Burlington City Arts is proud to announce the 11th annual Festival of Fools, presented by Community Bank, N.A. - a free, all ages street performance festival overtaking downtown Burlington, Vermont, August 3 through 5. Festival of Fools features the best international street performers from around the globe and transforms the downtown district into a world of foolish fun.
Four stages (also known as pitches) on Church Street Marketplace, City Hall Park, Red Square and Vermont Comedy Club will feature three full days of acrobatic feats, circus arts, quirky comedy, diverse music and other surprises. More than 100 performances will entertain an estimated 100,000 visitors and residents throughout the weekend–making it one of New England’s largest festivals and an internationally recognized festival celebrating street performance.
Festival of Fools celebrates the inclusive art of busking and street performance. Coined in Great Britain during the 1860s, busking has been a popular art form in every dominant culture since antiquity. Devoted to community engagement and making the arts accessible, Burlington City Arts curates the Festival to offer free events, open to the public and appropriate for all age groups. This year, the Festival is pleased to be working in association with Signal Kitchen as a creative development and music programming partner.
2018 highlights include:
• Acoustic street performances by Grammy winners Flor de Toloache, Marco Benevento, What Cheer? Brigade, and Spirit Family Reunion
• New buskers including Zip Code Man, USA Breakdancers, MC Shoehorn and Burlington based aerialists Nicole Dagasse and Natalie Cronin
• The return of Festival favorites the Kif Kif Sisters, Alakazam, FliP, Cate Great, and Michael Trautman
• Exciting partnerships with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Mozart Festival Opera and an interactive experience by Lee Anderson (Radio Bean)
• Check out the performer bios at the end of this release!
Full information about performers and festival events can be found at www.vermontfestivaloffools.com.
Burlington City Arts’ Festival of Fools is presented by Community Bank, N.A. The event is also sponsored by CityPlace Burlington, Dealer.com, Hendrick’s Gin, Leunig’s Bistro & Café, and Samuel Adams. Media sponsorship by Independent Radio The Point, WPTZ-TV, and Seven Days. Musical programming is in association with Signal Kitchen. Chris Gethard performances are in partnership with Vermont Comedy Club.
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