Batch Made In Heaven
Thursday 27
At Burlington’s Phoenix Books, Domenica Marchetti guides gastronomes on a tour of the Boot with her new cookbook, Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories From Every Region, in conversation with Seven Days food writer Melissa Pasanen. Tracing traditions from Piedmont to Sicily, the author serves up the flavorful lore behind the country’s most mouthwatering treats.
Old Gold
Friday 28
Perhaps you’ve seen Americana music revivalist Pokey LaFarge on the silver screen in the Netflix period thriller The Devil All the Time, or in CMT’s miniseries “Sun Records.” Now you can see him live at Haybarn Theatre in Plainfield, where the vintage-voiced singer-songwriter summons sounds of yore with a potpourri of contemporized ragtime, country-blues, early jazz and western swing.
Spin City
Starts Friday 28
And just like that, the Champlain Valley Fair returns to Essex Junction to usher in the changing of the seasons and ease some of those back-to-school blues. As always, the county classic delivers dizzying midway rides and tantalizing carnival eats, as well as the highly anticipated Honky Tonk Hoedown, with an attempt to notch the Guinness World Record for the largest square dance.
Park It
Saturday 29
Stowe Cider and Vermont Parks Forever team up to host Jam for the Parks at Waterbury Center State Park, supporting the preservation of the state’s 55 much-loved — and vital — green spaces. Festivalgoers grab bites from food trucks, sip locally crafted bevies, and rock out to groovy tunes by homegrown faves, including Reprise, Dobbs’ Dead, All Night Boogie Band and the Full Cleveland.
Street Smart
Saturday 29
Revelers of all ages step to the late-summer staple Barnard Street Dance for a town-wide display of community spirit. The free family-friendly fête kicks off at Silver Lake State Park with boat races, then shuffles to Barnard Town Hall for touch-a-truck opportunities, outdoor games, art making, a performance by Upper Valley roots-reggae outfit Radio Kingston and plenty of boogying.
Tight-Knit Community
Sunday 30
At Winooski Falls Way, clever crafters and needle ninjas spin through the Fiber Fair, a stitchery spectacular honoring the city’s rich history as an epicenter for textile production. An array of vendors and nonprofit displays thread together with hands-on activities, from yarn doll making to recycled-fabric weaving, and a meet and greet with the festival’s MVPs: sheep.
Play Stations
Ongoing
Please, console yourself! Champlain College Art Gallery’s vintage nerdom exhibit “Next Level: Game History Collection” brings decades of button-mashing glory to Burlington. Visitors level up their gaming knowledge at 20 interactive stations that switch up every fortnite, with a focus in October on titles developed by late pioneering programmer and designer Rebecca Heineman.
This article appears in August 26 • 2026.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
