhood where, they remember, the family felt shunned and their name went unpronounced. With the nearly century old bridge slated for replacement starting in 2027, this Stuck in Vermont episode captures a layer of immigrant history that is easy to drive past without noticing. Give it a full 8-minute watch by clicking the link.

Theater Review: 'Shakespeare in Love,' Vermont Repertory Theatre

Vermont Repertory Theatre's staging at the Isham Barn in Williston earned warm marks for its 20 person ensemble, period music, and showstopping Elizabethan costumes, even as the critic admitted it runs a touch long. The review singles out the design work and the cast's restraint, resisting the urge to play the comedy too broadly.

Entrées & Exits: Langdon Street Tavern Closes; Sweetwaters and Downtown Bars Team Up

Montpelier lost its Langdon Street Tavern after nine years, reportedly over a rent dispute, the second nightlife spot to leave that block since last fall. Closer to home, Sweetwaters has revived a pandemic era collaboration so patrons at the Archives, Red Square, and Akes' Place can scan a QR code and have food walked over from the Church Street kitchen. The two items together sketch the push and pull of the regional restaurant scene right now, with one watering hole going dark while downtown Burlington experiments with ways to keep its corners lively.

Community National Bank #1 in Vermont on Forbes list — For the fifth year running, Community National Bank topped Forbes' Best-In-State ranking for Vermont, based on a survey of thousands of customers. The Derby-based bank, which has a loan office in Burlington, is marking its 175th anniversary this year.

Black Vermonters celebrated in new South Burlington exhibit — A photography exhibit titled "Vibrant Lives: Discovering Our Roots of Black Vermont" runs on the second floor of the South Burlington library from June 30 through August 31. Its launch featured a panel of civic and educational leaders discussing freedom, fairness, and youth education.

Feldman's Bagels Closes Abruptly in Burlington and St. Albans — Both the Pine Street and St. Albans locations of Feldman's Bagels shut down Thursday with no warning, leaving only a handwritten sign on the door. The owner also recently closed two area Firehouse Subs franchises.

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?

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

View the potential prizes on the Btown Brief Merch Store

The Vermont Green FC women’s team maintained their undefeated season with a resounding 10-0 victory over AC Connecticut on Friday night at Virtue Field. The downpour of goals featured nine different goalscorers, setting a club record for the largest margin of victory. Following a scoreless first twenty-five minutes, Georgina Clarke opened the scoring in the 26th minute. The onslaught continued with goals from Olivia Grenda, Neve Renwick, Isabel Smith, Tess Barrett, and Louisa Thomsen before halftime. Emily Mara, Lily Gibbs, and Hosane Soukou, who netted a brace, added to the tally in the second half. The Women in Green will look to continue their unbeaten run when they return to Virtue Field on Monday, June 22, at 7 p.m. for a mammoth showdown against top-of-the-table Hartford Athletic.

On the men's side, Vermont Green FC bounced back emphatically from dropped points earlier in the week by dismantling Boston City FC 10-1 on Saturday night in front of a sold-out Labor Night crowd. The result set a new club record for the most goals scored in a single match. Seven different players found the back of the net, marking the first time in club history that three players—Jeremy Francou, Connor Miller, and David Ajagbe—each recorded braces in the same match. Ryan Zellefrow, Diego Rosas, Martin Bakken, and Halim Bangura also contributed to the historic scoreline. The men's squad improves to 8W-1D-0L on the season and will face Boston City FC again away on Tuesday, June 23.

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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.

View the full list of food & drink deals here.

A packed week ahead, especially come Thursday, so pace yourself and pick your spots. Whether you end up toasting the solstice in South Hero, chasing a signed baseball on Flynn Avenue, or just claiming a sunny bench for the Wednesday concert, there is no shortage of reasons to get out the door. Support the local makers, musicians, and volunteers who keep all of this running, and click through on anything that catches your eye.

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