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Learn how to needle-felt a wool leprechaun! Space is limited. For teens through adults. Free and ADA accessible. To receive a registration link, email Kristen Langlais at laughingcrowfarmvt@gmail.com
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
The story of The Snowflake Man is inspired by Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, the self-educated farmer and scientist who attracted world attention when he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal.
The Snowflake Man swings audiences into the historic 1920s through creative storytelling, intricately designed Czech-style marionettes, and a striking pop-up book of water color scenery. This UNIMA-USA award winning show combines art, science, and a little known piece of American history to magical effect! This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
“The incredible attention to detail, both visually and in her performance style, demonstrates Sarah's mastery of storytelling in this charming show!”
- UNIMA-USA
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Stephen Long tells the story of New England’s Katrina, focusing on the devastation to the region’s forests and the daunting challenge facing New Englanders still in the throes of the Great Depression. Long is the author of Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Transformed New England (2016).
“A wonderfully written account of an ecologically and socially transformative event that continues to shape the development of New England’s forests and serves as an important point of reflection on disaster preparedness and appropriate management response.”—Anthony D’Amato, University of Vermont
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks. With an introduction by host Damian Ryan.
This month we present I'm No Angel and Betty Boop.
I'm No Angel is a 1933 American romantic comedy film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Mae West and Cary Grant. This was West’s last film before the Hayes Code limited the adult nature of films in the mid-1930s.
Betty Boop was one of the most popular cartoon stars in the early 20th century, and her cartoons were also rather risqué before the Hayes Code came into being.
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Ice Shanties: Fishing, People & Culture is an exhibition featuring the structures, people and culture of ice fishing seen through the lens of Vermont-based Colombian photographer Federico Pardo and interviews by Vermont Folklife. Pardo’s large-format color photographs of ice shanties at “The Meadows” in Brattleboro, Vermont, are paired with audio reflections from the shanty owners drawn from interviews conducted by Vermont Folklife.
While Pardo’s shanty portraits provide a visual entrée into the material culture of ice fishing, the shanty owner interviews are an opportunity to engage with the human side—the personal, familial, and recreational culture—of ice fishing.
“The ice shanty towns that spring up on Vermont’s frozen lakes and ponds are markers of the temporary communities they harbor each winter,” says Andrew Kolovos, Associate Director of Vermont Folklife. “Practical and ingenious, shaped by function, happenstance and aesthetics, ice shanties are a window into the personal, familial and local cultures of ice fishing.”
These simple yet intriguing structures captured the attention of Columbian-born photographer and part-time Vermont resident Federico Pardo, who in 2016 began documenting the shanties on a frozen floodplain of the West River in Brattleboro, Vermont.
“The ephemeral characteristics of these shanties and their environment allows us to creative imaginary narratives far from those in the tropics,” explains Pardo. “The night, the absence or presence of the moon, the day and drastic temperature changes, are some of the elements that complement these narratives and push them further from reality.”
Smaller portraits of fish species and ice fishing equipment will be presented along with audio explanations of fishing techniques.
In these conversations the fishers speak of their shanties as structures, remark on the amenities and people they house, detail the practice of ice fishing, and, directly and indirectly, reflect the relationships, connections and community they reinvent each year at the Meadows.
Together, the images and voices give us a chance to connect with the material and human cultures of these ice fishing enclaves.
The exhibition is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
This exhibit is made possible with support from the Vermont Folklife Center and by the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.
Blind Date with a Book at Secondhand Prose
Come find your perfect match with our selection of surprise reads. It's love at first line! Take a chance on romance with a Blind Date book that you choose based on its genre and the first line of the book. All Blind Date books are priced at $3 and include a bookmark and a voucher for your next visit to Secondhand Prose. Starts February 11 and runs as long as supplies last.
Secondhand Prose, Providing Quality Used Books Since 2006
1222 Main Street in St. J
Open: Monday-Saturday, 11am - 3 pm
The U.S. and planet are living through a surge of wealth inequality. What does this mean for our daily lives –and the fate of the planet? What does extreme wealth inequality mean for our taxes, housing, political voice, health, and well-being? How can we reverse extreme inequality?
Chuck Collins is a resident of Guilford, Vermont and a campaigner, researcher, and storyteller based at the Institute for Policy Studies where he co-edits the website, Inequality.org. He is the author of ten books including his newest book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet (The New Press, October 2025). He is author of The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, Born on Third Base, and, with Bill Gates Sr. of Wealth and Our Commonwealth.
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Stitch something meaningful at a charity crafting session led by the Yarn Bank. We’ll be making knitted baby caps for the NVRH Birth Center—every finished piece goes directly to local newborns. All supplies are available at The Yarn Bank, or you’re welcome to bring your own.
For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org, or 802-748-8291. This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks. With an introduction by host Damian Ryan. This month presents Noises Off, the 1992 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich based on the 1982 farce by Michael Frayn about a chaotic theatre troupe.
Hired to helm an Americanized take on a British play, director Lloyd Fellowes (Michael Caine) does his best to control an eccentric group of stage actors. During practice sessions, things run smoothly. However, when Lloyd and his actors begin a series of performances leading up to a Broadway premiere, chaos ensues. Star actress Dotty (Carol Burnett) is quickly passing her prime, male lead Frederick (Christopher Reeve) has no confidence, and bit actor Selsdon (Denholm Elliott) is rarely sober.
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Flavors of the Kingdom has been cancelled.
Enjoy tasty samples from some of St. J’s best food purveyors!
Participating restaurants include The Buttery Kitchen + Pantry, Javier Bill’s Almost Autherntic Mexican Food, New Century Chinese Restaurant, Salt Bistro, Spoon Thawee Thai Cuisine, and Papa Tirozzi’s Bakery & Pizza.
