| VOLUME 26 | * * All Arts News On the Web * * | August 25, 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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FRANKLIN COUNTY--The Big Music Weeks of Summer continue this week as the Chad Hollister Band headlines Summer Sounds, Champlain Valley Fair begins, and some of our friends play multiple gigs. There are live shows in Cambridge, East Fairfield, Essex, Highgate, Jay, Littleton, NH, Milton, Montgomery, Morrisville, North Hero, Sheldon, South Hero, and St Albans City and Town. BIG MUSIC WEEKS
HIGHGATE--The 31st year of Summer Sounds concerts at home in Highgate conclude with the Chad Hollister Band on the Highgate Arena lawn on Sunday evening at the new time of 5:30 p.m SOUNDS OF SUMMER
The band been evolving and touring the country for over 20 years. Mr. Hollister has opened for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Tom Petty and has shared the stage with Billy Gibbons, Merl Saunders, Warren Haynes, Blues Traveller, and every member of PHISH. His music is a "voice for the Positive and reminds you that life is truly a gift as is the ability to share it through music." The full band has released Stop the World on Pacific Records.
The Summer Sounds Social in the Park also has food, bouncy castles, drinks from 14th Star Brewing, and more.
Summer Sounds welcomes the 2022 sponsors of this popular series: Big Al's Snack Bar, Desorcie's Market, and LaShures Pro Shop. The concerts are always on Sunday evenings, always at 5:30 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 the entire summer schedule.
On August 17, the Vermont Department of Health reported that COVID-19 cases are still considered "Low" but hospitalizations increased about 24% from 38 to 50. The BA.5 variant is the dominant variant in the state. There have been 6 COVID-related fatalities this month, for a pandemic total of 702. PANDEMIC NEWS
Vermont reported 414 new COVID-19 cases statewide last week (up slightly from 407 last week). Franklin County reported 68 cases in the 14 days ending Saturday.
People exposed to COVID should get tested about four days after their exposure. Vermont relies on self reporting. You can report self-test results by following instructions on your test kit to automatically provide your results to your local health department or with the Vermont COVID-19 Self-Test Result Reporting Form. If you test positive, stay home and isolate for five days. You can leave your home on day six if your symptoms have improved and you have had no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medicine that reduces fevers.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a third round of free at-home tests from COVIDtests.gov. Need other tests? COVIDtests.gov also has for links for at-home tests at retailers and pharmacies, insurance reimbursement for at-home tests, and the 20,000 no-cost antigen and PCR COVID-19 test sites nationwide. Most major chains including Walgreens and Price Chopper locally 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. 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. CDC has changed its national COVID guidance. Masks are not mandatory but wearing a mask indoors still makes sense, particularly for people at high risk for COVID complications or who can't isolate.
Every week, this column includes pandemic information as it affect the arts. The state Health Department has changed its reporting to align with the CDC definition of "up to date": people who have received all recommended doses of vaccine they are eligible for. That means those age 50+ have received a second booster and those age 5 - 49 who have received one or more boosters. Unfortunately, the new data still doesn't add up. Since Vermont's current population age 5 and older is expected to be 617,165, the "eligible pool" apparently includes thousands more people than actually live in the state. This is not the first time I've noticed a disparity in the numbers on the official Vermont dashboard. We have suspended reporting the vaccination numbers.
That really doesn't matter except to a numbers wonk like me.
No vaccine is 100% foolproof. Wash your hands. Keep wearing an N95 mask where you can't control the airflow around you. Bonus: it will also help protect you from pollen, summer colds, and the winter flu.
Call 855.722.7878 or visit 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. Providers and pharmacies must give vaccines at no cost to the patient.
MILTON--The Milton Artists' Guild will host a Beaded Wrap Bracelet with Paulle Galle at MAG on Saturday at 10 a.m. - 12 noon. Limited to six participants, the class will make double wrap bracelets with a button clasp and leather cord. All materials will be provided. The cost is $50 for members or $55 for non-members. Click here for more info and to reserve a space. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
MILTON--Social Sundays continue at the Milton Artists' Guild Art Center with free weekly art classes for families at MAG on Sundays at 1 p.m.
