It's no secret that Burlington's daytime activities (ie: shopping, dining, lake-going) will leave you more than fulfilled. The Church Street Marketplace is a booming metropolis of local food, family-targeted street performers, and boutique after boutique. But, when the lights get low and the sun sets in Burlington, well that's when the party begins.

Downtown Church Street is the mecca of Vermont's nightlife. Truth be told, the action that happens after dark rivals that of most small cities. Plus, we actually stay open until 2 a.m. Shocking.

Burlington has still held strong onto cocktail hour, so that means on a night out, most of us eat dinner pretty late in the game. Say it's 8 p.m. and you are on cocktail number one, it's definitely time to get some grub. And you'll have no problem doing that; no matter what your pallet desires, we have it all. Little Italian trattorias such as Three Tomatoes, French bistros such as Leunigs and more than six Asian restaurants pepper the downtown area.

It's almost impossible to spend time on Church Street without running into someone you know, or will know soon. The friendly environment that is almost required in the small city is infectious and often leads to tables being pushed together during a meal and that extra bottle of wine being opened. It also leads to the next best thing Burlington has to offer between the hours of 9 p.m and 10 p.m.: live music. Grab your new friends by the arm, walk about a half a block and bump right into a stellar show at Red Square, Half Lounge, or other destinations.

Unlike most cities, Burlington still treasures the art of live, local music, so much so that it's hard to find a DJ around these hours. You may recognize many of the daytime street performers that earlier entertained your family packing a local bar at night with a full band addition and a totally new genre. Burlington's artists are committed to not only their art, but Burlington as well. Some old school legends like saxophone player Dave Grippo play upscale gigs at performance centers like the Flynn Theatre, but the beauty of Burlington is that you can still catch him at Red Square playing with his funk band on Monday nights. Not only is the music unbiased, desegregated, and all-inclusive, the audience is as well. You might be over the age of 50, but still finding yourself bumping and grinding next to a college student. Hey if the music is good, (which it always is), age aint' nothin' but a number.

Live music lasts until about midnight, but that doesn't mean the party has to. After midnight is when the bands move all of their gear off the stage and make way for local DJ's. Hopefully, you still have room for one ginger and lavender infused cocktail and a dance step or two. The beauty of staying out late-night in Burlington is that you don't have to drive anywhere. Hotels, inns, Bed and Breakfasts and dorm room floors await your slumber when the time is right, so your all night booty shaking can be guilt free. Some clubs play hip-hop until 2 a.m., some play dance and techno, some play French pop! The plethora of different cultures and musical diversity are endless around this time of night, leaving you wondering: "Am I really in Vermont right now?" After you have danced your earlier meal away, you may be up for a midnight snack. Not to worry, there are at least four pizza places within a one block radius from most of Burlington's clubs, not to mention the wafting spicy smell of the street vendors, cooking all night and in all seasons until you go home.

There are so many words to describe Burlington's nightlife: Fun, tasty, exciting. But none really do the job. The reality is that each night is a new experience, whether it's with new people or old friends. But no matter the activity, you are sure to leave our little city feeling full—mentally, culturally, figuratively, and literally.