Saturday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—The Paramount Theatre will present America’s Got Talent breakout star, Piff the Magic Dragon, on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. When it comes to Piff, think a man in a dragon suit (with a trademark chihuahua named Mr. Piffles) who performs jaw-dropping magic tricks, and you’re on the right track. With over…

Dec. 6-8—KILLINGTON—The Killington-Pico Area Association will be hosting its annual Vermont Holiday Festival, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8 at the Killington Grand Hotel. On Thursday, Dec. 6, the KPAA will hold its sponsor party and mixer, catered by Preston’s from 5:30-8:30 p.m., to include a silent auction. At the holiday festival, guests can enjoy the…

Dec. 7-9—WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum will open for Wassail Weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7, 8, and 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The farm will feature historic Christmas ornaments – to make and take home. Don’t miss the authentically decorated farm house, visits to the dairy farm for interactive programs, holiday activities, plus the Academy Award…

Dec. 11, 19-21—RUTLAND—The 2018 annual Gift-of-Life Marathon blood drive is scheduled for four days in December. It comes at a time when the American Red Cross urgently needs blood donors to give now to ensure that blood is available for medical treatments and emergencies during the holiday season. Please mark your calendar and plan to…

By Russell Jones BRANDON — From in-store discounts and sales to a chance to get cash back or win money, the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Brandon Alliance have teamed up with the town to offer residents more reasons than ever to shop local this year as Moonlight Madness kicks off Wednesday,…

Sunday, Dec. 9, 3 p.m.—BRANDON—The Brandon Festival Singers, under the direction of Gene Childers and accompanied by Jean Childers, will present the 38th annual Brandon Carol Festival featuring a wide variety of Christmas choral arrangements of traditional, contemporary and original music for the season on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Brandon Congregational Church, 1 Carver St.,…

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2 p.m.—RUTLAND—Community College of Vermont (CCV)-Rutland invites the public to an open house on Wednesday, Dec. 12 to learn about its certified production technician (CPT) training program. The CPT is a nationally recognized credential designed to boost career opportunities in the field of manufacturing. Open house guests will have the chance to…

Thursday, Dec. 6—CHESTER—Five newly elected legislators will speak on Dec. 6 at the Chester Rotary First Thursday event. Three senators – Alison Clarkson, Alice Nitka and Dick McCormack – along with representatives Tom Bock and Annmarie Christensen will provide an overview of their legislative work in Montpelier. They will talk about upcoming state initiatives and budget issues. Each…

Winter is here in full force and is prepared to hit us again with another storm forecasted for Saturday. Green Mountain Power crews have been out all week and so far, restored power to more than 100,000 customers. Crews are on track to finish restorations tomorrow, just as forecasters say a new storm system will…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Come to McGrath’s Irish Pub, Sunday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. for the first ever Killington appearance of Pam and Dan. Hailing from Carbondale, Colorado, they are embarking on their Ikon ski and music tour. They plan to play music at all of the Ikon pass resorts in North America to…

By Dom Cioffi Here we are again – the start of another busy holiday season is upon us. It’s no surprise that Christmas and New Year’s happen at the end of December, but inevitably many of us find ourselves scrambling to get a handle on the things that need to get done before the big…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger The number of farmers who registered with the state of Vermont to grow hemp rose more than 400 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to the state Agency of Agriculture. The amount of acreage reported to be under cultivation increased 450 percent, with growth spread fairly evenly around the state. Hemp cultivation…

By Katy Savage

The Governor’s Marijuana Advisory Commission will host a listening tour throughout Vermont in order to provide Vermonters an opportunity for public comment on the draft reports produced by the Commission’s Subcommittees on Roadway Safety, Education and Prevention and Taxation and Regulation earlier this week. The draft reports document the findings and recommendations of the Subcommittees…

RUTLAND — At this time of year the adventure of going out to get a Christmas tree is a much-anticipated ritual of the season — and a pricey one. There is an alternative, however. Should they be interested, the U.S. Forest Service officials in Vermont offer the public Christmas tree removal permits for $5. A…