Brave New World
Thursday 20
The future is now! aiVermont cofounder Marc Natanagara moderates an engrossing panel discussion aptly titled “Your AI Therapist Will See You Now” at Hula in Burlington. Experts from the fields of technology, psychiatry and wellness dive into developments in the extraordinarily intimate machine-human connection, including a demo of a chatbot counselor at work.
A Writer’s Fame
Saturday 22
New York City author and orator Fran Lebowitz‘s acerbic wit lights up the room at Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe as “Vermont Edition” host Mikaela Lefrak asks all the right questions. Known for sardonic, unfiltered social commentary about modern life, Lebowitz reminds listeners why writer David Sedaris regards her as “the gold standard for intelligence, efficiency and humor.”
Numbers Game
Friday 21
Mad River Valley Arts’ “Off the Wall” fundraiser in Waitsfield offers a rare opportunity for art lovers to enter a lottery for 100 panels from the gallery’s current exhibition. Ticket holders receive a randomly assigned number between one and 100. When their number is called, guests rush to select the 10-by-10-inch work their heart desires — if it’s still available. That’s risk versus reward, folks!
Clowning Around
Friday 21
Tired of gray skies and mucky roads? The Valley Players’ annual “Cabin Fever Follies” in Waitsfield returns to alleviate the humdrum of March with a stellar showcase of local talent. From fiddle and banjo to clowning and improv, musicians, singers and storytellers snatch the limelight to flaunt their performing prowess and bare their souls in the name of entertainment.
United They Stand
Saturday 22
Jurij Fedynskyj & Family take the stage at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne for an evening of traditional Ukrainian music and thoughtful dialogue. The timely, donation-based benefit concert supports aid for the war-torn country and features spiritual hymns and historic polyphonic village songs, accompanied by regional instruments such as the torban, kobza and bandura.
It’s a Pretty Big Dill
Saturday 22
Purveyors of pickled products, kicky kombuchas and other bubbly goodies set up shop at Ferment Fest in Burlington’s Soda Plant to highlight the beauty of hardworking microorganisms. Brine buffs taste and shop vendors’ wares, listen to a panel of experts, watch dye demos, trade starters — and even line up for a themed flash tattoo, if all those anaerobic samples lend some courage.
Hobbit Happening
Tuesday 25
One ring to bring them all … to Shelburne! Hobbits, dwarves and wizards transform the Pierson Library into Middle-earth for Tolkien Day. Attendees don their finest cosplay ‘fits to celebrate the anniversary of Sauron’s defeat with board games, crafts, trivia, a scavenger hunt and a costume contest, while wise elves brush up on their Sindarin and Quenya in the language immersion corner.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2025.
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