Community & Arts events: June 6-June 12

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 6: Chester Rotary’s First Thursday features Chris Kleeman

On June 6, Chester Rotary’s First Thursday meeting hosts Chester’s blues treasure, Chris Kleeman, who will present a workshop/performance on blues music at the Fullerton Inn on the Green in Chester. Open to the community, the program starts at 5:15 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar and ends at 6:30 p.m.

Kleeman, a world-class performer and recording artist, will share his music and understanding of the blues as an art form; and he will present blues history and his personal influences as part of the presentation and performance. Frequently touring internationally, Kleeman has produced many CDs and has guest-appeared on numerous other artists’ recordings.

For planning purposes, register by email, at chestervtrotary@gmail.com. Contact Bill Dakin, 802-875-4000 for more information.

June 8: Long hike of Stratton Mountain-Stratton Pond Loop

On Saturday, June 8 at 9 a.m. meet up with the Green Mountain Club at the parking area for the Stratton Mountain Trail on the Arlington-Wardsboro Road (Kelley Stand Road) in Stratton. Hike north on the Long Trail to the summit of Stratton Mountain and down to Stratton Pond, and then out on the Stratton Pond Trail to Kelley Stand Road for a mile back to the cars.

The total distance 11.8 miles, and the total elevation gains about 2,000 feet and is rated moderate in difficulty because of the distance. Bring extra clothes, raincoat, snacks, lunch, fluids, and headlamp just in case. Participants must register in advance. To register, and for questions about this hike, contact Dave Ratti at 802-366-0698 or dbrspuce@gmail.com.

June 8: Open Garden Day & Plant Sale
to benefit Nature Museum

Visit the gardens of Will and Laurie Danforth from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at 1357 Hall Ranch Road in Grafton for Open Garden Day and Plant Sale to benefit The Nature Museum at Grafton.

The Danforths have a unique collection of perennials from their extensive gardens. Over 25 varieties of clearly labeled perennials will be for sale and priced to sell from $5 to $15. The group will be accepting cash or checks only. Visit the museum’s website for more details.

June 8: Two-day Birding Boot Camp

Join Bird Diva Bridget Butler from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Grafton Inn to kick off a Birding Boot Camp with a “Part 1: Bird Talk.” Butler will take the group through a number of skill-building exercises, quizzes and drills to prepare them for the spring migration.

The talk takes place in the Homestead Room, across from the Grafton Inn, next to the white church at 92 Main St. in Grafton. Look for the signs.

Cost: $10. The program is designed for adult participants.

On Sunday, June 9, from 7 to 9 a.m., the group offers the second part of the Birding Boot Camp, Part 2: Bird Walk.

The Bird Diva leads a birding walk beginning at the Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center at 783 Townshend Road in Grafton. This program will help participants to slow down and develop a deeper connection to birds; deeper observation skills, and a foundation for deeper citizen science.

The program, designed for adult participants, costs is $20 for a two-hour guided walk. For more information, visit www.nature-museum.org or call 802-843-2111.

June 8: Hawn, Russell star in 1984’s ‘Swing Shift’

The Friends of the Ludlow Auditorium will screen Swing Shift starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at Heald Auditorium at Ludlow Town Hall, 37 South Depot St. in Ludlow.

PG-rated, Swing Shift is a 1984 American romantic drama war film. During World War II, Kay Walsh (Goldie Hawn) signs up to work in an armaments factory in California while her husband Jack (Ed Harris), a U.S. Naval seaman, is overseas in naval service. Lonely and vulnerable, Kay falls for the charms of another man, a musician named Lucky (Kurt Russell), and befriends her embittered neighbor Hazel (Christine Lahti), a former singer. The three of them enjoy their time together until Kay’s husband comes home and realizes what has occurred.

The movie is open to the public and free: donations are appreciated. Berkshire Bank supplies popcorn and FOLA provides water. For information, call 802-228-7239 or visit the FOLA web site, www.fola.us.

June 12: Hike Black Mountain in Dummerston

On Wednesday, June 12 at 10 a.m., meet up at Clark’s IGA, 5700 Vermont Route 100 in Londonderry, with the Green Mountain Club Manchester section. Carpool to Dummerston’s Black Mountain, a horseshoe-shaped mountain, which supports multiple kinds of forests and many wild flowers.

The trail is a 3-mile-long round trip with a 975-foot elevation gain. The group allows 3-hours for the hike plus an hour for stopping to look at flowers and for lunch. This hike will be at slow pace with moderate difficulty. Participants must register in advance. To register, and for questions about the hike, contact Marge Fish at 802-384-3654 or marge.fish@gmail.com.

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