The Spring Chickens

The Spring Chickens are a volcanic old time stringband based in Vermont. They play hot traditional Appalachian tunes that’ll make you want to get up and dance!

Jenny Monfore’s go-get-em fiddling comes from years of traveling around the US playing at regional gatherings and jamming with local musicians. Chris Hollis’ rhythm guitar lays down a solid foundation for the Chickens’ dynamic groove. Their music is a great fit for weddings, dances and small local venues.

The Spring Chickens have played for dances across the country and ventured to well-known old time festivals including Clifftop, Mt. Airy, Fiddle Tunes, the Portland Old Time Gathering, the Alaska Folk Fest, Black Pot Camp, Battleground and many more.

Jenny is in several other great old time stringband projects including Thunder Dog with Tyson Graham, and a contra dance band, The Old Reliables, with Larry Unger.

Lessons

Jenny teaches private old time fiddle and beginner clawhammer banjo lessons in Montpelier, VT. Rates: $30/half hour, $45/45 min, $60/hour

‍ ‍Booking‍ ‍

If you’re interested in booking our band or scheduling a lesson, please get in touch!

Shows

2026

Jan 24: Contra dance @ University of Vermont. Burlington, VT. 6:45-9:30 pm

Feb 28: Two Heroes Brewery. South Hero, VT. 6-8 pm

March 6-8: Pointe Noir (Chris’ Cajun band) @ Spice on Snow Old Time & Cajun festival. Montpelier, VT.

March 7: Spring Chickens @ Positive Pie (free daytime music around town for Spice on Snow fest). Montpelier, VT. 3-5 pm.

April 1: Art show @ Alchemist Brewery. Stowe, VT. 5-7:30 pm

April 3: Bent Nails Roadhouse. Middlesex, VT. 8-10 pm

April 5 (Easter): Lawson’s Brewery. Waitsfield, VT. 3-5 pm

April 12: Palmer’s Sugarhouse. Hinesburg, VT. 12-4 pm

April 16: Portland, Maine contra dance (Jenny, Larry Unger, Emily Troll). Portland, ME. 7-10 pm

April 18: Topsham, Maine contra dance (Jenny, Larry Unger, Emily Troll). Topsham, ME. 8-11 pm

April 19: Club Passim Down Home Up Here Old Time Fest (Jenny, Tyson Graham, Oliver Strand). Cambridge, MA.

April 23: Somerville square dance (Thunder Dog full band—Jenny, Tyson Graham, Adam Nutbey, Danny Birnbaum, Joel Wennerstrom). Sommerville, MA. 7-10 pm

May 10: Walker Farm plant sale. Dummerston, VT. 12-2 pm

May 29-31: Cabot Old Time Workshop Weekend. Jenny teaching. Cabot, VT

May 30: North Branch Nature Center birthday party. Montpelier, VT. 5-7 pm

June 20: Parker Pie. Glover, VT. 6-9 pm

June 23: Yurt community dance. Rocky Ripple, Indiana (Wild Ponies of the West + Charlie Beck)

June 26-28: Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering (Jenny teaches workshops)

June 24: Bloomington, IN contra (Wild Ponies of the West + Sam Bartlett). Bloomington, Indiana

June 29: Chicago Barn Dance (Wild Ponies of the West). Chicago, Illinois

July 9: Skinny Pancake. Montpelier, VT

July 11: Andes, NY square dance (Jenny, Becca Wintle, Tyson Graham, Sally Freund). Andes, NY

July 26-Aug 2: CLIFFTOP!! West Virginia

Aug 4: NOFA VT pizza social @ Cedar Circle Farm. Thetford, VT. 5:30-6:30 pm

Aug 8: Two Heroes Brewery (Thunder Chickens: Spring Chickens + Tyson). South Hero, VT. 3-5 pm

Aug 20: Skinny Pancake. Montpelier, VT. 5-7 pm

Aug 21: Bent Nails Roadhouse. Middlesex, VT. 8-10 pm

Aug 28: Queen City Contra dance (Thunder Chickens). Shelburne, VT. 7-10 pm

Aug 29: Champlain Orchards (Thunder Chickens). Shoreham, VT. 3-6 pm

Sept 5: Harpoon Brewery LL Bean party. Windsor, VT. 11 am-1 pm

Sept 12, 13: Ozark Folkways (Jenny teaches fiddle class & dried flower workshop). Fayetteville, Arkansas

Sept 12: Ozark Folkways square dance (Jenny, Pete Howard and local friends). Fayetteville, AR

