a hpotto of burlington city hall park splash fountain filled with dancing children

Summer in the City

Summer in the City is a season-long celebration of the music, arts, and culture that make our community shine. From June through September, BCA, Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront, the Church Street Marketplace, Love Burlington, the Fletcher Free Library, the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, and the Burlington Electric Department present over 100 free programs throughout Burlington’s downtown and waterfront. 

Anchored by BCA’s seasonal series, festivals, and exhibitions, Summer in the City fills Burlington’s public spaces with vibrant energy, creativity, and connection. From jazz on Church Street, lunchtime concerts, immersive gallery experiences, and family dance parties, BCA's summer programs invite residents and visitors alike to experience the city through its vibrant arts scene. 

Summer in the City is made possible in part thanks to Underwriters at the Pomerleau Family Foundation; Supporters Burlington Telecom, Myti, Soundtoys, and Lake Champlain Chocolates, and Community Partner American Flatbread Burlington Hearth 

Media Sponsors: Seven Days and WCAX 


 

 

Summer Concert Series 
Wednesdays & Fridays in June, Fridays in July & August, 12:30 PM 
City Hall Park 

Now in its 14th year, the Summer Concert Series returns to showcase Vermont’s vibrant music scene in City Hall Park. 

New! Art Amplified 
June 10 | July 15 | August 12 | September 9
BCA Center
5-8 pm

New for 2026, Art Amplified will crank up the volume at the BCA Center. One Wednesday a month during the community passeggiata stroll, experience the gallery in a whole new light with DJs, projections, live music, art activities, and delicious drinks. 

Twilight Series
June 20 | July 18 & 31 | August 1 & 22 | September 19
Opener, 6 pm, Headliner, 7:30

The Twilight Series pops up one (or two) evenings a month with luminaries from all corners of the Vermont music scene lighting up the park. 

Splash Dance
Saturdays, June 6–September 26
1-3 pm
City Hall Park

Delighted kids and their caregivers soak up some serious summer fun with a DJ-fueled dance party in City Hall Park's interactive, wheelchair accessible splash fountain. 

Sunday Classical
Sundays, July 12–August 23
10 am
BCA Center Gallery

The high note of summer weekends returns with Sunday Classical, which moves into the BCA Center gallery this summer. Enjoy Vermont’s finest classical players alongside BCA’s summer exhibitions, Everything is Everything: Will Kasso Condry and Dream / Mộng : Veronica Pham. 

 

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BTV Winter Market, BCA Love Burlington over a photograph of an outdoor market at dusk, with people milling about wooden sheds decorated with evergreen garlands and twinkly lights and blue and green adirondack chairs around firepits

BTV Winter Market

Love Burlington and BCA join forces to present the BTV Winter Market! Featuring local artists and makers, the Winter Market will be filled with unique gifts and a lively holiday atmosphere that makes every moment count.

 

highlight lockup

Highlight New Year's Eve Celebration

BCA and Signal Kitchen partnered in 2018 to produce a new New Year’s Eve celebration for the City of Burlington following 35 successful years for First Night. Highlight now welcomes revelers from far and wide to celebrate with unique, in-person experiences in downtown Burlington and at the Waterfront. We’ll set the stage for the biggest party of the year as we come together to count down the experiences and ideas that make our community a hub of incredible creativity. Artists, food vendors, musicians, and everyone in between helps build an event that HIGHLIGHTS Burlington and the best of Vermont, live for one glorious night as we cheers to auld lang syne.

Highlight’s events are designed and built by your friends and neighbors. Through an open call for proposals, we Highlight funds and supports eclectic ideas driven by creativity, innovation, and our events team brings them to life at Highlight.

Check out Highlight.Community for more information.

More Info (Expand/Collapse)
fof

Festival of Fools

Burlington City Arts has proudly produced the Festival of Fools since 2007. The festival is a curated celebration of street performance devoted to community engagement through the celebration of circus arts, music, and comedy for family audiences.