While plenty of students look forward to heading home for the summer after finally closing their books in Davis and throwing down their pens after their last final, a large cohort anticipate spending their annual hiatus from academics right here in the Green Mountains.
Whether you’re registered for a Language School, working a job in town, guiding admissions tours on campus or interning up in Burlington, you should know that there is a lot more to a Vermont summer than just mosquito bites (please buy bug spray). As two seasoned local section editors and writers, we have compiled a collection of nearby upcoming events and activities to help you fight the beast of rural boredom.
A Middlebury favorite event is Festival on the Green from July 13–19. Described by Vermont Life as “the best series of free performances in Vermont,” the weeklong event brings music, arts and community celebration to the heart of town. This year’s festival will feature more than 15 performers from across the U.S. and abroad. Food will be available most evenings, provided by Mexico in Vermont. In previous years, the event has included street dancing and serves as a lively celebration of the arts with the community.
Vermont has a variety of different markets across the state for those who enjoy perusing fresh fruit or vegetables, or perhaps looking to support local arts vendors. On Saturdays, the Middlebury Farmers market is open to the public in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post parking lot on Exchange Street from May to October. Vendors sell fresh produce and maple syrup among other seasonal treats. On Thursdays, the iconic Middlebury Summer Market features work from artisans, food vendors, locally grown produce and occasional live music. The Burlington Farmers Market will be open Saturday mornings at 345 Pine Street.
Looking for ways to get outside and into nature this summer? Vermont has no shortage of beautiful hiking trails and recreational activities in the state. From hiking up Mount Abraham, taking a kayak out on Lake Dunmore, or embarking on a walk on the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM), there are plenty of ways to get outside. The Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) will host several different trail walks, and will partner with the Town Hall Theater to host a “Theater Walk” which will include an outdoor play on the TAM by the MALT Summer Camp on July 11. MALT also will be hosting its Mid-Summer Volunteer Day on July 26, a day in which community members can come together to clean up the TAM.
If you’re a fan of quirky festivals, you’re in luck for this summer. Outside of Middlebury, the 45th annual Quechee Balloon Festival will take place on June 20–22 in Quechee, Vt. The first ever Quechee Balloon Festival is what put Queechee on the map in 1978 and has prevailed as a tradition ever since — riding a hot air balloon is an option with a fee, but so is simply watching the colorful balloons populate the New England sky at no cost but an afternoon.
Although you’ll have to choose wisely: The Vermont Renaissance fair is the same weekend at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, June 21–22. In the same venue August 9–10 is the Vermont Psychic Expo, with a price of $20–30 per person to meet the most reputable psychic readers in the state. Find out for yourself if you believe in mediums, palmistry and the powers of crystals — you might leave surprised or a skeptic.
On August 1, the alt-weekly local newspaper Seven Days will host their annual Seven Daysies Awards Party at the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain from 7–10 p.m. Readers of Seven Days vote in several rounds leading up to the awards on the “bests” of Vermont, in categories from artists to places to picnic to businesses of all kinds. The awards are an opportunity for winners and locals to celebrate their “favorites” that make Vermont feel like home. Browsing the list of last year’s winners online is also not a bad way to find out where you might want to catch a concert, eat a burger or retreat for a camping weekend this summer, either.
Building your summer bucket list is a daunting task, but we hope we have made it just a little bit easier if you are staying in Vermont. Whenever you think you have found the most enticing swimming hole, the best spot for creemees or the most impressive live music, there is always more going on just around the corner, even in a place as small as Vermont.
Mandy Berghela '26 (she/her) is a Managing Editor.
Mandy has previously served as the Senior Local Editor, a Local Section Editor and Staff Writer. She is majoring in Political Science with a minor in History. She is the Co-President for the Southeast Asian Society and an intern with the Conflict Transformation Collaborative. Last summer, Mandy interned with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and participated in the Bloomberg Journalism Diversity Program.
Madeleine Kaptein '25.5 (she/her) is the Editor in Chief.
Madeleine previously served as a managing editor, local editor, staff writer and copy editor. She is a Comparative Literature major with a focus on German and English literatures and was a culture journalism intern at Seven Days for the summer of 2025.
