Thanks to our generous sponsors, the Festival is going strong and continuing to grow every year. Burlington City Arts does an outstanding job coordinating and producing this Festival and so many other exciting summer events in Burlington’s downtown, including the Summer Concert Series in City Hall Park and the Discover Jazz Festival.
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
I encourage you all to support BCA by becoming a member and hope to see you during the Foolish parade on Church Street.
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
Warmly, Miro Weinberger Mayor, City of Burlington
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS STAFF
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS STAFF
Festival Director: Zach Williamson Artistic Director & Co-Founder: Woody Keppel Creative Partner and Music Programming: Signal Kitchen Operations Manager: Regina Riccitelli Company Manager: Tim Furst Volunteer Coordinator: Kyla Waldron Operations Team: Kit Kat Colson, Abra Clawson, Peter Crummy, Graham Peterson Technicians: Leo Ashby, Mark Kalbfleisch Catering: Treetop Kitchen Security: Chocolate Thunder Security Services Audio: Kevin Healey Lighting: Patrick Orr
Executive Director: Doreen Kraft Assistant Director: Sara Katz Communications Director: Andrew Krebbs Art Director: Ted Olson Event & Production Manager: Zach Williamson Development Projects: Deb Caulo
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE ALL PERFORMANCES AND ACTIVITIES ARE FREE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5
Noon | City Hall Park
11 a.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
10 a.m. | BCA Plaza in City Hall Park
11-10 p.m.
11-6 p.m
Noon | City Hall Park
Noon | City Hall Steps
1 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
1:45 p.m. | City Hall Steps
MUSIC BEGINS AT RED SQUARE/ SAM ADAMS PITCH
2 p.m. | Steps of City Hall
2 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
4 p.m.
3 p.m.
2-6 p.m. | City Hall Park
BCA SUMMER CONCERTS PRESENT JUST FOR KICKS Noon-10 p.m.
BUSKING ON CHURCH STREET 3 p.m. | Top Block
SCHOOL OF FOOLERY PERFORMANCE 4 p.m.
BANK STREET PITCH OPENS WITH A PERFORMANCE BY FLOR DE TOLOACHE
FLOR DE TOLOACHE
BUSKING ON CHURCH STREET SABAR DRUM CLASS SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION
WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE MUSIC BEGINS AT RED SQUARE/ SAM ADAMS PITCH
OPERA: BASTIEN UND BASTIENNE BUSKING ON CHURCH STREET WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION MR. CHRIS AND FRIENDS KIDS ROCK THE PARK! 3 p.m.
3 p.m. | Bank Street Pitch
SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION
MUSIC BEGINS AT RED SQUARE/ SAM ADAMS PITCH
JOIN US FOR A FOOLISH PARADE ON CHURCH STREET
4:30 p.m. | Top Block Pitch
3 p.m. | City Hall Park
5:45 p.m | Steps of City Hall
6 p.m. | Bank Street Pitch
5:30 p.m.
MAYORAL PROCLAMATION 6 p.m. | Steps of City Hall
WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE 7:30 p.m. | Ticketed VT Comedy Club/Hendrick’s Pitch
CHRIS GETHARD 8 p.m. | Top Block
LEE ANDERSON’S aMAZEment EXPERIENCE 8:30 p.m. | Ticketed
FOOLS AFTER PARTY AT CLUB METRONOME 9:30 p.m. | Ticketed VT Comedy Club/Hendrick’s Pitch
CHRIS GETHARD
FLOR DE TOLOACHE
MARCO BENEVENTO
6:30 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
JEH KULU DRUM AND DANCE THEATER 4 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
MR. CHRIS AND FRIENDS
FOOLS PARTY WITH MAL MAIZ AND WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE
5 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
7:30 p.m. | Ticketed VT Comedy Club/Hendrick’s Pitch
6 p.m. | City Hall Park/Dealer.com Stage
CHRIS GETHARD
8:30 p.m. | Ticketed
FOOLS AFTER PARTY AT CLUB METRONOME 9:30 p.m. | Ticketed Vermont Comedy Club/Hendrick’s Pitch
CHRIS GETHARD
THE HOKUM BROTHERS
THE LAST LAUGH FESTIVAL VARIETY SHOW
Since this is an outdoor festival, locations and times for each performance could change. Visit vermontfestivaloffools.com or visit the information booth during the event, located in front of City Hall.
