Seven Days, August 5, 2026

VE RMO NT ’S IN DEPE NDEN T VO IC E AUGUST 5-12, 2026 VOL.31 NO.48 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

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POULTNEY PLAN

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Can Tommie Zito pull it off?

HAPPY RETURNS

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Sweetwaters 2.0 cooks up nostalgia

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Hannah Dennison’s new dance work

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JULY 29-AUGUST 5, 2026 COMPILED BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & MATTHEW ROY

UPSETTING NEWS

COURTESY OF JENN ADAMS

From left: The Rocky Horror Show cast members Kyla Paul as Columbia, Ellis Doktorski as Riff Raff and Alicia Banach as Magenta

Health officials in Vermont have identified at least five local cases of cyclosporiasis, the explosive intestinal illness. Stomachchurning times.

BAR NONE

IT’S ASTOUNDING Anonymous threatening texts that led to the cancellation of the Essex Community Players’ spring production of The Rocky Horror Show were sent by the production’s own musical director, police said.

Numerous members of the nonprofit theater company received and reported the messages. According to the Essex Police, one of the alleged victims, 26-year-old Kenneth Grenier of Hyde Park, turned out to be the person responsible.

Officers figured out that the texts had been sent from phone numbers registered through a subscriber-based cellphone app at an IP address registered to Grenier’s home address. Grenier admitted he created an account and sent texts to himself so that he could use personal safety concerns as an excuse to step away from the production “instead of the true reason of what he described as difficulties with the cast and crew,” the department said in a statement.

Grenier was issued a citation to answer a misdemeanor charge of false reports to law enforcement authorities, police said. The case has been referred to the Chittenden County Community Justice Center for resolution.

true802

PITCH PERFECT

The Vermont Green FC men’s soccer team capped another undefeated season on Saturday with its secondstraight national championship.

What a squad.

1. “Higher Education Regulators Express Concern About St. Michael’s College” by Colin Flanders. The New England Commission of Higher Education warned the college that declining enrollment and financial problems could jeopardize its accreditation.

2. “Driver Cited for Burlington Crash That Killed 16-Year-Old Cyclist” by Matthew Roy. Douglas Knapp, a well-known folk artist, was cited for negligent operation in a crash that killed Shiloh Skalka.

3. “The Bobcat Café & Brewery in Bristol Has Closed Indefinitely” by Melissa Pasanen. The Ruggiero brothers have shuttered the Main Street brewpub due to “a private medical matter.” Its future is unclear.

4. “Burlington Mayor, Dems Clash Over Public Safety Resolution” by Aaron Calvin. Dems advanced the measure despite Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s criticism that they seek to “arrest and imprison” their way out of a complex crisis.

5. “First Bite: With Burl’s Downtown Kitchenette, a Diner Is a Diner Again” by Jordan Barry.

Burlington’s Oasis Diner was a source of simple food until the Farmhouse Group turned it into a taqueria. Fifteen years later, it’s back to patty melts and fries.

TOWN CRIER

L O C A L LY

TUNED OUT

Noah Kahan blasted the White House for using one of his songs in a social media post, saying he’d never support the current administration.

Cease and resist.

SOURCED

NEWS

Weed in Vermont Costs Twice as Much as in Massachusetts A gram of weed in Vermont costs $9.59 on average compared to just $3.87 in Massachusetts, the Community News Service reported. Market differences between the two states have driven the divide. Vermont made it difficult for big corporations to set up massive grow operations, leading to a more craft market. Massachusetts went in the opposite direction.

Read more at vtcommunitynews.org.

THAT’S SO VERMONT

IAN CURRY

?? ? ? ??

The revelations stunned former cast member Jess Wisloski. Like other members of the troupe, Wisloski had high hopes for the raucous musical comedy with themes of sexual liberation and queer identity. They’d rehearsed for roughly 12 weeks and were disappointed when the board decided to cancel a few weeks before the April 17 opening.

“I am still reeling a little bit, but it solved a lot of the mysteries,” Wisloski said.

One of the texts sent to the board read, “Oh just you wait for rehearsal tonight. It’s coming and you deserve it.” That convinced the board and production team to cancel the show.

According to Wisloski, Grenier complained about members of the cast in a Facebook group for composers and music directors. She said she thinks the whole affair could have been avoided had Grenier simply communicated his frustrations with the rest of the group.

Seven Days previously reported that the Players incurred more than $11,500 in expenses that were never recouped through ticket sales and concessions.

The Players will perform a new show in October: Crime and Punishment, A Comedy.

Read Ian Curry’s full story at sevendaysvt.com.

The only licensed prosecutor in Addison County has left the state’s attorney’s office, VTDigger reported.

The law license of State’s Attorney Eva Vekos has been suspended.

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MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Paige Hurley’s latest sketch on display at Speeder & Earl’s

GOOD VIEWS OF NEWS At a time when division and conflict dominate global headlines, Paige Hurley has started collecting good news. For the past four weeks, the Burlington artist has been illustrating everyday acts of kindness around the Queen City. The color sketches only take her a few minutes but are a good way to keep her artistic skills sharp and remind people that compassion still abounds, she said.

“It’s nice to hear something good once a week,” Hurley said. “There is so much darkness out there.”

Hurley said she was inspired by her

friend and fellow Burlington artist Kristin McCole, who runs a small business called Compliment Coins. McCole sells handmade wooden coins that feature painted animal illustrations and kind phrases.

Hurley doesn’t sell her finished sketches, which resemble a newspaper’s front page.

Instead, she puts them on a bulletin board at Speeder & Earl’s Coffee on Pine Street every Thursday.

Sometimes, the illustrations are whimsical. In her most recent edition, Hurley drew two Canada geese flying through a rainbow and wrote about a chance discovery between two random roommates. The roommates’ grandmothers were best friends in Québec 60 years ago, Hurley wrote.

“I’ve been doing it for four weeks, and I was going to just do it as an eight-week project, but I have so many stories now that I’ll keep going ’til I run out,” Hurley said.

After the work is displayed for a week at Speeder & Earl’s, Hurley delivers it to those who either did the act of kindness or were involved. She’s still seeking a home for some sketches.

It’s been especially challenging, Hurley said, to find the subject of her first sketch: a stranger riding a scooter and handing out chocolates on Charlotte Street in Burlington’s South End. Know who it was? Reach Hurley @paigehurley_arts_ on Instagram.

IAN CURRY

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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AND THE WINNER IS...

 & --

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Colin Flanders, Kevin McCallum, Alison Novak, Lucy Tompkins  Ian Curry A R T S & C U LT U R E  Dan Bolles, Carolyn Fox  

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PLAINFIELD

PRIMARY CONCERNS

Elizabeth M. Seyler  Cecilia Luce

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John Gratton

DESIGN   Don Eggert   Rev. Diane Sullivan   John James  Jeff Baron

August 21

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Pamela Polston, Paula Routly

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BRISTOL

Voter guide inside!

ENOUGH ‘MODERN WORLD’

VERMO NT’S INDEPENDENT V OICE JULY 29-AUGUST 5, 2026 VOL.31 NO.47 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

August 14

8v-BuringtonSegway062426.indd 1

What do the Beatles albums referenced by the graphic art in last week’s Primary Election Preview Issue have to do with the Vermont political scene? I am so very confused.

 

Ryan Sweezey

6

WTF, BEATLES?

the Henry Sheldon Museum, as recounted in the story, is defensive and complacent.

There is nothing wrong with that; it is the way we are.

I agree with Alison Bechdel, who says, “Tillie’s book is going to supersede [Cleves’] book” and who sees that “That is, I think, as much a commentary on our postliterate era as anything else.”

I would guess that Walden had no idea she was taking the wind out of Cleves’ sails, which she, along with an establishment (that first, as I recall, was very pleased with Cleves’ work), has certainly done. Very much an innocent — and guilty.

Thank you to David Keenan for his letter [Feedback: “Nix ‘Modern World,’” July 15]. The cartoon is not funny or enjoyable; there’s nothing funny about the current state of our country, and the cartoonist’s attempts to be humorous are too close to reality and fall flat.

Peter Booth

JERICHO

DEMS DUEL

PAGE 14

Janoo, Richards vie to face Scott

AT THE OASIS

PAGE 34

A diner redux at Burl’s in BTV

ON THE DAILY

PAGE 40

Jordan Klepper plays the Flynn

BLISS-FUL MOMENT Editor’s note: We were aiming for a colorful, eye-catching cover concept that tied the guide and the issue together — and would prompt casual readers to pick up a paper full of election stories. There’s no hidden message, other than: Vermonters of all political persuasions are part of the same band.

TALE OF TWO WORKS

The well-done July 20 article by Cecilia Luce is worth thought [“New Graphic Novel Charity & Sylvia Comes Under Scrutiny”]; thank you for it. I’ve read neither Rachel Hope Cleves’ 2014 history nor Tillie Walden’s later graphic novel and perhaps will not read either.

But the story so far of the two works is interestingly emblematic of time and taste and cultural politics and the reporting of it.

I think we should be a great deal sympathetic to Cleves in this.

It’s clear that Walden would not have produced her work at this time without the previous work of Cleves, isn’t it? I think it is also clear that the author also could not have produced her work without the earlier work.

The role of Vermont Humanities and

[Re Fun Stuff: Harry Bliss, July 15]: OK, Harry Bliss has outdone himself. I never thought I’d see a movie reference, let alone one spoofing “The Warriors.” Love it. Makes me want to put the DVD in the player and watch the movie again.

Bryan Nepveu

MORRISVILLE

GROWTH, NOT REGULATION

The cause of the “Housing Crunch” [July 22] is because high Vermont taxes and excessive regulations have made it unprofitable to build new housing. Ask any developer.

If only Vermont politicians spent as much time focused on removing barriers to building profitably as they do to make it more difficult.

More taxes and regulations will worsen the housing problem; they are what got us into this mess.

Chris Harvey ESSEX TOWN

MILK MAN

After reading your delightful article on Monument Farms [“Dairy Kings,” July 15], I decided to try its milk after my last grocery run. It is the best milk I have had in a long time. It reminds me of the milk

I’m running to be your taxpayer watchdog in Montpelier.

Because Vermonters deserve excellence from state government.

Learn more at TimAshe.com Return your primary ballot by August 11th!

PAID FOR BY TIM ASHE FOR STATE AUDITOR, 45 LAKEVIEW TERRACE, BURLINGTON, VT 05041 | JANET ANCEL, TREASURER

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I used to have growing up on our farm — smooth and creamy. I am switching from my previous brand to Monument Farms from now on. Thank you, Monument Farms, for being there for us.

Bill Eddy

SOUTH BURLINGTON

HELL ON TWO WHEELS

Thank you for addressing the issue of e-bike and e-moto activity [“Power Surge: A Spike in the Use of E-Bikes and Faster E-Motos by Children Is Causing Communities to Worry — and Strategize,” July 22]. I would note that while there are many young people who have been gifted a way of transport and fun, their brains have not fully developed a level of maturity that matches the required responsibility of operation. My own personal experience is not just with young people but also adults running lights and stop signs, speeding, not signaling their intention, riding on sidewalks, etc.

There’s no evidence to suggest she falls into this category.

Pedestrians and the lawful and responsible users of bicycles, e-bikes and e-motos will continue to be injured and killed because they are subjected to sharing roads that have been designed to move vehicles, including pickup trucks and SUVs, as fast as possible. Have you ever seen a car driving as slow as the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit on Pine Street?

If more people choose to ride bicycles, which they are, without redesigning our roads, there will continue to be more collisions at the cost of the cyclist and pedestrian. It’s important to talk about the safe and appropriate use of e-bikes and e-motos. It’s important to talk about how our existing road designs contribute to pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.

These are two related, although separate, conversations that cannot be confused.

Neville Morris

BURLINGTON

Ann Pond

BURLINGTON

LEAVE SHILOH OUT OF IT

“Power Surge” [July 22] primarily focuses on the dangerous use of electric mobility, typically by adolescents: no helmets, high speeds, loss of control.

The article also mentions the collision of a minivan that resulted in the death of Shiloh Skalka. I’m glad there was a separate piece in Seven Days about this tragedy [“Teen Cyclist Killed in Collision With Minivan in Burlington,” July 17, online]. However, although Shiloh Skalka was using an e-bicycle, I don’t think it warranted a place in an article about dangerous e-bike and e-moto use.

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7/2/26 4:36 PM

vm ph, dst li s es Starr, m

Jam y & Veterinary Specia With Dr.Em ergenc Burlington

Dear Dr. Starrce, full

ot a fa My dog just g hat? ill qu s. Now w of porcupine

A: Ah yes. The porcupine encounter — a Vermont rite of passage for curious dogs everywhere.

Spoiler: the dog never wins.

Do not try to remove quills at home. I know it’s tempting, but quills are barbed, which means pulling them out without proper technique can break them off under the skin or drive them deeper. A dog in pain may also bite — even the sweetest ones. This is a job for your veterinarian, who can sedate your dog and remove quills safely and completely.

Call your primary care vet as soon as possible.

The sooner quills are removed, the better — they can migrate through tissue over time and cause serious internal damage if left in place.

Watch for these warning signs in the meantime: pawing at the face, excessive drooling, trouble swallowing, or swelling around the mouth and throat. A dog who managed to get quills inside the mouth or throat needs prompt attention.

And yes — some dogs do it more than once. If yours is a repeat offender, a good recall command might be worth the investment.

If your dog is in significant distress or your regular vet isn’t available, BEVS is here 24/7.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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4/15/26 11:46 AM

Re-Elect Sarah George ge ty g fo fforr Chittenden County t th State's At A Attorney torney | Tuesday, Au A August g st 11 gu Keeping Justice Fair, Smart, and Free From Fear.

ICE OUT OF VERMONT Defended Constitutional rights and civil liberties during the March 11 ICE protests, protecting fr f ee speech and peacefu f l protest fu

EXPANDED ACCOUNTABILITY COURT PROGRAM Addresses repeat off f enders by ff pairing accountability with services

ELIMINATED 2020 COURT BACKLOG

ENDORSED BY Jerr Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield

Secured additional judicial resources to resolve ~700 cases.

Rep. Tiffany Bluemle

Learn More

NO VERMONTER PRICED OUT AS YOUR STATE SENATOR, I’LL FIGHT TO: Protect Public Education and Tackle the Biggest Cost Drivers of Rising Property Taxes Invest in Universal Primary Care Fix Up Abandoned Housing into Affordable Homes

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale Paid for by Sarah For States Attorney, Treasurer Chris Miller, PO Box 104, Burlington Vermont 05402

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Nikhil Goyal “has a command of the history of federal, state and local education laws and social programs.”

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contents

THE

AUGUST 5-12, 2026 VOL.31 NO.48

GREEN

AWAKENING BUrlinGton'S seasON staRts hERe

FOOD+ DRINK 36

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24 COVER DESIGN REV. DIANE SULLIVAN • IMAGE SEAN METCALF

Higher Ed Regulators Express Concern About St. Mike’s Can This Man ‘Save’ Poultney?

14

NEWS+POLITICS 14 Safety Dance

Burlington officials are once again debating ways to improve downtown.

A free needle program is in the crosshairs.

STUCK IN VERMONT

Tommie Zito wants to start a Christian university on the Green Mountain College campus. He’s had problems with money before.

Articles of Disagreement

Washington Central voters will decide whether to make it easier to close schools — a harbinger of the tough local choices ahead

Online Thursday

FEATURES 31 No Obstacle Too Great

COLUMNS

ARTS+CULTURE 42

11 Magnificent 7 13 From the Publisher 37 Side Dishes 48 TV + Movie Reviews 58 Album Reviews 93 Ask the Reverend

Athletes at the Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center aim for the big time

Into the Woods

Choreographer Hannah Dennison debuts her new site-specific work, Forest

Prestigious Book Awards Honor Two Vermont Authors Vermont Comedy Arts to Open New Performance Space Breathing Room

Mary Lynn Burke’s abstract botanicals stake out space at the Phoenix in Waterbury

Introducing the Chrisanthemums

Our music editor’s madeup awards highlight the Farnsworthiest music on the Vermont scene

SUPPORTED BY: The 150th Purinton Family Reunion was held in Salisbury on July 18. About 80 people attended the weekend event; most were descendants of Chase Purinton, who moved to Lincoln, Vt. with his family in 1803. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger met the family, which has gathered every year since 1876.

At a Vermont Wild Kitchen dinner in Guilford, guests turned crowdsourced ingredients into a shared feast

93

SECTIONS 26 Life Lines 36 Food + Drink 42 Culture 48 On Screen 50 Art 54 Music + Nightlife 60 Calendar 74 Classes 75 Classifieds + Puzzles 89 Fun Stuff 92 Personals

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ART JAM JEFFERSONVILLE

AUGUST 8, 10 AM-4 PM

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YOUR VOTE. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR MISSION. Every Vermonter deserves equal access to the ballot box.

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COURTESY OF SHAMROCKRAVER

LOOKING FORWARD

MAGNIFICENT MUST SEE, MUST DO THIS WEEK

BY RE BE CCA D R ISCOL L

Jenny From the Block A reception for local printmaker Jennifer Koch’s exhibit “Altered Leaves & Eternal Love Triangle” at Generator Makerspace in Burlington invites attendees to peruse works created during the artist’s spring residency. Intricately carved woodblock prints inspired by nature, gemstones and romance take center stage during a behind-the-scenes look at how the time on-site shaped her craft.

SEE GALLERY LISTING ON PAGE 52

THURSDAY 6

THESE WORDS

FRIDAY 7-SUNDAY 9

The Whole Shebang

The free Lake Morey Summer Concert Series continues in Fairlee with a performance of nostalgic bangers by 2000s pop princess Natasha Bedingfield.

Recently resurrected anthems — thank you, TikTok!— include breakout gem “Unwritten” and optimistic earworm “Pocketful of Sunshine,” reminding listeners why her catalog has amassed 1 billion streams on Spotify.

The sixth edition of Lebanon Opera House’s Nexus Music and Arts Festival in New Hampshire connects the community with an energetic lineup of free entertainment across three outdoor stages.

The creative mecca strikes a chord with live music

by Joy Clark, the Oshima Brothers and other notable acts, as well as juggling and acrobatics from the Red Trouser Show and a signature silent disco.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 63

Bumper Crop

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

FRIDAY 7-SUNDAY 9 At Farr’s Field in Waterbury, kings and queens of the road convene for fueled-up fun at the 69th annual Vermont Antique and Classic Car Meet Meet.

Motorheads don costumes matching their model’s era for a vintage fashion show, while a flea market, a car corral and Hot Wheels racing turbocharge the weekend. Need a pit stop? A cruise to nearby Cold Hollow Cider Mill replaces the usual parade.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 64

SUNDAY 9

Danke Schön SATURDAY 8

Ripe With Opportunity Stowe’s Strawberry Hill Farm serves as the ideal backdrop for Strawberry Jam, a diverse music festival benefiting local recovery nonprofit Jenna’s Promise. Renowned guitarist Cory Wong (pictured), retro R&B groove collective the California Honeydrops, rising soul artist Devon Gilfillian, and bluegrass bosses Michael Daves and Jacob Jolliff headline a stacked bill of national and regional acts.

COURTESY OF GALEN HIGGINS

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 68

FRIDAY 7

Third-wave ska-punk staples Save Ferris bring infectious beats and high-octane brass runs to listeners at Higher Ground in South Burlington.

Named after the 1986 cult classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Off, the band began its journey at underground venues in Southern California before rocketing to fame in 1997 with a saxy cover of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.”

SEE CLUB LISTING ON PAGE 57

OPENS WEDNESDAY 12

Razor’s Edge The Northern Stage in Concert series launches with a stripped-down version of Stephen Sondheim’s macabre masterpiece Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction. A full orchestra and top-tier cast stage an intimate concert-style reading of the grim tale of a wronged man’s revenge plot in Victorian-era London.

SEE CALENDAR LISTING ON PAGE 72

BROWSE THE FULL CALENDAR, ART SHOWS, AND MUSIC+NIGHTLIFE LISTINGS AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM. SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

11

I didn’t come up through Montpelier.

I came up through Vermont’s classrooms, a selectboard table and a small business built from scratch. I’ve sat at living room tables and talked with business owners across the state and I heard the same thing everywhere. People are tired of being talked at. Policy moves at the speed of trust.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

You Picked ’Em

As the Crow Flies, two cakes at Red House Sweets and a Hollywood-themed party dress for $25 at Spotlight Vintage — all establishments represented in our Daysies guide.

We got lunch at Mother Hubbard’s Bakery, Deli & Country Store, a short drive from downtown but worth it for sandwiches nominated as the best outside Chittenden County. Like so many shops in St. Albans, it seemed to have everything — except tacos.

Those were back on Main Street, at Los Jefes. Surprisingly authentic, the Mexican place is not a Daysie winner ... yet.

Our only regret was missing Café Monette, a Daysies nominee for both best new restaurant and best restaurant outside Chittenden County. Very impressive. There wasn’t a free seat all week at the elegant eatery, which serves dinner from Wednesday to Saturday. We peeked in the window, though, and saw one chef stationed before a pile of fresh green and yellow string beans.

Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry first sang Café Monette’s praises last year. “I won’t say I’m surprised that northern Vermont’s latest must-try restaurant is in St. Albans,” she wrote in a review published on October 21. “As housing has become unaffordable in Chittenden County, I’ve watched friends and coworkers move 30 minutes north to the city of 7,000.”

Curious? Follow the Daysies. You’ll find this year’s bouquet lovingly arranged in the 68-page All the Best magazine in the middle of this issue. It took multiple writers, editors, designers, photographers, account executives and circulation drivers to bring it to you — not to mention the nearly 14,000 voters who chose the content. Unlike the flowers, this book will last all year long.

WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE ENDORSED SOMEONE OR SOMETHING,

CHANCES ARE IT’S WORTH CHECKING OUT.

PAULA ROUTLY

I know how hard it is to keep a good thing going. So, respect for all those Vermont businesses that win our Daysie designation year after year — the Seven Days readers’ choice award. Like most varieties of the flower, the love of our readers is perennial. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a field of prize plaques on the wall of a local establishment.

A testament to staying power, the Daysie says: Downtown St. Albans This is not some flash in the pan.

It’s a different kind of thrill, though, when a new name appears and snags a top prize — or even turns up among the finalists.

Who needs influencers? When thousands of your neighbors have endorsed someone or something, chances are it’s worth checking out. In strange cities, I use the “best-of ” collections of other alt-weeklies to guide me to good stuff. Ours helps me explore Vermont, whether it’s a destination restaurant or a municipality I don’t often visit.

Cut to St. Albans, about half an hour north of Burlington, just 15 miles from the U.S.-Canada border. Railroad industrialists put it on the map and bestowed the downtown with some of the most beautiful public buildings in the state, until that train left the station. Other sectors have come and gone. This month the biggest dairy-processing plant in St. Albans — and Vermont — is closing.

On the positive side, it seems economic adversity has taught St. Albans a thing or two. The boom-and-bust burg appears to be resilient, creative, determined. Starting in 2012, the city started using tax-increment financing to invest in public infrastructure and upgrades to its downtown. Today the former Energizer battery factory is occupied by electric-aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies.

And, perhaps the most convincing of all measures of livability: St. Albans snagged multiple Daysies this year, in categories ranging from best menswear store to best family-friendly festival to best barista. Upwards of 20 other local businesses placed as finalists — for superlative restaurant, bakery, vintage clothing, mocktails, kitchen store, burgers, sandwiches and more.

I had to see, taste and try it on for myself, so my friend LaurenGlenn and I hit I-89 north. Last Friday in the Rail City, we found free parking, great coffee, lighter-than-air croissants, friendly workers and very few empty storefronts. We strolled block after block of local restaurants and roomy retail establishments — not just on Main Street but also on the side roads.

Frankly, it was the healthiest Vermont downtown I’ve seen in ages, with flyers on shop windows and bulletin boards highlighting community events. A movie theater, great bookstore, two hardware stores and the local newspaper office are right there, too.

I bought winter boots at Danform Shoes, a new frying pan at

Paula Routly If you like Seven Days and can help pay for it, become a Super Reader!

Look for the “Donate” button at the top of sevendaysvt.com. Or send a check with your address and contact info to: SEVEN DAYS, C/O SUPER READERS P.O. BOX 1164 BURLINGTON, VT 05402-1164

Need more info? Want to give from a donor-advised fund or through a qualified charitable contribution? Contact Gillian English: 802-865-1020, EXT. 115 SUPERREADERS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

13

EDUCATION

news

Higher Ed Regulators Express Concern About St. Mike’s

BURLINGTON

The scene by Burlington’s City Hall Park

B Y C O LI N F L A NDE RS colin@sevendaysvt.com FILE: JAMES BUCK

Saint Michael’s campus

LUKE AWTRY

Safety Dance Burlington officials are once again debating ways to improve downtown.

A free needle program is in the crosshairs.

B Y A A RON CA LV I N • calvin@sevendaysvt.com

D

emocrats on the Burlington City Council held a press conference on July 24 to discuss a proposal that would take aim at criminal behavior downtown, including public drug use and illegal camping. The councilors’ patience with the current situation had clearly worn thin.

“We care deeply about people in crisis and expect that they will be treated with humanity and with dignity, while also recognizing that every city, Burlington included, has its limits,” Council President Ben Traverse (D-Ward 5) told reporters who had assembled on Bank Street.

That has reinvigorated the discussion about how to respond to the everyday scenes of despair on Queen City streets. Democrats and their supporters in the business community favor a tougher approach that includes greater accountability for lawbreakers and pushing the bad behavior out of the downtown core and popular waterfront spots.

But the mayor and service providers want to stay the course, saying plans already under way are working, slowly but steadily. Without more systemic change, they say, the best approach is to continue to obtain treatment and housing for people 14

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

who are mentally ill, homeless or using drugs. More patience, they say, is needed.

In a series of messages last week, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak accused the Dems of wanting to imprison people as a shortcut to fix complicated, intractable problems.

WE NEED TO CHEER THIS CITY ON THROUGH THE GOOD AND BAD

IF WE ARE TO GET THROUGH THIS.

MAYOR E MMA MULVANE Y- S TANAK

The mayor took to Church Street in June to proclaim “Burlington is back!” But that led to rigorous pushback.

“We are not ignoring the very serious challenges still in our city — but we need to cheer this city on through the good and bad if we are to get through this,” MulvaneyStanak said, defending her statement.

At the crux of the debate is whether harm-reduction strategies are the right

approach. The idea is to reduce the risks for substance users by providing them with medical supplies, clean needles and Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug.

Each interaction with a service provider, advocates say, presents a potential first step toward treatment. They point to a reduction in overdose deaths and certain crimes as proof that the strategy is working. The services also help reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV among intravenous drug users.

But downtown business owners and their council allies worry that this strategy is encouraging unfettered drug use in public spaces shared by residents, visitors and workers. They believe drug users are not facing serious repercussions and are taking advantage of the situation.

Michele Ready Ambrosino, the owner of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services on Shelburne Road and the downtown arcade-bar the Archives, penned an open letter calling on Mulvaney-Stanak to support the wide-ranging public safety resolution backed by the Dems. She described making funeral arrangements SAFETY DANCE

» P.16

Higher ed regulators are raising concerns about the future of Saint Michael’s College, citing its declining enrollment and worsening finances.

In early June, the New England Commission of Higher Education, the region’s lead accreditor of colleges and universities, issued St. Mike’s a “notation” letter warning that the college’s accreditation could be in jeopardy based on its current trajectory.

The letter pointed to the college’s enrollment, which dropped from 1,646 in 2018 to 1,021 in fall 2025. Revenues have also been falling faster than the college can cut expenses, the commission wrote. St. Mike’s reported a $2.6 million loss in fiscal year 2025.

While the Colchester school has enough in reserves to cover the losses, it is on track to end FY26 with about $10 million in unrestricted net assets, leaving “little runway” to fund the college’s future operating needs, the commission wrote.

Schools that receive notations can be placed on a formal probation if they fail to address the commission’s concerns. St. Mike’s is one of four New England schools with an active notation, according to the commission’s website.

In a statement, the college’s president, Richard Plumb, said he was encouraged by a few recent developments. The college has had its strongest fundraising year in more than a decade and has seen an increase in student deposits, Plumb said, which has contributed to a projected growth in tuition revenue this fall.

He added that the college has been shifting its academic offerings to better meet the needs of today’s workforce, such as a new major for students interested in becoming emergency service providers.

St. Mike’s has spent years trying to stave off financial crisis. It has sold property, cut faculty, rented dorms to other local colleges and doubled the amount it draws from its endowment, which stood at around $87 million as of last year. But its outlook has not improved. After cutting the school’s bond status to junk in 2022, ratings firm Moody’s lowered it again in April, citing the college’s outstanding debt of nearly $58 million. ➆

Can This Man ‘Save’ Poultney?

Tommie Zito wants to start a Christian university on the Green Mountain College campus.

He’s had problems with money before.

B Y B RIAN N E ARING COURTESY OF WCAX-TV

RELIGION

Tommie Zito

T

he man who wants to turn the former Green Mountain College campus into a Christian school called Z University arrived in Poultney last month to generate buzz and support for his plan. Tommie Zito, a flamboyant itinerant preacher from Florida who has made a career of visiting farflung conservative Christian churches, led prayer meetings on the college grounds and live streamed himself to his social media followers, pitching the project as he seeks donations.

Establishing a college is no small feat, particularly in an era when many schools are closing. Residents of Poultney are wondering: Can Zito actually pull this off ? They asked themselves the same thing six years ago, when WhistlePig Whiskey founder Raj Bhakta bought the 115-acre campus at auction in 2020 for $4.5 million. Now, another charismatic leader may hold the keys to the prominent property — and the town’s future.

There’s no record of Zito shepherding such an ambitious and costly project, though he did create a small Bible college in Florida more than a decade ago that

graduated a handful of students before he suspended operations.

Much of Zito’s public effort involves traveling to churches to preach a message of personal salvation at revival meetings. Publicly, he claims to have “saved”

SOME PEOPLE ARE LASHING OUT AT ME.

WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN OVER A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE END. TOMMIE Z ITO

more than 7.5 million people through his sermonizing.

Seven Days wanted to ask Zito about the proposal, but he has declined to speak with the newspaper.

Zito’s past operations have not been flush with cash, according to public CAN THIS MAN ‘SAVE’ POULTNEY?

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5/1/26 10:41 AM

LUKE AWTRY

news Safety Dance « P.14

16

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Vermont CARES operates a needle exchange out of the green building on Bank Street.

SASHA GOLDSTEIN

with a grieving family that wanted to avoid certain areas of the city. Another family left her funeral home and encountered people shooting up in the yard.

Archives employees worry about their safety downtown and the messes left in the bar’s bathrooms by people who aren’t customers. She noted that businesses must obtain permits and follow rules, unlike the homeless people and drug users living on her doorstep. Needles are discarded in public places.

“There is nothing compassionate about asking residents, employees, visitors, business owners, and children to lower their expectations of safety in the name of progress,” she wrote, echoing the language used by Dems in their resolution.

“Compassion without accountability is not compassion. It is abandonment.”

One part of the council Democrats’ plan, called “Burlington Forward,” takes aim at two harm-reduction strategies: syringe service providers, where drug users can get free needles, and the city’s proposed overdose-prevention center, which would offer supervised space for people to use drugs. The Democrats want to create stringent new zoning policies for both public health initiatives so that neither can operate downtown.

The city’s main needle exchange program was long operated by Howard Center on Clarke Street, one block north of the Church Street Marketplace. But neighbors sued, and the org shuttered the operation in June. In response, Vermont CARES expanded the needle program it runs out of its offices on Bank Street — directly across from where the Democrats held their press conference — with financial support from the Vermont Department of Health.

Councilors Mark Barlow (D-North District) and Evan Litwin (D-Ward 7) described witnessing open drug use and dealing around the newly expanded location, which started operating on July 1.

The Burlington Police Department has been called to the Vermont CARES office four times in the past month; three of those incidents were drug-related.

A legal dispute prevented Vermont CARES from staffing up and organizing community outreach before it opened, according to both the nonprofit and the health department.

The Dems’ resolution recognizes that needle exchanges prevent the spread of communicable disease but makes clear that the programs shouldn’t be allowed so close to Church Street.

“It’s not great for a downtown environment that we’re hoping to sort of

revitalize and get beyond some of the reputational issues we’ve suffered the last few years as we’ve disproportionately dealt with this social service crisis,” Barlow said.

Last Thursday morning, just a handful of clients came and went from the Vermont CARES building when it opened at 10 a.m. A few homeless people had gathered in the alley by the First Baptist Church next door. The twin crises of homelessness and substance use have ebbed and flowed over the past few years, said Pastor Karen Mendes. The problem actually seems to have improved this summer, she said.

The church rents the Bank Street building to Vermont CARES, which is one of two needle exchanges on the block.

Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform runs the other. Both have offered harmreduction services in these locations for years without criticism.

“Burlington’s got issues that we need to work on, but it definitely feels like people are looking for a scapegoat,” Mendes said.

“The tension and the negativity is very high at this moment. I don’t think that’s helpful.”

But the owners of the Burlington Square project across the street — developers Scott Ireland, Dave Farrington and

Al Senecal — want Vermont CARES to stop operating its program.

The gleaming new Burlington Square building is home to an AC Hotel by Marriott and dozens of apartments. Hotel guests have been checking out early after being scared off by the activity around the needle exchange, according to Alyssa Buckley Couture, the marketing director for S.D. Ireland, which manages the rentals. She also said an apartment resident was afraid to take her young granddaughter to the splash pad at City Hall Park.

“We just want to achieve the best outcomes for everyone, especially for our residents and businesses,” Couture said.

“We’ve invested heavily in downtown.”

Down the street, a woman named Stephanie was visiting the Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform office to get medication to treat her opioid addiction.

She acknowledged that open-air drug use and littered needles were problems but defended the exchange.

“I never wanted to be an addict, you know. When you’re homeless, you have nowhere to go,” she said. “They’re just so hopeless that they’re just out in the open doing it.”

Councilors Melo Grant (P-Central District) and Laura Sanchez-Parkinson (P-Ward 3), who represent the downtown and Old North End neighborhoods, believe the Dems’ rush to blame needle exchanges for problems downtown reflects a fundamental misunderstanding.

During a ride-along interview through the Old North End last week, Grant pointed out four problem properties where police have recently busted people

GERALD

for US Congress Vermont

for drug trafficking. At one property, on North Champlain Street, police have swooped in twice since 2023 to arrest drug suspects. A recent arrest on Williston Road in South Burlington, Grant said, involved drug dealers who were selling downtown.

Getting rid of the needle exchange would only create a secondary public health issue on top of the addiction crisis.

The dealers would still find their buyers, Grant said, and the drug activity would continue to plague her district.

“We’re in open class warfare. The residents here don’t matter to them,” Grant said of her Dem colleagues. “The only ones that matter to them are their donor

THERE IS NOTHING COMPASSIONATE ABOUT ASKING RESIDENTS …

TO LOWER THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF SAFETY

IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS.

M I C H EL E REA D Y A M BROSIN O

class. They only talk about the businesses.

They don’t actually pay attention to those of us in the Old North End who experienced this first.”

Sanchez-Parkinson, too, defended the needle exchange, citing public health best practices and years of national and local data that have shown the service is valuable and should be accessible.

“I believe in having a thriving economy in this city,” she said. “However, what I’m seeing is that we can’t only blame our economic challenges on the homeless people who are struggling with substance-use disorders.”

In an interview, Council President Traverse reiterated his support for syringe service programs; he said he just doesn’t want them downtown. He also said business interests did not lead him to that conclusion.

“The main thing that drives my decision-making is families and kids,” he said. “I’ve got no problem in the South End sending my kids out to City Market to go pick up something at the store. I would have a lot of questions about whether or not I’m going to send them downtown to spend the day on Church Street, and that’s not OK.” The backlash against the needle exchange doesn’t bode well for

Burlington’s long-planned overdoseprevention center. Prior city council votes have demonstrated bipartisan support for the proposal. But Dems are now sending a clear message: Don’t put it downtown.

A recent survey, though, found that downtown was the top choice for people who’d use the center, followed by the Old North End. A spokesperson for Mulvaney-Stanak said the mayor is not willing to bar needle exchanges or the overdose-prevention center from operating in the business district.

An article in the Atlantic magazine last week suggested a stronger approach was needed. It featured Burlington, Seattle and Vancouver as “the cities that said yes to drugs.” The article featured critics who believe the city has been too lenient with drug users and painted advocates such as Mulvaney-Stanak and Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George as the flailing defenders of harm-reduction strategies.

Even as city leaders debate strategies, many acknowledge that Burlington is drawing from limited resources. Both sides want more help from the state and neighboring communities but know that any support would be limited. Nonprofit partners including the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity and Howard Center say they are maxed out.

Despite Vermont CARES’ rocky start, executive director Melissa Farr said in a statement that the needle exchange isn’t going anywhere.

“Our doors remain open, and our commitment remains strong,” she said.

“Supported by the Vermont Department of Health, we continue to provide lifesaving health services, education, and harm reduction supplies to people throughout Vermont because every person deserves access to compassionate care, dignity, support, and respect.”

On Monday, dozens of harm-reduction activists spoke during public comment at a city council meeting. Democrats, though, approved the “Burlington Forward” resolution on a 7-5 vote over vociferous protests from Progressive councilors and the mayor. Council committees will debate the measure before the full council considers it in September.

One thing both sides agree on is the need for more help from the state. And Gov. Phil Scott delivered last week: He ordered Vermont State Police troopers to resume patrols downtown, though he did so without giving Mulvaney-Stanak a heads-up.

They’ve already been out on Church Street and in City Hall Park. Troopers have gone to the Vermont CARES building on Bank Street, too, to make sure no one is loitering. ➆

VERMONT FIRST

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Articles of Disagreement Washington Central voters will decide whether to make it easier to close schools — a harbinger of the tough local choices ahead B Y A L ISON NOVAK • alison@sevendaysvt.com

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Attendees of last week’s meeting in East Montpelier

to close or change their schools. The latest threat came in February, after the Washington Central school board called for school-closure votes in the two towns.

“By consolidating, we use the money saved from administrative and facility redundancies to invest directly in instruction,” then-superintendent Steven Dellinger-Pate wrote to community members ahead of the vote. “If we remain in a five-school model, those same dollars must instead be spent on maintaining underutilized buildings and redundant staffing, leaving less for the direct services our students need to thrive.”

Despite that warning, Calais and Worcester voters opted to keep their schools open. The outcome prompted the school district to announce this spring that Middlesex fifth and sixth graders would be bused to Worcester, while Worcester prekindergarten through second graders would go to Middlesex. The elementary schools, which are a 10-minute drive apart, would share a principal, nurse and school counselors.

Many considered the changes illconceived and abrupt. And the situation illustrated how the decisions of voters

FILE: JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

18

EDUCATION

ALISON NOVAK

T

he tension was palpable on July 28 in a former one-room schoolhouse where two dozen people gathered to talk about the future of the Washington Central Unified Union School District.

The East Montpelier meeting, held in advance of a public vote this month that would make it easier to close schools in the district, is representative of the contentious and emotional conversations facing districts statewide. Under the new education-reform law meant to encourage voluntary consolidation, committees to discuss potential school mergers will form across Vermont this fall.

This meeting centered on whether the school district should change its articles of agreement, a legal document ratified in 2018 when Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester merged into one district. Under the existing articles, closing a school requires a majority vote of the residents of the town where it’s located.

But the proposal would give the electorate of all five towns a say in any future schoolclosure decisions. That change would take away the power of any one town to determine the fate of its local school.

The impending vote — on August 11 — is the latest development in what has proven to be an uneasy seven-year partnership between the five central Vermont towns, which the State Board of Education forced to merge under the 2015 school district consolidation law known as Act 46.

Washington Central has found itself in a difficult position largely because of its substantial decline in enrollment, which reflects a statewide trend. In the past decade, the size of the student body has declined by 14 percent, and the trajectory is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. School officials are scrambling to adapt.

In recent years, committees made up of school board and community members have debated how to deliver a quality education amid declining enrollment. The two smallest towns in the district, Calais and Worcester, have rejected overtures

Ahead of a closure vote in February

in one town can affect all the others in a district. In response, some parents formed a group called the Sustainable Schools Coalition, which aims to ensure the longterm strength and stability of the school district.

Representatives from that group presented a petition to Washington Central’s school board in June, calling for a change in the articles of agreement. Days before the petition was formally submitted, Dellinger-Pate, the superintendent, resigned abruptly, which he attributed to personal reasons. His last day was July 31; the district is currently looking for an interim replacement.

Those opposed to the petition, including some school board members, say that changing the articles of agreement would amount to breaking a promise made during the merger: that towns would control their own destinies. The school board initially hedged on whether to move forward. After consulting with an attorney and several town clerks, the board decided to hold the vote on August 11, the day of the state’s primary election. If approved, the change would be binding, though the board would still weigh in on any school closures.

Ahead of the vote, the Sustainable Schools Coalition has hosted community events to bring people with differing views together to discuss the implications.

At one last week, a mix of young parents and older residents braved the stormy weather to attend the meeting at the Four Corners Schoolhouse, which was once a one-room school. There were plates of homemade cookies and brownies, and markers and a large roll of paper provided entertainment for the kids who tagged along. The sound of their playful banter served as a reminder of the gathering’s goal.

Sitting in folding chairs arranged in a circle, attendees introduced themselves and shared a question they had.

Sonja Andrews, a Calais native whose mother once taught at the one-room schoolhouse, came with her husband, Ross, who helps kids at Doty Memorial School in Worcester make lunch for local residents once a week. Andrews said she’d left Vermont for almost 40 years but recently moved back from Virginia. In that state, she homeschooled her children because she didn’t believe the “huge classrooms” in the public schools there were conducive to creating “healthy adults.”

Schools are supposed to provide kids with “a good basis to grow from, and small rural schools provide a much better setting than larger schools can,” Andrews said.

The Washington Central school board has said publicly that it has no plans to take immediate action on school closure based on the results of the vote. But Andrews said she believed that if it passed, the elementary schools in Calais and Worcester would end up on the chopping block.

FILE: JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

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T E A C H E R

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Thursday, August 20 3 pm to 9 pm Calais is one of the smallest schools in the district.

If that happened, “what is in this for Calais and Worcester taxpayers and voters? What do we get back from the district?” Andrews asked. “How do you compensate them for giving away their right to self-determination?”

Cynthia Gardner-Morse, who said her family’s roots in Calais date back to 1852, said she was “furious” about the petition, which she believed “blindsided people” and ignored the will of Calais and Worcester residents.

“Our towns have a history of closing schools when we need to,” GardnerMorse said but noted that those past decisions were “organic” and “grassroots.”

Parents with children in the district’s schools, on the other hand, said they worried about a drop in the quality of education they’d observed in the past few years — and that inaction would make it worse.

“It’s not like suddenly the schools are failing. It’s a gradual decline, and it’s easy for that gradual decline to continue … until we get to the place of, How did this happen?” said East Montpelier resident Emily Alfano, who has three young children. “I only have a limited amount of time to educate my kids, so it feels very urgent to me.”

Emilie Connor, who also lives in East Montpelier, agreed.

“I strongly believe we do not have enough kids to keep five elementary schools open at this point,” Connor said.

“I’m concerned we are going to start to see a decline in how our school [district] is perceived across the state. It’s always been very desirable. That is starting to decline very quickly.”

Middlesex resident Katie Marshall, who has two young children, said uncertainty about the district’s future was her main concern.

“All that families want is stability,” Marshall said. “We want to know where we’re going to be and what resources we’re going to have.” She urged those in the room to think about the collective well-being of the students in the district rather than look at things in a “town-bytown way.”

Andy Shapiro, an East Montpelier resident, said he was “agnostic” as to the best solution. But he was critical of the process that led to this point. Shapiro served on a school-district configuration

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committee last year and said he felt like district leaders had come in with the foregone conclusion that they needed to close schools.

“People in the community weren’t ever really listened to,” Shapiro said in an interview after the meeting. He believes that a lack of authentic engagement has sown distrust among residents that will linger regardless of what happens on August 11.

The tense mood in the schoolhouse last week lent credence to Shapiro’s assessment. As the meeting wrapped up, it was clear that the attendees were firmly entrenched in their camps and nobody had changed their mind.

Still, one attendee noted, they had shown up to have a face-to-face conversation at a time when such interactions are increasingly rare. That, they all seemed to agree, was worth something. ➆

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records, and he has faced financial setbacks before. He formerly ran Tommie Zito Ministries out of leased space in Miami, Fla. California-based APH Corporation, the landlord, sued in December 2007, claiming it did not receive monthly rent of $12,000.

In August 2009, APH won a $383,000 court judgment against the ministry to cover rent for the lease period of November 2007 through August 2010.

Tommie Zito Ministries filed for federal bankruptcy protection in April 2010 and ceased operations. The ministry’s bankruptcy petition listed APH Corporation as its largest creditor.

APH ended up getting just $719 when a federal bankruptcy trustee distributed the meager assets of Zito’s ministry.

Another creditor in the bankruptcy case, the Internal Revenue Service, claimed that Zito’s ministry owed more than $225,000 in back taxes for the previous five years. Evangel Cathedral in Maryland was also listed on the bankruptcy petition; it had made a $50,000 loan to Zito’s ministry that was not repaid.

The same year that Tommie Zito Ministries filed for bankruptcy, Zito formed a nonprofit called American Awakening to continue his evangelical work. He has referenced American Awakening in his current fundraising efforts; it’s listed as one way to contribute to Z University on a website for the proposed school.

Last Thursday, when Zito was on Facebook live streaming to supporters, Seven Days asked in the chat if donations to the project would be tax-deductible.

Zito quickly replied “Yes.” However, the IRS says American Awakening lost its tax-exempt status in May 2025 and posted notice of the revocation on its public website in February 2026. The IRS revokes tax-exempt status automatically when an organization fails to file annual financial reports for three consecutive years. American Awakening’s last such form, known as a 990, was filed in 2021.

That means any donations would not be tax-deductible. An IRS spokesperson said no further information about American Awakening’s status was publicly available.

Zito did not respond to emailed questions about American Awakening’s taxexempt status or the bankruptcy.

Zito has publicly said he already has a $1 million anonymous donation in hand for his plan. Poultney will be the first of nine evangelical schools he intends to establish worldwide, he said, in Canada, Italy, Dubai, Poland, Sri Lanka, Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Seven Days could not verify the $1 million donation, but that would be more money than Zito raised through American Awakening between 2016 and 2021, the last year that he filed a 990 form.

The forms show that his organization collected a total of $924,103 during those six years. During that period, his organization spent $942,355. More than half of those expenses were for travel and meals related to Zito’s church revival trips.

By comparison, Green Mountain College spent $27.4 million in 2018, according to 990 forms.

Of that, $7.4 million was for wages for faculty and staff. Another $1.5 million was spent on food, and $1.5 million went to pay for legal, accounting and other services. Insurance alone cost $563,000 that year.

TOMMIE ZITO MINISTRIES FILED FOR FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION IN APRIL 2010

AND CEASED OPERATIONS.

Current campus owner Bhakta has said publicly that it will cost about $1.5 million a year just to deal with years of deferred maintenance.

As Zito met last week with the faithful on the campus he hopes to own, some locals gathered at the Poultney Pub’s regular Tuesday night bluegrass jam. Danny Lang was among the crowd enjoying the food, drink and lively music.

A 2016 graduate of Green Mountain College, he later bought the college’s woodworking and metal shop equipment from its Renewable Energy & Ecological Design program to open a training center called Reclaimed.

