The South End Art Hop is coming this weekend Friday, September 5 - Sunday, September 7. While you are taking in the art don't forget to take in some food too. Check out this great article to get a taste for what Burlington and the Art Hop have in store for you!
Burlington is a strolling city. Visit it in early September, when the air is still warm and the sun has taken an autumnal slant, and you feel like you could walk around, casually exploring forever. The city is set up to invite you to do just that. There is the Waterfront Park along Lake Champlain, City Hall Park where the Burlington Farmers' Market convenes every Saturday (it goes indoors after October 25th), and the famous Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall with plenty of shops and restaurants.
A newly popular area for exploring is Pine Street, in Burlington's South End.
Pine Street is home to well-established businesses, such as Conant Metal & Light and Dealer.com, many of which involve food, including Lake Champlain Chocolates, Speeder & Earl's Coffee, New World Tortilla, Great Harvest Bread Company, and Myers Bagels (Montreal style bagels sold from a shop that opens at 4:00 am. . . nothing tastes better than a bagel - or three - straight from the wood oven at 4:00 am). The kitchen collective at ArtsRiot provides a rotating menu with a different chef each night and organizes a food truck stop on Friday nights. New eateries on the street include So-Yo Frozen Yogurt, a tangy frozen yogurt using Vermont dairy, and the South End Kitchen at Lake Champlain Chocolates, which combines a cafe and cooking class space (check the DigInVT calendar of events for upcoming classes).
Pine Street is perhaps best known as the home to many individual artists' studios from traditional painting to rust-belt inspired clay sculpture to Strange Dolls (a studio that makes. . . strange dolls). Near the end of Pine Street are the studios of the Emergent Media Center, run by Champlain College, which creates interactive, multimedia experiences. Earlier this year, the Burlington Writers' Workshop brought their headquarters and writing space to Pine Street's Studio 266.
The South End Arts and Business Association (SEABA) refers to this neighborhood as the place where art meets commerce.
If you're looking for a chance to explore the arts, commerce, and food of Pine Street, then the first week in September is the time to do it. The annual Art Hop, organized by SEABA, runs from September 5th - 7th. Studios and businesses all along the street open their doors with exhibits by local artists. There are kids' events, live music, a comedy show, an artists' market, juried shows, outdoor sculptures and the STRUT! Fashion Show.
The Art Hop is a perfect introduction to this region of Burlington. This event will give any visitor a feel for the energy of this creative corridor, which carries over into the rest of the year. After you've seen the work on display, and the number of people who come out to view it and participate in their community's annual festivities, you'll always imagine the hum of activity going on behind the walls of the Pine Street buildings.
To get information on ticket sales, a full list of venues, and schedule of events for the 2014 Art Hop, visit the SEABA website at: http://seaba.com/
Looking for a place for lunch or dinner during the Art Hop? Check out the food vendors at the Burlington Farmers' Market on Saturday, the eateries on Pine Street, and, of course, all the great downtown Burlington restaurants - including some delicious brunch venues like Mirabelle's Cafe, Penny Cluse Cafe, and Magnolia Bistro. You can find more information on the DigInVT.com Places page.
