Illuminate Vermont

Illuminate Vermont is a free artisan street festival set in the heart of South Burlington’s growing downtown. Support local artists, artisans, and food producers. Attractions include a setting of winter lights on Market Street, unique handmade products, local artisan food, hot beverages, food trucks, live music, and other performances. No tickets are required for this event. It is free and open to the public.

Friday, April 24, 2026

• GATES OPEN – 5:00 PM

  You are required to show your ID upon entry if you plan to have a drink or sample any Vermont made liquors, wines, or beer.

• Main Stage

  Sticks and Stones | 6-9 pm (DJ 5-6 pm)

• Market Street

  Jacob Green | 5-7 pm

  Cirque de Fuego | 7:30-8 pm

• Library

  Linda Bassick | 5:30-6:30 pm

  Linda Bassick is an early educator and musician who lives in her tiny food forest in Burlington, VT. Using more than 40 years of experience working with children and families in a variety of settings, Linda connects music to learning with kids of all ages. Linda hosts inclusive and welcoming sing-alongs at libraries, cafes, community centers, and retirement homes. She has produced two albums of original music as well as a live children’s album recorded at Radio Bean (© 2015), and Maple’s Busy Morning with Greg Rothwell (© 2022), with two children's books being published associated with Maple. Linda also performs with the 60’s tribute band Mellow Yellow and the all-female rocksteady reggae band Steady Betty.

  Mikahely | 7-8 pm

  Mikahely hails from the beautiful island of Madagascar, but his music transcends boundaries! A self-taught musician who first picked up the guitar at age 7, he draws inspiration from traditional Malagasy rhythms and lullabies to create his own unique sounds on guitar and valiha (a zither-like instrument made from bamboo). His songs highlight pressing social and environmental issues facing Madagascar and the world, such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and children's rights. Having toured in Madagascar and Europe, he now brings his music to new audiences in the United States. He is also featured in the documentary Guitar Madagascar.

• Auditorium

  Josh the Performer | 5:45-6:30 pm

  Joe Ferris Caricature | 7-9 pm

• GATES CLOSE – 9:00 PM

  Illuminate Vermont continues Saturday!

Saturday, April 25, 2026

• GATES OPEN – 5:00 PM

  You are required to show your ID upon entry if you plan to have a drink or sample any Vermont made liquors, wines, or beer.

• Main Stage

  Fran Briand | 5-6:15 pm

  Quadra | 6:30-9 pm

  “The first time I ever saw the band Quadra was at my high school prom 1983. These four guys, consisting of two sets of brothers, just killed it with an amazing song mix, lush harmonies, and best of all…they seemed to be truly enjoying themselves! Jump ahead through the years and I’ve seen them on cruises, seen them countless times at Vermont’s best outdoor festivals, seen them open for April Wine and Johnny Winter, and once saw them in a very tiny club, in the middle of a winter blizzard, with just six brave people there…and still, they were just having a ball!!! If you enjoy classic rock favorites and deep cuts from the late 60s, 70s, and 80s, and have not seen Quadra, go check them out. If you have, then you know already.”

• Market Street

  Jacob Green | 5-7 pm

  Cate Great! | 7 & 8 pm

• Library

  Laura Markowitz | 5:30-6:30 pm

  Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Laura earned her Bachelor's in Music from Indiana University. She discovered Vermont through teaching at the Kinhaven Music School in the mid-1980s and, following stints with the Santiago Philharmonic of Chile, the Florida Orchestra, and the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, moved to Vermont in the early 1990s. 

  She is a member of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and plays with other ensembles in the area, such as Eleva Chamber Players and the Opera Company of Middlebury.

  Laura has a passion for women’s music, last year touring with the all-female Sylvia Quartet, and, this March, playing with the Thalia Trio in concerts that honor women’s history month. 

  She plays in Duo Dolce with her partner, cellist John Dunlop, performing in a variety of venues across the state. Laura teaches violin and fiddling at her studio space in Richmond.

  Sara Grey and Kieron Means | 7-8:30 pm

  Once you have heard Sara Grey, you will never forget her. She has a certain quality of voice that compels you to give her your undivided attention. Her voice is both powerful and sweet, with a distinctive and lovely tremolo. It is a voice well-suited to ballads and songs that have travelled across the Atlantic to North America.

  Kieron Means is a singer primarily of traditional songs and Delta blues, but also of contemporary songs. He is a remarkable guitar player. He has a great rapport with an audience and has an exceptional professionalism for a young performer. His voice is as smooth as silk, rich and mellow, and he sings to his audience, not in spite of them.

• Auditorium

  Al Getler, Comedian and Ventriloquist | 5:30 pm

  Joe Ferris Caricature | 7-9 pm

• GATES CLOSE – 9:00 PM