Vergennes Opera House

06/17/2026

Democracy in action. Democrat primary Gubernatorial debate hosted by VPIRG.

06/16/2026

We are very sad to hear of the passing of Dennis Willmott, an incredible musician and all around terrific human. He has performed on the VOH stage in many iterations of various bands over the years and brought the VBS jam sessions to Vergennes at Rockers Pizzeria. His energy was amazing in that he made room for others to shine…generous with the stage and the spotlight, always keeping the music going while encouraging other musicians to step up and shine. Watching him manage the flow and show of jam sessions was like watching a musician’s ballet. It was all about the music, the musician, and the audience. Dennis was all about giving it away with every note…full on every time. Our hearts go out to all who knew and loved him. To the last note, rest in peace Dennis. 💔

Vermont Blues Society mourns the passing of co-founder Dennis Willmott

On Sunday, June 14th, we received news of the passing of the Vermont Blues Society’s co-founder, Dennis Willmott. VBS was established by Dennis and Marian Willmott, Charlie Frazier and Sandy Combs in 2018.

Today the State of Vermont mourns the passing of a man who dedicated his life to the music he loved. Dennis was instrumental in helping and encouraging so many great Vermont musicians to pursue their passion and love for the Blues. Dennis worked to keep the Blues alive in Vermont for decades. He always encouraged younger players to step right up and join in one of the hundreds of Blues Jam Sessions he organized.

There is an irreplaceable hole left in the heart of the Vermont Blues scene and we will all miss him.

Vermont Blues Society Board of Directors:
Bob Stannard - Chair
Tom Buckley - Vice Chair
Paul McMahon - Treasurer
Louis Erlanger - Secretary
Rebecca Brooklyn
Robin Galbraith
Sal DeFrancesco
Richard Foster

06/02/2026

ANNOUNCING our 2026-2027 Season lineup!

The June newsletter is hot off the digital press! Plenty to read up on and to look forward to. 😎👏👏👏

This newsletter is packed with some pretty terrific news including the line-up for our 2026-2027 season, an update on the courtyard portion of the All Access Project, the announcement of a hefty and much-needed transportation grant, and the return of our grand piano with new, sturdy legs.

05/21/2026

As you might have noticed/heard, jackhammering the ledge in the alley between the City Hall/Opera House and St. Paul's Church began again this week.

Apologies to everyone affected by the early morning start the other day. The early start (prior to 7am) was an error by the folks who are subcontracted by Naylor and Breen. Their enthusiasm to get to work got the best of them, but once alerted, the work stopped immediately until after 7am. The good news is that the ledge removal should be completed very soon and possibly this week.

We want to thank you for your kindness, patience, and understanding while we finish up this last bit of rock ledge removal to prepare the site for the next phase, which will transform the alleyway into a beautiful courtyard.

Here is the schedule for the remainder of the project (subject to change):
May 18-22: Final ledge removal
May 25-29: Concrete forms and pour for St. Paul ramp. This work will affect the sidewalk in and around the alleyway. A temporary pedestrian walkway will be indicated.
June 1-5: Concrete work continues
June 8-19: Concrete work, protective coating on ramp, waterproofing ledge
June 22-26: Structures and pipe connections, backfill and stone sitting wall for landscape grades
June 29-July 3: Concrete pours for courtyard foundation, conduits for lighting, and sub slab
July 6-10: Concrete pours completed in courtyard
July 13-17: Concrete pours for city sidewalks and for new benches, final grades for landscaper
July 20-24: Churchill Landscaping begins planting, edging, and stone drips, and begins engraved paver installation
July 27-31: Paver Installation continues and wraps up

And in August...we will celebrate with a ribbon cutting ceremony...date and details TBD.

We also want to thank city leadership, staff, business owners, and residents for being so incredibly patient and responsive throughout this year-long project. All of us on the board of the all-volunteer Friends of the Vergennes Opera House are grateful for the support and we appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we work toward this final and very exciting phase of the All Access Project.

Please feel free to connect directly with us with concerns, solutions, ideas, etc. on anything VOH-related by emailing [email protected]. Though we are all volunteers, we do make every effort to respond quickly.

05/04/2026

Scenes from the season finale at the Vergennes Opera House with the Kruger Brothers. We also had a very special guest in the audience … Doc Severinsen, the music director/conductor of the NBC Orchestra on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His appreciation of good music has not faded, even at 98. Very special night!

05/02/2026

Folks! The Kruger Brothers will be on the local airwaves this Sunday (5/3) from 7-10pm on the Kate McNally Folk Show on Vermont Public Radio. Their music is amazing, their singing is beautiful, and their hearts are huge! Give a listen. ❤️❤️❤️👍

🎙️ Tune in to The Folk Show with Kate McNally on Sunday evening May 3rd to hear Jens, Uwe, Joel, and Jonah chat with Kate and play some music! ✨🪕🎶🎸✨ The show will broadcast/stream on New Hampshire Public Radio 📻 and Vermont Public from 7 - 10 pm ET (with an encore on NHPR the following Friday from 9 to midnight).

👉 Streaming available at nhpr.org

Kate's program presents great folk music - from the classics of days gone by to new artists reinvigorating the genre. Tune in for great music, in-studio performances, interviews, and your requests.

You can also listen to The Folk Show on your own time!
Listen to the latest show at nhpr.org
or head to Mixcloud to hear past episodes: mixcloud.com/NHPR_Music/

05/02/2026

This picture says it all! A standing ovation (one of many) at the end of an unforgettable evening with the Kruger Brothers. Catch them tonight in Portland, Maine.
Photo by Julie Basol❤️ Kruger Brothers

04/28/2026

They are on their way Vergennes, Vermont!

𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕖𝔽𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕦𝕤, 𝕨𝕖'𝕣𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕪 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕒𝕪! 🌿💐🦋 🌤️

𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕦𝕡, 𝕠𝕟 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪, 𝕄𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝕤𝕥, 𝕨𝕖'𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕔 Vergennes Opera House 𝕚𝕟 𝕍𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕤, 𝕍𝕋 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝-𝟚𝟞 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟. 𝕁𝕠𝕚𝕟 𝕦𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕦𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ~ 𝕨𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖! ✨🪕🎶🎸✨

𝔻𝕠𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕥 𝟞:𝟛𝟘 𝕡𝕞 | 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕥 𝟟:𝟛𝟘 𝕡𝕞

🎟️ 𝕋𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥𝕤: vergennesoperahouse.org
🔥🔥🔥 selling f a s t !