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Grab the umbrella on your way out this morning, because Monday stays gray with on and off showers, mostly in the first half of the day, and a high right around 50. Tuesday starts dry before another round of showers rolls in for the afternoon and evening, with highs again near 50, and the two days only add up to a tenth or two of an inch. Veterans Day looks like the driest day of the week, mostly cloudy with maybe a peek of afternoon sun and a high in the upper 40s, and Wednesday night drops to about 31, so Thursday starts near freezing. Thursday stays cloudy and chilly in the mid 40s, and a storm could bring rain and some wet snow in the hills Friday into Saturday, though its track is still up in the air. Check in on Burlington Right Now any day this week for patio, swim, and sunset scores.

Monday

Also Monday, Country's Best VT hosts its Monday Night Line Up at On Tap Bar & Grill at 6. The Collage Collective gathers at Expressive Arts Burlington on Flynn Ave from 6:30 to 9 to cut, paste and share what they made, open to beginners and on a donation basis, and Buddhist teacher Laura McPeake leads a drop in meditation class on living a meaningful life at the Burlington Friends Meeting House at 6:30 ($10). Over in Winooski, Craig Mitchell hosts trivia at The Monkey House at 7.

Tuesday

Also Tuesday, Special Olympics Vermont and lululemon hold a free Run Club for all abilities on St. Mike's indoor track from 5 to 6, and the Vermont Figure Drawing Collective runs its drop in session at Karma Bird House from 6 to 8 ($20). Switchback's Music Bingo is all '80s hits from 7 to 9 at the Beer Garden, and Brooklyn indie pop artist Julesy plays The Monkey House at 7:45 with Burlington's english major and Paper Castles (21+). Grateful Dead tribute Dobbs' Dead plays Einstein's Tap House at 8, and Jon McBride's Big Easy Tuesdays run free at The 126 at 9.

Wednesday

Also Wednesday, the Williston-Richmond Rotary holds a Veterans Day observance at Williston War Memorial Park from 9 to 10. At 11, Burlington's annual Veterans Day Commemoration begins at Battery Park, and Shelburne gathers at its Veterans Monument to hear Col. Roger Crouse, who served 29 years in the Vermont Air National Guard, so bring a chair. From noon to 6, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War set up Civil War displays near Applebee's at University Mall, where veterans and military personnel get a free meal. Local Motion and VPOP paint signs and ghost shoes for the people killed this year while biking, walking and rolling at the Trailside Center from 5 to 7, with all materials provided, and Getting Active in Burlington runs a 5K on the bike path from Switchback at 5:30, with $12 Buns & Brew burger and beer night waiting afterward (bring running lights).

At 6, Tech Speakeasy VT's ChatBTV meetup at Bluehouse Group hears Kyle Ferguson on building a profitable e-commerce business with almost no coding experience, with food and drinks provided, and The Media Factory's free Camera Essentials workshop on Flynn Ave moves you beyond the Auto settings from 6 to 8 (preregister). Barefoot Vermont singer songwriter Jenny Porter plays originals, folk, '90s and classic rock at Four Quarters in Winooski from 6 to 8, the Burlington Area Ladies Social Group brings its own projects to Crafting in Community in Essex Junction at 6:30, and the Architecture + Design Film Series screens The Desert of Forbidden Art, the story of Igor Savitsky, who hid more than 40,000 avant garde works in a museum in remote Uzbekistan, free at Contois Auditorium at 6:30. At 7, Jamie Lee Thurston plays a free country show at The Old Post in South Burlington, and Upper Pass hosts a free jazz night in its North Avenue taproom. UVM Theatre opens Rajiv Joseph's Obie winning "Describe the Night" at the Royall Tyler Theatre at 7:30, Weatherday's Hornet Disaster Tour hits the Showcase Lounge at 7:30 with Skrom and sports. on the bill, and Ray Vega's weekly jazz night at Hotel Vermont starts at 8:30.

