Key Players
Friday 18 & Saturday 19
Renowned headliners and emerging artists — including Sean Mason (pictured) — hit all the right notes at the Vermont Jazz Center’s annual Solo Jazz Piano Festival in Brattleboro. A stacked lineup of master classes, performances and interviews brings to light the instrument’s vital impact on the genre’s history — and alludes to the endless melodic and rhythmic possibilities those ivory keys hold for the future.
Stop and Smell the Rosé
Wednesday 16
Here for the right Rieslings! The J Vineyards Wine Dinner at the Essex Resort & Spa’s Junction restaurant features an exquisite three-course meal paired with four glasses from the California winery. Executive chef Gregory J. Lang marries palate pleasers such as fresh oysters and olive oil cake with complex, nuanced vinos introduced by vineyard expert Kylee Moffat.
May the Forest Be With You
Saturday 19
At the Montshire Museum of Science’s Earth Day Festival in Norwich, families reconnect with the great outdoors after a seemingly endless hibernation. Activities include a tour of the museum’s “compost plaza,” where tireless critters turn food waste into rich soil, and a guided forest walk that engages the senses and encourages mindfulness.
Some Bunny to Love
Saturday 19
Springtime revelers from near and far flock to Hop Into Spring at the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington. Kiddos nab holiday photo ops with seasonal folkloric icon the Easter Bunny — made all the more sweet by free treats from Lake Champlain Chocolates — while grown-ups browse egg-cellent deals at participating businesses all along the eclectic brick blocks.
Baroque and Beyond
Tuesday 22
Early music meets modern American roots when collaborative ensemble Ruckus perform at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hanover, N.H. One of the only period instrument rock bands, the group brings a playful, shape-shifting approach to the genre, revitalizing works of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods through an injection of spirit and ingenuity.
Melodies of Madagascar
Wednesday 23
Self-taught Malagasy musician Mikahely kicks off Bread & Butter Farm’s Silo Sessions spring series in Shelburne. The singer-songwriter uses traditional East African instruments such as the 18-stringed valiha and 22-stringed marovany to perform original tunes inspired by the soothing folk music, lullabies and ceremonial rhythms of his native country.
Shuffle It Off
Ongoing
The figure-focused “Mortal Coil” exhibit at K. Grant Fine Art in Vergennes showcases gripping works by artists such as Austin Furtak-Cole, Suzy Spence and Corrine Yonce. Through sundry mediums and vantage points, the show zeroes in on the grievances and entanglements of the human experience — particularly the vulnerability and intimacy of the physical form.
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2025.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
