Summer is finally hitting its stride, and the calendar shows it — balloons over Stowe, a Renaissance faire in Essex Junction, a small-town strawberry festival in the Kingdom, and the kind of street parties and porch-music Sundays that make late June in Vermont worth sticking around for. Here’s where to point the car this weekend, from the Northeast Kingdom to the Champlain Islands and most points in between.
Friday, June 26
The weekend’s biggest draw lifts off in Lamoille County as the Stowe Balloon Festival opens its three-day run at the Polo Fields. Expect hot air balloons, live music, food and craft vendors, family acts and a walkabout balloon you can poke your head inside — it runs Friday through Sunday, so there’s no rush, but the evening glow is the kind of thing you plan a weekend around. stoweballoon.com
Up in the Kingdom, the West Burke Strawberry Festival takes over West Burke Village Park from 4 to 7 p.m. This is the genuine article — $5 cash homemade strawberry shortcake from the Burke Chamber, pizza from the Runaway Tomato, a Methodist church bake sale, ice cream cones at Aldrich’s General Store benefiting the fire department, and live music from Tritium Well. Bring small bills and an appetite. burkevermont.com
A few miles east, downtown St. Johnsbury throws its Final Friday street party from 5 to 8 p.m. along Railroad Street and Eastern Avenue, with 30-plus free activities and live music turning the heart of town into a block party. discoverstjohnsbury.com
Over in Franklin County, the St. Albans Museum opens its new CENTENNIALS exhibition with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., complete with light refreshments and local pours from Maquam Winery — a low-key, civilized way to start the weekend. stalbansmuseum.org
In the capital, Lost Nation Theater stages The Lion King in downtown Montpelier at 7 p.m. (it runs again Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee) — a good bet for families looking for an indoor option. lostnationtheater.org
And if you’re in the Kingdom and want a laugh, Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury presents the improvised comedy Steal This Story, Please! at 7 p.m., with more shows across the weekend. catamountarts.org
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Saturday, June 27
The Vermont Renaissance Faire marks its 10th anniversary at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Mead and cider makers, artisans, jousting, acrobats, historical encampments — and this year, a celebrity appearance from Highlander‘s Adrian Paul. Admission runs $5–30, free for kids under 5. cvexpo.org
Waterbury goes all out for Not Quite Independence Day, the Rotary Club’s beloved jump-the-gun July 4th celebration. This year’s parade theme is “American Time Machine” in honor of the nation’s 250th. The day stacks up the Green Mountain Mile footrace, a 4 p.m. parade down Main Street, food and games at Rusty Parker Memorial Park, a post-parade set from the Dave Keller Band, and fireworks at dusk. waterburyvtrotary.org
Woodstock hosts the inaugural TEDxWoodstock, themed “Art Is…,” at Pentangle Arts in the Town Hall Theatre from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The lineup is no joke — choreographer Twyla Tharp, musician Rodney Marsalis, and a slate of local voices. Discounted tickets are available for students and emerging creatives. pentanglearts.org
In Rutland, the Paramount Theatre presents Stars Among Us at 7 p.m. — a night out under the lights of one of the state’s grand old downtown theaters. paramountvt.org
Up near the Canadian line, Island Pond Market Day fills Lakeside Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with crafters, antiques, flea-market finds, yard sales and a farmers’ market — a fine excuse to make the drive into Essex County. northeastkingdom.com
Out on the lake, the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church in Grand Isle — local produce, makers and prepared food with a water view. champlainislandsfarmersmarket.org
And in Lamoille County, Stowe Cider hosts Cider Saturday with live music from Mike MacDonald, 4 to 7 p.m. at the taproom — a relaxed cap to a balloon-festival day. stowecider.com
Sunday, June 28
The Vermont Renaissance Faire runs its second and final day at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — your last chance to catch the joust. cvexpo.org
In Orange County, the historic Braintree Hill Meetinghouse hosts its last-Sunday-of-the-month gathering with bluegrass and Americana music, bike rides, food and family fun — one of the loveliest hilltop settings in the state for an afternoon of live music. chandler-arts.org
Down in Windham County, the 40-seat listening room Stage 33 Live in Bellows Falls hosts a 3 p.m. matinee with Carl Goulet and Sandiland & Vincent — intimate, acoustic and exactly what this room does best. stage33live.com
And in the Kingdom, the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church welcomes four of Vermont’s beloved authors and illustrators for a book talk from 3 to 5 p.m. — a quiet, bookish way to close out the weekend. northstarmonthly.com
Whether you’re chasing balloons over Stowe or strawberry shortcake in West Burke, the back roads are the point this weekend — so take the long way and tell them FYI VT sent you.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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