Residents such as Lang have already seen a grand plan for the campus wither and die. Bhakta never secured financing or permits to make it a world-class destination resort, and the campus has been largely unused. He also sued the town over its property tax assessment.

Earlier this year, Bhakta announced that he planned to give the entire parcel to a religious organization and solicited proposals. No property transfer has been publicly recorded, and Bhakta said it will happen on October 1.

Lang wondered aloud about how Bhakta chose Zito, as well as whether the newcomer has the ability pull off his vision.

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mattresses, outdoor furniture, platform beds, dressers and accessories “Is this just Raj causing some mayhem for the town as revenge? Is this all just smoke?” Lang asked. “What about Zito and his donors? For the kind of money he would need, does he already have somebody in mind?”

Lang said the best potential outcome would be hundreds of students and staffers returning to campus — along with the resulting economic benefits. The worst-case scenario, he figured, would be hordes of conservative Pentecostal students trying to “save” residents on the streets of Poultney.

A young woman tending bar at the pub said many in town are concerned, while others are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Zito, who frequently preaches about the perils of eternal damnation to hell, told his followers during a campus prayer meeting that he and they were part of a battle to reclaim American society. “We are going to flip Vermont,” he promised.

Zito has thick-rimmed eyeglasses and wears his shirt collars turned up, even when he is sporting a necktie. Many of his past sermons are online, so his conservative credentials are well established. He is active on social media and frequently live streams himself on Facebook; he announced his Vermont plan on video from Walt Disney World in Florida. He has several Facebook pages; one has 11,000 followers.

Two years ago, he was a guest on a webcast hosted by the Truth & Liberty Coalition, a Colorado-based national organization of conservative religious and political leaders. They include Turning Point USA, founded by the late conservative activist and MAGA advocate Charlie Kirk; conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation; and Moms for Liberty, a MAGA-aligned group that

advocates against school curricula that mention LGBTQ rights and fights to keep books it considers inappropriate out of schools.

“The United States is burning,” Zito said on the podcast, with a graphic of the U.S. Capitol and American flags in the background. “Angels and demons are doing battle over America at a nuclear level.” He told political operative and antiabortion activist Janet Porter: “America is coming back. There is an army.”

Zito also invoked the phrase “seven mountains,” an apparent allusion to the so-called Seven Mountains Mandate, a worldview that calls on evangelical Christians to gain influence, or “take dominion,” over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.

To adherents, these societal pillars are battlegrounds.

During a video tour of the Poultney campus that he posted to Facebook last month, Zito denied he was a Christian nationalist, although he acknowledged he might be a “bit more conservative” than the people of southwestern Vermont. He did not respond to emailed questions about his ties to the Truth & Liberty Coalition.

On social media last week, Zito warned his followers that “Some people are lashing out at me. We believe that we will win over a lot of people in the end.”

He sounded optimistic, though, in many posts he made from Vermont. He shared multiple images of the faithful on the school’s campus.

“Incredible Day on the Poultney River at the back of the University Campus,” he wrote in one post with photographs of people who had waded into the water.

“The first of many water baptisms.” ➆

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THAT’S RUBBISH!

Illegal dumps vex neighbors PAGE 15

Amanda Janoo

Janoo understands the economic conditions underpinning these crises. For me, what sets her apart is her commitment to public health care in Vermont — a free primary and preventative care system as a foundation for free universal health care.

This plan is projected to save $250 million to $300 million per year. It would alleviate the burden on small businesses and, since health care is a significant driver of school budgets, could be transformative for property taxes.

I’ve been an advocate for public health care since living in England and experiencing a universal health care system at work. Imagine being free from the fear that an illness or injury will result in catastrophic debt. Imagine being free from insurance corporations that measure our life-saving treatments on a profit-andloss sheet. Our insurance-based model is antiquated and profoundly dehumanizing. We deserve better.

This crisis requires more than politicians who want to keep tinkering with the existing system. In contrast, Janoo’s proposal would allow us to finally move on from the insurance industry altogether.

Free primary health care would be transformational, but Janoo’s plan is practical, detailed and already popular. Vermonters are ready for a new way. Amanda Janoo will help us get there together.

Emma Brewer

BRISTOL

CASE AGAINST SARAH GEORGE

Pleading Their Case

[Re “Pleading Their Case: Bram Kranichfeld Says He Should Be Chittenden County’s Next State’s Attorney. Reform-Minded Incumbent Sarah George Bram Kranichfeld says Objects,” July 1]: In 2019, he should be Chittenden County’s next state’s attorney.

Chittenden County State’s Reform-minded incumbent Sarah George objects.

Attorney Sarah George dismissed two murder cases and an attempted murder case, citing insufficient evidence to rebut insanity defenses. The record PAST IS PROLOGUE ON THE HOME FRONT CRACKING UP since has discredited those decisions.

As U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall More fundamentally, the opinions observed in Ake v. Oklahoma, psychiatry relied upon by George repeatedly is not an exact science. Experts frequently conflated mental illness with legal disagree on diagnosis and causation. That insanity. A diagnosis, even psychosis, uncertainty demands prosecutorial rigor. does not establish insanity, nor does the Yet George accepted flawed opinions at horrific nature of a crime. The legal test face value. is narrow: whether the defendant lacked In the Aita Gurung case, the court the capacity to appreciate wrongfulness required two Nepali interpreters at or conform conduct to the law. Collapsevery appearance so the defendant could ing that distinction is a basic legal error. understand and participate in proceedGeorge defended the dismissals as ings. Yet George retained a psychiatrist required by prosecutorial ethics, yet no who interviewed him without an inter- ethical rule required or even suggested preter, acknowledged communication dismissals. The Vermont Attorney breakdowns and nevertheless issued General’s Office refiled them, resulting definitive conclusions about his mental in two guilty pleas and, in 2022, a jury state. Such an evaluation is not reliable. conviction of Gurung for first-degree S T O RY C O L I N F L A N D E R S • P H O T O S D A R I A B I S H O P PA G E 2 6

PAGE 42

Summer Nest inside!

RICHARDS CAN WIN

[Re “New Faces, New Ideas,” July 29]: Over the past three elections, Dems have nominated Progressive candidates for governor. None of them even reached 40 percent, while Gov. Phil Scott scooped up the moderate and independent voters to get to 60 percent.

In times of chaos and frustration such as we’re in now, it’s easy to lean toward headlines like “Free Health Care” or “Change the System,” as if there’s some magic wand that will achieve such.

There’s no magic wand, though.

Heading toward the primary election on August 11, the choice is clear for me: Aly Richards is someone who knows how to build a house. She’s done it by building a foundation, sweating the details to get it framed, and fleshed out our childcare system to the point where we are now serving 4,000 more children than two years go.

Brings me back to what the farmer trying to raise a crop reminds us: Wish with one hand, dig with the other, and see which one fills up first.

Vermont marks America’s 250th

murder and attempted murder, affirmed on appeal last year.

During that trial, George’s office even attempted to have the attorney general’s prosecutors’ vehicles towed from the courthouse garage — another unprofessional act.

John Waszak BREWSTER, N.Y.

Waszak, formerly of Williston and Middlebury, was a lawyer in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and a lead prosecutor on the Aita Gurung case from 2019 to 2022.

PAGE 54

Montréal mounts Just for Laughs

FILE: KEVIN MCCALLUM

FILE: KEVIN MCCALLUM

[Re “New Faces, New Ideas: Aly Richards and Amanda Janoo Are Vying to Be the Democratic Nominee for Governor,” July 29]: It gives me hope to learn about the gubernatorial candidates stepping up to confront the crises we’re facing as Vermonters: extreme wealth inequality, climate instability, federal intimidation and democratic backsliding. We need bold, competent leaders who are proactive about building a resilient and affordable Vermont. I believe the governor for this moment is Amanda Janoo.

VERMONT’S INDEPENDENT VOICE JULY 1-8, 2026 VOL.31 NO.43 SEVENDAYSVT.COM

JANOO’S ‘NEW WAY’

I’ll be voting for Aly in the upcoming Democratic primary election on August 11 and urge consideration of voting likewise.

Michael Mrowicki

PUTNEY

Mrowicki is a Democratic state representative.

FOUR MORE YEARS FOR GAMELIN

While [“New Sheriff in Town?” July 22] discussed the minimum qualifications for the position, the article did not fully

IN HER DEFENSE

[Re “Pleading Their Case,” July 1]: I was a public defender for almost 30 years until I retired last year. I practiced in Franklin County; Bram Kranichfeld was the state’s attorney during my last three years. I feel that gives me an important perspective on the candidates.

I unreservedly support the reelection of Sarah George as Chittenden County state’s attorney. Her pursuit of criminal justice reform, including avoiding cash bail and discouraging non-public-safety traffic stops, makes her a progressive, thoughtful and appropriate choice.

Deb Lashman BURLINGTON

express how hard our current sheriff, Dan Gamelin, works to make the office a successful one, carrying out its duties and responsibilities. It is not a 9-to-5, Mondaythrough-Friday kind of job. It is an on-call, 24-hours-per-day, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year position that requires skills and training to perform the job well.

I’m an attorney and a former member of both the Shelburne Selectboard and the Burlington City Council. In my experience, I have seen Sheriff Gamelin be compassionate, resourceful and respectful in carrying out his duties. I have also seen how his knowledge of our community and his relationships with many key players in government, business and advocacy organizations allow him to craft solutions and get results in the myriad complex encounters that make up the sheriff ’s day.

I hope voters will join me and vote for Sheriff Gamelin to continue to be our sheriff for another four years.

Mary Kehoe

BURLINGTON

FEEDBACK SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

» P.24 23

FEED back « DEAN FOR GRAY

I appreciate Seven Days’ election coverage [“Second Story: A Democratic Primary Will Decide Who Competes This Fall to Be Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor,” July 29], but Molly Gray’s universal primary care proposal deserves more ink.

When I was governor, I built on the foundation laid by governor Madeleine Kunin to expand Dr. Dynasaur so no child would go without access to health care.

It was the right thing to do and lowered costs for working families, employers and our state. For more than 30 years, virtually all Vermont children under 18 have had health care coverage.

Now it’s 2026, and health care is bankrupting Vermont. Specifically, health insurance premiums are now the biggest cost driver in our education spending and are crushing employers and families. Vermont needs leaders willing to act with urgency, courage and persistence to make universal primary care a reality for every Vermonter, regardless of age or income. This will bring down costs while delivering on health care as a human right.

Molly grew up with Dr. Dynasaur and is a mom as well as a caregiver to her mom, who battles multiple sclerosis. Molly has a detailed plan for universal primary care, with concrete ideas for how to staff and fund it.

Having served as lieutenant governor before, she knows how to use the office to make it happen. Molly is stepping up with solutions and experience.

We’ve seen what’s possible. With the right leadership, we can do it again.

Howard Dean

BURLINGTON

WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE NEED

[Re “Second Story,” July 29]: I spend my days helping college students find internships, connect with mentors and see a future for themselves in Vermont. Every year, I watch talented young people fall in love with the state, and every year, too many of them leave anyway. That’s why I’m supporting Ryan McLaren for lieutenant governor.

Vermont’s colleges and universities bring thousands of talented young people to our state each year, yet the majority of graduates leave within a few years. It’s not because they don’t want to stay; it’s because they can’t find affordable health care or places to live and don’t see investments in their future that would allow them to be successful.

Ryan’s “YIMBY Tax Credit” plan would reward permitting new homes — the kind that provide young people who are starting careers somewhere to live. His push 24

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Molly Gray

Ryan McLaren

for universal primary care would ease the large financial burdens of young workers.

And his focus on workforce development means treating the connection between education and career as a real priority.

Vermont doesn’t have a shortage of promising young people who want to build their lives here. We have a shortage of housing, health care and opportunity that would let them stay and succeed. Ryan McLaren understands that, and he has real plans to fix it. I hope Vermonters will join me in supporting him.

Joe Speidel

BURLINGTON

‘SHE’LL FIGHT EVERY DAY’

There is a lot more to say about Molly Gray’s work over the past few years and what makes her the lieutenant governor we need [“Second Story,” July 29]. I worked with Molly when she served as the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance. I previously worked in Afghanistan with the U.S. Department of Justice and in 2025 joined the VAA board; I am now the president. In a few years, Molly grew the

alliance from a small driving program into a statewide organization helping hundreds of Afghans access driver’s licenses, jobs, housing, immigration services and other support.

When President Donald Trump tried to defund the organization, Molly raised the funds to keep it going.

When an Afghan man was wrongfully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Molly rallied immigration attorneys and prevented deportation.

When Vermont ended SNAP food assistance, Molly worked with the legislature, attorneys and our Congressional delegation to get it reinstated. She did this all while leading the organization, working with community partners and caring for every member of the Afghan community, ensuring they knew she had their backs.

I know Molly will have the backs of every Vermonter as lieutenant governor. I know she will use every tool at her disposal to help protect Vermonters from unlawful federal action, and she will fight every day for our communities. I’ve seen it firsthand.

Molly’s intelligence, work ethic, acumen and empathetic heart are unparalleled and exactly what we need.

James Gelber

HINESBURG

A VOTE FOR ‘COACH ROCKET’

We have three excellent candidates in the primary race for lieutenant governor, and it takes a lot of courage to be in the arena [“Second Story,” July 29].

To me, one candidate stands out, and that’s Ryan McLaren of Essex Junction.

I was proud to serve with him as volunteer members of the Burlington Board of Tax Appeals, and Ryan’s long experience working for Sen. Peter Welch and in state government, as well as his work on both the Essex Junction and Burlington school boards, has prepared him well for the job of lieutenant governor. “Coach Rocket,” as he is affectionately known by his players on the boys’ lacrosse teams he has coached, provides an exemplary role model as a leader. His remarkable efforts to recover from a devastating ski injury in 2017 demonstrate his commitment to getting hard things done.

Ryan is a homeowner and a family man, and he has the character and experience we need in Montpelier.

As someone who has registered hundreds of voters, I am proud to say Ryan has never missed an opportunity to vote.

Andrew Champagne

BURLINGTON

‘TOUGH AND COMPASSIONATE’

Thank you for great coverage in [Primary Election Preview Issue, July 29]. Many folks don’t pay too much attention to primaries. But this year we have an abundance of great candidates, especially women running for statewide office!

Regarding [“Second Story”], I am tired of the Progressive/Democratic split and feel it reflects our horrible national polarization. Every candidate could say they would bring people together, but Molly Gray has actually built a coalition of Progressive and Democratic leaders from across Vermont.

Sens. Tanya Vyhovsky and Phil Baruth and Reps. Kate Logan and Chloe Tomlinson have endorsed her, as have the Teamsters, the Vermont State Employees’ Association, and former governors Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin.

I’m worried about a lot of things these days. Even though Vermonters have many different views, we get penalized today by our federal government for being a blue state. I think we need a fighter and a solutions person in each office. Molly has fought for our Afghans who served with our military when the feds turned away from them. She also has detailed plans to make universal primary care and housing available.

If you have a chance to meet Molly, she is an authentic, real person who is tough and compassionate. For me, these are bottom lines for anyone serving in office.

Pamela Kraynak

BURLINGTON

Read more Feedback online at sevendaysvt.com.

Community Heart & Soul is seeking a

Chief Operating Officer This position is at our office in Shelburne, VT. Community Heart & Soul helps towns engage residents to identify what they love most, the future they want, and how to achieve it.

We are growing through community foundations, statewide networks, and civic partners. We seek a hands-on operating leader who will work directly with the President to keep daily operations, staff coordination, financial discipline, technology, contracts, systems, and follow-through strong.

You must have business experience, sound judgment, move at a good pace, and improve systems without creating bureaucracy.

Modern Artistry

LYMAN ORTON, Founder

Dan

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lifelines

OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

OBITUARIES Carolyn J. Ridpath JANUARY 13, 1942-JULY 29, 2026 MONTPELIER, VT.

Carolyn Ridpath of Montpelier, Vt., passed on July 29, 2026. Born on January 13, 1942, in Washington, D.C., to Warren H. and Frances E. Ridpath, she was a global citizen who spent time in many places around the world, first moving with her family as her father’s career required and later wherever her adventurous spirit led her. For all her life, she held a special place in her heart for the years of her childhood spent in the Mojave Desert living on the naval base in China Lake, Calif.

She had a lifelong passion for learning, with years of study at Antioch College and at the University of California at Berkeley, where she obtained a certificate in industrial relations. In 1967, she obtained her certified public accountant (CPA) license, and in 2014 she earned her bachelor’s degree from Johnson State College, graduating summa cum laude. She also began a course of study with the Community College of Vermont in 1994 that would continue until the end of her life.

Self-described as eclectic and peripatetic, in 1973 Carolyn embarked on a major lifestyle change — she joined the carnival.

Having purchased a concession

for portrait photography, she and her family ranged across Canada and the southern United States, participating in multiple exhibitions and state fairs throughout the 1970s. Among the thousands of portraits she took, whether it be families with children, motorcycle gangs or a troupe of 10-year-old clowns wanting to send a photo to their friend in the hospital, Carolyn always felt an emotional connection with those she photographed.

In 1980, she and her family left the carnival life and moved to Maine, where she settled into a more conventional career by comparison, drawing on her expertise as a CPA to establish her own accounting firm. To satisfy her need for deeper connections and community engagement, Carolyn also began a lifelong career of volunteerism while there.

Elaine Parker FEBRUARY 26, 1955JUNE 10, 2026 PLAINFIELD, VT.

Elaine Parker, 71, died at home after a two-year battle with lung cancer. She was born in East Tennessee to June Linkous Parker and Russell Parker. Her childhood was spent surrounded by a large, loving, extended family. She left Tennessee on a path of self-discovery that led her to New York City, where she earned a degree in sculpture from Pratt Institute and started an all-women carpentry company, giving employment to women in recovery. She moved to

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Vermont in 1989 and built her own home, doing most of the work herself.

Shortly afterward, she met the love of her life, Meg Davis. They shared 35 years

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

She participated in low-income neighborhood organizing, building playgrounds and stabilizing the management structure of the Family Crisis Shelter.

Consistent with her accounting career, she also volunteered for the Maine State Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), and these efforts led to a job in Vermont as the executive director of the Vermont Society of CPAs. Aside from periods of self-employment, this was the position she enjoyed the most, as it allowed her to use all of her skills to achieve tangible results.

She took great pride in achieving success in a male-dominated field where she was often the only female representative on multiple committees.

During this period, Carolyn worked in collaboration to rewrite the laws and rules for the practice of public accountancy and lobbied successfully to change laws guiding the State of Vermont’s accounting method. She served as the founder and first executive director of the New England Quality Review, a multistate organization that reviewed the financial statements of the CPA firms in New England.

She was also instrumental in forming the Battered Women’s Services organization and the Vermont Women’s Fund.

After many years of work in the

of love, joy and adventurous travel, covering all 50 states and parts of six continents, mostly by bicycle. In her first of three trips to Antarctica, Elaine secured a job as fire alarm technician, for which she was completely unqualified, saying what would become her trademark response, “How hard can it be?” Meg joined her there for a second summer season and a subsequent full year on the Ice. They fit in many adventures: exploring deep crevasses, hanging out with Adélie and emperor penguins, and a 28-degree polar plunge.

After returning home, she found what became

field of public accounting, Carolyn branched out again to begin a period of work in international development, first working on projects in Bulgaria and Macedonia with the Montpelierbased Institute for Sustainable Communities. She subsequently worked for Mercy Corps in Liberia as a finance manager and, at the age of 69, began a position with the Johns Hopkins University-directed nonprofit Jhpiego, working in Swaziland (now Eswatini). In total, her international development work took her to multiple countries, including 15 in Africa.

Carolyn retired from her final professional position with the Vermont Economic Development Authority in 2021. She continued working part time for various social service organizations and serving on city committees, with a specific focus on the homeless. Until her death, she was an active participant in Montpelier Senior Activity Center programs and engaged in genealogical research.

In 2016, Carolyn was diagnosed with multiple lung diseases and required oxygen 24-7. Anticipating her demise, she wrote and published her memoir, Having It All … But Not All at Once. The book was intended to create points of connection and context for her four children and three

her favorite job: leading bicycle tours. Her boss later described her as the best, most empathetic, energetic, reliable and joyous of tour leaders. Over 14 years, she led tours in Vermont, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, Québec, North Carolina, Maine and Ireland.

She continued to create art, sculptures and drawings that grew from her own experiences and love of nature. She approached the sports that she loved passionately: Bicycling, crosscountry skiing, paddling, hiking and snowshoeing were all pursued with great fervor.

After Meg taught her swing dancing, they were frequently seen on the dance floor.

foster children, whose diverse backgrounds, experiences and achievements were a source of enormous pride for her. She also saw the memoir as “an invitation to others to tell their stories and begin the conversation with their children … [and] an invitation to empathy; the stories have a universality which may give insights into many of the problems that confront people. Most of all, it is about life fully lived, by someone who had it all.”

Carolyn is predeceased by her parents; brother, Brian Ridpath; former husbands, Robert E. Ramsdell and David B. Garfield; and former partner Fredrick Lee Villers Jr. She is survived by her children, Blake Ramsdell and spouse Theresa, Ward Ramsdell and partner Angela Noble, Andy Segal and spouse Jennifer, and Fordyce Garfield and partner Lara Hubbard; foster children, Prince Leo Kponbowe, Lungile Zwane Sukati and Travis Napoli; and grandchildren, Zane, Mae, Jack, Ana and Anson. A special recognition goes to her stepsister, Cary Beth Vaughn, who “always had her back,” and to her good friend Terry Barber, who has always been there for her.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 130 Main St., Montpelier, VT.

Starting in 2012, Elaine suffered from multiple injuries, each one followed by her determination to recover as quickly as possible, her spirit never flagging. One time she tied her castcovered broken ankle to a bike pedal to be able to continue riding. When she lost her sense of balance post-surgery, she bought an electric-assist tandem bicycle on which she and Meg could continue to ride.

Once she knew that there was no further treatment for the cancer, she insisted on one last adventure and spent two weeks in Iceland, returning two weeks before she died.

Her friends and family remember her as “creative, courageous, curious, committed, kind, and crazy; engaging, enthusiastic, energetic, empathetic, exuberant, and exceptional; loving, loyal, and lesbian royalty; magnetic and magnificent; remarkable, reliable, and relentless; special, stubborn, strong, smart, silly, and sober; wild, warm, and wise; amazing, adventurous, and athletic; fun, funny, joyful, and generous; vibrant and vulnerable; intense and inspiring; passionate, honest, dedicated, fierce and full of life.”

We will never forget her.

Meredith Potter

FEBRUARY 22, 1962-JULY 30, 2026 MONTPELIER, VT. Meredith Potter of Montpelier, Vt., died of complications from metastatic breast cancer at her home not long after the sun rose on July 30, 2026. Attended by those dearest to her, her final days were peaceful and full of love.

Meredith was born in Vermont and lived briefly in New Haven, Conn., during the 1960s and 1970s. The antiwar movement, feminism, the environment and racial justice flowed through her veins.

Her oldest brother was one of her greatest heroes, having spent nearly two years in federal prison for tearing up his draft card.

By the time she was 16, she had followed her dreams and begun to tour: first to Boulder, Colo., and then on to San Francisco … anywhere the Grateful Dead were playing. A “Deadhead” for over 44 years, Meredith’s happiest memories were of these incomparably joyful musical journeys. During her final years she tried to attend live music whenever she could.

From dance to photography to gardening, Meredith found beauty in her lifetime. At an early

Autumn Lyn Leach

MAY 18, 1973-MARCH 30, 2026 BURLINGTON, VT. Autumn Lyn Leach was fierce, freespirited, a pocket-size hurricane. A whirling, swirling force, she took shape as a tireless advocate and volunteer for social justice, gender equality and the voiceless.

She lived to right wrongs — leveraging her intelligence, charisma and sharp humor. Her wisecracks struck like lightning: sharp, perfectly timed, illuminating truths to a chorus of gasps and laughter. Even the EMTs who drove her to the McClure Miller Respite House, a hospice in Colchester, said she was one of the “funnest” people they’d ever transported.

age, Meredith’s sister Stephanie inspired her lifelong love for horses.

Eventually, Meredith fell in love with the art of dance, earning a BS in dance from Johnson State College in 1989. She ran her own dance studio for a while, and, restless once again, she decided to work toward a MA degree in education from Saint Michael’s College. In addition to dance, Meredith adored skateboarding, and each child in her family learned to ride a board, including her grandchildren.

She also delighted in old VW buses, photography and watching Saturday Night Live and Northern Exposure.

Eventually, teaching became her lifelong career, and after her graduate studies at St. Michael’s College, she became a high school social studies teacher, working at Bellows Free Academy (BFA) and Missisquoi Valley Union High School (MVUHS).

For five years she was the director for an at-risk youth program, largely made up of Abenaki students. She taught a full high school curriculum there. With those students she canoed, hiked, camped, and explored Native American spirituality and history. Meredith was admired in her academic community for her respect and advocacy for at-risk

students. She was a foster mom who received much advanced training in neuroscience. She was the coordinator of the BFA Diversity Week each year. She was a fierce advocate for equity at BFA and her leadership led to a decrease in ability tracking in that school.

Meredith was known for her accomplishments as an organic gardener, earning her the monikers “vtgardengypsy” and “Dirty Girl.”

The garden was home to her, where she found connection to the earth and sky. She found great peace and happiness there, and many people came to her for advice and help with their gardening questions.

After selling her home in northern Vermont, she finally put her roots down in Montpelier, where she had wanted to live for most of her adult life. Other passions included camping and visits to Nantucket, Mass. She loved the time spent in her beautiful Hornbeck pack canoe.

She was incredibly proud of her Vermont heritage, which went back eight generations.

Meredith leaves behind her brothers, Daniel “Chip” Tallon of Gypsum, Colo., and Keith Tallon of South Reading, Vt.; and sister Stephanie Potter of Burlington and Montgomery, Vt. She was predeceased by her sibling Ashley, as well her parents, Barbara Niles Hoffman Potter and Robert John Potter.

She also leaves behind her children, Ethan C. Potter of Montpelier, Vt., and Marika Potter

Isom of South Royalton, Vt. Known as “MaMere,” she also leaves her beloved and beautiful grandchildren, Gabriel Isom Malloy, Noah Isom Malloy and Cedarmyrth Isom Ruhe.

Each year she delighted in putting together a solstice party for her family that included all the gifts and food she could put together.

Toward the end of her life, Meredith was immensely grateful for the care given to her by the compassionate nursing staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center and Central Vermont Medical Center. Wisdom, loving care and guidance was also given by her deathworker, Michelle Hogle Acciavatti, founder of Vermont Forest Cemetery. Love and gratitude are also extended to Barry Kade of Montgomery, Vt.; Kristine Peeler of East Calais, Vt.; and Kathy McBeth of Stowe, Vt. She also leaves behind the enduring friendships of Amy Rich of Berkeley, Calif., and Jennifer Twombly of Stowe, Vt. There are no words to express how grateful she was to her caregiver and partner, John Smyth, whose love, day after day, never wavered.

Meredith believed in soul love: that her love for her friends and family will never go away. Love is real, not fade-away. Meredith was buried on Monday, August 3, 2026, at Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, Vt., in the Orchard Natural Burial Area. A celebration of life will be held later in August with pizza from her beloved Woodbelly Pizza.

Autumn loved her adopted hometown of Burlington: her daily walks through town, Fletcher Free Library, Greater Burlington YMCA, the eclectic people who make Burlington stand out. She moved to Vermont with her life partner, Barry Jenks. Autumn was always happiest with Barry, who grokked her humor and shared her sense of adventure. Together, they enjoyed trips to Boston and New York, farmers markets, time with Barry’s father and family, and Joey the cat.

But Autumn’s story began in Soldotna, Alaska.

Born on May 18, 1973, to Vicki and Daryl Leach, Autumn was the second of nine children. Her younger siblings — Ian, Michael, Tamara, Daryl, David, Dale and Liam — meant

the world to her. She was also close to her parents and her uncle, David Carey. In life, the unexpected deaths of David and Liam, and estrangement from her sister Misti, weighed heavily on Autumn’s heart.

With her dad working on Alaska’s North Slope, Autumn helped raise her siblings. She was a fiercely protective big sister (reserving for herself the exclusive right to torment them). After graduating with the inaugural class of Soldotna’s Skyview High School in 1991, she spent the summer at a cannery, perfecting her skills packing fish and cheating at cards.

She then headed off to Alaska Pacific and Southern Illinois universities for undergraduate studies, later working for British Petroleum and a film production company.

Driven to help others, Autumn moved to Southern California to attend Thomas Jefferson School of Law, securing a legal internship in Beijing. After earning a Juris Doctor in 2002 (a goal since girlhood), she

returned to Alaska, championing women and families at Planned Parenthood and a local women’s resource center. Committed to making sure every voice counts, she also worked with election boards and at polling stations in Alaska and Vermont.

Autumn lived with arms wide open, embracing experiences good and bad. She loved travel, scuba diving, snowboarding and skiing; fabulous shoes, furs and most things pink; reading (especially biographies), intelligent debate and outrageous banter. She really, really hated the cold.

Autumn died peacefully on March 30, 2026, in the company of close family and friends. She is deeply missed by those who were lucky enough to know and love her. And if she were here, she’d say, “You’re right, you were lucky!”

In memory of Autumn, please: “Just get out and vote!” Memorial contributions may be made to Steps to End Domestic Violence (stepsvt. org).

Catherine Ryan McEnrue BURLINGTON, VT.

Catherine Ryan McEnrue, age 92, a lifelong resident of Burlington, Vt., passed away peacefully on August 1, 2026, leaving behind a rich legacy of love, family devotion and deep community roots.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026, 11 a.m., at St. Mark’s Church on North Avenue in Burlington, with interment to follow at Lakeview Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ready Funeral & Cremation Services; a full obituary will be posted on the website.

To share memories and photos and to send online condolences to the family, please visit readyfuneral. com.

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OBITUARIES, VOWS, CELEBRATIONS

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Michelle Marie Paavola SEPTEMBER 19, 1971-JULY 17, 2026 ESSEX JUNCTION, VT.

Michelle Marie Paavola passed away on Friday, July 17, 2026, at the age of 54, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2026.

Michelle was born on September 19, 1971, in Torrance, Calif., to Cindy Sundal and John Paavola. While in high school, she met the love of her life, Rueben.

They married in 1992 and shared 38 wonderful years together.

After graduating from UC Irvine in 1993, Michelle earned her Doctor of Medicine from the Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in 2009. She practiced family medicine for 16 years, including 12 years at the UVM Student Health Center, before opening her own private medical practice, New Bloom Health Center, in 2025.

Michelle practiced medicine with compassion

William “Bill” Thomas Sharp Sr. JULY 18, 1940-JULY 14, 2026 SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT.

William “Bill” Thomas Sharp Sr. passed away peacefully on July 14, 2026, just days before his 86th birthday. He was surrounded by his loving family at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, Vt. Bill was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and a cherished friend to many. He lived a happy life defined by kindness, generosity and an unwavering love for his family. His warmth, gentle nature and quiet friendliness touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Isabel, of South Burlington Vt.; children, William Sharp Jr.

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and empathy, making every patient feel heard, valued and respected.

Despite the challenges she faced, Michelle went through life with a smile. Her positivity remained unwavering, even during cancer treatment, inspiring those around her. Above all, she was a devoted wife and mother who always put others before herself and was her family’s biggest supporter.

Outside of work, Michelle loved spending time with family and enjoyed gardening, hiking, kayaking and DIY projects around the house.

Michelle is survived by her husband, Rueben; her children, Kevin, Maya, Krosbie and Lola; and her brother, Tom. A funeral Mass honoring Michelle will be held on Friday, August 14, 2026, 11 a.m., at the Catholic Center at UVM, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society.

(Elisabete) of Murrieta, Calif., Christine Cartland (Philip) of Shrewsbury, UK, and Stephen Sharp (Karen Sharpwolf) of Moretown, Vt.; siblings Robert Sharp and Elizabeth “Betty Ann” (Sharp) Goldfarb; beloved grandchildren, Caroline Sharp, Carina and Alistair Cartland, and Sophia Sharp; nephews and nieces; and many dear friends around the world. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A Mass and celebration of William’s life will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2026, 11 a.m., at Holy Cross Church in Colchester, Vt. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association or the McClure Miller Respite House.

His full obituary can be found at gregorycremation.com/obituaries.

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Jane M. Germain

JANUARY 7, 1935-JULY 31, 2026 COLCHESTER, VT. Jane M. Germain of Colchester, Vt., passed away on July 31, 2026 in Colchester.

Jane was born in Winooski, Vt., to Henry and Emma (Bouffard) Hebert on January 7, 1935.

She attended Saint Francis Xavier Schools in Winooski and Cathedral High School in Burlington and graduated from Jeanne Mance School of Nursing.

She worked as a nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center for many years.

Jane married Maurice Germain on September 21, 1972, in Saint Francis Xavier Church in Winooski.

She, with her husband, started a marina on Malletts Bay named the Moorings, which they owned for 43 years. During this period, she was involved with the development of the marina as well as recreational boating.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Clement and John Hebert; sister, Theresa Quintin; and sisters-in-law, Cecile Leblanc and Jeannine Germain.

Jane is survived by her husband, Maurice Germain; and by several nephews and nieces: Michael, Lisa, Richard and Mona Leblanc, all of Canada; John Hebert of Hinesburg, Vt.; and Laurie Lowy of Bristol, Vt. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 11 a.m., at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Winooski. Burial will follow at Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery.

Arrangements are in the care of LaVigne Funeral & Cremation Services. To send condolences to her family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.

R. Joseph “Joe” O’Rourke

FEBRUARY 11, 1934-JULY 28, 2026 RUTLAND, VT. R. Joseph “Joe” O’Rourke passed away on July 28, 2026, at his home in Rutland, Vt. He was born in Rutland on February 11, 1934, to William A. O’Rourke Sr. and Mary Hinchey O’Rourke. He attended local schools, Christ the King School and Mount St. Joseph Academy, graduating in June 1951. He then attended the College of the Holy Cross, graduating in June 1955. He served in the United States Navy from 1955 to 1957 on the USS Northampton (CLC-1) the flagship of the sixth fleet. Upon discharge, he attended Boston University School of Law, graduating with a JD degree in May 1960. He was admitted to the Vermont Bar in November 1960 and practiced law with the firm of Ryan Smith & Carbine, Ltd. in Rutland for 65 years, until his retirement on June 30, 2025.

As a trial lawyer, he tried cases successfully in most of the Vermont counties. He mainly represented defendants but at times represented plaintiffs. He also appeared as a

Mary Siegchrist Hill JUNE 4, 1947-JULY 22, 2026 BURLINGTON, VT.

On July 22, 2026, the world lost one of its strongest, funniest, most fiercely loving people, one with the deepest love for her family and friends and equipped with a hysterical, noholds-barred sense of humor.

Mary Siegchrist Hill was born on June 4, 1947, in Randolph, Vt. As a little girl she began playing piano, studying with Florence (“Mrs. C”) Cushman, the improbably relocated piano genius. Mary’s talent was obvious, and it took her to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, where she graduated with her master’s degree at 21. After two years of teaching piano and English in Philadelphia — where she was part of the first Earth Day in 1970 – she met the love of her life in, of all places, her mom’s house in Randolph, Vt.

criminal defense attorney in federal and superior courts.

He was admitted to practice in all Vermont courts, including the Vermont federal and Second Circuit courts, as well as the United States Supreme Court, in 1962. He was selected as a member of and admitted to the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1984. He belonged to a number of legal associations and was past president of the Rutland County Bar Association, past president of the Northern New England Defense Association, longtime chairman of the board of Ryan Smith & Carbine, Ltd., and a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel.

Locally, he served on the board of the Rutland Hospital, Inc. and the advisory board of the Vermont Federal Bank and was a longtime chairman of the board of Tuttle Law Print, Inc. He served a sixyear term on the Vermont State Racing Commission, and he was also past president of the Rutland Country Club, in 1968. He was a life member of BPOE Elks 345, a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the American Legion Post 31 Rutland.

He married Magill Eddy (who survives him) on November 29, 1991,

and they were married for 35 years.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Patricia Wing Delany, who passed away on November 15, 1990. He was also predeceased by his parents; his sister Mary Ellen Griffin; and his brother, Dr. William A. O’Rourke Jr. He is survived by his three children, his son Bruce (Liz), his daughter, Judy Keith (Dan), and his son Joe; his stepson, Justin Eddy (Deb); stepdaughter, Victoria A. Eddy; five grandchildren; eight greatgrandchildren; and siblings Kathleen Valente (Silvio, deceased) and Anne Ratkus (Dr. Victor); as well as many nieces and nephews.

Joe earned a reputation as a dedicated and compassionate attorney. He was a kind, sincere man of integrity and never had a harsh word to say. He was a mentor to many young lawyers who worked with him and a friend to all who had the pleasure of being his friend. He quietly lent a hand to those in need, never needing recognition or praise.

There will be no calling hours, in accordance with his wishes. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, August 7, 2026, 11 a.m., at Christ the King Church in Rutland, Vt. He will be interned privately at Calvary Cemetery.

In the event you desire to send a contribution to a church or to Mount Saint Joseph Academy, feel free to do so, as Joe would greatly appreciate your kindness and gift.

Please visit the online guestbook at cliffordfuneralhome.com.

She and Fred married in 1971, and Jamie and Kate quickly followed, in 1972 and 1975. The next many years were the happiest of Mary’s life, with kids and cousins running around, piano recitals, family trips, and endless hours spent reading.

Mary fell in love with reading when she was very young, and her bibliophilia shaped her adult life. Her list of books to read extended to a filled notebook, and every birthday and Christmas featured carefully chosen books, tailored to each recipient. If someone told her a book was great, she’d read it even if it wasn’t something she’d necessarily choose herself. Her passion for reading extended to an uncanny understanding of grammar and a vast vocabulary, which she passed to her kids and grandkids.

Like everyone’s, Mary’s life held its share of sorrow and struggle, and while sometimes these brought her to her knees, at her heart she was utterly indomitable. Her strength took its

shape through her keeping on keeping on: playing piano, raising her kids, tending her beautiful home and garden, volunteering — and of course reading.

In the 1990s Mary joined the board of the Vermont Mozart Festival, which gave her community, music and lifelong friends. She celebrated Jamie’s and Kate’s marriages and the births of her grandkids (and granddogs). Over the years she dispensed laundry tips, edits for college essays, hugs, tears and a ton of love. She was someone who knew what made her happy and who never stopped trying to find it.

Mary is survived by her husband of nearly 55 years, Fred; her two favorite kids, Jamie and Kate; daughter-in-law, Shannon, and son-in-law, Jonathan; beloved grandkids, Anna-Rose, Henry and Phoebe; brother Charlie and sister-in-law, Jean; cousins, Juda and Fran; and her dear friend Joy. She was predeceased by her brother Mark.

As we remember and mourn this lovely woman, we can all take comfort in knowing she’s enjoying a beautiful sunny day (not too hot and not too cold), same-day book shipping from Amazon, some plants to take care of (but no monsteras), silver to polish, and not a snake anywhere in the entire universe.

IN MEMORIAM Lilian Baker Carlisle

JANUARY 1, 1912JULY 28, 2006 Historian, writer, legislator, mother, grandmother, neighbor, friend.

Twenty years gone. Her indomitable spirit and zest for life live on. “Never lose your sense of wonder.”

Barbara (Jensen) Stearns 1928-2026

Barbara (Jensen) Stearns passed away on July 14, 2026, at 97 years of age. A memorial service celebrating her long life will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, 1 p.m., at the College Street Congregational Church, 265 College St., Burlington, VT. A reception will be held after the service.

Elizabeth Metcalfe

1936-2025 A memorial gathering to celebrate Liz Metcalfe will be held on Monday, August 17, 4 p.m., in the Community Room at the Richmond Public Library. All are welcome to contribute memories or music — please let us know in advance if you would like to speak or play or sing (scottmetcalfe@earthlink.net), or contribute spontaneously if you are so moved. A reception will follow.

Mark your family’s milestones in lifelines. sevendaysvt.com/lifelines SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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No Obstacle Too Great Athletes at the Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center aim for the big time B Y CE C IL IA L UCE • cluce@sevendaysvt.com PHOTOS: LUKE AWTRY

SPORTS

Athletes at the Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center

F

or many people, 10 pull-ups is a whole workout. But for athletes at the Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center, it’s just a warm-up.

From outside, the gym looks like a warehouse, but inside it’s filled with colorful equipment that resembles a massive jungle gym. The “ninjas,” some as young as elementary school-age, aren’t training to be assassins or even learning martial arts. Instead, they swing from monkey bars, run across half-tires and practice lâché jumps, launching themselves from one bar to another in midair.

The center in Essex teaches athletes of all levels and ages and has coached many of them to international success.

Three, including comanagers Christopher Tower and Amir Malik, are competitors on NBC’s current season of “American Ninja Warrior.” They’ve appeared on the reality-TV show on Monday nights, tackling challenges that involve swinging across pools of water and sprinting up a 14.5-foot wall.

After years housed at nearby Regal Gymnastics, the ninja warrior program moved into its own 7,200-square-foot space on Corporate Drive in May, allowing

inspired by a Japanese game show called “Sasuke” — Tower decided to “bite the bullet, build some stuff and try it out.” He has been directing the program since it began.

The first class in the original training center was in July 2015, and the sport has since become increasingly popular in Vermont. Tower’s father owns the new center, but Tower and Malik hope to buy it in a few years.

Tower called the program unique because it uses a level-based approach instead of an age-based one. That means athletes train with others who have similar abilities, he said, ensuring that no one gets left behind.

Participants as young as 4 can take part in the Ninja Kids program, which emphasizes strength training, flexibility and obstacle basics, Tower said. At age 7, the little ninjas can enroll in the regular program and progress through the sport.

The highest level is the competitive team, which travels around the Northeast.

Tower said he has also brought athletes to the World Ninja League Championships in Greensboro, N.C., and even to Barbados for a Ninja Throwdown. Competitors can soon aim even higher: In 2028, ninja-style obstacle racing will become part of the Summer Olympic Games.

TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH NEW OBSTACLES AND NEW TECHNIQUES IS PRETTY HARD ...

THAT’S WHY IT’S FUN. AMIR MALIK

Amir Malik (center)

Tower and Malik — who have both trained as ninja warriors for more than a decade — to expand programming for their athletes.

Tower, 45, lives in Fletcher and has spent much of his life practicing individual sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding

and parkour. Tower’s family owns Regal Gymnastics, and in the process of figuring out how to use extra space in the gym, the idea hatched for a ninja training center.

When he first learned about the sport — a sort of blend of gymnastics and parkour

The competitive ninjas in Essex practice year-round. A typical session consists of stretching, pull-ups and dead hangs to warm up, followed by speed and strength drills.

Malik, 26, of Essex Junction, runs most of the practices and trains alongside the athletes. He said he gets an extra workout from climbing the scaffolding to rig the equipment and rearrange the obstacles.

For many competitive ninjas here and across the country, the goal is to appear on “American Ninja Warrior,” which has been airing since 2009. The TV show selects NO OBSTACLE TOO GREAT SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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COURTESY PHOTOS

No Obstacle Too Great « P.31 athletes to compete over two weeks in Las Vegas, and the episodes are produced and aired over the course of the following year.

Malik, who earned the nickname “Sonic” because of his speed, is in his fourth season as a contestant. This past year, Tower and Rose Lord, another longtime member of the Essex training center, joined him as competitors. Malik said he felt happy to have them there to “ease some of the emotions and the nerves.”

Lord, 20, said being on the show was “overwhelming in ways good and bad.”

One of the biggest challenges was that all the filming is done at night, Lord said, so that viewers can get the full effect of the neon lit-up course. Tower said the last athlete often didn’t compete until 4:30 in the morning.

Beyond needing to adjust his sleep schedule, Tower said another unexpected aspect of competing on the show was figuring out how to market himself as an on-screen persona.

“They’ve got to sell the American public on something,” he said, adding that the application requires a video that showcases each athlete’s story. The show’s producers look for athletes with both physical capability and an engaging personality.

Lord, who lives in Charlotte, said she leaned into her first name for her application video. She draws roses on her arms before competitions to boost her confidence, she said, which has become her trademark.

“Ironically, my gimmick is just myself,” Lord said. “I’ve become very visually identifiable with the roses and also because I like big, flowy pants.”

This season of “American Ninja Warrior” continues to air through the end of the summer, with Malik advancing to the National Finals. He, Lord and Tower have all applied to return next year. In the

Chris Tower on “American Ninja Warrior”

Rose Lord on “American Ninja Warrior”

meantime, they’re busy leading summer camps, open gym sessions and team practices at home in Essex.

Tower said an average of 300 students train at the center each week, and there are 44 members on the competitive team. The new space is more than four times larger than the old room in Regal Gymnastics, and Tower has even more plans for it, envisioning new obstacles such as platforms and climbing walls.

Malik said he loves the ever-evolving nature of the sport and how no two courses are the same. He appreciates being head coach because he can adapt the space and train with the athletes. When the competitive team runs speed drills, for example, Malik sets up the obstacles and shows the athletes how to do each jump, swing or climb.

“Trying to keep up with new obstacles and new techniques is pretty hard, but

it’s part of the challenge, and that’s why it’s fun,” he said. His favorite obstacle is a platform that swings back and forth on bearings, requiring ninjas to jump off at just the right moment to stick the landing.

Lord also said she loves the challenge of the sport and the physical strength it promotes, since it “leaves no part of you unworked.” In her five years of competing in the World Ninja League, of which the training center is a part, she has learned to focus on “playing around” and having fun with each exercise.

“There is an obstacle for everything, and there are ways to train your body to move in any direction,” Lord said.

Just minutes later, she tried out an exercise that involved balancing on the barrel of one cylinder and trying to roll along another.

Despite their competitive natures, Tower, Malik and Lord all expressed gratitude for the sense of community at the gym. Since members of ninja teams still compete as individuals, Tower noted, athletes must train together, but everyone cheers each other on.

After 11 years of training at the gym, Lord said she tries to pass on her wisdom to younger ninjas.

“I show up to help them improve, and I show up to make sure they’re feeling good about themselves and they’re also enjoying it,” she said. Though she’s not officially a coach, she said her role is akin to team mascot.

Tower said the team is recognized at competitions for its loud cheering and supportive nature. As one of the largest and most successful teams in the World Ninja League’s New England division, members wear their uniforms with pride.

“People underestimate our athletes a lot of the time,” Tower said. “These kids are pretty amazing.” ➆

INFO Learn more at regalgym.com/ninja-warrior.

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7/27/26 10:42 AM

People always ask me if I have plans to travel this summer…

No way, I think…Summer is the absolute best in Vermont, and one of my FAVORITE places to be is on Church Street Marketplace! I've been so incredibly blessed to be a part of our community and have a thriving business that has lasted 34 years on the marketplace! I still love watching the Marketplace come alive every summer; it's so fun seeing neighbors running into each other, visitors discovering new favorites, and our local businesses creating the kind of energy that makes Burlington feel like home. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t hear someone mention how much they love it here!

At ECCO Clothes, we’ve always believed clothing is about more than what you wear. It’s about how you feel when you walk out the door, the confidence you carry with you, and the connections you make along the way. Being part of this community for so many years has given me a frontrow seat to the creativity, resilience, and heart that make Burlington such a special place.

This August, there are plenty of reasons to spend a little extra time on Church Street. Our annual Sidewalk Sale is back Wednesday, August 5 through Sunday, August 9, and ECCO will be offering up to 70% off select styles. It’s the perfect chance to find something new (or something you didn’t know you needed!).

