To Be Blunt
Thursday 31-Saturday 2
Standup comedian Atsuko Okatsuka ignites Burlington’s Vermont Comedy Club with back-to-back sold-out performances of her “FULL GROWN” tour. Okatsuka catapulted to fame in 2021 with an indelible debut on “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” prompting pop culture jurist Vulture to declare that she “won late night.” Now the ascendant queen of comedy — and bowl cuts — brings that acclaim to the Queen City.
Rhythms of the Night
Saturday 2
Papa loves mambo, Mama loves mambo — we all love mambo! Next Stage Arts’ Bandwagon Summer Series rages on with Jonathan Powell’s Mambo Jazz Party at Cooper Field in Putney. The trumpet prodigy leads an ensemble of gifted musicians in a program fusing the irresistible rhythms of salsa with the electrifying textures of modern jazz. Scoville scale warning: Expect habañero-level heat from these sounds.
Boyhood Blues
Thursday 31-Sunday 3
What’s the opposite of a coming-of-age story? The high-flying, Tony Award-winning musical Peter Pan, which never grows old and never grows up. Lost Boys, pixies and a pinch of magic take over the Opera House at Enosburg Falls in a community theater production based on the treasured tale by J.M. Barrie. Embrace your inner child and escape into a world where crocodiles tick and pirates sing and dance.
Cream of the Crop
Friday 1
Northeast Kingdom farmers and agricultural orgs get their moment in the sun at the annual Community Farm & Food Celebration at Atkins Field in Hardwick. A vibrant program of activities offers something for everyone in the fam, including horse-drawn wagon rides, live Indigenous music, a high-voltage performance by Circus Smirkus and the ultimate draw: baby goats.
Bigger Is Better
Friday 1
Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green continue with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band on the pastoral hillside of Shelburne Museum. The singer, composer and actor, whose accolades include a walloping 14 albums and four Grammy Awards, fronts the humorously huge 14-piece in a concert defying musical conventions with a mix of blues, country, folk, gospel and swing.
Hot Blooded
Saturday 2
Make tracks to Vermont Institute of Natural Science’s fur-filled Magnificent Mammals Day in Quechee. Biodiversity abounds at an education-packed exploration of every corner of the wild world, from scat to bats. Prepare to be amazed by Mother Nature, with programs including skull matching, mammal crafts and a screening of the locally filmed documentary New Neighbors: The Beavers of Allen Brook.
The Female Gaze
Ongoing
Painter Tracy Burtz‘s tender solo exhibit “Unspoken” makes an impression at Edgewater Gallery on the Green in Middlebury. Burtz employs joyful yet soft colors and gestural, impressionistic brushwork à la Mary Cassatt to explore the modern feminine experience. Resonant large-scale portraits compel gallerygoers with quiet, emotionally charged scenes of women in everyday life.