Burlington's getting a proper October soaking today, with scattered showers sticking around through tonight as temperatures slide from the 60s this morning back into the upper 50s by evening. The rain should clear out overnight into Tuesday morning, leaving us with about a half inch to three quarters of an inch when all's said and done. Tuesday's looking brighter with sunshine breaking through by midday and temps holding steady in the low 60s, though clouds will sneak back in by evening. Wednesday brings another round of showers with cooler temps settling into the 50s, and while Thursday and Friday might see some lingering drizzle (possibly even mountain snow Thursday night), the weekend's shaping up to be dry with crisp fall temps in the upper 40s to mid 50s.

Tonight's rain won't stop Burlington from diving into its future at the South End Visioning Workshop, kicking off at 5:30 PM at 405 Pine Street's Community Room. This is Burlington's first neighborhood session for planBTV 2050, where four city departments are actually working together to map out how we'll live, work, and get around town for the next 25 years. Meanwhile, our neighbors in Winooski have their City Council meeting at 6 PM tackling everything from Halloween event permits to housing initiatives, and South Burlington's Council meets at 6:30 PM to hear from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee about keeping those shared paths safe.

Tuesday's brief sunshine window makes for a packed day of indoor and outdoor options. Get crafty at HoneyBee Heather's Halloween earring workshop on North Street starting at 6 PM, where $28 and BYOB gets you spooky jewelry and good company. Music lovers can catch Patty Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones at the Flynn at 7:30 PM, or prep for Friday's VSO concert at Beethoven on the Rocks at the Venetian Soda Lounge at 7 PM. For those who prefer quieter pursuits, the Helping Hands quilting group meets at Yankee Pride Quilts in Essex Junction from 1 to 4 PM, while Queen City Brewery's trivia night with Pizza44 starts at 6 PM on Pine Street.

Wednesday's forecast calls for more rain, but that's not dampening the community calendar. The afternoon kicks off with CCV Winooski's Happy Tihar Festival of Lights at 2 PM featuring free food, music, and face painting, followed by a free corn maze at Isham Family Farm from 2 to 4 PM. Evening options multiply fast: learn winter car prep at Winooski Library at 6 PM, start free computer classes at Burlington Technical Center at 6 PM, try qi gong with adoptable cats at Queen City Cat Lounge at 6 PM ($25), or enjoy a free dinner before the NPA Meeting at Robert Miller Center. The Old North End visioning workshop happens at 5:30 PM, and Burlington's new dating game show launches at Off Center at 7 PM. Sign-ups are closed for this round, but you can still come watch brave locals look for love the old-fashioned way…on stage. Then maybe sign up for the next one. East Coast Swing lessons begin at Lines Vermont at 7:30 PM, art enthusiasts can join Close Looking at Shelburne Museum at 1 PM, and beer and apple lovers can hit Masher Cider Night in Essex at 7 PM.

Thursday wraps up the week with Vermont Public's live gardening broadcast with Charlie Nardozzi at 11:30 AM in Colchester (complete with a bulb swap afterward), an important Recovery First discussion at 400 Pine Street from 6 to 8 PM featuring local recovery leaders, women's pickup basketball at Allen Brook School at 7:10 PM, and for the brave souls, Nightmare Vermont opens at the Champlain Valley Expo at 7 PM for its first weekend of scares.

Today is a mild, rainy outlier; about 10°F warmer than a typical Oct 20 afternoon and 7°F milder overnight. The next few days trend closer to seasonal, but still lean a touch above normal, more “soft fall sweater” than “sharp late-October chill.”

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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.

Come out and join us this Saturday at 10 a.m. for coffee at Zero Gravity! It’s always great seeing familiar faces, and even better meeting new ones each week. We’ll chat about Vermont living, touch on a bit of local news, and share what’s worth checking out around town this weekend. Come hang, have a coffee, and join the conversation.

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.

