Tuesday, April 12 — RUTLAND — Ben & Jerry’s fans can mark April 12 on their calendars as the 2016 Ben & Jerriest day of the year: Free Cone Day! For the past 37 years, Ben & Jerry’s has opened scoop shops to dish out free ice cream to fans, thanking them for being so uniquely awesome.…

Saturday, April 9 at 10 a.m. — RUTLAND — In celebration of the Month of the Young Child and Autism Awareness Month, the Vermont Achievement Center ( VAC ), 88 Park Street in Rutland will hold its annual open house on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public…

Wednesday, April 13, 2 to 5 p.m. — POULTNEY—The Poultney Earth Fair draws hundreds of people each year from the local region to celebrate the environment and community. This year, the fair will be held on Wednesday, April 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Poultney High School. There is plenty of family fun, including…

Tuesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. — RUTLAND — One organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives and restore health to 50 others. Unfortunately, every day 21 people die waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Join Rutland Regional Medical Center for an overview of organ and tissue donation and transplantation on Tuesday, April 12…

CASTLETON — The Castleton Alumni Association is holding its first spring gala on Saturday, April 16 at the Holiday Inn in Rutland beginning at 6 p.m. The gala will include a dinner buffet and dancing to the sounds of Enerjazz. Cost of tickets is $50 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at castleton.edu/alumni-giving/alumni-association/spring-gala/ Proceeds from the event…

Maplefest converges on Poultney, April 2 POULTNEY — Maplefest 2016 in Poultney will be happening on Saturday, April 2. There are over 20 different things going on! A Pancake Breakfast starts Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Methodist Church. After breakfast, stop at the Stonebridge in the center of Poultney by the traffic light for a…

By Karen D. Lorentz The fourth annual Shriners’ pancake breakfast will take place at the Meeting House in Shrewsbury on Saturday April 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The buffet-style breakfast includes pancakes, bacon, sausage, juice and coffee and, of course, maple syrup. The idea of a breakfast came about because Shriners Bill and…

Maple Open House Weekend offers visitors an opportunity to see a variety of sugarhouses throughout Vermont in operation during sugaring season. Sugarmakers are pleased to open their doors and educate visitors on all things maple. Learn how the sap from the trees gets to the sugarhouse and becomes the maple syrup we all love, why…

Courtesy of CMAC

Courtesy of Merchants Hall

Courtesy of Pentangle Arts Council GREG ABATE International jazz artist and master musician Greg Abate leads the Greg Abate Quartet onstage at ArtisTree Community Arts Center on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. Known for his energetic, lively, and playful interpretations of jazz, Abate is considered one of the finest proponents and interpreters of bebop…

Courtesy of Chandler Center for the Arts KAMIKAZE COMEDY Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. — RANDOLPH — Kamikaze Comedy takes the stage at Chandler Music Hall on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. Come “laugh your darn face off” with this Burlington based improv troupe. They have been performing together since 1995, creating outrageous characters,…

Courtesy of NWPL ROBIN GABY FISHER Saturday, April 2 at 2 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — N.Y. Times bestselling author and two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing, Robin Gaby Fisher will read from and lead a discussion about her latest book “Choosing Hope,” the story of the Newtown teacher who saved her first graders when…

Courtesy of Brandon Music

Courtesy of Chandler Center for the Arts NEW BLACK EAGLE JAZZ BAND Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. — RANDOLPH — The New Black Eagle Jazz Band takes the stage at Chandler Music Hall on Sunday April 3 at 2 p.m., playing traditional New Orleans-style jazz. The Black Eagles have been a fixture on the international jazz…