Parade
Last Update: 2009-01-06 15:15:24The Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade takes place on Saturday, February 28th at 3:00pm.
The highly anticipated floats will enter Church Street from the south and travel north in a wandering line of wonder and whimsy toward the top of the block. The parade route comes to an end once the floats (in all their glory) turn onto Cherry Street and head off toward the sunset!
Make sure to get downtown early to experience all of the festivities that the day has to offer!
We are proud to have the Women's Rape Crisis Center of ChittendenCounty (WRCC) as our beneficiary for the Magic Hat Mardi Gras. TheWRCC of Chittenden County is committed to serving our community throughthe continued provision of services and through advocating formeaningful change in Vermont State law and society. To learn more, click here.
Parade Map
Where to Buy Beads
Last Update: 2009-01-05 09:28:29Get your rubber ducky, alligator, flamingo, and many others bead options at the following locations in the weeks leading up to the big event:
Church Street Locations:
The Body Shop, Ecco, Ben & Jerry's Icecream, Kiss the Cook, Sweet Lady Jane, Tribeca, Expressions, Apple Mountain, Monelle, Scribbles.
Burlington or South Burlington Locations: Pearl Street Beverage, UVM Bookstore (Davis Center), Bennington Potters (College Street), Tootsies (College St.), Advance Music Center (S. Champlain St.), Battery Street Jeans (Pine St.), Eastern Mountain Sports (Dorset St.), Healthy Living Natural Foods (Dorset St.), Women's Source for Sports (Dorset St.).
Other Locations: 5 Corners Discount Beverage (Essex- Route 2), Winooski Beverage Warehouse (Winooski- Route 15).
Regular beads are $5, light-ups $10, all proceeds go to WRCC.
Call for Floats
Last Update: 2008-12-19 11:05:10
The deadline for Mardi Gras 2009 floats has ended. If you want to be a part of the party in 2010 e-mail krissy.leonard@magichat.net.
If you need more information, give us a call at 802-658-2739.
2009 Magic Hat Mardi Gras Floats:
Jet Blue Airways
Seven Days
WIZN/The Buzz
WRCC/Church Street Marketplace
1-800-Got Junk
Dealer.com
Harvest Equipment
Burlington Fire Department
UVM Summer U
Northfield Savings Bank
Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce
Vermont Democratic Party
Top Hat Entertainment
Vertek Corporation
Garden's Supply
Planned Parenthood
Lyric Theater
The Lab
Double Tree Hotel
Boloco
The Crate Escape
Outdoor Gear Exchange
Lake view Terrace
American Cancer Society - Relay for Life
Dan Smith for Mayor
American Flatbread
All-Cycle / Casella Waste Systems
VT Workers Center
And of course… Magic Hat Brewing Company
Things To Do Around Burlington
Last Update: 2008-11-18 16:56:30After a brewery tour, you might find that you’re in need of some local ice cream creations. The Ben & Jerry’s factory is but a hop, skip and a spit away in nearby Waterbury, Vermont. Sample their myriad of flavors and take a walk across the viewing deck to see how their iconic ice cream is made.
Of course, the one and only Magic Hat Artifactory, our most unusual brewery, is located just a short jaunt down Shelburne Road. It's the perfect place to stop by for a sample of one of our fine elixirs and a tour of the new and improved brewery!
If soaring down Vermont's snowy slopes tickles your fancy, a winter wonderland awaits 45 minutes southwest of Burlington at Smugglers' Notch! Voted #1 Ski Resort in the Eastern US three years in a row by Ski Magazine, Smugglers' Notch is a premire Vermont hotspot not to be missed! Don't forget to call 1-800-521-0536 for special Mardi Gras weekend rates.
Also not to be overlooked is Lake Champlain Chocolates , located on Pine Street in Burlington. Factory tours, free samples and tons (literally) of artisan chocolates and candies await to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Just down the road you can find the ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center. With over 60 species of local creatures, this highly interactive and educational institution will give you and your kids a fun, hands-on experience.
