VERMONT

Burlington Independence Day Celebration ready to light up waterfront July 3

Portrait of Sydney P. Hakes Sydney P. Hakes
Burlington Free Press

Burlington welcomes bright lights, local cuisine and entertainment to the waterfront for the Independence Day Celebration. According to the Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront website, July 3 is Vermont's largest display of fireworks all year.

Kicking off at 5 p.m., residents and visitors are encouraged to head to Waterfront, Battery and Oakledge parks to enjoy music, dancing and food before the fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Music from The Full Cleveland will continue after the fireworks until 11 p.m. Here's everything to know before coming out Thursday.

Food and entertainment

Food vendors include:

  • Ahli Baba's Kabob Shop
  • BTV Good Eats
  • Ben & Jerry's
  • Calito's Popsicles
  • Broccoli Bar
  • Cha Cha Garna Tostada Kitchen
  • Church St Cheesesteaks
  • Lake Champlain Chocolates
  • Mach's Mobile Pizza
  • Mr. Rick's Chuckwagon
  • North Country Specialty Foods
  • Only Cannoli
  • Roll Away Cafe
  • Rookie's Root Beer
  • Whoa Nellie Kettle Corn
Fireworks display lights up the night sky during waterfront Independence Day celebrations on July 3, 2023, in Burlington, Vermont.

Entertainment includes live music from the Burlington Concert Band in Battery Park. There is also a performance by Sambatucada, an afro-Brazilian percussion group that has been playing in Vermont since 1995.

There will be multiple performances by "Vermont's smoothest yacht rock" group The Full Cleveland. They specialize in the soft rock of 1970s Billboard Top 40.

Schedule

  • 5 p.m. Event officially starts, info tent opens, food vendors open, GMT shuttles start running
  • 5:30 p.m. Sambatucada starts on the boardwalk
  • 6 p.m. Lake & College intersection closes down to the College Street circle
  • 6:30 p.m. The Full Cleveland starts on the Main Stage
  • 7 p.m. Burlington Concert Band plays in Battery Park
  • 8:15 p.m. The Full Cleveland's second set begins
  • 9:30 p.m. Fireworks begin – downtown streets closed
  • 10 p.m. The Full Cleveland's final set begins

Parking

The Parks Department recommends alternative methods besides driving and parking near the waterfront, stating that it will likely be an hour wait after the fireworks show to drive out of downtown Burlington.

There will be bike parking including a bike valet at Lake and College streets. There will also be a shuttle running from Patrick Gymnasium at University of Vermont to 1 Main St. all afternoon. Run by Green Mountain Transit, the roundtrip fare is $2.

For those who will be parking downtown, there is parking at the Pease, Perkins Pier, Oakledge, North Beach and the Skatepark lots for varying hourly fees, along with the Downtown and Marketplace garages for $15. Accessible parking is available at Perkins Pier and the Waterfront.

Safety

The Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department ask that no one bring their own fireworks or sparklers to the parks, and no glass bottles or containers of any kind. They also ask that people leave their dogs and other pets at home, citing that animal control officials across the country report a 30% increase in lost pets each year between July 3 and 6 because of fireworks.

The department expects boat traffic July 3, but states that the U.S. Coast Guard will enact a full harbor closure by 8 p.m., so boaters need to be at their desired locations well before then. Take caution in the busy waters and make sure your craft is fully up to safety compliance.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.