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Today in Montpelier

Bridge Illumination Project

Aug 28 2024

This winter, Montpelier Alive will artfully light up seven of Montpelier’s downtown bridges. Bridges are among the most important visual elements of any city. Lighting the bridges in the historic downtown will create a visual spectacle designed to add warmth and beauty to our cityscape, draw visitors from near and far, improve pedestrian safety, and celebrate the community and resilience of Vermont’s capital city.


A Bright Winter for Montpelier

May 20 2024

A Bright Winter for Montpelier

By: Sheena Khan (Marketing & Communications Manager for Montpelier Alive)

Montpelier Alive has big plans this winter! Thanks to some successful grant writing and crowdfunding, we will be able to complete Phase 1 of our ambitious Bridge Illumination Project. The Bridge Illumination Project will artfully light up to seven of Montpelier’s downtown bridges, connecting neighborhoods to each other and the commercial center. Montpelier Alive is currently installing the necessary electric infrastructure on seven historic bridges and this winter will light the School Street, Langdon Street, Bailey Avenue and Rialto Bridges!



Lighting Up Montpelier!

Apr 10 2024

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

Lighting Up Montpelier!

Apr 10 2024

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