Vermont Public Community Calendar

The Montpelier Contra Dance happens every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday at the Capital City Grange Hall. We dance to live music with contra dance bands and callers from around New England and beyond. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. We use gender neutral role terms. There's a newcomers lesson at 7:45 pm and dancing 8-11pm. Some months on 3rd Saturdays there is a Waltzing Session 7-7:45. Check the website or Facebook page. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes. More info at www.montpeliercontradance.org. $12 adults, $5 kids/low-income, $20 dance supporters. Cash preferred. Venmo or CC accepted. Questions? 802-225-8921 or cdu.tim@gmail.com.

Flow through a range of styles and moods with original jazz works, stunning improvisations and new takes on the American Songbook.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey is one of the most visionary artists of his generation—known for a practice that defies category and a sound that reshapes the possibilities of improvisation.

Joined by longtime collaborators Aaron Diehl on the piano and Harish Raghavan on bass, Sorey blends rigorous structure with boundless spontaneity, drawing on everything from 20th-century classical to post-bop, minimalism to free jazz.

Performances:
Sun, Apr 19 at 4 & 7:30 p.m.

Béla Fleck joins harpist Edmar Castañeda and drummer Antonio Sánchez in a striking all-star trio that redefines what a small ensemble can be. Fleck, a 19-time Grammy winner and genre-blurring banjo virtuoso, is joined by two of the most gifted musicians of their generation. Castañeda brings a dazzling voice to the harp rooted in jazz and world music, while Sánchez, a five-time Grammy winner, is celebrated for his visionary work in jazz and film. Together, they perform original music filled with fearless exploration, rich melodies, and grooves that twist, turn, and captivate.

Robin Pecknold is an American singer-songwriter best known as the principal songwriter and vocalist for Fleet Foxes, and has recorded four studio albums: Fleet Foxes (2008), Helplessness Blues (2011), Crack-Up (2017), and Shore (2020), along with live albums A Very Lonely Solstice (2021) and Live On Boston Harbor (2024). Originally from Seattle, WA, he has been nominated for many awards, including GRAMMY nominations for best Folk Album and for Best Alternative Music Album.

Nashville based soul artist Jed Harrelson has found a way to fuse sounds of Soul, Rock and R&B. Music connects and he carries that into the center of his work, leaving both a euphoric and familiar presence. While he’s independently released 15 songs in the last three years, he is working on a debut project right now. All of his music is recorded in house with his brother Hank as the audio engineer.

Being from Texarkana, Arkansas instilled a drive to hone in on his craft though the lack of music scene caused him to move where he could really express his artistic message which took him to Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is where he cut his teeth in the Northwest Arkansas music scene. Now living in Nashville since January 2020, Jed is independently touring the country with his band in a gold van called “The Loaf”. By achieving and producing what feels good in his art, Jed just might help listeners do the same.

Two jazz legends. One unforgettable evening.

Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and pianist Bill Charlap—each a towering figure in American jazz—join forces for a night of intimate, electrifying music-making.

A three-time Grammy winner and NEA Jazz Master, Bridgewater brings her unmistakable voice, theatrical flair and fearless spirit to every note. Charlap, one of the most sensitive and swinging pianists of his generation, is celebrated for his deep knowledge of the Great American Songbook.

The duo will interpret classics by iconic composers such as Ellington, Porter, Sondheim and more—reimagining each song with warmth, wit, and soul.

The Montpelier Contra Dance happens every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday at the Capital City Grange Hall. We dance to live music with contra dance bands and callers from around New England and beyond. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. We use gender neutral role terms. There's a newcomers lesson at 7:45 pm and dancing 8-11pm. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes. More info at www.montpeliercontradance.org $12 adults, $5 kids/low-income, $20 dance supporters. Cash preferred. Venmo or CC accepted. Questions? 802-225-8921 or cdu.tim@gmail.com.

The choral singers round out the year with an uplifting performance.

Filippo Ciabatti, director

The Coast's graduating seniors grab the reins.

Taylor Ho Bynum, director

The Montpelier Contra Dance happens every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday at the Capital City Grange Hall. We dance to live music with contra dance bands and callers from around New England and beyond. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. We use gender neutral role terms. There's a newcomers lesson at 7:45 pm and dancing 8-11pm. Some months on 3rd Saturdays there is a Waltzing Session 7-7:45. Check the website or Facebook page. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes. More info at www.montpeliercontradance.org. $12 adults, $5 kids/low-income, $20 dance supporters. Cash preferred. Venmo or CC accepted. Questions? 802-225-8921 or cdu.tim@gmail.com.

Sing, dance and clap along!

Regional Emmy award winners and stars of the Vermont PBS take to the stage in this fun family concert. Chris Dorman (Mister Chris) and his collaborators share classic and original kids' songs.

Check out episodes from Seasons 1 and 2 of "Mister Chris and Friends" on Vermont PBS or YouTube.

This program is a great fit for ages 3-8 and families and is free and unticketed.

Student and community vocalists share powerful messages in an uplifting performance.

Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson, director

The Beat Beneath Us opens the 2026 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival with a celebration of rhythm, movement, and Black creative power — placing the body itself at the center of the music.

The evening begins with Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company, performing dances made in tribute to Max Roach, the iconic drummer, composer, and activist whose music reshaped jazz and whose artistic voice was deeply engaged with the civil rights movement. Drawing on Roach’s rhythmic innovation and political urgency, Brown’s choreography translates sound into movement — honoring Roach’s legacy through ensemble motion that is grounded, propulsive, and alive with history.

