THERE WAS ALSO A SMALL PROTEST AGAINST THE USE OF THE MACHINES. THE FESTIVAL OF FOOLS WAS BACK IN BURLINGTON THIS WEEKEND… DRAWING LARGE CROWDS… AND PERFORMERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TO THE QUEEN CITY. NBC5’S AMANDA MARTIN-RYAN HAS SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. 35 PERFORMERS PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL OF FOOLS – SOME COMING ALL THE WAY FROM GERMANY AND COLUMBIA TO THE QUEEN CITY… ACTS RANGING FROM IMPROVISED COMEDY… TO A MECHANICAL MINI-CIRCUS. TO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. <0:07: TYHEEM AND KAREEM BARNES/TIC & TAC: “ACROBATIC BREAK DANCE, COMEDY, FUN, ATHLETICISM, IT’S EVERYTHING.”> NO MATTER AGE OR INTEREST… THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL HAD AN ACT FOR EVERYBODY. <0:16: GORONWY THOM & RICHARD GARAGHTY/GARAGHTY & THOM STREET COMEDY: “VERMONT’S HAD A HUGE AMOUNT OF FLOODING AND THE PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT HERE HAVING A GREAT TIME, THEY’RE LAUGHING, THEY’RE ENJOYING THEMSELVES.” “IT’S THE WHOLE NATURE OF STREET THEATER. THERE’S SOMETHING IN IT FOR ALL AGES, FROM TWO YEARS OLD, UP TO 82 YEARS OLD.” “83 THEY HATE IT.”> BURLINGTON CITY ARTS KEEPING THE WEEKEND SCHEDULE PACKED. SOME PERFORMERS DOING THEIR SETS UP TO FOUR TIMES EACH DAY OF THE FESTIVAL. <0:08: ZACH WILLIAMSON/FESTIVAL DIRECTOR AT BURLINGTON CITY ARTS: “THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING ALL THE TIME. IT’S ALMOST OVERSTIMULATION, BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU CAN GO UP CHURCH STREET, AND SEE A SHOW AS IT HAPPENS IN REAL TIME, EVERY SINGLE 30 MINUTES.”> THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR SAID ONLY TWO- HOURS OF PERFORMANCES HAD TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER… MAKING THIS WEEKEND’S TURNOUT áAND ENERGY COMPARABLE TO WHEN THE FESTIVAL FIRST STARTED. <0:06: “WILLIAMSON: “WE REALLY DO FEEL LIKE WE’RE BACK INTO THE 1999 KIND OF TIME WHERE WE HAD THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE.”> <0:08: JOSETTE LEPINE/THE BILLY- CROQUETTES :”IT’S SUCH A LOVELY PUBLIC HERE IN BURLINGTON. THEY REALLY LIKE BEAUTY, POETRY, SO FOR ME, IT’S REALLY EASY TO PERFORM HERE.”> ONE ACT CALLED “TIC AND TAC” COMING FROM NEW YORK CITY — DRAWING MASSIVE CROWDS WHOSE SKILLS ARE COMPETING ON AMERICA’S GOT TALENT THIS SEASON. FOR THE BROTHERS – THE COMRADERY AMONG PERFORMERS IS IN PART WHAT MAKES THE WEEKEND SO ENJOYABLE. <0:15: TYHEEM AND KAREEM BARNES/TIC & TAC: “IT WAS A LOT OF FIRST-YEAR PERFORMERS THIS YEAR, DOING THEIR FIRST FESTIVAL, AND THEY CAME AND WATCHED US, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY LEARNED HOW TO REALLY INTERACT WITH THEIR AUDIENCE. SO, IT’S REALLY UPLIFTING.”> BUT WHAT MAKES THE FESTIVAL ALL THE MORE SPECIAL IS THE COMMUNITY COMING OUT TO SUPPORT THEIR ART. <0:16: JOSETTE LEPINE/THE BILLY- CROQUETTES: “THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF FOOLS OF BURLINGTON. IT’S THE PUBLIC, IT’S THE ARTISTS, IT’S THE ORGANIZATION, THE ARTIST AND DIRECTOR IS FANTASTIC, AND EVERYBODY TAKE GOOD CARE OF US. IT’S A GREAT PLEASURE TO COME HERE. IT’S TOUCHING.”> (áááNBC5 TRANSáá
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Festival of Fools returns for 16th year in Queen City
“You can go up Church Street, and see a show as it happens in real time, every single 30 minutes.”
Vermont’s Festival of Fools was back for its 16th celebration over the weekend, bringing performers from across the globe to Burlington. Thirty-five performers participated in this year’s festival – some coming all the way from Germany and Columbia.Acts ranged from improvised comedy, to a mechanical mini circus, to aerobatic stunts. Tic & Tac, a group coming from New York City, had performances that gathered massive crowds on the Church Street Marketplace. They’re performing on this season of America’s Got Talent and shared what their routine is comprised of: “Acrobatic break dance, comedy, fun, athleticism, it’s everything.”Burlington City Arts kept the weekend packed, with some performers doing their acts four times each day of the festival. The festival organizer, Zach Williamson, said they had performances going on a rotating schedule every half hour. Williamson reflected on the turnout of this year, comparing it to when the festival first started in 1999. With only two hours of shows having to be canceled due to weather, thousands upon thousands of people were able to enjoy the performances.Another artist from Montreal, Josette Lepin, performed her act solo for the first time at the festival. She shared what made the festival so special for her.”There is something special about the Festival of Fools of Burlington. It’s the public, it’s the artists, it’s the organization, the artist and director is fantastic, and everybody take good care of us. It’s a great pleasure to come here. It’s touching.”
Vermont’s Festival of Fools was back for its 16th celebration over the weekend, bringing performers from across the globe to Burlington.
Thirty-five performers participated in this year’s festival – some coming all the way from Germany and Columbia.
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Acts ranged from improvised comedy, to a mechanical mini circus, to aerobatic stunts.
Tic & Tac, a group coming from New York City, had performances that gathered massive crowds on the Church Street Marketplace. They’re performing on this season of America’s Got Talent and shared what their routine is comprised of: “Acrobatic break dance, comedy, fun, athleticism, it’s everything.”
Burlington City Arts kept the weekend packed, with some performers doing their acts four times each day of the festival. The festival organizer, Zach Williamson, said they had performances going on a rotating schedule every half hour.
Williamson reflected on the turnout of this year, comparing it to when the festival first started in 1999. With only two hours of shows having to be canceled due to weather, thousands upon thousands of people were able to enjoy the performances.
Another artist from Montreal, Josette Lepin, performed her act solo for the first time at the festival. She shared what made the festival so special for her.
“There is something special about the Festival of Fools of Burlington. It’s the public, it’s the artists, it’s the organization, the artist and director is fantastic, and everybody take good care of us. It’s a great pleasure to come here. It’s touching.”