Burlington's basking in another gorgeous summer day with temperatures reaching the low 80s under brilliant sunshine. A refreshing northerly breeze keeps things comfortable as we close out the work week. Saturday looks even warmer with highs climbing to the upper 80s, though clouds will gradually build through the afternoon. Sunday brings our best shot at some much needed rain with a 60% chance of showers and gusty winds, though the moisture will be spotty across the region. We're now officially in moderate drought territory across 35% of Vermont, needing 3 to 6 inches of rainfall to catch up from our dry spell over the past two months.

Its the opening day of the Champlain Valley Fair! We’re talking “pig racing, live shark encounters, model trains, and those irresistible fair foods we've been craving all year.” Champlain Valley Fair lights up with double headers both nights: 38 Special and Loverboy rock the stage tonight at 7pm, while Brantley Gilbert brings the country heat Saturday at 7pm. Also, Burlington has some serious live music energy as Billy Wylder takes over Foam Brewers tonight at 9pm. Fresh from performances at Coachella and Newport Folk Fest, the band brings their unique blend of American folk rock with Saharan influences to our local stage. Earlier in the evening, you can catch the Spring Chickens bringing their volcanic old time stringband sound to City Hall Park at 12:30pm for the free summer concert series. If tacos are more your speed than tunes, August First is hosting their second Taco Night at 5pm to benefit Champlain Community Services, complete with All Souls tortillas, tamales, and patio music. South Burlington gets artistic with Art In The Park at Bay Crest from 5:30 to 7:30pm, featuring Sambatucada's rhythms, craft vendors, and participatory sun catcher making.

Saturday's lineup offers something for every Burlington soul. The Burlington Farmers Market returns to Pine Street from 9am to 2pm with the best of Vermont's harvest, while football fans can catch the NVYFL Jamboree at Tree Farm Recreation from 8am to 3pm with food trucks and community spirit. Downtown transforms into a celebration of recovery as Raving for Recovery takes over City Hall Park from 4 to 8pm with DJ Chia, The Dog Brigade, free acupuncture, and powerful stories from Vermont's recovery community. Music lovers have another treat with the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival offering two free concerts at the Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester: a Young Artists Quartet showcase at 10:30am and an all ages Virtuoso Showcase at noon complete with an instrument petting zoo. Meanwhile, Roosevelt Park and the Richard Kemp Center come alive from noon to 5pm for Vermont's First African Landing Day commemoration, celebrating resilience with speakers, soul food, drumming, dancing, and the collaborative creation of a new mural on the center's east wall.

Sunday brings its own unique blend of community spirit and entertainment. The North End Food Pantry hosts their monthly Clothing & Food Drive from 10am to noon at the Odd Fellows Lodge on North Ave, collecting seasonal clothing and shelf stable food for neighbors in need. Gaming enthusiasts can battle it out at Retro Galaxy's second Super Smash Bros Melee tournament starting at noon in the Winooski circle, with a friendly atmosphere welcoming first timers. For those seeking spectacle, the Champlain Valley Fair delivers with Monster Trucks at 4pm, promising a night of fire and destruction that always sells out. Earlier this morning, the BTV Clean Up Crew met at 7:30am at the top of Church Street for their weekly syringe litter cleanup effort, keeping our downtown core safe and welcoming for all.

Today’s 83°/61° runs about 3°/1° above the Aug 22 normals. The next four days stay 0–6° warmer by day and −4 to +5° at night. Classic late August, warm afternoons with a mix of mild and slightly crisp nights.

An official Meetup.com group! Thanks to the first people that signed up, just passed double digits. Let’s keep ‘em coming and be sure to join the chat!

Burlington has tons going on. The Btown Brief highlights the best of it; Btown Brief IRL gets you off your couch to actually experience it. The idea is simple, we meet for trivia takeovers, food crawls, walks, live music, board games, bowling, volunteer days, and more. Burlington has so much to offer, why limit the meetup group to only one activity like every other group? We’re talking easy, low-pressure activities where conversation just flows and faces become familiar. Friendships don't appear from nowhere; they happen through casual time together, consistently. Show up a few times and proximity does the heavy lifting. Whether that's Btown Briefer-only events, or the group simply showing up together at existing happenings.

Think of membership as showing love for the newsletter while unlocking Burlington's social layer. Your $3.50/month (after a free trial month) keeps the Brief alive and gets you into a community that actually shows up; with Discord access, event RSVPs, and input on what we do next.

