This year’s circuit spotlights the diversity of performances as the Statehouse opens its doors to valued but underrepresented cultures and groups in Vermont, one legislator said.

By Sarah Andrews

Citizens and legislators alike swarmed the house chamber in the Vermont state capitol for an evening of Tibetan dance and music. 

As part of the state’s annual Farmers’ Night Concert Series, The Tibetan Association of Vermont performed a mix of dances and songs on Jan. 31, even orchestrating a youth performance on the dramyin, a traditional Tibetan guitar. Weekly performances began on Jan. 17 and are scheduled to run on Wednesday nights until April 10. The shows are free and open to the public. 

This year’s circuit spotlights the diversity of performances as the Statehouse opens its doors to valued but underrepresented cultures and groups in Vermont, said Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone, D–Montpelier. Upcoming performances include the 60th-anniversary show from Bread & Puppet — a political puppet theater based in Glover, a Burlington-based hip hop group known as A2VT and a concert from the Vermont Youth Orchestra.

“(Farmers’ night) creates a small connection that opens the doors to the rest of the world,” attendee Greg Stefanski said. 

The Tibetan performers told stories of their journeys to America, the experience of being an immigrant in Vermont and the important aspects of their culture through dance and music. Their traditional garb and performance contrasted the Greco-Roman architecture of Vermont’s old New England statehouse.

The farmers’ night tradition began over 100 years ago, according to the event schedule. Back then it was called the farmers’ club, Vermont State Curator David Schutz said. 

To entertain themselves during the legislative period, representatives, who had traveled from across Vermont to attend sessions, would carry out sing-alongs and other informal performances in the evenings, Schutz said. As the years went on, the performances became more popular, and the farmers’ club evolved into a valued Vermont tradition — a tradition, he said, that is so important that it has only been canceled a few times in the century of its existence.

“The variety is unbelievable,” Nancy Reid, an attendee from Montpelier, said. She added after, “It’s a perfect local community event in this great space.”

Another attendee, Theresa Snow, said she liked that farmers’ night provides an opportunity to connect people with their legislators directly.

Even among the myriad of new acts, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, a fixture within the program, returned for another go. The orchestra is one of the circuit’s most popular shows, packing the house each year, Schutz said. This time around, they performed on Valentine’s Day. 

The orchestra, conducted by José-Daniel Flores Caraballo, once again filled the Statehouse on Feb. 14. They concluded the evening with a performance of the Vermont state song, “These Green Mountains,” prompting the audience to rise to their feet and sing along. 

Schutz said he hopes the state capitol remains, as it has been since its establishment, the heart of the Vermont community. 

“The Statehouse is more than just a place of government,” he said. “In other words, I would argue that it is a part of our cultural life.”

The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.