Each week offers a different project. Stay for 30 minutes or the whole two hours. Admission is free but registration is required. Click here for free tickets and more info.
MORRISVILLE--River Arts September Open Studio Figure Drawing next Thursday will be a nude session with quick two minute poses, five minute poses, 20 minute poses, and a long pose at the end. River Arts limits nude sessions to ages 18 and older. The cost is $15 with pre-registration preferred. Click here to register and for more info.
Here's my own plan with over one million U.S. deaths and as our precautions wane. I got the COVID and Flu shots, and the 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, August 25
ST ALBANS TOWN--The weekly St. Albans Bay Farmer's Market and Concert Series continues with Dirty Looks today from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. They have live music every Thursday evening. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SOUTH HERO--The 2022 Snow Farm Summer Concert Series continues their 25th anniversary season with Blues for Breakfast this evening. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. but "come as early as you would like." Click here for more info.
NORTH HERO--Island Arts presents Flores Argentinas in the Island Arts Center this evening at 7 p.m. Soprano Sarah Cullins and classical guitarist Daniel Gaviria of 8 Cuerdas are joined by the ensemble Duo Dolce with Vermont Symphony Orchestra principal cellist John Dunlop and violinist Laura Markowitz. The program includes Argentine and other South American composers, performed with various combinations of their instruments. The group takes its name from the song cycle by Carlos Guastavino.
Admission is $25. Click here for tickets and more info.
Thursday-Sunday, August 25-28
ESSEX JUNCTION--On Tap starts off another long weekend of music John Lackard returns tonight at 6 p.m. two shows Friday night, Jerborn and Axe jerborning at 5 p.m., and then Mark Abair and Friends Unplugged for late night music starting at 9 p.m., plus two more shows live on Saturday night with Elizabeth Begins at 5 p.m., and Eleven returning to tear the boards off the stage starting at 9 p.m. Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info. Click here to reserve a table.
SOUTH HERO--The Blue Paddle Bistro starts off another weekend of music with George Murtie this evening. Cooie Sings on the porch on Saturday, followed by Cooper!, Bob Recupero, on Sunday. Music starts about 5:30 - 8 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Friday, August 26
MORRISVILLE--Music on Main concludes the season with Take 5 on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Bring a chair for free music at the gazebo. Music on Main is a collaboration between Morrisville Alliance for Culture and Commerce and River Arts. Click here for more info.
MILTON--The Friday Night Live Music and Buffet at Arrowhead Golf Course wraps the season with Bob Recupero on the deck on Friday at 6 p.m. The pulled pork 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.
ST. ALBANS--14th Star presents the Devon McGarry Band rocking Franklin County for the first time ever in The Room on Friday at 6 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
SHELDON--The Abbey Live Night Music Series continues the Summer Season with John Gratton and Andrew James in the Pub on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook for more info.
LITTLETON, NH--Littleton Parks and Rec Concerts in the Park present the Nobby Reed Project in Remich Park on Friday at 6 p.m.
NRP has recently opened for Johnny Winter and Little Feat. They have shared the stage with Blues Traveler, Dickie Betts, James Cotton, Delbert McClinton, Buckwheat Zydeco, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Mighty Sam MacLain, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, Roomful of Blues, The Neville Brothers, Eddie Money, and again (after several years) April Wine. Food will be available and a 50/50 raffle will benefit the Littleton Christmas Parade.
Friday-Saturday, August 26-27
NORTH HERO--The Steamship Pier Bar and Grill at North Hero House hosts a double header with singer/songwriters Chris and Tristen on Friday and the Buck Hollers live on Saturday night. Music starts at 5:30 p.m. Find them on Facebook 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 or find them on Facebook for more info. Click here to book a reservation or to visit the art on the walls.
This Friday-next Sunday, August 26-September 4
ESSEX--The Champlain Valley Fair celebrates its 100th anniversary this year from August 26 through September 4th. The heaviest pumpkin and the tallest sand sculpture in the state will appear as well as the latest farming methods. But wait, there's more. The Fair has music and art and entertainment for ten days running. Click here for the whole schedule.
