PROGRAMMING & EVENTS

 The Lonely Days Are Gone: Community Square Dance Tour will make a stop in Ferrisburgh on October 18th as part of a state-wide tour to bring free concerts and square dances to historic town halls across Vermont. 

Inspired by the state's long tradition of contra and square dancing, the tour welcomes neighbors of all ages to connect through live music, participatory dancing, and shared meals. The tour is headlined by Dorset fiddler, singer, and educator Ida Mae Specker, alongside Shrewsbury caller Sarah Gibson and The Ida Mae Specker Band. 

The Lonely Days Are Gone will be hosted at the Ferrisburgh Town Hall, located at 3279 Route 7, on October 18th beginning with a potluck from 2pm to 3pm. Guests are invited to bring a dish to share or a friend to the potluck portion.  At the end of the potluck, there will be a window dedication as part of the on-going restoration work at the historic Union Meeting Hall. 

The group will then perform a concert from 3pm-3:30pm and a square dance from 3:30pm to 5pm during which participants will learn the basics of square dancing followed by an evening of traditional American string band music and dancing with Ida Mae Specker and her all-star band. 

This event is free and accessible to the public and families are welcome to attend. Guests are encouraged to RSVP via the link below.  No prior dance experience or partner is required. 

The tour is part of the nationwide commemoration of America's 250th anniversary, highlighting the important role that music, dance, and town halls have played in civic life throughout New England. 

The Lonely Days Are Gone Tour in Ferrisburgh is hosted in partnership with the Friends of the Union Meeting Hall, the Rogers and Hazard Committee and supported by Vermont Humanities, the New England Foundation for the Arts and generous individual donors, with media support from Vermont Public. The tour is fiscally sponsored by The Chandler Music Hall in Randolph, Vermont.