You will see a wide, brick-paved pedestrian avenue stretching forward, framed by multi-story brick facades with decorative cornices and a long row of cast-iron streetlamps. Born from a radical one-day urban renewal experiment in 1971, this lively corridor has become the undisputed beating heart of Burlington's civic life. That single experimental street fair completely reinvented the downtown experience, proving that a city could prioritize people over cars.
But getting here was not easy. Funding this vision sparked intense political drama. In 1979, a massive 1.5 million dollar municipal bond... a type of loan taken out by a city to raise funds, worth about six million dollars today... was passed to build it. A 39-year-old Bernie Sanders used this debt as a wedge issue during his underdog mayoral campaign. He fiercely criticized the bond, arguing downtown businesses should pay for it themselves, not the taxpayers. In a twist of political irony, Sanders achieved a shocking upset victory, and months later found himself cutting the ribbon on the very marketplace he had campaigned against.
Take a moment to look around the pedestrian mall as you walk. Notice the rhythm of the street, and see if you can spot any buskers... that is, street performers who entertain crowds for tips... or perhaps catch a glimpse of the massive 124-foot-long mural by Pierre Hardy celebrating the city's lively culture painted on a nearby alley wall.
The busker ecosystem here is famously robust, regulated by strict annual video auditions to ensure high-quality entertainment. It is a true community hub that also serves as an incubator for young entrepreneurs starting out with food carts. If you glance at your app, you can see a historical view of the street looking north from Main Street, showing how these grand historic buildings create a continuous, vibrant urban canyon.
Despite this commercial success, Church Street has seen its share of growing pains regarding public space. To manage the bustling crowds, the city once implemented a highly controversial universal trespass policy. Under this strict rule, a person who caused trouble at a single participating business could be banned from dozens of other shops on the street. In 2004, a young local musician had a dispute with his employer at a department store. Because of that single incident, he was placed on the trespass list and banned from the entire Burlington Town Center and dozens of other stores for a full year without ever being convicted of a crime, sparking intense debates about constitutional rights and public access.
The businesses along this stretch generally welcome visitors Monday through Saturday from 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening, and Sundays from 11 to 5. Let us slowly walk away from the lively energy of the marketplace toward a site of historic tragedy and triumph, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which is about an 8-minute walk away.
