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Weather & Monday Update:

The rain that moved in overnight stuck around all day, keeping temperatures in the 40s and 50s with scattered showers continuing through the evening. Tomorrow brings gradual improvement with only isolated morning showers before clouds finally break late in the day, and temperatures inch back toward 60. The rest of the week looks breezy and crisp with temperatures settling into the mid-50s under partly sunny skies, while the weekend shapes up nicely with dry conditions and temperatures climbing back into the 60s.

Despite the soggy Monday, there's plenty happening around town today, starting with Winooski's Small Business Loan Committee Meeting for those tracking Main Street construction impact programs. The rainy afternoon makes The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at the Flynn (5pm) an ideal indoor escape where Eric Carle's beloved characters spring to life through 45 handcrafted puppets. For those seeking wellness despite the weather, SAVU's lakeside Reiki & Restorative Yoga runs from 5:30 to 7:30pm, offering an hour of healing energy work followed by sauna and cold plunge therapy ($). Evening entertainment splits between Monday Night Line-Up at Isham Family Farms at 6:30pm for beginner-friendly line dancing, and Jeff Tweedy bringing his solo performance to Higher Ground at 7:30pm.

Tuesday's improving conditions coincide with a packed calendar of community activities. ActiveVT offers free intro workouts at their waterfront location at both 4pm and 6:30pm, while the Community Sailing Center seeks volunteers from 5 to 8pm for their spooky season mailing party with snacks and family movies. Dog owners can prep for Halloween at Houndstooth's Make Fright Night Fun workshop at 6pm with canine science researcher Dr. Karen Griffin, and aspiring tech learners can join Burlington Technical Center's free Digital Foundations course starting at 6pm on Church Street. The evening wraps up with UVM's Canyon Chorus film screening at 7:30pm in the Davis Center, featuring filmmaker Mikah Meyer discussing inclusive outdoor communities.

Wednesday and Thursday promise even more variety as the weather clears. Wednesday kicks off with afternoon activities including women's forest management field walk at Meach Cove Farms in Shelburne at 4pm and the No Kings protest poster-making party at Standing Stone Wines in Winooski from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Early evening brings the Gap Year Information Night at South Burlington Library at 5:30pm with gap year expert Julia Rogers, while Rock Point hosts author Bailey Seybolt discussing her mystery novel Coram House at 6pm. The night offers something for everyone: ECHO After Dark's Science of Fear for adults runs 6 to 9pm with costume contests and neuroscientist encounters, Ward 5's NPA meeting (for those that live in Burlington’s South End) convenes at 6:30pm to discuss housing solutions, Vermont Rep debuts The Williston One Acts at 7pm, Grand Kyiv Ballet performs Sleeping Beauty at the Flynn at 7pm, and Switchback hosts Friends-themed trivia at 7pm. Thursday also features Dykes With Drills' Intro to Tools workshop at New Frameworks at 6pm, The Sword's heavy metal mythology at Higher Ground at 8pm, and Third Thursday's blueprint vessel tour with DJ Detox at Green Door Studio is sure to be hopping.

Today is a touch milder than the typical Oct 13, with a slightly warm afternoon and a notably warm night. The next few days settle into a cooler, breezier stretch that’s basically seasonable by day and crisp at night. Call it a calm, early-fall vibe rather than a warm surge.

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We’ve got an official Meetup group for Burlington! The city’s packed with things to do. Btown Brief highlights it, and Btown Brief IRL gets you out experiencing it with people.

Thanks to the 13+ people that came to the last Saturday’s coffee get-together! It was blast, with some of your guys in such deep conversation you didn’t even hear the mid-way seat switch-up announcement. Then, a good few of us talked about weekend plans and met up on Church St to check out the Zombie Walk, and ate Folinos pizza afterward. So come meet your people, and be sure to come out to our next Coffee Meet-Up this Saturday at Zero Gravity at 10am! Always nice to see people, and hope to see even more new faces week after week. We’ll talk about Vermont living, maybe touch on recent local news, and discuss events worth going to this weekend! Come out and join the chat.

If you want to connect outside of coffee meet-ups, join the Telegram chat. It’s the easiest place to see what others are up to, share ideas, and make casual plans while I keep improving how these events run. Feedback is always welcome! It’s just a one-man team so any sounding boards are great.

