Since August, Otter Creek Bakery on College Street has expanded beyond serving coffee, sandwiches and baked goods to hosting live music every Friday night. The sidewalk concerts have brought together students and residents in a family-friendly setting.
The bakery’s stage is the sidewalk itself, allowing passersby to stop and listen or snap photos and videos from inside their cars. The series was originally planned for Otter Creek East in East Middlebury, but after the interior of that location was damaged by fire in August, the events were moved downtown.
On Sept. 27, Brandon-based band Bird Boombox performed. The group, formed three years ago by Josh Cummings, Garrett McMillan and Rob Fjeld, perform once a month at Otter Creek. Their performances often blend covers with their original, alternative genre work. According to Cummings, the Brandon music scene is flourishing with original artists and a variety of venues. Cummings said the band hopes for that energy to expand into the Middlebury area.
Bird Boombox likes to engage with the crowd. “I like throwing stuff out into the crowd and doing bits,” Fjeld said. “Our original goal as a band was to play for large crowds, but we prefer playing for a crowd of five people who are totally into it.”
The group praised the enthusiasm of the small Middlebury audience and said they look forward to returning.
Otter Creek Bakery has contributed to this energy since it was founded by Ben and Sarah Wood in 1986.
The business has won awards for their exceptional pastries. The Woods chose Middlebury as the ideal place to start their dream business, converting an old gas station on College Street into the bakery’s current location in 1988.
Otter Creek’s menu is influenced by the local network of businesses and suppliers, with fresh eggs, milk and vegetables being brought from Vermont farms.
Otter Creek organized the music series to connect artists from the area with town residents and college students alike. The future of the Middlebury music scene looks promising, with Otter Creek’s shows reviving live music as a tradition in the town.
An employee at Otter Creek Bakery, Melinda Bachand, hopes that the Friday night music continues, but logistical challenges may arise as Middlebury enters the cold winter months.
“We want to keep the music going for as long as possible," Bachand said, noting Vermonters’ resilience to cold temperatures.
The conversion of this local baked goods staple into a music venue has proven to be a success, with many locals stopping by to enjoy the ambiance under the setting Vermont sun. This unlikely location has hosted and will continue to host a wide variety of artists, enriching cultural offerings in town and bringing life and energy to the streets of Middlebury.
