Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining our Lives and Planet. A Conversation with Author Chuck Collins. Wednesday, February 25, 6 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.

Crafting Change, Saturday, February 21, 10 am

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.

Flavors of the Kingdom Food Fest, Saturday, February 21, 5-7 PM

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.

Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series presents Noises Off!, Tuesday, February 10 , 6:30 PM

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.

Alzheimer's Awareness, Wednesday, Febuary 4, 6:30 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.

Memory Café: Journaling for Healing and Connection, Tuesday, January 20, 1:30 PM

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. 

Blind Date with a Book at Secondhand Prose

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

Music in the Gallery Concert Series, Fridays at 1 PM. Opening our series on January 16 is Autumn Chamberlain!

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.

Puzzle Challenge, January 17, 10 AM. Register by January 10.

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

Tai Chi, Wednesdays at 1:30 PM, January 7, 14, 21, 28

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.

St. J Sparkles Holiday Celebration Concert, Saturday, December 13, 1 PM

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.

‘Tis the Season—Music and Poetry with Kingdom Mountain Dulcimers, Wednesday, December 10, 1 PM

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.

If I Can Get Home This Fall: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Cause in the Civil War--Thursday, December 4, 7 PM

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!!! Live CLUE Game at the Athenaeum, Saturday, November 22, 6 pm

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/.

Mystery Writing with Beth Kanell, Thursday, November 20, 7 pm

Join us at this November Mystery Month event as local author Beth Kanell explores her method of writing mysteries. Beth writes mysteries with a historical twist -- and a young adult protagonist. Add the rocks and ridges of New England, and the flavor of a regional poet, and ramp up the suspense.

Among other works, Beth has written the Winds of Freedom series of historical mysteries, including The Long Shadow and The Darkness Under the Water.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

Duck Soup and Looney Tunes! Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series Tuesday, November 18, 6:30 pm

Duck Soup (1933) - When the tiny nation of Freedonia goes bankrupt, its wealthy benefactor, Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), insists that the wacky Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) become the country's president. Sensing a weakness in leadership, the bordering nation of Sylvania sends in the spies Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx) to set the stage for a revolution. As Firefly clashes with the Sylvanian ambassador (Louis Calhern), plenty of mayhem ensues, and the countries verge on all-out war.

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 event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

St. Jay Sparkles Holiday Celebration Concert, Saturday, December 13, 1 PM

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.

Mystery Theater in the Gallery with the Athenaeum Players: Murder Me Always, Wednesday, November 12, 1 PM

Join us in the Art Gallery as The Athenaeum Players present a radio-play performance of Murder Me Always by Lee Mueller. A “murder mystery murderer” is on the loose and has struck again. Luckily, Detective Joe Mamet has staked out the audience and rises to the occasion to begin an investigation. Could it be that one of these very bad actors is really a very bad person?

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.

November is Mystery Month!

See our Adult Events page for more information on each event.

Athenaeum Film Fan Club Comedy Series - Young Frankenstein, Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 PM

This showing was rescheduled from its original date of Oct. 14.
Young Frankenstein (1974), directed by Mel Brooks, based on characters in the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body. Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr.

With an introduction by host Damian Ryan, and a short.

Join the Athenaeum Film Fan Club for our monthly comedy movie with free popcorn and soft drinks.  
NOTE that our November Comedy will be on November 18, not on Nov. 11.

This event is free, ADA accessible, and open to the public.