Sept 20: Porchfest. 33 Hubbard Street, Montpelier, VT. 2-3 pm

Sept 25: Bryant Park square dance (THUNDER DOG!) New York City

Sept 26: Champlain Orchards (Jenny + Tyson). Shoreham, VT

Oct 3: Harpoon Brewery (Thunder Chickens). Windsor, VT

Oct 3: Taco night @ Luna Bleu Farm (Thunder Chickens). South Royalton, VT

Oct 4: Shelburne Orchards (Thunder Chickens). Shelburne, VT. 12-2 pm

Oct 7: Tunbridge General Store. Tunbridge, VT. 5-7 pm

Oct 8: Portland, Maine contra dance (Thunder Chickens). Portland, ME. 7-10 pm

Oct 10: Surry, Maine contra dance (Thunder Chickens). Surry, ME. 7-10 pm

Oct 17: Private wedding. Greensboro, VT

Oct 30: Ithaca square dance (Thunder Chickens) @ Stone Bend Farm. Ithaca, New York. 7 pm

Oct 31: Cornell contra dance (Thunder Chickens). Ithaca, NY. 2-5 pm

Nov 14: Parker Pie. Glover, VT

Nov 21: Baltimore square dance (THUNDER DOG!) Baltimore, MD

2027

Jan 17: Tacoma contra dance (Old Reliables). Tacoma, WA

Jan 19: Host Seattle old time jam (Jenny + Tom Collicott). Seattle, WA

Jan 21: Lake City contra dance (Old Reliables). Seattle, WA

Jan 22: Emerald City contra dance (Old Reliables). Seattle, WA

Jan 23: Bellingham contra dance (Old Reliables). Bellingham, WA

Jan 25: Tractor Tavern square dance (Jenny + Seattle friends). Seattle, WA

May 9: Mother’s Day @ Long Trail Brewing Company (Thunder Chickens). Bridgewater, VT

Past gigs (2025)

May 9: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Chris) + Jenny calling square dance @ Hardwick American Legion Hardwick, VT. 7:30-11 pm

May 10: Woodbelly Pizza grand re-opening. Montpelier, VT. 5-7 pm

May 11: Mother’s Day tunes @ Silloway Maple Sugarhouse. Randolph, VT. 12-3 pm

May 17: Walker Farm plant sale (Dummerston, VT). 12-2 pm

May 30-June 1: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Chris) + Jenny teaches workshops @ Old Time Workshop Weekend (Cabot, VT)

June 7: Private wedding. Greensboro, VT

June 12: Woodbelly Pizza. Montpelier, VT. 5:30-7:30 pm

June 14: Private birthday party. Guildhall, VT

June 15: Midcoast Maine community square dance party (Jenny + friends). Montville, Maine. 4-6 pm

June 21: Crossmolina Farm pizza night. Corinth, VT. 6-8 pm

June 22: Flying Dog Farm burger night. Tunbridge, VT. 4-7 pm

July 18-20: Old Time on the Onion festival (Jenny teaches a workshop). Cabot, VT

July 23: Two Heroes Brewery. South Hero, VT. 6-8 pm

July 24: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Chris) @ Waterbury bandstand. Waterbury, VT. 6-8:30 pm

July 25: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Chris) @ Camp Meade. Middlesex, VT

July 26-Aug 1: CLIFFTOP!! West Virginia

Aug 7: Skinny Pancake. Montpelier, VT. 6-8 pm

Aug 15: Square dance (Jenny + Ithaca folks) @ Stone Bend Farm. Ithaca, New York. 7 pm

Aug 22: Lunchtime concert in the park @ Burlington City Arts. Burlington, VT. 12:30-1:30 pm

Aug 22: Chicken dinner @ Maple Wind Farm. Richmond, VT. 5-7 pm

Aug 23: Benefit dinner @ Salvation Farms (Jenny + Tyson Graham from Boston). Wolcott, VT. 6-7:30 pm

Aug 23: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Chris) @ Barnard Street Dance. Barnard, VT

Aug 29: Private wedding. Grand Isle, VT

Sept 15: Monday night square dance (Jenny + midwestern friends) @ Eagles Club. Minneapolis, MN. 7-10 pm

Sept 27: Shelburne Orchards. Shelburne, VT. 3-5 pm

Sept 28: Bluegrass Brunch. Braintree, VT. 12 pm

Oct 4: Champlain Orchards. Shoreham, VT. 1-4 pm

Oct 13-25:

Oct 31: Two Heroes Brewery (Spring Chickens + Tyson Graham). South Hero, VT. 6:30-8:30 pm

Nov 18: Square dance (Jenny + Larry Unger and friends). Sommerville, Massachusetts. 7-10 pm

Nov 28: Queen City Contra dance. Shelburne, VT. 7-10 pm

"Jenny & Chris, aka the Spring Chickens, are first and foremost, amazingly talented musicians. We booked the Spring Chickens to add some live music to our fall of 2024 wedding celebration and we couldn’t be more pleased with that decision. They were prompt, professional, and flexible throughout our planning process and the folk tunes they played throughout the evening were a major highlight for us and our guests. We wouldn’t hesitate to book them again for a party or celebration to help create the perfect Vermont folk music vibes!”

-James & Cassandra