Burlington's 2026 event calendar is stacked from Memorial Day through fall foliage season, making it one of the most exciting summers the city has seen in years. It kicked off with the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon on May 24th — thousands of runners and spectators flooding the waterfront for Vermont's largest single-day sporting event, a Boston qualifier, and the kind of collective energy that reminds you why Burlington does community better than most. The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival followed June 3–7, transforming downtown into a city-wide stage with free outdoor performances, world-class headliners, and one of the most ambitious lineups in the festival's 43-year history. Next up: the Burlington Food & Wine Festival on June 27th at HULA Lakeside, where 700 guests per session can spend an afternoon or evening sampling local food, tasting wine, and taking in live music right on the waterfront. Two sessions, tickets going fast, and a 21+ crowd that knows how to make the most of a summer evening in Burlington.
The summer keeps rolling from there. July brings the Vermont Brewers Festival to Waterfront Park on July 17–18, where 40+ craft breweries pour 200+ specialty beers against the backdrop of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, this year with a brand-new VIP experience and a Fermentation Tent for the true beer nerds. The South End Get Down fires up every Friday night all summer long with live music and food trucks in Burlington's creative arts district. And once a month from June through September, Soda Plant Sundays bring a curated market to one of the South End's most beloved spaces. Mark your calendar: June 21, July 19, August 16, and September 27, 10am to 2pm.
Then as summer fades into fall, the Champlain Valley Fair takes over Essex Junction for nine days, the South End Art Hop transforms the city into one massive open-air gallery, and Grace Potter's Grand Point North returns to Waterfront Park September 18–20 for a waterfront music festival that's become a signature Vermont tradition.
SEE WHAT'S COMING UP THIS WEEK IN BURLINGTON
- ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
- Recurring daily
At this play-and-learn exhibit, visitors step into the pages of Eric Carle’s colorful picture books. His classic “Very” series, all illustrated in his hand-painted tissue paper collage technique, introduces five special insects who take journeys of discovery. Each story is a…
It’s finally fondue season again! We’re back swinging retro vibes and out-of-this-world cheese from award-winning local legends Jasper Hill Farm. Each feast starts off with Welcome Hour—time to mix and mingle, enjoy our snack tower, sip a seasonal drink from our Clubhouse Bar…
In 1920, the Russian writer Isaac Babel reports on a Red Cavalry campaign in Poland. In 1989, a mysterious KGB agent spies on a woman in Dresden and falls in love. In 2010, a plane carrying most of the Polish government crashes in the Russian city of Smolensk. This darkly comic…
All Ages — Sam Shackleton’s music is greatly inspired by the rich inter-connected musical oral traditions of Scotland, Ireland, and the United State. Strongly influenced by the 1960s folk revival, his unique sound is a mix of country, old time, traditional, folk, and blues with a…
Join us on Sunday, November 15, for Vermont’s largest celebration of Jewish food, culture, and community! Come hungry and enjoy an incredible selection of Jewish favorites, including crispy latkes, savory knishes, matzo ball soup, fresh falafel, challah, babka, rugelach, and so…
- Upper Pass Brewery
- Recurring weekly on Wednesday
Join us for live music at Upper Pass Taproom! Featuring a new band every Wednesday.
All Ages — Tom Hamilton has made a career of pushing rock n’ roll boundaries. Since 2000, Hamilton has fronted a cadre of bands, including Brothers Past, American Babies and Ghost Light. He also sings and plays lead guitar in the juggernaut contemporary Grateful Dead cover band…
The Vermont Catamounts host the High Point Panthers in a women’s college basketball matchup at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington. Cheer on the Catamounts on their home court as they take on the Panthers in a contest between two Division I programs. The game offers visitors a chance…
- Four Quarters Brewing
- Recurring weekly on Thursday
Come test your knowledge and drink some beer! Trivia night is every Thursday night starting at 6pm, see you there!
Foam Presents Joe Something Friday, November 20th | 8PM Free Entry All Ages | Free Parking .......... Joe Something is the brainchild of shred wizard and local weirdo Joe Agnello. A mainstay in the Burlington, VT music community, Joe has been playing in and around Vermont for a…
The Vermont Choral Union (VCU) announces its new music director, Cole Marino. This is Cole's fourth season with VCU, having spent the previous three in the bass section and as assistant director. A Vermont native, Cole has a deep love for music in all its forms and is passionate…
Foam Presents Ali T Sunday, November 22nd | 1PM Free Entry All Ages | Free Parking .......... Alison Turner, better known as Ali T, is a singer-songwriter based in Vermont. Influenced by pop/rock anthems of the 90s and early 2000s, the songstress performs original favorites and…
Upper Pass is all about bringing the community together, and there's no better way to do that than with great food and drinks! Join us for Cuban Night while supplies last!