I also love seeing everyone come together for Party on the Bricks, now a summer tradition that brings music, laughter, and so much life to the Marketplace. These events remind me why I fell in love with Burlington in the first place. It’s a place where people show up for one another.

And don’t miss Passeggiata, Love Burlington’s Wednesday evening Italian stroll series. Join us from 5–8pm, enjoy our street entertainers and atmosphere throughout downtown, and stop by ECCO for 20% off any item during the evening.

Thank you for continuing to support local businesses and the people who make Church Street what it is. Burlington has always been built on community, and I’m grateful to be part of that story. Stop by anytime and say hi…we’d love to share our favorite places with you and OMG the food in this town!!

See you on Church Street!

-Lara ECCO Clothes

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STAY IN THE KNOW! SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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AUGUST HAPPENINGS

46TH ANNUAL SIDEWALK SALE Wednesday, August 5 - Sunday, August 9

We're turning up the heat with five days of amazing sales and discounts all along the Marketplace. Discover unbeatable deals, shop till you drop, and support your favorite local businesses. Check out the daily schedule online and explore the Marketplace business offers on the next page!

Media Sponsors: Burlington Area Newspaper Group and Seven Days

PARTY ON THE BRICKS Thursdays through 8/13, 5:30-8pm

Each week, the party pops up on a different block of the Marketplace, spotlighting one of our amazing restaurants and featuring a band or performer.

8/6: Green Kettle Band / Halvorson’s / Top Block 8/13: Ali T / Ken’s Pizza and Pub / Leahy Block Sponsored by Foam Brewers.

Media Sponsors: Burlington Area Newspaper Group and Seven Days

UNA PASSEGGIATA

Wednesdays, 5-8pm | Through September 23

Shop, grab an aperitivo or ice cream, linger over dinner, and connect with your neighbors. Stop by our tent on City Hall Block to play at our Imagination Station and explore the full list of passeggiata deals!

8/5: Catch Italian band Vecchio Stile live on City Hall Block, 6-7pm.

SAVE THE DATES!

PARTY ON THE BRICKS - FALL SERIES

Saturdays, 3:30-6pm: Our block party series continues this fall for four extra dates!

9/19: Jenni Johnson & The Junketeers / Pascolo / Opera Block 9/26: Jon McBride’s Big Easy / Honey Road / City Hall Block 10/3: Mother of Pearl / Halvorson’s / Top Block 10/10: Night Protocol / Ken’s Pizza and Pub / Leahy Block

A CELEBRATION OF VERMONT CHEESE

Friday, September 18, 5-8pm Enjoy cheese tastings, live music, and special offerings from Marketplace businesses as downtown Burlington transforms into a cheese lover’s paradise.

Follow us on social or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to check out what’s happening on the Marketplace. Business features, upcoming events, deals and promotions, seasonal photography, and much, much more!

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Sidewalk Sale 5

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C a t a m o u n t S t o r e : S a v e 5 0 % t o 70 % o n s e l e c t apparel st yles, as well as 10% off all regularly priced apparel items.

E C C O C l o t h e s : S a v e u p t o 70 % o n s e l e c t styles.

Fe a r a n d C l o a t h i n g : 2 0 % o f f e n t i r e o r d e r .

Gaku Ramen: Free mochi with the purchase of meal.

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H a r b o u r T h re a d : U p to 8 0 % o f f .

Homeport: Save 10% on purchases up to $25, 15% on $25–$99.99, and 20% on $100+. Plus, shop sidewalk specials at 40% off or more.

K i s s T h e C o o k : 2 0 % o f f s to rew i d e ( exc . electronics & already discounted items) plus up to 50% off under the tent.

L a ke C h a m p l a i n C h o co l a t e s : S we et d e a l s o n truffles, Five Star Bars, Spring Coin Bag, and more.

Little Istanbul: 20% off storewide.

MK Clothing: Save 50% or more on select finds.

O u t d o o r G e a r E x c h a n g e : C o n s i g n m e n t Ya r d Sale is back 8/7–8/9! Come score amazing deals on gently used outdoor gear, then browse the clearance selection to gear up for yo u r n ex t a d ve n t u re .

Phoenix Books: Visit the tent for amazing deals on books, gifts, and more.

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T h e Ve r m o n t F l a n n e l C o m p a n y : B a r n S a l e 20% off select styles.

Tr a d e w i n d s I m p o r t s : F r e e g i f t w i t h p u r c h a s e , while supplies last.

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food+drink

Clockwise from left: Pulled pork nachos; an orange, coconut and passionfruit mocktail, a Juniper Berry cocktail and a gin and tonic; a Shirt Sleeve wrap; and sesame-crusted tuna

Back for Seconds

FIRST

Burlington landmark Sweetwaters has returned with heaping plates of nostalgia and some fresh takes ST ORY MELISSA PAS ANE N • pasanen@sevendaysvt.com | PH OT OS D AR IA BIS H O P

I

CYMI: Sweetwaters is back, and the restaurant’s signature cornflake-andalmond-crusted chicken fingers are flying out of the kitchen.

When the landmark Burlington business closed after 41 years in 2022 to make way for a relocated Pascolo Ristorante, many lamented the loss. Fans flocked to the elegant historic bank building at 120 Church Street in Sweetwaters’ last days for final tastes of favorites, such as the pulled pork nachos, the Switchback beer-battered fish and chips, and, of course, the crunchy chicken fingers and the Shirt Sleeve wrap in which they featured.

No one was using texting acronyms like ICYMI for “in case you missed it” when the Perry Restaurant Group opened Sweetwaters in 1981. David Melincoff, now 69, started working there in the mid-’80s when the Shirt Sleeve was served in a pita pocket and called the Shirt Pocket. He later owned the downtown mainstay for more than two decades. When he announced its

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

BITE

From left: Jessie Littler, David Melincoff and Kyle Wescott

closure, Melincoff told Seven Days he was looking forward to a rest.

Late last year, after Jed Davis of the Farmhouse Group decided to move

Pascolo back to its original, smaller, subterranean spot at 83 Church Street, the long-term lease reverted to Melincoff, and his rest ended.

FOOD NEWS SERVED TO YOUR INBOX

FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT THE WEEK’S FOOD COVERAGE, RECIPES AND OTHER DELICIOUS TIDBITS, SIGN UP FOR THE BITE CLUB NEWSLETTER: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ENEWS.

The appetite for opening a brandnew, 178-seat restaurant is low in today’s economy, not to mention doing so amid the well-documented challenges facing downtown Burlington businesses. But Melincoff thought there was enough pent-up nostalgic yearning and room in the market to give Sweetwaters a second chance.

News of the planned revival delighted die-hard fans. Since it reopened in late April, the restaurant seems to have hit the mark with most devotees, although nostalgia is a funny thing: Sometimes the memory of what you loved at a certain point in your life tastes sweeter than the reality of biting into it. Maybe it’s changed — or maybe you have.

But, overall, Sweetwaters’ broad roster of standbys plus some new dishes delivers like the restaurant historically did, serving up a crowd-pleasing menu in a congenial atmosphere.

The restaurant’s forte has always been its wide appeal, according to managing partner and general manager Jessie Littler: “It’s approachable for everyone. A farmer and a bank exec can both feel comfortable.”

The 39-year-old grew up in a hospitality family in the Killington area and was listing off a lengthy roster of Chittenden County restaurants where she’s worked when she paused to advise a server that it was no problem to provide 12 separate checks to a table of college-age customers.

That can-do attitude carries over to the kitchen, too.

“At the end of the day, it’s just food.

I’m really here to make people happy,” said Kyle Wescott, the reopening team’s original chef de cuisine and now executive chef. “We’re not the French Laundry,” he added, referring to the Michelin-starred Napa Valley destination.

The 35-year-old Colchester native and New England Culinary Institute grad has his own memories of childhood meals at Sweetwaters, during which he guzzled the house Bison Brew root beer and relished the French onion soup and distinctively crusted chicken fingers.

GET COOKIN’

BACK FOR SECONDS

» P.38

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PARTY the

Rachel Cemprola and Jake Kent

Mirabelles Bakery to Take Over Both Kitchen Table Locations South Burlington’s MIRABELLES BAKERY will take over the full-service Kitchen Table restaurant at 1840 West Main Street in Richmond and the recently opened Kitchen Table Market & Café at 1160 Williston Road in South Burlington, according to Mirabelles co-owner JAKE KENT. Mirabelles will continue to operate its existing takeout bakery at 3060 Williston Road.

Kent, 39, said he expects the two new locations to open under some version of the Mirabelles name by the end of September.

According to Kent, the Kitchen Table restaurant and café were to close permanently on August 3. The Kitchen Table’s behind-the-scenes ownership group will continue to own the Richmond restaurant building and lease it to Mirabelles. Mirabelles will take over the Kitchen Table Market & Café space under a new lease with that building’s landlord.

Since 2022, the Kitchen Table group has also owned CHICKEN CHARLIE’S ROTISSERIE, GRILL & BBQ at 1160 Williston Road, which went on an indefinite hiatus in May after losing some space to the neighboring Kitchen Table Market & Café in late 2025.

The future of both brands is unclear. Chef Craig Anthony, the group’s director of operations, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Kent and his wife, ALEXANDRIA, bought the then-34-year-old Mirabelles from chef-founders Alison Lane and Andrew Silva in 2024, four years after the bakery moved from downtown Burlington to South Burlington and became takeout only. The Kents hired seasoned pastry chef RACHEL CEMPROLA on Lane and Silva’s advice. Cemprola, 36, is now Mirabelles’ executive chef and “will be leading the way on all things food” in the expansion, Kent said. “We would not be able to do this without her skill set and talents.”

For Richmond, Cemprola will hire a chef to run the savory side of the kitchen, which will start by offering dinner Wednesday through Sunday and weekend brunch, with lunch to come later. The restaurant, most likely named ’BELLES ON THE RIVER, will serve what Cemprola described as an “elevated casual” menu. Brunch will include some Mirabelles café classics, such as popovers and hash browns.

Mirabelles new South Burlington market will increase availability of the savory prepared foods that have been available farther down Williston Road, such as chicken pot pies, enchilada bakes and sandwiches. That fare, along with coffee drinks, pastries and desserts, will be sold Monday through Saturday with a focus on takeout.

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7/20/26 5:01 PM

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a full service, nonprofit bike shop

Used & New bikes Tune-Ups & Repairs Custom Builds & Suspension Events, Classes, & Group Rides

» P.41

CONNECT Follow us for the latest food gossip!

On Instagram: Jordan Barry: @jordankbarry; Melissa Pasanen: @mpasanen.

removing barriers to make bikes work for everyone 331 N Winooski Ave 6H-oldspokes072226 1

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Outdoor dining at Sweetwaters

Latesummer La atesummer mmer STAR S ST TAR TA AR

AUGUST HOURS: Mon - Fri 8-5 SatURday 8-4

Back for Seconds « P.36

At Sweetwaters 2.0, the root beer ($7) is from Rookie’s, another Burlington legend. French onion soup will return with cooler weather. Bringing back the chicken fingers ($15.95 for three) and the Shirt Sleeve wrap ($19.95) was “a given,” 2638 Ethan Allen Hwy, New Haven, VT Wescott said. Ditto the pulled pork greenhavengardensandnursery.com nachos ($21.95), spinach-and-artichoke greenhavengardensvt dip ($15.95), and fish and chips ($24.95).

(802)453-5382 Wescott said he and reopening executive chef Jessee Lawyer — who has since 12V-greenhaven080526 1 7/30/26 2:07 PM left to helm the Great Northern kitchen at Burlington’s Zero Gravity Beer Hall

Closed Sundays

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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12/21/20 6:13 PM

— designed the menu around Sweetwaters staples while adding “a modern twist.” New dishes include the Queen City Rice Bowl ($16.95), with kimchi and a soft-yolked hard-boiled egg, and chileglazed, pan-seared salmon ($26.95) with a ginger-soy aioli.

Over two visits, I tried a mix of Sweetwaters classics and fresh fare. Since I was not a regular preceding the closure, I enlisted the help of two friends who described it as their “go-to place” to see how the reborn version met their expectations.

Linda Dubose of Burlington and

Amber Morrill of Essex Junction were such fans that they were there on Sweetwaters’ closing night and on reopening weekend. Morrill even re-created the bar’s Caribbean rum punch at home during the pandemic. The two are disappointed that drink has not returned, though they said the P.O.B. (“person overboard,” $12) with two kinds of rum, Southern Comfort and pineapple juice makes an acceptable substitute.

Of their most regular orders, the friends deemed the current version of the Shirt Sleeve not quite as good as their memories of it. The flour tortilla-swaddled crunchy chicken fingers, Swiss cheese, greens and bacon with Thousand Island dressing is a winning combo, but they found it a little dry and light on the sauce. Dubose did recall that she had always asked for extra Thousand Island on the side.

After dousing each bite, it came close to ringing those Proustian Remembrance of Things Past bells and prompted a discussion of how tastes change over time.

The heaping pile of pulled pork nachos, another old favorite, looked

food+drink different with much darker tortilla as “rollicking nude figures straight out of chips, the two said, but each bite hit all an ancient bacchanal.” the right smoky, cheesy, crunchy notes.

When the Farmhouse Group renoWescott said the kitchen is now frying vated the restaurant for Pascolo, Itallocally made All Souls Tortilleria corn ian-style tile was glued directly onto the tortillas daily to make the chips. And, mural. Along with most of that refresh, in a super close-to-home choice, he the tile remains there, much to Melinuses Richard’s Vermont Made barbecue coff’s chagrin. sauce — it’s crafted in South Burlington “If I could get the mural back, I would by his aunt and uncle Donna and Tracy have pulled the tile down in a heartbeat,” Lamphere.

Melincoff said. “I would have picked up Of the new dishes we tried, the rice a chisel and hammer myself.” bowl with added grilled chicken (plus From this diner’s perspective, the $7.95) was the hands-down favorite. It ambience of the high-ceilinged dining telegraphed Sweetwaters’ contemporary room improved during Pascolo’s threeera with the perfectly oozing yolk of the year tenure with a new marble bar top and jammy egg; tangy, punchy kicks from removal of the second seating level and house-pickled veggies and kimchi; and the mural. Melincoff and his team have a satisfyingly crunchy gilding of fried added two large TV screens by the bar, shallots and roasted peanuts. changed some light fixtures and reorgaWe also sampled the bucatini Sorren- nized seating. tina ($22.95). The abundant pool of Like the menu, customers have fond pesto was bright and fresh, and the orb memories of the space. “There’s nostalof burrata delightfully gia. There’s history.

People remember oozy, but the pasta where they sat and was sadly overcooked.

That execution flaw is what they ate,” Melineasily remedied. coff said. Couples recall where they The highlight of had their first date a follow-up visit was and where they got the recently reintroengaged, general duced sesame-enmanager Littler crusted tuna ($25.95), a slight recast of a added.

DAVID ME LIN COFF Sweetwaters stanBusiness has dard that Melincoff grown steadily over said patrons had repeatedly asked to the summer. Melincoff said the team hit order again. a record on a mid-July Saturday of 670 “People missed it,” Wescott agreed. “It customers served, but it’s still below the was light and refreshing.” original’s peak tally, which frequently The chef replaced the peanut noodles reached 1,000. with more cucumber slaw and a sweet Downtown has obviously changed chile aioli that nicely complemented the over the past 45 years. Especially since rosy-hearted seared tuna. I had a quibble the pandemic, its businesses face many with the fingerling potato chip garnish, challenges, Melincoff said, that call for but that was, ahem, small potatoes — and new tactics. Sweetwaters has collaborated Wescott has since replaced it with a with three neighboring bars — Akes’ Place, sesame-seaweed sprinkle. Bottom line: the Archives and Red Square — to deliver Yes, seared tuna is an ’80s throwback, but online food orders to their customers.

“We have to believe in Church Street some things endure for a reason.

Others, such as the kitschy mural on getting better,” Littler said. “Us being the original restaurant’s rear wall, are here can create more hope.” best left behind, in my opinion. Melincoff To borrow from another icon of the decidedly does not agree with me on this early 1980s: “Sweet dreams are made point. of this. Who am I to disagree?” As the Painted in 1981 in the light-filled, Eurythmics song continued, “Everyraised seating area across the dining body’s looking for something” — and room from the front door, the mural Sweetwaters has something for almost featured Burlington luminaries such as everyone. ➆ then-mayor Bernie Sanders, musician “Big Joe” Burrell and Lois Bodoky, the INFO Church Street “hot dog lady,” mingling Sweetwaters, 120 Church St., Burlington, with what Seven Days described in 2008 802-540-2800, sweetwatersbtv.com

THERE’S NOSTALGIA. THERE’S HISTORY.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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JOSLYN MCINTYRE

Culinary Alchemy At a Vermont Wild Kitchen dinner in Guilford, guests turned crowdsourced ingredients into a shared feast B Y J O S LYN MC INTYR E

A

free, hands-on cooking event and meal at a Guilford farm this summer proved that too many cooks in a kitchen can be a good thing.

Twenty-eight people, ages 5 to 70-plus, accepted an open invitation to collaborate on a June 22 dinner cohosted by Tapalou Guilds flower farm and Vermont Wild Kitchen. The latter is a partnership between the nonprofit Rural Vermont and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

For three years, project organizers have held free events statewide designed to foster an appreciation of — and shorten the distance between — the foods, people and land that nourish us.

Months earlier, Tapalou Guilds co-owner Hanna Jenkins had responded to a social media post seeking event hosts, explained Shelby Girard, Rural Vermont’s development director. The “mystery dinner” was the first of its kind for Vermont Wild Kitchen, an experiment to see how friends, neighbors and strangers could work together to create an ad hoc locavore meal from a crowdsourced basket of surprise ingredients.

Jenkins, who conceived the idea, imagined an event that would also weave deeper connections between community members.

The mystery of the dinner, it turned out, was not just which ingredients people brought and what the group created with them but also how the process unfolded as a shared experience.

As a local, I knew Jenkins through her flower CSA and occasional farm workshops.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

COURTESY

Dishes made for the Vermont Wild Kitchen mystery dinner feast

From left: Luna Beebe, Ragan Anderson, Joslyn McIntyre and Phoebe McIntyre making garlic scape-goat cheese pesto

When she mentioned the dinner, I was flowers, homemade goat cheese, foraged intrigued and brought my 11-year-old twin spruce-tip sugar and fermented black garlic. daughters along. We arrived at 4 p.m. One person brought sea salt collected on and joined others a beach in Sonoma, around the farmCalif. Jenkins had house kitchen’s soaked quinoa and antique butcher local amaranth to make batter for block to assess our hodgepodge of Indian-style crêpes contributions. known as dosas. To Participants had anchor the meal, Vermont Wild been asked to bring R AGAN AND E R S O N Kitchen provided an ingredient with which they like to cook, and many shared chicken from Reading’s Leaping Bear Farm. early-summer garden bounty: freshly picked But what to do with it all?

With intuition leading the way, we dove greens and herbs, tender baby bok choy, nubby new potatoes, slightly dirty radishes. in. A few people decided to make spice Other local offerings included edible violet rubs for the chicken as others washed

THE WHOLE THING FELT SO RELAXED AND ORGANIC,

LIKE COOKING TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS.

lettuce, massaged kale, sliced bok choy and squeezed black garlic from its skin.

Some kids fled to the barn to play while others arranged vases of Tapalou Guilds’ red and pink poppies. A few introverted folks absconded with the chicken to the grill, but the kitchen remained the hub. It was crowded, but that only seemed to contribute to cooperation and flow.

“Anyone bring a lemon?” rang out.

“Anyone else planning on using these violet petals for anything?” another cook called.

“I gripe about one husband in the kitchen — but 28 other people? Totally fine!” joked Jenkins, the host.

Within about two hours, everything came together. The mystery dinner was no longer a mystery; it was a beautiful, nourishing meal.

The spread included grilled chicken with five different spice rubs and dosas wrapped around goat cheese-garlic scape pesto. Bok choy had been sautéed in spruce sugar, potatoes pan-fried with fresh herbs, two kale salads diligently massaged, and greens and radishes dressed with basil vinaigrette. Someone had whipped up a magical black-garlic purée to slather on everything.

Before digging in, we took a moment to appreciate the feast we had made together, with participants describing each dish in turn. Plates filled, silverware clattered, and conversation flowed.

My daughters tasted several things they never would have tried at home, including the pesto. After one bite, their verdict changed from “gross” to “yum!”

The meal was delicious, but what I’ll most remember is the camaraderie.

Ragan Anderson, who lives down Sweet Pond Road from the farm, had spearheaded the pesto with a coven of enthusiastic young helpers. “I loved how the kids were engaged and wanting to help,” she later recalled.

“The whole thing felt so relaxed and organic, like cooking together with friends — very primal and experiential and natural and all the good feelings of being human.”

Jenkins was gratified by how well everyone collaborated in her kitchen to share what she sees as the “sacred and everyday act” of feeding oneself and others.

“Cooking, especially cooking together, is an alchemical process,” she later reflected.

“When done in community, it transforms food and relationships.” ➆

INFO The next Vermont Wild Kitchen event will be held on August 20 at Knoll Farm in Waitsfield.

Learn more about that and future events at vtwildkitchen.org.

food+drink

SERVING UP FOOD NEWS

COURTESY

SIDEdishes «

Christopher and Jon Ruggiero in 2025

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Meanwhile, Kent confirmed that the building in which Mirabelles currently operates has been bought by Beta Technologies for a planned campus expansion. The future of that location is uncertain.

MEL ISSA PASANEN

A Burlington chef will soon lead the kitchen of a high-profile new Micah Tavelli Boston restaurant.

MAJESTIC’s MICAH TAVELLI is leaving Vermont to join Union Square Hospitality Group as executive chef of Ci Siamo Boston, an Italian restaurant set to open in the Seaport District neighborhood this year.

Ci Siamo is a centerpiece of the group’s recent expansion into Boston from New York, where founder Danny Meyer built an empire with restaurants such as Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern.

Tavelli’s last day at Majestic is August 15. DAN SCHLOEMER will be the next chef at the neighborhood spot in Burlington’s South End, owner SAM TOLSTOI told Seven Days.

Schloemer was Tavelli’s sous chef at Paradiso Hi-Fi, where Tavelli received a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist nod for Best Chef: Northeast. Both are alums of HEN OF THE WOOD in Burlington.

Schloemer was most recently sous chef at LA REPRISE. “Dan cooks a pretty similar style to Micah,” Tolstoi said, though the menu will likely “lean a little more casual.”

More importantly in the small space with an open kitchen, he said, “[Dan] really fits the vibe of this place.”

It’s Tolstoi’s second time looking for a new chef since opening Majestic in November 2024; he hired Tavelli when original chef/co-owner MAURA O’SULLIVAN stepped away last year. He said he was amazed at how much interest there was in the role, and he “fully supports” Tavelli’s big move.

J.B.

The Bobcat Café & Brewery in Bristol Has Closed Indefinitely “I’m super proud of him,” Tolstoi said, before gently ribbing the chef about his new job: “We’ve got a pretty chill thing going on here, and I think it’s not going to be that. But it’ll be great for his future.”

The rest of Majestic’s staff, including sous and pastry chef QUINN GERVIA and three front-of-house managers who have small ownership stakes, is staying.

It’s the restaurant’s busiest time of year, Tolstoi said, so the menu won’t change much into the fall.

The team at Majestic “helped restore my love for restaurants and cooking,” Tavelli said. “Vermont is such a special place,” he continued. “I don’t think I’d be the man or the chef I am today if not for living and learning here.”

JO R D A N B A R RY

Artemus Café to Open on Church Street With an Art Museum The former Cosmic Grind storefront on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace has a new tenant. MICHAEL CHASE, 30, hopes to open ARTEMUS CAFÉ and BURLINGTON ART MINI MUSEUM in the narrow space at 104 Church Street by mid-August.

An artist himself, Chase sees the coffee shop-gallery as a place to “bring the hyperlocal back to Church Street,” he told Seven Days. “I’m a transplant, and what brought me here was the culture:

The sibling owners of the BOBCAT CAFÉ

COURTESY

FILE: DARIA BISHOP

Majestic Chef Micah Tavelli to Leave Burlington for a Big-City Gig

Last summer, to celebrate his 30th birthday, Chase hung his art at the Cosmic Grind. That show evolved into the Burlington Art Mini Museum, which he initially envisioned as a mobile installation. He changed his plans when he got the opportunity to take over the lease on the Church Street location, which hadn’t been open regularly for more than a year.

The café-museum will sell local art, pottery and prints with a sliding-scale commission, and a permanent collection will be on view.

Michael Chase in front of Artemus Café and Burlington Art Mini Museum

the fun, quirky murals, galleries and little discoverable places.”

Artemus Café will serve BRIO COFFEEWORKS drip coffee, espresso drinks and flavored lattes in addition to matcha, chai and other teas. Food will be “light baked goods” from local bakeries, Chase said, and he’s considering adding a nonalcoholic bar, which would operate in the evenings.

Tables inside the “horizontally challenged” café will be limited, Chase said, but seating will be available on the outdoor patio. The café’s name comes from the building’s original tenant, Artemus Prouty’s Store, which is memorialized on a plaque right outside.

& BREWERY at 5 Main Street in Bristol

have announced on social media that the restaurant is closed “until further notice due to a private medical matter.” JON, 50, and CHRISTOPHER RUGGIERO, 46, bought the community mainstay in February 2025 from chef-owners Erin and Sanderson Wheeler, who had run the Bobcat for 16 years.

Jon declined to give more specifics but said via text to Seven Days, “We are exploring every option to keep the Bobcat part of this community. We don’t have a timeline or any decisions to announce, and we’re grateful for everyone’s patience and support while our family focuses on what matters most.”

The Bobcat opened in 2002 under the leadership of longtime local restaurateur Robert Fuller, who died earlier this year.

When Fuller hatched the idea of launching a brewpub in Bristol, he gauged interest and raised money at the same time by soliciting community investments. He beat his goal almost threefold, securing $5,000 in startup loans from each of 32 supporters.

The Wheelers bought the Bobcat in 2008 in partnership with their mentor, the late Michel Mahe, before taking full ownership in 2015.

When the Ruggieros bought the restaurant 18 months ago for the asking price of $165,000, Jon said Christopher, who has a degree in hotel and restaurant management, would be the hands-on operator while Jon took an administrative role. The brothers had no plans to change the casual, comfort-food approach that had worked in Bristol for more than two decades.

M.P.

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COURTESY OF JULIA BARSTOW

culture

Into the Woods

Choreographer Hannah Dennison debuts her new site-specific work, Forest B Y A M Y L I L LY • lilly@sevendaysvt.com

H

annah Dennison claims she doesn’t have a good turnout — the ability to rotate the hips and legs outward at least 45 degrees, essential for ballet dancers. During a recent interview at her Washington, Vt., home, the 78-year-old contemporary dance choreographer sprang from her living room lounge chair and stood, heels together, to demonstrate. It’s one of the reasons she didn’t feel comfortable onstage back when she was dancing, Dennison said. Instead, she turned to developing site-specific performances, which have become her life’s work.

Vermont audiences likely know

DANCE

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Dennison from her last creation, The Quarry Project, which took place in 2022 at a particularly dramatic site: a disused, flooded granite quarry in Websterville.

Barefoot dancers in crimson-hued dresses performed on floating platforms in front of towering walls of stone. One platform carried musicians, including a soprano, performing original music. That turnout, in the word’s other meaning, was evidence of its success: 14 shows sold out.

The work’s life was extended with a film that toured the state and with “Quarry Project Echoes,” a 2024 exhibition at the Kents Corner State Historic Site in Calais displaying other artists’ responses to Dennison’s piece.

Now Dennison has made a new work,

Forest. Its eponymous setting is both more familiar and more vast: The state is threequarters forested, and most Vermonters have hiked, camped or lived in or near woods. Originally envisioning a fourlocation work, Dennison settled on two: forests in her town and in Bradford, for which she has developed slightly different performances. They’ll take place on eight dates in late August and September, with a dress rehearsal open to the public this Sunday, August 9.

In each location, audiences will follow the troupe and musicians along a dirt road, stopping to witness dance scenes performed on either side and listening to narrators describe the forests’ specific histories, ecologies and human interventions. As in all of

A dress rehearsal of Forest

Dennison’s work, there is no story; viewers will interpret for themselves the 10 dancers’ abstract and partly improvised movements and gestures among the trees, as well as their incongruous cocktail dresses and work boots, and the combined sounds of nature and human-generated music. One thing is clear, however: Forest will render a familiar milieu strange and new.

Dennison lives in the woods. Her house — built by her late partner, carpenter Dave Severance, herself and one hired hand — is perched on an overlook above 300 conserved acres. A long span of southernfacing windows frames miles of uninterrupted forest.

Dennison is wiry and thin, with saltand-pepper hair cropped close to her head and a gleeful smile. The day Seven Days visited, she sported glasses with light-green frames and soft, well-worn clothes: a long olive-and-white polka-dot dress buttoned at the waist over a brown shirt and loose-fitting turquoise pants.

While her 3-year-old Australian shepherd, Willi, herded us to the seating area, she

apologized for eating a late breakfast — a “shoplifting”; joining a commune in bowl of brown rice.

California for a few months; living in a Wrestling a pair of red reading glasses macrobiotic community in Boston whose atop her green ones, she found a video on members ate only rice, grains, beans and her phone she had shot in October 2022 vegetables. of the site that inspired Forest: a forest in “We chewed each bite 50 times, so Maine rising from a carpet of moss. there was not a lot of talking,” Dennison “It was lush, powerful; there was a recalled of her Boston experience with a depth to that site that really caught my laugh. Nevertheless, she met her husband, attention — a depth of what I could see Warren, there; they married in 1970, when and what I could imagine,” Dennison she was 23, and she gave birth to her only said. She envisioned scenes in flat spots or child, a son, the next year. On the invitabehind logs on the varied topography, and tion of friends and an aunt in Vermont, imagined how to keep the dancers off they moved to Woodstock in 1972 the moss: “OK, maybe they’ll and ran a natural-foods fly or bungee.” store in a former mill “Whenever I make while living upstairs. a piece, it starts really “It took me a huge,” she continlong time to ued, “and then understand I reality sets in.” was a kinesA year later, she thetic person,” began conceivDennison said. ing a project in The realization Vermont’s woods struck after her — ones where no move to Burlingmoss could be ton in 1973 when, damaged. newly divorced, she Filmmaker Lukas joined a friend at an Huffman shot African dance class.

Dennison’s Quarry and “A big door was COURTESY OF EMILY BOEDECKER Dear Pina, a 2012 opened,” she recalled. work performed in “I knew this was the cavernous Breedsomething I wanted ing Barn at Shelburne to do. I liked moving Farms, and considers with a lot of people.” her a mentor.

Soon she joined “The two big Main Street Dance pieces I’ve done with Studio, Burlington’s her are in large-scale, hub for dance classes HAN NAH DE NN ISON massive, awe-inspirof all types above the ing places,” Huffman nightclub Nectar’s, said. “For whatever reason, she’s drawn to where she studied and then taught [them]. The tension for her is: How do you stretch-and-tone, jazz, and modern dance create choreography that feels vulnerable classes. Later, she picked up jobs teaching and intimate within these places?” dance at Trinity College and Burlington Dennison didn’t become a choreogra- Technical Center. She stayed afloat thanks pher in a traditional manner. In fact, she to a Section 8 housing voucher and thendidn’t know about contemporary dance mayor Bernie Sanders’ decision to offer until she was 29. Born in 1947 in Fram- the third floor of Memorial Auditorium ingham, Mass. — then a land of forests and to the contemporary dance community farm fields — she grew up solidly middle for free. class: Her mother was a homemaker Vermont Symphony Orchestra violinand her father a factory manager at an ist Sofia Hirsch, who will play viola, adhesive and paper products company. electric viola, percussion and ocarina and She and three siblings roamed the area contribute improvised vocals in Forest, freely. “I had 17 forts as an 11-year-old,” took dance lessons from Dennison as a Dennison recalled. teenager in the mid-1980s.

No fan of school, she played field “I loved how free she was,” Hirsch said, hockey and lacrosse and downhill skied recalling that Dennison’s nonconformity around New England with wooden extended to her instructions on how to skis and leather boots. At the Univer- spot — fixing one’s eyes on a mark during sity of Denver, she survived three a continuous spin. “She said, ‘You’re going semesters “mostly [by] drinking with to whip your head around so that the snot a boyfriend, smoking dope and staying comes flying out of your nose.’ I thought, out past curfew.” Years of heady decisions followed: working as a go-go girl;

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Into the Woods « P.43

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Yeah, I get that,” Hirsch said, laughing.

“She does nothing halfway.”

Dennison never formally studied dance, but she drew inspiration from her contemporaries. After glimpsing photographs of German choreographer Pina Bausch’s company in a magazine, she boarded a cheap flight to Germany in 1983 and saw Bausch’s The Seven Deadly Sins in Wuppertal. “I was blown away,” she said.

Washington, D.C., choreographer Liz Lerman was an inspiration, too; she put together a multigenerational company that enlisted dancers of all ages and sizes.

Dennison created her own such troupe, which performed her first Vermont work, Gather, Gather, Hold Your Breath, among an audience seated onstage at the Flynn theater in 1993. By then, she had established a nonprofit, Cradle to Grave Arts, to fund her projects.

Dennison went on to produce projects in the Woolen Mill in Winooski honoring its former textile workers — a venture into realism she said she’ll never repeat; and in the abandoned Rose Street Bakery in Burlington (now cooperative housing), where she discovered a trove of suitcases, a recurring motif in her work that will reappear in Forest. The Waterfront Project brought attention to the postindustrial Burlington waterfront; The Hay Project, to the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed grounds of Shelburne Farms.

When Dennison began building her Washington house in 2000, where she moved in 2004, she took time off from dance — until Bausch’s sudden death in 2009 catapulted her into creativity again.

Dear Pina, dedicated to Bausch, was followed by Threads and Thresholds at Kents Corner, an experiment in moving

A dress rehearsal of Forest

audiences from room to room to witness discrete scenes.

Dennison tends to use similar dance moves in all of her work, including what’s known in the dance world as pedestrian movement: walking, running, skipping, standing still. Additionally, she said, “I’m really interested in gestural language.

I’ve really enjoyed grand entrances. And I have a big interest in doing what you’re not supposed to do on a table or a chair.”

In a scene in Forest, the dancers drape themselves face-down across a table, then swirl green-gloved fingers at the audience.

THE MOVEMENT IS VERY SLOW, BUT WE’RE ALSO

GETTING EATEN BY BUGS AND THERE’S A BEE FLYING UP SOMEONE’S DRESS. C L A I R E C O OK

Collaboration is key to Dennison’s choreography, particularly with her artistic partner, Leslie Anderson of Charlotte, the brains behind costume and set design who also helps shape every project. The Pratt Institutetrained artist, now 83, also studied the dance techniques of pioneer Martha Graham and began as a dancer with Dennison nearly 40 years ago.

“As a choreographer, her goal is to help the dancers do the best they can do with the material,” Anderson said.

“When you see a dancer who has worked with Hannah, you’ll see a personality coming through. They’re not dolls.”

They’re also collaborators: Dancers

Ellen Smith Ahern and Chloe Schafer contributed to Forest’s choreography.

Burlington dancer Claire Cook, 27, one of five in Forest who were also in Quarry, described a creative environment that values both precision and improvisation.

“Hannah is very specific and very clear about the quality of the movement, [like] how spread out your fingers should be,” she said. “She may describe an energy or a mood quality for a scene: ‘Too somber or sentimental,’ she’ll say, and invite us to play and interact more with each other.”

Of a scene in Forest in which the dancers sway and crouch atop tree stumps, Cook added, “The movement is very slow, but we’re also getting eaten by bugs and there’s a bee flying up someone’s

23T-WestonTheater072926 1

dress. We have license to deal with the environment.”

As in all of Dennison’s projects, Forest involves a host of other nondancer collaborators. Writer-editor Stephen Long and poet Judith Chalmer helped craft the narrative passages — and Chalmer contributed a poem to the finale — with input from Orange County forester David Paganelli and others. Chalmer also served as accessibility consultant, securing golf carts to transport audience members who need it. Recent University of Vermont music-major graduate Koa Ritz wrote the music for, among other instruments, toy piano, water-filled jugs and a “kitchen chandelier” — old silverware hanging from a large ring. Photographer Julia

Barstow is capturing moments of the work in arresting photos, while Jude Domski filmed a test run in 2025 and Graydon Hanson is making the touring film. Artist Erin Hanley made the wood covers of the audience-response books, bookmaker Marcy Kass bound them, and Anderson contributed pen-and-ink drawings in the margins.

Dennison secured funding from the Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Community Foundation and private donors to cover production expenses and also things such as liability insurance and portable toilet rentals. She approached landowners for permission to allow the public into their forests and, with Chalmer, recruited volunteer narrators.

Cook, who majored in dance at UVM, marveled at Dennison’s creative process.

“The way it comes together is very different from other things I’ve been a part of,” she said. “It’s a lot of logistics and organization and visioning for a long, long time. And sometimes you have no idea what’s happening — for years. Then, at the end, you realize you’re part of something magical.” ➆

INFO Forest dress rehearsal on Sunday, August 9, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., in Washington. $20. Performances on Saturdays and Sundays, August 29 & 30 and September 5 & 6, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in Washington; and Saturdays and Sundays, September 19 & 20 and 26 & 27, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in Bradford. $30. hannahdennison.org

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7/27/26 10:49 AM

culture BOOKS

Prestigious Book Awards Honor Two Vermont Authors COURTESY OF SAM KELMAN

COURTESY OF BRANDON CRUZ GONZÁLEZ

B Y M ARY AN N LICKTEIG • maryann@sevendaysvt.com

Makenna Goodman

Makenna Goodman’s Helen of Nowhere Long-Listed for the Booker Prize

Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez to Receive Lifetime of Excellence in Fiction Award

COURTESY OF BEVERLY PURINTON BROWN

Weybridge writer Julia Alvarez will receive the 2026 Lifetime of Excellence in Fiction Award, an honor bestowed by Brooklyn literary nonprofit the Center for Fiction “to writers and luminaries who have significantly influenced our culture and perspective.” The award was announced on July 29 and will be given on December 8 in Manhattan.

“With her astonishing 1991 debut, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez announced herself as a writer who could not be ignored, giving voice to the Dominican-American experience with a clarity that commands attention,” Nina von Moltke, the center’s board chair, said in a news release. “In the decades since, she has never confined herself to one shelf or one audience … Few writers have spoken so fully across generations, languages, and cultures.”

Born in New York City in 1950, and raised in the Dominican Republic until she was 10 years old, Alvarez has spent most of her literary career in the United States. While she has penned nonfiction books, poetry collections, and books for

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children and young adults, she is best known for her novels, including In the Time of the Butterflies.

Alvarez has also taught and mentored writers in schools and communities and was a longtime writer-in-residence at Middlebury College.

Alvarez commented on her upcoming honor in an email. “An award like this acknowledging a life’s work makes me super aware of all the people and places that made that writing life possible,” she wrote, naming her “storytelling familia” in the Dominican Republic; her teachers, including the late David Huddle; her agents; her first editor; and her “faithful publisher, Algonquin Books.”

While her roots are in the Dominican Republic, she continued, she has lived in Vermont longer than any other place. “It’s in the bloodstream of my imagination,” she said. “It feels misleading to say I got the award — I’m the one receiving it in the name of all of the above and more.”

Previous recipients of the lifetime award include Haruki Murakami, Salman Rushdie and Toni Morrison. ➆

Makenna Goodman got the news shortly before it went public on July 28: Her second novel, Helen of Nowhere, is long-listed for the Booker Prize, one of the leading literary awards in the English-speaking world. Word came via email from her UK publisher, Fitzcarraldo Editions.

“I felt like I blacked out, honestly,” the Montpelier writer told Seven Days. “It was very surreal. And I started laughing.”

Goodman’s second novel is one of 13 books on the list of nominees. Other authors include prior Booker winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart, as well as Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout.

Once the nominee list became public, Goodman celebrated. “My husband got oysters from the local fish market and a bottle of rosé, and we ate on the porch with my two kids,” she said. “It was really lovely.”

In Helen of Nowhere, a finalist for the 2025 Vermont Book Award, a Realtor shows a disgraced professor around an idyllic house in the countryside, pointing

150th Purinton Family Reunion

The 1894 reunion SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

The 150th Purinton Family Reunion was held at the Waterhouses campground in Salisbury on July 18. About 80 people attended the weekend event; most were descendants of Chase Purinton, who moved to Lincoln with his family in 1803. He built the town’s first grist mill

out the home’s qualities and talking about its previous owner, the mystifying Helen. The professor realizes he is being offered an opportunity to buy his way into a simple life, but, he will learn, the asking price may be much higher — and stranger — than anticipated.

The New York Review of Books described the work as “searing,” while the Guardian dubbed it “a perfect fairytale for our times.”

Goodman, 41, is an executive editor at Timber Press, a Portland, Ore., publisher of books about gardening, nature and science. She has written short fiction and criticism, and her first novel, 2020’s The Shame, was named a best book of the year by Harvard Review and the White Review.

The Booker Prize, more than 50 years old, is awarded annually to the book its judges select as the best work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. The short list will be announced on September 22 and the winner on November 9. ➆

Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger met the family, flipped through their impressive reunion photo albums and even got roped into taking this year’s photo. ➆ in 1806 and is commemorated with a stone monument on Quaker Street. The Purintons have gathered every year since 1876, and family members from across the country made the trip this year.

In the latest episode of “Stuck in

Seven Days has been airing the award-winning video series “Stuck in Vermont” since 2007.

Watch the new episode on sevendaysvt.com this Thursday or on the WCAX-TV evening news on Friday.

s 5 top

A Vermont Comedy Arts class

3 pairs of jeans COURTESY PHOTOS

COMEDY

Vermont Comedy Arts to Open New Performance Space

7 Tees lunchbox backpack x! e n e e l K f o 1 box K

4sweaters underwear 2 dresses

s r i a p 7 ks c o s f o

BY CE CIL IA L UCE • cluce@sevendaysvt.com

Vermont Comedy Arts has found a home.

On Monday, executive director Natalie Miller announced that the nonprofit arm of Vermont Comedy Club will open a new theater at 118 Main Street in Burlington, just across the street from the club. The basement space formerly belonged to the Drink bar on St. Paul Street, which closed in January.

Miller, who cofounded the comedy club with her husband, Nathan Hartswick, in 2015, established Vermont Comedy Arts as a 501c3 nonprofit last November.

Since then, it has focused on community engagement, local shows and educational programming, Miller said, but has lacked its own facility, operating instead from the comedy club and off-site venues. The move — which Miller hopes to finalize before the organization’s Big Pond Improv Festival next month — will give Vermont Comedy Arts room to expand its programming.

Miller said the nonprofit’s main goal is to continue growing the local comedy scene by nurturing new acts and supporting performers who have experience but need more stage time. The comedy club is a for-profit business that largely books regional and national touring comics on weekends. That means local comedians,

including standups and sketch and improv teams, are relegated to weeknight shows.

With the new space, Miller said she wants to “send the local scene into hyperdrive.” In addition to a full slate of performances and classes, her plans for the organization include increasing financial accessibility to shows, providing scholarships and free summer camps for kids, and continuing youth programming year-round.

“We have no shortage of ideas,” she said.

The basement theater is “small, intimate and the perfect size,” Miller added.

It will seat 30 to 40 people, compared to 140 at the comedy club.

Perhaps the biggest difference: It won’t have a liquor license. Miller said that’s a deliberate choice to encourage audiences and performers alike to focus on the show rather than alcohol. It also makes a more welcoming environment for young comedians.

“I’m excited to be able to do kids’ programming in a space without a bar,” Miller said. ➆

4T-UMall072926 1

7/24/26 12:50 PM

69th Annual

August 7-9, 2026

Farr’s Field, US Rt. 2, Exit 10 I-89, Waterbury Admission: $15, Kids 16 & under are FREE

Cars, Race Cars and Motorcycles!

Special Display of 1950’s Cars

INFO

Learn more at vermontcomedyarts.org.

Nathan Hartswick and Natalie Miller

FREE PARKING!

For more info: 802-223-3104 • cgeeb99@gmail.com

VTAUTO.ORG

4t-VTAutoEnthusiast072926.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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7/27/26 10:40 AM

on screen Three Streaming Options for the Dog Days of Summer

’

T

is still the season when the theaters are full of kids’ fare and Marvel movies and I catch up on some of the streaming I’ve missed.

I began with Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” which netted 19 of the Emmy Award nominations announced last month. That mainstream recognition is especially impressive when you consider that “Widow’s Bay” is a horror-comedy, a genre blend that was until recently considered even more niche than horror itself.

Created by Katie Dippold (“Parks and Recreation”), the show takes place on a fictional New England isle, home to a podunk fishing village. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), a transplant from the mainland, wants to turn Widow’s Bay into the next Martha’s Vineyard, but oldtimer Wyck Crawford (Stephen Root) insists the island is cursed. As we learn over the course of 10 episodes, including a flashback to the settlement’s 18th-century founding, Wyck is all too right.

It’s tempting to say that Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” walked so “Widow’s Bay” could run. Both are pop culture collages, parodying and pastiching a gallery of genre staples. The “Widow’s Bay” pilot, for instance, is a love letter to John Carpenter’s 1980 The Fog, while subsequent episodes draw inspiration from Jaws, The Shining, The Wicker Man and the slasher movie tradition, with emphasis on Halloween.

While “American Horror Story” was notoriously chaotic, however, with as many tedious or tasteless lows as campy highs, “Widow’s Bay” smooths the model into something approaching comfort watching.

Like its precursor Twin Peaks, the island welcomes us in and surrounds us with a host of likable eccentrics. Few characters have much depth — the teenagers are especially generic — but a few standout performances make up for it.

While familiar small-screen presences Root and Rhys spar amusingly, the show’s emotional center is Kate O’Flynn as Patricia, Tom’s socially awkward fortysomething assistant, who gets to be both an accidental witch and a final girl.

Full of acerbic asides, Patricia serves as the on-screen representative of perhaps the show’s largest target audience: female horror fans who’ve always felt a

Sam Rockwell plays a “Man From the Future” with a dire message about technology in Gore Verbinski’s trippy sci-fi comedy.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

COURTESY OF NBC/UNIVERSAL

REVIEWS

bit unwelcome in a genre traditionally perceived as male.

“Widow’s Bay” demonstrates just how much that public perception is changing.

The show is more creepy and whimsical than actually scary, but it’s a solid watch for anyone who doesn’t see “cozy” and “horror” as antithetical.

My next Apple TV watch was also clearly targeted at midlife women — specifically, ones who feel as if their lives just keep getting messier. In “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,” created by David J. Rosen, Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) plays Paula Saunders, a recent divorcée on the brink of a custody battle with her ex (Jake Johnson). A cam boy (Brandon Flynn) offers her affection and empathy with no strings, but that relationship goes south when Paula witnesses what appears to be his abduction on camera. Her investigation leads her into a world of online scammers and corpses, which she explores between coaching her daughter’s soccer team and fact-checking articles (with a red pen, yet) for an implausible middle-class salary.

That’s all I know, because I bailed after three episodes. While Maslany is always likable, the show’s frenetic editing and pounding electronica soundtrack suggest a boomer executive’s idea of what might

appeal on TikTok. While “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” has twists and cliffhangers aplenty, those three episodes never slowed down enough to make me care.

Even a witty performance by Dolly de Leon as a no-nonsense detective couldn’t save it.

