Young Tradition Vermont at VT Folklife

06/17/2026

Vermont Folklife’s Sugar in the Pan at the BCA Summer Concert Series next week!

Friday, June 26, 2026
12:30 PM 1:30 PM
Burlington City Hall Park

Vermont Folklife’s youth trad ensemble, “Sugar in the Pan,” delights in sharing music honoring mentors and tradition bearers from a variety of regions, including New England, Québec, Maritime Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia, and Sweden.

Their program features lively tunes that will have folks dancing in their seats as well as songs that encourage listeners to join in! In addition to sharing joyful music and building skills through performance opportunities, Sugar in the Pan raises funds for the Young Tradition Touring Group and increases awareness of Vermont Folklife programming.

Past performances include the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C., New World Festival in Vermont, and the Rockport Opera House in Maine as well as various private events, schools, and retirement communities.

06/10/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that the Touring Group will be traveling to Appalachia in April 2027, with Artist Leaders Benjamin Foss and Oliver Scanlon. Musicians and singers at an intermediate or advanced level who will be between 13 and 19 years old on April 15, 2027 are encouraged to apply! Auditions are open now! Please go to our website for more information and to sign up to audition. https://www.vtfolklife.org/touring-group

05/31/2026

Looking forward to bringing the Instrument Petting Zoo to the Sheep and Wool Day at the Rokeby Museum!

Sheep farming shaped Vermont’s landscape and history, and the wealth earned from the "Merino sheep craze" formed the foundation of the Robinson family's wealth. Join Rokeby Museum as we celebrate our wooly heritage, Saturday, June 6th, 12:00 - 3:00. Admission to the grounds, house, and all activities is FREE! Admission to our main exhibit is $12/visitor (No charge for children six and under)

This family-friendly event will feature:
• Live Sheep from
• Instrument Petting Zoo with
• Printmaking with A Revolutionary Press
• Spinning, Knitting, and Wool Dyeing Demonstrations
• Self-guided Tours of the Historic Robinson Home
• Kid’s Crafts
• Food vendors (Pinky Promise Pastry & Tin Bucks Barbecue)

We can't wait to see you!

05/31/2026

A look back at some of the magic Alex Kehler and Nicholas Williams brought to the Young Tradition Festival this year ❤️ Such a great performance!

05/23/2026

Exciting things ahead in our future! Just a day after wrapping up the last performance of the season at the Young Tradition Festival, the Touring Group headed to Montpelier to record an album of this year’s repertoire!

Artist leader Ethan Tischler as sound engineer, with support from artist leader Alex Kehler and TG alum Owen Kennedy spent the day capturing all 10 pieces of this year’s incredible music.

In addition, Dylan Ladds, an exceptional videographer, recorded the group to capture the magic these passionate young artists created this year ❤️

Be on the look out for an album and these videos in the coming months! More to come!

05/19/2026

For the second year in a row we've had a blast bringing over 40 instruments to the Barton Academy and Graded School ❤️ Sharing the joy of music exploration with over 90 youth and inspiring future generations to fall in love with an instrument is truly a gift. A favorite moment of this IPZ was a 1st grader enthusiastically making up a "camp fire song" where he rallied most in his class to join his band and sing with him. 🥰 He said we're BFF's now. ❤️

05/11/2026

A first look at the 21st annual Young Tradition Festival in pictures ❤️ From a performance by Nora and Eliza, to teaching Burundian dance and song to Edmunds Elementary School, to the Community Dance Party at Contois Auditorium, to the Showcase at the Burlington Farmers Market, to the … (Ian takes a breath!) … to the Fam Jam at SEABA … wow! And that’s just the 1st half of the festival! Thank you to everyone who participated and supported this Festival ❤️ What a fantastic bringing together of our community 🎉

05/11/2026

Saturday night of the Young Tradition Festival was hopping! L’Ensemble Trad Jeunesse, led by Pascal Gemme and Francois - Felix Roy, opened the show with a bang! It was such a joy for ETJ and the Young Tradition Touring Group to get an opportunity to meet, play tunes, and perform together! ❤️

The Young Tradition Touring Group brought the evening to Sweden and beyond with their last epic performance of the season. What a year these young musicians have had ❤️🇸🇪❤️

And to close the night out we were treated to a wonderful performance by Alex Kehler and Nicholas Williams, ending with everyone reuniting on stage to play and sing their way out onto to the steps of city hall to jam. What a way to end the festival.

Thank you to everyone including all our supporters and sponsors who made this festival and Touring Group season possible ❤️ And a big thank you to our hosts, Burlington City Arts! Thank you ETJ for making the trek to be a part of the magic ❤️

05/10/2026

The 21st Annual Young Tradition Festival is a wrap! So much happened in such a short time and we are so excited to share pieces of this festival with you. Here is a collection of performances that took place at the Festival Showcase held at the Burlington Farmer’s Market that highlights the work mentors and their students have been doing in our local Vermont communities. Not only does this provide an opportunity to showcase their talents, it serves as an inspiration to all the youth in attendance to see them reflected in their community and inspire them to want to play music and dance themselves! A big thank you to the Burlington Farmers Market for hosting us and supporting our work! (And apologies if I didn’t catch everyone! Every 15 minutes a new performance went on!). Thank you Mary Wesley for your work MC’ing and assistance in festival planning! ❤️ And thank you Oliver Scanlon for running sound for the showcase and the whole festival! ❤️

05/06/2026

Come and see this awesome duo in Montpelier that our friends at the Montpelier Performance Arts HUB are putting on this Sunday! And then see them again in Burlington this summer at the BCA Summer Concert Series in June!

https://www.summit-school.org/special-events