Freebie Friday Collaborations!
There are many fantastic businesses that we have collaborated with for our Freebie Friday Giveaways (Spring 2022- Spring 2025)! We wanted to highlight each business in a blog format so you can learn more about them! Feel free DM us on Instagram (@uvmbored) if you have any businesses you would want us to collaborate with in the future.
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Rosie’s Confections and Market:
We collaborated with Rosie’s for Valentine’s Day and gave away a box of chocolate. They were originally in Winooski, but switched to be a online shop. Rosie’s is owned and run by women and values thoughtfulness, sustainability, fair wages, and quality of life. They employ direct trade practices for sourcing food and make sure to source sustainably and ethically. They sell amazing chocolates, coffee, pastries, ice cream, cupcakes, and more!
Metro Rock VT:
Metro Rock has many locations throughout VT, and we were so happy to collaborate with them and give away some day passes! They are frequented by the climbing team and other rock climbers for a fantastic experience. They are located in Essex Junction, VT, and hope you check them out soon.
The Café HOT:
This breakfast brunch hotspot opened up August 2021 and is a favorite; featured in our 10 Restaurants To Try This Year Blog and has been highlighted plenty on our Instagram. We were fortunate to collaborate with them 5 times since they opened! They have excellent baked goods and breakfast sandwiches! It is a must-try downtown!
Flynn Center:
Right on Main Street, the Flynn Center is where you can catch fantastic music, shows, comedy acts, and more. We worked with Flynn several times to showcase some music events!
UVM Greenhouse:
Did you know that UVM has a Greenhouse? They have a fantastic variety of plants suitable for your dorm room, garden, or apartment! They have many sales throughout the semester, so keep an eye out on their Instagram for specific dates! You can also walk around the greenhouse while they are open, see some fantastic plant varieties, and enjoy some relaxing and happy plant vibes.
Vermont Comedy Club and Happy Place Café :
With many laughs, bring hungry stomachs! We worked with the Vermont Comedy Club’s Happy Place Cafe 2 times and Vermont Comedy Club countless times. Prizes included gift cards, student discounts, tickets, merchandise, and more! They have a delicious menu featuring coffee, mocktails, salads, sandwiches, and donuts.
Wild Lark:
Love candles, plants, mushroom growing kits, and totes? Wild Lark is your go-to! They are located on Church Street and have so much to offer, including a variety of florals, fantastic bath and body products, and the perfect gifts for any occasion.
Home & Garden Vermont:
This family-run shop is adorable and will fulfill all of your environmentally friendly home product dreams. They carry gorgeous fresh bouquets, puzzles and games, books, Vermont souvenirs and more. Keep an eye out on their Instagram for sales of their unique products!
Aqua VitTea:
Aqua ViTea is a Vermont product through and through, focused on sustainability and unique flavors. They are centered in Middlebury and sell Aqua ViTea all over campus! We were lucky to work with them and to drink some of their kombuchas. Some of our favorite flavors include elderflower, blueberry social, peach out, pineapple lemonade, and ginger!
Kestrel Coffee Roasters:
We are grateful that Kestrel Coffee has given so much support to UVM, working with both BORED and Campus Programs! The owners are dedicated to heightening the coffee experience and want people to learn about the coffee process. If you need caffeine, Kestrel is a great place to go!
Tailfeather:
What do festivals, crystals, art, and the environment all have in common? The ability to center you! Tailfeather’s mission is to support artists and designers while bringing people beautiful and sustainable clothing, jewelry, and art. In our past collaboration, they donated the perfect biodegradable glitter for any festivity!
Common Deer:
Common Deer is the perfect Vermont souvenir gift shop! They pride themselves on only selling things that are American-made and have a great map in store of where some of the companies and artists of the products they carry are from. Voted best gifts in Vermont for five years in a row, they have something for everyone on your list!
Shelburne Farms:
Shelburne Farms has amazing trails, an inn, events such as cheese-making, tours, educational programs, gardens, and a plentiful farm store! They are a great place to stop if you ever want to get out of Burlington and enjoy some beautiful scenery and farm animals!
Shy Guy Gelato:
Shy Guy Gelato is out of this world! Located on Saint Paul Street, Shy Guy makes their gelato in-house every day with a rotation of so many delicious flavors, including favorites like black forest cake, creamy mango, rice pudding, dark chocolate sorbet, strawberry rhubarb, and more (check out their Instagram to see the flavors of the day)! Make sure to get a punch card when you get there when you go. After 9 scoops, the 10th one is free!
May Day:
Heading for the North End for this one, May Day is a must-try! Their chef Mojo Hancy-Davis was nominated for Best Chef Northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2023! They are focused on bringing the best of VT farms, orchards, and more to diners. Their menu changes weekly, and can be found on their website! Keep an eye out on their Instagram for special events such as brunches, special chefs, and parties!
Vintage Inspired Market:
To Thrift or not to Thrift? Located on Dorset Street, Vintage Inspired Market carries art, jewelry, furniture, fun finds, and clothes.
Morning Light Bakery:
This Winooski-based business serves Hong Kong-style pastries, cakes, coffee, bubble tea, and more! Morning Light is a BORED favorite! Check their Instagram for some sweet updates!
Pitchfork Pickle:
Pitchfork Pickle crafts small batch ferments, pickles, and hot sauce for using seasonal produce for delicious flavors. In addition to having their own farm, they also work with other local farms to make their ferments all year long. They are located inside the Soda Plant and their products at local supermarkets such as City Market Co-op, Jake’s One Market, Healthy Living, and more!
