Burlington Select Board Approves Beer Garden Liquor Licenses
The Town Center event, in its fourth year, will feature four different breweries and a larger footprint.
The Burlington Select Board has approved a handful of single-day liquor licenses, effectively greenlighting the fourth annual Town Center Beer Garden series.
The series, which is held on Thursday evenings throughout September and features a different local brewery each week, was started by the town's Economic Development Department in 2022 as a way to bring more interest to the businesses in the Town Center.
Filled with mostly small, family-owned businesses, the area was feeling the economic toll of the pandemic and post-pandemic period. Along with the installation of some public art and a "pocket park" (since named Community Corner), the Beer Gardens attracted hundreds of people each week to join with neighbors and patronize and learn more about these businesses, like True North Café, Pizza Works, Fitness Together, and Schoolhouse Ice Cream.
The size of the Beer Garden area, as well as the selection of offerings for purchase, has expanded over the years; the visual appeal was enhanced once more with the addition of a new mural on Moran Street last year. Food trucks were added last year and were very popular.
Due to interest in the event, this year will feature the biggest footprint yet, extending further into the restaurant area and taking up more parking lot space. A different local brewery will be featured each week: Mighty Squirrel on September 4, Arlington Brewing on September 11, Twisted Fate Brewing on September 18, and Notch Holdings on September 25. The final license was assigned to for October 2, which was set aside as a backup in case of weather cancellations.
Beer Gardens run every Thursday in September from 4:30 to 8:30 PM; all ages are welcome, and IDs will be checked at the entrance. Attendees are encouraged to park in the parking lots at Shaw's or near the Used Bookstore and walk over; space next to the venue is limited.
