| VOLUME 26 | * * All Arts News On the Web * * | June 2, 2022 |
ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column. STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS
Franklin County's arts and music gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. There are also booked and acoustic Open Mic Nights that feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.
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ENOSBURG FALLS--June is National Dairy Month! MILK FROM MOO TO YOU
The Vermont Dairy Festival returns today and continues through Sunday in downtown Enosburg Falls.
The Enosburg Falls Lions club celebrates 65 years of Dairy Days this weekend with more entertainment and magical family activities than ever before. Most of the music and entertainment is on two stages around Lincoln Park. The new Mountain Bike Stunt Show will have multiple shows each day. The horse pull is cancelled this year but the Pedal Pull returns. All the outdoor entertainment is free.
The Mooooving Parade starts Saturday at 10:30. With marching bands and mobile mooving murals, it is one of Vermont's largest parades.
THURSDAY--The Vermont Dairy Festival Scholarship Pageant, this evening at 7 p.m. in the Opera House at Enosburg Falls, highlights the scholastic achievements, talents, and enthusiasm of college-bound high school senior girls in Franklin County. The competition includes poise and appearance, stage interviews, and youth fitness.
The Enosburg Lions offer scholarship prizes ranging from $125 to $750.
Tickets will be available at the door.
FRIDAY--Jerborn kicks off the free entertainment with a multi-genre show from the 80s to current rock at 5 p.m. Got Milk Stage.
Smokin' Gun plays bulletproof rock with a kick at 7 p.m. Bandstand.
SATURDAY--The Parade begins at 10:30. Pirate Man Dan will roam the parade route on his ship ahead of the parade.
Singer/storyteller Farmer Tom Walsh at 1, 3:30, and 6:30 p.m. Got Milk Stage.
Singer/songwriters Chris & Erica at 2 p.m. Bandstand.
Pirate Man Dan thrills in a cloak of comedy and his Land Moving Ship at 3, 4:30, and 7:15 p.m. Got Milk Stage.
MC Mac Blues Band with Franklin county's own Bob Mackenzie, John McDonald, Jennie Lyn McDonald, and Troy Turner at 5 p.m. Bandstand.
Bad Horsey returns for a special performance at 8 p.m. right through the fireworks. Bandstand.
Fireworks will shoot over the mighty Missisquoi at 9:30 p.m.
SUNDAY--Summer Sounds favorites Troy Millette & the Fire Below open the Sunday music at 11 a.m. Bandstand.
Robert Clark at 12 noon 2, and 3:30 p.m. Got Milk Stage.
Troy Millette & the Fire Below continue with a Counting Crows Tribute at 12:30 p.m. Bandstand.
Root 7, the "small," mixed ensemble a capella group in the Champlain Valley, keeps Dairy Days 65 going harmoniously at 2:30 p.m. Got Milk Stage.
The men and women of the Enosburg Lions volunteer their time to conduct service projects and raise funds for the local community. They contribute to senior citizens' programs, area school projects, community health services, the Enosburg public library, family assistance and drug/alcohol programs, fire and ambulance services, other non-profit organizations, scholarships, as well as to the Lions International sight and hearing programs. The Vermont Dairy Festival is the Enosburg Lions' primary source of funding for these programs with thousands of man-hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to the community.
The Vermont Dairy Festival midway opens at 6 p.m. this evening. Entertainment on the bandstand starts Friday evening at 6 p.m. and the weekend activities begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday in downtown Enosburg Falls. Admission to the grounds is free and most events are also free, rain or shine. Cows go about their business regardless of the weather, and so does the Vermont Dairy Festival. Click here for more info
ST. ALBANS--The Artist In Residence Gallery features different artists each month. This month, the spotlight is on eclectic artist Jodi Blaisdell, lamp-work glass artist Tessa Hill, photographer, digital and traditional artist and muralist Natalie LaRocque, and wood turner Edwards Smith with a live reception at the gallery this evening at 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. The monthly Featured Artists Receptions have returned to the gallery on the first Thursday each month. A.I.R. will also continue celebrating the monthly Featured Artists online and on Facebook. ART ON THE WALLS
The art and fine craft cooperative features paintings, fiber arts, stained glass, sculpture, lamps, pottery, folk art boxes, scarves, hats and more by 40 Franklin County and surrounding area artists. It is owned and operated by the artists and sponsors. The gallery on South Main Street is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here or find them on Facebook for more info.
