The sudden pop of leaves and blooms this week has me jonzing for full-blown summer. Cold beer, time on the lake and in the garden, and copious Vitamin D are on all my checklist for making the most of this summer, along with a host of summer events in Vermont. While every season in Vermont is beautiful, summer brings with it a seriously full calendar of events for us to get outside and enjoy the warmth, blue skies and lush vegetation that is so characteristically Vermont.

For when you’re not hiking Camel’s Hump, paddle boarding on Champlain, cooling off in a Vermont swimming hole or sipping some of Vermont’s finest suds in the backyard, here are some of Vermont’s best summer events that are filling up my calendar this summer. Where will you be this summer? Share your recommended summer events in Vermont for 2016.

Summer Events in Vermont: Vermont Beer Festivals

• Betty’s Beer Fest, Big Picture Theatre, Waitsfield, Vermont: June 4
  With the goal of “changing the complexion of craft beer,” this Vermont beer festival has the goal of introducing more women in Vermont to craft beer through education, conversation and tasting. $25

• Sugarbush Brew-Grass Festival, Sugarbush Resort, Warren, Vermont: June 11
  This six-annual Sugarbush summer event brings 20+ breweries to the Mad River Valley for a day of beer, bluegrass and local eats. It’s called “The Bad Liver Valley” for a reason… $35

• 

  Vermont Brewers’ Festival. Circa 2009. Beer goggles and all.

  Vermont Brewer’s Festival, Waterfront, Burlington: July 15-16 (if you haven’t gotten tickets left, you might be out of luck for this one…) The crème de la crème of Vermont beer festivals, this waterfront beer event brings over 45+ breweries to Burlington for two days of craft beer sampling. This is one of few festivals where Hill Farmstead makes an appearance, along with some newbies on the Vermont craft beer scene. $37

• Stowe Brewers’ Festival, Stowe Events Field, Vermont: July 29-30
  Last year was the first Stowe Brewers’ Festival, and the event draws a different set of breweries than Hop Jam or the Vermont Brewers’ Festival, as well as a food truck round-up for some tasty eats. This year, Vermont’s very own Waylon Speed will be playing Saturday night. Keep your eye out for early-bird tickets. There is also a VIP hour; pay a little extra and get to sample with any lines. $35-85

• Hops in the Hills Beer & Wine Festival, Jackson Gore Courtyard, Okemo Mountain Resort: August 5
  For the beer drinkers and winos among us, the Hops in the Hills Beer & Wine Festival is one of few in Vermont that gives equal weight to hops and grapes in Southern Vermont, along with cider as well. Music, crafts and local food round out the lineup at the Okemo event.

• Hop Jam, Bolton Valley Resort, Bolton, Vermont: August 20
  Full pours of New England’s best craft beer (think Lawson’s Finest, Bissell Brothers, Treehouse), meets a rockin’ day of music at Bolton. Don’t miss The Grift and their ’80s bluegrass alter-ego Dojo (Vermont’s best good-time-party band) at noon to kick off the festival. If you’re game for a splurge, the BIP Pass (Beery Important Person) gets you beer, food, a t-shirt and VIP bathroom access.

Summer Events in Vermont: Vermont Music Festivals

• Burlington Discover Jazz, Burlington Waterfront, Burlington, Vermont: June 3 – 12
  One of Vermont’s biggest music festivals, Discover Jazz brings artists such as Randy Newman, The Afro-Cuban All Stars and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to the Waterfront for a week of live music. It’s for sure one of the most anticipated events of the summer in Vermont.

