STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

      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.

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      Stop in for live music and more at the Fairfax Music Sessions at the Foothills Bakery in Fairfax most Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m., at ChowBella or at the Overtime Saloon in St Albans 8-10 p.m. most Wednesday evenings, at the Bayside in St Albans Town most Sunday afternoons, and the Cambridge CoffeeHouses at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
     These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. The booked performances and acoustic Open Mike Nights feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

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PATRIOTIC ACTS       At 145 voices BFA-St. Albans has the largest high school chorus in the state. The BFA-St Albans Music Department presents a Patriotic Concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Church in St. Albans. The choral concert will support U.S. troops and honor local Armed Forces members past, present, and future.       The Patriotic Concert includes a repertoire of patriotic music, African-American Spirituals, classical, popular and sacred music. "The first half will be some of the better music we've performed throughout the school year and the second half will be all American or patriotic music," BFA Choral Director Armand Messier. "We're doing some American classics like an eight-part version of Shenandoah and an eight-part version of the Battle of Jericho, the Battle Hymn of the Republic,' 'Proud to be an American, and the men are doing a piece called Working for the Dawn of Peace. It is two Civil War songs." They will transport the new grand piano to the sanctuary.       Admission is free to BFA-Music events. "We encourage audience members to bring items that can be sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan," Mr. Messier said. Call BFA Music (527-6538) or click here for a list of acceptable items for members of the Armed Forces. DAIRY FESTIVAL       The 49th Annual Vermont Dairy Festival celebrates "Vermont Troops Drink Milk" and is dedicated to the Vermont National Guard. June is National Dairy Month.       The Mooooving Parade starts Saturday at 10:30. With marching bands and mobile mooving murals, it is one of Vermont's largest parades. As part of the dedication to the troops and their families, the 40th Army Band will play in the parade.       U.S. Senate Resolution 118 recognizes the Vermont Dairy Festival and Harold Howrigan for his service to his community and the Vermont dairy industry. Senator Pat Leahy is scheduled to present the resolution. Mr. Howrigan is Honorary Parade Marshal. Major General Martha Rainville is Parade Marshal.       "We have lots of entertainment and family activities," George Flower said. Most of the live bands will play on the Lincoln Park Bandstand. All the outdoor entertainment is free. THURSDAY--The Vermont Dairy Festival Scholarship Pageant is held at 7 p.m. in the Opera House at Enosburg Falls as college-bound seniors return for final judging. The talent is divided between singing and dancing. The speech topic this year is "Small town U.S.A." The Enosburg Lions offer scholarship prizes for contestants ranging from $125 to $750       "We have nine girls," organizer Lise Gates said. "Bakersfield, Enosburg, Montgomery, and Richford. They are really good girls."       Admission is $8. Tickets will be available at the door. FRIDAY--WLFE Radio begins the evening with a medley of country singers performing in the Colgate Country Showdown. The Dairy Festival winner will advance to the New England State contest at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts. There will be eight contestants on stage starting at 5:30 p.m.       The Mad Jones Family Band will play the standards and substandards of rock. The band, all members of the Shelburne, VT, Jones family, ranges from fourth grade to old enough, includes Mary Catherine on vocals, Eric on guitar, eleven-year old drummer extraordinaire Tim, and Caroline, 9, offering thrills and chills with backup on harmonica, tambourine, shakers, and vocals. 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY--The Enosburg High School Band plays traditional concert band music on the Main Street beside the reviewing stand at 9 a.m.       William Sheridan will sing Oh Canada; Jennifer McConnell will sing the Star Spangled Banner at the Invocation on the bandstand at 10:30.       The Festival hosts a marching band competition at the Main Street stage at 12:30.       Yankee Wild, brings a mix of slow, old time country to good snappy modern country music (and maybe even a little rock thrown in) to the stage. The group is Willie Hughes, lead guitar and lead vocalist, Bob Corbiere, bass and vocals, Steve Sweetser, rhythm guitar and fiddle, and Tim Michel, drums. 1 and 3 p.m.       In Musical Memories, Vermont singer and storyteller Tom Sabo sings and entertains with popular folk, rock and blues music of the past 150 years and interweaves stories specific to the history of Franklin County and Vermont. The concert will include songs of the Amidons, Irving Berlin, Glen Campbell, Harry and Tom Chapin, Clearance Clearwater, Bob Dylan, John Denver, the Everly Brothers, Paul Ippolito, the Irish Rovers, Al Jolson, and many more "Ole Tyme Favorites." There will be flat-pickin' & finger pickin' on the 12-string guitar as well as backup by teacher Art Branton on electric guitar and bass.       "I'll be using some of the farm songs, train songs, and family and children songs," Mr. Sabo said, especially at 2:00. They finish with a compendium built around This Land is Your Land. 2 and 6 p.m.       The Fiddler's Variety Show on Saturday afternoon is an assemblage of Canadian and American singers, dancers, pickers, comedians, cloggers, and fancy fiddlers. 4 p.m.       Country rock trio Borderline return to the stage to headline Saturday night. They play everything from old country to top-40 country and some classic rock dancing music with Howard Ring, guitar and vocals, Kevin Bockus, bass and vocals, and Stanley Ring, drums and vocals. Starting at 7 p.m. until the fireworks. SUNDAY--All of Dan the Puppetman's friends come with strings attached. He has a lot of friends. Clown College graduate and master puppeteer Dan Grady of Eliot, Maine, has built and performed with professionally crafted marionettes for more than 25 years. He brings his unique cast in the Marvelous Marionette Medley to theme parks, arts festivals, schools, theaters, and fairs around the country. 