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A brutal shift at work yesterday had me completely exhausted. One day late, but we’re back with your latest BTown Brief! Today is going to feel a whole lot more like late July than mid May. Burlington should climb into the upper 80s this afternoon with sticky, heavy humidity that will have you reaching for a second iced coffee. Morning skies look partly sunny and pleasant enough, but thunderstorms are expected to develop between roughly 4 and 8 PM, and some could be strong with damaging wind gusts. If you have outdoor evening plans, keep one eye on the radar. Relief comes fast though. A cold front sweeps through Wednesday morning, and by Thursday the Champlain Valley drops all the way to the upper 50s with sunshine and a crisp breeze. The weekend brings a gradual warmup toward 70, but scattered showers may ride along on both Saturday and Sunday. Vermont City Marathon runners will want to keep tabs on Sunday's forecast, which is still shaking out.

Before those storms move in this afternoon, there's plenty going on around town. Stoni Tomson of New Tradition Farm in Huntington is hosting a Fresh Vege Pop Up on Brookes Avenue from 2 to 7 PM with the first spinach, arugula, and salad mix of the season. Over at Hula from 4 to 6, Mercy Connections celebrates a quarter century of community work at the Power of Connection event, where Erik Hoekstra of Redstone will receive the 2026 Catherine McAuley Community Award. Quilters, the Helping Hands sew-in runs from 1 to 4 at Yankee Pride Quilts in Essex Junction. Looking to stretch your legs before the weather turns? A 5K group run at Olde Northender [MEETUP] at 5:30 PM doubles as a course preview for the VCM. Vermont museum professionals can mingle at the monthly May Meet-up at Standing Stone Wines in Winooski from 5:30 to 7:30. As the evening unfolds, Queen City Brewery hosts its final trivia night of the season at 6 PM (trivia returns in September, so get it while you can), and King Tuff takes the Showcase Lounge at Higher Ground at 8 PM touring behind the new album MOO.

Wednesday is packed too. Cynthea's Spa on St. Paul Street kicks off the Vermont Lilac Festival at 10 AM with handcrafted lilac treatments and seasonal spa rituals. Makers should head to the Soda Plant for a Sewing 101 class from 10 to 1, where you'll learn the basics and leave with a fully reversible tote bag. The South Burlington Library Puzzle Swap runs from 2:30 to 5, and this is the last one until September, so bring your complete puzzles and trade away. There’s a Free Bike & Gear Repair session at Zero Gravity from 4 to 8, bringing together Generator, Local Motion, Old Spokes Home, and Sandbox to fix your busted bikes, torn jackets, and packs held together by sheer willpower. At 5 PM, the Me2 "Story Behind the Music" Brain Stories event at South Burlington Library features podcast excerpts, a dessert reception, and a panel discussion with the orchestra's founders. Burlington's beloved Passeggiata returns to Church Street from 5 to 8, the Italian-inspired evening stroll where you can wander, shop, and sip while live music from Vecchio Stile plays outside Homeport starting at 6. Pick-up basketball [MEETUP] runs 5:30 to 7:30 at Pomeroy Park for those who want a workout. Pingolf Season 26 launches at the Pinball Co-op in South Burlington at 6, beginning a six week league where the top 16 advance to July finals. The Ward 3 NPA is hosting Lt. Governor John Rodgers at Contois Auditorium starting with a free American Flatbread dinner at 6:30 and an open forum after. At 7, My Odd Way to Broadway opens at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts with a pay what you can preview (running through May 24), and Radio Bean hosts a fundraiser show from 7 to 9 benefiting Old Spokes Home with a great lineup including Cricket Blue, Diamond, Connor Young, Eastern Mountain Time, and Grace Palmer. If ambient and drone music is more your speed, SMAC (Slow Music Appreciation Club) meets at Bar Renée at 7:30. The biggest ticket of the night, though, is An Evening with Ken Burns at the Flynn at 7:30, an intimate conversation with the legendary documentary filmmaker moderated by Vermont Public's Jane Lindholm.

Thursday brings cooler air and a welcome change of pace. A free lunchtime piano concert by Judith Wright Battista at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul runs from noon to 1, with works by Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and more. That afternoon, grab a glass at La Reprise's free rosé tasting on Pine Street from 4 to 7. The fourth annual Bike Bloom at the Intervale Center, co-hosted by Old Spokes Home and the Intervale, runs 5:30 to 8:30 with five different guided group rides starting at 5:30 and a bike show party kicking off at 6:30 (preregister in advance). Over at ECHO from 6 to 9, the 18+ Dungeons & Dinosaurs After Dark event brings tabletop roleplay quests, dinosaur encounters, a cash bar, and scientist talks to the Leahy Center. Costumes are encouraged. Crafting in Community [MEETUP] in Essex Junction offers a relaxed evening of knitting, coloring, and conversation from 6:15 to 8:15. Singer-songwriter Heather Maloney plays a listening room set at the Silo Sessions at Bread & Butter Farm in Shelburne at 7 with special guests High Tea. And Pete Lee brings his stand-up show to the Vermont Comedy Club at 7 PM, with additional shows running Friday and Saturday.