& PARKER SHPER
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
& TOM PEARO
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How does this Fools weekend work? Festival of Fools overtakes Church Street Marketplace and City Hall Park for three consecutive days of urban insanity. On Church Street, there are new performances every hour at four different performance pitches. You can watch one performance by Leunig’s at 2 p.m. and then catch a different act in front of City Place Burlington at 3 p.m. Just about everything is free, but tipping the performers at the end of an act is the standard practice for street performances. Don’t be shy. During the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, we’ll animate City Hall Park with our Dealer.com Stage and bring genuinely unique music and
dance to the Market. On Sunday, our Kids Rock the Park afternoon is a truly awesome experience for the young and young at heart. Where else can you hear Mr. Chris tell you, “you’re something beautiful,” hold a snake, shoot a PVC sling-shot and play with a cardboard pinball creation? It all happens while shows are happening every hour on Church Street. And comedy at the Vermont Comedy Club. And music in front of City Hall. And a parade. And some after-parties at Club Metronome. It’s a whirlwind. It’s Festival of Fools!
LEE ANDERSON’S AMAZEMENT EXPERIENCE TOP OF BLOCK PITCH
CITY PLACE BURLINGTON PITCH
LEUNIG’S BISTRO & CAFE PITCH
SAM ADAM’S PITCH RED SQUARE CITY HALL
HENDRICK’S GIN PITCH VT COMEDY CLUB
In the event of inclement weather, performances will be paused and/or cancelled. When the weather clears, we will re-start our performances outside. In the event of a complete rain-out, we will move select programs into Contois Auditorium in City Hall.
FREE SPECIAL EVENTS
JUST FOR KICKS KICK OFF PARADE AT THE BCA AND MAYORAL SUMMER CONCERT PROCLAMATION SERIES
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
Friday, August 3, Noon BCA Plaza in City Hall Park Get the Festival weekend started with some swing in your step! Join us for our noon performance with Burlington’s Just For Kicks on the BCA Plaza, part of the Summer Concert Series, presented by VSECU and Burton. Watch this troupe’s moves as they perform their classic routines in City Hall Park! Just For Kicks extends their raw energy and joy on the wings of the 1920s, 30s and 40s authentic jazz. And they wear the clothes to match! The hour-long show will be both a performance and an opportunity for the audience to work on their moves and get some informal instruction. Come watch and learn!
Friday, August 3, 5:30 p.m. Church Street Marketplace Help the City end the work week and usher in the 11th Annual Festival of Fools weekend. This rag-tag parade of Fools begins at the top of Church Street and ends at the steps of our fair City Hall, where the Mayor shall declare the weekend a Fools Weekend. It’s not a parade for bystanders and spectators! Find your inner foolishness and join in the fun! Parade yourself down the street with music by What Cheer? Brigade alongside our ensemble of Fools performers, the campers from the School of Foolery, the swinging moves of Just For Kicks, a juggling Mayor Miro Weinberger and the Community Bank staff. Following the Mayoral proclamation, get your groove on with an on-the-street performance by What Cheer? Brigade. This party brigade will get the weekend party started with loud brass and drumming. Not to be missed.
LEE ANDERSON’S aMAZEment PARK Friday, August 3, 8 p.m. Top Block of Church Street The aMAZEment Park: saunter through a living vaudevillian tableau. An obstacle course of the absurd through a jungle of jingles, jesters, and jolly. Sages will show you the way to go and not to go to get where you got to go or not to go. The walls are thin, thin enough to hear the solution but the ‘where?’ is thick, thick enough to sustain the confusion. The end is near the end of near... so they say, don’t they?
