AGP Executive Report

Vermont Arts & Community: Next Stage Arts marks 16 years with a free Sweet 16 celebration in Putney on Oct. 9, featuring live music, a DJ dance party, and community-made banners unveiling the group’s next chapter. Local Culture & Craft: The 38th Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival wrapped up in Tunbridge, bringing fiber artists, farmers, and hands-on workshops to celebrate the animals behind the yarn. Vermont Creative Spaces: Vermont’s Open Studio Weekend returns for the fall edition, with artists and makers opening their studios across the state through Sunday. Sports & Wellness: Float Away Wellness Spa partners with UVM Athletics, offering floatation and vibroacoustic therapy to Catamount student-athletes for recovery and mental focus. Film Buzz: Reviews are rolling in for Verity, with critics calling it a promising setup that doesn’t fully deliver the psychological thriller punch. Vermont on Ice: UMD women’s hockey edged Vermont 3-2 in overtime, with Josie St. Martin scoring the winner. Vermont Outdoors & Tourism: Leaf season is peaking in Stowe, drawing visitors worldwide and boosting local businesses.

UVM Athletics Partnership: Float Away Wellness Spa says it’s now the first local provider offering floatation and vibroacoustic therapy to UVM student-athletes, with tabling and game-day promotion across hockey and basketball. Vermont Arts Calendar: Open Studio Weekend returns for the fall edition, spotlighting creators statewide, while Next Stage Arts marks 16 years with a free Sweet 16 celebration Oct. 9 in Putney. Local Food & Community: South Hadley’s Tailgate Picnic is getting a new life as Blackbird Marketplace, a lunch cafe with expanded breakfast, salads, smoothies, and baked goods. Sports Spotlight: UMD women’s hockey topped Vermont 3-2 in overtime, and Otter Valley shut out Windsor 10-0 behind a stingy defense. Fall Fun: Stowe is drawing leaf-peepers at peak color, and Burlington is being pitched as a walkable, multigenerational leaf trip base. Film Buzz (Vermont tie-in): “Verity” continues to dominate chatter, including fresh reporting on the real 1960s New York home used for the movie’s lakeside setting.

UVM Athletics Partnership: Float Away Wellness Spa says it’s the first to bring floatation and vibroacoustic therapy to UVM student-athletes, teaming up with coaches and tabling at Catamount games. Local Arts & Craft: Vermont’s Open Studio Weekend returns for the fall edition, with creators opening their spaces and demos for visitors through Sunday. Music & Preservation: The Vermont Historical Society acquired Big Heavy World’s Vermont music collection, preserving decades of recordings, interviews, and performances. Community Events: Dog Mountain’s Fall Dog Party in St. Johnsbury brought live music, vendors, and pup contests against peak foliage. Fall Fun in Vermont: Stowe is drawing leaf-peepers at peak color, while Belmont’s Cider Days returns Oct. 10–11 with live music, craft vendors, and antique-press cider. Sports Spotlight: Otter Valley shut out Windsor 10-0, and UMD women’s hockey beat Vermont 3-2 in overtime. Thriller Buzz: “Verity” location details point to a real lakeside mansion used for the film’s Vermont look.

Vermont Music Preservation: The Vermont Historical Society has acquired Big Heavy World’s Vermont music collection, safeguarding decades of recordings, interviews, posters, and performances for scholars and fans. Arts & Community: Vermont Open Studio Weekend returns Oct. 3–4 with free, self-guided visits to 100+ independent craft studios, spotlighting the state’s makers and creative process. Live Music: Phish kicked off its brief fall run at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, starting with a Vermont nod and rolling into major set highlights. Theater & Design: A Mankato native is serving as assistant scenic designer for Children’s Theatre Company’s “Twelve Kinds of Ice,” connecting regional theater craft to a Vermont-linked creative pipeline. Local Culture Calendar: Rail City Fan Fest lands in St. Albans this weekend with cosplay, workshops, and a Super Smash Bros. tournament. Health & Sports Tech: Float Away Wellness Spa partnered with UVM Athletics to bring floatation and vibroacoustic recovery to Catamount student-athletes. Policy Watch: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing the Ban Flock Act, aiming to stop federal use of automatic license plate readers and cut related funding.

