4th of July celebrations

Burlington - July 3rd - Local Motion Secure Bike Parking opens at 4 pm on Lake St. 4-9:30 pm: Star 92.9 & 101.3 ESPN will be broadcasting live from the waterfront. Price Chopper Hopper Bounce House will be avail 4-9 pm. Perkins Pier has: Radio Rangers 5-7 pm, WOKO, WKOL, WIZN, WJOY & The BUZZ broadcasting from 5:30 – 8 pm. St. Andrew’s Pipeband & Sambatucada! will be strolling the waterfront park grounds from 6-7 & 7-8 pm. Face Painting 6-9 pm & GameShowsVT 6-8:30 pm on the green, then Rick & the Ramblers play the Pier 7:30 – 9:30 pm. At home? Tune in from 9-10 pm for “ABC 22’s Fireworks Spectacular”!

Williston - Pre-fireworks festivities begin July 2nd at Community Park Field House with family bike races, registration begins at 6pm. July 3rd is the 'FIRECRACKER 5K FUN RUN' at Community Park Field House, registration begins at 4:45pm with the race at 6:00pm (Cost is $10.00 & includes commemorative T-Shirt)
Williston Historical Society’s annual ice cream social begins at 7pm. Parade starts at 10am on the 4th & follows Route 2. Awards are presented at 12:30 on The Village Green, followed by children's games. The frog jumping contest is located behind the Central school at 1pm. The entertainment program at Allen Brook School starts at 7pm, includes concessions, music & a bounce castle for kids. "British Mania" a Beatles tribute band will play at Maple Tree Place Green from 6-8:30. The fireworks display has an anticipated starting time of 9:30 p.m.


Essex - July 4th - Festivities start at 6:00 pm in Maple Street Park (rain site is at the high school's ice rink) Take a dip in the pool, music by by The Contois School of Music, mini fun town with bounce castle & obstacle course,face painting, balloon art, pedal car obstacle course, Linda Peck – Circus Extraordinaire, Super Nova Disc Dogs, concessions. Fireworks show at 9:30pm! 

Milton - July 4th -

11am: Parade, route begins at Milton School

1:30 – 9:30pm: Bombardier Park Entertainment provided by: Emcee CK Coin, Magician, Tom Vernor, Hypnotist, Steve Taubamn, Robert Resnick & Marty Morrissey, Milton Community Band, The Hooligans,Jimmy T Thurston, & the Sleepy Hollow Boys

6pm: “Milton’s Midway” featuring games, activities & fun for all ages! Also enjoy antique cars & Subway race car on display, Hot Air Balloon tethered rides & more! Food vendors available all day! 

6pm: Milton Fire Station Milton Firefighter’s Association annual Chicken BBQ! ($12/ticket)

9:30pm: Fireworks display

Colchester - July 4th -

• Fun Run: 8:15 a.m. UMS

• Parade: 11:00 a.m. (down Main St)

• 11:00am - 6:00pm: Swimming at Bayside Beach

• 5-dusk: concessions at Bayside Park

• Concert ("The Hitmen", Rock n' Roll): 6:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

• Fireworks will take place at dusk from the Bayside Softball Field

Movies & more @ the Sunset

Thursday June 27th

Come early gates will open at 7pm.

First 100 cars admitted FREE!

MACY'S NIGHT OUT AT THE DRIVE-IN!!! --FEATURING...

3 Carnival Game Tents, Giant Slide, Balloon Twisters, Face Painters, Fun Derby, Swag Bags, and much much more plus a sneak peek from The SMURFS 2 followed by the 2011 Blockbuster at 9 pm "The Smurfs" showing 2nd "Epic" at 11!!!

"What's one of the best ways to spend a Summer night? A trip to the local drive-in! To celebrate this 80 year old tradition, Macy's welcomes you to Sunset Drive-In for family night under the stars! Round up the little ones for a free evening of fun inflatable rides, top tunes and games! First 100 cars* to arrive will receive a swag bag full of fun treats including a $10 Macy's Gift Card. Starting at dusk enjoy a screening of the family blockbuster hit, The Smurfs AND a sneak peek of the upcoming family comedy, The Smurfs 2, in theaters July 31st! *Event is open to the first 200 cars. BEGINNING AT 7pm."

'Kids Eat Free' - Free food?!

There'as a few programs to make sure kids have access to healthy food through the summer (which will be another post but we can start with Hunger Free VT) but the area is hopping with restaurants & food aplenty. Do you know how to really eat out with kids? Hit up the 'Kids Eat Free' nights!

