Vermont in the summer is treasure trove of outdoor live music. This year, the Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green series at Shelburne Museum features the likes of Lucy Dacus, Waxahatchee and Lyle Lovett. Big shows at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction include Vampire Weekend, Flo Rida, Primus and a Mumford & Sons hootenanny. And that’s to say nothing of festivals such as Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, Grand Point North, Do Good Fest … the list goes on.
We’ll be covering those and scads of other outdoor concerts and festivals happening throughout the Green Mountain State all summer long. For now, turn to our roundup of summer chamber music and peruse the latest Kids VT for family-friendly fare.
But it’s also worth remembering the incredible outdoor venues and killer shows that await just beyond state lines. If you’ve got road-tripping on your mind this summer, here are seven regional concerts and fests worth the drive.
Mountain Jam
Friday, June 20, through Sunday, June 22, at Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, N.Y. $135-877. mountainjamfestival.com
It’s hard to beat the atmosphere of a music fest at the base of a ski mountain, especially one with ample camping for that perfect balance of nature and entertainment. Throw in gondola rides up the mountain, plenty of hiking trails and nearby Belleayre Lake, and you’ve got plenty of reasons to make the trek to the Catskills for the three-day Mountain Jam.
Making its return after a six-year hiatus, the typically jam-centric fest has a strong lineup this year, including Goose, Trampled by Turtles and moe., as well as indie acts Mt. Joy and Khruangbin.
Rod Stewart with Cheap Trick
Tuesday, July 15, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. $73.85-744.80. spac.org
While outdoor amphitheaters are common, there’s a little extra magic at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. It’s set in a 2,400-acre park preserve with hiking and geysers, which certainly help the vibe. The venue also annually plays host to the New York City Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Saratoga Jazz Festival.
SPAC’s summer lineup is truly loaded, including performances by Avril Lavigne, Phish, “Weird Al” Yankovic and Dave Matthews Band, to name a few. For any Vermonters still smarting over the Rod Stewart look-alike who caused a commotion in Addison County and elsewhere in 2023, you’ll get the chance to catch the real thing as the singer makes a stop at SPAC in July, with special guests Cheap Trick.
Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
Thursday, July 17, through Sunday, July 20, at Trumansburg Fairgrounds, N.Y. Free-$195. grassrootsfest.org
Launched in 1991 by the Ithaca roots band Donna the Buffalo, the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance — commonly referred to as GrassRoots — is entering its 33rd season. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region, the four-day fest features well over 80 bands from a slew of genres, including bluegrass, reggae, folk, zydeco, country, Celtic and rock. Just a few highlights from the lineup this year include Lukas Nelson, Lucius, Vieux Farka Touré and Cimafunk.
On top of camping, GrassRoots offers tons of workshops and events. Performers are set to talk on everything from songwriting to intermediate clawhammer banjo. There are even Texas two-step dance parties, yoga and tai chi sessions, a Cajun dinner night, and a healing arts area with Reiki and acupuncture. GrassRoots has something for just about everyone.
The Weeknd
Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25, at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal. CA$187.50-574.51. parcjeandrapeau.com
What outside-of-Vermont music roundup is complete without checking in with our Canadian neighbors? Montréal is a true music-lover’s city, with incredible concerts and festivals happening all summer at a variety of amazing venues.
For my money, nothing quite beats a show at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Set in the middle of the St. Lawrence River on the twin islands of St. Helen’s Island and Notre Dame Island, the park features an amusement park, a casino, the Montréal Biosphère, a Victorian-era fort, the Plage Jean-Doré beach, a Formula 1 racetrack and, of course, the largest outdoor concert venue in the city.
Jean-Drapeau plays host to big music fests such as Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, ÎleSoniq and LASSO, as well as the summerlong Piknic Électronik Montréal, an EDM fan’s dream. Toronto’s own R&B and pop star the Weeknd is set to perform at the park on Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25.
Word to the wise: Purchase your metro tickets while you snatch up concert tickets and save yourself the hassle on the day of the show.
Bang on a Can: LOUD Weekend
Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, August 2, at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass. $159-259. massmoca.org
There are so many upsides to visiting the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, aka MASS MoCA. You can take in tons of modern art in the museum’s many galleries or visit the creative campus with all of its arts-centric businesses and food and drink options. In the summer, it becomes a hot spot for music, hosting everything from bands such as Lake Street Dive to alternative cabaret and world-music dance workshops.
As Wilco fans know, it’s also an ace spot for a festival. That band’s biennial Solid Sound fest is off this year, but those with experimental tastes might give Bang on a Can: Loud Weekend a try.
Starting on July 31, the genre-bending fest takes over the entire campus and fills it with new and avant-garde music that celebrates the intersections of jazz, classical, rock and more. This isn’t your typical summer fest with the usual suspects of headliners: Bang on a Can boasts a tribute to Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a performance from percussion legend Steven Schick, experimental noise outfit Wolf Eyes, a slew of guest composers and world premieres of music by the 2025 summer festival composition fellows.
It’s a three-day expedition into the cutting edge of the music world.
Outlaw Music Festival
Sunday, August 3, at BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. $79.70-331.85. banknhpavilion.com
The Outlaw Music Festival kicked off in 2016 in Scranton, Pa. Almost a decade later, founder Willie Nelson continues to unite some of the superstars of country, folk and roots music for a touring, one-day fest. This year’s lineup is as strong as ever, with Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Waylon Payne and others joining the Red Headed Stranger. The fest doesn’t make its way to Vermont, so if you want to see all these legends together, it’s time for a trip to Gilford, N.H.
Like SPAC, BankNH Pavilion is a gem of an amphitheater. The 9,000-seat venue sits on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and features on-site camping. There are a few quirks to the spot: It’s a cashless venue, so make sure you’re prepared to use the card for those sweet tour tees. But the pavilion really delivers on atmosphere.
Guster’s On the Ocean
Friday, August 8, through Sunday, August 10, at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine. $20-290. ontheoceanfest.com
Indie rockers Guster return to Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, for their annual On the Ocean music festival. The three-day event features performances from Guster (duh), Hanson, the Mountain Goats, Fruit Bats and plenty more, making this is an ideal excursion for Green Mountain indie-rock fans.
Guster like to create experiences for their fans, and On the Ocean offers the opportunity for a unique weekend. Aside from the bands and artists scheduled to perform, the fest features plenty of outdoor fun with harbor cruises, bike tours and kayak trips. There will also be a live taping of the Hold Steady singer Craig Finn‘s podcast “That’s How I Remember It,” in which Finn interviews Guster singer and Vermont resident Ryan Miller. And don’t miss the retro arcade called — what else? — Dave & Guster’s.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Out of State, Out of Mind | Seven music shows worth hitting the road for this summer”
This article appears in The Summer Preview 2025.
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