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Program Guide

On behalf of the City of Burlington, welcome to the Festival of Fools!

Since 2007, this free festival has brought residents and visitors together to experience incredible street performers, musicians, and circus artists from near and far. Filling our public spaces with art, creativity, and laughter, Festival of Fools helps make Burlington a more welcoming, vibrant city for everyone.

This beloved event is made possible through the collaboration of City staff, community partners, sponsors, volunteers, and local businesses. Together, they create an experience that celebrates the arts and fills our downtown with vibrant energy and joy.

Thank you to everyone who makes this festival possible. By coming downtown, supporting local businesses, and joining in the fun, you’re part of strengthening the community spirit that makes Burlington such a special place. I hope you enjoy the festival!

—Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Mayor of Burlington

Festival of Fools is Back!

Every year Burlington City Arts brings together stupendous street performers, exciting entertainers, and magnificent musicians from near and far to fill downtown Burlington with two days of laughter, wonder, and joy.

THE FESTIVAL OF FOOLS IS FREE AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Schedule at a Glance

ALL PERFORMANCES AND ACTIVITES

Are Free!

Friday, July 31

12-10 pm

BUSKING SHOWS ON CHURCH STREET

12:30 pm | City Hall Park

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: MELISSANDRE T-B FRANÇOIS-FÉLIX ROY

1:00 pm | Hendrick’s Pitch BEECHARMER

2:30 pm | AARP Pitch POLKAROBICS!

4:30 pm | Ben & Jerry’s Pitch BEECHARMER

5:30 pm | AARP Pitch POLKAROBICS!

6:00 pm | City Hall Park

TWILIGHT SERIES: LILY GOLDEN

6:00 pm | Hendrick’s Pitch BEECHARMER

7:30 pm | City Hall Park

TWILIGHT SERIES: THE BIG TAKEOVER

8:30 pm | Partizanfilm YOYO, A FILM BY PIERRE ETAIX

Saturday, August 1

11 am -10 pm BUSKING SHOWS ON CHURCH STREET

1:00 pm | City Hall Park

SPLASH DANCE: DJ RICH CONTE

12:00 pm | Hendrick’s Pitch JACOB GREEN ONE MAN BAND

3:30 pm | AARP Pitch MILTON BUSKER & THE GRIM WORK

6:00 pm | City Hall Park TWILIGHT SERIES: MILTON BUSKER & THE GRIM WORK

7:30 pm | City Hall Park TWILIGHT SERIES: THE WOLFF SISTERS

How does this all work?

All shows take place outdoors on the Church Street Marketplace at four performance “pitches.” Two pitches have shows starting on the hour, while the other two start on the half-hour. Shows that happen only once or twice are listed above. The full performance schedule will be posted on vtfools.org, and will be available on the daily handouts at the

info booth and on the chalkboard in front of the BCA Center at 135 Church Street.

Thank you SO MUCH for celebrating with us. Be sure to support our beloved local businesses and restaurants while you’re out and about enjoying all of the fantastically foolish fun.

PERFORMANCE PITCH

RESTROOMS

BEN & JERRY’S PITCH

CITY HALL PARK

AARP PITCH

von TRAPP BREWING PITCH

RESTROOMS

TWILIGHT STAGE

HENDRICK’S GIN PITCH

SpecialEvents

Festival of Fools Kick Off Party!

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 7-9 PM

VENETIAN SODA LOUNGE 266 PINE STREET

Join us as we start the Festival on a thoroughly foolish foot with a night of drinks, music, and laughs featuring Fools performers in a variety show with live music.

Yoyo, a film by Pierre Etaix

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 8:30 PM

PARTIZANFILM, FREE! 230 COLLEGE STREET

Get off your feet and slip into Partizanfilm’s cozy microcinema for a free screening of Yoyo, Pierre Étaix’s beloved love letter to the circus. Beginning as a clever homage to silent film, complete with intertitles, Yoyo blossoms into a poignant family saga (with Etaix playing both a father and his grown son) and a celebration of the circus he adored. Chock-full of nimble sight gags and ingenious sound effects, Yoyo is the perfect way to keep the laughs rolling into the night.

