Vermont Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival Tour: America 250

To celebrate the United States’ 250^th birthday, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra hits the road with its Summer Festival Tour: America 250, bringing music to communities across the Green Mountain State. There’s nothing quite like a balmy July evening in the Vermont outdoors, especially when the state’s orchestra performs beloved favorites like Morton Gould’s American Salute (based on “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”), Aaron Copland’s Hoe-Down from Rodeo, and a lively selection of music by John Williams and John Philip Sousa.

This summer, the VSO also brings the Duke Ellington Fantasy, Gwyneth Walker’s America 250!, and movements from Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 to the concert meadow, alongside guest speakers narrating powerful writings by Emma Lazarus, Calvin Coolidge, and Abraham Lincoln. Music Director Andrew Crust invites you to bring a picnic blanket and relax under Vermont’s sunny skies to enjoy this beloved annual tradition.This year’s tour takes place July 1–5, 2026, with stops in South Pomfret, East Burke, Grafton, Shelburne, and Stowe. Each location features the VSO’s Musical Petting Zoo before the performance, where audiences can explore a variety of orchestral instruments. The concerts in Shelburne and East Burke conclude with fireworks.

Concert begins at 7:30, but the field opens at 5:30 for Picnicking!

Advance adult tickets: $35

Gate Prices:

Adults: $45

Ages 6-17: $10

5 and under: Free