Saturday, August 27 EAST FAIRFIELD--The live Meeting House on the Green Summer Concerts continue with the WDEV Radio Rangers on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Danny Coane, Dave Rowell, Jim Pitman, and Colin McCaffrey began as a radio band in 1986, playing a 15-minute live show sponsored by Blue Seal Feeds every Saturday morning for 26 years on WDEV in Waterbury. Their material is vintage country, western swing, bluegrass, novelty songs, original works, and a smattering of other genres.
Admission is by suggested donation of $10 at the door with those under 16 admitted free. Concerts are held outdoors. In case of rain, concerts are either canceled or moved indoors with mask required and limited seating available. "Grab and go" light fare will be available for sale or bring your own picnic. Call 802.827.6626 or click here for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Live Music at MRB, all Summer long presents Uncle Jimmy for Saturday night at Mill River Brewing at 5 p.m. Call to make a reservation (802.582.4182) or find them on Facebook for more info.
NORTH HERO--Island Arts presents Summer Sounds favorites the Dixie Six in the Island Arts Center this evening at 6:30 p.m. Charlie MacFayden, piano; Peter Williams, bass; Dave Whittle, drums; Phil Mead, trombone; Tony Pietricola, clarinet; and Bill Wicker, cornet focus on the sound and repertoire of Louis Armstrong's All Stars of the 50s and 60s including their hits Blueberry Hill, Mack the Knife, and Hello, Dolly! "which blew the Beatles off the top of pop charts at the height of Beatlemania."
Admission is $10. Click here for tickets and more info.
Sunday, August 28
CAMBRIDGE--Waffle Wagon hosts Sunday Fundays with music by Gary Wade and friends at Iris Lane Studios on Sunday from 12 noon - 3 p.m. Fundays include craft vendors, food vendors, a kids' tent, and more every Sunday through October 16, weather permitting. Find them on Facebook for more info
ST. ALBANS--14th Star and Grazers continue the Sunday Brunch Sessions: Mellow Melodies with Renee Laroche-Rheaume live in The Room on Sunday at 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Half the tips in the hat will benefit A Place For Grace Kitty Rescue. Find them on Facebook for more info.
HIGHGATE--The Town of Highgate concludes the 31st year of Summer Sounds concerts at home in Highgate with the Chad Hollister Band on the Highgate Arena lawn on Sunday evening at the new time of 5:30 p.m
Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for the outdoor family music and festivities. The rain site is the Highgate Arena. Click here or find them on Facebook for more info.
MONTGOMERY--The monthly Celebration of Expressive Arts continues at the INN on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. The event officially includes everything but dancing, but there is always hope. Come early for dinner; service begins at 5 p.m. This month brings the stained glass and jewelry of Kelly Bradley and the vibrant music of Cooie DeFrancesco. The local artists, writers and musicians gather to share original and thought provoking work. Find them on Facebook for more info.
JAY--The Jay Peak Summer Music Series presents Old Crow Medicine Show live in the Stateside Amphitheater on Sunday at 8 p.m. Doors at 7:30. Admission is $25-45 and ages 6 and under are free. Call 800.451.4449 for tickets and more info.
Monday, August 29
ESSEX--Champlain Valley Fair Will Rock You with Jesse Agan's Tribute to Queen on the NorthCountry Federal Credit Union Grandstand on Monday at p.m. The concert is free with paid admission to the Fair. Find them on Facebook for more info.
Wednesday, August 31
NORTH HERO--The Rebecca Padula Trio plays live in the Steamship Pier Bar and Grill at North Hero House on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Look for smoldering bluegrass, country, and swing with fiddler Linda Kallinger and Ukelele Clare Innes. Find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--Live Music at MRB, all Summer long presents Bob Recupero live at Mill River Brewing on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Call to make a reservation (802.582.4182) or find them on Facebook for more info.
ST. ALBANS--The St. Albans Summer Concert Series finishes up with Mal Maiz in the E.A. Loomis Bandshell in Taylor Park on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. El Gato Cantina food truck will be on site. Admission is free. The concerts will move to 14th Star Brewery if it rains. Click here 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. ON THE 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
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Highgate Springs, VT 05460
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