Vermont Public Community Calendar

Vermont author Chuck Collins will discuss his 2025 book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Ruin our Lives and Planet and his decades of experiences working with issues of equity, equality, economics, and community.

The U.S. and planet are living through a surge of wealth inequality. What does this mean for our daily lives –and the fate of the planet? What does extreme wealth inequality mean for our taxes, housing, political voice, health, and well-being? How can we reverse extreme inequality?

Author Chuck Collins is a resident of Guilford, Vermont and a campaigner, researcher, and storyteller based at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits the website, Inequality.org. He is the author of ten books including his newest book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet (The New Press, October 2025). He is author of The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, Born on Third Base, and, with Bill Gates Sr. of Wealth and Our Commonwealth.

Capital City Concerts presents its first-ever Farmer’s Night program with Grammy-nominated Palaver Strings, Vermont’s own Grammy-nominated flutist Karen Kevra, and a select chorus conducted by Richard Riley. The evening features Sisask’s Te Deum, Bloch’s Suite Modale, Mustonen’s String Nonet #2, and colorful choral works from Estonia and Scandinavia.

This event is funded in part by a grant award from Montpelier Alive, with funds from the Montpelier Downtown Improvement District.

The concert will be repeated on Friday evening, February 29 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Burlington, Vermont in conjunction with Cathedral Arts.

The boots are back! Kinky Boots will lift your spirits to high-heeled heights! Celebrated with six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, a Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theatre Album, and London’s Olivier Award for Best Musical, this big-hearted musical hit will have you strutting out of the theater saying “Yeah!”

Kinky Boots captivates and entertains audiences around the world with the dazzling Tony®-winning score by pop legend Cyndi Lauper, hilarious and uplifting book by four-time Tony Award®-winner Harvey Fierstein, and original direction and Tony®-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell.

Based on true events, Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common— or so they think. Charlie Price reluctantly inherits his father's shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father's legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized... and discover that you change the world when you change your mind.

PALS for Life welcomes anyone who has been affected by breast cancer, with a doctor referral and physical therapy consult after 6-8 weeks post radiation and chemotherapy.

• FREE UVAC Membership with full use of the facilities and equipment
• FREE land and aquatic fitness classes
• Camaraderie, personalized attention
• Lymphedema Seminar and nutritional information provided by staff from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
• Motivation and coaching provided by ACSM Cancer
Specialists

Tuesday & Thursday, January 13 – April 2 @ 10:00 am.

What is the science of love? Two female scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art and science in this contemporary comedy.

Performances:
Jan 20-21 & 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.
Jan 21 & 28 at 3 p.m.

A high-energy program featuring a selection of favorite gospel songs.

Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson, director

What is the science of love? Two female scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art and science in this contemporary comedy.

Performances:
Jan 20-21 & 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.
Jan 21 & 28 at 3 p.m.

There was no master plan. No label strategy. Just a spontaneous jam at Nashville’s Station Inn between a few friends—seasoned players, all women, making a little noise. But something clicked. The room lit up, the crowd roared, and Sister Sadie was born.

What started as an accidental band became a force. GRAMMY-nominated. IBMA-decorated. Opry-validated. But for all the accolades, they were often reduced to one line: an all-female bluegrass band. True—but never the point. Sister Sadie has always been about the music. The fire. The truth.

Their new album, All Will Be Well, is that truth—loud, fearless, and free. You’ll hear echoes of bluegrass, but what rises is something bigger: country with claws, Americana with muscle, gospel grit and raw storytelling. From the haunting “Prodigal Daughter” to the swagger of “Do What You Want” and the aching beauty of “If I Don’t Have You,” these six women are not performing roles—they’re telling you who they are.

This is Sister Sadie, evolved: bold, bonded, and braver than ever. They're not asking for space. They're taking it. And they’re just getting started.

The Black Experience 2026 (BX26) is a holistic celebration of Vermont’s Black lived experience (cultural, communal, educational), and a welcome addition to Burlington’s observation of Black History Month.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor. He is the host of the new action podcast Be Antiracist. Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books, including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest-ever winner of that award. He has also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.

Presented in partnership with nuwave Equity.

Join fiddler and vocalist Lissa Schneckenburger with Rachel Aucoin on piano and Samuel Foucher on accordion for an intimate evening of music in the Esther Mesh Room. Written during the first year of the pandemic, Schneckenburger’s newest work emerged from a period of deep isolation, reflection, and creative urgency.

With touring paused, writing became a lifeline, resulting in a wealth of new music and the album Falling Forward. Recorded in person after months of separation, the music ranges from joyful, dance driven fiddle tunes to quieter, introspective moments.

Blending her deep roots in New England traditional music with a renewed focus on original composition, Schneckenburger offers music for both meditation and release, reflecting our shared experience of recent years.

What is the science of love? Two female scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art and science in this contemporary comedy.

