Community & Arts Briefs: June 20-June 27

For a full listing of  upcoming events, click here for The Chester Telegraph Calendar.

To find out how to become a Calendar Partner, email or call Cynthia Prairie at cprairie@chestertelegraph.org or 802-875-2703.

To be included in events briefs, email Susan Lampe-Wilson at calendar@chestertelegraph.org. Photos welcome. No PDFs, please. Notices must be received by noon on Fridays to be eligible for publication the following week.

June 20: Neighborhood Connections serves benefit dinner

Neighborhood Connections’ Annual Spaghetti Dinner is 4 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20 at Jake’s Restaurant and Tavern at 5700 Vermont Route 100 in Londonderry.

All are invited to dine on tossed salad, spaghetti with Jake’s signature spaghetti sauce, a choice of meatballs or sausage, Italian bread and homemade brownies. The cost is $15; $7 for children 12 and under. Beverages are not included.

Neighborhood Connections is a community-based non-profit social services agency serving individuals and families in the nine area mountain towns of south-central Vermont. With particular emphasis on those most vulnerable, they respond to community-identified needs with a range of social services and health-related program. Check out its website.

June 21: Swedish Midsommar Fest in Landgrove

The Nordic Harmoni Chorus sponsors a Swedish Midsommar Fest at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 21 at the Inn View Center for the Arts at the Landgrove Inn at 132 Landgrove Road in Landgrove.

Make traditional flower wreaths, decorate the majstång (maypole), and join in a parade (bring any national flags on a pole, if you like). There will be music, dancing around the majstång and singing by Nordic Harmoni.

Dine on an assortment of Scandinavian appetizers and cash bar. A free-will offering is asked to defray their music expenses. For more information, contact Carl-Erik and Marijke Westberg at 802-824-6578 or Vartland@comcast.net.

For more on the Midsommar celebration, click here.

June 23: Hike to Owl’s Head with Green Mountain Club

Green Mountain Club Manchester Section invites hikers to meet on Saturday June 23 at 8:30 a.m. at the Dorset swimming quarry parking on Route 30 to carpool to the Owl’s Head trailhead.

The group will then hike about 5.5 miles and climb about 1,300 feet. Bring lunch, snacks, fluids, a spare layer, and a raincoat just in case. Make a reservation by contacting Katie Brooks at ktadams@comcast.net or 516-978-4016.

June 23: Pinnacle Association offers guided hike

The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association is offering a free, guided ridgeline hike from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 23.

WHPA board member Tony Coven will lead this 4-mile hike that starts out on lesser-known Jamie Latham Trail and goes past an old beaver pond and stone walls.  Wandering through a beautiful hardwood forest, the trail leads to the iconic, renovated Pinnacle Cabin with its fabulous view over southern Vermont.  Hikers will then return along Holden Trail, Pinnacle’s most popular path, to prearranged cars in the Holden parking area.

Bring water, lunch, snack, insect repellent, and sunscreen.  Meet at Westminster West Church to split cars and carpools between the start at Latham and finish at Holden.  Please register with Tony Coven at 802-387-6650.  For more information, access maps, and directions to the church,  click here.  Pinnacle is also on Facebook.

June 23: ‘Billy Elliot Live’ at Heald Auditorium

The Friends of the Ludlow Auditorium present the musical, Billy Elliot: The Musical Live from London’s West End to be streamed at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 in the Frank Heald Auditorium in Ludlow Town Hall, 37 Depot St. in Ludlow.

Based on the film and winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Billy Elliot presents a modern-day fairy tale of a young boy who exchanges boxing gloves for ballet shoes. Billy’s story is set during the 1980s miners strike in Northern England, where his determination inspires an entire community.

The musical is free and open to everyone; donations are appreciated. For information, call 802-228-7239 or visit the FOLA website at www.fola.us.

June 24: Eat the rainbow to celebrate Pride Month

Celebrate Pride month by sharing in a rainbow of vegan food while learning about LGBTQ history from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 24 at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 21 Fairground Road in Springfield.

Everyone is welcome whether or not he or she are vegan, LGBTQ, or bring a dish to share.

Dietitians encourage all to “eat the rainbow” by incorporating colorful fruits and vegetables in their diets.

This will be the second annual Pride Month Rainbow Potluck sponsored by VINE Sanctuary, which is an LGBTQ-led sanctuary offering refuge to more than 600 animals.

At the potluck, co-founder Pattrice Jones shares stories from LGBTQ history as well as stories from the sanctuary.

Anyone can attend this potluck even if they do not bring something to share. The only requirement is that any food brought to the potluck be vegan, which means free from any animal products, such as meat, dairy, or eggs. People who would like to try making a vegan dish but don’t know where to start can visit VegWeb.com or VegKitchen.com to search for recipes.

This free event is co-sponsored by the Springfield Town Library. At the event, participants can pick up a reading list of relevant books in the library’s collection.

For more information visit this link.

June 27: Shangri-La awakens in South Derry Library

On display in the Janeway Wing of the South Londonderry Free Library are Bhutan and Nepal photographs taken by library trustee Paul Myers.

On Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m., Myers hosts an informative reception and talk about these amazing countries. The library is located at 15 Old School St., South Londonderry. For more information, email southlondonderryfreelibrary@yahoo.com, or visit www.southlondonderryfreelibrary.org.

For a complete listing of events, please see The Chester Telegraph Calendar.