Friday night Street Dance

The fun begins Friday night at 5:00 in Central Park when the band Distant Thunder begins heating up the night with classic rock, blues and country music. Then at 6:30 the DJ begins, and stays until the last dancer drops. Of course there will be hamburgers, hot dogs, cotton candy and popcorn to fortify the dancing frenzy.

Saturday Pre-Parade

• Food: In Central Park the grills will be firing up early to provide a huge selection of your favorite food with all the trimmings. There will also be hand-crafted items for sale.

• Entertainment: From 10:00 - 12 you'll find Karaoke on stage in the gazebo.

• Family Fun: From 10:00 - 12:30 a bounce house, petting zoo, smoothie bike plus loads of games await kids and adults alike behind the Brandon Inn.

• Pie Eating Contest: This long-awaited event is at 12:00, also behind the Brandon Inn.

• Silent Auction: Let's face it, celebrations cost money, and this is our biggest fundraiser. Scores of donations are awaiting your bid at Fellowship Hall next to the Congregational Church, across from Central Park. Doors are open from 10 - 1 and from 2 - 3.

Parade

At 1 pm the signature event of the Celebration starts at the intersection of Park, High and Marble Streets. The parade marches down beautiful Park Street, through downtown, past our historic Town Hall, through Conant Square, and ends at Brandon Lumber (on Route 7, just about a half-mile north of the Brandon Inn).  There'll be floats, bands, fire engines, antique tractors, antique cars and more!

Post Parade

• Music: From 2 - 4 pm, The Keating Five takes over the gazebo in Central Park, using their voices, guitars, basses, drums, congas, keyboards, harmonica, and horns to put together an eclectic mix of rock, reggae, ska, funk, blues-and then some-so be prepared to shake your booty!

• Ball Race: No 4^th of July is complete without the yearly ball race, over the falls at Green Park, just north of Central Park. The race is at 3:00.

Park Village (the old Brandon Training School just north of town)

• The fun continues at 5:00 with more food, fun, and float winner announcements.

• The DJ will be there from 5:30 to dusk.

• And then the count-down to the Fireworks at dusk. Brandon puts on a spectacular show that you won't want to miss. 

Donations are appreciated

Want to march in the parade or enter a float?

Represent your business, your organization, your club... even your own neighborhood. Application forms and information are available at Carr's Florist, Creative Fiber Designs and the Brandon Library, or email Susan Stone at susdben@gmail.com to receive the forms by email.

Want to be a vendor in Central Park (day) or Park Village (evening)?  Send an email to Sarah Lynne Carrara at sarahlynnecarrara@gmail.com 

For more information, e-mail bidcc@yahoo.com or contact Debbie Boyce at 802-345-0056.

THE BRANDON TOWN BAND performs a series of concerts every summer. The concerts feature a variety of traditional band music, as well as Broadway and contemporary popular music. The Brandon Town Band consists of local adults, students and professional musicians.

In case of inclement weather, the concerts will be held in the Brandon Town Hall.

Central Park concerts 6:30pm- June 29, July 13, 27, August 3 & 17.

We are an all volunteer, multigenerational band, so dust off your instrument and come to our practices at Otter Valley's band room. Practices are Monday nights from 6-8pm. Call Sally

Hutchison at 247-4559 for more info. Our conductor is Rebecca Hall, a music major graduate from Castleton College. 

 Then Tinyarts is just right. Taught by Anna Laufenberg, the camp is for 4-6 year olds and is being held at the Compass Music and Arts Center July 6-10 from 8:30am-12:00pm.  

 Youngsters will engage in a range of music, movement, yoga, 2D and 3D visual art activities, crafts and literature activities all with an early childhood development focus and based on the theme of A Trip to the Ocean. 

 Tinyarts is an opportunity for young children to develop musical interest, utilize their imagination, extend their creativity and foster their originality whilst also experiencing the pleasure and fun of testing out new mediums in the different art disciplines and also engage in singing, dancing and instrument playing.

 Anna Laufenberg is an early Childhood Music Educator and has been working with children age two to seven for over 20 years.  She developed her own musical curriculum based on ideas from music educators including Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly and E. Jacques Dalcroze.  In her lessons she creates a stimulating environment to develop musical interest and enrichment of the young child through movement, singing, listening games and instrument play.  She uses a wide array of instruments and props to enhance each experience for the children and allow them to make music in many ways.  She enjoys sharing her love of music with young children and strives to awaken the child's curiosity and creativity. 

 Anna will be supported by Compass staff who are well trained and qualified to work with small children and who especially enjoy helping young children engage in 2D and 3D visual arts and craft activities.

 Drop off time is between 8:30-9:00am. Collection is between 12:00-12:30pm. A healthy snack is provided at 11:00am.

The daily rate is $35 or $140 for the 5 days. All materials are supplied. The minimum number for the camp is 6 with a maximum of 12. Register by July 3 by calling 802-247-4295 or email info@cmacvt.org. www.cmacvt.org

 The members of Bourbon Renewal are no stranger to Brandon Music, as regular visitors will know them as members of the John Funkhouser Quartet, but this concert marks Britt Connor's debut performance at the unique Brandon venue. Hear their blend of blues, folk, and country with jazz voicings and pop sensibilities live on July 18 at 7:30pm.

 DJ Joltin' Joe Pszonek of Radio Nowhere 90.3 in NJ says Britt"draws you in with folky charm and then sucker punches you with her amazing pipes!"while the Boston Globe says "her pitch perfect voice and smartly written songs show amazing versatility in a broad range of styles. [Connors] evokes a young Patty Larkin in her vocal quality and is blessed with a similar eclectic style."