The second half of the evening features Savion Glover, Jason Moran, and Chris “Daddy” Dave coming together as equal partners in rhythm — tap, piano, and drums — creating a live, improvisational exchange where movement and music are inseparable. Glover brings a fiercely musical approach to tap, using his feet as both instrument and voice. Moran, a MacArthur Fellow and defining artistic voice of contemporary jazz, and Dave, one of the most influential drummers of the last two decades, meet him in a shared language of rhythm that is urgent, inventive, and deeply rooted in jazz tradition.

The result is an explosive opening reminding us that jazz is not only something we hear — it is something we see, feel, and experience through the moving body.

BDJF is produced by the Flynn and presented by Vermont Tire with Nokian Tyres.

Ben Folds is an Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter who has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, a holiday album, and numerous collaborative records. He currently tours as a pop artist, while also performing for over two decades with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras.

Folds, who served for eight years as the first ever Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, stepped down from his post when Donald Trump announced his takeover of the Center. On October 25 and 26, 2024, just days before the US presidential election, Folds recorded two sold out performances with the NSO which he released as a live album in July which debuted at the top of the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts.

A New York Times Best Selling author, Ben also creates new music for film, tv and theatre, with original new music he composed to be featured in an animated Peanuts special airing this summer on Apple TV.

In 2022, he launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids,” which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that offer free or affordable piano lessons to school-age children from economically-disadvantaged households. For the past 15 years he has been an outspoken advocate for arts funding, music education and music therapy in the US as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.

The Montpelier Contra Dance happens every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday at the Capital City Grange Hall. We dance to live music with contra dance bands and callers from around New England and beyond. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. We use gender neutral role terms. There's a newcomers lesson at 7:45 pm and dancing 8-11pm. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes. More info at www.montpeliercontradance.org $12 adults, $5 kids/low-income, $20 dance supporters. Cash preferred. Venmo or CC accepted. Questions? 802-225-8921 or cdu.tim@gmail.com.

The 2026 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival closes with A Nation Listens, an ambitious evening that confronts history, identity, and the unresolved tensions at the heart of the American story.

The festival closes with A Nation Listens, an ambitious evening that confronts history, identity, and the unresolved tensions at the heart of the American story.

The night opens with Mark Turner, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary jazz, presenting The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s 1912 novel. Turner translates the novel into a thoughtful musical essay — rhythmically elusive, harmonically dense, and emotionally intense — where long, searching lines and ensemble interplay unfold like narrative rather than illustration.

Chris Potter and Julian Lage then take the stage to debut a world premiere inspired by the legacy of abolitionist John Brown - the radical abolitionist whose 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry helped propel the nation toward Civil War. The work reflects on Brown himself: the physical body as symbol, catalyst, and moral reckoning. Potter, one of the most significant saxophonists of his generation, joins forces with Lage — guitarist celebrated for his clarity, imagination, and deep engagement with American musical traditions — to explore history through music that wrestles with contradiction, conviction, and consequence.

These performances close the festival with depth, urgency, and a clear-eyed look at the ghosts we continue to live with.

BDJF is produced by the Flynn and presented by Vermont Tire with Nokian Tyres.

Every moment, every sound, each expression of every song evokes the power and the passion of Neil Diamond.

Visually spectacular and warmly familiar, this powerful concert experience is not only a feast for the eyes and ears, but for the heart.

Combining the passion of Broadway with the power of a live concert we rediscover his charismatic presence in this uplifting production, complete with a finale of heart pounding patriotic pride!

This Show is a Neil Diamond Concert Celebration starring the #1 Diamond performer in the world – Jay White.

Conceived in response to Mr. Diamond’s retirement from the concert stage and the huge demand from audiences worldwide to enjoy the music of the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame icon in a live music setting, Jay White and his dynamic band pays homage to Neil Diamond by performing the hits and beloved gems you know and love with the same energy and artistry Neil delivered over his incredible 50 year career.

The Montpelier Contra Dance happens every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday at the Capital City Grange Hall. We dance to live music with contra dance bands and callers from around New England and beyond. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught. We use gender neutral role terms. There's a newcomers lesson at 7:45 pm and dancing 8-11pm. Some months on 3rd Saturdays there is a Waltzing Session 7-7:45. Check the website or Facebook page. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes. More info at www.montpeliercontradance.org. $12 adults, $5 kids/low-income, $20 dance supporters. Cash preferred. Venmo or CC accepted. Questions? 802-225-8921 or cdu.tim@gmail.com.

Join us on the third Friday each month for our series showcasing impressive and diverse NEK musical talent. You'll encounter new and familiar performers in the spectacular setting of the Art Gallery.

February 20 Ed Morgan
March 20 Bob Amos
April 17 Tom Stamp
May 15 Sue Persson
June 19 Jon Speer and the Meld

These concerts are free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Join us on the third Friday each month for our series showcasing impressive and diverse NEK musical talent. You'll encounter new and familiar performers in the spectacular setting of the Art Gallery.

February 20 Ed Morgan
March 20 Bob Amos
April 17 Tom Stamp
May 15 Sue Persson
June 19 Jon Speer and the Meld

These concerts are free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.