JEFFERSONVILLE--The 2022 Jeffersonville Art Jam brings art vendors and live music to Main Street on Sunday at 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Presented by Cambridge Arts Council, Visions of Vermont Fine Art Galleries, the Northern Vermont Artist Association, and Bryan Memorial Gallery, Art Jam repeats on June 25 and the July 4 Weekend. Call 802.644.1418, find them on Facebook or click here for more info.
JEFFERSONVILLE--Visions of Vermont Gallery hosts the Northern Vermont Artist Association's 91st anniversary June Juried Show with an opening reception featuring the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra on Sunday from noon - 5 p.m. The exhibit runs through July 9.
Founded in 1931, the NVAA helps visual artists meet other artists and find venues to display and sell their work. Visions of Vermont is open Wednesday-Sunday 10 - 5 p.m.
Vermont reported 1,413 new COVID-19 cases statewide last week, down from 1,965 the week before. Franklin County reported 121 cases in the 14 days ending Saturday. PANDEMIC NEWS
Vermont relies on self reporting. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a third round of free at-home tests from COVIDtests.gov. Go there for links to the 20,000 no-cost antigen and PCR COVID-19 test sites nationwide. Most major chains including Walgreens, CVS, Price Chopper, and Walmart should have free N95 masks for distribution.
Whether you have contracted and recovered from this coronavirus or haven't yet received a booster or even if you have done it all, immunity has waned for many of us. That lowered resistance leads to infections and increased transmission of the virus. The fourth booster is available for those over 50. Here's my own advice. Get the COVID shot(s), get the booster(s), and take precautions, particularly if you are inside with other people--that means wearing a mask indoors. Statewide, about 316,700 Vermonters or 68% of the eligible population have completed vaccination and gotten a booster. Franklin County remains at about 64% of the people having completed the vaccine and the additional dose. Only Essex County with 56% vaccinated and boosted, and Orleans County at 63% have lower rates.
No vaccine is 100% foolproof. Wash your hands. Keep wearing an N95 mask where you can't control the airflow around you until we reach the same herd immunity we have for smallpox and once had but lost for measles because so many parents refused to vaccinate their kids. Bonus: it will also help protect you from pollen, summer colds, and the winter flu.
Call 855.722.7878 or healthvermont.gov for more info about the first or second dose and for booster shots of the vaccine. You can also walk-in at Costco, CVS, Hannaford, Price Chopper/Market 32, Rite Aid, Shaw's, Walgreens, or Walmart, or get an appointment with CVS, Kinney Drugs, Walgreens, or UVMMC Outpatient Pharmacies.
SWANTON--The Swanton Arts Council hosts Stampin' Up! Cards with Barb in the Maker Space of the Swanton Free Public Library on Friday at p.m. The class is free but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call Barb (802.752.7917) or email to register or for more info. ART YOU CREATE
MAYOR'S PHOTO COMPETITION (July 8) --The 5th annual St. Albans Mayor's Photo Contest has begun. The theme is "Vermont Memories." Capture your favorite memories of Vermont and share them with us for a chance to win. MAYOR PICKS THE PIX
All photos, including cell phone photography, are welcome but photos must be at least 2 megabytes in size. Submit up to three digital images. All photos and submissions must be received by July 9; public online voting begins Saturday, July 9, and continues until Friday, July 22.
Click here for the contest rules and entry form.
JEFFERSONVILLE--The Bryan Memorial Gallery hosts poet, kids book author, photographer, journalist, radio producer, and writing teacher Rick Agran for Painting with Words: Poetic Expression and Fine Art as part of the Jeffersonville Art Jam at 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Writers and artists will select a compelling visual work and explore it, describe it, or recreate it using words. "Bring a note or sketch book and a favorite trusty writing implement." Find them on Facebook for more info.
