"MARCH MAGIC" SALES EVENT!!! 
Saturday, March 30th!!
March is cabin fever, gloomy, cold snowy days and people itching for nice weather.
How about a day of special offers to blast away the doldrums!
Many businesses will be offering great discounts on the big sale day!
We want to get our winter weary friends and neighbors out and about! Join in and have some fun. Let's jump start spring, clear out the winter merchandise, check out the new spring products, grab a bite and a toddy and give us all a reason to walk the streets and smile. Get pampered, try a new hair style, get a snazzy tattoo, a massage or pedicure, do some Easter shopping then grab a bite to eat. A long winter is coming to an end so let's party!
And of course even more incentive with our great BUZZ card promotion!! We've paid out over $3500.00 for completed cards in only 4 months along with our first of two grand prizes of $2019.07!!!
Your support of Brandon businesses after a looong winter will go far in keeping a vibrant and active downtown and a successful Brandon/Forest Dale village.
Join us and be a part of the MAGIC that is Forest Dale and Brandon!
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Aikido Yoshokai
March Magic Youth Aikido Class
Open and free Aikido class for kids starting at 9AM at Aikido Yoshokai Vermont. Come check out Aikido and see if your child enjoys staying active with us!
Check out our Facebook Event!
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March Magic Sales Event...Saturday March 30th.
Shop & have lunch in Brandon then come relax at the Spa. Openings for Massage, Pedicures, Reiki, Aroma Treatments & Body Scrubs.
Let us help you with your very own retreat for personal renewal. We look forward to your visit and are eager to treat your whole person!
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New Exhibit Series Celebrates 20 Years of the Brandon Artists Guild
The Brandon Artists Guild (The BAG) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of themed exhibits honoring our planet. The series will run from March through October, with each show lasting two months. The first exhibit, Art of the Earth, opens March 1and runs through April 30.
The exhibit series represents a departure for the 20-year-old Artists Guild. "Rather than having our traditional single-artist exhibits, we decided to invite all our exhibiting members to contribute to four group shows based on a single theme," says artist Judith Reilly, "and what better subject than the Earth, where we draw our inspiration from?"
 This year is also the Chinese Year of the Pig, which ties into the BAG's history. In 2003, the Guild's first public art fundraiser, "The Really Really Pig Show," caught the public's attention and put the young Brandon Artists Guild on the road to its current success. "We owe a lot to the pigs," says Reilly.
The Year of the Pig also recognizes nature's elements, Earth, Wood, Water, and Fire. The BAG will devote its four exhibits to these elements. The Art of the Earth exhibit will include pottery by guest artist Amanda Ann Palmer.
In addition to Art of the Earth in March and April, the remaining exhibits are:
Art of Wood - May 3 through June 25,
Art of Water - June 28 through August 27
Art of Fire - August 30 through October 29
The Brandon Artists Guild is an artist-run gallery with approximately 40 exhibiting artists and additional supporting members. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization, the BAG supports the visual arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations and educational programs.
The BAG, at 7 Center Street in Brandon, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10AM to 5PM, and Sunday from 10AM to 4PM. Information: 802 247-4956
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The spirited Ameranouche perform Gypsy Flamenco Swing at Brandon Music, Saturday,
March 30 at 7:30pm.
Burlington based and award winning trio
, Ameranouche (pronounced uh-Mare-uh-noosh) perform live at Brandon Music
Saturday March 30th at 7:30pm playing a passionate style of music they call "Gypsy Flamenco Swing." The trios' name is derived from two words: American and Manouche, the gypsy tribe of Django Reinhardt. The rip-roaring ensemble is a super force of hot acoustic Gypsy inspired music mixing Flamenco, Bebop and jazz swing influences. Played on traditional French jazz guitars, the music is rhythmic, vigorous and elegant. Whether they are playing a musette waltz from 1930 or an Andalusian inspired original tune, Ameranouche's Gypsy Flamenco Swing style is a fresh and highly enjoyable new sound for the 21
st century.