Moe's - Williston - Monday nights, kids under 12 eat free w/ a purchase of any adult entree

Texas Roadhouse - Williston - Monday 4 til 10 pm, Free Kid’s Meal, Arts & Crafts, Balloon Artist & Face Painting. 2 Kid’s Meal Discounts per 1 Adult Entree Purchased, meals cost up to $20

Bluebird BBQ - Riverside Ave, Burlington - Tuesdays 4:30 til 9:30 pm, kids under 12 eat free w/ a purchase of any adult platter which range $15-$20

Denny's - South Burlington - Tuesday nights from 4 til 10 pm, 10 & under. Up to 2 free Kids menu selections per adult entree!

UNOs - Shelburne road - Tuesday nights, kids under 12 eat free w/ a purchase of any adult

Spare Time - Colchester - Tuesday, kids under 12 eat & play free with paying adult, all menu items are under $13. Plus if it's after 8:30 it's only $10 to bowl 3 games, including shoes!

IHOP - UMall -Wednesday nights from 3 til 9 pm with the purchase of an adult meal which average $10

Nintey Nine - Williston - dine the day after a Boston Red Sox's win, then your child's meal is FREE with an accompanying adult meal.

DIY Workshops Review

So Home Depot & Lowe's both offer kids DIY workshops. I stumbled upon Home Depots a few months ago & love it, I finally hit up Lowe's this past weekend to see what the differences are. Both offer free supply kits, aprons & a certificate but wanna know more? Also, I bring a 1 & 3 year old so don't pay too much attention to the age 'restrictions', it's more of a guide.

Home Depot: 1st Saturday of the month 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., aged 5-12 years old, project themed pin, large work area all the way down an aisle, paint & stickers, tools provided for use. Haven't seen project kits for sale. They also have a popcorn machine.

Lowe's: I think once maybe twice a month but couldn't get a straight answer, aged 4+,  project themed iron-on patch, smaller area with only 2 tables right up front, stickers, tools & goggles provided for use. Kits from old workshops are for sale, most $5-$10.

Happy building!

Free Clubs

Sign the kiddos up for these local 'clubs'

Gardeners Supply - special themed events held on Saturdays monthly at the Williston Garden Center. Pre-registration is required to each event as space is limited to mostly under 30 children, some events like breakfast with Santa requires a small fee

Champ's Kid Club - Admission to 5 Lake Monster home games, membership card, 10% off merchandise,  admission to exclusive events, Opportunity to participate in special promotions, free games & drinks (daily!) at Pizza Putt , 12 year olds & under

Imagination Library - books mailed to your child every month from birth til age 5

Boys & Girls Club - okay so not free but only $5 a year gives access to all their programming, 4 year olds & up

Cool to Bowl - Sparetime in Colchester offers kids bowling all summer

Peace & Justice - "ages 5-10. The group will meet on Sundays from 2-4 PM throughout July and August at the Peace & Justice Center (60 Lake Street). Snacks will be provided! Students ages 13+ are encouraged to participate as mentors for this program. Countries we plan to explore are: Iraq, Bosnia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, Nepal, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, DRC, Burundi, USA (Abenaki), Mexico, and maybe more!"

Ongoing Events

(Check for these colored codes Stories  Playgroups  Crafts/Activities  Movies  Music, with similar grouped colors on the map)

And weekly ongoing events: 

• Daily throughout July, Phoniex books hosts a "Where's Waldo" search at a variety of local shops in Burlington & Essex.
• DAML's Sandcastle contest, send a picture of your sandcastles to jill@williston.lib.vt.us or swing it in to the Dorthy ailing memorial library & Enter to win a Beach Grab Bag. One entry per person. up to age 18. Entries must be received by 12 noon on Monday, August 5th to qualify.

Sundays - 

• 10 am - POP Club Winooski Famer's Market, "POP (Power of Produce), Each Sunday there will be a fun activity to engage kids in the market and the wonders of fresh fruits and vegetables" Note: if you use a SNAP benefits to purchase market tokens, this location will give you DOUBLE!

Mondays - 

• 9 until 11 am - playgroup @ Malletts Bay School
• 10:30 am - Essex Free Library  storytime "Ages 5 and under'
• 10:30 am - preschool music, Dorthy ailing library   "Lively tunes with Peter Alsen or Derek Burkins strike the right note among the wee crowd. For ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Free but limited to 1 session/week per family."
• 11 am - Waddlers & Toddlers @ VNA Family Room
• 11 am - Stories w/ Megan @ Fletcher Free Library
• 5 until 7:30 p.m - FaCT @ O'Brien Ctr "Dads do dinner and playtime with their kids. 1st grade & under."

