Community ‘Pokéwalk’ in Bellows Falls
BELLOWS FALLS — The Rockingham Free Public Library invites community members of all ages to take part in an interactive “Pokéwalk” Thursday, April 16, at 3:30 p.m. Participants will gather at the library before heading out together on a guided walk to explore the area while playing the popular mobile game Pokémon Go.
Organizers says this free event is designed to bring people together through technology, outdoor activity, and community engagement. Whether you’re a seasoned player or brand new to the game, the Pokéwalk offers a great opportunity to connect with others.
Participants will need to bring their own mobile device with the game installed, wear comfortable walking shoes, and be ready for an afternoon of fun and exploration. The library will be providing free Wi-Fi during the walk from a mobile hotspot. While the event is open to all ages, children ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information, call 802-463-4270, or visit rockinghamlibrary.org.
Senior meal in Halifax
HALIFAX — On Friday, April 17, volunteers will prepare and serve the monthly Senior Meal at the Halifax Community Hall. The menu will feature Waldorf salad, ham with pineapple, sweet potatoes, peas, rolls, and dessert. Come at 11:30 a.m. to socialize and enjoy an appetizer. The main meal will begin around noon.
A suggested $4 donation ($5 for those younger than 60 years old) will help to support the Halifax Senior Meal. The historic Hall, located at 20 Brook Rd. in West Halifax, is wheelchair-accessible via the rear door and has an accessible bathroom. For questions or to arrange for a large group, call Bettye at 802-368-7797.
Free fabric and yarn exchange at Brooks Library
BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro In Stitches, the weekly fiber arts makerspace meet-up at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., hosts a fiber arts supplies exchange extravaganza Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. Artists and crafters are invited to bring fabric, yarn, roving, and other supplies and related equipment to swap or share in the spirit of spring cleaning and to spark seasonal inspiration.
Brattleboro in Stitches meets every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. to cultivate creativity, camaraderie, conversation, and connection. All ages, abilities, and experience levels are welcome and supported. Questions, expertise, and good humor flow freely every week. For more information, contact the library at 802-254-5290 or visit brookslibraryvt.org.
Botanical drawing at RFPL
BELLOWS FALLS — On Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to noon, join the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., for a botanical drawing workshop.
Artist Katrina Mayer will lead this workshop celebrating the start of spring. New and seasoned artists are welcome to socialize, draw, enjoy refreshments, and soak in the start of spring. All materials are provided but feel free to bring spring flowers or plants that inspire you. This workshop is free and open to all.
Open Building Day in Brookline
BROOKLINE — On Saturday, April 18, from 9 to 11 a.m., residents can connect, share their ideas, and explore Brookline’s five buildings: the Historic Meetinghouse, the Historic Round Schoolhouse, the School Building, the Town Office, and the Town Garage. A Selectboard member will be present at each location to show visitors around.
According to organizers, this event is part of the Brookline Selectboard’s “Building Planning Kickoff.” They say the town “faces a lot of questions concerning building use, especially with the departure of the daycare last fall.” To address these questions, the Selectboard is forming a Building Use Workgroup “to study the town’s buildings, collect community input, develop and analyze the Town’s options, and report back to the town.”
The workgroup will convene this spring, then spend the next few months researching and writing a report. If appropriate, the town will vote on building use options in the fall. To be considered for the workgroup, email mdesocio.brooklinevt@gmail.com or sign up at Open Building Day.
Genealogy Interest Group meets April 18
BRATTLEBORO — The next hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting of the Windham County Genealogy Interest Group takes place Saturday, April 18, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via Zoom and in-person at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St.
The meeting will focus on “Searching for Summer Camps: A Genealogical Exploration,” presented by WCGIG member Michael Bosworth, and “Finding Ancestors in FamilySearch,” presented by Wayne Blanchard. Free and open to all, register at bit.ly/WCGIG-2026. A Zoom link will be sent before the meeting.
Spring cleaning tag sale in West Dummerston
WEST DUMMERSTON — On Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dummerston Community Center and Library on West Street, there will be a Community Spring Cleaning Tag Sale.
