The snow is gone, the green is back, and the sound of music is about to fill the mountains and valleys of Vermont. That’s right, summer festival season is upon us, that time of year when hordes of very, very pale Vermonters scurry out of their hobbit holes, squint at the sun, throw on tie-dye shirts and immediately start dancing.
OK, maybe there’s a little more to it than that. The eclectic festivals and music series that sprout up in the summer months are plentiful and spread across the Green Mountains, so a guiding hand is needed. Fortunately, we’re here to help you make sense of a jam-packed calendar.
Read on for a selection of some of the coolest outdoor music events happening in Vermont this summer. This list isn’t comprehensive — we’ve excluded a couple, such as the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival and Do Good Fest, which we’ll preview in upcoming issues. And we’ll have loads more coverage of festivals and outdoor shows all summer long. Stay tuned!
Summer Music Series
Summer-long music series are popping up all over — at breweries, on scenic hillsides and in city parks. They often feature top-tier touring artists, as well as plenty of local talent. Here are a few to put on your calendar.
Next Stage Arts’ Bandwagon Summer Series
Through September 26 at various locations in Windham County. $24-32; free for kids under 12. nextstagearts.org
Returning for its seventh season, the Next Stage Arts Bandwagon Summer Series features a combination of great music and community involvement: Events are hosted in multiple locations across Windham County. Whether at a local park or farm, these shows boast some of the more eclectic lineups around, including Latin jazz with Las Guaracheras (July 5), Toronto rockers Bywater Call (August 14) and Afrobeat masters Kotoko Brass (September 26).
“What I love about Bandwagon is the joy of it,” Next Stage executive director Natalie Dreyer said. “The dancing, the kids, the feeling that the whole community showed up. This is community building through the arts.”
Burlington City Arts’ Summer in the City
June 3 to September 26, at various locations in downtown Burlington. Free. burlingtoncityarts.org
Speaking of community building, the folks over at Burlington City Arts are bringing back the Summer in the City series. Running June through September across the Queen City’s downtown, the initiative features more than 100 free programs, performances and events to fill up your summer.
Concerts in City Hall Park on Wednesdays and Fridays are a big part of the programming. Local acts such as MOMDAD(June 12), Brett Hughes & Friends (July 10), Baby Fearn (August 21), and more are set for lunchtime shows in the shade of a tent. And don’t sleep on the evening Twilight Series, which features the likes of High Summer (July 18) and Night Protocol (August 22) taking over the park.
Burlington City Arts executive director Doreen Kraft views the series as a way to shine a light on the arts in Burlington, especially amid the downtown’s recent struggles. In a press release, she said the events will “make it crystal clear that arts and culture are an essential part of what makes Burlington such a vibrant place.”
Shows at the Midway Lawn and Waterfront Park
June 2 to September 12 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction and Waterfront Park in Burlington. Various prices. highergroundmusic.com
Is it a Vermont summer without a trip to the fairgrounds or the Burlington waterfront? Even when the fair isn’t in town, there’s just something about the Champlain Valley Expo in the summer that sets the scene for a proper music fest. Ditto anything happening at Waterfront Park.
Curated by Higher Ground Presents (more on them in a sec), the lineup of acts performing at both venues this summer is seriously impressive. The Midway Lawn season kicks off with Sacramento rockers Cake (June 2) and Mt. Joy (June 4). It continues with a slate of heavy hitters, including Jack White (July 15), “Weird Al” Yankovic (July 24) and Rainbow Kitten Surprise (September 12).
Not to be outdone, the Waterfront Concert Series at Waterfront Park is equally loaded. Unclassifiable savant Thundercat kicks things off (July 30), followed by electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso with Landlady (July 31), and perennial indie-folk favorites the Head and the Heart (August 1). Rounding out that weekend are Big Thief (August 2), led by newish Vermonter Adrianne Lenker.
Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green
June 10 to September 4 at Shelburne Museum. Various prices. highergroundmusic.com
Museums, ice cream, and rock and roll — what’s not to love? As they have for years, Shelburne Museum, Ben & Jerry’s, and South Burlington venue Higher Ground team up to bring in some of the biggest names of the summer. Their Concerts on the Green series has become a seasonal staple, boasting beautiful surroundings, family-friendly vibes and killer shows from major acts.
This year is no exception, with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (July 21), Modest Mouse (August 21), and Gregory Alan Isakov with Vermont Symphony Orchestra (August 24 and 25) among numerous highlights. Some shows have already sold out, so don’t waste any time before snagging tickets.
Spruce Peak Arts’ Summer Concert Series
July 16, August 2 and August 19, 6 p.m., at the WhistlePig Pavilion at Spruce Peak in Stowe. $16.70-64.85. sprucepeakarts.org
The WhistlePig Pavilion at Spruce Peak is easily one of the most atmospheric outdoor venues in Vermont. Located smack-dab at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort, the setting provides gorgeous views and unparalleled vibes.
