Double or Nothing
Saturday 18
Putney’s Next Stage Arts presents a special cross-cultural collaboration by Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block and master kora player Yacouba Sissoko. In an instrumental mélange, the adroit musicians merge their respective genres — American fusion vibes and the traditional sounds of Sissoko’s native country, Mali.
Flyin’ High
Saturday 18
Hip-hop legend Afroman takes the stage at Afterthoughts in Waitsfield for an evening of cannabis-inspired musical artistry. The early-2000s icon — known for his debut earworm, “Because I Got High” — skyrocketed to fame, despite his independence from record labels, via alternative avenues such as Napster. Smash cut to today, and Afroman is still flying free from corporate influence.
Go With the Snow
Friday 17
Winter sports fans flock to Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock for Torchlight Snowshoe, a glowy, glimmery evening of moonlit activity fit for all ages. Folks ski, snowshoe or leisurely stroll along the farmstead’s one-mile trail, replete with flaming torches, as staff share illuminating insights into the region’s rich history — from land use to animal tracks.
Mercury in Retrograde
Friday 17
We don’t usually make promises, but buzzworthy tribute band Almost Queen at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland are “guaranteed to blow your mind.” Audience members flash back to the glory days of chevron mustaches and skintight leather pants as the group impeccably nails those iconic four-part harmonies — executing every detail with Freddie-level fervor.
Toe the Line
Friday 17 & Saturday 18
Hopkins Center for the Arts artist-in-residence Trebien Pollard brings Vegan Chitlins and the Artist Formerly Known as the N-Word to Dartmouth College’s Theater on Currier in Hanover, N.H. The multidimensional work features original choreography by Pollard, who captivates and challenges viewers with his deeply personal embodiment of the Black experience through movement.
Harmony and Unity
Monday 20
Local singing groups Montpelier Community Gospel Choir and Green Mountain Gospel Choir perform a joyful program aptly titled “Just Love” at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington. The concert celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with donation proceeds benefiting the Richard Kemp Center’s annual youth trip to Washington, D.C.
Acts of Remembrance
Ongoing
At Diane Sophrin‘s exhibition “Chaos and Catharsis: Works on a Continuum,” at the Front in Montpelier, expect collages of recycled materials: Think unwrapped packaging reassembled with tape and antique books repurposed as artist sketchbooks — striking images that invoke her time spent with artists in Central Europe. Learn more in an artist talk on Saturday, January 18.
This article appears in The Wellness Issue 2025.
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