Need a hug? The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is just a stone’s throwaway, in Shelburne, VT. Offering factory tours and adorable bears enjoyedthe world over, The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is truly a place wherefamilies can have some furry fun.
Not too far from The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is the Shelburne Farms Welcome Center and Farm Store, a primeplace to view the history of the land and pick up some of theiraward-winning cheddar cheese, along with many other fine local Vermontgoods.
Magic Hat’s Mardi Gras weekend is an event that you’ll never forget. Filled with music, floats, food, family and friends, we hope you’ll be able to join us and support the Women’s Rape Crisis Center of Burlington. Consider coming early to experience all Burlington and the rest of Vermont has to offer.
From skiing to sightseeing, teddy bears to ice cream shares, Vermont is a vacation utopia that will keep you entertained and coming back for more in the years to come. Stay in tune with the Mardi Gras Website (magichat.net/mardigras2009) for updates along the way and laissez les bons temps rouler!
Sunday
Last Update: 2008-11-14 14:23:41
Recover from your weekend of revelry with a delectable brunch at one of Burlington's fine eateries. Check out Leuings Bistro right on Church Street or Sadie Katz on Bank Street. Enjoy your meal as you start planning a trip to our brewery, or if you filled your growlers earlier that weekend, start planning for Mardi Gras 2010!
On Sunday, our most unusual brewery, the Magic Hat Artifactory, pours tours and tastings for all. The brewery is in the final stages of expansion and the Artifactory has been completely changed and re-arranged!
The Artifactory will have special post-Mardi Gras hours on Sunday and will be open from 11am to 5pm, with tours running at 12, 1 and 2pm. Our fermentational creations are not to be missed!
After checking out the Artifactory, don't forget to catch a tour at the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury, VT, or visit Smugglers' Notch in Jeffersonville! For more information on area attractions click here.
Friday Events
Getting Here
Last Update: 2008-11-14 14:16:41Now that you’re all excited about coming to Burlington for the MagicHat Mardi Gras Parade, you’d probably like to know how to get here! Byair, car or bus, there's a way. You can get here from there!
By Air
Flying into Burlington? New planes, huge seats, and TV’s mean thatJetBlue Airways is the best way to travel. Since you’ll be planningyour trip well in advance (well in advance, right?), check outJetBlue.com for the best rates. They fly right into BurlingtonInternational, so once you’re in, you won’t have far to go before youhit the fun!
From the North
Take I89 South to Exit 14W. Go straight (west) on Main Street(Williston Road), through several stop lights, through the middle ofthe UVM campus and down a hill toward Lake Champlain. You’ll remain onMain Street the entire time. Church Street will be on your right atthe third light once you’ve started going down the hill. The distancefrom the exit to Church Street is about 1 mile.
From the South
Take I89 North to Exit 14W. Go straight (west) on Main Street(Williston Road), through several stop lights, through the middle ofthe UVM campus and down a hill toward Lake Champlain. You’ll remain onMain Street the entire time. Church Street will be on your right atthe third light once you’ve started going down the hill. The distancefrom the exit to Church Street is about 1 mile.
From Albany, New York, and All Points West
Take I87 North to Exit 20 (Rt. 149). Take Rt. 149 East to Fort Ann andturn onto Rt. 4 North. Continue on Rt. 4 until you meet up with Rt. 7.Turn to go north on Rt. 7, and follow into Burlington. You’ll pass aDunkin’ Donuts on your right (after the Shaw’s), and soon the road willcome to a fork. Stay in the right lane and bear right. You’ll gothrough several stop signs and through the Champlain College campus,before you arrive at a stoplight at Main Street with signs for Route 2.Take a left onto Main Street, heading west toward the water, and ChurchStreet will be on your right about four blocks down.
From the Airport
Turn left onto Airport Drive upon exiting airport grounds. FollowAirport Drive to the traffic light at the intersection with WillistonRoad (Route 2). Turn right onto Williston Road. Continue West onWilliston Road (it will become Main Street, but you’re still going inthe right direction!) for approximately 2 miles. You’ll begin to godown a hill towards Lake Champlain. At the bottom of the hill will bethe intersection with Church Street.
