Big Laughs
Friday 21 & Saturday 22
If you’re down with late-night talk shows, you may have seen towering standup star Gary Gulman crush it for a live studio audience. At Burlington’s Vermont Comedy Club, the acclaimed comedian — known for his groundbreaking HBO special “The Great Depresh” — mines the depths of tall-guy awkwardness and good old-fashioned self-deprecation at back-to-back sold-out sets.
Hell Yeah, Brother
Sunday 23
The Music in the Meadow series summons listeners to Stowe’s rolling hills for a high-octane performance by Dan Tyminski Band at the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort Concert Meadow. The 14-time Grammy-winning bluegrass icon — whose vocals dubbed George Clooney’s booming singing voice in O Brother, Where Art Thou? — helms a concert of hits from his decades-long career.
Flying High
Friday 21 & Saturday 22
Culture, cuisine and camping extravaganza Fledge Fest invites revelers of all ages to spread their wings at Fledgling Farmstead in Tunbridge. Friday features a community potluck, contra dancing, short film screenings and a nocturnal moth exploration for night owls — all free. Saturday’s ticketed activities include a benefit bike ride, Earth-focused workshops and performances by 11 eclectic acts.
Wood Stock
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23
Curatorial team Two Chairs’ exhibit “WOOD: material, object, environment and idea” gets to the root of the matter in the field at Old Cheney and Kibby Camp roads in South Windham. Works by noteworthy names — including Louise Lawler, David Nash and Peter Coffin — invite viewers to consider the different ways we think about the meaning of the word “wood.”
Cream of the Crop
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23
The Best of Vermont Summer Festival toasts to local flavor with a weekend of culinary treasures, live music, fine art and kids’ activities at Okemo Field in Ludlow. Community pride abounds as the Green Mountains’ finest purveyors — from Smugglers’ Notch Distillery to Papa John’s Sugar Shack — serve up the kinds of specialty foods and artisan products that make the state so unique.
Chamber Made
Starts Saturday 22
Classical music lovers, take note! The Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival returns for nine days of super sonic delights. The annual summer staple brings world-class talent to Chittenden County venues for stirring seminars, illuminating lectures and live performances, spanning musical subjects from early 20th-century Russian luminaries to American spirituals.
With a Bit of Pluck
Monday 24 & Tuesday 25
Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green series continues at Shelburne Museum with indie-folk icon Gregory Alan Isakov, backed by the air-tight prowess of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. The South African-born singer-songwriter delivers introspective originals packed with poetic lyrics and melancholic melodies, enhanced by the ensemble’s atmospheric instrumentation.