FOOLS IN THE PARK W/ WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE & MAL MAIZ Saturday, August 4, 6-9:45 p.m. City Hall Park Friends, family, and fools from far and wide, come join us at Burlington’s City Hall Park on Saturday, August 8 to celebrate the 11th annual Festival Of Fools. 20-piece brass band The What Cheer? Brigade and Costa Rican gypsy devil Mal Maiz and his Afro-Cumbia Orchestra will bring the dance vibes. There will be a full bar with speciality cocktails from Hendricks Gin. And thanks to our pals at Dealer.com, this event is free!
VERMONT MOZART KIDS ROCK FESTIVAL OPERA: THE PARK BASTIEN UND Sunday, August 5, 2-6 p.m. BASTIENNE
LAST LAUGH VARIETY SHOW Sunday, August 5, 6 p.m. City Hall park/Dealer.Com Stage
City Hall Park
Sunday, August 5, 10 a.m. BCA Plaza in City Hall Park Oh Festival of Fools, you never stay in your lane! Why not stage a family opera on Sunday morning? We figure a fair number of you will be still getting your day going, but the families – we know you’re up and looking for something to do! We’re excited to partner with the Vermont Mozart Festival to present a semi-staged Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart one-act opera comedy, Bastien und Bastienne, on Sunday, August 5 on the BCA Plaza in City Hall Park at 10 a.m. Free and family ready. And we’ll have free coffee from our park neighbors, Monarch and the Milkweed. Sung in English, the roles will be sung by Vermont’s favorite singers including Sarah Cullins (soprano), Adam Hall (tenor) and Erik Kroncke (bass), in collaboration with the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra. This songful and light Mozart opera combines the brilliance of music written at the age of 12 with a story about a Shepherd, Shepherdess, and a Soothsayer or Magician. This production is especially appropriate for audiences of young children and families.
It’s true. Kids Rock. And on Sunday, August 5, we let ‘em rock all over City Hall Park. Kids Rock the Park is an excellent afternoon with fun and foolish activities for kids and their older counterparts. We set up the park with activities and fun experiences from 2-6 p.m. Headlining the Dealer.com Stage in City Hall Park is none other than Mr. Chris and Friends! He’ll play your favorites at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. At 3 p.m. you can shake your booty with an interactive lawn performance by Jeh Kulu Drum and Dance Theater. It’s their first appearance at Festival of Fools, but we’re pleased to present them during Kids Rock the Park and get their drums blazing in the afternoon sun. Throughout the afternoon, catch an aerial extravaganza with Nicole and Natalie. Then spend some time with the Big Blue Trunk and their PVC inventions, sure to keep the kids and their creative minds humming for at least an hour! Snakes in the Park!!! Kevin Clarkson, of 802 Reptiles, will be back again this year doing a super fun reptile meet and greet for Festival of Fools, from 3-5 pm.
It’s a hands-on experience that will give you the opportunity to pet, hold and take pictures with various lizards and snakes. We’ll also have Dux the Balloon Guy making fools-inspired balloon creations, the crazy PinBox 3000 Inventors and the BCA Studios providing make and take art activities. At 5 p.m. grab your spot in front of the Dealer.com Stage to catch a performance by the Hokum Bros. This show leads directly into the Last Laugh Variety Show.
RED SQUARE FREE EVENTS* Friday, August 3 THE RIGHTLY SO 4 p.m. THE DIRK QUINN BAND 7 p.m. DJ KERMIT (BLUE ROOM) 10 p.m. DJ CRAIG MITCHELL (BLUE ROOM) 11 p.m.
And that’s a wrap folks! As the Sunday sun sets on another great Festival of Fools, join us in the park for the Last Laugh. There’s no better way to see the breadth of performers that we had all weekend, from the Kif-Kif Sisters to USA Breakdancers. We do a mash-up of all of our 2018 performers and stage an offthe-cuff, never rehearsed variety show featuring the best of the Festival. It’s all backed by tunes from the Hokum Bros. that keeps things moving.
Saturday, August 4 LEFT EYE JUMP 3 p.m. LOS ELK 7 p.m. DJ MASHTODON 11 p.m. DJ RAUL (BLUE ROOM) 6 p.m. DJ ATAK (BLUE ROOM) 11 p.m.