The group features three highly accomplished musicians, Richard "Shepp" Sheppard on guitar, Michael K Harrist on bass and Julian Loida, percussionist. Sheppard is a graduate of Berklee School of Music where he studied guitar, composition and aesthetics. He later taught guitar, composition and music theory at Bennington College. Sheppard has performed extensively with major artists including John Jorgenson from the award winning J2B2 and the legendary fiddler, Vassar Clements, one of the most innovative musicians in the history of bluegrass music. Sheppard's love for the guitar and his passion for Gypsy music are what drew him to form Ameranouche.
Harrist is a musician and educator based in Boston and Southern Maine. He performs and works with artists in a wide array of world traditions including Turkish art music, Hindustani music, jazz, Western Art music and American roots music. Harrist studied double bass with James Macdonald at the Open Music Collective in Brattleboro Vermont and received his BA in music and religion from Marlboro College.
Julian Loida is a percussionist, multimedia artist and curator exploring repertoire spanning Western classical music, to Cuban Bata drumming, to Jazz and R&B. Julian grew up in St Louis with his rock band Project 324 and the St Louis Youth Orchestra. Today, as well as performing with Ameranouche, Loida leads a folkloric Cuban and Brazilian band called INA, a modern world-jazz quintet called Mojuba, as well as his awarded folk band, Night Tree.
Concerts begin at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB.
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Brandon's Energy Committee-
Quick recommendation if you're looking to
save some money!
1) lighting, 2) heating, cooling and ventilation, 3) insulation, windows and doors, 4) refrigeration and commercial kitchens, 5) renewable energy, 6) appliances, 7) electronics, 8) transportation, 9) agricultural equipment, and 10) industrial and special equipment costs.
Efficiency Vermont has all of the products available here:
And all of the rebates available here:
(Background on Efficiency Vermont: Founded in 2000 as the nation's first energy efficiency utility, they are Vermont's objective adviser on saving energy through efficiency, which is the most affordable, local fuel source. In every county, they provide Vermonters with technical services and financial support to improve their homes, businesses, and communities. They also train and partner with local providers of efficient goods and services so all Vermonters can easily find the efficiency resources they need.)
Here's a quick list of all that's covered on their site:
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Brandon Congregational Church
Looking for vendors for an indoor Spring Cleaning Yard Sale.
To be held in Fellowship Hall on
Saturday April 6th
from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Space costs $15.00 and includes a 6 ft by 2 1/2 ft table with plenty of space in front of the table for all your yard sale items. No gas powered machinery please. This sale will be advertised in newspapers, TV, and Front Porch Forum. There will be a set up time on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before the sale and all unsold items need to be removed from Fellowship Hall on Saturday when the sale in over.
or call at 779-7909 by March 29.
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Line Barral receives her
$2019.07 check |
Shop and SAVE!
Shop and WIN!
The Downtown Brandon Alliance, Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Brandon are excited to announce our 2018 Grand Prize winner!
Congratulations to Line Barral of Brandon! Line won $2019.07, the 2018 grand prize for our newly launched Buzz Card shopping incentive program! We had over 75 completed cards turned in, which translated to about 500 tickets entered into the drawing. But don't stop making use of your Buzz Card, another $2019.07 will be won by some lucky person at the end of 2019! There will also be many gift certificates from the participating businesses to be won.
This "get out to shop" program helped to bring all our friends and neighbors into our local businesses. Join in the fun, after your purchase of $10.00 or more the clerk will punch your card! After you get 10 punches you get $20 in Brandon Green and entry tickets for the 2019 grand prize! It's that EASY!
We hope this incentive will help you make the extra effort to come into town and do your shopping all through the upcoming construction season.
So grab your card, run into your local businesses and get punched!!
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A prime figure in American music, the talented singer-songwriter and guitarist, Rupert Wates, at Brandon Music, April 6.
