May 17 Sunday
WHITE is a thought-provoking comedy by James Ijames being brought to Burlington! The play is being produced by Between the Willows and directed by Delanté Keys. The show will be at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts from 5/6-5/17!
Rejected by the gallery of his dreams, a spurned gay white cis male artist hires a local Black actress to pose as the creator of his paintings. Together, they create the perfect candidate for the "New America" exhibition: the charismatic, unapologetic Balkonaé Townsend.
May 19 Tuesday
PALS for Life at UVAC is a FREE 16-week program for individuals affected by breast cancer, running May 5 – August 20. Based on the Physical Activity and Lymphedema (PAL) Study, the program uses research-backed exercise to help reduce the risk of lymphedema while improving strength, health, and quality of life. Participants receive a free UVAC membership during the program, expert-led sessions twice per week, access to land and aquatic fitness classes, and educational seminars on lymphedema and nutrition through Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. A doctor’s referral and PT consultation are required. Learn more at uvacswim.org/fitness/breast-cancer-programs.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, you are invited to join United Counseling Service (UCS) on May 19 from 1:30-3pm (Spring Center, 655 Gage Street, Bennington, VT) for an event featuring stories told in-person by Chip and Judy Siler (President and Vice President of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) VT) about supporting family members living with mental health conditions.
Family Voices is an interactive presentation that challenges stereotypes and builds empathy by considering the impact mental health conditions have not just on the individual living with the illness, but also on their loved ones. Trained presenters with lived experience as family members of individuals living with a mental health condition talk openly about their experiences. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions to learn more about how the presenters and their loved ones have coped with the conditions affecting their families and how to live well in spite of them. Please RSVP at ucsvt.org/events.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, Me2 Music Director & Conductor Michael Colburn has assembled a vibrant and varied program showcasing American composers. Audiences will hear familiar favorites like Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and a medley from Kander and Ebb’s “Chicago,” alongside discoveries such as music from Sousa’s operetta “The Glass Blowers,” an arrangement of MacDowell’s “Woodland Sketches,” and Bruce Reiprich’s reflective “When Quiet Comes” for piano and strings.
This FREE performance is hosted by Counseling Service of Addison County as we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.
May 20 Wednesday
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.
Join us for our free Wednesday night music series in the parlor. We will have music through April, visit our events page to see who is playing!
We’ll be serving cocktails and snacks in the parlor, but please make a reservation for our dining room or at the bar if you would like to join us for dinner that night.
WONDER! A WOMAN KEEPS A SECRETby TALENE MONAHONdirected by AILEEN WEN MCGRODDYadapted from The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret by SUSANNA CENTLIVRE (1714)MAY 13 - 31, 2026
A family vacation on the high seas goes awry when a famous painting is discovered missing and the culprit is suspected to be one of the passengers aboard the Aqua Royale: Paris to Portugal. Loosely adapted from Susanna Centlivre’s 1714 farce of the same name, Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret follows a colorful cast including a pair of jealous lovers, an iceberg-phobic captain, a frustrated musical revue performer, a scheming mother-in-law, and an enterprising toilet maid as they try to make it to Lisbon with a boat-load of secrets. Set sail for a side-splitting, laugh-’til-you cry adventure!
Regular Tickets: $37-$80Student / Youth (Under 25): $28Pay-What-You-Can Preview (May. 13): $10+
Join us at the Flynn for an exclusive evening with award-winning documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns.
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost fifty years. Since the Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Baseball; Jazz; The War; The National Parks: America’s Best Idea; Prohibition; The Roosevelts: An Intimate History; The Vietnam War; Country Music; The U.S. and the Holocaust; The American Buffalo; Leonardo da Vinci; and, most recently, The American Revolution.
Future film projects include Emancipation to Exodus, and LBJ & the Great Society, among others.
Ken’s films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations. In September of 2008, at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Ken was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In November of 2022, Ken was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
With Moderator, Jane LindholmHost and Executive Producer, But Why? and special projects for Vermont Public
Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
Jane joined Vermont Public in 2007 to expand Vermont Edition from a weekly pilot into the flagship daily newsmagazine it is today. She has been recognized with regional and national accolades, including several Murrow, PRNDI and GRACIE awards. In 2016 she started the nationally recognized But Why, which takes questions from kids all over the world and finds interesting people to answer them.
All P1 Tickets come with a special merch bundle including a limited edition show poster and a Vermont Public tote bag.
May 21 Thursday
3D Printers (Level 1) is a hands-on certification for the makerspace 3D printers. In this workshop, you will learn to design in TinkerCAD, slice in Orca and send your print to the 3D printer.
Ages 10+. Children under 15 years must be accompanied by an adult.
May 22 Friday
Join us to celebrate the launch of our newest boat built by students in Lake Champlain!
Over the course of this school year, a group of students from Middlebury Union High School and the Long Trail Program have been participating in our alternative education boat building program. These boat building students have been coming to the Museum’s boat shop weekly to learn, work with their hands, and come together to build a 25’ wooden rowing gig that will join the Museum’s fleet for education, school rowing teams, expeditions, and the public. It’s been an incredible journey for all of them, including a trip to the forest to learn how to select a tree that will be used to build a boat and literally building the boat from tree to finished vessel with guidance from expert boat builders.
On May 22, all parents, teachers, staff, friends, and members of the public are invited to join us at the Museum for a special launch day celebration. Students will present their finished boat, share a little bit about their experience building, and then we’ll parade them down to the harbor where they will launch the boat for the very first time in the lake.
This event is free to join, no registration required. Light refreshments will be provided.
May 23 Saturday
Join us at Underhill Ironworks for our Memorial Day Weekend Open Studio.
📅 May 23 & May 24🕙 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Organized by the Vermont Crafts Council, this special event features more than 50 welded steel sculptures exploring a wide range of themes. Visitors are invited to walk the grounds, explore the studio, and experience the work up close in the place where it is created.
With Mount Mansfield providing a stunning backdrop for your arrival and visit, it’s a perfect way to spend a spring day in Vermont.
Friends, collectors, and anyone curious about sculpture are warmly welcome.
Saturday, May 23 is the first day of the 2026 season! The Museum grounds, exhibits, and store will officially open for the season for all to visit and explore. Admission is free for all visitors and we’ll have some fun opening day activities for all ages including:
- Opening of the Museum’s new exhibit, “Fragments: Voices of the American Revolution on Lake Champlain” - Unveiling of a new mural by Juniper Creative Arts - A scavenger hunt for kids of all ages (even grown-up kids!) - An author talk with James Nelson on his book, Benedict Arnold’s Navy. - Featured screening of a general overview Ken Burns’ The American Revolution documentary, thanks to PBS and WETA+ - Free museum tours throughout the day - Food available for purchase from La Chapina Guatemalan Cuisine - And more!
Opening day programs are free to attend for all ages, no registration required.
The public is invited to visit gallery and gardens at The Fourth Corner Foundation during the VT open studio tour, Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, 10-5PM. The gallery exhibit will include the work and contact information of local artists and artisans from several southern Vermont communities. The exhibition will run from May 22-October 8. Visit the website for more information.
Let's get creative together with another monthly drop-in artmaking activity inspired by artists' work featured in BCA's spring exhibitions, "Human Impact: Art and our Environment" and "What's the Difference? Sculptural Ideas."
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.