Sunday, August 5 SUN KILLER INSTINCTS 3 p.m. LAZER DAD 7 p.m. DJ MAX JADE 11 p.m.
* Cover charge applies after 9 P.M.
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
PERFORMERS
ALAKAZAM
CATE GREAT
FLIP
Sydney, Australia
Boston, MA
Quebec, Canada
Can you even touch your toes? If you’re one of those people who struggles to cross your legs while seated, your jaw will drop in awe upon seeing Alakazam. Al is coming back to Festival of Fools, and he’s one of our original performers, having been a good friend of the Festival since its beginning eleven years ago. He’s been in knots with it ever since and hasn’t been back since 2013.
Festival of Fools is pleased to welcome back Boston’s Cate Great. Last seen gracing our streets in 2015, Cate skillfully and insanely combines comedy, acrobatics and athletic prowess to the delight of her fans. She blends high-end circus with her unique brand of comedy. You will be charmed by her wit and astounded by her skill. Whether she is precariously balanced on her rolla bolla or defying gravity balanced on her hands, you will be thrilled and amazed. “Rolla bolla” you say? Come check her out.
The fearless foursome family of fools is returning to Festival of Fools after their fantastic performances last summer. If you see someone flying through the air above the crowds, it must be FLiP! The sassy flavor of this candy-coated performance artistry offers acrobatic prowess and impeccable physical timing wrapped in a hilarious crinkly wrapper. A real treat that’s sure to please!
Born in Sydney, Australia, Al is literally a human knot and has performed his one-person show in 36 countries over the past 20 years. Through body contortions, truckloads of Aussie charm and daredevil feats, you’ll marvel at Al’s fast-paced and hilarious show and see why he’s considered one of the world’s best buskers. One of the world’s best here on Church Street.
Trained at The Quebec Circus School, Cate is a seventeen-year veteran of circus stage and street. She’s performed all over - in eleven different countries including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Dubai as well as most of the United States and Canada. She’s charming, she’s talented–she’s not just great, she’s Cate Great!
Martin Varallo and Dominique Major have performed and toured with Cirque du Soleil, Teatro Zinzanni, Pomp, Duck & Circum-stance as well as the world’s major Festivals. They have a circus school for young performers in Quebec, called FLiP!
FLOR DE TOLOACHE
THE HOKUM BROS.
KIF-KIF SISTERS
New York, NY
Charlotte, VT
Montreal, Canada
Mariachi music on Church Street? Played and sung by Grammy Award winners? It must be the Festival of Fools weekend! We are incredibly lucky to have the four members of New York’s Flor de Toloache with us all weekend. Catch them performing on the street and on our City Hall Park Stage. Unique and awesome, seeing them up close and un-mic’d on the Marketplace is an experience you won’t soon forget. These Latin Grammy winners made New York City history as its first and anly all-women mariachi group. Founded in 2008, Flor de Toloache is lead by singers Mireya I. Ramos & Shae Fiol. Reminiscent of the early days of mariachi the group started as a trio. Today, Flor De Toloache performs as a full Mariachi ensemble. The members hail from diverse cultural backgrounds such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, Germany, Italy and the United States. This defines their unique flavor and sound. The result of this cultural bouquet is an edgy, versatile and fresh take on traditional Mexican music. While working to preserve centuries old traditions of Mariachi, their melange of the traditional and the modern pushes the boundaries of the genre and brings Mariachi music to new audiences. Not to be missed.
These characters are favorites of the Festival. You can always count on the Hokum Bros to bring the Fool quotient to a new level with their songs and stage antics. Rare and original, their songs are catchy and integrated with humor, while their style of play is multifarious. Their lyrics speak of true-life experiences with a thread of the earliest cultural fabric we call Americana. Rare and original, The Hokum Bros. sing and patter their way into inspired silliness and offer enough sly satire and social commentary to ensure you’ll be wearing your happy face long after the show is over.
Flying bunnies, speeding French fries! The twins from the North have returned! Back by popular demand after their hilariously quirky debut in 2017, these identical twins fight giant pink monsters, practice the art of snacking and ensure the triumph of the umbilical cord. The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode. These sisters have been inseparable since the womb and have many years of street performing all over the world, from the Americas to Asia. Their primary sources of inspiration are tenderness and riots.
