Old Labor Hall - Barre, Vermont - National Historic Landmark

03/31/2026

05/16/2025

From the Global Labor Film Festival:
Starting May 16th (10am EST) through May 20th (10pm) we're screening the Oscar-winning Harlan County USA (1976) together with American Dream (1990) virtually and on-demand for free on our Eventive watch page: https://watch.eventive.org/workersunitefilmfest2025 (or shortlink bit.ly/WatchWUFF14).

These classic Barbara Kopple documentaries follow two memorable and heartbreaking strikes - one between coal miners in the 1970s and the Duke Power company, who refused to recognize their union, and the other among workers at Hormel Foods in the 1980s after their wages and benefits were cut.

You'll have until 10pm ET on Tuesday, 5/20, to start watching and just need a free account on Eventive to do so.

04/15/2025

Primo Maggio 2025 is just a few weeks away. Reserve your space now!

03/13/2025

Here's the official poster for the March 28 Bread and Puppet show at the Old Labor Hall. For advance tickets go to https://breadandpuppet.org/tour . Tickets will also be on sale at the door. For more information: BreadAndPuppet.org/Tour.

03/05/2025

One March 4, the Barre Historical Society dedicated a plaque commemorating the world debut of Anais Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown” at the Old Labor Hall.

In 2006, Vermont singer-songwriter Mitchell rented the Old Labor Hall for the rehearsals and initial production of “Hadestown,” a new community “folk opera.” According to Mitchell, “the Labor Hall seemed spiritually right for a piece that contained a lot of Depression-era imagery as well as themes of industry and labor.”

Eventually, in 2019, “Hadestown” landed on Broadway, where it won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and the Best Original Score award for Mitchell.

Along with an image of the original ticket, the plaque includes a quote from Mitchell: “I'm forever grateful to the folks at the Old Labor Hall for giving us our first home and also grateful that in addition to their passion for history, they have a keen interest in ‘the now’– in helping to foster what is vital today in the community they serve. Sending love and gratitude to this wonderful organization.”

03/04/2025

The new Bread & Puppet show is coming soon! “The Obligation to Live”– Friday, March 28, 6:30 PM at the Old Labor Hall. “The obligation to be alive and act against the actors of death is just one of humanity’s many obligations” – Peter Schuman, B&P. Tickets: $20; no one turned away for lack of funds For tickets: https://breadandpuppet.org/tour

02/17/2025

Don’t miss Rise Up Bakery’s Focaccia Baking Workshop, Sunday, March 2, from 12:00-4:30 pm at the bakery, 48 Granite St., Barre (behind the Old Labor Hall). For more information and to register online, visit us at www.riseupbakeryvt.com. Hope to see you there!

01/13/2025

There are still openings at the Classical French Baguette Workshop to be held at Rise Up Bakery in Barre, behind the Old Labor Hall on Granite St., on Sunday, January 19th,12:00 pm - 4:30 pm. Sign up for a thorough and very hands-on experience – a fun, interesting, and informative way to launch 2025. Go to https://riseupbakeryvt.com and click on "Workshops" for details and registration. Fee: $130.

12/07/2024

After a 35-year hiatus, Bread and Puppet Theater’s “The Christmas Story” returns with a performance at the Old Labor Hall on Saturday, December 21, 7 p.m.

Created in 1962 by B&P founder Peter Schumann “The Christmas Story” was performed in various versions annually until the mid-1980s by B&P and other affiliated theater groups in Vermont, Maine, New York, and Boston. According to Bread and Puppet, the revived show has been updated “to reflect the horrors of the current political situation, and contains a strong anti-war message.”

Admission to “The Christmas Story” is by a $15 suggested donation at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

11/20/2024

How to encourage women to run for political office will be the focus of the next offering in our series of free events examining critical social issues and ways for individuals to actively contribute to improving life in Vermont. Led by Elaine Haney, of Emerge Vermont, the session will be held on Saturday, December 7 at 2 PM at the Old Labor Hall.

According to Haney, women are significantly under-represented in government – from the White House and Congress to the Vermont Legislature to local select boards. Haney will also address what it takes to run for office and how Vermont women can step up and run.