Resident and guest perfomers keep Vermont stages fully booked, and for the visitor, the possibilities are endless. Theatre groups produce a full range of plays, including those by Vermont’s established and up-and-coming playwrights. Acclaimed local talent and visiting actors create memorable works for the stage throughout the year, and literary festivals, readings and events feature authors and storytellers from far and wide. There is also the unexpected. Every summer the youthful Circus Smirkus performers amaze and delight gleeful crowds after studying circus arts with international performers. International is the key word at the annual Puppets in the Green Mountains festival in Brattleboro, featuring puppetry performances far beyond the expected. Classical music benefits by local and national talent also. From chamber groups to symphonies, and from Mozart to opera, Vermont has it all. Outdoor summer music festivals abound, and sometimes where the concert is performed is just as memorable as the music itself. There’s plenty of contemporary music too – blues, folk, world, reggae, inde, and the list goes on. Some festivals combine indoor and outdoor venues, like Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival , named one of the Top 10 Festivals in the World by Chicago Review’s The Music Festival Guide. Vermont speaks the language of dance too. Exiting new commissioned works are performed Burlington’s Flynn Center on the small stage, while internationally acclaimed work performs to rapt audiences from their Main Stage. Exciting dance programs are performed at Vermont colleges and regional performing arts centers throughout the year. The visual arts have lots of venues too. Many Vermont towns host monthly Art Walks, while galleries dedicated to art and studio craft abound. More than 200 artists and craft artisans open their studios annually for the Vermont Open Studio Tour, and the Vermont State Craft Centers feature the best of ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood. Vermont’s art museums stage high quality changing exhibits that attract visitors from nearby metropolitan areas. Whatever your interest, use the Travel Planner to find arts events to your liking. |