My last streaming pick was also stylistically excessive, but with more purpose.

After a little-heralded theatrical run this February, director Gore Verbinski’s mindbendy sci-fi comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die has found fans on streaming (Disney+, Hulu, rentable), some of whom hail it as a cult film in the making. Indeed, the pairing of the hyperreal, cartoonish visuals of Verbinski (Rango, several Pirates of the Caribbean films) with the timely satire of writer Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying) produces a heady brew, like Terry Gilliam grappling with the age of ChatGPT. In a twist on both The Terminator and The Matrix, a self-described Man From the Future (Sam Rockwell) bursts into an LA diner and threatens to blow it up if no one volunteers to accompany him on a quest to defeat a nascent artificial intelligence that will wipe out much of humanity. Having already attempted said quest 117 times, the Man acknowledges the odds aren’t good, but a handful of people volunteer.

In flashbacks reminiscent of “Black Mirror” episodes, we discover that the volunteers have preexisting issues with technology. They include a mom (Juno Temple) who lost her son in a school shooting and received an unsettling form of government compensation; a teacher couple (Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz) dealing with hordes of phone-zombified teens; and a young woman (Haley Lu Richardson) whose life is circumscribed by her allergy to screens and Wi-Fi. With a limited number of murky settings, the main action of Good Luck can feel claustrophobic. Its insights about the dangers of “your fascist selfie culture” (as the Man puts it) are smart but scattershot.

But there’s also plenty of trippy fun here, including the most creative CGI monster of recent years, with shades of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Rockwell’s glinty-eyed obsession and Richardson’s sadness anchor the story in something real, making us believe there could be reasons to save ourselves from barreling headlong toward our own obsolescence.

The more young folks absorb the gonzo pro-humanity spirit of Good Luck, the better.

MARGO T HARRI S O N margot@sevendaysvt.com

NEW IN THEATERS ICE CREAM MAN: Kids had better beware of the sweet treats in the latest splatter-horror flick from director Eli Roth, who stars with Ari Millen. (86 min, NR. Essex, Majestic, Sunset) ONE NIGHT ONLY: In a world where single people can have legal sex on only one night of the year, Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro meet cute, and yes, this appears to be a rom-com and not horror. Will Gluck directed. (102 min, R. Essex, Majestic) SUPER TROOPERS 3: The incompetent officers of the fictional Vermont State Police return — and prepare for a wedding — in this comedy starring Brian Cox, Lisa Gilroy and Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directed. (104 min, R. Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset)

CURRENTLY PLAYING BACKROOMSHHHH In Kane Parsons’ debut horror feature, an interdimensional portal appears to open beneath a furniture store. (110 min, R. Sunset; reviewed 6/3)

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAYHHH1/2 The world has forgotten that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) exists, but can he stay under the radar? Destin Daniel Cretton directed the Marvel adventure, also starring Zendaya and Mark Ruffalo. (145 min, PG-13. Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Paramount, Playhouse, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden)

OLDER FILMS AND SPECIAL SCREENINGS

RENEE HOWARD

JOHN MELLENCAMP

WINNER!

BURLINGTON

HELL’S HINGES (VTIFF, Wed 5 only) HISTORY OF VITAPHONE AND VITAPHONE SHORTS (Catamount, Wed 5 only)

POSSESSION (VTIFF, Sat only)

MIRROR (Partizanfilm, Wed 5 only) ONLY YESTERDAY 35TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sun & Wed 12 only)

JULY 24 @XFINITY CENTER MANSFIELD, MA

JOANIE NEWTON

MORRISTOWN

SEEDING CHANGE: FARMING BEYOND NEONICS (Savoy, Sat only) SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT (VTIFF, Thu only) TALES FROM EARTHSEA 20TH ANNIVERSARY (Essex, Sat & Mon only) WTO/99 (Partizanfilm, Mon only)

OPEN THEATERS

JOHN FOGERTY SEPT 6 @TANGLEWOOD LENOX, MA

(* = upcoming schedule for theater was not available at press time) BETHEL DRIVE-IN: 36 Bethel Dr., Bethel, 728-3740, betheldrivein.com

MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD: Sasha Waters’ documentary chronicles the life of the poet who was also a queer icon. (91 min, NR. Catamount [all week], Savoy [all week], VTIFF [Fri only])

*BIG PICTURE THEATER: 48 Carroll Rd., Waitsfield, 496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info. Closed through April 29.

MINIONS & MONSTERSHHH1/2 The Minions cause chaos trying to make a monster flick in 1920s Hollywood in this animated comedy featuring the voices of Pierre Coffin, Allison Janney and George Lucas himself. (90 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Paramount, Star)

*CAPITOL THEATER: 93 State St., Montpelier, 229-0343, fgbtheaters.com

MOTOR CITYHHH In this retro action thriller set in Detroit, an ex-con (Alan Ritchson) seeks vengeance on the gangsters who framed him for a crime. Potsy Ponciroli directed. (103 min, R. Majestic, Partizanfilm)

JUNE 27 @TANGLEWOOD LENOX, MA

DON JUAN (1926) (Catamount, Thu only)

HADESTOWN: THE MUSICALHHHHH Live recordings from the London production of Anaïs Mitchell’s stage show bring the Vermonter’s Tony Awardwinning fusion of dystopia and Greek mythology to the screen. Brett Sullivan directed. (141 min, NR. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Savoy; reviewed 7/29)

MOANAHH Catherine Laga’aia plays the title character in this live-action version of the 2016 Disney musical. (115 min, PG. Bijou, Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Star, Sunset, Welden)

WINNER!

PAUL SIMON

CAT VIDEO FEST (Catamount [Fri-Sun only], Savoy [Fri-Sun & Tue & Thu])

THE HOWLING (Catamount, Fri only)

I WANT YOUR SEXHHH1/2 A successful artist (Olivia Wilde) draws her aimless, much younger assistant (Cooper Hoffman) into a BDSM relationship in this comedy from Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin). (90 min, R. Partizanfilm, Savoy; reviewed 7/29)

THREE CONCERTS BY ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAMERS THREE PRIZES • THREE WINNERS

TOY STORY 5HHH1/2 Electronics are the threat in the latest installment of Pixar’s animated series in which living toys confront big problems. (102 min, PG. Capitol, Essex, Majestic, Sunset)

DISCLOSURE DAYHH1/2 Steven Spielberg returns to science fiction with this thriller in which humanity makes contact with aliens. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colin Firth star. (145 min, PG-13.

Majestic; reviewed 6/17)

THE INVITEHHHH A dinner party holds big surprises for two couples (Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) in Wilde’s remake of Spanish comedy The People Upstairs. (107 min, R. Majestic, Savoy)

SUMMER OF THE STARS

*BIJOU CINEPLEX 4: 107 Portland St., Morrisville, 888-3293, bijou4.com

PAIR OF TICKETS

LD COU WINNER THIS U! O BE Y

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

CONTEST UNDERWRITTEN BY

CATAMOUNT ARTS: 115 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-2600, catamountarts.org

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON

TICK TOCK JEWELERS

ESSEX CINEMAS & T-REX THEATER: 21 Essex Way, Suite 300, Essex, 879-6543, essexcinemas.com

WOODBURY MOUNTAIN TOYS

EDELWEISS MARKET

MONTPELIER

*MAJESTIC 10: 190 Boxwood St., Williston, 878-2010, majestic10.com

PIZZA ON MAIN

STOWE SEAFOOD & MEAT MARKET

MORRISVILLE

STOWE

WILLEY’S STORE

MOSS HOME GOODS

CITY CINEMA: 137 Waterfront Plaza, Newport, 334-2610, citycinemanewport.com

MARQUIS THEATER: 65 Main St., Middlebury, 388-4841, middleburymarquis.com.

STOWE

OBSESSIONHHHH1/2 A young man makes the mistake of wishing on a charm that his crush would fall in love with him in Curry Barker’s horror film.

(Sunset; reviewed 5/20)

*PARAMOUNT TWIN CINEMA: 241 N. Main St., Barre, 479-9621, fgbtheaters.com

THE ODYSSEYHHHH Christopher Nolan offers his take on the Homeric epic of a weary warrior (Matt Damon) trying to return home. With Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson. (180 min, R. Bethel, Big Picture, Bijou, Capitol, City Cinema, Essex, Majestic, Marquis, Star, Stowe, Sunset, Welden; reviewed 7/22)

PLAYHOUSE MOVIE THEATRE: 11 S. Main St., Randolph, 728-4012, playhouseflicks.com

PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MANHHHH Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s documentary traces the career of the manager and producer who helped shape the careers of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. (117 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

STAR THEATRE: 17 Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 748-9511, stjaytheatre.com

NORTHERN VERMONT

*STOWE CINEMA 3PLEX: 454 Mountain Rd., Stowe, 253-4678, stowecinema.com

GET OUR MOBILE APP

ROSE OF NEVADAHHHH In Mark Jenkin’s science fiction film, a fishing boat that vanished for 30 years reappears in a Cornish village with mystical powers.

George MacKay and Callum Turner star. (114 min, NR. Partizanfilm)

*PARTIZANFILM: 230 College St., Unit 13, Burlington, 276-4588, partizanfilm.org

GREENSBORO

MORRISVILLE

LISTEN FOR DETAILS & JOIN THE FUN!

SAVOY THEATER: 26 Main St., Montpelier, 229-0598, savoytheater.com

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY

THE SCREENING ROOM @ VTIFF: 60 Lake St., Ste. 1C, Burlington, 660-2600, vtiff.org

CENTRAL VERMONT

SUNSET DRIVE-IN: 155 Porters Point Rd., Colchester, 862-1800, sunsetdrivein.com *WELDEN THEATRE: 104 N. Main St., St. Albans, 527-7888, weldentheatre.com

Streaming on ClassicHitsVermont.com SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

49

art

Breathing Room

Mary Lynn Burke’s abstract botanicals stake out space at the Phoenix in Waterbury

COURTESY

B Y A L ICE D OD GE • adodge@sevendaysvt.com

bright and large, around 5 or 6 feet in each dimension. Burke uses a combination of mediums — acrylics, oils, oil stick and spray paint, as well as cyanotype — on raw linen.

These works are human-scale and muscular, evidenced by marks made not just with a brush but with the artist’s whole arm.

Burke’s breadth of painting techniques serves to open up her canvases, letting the viewer fall into thin, wide washes or snag their eye on a chunky scribble. “Red Reign,” a vertical canvas 5 feet wide and more than 6 feet high, features a gauzy, wet-into-wet expanse of mucky greens reminiscent of an algae bloom. In the foreground, intense ledges of ultramarine blue and vertical swaths of pale peach are punctuated with vibrant yellow and red. There is almost a depth-of-focus effect, as when the subject of a photo blurs with distance. In the painting, one’s sense of what should be where goes pleasingly haywire without such a visual structure, creating the vertiginous feeling of standing at the edge of a cliff.

Airiness pervades “Catch and Release,” which could be a beach scene. Raw canvas and blotchy blue cyanotype give an impression of sand and water; robust horizontal brushstrokes describe a ground, and vertical ones suggest a forest in the distance.

Looping scarlet oil stick delineates boughs that appear to bob up and down like Seussian trees.

Burke sometimes starts out by painting cyanotype fluid onto unstretched canvas, often working on the floor or the ground outside. The process captures light passing through the tree canopy overhead or her own shadow across the canvas. But even though none of that comes through directly in the work — the cyanotype blue could easily be mistaken for another color of paint, and its forms are totally abstract — Burke’s unusual technique serves to build her compositions around an awareness of natural light.

The airy pieces in the show contrast with denser ones, such as “Stray Echo,” a tunnel of insistent indigo, green and pink marks that lets through a single open area of yellowish white, like a patch of sky as seen while lying in a field. “Wishing Tree” is

REVIEW

“Catch and Release”

P

lants need their space. The seed packets all say so: Give each one 18 inches, or rows three feet apart, or a mound with a 12-foot diameter. Surely not, I think in May. These seeds will be lonely out here in this expanse of barely thawed dirt. Now it’s August, and I must arm myself with a machete to find the tomatoes.

In “Sensitive Seeds,” a solo show at the Phoenix in Waterbury, Mary Lynn Burke evokes an entwined sense of landscapes both emotional and botanical with her near-abstract jungle-tinged paintings. It is 50

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

a first solo presentation for the Lexington, Mass., artist, who holds a master’s degree in clinical social work. In 2020, she moved to New Zealand for two and a half years, an experience she cites as transformative for her art practice.

In a YouTube video for the podcast “I Like Your Work,” Burke explains how she started out taking hundreds of photos of the rugged coastline. But as she began to spend more time alone in nature, “eventually I just wanted to put my camera and all my gear away and just work with my hands,” she said. That impulse led Burke, a trained

photographer, to create cyanotypes using sun and seawater.

Cyanotype is one of the oldest photo processes, often characterized by stark white images of flowers or leaves against a deep-blue background; the objects are placed directly on paper coated in light-sensitive chemicals. Burke exposed her prints outside, recording the fleeting shadows of bubbles in water or drifting sand instead of solid forms. Eventually, she started painting over the images, which led to the series shown here.

Most of the works in the exhibition are

COURTESY

ART SHOWS

“Red Reign”

confrontational, with powder-blue, limegreen and fire engine-red scribbles vying for space in a thicket of dark-blue slashes.

Its overall effect is one of pointiness. “In Person,” slightly smaller than the others at 45 by 40 inches, barely lets the viewer in, creating an up-close wall of marks in a dark palette of purple, green and blue gem tones. The paint moves your eye across the canvas, but the picture plane is completely claustrophobic.

The longer one looks at these paintings, the more psychological effects creep in. That’s most apparent with “In Hiding on a Blue Bird Day,” the largest work in the show at 94 by 61 inches. It’s the most directly representational: a valley unfolding into the distance, where a kindergarten-yellow sun dips toward a mountain slope over a tree-shaped tree.

The landscape is all just too much — too loud, too busy, too saturated — without becoming cartoony or predictable. Burke casts it as simultaneously overwhelming and alluring.

Curator Joseph Pensak has also included a suite of smaller works in the show — a couple of drawings and a few paintings, mostly in the 9- to 16-inch range. These don’t have the variety of mark making that shines in the larger

works, but the intimate scale gets you right up close and allows Burke to experiment with transparent paint and a vibrant palette. The colors in “Nocturnal Life,” for instance, match each others’ intensity of hue except for a washed-out turquoise hole. “Sensitive Seeds” takes that same shade and solidifies it into a thick opaque form that vies for importance with dark reds and greens. There’s a sense of play in these little pieces, though it’s quieter than in the big ones.

On their way out, viewers shouldn’t miss “Wild Things” in the window, a 77-by-66inch painting that incorporates dripping, rain cloud-dark volumes and a blackishpink surface that reads as water. Its details are easily lost behind the reflections in the glass. Perhaps that’s appropriate, though, for work that catches the eye with lushness and light, then asks you to take a step back.

Paintings, plants and people alike, they seem to say, could all use a little breathing room. ➆

ONE’S SENSE OF WHAT SHOULD BE WHERE

GOES PLEASINGLY HAYWIRE.

INFO “Mary Lynn Burke: Sensitive Seeds,” on view through December 31 at the Phoenix in Waterbury. thephoenixvt.com 2V-middcollart080526 1

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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8/3/26 5:06 PM

art AUG. 5-12

“Rock, Lichen, Raven”

OPENINGS + RECEPTIONS ANNIE CASWELL: “Retrospective & New Works,” multimedia artwork inspired by the natural world, ancient stones, and experiences gathered through her travels in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and Central America. Reception: Thursday, August 6, 4-7 p.m.

Winemakers Gallery at Village Wine and Coffee, Shelburne, August 6-31.

‘SHOW 74’: Works by all members of the collective gallery. Reception: Friday, August 7, 4-8 p.m. The Front, Montpelier, August 7-30.

HEIDI BRONER: “Animal, Mineral,” a solo show by the Calais painter spanning 20 years of work, including images of the Maine coast and people in urban settings. Reception: Friday, August 7, 4:30-7 p.m.; artist remarks, 6 p.m. Vermont Supreme Court Gallery, Montpelier, through September 25.

UPPER VALLEY PHOTOGRAPHERS: The fourth annual open-call exhibition of photography from the region, in all styles and on a variety of subjects. On view on the third floor. Reception: Friday, August 7, 5-7 p.m.

AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H., through August 29.

CHARLET DAVENPORT: “Their Own Vision,” an installation featuring painted copies of T.W. Wood’s works paired with portraits of people significant to the artist, ceramics and prints. Reception: Friday, August 7, 5-7:30 p.m. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, through September 23.

FIFTH ANNUAL PRINTMAKING INVITATIONAL: An open-call exhibition showcasing works by local and regional printmakers, curated by Phillip Robertson and Newton Gallegos. Reception: Friday, August 7, 5-7:30 p.m. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, through September 23.

‘SHOW OFF!’: An exhibition of favorite and new pieces of art by SEABA members. Reception: Friday, August 7, 5-8 p.m. The SEABA Center, Burlington, August 7-29.

JENNIFER KOCH: “Altered Leaves & Eternal Love Triangle,” new woodblock prints made during the artist’s residency at Generator, with half of sales proceeds from the show supporting that program.

Reception: Friday, August 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, August 7-14. Free; donations to support Generator’s artist-in-residence program encouraged.

‘ACTIVE OBJECTS: ART, CRAFT & DESIGN’: A show that asks viewers to consider objects as active participants in human experience, with works by Johannes Michelsen, Farhad Mirza, Stanton Sears, Ellen Shattuck Pierce, Amara Hark Weber and Susan White, alongside a juried selection of pieces by SVAC artist members selected by Stanton Sears. Reception and member party: Friday, August 7, 6-8 p.m.

Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, through September 27.

JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ: “Vermont Light,” photographs of landscapes that have shaped the artist since he moved here, including working farms, weathered barns and ever-changing light. Reception: Saturday, August 8, 1-4 p.m. Bryan Fine Art Gallery, Stowe, August 5-October 11.

PALESTINIAN ART EXHIBIT: An exhibition of Palestinian art, including paintings, embroidery, ceramics and family heirlooms from a private collection as well as displays from the Palestinian Museum’s exhibition “Gaza Remains the Story.”

Co-organized with Franklin County for Palestine. Open select weekends; see mcavt.org for details. Reception: Tuesday, August 11, 5:30 p.m., followed by a film screening of The Wanted 18 at 6:30 p.m. Montgomery Center for the Arts, August 11-September 27.

ALICE DODGE

MARIANNE NEALY: “Green Mountain Living in Pastel,” a show reflecting the Colchester artist’s 30 years of exploring landscape using the medium. Reception: Friday, August 7, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Vermont Natural Resources Council, Montpelier, through August 14.

Photo Finish Heidi Broner pictures the world with such attention to detail that you’d be forgiven for mistaking her acrylic paintings for photographs. With her facility for accuracy, it’s clear the Calais artist could paint anything — which makes what she chooses to highlight even more important. A retrospective exhibition at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery brings together canvases from her “At Work” series depicting everyday people at physical jobs: fixing power lines, repairing roads, directing traffic, shoeing horses. They toil alongside wilder scenes of rugged coastlines, craggy cliffs and ocean birds, all of which feel more fantastical but no less realistic. Throughout her work, clarity serves Broner’s compositions well. Strong geometries frame her figures within the context of their activities.

Reflections create believable depth. Color draws the eye exactly where she wants it with an orange traffic cone, a yellow shirt, an azure sky. Each picture tells you exactly why the places and people you’re looking at deserve focus and respect.

‘HEIDI BRONER: ANIMAL, MINERAL’ On view through September 25 at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery. Reception Friday, August 7, 4:30-7 p.m., with artist remarks at 6 p.m.

VISUAL ART EVENTS ARTIST TALK: XENOBIA BAILEY: A discussion with the African American cultural activist, fiber and multimedia artist of her large crocheted sculptures and wearables, which are influenced by her parents and the histories of their families, who were sharecroppers and tenant farmers. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Wednesday, August 5, 8-9 p.m. Free.

LIFE DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event for artists working with the figure from a live model. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Thursday, August 6, 7-9 p.m. Free; $15 suggested donation.

NICOLE VANCE: A presentation of work and hands-on project taught by the Fairfax artist and educator during Montpelier Art Walk. Artisans Hand Craft Gallery, Montpelier, Friday, August 7, 4-7 p.m. Free.

MONTPELIER ART WALK: A bimonthly self-guided arts tour through downtown featuring exhibitions, artist talks, receptions, workshops and live music.

Downtown Montpelier, Friday, August 7, 4-8 p.m. Free.

‘THINK WITH YOUR HANDS: LEARNING THROUGH CRAFT SCHOOLS’: A talk by MFA Boston curator Michelle Millar Fisher exploring the lasting influence of American craft schools and the role of hands-on making in contemporary art and design, and offering additional context for many of the ideas presented in the “Active Objects” exhibition. Friday, August 7, 5 p.m.

Free with $10 admission.

GET YOUR ART SHOW LISTED HERE AND ONLINE!

PROMOTING AN ART EXHIBIT? SUBMIT THE INFO AND IMAGES BY THURSDAY AT NOON AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT OR ART@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

FIGURE DRAWING: Artists at all levels of experience are invited to draw from a live model. Drawing boards and easels provided; participants bring drawing materials. 18-plus; preregistration required.

Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Sunday, August 9, 2-4 p.m. $20; $5 for current VSC residents.

EXHIBITION

‘FOLK NATION: CRAFTING AMERICAN IDENTITIES’: Dr. Emelie Gevalt, Deborah Davenport and Stewart Stender discuss craftsmanship, historical memory and identity through the lens of the American Folk Art Museum collections and 2026 exhibitions.

Shelburne Museum, Friday, August 7, 5:30 p.m. Free with museum admission.

JEFFERSONVILLE ART JAM: A community-centered art festival featuring an artist and artisan sidewalk sale, gallery shows, live demos, children’s activities, and food vendors, produced by the Cambridge Arts Council in partnership with Visions of Vermont Fine Art Galleries and the Bryan Art Gallery. With live music from the Green Mountain Swing Band and High Summer. Various Jeffersonville locations, Saturday, August 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

ARTIST TALK: PHIL GODENSCHWAGER: “Serendipity: The Life of an Artist,” a discussion with the Randolph artist about his history and practice, which includes sculpture, stained glass, ink drawings, installations and public art, some of which is on view in his solo exhibition. Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, Saturday, August 8, 4 p.m. Free.

SOCIAL SUNDAY: An opportunity for children and caregivers to stop in and complete a 15- to 30-minute activity during the two-hour workshop.

Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, Sunday, August 9, 1-3 p.m. Free.

VISUAL ART IN SEVEN DAYS:

ART LISTINGS ARE WRITTEN BY ALICE DODGE. LISTINGS ARE RESTRICTED TO ART SHOWS IN TRULY PUBLIC PLACES.

PORTRAIT DRAWING AND PAINTING: A drop-in event where artists can practice skills in any medium. T.W. Wood Museum, Montpelier, Monday, August 10, 10 a.m.-noon. Free; $15 suggested donation.

AFTERNOON FOR EDUCATORS: Educators are invited for a guided tour of the current exhibitions and a tour of the sculpture park, followed by a forum for questions and discussion with light refreshments.

Participants receive a certificate of completion that they can submit for 2.5 hours of relicensure credit.

Space is limited; preregister by August 5. Hall Art Foundation, Reading, Tuesday, August 11, 2-4:30 p.m.

Free; registration required.

CARVING CIRCLE: A space for printmakers to carve, glue or incise blocks together. Studio tools available; no printing takes place. Two Rivers Printmaking Studio, White River Junction, Tuesday, August 11, 6-8 p.m. Free.

CALL TO ARTISTS ‘A PLACE ONLY VISITED IN DREAMS’: An invitation to submit works that explore the shifting terrain of the subconscious for a fall group show rooted in the legacy of surrealism. Email sam@avagallery.org.

Deadline: Monday, August 10. AVA Gallery and Art Center, Lebanon, N.H. $30. ➆

But wait, there’s more!

172

additional art listings are on view at sevendaysvt.com/art.

= ONLINE EVENT OR EXHIBIT

View all free summer events

Summer in the City Burlington’s

Over 100 Free Events from June - September

August

Sidewalk Sale

August 5-9 Turn up the heat with five days of amazing sales and discounts all along the Church Street Marketplace

GROW Preschool Yoga

Thursdays, Through August 20, 11-11:30 AM, Fletcher Free Library

Party on the Bricks

Thursdays, Through August 13, 5:30-8 PM, Church Street Marketplace August 6: Green Kettle Band, Halvorson’s Upstreet Café August 13: Ali T, Ken’s Pizza and Pub

BCA’s Summer Concert Series

Fridays, 12:30 PM, City Hall Park August 7: Joshua Glass Trio August 14: The Eyetraps August 21: Baby Fearn

Splash Dance

Saturdays, 1-3 PM, City Hall Park August 8: DJ Love August 15: Skipipop August 22: DJ GAYBAR August 29: DJ JP Black

Sunday Classical

loveburlington.org/summerinthecity

Art Amplified

BCA Center, 5-8 PM Experience the gallery in a whole new light with DJs, live music, fun drinks, and an art activity August 12: Troy Millette and the Fire Below with DJ Collin Hagood

NetZero Energy Fest

Sundays, 10 AM, BCA Center Gallery Vermont’s finest classical players alongside BCA’s summer exhibitions

August 22, Waterfront Park, 12-4 PM (rain date August 24)

August 9: Vermont Brass Trio August 16: Equinox Wind Quintet August 23: Duo Dolce

Join the Burlington Electric Department for a day of outdoor fun for the whole family to share Burlington’s Net Zero Energy vision!

Crowdsourced VT Shrek

BCA’s Twilight Series

Mondays, Through August 10, 4:30-6 PM, Fletcher Free Library

Opener, 6 PM, Headliner, 7:30 PM, City Hall Park August 22: Night Protocol with April Patterson Clemens & Cobalt Tobert

BTV Market

August 29, 11 AM-3 PM, City Hall Park

Summer in the City Media Sponsors: Seven Days and WCAX. BCA’s Summer in the City programming is made possible in part thanks to Underwriters at the Pomerleau Family Foundation; Supporters Burlington Telecom, Myti, Soundtoys, and Lake Champlain Chocolates, and Community Partner American Flatbread Burlington & Mothership Brewery. Church Street Marketplace’s Party on the Bricks is made possible by presenting sponsor, Foam Brewers, and media sponsor, Burlington Area Newspaper Group.

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7/31/26 10:19 AM

music+nightlife

R

M U

ive years ago, when I took on the mantle of music editor, I made a vow before the Oracle of Delphi. (And no, Seven Days did not reimburse my miles.)

I swore I would uphold democracy when it came to the Vermont music scene, that I would defend the rights of the people to have their say and not rule as a curatorial tyrant. I was bathed in sheep’s blood and anointed — the standard swearing-in practice at the paper — before making my pledge to be an Editor for the People. Let musical democracy reign!

Yeah … about that.

Like a wrestler turning heel, I’ve broken bad, y’all.

After years of watching Seven Days readers choose their favorite music-related winners for our annual Daysies awards, the power has finally gone to my head.

(A brief tangent: Did you know the word “idiot” comes from the ancient Greek idiòtès,, which referred to people who didn’t engage in state politics? Also, all the big Greek philosophers

I

NTHE

F

C U I D NG O

B Y CHRI S FAR NSWORTH farnsworth@sevendaysvt.com

T

post-rock/ambient band last year, it was pretty much the same thing as the Athenians voting to kill Socrates.

Plato wrote The Republic. And me? I give you my answer to the Daysies: the Chrisanthemums.

(We paid a marketing firm thousands to think of that.)

That’s right: God is dead, and Chris is running the show now. I’m drunk with power and handing out my own awards. Do these awards carry prestige? No. Do they bring glory to the winners? I don’t see how. Will they bolster careers, much like Grammy wins generate album sales? Oh, hell no. If anything, I could see these doing the opposite.

You might wonder how I’ve come to decide who the winners are and what sort of process I’ve used to select them. The answer is none. This is all vibes and unadulterated personal opinion. It’s good to be king.

Read on, loyal subjects, for my completely arbitrary, often nonsensical, and 100 percent official and binding Chrisanthemum Awards, covering the past year or so in Vermont music.*

SA

Our music editor’s madeup awards highlight the Farnsworthiest music on the Vermont scene

HE CHR

MS

IN T

pretty much hated democracy. Plato famously turned against the idea after watching his fellow Greeks vote to execute Socrates. That’s right, I’m going full edgelord! Give me a podcast!)

What I’m saying is that when you guys didn’t nominate my favorite instrumental

*While I’m doing this for my own sick pleasure, if the result is encouraging you to vote in the Daysies next year, that’s a win-win, baby. Find the winners Vermonters actually picked in the Daysies magazine, All the Best, Best, in the center of this issue.

Back row: Lily Seabird, Flywlkr Front row: Robber Robber

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOAH LENKER, JACKIE FREEMAN AND FLYWLKR

54

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

GOT MUSIC NEWS? MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

COURTESY OF LUKE AWTRY

DAN TYMINSKI BAND

Rachel Ambaye

BEST YEAR The Entire Burlington Indie-Rock Scene

Who had the best year in the Vermont music scene? This wasn’t an easy one to decide, as it’s been an exciting year overall for Green Mountain music. PHISH had a good one, played a lot of shows and made some funny jokes at their New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden.

GRACE POTTER has a new record and is gearing up for another iteration of her waterfront music fest, Grand Point North.

NOAH KAHAN released a massive new album and is currently selling out stadiums. I could pick any of them, to be honest.

Instead, I’m cheating because no one can stop me. I’m giving the Chrisanthemum for Best Year to the entire Burlington indie-rock scene. Between killer releases from ROBBER ROBBER, DARI BAY, LILY SEABIRD, GREG FREEMAN, the EYETRAPS, GREASEFACE, PAPER CASTLES, the JESSE TAYLOR BAND, DAFFODIL-11 and the LEATHERBOUND BOOKS, the local contingent of shoegazers, post-punkers and Radio Beaners has been on absolute fire. They’re all pretty friendly with each other, so sharing the giant Chrisanthemum trophy shouldn’t be too much trouble.

BEST METAL BAND Ordh

Rising from the ashes of BARISHI, ORDH dropped the brutal Blind in Abyssal

COURTESY

Ordh

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23RD AT 7PM

Realms earlier this year. Fun fact: It’s a great album to do dishes to. Rinse, maggot!

VON TRAPP FAMILY LODGE CONCERT MEADOW STOWE, VT

BRING THE FAMILY AND ENJOY YOUR PICNIC WITH A SUNSET!

BEST COUNTRY BAND Ponyhustle

PONYHUSTLE’s 2025 self-titled album is one of

the best debut records I’ve heard in a long time. Between that, being a fixture at Honky Tonk Tuesdays at Burlington’s Radio Bean and helping to throw July’s Hill Fest at the Old Lantern in Charlotte, they take top spot.

BEST NORMAL JAZZ Rachel Ambaye

Man, were the hepcats worked up when the Daysies ballot was announced and they discovered we’d eliminated genrespecific music categories. Not just jazz, mind you — all of them. To be fair, they’re mad a lot of the time for a bunch of dudes who get to sit for most of their shows. But they’re right that there’s a lot of top-notch jazz in the area, and not just in Burlington.

LEWIS FRANCO, who dropped the excellent Open Field this year, was a strong contender in this category, as was trumpeter and composer CONNOR YOUNG. But I’m still playing RACHEL AMBAYE’s Clockwise Motion a year after she released it, so she gets the flowers.

Throughout his 30+ year career, Tyminski has left his mark in every corner of modern music.

His voice famously accompanies George Clooney’s performance of the Stanley Brothers’ classic song, “I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow,” in the film, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and his vocal collaboration with Swedish DJ Avicii on the song “Hey Brother” was a global smash, having been streamed

TICKETS: SPRUCEPEAKARTS.ORG

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8/3/26 11:08 AM

Better Selves

Benefit Concert SAT, AUG 15 | 6:30–10PM

BHANGRA LIBERATION ORCHESTRA

BEST WEIRD JAZZ Astral Underground

Look, there are two types of jazz: normal and weird, all right? I’ll hear no arguments for fusions and “post” tags, no hot houses, no indie jazz, OK? What the fuck is indie jazz, anyway? (Please direct all jazz complaints to culture coeditor Dan Bolles.

He really wants to hear about it.)

OK, I’ll relent. ASTRAL UNDERGROUND are cosmic jazz. That means their music goes great with weed. Roll one up and put Star Struck Gutz on, then tell me I’m wrong.

You’ll probably just get so high you’ll wonder why you’re arguing with a music critic about jazz from Enosburgh.

INTRODUCING THE CHRISANTHEMUMS

more than a billion times to date. His diverse solo projects and years of work with Alison Krauss and Union Station have yielded troves of award-winning music. In recent years, Tyminski’s live shows with the Dan Tyminski Band have become bluegrass fan favorites and are regularly on the must-see lists among music fans of any genre.

OPENER

A2VT Supporting the Better Selves Fellowship INFO & TICKETS: KNOLLFARM.ORG/MUSIC RAIN OR SHINE KNOLL FARM, FAYSTON, VT.

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8/3/26 11:25 AM

music+nightlife Henry Jamison

Introducing the Chrisanthemums « P.55

Listening In

BEST FOLK ARTIST: Henry Jamison

(Spotify mix of local jams) 1. “MONKEY BUTTER”

by Daffodil-11

I almost cheated on this one, too — that’s how much quality folk music Vermont boasts. Picking one winner seemed hard, but when you decide to suspend democracy and set yourself up as Seven Days Music Tyrant, heavy is the head that wears the crown. So for all my love of CRICKET BLUE, MILTON BUSKER & THE GRIM WORK, ENGLISH MAJOR, WILLIAM LEE ELLIS, and EMERALD GROUND WATER, I have to give the Chrisanthemum to Burlington singersongwriter HENRY JAMISON, who released the excellent Big Flower Light Go Boom earlier this year.

2. “500” by Ruth Garbus 3. “WHAT HAPPENS WHEN?”

by Rachel Ambaye 4. “TRY FEELING BRAVE”

by the Bubs 5. “VOODOO” by conswank,

kennedi 6. “HEMINGWAY – ACOUSTIC VERSION” by Troy Millette &

the Fire Below 7. “CLOCK SONG” by Luminous

Crush

Scan to listen

BEST JAM BAND OTHER THAN PHISH: LaMP

When you’re the God of your genre, you don’t get to win the little awards anymore.

That’s the rules, PHISH. I know you’re devastated.

So this year’s Chrisanthemum goes to LAMP, the funk-driven instrumental trio of RUSS LAWTON, SCOTT METZGER and RAY PACZKOWSKI. Honorable mentions to WISEACRES and ACID WASH, who are making moves.

BEST DJ: Everyone Who Has Ever Been a DJ

Oh, no. Nope. Not doing that. You EDM folks are savage. I’ll have 100 emails by tomorrow morning, lecturing me about the difference between jungle and house DJs and why they can’t be in the same category. So you all win, OK? Every DJ

COURTESY

sevendaysvt. com/playlist

from “Let It Go” by Famous Letter Writer BEST DESCRIPTION OF A BAND’S SOUND BY A PR

in Vermont just won a Chrisanthemum.

Yes, even the shitty one you saw at that wedding last month. They’re all winners, so just relax. The trophies are in the mail.

BEST HIP-HOP: Flywlkr

But I mean … c’mon. FLYWLKR made a song dissing fake fishermen, and that shit went viral. Bass Pro Shops made the fumble of the year not endorsing him.

OTHER AWARDS

I was close to picking FREDDIE LOSAMBE, a favorite Vermont MC of mine who dropped the killer Homeboy Megachurch at the end of spring. You’ve got the 99 NEIGHBORS crew, with MAARI and CONSWANK both dropping new tracks recently.

There are new NASTEELUVZYOU and KONFLIK records.

BEST BAND NAME: Polkarobics BEST RELEASE FROM AN EXPAT: Love Songs,

Expired by Charlie Hill

BEST INSTRUMENTAL MOMENT IN A SONG: Bob

Wagner’s multitracked guitar solo on “Fly Away” BEST LYRIC: “Every snowflake is rococo,

I connect the dots like I’m Joan Miró,”

AGENT: “It’s like taking LSD in a grave-

yard and finding out you’re the one who was dead all along.” (For the Ohio band Beartooth.)

SHOW SO GOOD I’D GO NO. 2 IN MY SEAT: None. It

doesn’t exist. The Beatles could reunite and be in the middle of the Abbey Road medley, and if I had to take a crap, I’d find a Porta-Potty the way God intended.

I hope you enjoyed the first-ever Chrisanthemum Awards. Friendly reminder that winners take home nothing, life is an illusion, and art isn’t a contest.

(And to anyone with complaints, that’s Dan B-O-L-L-E-S.) ➆

New Release Radar Five recent or upcoming releases from Vermont artists BY CH RIS FARNSW ORTH 1. FAZE.ONE, THE UNIVERSE IS WATCHING, Spotify, Apple Music (July 10, hip-hop) 56

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

2. St. Silva, FORAGER, stsilva.bandcamp.com (July 17, ambient)

3. Elias Burns, THE SOUND OF VERMONT TO COME, eliasburns.bandcamp.com (July 22, experimental)

4. Lillian Leadbetter, THE WORLD TO COME, lillianleadbettermusic.com (August 28, Americana)

5. Greg Freeman, ALL SET THE BONE, gregfreeman. bandcamp.com (October 2, indie rock)

CLUB DATES Over Easy Connecticut’s

WED.5

The Balconiers (funk, jazz) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

EGGY hit the scene with their 2019 debut record, Watercolor Days. One of

the leading lights of the new wave of modern jam music, the quartet embodies a song-first approach to its music,

The Band Memo (jam) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

adding flashes of R&B and indie rock along with killer four-part harmonies. In concert, Eggy still embrace all

Bluegrass & Pizza (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

crowd pick the setlist by spinning a wheel of fortune. They swing through Vermont for two shows at Stowe

the live trappings of being a quirky jam band — they’re known to perform in blindfolds and occasionally let the Cider on Thursday, August 6, and Saturday, August 8.

Deathcat, silverlined, Yabai! (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

COURTESY

live music

Find the most up-to-date info on live music, DJs, comedy and more at sevendaysvt.com/music. If you’re a talent booker or artist planning live entertainment at a bar, nightclub, café, restaurant, brewery or coffee shop, send event details to music@sevendaysvt.com or submit the info using our form at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

Coane, Rowell & Schabner (folk) at Jericho Café & Tavern, 7 p.m.

Free.

Good Gravy (folk, bluegrass) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 3 p.m. Free.

Reid Parsons, Ivamae (indie) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 1 p.m.

Free.

Save Ferris, Vallory Falls (ska, punk) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Seth Yacovone (acoustic) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

Star Lane Sox and Scott Hsu (indie, punk) at Stage 33 Live, Bellows Falls, 3-5 p.m. $20.

Emily Day (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Frank Hurricane, DJ Lucas, Flywlkr, A2VT, David Chief (hiphop) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Summer Concert Sundays: Robin Gottfried (singer-songwriter) at Vermont Pub & Brewery, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free.

Jazz Jam (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Sunday Brunch Tunes (singersongwriter) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 10 a.m.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

Wine & Jazz Sundays (jazz) at Shelburne Vineyard, 5 p.m. Free.

Wax Panther (funk, pop) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

TUE.11

THU.6

Bella Rayne Band (roots) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

Benefit Concert for the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. $10-$20.

Bettenroo (folk) at Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Waitsfield, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Bella Joan (jazz, R&B) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Big Easy Tuesdays with Jon McBride (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Brandon Terzakis Trio (jazz) at Stowe Cider, 6 p.m. Free.

Coane, Rowell & Schabner (folk) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

Compa & Friends (jam) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $12/$15.

Bluegrass Jam (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

Dead Is Alive with Dobbs’ Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 8 p.m. $15.

THU.6, SAT.8 // EGGY [JAM]

Dex Leatherman (singersongwriter) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m.

Free.

Thursday Night Live Music at the Eleven (live music series) at the Foundry Pub & Grille, Jay, 6 p.m.

Free.

Live Music and Hot Pizza at Wood Fired Fridays (music series) at the Clubhouse Grille, Jay, 5 p.m. Free.

SAT.8

Eggy (jam) at Stowe Cider, 9 p.m. $51.40/$79.81.

FRI.7

MAD, Jensen Alley (indie rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8:15 p.m. $5/$10.

CombustOmatics (rock) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 7 p.m. Free.

Mean Waltons (bluegrass) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Cotter & Friends (jam) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 10 p.m. $10.

Fruition, Lydia Loveless (Americana) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 8 p.m. $20.

Funk Jam (funk) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

James Kochalka Superstar, the Small Potatoes, the Azarians (indie) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

Lincoln Sprague (piano) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 5 p.m. Free.

Summer Concert Series: Britishmania (Beatles tribute) at Maple Tree Place, Williston, 6-8:30 p.m. Free.

Summer Concert Series on the Patio: Kratz Carromato (world music) at Folino’s Pizza, Williston, 6 p.m. Free.

Sweet Tooth, Marxist Jargon, Ashtray Angel (indie) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m.

Donation.

90 Proof (rock) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Barbacoa Karaoke (live karaoke) at Shelburne Vineyard, 7 p.m.

Free.

Blake Matteson (singer-songwriter) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

Milton Busker & the Grim Work (Americana) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

The Bubs, Planette Automatic (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Mowgli Giannitti (singersongwriter) at Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Dead Man Strumming (Grateful Dead tribute) at River Roost Brewery, White River Junction, 5 p.m. Free.

The Nancy Druids, Izzy Jones (indie rock) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 6 p.m. $10.

Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 8 p.m. $31/$36.

Randal Pierce (jazz) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Breanna Elaine (singersongwriter) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Dan Bishop (singer-songwriter) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Donation.

Matt Dorko Trio (jazz) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

MOMDAD, the Leatherbound Books, Andriana & the Bananas (indie pop, funk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Remi Russin, Young Laidy, the War Turtles (indie rock) at Monkey House, Winooski, 8 p.m. $10.

Rik Palieri (folk) at Shelburne Vineyard, 2 p.m. Free.

DiTrani Brothers, Splendid Touch (jazz, folk) at the Stone Church, Brattleboro, 8 p.m. $15/$20.

Saturday Night Live Music at the Eleven (live music series) at the Foundry Pub & Grille, Jay, 7 p.m.

Free.

Eggy (jam) at Stowe Cider, 9 p.m. $51.40/$79.81.

Sneaky Miles (indie, folk) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

GEORGE (post-jazz) at the Mill, Westport, N.Y., 8 p.m. $40.

Spring Chickens, Minced Oats (folk) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m.

Free.

GUHTS, Toothless, Soulmirror, Yes, Machine, Joly West (metal) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 7 p.m. $15.

TURNmusic and Festival for Creative Pianists Present: Alexa Stier in Concert (piano) at the Phoenix, Waterbury, 7:30 p.m. $15-30.

Dusk Quartet (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Ray, Russ, Bob, Josh (roots rock) at Lost Nation Brewing, Morrisville, 8 p.m. $20.

Eggy (jam) at Stowe Cider, 9 p.m. $51.40/$79.81.

Shane McGrath (acoustic) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6 p.m. Free.

Get Up With It, Sorry Safari, Dog Water, Emo Girls Kissing (new wave) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8:30 p.m.

Free.

Sing Along, Ye Shanty Rats! (sea shanties) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Donations.

Kristian Pedersen, Radio Cowboy, Fisher Wagg (indie) at Burlington Odd Fellows Hall, 6:30 p.m. Donation.

SUN.9

Will and Evan (acoustic) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

Matt Avery Quartet (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Cheddar (funk, soul) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

HiFi (funk) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 8:30 p.m.

Free.

Bluegrass Brunch (bluegrass) at Madbush Falls, Waitsfield, noon.

Free.

Honky Tonk Tuesday with Wild Leek River (country, bluegrass) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. $10.

Joe Friday, Ben Mac (singersongwriter) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Jordan Smart (folk) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10.

VT Bluegrass Pioneers (bluegrass) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

WED.12

The Balconiers (funk, jazz) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 4 p.m. Free.

Bluegrass & Pizza (bluegrass) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Campfire Jack (rock) at Halvorson’s, Burlington, 6:30 p.m.

Donations.

Jamie Lee Thurston (country) at the Old Post, South Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Jazz Jam (jazz) at the 126, Burlington, 9 p.m. Free.

Jazz Night with Ray Vega (jazz) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

LIVE MUSIC

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

» P.59 57

music+nightlife

REVIEW this NasteeLuvzYou, CE II: Man’s Mission

McAsh, FSTVL SZN

Emma Cook, Of the Morning

Ever since I first hauled myself into some manure-smelling field in the middle of Vermont for a music festival, I knew an anthem to the experience was needed. It took a while, but Windsor ska punks McAsh finally delivered it with the fittingly titled “FSTVL SZN,” from an EP of the same name.

Referencing dab hits in the parking lot, dogs in hot cars, orgy tents and bad acid trips waiting in line at the Porta-Potty, the song manages the dual accomplishment of inspiring some proper skanking and giving me PTSD flashbacks to way, way too many festivals.

“This shit sounds the same on drugs anyway,” McAsh vocalist Ryan Hebert sings sagely on the track.

“It’s festival season in Vermont.”

While the EP comprises just three hilarious, punkinfused songs, it solidifies McAsh’s status as Vermont’s best ska band. To be fair, I think they’re the only one.

Also, I can see some dude in suspenders and checkered Vans telling me McAsh aren’t pure third-wave ska or something, to which I do a bit of air tuba, shutting him up, and then announce that from now on, the fourth wave of ska exists. And it only exists in Windsor.

FSTVL SZN is available on major streaming services.

On her first solo record in nearly 14 years, Burlington indie-folk singer-songwriter Emma Cook reintroduces herself, to a degree.

It’s not as if she were sequestered in some cabin, writing songs by candlelight, far from a stage. Cook previously fronted Emma Cook & Questionable Company and currently performs with the folk trio EmaLou & the Beat and as children’s musician Miss Emma.

Of the Morning is a different beast, however.

Recorded in Brooklyn with producer and singersongwriter Katie Martucci, the album is a fully realized and sonically gorgeous collection of songs that Cook spent years writing. They reflect a mature artist reckoning with the objectification of the female body (“Forbidden Fruit”), the anxiety of the modern world (“21st Century”) and self-doubt (“You Are Not Alone”).

There’s plenty of sunlight on Of the Morning as well, such as the unabashed love song “Into My Heart.”

Overall, Cook expertly balances the moods and themes of the record. Her voice is as warm as a flannel blanket — breathy one moment, soaring the next.

While making the record, Cook told Seven Days that its themes center on “connection and our shared humanity,” and those threads are indeed present. Of the Morning lives up to its name. Its eight tracks put the listener in an almost trancelike liminal state before the day demands movement, evoking the early-morning tenderness of staring out a window and drinking coffee for as long as life allows.

Give it a listen at ecookmusic.bandcamp.com.

(SELF-RELEASED, DIGITAL)

(AFTERLYFE MUSIC, CD, DIGITAL)

Rapper and producer NasteeLuvzYou has been an integral part of the 802 hip-hop scene for decades. Along with rapper Dakota and the late, great DJ A_Dog, he founded the influential crew VT Union in the early 2000s. And as the head honcho of his own label, AfterLyfe Music, he occupies rare air in the Vermont rap ecosystem.

