'The Daily Show' Visits Burlington, 'Rue Canada'

Jordan Klepper interviewing Vermont Brewers Association executive director Emma Arian Credit: Courtesy of Nickolaas Szczecinski, Vermont Brewers Association

While it remains to be seen whether Burlington’s newly named “Rue Canada” will encourage Québec residents to visit, the splashy stunt seems to have drawn at least one welcome tourist downtown.

The pedestrian boulevard formerly known as Church Street served as a backdrop over the weekend for “The Daily Show” correspondent and rotating host Jordan Klepper, who came to Burlington with a Comedy Central film crew to interview locals about the state of U.S.-Canada relations.

Klepper stopped by the Vermont Brewers Festival along the waterfront on Friday and cruised Church Street to talk to business owners at Outdoor Gear Exchange, Belleville Bakery and elsewhere.

“It was kind of fun to have them in town,” said OGE cofounder Marc Sherman, who could be seen grinning alongside Klepper in a photo his company later posted to Instagram.

Sherman said he used his face time with one of the country’s most recognizable television shows to emphasize that he doesn’t support President Donald Trump’s trade policies or rhetoric toward Vermont’s northern neighbor — and that “we really miss the Canadians.”

“The Daily Show” arranged its appearance at the Vermont Brewers Festival weeks ago, according to Vermont Brewers Association executive director Emma Arian. Producers told Arian that Klepper was working on a segment about how northern states are trying to woo Canadian tourists in light of Trump’s tariffs and out-of-left-field cracks about Canada being the 51st state. Producers wanted to highlight festival organizers’ efforts to attract Canadian beer lovers, including discounted ticket prices, she said.

Klepper also interviewed festival attendees, attracting notice in the process. “There were lots of selfies,” Arian said.

Burlington resident Karen Chickering had initially ignored a producers’ voicemail about doing an interview. “This can’t be the ‘Daily Show,'” she told herself. But when the producer mentioned Klepper, “It was like, oh, shit,” Chickering recalled. “I know that name. I don’t watch TV, but my brother sends me clips from there.”

Producers had read a Seven Days story from March about Chickering’s visit to Canada to apologize for Trump and try to mend relations at a personal level. Klepper interviewed her on Friday near the waterfront in what Chickering described as a “friendly, silly” style.

“I told them to go to Single Pebble for dinner,” Chickering said. “I don’t know if they did.”

“The Daily Show” did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But a few locals whom Klepper interviewed over the weekend were told the segment would either air sometime before August 1 — or not until September.

Burlington’s “Rue Canada” may or may not repair geopolitical divides. But, with an assist from Comedy Central, it should at least make for a good laugh.

This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2025.