AGP Executive Report

Vermont Arts & Community: Vergennes Day returns Aug. 21–22 with a free street dance, “Little City Races,” vendors, live music, and family events—full schedule at vergennesday.com. Local Sports & Pride: UVM Athletics names Burlington Telecom its Official Telecom Partner starting in 2027 under a five-year deal, aiming to deepen Catamount fan connectivity across Chittenden County. Kids VT / STEAM: Generator Makerspace lands a $750,000 Agency of Education grant to expand afterschool and camp programming for grades 4–12, including D&D-themed STEAM. STEM Outreach: ECHO Leahy Center and GlobalFoundries team up for a five-year effort to bring mobile STEM festivals and classroom visits to rural Vermont, plus teacher training. Youth Civics: The Good Citizen Challenge keeps rolling toward Labor Day with K–8 activities earning “stars,” prizes, and Statehouse honors. Music (Experimental): Masters of Sonic Liberation brings New England experimental sets to Holyoke (Aug. 20) and Brattleboro (Aug. 21) as part of the NuMu Festival. Food Safety: A multistate Salmonella recall linked to fresh jalapeños has expanded to salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, and more sold at major retailers including Hannaford and Walmart. Health Watch: Vermont’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows improving teen mental health and declines in vaping, alcohol, and marijuana use.

Arts & Culture: Shelburne Museum acquired a Revolutionary War–era Gilbert Stuart portrait of William Seton, adding a major new piece to its collection. Performing Arts: The Flynn’s “Playing Fields” returns for its fifth year with free outdoor school/community performances of “Sea Fantasy: The Pearl” by Plasticiens Volants. Local History: Windham County Historical Society’s Windham County History Fair marked the nation’s 250th anniversary with reenactors, live music, and hands-on historic demonstrations. Music: Grace Potter is back on the road with new album Trespasser, and she’ll open for Zac Brown Band dates at Forest Hills. Community Events: NBT Bank marks 170 years in Norwich with a concert-series doubleheader, ice cream, giveaways, and fireworks. Vermont Outdoors: Loons are bouncing back in Vermont, but lead poisoning and wake-boat disturbance still threaten them. Tourism: Vermont launched a new “State of Inspiration” tourism brand to boost out-of-state visitation. Health Tech: Dartmouth Health plans to sunset Tele-ICU and Tele-ED services in rural New Hampshire and Vermont due to unsustainable costs. Sports: The Vermont Lake Monsters wrapped a historic season, reaching the Future’s League championship round.

Vermont Arts & Community: Queer Arts Fest expanded to two days at Millstone Hill, drawing 4,000+ attendees and 100+ vendors, with craft swaps, lectures, and interactive performances. Local Music & Venues: A new look at how Vermont music fans and venues could benefit from legislation aimed at improving the live-music ticket ecosystem. Education & Tech: Vermont educators are taking a cautious approach to AI, with guidance from the Agency of Education shaping how teachers plan lessons and how students should (and shouldn’t) use tools. Sports & School Spirit: Sacred Heart women’s soccer beat Vermont 2-0, while Vermont’s Peter Baldwin Memorial Game matchup and other local sports notes keep the fall season rolling. Community Calendar: Vermont’s All Charity Golf Classic returns to Burlington, pairing an 18-hole scramble with fundraising for children’s charities. Call for Artists: Londonderry Arts & Historical Society seeks local artists for its annual Local Artist Show at the Custer Sharp House. Health & Aging: Medicare Advantage plan exits are hitting older Vermonters hard, with forced disenrollment pushing many to find new coverage.

Concert Buzz: Vermont’s Noah Kahan turned the Rose Bowl into a full-on singalong Saturday, selling out 56,000-plus fans on his Great Divide World Tour and landing a major pop crossover when Chappell Roan joined him for “California.” Queer Community: Queer Arts Fest expanded to two days at Millstone Hill, drawing 4,000+ attendees and 100+ vendors with crafts, lectures, and interactive performances. Local Health & Awareness: A Vermont teen organized a Belvidere Fall Festival fundraiser for celiac disease, raising $5,000 and pushing back on the “just avoid gluten” misconception. Tech for All Ages: Central Vermont Council on Aging teamed up with Technology for Tomorrow for “Take the Mystery Out of Tech!” a free Zoom course for seniors and caregivers. Sports (Vermont): Sacred Heart women beat Vermont 2-0, while Vermont’s season opener ended in a tough early learning moment. Community Fest: Rockingham Old Home Days returned to Bellows Falls with live music, vendors, family activities, and a fireworks finale for the 50th anniversary.