Performances:
Jan 20-21 & 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.
Jan 21 & 28 at 3 p.m.

An internationally acclaimed collective quartet shares the evening with the Hop's resident student jazz orchestra, offering improvised music to meet the moment.

Illegal Crowns unites the long-standing trio of guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Tomas Fujiwara and cornetist (and Coast director) Taylor Ho Bynum with French pianist Benoît Delbecq—their music together has been described as "rare and profound deep listening, complete trust and supporting one another through every unexpected turn…" "Salt Peanuts".

The Coast Jazz Orchestra will perform original music by Halvorson and Fujiwara, in addition to exploring repertory from revolutionary composers like Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Carla Bley and Sun Ra—artists whose music challenged the dominant reality and conjured sonic worlds of greater justice, beauty and compassion.

The ensemble's dedicated dancers share a new work under development.

John Heginbotham, director

Performances:
Sun, Mar 1 at 2 & 3 p.m.

During his almost 40 years as lead singer and main songwriter of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips has helped create the band’s elegant folk/pop sound with honest, introspective lyrics that forged a close bond with fans. Alongside his work with Toad, Glen has released acclaimed solo albums and collaborated on projects ranging from Mutual Admiration Society (with members of Nickel Creek) to the experimental Remote Tree Children.

PALS for Life welcomes anyone who has been affected by breast cancer, with a doctor referral and physical therapy consult after 6-8 weeks post radiation and chemotherapy.

• FREE UVAC Membership with full use of the facilities and equipment
• FREE land and aquatic fitness classes
• Camaraderie, personalized attention
• Lymphedema Seminar and nutritional information provided by staff from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
• Motivation and coaching provided by ACSM Cancer
Specialists

Tuesday & Thursday, January 13 – April 2 @ 10:00 am.

Join us for an 8-class series taught by Technology for Tomorrow! Designed to help adult learners build advanced workplace-ready technology skills, BTC's Tier 2 Digital Literacy course is intended for learners who already have basic computer experience and are ready to strengthen their confidence using Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, cloud-based tools, and cross-platform navigation. Each 1.5-hour session provides hands-on, practical instruction using Google Drive, Docs, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, and Slides, with clear connections to how these skills transfer to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

VSAC tuition assistance may be available to eligible adult learners and can cover all or part of the program cost. For more information or to inquire about eligibility, contact btcadulted@bsdvt.org.

PALS for Life welcomes anyone who has been affected by breast cancer, with a doctor referral and physical therapy consult after 6-8 weeks post radiation and chemotherapy.

• FREE UVAC Membership with full use of the facilities and equipment
• FREE land and aquatic fitness classes
• Camaraderie, personalized attention
• Lymphedema Seminar and nutritional information provided by staff from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
• Motivation and coaching provided by ACSM Cancer
Specialists

Tuesday & Thursday, January 13 – April 2 @ 10:00 am.

On October 22, 2023, at the Grande Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, singer/producer/star of The Beat Goes On Lisa McClowry walked away with Tribute Artist of the Year honors from the Josie Music Awards (the world’s largest international independent artists awards ceremony) for her portrayal of Cher in this theatrical extravaganza celebrating six decades in the life and career of the Goddess of Pop.

One of the iconic divas of the 20th century, who parlayed her music stardom into success on movie screens and TV, Cher is a living legend. Having sold 100 million records to date, she is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Her achievements include a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, the Billboard Icon Award, and awards from the Kennedy Center Honors and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s.

Friday, March 6, 7pm, the fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi comes to speak at Spruce Peak Arts!
Tickets price range: $57.97 to $85.25

Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as an actor, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show The Isaac Mizrahi Show for seven years, has written two books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He currently serves as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars.

He is Chief Designer for the Isaac Mizrahi brands, a division of Xcel Brands, Inc. In 2009, Mizrahi launched his lifestyle collection, “ISAACMIZRAHILIVE!” on QVC. His IMNYC collection is currently sold at Lord & Taylor and Hudson’s Bay Company.

Mizrahi has directed productions of A Little Night Music and The Magic Flute for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Annually, he directs and narrates his production of the children’s classic Peter and The Wolf at The Guggenheim Museum in New York. He has performed cabaret at Café Carlyle, Joe’s Pub, West Bank Café and City Winery locations across the country.

Mizrahi has his own production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment, under which he has several projects in development in television, theatre and literature. His memoir, I.M., was published in February 2019.

Celebrate the end of winter with Indian classical dance.

Occurring on the last full moon day of the Hindu lunar-solar calendar, Holi marks the start of the harvest season and is a time to reset, renew and forgive for errors past.

As part of the festivities, participants will learn and observe the basics of Indian classical dance. Dancer Nithya Ramesh and her students will present and teach examples of the Bharatanatyam dance form.

All are welcome for this free family event.