When budget constraints forced Burlington City Arts to cancel this year’s Festival of Fools, local businesses and residents stepped in to revive the event — now reborn as the Fools Block Party.

The reimagined festival will take place Friday, August 1 (2–10 p.m.) and Saturday, August 2 (11 a.m.–8 p.m.), with free, family-friendly performances filling Church Street and City Hall Park. The event features local and international buskers, musicians, and entertainers, preserving a tradition that has energized Burlington for nearly two decades.

“Building Burlington’s Future,” the civic group that championed the revival, hailed the collaboration as a powerful example of community action. More than 30 small businesses partnered with the city to fund and support the event, which remains one of the busiest sales weekends for downtown merchants.

Organizers are encouraging residents to contact Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to advocate for sustainable public funding of arts and cultural events, emphasizing the importance of creative programming to the city’s economic vitality and livability.

More information about the event is available at vtfools.org.