Spring is finally finding its footing across Vermont, and this weekend delivers a lineup that spans from maple festivals in the Northeast Kingdom to mariachi in a Windsor County town hall to puppet theater in Brattleboro. There’s no shortage of reasons to leave the house and get out into the communities that make this state worth living in.
Friday, April 17
The weekend opens with a bang in Rutland, where Dirty Deeds – The AC/DC Experience takes the stage at the Paramount Theatre at 7:00 PM. This is full-throttle tribute rock — the kind of show that covers both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras and leaves you slightly deaf and completely satisfied. If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to let loose on a Friday night, Rutland County is calling.
Up in the Northeast Kingdom, the Vermont Animation Festival kicks off its 11th year with an evening of hands-on workshops at VTSU Lyndon in partnership with Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. At 7:00 PM, animator Barclay Tucker leads a storyboarding session; at 8:00 PM, Kate Renner takes over for a digital hand-drawn animation class. These aren’t passive screenings — you’re expected to make something. The festival continues Saturday with a full slate of workshops and keynote speakers. Registration at vtanimationfestival.org.
Down in Bennington County, UVM pianist David Feurzeig brings his quietly remarkable “Play Every Town” project to the Peru Church at 5:30 PM. Feurzeig is on a mission to perform a free piano concert in all 252 Vermont towns — traveling under human power only, zero carbon — and Friday’s Peru stop will be his 96th. It’s one of Vermont’s great ongoing stories, and you can be part of it for free.
In Montpelier, the Chapel at College Hall (36 College Street) hosts Joy in Motion: A Community Dance and Art Party from 5:30 to 10:00 PM. The evening opens with a silent art auction benefiting local artists (5:30–7:00 PM), then shifts into a live swing band dance party that runs until 10:00 PM. Free, family-friendly, cash bar available — the kind of Friday night that reminds you why small cities can punch above their weight.
Also in Montpelier, City Hall becomes a performance space as a local cast stages Our Town (For Our Community), a production of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer-winning play featuring community members in every role. Curtain is at 7:30 PM. The show runs Friday through Sunday, with a digital viewing option available for those who can’t manage the 37-step climb.
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Saturday, April 18
The single biggest event in Vermont this weekend is almost certainly the Kingdom Maple Festival in St. Johnsbury, drawing upward of 7,000 visitors to celebrate the town’s heritage as the self-declared Maple Center of the World. The day begins with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the St. Johnsbury House (1207 Main Street) from 8:00 to 10:30 AM — Maple Grove Farms mix, local syrup, bacon, sausage — with proceeds going to Meals on Wheels. From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Railroad Street and Depot Square Park transform into a Sweet Street Fair with 50-plus vendors selling syrup, maple candy, handmade crafts, and freshly prepared food. Live music from The Bel-Aires (10 AM–noon) and The Maple Leaf Seven (1–3 PM) keeps things moving all day. The Maple Syrup Contest winner announcement comes at noon, and Vermont Folklife runs listening party sessions at 11 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3 PM. Distillery tours, a Winter Farmers Market, flash tattoos, and maple creemees round out a day that’s genuinely hard to beat in mid-April.
Also in Caledonia County this weekend, the town of Hardwick turns itself into a community university for the second year running. Hardwick State, organized by The Civic Standard, runs Friday through Sunday and spreads more than sixty free or pay-what-you-decide classes across fourteen venues in town. Anyone can be a teacher; everybody is a student. Past sessions have ranged from tire changing and chainsaw repair to philosophy, cake decorating, and improv comedy. There’s no enrollment process — just show up and learn something.
In Randolph, Chandler Music Hall hosts Laurel Canyon: The Ultimate Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Tribute Band at 7:00 PM. The trio — Grammy winner Mark Hudson, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Gary Burr, and guitarist Mark Mirando — delivers the layered harmonies and folk-rock architecture that defined a generation, in the intimate setting of the 1907 historic hall. It’s one of the better CSNY tributes on the road right now, and Chandler is the right-sized room for it. Tickets $10–$45; 12 and under free.
Down in Bellows Falls, Stage 33 Live does what it does best: books artists worth hearing before they get bigger. On Saturday at 3:00 PM, singer-composer Bidi Dworkin plays a preview matinee of new material ahead of a recording studio session, joined by Grammy winner Peter Eldridge on piano, plus a full band including bass, horns, and drums. Dworkin’s sound pulls from jazz, folk, Middle Eastern melody, and Vedic meditative traditions — genuinely hard to categorize, which is the point. Forty seats, maximum. Tickets $20 advance at stage33live.com; cash or check at the door if seats remain.
In Barnard (Windsor County), BarnArts Center for the Arts presents the culminating concert of its Spring Global Music Residency: acclaimed mariachi musician Veronica Robles performs at Barnard Town Hall at 7:00 PM, with doors at 6:00 PM and Mexican-inspired food available for purchase. Robles learned the art form from her grandmother at Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi — widely considered the home of mariachi — and has spent the week bringing that tradition into Upper Valley schools and community organizations. A Vermont town hall. A mariachi ensemble. This is the kind of night people talk about for years. Tickets $10 youth, $15–$25 sliding scale for adults.
Over in Middlebury, the Opera Company of Middlebury’s Youth Opera presents Una Giornata at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society at 7:00 PM. Thirteen Vermont high school performers reimagine the classic 24 Italian Songs & Arias as a single theatrical work: a full day in the life of a family gathering to honor their departed uncle, with each aria marking one hour. Written and directed by Sarah Cullins, it’s an inventive production that treats these young singers as real artists — because they are. Suggested donation $20; free under 26. No advance tickets.
In Brattleboro, Sandglass Theater takes its beloved family puppet show Isidor’s Cheek on the road to the Winston Prouty Center at 10:00 AM. In this UNIMA Citation of Excellence winner, Isidor’s cheek runs away from his face and he must travel the world to find it — told in song and miniature puppets revolving on a table. Perfect for young kids and genuinely engaging for adults. A Saturday morning well spent in Windham County.
Sunday, April 19
The Opera Company of Middlebury’s Youth Opera brings Una Giornata to the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub for a 2:00 PM Sunday matinee — a second chance to catch one of the weekend’s most inventive productions, this time in the capital. Suggested donation $20; free under 26.
Also in Middlebury, Town Hall Theater closes out the weekend with its PM Sundays series: the Katie Martucci Duo at 4:00 PM. Martucci is a New England Conservatory graduate and Tonight Show alumna whose music draws from friendship, family history, imposter syndrome, and the messy terrain of identity. It’s the kind of intimate Sunday afternoon concert that makes you glad you live in a place where this is an option.
From the Kingdom to the Upper Valley to the Windham County hills, Vermont’s small towns are carrying the weight of culture this weekend — find your way into one of them.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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