By Dom Cioffi I spent quite a bit of time in the water during my recent vacation to St. Martin. The Caribbean is obviously known for its pristine turquoise ocean and white sandy beaches, so I was more than happy to spend the majority of my week communing with the natural elements. Within hours of…

RUTLAND—In only their second competition of the season, the Cobra gymnasts trusted their training and delivered their routines at the Vermont state championships April 10-11 in Essex.  The 40-member team is divided into five different levels of the USA Gymnastics Xcel Program. Following strict Covid policy, each gym in Vermont was assigned a different time to…

Friday-Sunday, April 23-25—BARNARD—BarnArts Center for the Arts announces auditions for an outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed by Linda Treash, voice and text direction by Amy Leavitt. Auditions will be held April 23-25 at the Barnard Town Hall with rehearsals beginning shortly after. Performances will be held outdoors in Barnard at…

Friday, April 23, at 7 p.m. —VIRTUAL— Guilford poet Verandah Porche will lead a free, virtual interactive poetry workshop. This event is organized by the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) and is open to teens and adults. Since the fall, CLiF has been offering adult programs and book discussions with local authors, in addition to its…

April 23-June 4—Starting April 23, Chaffee Art Center will display its annual photo contest for amateur photographers only, of all ages. This year’s theme is “Expressions of Me.” All photos will be 8”x10” prints. No photos were staged or altered by photo editing software, but resizing and/or cropping was accepted. The Chaffee allowed up to three…

Theme “Expressions of Me” exhibit opening is by reservation Friday, April 23—RUTLAND—The Chaffee Art Center is proud to again showcase young artists from dozens of Vermont schools and homeschoolers for this annual student exhibit and takes great pleasure in creating an opportunity for these talented young people to be inspired by seeing their artwork, and…

Thursday, April 22, at 5 p.m.—ZOOM—Celebrate Earth Day with renowned activist and author Frances Moore Lappé as she presents, “Climate Crisis In Focus: Finding Hope Through Democratic Action.” Frances Moore Lappé is the author or co-author of 20 books about world hunger, living democracy, and the environment, beginning with the 3-million copy “Diet for a Small Planet” (1971). In…

Friday, April 23—As the snow melts away and buds begin to burst, there are so many reasons to celebrate spring! Leading up to VINS celebration of Earth Day on April 24, we ask you to share with us your favorite sign of spring with a photo. These photos will be shared to the VINS Facebook & Instagram…

April 24-May 8—Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont has opened registration for its first annual For Kids’ Sake virtual fun run. All proceeds will support the mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. This fundraiser is not just for runners. It’s designed to be flexible, with…

The 2021 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is on! ONGOING—Vermont State Parks (VSP) has announced that the 2021 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is on! The Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is a statewide outdoor scavenger hunt designed for kids (but anyone can participate), where participants earn points and free state park entry by completing fun outdoor activities. To get…

The 6-week Saturday series began April 17 Saturday, April 24 at 9 a.m.—University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Community Horticulture Program Master Gardener volunteers are hosting a free vegetable gardening education series on six consecutive Saturdays this spring. Learn to Grow Vegetables will be offered weekly via Zoom, April 24-May 22, from 9-10 a.m. The series…

Activities feature sheep shearing and herding Saturday-Sunday, April 24-25—WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum will feature sheep shearing and herding on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. —celebrating sheep with a weekend of shear fun! Meet herdsman Jim McRae and his team of border collies and watch demonstrations of herding sheep in the…

Tuesday, April 27, at 7:30 a.m.—POULTNEY— Join Rutland County Audubon for a bird walk at Slate Valley Trails. All are welcome. There will be friendly birders in the group who will happily share their knowledge. Bring water and a snack (and insect repellent if you use it), binoculars, cameras, field guides, if you have them.…

When the weather starts to warm, people are inspired to once again venture outdoors and spend more time away from home. People can benefit from having quick and easy dinner recipes at the ready so that hours are not spent in the kitchen after a day of fun in the fresh air. With mere minutes…

A new grant program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, is launching soon for restaurants, brew pubs, food trucks, coffee shops, bars and many more. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) site sba.gov/restaurants shares information on how the program will roll out, the application requirements and the documents to prepare. The SBA is strongly encouraging all potential applicants…