In a far away land, where maple syrup flows free and the air is cleaner than the inside of an empty bottle of rubbing alcohol, there is a little fest brewing. Well, to be honest little is a gross understatement. The land is Winooski, VT and the fest is Waking Windows. Now in its 6th year, this art and musical amalgamation has grown to become what feels like a mini SXSW for us trapped here in the Northeast. Spread out over three days between May 6th and 8th this year’s iteration features an unreal number of SICK bands from Protomartyr, Waxahatchee, Speedy Ortiz and Hop Along to Eskimeaux, Guerilla Toss, California X and the almighty Chain and the Gang. We got reps from Boston too as Midriffs, Kal Marks, Bad History Month, Lady Bones, Burglary Years, and more prepare to storm the Green Mountain State. This is only a FRACTION of the bands, DJ’s, art installations, and performances scheduled to take place at TWELVE different bars, clubs, alternative spaces, and outdoor areas over the course of the three days. With showcases by NNA Tapes and Exploding in Sound PLUS international acts from Canada, the list of reasons not to miss this shindig is almost immeasurable. Take a bus, borrow a car, hitchhike, WHATEVER…just get yourself to Winooski.