Church Street Marketplace In Burlington, VT Offers Something For Everyone

It’s no coincidence that Burlington, Vermont has received numerous accolades, such as Prettiest Town in America (Forbes, May 2010) and Top One Hundred Places to Live in America (Relocate America, April 2010). The town is full of majesty, from its beauty to its success to its heart. The Church Street Marketplace is no exception. It bustles with life and a classic charm that is rare to see in a mall today. A person might even be a little shocked to find out that it is a mall. Instead of bright and vacuous, the marketplace is as welcoming as can be. Only about thirty of these outdoor pedestrian malls still exist, making the Church Street Marketplace rarer still.

Shoppers promenading along the brick walkway will have no fear of traffic, because the two blocks of marketplace are off-limits to vehicles. Only buses may cross, and only at two intersections. This was decided in 1979, when the plan for the marketplace that we see today was created and voted on. The Church Street Marketplace, though a prosperous mall now, began as an experimental street fair. The idea was to test the feasibility of a mall. When fifteen thousand people came to the very first holding of the street fair, it was obvious that a shopping mall would be very popular in the location.

The diversity of the marketplace is another quality that is unique to it. Reputable stores and restaurants like Ben and Jerry’s, Eddie Bauer and American Eagle are present, but so are the smallest of local businesses. A very good example is Church Street Hats, a permanent but mobile cart on Church Street. It is filled with beautiful and interesting hats, all one-of-a-kind and handmade by the vendor, who is affectionately known as “The Hat Lady.”

This month shoppers can enjoy the Ben and Jerry’s Annual Music Festival, the Let it Rain Concert Series, and the Burlington Farmer’s Market, all once a week. One-time events include the Cardboard Box Parade, which is fun for the kids to design and fun for the parents to watch. Whether you want to shop for some sharp new clothes, listen to some live music, try a local brewery, eat out in a beautiful setting, or watch a funny parade, I believe that the Church Street Marketplace is the place to be.

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