By Zara Johnson

Bordered by Lake Champlain to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, Addison County bursts with natural beauty, with an arts and culture scene to match. To the south, Rutland County is home to one of Vermont’s biggest cities, sprinkled with marble and historic buildings to explore.  

Arts of Addison County 

Middlebury is Addison County’s largest town and is packed with places to explore. Downtown, browse at Edgewater Gallery or stop by the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, housed in a historic Federal house. The museum’s permanent collection of furniture, documents, and personal affairs covers the history of Addison County and Vermont, alongside temporary exhibitions. Head up the hill to the Middlebury College Museum of Art to view their diverse permanent collection and special rotating exhibits. 

For those interested in performance, Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater puts on more than 150 events a year, including plays, concerts, and classes. Middlebury’s Festival on-the-Green is also not to be missed. For a week each July, music floats through downtown from 12 p.m. until after sunset. In August, the annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival screens more than 120 films from budding filmmakers. 

In nearby Ripton, the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail offers the opportunity to engage with Frost’s work in the area where he wrote and taught. Find his celebrated poetry posted at various points along this easy trail. 

Another opportunity for outdoor engagement can be found in Bristol every summer on Wednesdays, when the Bristol Town Band plays in the park. One of Bristol’s charming storefronts belongs to Art on Main, a non-profit gallery selling the work of around 75 Vermont artists. Stop in for a mug, a quilt, or a carving to mark your time in Addison County.  

Marble and More Magic in Rutland   

The city of Rutland, seat of its namesake county, sparkles with arts and culture to engage with. Get a taste of the downtown at Rutland’s Friday Night Live summer concert series, offering live music, food trucks, and children’s activities. In August, Rutland’s fairgrounds spring into action for the Vermont State Fair, with quilts, paintings, handiworks and more on display.  

The beautiful Chaffee Art Center, located in a historic Victorian house, offers a gallery and shop filled with work by local artists. Don’t miss a self-guided wander through the home and gardens. In August and October, the center brings the annual Art in the Park festival to Main Street Park with more than 6,000 attendees. Throughout the year, find Chaffee’s programming for kids, teens, and adults on its website. 

The Rutland area is known for its brilliant white marble. Check out the self-guided Sculpture Trail to explore the marble sculptures that decorate the downtown.  

For even more marble, explore the sculpture garden and trail at Rutland’s Carving Studio and Sculpture Center. The center offers workshops and classes, as well as an indoor gallery space. If you’re lucky, you might spy the sculptors in action! 

Elsewhere in Rutland County, take a guided tour of historic Wilson Castle or head to the Brandon Artists Guild, a cooperative gallery of 30+ artists in downtown Brandon, for stunning creations ranging from ceramic pots to fiber arts to stained glass. 

This story is brought to you in partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, working for a creative state. Explore Vermont’s arts sector and discover opportunities to engage with the arts, including classes and workshops, through this series of spotlights. The Vermont Creative Network is working to advance Vermont’s creative sector in communities throughout the state.