Twilight Series Concerts: Fools Edition

FRIDAY, JULY 31

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

OPENER, 6 PM, HEADLINER, 7:30 PM

CITY HALL PARK

BCA’s Twilight Series lights up the park once (or twice) a month with free concerts featuring musical luminaries that span genres. For Fools, we go all out and are thrilled to welcome global reggae fusionists The Big Takeover on Friday, with with indie pop icon Lily Golden kicking things off.

On Saturday, wrap up an amazing day of foolish fun with the three sisters known for their fierce vocals and harmonies. The Wolff Sisters, with opening support from Americana masters Milton Busker & the Grim Work.

A Slice of Crazy Pie

Save room for dessert and dig into “A Slice of Crazy Pie,” a mesmerizing cabaret-style marionette puppet show crafted by Madison J Cripps. Making her Fools debut, Cripps serves up a whimsical world where puppets, harmonica, and song blend into one delightfully offbeat adventure. Blurring imagination and reality, festival-goers of all ages should prepare for a journey that will take them from the city streets to the moon, and everywhere in between!

Beecharmer

Fools HQ is abuzz with the return of Beecharmer. A modern acoustic string band from Wilder, VT, Beecharmer features the sweet sounds of husbandand-wife duo Jes Raymond and Jakob Breitbach. Beecharmer has perfected a blend of bluegrass, old-time, jazz, and pop that comes together in artful arrangements packed with virtuosic fiddle, clawhammer banjo, flatpicking guitar, upright bass, and soaring harmonies.

Cate Great

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Cate Great flying over Church Street! Back by popular demand after wowing Festival of Fools audiences in 2023, Cate returns with astonishing balance tricks, fearless circus skills, and quick-witted comedy. A multifaceted performer who has entertained audiences in 11 countries, Cate blends technical mastery with playful audience interaction to create a show that’s equal parts impressive, and hilarious.

Circus Smirkus Road Show

The Circus Smirkus Road Show is rolling back to Church Street, bringing laughs and smiles in their trunk as they present a special celebration of the next generation of circus superstars. Small but mighty youth performers put on a high-energy show—flipping, flopping, juggling, and so much more. Vermont’s own Circus Smirkus is a Fools favorite, but these kids are busy and will only be with us on Saturday, so don’t miss them!

Galumpha

Galumpha returns to Burlington after captivating Festival of Fools audiences in 2023 with a breathtaking blend of acrobatics, physical comedy, dance, and illusion. Their award-winning choreography transforms three performers into fantastical creatures, surreal sculptures, and scenes that shift seamlessly from laughout-loud ridiculous to genuinely beautiful.

Jacob D’Eustachio

Start jumping with joy because juggler extraordinaire, Jacob D’Eustachio, is making his Fools debut! Combining world-class juggling with quick wit and irreverent comedy, Jacob has toured with the Zoppé Family Circus, trained at Canada’s prestigious École de Cirque de Québec, performed in 16 countries, appeared with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and at the Kennedy Center, and even juggled for Adele.

Jacob Green

Who needs a whole band when you’ve got two hands and feet! Jacob Green is a one-man band with a sound big enough to fool your ears. Described as “foot-stompin’ soulful blues seasoned in swamp roots,” Jacob layers energetic rhythms and captivating melodies while switching between dobro, cigar box guitars, and electric guitar—all while keeping the beat with percussion played by his feet. Follow the rhythm and don’t miss Jacob’s Fools debut!

Kilted Colin

Bagpipes, Kilts, and a 10-foot Unicycle – you must be at Festival of Fools! Kilted Colin returns to the Church Street Marketplace with a signature mix of outrageous stunts and laugh-out-loud comedy. Who else can pedal atop his towering unicycle while serenading the crowd on bagpipes, all while wearing a kilt? If there’s one thing Colin knows, it’s how to dress and how to impress!

