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

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Taste of Montpelier Home

Live Entertainment

State Street Performances, sponsored by VSECU

1:00 pm The Red Trouser Show

2:00 pm Cate Great

3:00 pm The Red Trouser Show

4:00 pm Cate Great

Langdon Street Performances, sponsored by Barr Hill

1:00 The Real McCoy

2:00 Mr Crites & Woodhead

3:00 The Real McCoy

4:00 Mr Crites & Woodhead

The Red Trouser Show - Red Trouser Show performs circus stunts, precision acrobatics, comedy, and fire juggling! Without a single dull moment and non-stop action, you will laugh while your heart is pounding with excitement. David and Tobin have known each other since 1st grade – With a start in the internationally acclaimed Circus Smirkus, they have since have spent two decades traveling the world with their award-winning show.

Cate Great - A world class world traveler, Cate has performed on stages, streets and festivals around the world, including England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Dubai, in addition to cities throughout the United States and Canada. Cate is a native of sunny Florida and an alumni of snowy École de Cirque de Québec. She’s been lavished all kinds of praise and won all kinds of awards, including the title of 2011 IJA Busking Champion, (which everyone agrees sounds pretty impressive), and is just pretty darn great in a general sort of way.

The Real McCoy - Brent McCoy is a world-class and wildly entertaining comic performer. His acclaimed show features breathtaking stunts, natural charisma, and a lightning fast wit. It’s a rocking circus and comedy experience, appropriate for all ages. This ain’t no imitation… it’s the Real McCoy.

Mr Crites & Woodhead - Sometimes all you need for a good laugh are the right two people. Through the alchemy of their partnership, Mr. Crites & Woodhead create a comic combustion of spontaneity and inventiveness reminiscent of uninhibited kids at play. Together, the duo offers up an eclectic mix of character-driven vaudeville and circus, with an added pinch of zaniness, ensuring their audiences will be wearing their happy faces long after the show is over.