So sorry to hear about the cancelling of the Chili Festival on Main Street in Middlebury. It had always been a great way to see neighbors and friends and to see the students from the college downtown enjoying themselves. They cancelled the beer festival a few years back and that was another event that brought people downtown and in from other places in Vermont. These were both events that were good for the members of the community and gave the town of Middlebury some exposure to folks that were otherwise just driving through.
Middlebury needs more folks downtown if the downtown is to survive. It needs more exposure. We need to think about more housing downtown, more parking and office space as well as activities where folks can walk from the college or from the numerous neighborhoods around our downtown.
Yes it is a beautiful downtown but having more street events when it is nice out and not fewer is what the town needs. So sad to see another event that folks looked forward to in Middlebury cancelled.
Bill Biederman
Cornwall