Vermont Music Spotlight: Noah Kahan brought out Chappell Roan for a surprise run of “California” at the Rose Bowl during his sold-out “The Great Divide Tour,” turning the stadium moment into a full-on Vermont-to-California crossover. Local Arts & Community: Bennington Battle Day is back with a packed weekend of living-history events celebrating the 1777 victory that helped set up Saratoga—plus free admission Sunday for Battle Days. Theater & Film: “Super Troopers 3” returns to cinemas, with the Broken Lizard crew leaning on their real-life chemistry and the franchise’s signature moustache ritual. Arts Education: Southern Vermont Arts Center debuts a new inclusive theater camp, adding more pathways for kids to make and perform. Culture & Conversation: A Vermont Conversation piece looks at what global dissidents can teach Americans, while another feature explores Vermont’s “slow magic” with a new release, “Emotion Engine.” Community Outdoors: USDA is dropping 1.1 million oral rabies vaccine baits across Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York to protect wildlife—an unusual but important backdrop to summer Vermont life.

Local Arts & Community: Okemo Valley TV is back with a refreshed facility, new leadership, and a revamped membership drive, plus annual producer awards celebrating community radio makers. Music & Live Shows: Carly Pearce returns to Vermont’s Paramount Theatre in Rutland with her new album “Honest Woman,” bringing Nashville country to the Green Mountain stage. Visual Arts: Highland Center for the Arts continues Rett Sturman’s “Vermont Barns,” a decades-spanning look at vernacular architecture painted in oil. Film & Comedy: The Broken Lizard crew is back in cinemas with “Super Troopers 3,” and the franchise’s Vermont roots are front and center. Outdoor & History: Bennington Battle Day is this weekend, with long-running town traditions honoring the 1777 battle and the events built around it. Sports Spotlight: Mount Mansfield Union High’s Aly Dorman commits to UVM, while Maysa Long heads to Minnesota—two local stars charting their next steps. Health & Safety: USDA is dropping 1.1 million oral rabies vaccine baits across Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York to curb wildlife spread.

Film & Comedy: The Broken Lizard crew is back with Super Troopers 3, and the cast talks moustache regrowth, real-life bonds, and why the franchise still feels like a group project from their shared past. Arts & Community: Vermont Arts Exchange’s new “Cute Camp” in North Bennington turns kid-made ceramics, clay beads, and tiny sewn creatures into a hands-on creativity week. Music: Carly Pearce headlines the Paramount Theatre in Rutland Aug. 15, with new album Honest Woman as the main event. Visual Arts: Rett Sturman’s Vermont Barns exhibition continues through Sept. 6 at Highland Center for the Arts, spotlighting vernacular barns and farm life in luminous oil paintings. Local Sports: Mount Mansfield’s Aly Dorman commits to UVM, while Maysa Long heads to Minnesota for college hoops. Vermont Events: Bennington Battle Day weekend plans are out, plus free admission Sunday for Bennington Battle Days. Public Health (Vermont region): USDA is dropping 1.1 million oral rabies vaccine baits across Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York to curb wildlife spread. Parenting & Childcare: An Upper Valley survey finds many families wait months for childcare and often miss work because of incompatible hours and gaps in availability.

AI & Power: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing a national pause on data centers and AI development, arguing the tech is racing ahead without safeguards and raising fears about jobs, privacy, and control. Local Arts & Community: Vermont Arts Exchange’s Cute Camp in North Bennington turns “cute” into hands-on ceramics, clay jewelry, and tiny sewn creatures for kids. Music Spotlight: Slow Magic’s new album “Emotion Engine” lands with a Higher Ground show in South Burlington on Aug. 15. Festival Picks: The Best of Vermont Summer Festival returns Aug. 22-23 in Ludlow with two days of live music, makers, food, and a family fun zone. Vermont Visual Arts: Rett Sturman’s “Vermont Barns” exhibition at Highland Center for the Arts runs through Sept. 6. Health & Food Safety: A listeria recall hits tomato soup kits sold at Walmart in 29 states, including Vermont. Sports Notes: Mount Mansfield’s Aly Dorman commits to UVM, while Maysa Long heads to Minnesota. History in Focus: Bennington’s Aug. 16, 1777 commemoration traces how early anniversary events evolved into the Battle Monument effort.

