Articles

We're delighted to have you! BTV: The Burlington International Airport Quarterly is a bilingual magazine — translated into French for our Québécois visitors — that highlights Vermont's recreational, cultural and dining scenes according to the season.

You might not realize it from the hustle and bustle of downtown, the postwar suburban sprawl of the New North End, or the hip postindustrial South End, but Burlington is pretty wild. Like, Henry David Thoreau/Walden Woods kind of wild. Despite its urban trappings, Vermont's largest city hides a treasure trove of natural wonders. The trick is knowing where to find them.

"Farmers market" and "Vermont" are basically synonyms, right? The Green Mountain State is known for its cheese, its maple and its dedication to local food. And in Vermont's largest city, the Burlington Farmers Market is a community fixture. A trip to the market is a weekend ritual all season long.

Sometimes you need to get out of Burlington. There, we said it! Yes, this city has most of the things you could ever want: renowned breweries, unique restaurants, miles of lakeside trail, and a thriving arts and music scene. But that doesn't mean you should overlook the rest of Vermont, where someone is doing something cool in every little town or village.

If a Vermont spring is chillier than you'd prefer, don't say "brr" — say "burlesque"! Green Mountain Cabaret's variety performances are sure to heat things up. Founded in 2012 and voted among the best local theater companies in the state, the troupe showcases high-quality burlesque-inspired entertainment — from dancing to comedy — with a focus on body positivity and safe spaces. This season, catch the cabaret's Sugar Shakers at a series of themed acts at Burlington's Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, as well as at monthly drag and burlesque shows called Untapped at the Monkey House in nearby Winooski.

Modern air travel is a hurry-up-and-wait situation: You dutifully show up two hours early to allow for check-in and getting through security. Then you plop down in a chair with a coffee and a smartphone until your plane begins to board. But here's a tip: At the Burlington International Airport, you could spend your wait time walking around to look, listen and learn.

Sam Cutting IV, president of Dakin Farm in Ferrisburgh, was 5 years old when he got his first paying gig on the family farm. He polished apples his father bought by the bushel at local orchards, then sold the fruit "red side up" at the roadside farmstand on Route 7.

We're delighted to have you! BTV: The Burlington International Airport Quarterly is a bilingual magazine — translated into French for our Québécois visitors — that highlights Vermont's recreational, cultural and dining scenes according to the season.

According to the last two United Nations World Happiness Reports, the people of Finland are the happiest in the world. There are undoubtedly myriad social, environmental, economic and political reasons Fins have topped that list for two years running: high-paying jobs, jaw-dropping natural splendor, fish pies, etc. But if Vermont's WilloBurke Boutique Inn + Nordic Spa is any indication, there may be a simpler explanation for Fin euphoria: Their spas are amazing.

New Year's Eve traditions run deep. For many, the holiday wouldn't be complete without a countdown, a glass (or three) of Champagne and a smooch at the stroke of midnight. Last year, the Queen City launched a new custom: Highlight, a citywide celebration featuring artsy and family-friendly entertainment.

There's a common expression among globe-trotters: "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." Wise words, indeed, but who can resist bringing home a souvenir or two?

While many winter skiers chase mountain thrills beyond Burlington, cross-country athletes can slide to their heart's content within city limits. After a big storm, you'll see them gleefully gliding down Church Street or making first tracks on the bike path. To escape the hustle and bustle of downtown, head for the Intervale, a 360-acre span of farmland and recreational space stretching along the Winooski River to the Ethan Allen Homestead. Find three miles of peaceful groomed trails when weather permits — and special Wintervale events throughout the season offering free ski and snowshoe rentals, kids' activities, food and drink, and a toasty bonfire.

Burlington City Arts curates exhibits in three areas of the airport: the Skyway, the area above the escalator and the walls facing security for Gates 1 through 8. Whether you've arrived early for a flight or are waiting to pick up passengers, do take the time to look around!

You have to be a seriously decent skier to enjoy skiing the lift line. That's the run directly under a ski lift, providing an audience to admire your skill or witness your wipeouts. The stakes are high, but Matt Grant doesn't mind. One of his favorite runs is the Madonna lift line at Smugglers' Notch Resort, a double black diamond touted by the resort as some of the most difficult terrain in the East.

→ Version française Welcome to Burlington — and Vermont We're delighted to have you! BTV: The Burlington International Airport Quarterly is a bilingual magazine…

For nearly a century, a railroad line ran across Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, zigzagging the Lamoille River and passing through woods, farmlands and villages. Constructed in 1877 by the St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain Railroad Company, it carried passenger trains and freight cars hauling timber, limestone, talc and asbestos from the state's northern forests and quarries.

Twenty minutes south of Burlington, along Route 7, sits Shelburne Vineyard, a 4.5-acre farm, winery and tasting room just a short walk from the Shelburne Museum. Oenophiles can tour the winemaking operation, relax on an outdoor patio and sample about a dozen wines, many of them award-winning.

Last year, the National Center for Arts Research listed Burlington among the top 10 "arts-vibrant medium communities" in America — notable for making the arts "integral" to the city's development, urban design and livability. It's true that Burlington brims with innovative and artsy types, and the most concentrated cluster of creativity is in its South End.

Passengers disembarking the Lake Champlain Ferry are regularly treated to some of the most dynamic art in Vermont. That's thanks to the annual Above the Radar graffiti festival, during which dozens of artists from New England and beyond cover a 260-foot wall by the ferry dock in this unique style of urban art. Local artist group Anthill Collective invites spectators to enjoy food trucks, dancing and music while watching a new mural come together this September. The collective's goal? "To show the public that graffiti and aerosol art are legitimate modern art forms and that, furthermore, it can be used as a medium for social change. This event serves as a window into an otherwise misunderstood lifestyle."

Burlington City Arts curates exhibits in three areas of the airport: the Skyway, the area above the escalator and the walls facing security for Gates 1 through 8. Whether you've arrived early for a flight or are waiting to pick up passengers, do take the time to look around!

There's something about fall air that makes Vermonters think of cider. OK, Vermonters think of cider pretty much year-round — but as apple season sets in, they have the perfect excuse to reach for a glass of something sweet and tangy.

We're delighted to have you! BTV: The Burlington International Airport Quarterly is a bilingual magazine — translated into French for our Québécois visitors — that highlights Vermont's recreational, cultural and dining scenes according to the season.

It's late afternoon on the Union Station platform on Burlington's scenic waterfront when a black-capped train conductor cries "All aboard!" The evening's passengers climbing into the silver and green 1930s-era passenger cars of the Green Mountain Railroad are about to embark on the Champlain Valley Dinner Train, a three-hour round-trip excursion from Burlington to Middlebury.

Half an hour from Burlington, Waterbury is a destination for craft beer, world-famous ice cream and small-town charm. Now, visitors can add to their itineraries a stop — or overnight stay — at a big yellow house in the heart of town.

Summer in Vermont is fleeting, a maxim those who live here know all too well. Vermonters also know that one of the best places to enjoy the warm weather is the Champlain Islands, a string of five sparsely populated towns in the northern reaches of Lake Champlain. You don't need a boat to visit the rocky beaches and cow-dotted countryside: The islands are connected to the mainland — and each other — by bridges.