Sparkle Stories

Sparkle Stories
online audio stories for children and families

Yes, storytelling is still alive! And of course, coming to you from Vermont. Surprised? We’re not.

Every week Sparkle Stories releases a new audio story to subscribers. It’s simple – you subscribe or purchase audiobooks and get access to fun, inspiring and entertaining stories for the whole family.

In our crazy, connected world, Sparkle Stories is using technology to bring you back to a screen-free time. Partially unplug, give eyes a rest and let imaginations flourish allowing listeners to create scenes and images for themselves.

Interested? Listen to a story here.

Still not convinced? Read these testimonials. Buy for your own family or as a  great green gift for others. Have travel plans? Sparkle Stories also has accompanying printables for the Martin & Sylvia stories.

They were voted iTunes Best of 2013 by Apple for a reason!

artsriot

artsriot
celebrating and supporting music, food, art & culture in burlington

artsriot calls itself the battery street jeans* of events calendars. they collect sweet jeans events and post the sweetest to their site. it’s the best of the btv culture scene all in one place. not only does it celebrate and support the people who bring us this amazing array of culture, it also educates and promotes awareness of what’s going on in burlington’s vibrant creative community.

find out what’s hot  from cool indie bands to gallery receptions, fundraisers and just plain old bashes – such as switchback’s 10th anniversary party or browse all upcoming events listed by date.

artsriot also has a monthly dinner club called Isole – the story of food, a food anthropology journey. next one will be a day of the dead theme. they’ve also just acquired a space down on pine street behind speeder and earl’s – so expect to see their own art gallery and artsriot events as soon as november.

of special note is that artsriot also has apprenticeship and internship programs which offer excellent opportunities to burlington’s creative youth. what a great investment!

whether you’re already in the arts scene or want to get into it – this is the place to be – artsriot.com

*p.s. if you don’t know about battery street jeans – it’s about time you do!

south end art hop

south end art hop
vermont’s largest exhibition of visual art

for 20 years the south end arts & business association (seaba) has been presenting the south end art hop – a 3 day exhibition of visual art in burlington’s pine street corridor. with 60+ participating sites & 600 artists, the art hop attracts more than 30,000 visitors who ‘hop’ along pine street celebrating the vibrant arts community.

the weekend’s line-up of events is long and impressive. come and enjoy:

• concerts
• light shows
• comedy
• artist market
• kids hop
• fashion show – strut! (the only event you need to buy tickets for)
• juried art show
• short film series
• dog hop
• pottery wheel demonstrations
• brewery tours
• taste the world
• artist’s studios
• and more…

here’s a full list of this year’s art hop events, where you’ll also find a full list of participating artists and sites as well this great map.

not sure how to start? check out this awesome “go-with-the-flow-chart” from seven days (sponsors of strut!) helping you navigate the art hop. it’s broken down for families, foodies, thrill seekers and foward thinkers. we love this clever chart!

the fun starts friday – so get hopping!

p.s. seaba’s thinking of having an artcar parade next year – if you like that cool idea email them at info@seaba.com with artcar parade in the subject line.

wherebear

 

wherebear
wherebear gets you there

have you seen that bear around burlington? wonder what it is?

where bear is a startup that helps you figure out what’s going on in burlington at any given time. basically, it’s a visual map on a timeline of what going on in burlington.

they focus on:

• food – restaurants – the orange line
• drinks – bars – the purple line
• live music and other events – the blue line

all listed alphabetically for the time being – and as they grow look for more sorting options.

whether you live here or are just visiting – take a look and see what’s happening in burlington right now!

burlington farmers market

 

burlington farmers market
year round. rain or shine.

held outside in burlington every saturday from mother’s day weekend through the last saturday on october, this is one farmers market you don’t want to miss. you’ll find it right in downtown burlington’s city hall park, right off the church street marketplace. during the off months you’ll find the winter farmers market  in burlington’s memorial auditorium.

you’ll find more than 60 stands will everything vermont from delicious foods, crafts, wares, flowers and lots of fun. It’s the best place to check out new vermont made goodies.

there is so much great stuff – we couldn’t give you our favorites because the list would be too long.

you’ll find products galore – it’s all there including:

baked goods
cheeses
chocolates
eggs
fresh veggies & fruits
honey
jams & jellies
jewelry
maple everything
meats
mustards
pasta

plus all sorts of incredible artisan wares, prepared foods and entertainment. check out this video. and if you’re looking for a specific vendor you can check their vendor list.

put this on your calendar and plan on going every saturday, if you can.

it’s worth the trip!

oh – and don’t have cash handy? you can use a debit card at the market manager’s table.

buy local. buy vermont.

burlington discover jazz festival

burlington discover jazz festival
june 1-10, 2012

a community based jazz festival that’s been held every year in burlington since 1983. with world-class programming, incredible events can be found all over the city:

• performances in intimate venues
• waterfront concerts
• street parties
• cruises on lake champlain
• meet-the-artist sessions
• master classes
• workshops

their mission says it all:

” to broaden awareness and appreciation of jazz through quality live performances of national and regional scope; present educational activities that illuminate the art form for students of all ages and backgrounds; showcase Vermont and regional jazz artists, including students; and create a vital city-wide community festival that contributes to the national jazz dialogue.”

take a look at the calendar of events, buy tickets in advance or just stroll into burlington and see what you’ll find.

you won’t be disappointed!

promise.

gigsmash

gigsmash
a live music search engine

still in beta, this is a cool new site and mobile app that ranks your local music shows. if you love live music –  then this is for you. it’s a centralized place for the live music scene in your area.

bands can:

• centralize their show listings
• expand their fan base
• stream their music
• connect with fans

venues can:

• get shows noticed
• let shows where the music is playing
• find bands that pack their place

fans can:

• learn where the next great show is
• find new bands to follow
• listen to the music before going to s show

streaming, voting, and centralized listings make it easier than ever to discover new artists, follow old favorites, or find tonight’s show – all on gigsmash!

check it out today and find out what’s playing this week – yes, including burlington. it’s FREE and you never know what new bands you might discover!