ADDITIONAL TICKETED SHOW: Fools After Party at Club Metronome, Aug 3. $15
“Kif-Kif” means “same same” in French. They are a young duo formed by two identical twins that spread their creations in Quebec City (Canada) and around the world. Humor, twinship and saturated colors are at the heart of their performances. They’re charming and unique and we’re so pleased to have them return to the festival.
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
PERFORMERS
MAL MAIZ
MARCO BENEVENTO MC SHOEHORN
Burlington, VT
New York, NY
Portland, OR
Costa Rican gypsy devil Maiz Vargas Sandoval and his Afro-Latino Orchestra are returning to the Festival of Fools! It’s becoming a habit! Last year they put on an amazing and exciting show in City Hall Park, the middle of Main Street and a very amazing fire show in front of City Hall. This year this hot dance band will be rocking out on our City Hall Park Saturday night with both traditional and modern flair.
Ok – Marco Benevento fans listen up: Marco will be at the Festival for ONE AMAZING, FREE performance. ONE. He’s going to be popping up and doing a solo acoustic set in the middle of Bank Street. We’re as excited as you are! And if we can’t stop the traffic, we know he will. Check back later or follow us socially for exact time and location details. It’s a Festival first.
A one, a two, a one two three four! Ok, just one. MC Shoehorn is a one-of-a-kind oneperson band that will blow your socks off. A performance artist who creates music with his feet and dances with his horn, Michael “Shoehorn” Conley combines body rhythms and sophisticated jazz forms into an entertaining spectacle. (Shoehorn, get it?) While specializing in sax and tap dance, he is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer, utilizing a variety of wind and percussion instruments, classic and original songs, and an ear for music from around the world. We’re pleased to bring him from the Northwest to the Northeast to busk his foolish talents on Church Street. He’s a shoe-in for Festival of Fools!
Based out of Burlington, Mal Maiz blends traditional cumbia, latin, reggae, and AfroCaribbean sounds. The band features John Thompson-Figuroa, Mike Hartigan, Colin Henkel, Graham Thompson and others. We’ll see you in City Hall Park for this free party!
And then for those of you who don’t know, for more than a decade pianist Marco Benevento has been amassing an extensive body of work. His studio albums and live performances set forth a vision that connects the dots in the vast space between LCD Soundsystem and Leon Russell, pulsating with dance rock energy, but with smart, earthy songwriting to match. It has led to numerous high profile appearances, ranging from Carnegie Hall to Pickathon, Mountain Jam to Treefort Festival, while headlining shows coast to coast. As anybody who’s seen Marco Benevento perform can attest, with eyes closed, smile wide across his face and fingers free-flowing across the keys, he’s a satellite to the muse. With a devout and growing fan-base, Benevento is an artist whose story is only beginning to unfold. ADDITIONAL TICKETED SHOWS: Fools After Party at Club Metronome Aug 3 & 4. $15
MICHAEL TRAUTMAN
MR. CHRIS AND FRIENDS
NATALIE & NICOLE AERIAL ACT
Portland, ME
Shelburne, VT
Burlington, VT
What are all of these ping pong balls on Church Street? Oh, it’s Michael Trautman! He’s back and we’re thrilled! Michael Trautman began studying mime in 1976, and in 1977 was invited to become a founding member of MIMEWOCK, a Kansas City-based school, and performing company. He went on to train with Tony Montanaro at Celebration Barn, working with Tony for over twenty years. In 1987, he trained with Jacques Lecoq at Ecole Jacques Lecoq. Throughout his 40+ years as a performing artist, he has been having fun traveling throughout the world and has achieved a very high level of fulfillment from providing comic relief to those in need.
You’ve seen him on Vermont PBS. You’ve seen him at Burger Night. Your kids know the lyrics to his catchy and smart tunes. Your whole family knows the dance moves to Let’s Grow Kids’ brilliant ‘Something Beautiful.’ Now catch Mister Chris & Friends as they headline our Kids Rock The Park day! Families young and old gather in City Hall Park on Sunday, August 5 for this fun and foolish family day from 2-5 p.m.
