Any resident of or visitor to Middlebury, Vermont, knows that it’s a beautiful, iconic New England town.   But hip and musical? You betcha - every July, the weeklong Festival on the Green opens up the downtown park for performances and entertainers that are enjoyed by teenagers and families, college students and retirees alike.

Jer Coons on Stage

The 32nd Annual Festival on the Green was in the middle of July and proved to be warm lazy evenings filled with music and dance, folks enjoying the shows with neighbors and friends, as they gather from all over the area.

A main strength in a small town is its pride in local produce, and that means more than milk, meat and fruits and vegetables, which Middlebury’s surrounding area produces in abundance.   The festival is a multi-genre, multi-generational performance series which includes local artists.

Jer Coons performed at the Festival with a rollicking pop rock set.   Coons graduated from Middlebury Union High School and has made an impressive name for himself in Vermont music circles.   He was clearly happy and felt lucky to come home to play, backed by The Grift, a Vermont grown band.

Jer Coons - Publicity Photo
All rights reserved by the original photographer

Coons’s fan base is strong and the front section of the audience was filled with teenagers, whooping and shouting for more.   When introducing his song, “Legs,” Coons remarked, “If you’ve ever heard my music before, you’ve heard this one,” as cheers all over the park erupted to the opening strains.   You can check out this song here.

Other local artists included the Doughboys, a rock bank composed of Middlebury College faculty, The Nathan Childers Quintet, jazz and funk led by Brandon native Nathan Childers, and the Vermont Jazz Ensemble playing swing dance music to close the festival on Saturday night.

The 33rd Annual Middlebury Festival on the Green, will take place between July 10 - 16 2011. The Festival Committee, is seeking new volunteer members and will meet next in January 2011, to organize the 33rd festival.

For further information, please contact the Middlebury Festival on the Green organizing committee.

midfog@gmail.com

P.O. Box 451, Middlebury, VT 05753

(802) 462-3555.