MIDDLEBURY

Middlebury is the commercial and cultural center of Addison County, a college town where Otter Creek tumbles over a waterfall in the middle of downtown and two performing arts venues keep the calendar full.

Town Hall Theater, an 1883 building converted into a performing arts center, hosts concerts, theater, and film throughout the year. The Marquis Theatre adds to the mix. Middlebury College, founded in 1800, brings student audiences and visiting artists to a town that already punches above its weight culturally.

You can walk from the Marble Works district — a cluster of converted industrial buildings housing shops and galleries along Otter Creek — across a footbridge into the historic downtown. The 275-building Village Historic District is on the National Register, and the whole center is pedestrian-friendly with the Saturday farmers market on Exchange Street.

Tip: Otter Creek Falls in the center of town is worth a stop before any show. The Trail Around Middlebury offers hiking access right from downtown.

Neighborhoods: Middlebury Village • East Middlebury • Marble Works