The Grange Hall Cultural Center and the New Stage Players have something for everyone in the coming weeks starting with a play reading Jan. 31, love stories in February, and signups now for a summertime youth theater camp.

Here’s a look ahead to library programs for adults for February. Note: Due to low staffing, the library will continue to close at 5 p.m. on Mondays until further notice.

Lace up your boots and zip up your coats as Waterbury’s annual five-day Winterfest kicks off Wednesday, Jan. 28, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, with a range of indoor and outdoor activities aimed to appeal to people of all ages and interests. 

This Thursday, Jan. 22, Ring will discuss his book “Catching Murphy,” which chronicles the painstaking efforts made by a series of dedicated volunteers to bring Murphy home while people up and down the Rt. 100 corridor and beyond rooted for his safe return.

Members of the Waterbury Fire Department gathered on Jan. 10 for their annual banquet and awards ceremony at the Main Street fire station. 

The Green Mountain Club is a busy place in wintertime with guided outdoor events and its annual Outdoor Adventure Speaker Series that begins Jan. 22.

On an early winter walk with my 3-year-old in a local town forest, we heard our steps crunch on the frozen ground. The dirt of the trail had been pushed up on delicate columns of ice that looked like a pale sugar candy. “Why is it like ribbon candy?” he asked. We were crunching through a forest of needle ice.

Green Mountain Roamers Snowmobile Club will honor the late Johnny “Ghost Rider” Lynds with a bridge dedication ceremony and memorial ride on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Two exhibitions are opening this month at The Phoenix Gallery and Music Hall and its upstairs sister gallery, The Hesterly Black. Opening receptions are set for Fridays, Jan. 16 & 23.

TURNmusic invites local music lovers to two performances at The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall: the monthly Jazz Jam on Jan. 21, and a Jan. 24 concert by Boston trombonist Michael Prentky and his 12-piece orchestra. 

The Waterbury VT250 Committee is beginning plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this year and the 250th anniversary of the Republic of Vermont in 2027.

The 33rd annual Yankee Sportsman’s Classic will be at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction Jan. 16-18. Among the presenters will be staff from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

There’s ice at the outdoor rink at Anderson Park. Plans are in the works for a Christmas tree bonfire on Jan. 17. And Waterbury has a new Recreation Director. 

Vermonters who heat with wood now have access to a handy tool to determine whether their firewood is sufficiently dry and ready to burn.

The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum will honor record-setting long-distance skier Noah Dines from Stowe as its 2025 First Tracks Award recipient during a special program on Jan. 16. 

After a welcome reception last year, the Eleva Chamber Players once again present the award-winning DragonBoot String Quartet in concert on Saturday, Jan. 17, in Waterbury. 

Mad River Glen and Sugarbush are two key settings in a new work of nonfiction by Duxbury author Edward Brennan.

A project to highlight the work of the Waterbury Conservation Commission enlisted the help of local middle school artists and the results are printed in a full-sized 2026 calendar.

The countdown to 2026 is on and Vermonters will ring in the new year with celebrations around the state. Here are highlights from a variety within striking distance of Waterbury.

Birders in New England and upstate New York are buzzing with anticipation for an irruption that will have an unusually large assortment of winter finch species in shrubs, tree stands, and at feeders.

The Vt. Department of Fish & Wildlife reminds anglers to check out changes to fishing regulations taking effect Jan. 1. The department also will host multiple free ice fishing clinics this winter, including one in Waterbury. 

Waterbury Public Library shares holiday scheduled changes and January program highlights.

To start the new year off encouraging Vermonters to take time for outdoor recreation, Vermont State Parks will host a number of First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day.

Vermonters on the hunt for an economical Christmas tree and a little adventure along the way can make a trip to the Green Mountain National Forest to cut up to two trees for $5 each and a small fee.

The holidays bring special activities into our daily routines and often mean having special foods and decorations in our homes. People look forward to the routines and experiences that can make this time of year merry and bright. But with them can come some serious hazards for pets. 

Looking ahead to its 2026 season, Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier has put out a call for actors and singers to audition for roles in multiple upcoming productions.