 Britt's latest album 'Warmer Season' features her original tunes that are alternately rockin', country, sweet, rootsy, New-Orleans-street-parade-style, or just plain fun.  With its clapping, foot-stomping, and even some whistling, the record could be said to belong in its own category of "Y'all-Ternative" music.

 Bourbon Renewal is a tight ensemble well-steeped in a wide range of American music.  Members are some of Boston's most in-demand musicians: John Funkhouser on keys, Greg Loughman on bass, Andrew Stern on lead guitars, and Mike Connors on percussion.

 Britt was born and raised singing in small-town West Boylston, MA before taking her studies to Ithaca College in NY.  She did a 4-year stint as the featured vocalist for the 20-piece Compaq Big Band (swing, jazz, and American Songbook), singing to audiences at Scullers, Ryles and Regattabar while building a loyal following and honing her songwriting craft. Her first original tunes appear on her 2010 release 'The Bad Side of Good,' which presents insightful lyrics and captivating melodies that leave the listener with a vivid tapestry of imagery and sound. 

 This event celebrates Vermont Arts 2015, in celebration of public funding for the arts.

Concert tickets are $20.  A pre-concert dinner is also available for $20.  Reservations are recommended for the show and required for dinner. Venue is BYOB. Call (802) 247-4295 or e-mail info@brandon-music.net for reservations or for more information.  Brandon Music is located at 62 Country Club Rd. Brandon, VT 05733 www.brandon-music.net | http://www.brittconnors.com
 

It seems every day you either read another news story, hear it on the radio or evening news another cyber event occurred and thousands, if not more, have been impacted. The recent hack of the Federal Government Office of Personnel Management, where 4 plus million records of current or former employees were stolen, has elevated the level of awareness of how insidious cyber theft has become. It involves every business and entity in society, from the federal government, financial institutions; such as JP Morgan, health companies; such as Anthem (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), national companies, such as Home Depot and Target, to small companies in Vermont.

Please click here for Paul's complete article on cyber protection.

Sally Hughes has always dabbled in artistic pursuits, but not until chronic neurological Lyme Disease drastically altered her enjoyment of the outdoors did she seriously pursue watercolor painting. Sally went from being a rigorous participant in the outdoors to more of an observer of the beauty and awe of the world we live in. The Compass Music and Arts Center's exhibit of Sally's watercolor paintings, "Watercolor for the Senses", is a collection of paintings which show her ability to capture the essence of this beauty in her own interpretive style. The exhibit is to open on June 5th with an opening reception from 5-7pm and will run through August 9th.

"I am inspired outdoors. I pay attention to scenes or places that emotionally affect me, and try to translate that onto paper", she says. Painting allows Sally to continue her love of the outdoors but she has also found great reward from the social and inspirational aspects of painting with others. "I had a revelation one summer day, painting along a brook just north of Stowe during the final day of a plein air workshop. There were probably 7 or so of us outdoors, painting, conversing off and on, giggling, for a 6 hour period.  When I headed home that day, I was on such a high.  I thought WOW!!!  That was just as much fun, if not more fun, than spending those 6 hours hiking the surrounding mountains."  

Inspiration also comes to Sally from her past professions. Most notably, her geology career ultimately sent her to 17 states and Canada where the variety of the landscapes in the country continually amazed her. "Whatever painting technique I am currently using or experimenting with just reminds me that there are an infinite number of alternate techniques with which we can depict the variety of forms and colors we see outdoors."

Sally has exhibited in several locales throughout Northern VT including The Bryan Gallery, The Gruppe Gallery, SEABA, the Davis Center, Rustic Roots, The Gallery at Main Street Landing on College and Main Streets, and the Department of Justice. She has studied or taken workshops with Linda Kemp, Alvero Castignet, Kathleen Bergeron, Lisa Beach, Lynn Cummings, Karen Vernon and Tom Lynch, and recently completed an artist-in-residency program at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson.

This event celebrates Vermont Arts 2015, in celebration of public funding for the arts.

The Compass Music and Arts Center is located in Park Village at 333 Jones Dr. Brandon VT, 05733 (Park Village used to be the Brandon Training School, located 1.5 miles north of downtown Brandon off Arnold District Rd.) . www.cmacvt.org

2^nd Floor Office above Gourmet Provence

39A Center Street, Brandon, VT

O F F I C E FOR RENT

Includes room, free WI-FI, closet, waiting room, kitchenette, bathroom and great location. Interested? Contact:Jim at 247-9595 or Nancy at 558-1444 

Please think of us as you clean out, perk up and sort out. We'll pick up good quality items and store them till the BIG day- Tuesday, July 21st!! You'll feel great and we'll continue to promote our great little village and help all our friends and neighbors!!    

NEW BUSINESS MEMBERS 2015

Mae's Place diner- Erynn Doaner  25 Center St. 465-8468

Compass Treasure Chest consignment store- Compass Music Center Park Village 558-2663

Rutland County Solid Waste District

Brandon Thrift Shop-"Nifty Thrifty"- 4 Union St.

Sawmill Heights Campgrounds- Harriet & Tracy Wyman 247-5748

Laurie Bertrand-CPA, Tax accounting- 25 Union St.- 465-8362

Edward Jones- Brady Prentice, financial advisor 989-5464

Briggs Carriage Co. Hair Lounge- Lisa Phelps 465-8396

Own a business?? Join us and connect with other dynamic businesses in the Brandon area.
Just click here for an application and rates.