Asphalt Aprons Saturday 25 Grill masters, grab your tongs! Tailgate Party beckons merrymakers to Jay Peak for an epic foodie festival of parking-lot proportions. Lawn chairs, coolers and live music abound at the slopeside spring tradition as home chefs vie for bragging rights and prizes in a multi-category cook-off, including Best Dish, Best Presentation, Best Dessert and overall czar of the tar. Le Grand Final Saturday 25 Karen Kevra Credit: Courtesy of Caleb Kenna All good things must come to an end. Capital City Concerts concludes its 26th season and bids a fond farewell to founder and artistic director Karen Kevra with “Fauré Foray” at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. A program of works by French composer Gabriel Fauré nods to Kevra’s late mentor Louis Moyse, a renowned flutist and constituent of the classical music scene in 1920s Paris. Where the Heart Is Thursday 23 Friday 24 Cefalù, Sicily, Italy Credit: Courtesy The Vermont Italian Cultural Association welcomes visiting author and Episcopal priest Timothy Crellin to Phoenix Books in Burlington and Barre Social Club for a celebration of his love- and loss-filled historical novel, The Land of the Living. Heritage and tradition take center page in the sweeping cross-generational saga of immigration, the American dream and the aftermath of war in the 20th century. Bark and Bite Friday 24 “Pet Store: A Live Sitcom” Credit: Courtesy Local comedians unleash their theatrical chops in “Pet Store: A Live Sitcom” at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burlington. The original work — written and performed by top area talent — zooms in on the employees of a small, family-owned pet shop and their hilarious and heartfelt battle against their new neighbor: a ruthless, business-sucking big-box competitor. Light Matter Friday 24 Saturday 25 Illuminate Vermont Credit: Courtesy Community members cast away what felt like a yearlong winter at Illuminate Vermont, an indoor-outdoor artisan festival spanning South Burlington’s burgeoning Market Street, library and city hall auditorium. Local makers, gourmet food purveyors and musical acts fill up revelers’ literal and metaphorical cups, while glowing light displays brighten the pedestrian promenade. Bright Futures Friday 24 Sunday 26 Avery Deutsch Credit: Courtesy Northern Stage nurtures the future of American theater with New Works Now, an annual effort to develop fresh voices. At Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction and Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., this year’s staged reading of playwright Avery Deutsch’s comedy The Age of Mary makes an impact with the story of an actress in her seventies cast as a teenager in a big-budget movie. Steeped With Meaning Saturday 25 Teacups made by Maxwell Holden Credit: Courtesy Traditional ritual meets contemporary craft when ceramicist Maxwell Holden hosts a convivial Tea Chat at AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon, N.H. This rare opportunity for the public to share in conversation with an exhibiting artist brings to life Holden’s unique solo show, “You Know Me,” showcasing colorful ceramic vessels nodding to tall, handleless Japanese teacups called yunomi. The post Magnificent 7: Must-See, Must-Do Events in and Around Vermont (April 22-29) appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less