Take a “Midd Night Stroll” through downtown Middlebury on Dec. 2, 9 and 16 from 5–8 p.m., for an evening of extended shopping and events with promotions, prizes and new pop-ups. After cancellations last year due to concerns about the potential spread of Covid-19, many local businesses and organizations are excited for the return of this annual tradition.
Middlebury has come together for this special holiday season shopping event for over a decade. The event, organized by Experience Middlebury, will consist of special deals, products, and raffles. There will also be opportunities for customers to obtain Middlebury Money, a kind of currency that is legal tender at downtown businesses. Dozens of businesses from Sweet Cecily to the Vermont Bookstore to Frog Hollow Bikes are opening their doors to customers.
The festivities will include free hot chocolate and popcorn, an artisan market with local makers and fire heaters. This is part of Experience Middlebury’s Very Merry Middlebury holiday planning, which will also include a Santa and Mrs. Claus event on Dec. 4 as well as decorations downtown.
Experience Middlebury encourages all customers to practice Covid-19-safe behavior and to respect store policies surrounding capacity limits and masks. Folks can also expect less food and drink samples this year due to Covid-19 concerns.
Despite some restrictions, local businesses are excited that Midd Night Strolls are back. Dan McIntosh of The Middlebury Shop, formerly Forth n’ Goal, is looking forward to welcoming Middlebury residents and students this year.
“People look forward to it, and it encouraged them to shop local and come out at night,” McIntosh said. “We've had great turnout these last couple years.”
Karen Duguay, head of Experience Middlebury, hopes that event will help connect people with downtown Middlebury.
“The thing that I love about the event is that it's a really wonderful way to support local businesses, but also a big community builder,” Duguay said.
Students can go visit Experience Middlebury’s website for the full list of promotions and specials.
Jack Summersby is a local editor.
Charlie Keohane ’24 (she/her) is an Editor at Large. She previously served as the SGA Correspondent and a Senior Writer.
She is an environmental writing major and a psychology minor from Northern California. Outside of academics, Charlie is a Senior Admissions Fellow at the Middlebury Admissions Office. She also is involved with the women’s track team and hosts Witching Hour, a radio show on 91.1 WRMC. In Spring 2023, she studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, watching Greta Gerwig movies, polar plunging, sending snail mail, and FaceTiming her rescue dog, Poppy.
