Nonprofit Spotlight: BCA and the Festival of Fools

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Festival of Fools Burlington VT“The BVTMB team is thrilled to do a monthly series on local non-profit organizations in our community. Each month our team we will highlight a different non-profit with the hopes to educate and support all of the fabulous things they do. We encourage you to read, comment, and share what non-profit organizations are close to your hearts and families.”

Burlington Festival of Fools
When my husband and I were considering moving to Vermont we found one of the largest drivers to Burlington was how hard this town pushes the arts. Being an artist at heart (though my drawings may say otherwise) I have always been mesmerized by people who can express themselves through their paintings, drawings, and written words. Even more those that can express themselves though performance; while I have tried, I’m not sure I could ever be that brave. At a very young age I learned to express myself through words. From writing a diary as a very young girl, writing poetry as a disgruntled emo teenager, to being a blogger through both personal and professional means. I have always hidden being my words and used them to express myself. Maybe this is why I have always loved the arts, loved theater, live music, and museums more than the average person. It’s no surprise that I dated musicians growing up, was once a theater major, and ended up marrying an artist (he had me at hello)… who’s sister is also an art teacher. It’s no surprise that my 4 year old loves to paint, sing, and dance in the rain.

There is something about watching a performance. It truly is amazing.

When the BVTMB team decided to write a monthly spotlight on our local non-profits I jumped at the chance to write about the Festival of the Fools. Sure, I love art, most people do! But this isn’t just a cool festival that is affordable (in most cases free), fun for the family, and diverse. It’s also part of what makes our town unique, and supports a cause that is often looked over. In accordance to the mission of the Burlington City Arts’ foundation the Festival of Fools offers free events, open to the public and appropriate for all age groups. And here it is, a spotlight including highlights on an event you won’t want to miss this weekend!

The Festival Starts this Friday and runs until end of day Sunday. There will be some phenomenal acts and performance, I promise. Check out the schedule here.

Festival of Fools Burlington VT
Photo credits to Raychel Severance and Mark Harlan — at Burlington City Arts.

What can you expect?

1} A fun time – each year since our boys have been born we have brought them to the festival and just walked around. You can plan your day by checking out the schedule or you can choose to just drive to the city and walk around like we do. Either way you are bound to have a fun time and see some awesome stuff. Seriously.

2} You can choose how much or how little you want to spend. There are both free and paid options at the Festival, making it possible for any family to enjoy this event. One of the most incredible parts of the BCA includes the mission to bring arts into the community regardless of financial status. So don’t worry if your budget is tight, you can still head over, pack a lunch, and have a great time watching performers that you would otherwise pay to see.

3} Loads of special events– There are special events scheduled for both couples and families that go beyond the street performances and live music. Much like the rest of the event there are both paid and unpaid options based on what you are looking for. Some highlights include:

Friday Night Date night:

  • LEWIS BLACK – THE RANT IS DUE: PART DEUX – Flynn Center Performance
  • Full Moon Masquerade – Check out the schedule here.
  • P PROJECT – Adults only event that is a performance made by you. This sounds super fun and awesome. Check it out here.

Weekend Family Friendly Events:

Ship of Fools III featuring Dead Set
Saturday, August 1st, 7pm
Lake Champlain Ferry, King Street Dock
Tickets $20: Check out the schedule here.

This event runs from 7PM – 10PM so is likely for late night kiddos only. But all ages are welcome!

Kids Rock the Park! – City Hall Park
Sunday, August 2nd 12-5:30pm
This you won’t want to miss if you are planning to bring your family with you to the Festival. Sunday has been coined as Sunday “Funday” for the Festival and the park is reserved for events for the kids BY the kids. We were here last year and our children were beyond thrilled.

Between all of the music, performances, and family fun this is truly and event you won’t want to miss. I hope to see you there!!

About the BCA

BCA LogoBurlington City Arts (BCA) has served the cultural and artistic needs of the Greater Burlington area for more 30 years. Our vision is to fuse a dynamic relationship between the arts and community, to nurture creativity and imagination, and to ignite a passion for learning through the arts. You can donate or join the BCA by visiting the site at: http://www.burlingtoncityarts.org/

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Tara Robertson
Originally from New Jersey my family would frequent VT for ski vacations and always saw the green mountains as a second home. When my husband Jake and I were ready to settle down we quickly found Burlington to be the perfect home for us both. We have been in VT since 2008 and now have 2 wonderful, spirited, and busy boys (Wyatt - 4, Zayne - 2) and an absolutely insane puppy, Ike. I telecommute from my home in Williston and am on a constant quest to balance being a full time executive with the demands of being mommy. Thankfully I also carry some form of super power productivity gene that forces me to multi-task at an absurd level (also known as the mommy gene)! When I'm not working or saving the world one band-aid at a time I love trying my hand at gardening, pretending to workout, and exploring. My family loves Burlington and all the area has to offer through community, health, fun, and local and sustainable living. I am so honored to be a part of this amazing team!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hello! I’m the Executive Director of Technology For Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that unites local students with senior citizens for free technology training classes. Multigenerational learning is so important and we are preparing to expand our services to new demographics. We would love to be featured! We offer scholarships to participating students to assist with the financial burden of educational endeavors. Contact me if you’d like to know more.

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