Click here to: Join Meetup group | RSVP here

Zombie Walk on Church St last Saturday…

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Six Spooky Events to Look Forward to in Chittenden County

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"It's the season to be spooky! Halloween is coming to Chittenden County and these six events are sure to bring some spine-tingling good times," per the Colchester Sun.

From Halloween Hustle 5Ks to Nightmare Vermont's vampire versus werewolf battles at the Champlain Valley Expo, the county's embracing all things eerie this October. Milton's Creepy Carnival promises the full experience with pushing and grabbing from actors, while Sam Mazza's corn maze offers the more traditional get-lost-in-the-stalks experience complete with punch cards and apple cider donuts. Check them all out by clicking the link.

Gov: 'Surge' of Aid to Burlington Will Start a 'Community Accountability Court'

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"By surging resources over a 3–4-month period towards reducing the backlog, we can hold repeat offenders accountable, while also connecting people to the services they need," Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement, per Seven Days.

Scott's appointing a special prosecutor to handle cases involving "service-resistant" repeat offenders with five or more pending criminal cases, who'll be sent to a dedicated courtroom with a specific judge. This "community accountability court" represents the first step in addressing what the governor calls Burlington's public safety "crisis," following his meeting with Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak earlier this week. State's Attorney Sarah George estimates 50 to 70 people repeatedly fail existing diversion programs and commit many of Burlington's low-level crimes.

One Vermont City Setting the Standard for Hispanic Entrepreneurs

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"We have a new library, we have a new city hall, we have a new downtown. We have a new business association so there have been major shifts as South Burlington grows and changes," per ABC22/FOX44.

WalletHub's analysis ranks South Burlington 10th nationally for Hispanic entrepreneurs, with the city earning second place for Hispanic purchasing power. While neighboring Burlington landed at a dismal 146th, South Burlington's recent infrastructure investments and welcoming business climate attracted entrepreneurs like Maria Gualpa, who opened "The Ecuatorian" on Williston Road after noticing a lack of Latin presence in the area.

Essex Junction Businesses Mixed on Decision to Close Main St.

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"I was really worried about our business because we have a lot of out of town customers," Yankee Pride quilts owner Judy Thomas told WCAX.

The town's "Meet Me on Main Street" experiment closes the thoroughfare four Saturdays in a row for pedestrian-only community gatherings, but timing conflicts and parking concerns divide local merchants. While Thomas worries about losing out-of-town customers during her busiest season (her shop closes at 5pm, missing prime foot traffic), newer businesses like Bespoke bike shop embrace the exposure opportunity, with owner Jake Tran noting many visitors discovered his store for the first time during the events.

Champlain College Honors Lindsay DesLauriers as 2025 Distinguished Citizen

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"Lindsay represents the very best in Vermont leadership. Like her dad, there is no nonsense or artifice. She is smart, tenacious, and full of heart," said Neale Lunderville, President & CEO of Vermont Gas, per Vermont Business Magazine.

The Bolton Valley Resort president received Champlain College's 64-year-old Distinguished Citizen Award for her work revitalizing the family ski area into a four-season destination while championing small businesses and working families across Vermont. DesLauriers, who returned to Bolton Valley in 2017 after serving as state director for the Main Street Alliance, has shaped conversations around paid family leave and workplace equity while transforming the resort into what Champlain President Alex Hernandez calls "a gathering place that enriches our state's culture, economy and identity."

Burlington Rugby Star Ilona Maher Immortalized in Barbie Doll

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"Confidence is a muscle. You build it through hard work, mistakes, and showing up as your full self; and that's what I hope girls see in this doll," Maher said, per Burlington Daily News.

The Burlington High School alum and Olympic medalist joins Mattel's Team Barbie with a groundbreaking doll featuring the company's first "Muscular" sculpt, complete with defined arms, shoulders, and legs set to hit shelves in 2026. The partnership addresses research showing one in three girls quit sports by age 14 due to body confidence issues, with Maher's social media influence and body positivity advocacy making her the perfect ambassador for showing girls that strength deserves celebration, not shame.

Citizen Cider Opens New Pub Following Company Controversy

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"The allegations and response from the community did affect our business, especially locally. We respect and understand why businesses made the decision to pull our cider from their taps and shelves," Citizen Cider officials said in a statement to WCAX.

