You've done the beach vacation. You've done the road trip. You've done the resort weekend where the biggest decision was which pool to sit next to. This summer, do something different. Do something you'll actually remember in ten years. Welcome to Burlington, Vermont - and your summer skillcation.
What's a Skillcation?
A skillcation is a vacation built around learning something real. Not a guided tour where someone else does the interesting part, but hands-on, immersive, you-actually-do-it learning. You come home with a skill, a story, and the kind of memory that doesn't fade when the sunburn does.
Travelers are choosing skillcations because they want a deeper connection to the places they visit. Something to show for the trip beyond a camera roll.
Burlington in summer is one of the best places in the country to make that happen.
Burlington in Summer
Pull up to Burlington on a July morning and you'll understand immediately why people fall for this place. The lake is a deep, shifting blue. The Adirondacks rise on the far shore. The farmers market overflows with produce that was in the ground yesterday.
Burlington in summer is Burlington at full volume - outdoor concerts, waterfront festivals, farm stands, and long golden evenings that make you want to stay just one more day. It's a city of makers and growers and doers. And in summer, they're happy to teach you what they know.
Six Ways to Skill Up This Summer
Read the Wind: Sailing on Lake Champlain
Most people see Lake Champlain from the shore. The Community Sailing Center's adult sailing programs change that. With skilled instructors and a fleet of well-maintained boats, you'll learn to read the wind, trim the sails, and actually sail. The Center also offers Floating Classrooms - on-the-water learning experiences that bring Burlington's ecology and history to life in a way no museum can.
Go Deeper: Scuba at Waterfront Diving Center
Lake Champlain has secrets below the surface including several remarkably preserved historic shipwrecks that draw divers from around the world. Waterfront Diving Center's scuba courses will take you from complete beginner to certified diver, opening up an entirely different relationship with the lake. It's Burlington from an angle almost no visitor ever sees.
Know What's Growing: Foraging at Shelburne Farms
The woods and fields around Burlington are full of food, if you know where to look. Shelburne Farms' Wild Mushroom Foray takes you into the landscape with expert guides who teach you to identify and harvest wild edibles. Shelburne Farms is a working farm and National Historic Landmark with sweeping lake views and absolutely worth a visit on its own. Add a foraging lesson and you've turned a walk in the fields into a skill you'll carry for life.
Grow It, Crush It, Drink It: Wine at Shelburne Vineyard
Vermont isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think wine country and that's exactly what makes Shelburne Vineyard's Grow Grapes, Make Wine experience such a revelation. Their hands-on programming takes you behind the label - into the vineyard and the process - so you understand not just what you're drinking, but how the land, the climate, and the craft come together in the glass.
Cook What's in Season: Classes at The Essex Resort
Vermont's summer farmers markets are legendary, and the Essex Resort's cooking school knows how to make the most of them. Summer classes lean into peak produce and fresh herbs. You'll cook alongside professional chefs, learn techniques that will change how you approach a kitchen, and eat the meal you made.
Make Something: Summer Classes with Burlington City Arts
Burlington has always had a fierce creative streak, and Burlington City Arts is where a lot of that energy lives. Their adult classes span drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, and more with summer programming that takes advantage of the season's extraordinary light. Whether you've been making art your whole life or haven't picked up a pencil since middle school, BCA is a genuinely welcoming place to create something.