To sell wares, $10 reserves a spot in advance; $15 on April 18. Register by texting Catherine O’Callaghan at 802-380-7935, and pay on Venmo: @lydiasfriends.
Earth Day celebration in Grafton
GRAFTON — The Nature Museum in Grafton will be celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 18, with their annual open house. The festivities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and include programs and crafts throughout the event.
All-day activities include crafting native seed balls, Grow Art card-making with local artist Stephanie Sullivan, indoor and outdoor seek-and-find activities, and solar telescope viewing with the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (SoVerA), weather permitting.
Special programs include a Wildlife and Working Landscapes live animal presentation from the Vermont Museum of Natural History from 11 a.m. to noon. The museum’s Magic Forest Playscape, trails, and exhibits will also be open during the gathering. There is a suggested donation of $5 per person, or $15 for a family. All proceeds will support local nature education.
Rev. Yolanda and Circle of Love host benefit concert
DUMMERSTON — Rev. Yolanda and The Circle of Love present “A Spiritual Musical Happening,” an uplifting evening of music, love, and community to benefit AIDS Walk Brattleboro and the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont.
This “joyful, inclusive” concert is Saturday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at Dummerston Congregational Church, featuring Rev. Yolanda and special guests. Suggested donation is $20, with no one turned away; stay after for fellowship with coffee and baked goods. For more information, go to facebook.com/events/1459816152156321.
Free Transom Story Lab training for youth
BRATTLEBORO — As part of Retreat Farm’s “America at 250” series, co-presented with Vermont Public and Vermont Community Foundation, Brooks Memorial Library hosts journalist and radio producer Sophie Crane of Transom Story Lab, who will bring a team of tech assistants to the library Monday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
They will present a hands-on audio storytelling workshop for young people, with a focus on the topic of this year’s National Library Week theme, “Find Your Joy.” Participants will learn interviewing skills, audio recording basics, and how to shape real conversations into short stories.
This workshop experience “will be about curiosity, connection, and finding meaning and joy in everyday moments,” say organizers. Attendees will go off-site for interviews downtown, with adult supervision.
Registration is limited to 18 participants. The program will conclude with public screenings of the finished stories during National Library Week at a Brooks Memorial Library celebration on April 25. No experience is needed and all equipment — and a light lunch — will be provided. Registration can be found on the library’s event page. For more information, contact Brooks Memorial Library at 802-254-5290, or visit brookslibraryvt.org.
Putney Friends Meeting hosts Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony
PUTNEY — Putney Friends Meeting will host a livestream of the 21st Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony, hosted by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum, April 20, at the Putney Friends Meeting House, 17 Bellows Falls Rd. The gathering begins at 1 p.m. to watch the livestream at 1:30 p.m.
Organizers say that this year’s ceremony, entitled “We Are the Day After,” will “bring forward a message that challenges entrenched violence” and calls upon “bereaved families, Palestinian and Israeli, to stand together and refuse to let their profound losses be used to justify more harm. Side by side, they call for a future grounded in dignity, equality, and an end to the occupation.”
The ceremony can also be accessed online by going to afcfp.org/2026-joint-memorial-day-ceremony.
Beaver Believer Day at Putney Library
PUTNEY — Celebrate Earth Day and beavers at the Putney Public Library Wednesday, April 22, from 4 to 5 p.m., with special guests from Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC).
Learn about flood resiliency and a unique opportunity to become more equipped to respond to climate change as beaver expert Patti Smith leads an exploration of beaver ecology and river science that focuses on the relationship between beavers, watershed health, and flood resilience.
Beavers play a complex role in creating ecosystems, managing water, and sometimes causing headaches for humans along the way. This program will explain the benefits of beavers and how humans can live with them harmoniously. Elsa, a giant Ice Age beaver, will be present, as will a hands-on flood table activity. Attendees should be prepared to get wet and messy.
All families will receive a copy of What Goes On Inside a Beaver Pond written by Becky Cushing Gop and illustrated by Carrie Shryock. This program is open to all ages, but it will be geared toward 5- to 10-year-olds and their caregivers. Everyone is welcome. This program is generously supported by the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF).
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.