Montpelier Alive’s mission is to create a vibrant and livable Montpelier, including hosting downtown events, such as July’s Independence Day celebration and September’s Taste of Montpelier food festival. Many other organizations also add to our downtown in holding creative and diverse events and Montpelier Alive supports a number of them through its Downtown Events Grant Program. These funds come in part from the DID (Downtown Improvement District) and the City of Montpelier. This year’s grant program offered a total of $10,000, with a maximum award of $2,000 for any single event that promotes and enhances the vibrancy of downtown Montpelier.
Montpelier Alive is excited to announce the 2023 grant recipients. There were 18 grant applications and 10 events received funding under the grant program. Montpelier Alive selected events that foster partnerships, engage with the businesses community, and celebrate diversity of our community.
- All Together Now, All Species Day, April 30th - an annual festival which celebrates the interconnectedness of all of life's diversity, beauty and the return of Spring.
- Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA), Creative Aging Celebration event, June 2nd - an open gallery exhibit of creative work by older artists in Central Vermont plus fun live workshops and creative activities.
- Pride Center of Vermont - The Montpelier LGBTQIA and Pride Fest, June 3rd - a week of offerings including a Statehouse lawn fest, film fest, critical mass bike ride, bar takeovers, dance party, symphony orchestra show and more.
- Monteverdi Music School, World Music Day, June 21 - an international, annual celebration of the joy and power of music, held on the summer solstice, welcoming anyone to make music for and with each other.
- Shidaa Projects, Celebration of Community and Diversity, July through September - an interactive, participatory community dance sessions and drumming with the objective of contributing to the vibrancy of the local downtown Montpelier community spaces.
- Scrag Mountain Music “The Primacy of Consciousness.” held monthly on the day or eve of the New Moon from September - March will be a concert-length work for an 8-person choir, 2 instrumentalists, and video projections that explores the convergence of science and spirituality.
- Animal Dance, July 20th and 21st - a community centered, outdoors dance-theater performance, “Tell Me How You Breathe”
- ANUSHKA, Rabble Rouser Chocolate - a monthly series from July through December with diverse topics, speakers, and classes. on-going event series in Central Vermont that celebrates the diversity of our community, especially one that is BIPOC, immigrant led.
- Center for Arts and Learning, 24 Hour Comics Day, October 7th, Cartoonists of all persuasions travel to Montpelier to participate in an international phenomenon that challenges artists to create their own 24 page comic book in 24 hours.
- Kellogg Hubbard Library, Alice at the Library! October 28th and 29th - the Library partners with The Greatest Caper escape room to create puzzles and community fun with the larger venue and staff of the library to create a unique community experience.