| VOLUME 27 | * * All Arts News On the Web * * | July 27, 2023 |
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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FRANKLIN COUNTY--The Big Music Weeks of Summer continue this week as some of our friends play multiple gigs. Summer Sounds continues in Highgate and there are also live shows in Burlington, Colchester, Enosburg, Essex, Franklin, Johnson, Milton, Montgomery, St. Albans City and Town, Sheldon, South Hero, and Swanton. BIG MUSIC WEEKS
EAST FAIRFIELD--The 31st annual Jig in the Valley takes over the Meeting House green for an all day party on Sunday starting at noon, rain or shine. Eight hours of music includes Rusty Bucket, the Dale & Darcy Band, Christine Malcolm & the Kate Brook Romp, Coane, Lewis, and Rowell, Galen Cassidy Peria, the Nobby Reed Project, and the Joe Moore Band with Chas Eller. SOUNDS OF SUMMER
There will be flea market vendors, a silent auction, the world famous pie table, ice cream, and so much more. Admission is still $10 per person or $25 per family. All proceeds go to supporting the Fairfield Community Center programs. Concerts are held outdoors. Call 802.827.6626 or find them on Facebook for more info.
HIGHGATE--The Town of Highgate continues the 32nd year of Summer Sounds concerts at home in Highgate with Tyler Mast live on the Highgate Arena lawn on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
With Chicago roots and a Green Mountain soul, Tyler Mast is a folk-rock songwriter with top-shelf keyboard chops. Piano-driven melodies, powerfully authentic lyrics, and a dedication to groove make his style unequivocally his own. He has shared the stage with members of Phish, Trey Anastasio Band, Derek Trucks Band, moe., Melvin Seals and Jerry Garcia Band, Bombino, Grace Potter, Kat Wright, Dopapod, Rubblebucket, Seth Yacovone Band, The Grift, Guster, and more.
The concerts are always on Sunday evenings, always at 6:30 p.m., always on the Highgate Arena Lawn, and always free. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for the outdoor family music and festivities. The rain site is the Highgate Arena. Click here for more info.
ENOSBURG--Cold Hollow Sculpture Park presents Perspectives 2023: Amazing Makers featuring 2023 artist-in-residence, Olaniyi R. Akindiya at the Park on Saturday at 2 p.m. Visitors of all ages will join him to build a piece during this special event ART ON THE WALLS
Akirash is an interdisciplinary artist who explores a range of social issues and draws inspiration from tradition woven textile which he transforms into mixed media sculptural installation by incorporating vintage and repurposed materials. His two-week residency in the Park from July 22 - August 4 is creating the temporary installation there.
Admission is free but tickets are needed. Click here for free tickets and more info. Find them on Facebook for tickets and more info.
MONTGOMERY--The Montgomery Center for the Arts hosts a Paint n Sip with Amber Rae Harvey on Saturday at 4 p.m. The cost of $40 per person includes painting materials. Call Ms. Harvey (802.595.2360) for more info. ART YOU CREATE
SOUTH BURLINGTON--Floodstock 2.0? 8084, the Chad Hollister Band, Rusty Dewees, Jamie Lee Thurston, and more are Vermont Strong at the Higher Ground Ballroom on August 20. Find them on Facebook for more info. FLOOD NEWS
JEFFERSONVILLE--From now until July 31, Bryan Memorial Gallery will donate a portion of all painting sales to Cambridge Cares to help out those in need, especially with the recent flooding. The Bryan Gallery is open Wednesday - Sunday from 11 - 5 or by appointment. Click here or Find them on Facebook for more info.
JEFFERSONVILLE--Art For Vermont Flood Relief: The full purchase price of the items in the online gallery of CH Diegel Photography will be donated to the Cambridge Flood Disaster Fund. donated by Nancy Chapman, CH Diegel Photography, Annette Hansen, Gina Pettey, True Valyou, and more. Click here for more info.
MONTPELIER--Governor Phil Scott extended the tax deadlines for Vermonters hit by the floods this month. Taxpayers with returns due between now and November 15 will now have until November 15, 2023, to file and pay taxes. The extensions are automatic for estimated personal income tax payments originally due in September, as well as corporate and business income tax, including estimated payments, sales, meals and rooms taxes, payroll withholding, and more. Anyone with other Vermont tax obligations can request extensions from the Taxpayer Services Division.
The national disaster declaration also means the IRS has extended deadlines for Vermont residents and businesses to file and pay some federal taxes.