Includes special non-alcoholic drinks.
$40 per person. Advanced registration required. Seating limited.
Register HERE.
Singer/songwriter Ed Morgan has been a performing Troubadour, both here and abroad, for well over 30 years. Known locally as “The Music Man,” he has delighted families all over New England with his interactive Children’s shows. For this series, Ed will perform songs by some of the artists who inspired him (The Beatles, Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, etc.), along with a selection of his originals, which he describes as “Poems set to Music.”
Join us for this series showcasing impressive and diverse NEK musical talent. You'll encounter new and familiar performers in the spectacular setting of the Art Gallery on the third Friday of each month at 1 pm.
This program provides a brief overview of both Alzheimer's and dementia, key statistics and populations at increased risk, warning signs and available treatment options, science-backed tips for brain health at any age, how the Association helps and ways to get involved.
This program is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org or 802-748-8291.
Author Libby Hillhouse will share the story behind her book, “Dementish,” and invite participants to create their own journaling practices.
Reading “Dementish” before the event is encouraged. Copies are available to check out at the library and will also be for sale during the program.
What is a Memory Café? A welcoming social gathering for people living with changes in their memory or thinking, along with the people who care about them. Participants have fun together, talk with others in similar situations, and try something new!
Register here: Memory Café
For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org, or 802-748-8291.
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Young and authentic singer-songwriter Autumn Chamberlain is coming into her own. Hailing from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, Autumn is carving out a trail parallel to the vibrant pop landscape. With a unique and warm sound, Autumn’s casual, yet intimate songwriting builds on acoustic guitar and piano to create a natural take on pop. An exceptional multi-instrumentalist and producer, Autumn makes music that tells a story of growth and truth, harmoniously baked into a sugary sweet blend of singer-songwriter and dynamic pop.
January 16 Autumn Chamberlain
February 20 Ed Morgan
March 20 Bob Amos
April 17 Tom Stamp
May 15 Sue Persson
June 19 Jon Speer and the Meld
These concerts are free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
We Challenge you to show off your puzzling skills!
Eight teams of 3-4 people will be given the same 500 piece puzzle to assemble. First team done, wins! When the clock rings, if no one is finished, the team with fewest remaining pieces wins.
Interested participants can form their own team OR we can create a team for you.
We’ll supply the snacks & drinks.
Registration required. Sign up by January 10th. For more information and registration, contact Becky Hatfield or Megan Robinson at 802-748-8291.
* Snow date 1/24
Join us for a 4-week introduction to Golden Ball Tai Chi led by instructors Patricia Anderson and Caroline DeMaio. Developed as a Martial Art in China Centuries ago, Master Lam Kam Chuen, an international authority on Chinese healing arts founded Golden Ball Tai Chi: this 8-movement series known for its value in improving stamina, energy, and balance. The Northeast Council on Aging recently recognized Golden Ball Tai Chi with the “Humanitarian Hero” award for 20 years of bringing balance, strength, and connection to older adults across the Northeast Kingdom. Anyone ages 18 and older is welcome.
For more information, contact Megan Robinson at mrobinson@stjathenaeum.org, or 802-748-8291.
This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Join us in Athenaeum Hall for our traditional holiday music get-together with The St J Academy Hilltones, harpist Bill Tobin, and more. Cookies and other holiday treats and beverages by the Friends of the Athenaeum. This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Join us for music and poetry for the holiday season. The Kingdom Mountain Dulcimers play seasonal music including sing-along carols, and Reeve Lindbergh and Dakota Butterfield will read poetry by Susan Cooper, Robert Frost, and Glover poet Burt Porter. The Friends of the Athenaeum will provide refreshments. This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Vermont author and educator Tyler Alexander will be discussing his newly published book If I Can Get Home This Fall: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Cause in the Civil War on Thursday, December 4 at 7 pm at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.
The book includes a timeless collection of elegantly written letters by a Vermont soldier (who served in the 6th VT Infantry and later became an officer in a Black regiment-the 19th US Colored Troops) to his wife throughout the course of four terribly long years. The Pulitzer-Prize winning historian James McPherson said, "These are some of the best and most moving of the thousands of Civil War letters I have encountered." These letters-and other source material from the time-tell us much about what Vermonters thought about national identity, race, and the meaning of democracy.
Coupled with harrowing accounts of combat at places like Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Petersburg is a heart-wrenching love story of a young man and woman from northern Vermont who dreamed of a post-war life together.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event. This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.
Tyler Alexander is a proud eighth generation Vermonter whose ancestors settled in Glover, VT during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency in 1804 and continued to live and farm there for two centuries. He loves all that the outdoors in Vermont has to offer across all four seasons: gardening, hiking, maple sugaring, hunting, fishing, cutting firewood, skiing, canoeing, running, biking, and cider pressing. Tyler taught at North Country Union High School in Newport, VT for 17 years and is currently teaching at Champlain Valley Union High School. He has visited several of the places—often with his students—that are described in his book: Antietam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Washington, DC, and Richmond, VA. He lives with his wife Aimee, and two children, Caroline and Grant.
SOLD OUT!!! Join us for a fun-filled evening of mystery, murder, and fun in the historic Athenaeum setting! We’ll be playing a game of CLUE using the entire Athenaeum. This is a family-friendly event. Dress in your favorite historical costume!
Adult tickets are $25 per person; children under 15 are free.
Teams can be one person, a couple, or a family. Food and drinks are provided. Come out for this first-ever live CLUE game in the Athenaeum!
Register in advance for this event at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/everegistra/event/liveclue/.