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

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 24+ local sources: 12 event calendars, some of those being Seven Days, Front Porch Forum, Facebook events, plus 9 others and 12 news stations, from VTDigger to WCAX to Vermont Public to Community News Service, plus 8 others, to keep you connected. If this lengthy newsletter saves you time, or has introduced you to new experiences in Burlington, then definitely consider chipping in!

About Me

Burlington Council Green-Lights Major South End Development

The City Council approved the development agreement for the first phase of the South End Coordinated Redevelopment plan, a $100 million public-private partnership between Champlain College and Ride Your Bike. Two six-story buildings with 205 apartments will go up on a Lakeside Avenue parking lot, with 20 percent of units set aside as affordable under inclusionary zoning. Jonathan Rose Companies, a developer known for dense and energy-efficient housing projects including Sendero Verde in Harlem, has been brought on to lead the effort. The Council also amended the CityPlace (now Burlington Square) agreement for a fourth time, extending the deadline for affordable units in the north tower to the end of 2027.

Barber Shop Offers Free Haircuts for Unhoused People

Algenis Garcia, who moved to Vermont from the Dominican Republic about 18 years ago, has been offering free haircuts to people experiencing homelessness through his Burlington shop, The Shop. What started last summer as walks around town with clippers in a backpack has expanded to visits at shelters and schools on his days off. Garcia says the impulse comes from watching his father, a dentist, provide free services across the Dominican Republic. He's now raising money to buy a van and convert it into a mobile barber shop so he can reach even more people around Burlington.

Chef Avery Buck to Leave May Day for Farmers & Foragers

Avery Buck, the 2025 James Beard Award finalist (Best Chef, Northeast) who put May Day on the national map, is moving to Farmers & Foragers as executive chef. His last day at May Day was Sunday, and sous chef Sloan Miller (formerly of Hen of the Wood and Paradiso Hi-Fi) will step up to run that kitchen. At Farmers & Foragers, Buck will oversee the commissary kitchen and catering at Charlotte's Old Lantern Events Barn while head chef Ryan Brigante focuses full-time on the Dockside food truck at Burlington Harbor Marina, which opens May 23. Cofounder Solomon Bayer-Pacht also hinted at plans for a downtown Burlington brick-and-mortar restaurant this summer.

New UVM Women's Basketball Coach Talks Coaching Style, Family and Vermont Community

Maureen Magarity, the 2017 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year, takes over a UVM program that has made the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years following Alisa Kresge's departure for Richmond. In a conversation on The Sports Rapport, Magarity emphasized that she didn't lose a single player to the transfer portal and retained three of four incoming freshmen recruited by the previous staff. The coaching situation has a unique personal dimension as well, since Magarity is married to UVM men's basketball head coach John Becker, making them one of the rare husband-and-wife pairs leading programs at the same Division I school.

More Than $20 Million of Delayed FEMA Funds Allocated to Montpelier and VTrans

Nearly two years after catastrophic flooding, Montpelier is finally getting $11.78 million for repairs to City Hall, the fire department, and police buildings, while VTrans receives over $9 million for rail trail and railroad damage in Washington County. The money had been held up under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's policy requiring extra scrutiny on FEMA requests over $100,000, a policy her replacement Markwayne Mullin reversed after Trump ousted Noem in March. The Montpelier City Hall elevator has been out of commission since July 2023, raising serious accessibility concerns for residents and theatergoers at Lost Nation Theater. Vermont's congressional delegation praised the release but didn't mince words, calling the delay "a glaring example of how this agency needs reform."

As Howard Center's Jarrett House Prepares to Close, Advocates Worry About What Comes Next

Jarrett House, a Howard Center program providing short-term stabilization for children ages 5 through 13 experiencing mental health crises, will shut down at the end of June after the state decided not to renew its contract due to ongoing staffing shortages. The closure leaves a real gap in Vermont's child mental health system, and the state's request for proposals to find a replacement doesn't close until June 15, just two weeks before the program shuts its doors. Advocates including Vermont's Child, Youth, and Family Advocate worry that without a quick replacement, kids will simply end up in more restrictive settings like inpatient hospitalization. About a dozen workers will lose their jobs, though the Howard Center says they'll be encouraged to apply for other positions within the nonprofit.

