Together Again: Supporting Community through Downtown Event Grants 

Mar 24 2022

Montpelier is a very vibrant community, and having grown up in the area, I am keenly aware that Central Vermont is an epicenter for festivals and gatherings. The people who live here strive to build a strong community, and the many creative minds hidden in the hills around the region pull together events that are both fun and meaningful. To name just a few of Montpelier’s amazing events: Spice on Snow, All Species Day, Montpelier’s July 3rd Celebration, One Universe Langdon St. Block Party, Point to Point, Do Good Fest, Taste of Montpelier, MRPS-PIE Fall Festival, Enchanted Forest, Spice on Snow, Ice on Fire…the list goes on! Montpelier Alive recognizes the importance of these gatherings, and how embedded they are in community life here. One way that we support these events is through our Downtown Event Grant Program.

In 2022, a total of $10,000 will be available through the grant program, with a maximum award of $2,000 for any single grant. Montpelier Alive has increased its funding this year to try to accommodate as many different events as possible. Funding will be granted to individuals or organizations for development and implementation of a program, festival, or event that promotes and enhances the vibrancy of downtown Montpelier. People planning events that happen on the periphery of downtown are also invited to apply for the grant this year, as long as the event has a positive and significant impact on the City’s downtown. Applications for the grant can be submitted online at http://montpelieralive.org/eventgrant, and are due by Friday, May 6th. Grants also come with additional support from Montpelier Alive.  

As an event coordinator myself, I know the challenges of bringing together all the detailed logistical pieces of a festival, including the budget numbers. In such a small community, it can be hard to find enough financial resources to support a large event. With Montpelier Alive’s grant rewards, I’ve seen first-hand events succeed and meet their budgeting goals. This creates the confidence that a presenter needs to go through the planning process again and again, offering the gift of community gatherings each year. 

“The Montpelier Alive grants have allowed us at Scrag to think out of the box and execute Mary and Evan’s creative curations — including a musical scavenger hunt throughout downtown Montpelier,” Scrag Mountain Music Managing Director Lara Mones told me. “The pop-up concerts that we have been able to put on through this grant help us to fulfill our mission of bringing affordable (free!), accessible, and innovative programs to our community. In addition to the financial help, which is significant, the additional support and resources offered through this program have allowed us to build many wonderful partnerships in downtown Montpelier and support local business through our music-making activities. We are so grateful for this special grant program!” 

The creative energy that Montpelier emanates is inspiring and necessary to fuel the connectedness people feel here. The wealth of ideas in our community that focus on togetherness give us hope that can lift us up from the pandemic, the rugged winter, and isolation. Montpelier Alive can’t wait to learn more about what community members are planning, and what might be in store for an exciting year ahead.

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