• Green Mountain BBQ & Music Festival, Farr’s Field, Waterbury, Vermont: June 25-26
  As part of Waterbury’s Not-Quite Independence Day celebration, the Green Mountain BBQ & Music Festival brings together over 50 pit masters and 6,000 BBQ fans through the Northeast. The unofficial “Vermont state BBQ championship,” the event supports the Rotary Club of Waterbury. $12 adults. $5 kids (5-12)

• Middlebury Festival on the Green, Middlebury, Vermont: July 10 – July 16
  This week-long celebration of music on the green in Middlebury is free and a family-friendly event. Grab a blanket and a picnic and head downtown to take in the sounds of some new music from Vermont and beyond. There are also performers just for kiddos during the day. Free

• Hop Jam, Bolton Valley Resort, Bolton, Vermont: August 20

Summer Events in Vermont: Vermont Food Festivals

• Burlington Wine & Food Festival, Burlington, Vermont: June 12 – 18
  A seven-day festival on the waterfront in Burlington, the Burlington Wine & Food Festival is a series of smaller events, from a cocktail competition and winemaking dinner, to a whole-hog BBQ at Hotel Vermont and two Grand Tasting Sessions on June 18. See the whole list of events here. Many events are already sold out, so book early!

• Green Mountain BBQ & Music Festival, Farr’s Field, Waterbury, Vermont: June 25-26

• Harpoon BBQ Festival, Harpoon Brewery, Windsor, VT: July 23-24
  I first stumbled across this event one summer where I was doing the whole Vermont Beer Passport program in three days. Needless to say, after that first experience, this event with countless BBQ vendors from across the Northeast, kick-ass beer and music has become one of my favorite summer events. $15 (includes one beer ticket)

• Stowe Wine & Food Classic, Stowe, Vermont: August 26 – 28
  One of New England’s best food events, the Stowe Wine & Food Classic has been running for 18 years. It’s also a fundraiser for Copley Hospital and Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, which is even more of a reason to get our food and drink on.

Summer Events in Vermont: Vermont State Fairs

• Addison County Field Days, Addison, Vermont: August 9-13
  So much more than fried dough and kids’ rides, Addison County Field Days is a true showcase of agriculture in Addison County. Don’t miss Rosie’s Racing Pigs (the absolute cutest!), the Tractor Pulls or the Demo Derby, which is the highlight of the weeklong event and wildly entertaining.

• Champlain Valley Fair, Champlain Valley Expo, Essex, Vermont: August 26 – September 4
  Deemed the “best 10 days of summer in Vermont,” the Champlain Valley Fair is one of the largest and best-known summer events in Vermont. It started in 1922 as a country fair and has morphed into a concert series as well. So far this year, ZZ Top & Greg Allman, Chris Young and Cassadee Pope, Rascal Flatts and Comedian Jim Gaffigan are set to take the stage. $12 adults. $5 kids (5+)

• The Tunbridge World’s Fair, Tunbridge, Vermont
  The Tunbridge World Fair, a mid-September agricultural fair in Southern Vermont, has been running since 1867. Even though it’s smaller than some other state fairs in the state, the event embodies the essence of quintessential Vermont. Year after year, the historical event is listed in the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s Top 10 list of Time-Honored Vermont Events. $10-15. Kids under 12 are free.

Summer Events in Vermont: Quirky Vermont Summer Festivals

• Wanderlust, Stratton Mountain, Stratton, Vermont: June 16 – 19
  Wanderlust’s mission is to help attendees find their “inner north: a path, a journey, and a yearning to explore and connect to your life’s purpose.” The three-day yoga festival combines the practice of yoga with live music, local and sustainable food and opportunities to bike, hike and explore Vermont. $95-465

• Festival of the Fools, Church Street, Burlington, Vermont: July 29 – 31
  A unique and free Vermont event to celebrate street theatre and make art more accessible, Festival of the Fools is “devoted to community engagement through the celebration of circus arts, music and comedy for family audiences.” International performers will entertain more than 10,000 visitors to the Church Street Marketplace in this family-friendly summer event.

• Vermont Blueberry Festival, Mount Snow, Dover, Vermont, July 29
  Vermont may not be as well known for blueberries as Maine but the Vermont Blueberry Festival wants to change that and honors the bluberry in a quirky and fun Southern Vermont event. During the festival, there’s a Big Blue Parade, jam making, a blue car auto show, blue beer, bake sales and a public art display.

What Vermont summer events are you looking for to? Share in the comments below!