From the Greyhound Station
Turn left onto Pine Street. Continue through the two stop signs andyou’ll come to a traffic light at the intersection of Pine and MainStreets. Turn right onto Main Street, go straight two blocks and ChurchStreet will be on your left!
Lodging
Last Update: 2008-11-14 14:15:44Looking for lodging? Make sure to book your rooms early!
The Hilton Burlington
Reservation Line: 802-658-6500
We’ve worked out a special rate downtown at the Hilton Burlington. They’ve set aside a precious few rooms at a special Mardi Gras rate of $129 per night. In order to qualify for the rate, you must mention “Magic Hat Mardi Gras” at the time of booking.
Smugglers' Notch Resort
Reservation Line: 800-521-0536
Our friends at Smugglers' Notch Resort have also been kind enough to give us a great deal on mountainside lodging. Make it a Mardi Gras week and save 20%-40% when you stay mountainside at Smugglers' Notch! Lodging and lift ticket packages are available to make your weekend all the more affordable. Give Smugglers' Notch a call to make your reservations and let them know that you are coming up to enjoy the Mardi Gras festivities!
General Information
Last Update: 2008-11-14 14:12:08
Won’t you join us here in Burlington, Vermont, for a warming weekend of bountiful bacchanalia and raucous revelry?
The 14th annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade takes place February 27th through March 1st, with the prodigal parade going down on Saturday, February 28th.
The slippery streets of downtown Burlington will momentarily melt to accommodate all comers, new and old. The Magic Hat Mardi Gras is a full weekend event, and we urge you to come and experience all three days of festivities (of course, you’re always welcome to spend the entire week!).
All events this weekend will serve to bring awareness and support to the Women’s Rape Crisis Center of Burlington. Last year, we raised over $27,000 for the center, and with your help, we hope to raise even more this year!
Of course, none of this would have been possible without many helping hands from our presenting sponsors 106.7 WIZN, Seven Days and 99.9 The BUZZ, our gracious underwriting sponsors, Ben and Jerry’s and JetBlue Airways, and additional support from The Hilton Burlington and Smugglers' Notch Resort.
Free Shuttle
Last Update: 2008-11-14 14:09:36FREE shuttle service information coming soon.
Saturday
Last Update: 2008-11-13 16:30:30
The Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade begins at 3:00pm on Saturday right in downtown Burlington, in the Church Street Marketplace!
Come down early and partake in all of the festivities that lead up to the grand parade! Pull up a barstool at your favorite (new or old) watering hole, as there are plenty to choose from, and imbibe on one of your favorite Magic Hat ales! Stop by the Magic Hat Photo Booth and get your memories immortalized on film! Don’t forget to visit the Women’s Rape Crisis Center table to pick up your beads, hats, and masks to benefit their cause!
The highlight of the weekend, of course, is the parade, an eclectic pageant of over 30 floats that wind their way through the streets tossing beads, moon pies, candy, and trinkets to the waiting crowds. These works of moveable art form a musical collage of sight and sound that’s one of Vermont’s most inspired traditions!
Requirements for fun are simply a warm jacket, warmer boots, a smile and a willingness to shake off the webs of winter and have a good time! This is a family-oriented event, so please be considerate and kind.
Check back often for more Festival Day activities!
Friday Night
Last Update: 2008-11-13 16:29:36
JUST ANNOUNCED!
Friday evening, The Disco Biscuits will be kicking the weekend off right with a prime pre-party at The Higher Ground, Vermont’s premier music venue!
In the years since the band sprang out of the University of Pennsylvania party scene in the mid-'90s, the Disco Biscuits have brought together the worlds of jam bands and electronic music with its "trance-fusion" sound that mixes the free-form improvisations of jazz with the hypnotic rhythms which provided the soundtrack for rave culture.
