Entertainment
Fall into fall with these 30 September arts-and-entertainment events in Vermont
There’s something about September that inspires creativity. Earth, Wind & Fire hoped you remembered dancing in September. “Try to Remember” from “The Fantasticks” mined similarly nostalgic territory. Kurt Weill wasn’t exactly a sentimental ol’ fool, but his “September Song” hits a deep, reflective vibe.
Sure, the month’s popularity in song has a lot to do with the fact that September rhymes neatly with “remember,” “November” and “December.” This is why so few songs employ hard-to-rhyme words like “orange” and “parallelogram.” But it’s more than that. The change of seasons from balmy, sunny summer to cooler, darker fall gets us all in a wistful, inward-looking mode that’s prime for exploring creative wanderlust.
That makes September a great time to explore the creativity of others by going to a concert, play, art gallery or whatever work of art grabs you by the heart and mind. Fall for fall with one or several of these 30 arts-and-entertainment events.
New World comes to Randolph
Noon-11 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, the New World Festival makes its annual Labor Day weekend run of Celtic and Quebecois music and dance with acts on five indoor and outdoor stages including Le Vent Du Nord, Cantrip, Claire Boucher, Brad Hurley, Mick McAuley, No Strings Marionettes and The Reel McCoys, at and near the Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph. $35-$60; free for ages 12 and under. www.chandler-arts.org
Goth Babe (not actually Goth)
7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, indie-pop musician Griff Washburn, better known as Goth Babe, follows Ritt Momney in a Concerts on the Green show, Shelburne Museum. $50.50 in advance, $54.50 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
The Flynn takes the field
6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, now in its third year, “Playing Fields” is a series of performances presented by the Flynn at school sports fields throughout Vermont, which this year features Quebec-based Cirque Kikasse and the West Philadelphia Orchestra and on this date visits Williamstown Middle and High School, followed (all at 6 p.m.) on Thursday, Sept. 5, Chester Andover Elementary; Friday, Sept. 6, Thetford Academy; Saturday, Sept. 7, Danville School; Monday, Sept. 9, Vergennes Union High School; Tuesday, Sept. 10, Hunt Middle School in Burlington; Wednesday, Sept. 11, Browns River Middle School in Jericho; Thursday Sept. 12, Georgia Elementary and Middle School; and Friday, Sept. 13, Winooski Middle and High School. Free. www.flynnvt.org
‘Act 39’ goes on tour
7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4-Saturday, Sept. 7, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, the first tour of “Act 39,” the Rob Mermin play that premiered last year in Plainfield and explores Vermont’s medical aid in dying law, includes a five-show stop presented by the Highland Center for the Arts at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington. $5-$36. www.highlandartsvt.org
The Beths arrive from New Zealand
8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, New Zealand-based indie-rock band The Beths follows Princess Chelsea on the stage at the Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. $25 in advance, $30 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
Jazz with Rachel Ambaye
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, the Rachel Ambaye Quartet is the latest act to play the Jazz at the Lantern series, Brass Lantern Inn, Stowe. $40. www.facebook.com/fireflyproductionsvt
Start hopping in Burlington
Friday, Sept. 6-Sunday, Sept. 8, the 32nd annual South End Art Hop lets visitors pop into gallery spaces on and off Pine Street all weekend, with events ranging from the exhibition of Vermont fiber artist Sierra Martz’s work titled “Echoes of Earth” at Soapbox Arts to a performance by local quartet Thea Wren at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6 at ArtsRiot. Free. www.seaba.com/arthop
Reggae festival is back in Vermont
Friday, Sept. 6-Sunday, Sept. 8, Vermont was long known as a haven for reggae festivals, and while it’s been a couple of decades since that heyday another iteration returns when the Green Mountain Reggae Festival brings acts including the Easy Star All Stars, Mike Love, Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill, Mihali, Soulstice and a whole lot more to the Bradford Fairgrounds. $40-$130. www.greenmountainreggaefestival.com
UVM Lane Series resumes
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, the return of college students to Burlington means the return of the University of Vermont Lane Series, which begins its 2024-25 run with a concert by Iris DeMent, joined by Ana Egge, UVM Recital Hall, Burlington. Sold out. www.uvm.edu/laneseries
Pride Ball kicks off the weekend
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, the annual Pride Ball, presented by Emoji Nightmare, features drag performers Miz Cracker and Lemon as well as drag and burlesque acts from Vermont, Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. $30 in advance, $40 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com. That celebration leads into the 2024 Pride Vermont parade and festival from noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, downtown Burlington and Waterfront Park. Free. www.pridecentervt.org
John Gorka hits Cabot
7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, folk legend John Gorka plays the Willey Building Auditorium, Cabot. $22 in advance, $25 day of show. www.cabotarts.org
Pine Tree Flyers land in Vermont
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, the traditional-music group Pine Tree Flyers plays two sets at the opener of Burnham Present’s new season, Burnham Hall, Lincoln. $20-$25. www.burnhampresents.org
Snowed-out Marsh Lights flicker back on
4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, a concert by Vermont-based traditional-music makers Marsh Lights that was snowed out April 4 takes place five months later at the Richmond Congregational Church. $17.50-$27.50. www.valleystage.net
Maren Morris makes her move