Vermont Music Spotlight: Slow Magic is back with his sixth LP, Emotion Engine, and plays a “maybe-hometown” show at Higher Ground in South Burlington on Aug. 15. Live Music & Community: At Lake Morey, Natasha Bedingfield brought the 2000s to Vermont with a free, community-focused concert series that’s been running since the pandemic. Radio & Local Culture: WKBK is expanding its FM reach into Keene (107.5) and Brattleboro (100.3), ending EZ Favorites as it boosts stronger FM coverage. Theater & Arts Buzz: “The Sound Inside” lands as a literary mystery in a new theatre review. Weekend What-to-Do: Franklin County’s Aug. 14-16 lineup includes a dinosaur-themed pancake party and other family-friendly events. Sports on the Edge: The Vermont Lake Monsters pushed to a winner-take-all Game 3 after a playoff swing. Food Shelf Update: Woodstock Community Food Shelf moved to a larger space on Maxham Meadow Way, cutting wait times and expanding how many people it can serve at once.

Vermont Arts & Community: Rutland’s Paramount Theater keeps its KidsTix program going with a $20,000, three-year donation from the Rutland South Rotary Club, helping kids attend shows for free. Theatre & Books: “The Sound Inside” lands as a sharp, psychologically layered literary mystery in a local theatre review, while a new biography, “A People’s History of Howard Zinn,” spotlights the activist historian’s life and wartime awakening. Local Culture & Shopping: Chester’s Collected, LTD. expands into a bigger space on the Common, and MK Clothing’s Burlington-to-Rutland fashion story continues as the store is sold to McNeil & Reedy. Community Creativity: A Brattleboro quilt project—stitched by incarcerated men and community members—heads to a September exhibit, using music and nature imagery to symbolize transformation and hope. What to Do This Weekend: Lawrence’s prehistoric pancake party and Bookstore Romance Day at Raven Book Store add playful, artsy options, alongside a new inclusive theatre camp debuting at Southern Vermont Arts Center.

Vermont Arts & Community: DREAM Program just landed a $375,000 AmeriCorps award to expand mentoring, after-school, and summer support for 600 underserved youth across 38 Vermont communities, with local partners and college mentors helping staff the effort. Live Music & Festivals: Vermont’s mid-August lineup is heating up, with the Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival in Manchester and the Stowe Jazz Festival bringing big-name sounds plus plenty of other arts-and-activity options around the state. Local Sports: UVM women’s soccer opened the season with a 2-2 draw at Virtue Stadium, with goals from Farrah Yaacoub and Abby Ballinger and a strong showing from the Vermont net. Outdoor & Local Pride: Noah Kahan is bringing back his Folk & Fairways benefit—music plus a golf tournament—set for Sept. 14-15 at Spruce Peak in Stowe to support mental health work through The Busyhead Project. Health & Safety Watch: Massachusetts-style scrutiny is spreading regionally as Vermont’s neighbors move to restrict kratom statewide, signaling tighter enforcement and public-health pressure on the substance.

Ticket Resale Fight: StubHub is spending record money in California lobbying to block a bill that would cap concert ticket resale prices, a move that could reshape how Vermonters (and everyone else) buy live music tickets. Community Memory: A Salt Lake City nonprofit is installing bronze markers for pioneers buried in unmarked pauper’s graves—an emotional reminder of how local history gets preserved. Vermont Sports: The Vermont Lake Monsters fell in Game 1 of the Futures League semis, while the New Britain Bees pushed ahead behind a big double and dominant late pitching. Local Entertainment Calendar: Highgate’s Summer Sounds Festival returns Aug. 22 with a ‘70s/’80s cover set, family activities, and food—perfect late-summer plans for the Champlain Valley. Vermont State Fair: The Vermont State Fair kicks off Tuesday in Rutland, adding new livestock competition (racing goats) and a full lineup of fairground entertainment. Music & Culture: National Vinyl Record Day marks its 25th year as vinyl sales keep climbing, with younger artists driving demand. Art & Identity: A Vermont Conversation podcast episode spotlights dissidents and what people can do when rights are threatened—an arts-and-ideas story that fits our audience.