MORRISVILLE--Psychotherapist Megan Bisbee continues the meditative, healing, in-person workshop, June Meditate and Create at River Arts this evening at 5:30 p.m. Cultivate creativity, connection, and mindfulness with a guided meditation followed by a contemplative art project, tea, and discussion. No experience necessary. All materials provided. The cost is $40. Click here to enroll and for more info.
SWANTON--The Swanton Arts Council will hold a Board Meeting and Updates in person at the Swanton Free Public Library on Monday at 6 p.m. IN THE SAC
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month. Find the SAC on Facebook for the agenda and more info.
Here's my own plan as U.S. deaths approach one million and our precautions wane. I got the COVID and Flu shots, and the first booster, and I take precautions because no vaccine is 100% foolproof. I wash my hands. I double mask with a genuine N95 mask (not a bandana and not a "chin strap") and a surgical mask where ever I can't control the airflow. It isn't much of a burden and it mostly protects me from all the people without masks I see in stores and concerts. ON STAGE LIVE
Thursday, June 2
ST ALBANS TOWN--The weekly St. Albans Bay Farmer's Market and Concert Series kicks the new season into high gear with Eleven rocking the Bay today from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
NORTH HERO--Singer/songwriters Chris & Tristen play an eclectic mix of country, Americana, and folk live in the Steamship Pier Bar and Grill at North Hero House on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--The 2022 Snow Farm Summer Concert Series begins their 25th anniversary season with the Jesse Agan Band featuring members of Shake this evening. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. but "come as early as you would like." Click here for more info.
SOUTH HERO--The Blue Paddle Bistro hosts singer-songwriter Carol Ann Jones with Jon Sochin this evening at 6 - 8 p.m. They play the third Thursday each month at the Paddle.
Thursday-Saturday, June 2-4
ESSEX JUNCTION--On Tap starts off a long weekend of music with the Duel tonight at 6 p.m. two shows Friday night, She Was Right at 5 p.m., and then the Phil Abair Band with Keeghan Nolan for late night music starting at 9 p.m., plus one more show live on Saturday night with the Devon McGarry Band of "whatever ragtag collection of friends he can muster" on the deck at 5 p.m. Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info.
Thursday-Wednesday, June 2-8
FLORIDA KEYS--After Summer Sounds favorite John Bartus took some time off for his knee replacement, the Perpetual Island Tour resumes this week at Sparky's Landing tonight. Then Mr. Bartus is on to Boondocks on Monday and Tuesday and back at the Key Colony Inn on Wednesday. He's "glad to be back!!!"
Friday, June 3
MILTON--The Friday Night Live Music and Buffet at Arrowhead Golf Course presents Chris & Erica on the deck on Friday at 6 p.m. The meatball sub buffet starts around 7 p.m. Both run until 9 p.m. The buffet costs $13 per person ($7 for each child). You don't have to be a member; the public is welcome. Be sure to come early, usually around 6, to get a good seat. Click here for more info.
Friday-Saturday, June 3-4
MORRISVILLE--River Arts presents Sweater Worthy written performed by Aimee Vient on Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Ms. Vient's "love note to herself" is a" woman's journey of self worth through knitting as she figures how to live with grief, heartache and depression in a pandemic." Knitting or Crocheting is encouraged during the performance.
Admission is by $15 suggested donation. Click here for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Twiggs often has shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Music starts about 6:30 p.m. Call 802.524.1405, find them on Facebook, or click here for more info.
Saturday, June 4
ST. ALBANS--It's a big weekend at 14th Star as they celebrate their 10th anniversary with craft brews, food, outdoor games, and live music at the 14th Star Parking Lot Party on Saturday at 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
NORTH HERO--The Island Arts Summer Kick-Off begins with the Island Arts Book Sale and 50/50 Raffle with country singer Larry Lee Ebere at the Island Arts Center on Saturday at 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The winner of the 50/50 raffle to benefit North Country Honor Flight and Island Arts youth scholarships will be announced. Find them on Facebook for more info.