Join free for the first month, RSVP to what sounds fun, utilize Meetup.com’s features, hop into Discord to coordinate, then just show up. As we grow, we'll add age-focused nights (20s–early-30s socials, 30s–40s dinners, 40s–50s game nights) alongside open meetups. Your attendance shapes what sticks.

For anyone who loves Burlington and wants to experience it fully. Whether you're new in town or born-and-raised, coming solo or with friends. Try it free, meet people, see if it fits. If it does, help us keep Burlington connected.

Building out the events week by week to start out, help decide what events we should show up to by using this newsletter’s Events section to see what’s going on.
[Join the Meetup group] • [Learn more] [Discord link shared on signup]

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Champlain Valley Fair kicks off

The fair's opening day brings all the classics back to Essex Junction: pig racing, live shark encounters, model trains, and those irresistible fair foods we've been craving all year. 38 Special and Loverboy rock the stage tonight at 7pm, while Brantley Gilbert brings the country heat Saturday at 7pm. Gabriel Iglesias and Lil Jon are set to take the stage later this week, adding some star power to the agricultural tradition. The WCAX morning crew will be at their booth Friday afternoon handing out swag, so stop by if you're looking for some local media merch.

Hundreds of first-year UVM students arrive on Burlington campus

Thursday's move-in day brought fresh energy to the UVM campus as first-year students hauled their belongings into dorms. Despite nationwide uncertainty around DEI debates and federal funding challenges, President Marlene Tromp struck an optimistic tone about the university's adaptability. Interestingly, incoming students and their parents seemed unfazed by recent concerns about downtown crime, with one parent noting they've traveled extensively and no place is immune to urban challenges.

Excitement builds for fans ahead of UVM men's soccer home opener

The national champion Catamounts returned to Virtue Field Thursday night for a sold-out opener against Sacred Heart. The transformation in fan enthusiasm is staggering: season ticket sales rocketed from under 100 to almost 1,400 following their championship run. Beer sales, expanded merchandise, and more food options have enhanced the game day experience, with the next few games already sold out as well.

A Retired Couple Searches for Their Missing Son in Vermont

Sandy and Jesse Harper have spent nine months searching for their 38-year-old son Chris, who vanished from Burlington's streets last November after leaving a homeless shelter. Detective Eric Kratochvil calls it highly unusual, a case where someone is simply "just gone." The Harpers have offered a $5,000 reward and made multiple trips from Delaware to Vermont, checking homeless camps and hiking the Winooski River. Chris's struggles with substance use, particularly kratom, had led to apparent hallucinations before his disappearance. Police have now asked for DNA samples to compare with unidentified remains.

Burlington businesses voice concerns over downtown issues

Pizzeria Verita owner Leslie Wells reports sales down 30% from last year during Tuesday's virtual town hall with Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak. Business owners attribute the slump to multiple factors: fewer Canadian visitors, downtown construction, and public safety concerns including open drug use. Ironically, increased police patrols in City Hall Park have pushed problematic behavior toward other business districts. The mayor acknowledged the "confounding, complex series of issues" but admitted there's no quick fix for the trifecta of homelessness, mental health, and substance use challenges.

Governor says he's open to helping to address Burlington concerns

Governor Phil Scott responded to Burlington's cry for help, though tensions are evident between state and city leadership. WCAX's data analysis shows Burlington's retail, restaurant and bar tax revenues have been declining when adjusted for inflation, suggesting the Queen City is losing business to other communities. Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison, a former Burlington police officer, bluntly stated "the city has made their bed" regarding current policies. The governor admitted he hasn't walked through downtown recently, later clarifying he's driven through but hasn't experienced the issues businesses describe firsthand.

Marching On: New Howard Center Mural Unveiled

The new "Why We March" mural on Howard Center's building facing City Market celebrates community activism through vibrant imagery of protesters at recognizable Burlington landmarks. Lead artists Julio Desmont and Raphaella Brice, both of Haitian heritage, incorporated feedback from over 60 community members including Howard Center Arts Collective participants. The project received $15,000 in funding and features placards with messages like "Compassion Not Condemnation" chosen from 95 community submissions. The collaborative creation process included paint sessions at multiple locations including ANEW Place homeless shelter.

