Interview with Peter Edelmann, Partner
I met with Peter Edelmann, partner and visionary for the Essex Experience in his office overlooking the center. The walls were covered with movie memorabilia, and the tables were decorated with plans for the space. Peter was a very accommodating host and was happy to share his vision for the Essex Experience with me. As we left to take a walk through the center, Peter displayed an exceptional amount of care for the space, picking up litter and a collecting a set of lost car keys.
It is difficult to describe the Essex Experience in a brief article such as this. Many readers may remember it as the former Essex Outlets. With the advent of online shopping, partner Peter Edelmann realized that he needed to make some changes to keep the area a viable attraction. Therefore he started to focus his business recruiting efforts on services, rather than traditional retail stores. These include the Mad Taco restaurant, the salt cave at Purple Sage Salon, and the Hammer Fit fitness center. Peter is certainly not finished developing the space, and we can all expect some new places to open their doors by the end of 2019.
One of the shining stars in the Essex Experience is the T-Rex Theater, or Double E. This is a 400-seat theater, with the largest screen in the state of Vermont. The T-Rex plays movies as well as headlining both local artists and nationally known performers. This theater has at least one musical act a week, and has recently begun offering a bi-weekly open mic night.
According to one recent review of the Double E, “Fantastic music venue! Very comfy lounge theater seating with small tables to hold your excellent food and beverages from Mad Taco next door. Excellent listening room, ambience (sic) galore! Intimate setting so you can see and hear everything from the talent on stage. 10 thumbs up!”
The Essex Experience is located at 21 Essex Way, right off of the Circ highway. Visit them on Facebook to learn about upcoming events and sales: https://www.facebook.com/essexvt/.
Why Essex? “I want to make the Essex Experience into a destination that people will choose to visit instead needing to travel to Burlington” –Peter Edelmann
Why Essex? is a weekly(ish) column highlighting the people and places that make Essex an interesting and special place. Have an idea for the column? E-mail Darby Mayville at darby@essexjunction.org.
Photo Credits: Essex Experience