Thursday

Also Thursday, the Vermont Pollinator Working Group's free public symposium in the Davis Center's Grand Maple Ballroom runs 2 to 4, with a keynote from Cornell's Shianne Lindsay (preregister). April Cornell's semi-annual Friends & Family Party on Battery Street runs 3 to 8 with live harp music and refreshments, and poet Sonia Manzano Vela reads from her poetry, translated by Alexis Levitan, in UVM's Waterman Building at 4. The ONE Community Dinner serves a free, veggie powered pizza party at the ONE Community Center on Allen Street from 5:30, before a Ward 2 NPA with a Q&A with Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, and the Burlington Lead Program will test small household items for lead.

Diocese clergy show off their hidden talents at the Catholic Variety Show at St. Mike's at 7, benefiting Vermont Catholic Charities' Emergency Aid Program. Social Pulse brings Plattsburgh's Ursa and the Major Key to Foam for a free all ages show at 7, and Patagonia screens two new snow films at its Snow Movie Night at 7:30, with a raffle entry in every ticket and proceeds to the Catamount Trail Association ($5). Also at 7:30, Cleveland reggae band Tropidelic plays the Higher Ground Ballroom, South Carolina indie rockers Winyah are down to low tickets in the Showcase Lounge, and Sweet Tooth and The Leatherbound Books play a benefit for the Vermont Workers' Center at The Monkey House (21+, $10-20 suggested donation). June Henry and chrysalis share the SEABA Center bill with Henry Jamison at 8, and the Drag Newcomers' Showcase puts first time local performers on the Vermont Comedy Club stage at 8:30, with only a handful of tickets left, so bring a wad of dollar bills.

These are the highlights, and you'll find the full list of events down in the Events section or on my events page.

Thanks to everyone who helps host and everyone who shows up, our weekly Meetup events now draw 25 to 35 people! The best place to start is Saturday Coffee at Zero Gravity at 10am, where we trade weekend plans, news, and life updates. Pick something below and come find things to do with us.

This Coming Week:

All Day is nine curated feeds for Burlington, built by me. Instead of scrolling four apps, The Wire brings you breaking headlines and local social buzz. From there, you'll find showtimes, food deals, run clubs, thrift shops, a local arcade, and more. Take a look at guide.btownbrief.com/all-day and tell me what’s missing.

And of course my website that holds all 80+ projects I made for the city, be sure to take an afternoon and check them all out.

Check out my latest Burlington-themed game, it’s similar to a popular Nintendo fighter game. Tons of local characters to play with:

Why support? The Brief exists because every week someone sits down with Seven Days events, Front Porch Forum calendar, Facebook events, Hello Burlington, Meetup.com, Eventbrite, Church St Marketplace calendar, Flynn, Higher Ground, Vermont Comedy Club, along with VTDigger, Seven Days, WCAX, WPTZ, Vermont Public, Community News Service, VT Cynic, The Other Paper, Vermont Business Magazine, Williston Observer, MyChamplainValley, The Charlotte News, and turns all of it into one email. If that email has saved you time or pointed you to something new in town, a little support goes a long way.

About Me

Café Culture: Sampling Five New Coffee Shops in Chittenden County

Seven Days visited five cafés that opened around Chittenden County this year, each with a draw beyond the drinks. Michael Chase's Artemus Café opened on Church Street in August in the old Cosmic Grind and Speeder & Earl's space and is also home to the Burlington Art Mini Museum, with work from 22 artists on the walls and free admission. Dante Seguino's Café Napoli on Cherry Street sells cakes baked by his mom, retired UVM professor Stephanie Seguino, Clover Café's cold foam took off on TikTok, Meadow Roast in the Essex Towne Marketplace makes all its pastries in house daily, and Wild Meadows Books & Café at Finney Crossing pairs Mocha Joe's coffee with a store full of books. Downtown, Onyx Tonics left 126 College Street after a decade and hopes to reopen at 77 Pine Street the week of Nov. 9.
And, of course, Zero Gravity Brewery also serves delicious coffee, waffles and other drinks in the mornings, so if you haven’t checked out my BTown Coffee Club yet, be sure to come hang out, here’s latest vibe from last week:

Beta announces its new training center even as South Burlington ponders plan

Beta Technologies has filed its first building project under its proposed master plan, a 61,000 square foot addition at 430 Davinci Drive that would create a four story training center and an adjoining aircraft hangar. The plans include six of Beta's full scale "ThunderDome" flight simulators, and Beta's Alex Gagnon says all the pilots for the company's electric fleet will train there. The project depends on the master plan, which South Burlington is still weighing with a decision due by Nov. 20, and Beta returns to the Development Review Board with revisions Nov. 17. If it's approved, Beta plans to finish in 2028, after a traffic light goes in at Williston Road and Davinci Drive.