Arts & Culture: Pianist Diane Huling returns for her first major solo recital since COVID at the Barre Opera House on Oct. 11, pairing Bach’s C Minor Partita with her own Fibonacci-sequence paintings. Theater & Visual Art: Bread and Puppet’s Peter Schumann brings “We Who Are Not Dead Yet: Isenheim Studies” to Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury through Nov. 1, using the 15th-century altarpiece’s imagery to confront modern violence. Community Craft: Vermont Open Studio Weekend returns Oct. 3–4 with 100+ free, self-guided studio visits and demos across the state, organized by the Vermont Crafts Council. Local Music: October’s concert preview spotlights major touring acts like the North Mississippi Allstars (Oct. 3) and The Montvales (Oct. 4). Sports: Harwood edges U-32 and Stowe by a single stroke to win the D-II Northern Vermont golf qualifier, earning state-meet tickets. Vermont Tech & Policy: Sen. Bernie Sanders introduces the Ban Flock Act to block federal use of automatic license plate readers, targeting the surveillance concerns raised by communities.

Vermont music legacy: The Vermont Historical Society has acquired the Big Heavy World music collection, preserving decades of Vermont-made interviews, radio shows, recordings, performances, posters, and more—an archive meant to serve scholars and fans. Local arts & community: Springfield’s Vermont Apple Festival & Craft Show returns Oct. 10 with hundreds of vendors, food trucks, live attractions (including drone soccer and Miss Vermont), plus a pie-baking contest. Film buzz (Vermont connection): “Verity,” starring Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway, keeps drawing attention for its Vermont-set thriller twists—reviews and “ending explained” coverage are driving major conversation. Health equity in Vermont: UVM Health’s Fifth Annual Health Equity Summit drew 500 in-person and 400 online attendees for panels and workshops on issues like maternal health, LGBTQ inclusion, and homelessness. Music scene: Montreal’s Mind Bath releases concept-album “Aqueous,” built around deep listening and a novel-inspired pop opera. Sports: Springfield High’s football program highlights how wrestling is feeding confidence and conditioning for a potential standout season.

Vermont Music Legacy: The Vermont Historical Society has acquired the Big Heavy World music collection, preserving decades of Vermont-made recordings, interviews, posters, and radio material for scholars and fans. New England College Buzz: A College Raptor “hidden gems” ranking spotlights several regional schools, including Vermont-area options, based on publicly available metrics. Noah Kahan Spotlight: Vermont’s Noah Kahan releases “Draw You Out,” a Hunger Games franchise cut for the upcoming soundtrack, and urges fans not to misread his lyrics. Film Talk (Spoiler-y): Reviews and ending explainers keep rolling for the Colleen Hoover thriller “Verity,” starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson. Local Arts & Community: Montpelier seeks applicants for the Capitol Complex Commission, and Barre’s Cow Pasture Stewardship Committee invites residents to a guided walk celebrating recent trail and bridge upgrades. Sports (Vermont Connection): Dartmouth field hockey notches its first Ivy League win since 2023 with a 4-0 victory over Penn.

Music Scholarship: The Mockingbird Foundation launched The Mockingbird Foundation Music Scholarship with VSAC, funded in perpetuity to support Vermont students pursuing music or music education—applications are now open. Arts Education: Bennington College is rolling out a new low-residency MFA in screenwriting, with four Vermont/Los Angeles residencies plus online courses and a small inaugural cohort. Public Art: St. Albans is unveiling a new mural downtown on the back of Planet Fitness, funded by a Vermont Downtown Vibrancy Grant, with a surprise nighttime reveal. Performing Arts Festival: Opera Company of Middlebury’s “Music in Troubled Times” runs through Oct. 4, mixing film, chamber music, lectures, and opera tied to the 250th anniversary theme. Community Culture: The Sheldon Museum’s “Mingle at the Museum” fundraiser returns with live music, dinner, and a silent auction to support local history programming. Food & Fun: Bowl & Roll opens in Burlington with build-your-own rice bowls, poke, wraps, and plans for boba tea. Local Spotlight: Amazing Corn Maze in Randolph Center is back for fall, pairing agriculture with community storytelling. Libraries: Dr. Hannah Miller wrapped up a nearly three-year project visiting all 212 Vermont libraries, ending at the Rutland Free Library.

