Support the Bridges Illumination Project!

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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

Taste of Montpelier Food Festival

Taste of Montpelier Food Festival, presented by Hunger Mountain Co-op

Saturday, September 10, 2022

The Taste of Montpelier will bring the best of Vermont’s culinary scene to the heart of its capital city. The Taste of Montpelier promises to be unique among its peers: seamlessly integrated into a downtown, with events that appeal to foodies and families alike and world-class entertainment paired with world-class food. Free admission.

Sat Jun 25
8:00 am to 9:30 am

World of Birds Walk

Saturday Jun 25th 8:00 am to 9:30 am
@ New Shelter, Hubbard Park
Categories: Arts and Culture See & Do See & Do Dine Outdoors

Open your senses to experience<br /> birds. How to use your eyes to find<br /> and identify birds, and notice their behavior and adaptations for living.<br /> How to use your hearing to remember bird songs. Naturalist Gail Johnson<br /> will have props and photos. Bring your binoculars or you can share Gail's.

Call the organizer

Fri Jun 17
5:45 pm to 9:00 pm

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story, with a live opening set by local jazz outfit Cosa Buena Nueva.

Friday Jun 17th 5:45 pm to 9:00 pm
@ 26 Main St, Montpelier, VT, 05602
Categories: Arts and Culture See & Do

Join us at the Savoy Theater on Friday, June 17th for a night of rousing merrymaking. <br /> <br /> Local jazz outfit Cosa Buena Nueva will be playing a live opening set to celebrate our latest gem, Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (PG -13). <br /> <br /> Weaving together live performances, interviews, and archival footage from the last fifty years of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, this laudatory documentary marks the beauty, glory, and rich culture of The Big Easy. <br /> <br /> Live music begins at 5:45, with the film at 7:15.<br /> <br /> Adults: $9.75; Students and seniors: $8.50; Kids 12 and under: $7.50

Find Out More
Email the organizer