First Fridays in Middlebury – February Reflections
February is an interesting time to launch anything—but Kelly and ! wanted to start as we mean to go on. We are deeply committed to becoming a town known for a fun, welcoming First Friday, and the time to begin is now. We spent the evening walking the town, popping in on everyone, and despite a truly frigid night, we were met with smiles, friends, conversation, and genuine engagement. There was a shared understanding that building momentum will take time—and that this is exactly how it begins.
It was wonderful to see both pop-ups fully booked at Haymaker and Shiretown. Kevin even made his own HP sauce for British Pub Night (if you know, you know). When we arrived at a very full Haymaker, ACPCC fundraiser raffle ticket sales were in full swing—such a great energy in the room.
PhotoPlace Gallery was absolutely rocking, with an incredible exhibition curated by owner Zach Hoffman, featuring special selections by juror Elizabeth Avedon. From there, we wandered down the street to say hello to Dave at Flora, Travis at Adagio, Erin at Middleton, Becky at the Vermont Bookshop, Dan at the Middlebury Shop, and Beth at Sparrow Art Supply.
Our final swing was up to the Jackson Gallery, where we met Matthew Dickerson and McKenna Dickerson—a father-daughter duo—hosting the opening night of Wild Encounters, on view at the Jackson through March 14.
Gratitude to everyone who opened their doors, stayed late, and showed up—for one another and for our town. We were very happy to end the evening at Crooked Ladle with one of the best martinis in town.
Let’s keep building momentum. And a little teaser: we’ve been contacted by Channel NBC 5 Vermont, who plan to visit next month to see what First Fridays are all about. If you’re a store, restaurant, or business interested in joining future First Fridays, please be in touch—we’d love to add you to the growing list.
Here’s to the first of many.