Nastee’s résumé is no joke: He’s worked with Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ and the hip-hop collective Pro Era, plus Killah Priest, Termanology and plenty more. Nastee is a career teammate, a collaborative artist who often works behind the scenes or ensconced in the studio. Last year he finally took center stage, dropping his long-awaited debut solo record, Current Events.

Not wasting any time, the Burlington artist is back with a sequel, CE II: Man’s Mission, picking up pretty much where he left off. Like its big brother, CE II is a collection of ’90s-era boom-bap bangers, featuring a slew of Nastee’s friends — and his brother, rapper Konflik — dropping verses on everything from respect to history to politics to the very state of hiphop. Highlights include Connecticut MC Cambatta absolutely bodying his bars on “Bird’s Eye” and the R&B-flavored “Crisis,” featuring Boston’s Akrobatik.

We don’t learn much new about Nastee on this follow-up, but he’s not running in place either. He’s clearly enjoying going solo, and this is a record made by an MC who knows exactly what he wants to sound like.

Listen to CE II: Man’s Mission at nasteeluvzyou. bandcamp.com.

GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED: ARE YOU A VT ARTIST OR BAND? SEND US YOUR MUSIC! DIGITAL: MUSIC@SEVENDAYSVT.COM; SNAIL MAIL: MUSIC C/O SEVEN DAYS, 255 S. CHAMPLAIN ST., SUITE 5, BURLINGTON, VT 05401

(SELF-RELEASED, CD, DIGITAL)

CHRIS FARNSWORTH

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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live music

Jazz Farm Composer and drummer John Hollenbeck formed the band

WED.12 CONTINUED FROM P.57

Late Night Karaoke with Owen Leavey (karaoke) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10.

GEORGE in 2021 during the

COVID-19 pandemic with the simple desire to bring together several of his favorite musicians: saxophonist and

Kiley Latham, Flint & Steale (indie) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 8 p.m. $10.

SAT.8

Greek word georgos, meaning “farmer” or “earth worker.” The virtuosic quartet fuses free jazz, electro-pop and

Queeraoke with Lizzie Murderz (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

chamber music with experimental flourishes to grow a malleable multi-textural sound. GEORGE perform an

SUN.9

flautist Anna Webber, and Sarah Rossy and Chiquita Magic on vocals and keyboards. Their name stems from the

Mike Pedersen (singersongwriter) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Family-Friendly Karaoke (karaoke) at Old Soul Design Shop, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 5 p.m.

Free.

intimate seated show at the Mill in Westport, N.Y., on Saturday, August 8.

Silverlined, Dolly Sods, Brunch (indie rock) at Foam Brewers, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Sunday Funday (games) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, noon.

Free.

Tom Pearo & Friends (ambient) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

Trivia (trivia) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set (Grateful Dead tribute) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

MON.10

Retro Game Night (gaming) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, 6 p.m. Free.

djs

Trivia Monday (trivia) at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling, Essex, 6 p.m. Free.

THU.6

DJ Two Sev, JP Black (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment (trivia) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Kate Kush (DJ) at Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10.

Trivia with Brain (trivia) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 8 p.m. Free.

Thirsty Thursday (DJ) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 10 p.m. Free.

Trivia with Craig Mitchell (trivia) at Monkey House, Winooski, 7 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Night (DJ) at Poultney Pub, 6 p.m. Free.

Vinyl Thursdays (DJ) at Hotel Vermont, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

TUE.11 COURTESY OF EVAN SHAY

FRI.7

DJ Lavilamod (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 9 p.m. $10.

DJ Taka (DJ) at Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, 11 p.m. $10/$15.

SAT.8 // GEORGE [POST-JAZZ]

DJ Two Rivers (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

DJ Two Sev, Ron Stoppable, Dylan Nguyen, Chaston (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m.

Free.

Ecstatic Dance Vermont (DJ) at Capital City Grange, Berlin, 7 p.m. $10 donation.

Friday Dance Party with NasteeLuvzYou (DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

Friday Night at Specs (DJ) at Specs Cafe & Bar, Winooski, 7 p.m.

Free.

Stacy Starkweather’s Green Mountain Social Club (DJ) at Hugo’s, Montpelier, 7:30 p.m. Free.

SAT.8

Bop to the Top (DJ) at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, 9 p.m. $20.

Chaston, Mr Cheng, Aras, Raul, Chaston (DJ) at Red Square, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free.

open mics & jams

TUE.11

TUE.11

THU.6

WED.5

WED.12

WED.12

Country Line Dancing (line dancing) at Zenbarn, Waterbury Center, 7:30 p.m. Free.

Open Celtic Session (open jam) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

The Ribbit Review Open Mic & Jam (open mic) at Lily’s Pad, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.6

Open Mic (open mic) at the Whammy Bar, Calais, 7 p.m. Free.

Open Mic with Amber deLaurentis (open mic) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

FRI.7

Dance Party with DJ Party Bear (DJ) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9 p.m. Free.

Red Brick Coffee House (open mic) at Red Brick Meeting House, Westford, 7 p.m. Free.

DJ Big Dog (DJ) at Thingz From Yaad, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

SUN.9

DJ Craig Mitchell (DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

DJ OH-J Freshhh (DJ) at Gusto’s, Barre, 9 p.m. Free.

TUE.11

Bashment Tuesday (DJ) at Akes’ Place, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Olde Time Jam Session (open jam) at the Den at Harry’s Hardware, Cabot, noon. Free.

MON.10

Monday Night Open Mic (open mic) at Pearl Street Pub, Essex Junction, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Stone Corral, Richmond, 7 p.m. Free.

Doug’s Open Mic (open mic) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

Open Mic (open mic) at Poultney Pub, 7 p.m. Free.

comedy WED.5

Coached Ensembles (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

THU.6

Play Pen: A Variety Show (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $5.

FRI.7

Strapped-In: A Queer Comedy Showcase (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 7 p.m. $15.

SAT.8

Vermont Comedy Awards 2026 (comedy) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

All That Jazz Open Mic Comedy (comedy) at the 126, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Standup Open Mic (comedy open mic) at Vermont Comedy Club, Burlington, 8:30 p.m. Free.

trivia, karaoke, etc.

WED.5

Country Karaoke with Sean Hood (karaoke) at Standing Stone Wines, Winooski, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke (karaoke) at Gusto’s, Barre, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke in the Alley (karaoke) at Red Square, Burlington, 8 p.m.

Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Einstein’s Tap House, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Four Quarters Brewing, Winooski, 6 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at 1st Republic Brewing, Essex, 6 p.m.

Free.

Karaoke with Cam (karaoke) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night with College (trivia) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Two Heroes Brewery & Public House, South Hero, 6 p.m. Free.

FRI.7

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m.

Free.

Boogie Bingo (bingo, DJ) at the Alchemist, Stowe, 5 p.m. Free.

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Big T (karaoke) at McKee’s Original, Winooski, 9 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with DJ Vociferous (karaoke) at Charlie-O’s World Famous, Montpelier, 9:30 p.m.

Free.

Taproom Trivia (trivia) at 14th Star Brewing, St. Albans, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Night (trivia) at Gusto’s, Barre, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Trivia Tuesday (trivia) at On Tap Bar & Grill, Essex Junction, 7 p.m.

Free.

WED.12

Karaoke Friday Night (karaoke) at Park Place Tavern & Grill, Essex Junction, 8 p.m. Free.

Karaoke with Cam (karaoke) at Monopole, Plattsburgh, N.Y., 9 p.m. Free.

Live Band Karaoke (karaoke) at Bent Nails Roadhouse, Middlesex, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Alfie’s Wild Ride, Stowe, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Rí Rá Irish Pub & Whiskey Room, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free.

Trivia (trivia) at Venetian Cocktail & Soda Lounge, Burlington, 7 p.m.

Free. ➆

➆

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

59

calendar A U G U S T

5 - 1 2 ,

2 0 2 6

WED.5

Business Owners Network of Vermont. Noon-1:30 p.m. $20; free for members and first-time attendees.

makes knitting and crocheting more sociable. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 5-7 p.m. Free.

DISABLED ACCESS & ADVOCACY OF THE RUTLAND AREA MONTHLY ZOOM MEETING: Community members gather online to advocate for accessibility and other disability-rights measures. 11:30 a.m.-noon.

Free.

VERMONT WOMENPRENEURS BIZ BUZZ ZOOM: A monthly virtual networking meetup provides a space for female business owners to connect. 10-11 a.m.

Free; preregister.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: A drop-in meetup welcomes knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other fiber artists.

BYO snacks and drinks. Must Love Yarn, Shelburne, 5-7 p.m.

Free.

agriculture

community

CONNECTIONS CAFÉ: Those living with dementia or other cognitive disorders and their caregivers gather to make friends and have fun. Stowe Free Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free.

etc.

activism

OPEN FARM WEEK: The annual statewide ag affair offers behind-the-scenes tours, local food tastings, milking demos and family-friendly activities at participating locations. See nofavt.org for details. Various locations statewide. Free; preregister.

WEDNESDAYS WITH FARMER FRED: The site’s resident farmer and storyteller demonstrates historical agricultural tools and techniques, including sheep shearing, rye harvesting and cider pressing. President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, Plymouth, noon-2 p.m. Regular admission, $4-12; free for kids under 6.

business

‘HOW TO BUILD SIMPLE SYSTEMS TO SUSTAIN YOUR GRANTS WORK’: In this webinar hosted by Page Consulting, founder and owner Sonya B. Page covers pertinent topics such as deadlines, reports, outreach, stewardship and planning rhythms. Noon-1 p.m. Free; preregister.

‘SELL WITHOUT THE SPIRAL: AN OWNER’S GUIDE TO CONSISTENT SALES MOMENTUM’: Business growth strategist Emma BloksbergFireovid leads this virtual workshop combining a mindset reset with practical sales systems. Hosted by Women

PASSEGGIATA: Inspired by an Italian social ritual, locals take to the streets for a community-building stroll of the pedestrian promenade.

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

PASSEGGIATA WATERBURY: Neighbors adopt a timeless Mediterranean tradition of civic engagement and social bonding during an evening amble. Downtown Waterbury, 5-8 p.m. Free.

SOUTH END WALK/BIKE FORUM: Community members gather for expert-guided conversations about plans for pedestrians and cyclists, including potential improvements and neighborhood support for future projects. Light refreshments provided. Public Works Department, Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free.

crafts

FIBER ARTS NIGHT: Knitters, crocheters and weavers make progress on projects while soaking up creativity and connection. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m.

Free.

YARN & YAK: A weekly club for fiber fanatics of all skill levels

CHAMP MASTERS TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools. Virtual option available. Dealer.com, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

GUIDED TOURS: Guests get to know the personal histories of rescued farm animals at an educational walk-through highlighting the nuances of lifelong care. Merrymac Animal Sanctuary, Charlotte, 2-3 p.m. $25.

MUSEUM TOURS: A guided tour charts a course through regional history, uncovering the archaeological secrets hidden beneath the waves. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Free.

SIDEWALK SALE: Bargain hunters roam the pedestrian promenade as local merchants move their wares outdoors for a sun-soaked week of discounts.

Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, -9, 10 a.m. Free.

fairs & festivals

ADDISON COUNTY FAIR & FIELD DAYS: An annual showcase of classic summer fun includes racing pigs, livestock competitions, agricultural exhibits, midway rides, demolition derbies, music and magic shows. Addison County

Fairgrounds, New Haven. Various prices.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘HELL’S HINGES’: A live improvised score by Matt Hagen and Avery Cooper enhances this screening of the 1916 silent Western following a local tough guy who is reformed by a good woman. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $10-20.

food & drink

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET: Talented artisans and vendors showcase their farm-fresh veggies, meats, eggs, flowers, honey and other goodies.

South Hero St. Rose of Lima Church, 3-6 p.m. Free.

COMMUNITY COOKING: Helping hands join up with the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to make a yummy meal for distribution.

Outright Vermont, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

CRÊPE NIGHT: Foodies enjoy sweet and savory French pancakes picnic-style at this monthly community meal benefiting local nonprofits. Scott Farm Orchard, Dummerston, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $12-25.

CUPPA ON CAMPUS: Community members mingle over tea and coffee, swapping bright ideas for the future of the property. The Creative Campus at Goddard, Plainfield, 8-10 a.m. Free.

DANVILLE FARMERS MARKET: Villagers connect over live music and family-friendly activities at a weekly gathering featuring Northeast Kingdom produce, artisan wares and culinary creations.

Danville Town Green, 3:30-7 p.m.

Free.

MARKET ON THE GREEN: Shoppers feast their eyes on fresh produce, prepared foods and artisanal goods as they enjoy live local music. Woodstock Village Green, 3-6 p.m. Free.

WEDNESDAY WINE DOWN FARMERS MARKET: Folks uncork happiness while browsing local produce and products, sipping vino, and enjoying live music by noteworthy outfits. Shelburne Vineyard, 5-9 p.m. Free.

health & fitness

LIST YOUR UPCOMING EVENT HERE FOR FREE! All submissions must be received by Thursday at noon for consideration in the following Wednesday’s newspaper.

Find our convenient form and guidelines at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

Seven Days calendar writer Rebecca Driscoll selects and writes calendar spotlights. To help process the hundreds of event submissions we receive each week, some listings are compiled with the help of AI. Driscoll reviews, edits and verifies every entry before publication.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

60

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

FIND MORE LOCAL EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE AND ONLINE: art Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film See what’s playing in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/music.

= ONLINE EVENT = GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

CHAIR YOGA: Waterbury Public Library instructor Diana Whitney leads at-home participants in gentle stretches supported by seats. 10 a.m. Free.

PEOPLE’S HEALTH & WELLNESS FREE CLINIC: A monthly community social work and nursing clinic provides accessible support for locals in need. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3-5 p.m. Free.

RECOVERY DHARMA: Those struggling with addiction gather weekly for an evening of meditation, topical readings and open discussion in a supportive environment. First United Methodist Church, Burlington, 6-7 p.m. Free.

language

Johnsbury, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: Lunch breaks transform into global conversation circles as participants hone their multilingual abilities.

See kellogghubbard.org for details. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon. Free.

THE SUITCASE JUNKET: An inventive one-man band delivers gritty, bluesy psych-rock songs with handmade instruments.

Middlesex Bandstand, 6:30 p.m.

Free.

SPANISH CLASS: Speakers brush up on their language skills en español with help from course instructor Benjamin Swain. Fletcher Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

SPANISH CONVERSATION: Fluent and beginner speakers brush up on their vocabulario with a discussion led by a Spanish teacher. Presented

by Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister.

lgbtq

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE DYKETACULAR: A weekly get-together and listening party celebrates the LGBTQ+ community with feelgood tunes, dancing and drinks.

Doma Bar, Burlington, 5-10 p.m.

Free; cost of food and drink.

music

CAPITAL CITY BAND: The long-running community ensemble hits all the right notes at a weekly gig on the green. College Hall, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, 7 p.m. Free.

CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER PLAYERS: A classical music ensemble performs diverse works by a wide array of composers from various eras for its 60th anniversary season. Elley-Long Music Center, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7:30 p.m. $10-25; free for kids 12 and under.

MUSIC ON THE HILL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Outdoor music lovers pack a picnic and revel in vibrant performances at this weekly celebration of seasonal sounds. See artistreevt.org for lineup. Artistree Community Arts Center, South Pomfret, 6:30 p.m.

Free.

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN CONCERT’: The hills are alive with the sound of Vermont Symphony Orchestra musicians and Lyric Theatre performers in an unforgettable presentation of songs from the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort Concert Meadow, Stowe, 7 p.m. $59-149.

ST. J BLUEGRASS JAM: Players and fans get together for some old-time picking and fiddling. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of St.

SUMMER LIVE MUSIC SERIES: Weekly performances by top local acts, authentic tacos from Las Hermosas, summery bevvies and sweet treats make for the perfect hump-day capper. See thetillermanvt.com for lineup.

The Tillerman, Bristol, 5-8 p.m.

Free; cost of food and drink.

TAYLOR PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Local bands get in the groove while listeners enjoy green grass, refreshments and an evening breeze. See downtownsaintalbans.com for lineup. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 5:30-8 p.m. Free.

TOWN OF SHELBURNE CONCERT SERIES: Regional acts provide the soundtrack for a weekly picnic and dance sesh on the courtyard lawn. See shelburnefarms.org for lineup. Shelburne Farms, 6:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: Five full acres of puzzling twists and turns challenge families’ directional skills, followed by a sweet reward of maple creemees.

Silloway Maple, Randolph Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $10.

FLORA & FAUNA CANOE TOUR: A weekly guided voyage around Lake Champlain invites nature lovers to dip their paddles into local ecology and conservation basics. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. $25.

seminars

‘PHILOSOPHY OF FASCISM’: The Vermont Center for Social Research invites learners to embark on an eight-week course dissecting the ultranationalist political ideology that emerged in the 20th century.

Materials provided. Noon-1:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

SUSTAINING THE RENT WORKSHOP: The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity helps tenants financially prepare and access resources to meet their housing needs. 5-6:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

WED.5

» P.62

These community event listings are sponsored by the WaterWheel Foundation, a project of the Vermont band Phish.

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

FAMILY FUN

TWEEN GROUP: A new program for queer and gender-creative youths ages 10 to 12 offers space to make new friends, join in fun activities and build community. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 4-6 p.m. Free.

AUG. 8 | FAMILY FUN

Check out these family-friendly events for parents, caregivers and kids of all ages.

• Plan ahead at sevendaysvt.com/family-fun.

• Post your event at sevendaysvt.com/postevent.

chittenden county

DINO-MITE STORY TIME: Mini paleontologists ages birth to 5 dig into stories, rhymes, songs and play at this themed morning meetup. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10 a.m. Free.

EXTEND A STORYTIME: Little learners ages birth to 8 and their caregivers book it to the library to experience low-cost, hands-on ways to make literacy more fun at home. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9:15 & 10:30 a.m.

Free.

WED.5

CO-PARENTING DADS: Experiencing separation, divorce or long-term co-parenting? Fathers assemble virtually to connect, build community and share experiences in a supportive environment. Hosted by Dad Guild. 8:45-10 p.m. Free.

FIRST THURSDAYS: MUSIC & MOVEMENT WITH MISS EMMA: Caregivers and their tiny charges boost early literacy through a rhythmic regimen of singing, dancing and motor-skill development. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

burlington

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: Young explorers take an unforgettable journey through a hands-on prehistoric world where life-size animatronic dinosaurs come to life. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

READ TO A DOG: Young readers ages 3 and up sharpen their literacy skills and gain confidence by sharing stories with a patient, four-legged listener named Willow. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11 a.m.-noon.

Free.

chittenden county

BABY TIME: Nonmobile infants and their caregivers embark on a slow-paced social hour featuring songs, rhymes and restorative connection. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

BARNYARD BONANZA: Locals cultivate connection with the farm’s gentle residents at this all-ages agricultural meet and greet. The Miniature Farm, Milton, 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

CHILDREN’S STORY TIME WITH CHRISTINE: Young bookworms wiggle, sing and turn pages at an interactive session led by the former early childhood educator. Wild Meadows Books & Café, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: Teens ages 13 to 18 pop by the library to pick up the materials needed to make their own pocket-size bookshelf. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 9 a.m. Free.

MAKE & BUILD: Young creators unleash their imaginations at a weekly hands-on crafting session. Essex Free Library, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Free.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: An education-focused exhibition showcases drawings interwoven with narratives from the infant-toddler centers of the municipality of Reggio

COURTESY

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: Curious minds dive into the science and history of Vermont’s most iconic legend at this family-friendly exhibit featuring interactive games, a design studio, multimedia displays, a 30-foot sculpture and photo ops.

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne joins Vermont Flannel and small-business platform Local Maverick for an all-day, all-ages Birthday Bash marking two major milestones: 45 years in operation for the playful plush purveyor and the 35th anniversary of its sister apparel brand. The ’80s- and ’90s-themed get-down celebrates the longtime local businesses in two parts, with a brief pause for breath in between. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., daytime revelry includes food truck fare, mini golf, a bubble show and an obstacle course. At 5 p.m., doors reopen for a DJ-fueled dance party, a costume contest and a dazzling drone light show.

BIRTHDAY BASH! Saturday, August 8, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5-9:30 p.m., at Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne.

Free; $15-20 for ages 12 and up after 5 p.m. Info, 802-985-1319, vermontteddybear.com.

SWITCH IT UP!: A weekly gaming session on the library’s Nintendo Switch engages elementary students in friendly competition while nearby parents learn more about navigating digital boundaries. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 5-6 p.m. Free.

A VISIT TO PUBLIC WORKS!: A neighborhood stroll beginning at the library leads families straight to a fleet of giant construction equipment for a close-up look. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-11 a.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: Wiggly ones ages birth to 18 months play and explore in a calm, supportive setting while adults relax and connect on the sidelines. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free.

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: A drop-in hangout session welcomes kids ages 12 to 17 for lively games, arts and crafts, and snacks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 2-6 p.m. Free.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: Players of all ages and abilities test their skills with instructor Robert and peers. KelloggHubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

PRESCHOOL PLAY TIME: Pre-K patrons play and socialize after music time.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

Keeping It Local

Emilia, Italy. Winooski School District.

Free.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

‘SUMMER SPOOKTACULAR’: Hold on to your seat! Acrobatic adventures, juggling and unicycling abound when Circus Smirkus Road Show performers rise to new heights. Cabot Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free.

STORY TIME: Early literacy takes center stage as infants and toddlers engage in a melodic mix of books and songs.

Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Free.

mad river valley/ waterbury

THU.6

TEEN QUEER READS: LGBTQIA+ and allied youths get together each month to read and discuss ideas around gender, sexuality and identity. Waterbury Public Library, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

champlain islands/ northwest

KIDS DAY & FELTING WORKSHOP: Young marketgoers race toy cars, explore a watershed model and needle-felt wool creations, while adults stock up on local veggies, gelato and artisan crafts.

South Hero St. Rose of Lima Church, 3-6 p.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: Aspiring innovators examine biological designs of the natural world to better understand and solve human engineering challenges.

Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $1821; free for members and kids under 2.

burlington

BABY & ME CLASS: Parents and their infants ages birth to 1 explore massage, lullabies and gentle movements while discussing the struggles and joys of parenthood. Greater Burlington YMCA, 9:45-10:45 a.m. $10; free for members.

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

GROW PRESCHOOL YOGA: Colleen from Grow Prenatal and Family Yoga helps toddlers and their caregivers find their flow through a playful blend of song, movement and stretching. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

MINECRAFT MEETUP: Fans of the sandbox game from ages 7 to 12 gather with fellow enthusiasts to play on the library’s private server. Snacks provided.

Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 5-6:15 p.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See WED.5, 2-8 p.m.

POKÉMON CLUB: I choose you, Pikachu!

Elementary and teenage fans of the franchise — and beginners, too — trade cards and play games. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

STORY TIME: Kids and their caregivers meet for stories, songs and bubbles.

Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 2nd Floor, Children’s Library, Montpelier, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

stowe/smuggs

WEE ONES PLAY TIME: Caregivers bring kiddos under 4 to a new sensory learning experience each week. Morristown Centennial Library, Morrisville, 10 a.m.

Free.

mad river valley/ waterbury

BUSY BEES PLAYGROUP: Blocks, toys, books and songs engage little ones 24 months and younger. Waterbury Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

northeast kingdom

ACORN CLUB STORY TIME: Youngsters 5 and under play, sing, hear stories and color. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:3011 a.m. Free.

ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: Putters of all ages hit the artist-designed course for some lighthearted competition, whimsy and thrills. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro. $4-5.

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sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: Ping-Pong players block, chop and lob in singles and doubles matches. Rutland Area Christian School, 7-9 p.m. Free for first two sessions; $30 annual membership.

WHALEBOAT WEDNESDAYS: Lake lovers embark on a unique aquatic adventure by rowing and sailing a traditionally rigged wooden craft across the water. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 4-7 p.m. $60 suggested donation.

talks

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES: ‘WE GET IT! SHARING LIVED EXPERIENCES AS A HEALING COMMUNITY’: NAMI Vermont hosts an open and insightful panel discussion about mental health conditions.

Double E Performance Center’s T-Rex Theater, Essex, 6 p.m. Free; preregister.

WORTHEN SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES: JANET APPLEFIELD: In “Becoming Janet: Finding Myself in the Holocaust,” a survivor recounts her experiences and inspires listeners to speak out against injustice. Worthen Library, South Hero, 6:30 p.m.

Free; preregister.

theater

‘RENT’: Young bohemians in New York City struggle with their careers, relationships and the effects of the AIDS epidemic in this hit Broadway musical staged

by Weston Theater Company.

Weston Theater at Walker Farm, 2 & 7:30 p.m. $25-94.

words

MEMOIR WORKSHOP: Vermont writer, educator and farmer Kate Youngdahl-Stauss helps folks pen their life story in their own authentic voice at this five-part generative seminar. Granville Corner School, 5:30-7 p.m. Free.

SARAH DICKENSON SNYDER & LAURA FOLEY: Two awardwinning poets read from their recent volumes tackling weighty subjects such as original sin and intergenerational trauma. The Norwich Bookstore, 7 p.m. Free.

THU.6

agriculture

OPEN FARM WEEK: See WED.5.

PASTURE WALK WITH UVM FIELD NATURALIST: Master’s student Lena Andrews sheds light on what makes a soil sponge, how grazing livestock impact the hydrology of the farm and why it all matters. Shelburne Farms, 5-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

community

MONTPELIER RAMBLE: Locals take to the streets for a weekly community-building stroll in the heart of the Capital City.

62

Downtown Montpelier, 5-7 p.m.

Free.

OPEN MIC: An all-inclusive monthly showcase invites both seasoned and first-time acts to share their talents and connect with fellow artists. BYOB and food. Brookfield Old Town Hall, 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

COURTESY

WED.5

AUG. 7-9 | FILM

CHESS FOR FUN: Sharp minds select an opening gambit, go on the attack and protect their king in friendly competition. Cobleigh Public Library, Lyndonville, 5-8 p.m. Free.

KNIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS: From clicking needles to looping looms, participants hook into a mission of goodwill by creating handmade winter wear for the South Burlington Food Shelf.

Materials provided. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 2-5 p.m. Free.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: Snacks and coffee fuel bouts of a classic card game. Burlington Bridge Club, Williston, 12:30 p.m. $6.

KNITTING GROUP: Knitters of every experience level get together to spin yarns. Latham Library, Thetford, 7 p.m. Free.

FRIENDLY GAME OF BRIDGE: Strategic thinkers have a blast with the popular card game.

Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free.

WOODWORKING LAB: Visionaries create a project or learn a new skill with the help of mentors and access to makerspace tools and equipment. Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center, Middlebury, 5-8 p.m. $7.50.

PEER SUPPORT DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Beginners wanted! Players get lost in the fantasy-filled tabletop role-playing game while focusing on teamwork, connection and community building. Morgan House, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

environment

WEEKLY CHESS FOR FUN: Players of all ability levels face off and learn new strategies.

United Community Church, St. Johnsbury, 5:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

Ellie Curtis

etc.

MANCHESTER SIDEWALK SALE: The town’s shopping district comes alive with four days of deals, special promotions, displays and one-of-a-kind finds.

Various Manchester locations.

Free.

NIGHT OWL CLUB: Astronomers and space exploration experts discuss the latest in extraterrestrial news with curious attendees.

Presented by Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. 7 p.m. Free.

SHIPWRECK TOUR: What lies beneath? Spectators view real-time footage of a sunken craft transmitted from a robotic camera. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10:30 a.m.noon. $25-45; preregister.

health & fitness

On Mountain Time At Big Picture Community Hub for the Arts in Waitsfield, themes of outdoor adventure and environmental justice shape the first annual Through Ellie’s Eyes Mountain Film Festival, showcasing 19 inspiring flicks from across the country. A connecting thread of young people in pursuit of their dreams nods to the legacy of late Waitsfield resident Ellie Curtis, an All-American ski racer, professional mountain biker and passionate activist who dedicated her burgeoning career to climate justice until her passing in 2025. Live music, art installations and thought-provoking discussions — including Friday’s panel with U.S. Olympians Lea Davison, Julia Kern and Ben Ogden — round out the impactful affair.

THROUGH ELLIE’S EYES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, 7 p.m.; and Sunday, August 9, 4 p.m., at Big Picture Community Hub for the Arts in Waitsfield. $30. Info, 802-496-8994, bigpicturetheater.info.

SIDEWALK SALE: See WED.5, 10 a.m.

fairs & festivals

ADDISON COUNTY FAIR & FIELD DAYS: See WED.5.

THE COMMUNITY TABLE: Neighbors rally for hunger relief at a fundraiser featuring local bites, mini golf, a bouncy house and live bluegrass tunes by the Bleeding Hearts Family Band.

Proceeds benefit the Hardwick Area Food Pantry. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 5-7 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: Cameras positioned in nests,

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

VERGENNES FARMERS MARKET: Locals delight in fresh organic produce, artisan cheeses, meats, baked goods, crafts and live music. Vergennes City Park, 3-7 p.m. Free.

games

crafts

BTV CLEAN UP CREW: Good Samaritans dispose of needles, trash and other unwanted objects. BYO gloves encouraged.

Top of Church St., Burlington, 7:30-10 a.m. Free.

Burlington, 4-6:30 p.m. Various prices.

BLOOD DRIVE & FUNDRAISER: Participants part with life-sustaining pints at this American Red Cross donation event. Catalyst Church, Jericho, 1-6 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS: Volunteer coach Andrea Marion leads a weekly practice for stress reduction, followed by a

FOMO? Find even more local events in this newspaper and online:

art underwater and along the forest floor capture a year’s worth of critters coming and going. Dealer. com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, noon, 2 & 4 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

BIG-SCREEN BLOCKBUSTERS: Cinephiles escape the summer swelter with weekly screenings of hit films from Jurassic Park to Jumanji. See paramountvt.org for lineup. Paramount Theatre, Rutland, 7 p.m. $5.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: Join scientists on a journey through a surreal world of bug-eyed giants and egg-laying mammals. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for

Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: A highstakes investigation into the underwater realm reveals how humanity’s future hinges on the fate of the ocean’s toothiest inhabitants. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

‘SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT’: Spike Lee’s 1986 debut feature follows a young Black artist and the three men in her life who take issue with her independence. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main

Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: Dedicated wildlife rehabilitation teams rescue and release injured and orphaned animals back into nature in this heartwarming documentary short. Dealer.com 3D Theater, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 2:30 & 4:30 p.m. $3-5 plus regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

food & drink

FLATBREAD FRIDAY: A rotating soundtrack of live local music sets the tone for this weekly fresh-air feast for all ages. The Wheeler Homestead, South

Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT = GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

discussion and Q&A. 5-6 p.m.

Free; preregister.

SEATED TAI CHI: Adina guides at-home participants — including those with limited mobility or difficulty standing — through a sequence of slow, connected movements.

Sponsored by the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. 1 p.m. Free; preregister.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Parla Italiano? Language learners practice pronunciation and more at a friendly gathering. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, noon-1 p.m. Free.

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.5.

MANDARIN CONVERSATION CIRCLE: Volunteers from Vermont Chinese School help students

learn or improve their fluency.

South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-noon. Free.

lgbtq

POP-UP HAPPY HOUR: Locals connect over drinks at a speakeasy-style bar, hosted

by OUT in the 802. Lincolns, Burlington, 5:30-7 p.m. Free.

music

BALLARD PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Outdoor music lovers claim spots on the lawn with blankets and chairs to catch live performances by noteworthy regional acts. See ballardparkny.org for lineup.

Ballard Park, Westport, N.Y., 7 p.m. Free.

CENTRAL VERMONT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: Two weeks of

stirring music for violin, viola, cello, classical guitar and piano includes works by Johannes Brahms, Reinhold Glière and Władysław Źeleński. See cvcmf. org for full schedule. Various central Vermont locations, 7 p.m.

Various prices.

CHRIS AND ISSY: A local acoustic duo covers feel-good hits by the likes of Dave Matthews Band and Tom Petty while attendees enjoy fare from local food trucks.

Maquam Barn & Winery, Milton, 6-8 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

FEAST & FIELD MUSIC SERIES: MINC: A seven-piece student ensemble finds its groove with a tight fusion of soul, funk and pop tunes. Fable Farm, Barnard, 6 p.m. $5-25 sliding scale.

LAKE MOREY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: NATASHA BEDINGFIELD: The British pop sensation of “Unwritten” fame brings her powerful vocals and uplifting anthems to the stage. Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, 8 p.m. Free.

MANCHESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL: ‘RHAPSODY IN BLUE: MUSIC FROM THE CITY’: SOLD OUT. Violinist Philip Setzer and other festival artists perform jazz and classical works by composer George Gershwin and his successors. Southern Vermont Arts Center Arkell Pavilion, Manchester Center, 7:30 p.m.

Various prices.

MAPLE TREE PLACE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: BRITISHMANIA: You were only waiting for this moment to arise!

A touring tribute act dazzles with

note-for-note renditions of classic songs by the Beatles. Maple Tree Place, Williston, 6 p.m. Free.

MICHAEL ARNOWITT JAZZ BAND: The acclaimed pianist captains an acoustic performance packed with improvisational interplay and musical conversation.

Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:30 p.m. Free.

ON THE DOOR RADIO: A laid-back summer series features tantalizing food-truck fare and a rotating pair of local DJs backed by sunset cocktail vibes. The Pinery, Burlington, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

PARTY ON THE BRICKS: Each week, different local outfits — including Red Hot Juba and Barbacoa — set the tone for a weekly outdoor bash on the marketplace. Church Street

Marketplace, Burlington, 5:30-8 p.m. Free.

PIZZA BY THE POND MUSIC NIGHTS: A wood-fired oven delivers all-you-can-eat pies while local musicians regale diners with irresistible toe-tappers. BYOB. Blueberry Hill Inn, Goshen, 5-8 p.m. $23-34; free for kids 6 and under; preregister.

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN CONCERT’: See WED.5.

THURSDAYS BY THE LAKE: SONIDO MAL MAÏZ: A psychedelic Latin outfit captivates downtown listeners with a blend of traditional and modern Central and South American tunes. Union Station, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free.

THU.6

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Great Expectations What’s your idea of Assisted Living?

Fresh local foods, close-knit friends, and a stress-free lifestyle — our community is not what you expect. Add a little care, and great Assisted Living can mean greater independence.

Write your next great chapter!

Independent, Assisted & Memory Care Living Now also in:

Essex Junction | 802-760-6018

S. Burlington | 802-489-7627

Middlebury | 802-231-3645

Shelburne | 802-992-8420

23t-ExploreComm(LCB)062426.indd 1

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outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

seminars

CAMERA ESSENTIALS: An informative evening examines the critical elements of photography and videography, covering topics from exposure to depth of field.

The Media Factory, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

sports

VERMONT LAKE MONSTERS: Green Mountain State batters step up to the plate while sports fans of all ages root, root, root for the home team. Centennial Field, Burlington, 6:35 p.m. $7.50-19.50.

WOMEN’S PICKUP FLAG FOOTBALL: Female-identifying athletes try for touchdowns and make strides at a casual weekly game for all ability levels.

University of Vermont Rugby Pitch, Burlington, 6 p.m. Free.

tech

BURLINGTON HARDWARE MEETUP: Designers, engineers, founders and investors get together for an evening of talks, demonstrations, refreshments and new connections. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, 5-8 p.m.

Free; preregister.

TECH HELP: Users with digital dilemmas seek expert guidance about everything from smartphone settings to ebook downloads. Norwich Public Library, 1-4 p.m. Free.

theater

‘DEEP BLUE SOUND’: Haybarn Summer Theater Ensemble presents Abe Koogler’s drama zooming in on occupants of a small coastal town as they try to decipher why the local whales have disappeared. Haybarn Theatre, the Creative Campus at Goddard, Plainfield, 7 p.m. $5-40.

‘RENT’: See WED.5, 2 p.m.

‘UNFORGETTING SERVICES: DIRT CHEAP ORATORIA’: A participatory “grief ritual” hosted by Bread and Puppet Theater includes music, movement, silence, parading, a sermon and a burial of “rotten ideas.” Bread and Puppet Museum, Glover, 4:30 p.m. By donation.

words

KATHRYN KRAMER: A Corinth resident and author shares her new book, The Rise and Fall of the Republic of West Delphi, mixing elements of memoir and fiction to question aspects of community and nationalism. Blake Memorial Library, East Corinth, 6 p.m. Free.

MICHAEL FREED-THALL: A local author launches his new novel, The Queen of New York, tracing two women across generations through civil rights movements. Proceeds benefit Outright Vermont. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 7 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

64

SILENT BOOK GROUP: Bookworms unite — quietly, of course! BYO reading material to savor in peace and quiet. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.-noon. Free.

AUG 8. | WORDS

COURTESY

THU.6

FRI.7

agriculture

COMMUNITY FARM & FOOD CELEBRATION: A host of farmfresh, family-friendly activities celebrates the Northeast Kingdom’s vibrant agricultural network. Atkins Field, Hardwick, 3-6 p.m. Free.

OPEN FARM WEEK: See WED.5.

community

CAREGIVER TEA: Folks caring for others trade the heavy lifting for a china cup at this restorative social hour complete with a spot of self-care. Central Vermont Council on Aging, Barre, 2-3 p.m. Free.

crafts

FIRST FRIDAY FIBER GROUP: Fiber-arts fans make progress on projects while chatting over snacks. GRACE, Hardwick, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

dance

‘SISTERS AND OTHER DANCES’: Bay area choreographer Randee Paufve and company invite viewers to step into an evening of contemporary dance and discourse centered on women’s experiences.

Phantom Theater, Edgcomb Barn, Warren, 8 p.m. $20.

environment

‘THE LONG DARK’: Neighbors transform shared sorrow and anger over environmental and social crises into collective resilience at this outdoor community grief ritual. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. Free.

etc.

DISCOVERY DAY: Curious minds dive into maritime history through hands-on vessel navigation, artifact preservation and historic instrument play. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

JANE AUSTEN WEEKEND: ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: A leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions includes afternoon tea, a Regency-style dinner party, English country dancing, Sunday brunch and talks. The Governor’s House in Hyde Park. Various prices.

MANCHESTER SIDEWALK SALE: See THU.6.

MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.5.

SIDEWALK SALE: See WED.5, 10 a.m.

fairs & festivals

ADDISON COUNTY FAIR & FIELD DAYS: See WED.5.

BRADFORD FAIR: From animals to carnival rides to live entertainment, a wide range of attractions delights kids and adults alike.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Poetry Society of Vermont members at a 2024 poetry workshop

Spread the Word

Airport Recreational Path, South Burlington, 5-7 p.m. Free.

A theme of “Gathering Voices” weaves through Poetry Society of Vermont’s Summer Poetry Festival at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, where wordsmiths and lit lovers tap into every facet of the written and spoken word. Creative juices flow during paper making and printing with New Haven’s A Revolutionary Press; community verse building and games with Bianca Amira Zanella, aka the Paper Poet; and judgment-free open mic sessions. Other unmissable moments: a drum- and flute-filled performance of Indigenous music and storytelling, presentations by youth poets laureate, and “Voices From the Concrete Jungle: Free Verse Behind Bars,” featuring material from incarcerated Vermonters.

SUMMER POETRY FESTIVAL: ‘GATHERING VOICES’ Saturday, August 8, 10 a.m.-4:15 p.m., at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. Free.

Info, president@poetrysocietyofvermont.org, poetrysocietyofvermont.org.

Bradford Fairgrounds. Various prices.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.6.

NEXUS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL: Lebanon Opera House hosts an annual celebration of creativity featuring live music acts, a silent disco, juggling and acrobatics. See lebanonoperahouse.org for lineup. Downtown Lebanon, N.H., 4-11:30 p.m. Free.

BIG-SCREEN BLOCKBUSTERS: See THU.6.

VERMONT ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAR MEET: Spectators ooh and aah at vintage vehicles between flea markets, processions and competitions. Farr’s Field, Waterbury, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. $15; free for kids 16 and under.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.6.

‘MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD’: Sasha Waters’ 2026 documentary celebrates the life of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and queer icon through interviews with her closest friends. Film House, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 4 & 7 p.m. $6-12.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.6.

THROUGH ELLIE’S EYES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL: An inaugural showcase of 19 films from across the country connects adventure, community, the environment and young voices.

Proceeds benefit Ellie’s Fund in memory of Ellie Curtis. See calendar spotlight. Big Picture Community Hub for the Arts, Waitsfield, 7 p.m. $30.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.6.

food & drink

FLATBREAD FRIDAY: See THU.6.

RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET: An open-air marketplace complete with live music connects cultivators and fresh-food browsers. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free.

SOUTH BURLINGTON FARMERS MARKET: Locavores stock up on fresh produce, score homemade goods and connect with neighbors at a brand-new trailside marketplace. Patrick Leahy Burlington International

SOUTH END GET DOWN: Local food trucks dish out mouthwatering meals and libations while live DJs and outdoor entertainment add to the ambience. Coal Collective, Burlington, 5-9 p.m.

Free; cost of food and drink.

FRI.7

» P.66

FOMO? Find even more local events in this newspaper and online:

art Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT = GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

Pamper our supporters!

Thanks to everyone who helped gather our Seven Daysies bouquet this year!

We greatly appreciate all the readers who nominated and voted! Together, you help amplify the great work of local small businesses and artists in our communities.

Our amazing sponsors

Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman • Vermont Tire

St. Johnsbury Distillery • WhistlePig Whiskey • Vermont Community Foundation

Everyone who supported our efforts Access CVU • Acupuncture in Bloom • Addie & Grace Boutique • Addison West Aromas of India by Sarita’s Kitchen • AroMed Essentials • The Automaster Bare Medical Spa + Laser Center • Barr Hill • Bern Gallery Cannabis • Beverage Warehouse Black Cap Coffee • Black Radish at 14th Star Brewing Co. • Bragg Farm Sugarhouse Brilliant Massage & Skin • Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists Burlington Furniture • Caleb Kenna Photography • Capital Cannabis Co. Capitol Grounds • Castleberry Fairs & Festivals • Cedar Knoll Country Club Church Hill Landscapes • Church Street Marketplace • Claussen’s Florist, Greenhouse & Perennial Farm • Common Deer • The Current • Cynthea’s Spa The Daily Planet • Danform Shoes • Darcy Handy (RE/MAX North Professionals) di Stefano Landscaping • Earl’s Cyclery & Fitness • ECCO Clothes ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain • The EDGE • Eileen O’Rourke (Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman) • Eyes of the World • Farrell Distributing Fetch the Leash Dog Behavior and Training • Flex Realty • The Flynn Folino’s Pizza • Forbins Finest • Fresh Bubble Tea & Juice • Gardener’s Supply Company • Girlington Garage • Grunts Move Junk • Halford Motors • Hazelbuds Clay Co. • Heather Morse (Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman) • Hen of the Wood Homeport • Hotel Vermont • Houndstooth • Indigo • Integrative Acupuncture Julie Lamoreaux (Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman) • Karen Pike Photography • Keeler’s Bay Variety • Killington Resort • Kiss the Cook • Kushies Lake Champlain Chocolates • Lakeside Electric Inc. • Lewis Creek Builders The Lighting House • Love Wins Photography • Lyric Theatre Company Mad River Distillers • Madeleine’s Bakery • Magic Mann Premium Cannabis The Mansfield Barn • Middlebury College Arts • Monster Mash Ink NorthCountry Federal Credit Union • Oasis Day Spa • Oh My DOG Old Brick Store • Old Spokes Home • Outdoor Gear Exchange • Page Law, PLLC Pêche Medical + Wellness • Pet Food Warehouse • Phoenix Books Polestar Cannabis • Prohibition Pig • Red Hen Baking Co. • Red Wagon Plants • Richer’s Home Improvements • Richmond Animal Hospital RVG Electrical Services • Sam Mazza’s Farm Market, Bakery and Greenhouses Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar • Sheehey Furlong & Behm PC Shelburne Vineyard • Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream • Smugglers’ Notch Resort • Speeder & Earl’s Coffee • Spruce Peak Arts • Stone City Treehouse & Glamping • Stowe Bowl • Stowe Cider Sugarsnap • Sunday Drive • Sweetspot • Tiny Thai Restaurant Topnotch Resort • Tourterelle • Turner Toys • Union Bank • Vermont Book Shop • Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu • Vermont Construction Co. • Vermont Federal Credit Union • Vermont Flannel • The Vermont Pub & Brewery • Vermont Teddy Bear • von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort • VT Strong • Waterworks Food + Drink • Wayside Restaurant, Bakery & Creamery • Williston Hot Yoga

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connection. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6-7 p.m. Free.

games

LAUNCH EVENT: Jazz scholar and archivist Ben Young provides an overview of the center’s newly minted digital archive, showcasing nearly three decades of music history. Virtual option available. Vermont Jazz Center, Brattleboro, 10 a.m. Free; donations accepted.

FRI.7

ADULT RUMMIKUB: Strategists gather to test their mental agility with this classic numbers-based tabletop challenge. Essex Free Library, 1-3 p.m. Free.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.6, 10 a.m.

MAH-JONGG: It’s not just for old ladies! Tile traders of all experience levels gather for a rousing game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free.

Job of theWeek SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT Shelburne Orchards

LAUGHTER YOGA: Spontaneous, joyful movement and breath promote physical and emotional health. Virtual option available.

Iyengar Yoga Center of Vermont, Burlington, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free.

What are some specific challenges of this position and why is it important?

As a new employee, it can be challenging to jump into a busy season at a farm and run full steam ahead for a short period of time. Luckily the season starts off slow, so we can ease into harvest and get everyone comfortable before the lovely chaos that is harvest begins. During the months of September and October we hire about 20 extra people to help direct folks to the apple picking, run the registers, make the doughnuts, drive the tractors for wagon rides and just generally make sure all of our customers are happy and it all runs smoothly!

What is unique & rewarding about Shelburne Orchards?

Not only do we have a distillery where we make brandy from our own fruit, but we also make a little-known spirit called pommeau.

Not many people have heard about it, and they really should. It’s delicious. It’s a combination of brandy and sweet cider that have been aged together in oak casks for years. We have a tasting room where people can get a peek of the lake and the Adirondack mountains in the distance. The orchard property is 100 acres, but about 60 acres are planted in trees. Most of those are apple trees, but we also have peaches, pears, sour cherries and black currants. The first apple trees in this orchard were planted in 1910. My grandfather bought the land in 1950, and my father, Nick, took it over in the mid 1970s. It feels pretty cool to be part of a third-generation farm and Vermont’s agricultural landscape. Having been here for so long, we feel very connected to the community, and many of our customers have been coming here for generations!

Apply for this great local job and many more: jobs.sevendaysvt.com

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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THE GOOD BUZZ: ISLAND EDITION: Shake Social Club invites guests to get a refreshing boost with sauna and cold plunge access, tropical mocktails

by FlowerHaus, and all-reggae DJ sets. Savu Sauna Lakeside, Burlington, 7-10 p.m. $30-45.

GUIDED MEDITATION ONLINE: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library invites attendees to relax on their lunch breaks and reconnect with their bodies. Noon-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

Get the scoop on this position from Shelburne Farms co-owner Moriah Cowles.

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health & fitness

8/4/26 4:28 PM

WEEKLY MEDITATION: Expert Zac Ispa-Landa shares tools to quiet the mind, slow down and reset. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 8-8:45 a.m. Free.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.5.

lgbtq

RPG NIGHT: Members of the LGBTQ community get together weekly for role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Everway. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:308:30 p.m. Free.

music

5 FRIDAYS CONCERT SERIES: ATOM & THE ORBITS: A Vermont power-pop and rock project led by Noah Hahn performs lively, old-school music blending ’50s rock, R&B, and Americana traditions. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 5:30 p.m. Free; cash bar.