Vermont Film & Folklore Festival: The Bennington Theater will host the 3rd annual VFFF Nov. 5–8, with 30+ independent films plus “anchor” premieres including Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie and The Trial of Alec Baldwin—and director Mary Harron is set to attend. Local Arts Calendar: Barre’s Espresso Bueno runs “S.L.U.A.T.H.” (Oct. 1–Nov. 12), the T.W. Wood Museum debuts “Rain Enters My Diary” (Art Walk reception Oct. 2), and the Front in Montpelier hosts Group Show 75 through Nov. 1. Family Entertainment: The Barre Opera House brings Puppy Pals Live! on Oct. 3 (3 p.m. matinee), featuring rescued dogs performing comedy and stunts. Tech & Policy (Vermont): Lawmakers are questioning the Scott administration’s use of AI cybersecurity testing with Anthropic’s program, saying they weren’t notified. Health Tech: UVM received up to $38M to build an “AI twin” to help doctors test treatments for critically ill patients. Spooky Season: Zymarium Meadery’s “Dark Ritual” returns Oct. 1–Nov. 7 with a new Halloween menu and tarot/scary-movie add-ons.

Film & TV Buzz: Vermont-set “Verity” reviews are landing with a thud—critics say the psychological thriller rushes past the unease that made the novel work, even as Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway bring star power. Local Arts & Culture: White River Junction’s TWIST comics and zine fest returns Oct. 2 at Junction Arts & Media, with free admission, creators from the Upper Valley scene, and a lineup built for discovery. Theater Spotlight: Vermont Stage’s “Dakar 2000” leans into deception and trust, turning its thriller structure into a live test of what audiences believe. Music Scene: Vermont producer FAZE.ONE drops “Lacrimaire,” a down-tempo instrumental hip-hop/electronica record, while Ram Hatley’s long-lost “Faithless Angel” finally gets released. Community & Creativity: Woodstock completes its AARP-funded bench project, adding Josef Albers-inspired public art between parks and the village center. Sports & Snow: U.S. Ski & Snowboard names Dr. Thomas R. Hackett chief medical officer as it ramps up medical leadership for future Olympic prep. Vermont Business/Arts: Hayden Rowe Candle Co. is growing fast with a “cleanest candle possible” pitch—100% soy wax and a focus on avoiding toxic additives. Tech/Health (UVM): UVM lands up to $38M to build AI-powered “digital twins” aimed at personalizing ICU care for critically ill patients. Public Safety/Privacy: A crowdsourced map flagged Flock cameras in the Upper Valley, but officials say the data is wrong—raising questions about how sightings get logged.

Music Scholarship: Phish fans are funding a new, permanent Vermont music scholarship through the Mockingbird Foundation and VSAC, supporting Vermont undergrads pursuing music or music education. Arts & Community: The Root Social Justice Center marked its 13th anniversary with a community celebration focused on “collective liberation.” Live Performance: Weston Theater Company launched “Weston Works,” a 2026-27 cohort developing original plays, musical theater, and opera with a weeklong retreat in Vermont. Jazz in the Berkshires: The inaugural Williamstown Jazz Festival brought major names to campus, aiming to revive the region’s jazz legacy. Film in Vermont: Burlington premiered Bess O’Brien’s hopeful documentary “Every Day: Big and Small,” touring Vermont towns and stopping Oct. 9 at the Latchis Theatre. Local Art Events: River Gallery School’s 50th anniversary “Off the Wall” exhibit returns with an art lottery where everyone leaves with a framed piece. Exhibits: Earlville Opera House opens new gallery rounds Oct. 3, featuring three artists across graphic design/print, and more. Sports Spotlight: Vermont shut out UMass 3-0 in Burlington, while local field hockey and soccer results kept rolling across the region.

College Sports Overhaul: The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act in a 77-22 vote, a rare bipartisan win led by Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell that would reshape NCAA rules on NIL, transfers, and eligibility with a limited antitrust exemption. Upper Valley Tech & Privacy: A crowdsourced surveillance map flagged Flock cameras in Hanover’s Upper Valley; local officials and the town say the data is wrong, but the controversy is still sparking debate. Vermont Music & Education: Phish fans helped launch the Mockingbird Music Scholarship in Vermont, funding music degrees for students through VSAC. Local Arts & Culture: Old Hat Stringband brings a fresh take on old-timey sound to Vermont Public/NHPR’s Folk Show. Vermont Sports: UVM men’s soccer rolled past Bryant 4-0 as the America East season kicks off. Community & Tradition: The Sodbusters Horseshoe Club in Bristol keeps an old backyard sport alive, with multi-generational players and even world-champion talent. Housing Watch: Vermont’s market is cooling as listings rise and homes take longer to sell, even as affordability pressure remains.

