Keep an eye on its shadow, but Groundhog Fest returns to Burlington at the end of the month. The three-day festival, now in its second year, has grown significantly since its inception, expanding to more than 40 acts, 10 venues and multiple genres.
Taking place from Friday, January 30, to Sunday, February 1, Groundhog Fest boasts a strong contingent of touring musicians, such as New York City post-hardcore band Show Me the Body, Rhode Island dance-pop art-rockers babybaby_explores and Toronto electro-punks Slash Need. Much like Winooski’s late, lamented Waking Windows festival, Groundhog Fest mixes these acts from afar with a stacked lineup of some of the local scene’s best, including Greg Freeman, the Wormdogs, Robber Robber, Two Sev and DJ Taka.
Pulling together the sprawling, multigenre event was a supreme act of DIY love from Roost.World cofounder and Burlington Electronic Department mastermind Zaq Schuster. The musician, producer, DJ and promoter has turned BED into a big part of the Queen City’s electronic dance music scene, booking underground raves and an exotic assortment of out-of-state talent rarely seen in local venues. A partnership with local venues and organizations such as Radio Bean, Foam Brewers, Burlington City Arts and Burlington City Hall Auditorium, the latest Groundhog Fest is Schuster’s biggest undertaking yet.
“Shows like this don’t really happen here,” Schuster said by phone. “In order to book stuff like this, I can’t really concern myself with turning a profit. Breaking even is the goal. And some people might think that’s dumb — sometimes I do, to be honest — but these are shows I would want to go to, so I need to make them happen. It’s worth the work and the hassle.”
Schuster is equally stoked about the touring artists and the selection of homegrown talent booked for the fest.
“I’ve wanted to get the Wormdogs on a bill for a while, so that was really satisfying,” Schuster said. With singer-songwriters, DJs, indie-rock bands, and experimental and ambient artists, Groundhog Fest is a fascinating snapshot of the current Burlington scene.
Schuster started assembling the lineup a year ago, and the past few months have been particularly grueling. After the fest, the artist is ready to shift focus back to Roost.World, who are dropping their first-ever full-length LP in February.
“With all the Groundhog prep, we had to put the album to the side for a little bit,” Schuster said of the project with fellow Roost.World founder Mike Harris. “We’ll be dropping some singles and videos towards the end of the month in anticipation. But until then, it’s all about the festival.”
Tickets are on sale now at groundhog.world.
One of my favorite long-running traditions in Vermont music — and I do mean long-running — is the Farmers Night Concert Series in the House chamber of the Vermont Statehouse. Dating back more than a century, the series runs this year from January 21 to April 8 and features a rich collection of Green Mountain talent every Wednesday, with a notable exception during Town Meeting Day week in March.
The series kicks off with singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Bob Wagner. Fresh from joining Phish bassist Mike Gordon’s solo band, as well as raising more than $500,000 for disaster relief with the Hug Your Farmer music series, Wagner brings along frequent collaborators Josh Weinstein on bass and Dan Ryan on drums for a proper power-trio performance.
Other season highlights include folk-jazz combo Allison Mann and Colin McCaffrey on January 28, the Vermont Youth Orchestra on February 18, Roma folk artist Kraatz Carromato on March 18, and Mountain House Dance Company wrapping up the series on April 8. The shows are free and open to the public. Visit legislature.vermont.gov for more information.
New Release Radar
Five recent or upcoming releases from Vermont artists
- Bim Tyler, Between Rivers, bimtyler.bandcamp.com (November 20, folk)
- Chodus, Car Crash Compilation, fachodusyo.bandcamp.com (October 8, alt-rock)
- Coppermind and St. Silva, Loading Screen Music 2, stsilva.bandcamp.com (December 5, ambient)
- Dave Keller, La Brea, davekeller.com (November 14, soul, roots)
- Magic User, *FREE PILE, magicuservt.bandcamp.com (December 15, punk)
This article appears in The Wellness Issue • 2026.
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