There’s something in the air! There’s something in the sky! Local performing artists and aerial masters Natalie Cronin and Nicole Dagesse will showcase sultry solos and dazzling duets; incorporating exhilarating drops, innovative fabric manipulation, and creative ground dance. We’ll be setting up their aerial rig on the Top Block of Church Street on Friday and then in City Hall Park on Saturday and Sunday. You know, just a regular weekend in Burlington.
Variously identified as a visual comic, performance artist, new vaudevillian, mime (gasp), physical comedian, storyteller, magician, and fool, he claims only to be a clown…and not a very traditional clown at that. He has appeared in the New York International Festival of Clown Theater, Festival D’Ete in Quebec, the Just For Laughs Festival, and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He has little discretion and we’re pleased he makes time to make Burlington laugh all weekend.
Mister Chris & Friends is a musical project focused on the simple beauty of childhood, parenthood, and community. Singersongwriter and educator, Chris Dorman, writes, records, and performs thoughtful and tender songs that captivate multigenerational audiences. These original songs are written with the most sensitive ears in mind and are the foundation for the music and movement program, Music For Sprouts, as well as a new children’s television show called Mister Chris and Friends, created by Chris and produced by Vermont PBS. Chris lives with his family on their community farm, Bread & Butter Farm, in Shelburne/South Burlington. Playing the Festival of Fool is a first for Mister Chris & Friends, and we couldn’t be happier. “Jump, jump, jump all around. Jump until your feet hit the ground.”
Nicole Dagesse, artistic director of Murmurations Dance and World Tree Yoga, teaches classes in aerial dance, improvisation, and choreography (North End Studios) and aerial yoga (Sangha Studio) to both children and adults. Natalie Cronin is the advanced aerial teacher at World Tree and specializes in creative sequencing and rigorous conditioning for aerial silks. All ages and levels are encouraged to experience aerial dance to develop increased strength, flexibility, and creativity in a collaborative and supportive environment. Come and get a taste of what they can do with their free shows at Festival of Fools. We’re pleased to be presenting local talent!
PERFORMERS
SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
New York, NY From the street, to the stage, and with the Festival of Fools, back to the street! We’re pleased to welcome Spirit Family Reunion to our unique weekend here in Burlington. Spirit Family began singing together on the street corners of New York City in 2009. Since that time they have traveled the highways of America delivering raw, high energy, honest music. They have shared the stage with musical heroes such as Pete Seeger and Levon Helm, and have given notable performances at festivals including Stage Coach, Austin City Limits, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and the legendary Newport Folk Festival three times. The band has self-produced and self-released two full-length studio albums – “No Separation” (2012) and “Hands Together” (2015) – along with multiple songbooks and other collections of recordings. They are currently working on a new record and are taking time to come and have fun. Catch them on our City Hall Park Stage during the Farmers Market on Saturday and then look for them doing unique acoustic sets on Church Street on Saturday and Sunday. ADDITIONAL TICKETED SHOW: Fools After Party at Club Metronome Aug 4. $15
USA BREAKDANCERS WHAT CHEER? Tampa, FL BRIGADE We’re importing this pair from Tampa so they can break it down on the bricks of the Marketplace all weekend. The USA Breakdancers are an award-winning street show and are considered one of the top street acts in the world. Julio “Klown” Santiago is the founder of The USA Breakdancers. He is a 32-year veteran street performer and legendary street dancer. He is a former cast member of Micheal Jackson “The Immortal World Tour” by Cirque Du Soleil and had the honor of meeting The Jackson’s. Joining him is Justin “Animal” Scott a top B-boy and former cast member of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters Trotters. Together this odd couple will perform a high energy, interactive, family fun show that will have you begging for more. As you stroll the Marketplace, listen for their beats and look for their impressive moves. We’re pleased they’re joining us for their Vermont premiere!