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, country crossover star Maren Morris performs with Delacey at the Flynn, Burlington. $40.50-$178.50. www.flynnvt.org
Singer-songwriter at Despacito
8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, Maryland-based singer-songwriter Eli Lev plays a show at Despacito in the Old North End of Burlington. $5 suggested donation. www.despacitovt.com
It’s ‘Year One’ in Bellows Falls
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, the Wild Goose Players begin a run of the Erik Gernand play “Year One,” which the playwright described in an email to the Burlington Free Press as a script about “a family struggling with the rise of extremism,” through Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Wild Goose Players in Bellows Falls. $18. www.wildgooseplayers.com
Higher Ground has Fruit Bats
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, indie-rockers Fruit Bats – led by Eric D. Johnson, who’s also in the folk trio Bonny Light Horseman with Vermont native Anais Mitchell – join Hannah Cohen in the Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. $30 in advance, $35 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
Spoon sells out in South Burlington
8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, Austin rockers Spoon, following openers A Giant Dog, return to the Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. Sold out. www.highergroundmusic.com
Kittens at the Shelburne Museum
7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, North Carolina alt-rockers Rainbow Kitten Surprise headline a Concerts on the Green show presented by Higher Ground that also features Medium Build, Shelburne Museum. Sold out. www.highergroundmusic.com
GIFT arrives at Higher Ground
8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, New York-based psychedelic-rockers GIFT play with fantasy of a broken heart and Burlington indie-rockers Robber Robber in the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington. $15 in advance, $18 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
Two nights with Lake Street Dive
7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19-Friday, Sept. 20, the eclectic Boston band Lake Street Dive always draws a crowd in Vermont, and the same holds true for this pair of Concerts on the Green shows with Katie Pruitt at the Shelburne Museum. Sold out. www.highergroundmusic.com
A studio is born in Essex Junction
6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, a new recording studio founded by Vermont drummer Ezra Oklan holds its first gathering open to the public when guitarist Xander Naylor joins Oklan and other musicians to perform the soundtrack to the film “Hayseed” released on the studio’s Music Lab Records, VT Music Lab, 217 Pearl St., Essex Junction. Free. www.vtmusiclab.com
Americana from Nebraska in Burlington
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, folk/Americana trio The Wildwoods follow local folk duo Cricket Blue in a show adjacent to Radio Bean at the Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington. $18 in advance, $22 day of show. www.radiobean.com
Getting Baroque in Burlington
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, the inaugural Burlington Baroque Festival begins with the concert “Claudio Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610” and continues at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, with the music of Handel; 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 with Baroque arrangements of tunes by The Beatles; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, with music by composers including Vivaldi and Bach; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, with Bach’s more festive music, Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Burlington. $40-$60 per concert, $160-$240 festival pass, free for children and students. www.burlingtonbaroque.org
Fruition concert comes to fruition
8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Americana group Fruition performs with Joelton Mayfield, Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington. $20 in advance, $22 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
Belizbeha plays final shows
7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27-Saturday, Sept. 28, longtime Burlington favorites Belizbeha conclude their on-again, off-again 30-year run with a pair of shows also including (Friday) Craig Mitchell and Collin Craig: The Two Craigs and (Saturday) Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino, Higher Ground Ballroom, South Burlington. $28 in advance, $30 day of show, $50 two-day pass. www.highergroundmusic.com
An evening (two, really) with David Sedaris
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27-Saturday, Sept. 28, writer and raconteur David Sedaris settles in for two performances in conjunction with Vermont Public at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe. $60-$80. www.sprucepeakarts.org
Bela Fleck joins the VSO
7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, banjo master Bela Fleck sits in with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra for a concert titled “American Excellence” that features the music of George Gershwin among other composers, the Flynn, Burlington. $8.35-$70. www.flynnvt.org. The program will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Paramount Theatre, Rutland. $10-$60. www.paramountvt.org
‘A Day in the Sun’ in Vermont
Noon-11:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, a one-day festival titled “A Day in the Sun: The Spirit of Vermont” highlights local and regional acts with a lineup including Guerrilla Toss, John Andrews, Discovery Zone, Greg Freeman, Dari Bay, Robber Robber, Greaseface, Freeway Clyde and many more, Red Barn Gardens, Williston. $55. www.eventbrite.com/e/a-day-in-the-sun-the-spirit-of-vermont-tickets-913957911717
Folk-pop storytelling at Club Metronome
7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, veteran pop-folk songwriter Bruce Sudano performs above Nectar’s at Club Metronome, Burlington. $20 in advance, $25 day of show. www.liveatnectars.com
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.
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