Two years after the "Hey Bub" product line sparked allegations of workplace harassment, homophobia, and misogyny that led 180 businesses to drop their products, the hard cider maker prepares to open a new Burlington pub. While some establishments like The Mill in South Burlington remain firm in their boycott, others brought Citizen back due to customer demand for popular varieties like Dirty Mayor, though roughly 133 of the originally listed businesses still don't carry their products according to the company's relaunched cider locator.

Over 100 Protest ICE Surveillance Plans at Williston Intelligence Hub

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"We need to tell ICE our message that their surveillance will not slow us down. It will not stop us. It will only bring us out stronger," organizer Cora Honigford told the crowd, per VTDigger.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation drew over 100 demonstrators to Harvest Lane Sunday to protest ICE's plans to hire a dozen contractors for social media surveillance at the National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center, with work potentially starting May 2026. The protest occurred across from a Homeland Security building vandalized Saturday with threatening graffiti (which organizers denied involvement in), while speakers warned the surveillance would primarily target Black and brown community members already impacted by increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

Survey to Decide OPC Site Amid Pushback

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"The data shows that the majority of overdoses happening in Burlington are happening in the downtown region," special assistant Theresa Vezina said in June, per Burlington Daily News.

Burlington's first overdose prevention center faces mounting opposition despite securing $2.2 million in state opioid settlement funds, with the Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly passing a resolution "vigorously opposing" a downtown location while supporting the concept at a medical facility instead. The city also received an "Order to Show Cause" from Barre demanding explanation of how the "safe shoot-up site" doesn't violate federal drug laws, though officials press forward with a November public survey to guide site selection by year's end.

New Lab to Help Vermont Maple Producers Meet Quality Standards

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"If there are issues, we'll try to work with them to figure out where that issue came up," UVM's Mark Isselhardt told WCAX about the new Proctor Maple Research Center lab in Underhill.

Only half of the 53 maple syrup samples tested by the state last season met Vermont's strict grading standards, with color being the biggest issue as products tested too dark for their grade. The new facility, funded by a Leahy Institute grant, offers high-tech testing equipment to help producers diagnose problems beyond simple taste tests, covering up to four free samples per producer before potential fees kick in once grant funding runs out.

Essex Rejects State Zoning Request for New Women's Prison

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"The showers reeked of human waste and were infested with sewer flies, maggots and mold," former state senator Irene Wrenner told the planning commission about current conditions at the South Burlington facility, per VTDigger.

The Essex planning commission unanimously rejected the state's 14-month effort to build a new women's correctional facility on state-owned property, with members citing the lack of guaranteed public transportation and other infrastructure commitments. The decision sends officials back to square one as the existing Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, built in the 1970s, operates at capacity with deteriorating conditions that advocates and incarcerated women have long demanded be addressed.

Become a Btown Brief Core Reader

Between my night-shift job, this Burlington newsletter takes quite a bit of effort to keep going. From tracking city council meetings to uncovering weekly events and meetups you won't find elsewhere. As a one-person operation, your support directly keeps this project alive. Consider becoming a Core Reader with a small monthly donation below, or send a one-time gift using that link, or straight to Venmo @BtownBrief. Every contribution helps me out!

ko-fi.com/btownbrief

Events:

Monday, October 13, 2025

General Events

  • All Day: April Cornell October Harvest Sale at April Cornell

  • 10:30 AM: Story Artists: A session for children ages 2 to 6 to read books and make art at the Fletcher Free Library

  • 11:00 AM: Ohavi Zedek Village Coffee Klatch in the Sukkah at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue

  • 1:15 PM: Laughter Yoga: A session promoting health through joyful movement and breath at Pathways Vermont (Free)

  • 4:00 PM: Pokémon Club: Players can trade cards and enjoy Pokémon-themed activities at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library (Williston)

  • 6:00 PM: Trivia Monday at Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling (Essex) (Free)

  • 6:30 PM: Collage Collective: A creative session for all experience levels at Expressive Arts Burlington (Free, donations accepted)

  • 7:00 PM: Trivia with Craig Mitchell at The Monkey House (Winooski) (Free)

  • 7:00 PM: Trivia Monday with Top Hat Entertainment at McKee's Original (Winooski) (Free)

