DERBY LINE

Derby Line is an incorporated village in the town of Derby, Orleans County, where the U.S.-Canada border runs through the middle of town — and through the middle of its most famous building.

Haskell Opera House straddles the international boundary, with the 400-seat auditorium in Vermont and the stage in Quebec. The 1904 Victorian hall hosts jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, classical concerts, theater, and performances by the Montreal West Operatic Society, which has been a tradition here for 25 years.

Derby Line and Stanstead, Quebec operated as a single community for generations, and the Haskell reflects that cross-border identity. A strip of black tape on the floor marks where one country ends and the other begins. Lake Memphremagog extends 27 miles northward into Quebec, anchoring the broader region.

Tip: You enter through the main door in Vermont but watch performers on a Canadian stage. Check the Borderline Players' schedule for local theatrical productions throughout the year.

Neighborhoods: Derby Line • Derby Center • Beebe Plain