ONLINE--Pskwasawôn, a word that describes what a flower does. The Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park introduce the Abenaki Word of the Week. They will share Abenaki words alongside English translations every week. Find them on Facebook for this week's word. HUMANITIES
MILTON--Social Sundays continue at the Milton Artists' Guild Art Center with free weekly art classes for families at MAG on Sunday at 1 p.m. Each week offers a different project. Stay for 30 minutes or the whole two hours. Click here for more info. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
COVID is still here. The Vermont Department of Health reported that COVID-19 hospitalizations fell to a statewide total of seven as of July 12 but three of those are in Franklin County. Four recent COVID-related deaths bring the statewide pandemic total to 989. COVID NEWS
The state and many municipalities still have home antigen tests, available in libraries and town halls. The federal vaccine supply should last through this summer, which means COVID-19 shots will remain free to the public for that long. After the federal supply is gone, the COVID vaccine will be treated like other vaccinations, and the cost will depend on insurance plans.
Some health plans will offer partial coverage of COVID-19 treatments such as Paxlovid but that will be plan dependent. As always, check with your insurer for specific information on your plan.
The Health Department still recommends following best practices. Call 855.722.7878 or visit healthvermont.gov for more info about the first or second dose and for booster shots of the vaccine.
My own plan remains unchanged with over 1.1 million U.S. deaths, especially since our precautions have waned. I got the COVID and Flu shots, and the boosters, and I still take precautions because neither vaccine nor "natural immunity" is 100% foolproof. I wash my hands. I double mask with a genuine N95 mask (not a bandana and not a "chin strap") plus 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.
Thursday, July 27 ON STAGE LIVE
ST ALBANS TOWN--The weekly St. Albans Bay Farmer's Market and Concert Series continues with Still Kickin' today from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. They have live music every Thursday evening into September. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--Nick Carter debuts at the Blue Paddle Bistro for an evening of "soulful folk and a coffee break" this evening at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--The 2023 Snow Farm Summer Concert Series continues with the nationally known Nobby Reed Project this evening at 6:30 p.m. Click here for more info
Thursday-Saturday, July 27-29
ESSEX JUNCTION--On Tap starts off another weekend of music with Ryan Sweezey tonight at 5 p.m. two shows Friday night, King Me at 5 p.m., and then Summer Sounds favorites IncaHoots for late night music starting at 9 p.m. Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info. Click here to reserve a table.
Friday, July 28
MILTON--The Friday Night Live Music and Buffet at Arrowhead Golf Course presents Jerborn and Axe jerborning across the deck on Friday at 6 p.m. for the teryaki chicken that starts around 7 p.m. Both run until 9 p.m. The buffet costs $14 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.
ST. ALBANS--14th Star presents Milton Busker & the Grim Work for a night of live music on Friday at 6 p.m. "The band plays a type of Americana they call 'suit-folk,' defined as the people's music, all dolled up for a night on the town." Find them on Facebook for more info.
SHELDON--The Abbey Friday Night Music Series continues in the Pub on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Twiggs often has shows on Friday and Saturday nights. This week they host Bare Bones live on Friday night. Music starts about 6:30 p.m. Call 802.524.1405 or find them on Facebook for more info. Click here to book a reservation or to visit the art on the walls.
SHELDON--Summer Music at Grace offers the return of Heliland, storytelling through music on their Summer Tour, at Grace Church on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The virtuoso woodwind and piano ensemble performs classical music from the baroque through 20th century plus contemporary repertoire. This event will include music for the season by Jenni Brandon, Chick Corea, Florence Price, Paul Hanson, Padma Newsome and others.
Admission is by donation which supports the artists. Click here or Find them on Facebook for more info.
Friday-Sunday, July 28-30
COLCHESTER--Live Music in July fills the Spanked Puppy with music in the Outback all weekend. Mark Abair kicks it off on Friday at 6 p.m. followed by the Duo on Saturday at 6 p.m. and the busy Bare Bones on Sunday afternoon at 1 - 4 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--Island Arts has another double header at the Barn.
Eclectica String Quartet will explore the soulful, lyrical music of the Danish String Quartet at the Island Arts Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. without intermission. Sofia Hirsch, Laura Markowitz, Ana Ruesink, and John Dunlop play in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and moonlight with other groups such as JukeBox, Turn Music and Cricket Blue. Concert admission is $25 and a table reservation an additional $14-$20. Click here for tickets and more info.
Green Mountain Brass Band will play an outside concert at the Island Arts Center on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. with option to picnic on the green at 5:30, weather permitting. In bad weather, the concert will move inside the barn. GMB includes 25 or more brass and percussion musicians and soloists who perform marches, show tunes, novelties, and the classics around Vermont. Admission is $25. A chair or blanket is suggested. Click here for tickets and more info.
