my favorites
Menu
Shop
Menu
Dine
See & Do
Resilient Montpelier
Calendar
Calendar
Blog
Contact Us
Favorites
Donate
close
}}
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
read more
}}
search
Shop
Dine
+
See & Do
Arts & Culture
Attractions
Community Calendar
Festivals and Events
Flannel Friday
Art Walk, supported by Northfield Savings Bank
Music & Nightlife
Outdoor Adventures
Outdoor Recreation
Vermont Tourism & Recreation
+
Plan Your Visit
Visiting Montpelier After the July 2023 Flood
Lodging
Sample Itineraries by Local Experts
Animal Lovers
Families
Art Lovers
Outdoor Enthusiasts
Beer & Cocktail Lovers
History Lovers
Nature Lovers
Sweet Tooths
Wellness Lovers
Montpelier by the Season
Discover Montpelier
Getting Here and Parking
Local Services
Visitor Resources & Info (COMING SOON)
+
About Montpelier Alive
About Us
Land Acknowledgement
Latest News
Events
Downtown Event Grants
Economic Development
Montpelier Business Association
Doing Business in Montpelier
Downtown Beautification
60 State Street Asphalt Mural
Community Projector Project
Community Quilt
North Branch River Installation
Public Art Master Plan
Marketing & Promotion
Discover Montpelier
Visiting Montpelier After the July 2023 Flood
About Montpelier
Visitor Resources & Info
Living In Montpelier
Montpelier by the Season
Doing Business in Montpelier
Parking, Transportation and Bathrooms
Area Services
Business Directory
The expected service is temporarily offline. Please check back soon.