New Burlington police chief will face tall order

The City Council is expected to vote Monday, Nov. 9, on Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak's pick for chief, Anthony Geraci, a 25 year law enforcement veteran who has served as police chief in Watervliet and Newburgh, New York. If the council approves him, he starts Tuesday, with interim chief Shawn Burke staying until March to help with the transition. He would take over a department down to 54 officers with 19 vacancies. Hiring committee member Mark Bouchett of the Church Street Marketplace commission and Lake Champlain Chamber CEO Catherine Davis want recruiting to be a priority, while residents including former police commissioner Stephanie Seguino want a chief open to civilian oversight.

City of Burlington invites public input on future development

Residents came to Burlington High School last Thursday to weigh in on PlanBTV2050, the city's plan for new recreation, safer infrastructure for cyclists and a 7,000 unit housing goal, including where those units should go. Lifelong resident Emile Eley doesn't want development on public lands, and Joel Hakken said the 100 unit homeless shelter should be the immediate priority. The next public meeting on the plan won't happen until the new year.

Burlington City Council president launches bid for mayor

City Council President Ben Traverse, a Democrat who first won the South End's Ward 5 seat in 2022, launched his campaign for mayor Friday at the Battery Park pavilion, setting up a possible race against Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who says she'll announce her reelection plans in the next few days. Traverse has clashed with the mayor over Burlington Forward, the council Democrats' public safety resolution that's tabled until Dec. 7, and says he wants the police force closer to 90 officers than the current 54. He declined to say whether he'll support the police chief appointment Monday, and the election is on Town Meeting Day in March.

Despite $928 Million Spent, Lake Champlain Cleanup Is Falling Behind

A Seven Days and ProPublica investigation finds Vermont's Lake Champlain cleanup faltering more than a decade after the 2015 Clean Water Act was signed on the Burlington waterfront, and the EPA warned last year the state would need to more than double its pace to hit the 2036 target. Seven of the lake's 15 sampling stations have topped EPA phosphorus limits every year since 2015, with agriculture the largest polluting sector, as state agencies have repeatedly delayed tougher action on farms, businesses and housing developments. Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore says the projects are on pace even though the lake data is slower to show it. A companion story found the outside audit lawmakers mandated for the $928 million spent since 2016 never happened because no firms bid, and Sen. Anne Watson says she'll likely discuss reviving it with colleagues when the session starts in January.

More Vermonters searching for meals as food shelves try to keep up

The Vermont Foodbank says its partner network has seen a 30% increase in guest visits compared to 2025, which the Foodbank's Carrie Stahler ties to rising costs and new 3SquaresVT eligibility restrictions that left more than 5,300 Vermonters without benefits between July 2025 and 2026. The Williston Food Shelf now spends $14,000 a month on food, up from $10,000 last year. On the brighter side, students and volunteers carried frozen turkeys from Patrick Gymnasium to Virtue Field Saturday for UVM's 13th Trotting of the Turkeys, which organizers said was over $18,000 and hoping to reach $20,000 for Feeding Champlain Valley.

Private Equity Firms Are Quietly Buying Up Local Funeral Homes

Private equity only moved into Vermont's death care industry in the past five years, and Milestone Funeral Partners of Auburn, Maine, now operates 119 funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries across New England and upstate New York, 12 in Vermont, and it has since bought the group of funeral homes that LaVigne Funeral Home in Winooski owned. CEO Michael Martel says consolidating operations lets Milestone offer perks most independents can't, like paid internships, tuition reimbursement and health insurance. Critics say prices climb, and Randolph funeral director Rachel Bishop heard from colleagues that cremation in the Barre-Montpelier area went from $1,995 to $3,500 in two years. Tom Harty of the Vermont Funeral Directors Association says he doesn't know a single person who switched to Milestone who isn't working harder and longer for less money.

