The “First Fridays” initiative, revived by Better Middlebury Partnership’s co-directors, Kathryn Torres and Kelly Flynn, represents the community-based non-profit’s larger efforts to ensure that Middlebury remains a wonderful place to live, work, and play.
Torres emphasized BMP’s desire to cultivate an atmosphere in downtown Middlebury that unites the college’s student body with the greater Middlebury community.
“We want the vibrancy of campus transferred down to town,” Torres said in an interview with The Campus.
According to Torres, the concept behind Middlebury’s “First Fridays” was inspired by “Midd Kid Night” in December, which, in partnership with the College’s Student Government Association, the College’s President’s Office and the BMP, features festive events and opportunities for students to stroll and shop with friends. In part, the goal of the “First Fridays” initiative is to achieve the same level of foot traffic in downtown Middlebury as during “Midd Kid Night.”
“January, February and March can be very quiet months in Vermont. People tend to hibernate, but they are craving community and coming together,” Torres said.
Torres added that the “First Fridays” night in February was small, sweet and everything the BMP could have hoped for by launching an initiative during, arguably, Vermont’s slowest month.
Caroline Corrente, owner of Haymaker Bun Company, recently hosted “First Fridays Haymaker at Night.” The pasta pop-up is a familiar staple for Middlebury locals and students alike, who have long frequented these evening events.
Corrente noted that Haymaker’s monthly pasta pop-up dinners stemmed from The Arcadian, a restaurant led by Corrente’s husband, Matt, that ran in the same space as Haymaker at 7 Bakery Lane, serving handmade pasta dishes and Italian fare.
Corrent noted that the concept for these pop-ups stems from The Arcadian, the Italian restaurant formerly run by her husband, Matt, in the same location. Corrente shared that the current dinners are a nod to that legacy of pasta and traditional dishes.
“Now, monthly pasta popups are a creative outlet for [Matt]. People loved the Arcadian,” Corrente said.
Besides Haymaker’s pasta pop-ups, Corrente and her team are constantly planning other community-minded events in partnership with the bakery that underscore her background in non-profit work.
Events such as Haymaker’s Galentine's Karaoke Night, which took place on February 13th in support of Atria Collective, represented not only Haymaker but also the greater Middlebury community’s initiative to cultivate spaces that drive social impact and community gathering.
“In Middlebury, we tend to work in silos; it's important for us to team up and support each other. While food is our forefront, the part that is most important to me is creating a sense of community in our locations and seeing people use our space for that brings me the most joy,” Corrente said.
For the upcoming “First Fridays” evenings, Haymaker will combine its pasta pop-up and karaoke events to attract a diverse audience, including young families with kids, students at the College, and older couples.
While the bookings for Haymaker's pasta pop-ups fill up quickly, students from the College often attend to enjoy great food with friends off campus.
Ron Turcios ’27, who works at Haymaker with the front-of-house staff, noted the diverse mix between students and locals.
“Lots of student athletes from the college have attended the pasta pop-up. The most recent one was nearly fifty-fifty students and locals,” Turcios said.
Additionally, in an interview with the Campus, Lauren Guircio ’26 praised the event and the environment it provides.
“The Haymaker pasta pop-ups are always an event to look forward to — pasta and dinner menus are truly delicious, and the atmosphere is perfect for a special meal with friends.”
Other places in town have also been experimenting with this pop-up concept. ShireTown Marketplace, for instance, began hosting reservation-based pop-ups in collaboration with the BMP's “First Fridays” initiative. The first pop-up dinner featured an English pub-themed menu and, according to husband-and-wife duo owners Kevin and Dani Archambeault, drew a full house, welcoming both regulars and new faces.
For the upcoming “First Fridays” evening, ShireTown is planning to host a Cajun-themed pop-up, but Kevin and Dani also have other ideas brewing, such as a ramen-themed night.
The next “First Fridays” evening will be on March 8th, during which Torres and the greater BMP team hope to continue the momentum and excitement from February by raising the event's visibility. Some ideas to do so, according to Torres, include hanging “First Fridays” flags around town, integrating music events into the night and involving student organizations and societies from the College into the evening’s schedule.
“We want to dovetail with as many local businesses as possible,” Torres said.
Students should look out for more information regarding the March 8th “First Fridays” evening on the BMP’s blog and follow @experiencemiddlebury on social media platforms such as Instagram for up-to-date information about events at various local businesses throughout downtown Middlebury.
