SO MUCH GOOD STUFF, UPPER VALLEY!
Tuesday, Aug. 11
At the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock, “Organizing 101.” Professional home organizer Kris Harmelink gives a free hour-long workshop on how to tackle organizing projects, as well as organizing methods, tips, and tricks. 6 pm.
Marsh Lights on the Fairlee Town Common. Led by singer-songwriter Colby Crehan, the Burlington quintet mixes folk and bluegrass roots with fierce instrumentals and what Seven Days once called its “killer harmonies.” Performing together for more than 15 years, the group took its current name in 2023. 6:30 pm; in town hall if it rains.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Eye on the Sky Stargazing Party at Billings Farm. Two very familiar VT Public figures—Jane Lindholm and the Fairbanks Museum’s Mark Breen—host a tour of the night sky (which will be broadcast live) and answer questions about stars, planets, constellations, galaxies, the universe… Doors open at 6:30 pm for lawn games, strolls, and more, and you can bring your own picnic or find food for sale from a variety of vendors. Seating is first-come, first-served on the Billings lawn. If it looks like rain, they’ll make a decision about moving indoors 24 hours in advance.
Howe@snorth jigsaw puzzle competition. This month’s Howe Library/Still North mashup features eight teams racing to complete a 500-piece jigsaw. They’re full up on teams, but you can always join the waiting list or, even better, just show up and watch the mayhem. 6:30 pm at Still North Books & Bar in Hanover.
Summer Sing with the Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley. Each Wednesday this month, the CAFUV is hosting an open-to-all, just-for-the-heck-of-it singing gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Route 5 in Norwich (across from The Family Place). Each week has a different director, with a different musical theme. This week it’s Kathy Sherlock-Green leading “Treble Chorus Gems – Songs for Women’s Voices.” Next week, Andrea Nardone, and on Aug. 26, Ed Broms. 6:30 pm.
The Moanin’ Frogs Saxophone Sextet in New London. All six saxes, from soprano to bass, feature in the conservatory-trained Frogs’ entertaining performances of classical, ragtime, jazz, and pop tunes. From the Kennedy Center to, well, New London’s First Baptist Church, they “deliver artist-level performances to small towns and major performance halls alike.” 7 pm.
Unscripted Lives screening in Woodstock. Written and directed by Woodstock resident and Emmy-winning TV director Jim Sadwith, the documentary focuses on seven members of the special-needs enrichment center created by Dail and Norm Frates as they prep for roles in one of the group’s annual musicals, “Beauty and the Beazt.” Pentangle Arts is hosting a special screening to celebrate “the power of community, inclusion, and the remarkable lives of the individuals of Zack's Place.” 7 pm in Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre.
Thursday, Aug. 13
“Little Red Riding Hood” at Court Street Arts in Haverhill. North Country Center for the Arts’ touring children’s theater company sends Little Red off through the woods to her granny’s house… 10 am at Alumni Hall.
At the Norman Williams Public Library, “Medicare 101: What You Need to Know.” Blue Cross VT presents a seminar on Medicare basics. 11 am.
King Arthur Summer Dinner & Music Series closes out the season with Route 5 Jive. Food and music on the patio from 4:30 to 7 pm.
BOWMEN at Feast and Field in Barnard. The band is Bow Thayer’s latest project, with Thayer, guitarist Krishna Guthrie, and a rhythm section boasting honky-tonk heavyweight Eric George on bass and River Thayer on drums and percussion. Gates and food at 5:30 pm, music starts up around 6.
The Norwich Lions Club fair opens. The annual small-town fair on the Marion Cross green runs through Sunday, with rides, fair food, a dunk tank, a midway, music, and ots more. 6-10 pm Thursday (JAM will be filming Valley Transit), 5-10 pm Friday (with The Flames on stage), noon-10 pm Saturday (Stone Soup Band 7-9 pm), and noon-5 pm Sunday (the Michael McNaughton Band 1:30-3:30 pm).
Dayna Kurtz plays Leb’s Front Porch Concert Series. Kurtz has spent decades bringing her deep, dusky voice to jazz, blues, Americana, and pop. 7 pm in Colburn Park (First Congregational Church of Lebanon in case of rain).
Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival open rehearsal at the Chandler. Week 1 of the festival continues with Michael Roth (Violin), Erica Gailing (Viola), Peter Sanders (Cello), Alan R. Kay (Clarinet), Stewart Rose (Horn), and Wan-Chi Su (Piano) working through music for mixed ensembles. Free, 7 pm.
At Northern Stage, Sweeney Todd: In Concert. Sondheim’s musical, of course, tells “the infamous story of a wronged barber seeking revenge in the streets of Victorian London.” With producing artistic director Carol Dunne returning to the stage and a full-on cast giving a “concert reading” that emphasizes the music, not the staging. Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 5 pm. Here’s more on the production from Susan Apel in Artful.
The Revivalists at the Lake Morey Resort. The electrifying eight-member New Orleans band, with its feet firmly planted in blues, classic rock, and Southern rock traditions, hits the Lake Morey stage with six albums under their belts (the latest, Get It Honest, came out last month) and a longstanding habit of powerhouse live performances. Gates and food at 6 pm, music at 8.
Friday, Aug. 14
John Pinetree in Woodstock. Pentangle’s Friday-night Music By the River series continues with the singer songwriter and frontman for The Yellin’ Degenerates. 6 pm in East End Park.
The Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival at the Chandler with Erik Friedlander and "Block Ice & Propane.” The NYC-based cellist has long been a key figure in the city’s musical avant-garde; “Block Ice,” which debuted in 2007, is a suite of compositions for unaccompanied cello inspired by his Friedlander's childhood memories of cross-country camping trips with his family—paired with photographs by his father, renowned photographer Lee Friedlander. 7 pm.
Saturday, Aug. 15
Vermont Land Trust and Sustainable Woodstock host “Explore King Farm.” It’s a chance to check out the land trust’s working farm and nature preserve, with its community garden, woodlands, and sculpture garden. The VLT will also be talking about its plans for the land. Feel free to bring a picnic. 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
“Pickin' Time: Bluegrass, Brews, & Bites” at Cedar Circle Farm. “Each event,” they write, “will pair live music with delicious farm-made food & drinks, adult beverages for purchase, and after-hours access to Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center’s organic pick-your-own (PYO) fields and farmstand”—in this case, their cut-flower fields, with music from Beecharmer. 4:30-7 pm.
“Pet Sounds Live!” at the Claremont Opera House. “The premier Beach Boys album experience celebrating Brian Wilson’s iconic masterpiece that changed the course of rock & roll,” COHNH writes. “This immersive live concert brings Pet Sounds to life in its entirety, taking audiences inside the studio and behind the glass for a celebration of one of the most beloved and influential albums of all time.” 7:30 pm.
The Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival hosts “A Special Concert for Walter Parker” at the Chandler. Thursday’s musicians play works by Louis Spohr, Robert Kahn, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Ernst von Dohnányi. 7:30 pm.
Sunday, Aug. 16
In Norwich, The Porch Brothers and Friends with Beatles Night. Or, well, Beatles Afternoon. The Porch Brothers, led by Bob Miller, Dave Barthel, Jordan Mueller, and Dave Bibeau, will be joined at the Root Schoolhouse by Cam Cross, Nathan Margolis, and Lori Jannen. 4 pm, 987 Union Village Road.
“Land Stories” at the Strafford Town House. The Friends of the Morrill Homestead host farmer and writer Suzanne Lupien (Harken Farm in Vershire), Amy Huyffer (Strafford Organic and Rockbottom Farm), Marya Merriam (Woodfrog Flowers and Rockbottom Farm employee), and VT homesteader and poet Alexis Lathem for an event airing “the voices and experiences of those who love and work the land.”
Sunday Summer Soirée at Loch Lyme Lodge with James Graham. The singer-songwriter brings along his folk, rock, and soul-tinged music, while Glenn Ferriot and Fresco Catering bring the dinner buffet. 5:30 to 7 pm.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country at Lebanon Opera House. “I'm trying to achieve this sound which is a vehicle for my personality, and the personality is a vehicle for my soul,” the Nashville-based guitarist and singer says. He’s joined by Nathan “Sugarlegg” Aronowitz (keyboards/guitars/vocals), Will “Mustang” McGee (bass/vocals), and Will “Bronco” Clark (drums, percussion/vocals) for outlaw country, bluegrass, and jam-band improvisation. 7:30 pm.
Enjoy the week! See you next Monday for CoffeeBreak.
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