ALL NIGHT BOOGIE BAND: A Burlington blues, soul and rock band cooks up energetic tunes that make outdoor listeners shake their hips. East End Park, Woodstock, 6 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

ANA GUIGUI: An acclaimed pianist and vocalist entertains listeners with a wide variety of styles and genres. The Brandon Inn, 7-9:30 p.m. Free.

DRUM CIRCLE WITH JEAN JACQUES MAURY: From mastering basic techniques to building a shared rhythmic vocabulary, an all-abilities music-making session taps into a deep mind-body

MIDDLEBURY CARILLON SERIES: Bells ring out across the campus in weekly performances by a rotating cast of extraordinary carillonneurs. See middlebury. edu for lineup. Middlebury Chapel, 6 p.m. Free.

NU MU 5: ‘MINDING A NEW WAY’: The fifth edition of the community-oriented music and art festival brings together well-known performers and local talent for collaboration and experimentation. See 118elliot.com for lineup. 118 Elliot, Brattleboro, 5:30 p.m. By donation.

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN CONCERT’: See WED.5.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: JOSHUA GLASS TRIO: Fusing soulful melodies with a steady groove, the veteran threepiece moves effortlessly from piano-driven pop arrangements to open-ended jam sessions.

Burlington City Hall Park, 12:301:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

FLORA & FAUNA CANOE TOUR: See WED.5.

sports

OPEN DINGHY SAILING: Skippers with sailing knowledge celebrate the end of the week with a nautical adventure. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 4-7 p.m. $40 suggested donation; preregister.

SLAMT1D SUMMER CLASSIC: Fans file into the stands for the annual wiffle ball tournament benefiting children and adults with type 1 diabetes. Little Fenway Park, Essex, 4-9 p.m.

Free.

VERMONT LAKE MONSTERS: See THU.6.

tech

MORNING TECH HELP: Experts answer questions about phones, laptops, e-readers and other devices in one-on-one sessions.

South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister.

theater

‘DEEP BLUE SOUND’: See THU.6.

‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’: Oscar Wilde’s hilariously vicious social satire of Victorian England follows two young men who lead double lives in order to escape their obligations. Unadilla Theatre, Marshfield, 7:30 p.m. $15-30.

‘THE LION IN WINTER’: King Henry II’s dysfunctional family takes center stage in James Goldman’s historical

drama, presented by Marabo Productions. Historic Shelburne Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. $15-20.

‘MORALITY DEMONOLOGY’: A brand-new, politically charged production of puppetry evolves over the course of the summer.

Paper Mache Cathedral, Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, 7 p.m. $15 suggested donation.

‘RENT’: See WED.5, 7:30 p.m.

TENFEST: ‘CONVERSATIONS AT A TABLE’: The Vermont Playwrights Circle serves up a smorgasbord of 10-minute one-acts written by locals at this bite-size theater festival. Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier City Hall, 7:30 p.m. $14-24.

SAT.8

activism

DEGROWTH CAFÉ: Leadership for the Ecozoic researchers, activists and scholars guide a community conversation about a movement aimed at reducing economic growth to address social-ecological inequities.

Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

agriculture

OPEN FARM WEEK: See WED.5.

bazaars

MAKERS MARKET: Browsers discover unique, handmade goods and meet the talented people behind them at a weekly showcase of local artists, bakers, distillers and crafters. Addison West, Waitsfield, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

community

DEATH CAFÉ: Community members gain new perspective with an open-ended conversation about one of life’s unavoidable realities. Refreshments provided. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon. Free.

FOMO? Find even more local events in this newspaper and online:

art Find visual art exhibits and events in the Art section and at sevendaysvt.com/art.

film See what’s playing at theaters in the On Screen section.

music + nightlife Find club dates at local venues in the Music + Nightlife section online at sevendaysvt.com/ music.

Learn more about highlighted listings in the Magnificent 7 on page 11.

= ONLINE EVENT = GET TICKETS ON SEVENDAYSTICKETS.COM

LIST YOUR EVENT FOR FREE AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTEVENT

SISTERHOOD CAMPFIRE: Women and genderqueer folks gather in a safe and inclusive space to build community through journaling, storytelling, gentle music and stargazing.

Leddy Park, Burlington, 7-9 p.m.

Free.

crafts

INTRO TO STAINED GLASS: Beginners pane-stakingly piece together custom window hangings while mastering fundamental glass-cutting and assembly techniques with artist Christian Jaquith. Granville Corner School, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

dance

2 HONKY 2 TONK: Country anthems collide with modern chart-toppers at a DJfueled dance party built for boot-scooting with friends.

The Filling Station, White River Junction, 8-11 p.m. $5.

CREEMEE BLUES: SALTY AND SWEET: French blues musician ronan onemanband soundtracks an evening of “semi-dirty” dancing and Vermont maple creemees. Montpelier Performing Arts Chapel, 7-11:45 p.m. $25-45 sliding scale.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S SALSA: Revelers dance and roller-skate through closed village streets while learning salsa, bachata and merengue steps and savoring traditional Latin American fare. SuperRoasted Coffee, Proctorsville, 5-9:30 p.m. $20 suggested donation.

SATURDAY SWING DANCE: Folks jive and jitterbug the night away to jazz, big band and contemporary tunes. Bring clean shoes. North Star Community Hall, Burlington. Free lesson, 7 p.m.; music, 7:30-10 p.m. $10-20 sliding scale.

‘SISTERS AND OTHER DANCES’: See FRI.7.

etc.

50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The beloved bookshop turns the page on five decades in business, marking the milestone with family-friendly activities, prizes, a magic show, face painting and story times. Northshire Bookstore, Manchester, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

ART IN THE PARK: An annual summer festival showcases fine art, crafts, specialty foods, kids’ activities and musical entertainment. Main Street Park, Rutland, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

AUGUST WEST FESTIVAL: Deadheads truck into a lively music celebration packed with improvisational jamming, tie-dye creations, food truck bites and dancing. Downtown Jay, noon-5 p.m. Free.

BRADFORD FAIR: See FRI.7.

CHURCH STREET CELEBRATION: Downtown revelers ring in local heritage with historic building open houses, square dancing, yard games, and a market of vintage, handmade and sustainable goods. Saint Albans Museum, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

EAST POULTNEY DAY: “Woman and the Revolution” sets the tone for this community-driven day packed with activities, including an ice cream contest, face painting, art projects and a colonial photo booth. Various Poultney locations, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.

MILTON FREEDOM FEST: Neighbors mark the nation’s semiquincentennial with live tunes, lawn games, local food vendors, bouncy houses and a silent auction. Bombardier Park West, Milton, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. $30; free for kids 13 and under.

NEXUS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL: See FRI.7, noon-9:30 p.m.

SOLARFEST: THE GATHERING: Live music, local wares and eco-friendly workshops power a sun-soaked summer festival packed with family-friendly activities. SolarFest, Brandon, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

VERMONT ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAR MEET: See FRI.7, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

JANE AUSTEN TEA: Regency revelers jam out at a Victorianstyle tea party while learning about the teatime traditions of the writer’s era. The Governor’s House in Hyde Park, 2 p.m. $48; preregister.

MARSHFIELD FARMERS MARKET: Locavores find much to do at a weekly outdoor offering with live music, skill shares, vendors and community resource swaps. Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

fairs & festivals

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.6.

THROUGH ELLIE’S EYES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL: See FRI.7.

Head North!

Find our stories about Québec for Vermont travelers at:

sevendaysvt.com/quebec.

SPONSORED BY:

NORTHWEST FARMERS MARKET: Browsers stock up on produce, preserves, baked goods and other treasures to the beat of live music. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

ST. JOHNSBURY FARMERS MARKET: Growers, bakers, makers and crafters gather weekly at booths centered on local eats. Pearl St. & Eastern Ave., St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

games

CHESS CLUB: Proficient players of all ages face off and learn new strategies. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 11 a.m.

Free.

language

‘POSSESSION’: A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior in Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 psychological thriller starring the late, great Sam Neill. The Screening Room @ VTIFF, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $6-12.

ADDISON COUNTY FAIR & FIELD DAYS: See WED.5.

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET: Talented artisans and vendors showcase their farmfresh veggies, meats, eggs, flowers, honey and other goodies.

Grand Isle St. Joseph’s Church, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.6.

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

TREEHOUSE TOUR: Curious sightseers take their architectural knowledge to new heights at this guided walk-through of custom, eco-friendly canopy structures. Lunch and transportation provided. Yestermorrow Design/Build School, Waitsfield, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $150.

MANCHESTER SIDEWALK SALE: See THU.6.

BURLINGTON FARMERS MARKET: Live local music lends flair to dozens of stands overflowing with seasonal produce, flowers, artisanal wares and prepared foods. 345 Pine St., Burlington, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.6.

film

SIDEWALK SALE: See WED.5, 10 a.m.

JANE AUSTEN WEEKEND: ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: See FRI.7.

food & drink

D&D & TTRPG GROUP: Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games embark on a new adventure with a rotating cast of game masters. Virtual option available.

Waterbury Public Library, 1-5 p.m. Free.

‘FREQUENCY: THE SECRET OF EVERYTHING’: Audience members dive into sound-healing science at this screening of the 2026 documentary, followed by a live Q&A with the filmmaker and a group energy-tuning session led by expert Eileen McKusick.

Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 6:30 p.m. $25.

GUIDED TOURS: See WED.5.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.6.

GUIDE 4t-QuebecGuide072424.indd 1

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GET OFF OF

COPPER! AND START SAVING MONEY NOW.

FRENCH CONVERSATION FOR ALL: Native French speaker Romain Feuillette guides an informal discussion group for all ages and abilities. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister; limited space.

music

ADAM TENDLER: A Grammynominated pianist hailed as “relentlessly adventurous” by the Washington Post performs cutting-edge solo pieces. The Frank Suchomel Memorial Arts Center, Adamant, 6 p.m. Free.

We will replace copper lines to internet-based services (VoIP and SIP). You don’t have to lift a finger.

Just let our team get to work.

ANA GUIGUI: See FRI.7.

CENTRAL VERMONT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: See THU.6, 7:30 p.m.

802-771-2100 (BURLINGTON) 207-561-655O (BANGOR) 800-338-4084 (TOLL-FREE) WWW.MYCVS.IO

THE DIXIE SIX: A sextet performs a dynamic repertoire of New SAT.8

BURLINGTON | VERMONT BANGOR | MAINE

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Orleans jazz tunes and Louis Armstrong hits from the 1950s and ’60s. Homer Knight Barn, Island Arts Center, North Hero, 4 p.m. $25-30.

MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL: Artistic directors Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss present a series of classical music concerts and open rehearsals over five weekends. See marlboromusic.org for details.

Persons Auditorium, the Campus at Marlboro Music, 8 p.m. $20-40.

OTEIL & FRIENDS WITH SETH YACOVONE BAND: Legendary jam-band bassist Oteil Burbridge helms a stellar ensemble for an evening of improvisational rock and soul. Stateside Amphitheater, Jay Peak Resort, 6 p.m. $49-65.

REGGAE NIGHT: A collaborative live performance features sets spun by DJ Selecta D-Ro and laid-back covers and originals by singer NauNau Beloha. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, 6-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: An evening of contemporary folk music brings together four acclaimed artists for an intimate, in-the-round performance highlighting individual artistry and collaborative spirit. Virtual option available.

Next Stage Arts, Putney, 7:30 p.m. $10-26.

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN CONCERT’: See WED.5.

STRAWBERRY JAM: An unforgettable day of live music includes noteworthy acts such as Cory Wong, the California Honeydrops, Devon Gilfillian and Dobbs’ Dead.

Partial proceeds benefit Jenna’s Promise. Strawberry Hill Farm, Stowe, 12:30 p.m. $95-185.

SUNDOWN SESSIONS: Local bands take the stage for idyllic summer-evening concerts backed

by Barge Canal sunsets. See thepineryvt.com for lineup. The Pinery, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

SENSING THE SEASON: Nature lovers hone their observational abilities to study seasonal shifts at this guided outdoor stroll ending in shared discoveries. Rock Point Center, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister.

WEEKLY BIRD WALK: Featheredfriend seekers join expert Lachlan Ziegler for a morning trek to sharpen their identification skills.

Rock Point Center, Burlington, 8-10 a.m. Free; preregister.

seminars

INTRO TO ADOBE PREMIERE: Aspiring filmmakers learn more about project setup, media management, cuts and transitions at a hands-on editing software workshop. The Media Factory, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

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sports

SLAMT1D SUMMER CLASSIC: See FRI.7, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

VERMONT LAKE MONSTERS: See THU.6, 6:05 p.m.

theater

‘DEEP BLUE SOUND’: See THU.6.

‘THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST’: See FRI.7.

‘THE LION IN WINTER’: See FRI.7, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

‘MIND MAGIC: A NIGHT OF LAUGHTER AND ASTONISHMENT’: Dr. Steve Taubman astounds with an interactive evening of comedy, mind reading, psychology and theater.

Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, Burlington, 7:30 p.m. $35.

Burlington, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

and activities. Winooski Falls Way, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

music. BCA Center, Burlington, 10-11 a.m. Free.

etc.

games

TROY MILLETTE & THE FIRE BELOW: Heartfelt original country-rock songs carry through the air, courtesy of the crowd-favorite Fairfax musician and his band.

Maquam Barn & Winery, Milton, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free; cost of food and drink.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: HISTORIC CLOCK & WATCHES AFTERNOON: Green Mountain Timekeepers Society members diagnose visitors’ old timepieces, demonstrate historic repairs, and shed light on local horological heritage. Chimney Point State Historic Site, Addison, noon-4 p.m. Regular admission, $5-6; free for kids 16 and under.

TENFEST: ‘CONVERSATIONS AT A TABLE’: See FRI.7.

EAST HUBBARDTON CEMETERY TOUR: Hubbardton Historical Society experts Grace Calvin and Douglas Pouliot guide guests through the lives and roles of the area’s early settlers. Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, 2-4 p.m. $1-8; free for Green Mountain Passport holders and kids under 6.

words

JANE AUSTEN WEEKEND: ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’: See FRI.7.

‘RENT’: See WED.5.

THE POETRY EXPERIENCE: Local wordsmith Rajnii Eddins hosts a supportive writing and sharing circle for poets of all ages.

Pickering Room, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Free.

SUMMER POETRY FESTIVAL: ‘GATHERING VOICES’: Poetry Society of Vermont hosts wordsmiths for hands-on print and paper making, writing circles, traditional music, youth poet laureate talks, and open-mic sessions.

See calendar spotlight. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 10 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Free.

WRITE NOW!: Wordsmiths of all experience levels hone their craft in a supportive and critique-free environment. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 10 a.m. Free.

SUN.9 activism

FUNDRAISER FOR MOHSEN MAHDAWI: Neighbors gather for speeches and a show of public support for the Palestinian Vermonter threatened with deportation. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. Free.

agriculture

OPEN FARM WEEK: See WED.5.

community

UV WELCOME WAGON COFFEE & CONVERSATION: Newcomers connect with neighbors over a complimentary cup of joe and a sweet treat, followed by a silent reading party. The Norwich Bookstore, 1 p.m. Free.

dance

‘FOREST’ DRESS REHEARSAL: Audience members stroll down a quiet dirt road to witness Hannah Dennison’s site-specific choreography and theatrical scenes blooming among the trees.

Various Washington locations, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $20.

ISRAELI DANCING: Movers circle up to learn energetic footwork, steps and rhythms from around the globe. Temple Sinai, South

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

DUPLICATE BRIDGE GAMES: See THU.6, 1 p.m.

health & fitness

KARUNA COMMUNITY MEDITATION: A YEAR TO LIVE (FULLY): Participants practice keeping joy, generosity and gratitude at the forefront of their minds. Jenna’s House, Johnson, 10-11:15 a.m. Free; donations accepted.

NEW LEAF SANGHA MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: New and experienced meditators alike sit together in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hot Yoga Burlington, 6-7:45 p.m. Free.

TWILIGHT ON THE TAVERN LAWN: PLANET ZYDECO: A New England band plays lively dance music of southwest Louisiana in the Cajun and zydeco traditions.

BYO chair or blanket. Putney Tavern Lawn, 6 p.m. Free.

outdoors

Books, Burlington, 1 p.m. Free; preregister.

MON.10 crafts

COLLAGE COLLECTIVE: Creatives of all experience levels cut, paste and make works of wonder. Virtual options available. Expressive Arts Burlington, 6:30-9 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

FUSE BEADS CLUB: Aspiring artisans bring ideas or borrow patterns to make beaded creations. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

dance

MANCHESTER SIDEWALK SALE: See THU.6.

NEW MINDFULNESS MEDITATION GATHERING: Certified instructors lead hourlong sessions of the ancient contemplative practice rooted in compassion and generosity. Hood Plant, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. By donation.

TREE ID AND NATURAL HISTORY TOUR: Master naturalist Gene O. Desideraggio leads attendees through the unique social and ecological history of one of the Queen City’s hidden gems. Ethan Allen Park, Burlington, 10 a.m. $10-15; preregister.

etc.

SIDEWALK SALE: See WED.5, 10 a.m.

lgbtq

sports

fairs & festivals

ART IN THE PARK: See SAT.8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

BRADFORD FAIR: See FRI.7.

NEXUS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL: See FRI.7, noon-9:30 p.m.

VERMONT ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAR MEET: See FRI.7, 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.6.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.6.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.6.

THROUGH ELLIE’S EYES MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL: See FRI.7, 4 p.m.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.6.

food & drink

PIE & ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Museum supporters scoop up raffle numbers and sweet treats while enjoying live music, lawn games, and free access to buildings and exhibits. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 1-4 p.m.

Free.

ROYALTON FARMERS MARKET: Twenty local vendors offer everything from fresh produce to prepared foods to artisan goods while kids’ activities, live music and workshops build community.

South Royalton Town Green, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

STOWE FARMERS MARKET: An appetizing assortment of fresh veggies, pasture-raised meats, milk, berries, herbs, beverages and handcrafted wares tempts shoppers. Stowe Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

WINOOSKI FARMERS MARKET: More than 25 area growers and bakers offer local and global fare against a backdrop of live music

CRAFT CLUB: Creative queer folks work on their knitting, crocheting and sewing projects. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 10 a.m.-noon. Free.

music

CENTRAL VERMONT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: See THU.6, 4 p.m.

DAVID FEURZEIG: In “Play Every Town,” the prolific classical pianist continues a statewide series of shows in protest of high-pollution worldwide concert tours.

Plymouth Congregational Church, East Charleston, 2 p.m. Free.

LEVITT AMP ST. JOHNSBURY MUSIC SERIES: HOUSE OF HAMILL: A Celtic folk group plays compelling works with irresistible hooks and sophisticated arrangements. Dog Mountain, St. Johnsbury, 5 p.m. Free.

THE LION SISTERS: Sibling string players intertwine Irish fiddle, guitar and vintage-sounding vocals for an afternoon of modern acoustic originals. Old West Church, Calais, 4 p.m. $10-15 suggested donation.

LIVE MUSIC: See THU.6, 2:304:30 p.m.

MARLBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL: See SAT.8, 2:30 p.m.

SAINT-GAUDENS CONCERT SERIES: NEW LONDON BRASS: A dynamic ensemble fills the air with joyful sounds, from classic marches to jazz standards and popular favorites. Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, Cornish, N.H., 2 p.m. Regular admission, $10; free for kids 15 and under.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: KATHLEEN PARKS BAND: A fiery fiddler and singer-songwriter brings joyful and creative energy to the stage. Knoll Farm, Fayston, 1 p.m. By donation; preregister.

SUNDAY CLASSICAL: VERMONT BRASS TRIO: Three artists from the Vermont Symphony Orchestra blow listeners away with a polished showcase of chamber

LAKE CHAMPLAIN DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL: Persevering paddlers take to the lake in support of Dragonheart Vermont’s programming for breast cancer survivors.

Waterfront Park, Burlington, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. $0-60; preregister.

SLAMT1D SUMMER CLASSIC: See FRI.7, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY POLO MATCH: Pack a tailgate picnic and prepare to experience the fast-paced thrill of the traditional equestrian team sport. Amdez Polo Club, Shelburne, 3 p.m. $10-20.

theater

‘THE LION IN WINTER’: See FRI.7, 2 p.m.

‘RENT’: See WED.5, 2 p.m.

TENFEST: ‘CONVERSATIONS AT A TABLE’: See FRI.7, 2 p.m.

TWO PLAYS & A PICNIC: The Shelburne Players invite theater fans to bring their lunch to the historic performance venue and enjoy a casual, fun-filled reading of two one-acts. Vergennes Opera House, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

‘THE UPSIDE DOWN WORLD CIRCUS’: The troupe’s summer show mystifies and dazzles with colorful puppetry, towering stilters, papier-mâché beasts and a riotous brass band. Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, 3 p.m. $15 suggested donation.

words

FOOD FOR TALK COOKBOOK CLUB: Culinary enthusiasts convene to chat about Anaïs Bourny Delon and Nicolas Lobbestaël’s Portugal: Recipes and Ingredients. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free; preregister.

HELEN WHYBROW: The Vermont author, editor and farmer celebrates the paperback release of her 2025 book, The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life, detailing the challenges and rewards of farm life. Phoenix

BEGINNING-LEVEL LINE DANCING: No partner or experience is necessary when Sid McLam teaches learners how to step in sequence. Brookfield Old Town Hall, 6:30-8 p.m. $10.

MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.5.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.6.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.6.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.6.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.6.

games

BURLINGTON ELKS BINGO: Players grab their daubers for a competitive night of card stamping for cash prizes. Burlington Elks Lodge, 6 p.m. Various prices.

MAH-JONGG MONDAYS: Tile traders gather for friendly bouts of the ancient game of skill, strategy and luck. St. Albans Free Library, 1-3 p.m. Free.

health & fitness

MEDITATION: Beginners and veteran practitioners alike gather to quiet mental chatter and boost physical well-being at a weekly mindfulness session. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 6 p.m. Free.

MONDAY NIGHT LIVE: The Burlington Dharma Collective hosts an inspiring monthly talk, meditation and group discussion.

Outright Vermont, Burlington, 7-8:30 p.m. Free; donations accepted.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.5.

music

ONION RIVER CHORUS REHEARSAL: The non-auditioned community ensemble conducted

by Richard Riley invites interested vocalists to join in spirited song.

Bethany United Church of Christ, Montpelier, 7-9 p.m. Free.

ST. JOHNSBURY BAND: The nation’s third-oldest community band regales locals with dynamic MON.10

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It’s Time to Take the Challenge!

This fun summer civics project for K-8 students is back — with a new set of 25 activities.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS Participants do an activity and submit the evidence at goodcitizenvt.com to earn stars.

Each star is an entry into drawings to win prizes including $50 gift cards to Phoenix Books and the grand prize — a trip to Washington, D.C. The deadline is Labor Day, September 7.

Students who complete all 25 activities will earn the title of “Distinguished Citizen” — and will be honored at the Statehouse. Submit activities as you go to win weekly prizes!

Get more info and submit entries at goodcitizenvt.com

FROM THE GOOD CITIZEN HALL OF FAME Jacquelyn Bicknell, 11, of Essex completed activity No. 9, “Get Prepared!” by visiting the fire department “to understand how to be better prepared for a fire at home.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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UNDERWRITTEN BY

PARTNERS

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FAMILY FUN

FRI.7

burlington

BURLINGTON FNG: Self-identified LGBTQ+ and questioning youths ages 13 to 19 gather weekly to socialize in a supportive environment. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

DROP-IN: An afterschool hangout space invites teens ages 13 to 19 to relax, connect, grab a snack or browse the nonprofit’s clothing closet. Outright Vermont, Burlington, 2:30 p.m. Free.

FAMILY FRIDAY WITH LINDA BASSICK: Caretakers and wee ones enjoy a weekly morning mashup of muffins and music played by the local legend. Pingala Café North Avenue, Burlington, 9-9:30 a.m.

Free.

SELINA ALKO: An award-winning writer and illustrator shares her new picture book, Otherwise Known as Judy the Great: A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume, celebrating the early life of the iconic American author. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 5:30 p.m. Free; preregister. &&

chittenden county

FRIDAY LEGO BUILDERS: Weekly sessions invite creative minds to stack, connect and build their way to structural masterpieces using interlocking blocks. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 3-4:30 p.m. Free.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

MUSIC TIME: Little patrons engage with live performance and movement at a high-energy gathering led by veteran area musician Linda Bassick. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10:30 a.m. Free.

SUMMER CELEBRATION: Viewers of all ages settle in for a mesmerizing puppet performance by local favorite No Strings Marionette. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 5:30-7 p.m. Free.

barre/montpelier

LEGO CLUB: Budding builders create geometric structures with snap-together blocks. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

STORY TIME & PLAYGROUP: Participants ages 5 and under enjoy themed science, art and nature activities. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10:30 a.m. Free.

middlebury area

STORY TIME: Lake-centric stories, coloring and crafts anchor little ones at a weekly maritime-themed reading circle.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 11 a.m.-noon. Free.

rutland/killington

FOOD & ART FRIDAY: KIDS & FAMILY NIGHT: Families flock to an evening of interactive arts activities, clown performances, groovy tunes and made-toorder pizzas by Fat Dragon Farm. Sable Project, Stockbridge, 5:30-8 p.m. $5-25 suggested donation.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘OKLAHOMA!’: Students from Northern Stage’s Summer Musical Theater Intensive mount Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical about farm girl Laurey Williams and her two rival suitors. Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 7:30 p.m. $25-38.

‘THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: YOUTH EDITION’: BarnArts’ Summer Youth Theater performers dive into a world of nautical nonsense in this undersea extravaganza. Barnard Town Hall, 7 p.m. $10-15.

STORY TIME: Preschoolers take part in tales, tunes and playtime. Latham Library, Thetford, 11 a.m. Free.

northeast kingdom

ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See THU.6.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Youngsters and their caregivers delight in beautiful

books, silly songs, creative crafts and unplugged play in the library’s cozy children’s room. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 10 a.m. Free.

SUMMER COMIC BOOK CLUB: Young minds work together to create their own comic book at this seven-week program encouraging collaboration and creativity. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 10-11:30 a.m. Free.

SAT.8

COLLEGE READY WEBINAR: Parents and caregivers of high schoolers decode the maze of higher education costs through expert strategies on financial aid, tax perks and smart saving techniques. Hosted

by Elephant Corner Financial. 11 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister.

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

FLYNNZONE KIDS HOUR: ANIMAL DANCE: Families with children ages 3 to 5 join the Burlington performance and production company for a peek into the creative process of choreography. The Flynn, Burlington, 10 a.m. Free.

SPLASH DANCE: DJ LOVE: Kids and their caregivers soak up some serious summer fun at a DJ-fueled dance party amid the park’s interactive fountain.

Burlington City Hall Park, 1-3 p.m. Free.

STACK-A-SAURUS TOPPLE DOWN DOMINO CHAIN REACTION: Young builders ages 5 to 10 construct and collapse intricate runs. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4-5 p.m. Free.

STORIES WITH GEOFF: Dynamic storytelling meets catchy songs and active play to keep little patrons ages birth to 5 moving. Fletcher Free Library New North End Branch, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free.

chittenden county

BIRTHDAY BASH!: All ages power through obstacle courses, mini golf and bubble shows before pivoting to an evening of retro costume contests, DJ sets and drone displays. See calendar spotlight. Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Shelburne, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5-9:30 p.m.

Eva Sollberger’s

Supported by:

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Free; $15-20 for ages 12 and up after 5 p.m.

FRENCH STORY TIME: Kids of all ages listen and learn to native speaker Romain Feuillette raconte une histoire.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free.

FAMILY STORY TIME: Tykes dig into the natural world through stories of plants and animals, then create a collage with found objects. Norman Williams Public Library, Woodstock, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Free.

‘OKLAHOMA!’: See FRI.7, 2 & 7:30 p.m.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

‘THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: YOUTH EDITION’: See FRI.7, 2 & 7 p.m.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

northeast kingdom

barre/montpelier

KIDS TRADE & PLAY: Neighbors swap or shop gently used clothing, shoes, books and toys. Capital City Grange, Berlin, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free; donations accepted.

mad river valley/ waterbury

GUIDED HIKE & STORY TIME: Budding naturalists settle in for a themed tale, followed by a search for flowers, snails and animal tracks along the center’s woodland loop. Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, 10:3011:30 a.m. Free; preregister.

middlebury area

KIDS DIG MOUNT INDEPENDENCE: History hunters ages 6 to 12 grab real trowels and brushes to unearth 18th-century Revolutionary War relics at this hands-on mock excavation.

Mount Independence State Historic Site, Orwell, 1-3 p.m. Regular admission, $1-8; free for kids under 6.

champlain islands/ northwest

BIOBLITZ: Experts from ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain lead a kid-friendly search for plants and animals, then teach participants how to document them using the iNaturalist app. Fairfax Community Library, 9 a.m.noon. Free.

upper valley

BEACH DAY: Dad Guild invites fathers to make a splash with free park admission and a day of sun-soaked lakefront recreation. Silver Lake State Park, Barnard, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free; preregister.

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See THU.6.

FREE FAMILY MUSIC EVENT WITH SHAWNY: Kids chase bubbles, wave scarves and shake props at an interactive concert that turns original pop-rock tunes into lessons on empathy and kindness. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Free.

OCEAN ANIMATION CODING PROJECT: Coders ride the web development wave as step-by-step HTML tutorials bring marine scenes to life. Haskell Free Library & Opera House, Derby Line, 1-2:30 p.m. Free.

SMIRKFEST: Circus Smirkus’ communitywide celebration of circus arts offers heaps of performances, workshops, crafts, food and family fun under the big tops. Circus Smirkus Barn, Greensboro, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $10; free for kids under 2.

WEEE! DANCE PARTY: Little ones and their caregivers express themselves through movement at this free-wheeling, DJ-driven bash. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 2-3 p.m. $5 suggested donation; preregister.

SUN.9

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

DAD GUILD PLAYGROUP: Fathers (and parents of all genders) and their kids ages 5 and under drop in for playtime and connection. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3:30-5 p.m. Free.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GROUP A: Tabletop role-players ages 9 to 14 practice their craft with Andrew, the library’s

WATCH HER LATEST VIDEO! The 150th Purinton Family Reunion was held in Salisbury on July 18. About 80 people attended the weekend event; most were descendants of Chase Purinton, who moved to Lincoln, Vt. with his family in 1803. Seven Days’ Eva Sollberger met the family, which has gathered every year since 1876.

8/3/26 7:08 PM

And on the seventh day, we do not rest.

Instead we bring you... dungeon master. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 12:15-3:15 p.m. Free; preregister.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Regular admission, $14-23; free for members and kids under 3; preregister.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY SUNDAY: Folks of all ages with sensory processing differences have the museum to themselves, with adjusted lights and sounds and trusty sensory backpacks. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 9-10 a.m. Free; preregister.

POKÉMON CLUB: Players trade cards and enjoy activities centered on their favorite strategic game. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Free.

LEGO TUESDAYS: Youth architects tackle construction challenges or follow their own blueprints at a creative building session complete with snacks. Norwich Public Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free.

chittenden county

CHILDREN’S STORY TIME WITH CHRISTINE: See WED.5.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

SOCIAL SUNDAYS: Families participate in fun and educational art activities with diverse mediums and themes.

All supplies and instruction provided. Milton Artists’ Guild Art Center & Gallery, 12:302:30 p.m. Free.

barre/montpelier GENDER CREATIVE KIDS: Trans and gender-nonconforming kiddos under 12 and their families build community and friendships at this joyful monthly gathering.

See outrightvt.org for full schedule. Various locations statewide, 2-4 p.m. Free.

upper valley

mad river valley/ waterbury

TODDLER TIME: Little kids ages 5 and under have a blast with songs, stories, rhymes and dancing. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/ WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

STORY TIME WITH BETH: An engaging bookseller and librarian reads picture books on a different theme each week. The Norwich Bookstore, 10 a.m. Free.

TUE.11

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

chittenden county

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/ WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

‘OKLAHOMA!’: See FRI.7, 2 p.m.

READ WITH SAMMY: Young bookworms sharpen their literacy skills by sharing stories (and carrots!) with a certified therapy dog. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4-5 p.m. Free.

‘THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: YOUTH EDITION’: See FRI.7, 2 p.m.

northeast kingdom

ENCHANTED KINGDOM MINI GOLF: See THU.6.

MON.10

burlington

‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

CROWDSOURCED VT: ‘SHREK’: Aspiring filmmakers ages 10 to 18 join local production teams to help re-create scenes from the 2001 animated fantasy flick following the hilarious adventures of a lovable ogre and his cast of misfits. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4:30-6 p.m. Free.

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

chittenden county

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

northeast kingdom

LAPSIT STORY TIME: Babies 2 and under learn to love reading while singing and playing with their caregivers. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11 a.m.

Free.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: See FRI.7.

WED.12

‘DINOSAUR SAFARI’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

READ TO A DOG: See WED.5.

chittenden county

CHILDREN’S STORY TIME WITH CHRISTINE: See WED.5.

GRAB & GO: MINI BOOKSHELF: See WED.5.

BABY & CAREGIVER MEETUP: See WED.5.

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/ WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

FARM FRIENDS PLAY CLUB: A hands-on, screen-free summer drop-in program invites children ages 3 to 9 and their families to spark new connections and forge art out of everyday materials. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock,

3/2/21 6:40 PM

DINO FEST: Families travel back millions of years to explore prehistoric life, uncover facts about the asteroid impact that changed Earth and meet ancient species that still inhabit local waters today. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular admission, $17-23; free for members and kids 2 and under.

barre/montpelier

upper valley

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‘CHAMP: AMERICA’S LAKE MONSTER’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

MAKE & BUILD: See WED.5.

THE NEST: Good Beginnings of Central Vermont hosts a baby-friendly space where prenatal and postpartum families can connect. KelloggHubbard Library, Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/ENEWS

burlington

STORY TIME: Youngsters from birth to 5 enjoy a session of reading, rhyming and singing.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30-11 a.m. Free.

BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See WED.5.

Get the newsletter featuring notable news, arts and food stories handpicked by our editors. Sit back, relax and read up on what you may have missed.

‘MOSAIC OF MARKS, WORDS, MATERIAL’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

barre/montpelier BASEMENT TEEN CENTER: See WED.5.

FAMILY CHESS CLUB: See WED.5.

upper valley

‘CREATIVIDAD SILVESTRE/ WILD CREATIVITY’ EXHIBIT: See WED.5.

STORY TIME: See WED.5. K

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tunes during a weekly ice cream social. Caledonia County Courthouse, St. Johnsbury, 7:30 p.m. Free.

VERGENNES CITY BAND: Attendees get comfy on lawn chairs and blankets while local instrumentalists ages 12 to 90 perform rousing works. Vergennes City Park, 7 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

words

ANIME GROUP: Fans of Japanese animation and comics convene weekly to swap ideas, read stories and connect over shared interests in hand-drawn media. Pathways Vermont Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free.

READ LIKE A WRITER: New England Readers & Writers hosts a virtual reading group for bibliophiles to chat about short stories, both contemporary and classic. 6:30-8 p.m. Free.

SCRIPTWRITERS’ GROUP: Got a story to tell? Talented local writers swap techniques and constructive critiques. Junction Arts & Media, White River Junction, 5:30-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

TIM MAYO & CARLENE KUCHARCZYK: Two authors dive into their respective literary worlds with readings, signings, and an audience Q&A session.

Phoenix Books, Rutland, 6:30 p.m.

Free; preregister.

TUE.11 business

CEDRR AUGUST MIXER: Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region members and friends eat, drink and win prizes at a catered shindig. Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport, North Clarendon, 5-7 p.m.

Free; donations accepted.

MORNING NETWORKING: Young professionals brew up career connections and expand their professional networks at this facilitated meet and greet with experienced business leaders. Hula, Burlington, 8:30 a.m. Free; preregister.

community

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION GROUP: Brownell Library holds a virtual roundtable for neighbors to pause and reflect on the news cycle.

10-11:30 a.m. Free.

crafts

ALL HANDS TOGETHER COMMUNITY CRAFTING GROUP: Marshfield spinning maven Donna Hisson hosts a casual gathering for fiber fans of all abilities to work on old projects or start something new. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6-7:30 p.m. Free.

brush up on their skills in a communal setting. Waterbury Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘BACKYARD WILDERNESS 3D’: See THU.6.

‘DINOSAURS OF ANTARCTICA 3D’: See THU.6.

PALESTINE FILM SERIES: ‘THE WANTED 18’: Paul Cowan and Amer Shomali’s 2014 documentary zooms in on a small Palestinian village that purchased 18 cows in an effort to stop buying Israeli milk. A discussion follows.

Montgomery Center for the Arts, 6:30 p.m. Free.

‘SHARK KINGDOM 3D’: See THU.6.

‘WILD RESCUE 3D’: See THU.6.

food & drink

MILTON FARMERS MARKET: Locally grown goods, fresh eats and handmade crafts take root weekly all summer long.

Bombardier Park West, Milton, 5-8 p.m. Free.

games

BOARD GAME NIGHT: Neighbors show off their skills at an evening of friendly competition playing European tabletop staples such as Catan, Splendor and Concordia.

Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m.

Free.

health & fitness

COMMUNITY MEDITATION: All experience levels engage in the ancient Buddhist practice of clearing the mind to achieve a state of calm. First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, 5:15-6 p.m.

Free; donations accepted.

PARKINSON’S MUTUAL AID GROUP: Affected individuals and caregivers find community, resources and practical ideas for improving quality of life at this monthly meetup. The Old Meeting House, East Montpelier, 2-3 p.m.

Free.

TAI CHI: Practitioners get a feel for the Chinese martial art combining controlled breathing, meditation and slow, gentle movements. Ida Boch Park, Bradford, 10-11 a.m.

Free.

language

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.5.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE LUNCH: Speakers hone their skills in the Romance language over bagged lunches. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, noon-1 p.m. Free.

PAUSE-CAFÉ MARDI: Francophones and Frenchlanguage learners meet pour parler la belle langue. Burlington Bay Market & Café, 5-7 p.m. Free.

music

BEN & JERRY’S CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: LAKE STREET DIVE: SOLD OUT. A joyously genre-defying band characterized

by Rachael Price’s sophisticated vocals delivers a signature blend WATERCOLOR DROP-IN: Painters of soul, pop, folk and jazz-infused bring their own supplies to a tunes. Shelburne Museum, 7 p.m. weekly, instruction-free session to Sold out.

72 SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

FLOW SINGING: Vocalists both new and seasoned intertwine music and mindfulness while learning a sequence of songs by ear. Heineberg Senior Center, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Free.

MARSH LIGHTS: A Vermont acoustic roots quintet performs original progressive bluegrass and folk songs featuring mandolin, banjo and upright bass. Fairlee Town Common, 6:30 p.m. Free.

TUESDAY NIGHT LIVE: REAL OLD & INSANE DONKEY: Listeners delight in local musician Seth Yacovone’s tribute act dedicated to the raw, energetic music of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. BYO chair or blanket. Legion Field, Johnson, 6 p.m. Free.

VERMONT’S FREEDOM & UNITY CHORUS: Singers come together for a weekly rehearsal inspiring positive change through the power of music. Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, 7 p.m. Free.

WYLD NIGHTZ BAND: An exciting mix of rock and dance music by the six-piece local outfit gets listeners moving and grooving on the common. Fairlee Town Common, 6:30 p.m. Free.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

seminars

FINDING HOUSING WORKSHOP: Attendees build an apartment-search tool kit with guidance from the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity. 5-6 p.m. Free; preregister.

tech

AFTERNOON TECH HELP: Experts answer questions about phones, laptops, e-readers and other devices in one-on-one meetings. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 1-4 p.m. Free; preregister.

theater

WRITER’S CIRCLE: Creative sparks fly as participants tackle curated prompts and read their latest drafts aloud in a collaborative environment. Virtual option available. Pathways Vermont Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Free.

WED.12

agriculture

WEDNESDAYS WITH FARMER FRED: See WED.5.

bazaars

GEAR SWAP: Participants find new homes for preloved outdoor clothing and goods, including packs, tents, boots and cooking items. Pierson Library, Shelburne, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

business

‘GENERATIVE CONFLICT: A WORKSHOP FOR LEADERS’: Pinnacle Coaching president and founder Mark Hunter facilitates an interactive session designed for owners, executives and other businesspeople to better understand and respond to tensions in the workplace. Hula, Burlington, 9 a.m.

Free; preregister.

community

CURRENT EVENTS: Neighbors have an informal discussion about what’s in the news. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free.

PASSEGGIATA: See WED.5.

PASSEGGIATA WATERBURY: See WED.5.

crafts

GREEN MOUNTAIN CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD OF AMERICA: Anyone with an interest in the needle arts can bring a project to this monthly meeting. Holy Family Parish Hall, Essex Junction, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

YARN & YAK: See WED.5.

‘RENT’: See WED.5, 7:30 p.m.

YARN CRAFTERS GROUP: See WED.5.

words

education

BURLINGTON LITERATURE GROUP: Over the course of five weeks, readers analyze W. Somerset Maugham’s 1944 novel The Razor’s Edge, about a World War I veteran who rejects a conventional life in search of spiritual meaning. 6:30-8 p.m.

Free.

MAD RIVER VALLEY WRITERS’ WORKSHOP SERIES: Vermont author Peter Forbes delivers a meaningful passage of text, serving as a touchstone for an hour of independent writing time. Knoll Farm, Fayston, 5-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

MARY FONTANA: An author launches her powerful new biography, Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US-Mexico Border, illustrating the complex forces driving global migration. Norwich Public Library, 7 p.m. Free.

EDUCATOR DAYS: The museum thanks academic professionals working in Vermont, New York and New Hampshire with a day of free access to grounds and exhibits.

Shelburne Museum, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free; preregister.

etc.

GUIDED TOURS: See WED.5.

MUSEUM TOURS: See WED.5.

NEIGHBOR APPRECIATION DAY: The telecommunications company invites community members to a show of appreciation featuring free hot dogs and burgers, live music, and giveaways. VTel, Springfield, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

TOASTMASTERS OF GREATER BURLINGTON: Those looking to strengthen their speaking and leadership skills gain new tools.

Virtual option available. Generator Makerspace, Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m. Free; preregister.

film

See what’s playing at local theaters in the On Screen section.

‘THE WANTED: PART II’: Audience members, cast and crew members take in the premiere of local filmmaker Austen Hamel’s tale of loss and revenge. Essex Cinemas & T-Rex Theater, 5:30 p.m. $8-12.

food & drink

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET: See WED.5.

COMMUNITY COOKING: See WED.5.

CUPPA ON CAMPUS: See WED.5.

DANVILLE FARMERS MARKET: See WED.5.

MARKET ON THE GREEN: See WED.5.

ST. AMBROSE LAWN PARTY & CHICKEN BARBECUE: Neighbors get their fill of savory poultry and baked goods at a community cookout complete with a pie contest and a white elephant table. Bristol Village Green, 5 p.m. Free; cost of food.

SUMMER LIVE MUSIC SERIES: See WED.5.

TAYLOR PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: See WED.5.

TOWN OF SHELBURNE CONCERT SERIES: See WED.5.

outdoors

THE AMAZING CORN MAZE: See WED.5.

EYE ON THE SKY STARGAZING PARTY: Fairbanks Planetarium director Mark Breen and Vermont Public host Jane Lindholm answer questions about stars, planets and constellations, followed by lawn games, scrumptious fare and live music. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 6:30-10 p.m. Free; preregister.

FLORA & FAUNA CANOE TOUR: See WED.5.

WEDNESDAY WINE DOWN FARMERS MARKET: See WED.5.

NATURE JOURNALING: Artist and naturalist Lorna Dielentheis teaches participants how to slow down and observe the natural world through sketching and writing, followed by an optional group reflection. Rock Point Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon.

By donation; preregister.

health & fitness

seminars

CHAIR YOGA: See WED.5.

FUNCTIONAL BALANCE WITH LYNNE: Experienced personal fitness trainer Lynne Wells leads an integrative class designed to help participants steady their steps, improve their agility and build everyday strength. Brookfield Old Town Hall, 6-8 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

RECOVERY DHARMA: See WED.5.

language

ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP: Practitioners sharpen their skills and connect with neighbors at a bimonthly meetup facilitated by a native speaker. South Burlington Public Library & City Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free.

LANGUAGE LOUNGE: See WED.5.

SPANISH CLASS: See WED.5.

lgbtq

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE DYKETACULAR: See WED.5.

QUEER WRITERS’ GROUP: LGBTQ+ authors meet monthly to discuss their work, write from prompts, and give each other advice and feedback. Rainbow Bridge Community Center, Barre, 5:30-7 p.m. Free.

music

ART AMPLIFIED: TROY MILLETTE & THE FIRE BELOW WITH COLLIN HAGOOD: Gallery strollers mingle over drinks while back-to-back local acts provide the soundtrack.

BCA Center, Burlington, 5-8 p.m.

Free.

BEN & JERRY’S CONCERTS ON THE GREEN: LAKE STREET DIVE: See TUE.11.

CAPITAL CITY BAND: See WED.5.

CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER PLAYERS: See WED.5.

MUSIC ON THE HILL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: See WED.5.

AUDIO RECORDING 101: An informative evening examines the latest audio techniques and equipment, from microphones to boom poles. The Media Factory, Burlington, 6-8 p.m. Free; donations accepted; preregister.

‘PHILOSOPHY OF FASCISM’: See WED.5.

sports

GREEN MOUNTAIN TABLE TENNIS CLUB: See WED.5.

WHALEBOAT WEDNESDAYS: See WED.5.

talks

DEEP DIVES SERIES: Listeners plunge into the depths of local maritime history at a biweekly lecture series featuring illuminating presentations by archaeologists, educators and researchers. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister.

theater

NORTHERN STAGE IN CONCERT: ‘SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET’: Top-tier talents bring the dark and foggy streets of London to local audiences at this intimate, stripped-down production of Stephen Sondheim’s murderous musical. Byrne Theater, Barrette Center for the Arts, White River Junction, 7:30 p.m. $28-73.

‘RENT’: See WED.5.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE WOODS: The Bard gets a radical, queer and modern update with adaptations of King Lear and The Merry Wives of Windsor presented outdoors.

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, Manchester, 7:30 p.m. $0-100 sliding scale.

words

MEMOIR WORKSHOP: See WED.5. ➆

ATTENTION RECRUITERS Your Help-Wanted Ad Funds Our Local Journalism!

It’s all in a day’s work.

CONNECTS

PROVIDES

Vermont employers with qualified candidates

real customer service powered by human intelligence

SCREENS

for scams and bogus employment “opportunities”

Ready to hire?

Get a quote when you post online or contact Gillian Comito at 802-341-3060 gcomito@sevendaysvt.com.

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM 1t-JobsJournalism070126.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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7/28/26 4:45 PM

classes THE FOLLOWING CLASS LISTINGS ARE PAID ADVERTISEMENTS. ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS HERE FOR AS LITTLE AS $21.25/WEEK (INCLUDES SIX PHOTOS AND UNLIMITED DESCRIPTION ONLINE).

I DONATE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT

NEWSPAPER DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 3 P.M. POST CLASS ADS AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POSTCLASS. GET HELP AT CLASSES@SEVENDAYSVT.COM.

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS ORGANIZATIONS ARE TO THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY.

arts & crafts DAVIS STUDIO ART CLASSES: Stay connected to your creative practice this summer. Seasonal camps, classes and workshops offer flexible, supportive ways for art making full of joy and inspiration! Come as you are and use the time to reset, focus and have fun. Now enrolling youths, teens and adults. Info: 802-4252700, info@davisstudiovt.com, davisstudiovt.com.

