Nothing can quite beat the creative energy that floods Middlebury’s campus each year during Nocturne. After two years pushed inside by rain, singers, artists, students, faculty and community members finally had a chance to experience the full potential of the annual arts festival: trees lit with colorful lanterns, raw vocals vibrating through the open air and an all-around uplifting atmosphere as Middlebury heads into spring and warmer weather.
Spirits were high as the night launched off with line dancing and noshing outside the Mahaney Arts Center (MAC). I then headed over to the majestically lit Chapel for Clover Magazine’s first-ever fashion show, which exhibited a wide range of student work and pieces from local designers. Fellow students strutted down the runway, bringing the traditional Chapel architecture together with a bold, fresh and eclectic energy. Over 100 people filled the Chapel benches to the brim, a promising outlook for the future of the already thriving magazine.
I was then ready to snack more, unapologetically. I headed over to Axinn and had the delight of trying various teas that were grown at our very own Middlebury Knoll. A stand over, my friend Skiles Roberts-Salvador ’26 drew a portrait of two of my other dear friends and me before offering us crab rangoon, crisp dumplings filled with crab. Inside Axinn, I stopped by Infinite Mukbang, inspired by a popular online trend in which hosts eat copious amounts of food; students were certainly happy with the free ramen they could grab.
Before stepping into the Abernethy Room to watch the Mamajamas’ incredible acapella performance, I caught a glimpse of ChazGPT, where Chaz Witter ’28.5 wittingly (no pun intended) created a real-life version of ChatGPT, responding to students’ questions on his computer that was reflected on the screen.
Stepping back outside, I found a group of my friends (who organized the night, big shout out!) gathered joyfully at Lil Butter’s set. A locally based rapper from Vergennes, he pulled in the audience’s attention with infectious energy. Nearby on the main quad, the musical energy continued as I watched my friends spin the wheel of genres like “EMO PROM” and “y’allternative” at the WRMC booth. Players had to guess the tune from the first few seconds of a song; those who succeeded were doused with silly bands and dinosaur stickers.
On the way to a brief stint back home, I had my fortune told by Dylan Meyer ’28. The result? I did such a poor job painting my nails that they determined that I must be blind, so they handed me a pair of glasses (unfortunately, I already wear contacts).
Back outside, I stopped at some of the art installations, ranging from M-Gallery’s glistening, metallic time machine featuring a robot to more shiny cyborgs at SNEGturn.
I then made it back to Wilson Hall, where I had the pleasure of enjoying On Reserve’s gripping performance with covers of “Live Well” and “Hotel California,” a classic for Nocturne live shows. Afterwards, I gathered on the Davis Family Library patio steps with my friends and was blessed with more visceral vocals from Sailor Kabeary ’26.5 and Nick Penniman ’26.5. Never failing to attract a massive audience, they sang both covers and original music.
A few steps away was a loop of mesmerizing senior film theses, projected onto the stone wall of Painter Hall. I had the pleasure of seeing my friend Neel Shah ’26, dressed up as this year’s Nocturne mascot, a wolf, catch his own short film, which he composed this past summer in L.A.
We continued strolling along the path, passing “It Happens Here,” a powerful commentary on sexual violence, composed of a clothing line of garments hung between two trees, each piece painted with a powerful message and a call to action. A hoodie printed with the message “I was wearing this” served as a poignant reminder of the impact art can have on activism.
The rest of my night was largely spent back in Wilson Hall. I caught the end of K!ND’s act before dancing along to Vampire Weekend’s electric tunes, which were a prerequisite to the moment many were waiting for: the midnight event performed by The Tares. I swayed and blew bubbles with my friends as we sang along to their, as always, captivating vocals: a perfect, wholesome end to my last Nocturne.
In a time where we are so worried about A.I. and technology stripping away our creativity, critical thinking and person-to-person engagement, Nocturne proves that Middlebury students prevail. Our campus continues to bloom with unmatched talent and a drive to connect and create, despite threats to take away these unique qualities.
Editor’s Note: Nocturne President Ellie Trinkle ’26 is the Senior Arts & Culture Editor. The Tares member Curran Amster ’26 is the Senior Opinions Editor. Sailor Kabeary ’26.5 is an Opinions editor. Nick Penniman ’26.5 is a contributing writer.
We can’t help it that there is such overlap between Nocturne and The Campus.
Maya Alexander ‘26 (she/her) is an Editor at Large.
She is a sociology major and intended French minor from New York City. She loves getting lost in her Pinterest feed and staging spontaneous photoshoots, occasional yoga and a solid iced oat milk maple latte.
