Waking Windows, the spectacular springtime music and arts festival that takes place in the Vermont city of Winooski, is taking a break this year due to COVID-19 concerns. The festival, it was announced on Thursday (February 4), will return in May 2022.
The news comes as no real surprise, but it’s still a bummer. We’ve long sung the praises of this independent fest, which features dozens and dozens of bands and artists across several stages around Winooski’s city center, spread out among clubs, cafes, churches, and pretty much any other space fit to host a performance. It’s routinely one of the highlights of each year, and you can check our annual coverage of it here.
Last year’s fest was obviously nixed due to the coronavirus, as well. But a return for 2022, Waking Windows’ 10th edition, is now firmly in sight. And yes, our positive headline up top reflects this perspective.
“As you might be anticipating, we once again have realized that we are unable to move forward with this year’s Waking Windows Music & Arts Festival,” reads a statement from the team, signed Ali, Brian, Paddy, Nick, Matt, and the WW Crew. “While we’re optimistic for the future, we do not feel confident things will be drastically different in May 2021 compared to where we are at today. It would simply remain impossible to safely host a full-fledged festival experience for upwards of 8,000 people, all bouncing around Winooski with a dozen-plus stages and performance spaces, etc. The next Waking Windows is supposed to be our tenth year, and we’re going to return with a proper event that we’re really proud of vs. trying to pull anything off that isn’t our style or isn’t fully safe for folks!”
The proposed dates for Waking Windows 2022 are May 6, 7, and 8.
“This seems incredibly far away to us, too, but know that we will return when the proverbial dust has settled,” the statement concludes. “Again, thank you for the continued support throughout this time, and over the years.”