Saturday, 7:30pm
Rupert Wates is the quintessential singer -songwriter. His prolific career spanning more than 25 years really took off in 1994 when he signed a publishing deal with Eaton Music (London) and became a full time songwriter. A move to the USA in 2007 helped to establish him as "A prime figure in American Music." according to the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange. As an extremely skilled and accomplished singer-songwriter Wates has released 9 solo albums, won over 40 songwriting and performing awards and performed in over 3500 concerts averaging 120 per year in every state in the US, Canada and Europe. In December 2018 he finished recording his new CD "Full Circle". Rupert Wates writes: "This CD is a return to my roots - hence its title...It's intended partly as a homage to the artists I grew up listening to - among them Leo Kottke, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake - who have made me the musician I am today." Of this album Roy Stanbridge, FATEA UK writes, "He is a brilliant lyricist with the ability to paint pictures in the listener's mind with subtle brushstrokes, all accompanied by some wonderful finger style acoustic guitar work."
Wates is a regular guest at Brandon Music where audiences respond enthusiastically to his warm and expressive vocals, his beautiful acoustic guitar playing and his calm, relaxing performance style. Wates too prefers performing in more intimate venues, claiming that Brandon Music is "the best little venue in Vermont" where the audience is up close and the emphasis is on the music.
He is the real deal.
Concerts begin at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB.
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Love Bluegrass? Snake Mountain Bluegrass perform the best of modern and traditional bluegrass at Brandon Music- Saturday, April 13th
Concert at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20.
A pre-concert dinner is available for $25.
Blue grass music is rightly regarded as a truly American evolving art form. Whether you enjoy traditional bluegrass or a more eclectic flavor, Snake Mountain Bluegrass easily combines the best of great traditional and modern bluegrass.
With harmonies and songs that vary in tempo from "breakdown" to ballad, this popular Addison County group consistently puts on an authentic and enjoyable show for everyone. Their upcoming concert at Brandon Music on April 13 will feature tunes from their recent album, "For Keeps," as well as many traditional favorites.
Retired Middlebury College Professor, Gregg Humphrey, and Middlebury construction company owner, Connor, formed Snake Mountain Bluegrass about thirty years ago. At the time, both Humphrey (guitar and vocals) and Connor (banjo and vocals) were living near Snake Mountain and someone asked them what style of bluegrass they played. "Snake Mountain Bluegrass," was their immediate response and the name has been theirs ever since.
They are joined by Earle Provin and Jacob Blumberg. Provin is a graphic artist living in Poultney. He plays mandolin and resophonic guitar. Blumberg plays bass. He recently moved to Middlebury from Brooklyn. He works as a producer, mastering engineer and multi-instrumentalist
for Mason Jar Music with studios in Brooklyn and Nashville.
Concert at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show.Venue is BYOB.
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Brandon Music welcomes the new ensemble Phil Henry and The News Feed Easter Saturday April 20 at 7:30pm
Concerts begin at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25
On Easter Saturday, April 20
th,
Brandon Music is delighted to welcome for the first time Phil Henry and The News Feed. Phil Henry is an accomplished musician. When performing as a guest artist with Melissa D and later Richard Ruane and Beth Duquette Brandon Music audiences were enthralled by his musical skill and great vocals. Phil is a formally trained musician who loves to create beautiful chords and a big acoustic sound. This time Phil performs with his new ensemble,
Phil Henry & The News Feed , featuring Brendan Coyle on drums, Mitch Barron on upright and fretless bass, and Jeff Kimball on a kitchen-sink level variety of instruments such as piano, accordion, acoustic and electric mandolins, synthesizer, toy piano, and glockenspiel. According to Seven Days the band offers audiences layered textures of sound, and "vivid lyrical imagery that captures the imagination." So if you want to enjoy a special Easter family event this is a show not to be missed.
Concerts begin at 7:30pm. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB.
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Get it-
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We are pleased to host a Titleist Fitting Event on April 30, 2019 from 2:00pm EDT to 6:00pm EDT to get fit for Titleist clubs or have your product questions answered.