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Thousands Say 'No Kings' at Protests Across Vermont (via Seven Days) or Burlington Protesters Declare "No Kings" Through Chants and Songs (via Vermont Community News)

Burlington saw one of the largest gatherings as separate groups of marchers converged on City Hall Park for what witnesses described as a colorful, musical demonstration, with local band Brass Balagan providing the soundtrack. Unlike June's waterfront rally that drew thousands with organized speakers, Saturday's organizers deliberately chose a leaderless format to emphasize grassroots resistance. Saturday's protests spanned 50 Vermont cities and towns, marking the second mass mobilization in months against the Trump administration's policies. South Burlington protesters in inflatable dinosaur costumes lined Patchen Road's I-89 overpass, while thousands filled the Statehouse lawn in Montpelier to hear U.S. Rep. Becca Balint lead chants of "No Kings, No Tyrants, No Dictators!" Other demonstrators included a self-proclaimed "capybara against kings" in an inflatable costume and a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty carrying Emma Lazarus's poem. For more photos from protests statewide, check out VTDigger's photo gallery

Record $2.6M from State Higher Education Fund to Support Vermont Students

The fund earned an 11.4% return last year, its highest in 25 years, with distributions going to UVM, Vermont State Colleges, and VSAC for non-loan tuition assistance. About 675 students received scholarships averaging $1,400 each, with 73% being first-generation college students.

Vermont Health Officials Warn Against Drinking from Roadside Springs

As drought conditions leave wells dry, health officials caution against using historic roadside springs that may contain E. coli or giardia. Fifteen people in New Hampshire recently contracted giardia from a roadside spring.

UVM Professor Finds Link Between State-Level Lobbyists and Rising Health Care Costs

Ever felt like our healthcare system up in Burlington isn’t quite up-to-par? Political scientist Alex Garlick's new book "Pre-Existing Conditions" explores how lobbying shapes health policy, finding that each state lobbyist adds roughly $7 per capita to health care costs. Garlick, who worked as a congressional staffer during the 2017 ACA repeal attempt, argues Vermont's small scale creates unique challenges with UVM Health Network wielding "structural power" over policy decisions. He points to the Green Mountain Care Board's 2024 budget battle, where UVM cut services after receiving a lower budget than requested, as an example of how large providers can limit regulatory effectiveness. The professor suggests expanding the number of clinics and hospitals could reduce this leverage, and notes Vermont's upcoming application for $50 billion in federal rural health transformation funds as an opportunity for systemic change. Read the full article to get a better picture.

Pride Center Partners with VT Domestic Violence Group to Keep Support Hotline Running

Despite Friday's closure due to a $350,000 funding shortfall, the Pride Center's SafeSpace hotline remains active through a partnership with Steps to End Domestic Violence. The arrangement makes support available 24/7 instead of the previous limited hours, with both the original 802-863-0003 number and Steps' 802-658-1996 line remaining operational. The Pride Center's board is assessing finances while laid-off staff receive full pay for time worked plus two weeks of accrued time off and health benefits through October.

Nonprofit Threatens to Sue Vermont Dairy Farm for Water Contamination

The Conservation Law Foundation filed a notice of intent to sue Vorsteveld Farm in Panton for allegedly discharging pesticides into Dead Creek without required federal permits. Testing by Burlington engineering firm VHB found 99% of 92 water samples contained clothianidin at levels exceeding EPA benchmarks, while atrazine appeared at 50 times the safe drinking water standard. The 3,000-cow operation, which the state approved to expand by 600 cows in July, has 60 days to respond before facing a formal lawsuit. The farm's tile drainage system, designed to manage water on cropland, allegedly carries pesticides and fertilizer directly into waterways. The Vermont Supreme Court previously found the brothers in contempt for failing to reduce pollution after a neighbor's lawsuit.

Catamount Run and East: UVM's Next Step in the Housing Crisis

UVM's new South Burlington apartment complexes aim to ease Burlington's 2.2% rental vacancy rate, with Catamount Run offering 620 beds and Catamount East providing 164. However, students report significant vacancies at Catamount Run due to prices ranging from $1,123 to $2,029 per person monthly, while UVM is terminating its Catamount East lease citing lack of upperclassman interest in RA-supervised housing. State Rep. Troy Headrick introduced H.170 to cap UVM enrollment until Burlington's vacancy rate reaches 5%, arguing the university consistently increases enrollment beyond new housing capacity. Construction costs averaging $500,000 per apartment unit and Vermont's regulatory barriers through Act 250 complicate new development efforts.