Vermont Is Designing Simple Homes to Help Speed Construction

The state has released 10 preapproved home designs through a pilot program called 802 Homes, and a public survey is now open for feedback. The idea is straightforward. State-commissioned architects drew up plans for modest homes ranging from accessory dwelling units to fourplexes, and builders can use them for free, saving significant time and money. Three communities (Essex Junction, Hartford, and Manchester) are exploring ways to fast-track approval so these builds might only need a zoning administrator's sign-off rather than a full review board hearing. With Vermont still well short of the 5,000 to 8,000 new homes experts say are needed annually by 2030, the program is a creative attempt to fill a stubborn gap in the state's housing pipeline.

Vermont Homes Cost $160,000 More Now Than 10 Years Ago

A new study from Construction Coverage puts some hard numbers on what most Vermonters already feel. The state's median home price has jumped 68.7% since 2016, climbing from about $233,500 to just over $394,000, while median household income rose only 49.1% over a comparable period. That growing gap between home values and wages is a big part of why so many residents, especially younger buyers and renters, are feeling squeezed. Vermont's growth actually trailed the national average of 81.3%, but that's cold comfort when your paycheck isn't keeping pace with the asking price.

BETA Technologies Reports Progress on Electric Aircraft Certification

South Burlington's BETA Technologies posted first-quarter results showing meaningful momentum, including selection for seven of eight FAA and DOT programs (the most of any electric aircraft developer) and a commercial aircraft backlog that has grown to $3.9 billion across 991 planes. The company also expanded its global charging network to 123 sites and surpassed 85,000 hours of flight and ground testing. Revenue came in at $10.1 million against a net loss of $122.3 million, which is typical for a pre-revenue aerospace startup still deep in the certification and development phase. For Burlington, BETA remains one of the most closely watched companies in the region and a significant employer.

Enosburg Falls Cream Cheese Producer Agrees to Pay the State $265,000 for Allegedly Releasing Untreated Wastewater

Franklin Foods, the Enosburg Falls dairy and soy processor behind Green Mountain Farms and Hahn's cream cheese, will pay $265,000 to settle allegations of repeated wastewater violations. State regulators found the company discharged untreated liquid waste to the municipal treatment facility, failed to properly test and sample its wastewater, and fell short on staffing and lab practices over several years. This isn't the company's first time around the block on this issue. Franklin Foods signed an agreement to clean up its act back in 2019 after violations between 2015 and 2018, and the state says many of the same problems persisted after that deal. The company has agreed to implement a corrective action plan but did not formally admit or deny liability.

Nonprofits Combine Research and Legal Expertise to Protect Lake Champlain

The Conservation Law Foundation and the Burlington-based Rozalia Project have been working together as part of the Lake Champlain Basin Marine Debris Coalition, combining legal advocacy with scientific data collection to push for policy change. Their efforts helped pass Vermont's 2024 Flood Safety Act, which restricts development in high-risk river areas and bans environmentally harmful dock materials. The Rozalia Project's annual Earth Day cleanup in April pulled over 6,500 pieces of debris weighing 600-plus pounds from the shoreline, and the organization's long-term tracking data shows Vermont's 2021 plastic bag ban has measurably reduced bag litter along the lake. Nutrient pollution and aging foam docks remain serious ongoing threats.

Humane Society of Chittenden County Celebrates 125 Years

The Humane Society of Chittenden County, which started in 1901 when 20 people gathered in a Burlington garage after a horse cruelty case in St. Albans, facilitated 965 adoptions and rescued 210 animals from cruelty or neglect in 2025 alone. Beyond adoptions, the organization runs a free food pantry, a spay and neuter clinic, the Community Pet Clinic in the Old North End, and programs like Camp Paw Paw and temporary emergency pet housing for clients of Howard Center and Steps to End Domestic Violence. Volunteers contributed over 8,100 hours last year. The anniversary celebration and fundraiser, the Best Friends Benefit, takes place May 29 at the Farmhouse at the Essex Resort & Spa.

St. Joseph's Orphanage Exhibit Opens at Vermont Police Academy

The Voices of St. Joseph's Orphanage exhibition is on display at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford through May 21. The exhibit features stories from former residents of the Burlington orphanage, highlighting the harm they endured and their ongoing push for healing, accountability, and stronger protections for vulnerable children.

Vermont Expands Battery Recycling Options

New collection options are now available across Vermont for larger rechargeable batteries, including those from e-bikes, yard equipment, and medical devices. The expansion builds on the state's first-in-the-nation law requiring manufacturers to cover recycling costs. Vermonters recycled 250,000 pounds of batteries last year, the highest per capita rate in the country, across roughly 100 collection sites statewide.

Chicken Charlie's in South Burlington Takes a Pause

Chicken Charlie's Rotisserie, Grill & BBQ on Williston Road has closed while its ownership group evaluates the brand's future. The 25-year-old restaurant lost its seating when the Kitchen Table Market & Café expanded into the space, and staffing challenges compounded the squeeze. The owners say no permanent decision has been made yet.