South Burlington School District settles with teachers over labor dispute

The South Burlington Educators Association and Vermont NEA filed the charges in August 2025 after the district hired former Attorney General William Sorrell to investigate a complaint about a "black book" allegedly circulated at teachers' social gatherings with negative commentary about district leadership, an investigation the union called retaliation. Under the settlement the union withdrew its charges and grievance, and the district agreed the activity in the complaint, which the union denies, would be legally permitted concerted activity even if true, and that it will decide whether union activity is protected before investigating future complaints. The district's lawyer denied The Other Paper's request for the Sorrell report in January, citing ongoing litigation, and the paper has requested it again since the settlement.

Feds Target Vermont Protesters Under New Rule

Peter Booth of Jericho, Henry Prensky of Burlington and Sherri Wormser of Colchester, cited at sit-ins outside the ICE intelligence center on Industrial Avenue, pleaded not guilty Thursday to a federal petty misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in prison. It's the first time Vermont protesters arrested there have faced federal charges, under a Homeland Security rule that took effect in November 2025 without the usual public comment period, and their attorney Robert Appel plans to file a motion to dismiss. Since then, almost 300 people marched in South Burlington from the White Cap Industrial Park to the Harvest Lane facility, and some at the peaceful sit-in were handed a paper saying they're under Department of Justice investigation for obstructing access to federal property.

2 Green Mountain Transit buses sit idle after manufacturer declares bankruptcy

Green Mountain Transit got two Proterra electric buses through a federally funded program in 2020, but problems started soon after, at one point leaving the agency unable to open their doors, and Proterra's 2023 bankruptcy ended parts and maintenance support. GMT is keeping them in storage at little to no cost because getting rid of them would mean paying back the federal grant, and General Manager Clayton Clark doesn't expect them back on the road. Its other electric buses, which Proterra didn't make, work well.

Crews start work on I-89 walk-bike bridge in South Burlington — Construction began in late July on the roughly $27 million South Burlington Walk-Bike Bridge over I-89, just south of the Williston Road overpass at Exit 14, and this phase will connect Williston Road and the University Mall. When it's done in 2028, the city will maintain it year round, with nighttime lighting among its safety features.

Betsy Dumont selected as UVM’s next provost — UVM picked Elizabeth "Betsy" Dumont, executive vice chancellor and provost at UC Merced, as its next provost and senior vice president, succeeding interim provost Linda Schadler. The trustees' executive committee is expected to approve her Nov. 16, and she'd begin on campus Jan. 4.

Burlington proposal would shield voter citizenship status — A proposed charter change would keep voters' citizenship status and personal details like birth dates and phone numbers out of public records, building on Burlington's 2023 change letting legal residents who aren't U.S. citizens vote in city elections. After hearings planned for Jan. 13 and 19, voters would decide on Town Meeting Day, March 2, and the Legislature would then need to approve it.

Survey: Half of Vermont businesses hiked prices this year — A Vermont Chamber of Commerce survey of 135 businesses found half raised prices this year, a third delayed hiring or left positions unfilled, and just 10% expanded or invested in Vermont. Healthcare topped the list of pain points, and more than 40% rated the state's business climate poor or very poor.

Vermont and Nova Scotia sign 3-year clean energy agreement — Gov. Phil Scott and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston signed a three year agreement to collaborate on offshore wind, transmission planning and grid reliability, aiming to bring Nova Scotia wind power to New England to help hold down costs.

Vermont to receive $4.5M settlement from General Motors following data privacy investigation — Vermont's share of a $220 million nationwide settlement is $4.5 million, after an investigation by 35 states and D.C. that Vermont helped start into GM sharing drivers' data, like speeds and seat belt use, with insurers. GM doesn't admit to breaking any law, says it ended its Smart Driver program in 2024, and the payout goes to the state's General Fund.

Border patrol provides airplane crew as search for missing boater on Lake Champlain continues — As of NBC5's Monday morning update, crews were still searching Kingsland Bay in Ferrisburgh for a 48 year old Burlington man who fell from a small fishing boat around 4 p.m. Saturday and was not wearing a life jacket. The Coast Guard and Vermont State Police expected to resume Monday morning with help from a U.S. Border Patrol airplane crew, and police don't believe the disappearance is suspicious.

