All Together Now for St. J Final Fridays

By Gillian Sewake (Director of Discover St. Johnsbury)

ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT – It’s time to boogie! I’m excited to invite everyone downtown for the next St. J Final Fridays event on Friday, July 31. This month’s theme, All Together Now, is all about moving, grooving, and sharing space with our neighbors in downtown St. Johnsbury.

St. J Final Fridays has always been about bringing people together. That has been at the heart of the series since it first began five years ago. This month’s theme celebrates the way we can connect through collective song, movement, and shared community experiences. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy summer than boogie-ing in the street with my neighbors.

We have a wonderful lineup of special themed programming planned for the free street fair. Montpelier-based West African dancing and drumming group Shidaa Projects will lead a dance demonstration and party. Blue Spruce Health will offer a neighborhood connections map, and Chickweed, a toe-tapping all-female band, will bring live music to the event. NEKCA’s Early Childhood Team will have an activity to get kids moving, SunDo Meditation & Movement will offer qi gong posture demos, and we’ll also welcome back some returning favorites, including SHINE fitness classes from Creative Healing & Fitness and a tango demonstration from Phil Ciotti’s group, Dancing in the Northeast Kingdom.

The July 31 event is the second St. J Final Fridays event of the 2026 series. We’ll follow the same format as past events, with a street fair featuring more than 40 free activities and free food on Railroad Street and in Depot Square Park from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

At 7:00pm, the free Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series will continue with Kyshona performing on the Catamount Arts mobile stage in the heart of downtown. Railroad Street will once again become a summer concert venue. Kyshona blends roots, rock, R&B, and folk with lyrical power that uplifts the marginalized and brings awareness to the masses. You can expect anthems that move you both emotionally and physically.

More details are available at www.discoverstjohnsbury.com/finalfridays. You can also visit the Welcome Center at 51 Depot Square or call (802) 748-8575.

As always, free experiences are the hallmark of St. J Final Fridays. This series is made possible by the many street fair participants who provide activities, our series sponsors, the Levitt Family Foundation, an Art & Social Cohesion Grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development, and special support from presenting sponsor Little Dippers Doodle Children’s Center. Little Dipper helps provide funding for free goodies like ice cream and complimentary food truck meal passes for those who need them.

I’m grateful for the continued partnership between Discover St. Johnsbury, Catamount Arts, and the Town of St. Johnsbury. Together, we’ve built a creative partnership that started in 2020 and continues to foster community connection and pride.

Since 2002, Discover St. Johnsbury has worked to stimulate and promote the vitality of St. Johnsbury’s cultural, commercial, and community resources through regional marketing, community events, support for local businesses, and other economic development activities. Our organization combines the economic and commercial goals of a business alliance with the structure of a Designated Downtown organization.

I hope to see you downtown on Friday, July 31 for All Together Now. Come ready to move, connect, and enjoy a summer evening together in St. Johnsbury.