Mayfest - Montpelier moves outside!

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Lighting Up Montpelier!

Thanks to extraordinary community effort, Downtown Montpelier has largely recovered from

the devastating flood this summer. Its commercial center remains fragile, however, and needs

your help.

To attract residents and tourists downtown, make walking in the city safer during the winter

months, and to celebrate the resilience and recovery of the capital city, Montpelier Alive is

working to illuminate up to seven historic bridges along the Winooski River and its North

Branch.

In the winter of 2023, as part of a pilot project, Montpelier Alive, Montpelier’s downtown

revitalization non-profit organization, lit up the Langdon Street bridge. Twinkling lights wrapped

around the steel trusses illuminated the center of town and reflected off the river. What was

once a dark side street became a magnet for holiday shoppers, evening dining and a vibrant

music scene. The sparkling bridge declared that Montpelier was open for business and

welcomed all to the party!

Montpelier Alive is collaborating with local historians and naturalists to use Montpelier’s unique

history to inform each bridge’s illumination design. For instance, the Rialto bridge will be

underlit to highlight the North Branch River that runs beneath two lanes of traffic, two

sidewalks and an entire building on State Street! The trusses of the Granite Street bridge will be

lined with large white bulbs, to highlight the engineering of the structure and mimic the rivets

holding the steel beams together. The impact of seven bridges, each uniquely lit, will transfer

Montpelier’s cityscape this winter.

Katie Trautz, Executive Director of Montpelier Alive, believes "Illuminating Montpelier's Bridges

will not only be impactful for our downtown economy as visitors from near and far come to

witness the lights, but the project will act as a metaphor for community resiliency, bringing our

town together for a better future."

This initiative will not require Montpelier tax dollars. Donations and grants will provide the

funds necessary for building the electric infrastructure, the services of the New England Holiday

Lighting Company, the professionals responsible for the magnificent Shelburne Museum Winter

Lights display, and the modest amount of electricity required for the energy efficient LED lights.

Lighting will be limited to times when downtown restaurants and theaters are open to allow

dark skies for sleeping and enjoying the night stars.

Help Montpelier Alive light up the capital city this winter! If the campaign reaches its $13,350

goal by May 31, 2024 the Montpelier Bridge Illumination Project will receive a matching grant of

$26,650 from DHCD’s Better Places program. Click HERE for project details and to DONATE.

The focus of the Better Places grant is on the three bridges that illuminate downtown: the

Rialto, Langdon and School Street bridges. Any remaining funds will help build the

infrastructure to also light the Bailey Avenue, Taylor Street, and Main Street bridges that cross

the Winooski River. Montpelier Alive plans to continue raising funds for all seven bridges over

the next year. For more information on the Bridge project, visit Montpelier Alive’s webpage:

montpelieralive.com/bridges

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Discover Montpelier

Celebrate Halloween the Montpelier Way!

Oct 23 2023

Celebrate Halloween the Montpelier Way! This year downtown celebrates Halloween with something for everyone, from trick or treating to karaoke.

Trick or treating from 4:00 - 5:00 pm starts off the evening for the youngest crowd, followed by a Halloween costume parade and jamboree (including costumed pets) with a special guest! Parade meets up at 5:00 pm, at the corner of State and Elm (Filibuster Cafe corner), and goes around the block, ending on Langdon Street Bridge. The bridge will be lined with carved pumpkins - vote for your favorite one at Bent Nails Bistro.

After the Parade, Zombies take over Langdon Street, starting at 5:30, with the annual Thriller dance, including Halloween-themed dance parties between shows. Thriller dance numbers start at 5:30 and run every 30 minutes, last dance at 7:00 pm. Throughout the evening, Hungry? Woodbelly Pizza will be selling pizza slices in the old Onion River Outdoors parking lot.

The Montpelier Food Pantry, Just Basics, hosts its 1st Annual Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at 89 Main Street (entrance on East State Street). Stop by for trick or treating, cider, and a photo booth. Bring a donation to the pantry and you'll receive a raffle ticket for prizes from local businesses.

Start celebrating early with downtown Halloween events for all ages, beginning on October 27th: a pumpkin carving contest at Bent Nails Bistro, spooky tales with Tim Jennings at Kellogg Hubbard Library (ages 12 and up), horror night at Bear Pond Books (ages 14 and up), a Halloween Party with the Nailers at Bent Nails Bistro, and Halloween karaoke at Charlio’s World Famous. Get details on all downtown Halloween events from October 27th through the 31st at https://montpelieralive.com/halloween

To support businesses recovering from the flood, consider making a candy donation to disburse to downtown recovering businesses to provide enough treats for all. Bring a bag(s) to the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall by Friday October 28th at 4pm.

For more information, visit https://montpelieralive.com/halloween

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