Tuesdays -

• 9 until 11 am - Teddy Bear Picnic @ Mallet's Bay School  "Stuffed animals accompany kids and caregivers to a play session with songs, books and snacks. Ages birth-5"
• 9 until 11 am. - playgroup @ Mallet's Bay School
• 9 am until 1 pm - family play @ family room, birth-age 5
• 10 am - Tiny Tot Explorers @ Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park (South Burlington) "Youngsters gather in the garden for stories, songs and games with Miss Meg. Ages 1-3."
• 10 am - Story time w/ Corey, Buttered Noodles
• 10:30 am - Burnham Memorial Library (Colchester) story time, "Wee ones gather for music, rhymes and stories. Ages 18 months-3 years"
• 10:30 am - preschool story time, Winooski Memorial Library "Ages 2-5"
• 11 am - Williston story hour, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library "The preschool crowd gathers for themed reading and craft activities. Ages 3-5"
• 3 until 5 pm - Creative Kids at the Fletcher Free Library "use your imagination to be creative with recycled materials." All ages
• 5 until 7:30 pm - FaCT @ Family room "Dads do dinner and playtime with their kids. 1st grade & under."
• 7 pm - Main Street Landing Film House, take a night out & go to the movies. July 2nd is "National Lampoon's Vacation"
•  8 pm - Ben & Jerry outdoor movie festival, church street

Wednesdays - 

• 10 am - Brownell Library (Essex) preschool story time,  "Tiny tots have fun with letters, numbers, rhymes, songs, puppets and stories."
• 10:30 am - cookie decorating @ Barrio Bakery
• 10:30 am - Essex Free Library  storytime "Big fun for tiny tots includes tales, rhymes and crafts. Ages 1.5-3.5'
• 11 am - storytime Barnes & Noble "children up to grade 2"
• 12 pm - City Hall Park Free Concert Series
• 1-3 pm - AC Moore in Williston offers free 'make & take' crafts throughout the summer
•  6 pm - “Wednesday’s on the Marketplace”, Church Street,  'live music, DJs, activities for kids, prizes and information from local non-profits"
• 6 PM to 9 PM - BikeRecycleVT teaches volunteers how to turn inner tubes into earrings, spokes into bracelets, tires into belts, and how to upcycle other defunct bike parts into art and jewelry.

Thursdays - 

• 9 amuntil 1 pm - Family play @ VNA family room, birth-age 5
• 10 am - music w/ Mr. Chris @ Buttered Noodles
• 10:30 am - Essex Free Library preschool storytime "Young ones engage in a morning of reading, rhyming and crafting. Ages 3.5-5"
• 10:30 am - Pierson Library (Shelburne) Story Time With Mary Catherine Jones "storyteller brings fables and melodies to the library."
• 10:30 am - preschool music, Dorthy ailing library  "Lively tunes with Peter Alsen or Derek Burkins strike the right note among the wee crowd. For ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Free but limited to 1 session/week per family."
• 11 am until 1 pm - Winooski Playgroup @ O'Brien Ctr "Wee ones romp around with stories and songs. Ages birth-5 with caregiver"
• 5:30 pm - Summervale, Intervale community farm, "music, children's crafts and educational programs'
• 6 until 8:30 pm - Maple Tree Place concert on the green series
• 6 until 8 pm - Burlington Parks & Rec Playmobile will be stationed at Battery Park. Concert begins at 6:30

Fridays - 

• 9 until 10:30 am - Playgroup @ Allen Brook School  (Williston) "Building Bright Futures hosts free play and camaraderie. Follows school calendar. Ages birth-5"
• 9 until 11 am - Playgroup @Memorial Hall (Essex) "Families with young children gather for circle time, projects and toys from a lending library of fun."
• 10 am - Brownell Library (Essex) storytime
• 10 am - Bookworms storytime, Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park (S. Burl)  "Readers relish stories, crafts and games in the garden with Miss Meg. Ages 3-8".
• 12 pm - City Hall Park Free Concert Series
• 7 pm - Pajamarama storytime Barnes & Noble

Saturdays - 

•  9:30 until 11 am - Tots & Tykes Open Gym @ Chamberlin Elementary School  (S.Burl) "Athletic types relish unstructured play time. Ages 1-5 with caregivers.'
• 10 am - Burnham Memorial Library (Colchester) storytime
• 11 am - Phoenix Books story & crafts, up to 14 yo
• 11 am - storytime Barnes & Noble "children up to grade 2"
• Sunset (8:30 approx) Burlington College will host a outdoor movie showings, BYO seating, event will be held rain or shine & food is avail for purchase

About Burlington

Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. The city is the hub of the Burlington-South Burlington metropolitan area. According to 2010 U.S. Census estimates, the metro area had an estimated population of 211,261, approximately one third of Vermont's total population. Burlington lies 45 miles south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some 94 miles south of Montreal. 

Population: 42,645 (2011)

Area: 15.50 sq miles (40.14 km²)