NORTH HERO--Dave Miller plays live in the Steamship Pier Bar and Grill at North Hero House on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Look for late 60s and early 70s easy listening and sing-a-long music. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--Snow Farm Vineyard and Winery celebrates their 25th anniversary with a special performance by Summer Sounds favorite Jamie Lee Thurston straight from Nashville for his first Vermont show of the year on Saturday at 6 p.m. With his unique blend of country, southern rock, and straight up rock, Jamie Lee is a natural entertainer and favorite son in a free concert you won't want to miss.
Click here for more info.
LINCOLN--The Ripton Coffee House welcomes the Will Patton Ensemble with their "rich musical stew" to Burnham Hall on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Doors at 7. Dono Shabner, David Gusakov, Clyde Stats, and Mr. Patton flavor the brew with jazz, choro, folk, and more.
General to generous admission is $15/20/25. Tickets are available at the door or click here for advance sales and more info.
Sunday, June 5
ST. ALBANS--14th Star and Grazers continue the 10th anniversary weekend with the Sunday Brunch Sessions: Jaded Ravins live in The Room on Sunday at 12 noon - 2 p.m. for "original music by your modern-day Johnny and June." Find them on Facebook for more info.
CROWN POINT, NY--Teen Tradfest, a Lakeside Outdoor Concert hosted by Pete Sutherland and Oliver Scanlon features fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin and more on Bridge Road in Crown Point on Sunday at 3 p.m. Admission is by $10-15 suggested donation and students are free. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Wednesday, June 8
ST. ALBANS--Troy Millette Presents: Sample Sets on the Taproom Stage at 14th Star on Wednesday from 6 - 9 p.m. Mr. Millette's special "flight" will have three new acts from established solo acts, to fresh new faces, to special guest appearances every Wednesday evening. Act One begins at 6 p.m., Act Two at 7, and Act Three at 8 all with no cover charge. Find them on Facebook for more info.
BURLINGTON--WeAreVT returns with the Summer Edition with Dana Block and M. Sebastian Araujo broadcasting live on WBTV-LP on Fridays at 10 a.m. ON THE AIR
WBTV-LP is on the air with new music and conversation 24 hours a day, transmitting at 99.3 FM and streaming at 993wbtv.org.
SWANTON--Bill Lunna, 68, passed away in December. Music was his great passion. He was almost always in a band including the Allard Brothers (with Mike, Steve, and Bill) and more "recently" KLS (with John Kains, Rich Sutphen, and Bill, plus Erin and Melvin). In addition to that rock and roll music, he played organ for St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Alburgh. PASSAGES
Mr. Lunna's memorial service will be at the Goss Life Celebration Home (the former Kidder Memorial Home) on Saturday at 11 a.m. There will be music. Click here for the obituary and remembrances.
MONTGOMERY--The Montgomery Center for the Arts needs volunteers for summer gallery hours. "In an effort to keep our doors open more frequently for public visitation, we are seeking any community volunteers interested in Gallery-sitting for a weekend shift. Responsibilities simply include unlocking the door and greeting anyone who comes to check out the space. There may be an art installation up or perhaps we will be between shows, but offering the public the opportunity to check out the building is important for our mission as a community space. Feel free to bring a book, small project, or remote work using our hi-speed WiFi to pass you time, or simply sit and enjoy the sunshine on the front porch." HELP WANTED
Click here for more info. The sign up button is on the home page.
ST. ALBANS--The Weekly Writer's Club gathers at 14th Star every Wednesday at 6 p.m. Writers of all skill levels are welcome to share, discuss, and work on skills. It's free. FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF
"If you're interested in doing some writing and meeting new people," Messenger staff reporter Josh Ellerbrock wrote, "it's a great avenue for all you creatives out there." Find them on Facebook for more info.
ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at library events in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site at AllArtsCouncil.org/books. We also take an occasional peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. Those reviews can be found on the ArtBits Bookshelf.
Good News!There are so many events around the region that we miss some of them.Be sure to check these calendars for what's happening near you ... |
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Music!Links to the Summer Music series in Franklin County |
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Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
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