Schedule of events

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 25, 2025

  • 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.

  • 5:00–9:00 PM | Ultraviolet

    Based in Vermont, Ultraviolet brings a fresh, high-energy vibe to your event, keeping the dance floor alive with a modern twist. What sets us apart is our unique approach to music—tight harmonies and energetic renditions that infuse a dynamic flavor into your favorite dance hits. Our extensive and diverse song list ensures there's something for everyone, making each moment of your event memorable. Beyond the music, we add a visual spectacle with vibrant lights that enhance the overall experience. We approach every event with love and care, emphasizing good communication and flexibility to ensure your day is not only musically memorable but stress-free and filled with non-stop dancing.

  • 6:00–8:00 PM | Jacob Green

    Jacob Green is a blues roots musician, one-man band & multi-string player, performing and rotating between cigar box guitars, dobro, banjo, acoustic & electric guitar, while simultaneously playing stomp box & foot tambourine, plus harmonica for lead. Jacob has now laid down some roots in the Green Mountain State of Vermont but used to be accustomed to touring all around the US, playing 40 states total and averaging 150 shows a year. 

    From being a rambler to becoming a recluse, Jacob has had some time to focus on recording both new material and sorting through his long back catalog of original music he developed over many years of hard travelin' for soul-searching inspiration.

    8:00–8:45 PM | Ryu's Big Circus

    Ryunosuke is an extraordinary Japanese circus artist who specializes in big ball juggling, Chinese pole, and antipodism.

    After graduating Quebec Circus School as the first Japanese man to do so, he has been performing his sensational acts for galas, circus companies including Cirque du Soleil, and a variety of festivals of all over the world.

    He won the First Prize in Extreme Talents 2009 in Quebec, Second Place in the TV show Zoink’d in Canada, and Jury’s Special Prize at Izhevsk International Circus Festival in Russia.

    Ryunosuke adapts his show for any type of event and continues to leave his audience of all ages roaring.

  • 5:00–6:30 PM | Nolan and Music Brings Joy

    7:00–8:30 PM | Laura Markowitz

    Laura Markowitz, from Pittsburgh, PA originally, has lived in Jericho most of her life. She plays violin with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles in the area. In March, she’s joining an all-female string quartet for concerts around the state, commemorating Women’s History Month. She teaches violin and fiddle to all ages at her studio and assists in teaching strings at Browns River Middle School. She loves playing Irish and Swedish music as well, and on April 25, will bring a mix of classical and world folk tunes to the audience.

  • 5:30-6:30 PM | Al Getler - Comedian and Ventriloquist

    Al Getler is a world-class ventriloquist and hysterical comedian. Combining his sharp wit and skills, Al’s shows are filled with laughs for audiences of all sizes, age groups, and performance venues.

    Al has appeared on the Discovery/A&E Network channels hundreds of times. In addition, he has been featured on CBS News, Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the USA Today newspapers.

    7:00-9:00 PM | Joe Ferris - Caricature Artist

  • Illuminate Vermont continues Saturday!

Saturday, April 26, 2025

  • 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.

  • 5:00–7:00 PM | Judi Emanuel & Caribbean Rain

    7:00–9:00 PM | Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers

    Jenni Johnson, bandleader: born and raised in NYC/Harlem now lives in Burlington, VT. Jenni returned to Vermont after working in Boston at M.I.T's Physics Department as an Administrator and Counselor to work as a Therapist and Instructor at UVM. She put together a musical group she calls Jenni & The Jazz Junketeers and represented Burlington, VT at its Sister City International Jazz Over the Volga Festival, Yaroslavl Russia. The Junketeers perform a variety of music that includes Jazz, Soul and Swing.

    The Jazz Junketeers are…

    Nick Warner, Bassist: Nick has been gigging professionally since high school and originally worked as a jazz and horn section trumpeter. Nick studied music theory, composition and performance at University of Vermont and appears as a sideman with multiple artists.

    Steve Sawyer is a retired music school teacher. He keeps himself busy with many music projects. He has been music director and saxophonist for L.C. Jazz, the 18 piece community Big Band in Vergennes, since 1991. He also performs on saxophone with a Rutland-area 17 piece Big Band ("Enerjazz") also plays with a jazz quartet, and a classical saxophone quartet in Middlebury (“Dead Creek Reeds”). Steve also keeps busy with numerous pit orchestras for high school and professional musicals. He plays all the variety of saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, oboe, electric bass, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion. Steve has performed with Jenni Johnson occasionally over the past 10 years.  He lives in Vergennes with his wife, Maggi, and son, Jesse.