12 noon and 3 p.m.       Emerald Dream (formerly Machines at Rest) are four slaves to rock 'n' roll, with over half a century of collective live music experience. They play classic rock from the 60s to the present with high energy covers of Bad Company and the Rolling Stones, to crushing takes of Tragically Hip and Lynard Skynard and much more. 1 p.m.       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 over $380,000 and thousands of man-hours donated over the years.       "This year we are also donating one dollar from the sale of each Dairy Festival t-shirt to the Family Assistance Fund," Mr. Flower said. That fits both the Lion mission and the focus of this year's Festival.       The Vermont Dairy Festival midway opens at 6 p.m. Thursday. Entertainment on the bandstand starts Friday evening at 7 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.       "It's going to be a good time," Tim Stetson said, "and we're going to try to bring in good weather again this year."
ART IN THE WINDOWS AND ON THE WALLS       The St. Albans Multigenerational Art Show opens Saturday in Downtown St. Albans with the art of Maggie Ayres, McKelvey Ayres, Eric Bataille, Susan Bressette, Emma Casavant, Kaylee Devost, Kit Eaton, Gabrielle Gamache, Greta Groves, Lynn Lambesis, Isabelle LeBlanc, Garrett Lamothe, Madison Lamothe, Catherine Markle, Walt McLaughlin, Rebecca Millward, Jacob Morrill, Olivia Morrill, Shannon O'Brien, Dede O'Farrell, Jack O'Farrell, Kelsey O'Farrell, Eliana Pacheco, Abby Sullivan, Phyliss Utigard, Olivia Venturo, Eli Yandow, and Simon Yandow.       "It's not every day you have 19 businesses exhibiting art. We ran out of art before we ran out of places to show." instructor Mark Montalban said. "This event brings together a great art program with this great downtown."       A special reception opens the show from 12-3 p.m. in St. Albans City Hall. "This free event will be a chance to meet some of the students, and enjoy light food and drink," Mr. Montalban said.       The Multigenerational Art Show is supported by Art For All Ages, the County Courier, Open Doors Program, St. Albans City School, Price Chopper, St. Albans for the Future, and St. Albans Recreation. See the sidebar for the location of all the exhibitors.       Learn more about watercolor working with still life and outdoor scenery throughout St. Albans in the new art for All Ages workshop, "Continuing Watercolor." All materials will be included for this $120 class. This class is for those who have had past art experience. Mark Montalban instructs.       The class meets Thursdays, 10-12noon, starting today through July 21 at the Barlow Street Community Center. Call 524-1519 or e-mail for more info.	EXHIBIT LOCATIONS       Park below the Post Office and walk up left side of Main Street, cross over at City Hall, to Lorraine's, continue to Congress St. to Moonshadows, then reach Maiden Lane and end at Library. Flying Disc, 42 S. Main Mimmo's Pizzeria, 22 S. Main Vanslette Computer Consulting, 12 S. Main Rail City Market, 8 S. Main The Unicorn, 20 N. Main Maple City Cards & Candy, 22 N. Main Better Planet, 44 N. Main Chow! Bella, 24 N. Main Jack Rixon's Pharmacy, 40 N. Main Betty's Flower Basket, 46 N. Main Gwen's Antiques & Wool Shop, 11 Kingman The Blue-Eyed Dog Gallery, 54 N. Main As the Crow Flies, 58 N. Main Classie Exchange, 70 N. Main Mom & Me, 82 N. Main Park Cafe, 84 N. Main Sweet Nothings, 94 N. Main Lorraine's, 89 N. Main Moonshadows, 9 Congress St. Albans Free Library, 11 Maiden Lane
ON STAGE LIVE ST. ALBANS--The BFA-St. Albans Music Department presents a Pops Concert in the BFA gym next Wednesday, June 8, at 7 p.m. This end of the year concert features popular music for all the Bands, the Jazz Band, the Senior Chorus, the Dance Department       "It's like a whirlwind tour of everything that has gone on this year," band director Eric Bushey said.       There is a culture of supporting the arts in the school.       The chorus will perform some highlights from tonight's Patriotic Concert as well as a variety of popular music. They will perform the Battle Hymn of the Republic together with the concert band.       The Bands will perform "killer selections" of Movie Music. They will perform music from Braveheart, with traditional Scottish drumming, Pirates in the Caribbean," "Star Wars, the Raiders March from Indiana Jones, and a John Williams arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner that was written for the Rose Bowl.       "The John Williams music we are doing is very challenging," Mr. Bushey said. The band performs from the professional editions of the music. "They are not typical high school literature."       "The Jazz Band will do Swing, Swing, Swing," he said, "another John Williams piece from the movie 1941."       We're doing pieces from five musicals, dance program director Judith Karstens said. The concert will include If My Friends Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity," "Consider Yourself from Oliver, a piece from the musical Hairspray, two connected pieces from Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, and In America from West Side Story.       The Sweet Charity and West Side Story routines were choreographed by BFA and Julliard graduate Annie Walsh who is now a professional dancer on tour       Admission is free to BFA-Music events. Call BFA Music (527-6538) or click here for more info. BURLINGTON--Jim Branca will return to the stage at Nectar's on "Jazzfest Eve," tonight. His first set, "Unplugged," begins at 9:30 p.m., then "fully plugged" from 10:30 p.m. on into the night with a smorgasbord of new tunes, old friends, and special guests including Tommy "Lightnin' Rod" Buckley on Bass, Rollin' Roy Cutler on drums, and Magic Mike Maslack on keyboards. CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK       The Actor's Equity Association has resources from casting calls, a document library, FAQs, and a national health care survey, to a series of essays on how I got my equity card by actors from Jane Alexander to Harris Yulin as well as Thom Christopher's story of earning his in an Equity Summer Theater production in Poultney.

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FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.

SUPPORT LIVE ARTS IN YOUR TOWN!

All Arts Council of Franklin County

Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
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