My weekend is going to be crazy-fun, my friend is driving up from Boston, MA to visit. Since I was in St.Lucia for the past month, this weekend is the beginning of my Vermont Summer! Vermont in the summer is transformed to beautiful rolling fields of green pastures, Farmers' Markets (Buy Local, Buy Vermont!), outdoor cafes with residents and visitors flocking to have drinks and early dinners, the sound of flip flops on the pavement and skin, skin, skin! LOL! Amen.

Today is also the beginning of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, May 30 to June 8, 2008.

In 1984 the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival gave Vermont's flourishing jazz community the recognition it deserved – a celebration combining incredible local talent with jazz legends from every corner of the globe. The generous support of the business community and private donations have allowed The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, in association with Burlington City Arts, to create what is today the largest multi-cultural event in Vermont. In 2003, the Festival celebrated its 20th Anniversary and ushered in its third decade of bringing America’s truly home-grown art form to the beautiful venue that is Burlington, Vermont.

Throughout the week jazz resonates from every corner of downtown Burlington – from the region’s premier performing arts facility, the Flynn Center, to the Church Street Marketplace stages, to the Waterfront Park, to City Hall’s Contois Club and Memorial Auditorium, to the neighborhood clubs (My favorite: Red Square) and restaurants. The Festival has also branched out to celebrate other forms of roots music with the Blues, World, and Gospel Tents along the shores of Lake Champlain.

Previous Sweet 7 Post: Vermont Summer Tourism Guide