    Felix Anderson, Drummer: Felix has played in bands ranging from punk to blues that included Ludovico Treatment, Big Hair, DirtBox5 and many others. He has opened up for Primus and John Lee Hooker.

    Bruce Cohen, Keyboardist: Bruce has been playing piano for 40 years with a variety of groups that include a 17-piece Big Band and other smaller ensembles, as well as doing solo performances.

  • 6:30–7:30 PM | Aram Bedrosian & Blake Matteson

    Blake Matteson, 14, is an up and coming singer/songwriter from Fairfax, VT and has already performed numerous times around the Northeast. She’ll be supported by a rhythm section featuring excellent drummer Cal McCandless and renowned bassist Aram Bedrosian, both from The Burlington Music Dojo. Together, the group will perform a mix of upbeat originals and fun covers that showcase Blake's strong voice and musical sense beyond her years.

    7:30–8:00 PM | Cirque de Fuego

    A Vermont based fire performance troupe providing entertainment since 2014. Cirque de Fuego offers ambient performances including fire breathing, fire juggling, partner acrobat fire routines, choreographed pieces and fire dancing.

  • 5:00–6:00 PM | Holly Painter & Friends Performing Poetry

    Duncan Campbell’s poems have appeared most recently in Barnstorm, Empty House Press, Ghost City Review, Northern New England Review, and Whale Road Review. A chapbook of his poems, Farmstead, Fire, Field, was published by ELJ Press in 2015, and a selection of short poems was anthologized in June Poems in 2021. Duncan lives in Northern Vermont.

    Holly Painter is the author of The pressure of all that light (Rebel Satori Press, 2022), My Pet Sounds Off: Translating the Beach Boys (Finishing Line Press, 2020), and Excerpts from a Natural History (Titus Books, 2015). Her next collection, As last, we listen closely: cryptic crossword poems, will be published by Black Spring Press in 2025. Read more at hollypainter.com.

    Angela Patten’s publications include five poetry collections, Feeding the Wild Rabbit (Kelsay Books 2024), The Oriole & the Ovenbird (Kelsay Books 2021), In Praise of Usefulness (Wind Ridge Books 2014), Reliquaries and Still Listening (both from Salmon Poetry, Ireland), and a prose memoir, High Tea at a Low Table (Wind Ridge Books 2013). Born and raised in Dublin, she maintains dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States, where she has lived since 1977.

    7:00–8:30 PM | Ukulele Clare and Rebecca

    This entertaining duo draws deeply from the American Songbook, bringing the best of jazz, country, folk, and blues. Ukulele Clare has shared the joy of making music with hundreds of students and audiences, drawing on — you guessed it — ukuleles and a variety of instruments. Rebecca Padula is well known in the Champlain Valley music scene for her smoldering alto and well-honed guitar and ukulele backup.

  • 5:00-6:30 PM | Susan Bettmann Short Films

    Painting the Dandelion Resurrection: A Film and Filmmaker Talk

    In Painting the Dandelion Resurrection, Vermont icon, Peter Schumann, co-founder and creative force of the Bread and Puppet Theater, begins and completes a giant-size theater backdrop over the course of a spring afternoon. Schumann narrates his creative process and gives us an opportunity to observe the working of an artistic heavyweight. Bettmann takes us on an inside look at this extraordinary artist―still active at 90.

    Joe Picard, Man of the Land

    Woodsman Joe Picard was born and raised in central Vermont into a French Canadian-Native American family. He works the land in traditional Vermont ways as his father did before him--cutting firewood, haying, plowing snow. Though the old ways are mostly gone now, Joe's work showcases a timeless rhythm that exists between man and land. The beauty of our state rests on labors like these.

    About Susan Bettmann

    Susan Bettmann has been making documentary films for 25 years. Her films focus primarily on Vermont artists and the Vermont landscape. Her 2004 film, Beyond 88 Keys, the Music of Michael Arnowitt, won the Vermont Film Commission/ Vermont Arts Council Goldstone Award.

    7:00-9:00 PM | Joe Ferris - Caricature Artist