The crew at Spruce Peak Arts has made its summer concert series there a highlight of the season, booking a wide array of local talent and touring artists. The organizers may have outdone themselves this year, going all in on ’90s nostalgia and partnering with Higher Ground to bring three big shows to the mountain. Big Head Todd and the Monsters kick things off (July 16), followed by a performance from Spin Doctors (August 2) and culminating in a sold-out show from folk-rock duo Indigo Girls (August 19).
Summer Music Festivals
Now, let’s turn our attention to the various music festivals dotting the landscape this summer. While a few of the long-running fests have called it quits in recent years (RIP, Waking Windows) or have yet to announce a return (any of the reggae fests), plenty of classic Vermont events are coming back, joined by a few fresh faces on the scene. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.
Jeezum Crow Festival
Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, at the Stateside Amphitheater at Jay Peak Resort. $45-75; free for kids 6 and under. jaypeakresort.com
When there’s no snow, the only thing to do with all these ski resorts is to turn them into music festival grounds, right? Jay Peak is no exception, hosting the Jeezum Crow Festival for more than a decade at the Stateside Amphitheater.
With a heavy emphasis on jam bands and roots and Americana acts, the fest offers a laid-back and intimate experience compared to many of the other, crunchier jam fests. It boasts simple camping plots and just two stages to navigate: one for the touring acts, the other a spotlight for Vermont artists. This year’s lineup includes Yonder Mountain String Band, the Disco Biscuits, Railroad Earth and Charlie Parr, as well as local acts such as Kyle Chadburn & the Earthbound Spirits and Beg, Steal or Borrow.
Middlebury Festival on-the-Green
Sunday, July 12, to Saturday, July 18, at Middlebury Town Green. Free. festivalonthegreen.org
For those looking to avoid any sort of Live Nation corporate feel, you don’t get more grassroots than the Middlebury Festival on-the-Green. It started in the 1970s when Middlebury College dance instructor Dana Holby decided to rent out the village green for a performance. But the first official iteration of the fest took place in 1981.
It’s since grown bigger and bigger. Four decades later, it’s one of the most Vermonty of Vermont fests, with an authentic community feel and a sprawling lineup. This year’s program includes Colorado roots act Mojo Birds, Vermont musicians Ted and the Big Easy and Ryan Montbleau, Québécois folk artist Mélisande, and Nashville funk band Slap Dragon, as well as circus performers, marionettes and magic shows. It’s completely free, so all you have to do is head to Middlebury with some sunscreen and a plan.
Strawberry Jam
Saturday, August 8, at Strawberry Hill Farm in Stowe. $95-185. strawberryjamstowe.com
Nothing says “Vermont summer” like a big show in a green field on a farm. And Strawberry Jam delivers just that. The one-day fest is ensconced at the scenic Strawberry Hill Farm in Stowe, surrounded by trees and mountains and, if you time it right, with a truly remarkable sunset view.
Hosted in conjunction with Waterbury Center club Zenbarn, Strawberry Jam has a nice blend of touring acts and hometown heroes. Funk guitarist Cory Wong headlines, joined by Oakland R&B act the California Honeydrops, singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian, and the bluegrass duo of Michael Daves & Jacob Jolliff. The Homegrown Stage features Led Zeppelin tribute Nico Suave & the Mothership, Grateful Dead tribute Dobbs’ Dead, and Goose drummer Cotter Ellis performing with a collection of friends.
Stowe Jazz Festival
Friday, August 14, to Sunday, August 16, at Mayo Farm Event Field in Stowe. Free. stowejazzfestival.org
Musician and producer George Walker Petit founded the Stowe Jazz Festival in 2017 as a free three-day celebration of the art form. Frustrated with what he saw as other jazz fests straying from the genre in their programming, Petit wanted to start something that he felt better represented jazz music, as well as the local musicians in the scene.
The festival has since come closer to achieving Petit’s goal. It has outgrown its previous home at the Alchemist brewery and is now held at the Mayo Farm Event Field. The fest is still bringing top-flight jazz to its stages, this year including the Alex Goodman Quartet, Shayna Steele, the Anthony Wilson Nonet and bassist David Ambrosio’s band Civil Disobedience.
Grand Point North
Friday, September 18, to Sunday, September 20, at Waterfront Park in Burlington. $60-330. grandpointnorth.com
Waitsfield native and certified rock star Grace Potter is once again bringing her Grand Point North festival to the Burlington waterfront. Potter kicked off the fest in 2011, using it as a sort of end-of-summer homecoming show. She’d often tap her rock-star friends to play it, including Kenny Chesney, the Avett Brothers, the War on Drugs and the Flaming Lips. And she put them on the bill alongside a hand-picked selection of Vermont acts.
After a four-year absence largely due to the pandemic, a scaled-down version of the festival returned in 2024. Now back in full force, this summer’s Grand Point North lineup includes Portugal. The Man, Dawes and the Devil Makes Three. Representing the Queen City are the Jesse Taylor Band, Frankie White and Rose Asteroid, to name a few.
This article appears in Summer Preview • 2026.
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