Here's what to expect during your fitting:
- A 45-minute fitting with a Titleist Product Specialist.
- Fitting conducted with an extensive matrix of Titleist metals, irons and wedges.
- Precision data from a Trackman ball flight monitor.
Book your appointment online today by clicking here
https://bespoke.bookingbug.com/acushnet-us/new_booking_event.html?BookingBugCompanyID=45071&event=13719
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OPERA at-a-glance: the latest exhibit at the Compass Music and Arts Center
Did you know that opera singers are basically Olympic athletes?
An opera singer has to be able to sustain high notes over a long period of time while using their body to amplify a sound so that it can be heard over a full orchestra and do so without any microphones. Opera singers show us the loudest sounds and the highest pitches the human body can produce. It takes many years before someone can audition to be cast in a professional company. This is one of the facts you can discover by visiting the 'Opera at-a-glance' exhibit in the Compass Music and Arts Center.
The Center is also providing a listening room where visitors can relax and sample different operas and hear the astounding voices of such great opera singers as Luciano Pavarotti and Renée Fleming.
The history of recorded sound is a further strength of the Compass Center as it hosts the Phonograph Rooms. Part of the exhibit will be devoted to how recording helped to popularize opera for all to enjoy.
The Compass Center is celebrating the world of opera with this exhibit to launch the
collaboration between the Compass Music and Arts Foundation and BARN OPERA and its founder and artistic director Josh Collier who is an internationally acclaimed opera singer.
The Foundation, through the new BARN OPERA venture, is organizing performances of loved operas through 2018 and beyond.
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.).
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Pick up your hard hat!!
Great gifts !!!
Join in the fun, support the Downtown Brandon Alliance and Chamber as they help the businesses prosper through the construction AND win some money and great prizes!!
Stop in the town office and pick up your bright orange hard hat for only $5.00 and be eligible for our monthly $50.00 drawing in Brandon Green!! The drawings will be done throughout the Even BETTER Brandon construction project. We're working on lots of other ideas and functions to make use of your stylish hard hat!
Watch for more info on the super End-of Project prizes!
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Compass Treasure Chest
Run by a group of local residents, the store is a unique co-op consignment shop. They sell and consign collectables, antiques, dishes, tools, furniture, jewelry, stamps, puzzles, books, toys, art items and much more! They will always be looking for more items and of course, always receiving new items, so stop in frequently to see what is new.
For more information or to inquire about consigning with them, contact Annie at 802-558-2663 or email
[email protected]
and follow them on Facebook.
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Free online tech support!
This is why we love the Brandon area, and the folks who make up our Chamber of Commerce!
Many thanks to Greg Smela of
"
Simple Systems of Vermont", a locally owned tech company. Greg will provide free online tech support for BACC members via an online support forum.
How does it work?
Easy! Current BACC members can sign up at
www.ssvt.net/bacc. You'll be prompted to create an account by entering your name, email address, company/organization name and phone number. Your account will be activated within a few hours and you'll receive instructions at the email address you provide.
What do you get? Simple... free support. That means, if you have a computer or other tech-related question you can post it in the forum and expect to receive an answer generally within 24 hours (but most likely much sooner). What kind of support is provided? We'll assist with hardware and software
 support and advice. Are you having a problem deciding on what hardware might work for your business or what software application will do the job? Post away and we'll help you.
What isn't covered: Telephone or email support. We can't answer your individual questions by email or phone as we are a business too and need to earn our keep! We also can't help your Aunt Ida or your friends, kids, pets, etc., but we hope this free service will help you deal with the small problems you may face from day to day.
We ask that you limit participation to one account per BACC membership. We are providing this for current BACC members as a way to help support our wonderful Brandon community.
Many thanks Greg!!
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Celebrate the good life with Brandon's own award-winning beer and wine.
Brandon's home grown beers and wines!
Foley Brothers Brewing and Neshobe River Winery's tasting barn is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 to 5. Tasting flights, growler fills, bottles, and a country setting await you. Bring your friends or make some new ones here!
