Courtesy Phoenix Books April Ossmann Courtesy Phoenix Books Cynthia Huntington Thursday, May 31, 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—On Thursday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host April Ossmann and Cynthia Huntington for an evening of poetry. April Ossmann is the author of “Event Boundaries” and “Anxious Music,” and the recipient of a 2013 Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant. She has…

Saturday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.—BRANDON—With a captivating soprano voice and award-winning songwriting, Caroline Cotter’s travel inspired songs take listeners all over the world and into the depths of the human heart. Cotter is currently touring to support her second major release, “Home on The River.” Catch Cotter when she stops in Brandon at Brandon Music on Saturday, June 2 at…

Saturday & Sunday, May 26-27—VERMONT—Bright yellow signs compete with a multitude of greens along Vermont’s roads enticing visitors to the studios of craftspeople and other artists across Vermont during the 2018 Spring Open Studio Weekend taking place May 26-27, over Memorial Day weekend. Open Studio Weekend is a statewide celebration of the visual arts and…

Saturday & Sunday, May 26-27—WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum, gateway to Vermont’s rural heritage, will feature sheep shearing and herding on Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. This event showcases herdsman Jim McRae’s team of border collies herding sheep in the farm fields during narrated programs at 11:30 a.m., 1:30, and 3:30 p.m. each day. The spring shearing of the…

Thursday, May 24, 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—On Thursday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host a talk on Jackson Ellis’ new novel, “Lords of St. Thomas.” Jackson Ellis will be joined by Rachel Carter and Asher Ellis. About “Lords of St. Thomas:” In the Mojave Desert, at the southern end of the isolated Moapa Valley, sat the town…

May 24-27—WHITE RIVER JUNCTION—JAG Productions will present the profound jazz musical “ Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” by Lanie Robertson. The show will run from May 24-27 at the Engine Room in White River Junction; May 31-June 3 at The Grange Theater in Pomfret; and June 7-10 at Main Street Landing’s Black Box…

Thursday, May 24, 7 p.m.—QUECHEE—VINS will present a program on neotropical migratory birds on Thursday, May 24, from 7-8:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation. Migratory birds such as the warblers, flycatchers, and even raptors are some of the most enjoyable and anticipated birds to watch during…

Photo by Jerry LeBlond Courtesy of Killington EDT May 26-28—KILLINGTON—The Killington region welcomes back the 22nd edition of the legendary New England Stage Race, which started back in 1987. For 2018, the race will have eight stage race categories and three days of racing: Friday-Sunday, May 26-28. Stage One is contested on a historic, fun and…

Wednesday, May 23, 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—In late April, hundreds of Confederate Flag/Jewish Star flyers were stuffed between books in the Holocaust section of the Rutland Free Library. In response, the Rutland Jewish Center and the Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP are holding a forum on hate speech and the First Amendment. The forum will be…

Wednesday & Thursday, May 23-24—POULTNEY, BRANDON—Youth substance abuse is a concern in Rutland County. Here are some grim statistics: In Rutland County, 43 percent of young adults binge-drank in the last 30 days; 44 percent of young adults used marijuana in the last 30 days; and 12 percent of young adults used prescription stimulants for…

Friday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.—WOODSTOCK—Pentangle presents Jesse Colin Young Band at Woodstock Town Hall Theatre Friday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 reserved, or $45 for Pentangle members. For 50 years Jesse Colin Young has been singing songs about peace, relationships and the environment. From his folk days in Boston and his first…

Sunday, May 27—WEST HAVEN—Vermont’s Devil’s Bowl Speedway is set to begin its season of stock car racing, with a mix of 19 weekly and special events. The Rutland County track, in its 52nd season, will return to full-time dirt racing on a half-mile surface for the first time since 2009, and competition will again be sanctioned by…

Saturday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.—BRANDON—The Young Novelists are a Toronto-based band fronted by husband and wife Graydon James and Laura Spink. They perform at Brandon Music on May 19 as part of a national tour for their latest album, offering classic him-and-her vocals, with James playing acoustic guitar and Spink on percussion and vibraphone. James and Spink…

Thursday, May 17, 7:30 p.m.—RANDOLPH—Known as the infamous “watermelon-smasher” who has performed more than 3,500 live shows worldwide over the past 45 years, maniacal standup comic Gallagher will bring his farewell tour to the Chandler Center for the Arts for one show only on Thursday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. The zany Gallagher will be joined on…

Friday & Saturday, May 18-19—WOODSTOCK—The ninth annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series at the Billings Farm & Museum begins its new summer series with the award-winning documentary, “Ex Libris – The New York Public Library,” on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19, at 6 p.m. in HD projection and surround sound, with complimentary refreshments. Curator and director Jay Craven will…