Town Hall Theater and The Opera Company of Middlebury offer residents of gorgeous central Vermont…read moreBroadway- and Metropolitan Opera-quality art, music and drama in a setting to die for! Who needs New York when we can partake of such treasures here?!

From the owner: Town Hall Theater proudly presents approximately 185 events a year and offers performing arts…read moreclasses and in-school residencies. The wide variety of offerings include opera, theater, film, live music and comedy. The Carolyn and Will Jackson Gallery on the theater's lower level, features rotating exhibits from some of Vermont's finest artists. Town Hall Theater also happily hosts weddings, dances and conferences and is home to nine resident companies, including the Opera Company of Middlebury, Middlebury Community Players, Champlain Philharmonic, and Middlebury Actor's Workshop.

I was in Stowe for the weekend on vacation and looking for something to do, when I saw a banner…read moredowntown for the Stowe Theatre Guild. I figured why not check them out online and see what's going on. I was easily able to purchase tickets online (using my cell phone even!) and pick them up at the event only hours later. The Stowe Theatre Guild performs at the theatre inside the town hall! And there's an elevator for those who need it since its upstairs. The price was reasonable for admission, and their performance was first class.. This isn't some community theatre group, everyone has performing experience and it was jut like going to see a major production in a big city. I saw the Great American Trailer Park: the musical, which was hilarious.For some reason I always get singled out, and at the beginning of the show, the character Duke was walking around looking for his missing girlfriend Pippi, and gave me a beer and had me sing the buck stops here, her "dancing" song. The entire audience had a great time, and I wish I didn't live 2 states away or I'd be going to their shows regularly. If you are near Stowe, this is a must stop.

This is where I first voted. Since then, the town hall has been rebuilt - probably more than a…read morequarter century ago as of now - and it was much needed, offering significantly more now. It's not fully high-tech yet, as a lot of the older records are still in large, ornate, books. But those records are very well organized, as we found out a few years ago when needing to obtain some family records. The staff are quite friendly and helpful. They offer services for seniors such as free photocopying. Be sure to drive by on December nights to check out the Christmas tree in the front of the building.

The city hall, over 150 years old, is listed as Italianate-style, and it's listed in the National…read moreRegister of Historic Places. It's quite impressive, and I think nicer after the renovations in 2020 after a fire. Most of the offices you would typically visit are on the main floor. Signage is adequate, but many of the doors lead to offices or windows for multiple functions, so read carefully. Other functions, such as courts and police offices, will be on other floors. There is a ADA-compliant ramp and an adjacent parking lot. My business there today was in the City Clerk's office. They were helpful, friendly, and prompt. Unfortunately, there's only 1 chair available, so be prepared to stand if there's other folks waiting for assistance.

Northumberland Town Hall in Gansevoort is a nice newer complex housing nearly all of the Town's…read moreoffices (Town Clerk, Town Court, Bldg Dept, Assessors Office, etc...) I've had many interactions with different departments over the years and all were very positive. They treat people with respect and courtesy and often go above and beyond to help Town residents. It's also my Polling place to vote and that has always been a smooth and easy affair as well.

The Old Round Church is worth a side trip if you happen to be in the area. Richmond is a very nice…read moreold New England town. It is pretty lively for how small it is. We went in winter and it was beautiful with snow and ice everywhere, but I believe it would be equally pretty when it's warmer and one could wander about a bit more. There is a pretty library nearby as well and a nice truss bridge. It is closed in winter (after October?) so we'll have to back for a better look.

The Old Round Church in Richmond is a scenic spot for a wedding-- and everyone seems to know it…read more In the summer, if you drive through Richmond between 10am and 4pm you will nearly always see vestiges of wedding. Because the Church is not a practicing church (there are no weekly services) they do as many as three weddings there a day on Saturdays and Sundays May-October. The up side of this is that your date is unlikely to be fully blocked out. The down side to this is that you have little buffer on either side of the ceremony to decorate and un-decorate the building. The inside of the church is well-restored and if you're into a super-new-england-yankee aesthetic, you're in for a treat. It's unique inside and out and the views of the surrounding mountains outside add to the ambiance. Another tiny set-back (but not enough to knock a star off in my opinion, there are too many great things about the space) is that those Yankee Protestants of the early 1800s were by an large a lot smaller than we are today, so the pews can be a little tight for larger (or pregnant) guests. Also, it's BYO - officiant-- so you can have the scenic, yankee, vermonty setting in a church and you can have your ceremony be any denomination you want...or none. Fab.