Lily Golden

Lilly Golden is a Vermont-based singer-songwriter whose music puts a bubbly, sapphic spin on indie pop and Americana. With a clear-toned lyrical mezzosoprano voice, her songs feature lush harmonies and intimate lyrics. Golden’s music offers a diaristic take on coming-of-age and navigating relationships in the Green Mountain State. Her warmth and musical style invite listeners to pull up a chair and stay awhile.

Milton Busker and the Grim Work

Milton Busker and the Grim Work have been honing their unique americana/alt-country sound since 2014 with Milton on guitar and vocals, guitarist David Ball, mandolin player Jom Hammack, bassist John Treybal, and drummer Dave Simpson. Milton Busker and the Grim Work play “suit-folk—the people’s music, all dolled up for a night on the town; an Appalachian ditty played by Cole Porter; a love song for the kid who couldn’t get a date but still dresses up for the dance.

Mason Ames

After an unforgettable Fools debut last year, we’re thrilled to welcome back Mason Ames! Watch as he scales a Chinese pole, dazzles with lightning-fast diabolo tricks, and recruits a young audience member for an unforgettable acrobatic routine. With more than 20 years of international circus experience, including performances with Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, and Cirque Éloize, Mason brings world-class circus to the Church Street Marketplace.

Polkarobics

Who says your workout can’t come with an accordion? Break out your 80’s leotard for the Fools debut of Polkarobics! Burlington musician John Borah, also known as DJ Tub Time, blends dance, comedy, and chaotic ‘80s-inspired workout aerobics into a uniquely hilarious and sweat-inducing live experience. Stretch your imagination—and maybe your hamstrings—and join in the fun!

Snap Boogie

Oh Snap, he’s back! Returning to Festival of Fools for the first time since 2022, Snap Boogie brings his electrifying one-man street show back to Burlington. A semifinalist on America’s Got Talent, featured performer at NBA and NCAA halftime shows, and accomplished tap dancer, popper, and breakdancer, he mixes jaw-dropping moves with infectious energy and crowd-pleasing comedy. Snap to it and grab a frontrow spot for all of his shows!

The Big Takeover

Led by Jamaican-born singer Nee Nee Rushie, The Big Takeover is a seven-piece band known for its infectious fusion of reggae, ska, soul, and global pop influences. They are devotees of Desmond Dekker and the way the old school did it, but also love to cross lines and blend traditions, as only true global pop fusionists can. Their deceptively complex arrangements and big hooks connect with the spirit of Motown and the uptown sophistication of the 21st-century retro soul and R&B revival scene.

The Pocket Circus

You don’t need a big top to create big joy! Kimberly’s Pocket Circus is a tiny tent full of surprises, including a world class performer ready to share her aweinspiring tricks. Acrobatics, hula hoops, handstands, dancing chickens – need we say more! With seriously skilled circus wrapped in silliness, charm, and whimsy Kimberly’s Pocket Circus is the biggest little show at Festival of Fools.

The Wolff Sisters

Gritty and raw folk-rock outfit The Wolff Sisters first broke into the Boston music scene as an acoustic trio. With haunting harmonies and songs reminiscent of washed-up wanderers on New England’s salty coasts, sisters Rebecca (on acoustic guitar), Rachael (on electric guitar), and Kat (on keys) have spent years honing their sound together in an old Victorian house. In 2015, they expanded into a full band with rotating drummers and bassists, bringing a loose blues, roots, and rock ’n’ roll energy to stages across the region.

The Yo-Yo Guy

There was no back-and-forth on having John Higby the Yo-Yo Guy return to Festival of Fools! With his unique high-energy show that has amazed and delighted audiences in 26 countries around the world, the Yo-Yo Guy has become a favorite of Fools festival goers too. With a flick of his wrist, he holds four Guinness World Records. Catch the Yo-Yo Guy on the Church Street Marketplace, spinning up some fun for everyone!