Citizen Cider to Move Pub, Consolidate Operations

Citizen Cider's Pine Street pub has closed, and the Press House Pub is set to open at the cidery's production facility at 180 Flynn Avenue, near Switchback and Burlington Beer. The new spot will feature a horseshoe bar, the full cider lineup, and fan favorites like smash burgers and poutine, with the entire production floor visible through the taproom's back wall.

Local Builders and Designers Nab Construction Awards

Two local teams took home "Best of the Best" honors at Efficiency Vermont's 2026 Better Building by Design conference, which drew more than 840 attendees to South Burlington. Bellwether Craftsmen and New Frameworks won for a single-family home project in Shelburne, while Studio III Architecture and Scott + Partners Architecture were recognized for the BETA Technologies production facility in South Burlington.

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

University of Vermont student-athletes concluded the 2025–26 academic year with remarkable achievements in the classroom, posting an impressive 3.53 cumulative department GPA. According to a report by Student-Athlete Academic Services, 100% of the university's athletic teams finished the year with a GPA above 3.0. The department's academic strength was consistent across both terms, starting with a 3.52 GPA in the Fall 2025 semester, where 62 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs and 86% achieved marks above 3.0. This momentum carried directly into the Spring 2026 semester as the overall GPA rose to 3.59, highlighted by 89 student-athletes securing a 4.0 GPA and 88% finishing above 3.0.

Simultaneously, the Catamounts wrapped up their regular outdoor track and field season in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with strong field showings ahead of the NCAA Regional. As detailed by UVM Athletics, senior Adriana Rodriguez led the team by setting a personal best in the hammer throw, hitting a tenth-place mark of 46.27m to cross the 46-meter threshold for the first time this season. Fellow senior Erin Geib concluded her regular-season career with a ninth-place finish at 46.50m in the same event. In other field events, Eli Lammi took eighth place in the discus with a 43.55m throw, while Wapshare secured second place in the javelin throw with a mark of 44.30m. Additionally, coaching staff indicated that Emma looks well-positioned for an upcoming appearance in Kentucky following a successful tune-up.

General Events

Live Music & DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music & DJ

General Events

Performances

Live Music & DJ

Ongoing Events & Visual Art Exhibitions

• Dinosaur Safari Exhibit at ECHO Leahy Center – Through Sept. 7 – Regular admission ($17–$23)
• 'Champ: America's Lake Monster' at ECHO Leahy Center – Ongoing – Regular admission ($17–$23)
• 'The Love of Light' at Jericho Town Hall – Through May 29 – Free
• 'Making Our Mark' at South Burlington Public Art Gallery – Through May 28 – Free
• Annual Members' Exhibition at The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery – Through May 29 – Free
• Dakin Fuller at South Burlington Public Library Art Wall – Through May 30 – Free
• Katharine Montstream and Charlotte Dworshak at The SEABA Center – Through May 30 – Free
• Janet Anderson at South Burlington Public Library Art Wall – Through May 31 – Free
• 'Celebration of the Light to Come' at Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery – Through May 31 – Free
• Robin Lloyd: 'Through Lines' at Burlington City Hall – Through May 29 – Free
• Sophie Joseph Schwartz at Extra Special With Cheese – Through June 6 – Free
• Burlington Technical Center Scholastic Art Awards at The Gallery at Main Street Landing – Through June 14 – Free
• Art at the Airport: Bette Ann Libby at Burlington International Airport – Through June 15 – Free
• Art at the Airport: Howard Center Arts Collective at Burlington International Airport – Through June 15 – Free
• Elizabeth Allen at Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery – Through June 20 – Free
• 'Human Impact: Contemporary Art and Our Environment' at BCA Center – Through June 20 – Free
• Maedeh Asgharpour at BCA Center – Through June 20 – Free
• Lee Williams and Cathy Della Lucia at BCA Center – Through June 20 – Free
• Rachel Rodi and A Fellow Traveler at Flynndog Gallery – Through July 17 – Free
• 'Belonging: A New Collections Gallery' at Fleming Museum of Art, UVM – Ongoing – Free
• Ashley Stagner at Artspace 106 at the Men's Room – Ongoing – Free
• 'Investigating Child Labor' at Heritage Winooski Mill Museum – Ongoing – Free
• 'On Point: Needlework from the Garthwaite Family Collection' at Shelburne Museum – Through Oct. 25 – Free
• SEABA Artist Residency Applications at The SEABA Center – May 20–Aug. 23 – $25 (free for members)
• Art Hop Registration at The SEABA Center – May 20–July 31 – Free for members ($50 membership)

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.

Another packed week in Btown, and this is only the Tuesday edition. If anything in here caught your eye, click through those links and support the people making this city worth living in. We'll be back before you know it.

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