– Carly Bennett, Burlington

food & drink

SUPER READER SINCE JUNE 2026

Welcome, new Super Readers!

These wonderful people made their first donation to Seven Days this week:

Ed Lieberman

Winthrop Sargent

Here are some of the repeat and recurring Super Readers who sustain us all year: Thomas Ahern David Birmingham Diana Carlisle Peter Cole Peter Colgan Jennifer Crichton Katelyn Hanson

Karen Hatcher Robert Hyams Jodi Lew-Smith Jim Lintereur Fran McKay Martha McKenzie Akey Joanne Necrason

Patricia Norton Christopher Parlin Don Peabody Holly Pedrini Tim Puet Sally Stetson Everett Thompson

Join these generous folks and other Super Readers who donate monthly to:

Make your contribution today! sevendaysvt.com/super-readers Or send a check w/note to: Seven Days c/o Super Readers, PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05402.

Need more info? Want to give from a donor-advised fund or through a qualified charitable contribution? Contact Gillian at 802-865-1020, ext. 115 or superreaders@sevendaysvt.com.

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

2v-SRthanks080526.indd 1

of Wolfe’s and a senior instructor at Long River Tai Chi Circle in Vermont and New Hampshire and will be teaching the class in Burlington. Dates: Starts Oct. 7, ongoing on Wed., 9-10 a.m. Registration will remain open until Oct. 28. Cost: $65/ mo. Location: Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church (in the gym), 305 Flynn Ave., Burlington. Info: Patrick Cavanaugh, 802-4906405, patricklrtcc@gmail.com, longrivertaichinewengland.com.

8/4/26 10:40 AM

VINTAGE PIPING CAKE DECORATING CLASS: Join us for this in-person workshop at our space in downtown Waterbury!

In this workshop, we will frost a cake with trendy vintage-style piping. The cake will be a six-inch two-layer that serves eight. You can select your flavor in the questionnaire section. Cake kits can be gluten-free, vegan or both. Please disclose all allergies in the ticket registration. Note: We are not an allergen-free facility. Date: Thu., Aug. 20, 6-7:30 p.m. Cost: $85. Location: Red Poppy Cakery, 1 Elm St., Waterbury. Info: 203-4000700, sevendaystickets.com.

Taiko, 208 Flynn Ave., Suite 3-G, Burlington. Info: Stuart Paton, 802-448-0150, burlingtontaiko. org.

wellness LEARN EAR ACUPUNCTURE & HELP YOUR COMMUNITY!: This training consists of 15 hours of online self-study and 20 hours of in-person hands-on training.

Trainees need to attend supervised practice clinics in addition to the two-day training. Upon completion of all course requirements, trainees will be issued a certificate of completion. Learn more on our website. Dates: Oct. 9 & 10, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost: $400. Tuition is $350; participants must also be members of POCA at $50/year. Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Burlington, 152 Pearl St. Info: Ear Acupuncture Training For Everyone, 802-404-2131, info@casobu.org, casobu.org/ ear-acu-wellness.

home & garden GARDENING WORKSHOP AT THE VERMONT ZEN CENTER: Participants will learn the origin of Zen gardens and some of the principles unique to Zen gardening practice. The tour of the diverse gardens at the Vermont Zen Center will demonstrate various ways that these ancient principles are expressed. We will learn how to work in the Zen gardening tradition with intention and skill. All levels of gardening experience welcome.

Refreshments follow. Date: Sat., Aug. 15, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $60.

Location: Vermont Zen Center, 480 Thomas Rd., Shelburne.

Info: Jhana Piche, 802-310-4074, info@vermontzen.org, vermont zen.org/gardening_course.html.

music TAIKO TUESDAYS, DJEMBE WEDNESDAYS!: Drum with Stuart Paton! New sessions each month, starting the weeks of Sep. 15, Oct. 22, Nov. 24 and Jan. 5. Taiko on Tue.: Kids & Parents Taiko, 4-5:30 p.m.; Adult Intro Taiko, 5:30-7 p.m.; Accelerated Intro Taiko 7-8:30 p.m. Djembe on Wed.: Intermediate Djembe 5:30-7 p.m.; Beginner Djembe, 7-8:30 p.m. Drums provided.

Cost: $92/4 weeks; 90-min classes; $72/person for Kids & Parents class. Location: Burlington

martial arts NEW TAI CHI BEGINNERS CLASS IN BURLINGTON: Long River Tai Chi Circle is the school of Wolfe Lowenthal, student of professor Cheng Man Ching and author of three classic works on tai chi chaun. Patrick Cavanaugh is a longtime student and assistant

Find and purchase tickets for these and other classes at sevendaystickets.com.

= TICKETED CLASS

Buy & Sell »

ANTIQUES, FURNITURE, GARAGE SALES

Community »

ANNOUNCEMENTS, LOST & FOUND, SUPPORT GROUPS

Rentals & Real Estate »

APARTMENTS, HOMES, FOR SALE BY OWNER

Vehicles »

CARS, BIKES, BOATS, RVS

Services »

FINANCIAL, CHILDCARE, HOME & GARDEN

Musicians & Artists »

Humane

Society

Frank AGE/SEX: 4-year-old neutered male ARRIVAL DATE: June 15, 2026 SUMMARY: Frank’s doe eyes and snuggly personality have

quickly won the hearts of our staff and volunteers! From playtime to drive-through snacks and couch cuddles, Frank is a great sidekick who’s always up for adventure — and lots of snuggles, please! This special guy can be a little timid in new situations, but given the encouragement he needs to feel safe, he quickly opens up. Once you’ve been let into Frank’s circle, you’ll be rewarded with a loyal companion and all the hugs and puppy kisses you could ask for.

DOGS/CATS/KIDS: Frank is looking to be the only canine in his

of Chittenden County

DID YOU KNOW?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month! Routine vaccinations are essential for protecting your pets from preventable diseases. Keep your pets happy and healthy by making sure they are up-to-date on vaccines such as rabies and distemper.

Sponsored by:

home. He has no known experience living with cats or kids.

Visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County at 142 Kindness Court, South Burlington, Tuesday-Wednesday 1-5 p.m., Thursday-Friday 1-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Call 862-0135 or visit hsccvt.org for more info.

LESSONS, CASTING, REHEARSAL SPACE

Jobs »

NO SCAMS, ALL LOCAL, POSTINGS DAILY

NEW STUFF ONLINE EVERY DAY! PLACE YOUR ADS 24-7 AT SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS. SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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Post ads by Monday at 3 p.m. sevendaysvt.com/classifieds Need help? 802-865-1020, ext. 115 classifieds@sevendaysvt.com

Buy & Sell, Community, Musicians & Artists, Vehicles 1-week combo: $12 All print combos include 2-week combo: $22 30 days free online!

4-week combo: $42

Buy y & Sell e

GARAGE & ESTATE SALES MOVING SALE Solid wood BR, DR & LR furniture. Vintage desk & nightstand, classic decorative pillows, chairs, bookcase, glasstop TV stand, framed watercolors, & more.

Call 410-279-1487.

BRIDPORT, VT., TOWNWIDE YARD SALES Sat. & Sun., Aug. 15 & 16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Maps avail. at sales on the map on the sale dates & at Pratt’s Store starting on Aug. 12.

PETS & SUPPLIES GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPIES ACA registered. Vet checked, 1st shots, wormed. 9 weeks old,

RENT!

A L L E N C A N A L A PA R T M E N T S , W I N O O S K I

Let’s make it happen!

Apartment Features

• 3 Bedrooms • Laundry hookups • Cat friendly • Within walking distance of the bus line and amenities

Client focused Making it happen for you!

Community C ommunity mmuni y

16t-robbihandiholmes052224.indd 1

SLAVIC LIFE The Slavic Life Movement is an organization dedicated to the preservation & evolution of Slavic culture.

CLASSIFIEDS KEY appt. appointment apt. apartment BA bathroom BR bedroom DR dining room DW dishwasher HDWD hardwood HW hot water LR living room NS no smoking OBO or best offer refs. references sec. dep. security deposit W/D washer & dryer EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and similar Vermont statutes which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitations, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, disability, presence of minor children in the family, receipt of public assistance, citizenship, immigration status, or status as a victim or survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or a discrimination. The newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertis-

76

FOR

Buying or Selling this Summer?

Robbi Handy Holmes • 802-951-2128 robbihandyholmes@vtregroup.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rent Includes

5/13/24 2:02 PM

TRACTORS, SKIDSTEERS, TOOLS & EQUIPMENT (1768)

• Trash & snow removal • Parking

Auction is scheduled to close in mid-Sept. 2026

NOW SEEKING CONSIGNMENTS! Construction Equipment, Trucks, Tools, Surplus, & More!

Are you upgrading your fleet, reducing inventory, retiring, or simply have equipment you no longer use?

R E N T I S 3 0 % O F H O U S E H O L D I N C O M E U P T O $ 1,9 75

For details contact Janet Maille at 802-861-7897 www.getahome.org/listings/43-west-allen-street/

Let us help you reach motivated buyers!

Seven Days > 1/4 Vert. > 4.75" x 5.56" Images online. For more

3v-ChamplainHousing080526 1

Email: dakota@thcauction.com THCAuction.com  802-888-4662

➆

ing for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Any home seeker who feels they have encountered discrimination should contact: HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222-1092 1-800-669-9777 hud.gov/reporthousingdiscrimination — OR — Vermont Human Rights Commission 12 Baldwin St. Montpelier, VT 05633-0633 800-416-2010 human.rights@vermont.gov

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Services 1-week combo: $15 2-week combo: $25 4-week combo: $45

Apartments

Ready to go. Parents on-site. Readsboro, Vt. $800. Info, 802-4239995, aljpratt52@gmail. com.

MEDIUM GOLDENDOODLES 30-60 pounds as adults.

Apricot to copper, no to low shed, hypoallergenic, loyal, fun, friendly.

15 years breeding goldendoodles. Puppies avail. Sep. 5. Brookfield, Vt. $1,200. Info, 802728-5291, snokrest@ gmail.com.

Rentals & Real Estate 1-week combo: $25 2-week combo: $45 4-week combo: $85

Rentals R e als & R al Est Real Estate Esta

APARTMENTS & HOUSES FOR RENT BURLINGTON OWNER 9 Adsit Ct. Unfurnished, 1,800 sq.ft. Beautiful 3-BR apt. in singlefamily home. Downtown Burlington. Spacious, HDWD, 1.5-BA. Parking.

Free W/D. Brand-new cooktop/oven. Quick walk to anywhere. $3,000. Info, 802-9992895, kgreenblott@ yahoo.com.

BURLINGTON, SUPER LOCATION 168 North Ave. Unfurnished, 1-BR, 1-BA, 635 sq.ft. Downtown living at its best!

Pet-friendly 1-BR upstairs apt. located on bus line w/ easy access to downtown, colleges & hospital. Very close to Waterfront bike path, Battery Park & the popular dog park on Lake Champlain.

Nice street w/ plenty of parking. No laundry.

Qualified pet allowed w/ deposit. Call for inperson viewing. $1,685.

Info, 802-598-9877, lisaspizza@gmail.com.

BURLINGTON HILL SECTION, SINGLE ROOM FOR RENT Furnished 1-BR at 27 Latham Ct. Single furnished room w/ shared BA. No cooking, NS & no pets. Sheets & towels provided. On the bus line. $200/ week or $867/mo. Call 802-862-2389.

BEAUTIFUL APTS. FOR RENT IN WINOOSKI KHOURI LN. 61 Khouri Ln., Winooski.

1-BR, 1-BA, $1,700/mo.

Beautiful location w/

large yard, large LR, kitchen, full BA. BR fi ts queen-size bed perfectly. New fi xtures, beautiful flooring & tastefully painted.

Duplex w/ your own private entry & private parking. Parking & plowing incl. NS & no pets.

Surrounded by plenty of beautiful green space.

Near colleges, hospitals & public transportation.

Heat not incl. Avail.

Aug 1. Sec. dep. + first mo.’s rent. 2nd person +$100/mo. Images online. For more info, schoolic@gmail.com, classifieds.sevendaysvt. com/vermont/ rentals-real-estate.

BEAUTIFUL APTS. FOR RENT IN WINOOSKI HOOD ST. 26 Hood St., Unit 26 B, Winooski. $1,700/mo.

Beautiful 1-BR, 1-BA. Very large beautiful yard, large LR & kitchen.

1-family dwelling w/ your own private entry & private parking. Parking & plowing incl. NS & no pets. Located on the 2nd floor w/ beautiful inside stairs that lead you to your apt. Heat not incl. 2nd person +$100/mo. Avail. Aug. 1.

info, email schoolic@ gmail.com.

HOUSEMATES CLOSE TO NW MEDICAL CENTER St. Albans: 5-min. walk to Northwestern Medical Center. Active retiree in her sixties who is active w/ church & volunteering offering 2 rooms & private BA in comfortable home w/ spacious, modern kitchen. $650/mo. + small utils. share.

Shared light snow removal. A cat would be considered. BR can be furnished or unfurnished. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application.

Interview, refs. & background checks req.

EHO. UTILS.-ONLY HOMESHARE 2-BR Burlington apt. shared w/ woman in her fi fties who enjoys movies & spending time w/ family & pets. Seeking someone who likes cats & is OK w/ occasional activity/noise due to

7/30/26 2:06 PM visiting grandkids!

Seeking about 10 hours of assistance/ week in exchange for no rent, just a share of electricity. Smaller, unfurnished BR. Shared BA. Bus access. No additional pets. Call 802-863-5625 or visit homesharevermont. org for application.

Interview, refs. & background checks req.

EHO.

Services rv es

HEALTH & WELLNESS YOU DESERVE RELAXATION Join me in my studio for a relaxing holistic massage. Deep tissue or Swedish relaxation. Hot

SERVICES »

Calcoku SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS »

Using the enclosed math operations as a guide, fill the grid using the numbers 1 - 6 only once in each row and column.

2÷

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numbers 1-9 only once in each row, column and 3 x 3 box.

2-

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120x

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5 5 4 6 3 6 1 2 8 2 4 7 9 9 6

Difficulty - Hard

CALCOKU

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HHH

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK: HH

Fill the grid using the numbers 1-6, only once in each row and column. The numbers in each heavily outlined “cage” must combine to produce the target number in the top corner, using the mathematical operation indicated. A one-box cage should be filled in with the target number in the top corner. A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not the same row or column.

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column 8 7 3 4 5 9 2 6 down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers 2 5one 1to nine.

8 The 6 same 3 numbers 4 7 cannot be repeated in a row or column.

2

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1 3 5 2 4 6 crossword 4

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Extra! Extra!

There’s no limit to ad length online.

WANT MORE PUZZLES? Try these online news games from Seven Days at sevendaysvt.com/games.

NEW ON FRIDAYS:

Put your knowledge of Vermont news to the test.

Difficulty: Medium

SUDOKU

BY JOSH REYNOLDS

Open 24/7/365.

Post & browse ads Complete the following puzzle by using the at your convenience.

6 photos per ad online.

2-

6+

13+

Show and tell.

Sudoku View and post up to

1 9 9 6 4 2 7 1 8 5 3 ANSWERS ON P.78 7 3 2 1 8 5 9 4 6 H = MODERATE HH = CHALLENGING HHH = HOO, BOY! 4 8 9 7 3 6 1 2 5 5 1 6 9 4 2 3 8 7 ODD DUCKS 9 8 6 2 7 5 1 4 ANSWERS ON P.378 » 6 2 5 3 1 4 7 9 8 1 4 7 5 9 8 6 3 2

See how fast you can solve this weekly 10-word puzzle.

say you saw it in

mini-sawit-white2024.indd 1

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

7/31/24 4:41 PM

77

Legal Notices Services rv es

Vehicles

[CONTINUED]

RVS

stone & aromatherapy are incl. Afterward, enjoy a complimentary herbal consultation & a warming herbal tea.

Liscenced & insured.

You can schedule by phone, 802-304-8916, or visit us at tara@ ahhhmassage.org.

2019 SAFARI CONDO ALTO R1713 Original owners selling from East Calais. The Safari Condo Alto R1713 is lightweight, durable & compact enough for towing by a mid-size vehicle. It saves fuel mileage by its shape, low weight (1,816 pounds unloaded) & center of gravity. 180-watt solar panels & propane offer off-grid camping. The retractable roof closes down for travel or up for a comfortable living w/ 6 ft., 8 in. of interior height. Other features: large tempered tinted glass windows, front dining area w/ stove, refrigerator, sink, lots of storage, closet w/ fi xed toilet, & twin or kingsize bed. Meticulously cared for & clean. NS, pet-free. Stored indoors w/ annual maintenance & upgrades. No A/C or indoor shower. Serious inquires, please. $36,000. Info, 802-4568701, calasian935@ gmail.com.

SLIDING-SCALE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE $25-$50: You decide!

Acupuncture can help a variety of issues, such as pain anywhere in the body, menstrual problems, stress, insomnia & more. We have helped thousands of people feel better.

Learn more or schedule on our website: casobu. org. Email: info@casobu. org.

CAREGIVING Retired nurse avail. for private in-home light caregiving. NS & no heavy lifting. $30/hour, negotiable. Overnights, weekends & on call.

Please call 802-4951954 & leave message.

NOTICE OF 19 V.S.A. SECTION 502 PUBLIC HEARING STATE OF VERMONT - AGENCY OF TRANSPORTATION RE: ST. GEORGE STP 021-1(36) VT ROUTE 2A & VT ROUTE 116 ROUNDABOUT PROJECT Th e Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) hereby gives notice to property owners, parties interested in land or with rights in land, and municipalities affected by the proposed construction of the above-captioned transportation project, that VTrans will conduct a 19 V.S.A. Section 502 public hearing at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the St. George Town Hall located at 21 Barber Rd, in St. George, Vermont. VTrans is holding this hearing to receive suggestions and recommendations for changes from the public. Th e full hearing, along with any questions or comments will be recorded and transcribed for the hearing record.

VTrans will accept oral or written statements or exhibits at the hearing and for ten (10) days after the hearing via mail or email. VTrans will make these materials part of the hearing record. To submit statements or exhibits after the hearing, please contact the VTrans Project Manager, Michael LaCroix.

Mailing Address: Vermont Agency of Transportation c/o Michael LaCroix 219 North Main Street, Barre, VT 05641 Email Address: michael.lacroix@vermont.gov Th e intersection of VT Route 2A and VT Route 116 has been a high crash location for many years. Th e proposed project will improve the safety conditions at the intersection with the installation of a modern roundabout.

Th e acquisition of easements is required to construct the roadways and, in some areas, maintain constructed features such as slopes, drainage structures and waterway channels, and features for permitting requirements.

VTrans is notifying by certifi ed mail all parties it knows who may be, but not necessarily will be, affected by the proposed project. VTrans will conduct property owner meetings with all the parties affected by the proposed project after the public hearing, at a later date.

Members of the public may see a copy of the 502 hearing figure plans and handout at the hearing, where VTrans representatives will discuss the tentative schedules for right-of-way easement acquisition and construction.

Dated at Barre, Vermont, this 16th day of July 2026.

JOE FLYNN, SECRETARY AGENCY OF TRANSPORTATION VTrans ensures that all public meetings and locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability may request accommodation in order to fully participate in any public meeting held by VTrans.

Requests for translation, interpretive, or other services for accommodation, must be made at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the date of the meeting for which services are requested.

Please make requests to: Colleen Montague Director of Civil Rights, Civil Rights Bureau | Finance & Administration Vermont Agency of Transportation 219 North Main Street | Barre, VT 05641 802-777-2654 | colleen.montague@vermont. gov ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C0661-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111 Application 4C0661-1 from Audubon Vermont, 255 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington, VT 05462 and Green Mountain Bird Alliance, P.O. Box 4333, Burlington, VT 05406 was received on July 14, 2026 and deemed complete on July 24, 2026. Th e project is generally described as construction of a 12’-6” x 30’-0” addition to the existing barn at the Audubon VT facility. Th e project includes construction of a new retaining wall, an additional parking area, a new drilled well and an in-ground wastewater disposal system. Th e project is located at 255 Sherman Hollow Road in Huntington, Vermont. Th e application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0661-1.”

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SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

3

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PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 121.

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before August 24, 2026, a party notifi es the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Offi ce at: Act250.Essex@vermont. gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this July 28, 2026.

By: /s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C0437-4(REVISED)-A 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111 Application 4C0437-4(Revised)-A from BETA Technologies, Inc., 1150 Airport Road, South Burlington, VT 05403 was received on July 23, 2026 and deemed complete on July 28, 2026.

Th e project is generally described as proposed renovations to an existing commercial building to accommodate offi ce and assembly use for BETA Technologies, Inc. Th e Project includes interior and exterior improvements. No building expansion is proposed. Th e Project is located on Lot 6 of the Gregory and Daughters Industrial Park at 2 Gregory Drive in South Burlington, Vermont. Th e application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https:// act250.vermont.gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0437-4(Revised)-A.” No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before August 25, 2026, a party notifi es the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion. Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Offi ce at: Act250.Essex@vermont. gov. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this July 29, 2026.

By: /s/ Stephanie H. Monaghan Stephanie H. Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.:​26-PR-00333 In re ESTATE of Deborah Pike NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the creditors of: Deborah Hill Pike aka Deborah Pike Africa aka Debbie Africa, late of Shelburne Vermont and Huntersville, North Carolina.

I have been appointed to administer this estate.

All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

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Lise Morrison, unit #64: household goods Chip Wilber, unit #70: household goods Nathan A. Botala, unit #5: household goods Robert Pirog Jr. unit #67: household goods

IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098: STORAGE UNITS 3905.

In re ESTATE of Gill B. Coates

Enforcement of Lien, Champlain Valley Self Storage,LLC shall host a private auction of the following units on or after August 29, 2026: Contents: household goods Location: 2211 Main St Colchester VT 05446 Michael Taylor: # 744 Robert Currier: #740 Kyla Smith: #867 Auction pre-registration is required, email info@ champlainvalleyselfstorage.com to register.

CVSS,llc reserves the right to reject any bid lower than the amount owed by the occupant or that is not commercially reasonable as defined by statute. Any person claiming a right to the goods may pay the amount claimed due and reasonable expenses before the sale, in which case the sale may not occur.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the creditors of: Gill B. Coates, late of Hinesburg.

Dated: July 6 ‘26 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Elly Coates

Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court Address of Probate Court: Vermont Superior Court – Chittenden Unit – Probate Division 175 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401

Executor/Administrator: Elly Coates Mailing Address: PO Box 598, 1088 Texas Hill Road, Hinesburg VT 05461 Phone Number: 802-482-3460 Email: ecoates@gmavt.net

Applications may be submitted to the Clerk/ Treasurer’s Office, 149 Church Street, 2nd Floor, Burlington, VT 05401, Attn: Lori with the deadline date for submission being Wednesday, September 9, 2026, no later than 4:30 p.m.

If you have any questions please contact Lori at (802) 865-7136 or via email lolberg@burlingtonvt. gov.

Appointments will be made at the September 14, 2026 City Council and City Council With Mayor Presiding Meetings.

The City of Burlington encourages persons from diverse backgrounds to apply to serve on boards, commissions and committees. The City is committed to providing equal opportunity to all persons without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual preference, national origin, disability or any other non-merit factor.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH VT TITLE 9 COMMERCE AND TRADE CHAPTER 098: STORAGE UNITS 3905.

Enforcement of Lien, Stuff-It Self-Storage LLC shall host a live auction of the following unit on 08/27/2026 at 4:00 PM: Location: 930 Main St, Fairfax, VT 05454

For more information contact Kaitlin Hayes at the address or telephone number below.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.:​ 26-PR-04313

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 08/05/26

CSWD – alternate Term Expires 5/31/28 One Opening Church Street Marketplace Commission Term Expires 6/30/29 One Opening Design Advisory Board – alternate Term Expires 6/30/29 Two Openings Development Review Board – alt Term Expires 6/30/27 One Opening Development Review Board – full Term Expires 6/30/27 One Opening Public Works Commission Term Expires 6/30/27 One Opening Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board Term Expires 6/30/28 One Opening

be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

Dated this July 30, 2026.

By: /s/ Kaitlin Hayes Kaitlin Hayes District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 (802) 622-4084 kaitlin.hayes@vermont.gov

Executor/Administrator: Adam M. Africa Mailing Address: 14036 Harvington Dr Huntersville NC 28078 Phone Number: 206-356-0065 Email: adamafrica@proton.me

BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL OPENINGS BURLINGTON CITY COMMISSIONS/BOARDS

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Contents sold as is, and need to be removed within 48 hours at no cost to Stuff-It Self-Storage LLC. Purchase must be made in cash and paid in advance of the removal of the contents of the unit. A $50 cash deposit shall be made and will be refunded if the unit is broom cleaned. Stuff-It Self-Storage LLC reserves the right to accept or reject bids.

I have been appointed to administer this estate.

All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: 28 July 2026 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Adam M. Africa

Open 24/7/365.

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.:​25-PR-04346 IN RE: ESTATE OF WILLIAM J. MCKENZIE NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: August 5, 2026

To the creditors of: William J. McKenzie, late of Colchester, Vermont

Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

I have been appointed to administer this estate.

All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of this publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C0767-8 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111 Application 4C0767-8 from Farmstead Home Owners Association, 40 Fieldstone Way, Shelburne, VT 05482 was received on July 10, 2026 and deemed complete on July 27, 2026. The project specifically authorizes the Farmstead Subdivision to retrofit an existing stormwater basin located on a common land parcel and within an established easement on Lot 6 of the subdivision. The stormwater basin will be retrofitted to a gravel wetland to comply with Stormwater General Permit 3-9050. The project is located at Farmstead Drive in Shelburne, Vermont. The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont. gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C0767-8.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before August 25, 2026, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion.

Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov.

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not

Dated: July 30, 2026 /s/ David C. Carter, Esq., Executor 108 Featherbed Lane So. Hero, VT 05486 802-372-6550 dcarter@usa.net Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 08/05/26 Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Court 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 CITY OF BURLINGTON IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX A REGULATION IN RELATION TO RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION— SECTION 7A ACCESSIBLE SPACES DESIGNATED, SECTION 12 NO PARKING DAYTIME OR WEEKDAYS EXCEPT BY TRUCKS LOADING OR UNLOADING, SECTION 12-1 NO PARKING EXCEPT VEHICLES LOADING OR UNLOADING, SECTION 25 TAXICAB STANDS, SECTION 29 SPECIAL PARKING Sponsor(s): Department of Public Works Action: Approved Date: 7/15/26 Attestation of Adoption: Madeline Suender, E.I.T. Public Works Engineer, Technical Services Published: 08/05/26 Effective: 08/25/26

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That Appendix C, Rule and Regulations of the Traffic Commission, 7A Accessible spaces designated, Section 12 No parking daytime or weekdays except by trucks loading or unloading, Section 12-1 No Parking except vehicles loading or unloading, Section 25 Taxicab stands, Section 29 Special parking of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burlington is hereby amended as follows: Section 7A Accessible spaces designated. (a) No person shall park any vehicle at any time in the following locations, except automobiles displaying license plates or placards issued pursuant to 23 V.S.A. § 304a, or any amendment or renumbering thereof: (1) – (6) As written.

(7) On the north side of Main Street, in the first two spaces west of Church Street. On the north side of Main Street in the first and second space east of the mid-block crossing at City Hall Park (8) – (47) As written.

(48) Reserved. On the south side of Main Street in the first space west of South Champlain Street (49) – (80) As written.

(81) Reserved. On the north side of Main Street in front of 72 Main Street (82) On the south side of Main Street in the second fourth space west of Church Street.

(83) Reserved. On the south side of Main Street in the first space west of St Paul Street (84) – (133) As written.

(134) On the north side of Main Street, beginning 100 feet west of St. Paul Street for 20 feet. On the east side of Church Street in the first space south of Main Street.

(135) - (152) As written.

(153) On the south side of Main Street in the fourth space east of Church Street. Reserved.

(154) – (173) As written. (b) As written.

Section 12 No parking daytime or weekdays except by trucks loading or unloading. (a) No vehicle other than a truck actually engaged in loading or unloading shall, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except Sunday, and for no more than thirty (30) minutes, use the following parking spaces: (1) – (52) As written.

(53) East side of Church Street in the first space south of Main Street for a distance of 60 feet.

Reserved.

(54) – (56) As written. (b) As written.

Section 12-1 No Parking except vehicles loading or unloading.

No person shall park a vehicle at the following locations unless engaged in loading or unloading the vehicle: (1) – (14) As written.

(15) A loading and unloading zone designated with a thirty (30)-minute limit, located on the south side of Main Street seventy (70) feet west of Church Street for a distance of fifty (50) feet. On the south side of Main Street in the second space west of Church Street from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(16) In the first space east of Church Street on the north side of Main Street for a maximum time limit of thirty (30) minutes. On the north side of Main Street in the second space west of Church Street from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(17) – (32) As written.

(33) Reserved. On the west side of Church Street in the first space south of Main Street for the entirety of the 50’ parking area from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(34) In the first space west of South Winooski Avenue on the south side of Main Street extending for thirty-five (35) feet, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday for a maximum time limit of thirty (30) minutes. On the south side of Main Street in the first three spaces west of South Winooski Avenue from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(35) – (42) As written.

(43) Reserved. On the south side of Main Street

It is hereby Ordained by the Public Works Commission of the City of Burlington as follows:

LEGALS » SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

79

Legal Notices [CONTINUED] in the second space west of South Champlain Street from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(44) Reserved. On the south side of Main Street in the first space east of South Champlain Street from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(45) As written.

(46) Reserved. On the north side of Main Street in the first space west of the mid-block crosswalk at the Flynn from 6AM-5PM for no more than fifteen (15) minutes.

(47) - (52) As written.

(53) In the first space west of South Winooski Avenue on the north side of Main Street, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for no more than fifteen (15) minutes. On the north side of Main Street in the first four spaces west of South Winooski Avenue.

(54) As written.

Section 25 Taxicab stands.

The following locations are designated as taxicab stands: (1) On the north side of Main Street, in the second space easterly of St. Paul Street. in the first space west of the mid—block crosswalk at the Flynn from 5PM – midnight.

(2) – (8) As written.

(9) On the south side of Main Street seventy (70) feet west of Church Street extending 50 feet west from midnight to 6:00 a.m.

(10) (9) On the west side of Church Street beginning fifty (50) feet south of Main Street and extending south for a distance of one hundred thirty (130) feet between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. in the first space south of Main Street for the entirety of the 50’ parking area from 5PM – midnight.

Section 29 Special parking.

No parking shall occur at the following locations unless by: (a) Car share organizations. Valid car share organizations shall meet the following criteria: Require users to be members of the car share organization. Provide ubiquitous self-service access to all, or most, of a shared fleet of automobiles at locations not staffed by the car share service organization. Encourage short-term, local trips and discourage users from driving more than necessary. Provide its members automobile insurance that exceeds the State-mandated minimum when its members are using car share vehicles and shall assume responsibility for maintaining car share vehicles.

(1) – (6) As written.

(7) On the north side of Main Street in the first space west of Saint Paul Street. On the west side of St Paul St just south of the midblock crossing.

(8) As written. (b) As written. (c) Electric Vehicles.

(1) On the south north side of Main Street in the first second and third spaces east of Church Street.

(2) On the north side of Main Street in the first three second spaces west of Saint Paul Street.

(3) – (7) As written. (d) Police vehicles.

(1) On the north side of Main Street at the intersection of Church Street except for police vehicles from 5PM-6AM. (2) – (7) As written.

(8) On the north side of Main Street in the first space west of the Church Street intersection (9) On the south side of Main Street in the first space west of Church Street intersection from 5PM – 6AM. (e) As written. (f) As written. ** Material stricken out deleted. *** Material underlined added.

MS: BCO Appx.C, 7A, 12, 12-1, 25, 29

80

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

PLACE AN AFFORDABLE NOTICE AT: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/LEGAL-NOTICES OR CALL 802-865-1020, EXT. 142.

7/15/2026 INVITATION TO BID ESSEX JUNCTION PARK STREET RESTRIPING PROJECT The City of Essex Junction has issued an Invitation to Bid for Park Street Restriping project.

RECEIPT OF BIDS: Sealed bids on forms prepared by the Engineer will be received by the City of Essex Junction, at the City of Essex Junction offices, located at 2 Lincoln Street in Essex Junction, Vermont, until 2:00 p.m. (local time) on August 20, 2026 for the Essex Junction Park Street Restriping project. The contract generally includes the removal of existing pavement markings and the application of new pavement markings, including but not limited to: yellow lines, white edge lines, bike lanes and buffers, crosswalks, stop bars, symbols and words, railroad crossing markings, and “Do Not Block” areas.

All work will be in accordance with Drawings, Specifications and other Contract Documents and information prepared by the City of Essex Junction, 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, Vermont.

OBTAINING CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: Digital Drawings, Specifications, and other Contract Documents may be obtained by emailing Jeffrey P. Kershner, P.E., President, Donald L. Hamlin Consulting Engineers, Inc. at jkershner@dlhce. com. Prospective bidders will be added to the Plan Holder List and will be provided with access to a digital SharePoint site. All Drawings, Specifications, Contract Documents, Addendums, and other relevant project information will be available on the SharePoint site free of charge. It is the responsibility of the Prospective Bidder to review relevant project information located on the SharePoint site. Prospective Bidders must be on the Plan Holder List to receive access to the SharePoint site and be eligible to submit a bid.

BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ AT 2:00 p.m. (local time) on August 20, 2026 in the first-floor meeting room at the City of Essex Junction offices located at 2 Lincoln Street in Essex Junction, Vermont 05452.

BID GUARANTY: A bid bond is not required for this project. The City of Essex Junction reserves the right to waive any informalities and to reject any or all bids.

CONTRACT TIME: If awarded the Contract, the Contractor agrees to complete the work in its entirety, as shown on the Contract Plans. The anticipated contract start date for the project is September 14, 2026 and all work shall be completed on or before October 30, 2026.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES DESIGN OF A NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY The City of Essex Junction (“City”) is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from qualified architectural and engineering firms to provide professional services for the planning, design, permitting, bidding, and construction administration of a new Department of Public Works (DPW) Facility.

Questions about this RFQ are due via email to Regina Mahony at rmahony@essexjunction. org by 4:30 PM, August 21, 2026. Answers to all questions will be posted at www.essexjunction. org/news/invitation-to-bid by the City by 4:30 PM, August 28, 2026.

A Statement of Qualifications including the information noted in the full RFQ and any other information that best represents the firm’s qualifications to perform necessary engineering services is due by 4:30 PM on September 4, 2026, either via e-mail to Regina Mahony at rmahony@ essexjunction.org, or via U.S. Mail to the City of

Essex Junction, Attn: Regina Mahony, 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

The complete RFQ may be obtained, without charge, on the City of Essex Junction webpage at www.essexjunction.org/news/invitation-to-bid, at the City Office, or by calling (802) 878-6944.

The City, through its Authorized Representative, reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, waive informalities, request additional information, or cancel this solicitation at any time.

NORTHSTAR SELF STORAGE WILL BE HAVING A PUBLIC AND ONLINE SALE/AUCTION FOR THE FOLLOWING STORAGE UNITS ON AUGUST 20, 2026 AT 9:00 AM Northstar Self Storage will be having a public and online sale/auction on August 20, 2026 at 9am EST at 205 Route 4A West, Castleton VT 05735 (Unit C54, C151, C161), 615 VT Route 7, Danby VT 05739 (D26, D107), 2517 Charlestown Rd, Springfield, VT 05150 (CC07, S50, S55, S95, S126 ), and online at www.storagetreasures.com at 9:00 am in accordance with VT Title 9 Commerce and Trade Chapter 098: Storage Units 3905.

Enforcement of Lien Unit # Name Contents C54 Ron Powers Household Goods C151 Honesty Rios Household Goods C161 Brent Clark Household Goods D26 Esther Bushee Household Goods D107 Sadie Sargent Household Goods CC07, S50, S126 Anthony Wright Household Goods S55 Kyle Griffin Household Goods S95 Shawna Smith Household Goods STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT PROBATE DIVISION CHITTENDEN UNIT DOCKET NO.:​ 26-PR-01338 In re ESTATE of Timothy Doolin NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the creditors of: Timothy Doolin, late of Essex, Vermont I have been appointed to administer this estate.

All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period.

Dated: Monday, August 3, 2026 Signature of Fiduciary: /s/ Margaret Doolin Executor/Administrator: Margaret Doolin Mailing Address: 5 Steeplebush Road Essex Junction, Vermont 05452 United States Email: pegvermont@gmail.com Phone number: (802) 881-8584 Name of Publication: Seven Days Publication Date: 08/05/2026 Name of Probate Court: Chittenden Probate Division Address of Probate Court: 175 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TOWN OF UNDERHILL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB) Appeal of a decision of the Zoning Administrator Monday, August 24, 2026 @ 6:30 PM At the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill, VT The Underhill Development Review Board will hold a hearing based upon an appeal of a decision of the Zoning Administrator, per Section 10.5(A)

of the Town of Underhill Unified Land Use & Development Regulations adopted March 1, 2011 and last amended March 3, 2020. The appeal concerns the Zoning Administrator’s decision to issue an extension of a temporary structure permit authorizing the continued use of a camper as temporary housing during the construction of a permanent dwelling at 20 Waughbrook Lane.

The subject property is located in the Mount Mansfield Scenic Preservation and Soil & Water Conservation Zoning Districts. The hearing will commence at 6:30 PM at the Underhill Town Hall, 12 Pleasant Valley Road, on Monday, August 24, 2026. The hearing will also be accessible via the Go-To-Meeting platform.

Additional information, including information to access the public meeting on the Go-To-Meeting platform, may be obtained on the Town’s website calendar under August 24, 2026 or by contacting the Co-Clerks of the Development Review Board.

The hearing is open to the public. Pursuant to 24 VSA § 4464(a)(1)(C) and 4471(a), participation in this local proceeding is a prerequisite to the right to take any subsequent appeal. If you cannot attend the hearing, comments may be made in writing, prior to the meeting, and mailed to: Penny Miller and Matt Chapek, Co-Clerks of the DRB, P.O. Box 120 Underhill, VT 05489 or to: pennymillervt@ gmail.com or bigskymaple@myfairpoint.net ACT 250 NOTICE MINOR APPLICATION 4C1312-1 10 V.S.A. §§ 6000 – 6111 Application 4C1312-1 from RAN Investments Vermont, LLC, dba Kwiniaska Golf Club, P.O. Box 1329, Shelburne, VT 05482 was received on July 27, 2026 and deemed complete on August 3, 2026. The project is generally described as construction of one new stormwater dry pond near the southern edge of the property, and a retrofit of an existing pond with controlled outlet structures near the northern edge of the property.

The project is located at the Kwiniaska Golf Club at 5531 Spear Street in Shelburne, Vermont.

The application may be viewed on the Land Use Review Board’s website (https://act250.vermont. gov/) by clicking “Act 250 Database” and entering the project number “4C1312-1.”

No hearing will be held and a permit may be issued unless, on or before August 25, 2026, a party notifies the District 4 Commission in writing of an issue requiring a hearing, or the Commission sets the matter for a hearing on its own motion.

Any person as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c) (1) may request a hearing. Any hearing request must be in writing, must state the criteria or sub-criteria at issue, why a hearing is required, and what additional evidence will be presented at the hearing. Any hearing request by an adjoining property owner or other person eligible for party status under 10 V.S.A. § 6085(c)(1)(E) must include a petition for party status under the Act 250 Rules. To request party status and a hearing, fill out the Party Status Petition Form on the Board’s website: https://act250.vermont.gov/documents/ party-status-petition-form, and email it to the District 4 Office at: Act250.Essex@vermont.gov.

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law may not be prepared unless the Commission holds a public hearing.

For more information contact Stephanie H. Monaghan at the address or telephone number below.

Dated this August 3, 2026.

By: /s/ Stephanie Monaghan Stephanie Monaghan District Coordinator 111 West Street Essex Junction, VT 05452 802-261-1944 stephanie.monaghan@vermont.gov

SEVENDAYSVT.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

TOWN OF WESTFORD DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 and the Westford Land Use & Development Regulations, the Westford Development Review Board will hold a public hearing at the Westford Town Offices (1713 Route 128) & via Zoom on Monday, August

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24, 2026 at 7:00 PM to review the following application: Application: Conditional Use and Waiver Review Applicant: Tony & Jessica Pouliot Property Location: Pouliot Property – Osgood Hill Road (approximately 83.6 acres)

Support Groups A CIRCLE OF PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS Please join our professionally facilitated peer-led support groups designed to share our questions, concerns & struggles, as well as our resources & successes! Contribute to our discussion of the unique but shared experience of parenting. For more info or to register, please contact Heather at hniquette@pcavt.org, 802-498-0607, pcavt.org/ family-support-programs.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Call the Vermont statewide anonymous hotline: 802-802-2288.

Alcoholics Anonymous holds daily meetings all over Vermont, both in person & online. For meetings & events throughout Vermont, see aavt.org.

ANXIETY RELIEF GROUP Anxiety Relief Group is a safe setting for relaxing & exploring your feelings w/ others through gentle socialization & self-expression, building up what makes you centered & strong. Wed., 4-5:30 p.m.

Online, email us for the Zoom link & more info: morgansplace@pathwaysvermont.org.

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP Vermont Center for Independent Living offers virtual monthly meetings, held on the 3rd Wed. of every mo., 1-2:30 p.m. The support group will offer valuable resources & info about brain injury. It will be a place to share experiences in a safe, secure & confidential environment. To join, email Linda Meleady at lindam@vcil.org & ask to be put on the TBI mailing list. Info: 800-639-1522.

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR DRAGON BOAT TEAM Looking for a fun way to do something active & health-giving? Want to connect w/ other breast cancer survivors? Come join Dragonheart Vermont. We are a breast cancer survivor & supporter dragon boat team who paddle together in Burlington. Please contact us at info@ dragonheartvermont.org for info.

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE Conversations About Suicide is a judgment-free & open space to talk about personal experiences of suicidal ideation. The group is facilitated by peer support staff w/ lived experience of suicidality.

Thu., 3:45-4:45 p.m., at Morgan’s Place, 50 S. Willard St., Burlington. Email us for more info: morgansplace@pathwaysvermont.org, pathwaysvermont.org/programs/ peersupportcenter.

HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP This Hearing Voices Group seeks to find understanding of voice-hearing experiences as real lived experiences that may happen to anyone at any time. We choose to share experiences, support & empathy. We validate anyone’s experience & stories about their experience as their own, as being an honest & accurate representation of their experience, & as being acceptable exactly as they are. Tue., 2:30-4 p.m. Morgan’s Place, 50 S. Willard St., Burlington. Email us for more information: morgansplace@pathwaysvermont. org, pathwaysvermont.org/programs/ peersupportcenter.

KINDRED CONNECTIONS PROGRAM OFFERED FOR CHITTENDEN COUNTY CANCER SURVIVORS The Kindred Connections program provides peer support for all those touched by cancer. Cancer patients, as well as caregivers, are provided w/ a mentor who has been through the cancer experience & knows what it’s like to go through it. In addition to sensitive listening, Kindred Connections provides practical help such as rides to doctors’ offices & meal deliveries. The program has people who have experienced a wide variety of cancers. For further info, please contact info@ vcsn.net.

LIVING THROUGH LOSS The Volunteer Chaplaincy Program of Gifford Medical Center sponsors a weekly meeting of its “Living Through Loss” grief support group.

Anyone who has experienced a significant loss over the past year or so is warmly invited to attend the free weekly meetings every Fri., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For info, contact the Rev. Tim Eberhardt, Gifford’s spiritual care coordinator, at 802-728-2107.

MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP Area myeloma survivors, families & caregivers have come together to form a Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We provide emotional support, resources about treatment options, coping strategies & a support network by participating in the group experience w/ people who have been through similar situations. 3rd Tue. of every mo., 5-6 p.m., on Zoom. Info: Kay Cromie, 655-9136, kgcromey@aol.com.

NARCANON BURLINGTON GROUP Group meets every Mon. at 7 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 S. Winooski Ave., Suite 301, Burlington. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. Info: Amanda H., 338-8106.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Narcotics Anonymous is a group of recovering addicts who live without the use of drugs. It costs nothing to join. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Held in Burlington, St Albans, Morrisville, Barre & Stowe.

Info, 833-436-6166 or cvana.org.

NEW (& EXPECTING) MAMAS & PAPAS & EVERY PRIMARY CAREGIVER TO A BABY Drop-in play every day: The Children’s Room in Waterbury is open Mon.-Fri. for anyone w/children ages 0-6 to come & play. Check the TCR calendar for hours & school closure days. Caregiver & Baby Circle: Weekly drop-in on Mon., 11 a.m., at the Children’s Room. We are pleased to offer a weekly gathering for babies (0-18 mos.) & their caregivers, sponsored by Good Beginnings & hosted by the Children’s Room. Nature Explorations: Tue., 10-11:30 a.m., at various trailheads in the area. Get outside for some fresh air & fun! Every week we go to a different trailhead or natural area to explore.

Ages 0-6; carriers are helpful for little ones. Email childrensroom@huusd.org to sign up; enrollment is always open. Music & Movement: drop-in, Wed., 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We begin by singing songs & moving together & allow time at the end to play w/ instruments, as well as time for adults

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Zoning District: Village, Rural 10, and Water Resource Overlay The proposal is a request for Conditional Use approval to construct a residential driveway within the Water Resource Overlay and a request for a Waiver to construct a dwelling outside the maximum setback.

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Zoom Meeting Information: Meeting ID: 941 0834 4652 Passcode: 3DhU7g For additional information, contact the Town Offices at (802) 878-4587, Monday–Thursday 8:30am–4:30pm & Friday 8:30am-1:00pm

CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS@SEVENDAYSVT.COM OR 802-865-1020 EXT. 115 TO UPDATE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP

& kids to socialize. Ages 0-6. Exploration & Art Fridays: drop-in, Fri., anytime from 9 a.m.-noon at the Children’s Room in Brookside Primary School. We’ll be engaging in different hands-on explorations & using various mediums every week — sometimes combined. Come to TCR to explore, play & create! For info, email childrensroom@ huusd.org.

PARKINSON’S MUTUAL AID GROUP For individuals & caregivers dealing w/ the challenges of Parkinson’s, we meet to share resources & practical ideas for improving quality of life.

This in-person group is free & open to the public.

Every 2nd Tue. of the mo., 2-3 p.m., at the Old Meeting House, 1620 Center Rd., East Montpelier.

Please contact admin@oldmeetinghouse.org or 229-9593.

RECOVERY DHARMA Recovery Dharma uses Buddhist practices & principles to help people recover from all kinds of addictions & addictive behaviors. This peer-led, nontheistic group offers opportunities to deepen understanding, explore personal inquiry & connect w/ others. We meet every Wed., 6-7 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Burlington (the Red Door Church, 21 Buell St.). Enter through the administrative office door (at far left when viewed from Buell St.). We also meet on Thu., 1-2 p.m., at the Turning Point Center, 179 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. No meditation experience required; all are welcome. Email rd.burlington.vt@ gmail.com for more info.

SMART RECOVERY SMART Recovery is a mutual support group where, through open confidential discussion, we help each other & ourselves w/ recovery from any type of addictive behavior. Regardless of whether your recovery goals include abstinence, reduction in use, or harm reduction, you are welcome here.

