Burlington, Vermont
Champlain College
College Street Congregational Church, UCC
First Congregational Church, UCC

Situated on the “west coast” of Vermont, Burlington’s location on the shores of Lake Champlain made it a booming transportation hub in the 19th century. In the early 20th century when transportation moved to rails and highways, Burlington was left with a wealth of churches, Victorian architecture and a land-grant college. Today Burlington is a bustling city with a vibrant arts, dining and retail economy, several colleges and a booming high-tech sector. Arrival by car, plane or ferry puts you within ten minutes of the waterfront, Church Street Marketplace, the Flynn Theater and University of Vermont.

Visitors to Burlington can easily enjoy our “great” lake, hike on the Long Trail, visit Ben & Jerry’s, Green Mountain Coffee or Lake Champlain Chocolates, build a Vermont Teddy Bear, or ride a zip-line or alpine slide down Mt. Mansfield.

Burlington is a city full of churches and colleges. We will use three of these as sites for our Conference. Our opening worship on Sunday evening will be at College Street Congregational Church. This large Victorian building features a warm sanctuary with an Austin organ, opus 2291 circa 1958. Founded in 1860 as the Third Congregational Society, the original congregation included the president of the University of Vermont, three participants in the Underground Railroad and the principal of the Burlington Female Seminary. College Street Church proudly carries on its activist traditions to this day.

Our closing Festival Worship on Wednesday evening will be at First Congregational Church – proudly known as First Church Burlington – because it was the first church and meeting hall for the young city. The current building was erected in 1842 in the Greek Revival style with a bright neo-colonial sanctuary. The Estey organ was built in 1952 and restored in 1994 by Russell and Company. First Church has strong Calvinist roots and is now considered one of the leading churches in the Vermont Conference, UCC.

Both churches are within five blocks of Champlain College, one of the many colleges and professional schools in the Burlington area and host to the majority of our Conference sessions. Best known for its business and information technology programs, the Champlain campus is compact and accessible with a mix of wonderfully maintained Victorian homes and modern academic buildings all overlooking beautiful Lake Champlain. Most plenary sessions, workshops and meals will be in the facilities at Champlain College.

Please be aware that parking on the Champlain campus is limited, although there is on-street parking available in the area. The Conference will provide busing to all off-campus events.

Tuesday evening will offer free time to explore the Burlington area and dine on your own in the city’s wonderfully diverse restaurants. Or join us for an optional Dinner and Jazz Cruise on the lake aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen III featuring gospel, spirituals, Dixieland and swing with the Maple Leaf Seven.

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