Providence, RI The Festival of Fools always thrives with a great brass group. We scored this year and are thrilled to present What Cheer? Brigade for three high-energy days in Burlington. The Brigade is a 20-piece brass band hailing from Providence, RI. They easily prove that great parties need no electricity. We talked to them about what mics and stage size they need for their stage show – all the standard questions. They wrote back and said they don’t need mics and don’t like stages. They want to party with the people. Perfect. “Thrillingly competent, with undimmable energy…an explosion of good cheer.”- The New York Times “They never actually took a stage, but Providence, RI’s What Cheer? dominated the Newport Folk Fest like a headliner.”-SPIN Since 2005, the band has been as likely to appear at community benefits as at all-night parties, playing bars, clubs, streets, libraries, cemeteries, weddings, bus stops, and playgrounds, and now Church Street. Look for them popping up all over the Church Street all weekend and then see them (in front of) our City Hall Park stage on Saturday evening. They will also lead our Festival Parade down Church Street on Friday at 5:30.
YO YO GUY Portland, ME Last year we had a great time introducing you all to Yo-Yo mastery with Mark Hayward. This year, join us as our collective jaws drop while watching John Higby, the YoYo Guy! John presents a high-energy, high skill comedy show that has been seen in 26 countries. He has five Guinness World Records under his belt and was recently featured at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia and the Gong Show on ABC. Come out and see the Yo-Yo Guy perform on Church Street all weekend. Not to be missed.
ZIPCODE MAN Boulder, CO Zip codes. Those tricky five-digit numbers are hard to remember for most of us. We’re pleased to introduce you to a very memorable man, Zipcode Man. New to the Festival, Boulder’s David Rosdeitcher began as a touring street performer presenting more traditional fair. As he toured, he started memorizing zip codes. He soon realized his potential – he could become ZIPCODE MAN ... nailed it. Zipcode man has memorized thousands of zip codes. Thousands. He can even tell you something about the locale – like the restaurant on the corner across from the train station. With this arsenal, he’s traveled the world and been interviewed by NPR. We can’t wait to see you try to stump him!
CHRIS GETHARD New York, NY Festival of Fools is pleased to partner with the Vermont Comedy Club again this year. Too much time outside on the street? Get your tickets and save your seat in Vermont’s top-rated comedy venue. Foolishness rolls downhill, right to the doors of VCC where you’ll find Chris Gethard! Chris Gethard is the host and star of Funny or Die’s “The Chris Gethard Show” on TruTV and the host of the popular Earwolf podcast “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People.” Chris recently starred in the Mike Birbiglia film, “Don’t Think Twice” and can be seen as ‘Todd’ on Comedy Central’s “Broad City.”Other credits include Comedy Central’s “Inside Amy Schumer,” NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office” and the film “The Heat.” Chris is the author of the book “A Bad Idea I’m About to Do,” and his first stand-up album (“My Comedy Album”) debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in 2014. Chris’s one-person show, “Career Suicide” (produced by Judd Apatow) just premiered on HBO after completing a successful off-broadway run at The Lynn Redgrave Theatre in NYC. It’s your chance to catch Chris on the Vermont Comedy Club’s Stage. Also featured will be Fools and Hendrick’s inspired drinks, crafted by VCC’s award-winning staff. TICKETED SHOWS: VT Comedy Club, Aug 3 & 4, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $25 general admission, $32 VIP Tickets
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SPONSORS
BURLINGTON CITY ARTS
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
2018
#FESTIVALOFFOOLS
#BTVCITYARTS
VERMONTFESTIVALOFFOOLS.COM
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• No cost to you • Local support • Low customer fees • Built-in promotion • Custom options
NEED HELP? HIT ME UP! Madie Ahrens 865-1020, ext. 10 tickets@sevendaysvt.com
7/13/17 4:12 PM
Smiles all around!
We are proud to support our local Burlington community and are happy to be supporting the 11th annual Festival of Fools. At Community Bank, our philosophy is simple: We put our customers first in everything we do. So we work not only to understand your financial goals, but to get to know you as well. Stop into any branch and say hi, or visit us online. And see what it means to bank happy.
172 College Street, Burlington 1309 Williston Road, S. Burlington 364 Main Street, Winooski
communitybankna.com
Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC
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7/6/18 11:24 AM