  • 7:00 PM: Singing Circle at 208 Flynn Ave #B2B (Donation)

  • 7:00 PM: Come Play Dodgeball! at C. P. Smith Elementary School ($5)

Performances

  • 7:30 PM: Jeff Tweedy at Higher Ground (South Burlington) (SOLD OUT)

Live Music/DJ

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

  • 6:00 PM: Groove is in the Hearth: Delta Sweet Duo at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth (Free)

  • 6:30 PM: BBQ and Bluegrass at Four Quarters Brewing (Winooski) (Free)

  • 7:00 PM: Jude Brothers, Hamilton Belk, A Box of Stars at Radio Bean ($10)

  • 8:00 PM: The Sword, Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol, Moon Destroys at Higher Ground Ballroom (South Burlington) ($32.06)

  • 8:30 PM: Jazz Night with Ray Vega at Hotel Vermont (Free)

  • 9:00 PM: Eames Brothers Band at Radio Bean ($10)

  • 9:00 PM: Jazz Sessions at the 126 (Free)

Thursday, October 16, 2025

General Events

Performances

Live Music/DJ

Watch out for Wednesday’s Edition!

New content coming this week! Shortening the emails so they don’t clip in your inbox (hopefully). Stay tuned for Wednesday’s edition where I’ll be able to put more creative content. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite btownbrief links:

Full list of 202+ activities to do at anytime is always waiting here when you need a plan: 202+ Things to Do

Full list of restaurant reviews here.

Soon to be updated with even more Burlington food deals. View the full list of food & drink deals here.

Check out these local podcasts/content:

  • Brave Little State - Vermont Public's people-powered journalism podcast that answers your questions about Vermont, releasing new episodes a couple of times a month.

  • The Frequency - A daily 10-minute news briefing on the top stories in Vermont from the team at Vermont Public.

  • Vermont Edition - The daily newsmagazine from Vermont Public, featuring conversations on the issues shaping our region.

  • The Morning Drive on WVMT - A daily show from Burlington's Newstalk WVMT covering local news, politics, and culture.

  • Vermont Talks - Monthly long-form interviews with notable and interesting Vermonters.

  • Rocket Shop Radio Hour - Big Heavy World's weekly showcase of live performances and interviews with local Vermont musicians.

  • Homegoings - A twice-monthly podcast from Vermont Public that lifts up candid conversations about race and art, with voices from across the country.

  • Abstract VT - Podcast featuring engaging conversations with Vermont's vibrant community of artists and creatives.

  • The Octagon - A Stowe-based biweekly podcast about adventurous locals.

  • Load-in Through the Back - In-depth chats with musicians and other figures from around the Vermont music scene.

  • EatVermont on Instagram - Run by Rocket, this feed highlights crave-worthy plates and the people behind them statewide, celebrating Vermont’s food scene. Plus a companion app that helps you find local spots, events and food trails.

  • Happy Vermont - Podcast that tells positive and uplifting stories about the people and places of Vermont.

  • United in Green Podcast - The essential weekly podcast for fans of the Vermont Green FC, covering all club news.

  • Net Zero Energy Vermont - Podcast that explores the people and policies helping Vermont move towards a net-zero energy future, every couple of weeks.

  • Ask the Cats - UVM students from The Vermont Cynic newspaper answer questions about college life and Burlington. (Usually during school year.)

  • In the Mix - A UVM student podcast from The Vermont Cynic focused on music reviews and discussion. (Usually during school year.)

**Am Missing Others? Send suggestions my way by replying to this email!**

That’s All, Burlington!

Stay dry out there today, and remember that even the gloomiest Monday can't dampen Burlington's community spirit. Whether you're learning to line dance, introducing your kids to magic, or diving into cold plunges by the lake, there's something happening in our little city worth leaving the house for.

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.

**Dropping tasteful merch for the Btown Brief VERY soon, stay tuned!**

Become a Btown Brief Core Reader

Between my night-shift job, this Burlington newsletter takes quite a bit of effort to keep going. From tracking city council meetings to uncovering weekly events and meetups you won't find elsewhere. As a one-person operation, your support directly keeps this project alive. Consider becoming a Core Reader with a small monthly donation below, or send a one-time gift using that link, or straight to Venmo @BtownBrief. Every contribution helps me out!

ko-fi.com/btownbrief

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