Saturday, July 22
ST. ALBANS--Northwest Farmers Market fills Taylor Park with live music, handmade crafts, locally grown food, prepared foods, free kids activities on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. The market and the music continue every Saturday through October. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SWANTON--The annual Swanton Car Show takes over the park on Saturday at 9 a.m. with much more than cars and motorcycles. The all day event features a farmers' market, food in the park, a live DJ, raffles, and more. A Fire Dept BBQ starts at 6 pm and a free concert in the park from 6 - 9 p.m.
JOHNSON--Hick Jam and the Oxbow Music Festival present Summer Jam 73 at Moogs Joint on Saturday at 3 - 11 p.m. Dead Sessions, the Peacheaters, and Caldonia Mission (a tribute to The Band) celebrate the 50th anniversary of 600,000 people gathering in Watkins Glen for the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and The Band. The Jam will have food vendors, craft vendors, and a full bar.
Admission is $25-30. Click here for tickets and more info.
ST. ALBANS--The Taphouse at Mill River hosts indie alternative blues storyteller Creatio on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
BURLINGTON--Foam Brewers presents a celebration of local indie folk music with Fever Dolls and Troy Millette & the Fire Below on Saturday at 10:15 p.m.
Admission is $10. The small, independent craft brewery has live music most days. Jazz Thursdays feature some of the Queen City's best jazz musicians. Times vary. Click here for more info.
Sunday, July 30
EAST FAIRFIELD--The 31st annual Jig in the Valley takes over the Meeting House green for eight hours of music on Sunday starting at noon. There will be flea market vendors, a silent auction, the world famous pie table, and free ice cream. Admission is $10 per person or $25 per family. All proceeds support Fairfield Community Center programs. Call 802.827.6626 or find them on Facebook for more info. Top Story...
HIGHGATE--The Town of Highgate continues the 32nd year of Summer Sounds concerts at home in Highgate with Tyler Mast live on the Highgate Arena lawn on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The concerts are always on Sunday evenings, always at 6:30 p.m., always on the Highgate Arena Lawn, and always free. The rain site is the Highgate Arena. Click here for more info.
MONTGOMERY--The monthly Celebration of Expressive Arts continues the 2023 season at the INN on Sunday at 7 p.m. The CEA officially includes everything but dancing, but there is always hope. Come early for dinner; service begins at 5 p.m. This month has another big cast, with poet Neil Shepard, artist Jack Arthur Tremblay, and performance artist Psylas. The local artists, writers and musicians gather to share original and thought provoking work. Find them on Facebook for more info
Tuesday August 1
ST. ALBANS--Tuesday is National Night Out with live music, yard games, and many more family activities plus hot dogs, chips, cotton candy, popcorn, water, and more in Taylor Park from 4 - 7 p.m. The free community event is hosted by the St. Albans City PD with support from the Franklin-Grand Isle Restorative Justice Center. Any monies raised will support victims of crime and the FGIRJC. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ENOSBURG FALLS--Summer Concerts in Lincoln Park continue as the Enosburg Town Band continues on the Bandstand on Tuesday at 7 p.m. There will be a variety of music, arts and crafts for the kids, popcorn and drinks, and even ice cream sundaes (when available) every Tuesday evening. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Wednesday, August 2
ESSEX JUNCTION--Trucks Taps & Tunes continues with the original music of the Avery Cooper Quartet, a jazz fusion/funk/jam band on the Green at the Double E for live music, food trucks, and local beer on Wednesday at 5 - 8 p.m. Admission is free. Click here for more info.
ST. ALBANS--The St. Albans Summer Concert Series continues with Summer Sounds favorites John Geno and InCahoots in the E.A. Loomis Bandshell in Taylor Park on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. 14th Star and Pickle's Snack Shack will be on site. Admission is free. The concerts will move to 14th Star Brewery if it rains. Click here for more info.
SOUTH HERO--The Blue Paddle Bistro has easy listening favorites of the 60s, 70s and 80s from Dave Miller on Wednesday evening at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Plan Ahead
FRANKLIN--The Citizens Concert Band usually plays Wednesday evening but will continue its summer series on the Franklin Town Green next Thursday, August 3, at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Concerts take place outdoors and will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Click here for more info.
SOUTH BURLINGTON--Floodstock 2.0? 8084, the Chad Hollister Band, Rusty Dewees, Jamie Lee Thurston, and more are Vermont Strong at the Higher Ground Ballroom on August 20. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--The Eloquent Page welcomes Cheryl Marita to sign and talk about Touching the Veil: End of Life Stories through the Eyes of a Nurse on Saturday at 11 a.m. - 12 noon. In fifteen short stories, Nurse Marita recounts her time as a nurse at the bedside of hospice patients, friends, and family during their last days. Find them on Facebook for more info FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF
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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