Food as protest: People's Kitchen serves free hot meals downtown in solidarity with Food Not Cops

The People's Kitchen has joined Food Not Cops in providing free meals at City Hall Park, now serving hot dinners three nights a week. Organizer FaReid Munarsyah launched the effort after 150 businesses complained about Food Not Cops' impact on downtown. Recent Tuesday dinners have served 120 to 150 people with dishes like pesto chicken pasta and vegetable biryani. Despite the mayor allocating $10,000 to help Food Not Cops relocate, the group hasn't collected the funds due to internal disagreement. Rep. Brian Cina was among volunteers, connecting the effort to past mutual aid work during Occupy Vermont and the motel program evictions. This whole debacle is a very controversial topic regarding location with people on both sides making valid points.

Winooski mayor resigns, looks back on 'deep community engagement'

Kristine Lott, Winooski's first female mayor, will step down September 15 as she expects her first child. Deputy Mayor Thomas Renner will serve as interim mayor until Town Meeting Day elections. During her tenure, Lott fostered relationships across the diverse community, from visiting the local mosque to joining riverbank cleanups. She oversaw the closure of the 20-year Tax Increment Financing debt and zoning changes promoting affordable housing. City Manager Elaine Wang praised Lott's ability to connect with a wide range of community members while maintaining council authority.

BHS Students Count Down to Leaving the Mall

"I wouldn't say there are perks to having this as school, except like stories for when you're older, like I went to school in a Macy's," per WCAX. Burlington High School students have one more year in their converted department store before returning to the renovated North Avenue campus next fall. Rising juniors are particularly excited about ditching city bus rides to practice and finally having a "normal" school experience they haven't had since middle school.

Mystery Solved: Old Holiday Inn Now UVM Housing

The seemingly empty building at Dorset and Williston Road is actually Catamount East, housing 84 units for UVM upperclassmen and staff. About 80% of units are occupied, with parking tucked in back and underground explaining the vacant appearance from the street. First floor retail space remains available.

CVS Manager Wins National Recognition Church Street CVS manager Kevin Richer earned a 2025 National Paragon Award for community impact and business savvy. His pre-eclipse merchandise planning resulted in selling a week's worth of inventory in a single day, while his team regularly purchases winter gear for those in need and sets up water stations for neighborhood dogs.

It’s a packed newsletter this week! It’s a one man team out here, so if you appreciate this local journalism and want to keep it going, consider a small donation using the link below, or right to my Venmo @BtownBrief ! Now onto the next section!

Friday, August 22, 2025

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Join the BTV Clean Up Crew
Every Thursday at 7:30am, a group of volunteers gathers at the top of Church Street to help clean up downtown Burlington. Organized by the Peace & Justice Center’s Kason Hudman, the BTV Clean Up Crew picks up trash, needles, and debris in a hands-on effort to make the city safer and more welcoming. It’s low-pressure, come-as-you-are, and open to all—no experience needed. Just show up with a willingness to pitch in, meet others who care, and start your day doing something that matters. Want to join next Thursday? Just head to the top block of Church Street at 7:30am and look for the grabbers.

Check out this page for links to four great sites with volunteer opportunities all around Burlington.

Today’s picks:

Five more to give you a few new ways to spend the week. Walk the Island Line Trail out onto the Colchester Causeway where the lake surrounds you on both sides and the views feel endless. Visit the Shelburne Farms Children’s Farmyard if you want something lighthearted with animals and open space to explore. Stop into The Archives downtown for a round of pinball and a cocktail in a space that mixes playful and laid back. Take a quiet stroll through the Intervale at sunset when the fields and river reflect the last light of the day. If you want something a little quirky, find the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet in the South End and snap a photo.

Full list’s always waiting here when you need a plan: 202+ Things to Do

Soon to be updated with even more Burlington food deals:

View the full list of food & drink deals here.

Sometimes the most profound questions are the simplest. A few days ago, local resident Tim Corriveau posed one such question to a community Facebook group: "Point me in the right direction for the best nachos within 25 miles of Burlington."

The question unleashed a flood of passionate recommendations, proving that when it comes to cheese, chips, and toppings, everyone has a favorite. From traditional plates to wildly inventive creations, the community built the ultimate guide to local nachos.

While dozens of places were named, a few clear front-runners emerged based on the number of mentions and passionate endorsements.

The nacho love didn't stop there. Here are the other fantastic recommendations from the thread:

View the full list of restaurant reviews here.

Another week wraps up in the Queen City, and what a weekend we have ahead. Whether you're dancing for recovery, catching country stars, or helping build a community mural, there's no shortage of ways to connect with your neighbors. Stay cool out there, and if you spot something newsworthy or have a tip to share, drop us a line.

If you like what I do, help support the newsletter by buying me a coffee using the link below. Or, right to our Venmo @btownbrief. Or, buy an advertising spot for your business.

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