Monster Smash
Thursday 16
Four decades after first plugging in, platinum-selling Big Head Todd & the Monsters enthrall listeners at Spruce Peak’s WhistlePig Pavilion in Stowe. The tight-knit rock outfit known for its chemistry both on and off the stage lights up the night with a bevy of blues-drenched bangers, including the 1993 chart-topper “Bittersweet” — so perfectly emblematic of that era.
Skin’s the Limit
Saturday 18
The oft-overlooked artistry of ink gets its moment at Bennington Museum’s Tattoo Living Exhibition, where showing some skin is encouraged. The gallery trades traditional frames for flesh as models and artists share the stories behind their permanent masterpieces and body-art enthusiasts enjoy scavenger hunts, music, food and a chance to vote for their favorite tats.
The Revivalists
Friday 17 & Saturday 18
At long last, Burlington’s Great Streets BTV revitalization initiative has come to a close, and it’s time to toast the town at the Main Street Block Party. To mark this new chapter for the Queen City, fresh downtown sidewalks transform into cultural corridors with live local tunes, public art tours, business pop-ups and large-scale prints pressed by actual steamrollers.
Drink It All In
Friday 17 & Saturday 18
The 33rd edition of the Vermont Brewers Festival takes Burlington’s Waterfront Park by storm with a whopping 40 participating breweries serving up more than 200 specialty beers. The hophead favorite continues to raise the bar (see what we did there?) with early-access VIP perks, unlimited NA pours for designated drivers and at-par ticket pricing for our thirsty Canadian neighbors.
Fair-Minded
Friday 17-Sunday 19
Midsummer staple Lamoille County Field Days brings old-fashioned family-friendly fun to Johnson. From high-stakes pig races and heavy ox pulls to dainty pinky lifting in Aunt Jane’s Tea Party Tent and memorable moments on the midway, the quintessential fair packs endless agricultural amusement into three dizzying days.
Little White Way
Monday 20
Colchester-born stage stalwart Merritt David Janes and his cohort of showbiz vets bring theatrical flair to Duxbury’s Moose Meadow Lodge with “Broadway in Vermont.” A rollicking lineup of classic show tunes and originals — peppered with behind-the-scenes industry anecdotes — wins over picnickers’ ears and hearts.
That’s All Folk
Tuesday 21
The Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green series continues with a resonant performance by acclaimed Americana duo Gillian Welch & David Rawlings at Shelburne Museum. Blending intricate instrumentals with poignant vocal harmonies, these modern acoustic-music pillars remind audience members why Rolling Stone magazine dubbed them “protectors of the American folk song.”