Outdoor Festivals & Concerts in Vermont

Vermont’s mix of gorgeous scenery—which, we like to think, reaches a pinnacle here in the Green Mountains—and lively, artisanal, creative culture makes for a wonderful roster of outdoor festivals. From your serene, lakeside accommodations at the Mountain Top Inn & Resort, you’ve got a plethora of fun regional events to tempt you.

Mountain Top Strings

Heck, you don’t even need to leave our expansive grounds to enjoy some world-class outdoor music. Each summer, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra performs here at the Mountain Top on their Summer Festival Tour: your chance to hear classical masterpieces, iconic movie themes, and everything in between sat in our natural amphitheater meadow and under our lovely Green Mountain night skies. The VSO and its fireworks climax wowed at the resort on June 30: Don’t miss the show next year!

Wine Not?

A stone’s throw from our forested retreat, meanwhile, the Killington Wine Festival brings hundreds of wines and better than 40 globe-spanning wineries to the Green Mountains. The two-day event is capped by the Grand Tasting, which nearly counts as international travel as you sip and slurp your way through wide-ranging styles, terroirs, and appellations.

Other Nearby Festivals

Down at the foot of one of Vermont’s loftiest peaks, Stratton Mountain Music has an illustrious lineup of musicians taking the stage from July through October—among them legendary folksinger Judy Collins (July 23), reggae icons the Wailers (August 20), and the Dark Star Orchestra (October 9).

Hungry for more fresh-air tunes? We can’t say we blame you. Well, there’s always Woodchuck Hard Cider’s “Ciderstock,” held right at the long-running cidery in Middlebury (a 45 minute drive from Mountain Top). Live music, a diverse lineup of food vendors, and—naturally—plenty of refreshing hard cider distinguishes this daylong bash, which goes down this summer on August 20. Ciderstock 2016 will feature Sublime with Rome, the Dirty Heads, Wild Adriatic, and Villanelles (from Burlington!).

Middlebury also just wrapped up its 38^th annual Festival on the Green, one of the most beloved outdoor fetes in Vermont. This year’s performers included musicians from all over—from the Vermont Jazz Ensemble and “A Prairie Home Companion” veteran fingerpicker Pat Donohue to Mauritanian singer-songwriter Daby Touré—as well the No Strings Marionette Company and Vermont-based magician Tom Verner.

All things to keep in mind as you plan your Vermont summer trip next year! Whether you’re looking to groove to some live tunes, sample some near-and-far wines, or simply enjoy the company of friends and family during a world-class Vermont sunset, you’ve got loads of options in the festival and concert departments during a stay at the Mountain Top!

(photo credit Michael Beach)