Sidewalk Sale - July 28, 29 & 30
Join us on Wednesday, July 28, Thursday, July 29 and Friday, July 30 for one of Burlington’s great traditions, the Downtown and Church Street Marketplace Annual Sidewalk Sale. Starting as early as 8 a.m., merchants display their wares both in front of and inside their stores. Great bargains abound and friends, neighbors and visitors to our region fill the Marketplace from dawn to dusk. Some merchants extend their sales through the weekend.




Festival of Fools - August 6-8
Festival of Fools is a curated festival of street theater devoted to community engagement through the celebration of circus arts, music and comedy for family audiences. The festival features the best international street performers from around the globe. Audiences of all ages will feast their eyes on some of the zaniest comic performers as downtown Burlington becomes an epicenter for laughter and spirited entertainment from August 6-8






Marketfest- September 10, 11 & 12
Come one, come all to the Church Street Marketplace’s annual Marketfest, sponsored by Stowe Mountain Resort. For these three days, September 10-12 the Marketplace transforms into a lively and colorful street festival, offering some of the area’s greatest entertainment, arts, and crafts.

Shoppers will enjoy our fortune cookie sale with discounts between 10% and 40%, and receive a free Stowe Points Card from Stowe Mountain Resort with all purchases of $25 or more at any participating businesses (limit of 8 per person).

Weekend entertainment includes Acoustic Jazz, Big Band, Gypsy Swing and much more. More information about the Stowe Promotion and Marketfest will be posted online closer to the event.

Halloween- October 23
Dress up in your favorite costume for Trick-or-Treating at participating Marketplace, Burlington Town Center, and downtown restaurants and stores from 10:30 until noon on October 23. Then at noon enjoy a street parade, many different craft activities and special goodies. Children of all ages are encouraged to dress up and join in. Roaming scary creatures and much, much more! The festivities last until about 4 p.m. every year

Santa makes a quick trip to the Marketplace during his busy season to kick off the  annual Holiday Parade on the Church Street Marketplace the day after Thanksgiving. The parade starts at 12 noon on City Hall Block and ends on the Mall Block.  Lots of festive seasonal entertainment will follow the parade! All children and those who are young-at-heart are welcome. 

At 5:30p.m. we officially and joyfully begin the holiday season with a classic rendition of the stage production, “Twas the Night Before Christmas." Beautifully costumed and professionally presented, this humorous and delightful performance  brightens the eyes of children and gladdens the hearts of young and old alike. 

Carolers will sing on the Marketplace prior to the show and all are invited to sing along. The performance culminates with the illumination of 250,000 LCD lights on Church Street, a cherished tradition. Official lighting time is 6:02 p.m. SHARP! Our 50-foot holiday tree is lit with thousands of colored LCD lights in shades of red, gold, tangerine, blue and green. It shines the full length of the Marketplace, a beacon to all lovers of the holiday season. 

First Night - December 31
First Night Burlington brings the entire community together for 12 hours of responsible celebration with over 1,000 fantastic artists and activities at 25 sites! First Night is celebrating the new year as a substance-free, accessible festival of the arts.  Visit  First Night Burlington for information about ringing in the new year in 2011.





Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade -  Coming February 2011
The first float in the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade will rolls up Church St. every February!

The highly anticipated floats will enter Church Street from the south and travel north in a wandering line of wonder and whimsy toward the top of the block. The parade route comes to an end once the floats (in all their glory) turn onto Cherry Street and head off toward the sunset!

Make sure to get downtown early to experience all of the festivities that the day has to offer!

The Women's Rape Crisis Center of Chittenden County (WRCC) is the beneficiary for the Magic Hat Mardi Gras. The WRCC of Chittenden County is committed to serving our community through the continued provision of services and through advocating for meaningful change in Vermont State law and society. To learn more, visit WRCC.

Burlington Discover Jazz Festival - Coming June 2011

For over a quarter of a century Burlington, Vermont, has celebrated amazing live music during the annual Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. In 1983 the Festival gave Vermont's flourishing jazz community the recognition it deserved – a celebration combining incredible local talent with jazz legends from every corner of the globe.

Throughout the event the city comes alive. Music resonates from every corner of Downtown Burlington — from the region’s premier performing arts facility, the Flynn Center, to the Church Street Marketplace stages, to Waterfront and City Hall Parks, to neighborhood clubs and restaurants. This 10-day event has become a tradition, a chance for the community to revel in jazz’s spectrum of different forms and an opportunity for fans to learn from and meet the world-renowned artists who have inspired them for years.