From true-crime mixology sessions in Burlington basements to illuminated ballets in Randolph, Vermont’s cultural calendar for November 5 through November 8 features seven distinct events across the state.
Spooky History and Stand-Up Comedy
Halloween has passed, but the morbid and the macabre remain active underground. Beginning Thursday, November 5, and running through Saturday, November 7, the Flynn Space in Burlington hosts the Serial Killer Speakeasy. Mixologists serving bespoke drinks double as historians recounting the twisted motives of notorious figures such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer inside the venue’s basement digs.
Laughter takes center stage on Friday, November 6, at the Hyde Park Opera House. The Stand Up for Shelter Showcase raises funds to support neighbors experiencing homelessness. Hosted by “Rickshaw Tom” Hunt, the lineup features rising star and last year’s Vermont’s Funniest Comedian winner Donavin Andronaco.
Agriculture, Ballet, and Indie-Folk
Rural realities meet the arts at the Mad River Valley Arts Gallery in Waitsfield. The ongoing “Unplowed Realities” exhibit features farm animal portraits by artist Joan Brace O’Neal alongside writings by American Flatbread founder George Schenk, reflecting on the impending breaking point of small-scale agriculture.
On Thursday, November 5, the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph presents the Grand Kyiv Ballet in “Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights.” The production reimagines Tchaikovsky’s classic tragedy with illuminated costumes, innovative lighting design, and modern technological twists.
Indie-folk-rock project Fruit Bats, led by singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson, brings West Coast sounds to Higher Ground in South Burlington on Friday, November 6. Johnson performs retro-leaning originals from his latest studio album, The Landfill, alongside a full touring band.
Classical Piano and Acoustic Bluegrass
Classical music enthusiasts have two major performances on the schedule. On Friday, November 6, the University of Vermont’s Lane Series presents pianist Gabriela Martinez at the school’s Recital Hall in Burlington. A fifth-generation Venezuelan prodigy who debuted at age 6, Martinez has performed with more than 100 orchestras.
Closing out the week on Sunday, November 8, the Grammy-winning string band Punch Brothers perform at Rutland’s Paramount Theatre. Known for pushing bluegrass into new territory through complex arrangements and virtuosic instrumentation, the quintet brings its acoustic performance to the stage.
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