Farmers Night will conclude the 2026 performing artists series with Judevine: The Poetry of a Place & Its People, presented by Vermont Humanities. Join David Budbill’s daughter and literary executor Nadine Budbill—along with actors Abby Paige and Mark S. Roberts—for a dramatic reading and discussion of the poetry that became David Budbill’s Judevine.

In the 1970’s, beloved Vermont author David Budbill—then a recent arrival to Wolcott, Vermont—was inspired by his own working-class background to shine a light on the lives of his new neighbors who were, in turns, beautiful, ingenious, struggling, and unseen. These poems became Judevine, a raucous, moving, and plain language collection that resonates to this day with its enduring themes of rural life, poverty, and the resilience of the human spirit.

The Farmers Night Concert Series is a longstanding State House tradition which goes back over 100 years to a time when lawmakers entertained themselves in the House Chamber mid-week while away from home. Artists from around the state, in genres ranging from classical music to bluegrass to spoken word, perform in the well of the House Chamber each Wednesday night at 7:30 during the legislative session. Doors open at 7:00 pm. All concerts are FREE and open to the public.