The Flynn Concluded Playing Fields Tour in Vermont
Organizers canceled the final performance of the five-year touring series due to rain in Montpelier.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Circus
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The Flynn concluded its two-week Playing Fields tour, a multi-year project that brought performing arts to nearly a dozen Vermont towns. Heavy rain forced the cancellation of the final 6 p.m. show in Montpelier on Sept. 20, 2026.
Why it matters
The performance series was designed to decentralize arts access, moving productions out of the Flynn's base in Burlington to reach families across Vermont. The initiative sought to remove geographical barriers to engaging with the arts.
The Playing Fields project spanned 5 years of annual tours. Featured exhibits included giant inflatable sea creatures, such as a 30-foot octopus, which were flown above audiences.
The players
The Flynn
The Flynn is a performing arts center based in Burlington that organizes regional cultural events.
The details
The tour utilized large-scale inflatable sea creatures like fish and jellyfish to create immersive outdoor performances. The Flynn successfully hosted earlier events in the series at 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. on the final day before weather forced the cancellation.
Timeline
Sept. 8, 2026: The two-week Playing Fields tour began.
Sept. 20, 2026: The final day of the tour took place in Montpelier.
12 p.m. and 1 p.m.: Scheduled performances were held on the tour's final day.
6 p.m.: The final scheduled performance was canceled due to rain.
Industry Dynamics
The tour reflects a broader shift toward regional arts accessibility by decentralizing major cultural organizations. This follows the pattern set by the Arts in Reach decentralization initiative by moving programming out of a central hub into surrounding communities.
Families across the state were able to access high-production performances in their own towns rather than traveling to Burlington. The last-minute cancellation meant that ticketholders for the final 6 p.m. slot were unable to see the scheduled show.
The takeaway
Large-scale outdoor performance tours offer unique community engagement but remain vulnerable to unpredictable weather conditions. Organizers planning future regional events may consider backup indoor locations to ensure the completion of final performances.
Further reading
Learn more about local performance art at Circus.
Source note: This article includes information reported by My NBC5.
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