Shelburne fires police officer who made pit stop with prisoner — Shelburne fired Officer Matthew Collins on Sept. 8 after an internal investigation found he left a handcuffed prisoner alone in a locked cruiser outside a St. Albans convenience store for about eight minutes during a bathroom stop and turned off his cameras, though Collins says the dismissal was extreme. Officer Daniel Delgado, a former Burlington police lieutenant, has since resigned, leaving the department down three patrol officers.

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!

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

Field hockey is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The No. 5 seed Catamounts won the America East Championship at UAlbany Friday, tied 2-2 through overtime before Emily Enden scored in the seventh round for a 6-5 shootout win. Addie DelOrefice was tournament MVP, and the 14th win set a program record. "This team came into the tournament as the 5th seed and fought their way to the top," said coach Kate Pfeifer. They face Atlantic 10 champion St. Joseph's Wednesday at 3 at Northwestern's Lakeside Field on ESPN+, with host and No. 1 seed Northwestern waiting Friday for the winner.

Wednesday night belongs to men's soccer. Niklas Herceg is America East Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight season and ranks eighth nationally in save percentage, and Halim Bangura, Islam Houssni and David Ismail joined him on the first team. No. 3 Bryant beat Binghamton 3-2 Saturday, so the No. 2 Catamounts host the Bulldogs in the semifinal Wednesday at 7 at Virtue Field on ESPN+, their third straight playoff meeting. Vermont beat Bryant 4-0 there in September and 2-0 in last year's final. The title game is Sunday at the highest remaining seed, so the defending champs host it only if NJIT upsets top seed UAlbany.

Men's hockey closed its Boston College trip with a 4-4 tie and a shootout win Friday, scoring twice in the final 2:24, the second from Colin Kessler with about a minute left. Jacob Oster made a career high 36 saves plus three more in the shootout, and Michael Hagens scored the winner. That left Vermont first in Hockey East with 14 points, three ahead of BU. Maine visits Gutterson Friday at 7 for the TD Teddy Bear Toss (bring a new or gently used bear to throw at first intermission for the King Street Center) and Saturday at 5 for Can for Coffee, where a food donation gets you a box of coffee. Both games are on ESPN+ and WVMT.

Women's hockey drew 2,744 fans to the Pack the Gut Challenge, a record for the annual game, then erased a 3-0 deficit to No. 4 Northeastern with three straight power play goals, the last one Sophia DeAnzeris's first career goal. Lila Pannacciulli scored the only goal of the shootout and Tara Bach stopped all three Huskies. Saturday's rematch went to Northeastern 4-2 on two third period goals, and Bach finished the weekend with 73 saves. Next is New Hampshire on the road, Thursday at 6 and Friday at 2 on ESPN+.

The men's basketball home opener slipped away 79-76 to Quinnipiac Sunday, as the Bobcats turned a 76-74 Vermont lead into a win with a basket and a three, and Gus Yalden's tying three missed with three seconds left after his 28 points. "We were just not tough today," said coach John Becker. Plattsburgh State visits Saturday at 1 for Salute to Service, with free tickets for military and first responders who show ID. The women lost 74-50 at Fairfield and host Oregon Wednesday at 4 and Lehigh Sunday at 2. Cross country runs the NCAA Northeast Regional Friday in Bethpage, N.Y., and swimming and diving heads to the Harold Anderson Invitational in Kingston, R.I., starting Nov. 19.

Upcoming Home Games

This is the curated cut. The full calendar, 25 sources refreshed twice a day, lives at Burlington events.

General Events

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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

And if you'd rather just have one link for all of it: the guide, the arcade, the whole lot hub.btownbrief.com

Bring Stay Awhile to your next dinner table. Deal three questions, ask them out loud, and find out who you're sitting with.

That's the week. Keep the umbrella handy through Tuesday, bundle up for a frosty Thursday morning, and treat yourself to a Burger Week special somewhere before Sunday. Spotted a new opening, a great event or a story we missed? Hit reply and tell us, every tip gets read.

Want to help out? Ko-fi and Venmo (@btownbrief) both go straight to keeping the Brief alive, and businesses can reach readers with an advertising spot through [email protected].

See you later, Burlington.

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