Local Arts Calendar: Town Hall Theater in Middlebury hosts Bluebird Improv on Oct. 8, with Joe Canale, Marc Evan Jackson, Stephnie Weir and Brad Morris, plus a Oct. 14 “Stories from the Heart” storytelling night. Community Creativity: St. Albans’ Rail City Tattoo Convention returns Oct. 3–4, and Grafton’s Fairy House Festival drew 700+ attendees even in heavy rain. Food & Craft Culture: Sweet Botanical Bakes in Vermont presses edible flowers into shortbread, while 802 Metal Art in Milton turns scrap into welded sculptures. Music & Performance: Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band brought veteran-focused live music to Camp Johnson in Newport. Film Spotlight: Franklin County is set to host the short horror “Bearing the Dead,” with Vermont talent helping retrofit production plans. Sports & Entertainment Crossover: The Senate passed a sweeping college sports NIL/transfer bill, and BBA field hockey rolled past Rutland 9-1.

Tattoo & Live Culture: St. Albans’ 3rd Rail City Tattoo Convention returns Oct. 3–4 at City Hall, with 50+ artists from across the U.S. plus local talent; tickets are $15/day or $20/weekend. Politics Meets the Arts: Mayor Zohran Mamdani heads to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in Brooklyn after an SNL spoof, with Pete Davidson and TV on the Radio also slated to appear. Music Spotlight: Karina Rykman celebrates her album “Late Checkout” with a Webster Hall headliner, bringing out Robert Randolph, Dogs in a Pile members, and more. Postal Pop Culture: USPS honors Linda McCartney with a new stamp pane, with a dedication ceremony at MoMA. Theater & Touring: Marriott Theatre announces its 2027 subscription season featuring five musicals, including “Pippin” and “Les Misérables.” Community & Giving: Franklin County YMCA’s Free Clothing Store returns with a donation drive through Oct. 3 and a free public shop opening Oct. 6. Sports (Vermont): UVM men’s soccer rolls past Bryant 4–0, while UVM field hockey extends its winning streak to four with a 2–0 win over Dartmouth. Local Arts Calendar: Franklin County’s Sept. 28–Oct. 2 events list highlights what to do this week.

Vermont Politics & Civic Life: A Vermont judge again blocked the DOJ’s push for voter-roll data, keeping the NVRA/HAVA fight alive as federal access to state records hits court delays. Community & Culture: The Vermont 251 Club held its annual Montpelier meeting, with artist Martha Stevenson unveiling tiny paintings for every Vermont town now displayed at the Statehouse. Arts & Local History: Shelburne Museum hosted a Norman Rockwell model reunion, bringing former faces behind classic works back into the spotlight. Food & Sustainability: Vermont Week of Gleaning highlighted Willing Hands’ Upper Valley gleaning efforts to recover surplus produce and fight food waste and hunger. Sports: UVM men’s soccer opened America East with a 4-0 win over Bryant, while UVM’s Niklas Herceg posted a clean sheet and multiple Catamounts found the net. Weather Impact: A nor’easter knocked out power across the Northeast, with Vermont among the states reporting outages as crews worked through flooding and downed lines.

Vermont Wedding Season: A new look at romance across the state spotlights venues like Rabbit Hill Inn and Mountain View Farm, where everything from elopements to “micro weddings” is built around connection, local flavor, and year-round planning. UVM & Middlebury: Both universities roll out major tuition discounts—UVM expands discounted tuition for certain out-of-state students and free tuition for lower-income Vermonters, while Middlebury goes tuition-free for families up to $175,000. Rutland Library Censorship Fight: “Daddy’s Roommate” returns to the spotlight as the Rutland Free Library’s Freedom to Read Book Club revisits a decades-old controversy over access to LGBTQ-themed children’s books. Food & Community: Vermont Week of Gleaning spotlights Willing Hands and other groups recovering surplus produce to fight food waste and hunger. Sports on the Ice & Field: UVM men’s soccer cruises past Bryant 4-0, while UMD women’s hockey shuts out Mercyhurst and UVM’s next matchup heads Friday. Local Culture: Former Norman Rockwell models reunite at Shelburne Museum, sharing stories behind the artist’s Vermont work.