Vermont Primary Results: Democrats picked Amanda Janoo for governor, Molly Gray for lieutenant governor, and Tim Ashe for state auditor, setting up November matchups with Phil Scott and H. Brooke Paige. Local Elections: Chittenden County voters re-elected Sheriff Dan Gamelin and state’s attorney Sarah George, and nominated Nikhil Goyal, Martine Gulick, and Tanya Vyhovsky for the Chittenden-Central Senate seats. Arts Calendar: Brattleboro’s Music Under the Stars wraps Aug. 22 with Celtic Night at Retreat Farm (free with donations). Chamber Music: Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival returns Aug. 18–22 with admission-free concerts and education across southern Vermont. Community Events: West Brattleboro Connects launches its inaugural Community Day Aug. 22 along Route 9 with markets, swaps, and family activities. Culture on Screen: Upper Valley filmmakers are bringing “Lost Nation” back for a Greenfield Garden Cinemas screening Aug. 20 with a Q&A. Sports Spotlight: Little League regional action continues Aug. 12, including Vermont vs. Maine in the New England Region.

Vermont Politics: Amanda Janoo, a progressive outsider and economist, won the Democratic primary for governor and now faces Gov. Phil Scott in November, while Chittenden County Sheriff Dan Gamelin easily beat challenger Kevin Bloom in the Democratic primary. Election Results: Vermont Republicans picked Gerald Malloy to take on Rep. Becca Balint in the fall, and Molly Gray won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Local Arts & Community: Belmont’s Heritage Commission will bring the Newmont Military Band to the town bandstand for America250, and the Lakes Region Art Association celebrated its 86th Annual Member Show winners. Vermont Culture Spotlight: A trio of Vermont artists is using foraged materials—like leaves, clay, and natural dyes—to turn the landscape into wearable and gallery-ready art. Around Town: Poultney’s Stone Valley Arts hosts a Jazz Café featuring Vermont musicians. Policy Watch: The U.S. Justice Department sued Vermont over its in-state tuition law for undocumented students, arguing it violates federal law.

Vermont Tourism Branding: Vermont unveiled its first dedicated tourism brand, “State of Inspiration,” aiming to close the gap between how many travelers like Vermont and how many actually plan to visit. Local Arts & Craft: Three Vermont artists are leaning into foraging—using foraged leaves, charred grapevines, and wild clay—to create eco-prints and botanically dyed clothing. Film & Production Economy: Vermont Film Production Collective and Film in Vermont announced seven inaugural grant recipients for a new $50,000 pilot program meant to boost local film spending and track economic impact. Music & Live Shows: Reprise, a Phish tribute act recreating classic shows, added Northeast dates including stops in Waterbury and Brattleboro. Education Spotlight: CCV alumnus Robert Mulvey won a Fulbright-University of Roehampton Award in dance, bringing his philosophy-and-movement work to the UK. Sports & Community: A Vermont Futures League semifinal featured the New Britain Bees edging Norwich in Game 1, setting up a tight series. Public Safety & Health: Taylor Farms recalled more than a dozen jalapeño products over potential salmonella risk, with Vermont listed among affected states.

Vermont Arts & Community: Queer Art Club is back in Milton with a more relaxed, drop-in format for LGBTQ+ artists and allies, supported by the Vermont Community Foundation’s Samara Fund. Chamber Music Spotlight: The Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival’s 34th season hit a high note in Randolph with Władysław Żeleński’s expressive Piano Quartet, featuring Middlebury pianist Diana Fanning and other festival musicians. Local Culture Calendar: Vermont’s summer entertainment keeps rolling with picks like G. Love & Special Sauce in Essex and Jay Craven at Highland Center for the Arts, plus more weekend arts and music listings. Public Life & Policy: Vermont’s Fair and Impartial Policing Policy is under scrutiny after a Chittenden County deputy allegedly called Border Patrol during a Franklin County traffic stop that ended in deportation. AI in Vermont: Gov. Phil Scott and officials updated progress on the Vermont AI Economic Task Force, focusing on workforce impacts and keeping rural communities from being left behind. Food Safety: Taylor Fresh Foods recalled jalapeño dips and prepared foods sold at major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s and Hannaford, over Salmonella concerns. Road Watch: Route 2A construction in Williston continues to cause major commuter delays.