Bolton Valley:
This collaborator has activities you can go to all year long! They are located about 35 minutes away from campus, with a slope perfect for skiing, snowboarding, backcountry sports, mountain biking, hiking, and more! In addition to working with them for Freebie Friday, we also collaborated with them for our Going to the Slopes 101 blog! Check them and their club Bolton Babe Force for events, deals, classes, community, and more!
Always Full Market:
Just head to South Burlington for this special market! Always Full is a UVM Alumni-owned business that sells Asian groceries, snacks, and drinks to the Burlington area!
Asiana House:
Asiana House has a variety of food on its menu including soup dumplings, fried rice, sushi, miso soup, and more! They are located conveniently downtown and are open every day of the week except Monday for restaurant dining or take-out meals.
Higher Ground:
Higher Ground is a local music venue bringing great concerts to students and the Burlington community. They always have a great lineup so show them some love and go listen to some fun tunes!
Eastern Mountain Sports:
Outdoors Galore! Eastern Mountain Sports reopened back in South Burlington in December 2022 and they have all of the camping, climbing, biking gear, and clothing all in one place! Students can also get a 10% discount on every purchase when showing a valid student ID.
The Great Escape Burlington:
Escape Boredom with this fun spot downtown! The Great Escape Room brings you the opportunity to solve puzzles against the master clock. The BORED team had the best time completing the “Final Seance Room!”
UVM Department of Theatre and Dance:
UVM Theatre and Dance puts on fantastic shows and programming all throughout each semester including plays, musicals, dance performances, and more! Keep an eye out on their website to see what shows they have planned.
Pizzeria Verità:
Woodfire Napoleon style pizza in Burlington transports you right to Italy! Pizzeria Verità is a delicious women-owned business in downtown Burlington with creative pizzas, salads, appetizers, and more. We recommend checking out their Buy One Get One FREE Margherita pizza deal on Wednesdays (this includes delivery too)!
Ruben James (RJs):
Ruben James, affectionately known as RJs, is Burlington’s favorite sports bar that serves sandwiches, fries, drinks, and more. They also have events all throughout the week including Bingo, Karaoke, fundraising nights, and Trivia Tuesday.
Eat Vermont:
Let’s revolutionize the food system! Eat Vermont connects everyone in the food system across Vermont. They work with farms, small businesses, and restaurants to combine all elements of what makes the VT food scene great! Check their Instagram to find new spots to eat and see which businesses across the state are hiring!
WND&WVS:
WND&WVS is Burlington’s premier Stand Up Paddle (SUP), water sports lifestyle, and boutique clothing retailer. Whether you’re looking to get into any sport powered by wind and/or wave, or just simply looking to style yourself in some new threads, they have got you covered! Come check out their brand new store where our knowledgeable staff is happy to help with your shopping experience.
The Sand Box:
SandBox is an extension of WND &WVS focused on sustainable fashion, clothing repairs, and classes. They have workshops that members of the community can participate in such as eco-dying, block printing, screen printing, intro hand & machine sewing, and more!
Plink!:
Plink! is an electrolyte drink tablet company based out of Burlington and was created with the goal of creating a more eco-conscious way to get flavored drinks to people. Their award-winning and they focus on joyful hydration! You can find them in grocery stores around the Burlington area including even 2 spots on the UVM Campus!
Burlington Bagel Bakery:
They are serving up 4X BORED AWARD winning bagels and we can confirm they are delicious! They have so many locations around the Burlington area including on Church Street and in South Burlington and Essex Junction. Some of our favorites include there Lumberjack, the New Yorker, and the Triple B!
Adventure Dinner:
Adventure Dinner is a collaborative event company that dreams up and hosts unique food and drink experiences in unexpected places around Vermont. They have almost weekly events that will knock your tastebuds off and you can find them at The South End Get Down in the Summer!
Sarom’s Cafe:
Head over to Winnoski for this delicious spot! They are family owned cafe offering a variety of freshly made Vietnamese Banh Mis, Spring Rolls, rice & noodle bowls, Phin-dripped Coffees & other beverages, sweet treats, and more! Their menu also includes specials such as flavorful sambusas, and classics such as Vietnamese fried rice, stews, and curries! The ambiance of the cafe is also great for studying, doing school work, or grabbing food with friends.
City Market Co-op:
City Market Co-op is a community owned grocery market with two locations in Burlington, one in downtown Burlington and the other in South Burlington! They sell local, organic, and conventional foods and tons of Vermont made products, like some of the snack in this giveaway! They also have community based classes and events as well!
Vivid Coffee Roasters:
This coffee shop is downtown on Cherry Street, and not only do they serve and roast delicious coffee, but they are also soccer fanatics (check their instagram for events updates)! They also have tea, sandwiches, pastries, and affogatos! You can watch soccer while there, chat with friends, or work on that really one essay that is loaming. The space is super welcoming and there are tons of seats in the front and back where you can work! A special thing to note is that Vivid sources their beans sustainability and closely working with small farmers and communities from Kenya, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras and more!
Scout & Co:
They three locations in the area: Winooski, the South End, and in the Old North End! These coffee shops are perfect for long late afternoon study sessions as they are open until 5pm Mon-Thurs, and open until 6pm Fri-Sun. Not to mention that they curate their coffee by working with a majority of BIPOC roasters across the country that source their beans from small farms! They also have delicious pastries made in house (my favorite is the apple + almond Danish and the cardamon bun) every day that you can much on while you work!