A Former Twelve Tribes Member Finds Her Voice Through TikTok

Swanton resident Tamara Mathieu has gained 3,403 TikTok followers sharing her experience in what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a "Christian fundamentalist cult." Mathieu, who joined with her husband in 1998 seeking community, describes a "totally patriarchal" system requiring women's complete submission and strict child discipline through spanking. After leaving in 2014 with her four children, she completed her UVM nutrition degree in 2019, published a memoir "All Who Believed" in 2024, and now works for Northwestern Counseling and Support Services. Her videos, each receiving over 1,000 views, connect with current members' families and other survivors navigating reintegration after life in the religious group. If you’re on TikTok, check her out.

90% OR BUST: City Seeks Syringe Litter Overhaul

19-page CDNR report reveals Howard Center dispensed 944,109 syringes in 2024 but received only 516,335 back, leaving 427,774 unaccounted for, though return rates improved to 81% through August 2025. The report, prompted by a child being stuck at a South Burlington playground, recommends requiring 90% syringe returns by 2026, doubling treatment referrals, and implementing cleanup plans funded by gift card incentives. Current cleanup efforts rely on uncoordinated volunteers from groups including Peace and Justice Center and Greater Burlington YMCA. The committee calls for Department of Health audits of needlestick costs, improved data tracking beyond the 800-1,000 annual SeeClickFix reports, and co-locating syringe services at the future Overdose Prevention Center while converting 45 Clarke Street to recovery housing.

Burlington Volunteer Group Recovers Nearly 900 Stolen Bikes in Three Years

The BTV Stolen Bike Report and Recovery Facebook group has reunited nearly 900 bikes with owners since 2022, including a UVM student's bike recovered within hours after thieves cut through a deck rail to steal it lock and all. The volunteer-run group crowd-sources searches after victims file police reports, with volunteers spotting bikes and alerting officers for recovery. Group leader Asah Lauren believes most stolen bikes stay local, being traded for drugs or used for transportation, and recommends U-locks, photos, and registration at bikeindex.com for protection.

Winooski School Community Unites to Ensure Student Safety Amid Immigration Concerns

Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria mobilized the Winooski school community Wednesday afternoon after receiving reports of threats from immigration enforcement agents against district families. Crediting the threats as serious, the district enacted a city protocol to ensure every student got home safely. Volunteers lined Main and Weaver Streets, escorted students, and rode along on buses. Chavarria praised the strong community response and emphasized that while fears may linger, families should feel safe sending children to school, noting that no direct threats have been made toward Winooski schools.

UVM Athletics Headlines

Vermont women's swimming won the Fall Foliage Invitational while field hockey rolled past Dartmouth 4-0 on Senior Day. Women's soccer fell to UMass Lowell 1-0 despite senior day festivities, and special teams proved decisive as St. Cloud State defeated men's hockey Saturday. The seventh-ranked men's soccer team earned their third straight shutout with a 3-0 victory at New Hampshire. Coming up this week: women's ice hockey hosts Franklin Pierce Thursday at 6 PM and men's basketball faces Saint Michael's in an exhibition Friday at 7 PM.

Monday, October 20, 2025

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Thursday, October 23, 2025

New content coming on Wednesdays! 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. Things like a Food Deal highlights, Poll Questions, Top Reddit Posts, Volunteer Opportunity, Reader Photos, Restaurant Spotlights, Small Business Features, and Btown Explained (quick local deep dive). Or even things like Dine Out Review, Podcast Pick, Pet of the Week (adoptable to user submitted), new local Job Highlights, a Burlington Throwback Photo or Fact, and a quick Burlington Game like “Spot That Location”, VT crossword, or unscramble popular Burlington terms.

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.

Another Monday wrapped up in the Queen City. Stay dry out there tonight, and remember that Tuesday's sunshine is just a brief intermission before more rain rolls through midweek. Thanks for reading, and if you've got tips, events, or just want to let us know what's happening in your corner of Burlington, drop us a line.

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