It’s my favorite time of year: Art Hop season! If you’re not from Burlington, Vermont, it’s not likely that you know what I’m talking about, but for this little city, the art festival is one of the biggest and most looked forward to of the year. For me in particular, Art Hop is one of the highlights of living in Burlington. There’s just so much to do and see!
This year, Art Hop ran from Friday, September 6 to Sunday, September 8. While I did attend all three days, Saturday was my favorite. Check out some of the highlights!
Many of Art Hop’s installations are interactive! This results in many interesting answers, as shown above. My contribution to the wall on a different said read “Publish something good.”
Pins and patches! Art Hop isn’t only home to large-form art; small masterpieces are welcomed and even sold here, too! My boyfriend, Derek, and I bought a Led Zeppelin patch, a Mason Penny, an Alfa Romeo pin, and a Buick pin. The seller was very sweet and clearly loved collecting.
Art Hop isn’t just about art! The food is just as good of a reason to come on down. In our case, Theo’s Maple Lemonade (cranberry and original) called out to us from the new farmer’s market location on Pine Street while we were walking past.
Of course, a lot of art reflects social and political issues. These installations are often big and bold to garner attention and inform people about the importance of these problems. This year, I loved this lion statue in particular.
Many of the art installations are placed in places you wouldn’t expect. The perfect example of this is the lamp shop! The store opens up to local artists to share their work, but also uses their own beautiful inventory as art itself.
Art Hop was full of raffles this year. When I saw this pool of ducks, I knew I wanted to bring one home, so I was thrilled that, with a dollar donation, I had the chance to win one in a raffle! Hopefully I’ll be getting a call to pick up my duck soon.
One of the most impressive works of art was “Fritz” by Linsey Brunner. The giant squid itself (and I want to emphasize giant), is impressive in its artistry and commitment, but his story is even more compelling. As explained by Linsey in the text, “Fritz” was an eight year project that she hopes “inspires you to think big,” but also reminds you “how small you actually are on this planet. Tread lightly.”
Some of the best works at Art Hop are the weirdest. I remembered the ear sculptures from last year, and seeing them again certainly made me smile. The utensils and the diorama-style piece were new as far as I know, but they intrigued me just as much.
Vermont Singing Drum is always a fun stop to play some music! The little dinosaur there to hand you the sticks was just a bonus. If you’ve never heard the beauty of singing drum, check them out!
Even just walking around the Art Hop area, there are plenty of art pieces to see. These pyramids surprised me outside the Generator, one of the most popular Art Hop destinations, and a cool space to visit in general.
Of course, my favorite part of Art Hop was the person I got to share it with. The art festival is fun, but it’s definitely also what you make of it. If you bring a friend or significant other as fun as Derek, you’re guaranteed to have a great experience no matter what.
If you enjoyed my post, please come to Art Hop next year! The more people come, the bigger and better it will grow.
I really like your writing style, wonderful info, thank you for posting :D.