Cat Above the Rest
Saturday 7 & Sunday 8
Kitties compete for the coveted title at Vermont Fancy Felines’ Cat Show, presented at DoubleTree by Hilton in Burlington. Over 30 breeds enter the judging ring in a nail-biting (or couch-scratching) tournament, and audiences of all ages enjoy a cat parade and vendors’ market.
Smack-Dab in the Fiddle
Thursday 29
East Montpelier locals inject some energy into their sleepy inter-holiday week at A Pocket Chautauqua at Four Corners Schoolhouse. Regional folk music legends, including Tim Jennings (pictured), Jon Gailmor, Dana and Susan Robinson, and three generations of Azarians, deliver a full day of plucky picking and musical magic.
Vogue the Night Away
Saturday 31
The Upper Valley’s drag community rings in the New Year with Night of Queens, a spectacular cabaret at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. Between all the music, comedy and dancing, party people sip celebratory cocktails and munch on hors d’oeuvres and desserts. All ages are welcome, though the show contains mature content.
Twinkle Toast
Saturday 31
Cocktails, mocktails, small plates and a sparkling midnight toast mark the turning of the calendar at A Toast to the Hive, the first New Year’s Eve party hosted by Caledonia Spirits in Montpelier. Canned food donations and purchases of raw honey benefit the Vermont Foodbank.
Molto Vivace
Sunday 1
2023 starts with a bang — a timpani solo, specifically — at Green Mountain Mahler Festival‘s jubilant performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester. One of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most beloved works, the Ninth includes the famous “Ode to Joy” finale. Proceeds support the Vermont Foodbank.
Without Feather Ado
Sunday 1
Rutland County Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count takes place on New Year’s Day this year — you got that? Local avian enthusiasts join a field crew at 350 Rutland County or watch wherever they wish within a 7.5-mile radius of Mead’s Falls. A potluck follows at Proctor Library.
Myth and Only Myth
Wednesday 4
Cree author David A. Robertson gives a virtual First Wednesdays address hosted by Vermont Humanities and the Norwich Public Library. Through the lens of his middle-grade fantasy series The Misewa Saga, Robertson ponders how writers can preserve the intent and themes of ancient, traditional stories in their mainstream adaptations.
Be Skiing You
Wednesday 4 & Wednesday 11
Amateur skiers and snowboarders flock to the first installments of Killington Resort’s Michelob Ultra Ski Bum Race Series. Teams and solo sliders sign up for 10 races, plus the finals in March, in pursuit of eternal glory (or at least bragging rights for the weekend). An after-party for competitors follows each race.
Stranger Than Nonfiction
Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5
Jane Brox, the critically acclaimed nonfiction author of Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives and Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light, stops by the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson. She gives a reading on January 4 and talks shop with listeners interested in the art of writing at a Visiting Writer Craft Talk on January 5.
Catamount Questions
Wednesday 4 & Wednesday 11
The Vermont Historical Society’s virtual Winter Trivia championship returns this week with Round 1: Vermont Geography and Round 2: Vermont Nature, sure to test the mettle of even the most die-hard Green Mountain State trivia buffs. After the third and fourth rounds on the themes of symbols and famous Vermonters, the best of the best will advance to the finale on February 1.
Burn, Baby, Burn
Friday 6
The MSM Annual Tree Burn & Zydeco Party closes out the holiday season in a blaze of glory at Main Street Museum in White River Junction. Having served their purpose, Christmas trees become a glorious bonfire on the banks of the White River, while attendees are serenaded by the Cajun strains of Bayou X. Louisiana nosh and king cake are served.
Ice Things Up
Saturday 7
Waterbury Center mountain folk get an Introduction to Winter Hiking at Green Mountain Club headquarters so they can stay safe during the slippery season. After a lesson in the gear and navigation skills needed for successful backcountry snow treks, attendees enjoy a scenic, self-guided hike on the GMC’s Short Trail.
Dearly Beloved
Sunday 8
The MNFF Selects film series continues at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater with Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. This artful documentary explores the life and legacy of the legendary author of Beloved, The Bluest Eye and more, from her 1970s book tours with Muhammad Ali to the front lines of the Black feminist movement with Angela Davis.
No West for the Wicked
Ongoing
Burlington artist Vanessa Compton gets a hometown solo show, “Come to Marlboro Country,” at Soapbox Arts. Blending iconic images of the Wild West with unexpected touches, these mixed-media collages attempt to reconcile personal experiences with our collective history of racism and colonialism.
This article appears in Dec 28, 2022 – Jan 10, 2023.
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