Pop-Culture Prowess
Wednesday 31
New York City standup Marina Franklin knows how to properly ring in 2026: with two back-to-back shows at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington. Known for her wildly successful comedy special “Single Black Female” and thought-provoking podcast “Friends Like Us,” the veteran entertainer leaves a lasting impression with her self-proclaimed “viciously likable” presence.
Guitar Heroes
Wednesday 31 & Thursday 1
Since 1999, punk-rockers Gogol Bordello have been playing high-octane shows around the globe, but lucky for us they’re spending New Year’s right here in Vermont, at Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington. The revolutionary collective — led by Eugene Hütz, an expat of Burlington and Ukraine — says goodbye to 2025 with performances so electrifying, breakers might blow.
In-Flight Entertainment
Friday 26
Avian admirers gather invaluable intel during the Hunger Mountain Winter Bird Count across Waterbury fields, forests and backyards. The all-day event harks back to 1900, when an ornithologist proposed a gunless alternative to the traditional Christmas hunt. Now in its 126th season, the community science project helps collect crucial census data for conservation organizations.
Near and Deer
Saturday 27
After Christmas, the spirit of the season lives on at ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain’s Reindeer Live in Burlington, where Vermont Reindeer Farm connects its antlered charges with animal lovers of all ages. Come for the photo ops; stay for fun facts about what makes Santa’s sleigh-powering critters so well adapted for cold and snow.
Early to Bed
Wednesday 31
Prone to yawning by 8 p.m.? Nightlife not really your bag? Head to Norwich, where Montshire Museum of Science offers New Year’s at Noon. Revelers desiring that classic countdown experience — 12 hours earlier than those party animals in Times Square — delight in hands-on, family-friendly activities, culminating in a sparkling, balloon-filled ring-in to remember.
Fancy Free
Wednesday 31
2025 was a doozy. Time to shake it off at the Adventure Dinner New Year’s Eve Dance Party in Colchester. Disco balls and decadent décor set the mood for a foodie-focused, fueled-up fête, complete with a bottomless snack spread, rotating bites and a retro shrimp tower. Glasses of regular and NA bubbly at midnight start 2026 on a high note.
Northern Exposure
Wednesday 31
It’s a fact: St. Johnsbury does the holidays right. First Night North takes revelry to the next level with a town-wide celebration spanning eight hours and 18 venues. Expect the unexpected, including tarot readings, hypnosis acts, planetarium shows, karaoke, puppetry and even an obstacle course. Shuttles run continuous loops around town so you won’t miss a moment.
Aria Ready?
Wednesday 31
“New Year’s Eve at the Opera” delivers sonic chills and thrills at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington. Accomplished visiting and local talent — including sparkling soprano (and Vermont Public host) Helen Lyons — hit high notes out of the park in excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte and other evergreen masterpieces.
Soule Food
Wednesday 31
Town Hall Theater cordially invites you to Middlebury for a funk-tastic toast to 2026 at New Year’s Eve With Soule Monde. The dynamic duo features keyboardist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton, who conjure irresistibly groovy sounds. Bonus: An early countdown awaits attendees between 9:30 and 10 p.m. — aka “Ripton midnight.”
Cloud Nine
Thursday 1 & Friday 2
Want to usher in 2026 with some restorative classical music? The Green Mountain Mahler Festival’s orchestra and chorus satisfy that wish with two performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s enduring Ninth Symphony at Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester. Daniel Bruce conducts the annual affair, replete with stirring solos by Stefanie Weigand, Erik Kroncke and other talented vocalists.
Slow and Steady
Through Sunday 4
Southern Vermont Arts Center’s “Into the Abstract” exhibit in Manchester highlights the works of Paul Gruhler and Neha Vedpathak, artists separated by generations but united in their artistic vision. Their methods — from Gruhler’s layering of color to Vedpathak’s time-intensive “plucking” technique — result in bold, abstract works that challenge modernity’s obsession with speedy output.
Light on Their Feet
Wednesday 7
Harlem Lite Feet takes center stage when dance pioneer Chrybaby Cozie and members of the renowned Bomb Squad present Chrysolation in Hanover, N.H. The powerful two-part performance takes audiences from Daryl Roth Studio Theater to the Top of the Hop with seemingly weightless movements evoking the origins and evolution of the New York City street-dance style.
Bear in Mind
Ongoing
Shelburne’s iconic Vermont Teddy Bear Factory invites guests to take a festive trek with the Beary Magical Lights Tour. Inside, a twinkling path through the production floor showcases where furry friends come to life. Outside, a winter wonderland of dancing lights, projections and an interactive story walk await, made merrier with 3D glasses that transform ordinary bulbs into un-bear-ably cute shapes.
Dream Weavers
Ongoing
December is an appropriate time to muse on memories of the year that’s passed and visions of the year ahead. In Shelburne, Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery’s group exhibit, “Variations on a Dream,” taps into the shifting moods of winter with contemplative works spanning styles and mediums by noteworthy artists from across the region.
This article appears in Dec 24 2025 – Jan 6 2026.
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