You determine your goals; SMART provides tools & support to help you achieve them.Our approach uses self-empowering skills that help you build & maintain motivation; cope w/ urges; manage thoughts, feelings & behaviors; & live a balanced life. For the latest information about in-person & online groups, go to meetings.smartrecovery.org.

SEX & LOVE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 12-step recovery group. Do you have a problem w/ sex or relationships? We can help. Info: Visit slaafws.org or saa-recovery.org for meetings near you.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SUPPORT HOPE Works offers free support groups to women, men & teens who are survivors of sexual violence.

Groups are avail. for survivors at any stage of the healing process. Intake for all support groups is ongoing. If you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule an intake to become a group member, please call our office at 864-0555, ext. 19, or email our victim advocate at advocate@ sover.net. Visit hopeworksvt.com for more info.

STEPS SUPPORT GROUP Steps offers a weekly support group w/ drop-in options for those who have experienced or who have been affected by domestic violence.

Women’s Support Group meets virtually every Tue., 5-6:30 p.m. Gender Inclusive Support Group

meets virtually every Thu., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Both groups offer a safe, supportive & confidential place to connect w/ others, heal & recover. For more info, call us at 658-1996 or email steps@ stepsvt.org.

STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS We offer 3 monthly National Stuttering Association (NSA) stuttering support groups for adults, teens & school-age children (7-12).

Meetings take place monthly at UVM & by Zoom.

Contact burlington stutters@gmail.com for more information.

SUICIDE HOTLINES IN VT Brattleboro, 257-7989; Montpelier (Washington County Mental Health Emergency Services), 2290591; Randolph (Clara Martin Center Emergency Service), 800-639-6360.

SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN Group for women who have experienced intimate partner abuse. Facilitated by Circle (Washington Co. only). Please call 877-543-9498 for more info.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE: S. BURLINGTON This group is for people experiencing the impact of the loss of a loved one to suicide. 1st Wed. of each mo., 6-7:00 p.m., at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 3 Dorset St., S. Burlington. Info: Bob Purvee at 802-922-4685 or Aya Kuki at 802-881-3606, or by email at survivorsofsuicidelosssb@gmail.com.

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS SUPPORT GROUP The Compassionate Friends international support group for parents, siblings & families grieving the loss of a child meets the 4th Tue. of every mo., 7-8:30 p.m., at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 160 Hinesburg Rd., S. Burlington. Call/email Alan at 802-233-0544, alanday88@gmail.com, or call Claire at 802-448-3569.

TRANS PARENT GROUP This support group is for adult family members & caregivers of queer &/or questioning youths. It is held on the 1st Mon. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., online; & on the 3rd Mon. of every mo., 6-7:30 p.m., at Outright Vermont, 241 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington. This group is for adults only. For more info, email info@outrightvt.org.

TRANSGUARDIANS SUPPORT GROUP We will be in community w/ parents of trans kids of all ages & supporting each other w/ storytelling, listening, learning & love. If we want to protect our trans kids, our 1st line of defense is uplifting their parents & guardians! This is a peer-support group & will be facilitated by Alison & Shawna. 4th Tue. of every mo., 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Rainbow Bridge Community Center. Contact 622-0692 or info@ rainbowbridgevt.org or go to rainbowbridgevt.org.

TRAUMA SUPPORT GROUP Our group is a space for mutual support for everyone who is living w/ mental/emotional trauma.

The group meets every Fri., 2:15-3:15 p.m., at Morgan’s Place Peer Support Center, 50 S. Willard St., Burlington, or on Zoom. Email morgansplace@ pathwaysvermont.org, pathwaysvermont.org/ programs/peersupportcenter.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

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82 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST YOUR JOBS AT: PRINT DEADLINE: FOR RATES & INFO:

JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM/POST-A-JOB NOON ON MONDAYS (INCLUDING HOLIDAYS) GILLIAN COMITO, 802-341-3060 GCOMITO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL SOURCE. JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

ger

math education for all students. All Learners Network r to ensure payroll, billing, and financial reporting run al for supporting the Admin Team with the visibility and to sustain our growth over time.

000-$85,000 USD. Apply: hubs.li/Q04rwc820

SHORT ORDER COOK

Business Manager Experienced Servers

Help shape the future of math education for all students. All Learners Network seeks a Business Manager to ensure payroll, billing, and financial reporting run smoothly. This role is crucial for supporting the Admin Team with the visibility and operational rigor needed to sustain our growth over time.

Aging in Place with Pets

Volunteer

Base Salary Range: $75,000-$85,000 USD.

(Early morning shifts)

For more information & to apply: 7dvt.pub/appets

Apply: hubs.li/Q04rwc820

Duties include: • Prepare breakfast & lunch items to order 2h-AllLearnersNetwork080526.indd 1 • Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary work station.

• Ensure food is prepared consistently, accurately & efficiently Hillel at UVM is seeking an • Restock ingredients as needed hourly Bookkeeper (5+ • Assist front counter team members hours per week) to assist with customer service with account coding,

DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF

8/3/261t-aginginplacewithpets050626.indd 4:15 PM 1

Bookkeeper

We’re looking for someone who is: • Friendly, dependable & punctual • Able to work efficiently and multitask in a fast-paced kitchen • Previous short-order cooking experience preferred • Competitive pay based on experience, flexible scheduling Apply today! Stop in, call, or email us your resume.

THE GRIND GOT YOU DOWN?

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8/3/26 3:49 PM

tracking expenses, payroll administration, and credit card management.

You will work closely with the Executive Director to ensure accurate financial systems and assist with reporting.

The deadline to apply is Friday, August 14 , 2026. For a more detailed job description, please visit the Barre City website: barrecity.org/hr.

$25-30/hour commensurate with experience.

Email resume to HR@barrecity.org or mail to City of Barre – Attn: Jeanne Galiano, 6 N. Main St., Suite 2, Barre VT 05641.

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Project Manager

Otter Creek Awnings is Vermont’s #1 awning company and celebrating 50 years in business. We are enthusiastically seeking a full-time, yearround Project Manager. We service all of Vermont, Upstate New York, and Western New Hampshire.

The successful candidate will drive organization, measuring, scheduling, and oversight of various residential and commercial job sites and installations. Candidates need 10+ years of construction management experience, extensive building knowledge, strong CAD drawing interpretation skills, and precise on-site technical measuring for successful manufacturing and installations (structural integrity, design, pitch, slope, and clearances). Proficiency in basic computer navigation, word processing, and graphic applications is required.

Perk up!

Browse 100+ new job postings from trusted, local employers.

This role offers $75,000 to $85,000 per year depending on experience, a company vehicle, a healthcare contribution, employee-paid dental, a 401(k) plan, and generous paid time off.

jobs.sevendaysvt.com

The full job description and to apply online is available at ottercreekawnings.com.

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5/1/26 12:28 PM

The City of Barre, Vermont, is accepting applications for the position of Deputy Fire Chief. This position will report directly to the Fire Chief. The Deputy Chief serves as the second in-command, providing leadership, overseeing daily fire and EMS operations, and ensuring the department’s readiness through training, safety, and operational support. This is a full-time, exempt salaried position. The City of Barre offers a competitive salary range from $100,000 - $110,000 based on experience with a competitive benefits package.

To apply, please email info@uvmhillel.org with a resume & brief cover letter.

vermontrestaurantgroup @gmail.com

Catering business looking for experienced servers to be lead servers for weddings and receptions. Please send resume to: christophe@pozecatering.com.

8/4/26 2:37 PM

Circulation Services Specialist Weekend Supervisor

Saint Michael’s College invites applications for a Circulation Services Specialist – Weekend Supervisor to provide outstanding library access and services for students, faculty, and staff. The successful candidate will oversee circulation desk operations, supervise library activities, train and support student employees, troubleshoot basic technology issues, and help maintain a safe, welcoming environment while fulfilling opening, closing, and every-other-weekend responsibilities during the academic year.

This is a 6 hr/week role with a pay rate of $19-$20/hr.

If interested please apply at: https://bit.ly/4wsZDkp.

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7/30/26 11:24 AM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Administrative Coordinator of Athletics Saint Michael’s College seeks an organized and detail-oriented Athletics Coordinator to coordinate team travel, events, budgets, and administrative functions while supporting an exceptional student-athlete experience. Join a dynamic Athletics Department and help drive operational excellence through financial management, event coordination, and collaboration across the College community. Pay is from $20.50-$23.75/hr.

Please apply here: https://bit.ly/4fmqSY0

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Operations & Benefits Assistant The Operations and Benefits Assistant helps keep Vermont Housing and Conservation Board’s internal operations organized, responsive, and running smoothly. This position supports a wide range of core administrative functions across office operations, human resources, benefits administration, board support, and internal systems. You’ll help coordinate onboarding and benefits enrollment, support board meeting logistics and minute-taking, assist with contracts, invoices, procurement compliance, and help maintain internal staff resources and operational workflows. This is a highly collaborative role for someone who is detail-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities while supporting both day-to-day operations and longer-term organizational improvements.

Applications are due August 24, 2026 Send a cover letter and resume to: jobs@vhcb.org To learn more, visit vhcb.org/careers | EOE

SEE THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Help patients see the full picture of their heart health while building a rewarding career in the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. NVRH is seeking an Echocardiographer to join our Diagnostic Imaging team. Perform diagnostic cardiac ultrasound studies, collaborate with physicians and care teams, and make a meaningful impact on patient care every day.

3v-StMikesAdministrativeCoordiantor080526.indd 7/30/26 1 11:05 AM Qualifications:

RDCS or RCS certification required • BLS required • Minimum of one (1) year of echocardiography experience required Excellent benefits • Competitive pay • Student loan repayment Tuition reimbursement • Generous PTO • 401(k) match

Program Associate (Inclusive Entrepreneurship) Justice, Mentoring, & Re-entry Coordinator For more information and to apply, please visit: mercyconnections.org/ employment

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7/24/26 11:10 AM

Coordinate and support implementation of programs in community-engaged learning at the University of Vermont, including tracking and designation of courses and community partners. Advise faculty on risk management policies, support administration of implementation grants, and offer introductory workshops to students. Take the lead on the office's storytelling and outreach in multiple communications channels. Collaborate on key events and community partner outreach and engagement.

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• $19-20/hour, D.O.E. • 15% Employee Discount • Accrued Paid Time Off • 2nd quality vegetables • Shift meal and drinks

2026 (Sept-Oct) Harvest Season Hiring weekday and weekend orchard store crew, weekday apple picking crew, weekend brandy tasting room staff, weekend experienced tractor drivers and weekend (Fri-Sun) donut house team. Serious inquiries only please!

For full description and to apply: 7dvt.pub/storeteam

Apply at: shelburneorchards@gmail.com

Compensation:

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7/24/26 11:26 AM

We’re Hiring!

At Skida, we bring joy to the outdoors through thoughtfully designed products that inspire people to get outside and play.

Open Positions:

• eCommerce Specialist • Flagship Store Manager • Sewist

Mechanic II

Town of Colchester Starting Base Pay up to $76,268 yearly, DOE Excellent benefits package!

CELO Program Coordinator

To apply, visit: https://apptrkr.com/9735502

SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT

For full job descriptions and how to apply, please visit: www.skida.com/pages/careers.

Apply today: nvrh.org/careers

English Language Learning Instructor

The Roots Farm Market is looking for a part or full-time Store Team Member to join us! This position is front facing and requires engagement with customers and store team members throughout the day.

We’re looking for smart, inspired, and passionate people to join our team at our headquarters in Burlington, Vermont. If you’re energized by collaboration, creativity, and making a meaningful impact at a growing outdoor brand, we’d love to hear from you.

Why NVRH?

Mercy Connections 4t-NVRH072926.indd 1 is hiring!

Store Team Member

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Echocardiographer at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH)

83 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Dept. of Public Works has a full-time opportunity for an experienced Mechanic II with advanced knowledge of equipment maintenance, diagnostics and repair, to include heavy equipment, emergency service vehicles and small engine repair of gasoline and diesel-powered engines.

Successful applicants will have a minimum of eight years of related experience, the ability to diagnose specific problems to determine the correct repair, and maintain accurate parts and labor records. A valid Commercial Driver’s License is required.

Town provides all tools required to perform the job. This full-time opportunity offers work/life balance, with a Monday thru Friday, 7AM – 3PM schedule.

Opportunities for overtime.

To view full job description & apply: colchestervt.gov/321/Human-Resources Position open until filled. Equal opportunity employer.

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7/24/26 11:35 AM

YOUR JOBS AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM FOR FAST RESULTS, OR ATTENTION RECRUITERS: POST CONTACT GILLIAN COMITO: GCOMITO@SEVENDAYSVT.COM

84 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Chief Operating Officer

If you care about small cities and towns, believe organizations should be run well, and know how to turn disciplined action into growth, read on.

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BENEFITS MANAGER

Community Heart & Soul is a resident-driven process that helps the people discover what they love about their town, the future they want for it, and how to achieve it. Practiced in towns across America, we are expanding through community foundations, statewide networks, and civic partners.

We need a Chief Operating Officer who can make sure our organization is ready for that growth.

You will work directly with the President to strengthen daily operations, staff coordination, financial discipline, technology, contracts, systems, and follow-through.

We seek a hands-on leader with business experience, sound judgment, strong financial sense, and the ability to improve systems without creating bureaucracy. You must be practical, organized, calm under pressure, and able to support a talented staff while preserving the trust, flexibility, and spirit that make this organization work.

Head Tour Guide Legislative Counsel Support Specialist The Legislature support offices are currently hiring.

The nonpartisan offices are an interesting, challenging, and exciting place to work.

You will be part of a highly professional and collegial team that is proud of, and enthusiastic about the mission of the state legislature.

To apply, please go to 'Career Opportunities' at legislature.vermont.gov.

This is not a job for someone who wants to sit above the work. It is for someone who can keep pace, solve problems, strengthen accountability, and help Community Heart & 7/27/26 12:14 PM 3v-VermontGeneralAssembly072926.indd 1 7/28/26 10:33 AM Soul grow without losing its soul.

If you have the experience, character, and drive to help us bring Heart & Soul to vastly more small cities and towns, tell us why you can do this job.

To learn more and apply, visit: At South Burlington School District, we believe in supporting communityheartandsoul.org/careers/ the whole employee—inside and outside the workplace. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes amazing, competitively priced health insurance, dental coverage, sick time, professional time and other leaves. Additionally, we offer a robust retirement plan which for educators is through VT State Teachers 6t-CommunityHeartandSoul072926.indd 1 Retirement; and for other staff consists of a 403b plan with up to 6% provided by the district. Employees may also enjoy professional development opportunities, tuition reimbursement, wellness initiatives, Employee Assistance Programs and meaningful work that directly impacts student success and community growth.

LOOKING FOR A COOLER OPPORTUNITY?

Location: Human Resources Job Group: Non-Union, Support Staff Pay Level: Exempt, Pay Grade 35 Reports to: Senior Director of Human Resources Summary: Responsible for the daily oversight of assigned employee health and welfare benefit programs and special projects. Meets with employees to resolve concerns and provide accurate information.

Maintains District files in concert with local, state, and federal requirements. Assists the Senior Director of Human Resources by performing assigned administrative duties and special projects.

Apply: https://sbschools.schoolspring.com?jobid=5850922

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See who’s hiring at jobs.sevendaysvt.com Visit Facebook/sevendaysjobs for the latest postings

CLINICIANS CASE WORKERS CARE COORDINATORS DIRECT SERVICE

Washington County Mental Health Services is adding 7/28/26 10:35 AM brand new positions and expanding our mental and behavioral health teams to better serve our community.

Find 100+ new job postings from trusted, local employers in Seven Days newspaper and online.

Job Title: Benefits Manager

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We have openings for clinicians, case workers, care coordinators, and direct service work. Several of our positions that are hiring for multiple openings require only a high school diploma and we will train you. If you have a good work ethic and love to help people, we want to hear from you today! With industry-leading paid time off benefits and competitive pay and benefits, it's time to consider a career at WCMHS. Check out our openings at www.wcmhs.org/careers.

7/28/26 10:24 1 AM 4/15/253v-WashingtonCountyMentalHealthServices072629.indd 1:39 PM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVENDAYSJOBS, SUBSCRIBE TO RSS, OR BROWSE POSTS ON YOUR PHONE AT JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEW JOBS POSTED DAILY! JOBS.SEVENDAYSVT.COM

85 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Finance Administrator The Vermont Arts Council is hiring a part-time Finance Administrator to provide operational dayto-day support for the Council’s finance functions, ensuring timely accounts payable, payroll and other finance and human resource related activities are accomplished with great attention to detail and promptness.

If you are interested in working in support of Vermont’s creative sector, the Vermont Arts Council wants to hear from you.

For more information and to apply, visit: vermontartscouncil.org/about/the-organization/ employment

Why not have a job you love?

Make a career out of making a difference at an award-winning human services workplace.

Benefit package includes 29 paid days off, comprehensive and affordable health insurance package with up to $6,400 to go towards medical deductibles and copays, retirement match, flexible work environment, and so much more. Both full and part time shifts available.

Voteone CCSoffor Best Nonprofit in the Seven Daysies and join one of Join Vermont’s Best Places to Work today!

Vermont’s Best Places to Work today! ccs-vt.org/current-openings 5h-5-CCS060326.indd 1

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6/1/26 2:31 PM

7/17/26 11:48 AM

VSAC Talent Search Counselor Burlington or Franklin County

VSAC is hiring 2 Outreach Counselors for our Talent Search program: one in the Burlington area and one in Franklin County.

These roles are perfect for someone who is energized by and excited to work with middle and high schoolers; who has a background in counseling or education; and is familiar with post-secondary education, financing, and with the workforce for new grads.

Roles require a background check, driver’s license, and reliable transportation. $46,500 - $48,500 per year with 9 weeks off in the summer and generous benefits.

Please visit vsac.org/careers for full details and to apply!

ZONING ADMINISTRATOR Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) is seeking a full-time Zoning Administrator (35 to 37.5 hours per week) to work with two municipalities in Chittenden County.

The position will serve as the appointed Zoning Administrator for Underhill and St. George. Zoning Administrator duties include processing local permits, staffing the municipal development review boards, zoning enforcement, and participating in appeals of permitting decisions.

The ideal candidate has knowledge and skills in land use planning and development review through professional, educational and/or volunteer experiences. This position requires effective written and verbal communication skills, the ability to work independently, and a strong customer service ethic. A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required. The position will require work in an office setting at municipal offices in Chittenden County. Please consider applying even if you do not meet all the qualifications. CCRPC will train the right candidate.

CCRPC is the regional planning agency for the Burlington VT area. Our offices are in downtown Winooski along the river in a great walking environment with a variety of restaurants, services, businesses, and housing. The workplace is friendly and flexible with a very competitive benefits package.

Salary is dependent upon qualifications within the range ($55,000 - $62,500). We will begin reviewing resumes on August 21, 2026. Visit ccrpcvt.org/jobs for more information and application instructions. Position will remain open until filled.

The CCRPC believes that a diverse and culturally proficient staff strengthens our ability to serve our communities. We welcome applicants who bring a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. Successful candidates must demonstrate a commitment to working effectively with diverse populations and to continuing to build their cultural competency if hired. CCRPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Line Cooks & Dishwashers Breakfast & Dinner shifts Until end of October 2026 To apply, please visit: shelburnefarms.org/about/join-our-team

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86 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER...

AIDES FOR YOUNG MAN WITH AUTISM Seeking responsible, creative, kind, spirited, initiative-taking individuals to help my son to continue to improve his living, recreation, and communication skills.

Available Now: Alternating Weekends Fri 6PM-Sun evening $1325/weekend Available Starting 8/31: Th 10AM-6PM ($200/wk) Th 6PM-Fri 10AM ($400/wk) For details, go to: KieselsteinAutism Program.com

Zoning Administrator/ Planning & DRB Coordinator The Town of Georgia, Vermont is seeking an experienced and dedicated professional to oversee the daily operations of the Town’s Planning and Zoning Departments and enforce Development Regulations.

For more info, visit: townofgeorgia.com

When you work for the State of Vermont, you and your work matter. A career with the State puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You’ll find jobs in dozens of fields – not to mention an outstanding total compensation package.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ADMINIS TRATIVE LAW JUDGE – BURLINGTON

The Vermont Department of Labor has an immediate opening for a full-time Staff Attorney/ Administrative Law Judge in its Workers’ Compensation and Safety Division. This is an Exempt position, located in either Burlington or Montpelier. Please email a resume, cover letter and recent writing sample to Beth.A.Debernardi@vermont.gov. Please reference “ALJ Position” in the subject line. Location: Montpelier & Burlington. Job ID #55199. Department: Labor. Application Deadline: August 10, 2026.

Learn more at: careers.vermont.gov

GO HIRE.

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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87 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) We are currently looking for a Housing Retention Specialist within our Housing Retention Services department. This is an excellent opportunity to join the Housing Retention Services team, where you can gain a deep understanding of our business, make a difference in people’s lives every day, and advance your career.

• Must be adept at fostering positive and collaborative relationships with staff, residents, vendors & community agencies

Who We Are: Burlington Housing Authority serves the greater Burlington community with housing that is affordable, rental assistance, and support services. Our mission is to provide low-income, vulnerable members of our community access to safe, affordable housing and retention support services in ways that encourage stability, improve quality of life, end homelessness, and foster vibrant neighborhoods.

Total Compensation: Base wages Pay range is between $24.00 - $26.00 per hour.

This is a full-time position with benefits.

BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our vision of delivering safe and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply. Multilingualism is a plus!

Housing Retention Specialist – Site Based: Responsible for supporting those who have mental health and substance use challenges and/or who have moved from homelessness to Bobbin Mill, Wharf Lane, and other BHA properties. The position works closely with property management and other site-based staff to identify challenges and respond with appropriate direct service and coordination of community services, with a goal of eviction prevention and facilitating a healthy tenancy.

Permanent Supportive Housing Specialist: Provides assistance to community members within Chittenden County who are without housing and have significant medical/mental health barriers to locating and securing housing in Burlington Housing Authority’s service area.

Work Location and Other Requirements: These positions are in person in Burlington, VT. A valid driver’s license along with reliable personal transportation, with vehicle insurance and registration, is required to carry out the duties of this position.

Qualifications: While all applicants need to demonstrate a passion for supporting our residents and helping advance Burlington Housing Authority’s mission, we recognize that some applicants may not possess all qualifications listed. We are willing to consider individuals who demonstrate comparable life experience and education in lieu of specific requirements, and/or the will, ability, and initiative to grow into new areas of responsibility.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Must have a patient and compassionate approach to working with the most vulnerable populations

Benefits: • Health Insurance (BHA covers between 80% to 83% of the premium for employees) or a $6,000 opt-out payment in lieu of health insurance • Health Reimbursement Account. BHA pays 90% of the deductible as the insurance is being used. That’s up to $2,880 for single enrollment and up to $5,760 for two-person and family.

• Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts • Dental and vision insurance (Voluntary plans offered at a discounted group rate.)

• Short and long term disability coverage (BHA pays 50% of discounted group rate) • Basic life insurance and accidental death (provided at no cost to employees) • Retirement plan is a defined contribution plan. BHA makes annual contribution equal to 10% of base wages • Section 457 plan. BHA employees can contribute to this retirement plan • Employee Assistance Plan • Generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, BHA recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.

• Annual Performance Bonus Interested in this career opportunity? Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@burlingtonhousing.org.

Human Resources, Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101, Burlington, VT 05401 Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org.

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

• Bachelor’s degree in social work (or related field) with two to five years of direct service experience, including experience with mental health and substance use supports.

• Must have experience with diverse and vulnerable populations.

• Effective verbal and written communication and knowledge of the social services network in the greater Burlington area.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and internet navigation preferred.

• Excellent organizational skills required.

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88 AUGUST 5-12, 2026

Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) We are currently looking for a MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN within our Building Operations. This is an excellent opportunity to join the Housing Retention Services team, where you can gain a deep understanding of our business , make a difference in people’s lives every day, and advance your career.

Who We Are: Burlington Housing Authority serves the greater Burlington community with housing that is affordable, rental assistance, and support services. Our mission is to provide low-income, vulnerable members of our community access to safe, affordable housing and retention support services in ways that encourage stability, improve quality of life, end homelessness, and foster vibrant neighborhoods.

BHA serves a diverse population of tenants and partners with a variety of community agencies. To most effectively carry out our vision of delivering safe and affordable housing to all, we are committed to cultivating a staff that reflects varied lived experiences, viewpoints, and educational histories. Therefore, we strongly encourage candidates from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, and women to apply.

Multilingualism is a plus!

Position Overview: The Maintenance Technician perform general maintenance work in BHA owned and managed properties. This includes building exteriors, common areas, apartments, building systems, fixtures, and grounds. Our Building Operations Techs are required to participate in the on-call rotation, which covers night and weekend emergencies. Current rotation is once every 6-7 weeks.

Work Location and Other Requirements • This position is an in-person in Burlington, VT. • A valid driver’s license is required to carry out the duties of this position Qualifications: While all applicants need to demonstrate a passion for supporting our residents and helping advance Burlington Housing Authority’s mission, we recognize that some applicants may not possess all qualifications listed. We are willing to consider individuals who demonstrate comparable life experience and education in lieu of specific requirements, and/or the will, ability, and initiative to grow into new areas of responsibility.

Knowledge and Experience • Qualified candidates should have a minimum of two years of work in general building maintenance or building trades. The ideal candidate would have a demonstrated proficiency in building trades including carpentry, electrical, painting, plumbing, grounds keeping, and snow removal.

• The physical activities for this position include squatting, ascending and descending ladders, scaffolding, and stairs, working in small or confined spaces, twisting and lifting up to 100 pounds, often repeating motions with wrists, fingers, and hands. This position works in all environmental conditions.

• Technicians must be detail oriented, efficient, be able to work within time sensitive parameters, and able to work independently, as well as part of a team.

• Having strong interpersonal skills and be sensitive to the needs of the elderly, disabled, and very low-income households is a must.

• Completed high school or equivalency, or any equivalent trade school along with a combination of training and maintenance experience.

• Must have the ability to perform painting and janitorial work, perform minor electrical and plumbing repairs, and to get along well with fellow employees and Residents.

Total Compensation Pay range is between $24.00 - $26.00 per hour.

This is a full time position with benefits.

Benefits • Health Insurance (BHA covers between 80% to 83% of the premium for employees) or a $6,000 opt-out payment in lieu of BHA health insurance. (To qualify for the Opt-Out, proof of health insurance is required.)

• Health Reimbursement Account. BHA pays 90% of the deductible as the insurance is being used. That’s up to $2,880 for single enrollment and up to $5,760 for two-person and family • Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts • Dental and vision insurance (Voluntary plans offered at a discounted group rate.)

• Short and long term disability coverage (BHA pays 50% of discounted group rate) • Basic life insurance and accidental death (provided at no cost to employees) • Retire plan is a defined contribution plan. BHA makes annual contribution equal to 10% of base wages • Section 457 plan. BHA employees can contribute to this retirement plan • Employee Assistance Plan • Generous time off policy including 12 days of paid time off and 12 days of sick time in the first year. In addition to the paid time off, BHA recognizes 13 (paid) holidays and 2 (paid) floating cultural holidays.

• Annual Performance Bonus

Interested in this career opportunity? Send a cover letter and resume to: humanresources@burlingtonhousing.org.

Human Resources, Burlington Housing Authority 65 Main Street, Suite 101, Burlington, VT 05401 Find more info about these career opportunities at burlingtonhousing.org.

BHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

CALCOKU & SUDOKU (P.77) CROSSWORD (P.77)

fun stuff HARRY BLISS

“It’s almost as if he’s aiming for Miss Cohen’s peonies.”

JULIANNA BRAZILL

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

89

fun stuff TIM SNIFFEN

RUSTY EPSTEIN

” 90

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY REAL AUGUST 6-12 TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): Nineteenth-

LEO

(JUL. 23-AUG. 22)

Within most galaxies are dense clouds of gas and dust that astronomers call “star factories.” Here and there, the magic of gravity gradually gathers together diffuse material into concentrated clusters until nuclear fusion ignites, creating brilliant new suns. I suspect you will be operating a metaphorical star factory in the coming weeks and months, Leo. Small ideas, fragments of plans or tentative experiments could coalesce in productive ways. Through your patient attention and care, luminous concentrations of useful beauty will emerge.

century poet Emily Dickinson rarely left her comfortable home in Amherst, Mass. Her favorite activity was to sit in her bedroom and compose her odd, unique, brilliant poems.

Eventually, she wrote 1,800 of them, though few were published during her lifetime. Today she is renowned as one of America’s great literary geniuses. Her story reminds us that magnificent growth may emerge from simple and humble circumstances. I suspect you will thrive if you borrow her strategy during the coming weeks. You don’t need a hubbub of flashy events to evoke your beauty. A period of creative stillness could amplify your imagination and inspire your dazzle.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): In Renaissance

workshops, apprentice painters learned their craft by assisting masters with small tasks.

They mixed pigments, prepared canvases and cleaned up. There was a valuable trade-off for this humble work. Being in proximity to mature brilliance often spurred the fledgling artists to harness their own creative powers. I suspect this dynamic is relevant for you, Gemini. Now is a favorable time to be alert for unexpected teachers and lessons. Be ready to apprentice yourself to captivating experiences where you might learn what you didn’t even realize you needed to know. Your willingness to be a curious, gracious student is your superpower.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): If you knew you ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): In the early days

of aviation, navigation instruments were rudimentary, and the skies were often a blur of clouds, darkness or featureless horizons. Pilots sometimes relied on a technique called “dead reckoning”: good instinct bolstered by simple instruments such as compasses and stopwatches. I suspect you will benefit from practicing a metaphorical version of dead reckoning in the coming weeks. You may not have all the data you would like, and the path ahead might be less than clear. But you already possess enough hints and inklings to make thoughtful approximations. If you’re alert and flexible, listening to subtle signals within you and around you, your evolving estimates will guide you uncannily close to the right destination.

were going to live to 95 in reasonably good health, what additional careers or adventures might you pursue? Visualize your lifespan stretching out before you like a wide winding road, where you will have plenty of time not just to survive but also to experiment, wander and reinvent yourself. Would you train for a new craft or profession? Would you move to another country for a while and apprentice yourself to a language, landscape or tradition that has always piqued your curiosity? I invite you to take a concrete step that moves you in the direction of interesting future fun.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Virgo biologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that evolution isn’t a ladder of progress but a branching bush of experimentation. Most species that ever existed

are extinct, but they weren’t failures. For a very long time, they were successful experiments in being alive, well adapted to their environment. When conditions changed, they ended.

That’s how evolution works. Let’s apply this lesson to your life, Virgo. If a part of your world is concluding, celebrate and thank it, then bid it a fond farewell. Feel grateful that it succeeded completely at what it was meant to do and gave you all it had to give.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Your sense of

purpose is intensifying. Your people need you more than ever, and your gifts are ripening just as they are most valuable to your community.

But I must add that the road ahead will not be frictionless. You will have to outmaneuver diversionary tactics and dispel pockets of confusion. To serve as a shimmering catalyst of beauty and truth for your allies — and a shrewd strategist in the presence of deflections — lean into the paradoxical counsel attributed to Jesus: Be gentle and pure like a dove, yet keenly perceptive and discerning like a serpent.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Concrete

continues to cure beyond the time when it’s first poured. After seven days, it has 70 percent of its ultimate strength and after 14 days, 90 percent. It usually keeps getting sturdier for a few months, even years. I propose that we use this as a metaphor for what you’re working on, Scorpio. The foundations you established a while back are still solidifying. Projects that are working pretty well are still developing potency. This is a good thing! Everything is slowly improving through processes you’re not actively managing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here’s

your assignment: Find yourself a pair of enchanted pants that will bring you good luck and stir up fun. How will you know that they’re authentically charmed? Because when you put them on, you will instinctively wander toward adventures that expand your understandings about life. They may also lead you to explore places and situations that aren’t truly forbidden or taboo but which you have oddly avoided as if they were forbidden or taboo. Finally, your enchanted pants are likely to inspire you to dream up a few crazy good

ideas that will turn out not to be mostly good and not at all crazy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In classical music, a “fermata” is a symbol on the sheet music that instructs the instrumentalist to hold a note longer than its written duration.

How long? It’s unpredictable. The musician decides. I think your life would benefit from a metaphorical fermata or two, Capricorn — maybe even more. You won’t come to a protracted pause, but you will engage in strategic prolonging, extending certain notes beyond their expected duration. Examples?

Lingering longer in a conversation from which you’re inclined to exit early; staying with an ambiguous emotion rather than rushing to resolution; allowing a project to develop more leisurely than you might if you were simply pushing for sheer efficiency. Opt for what’s soulful instead of what’s crisp and neat.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Fate is

subtly but insistently pressuring you to stop squandering energy on half-hearted, handme-down desires. Why? So your real, holy obsessions can move to the center of your attention. The tepid wishes and lukewarm yearnings are being exposed for what they are: distractions that nibble away at your time and passion without fully feeding your soul.

As these mediocre drives fade in importance, you’ll be exultant to see how much more fire, clarity and juice you have available for the few burning, churning yearnings that truly belong to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is so deep that if Mount Everest were located at the bottom, its peak would be over a mile underwater. The deepest point in the ocean could swallow the highest point on land with room to spare. The world holds more below than above. Please meditate on this fun fact, Pisces. I hope it inspires you to understand that your most interesting power often lies in the depths, not the peaks. While others are summiting, you’re descending into the mysterious, fathomless interiors. Your explorations may not photograph well because they happen in darkness.

But they are the source of your strength.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

91

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DEAR ZOË I got shy and embarrassed when I realized you were really looking at me, and I was really looking at you.

It’s midnight, and the rain is falling on the forest outside my window.

I was so excited to talk to you, but your attention surprised me. Can we swim in a river, eat fruit and read each other poetry? When: Sunday, August 2, 2026. Where: Waterfront Park.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916641 I COMPLIMENTED YOUR DENIM SHORTS I saw you paying for your items at the self-checkout, and I complimented your cool roll-up shorts. You really gave me a nice smile, and you told me I had a lot of style. We chatted for a few minutes, and then I left. You were attractive, and you left me wanting to talk to you some more! When: Saturday, August 1, 2026.

Where: Market 32 Rutland, around 5:45 p.m. You: Man. Me: Man. #916640 RESERVOIR SERENADE You were knee-deep in the water, serenading the setting sun, loons, fish and all of us lucky to be by you. I could only make out your long hair and long beard, but I felt deep resonance with your soothing and haunting melodies.

Wish I’d come over on my canoe for a closer listen and to meet you. When: Saturday, July 25, 2026. Where: Green River Reservoir. You: Genderqueer.

Me: Non-binary person. #916639 TRIED CARROT CAKE AT TJ’S We chatted over a carrot cake sample at a Trader Joe’s. We talked about the store’s artwork; you told me how you draw and paint, and I mentioned photography. I bet your artwork is equally mysterious and charming — you’ve got me curious. Walk sometime? When: Monday, July 27, 2026. Where: Trader Joe’s. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916638

VERMONT GREEN CUTIE I’ve seen you at Vermont Green FC soccer games. Brown hair with blond highlights. Daughter about 10. Both wearing flower warm-up jerseys. You are beautiful! I watch from the standing area above your seats. I was wearing the current warm-up shirt and tan VTG hat, like everyone else. Was going to introduce myself tonight (Sunday) but you already left. Dinner? When: Sunday, July 19, 2026. Where: Vermont Green game. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916633

CRAWFISH LOVEBITES You: look great in neon pink mesh.

Me: wondering how I can get a pink vest to wear to the Queer Arts Fest, too. If I volunteer, can we hang out?

Now I gotta ask: Are we just doing a bit about a tick with a tit that got bit? When: Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Where: North Branch River. You: Genderqueer. Me: Woman. #916628

LOST IN TRACTOR SUPPLY You looked confused, so I asked if you needed help (even though I don’t work there). I helped you find a “small gas can.” You were beautiful and seemed kind, so I just assumed you weren’t available, but now I’m kicking myself for not chatting.

When: Monday, June 29, 2026.

Where: Tractor Supply, Montpelier.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916623

WATERFRONT Blonde with a red coat tied around her waist. We met twice, and I didn’t get the chance to talk with you or get your name. When: Monday, August 3, 2026. Where: Waterfront.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916642

VERMONT BREWERS FESTIVAL To the pretty lady who approached me to talk about the World Cup: I would love to talk more about Cabo Verde over dinner. When: Saturday, July 18, 2026. Where: Burlington.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916632

REDHEAD ON THE RUN Beautiful redhead in a white MercedesBenz. You looked bored in the parking lot of the local thrift store. If you want to fix that, I’ve got an oceanfront suite in York Beach. Want to run away with me for a few days? A little naughty never hurt anybody. When: Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Where: thrift store parking lot. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916627

TEA TENT SMILE We shared a lovely smile in the tea tent at Decaturfest. I went to find you as I was leaving, but you had disappeared. You’re tall, stunning, and we both have a gap in our teeth. I bet I’ll see you around, but maybe this’ll increase the chances? When: Saturday, July 25, 2026. Where: Decaturfest.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916637

WILLOW, LOOKING FOR STRANGE CANDIES You are absolutely stunning. I didn’t have the courage to say anything. I was working behind the counter, and you said you’d return and tell me what the possum candy tasted like. I wish you had, so I could have asked you out. I overheard your friend call you Willow. I’m still curious about you and the possum candy. When: Friday, July 10, 2026.

Where: Whizbang’s Candy Store, Church St. You: Genderqueer. Me: Man. #916631

BLOND BADDIE B-DAY TRIP Must enjoy nice hotels, balconies, rooftop pools, unforgettable views, eating like a local, dancing until closing time and getting lost in Montréal. Compensation includes pastries, cocktails, unforgettable memories and nonstop laughs. I already found my favorite blonde; now I just hope she’s ready! Let’s go find each other in Montréal! When: Friday, July 24, 2026. Where: Montréal.

You: Man. Me: Man. #916626

STRIKING BEAST OF A MAN You were riding your bicycle down Pearl Street. I felt a sudden spark when you greeted me with a simple hello. You had thick ginger frazzled dreadlocks.

You had a strong smell of natural spice and body aroma. You were wearing a pink skin-tight John Pork bodysuit.

We should meet up sometime. Your bike had rainbow tassels. When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Where: Pearl St. You: Man. Me: Man. #916630

CUTIE WITH A BOOTY A gorgeous blonde who somehow makes everything brighter. She’s always drifting, laughing, stealing bites of food, wearing the best outfits and smiling like she doesn’t have a care in the world. If you know a girl who turns ordinary weekends into unforgettable adventures, tell her I’m still looking for our next one together. Montréal? When: Saturday, June 13, 2026. Where: all over Vermont. You: Man. Me: Man. #916625

WHITE SHIRT, RED PANTS/SKIRT? West side of the street, between Community Health Centers and Pho Hong. You were on the sidewalk, and I think you were with a dog. I was on my bike, rushing to make the light. You smiled at me, probably because I looked silly racing down the street, and I smiled back, albeit quickly. When: Monday, July 13, 2026. Where: N. Winooski Ave. You: Woman. Me: Man. #916629

JULY 3, 4, 5 BLONDE I kept seeing this beautiful blonde on July 3, 4, 5. First, downtown Burlington with a purple blanket; then in Milton with pink blanket; and again at North Beach on Jet Skis. Same sparkling blue eyes, same amazing smile, genuine aurora. Either we’re destined to keep crossing paths or Vermont is tiny. If your name starts with B., call me! When: Saturday, July 4, 2026.

Where: downtown, Milton, North Beach. You: Man. Me: Man. #916624

BLISS BEE Saturday evening we were both waiting for takeout. You were wicked cute and had a tree tattoo on your arm. I said that I liked it. We kept smiling at each other on the way out, and now I’m kicking myself, wishing I had asked for your number.

You have a beautiful smile. I’d love to see you again! When: Saturday, July 25, 2026. Where: Bliss Bee, Williston.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916636 LIBBY Libby: It was nice meeting you and your mother. I’m glad I was able to give her a great experience. When: Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Where: Shelburne.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916635 SOCIAL DISTORTION You: attractive female with tattoos, wearing a skirt, tank top and a fanny pack. We first noticed each other on the smoking patio. I didn’t see you again until the end of the show. Me: too shy to start a conversation and regret it.

I hope you find this. When: Sunday, July 19, 2026. Where: Higher Ground.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916634

Ask REVEREND 

Irreverent counsel on life’s conundrums

Dear Reverend,

I’ve never had an orgasm while having sex with a partner. I’ve tried everything, but it’s just not something that happens for me.

Honestly, I don’t care in the least. I enjoy having sex, and I can have an orgasm on my own anytime I want. The issue is that my current partner acts like it’s his job to give me an orgasm, and I think he feels like he’s doing something wrong. I’m not one to fake it, so how do I make him understand that there isn’t a problem?

O. Nough

(WOMAN, 38)

Dear O. Nough,

Studies show that up to 80 percent of women have faked an orgasm at some point in their lives. I’m glad you’re not one of them. Although it’s an easy way to placate a partner, it doesn’t really do anybody any good.

Research also shows that about 75 percent of women don’t reach orgasm through vaginal penetration alone, and 10 to 15 percent have never had an orgasm at all — ever. Again, I’m glad that’s not you and that you have no problem making it happen on your own.

Speaking of, have you ever had your partner join you when you take matters into your own hands?

He could just watch, or a little mutual masturbation could kick things up a notch. It might be a fun way to get him involved with your

DR. ASKED, WHY SO FAMILIAR? Years ago, I missed my chance. You asked why I looked so familiar. Then I remembered why. You saved someone I stayed to comfort. I must have stood out, even with all you see. If only I had looked you square, instead of gesturing. Your smart care saved her years ago, right in front of me. I wanted to thank you. When: Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Where: your work.

You: Man. Me: Woman. #916621 PRETTY LADY ON MOTORBIKE You: sitting pretty on your motorbike slightly after 5 p.m. at the south end of the intersection, waiting for the light to change. Me: on the northeast corner, waiting in the shade for the crosswalk signal, thinking: My goodness, that woman on that motorbike looks sweet.

I’ve seen you before and know that you look good off your motorbike, too.

When: Friday, July 3, 2026. Where: intersection of North St. and Elmwood.

You: Woman. Me: Man. #916620 DRUM SO LOW Dearest Lone Star, what do you call a freshwater crustacean’s parasitic, arachnid girlfriend? (Or, what do you call that parasite after it gets pinched in the North Branch River?) You: cool earrings, musing about fruit with butts.

Me: trying to be a helpful guy about town. Find me at the Queer Arts Fest in a cute pink vest! When: Saturday, June 27, 2026. Where: Montpelier. You: Woman. Me: Genderqueer. #916619 SAID YOU LOOKED BEAUTIFUL Felt weird about it, as it’s like a driveby compliment, but for some reason I felt compelled to do it. Hopefully that was OK. Would be fun if there was a mutual connection. Very — compelling — looking. When: Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Where: Essex. You: Nonbinary person. Me: Man. #916618

orgasm without him feeling responsible for it. A little experimentation is bound to be a good time.

Some people think that reaching climax is the Big Finish Line for sex, and it seems your partner falls into that category. Find a time to have a conversation with him about the issue — outside the bedroom. He probably needs reassurance about his performance, so tell him everything you love about being intimate with him.

Explain that your focus is on connecting with him in the moment and having an orgasm isn’t your goal.

Having sex should be like a journey with an unknown destination. When you remove the pressure about how it’s going to end, you can enjoy the ride so much more.

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend

What’s your problem?

Send it to asktherev@sevendaysvt.com.

SEVEN DAYS AUGUST 5-12, 2026

93

52-y/o woman seeking a man.

You care about your health and clean up good. Emotions aren’t a foreign language. You’re comfortable in your skin and know better than to let a good thing go. Am I dreaming? Make your move, Romeo. #L1960 Looking for someone 65 and up to go on boat trips, RV camping, gardening, dinners and road trips. I go up to Maine with my boat and cruise the coast for a few weeks, spend time in my gardens (I have large gardens), love to cook at home or go out. I am retired and looking for some company to spend time with.

Thank you. #L1959

I’m a 67-y/o female seeking a 60- to 70-y/o man. Living in central Vermont. Looking for an honest, loving relationship.

Enjoy gardening, family, my dog and quiet times. Retired postal employee. #L1965 SWF, 58, with high level of fun physical and sexual energy, looking for single male, 45-plus, who can match my energy and have fun adventures in and out of the bedroom. I like walks, live music, travels, going out to eat, learning new things, games, art galleries, being outside and so much more. Anyone care to join me? #L1962

Male blue bird of happipenis seeking female bluebird for creative nesting activities. #L1964 Lonely 75-y/o man seeking a fairly attractive woman in her upper 70s or 80s. Would love to hear from you. Phone number, please. #L1963 SWM, 65, widower, seeking adventurous, edgy woman for sexy dressing and consensual one-to-one fun. Any body type.

Sane, fit, secure. I’ll make you laugh. Emotionally available.

The world is too serious. Let’s have some fun. Possible LTR. Woodstock. #L1961

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Soulful sojourner DWF seeks single man, 48 to 65, for walks, hikes, swimming or other outside activity. Hoping you’ve made peace with past relationships. I’m sensuously attractive. Italian/Celtic. Open to a meet and greet. #L1958 SWF, 60 y/o, seeking 30-plus-y/o male for adventures abroad and in bed. Would like to spend time with your chocolate starfish, romance and travels of time.

I enjoy hiking, camping, river swimming and meeting new friends. No creeps. #L1956 SWF, 72 y/o, seeking a man, 60 to 70 y/o. I live in Woodstock, Vt. Looking for a serious relationship with a man. #L1943

Internet-Free Dating!

Reply to these messages with real, honest-to-goodness letters. DETAILS BELOW. Older gentlemen, bi-bottom, seeking well hung bi-top. No drugs, no alcohol, just clean fun.

Burlington only. Phone or text. #L1957 I believe in love and friendship and USPS! 45, F, musician-er and medic, based in Adirondacks but working everywhere. Single, queer, sober. Busco amistades por correspondencia en inglés y español. ¿Qué tal si nos enviamos mixtapes, reflexiones y zines? #L1955 23-y/o male seeking 23y/o lobster. Must be terrible at Minecraft and watch “Skibidi Toilet” all day. Also must make really funny horse jokes and make fun of her boyfriend’s spice tolerance. Must be a weirdo, too. #L1954 We’re a couple: male/female, 70 and 71, seeking a woman, 60 to 70. Fun-loving couple looking for a woman for a nice threesome.

We give pleasure and wish pleasure back. All will be pleased.

Discreet first meeting to determine compatibility is very important. #L1953

M, 23, looking for 22- to 25-y/o F who wants to help save this city and maybe save ourselves along the way. Would love to get some sun this summer and fall biking, hiking and exploring Vermont together. #L1951 You are my sunshine. I love your smile, your heart, your laughter and the way you make life feel like an adventure. No matter where life takes us, my favorite place will always be beside you — or in Mexico! #L1950 The guy who’s always chasing the next adventure; works harder than anyone he knows; lives for sunshine, road trips, Jet Skis and big dreams. He’s carefree, loyal, endlessly optimistic, gives the best hugs and somehow turns every ordinary day into an unforgettable story. #L1949 I’m a 41-y/o female seeking a 31to 75-y/o male. I’m an intelligent, funny, bold, confident, outdoorsloving woman who enjoys reading and writing. I’m looking for a smart, fun, loyal, devoted, honest, hardworking, caring, sensitive gentleman. #L1948

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