Celebrate Thanksgiving with an elevated prix-fixe dinner at Junction. Enjoy a thoughtfully prepared multi-course menu with attentive service in an intimate setting, perfect for a memorable holiday meal.
Spend an evening with stand-up comedian Drew Dunn at Vermont Comedy Club. Known for quick wit, expressive voices and a distinctive point of view, Dunn brings his comedy to the stage for a live show in Burlington. The club offers a dedicated setting for comedy, making this a…
Pints & Pups is a monthly dog-friendly event series at Switchback Brewing Co. in Burlington, Vermont, benefiting local animal nonprofits. Join us in our old Tap Room on the last Sunday of each month throughout the winter for Switchback beer, McKenzie hot dogs, and an…
- Church Street Marketplace
- Recurring daily
The lights are twinkling, the music’s playing, and downtown Burlington is buzzing with holiday cheer! Each Friday evening, Church Street businesses stay open till 8pm for holiday shopping. Sample a variety of different goodies from a participating shop and snack your way through…
- Original Skiff + Oyster
- Recurring on the 1st Thursday of December
Join us at Original Skiff for a shuckin' good time at the 2nd Annual Original Skiff Oysterfest! We'll have oysters every which way, specialty rum drinks, our famous frozen drinks, Zero Gravity beer specials, Ryan Miller on the DJ kit, an Ernest Hemmingway look-a-like contest and…
Welcome to Night Vale’s Brand new touring live show, Murder Night in Blood Forest with musical guest Al Olender. Friday, December 4 at Spruce Peak Arts in Stowe, VT Beloved former teen militia member Tamika Flynn is joining a few hundred of her friends for the annual Murder Night…
Foam Presents Power Of Tower Friday, December 4th | 8pm Free Entry | All Ages .......... ~ POWER of TOWER ~ …is Vermont band made up of some of the finest players in the region. The members of ‘P.O.T.’ play the music of perhaps the finest funk/dance band in history, Tower of…
21+ $18 adv | $25 dos 7:30pm doors | 8pm show LUCY (Cooper B. Handy) (Insta | Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube) Born on Cape Cod, Cooper B. Handy started releasing music as LUCY in 2009. In the years since, the Western Massachusetts based singer/producer has made a career…
Foam Presents Madigan Linnane Sunday, December 6th | 1pm Free Entry | All Ages .......... Madigan Linnane is an emerging musician local to The Mad River Valley in Vermont. Her thoughtful lyrics, drawn from emotional life experiences, combine with a modern folk/pop/indie musical…
The First Siza takes Pritzker Prize winning Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza back more than 60 years to the very first house he designed, while still a student. Now an internationally celebrated architect, Siza returns to the house and tours it with his original clients and their…
All Ages | Seated Show — Albert Cummings is an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Massachusetts whose fiery guitar work and soulful voice have made him a standout in modern blues-rock. With albums on Blind Pig and Provogue Records, a touring career alongside…
All kids, teen, and adults with sensory processing differences, autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities are invited to experience a sensory-friendly ECHO! From 9-10 am, the museum will be closed to the general public and lighting and sounds will be adjusted…
David’s back for another class at La Reprise, and this time… we’re popping bottles. Champagne? Obviously. But what about all the other sparkling wines out there ready to steal the show this holiday season? Join Master Sommelier David Keck for a bubbly deep dive into the wonderful…
All Ages — From basement shows in Boston to festival stages across the country, Piebald has been a staple of the indie, emo, and post-hardcore scenes since 1994. Unapologetically fun, unexpectedly anthemic, and undeniably essential, these four lifelong friends continue to ignite…
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Burlington
All Ages — The mantra of the Friends? Go put a smile on somebody’s face, go tell somebody they’ve got a place in this world, go tell somebody you wanna be friends with them. For as much as Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, this collective of dreamers and artists…
All Ages — The mantra of the Friends? Go put a smile on somebody’s face, go tell somebody they’ve got a place in this world, go tell somebody you wanna be friends with them. For as much as Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, this collective of dreamers and artists…