 Others drive hundreds of miles to enjoy the beer that's right in your back yard! Come visit us today.
And don't forget, you can rent our tasting barn for private parties and special events.
Follow us on Facebook and don't miss our latest release.
Now open Sundays 11-4:00 !!
Read a great little review from a Woodstock B&B blog here!
Foley Brothers Brewing
Neshobe River Winery
Inn At Neshobe River
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Call for Exhibit Proposals at the Compass Music and Arts Center
Compass is seeking innovative work for solo and/or group exhibits from artists working in a variety of media.
Curators and both emerging and established artists are encouraged to apply. Site-specific work/installations will also be considered. This is a rolling open call for exhibits.
A variety of exhibit spaces are available, giving flexibility to artists for the scope of their vision and needs.
Further information, including a sample exhibit contract and submission guidelines, can be found at www.cmacvt.org.
Compass is a multi-faceted arts center with many components drawing visitors through its doors, including artist studios, gift shops, a consignment shop, music, a café, and a variety of events. Located in Brandon, Vermont it is also in the heart of a pulsing arts community.
The Compass Music and Arts Center is located in Park Village at 333 Jones Drive, Brandon VT, 05733 (Park Village used to be the Brandon Training School, located 1.5 miles north of downtown Brandon off Arnold District Rd.).
The Divine Art Recordings Group at Compass
Many people still don't realize that Brandon is home to one of the busiest and critically praised classical music record companies.
We moved our headquarters from England in 2009 and now have our offices and a dedicated CD store at the Compass Music & Arts Center, in Park Village. We specialize in contemporary music and rediscovered masterpieces - not the same old pieces that everyone else records..... we have just completed a massive ten -CD series for Russia's greatest living composer Artyomov, a similar series for Cambridge MA organ composer Carson Cooman and are signing superb artists from around the world Including (this year already) USA, UK, France, Australia, Malta and Iran. Our recordings are available at all CD and digital /streaming sites but you can come to our store, discuss and sample over 500 titles of music from the 15
th to 21
st century.
We are open Monday-Saturday 10-5 at 333 Jones Drive, Brandon. 247-4295.
Please note we do NOT have a local recording studio.
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Studio and Gallery Spaces available to rent now at the Compass Center
WORK * ART * PASSION
Calling all artists in all disciplines! Have you ever dreamed of creating and working in a supportive environment with other artists? A place where there is space for artists to create, display and sell their work, provide classes, meet with colleagues and have access to a café and other amenities. Compass Music and Arts Center is such a place. For more information and to schedule a visit, call Edna Sutton at 802-247-4295. Very reasonable rates starting from $170 per month inclusive of all utilities. Short leases available.
Compass Music and Arts Center 333 Jones Drive, Park Village, Brandon, VT.
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Get on board the successful Gateways 
to Adventure promotion!
You can sponsor a page at any time,
for one full year, for only $25.00
Sponsor ALL eleven pages
for only $200.00
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BRANDON GREEN
Chamber "dollars"- a refresher course!
Every now and then I think it's important to
remind those of us who have been taking Brandon Green
for years, and new businesses that have joined the Chamber, about the process for handling the certificates.
The $5.00, $20.00 and $25.00 certificates are legal tender and handled just like a check. You take the Brandon Green and give your customer change back, just like cash or a check. Then you deposit the Brandon Green into your account, just like a check. Simple and supportive of all our members.
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Vermont Association of Chamber Executives
Insurance program offerings for Chamber members.
VACE health insurance program is back!
Other products still offered through VACE include, Dental and Vision packages.
Or contact the Richards Group (802) 775-2503
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Next Chamber Meeting-
Monday, April 15th, 2019 will be our next meeting!
6:30pm
The third Monday of the month.
The Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
will meet at 6:30pm in the Cliver Room at the Stephen A Douglas Birthplace.
Chamber membership
and
the general
public
are invited to attend.
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