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Montpelier Alive Thanks Our Legacy Member

July 3 Independence Day Celebration!

Free performances and activities taking place on Saturday July 3rd throughout the Capital City.

Photo by Jim Sheridan

 Montpelier Alive is proud to present one of the biggest, most exciting events in Central Vermont this summer - the 11th Annual Independence Day Celebration, taking place Saturday, July 3rd in Montpelier. Don’t miss the Circus Show at 1:00 PM!

Click LINKS for:
Complete SCHEDULE for the 3rd of July in Montpelier
Independence Day SPONSOR THANKS and SPONSORSHIP INFO
VOLUNTEER INFO and VOLUNTEER POSTER
Being in the parade
VENDOR APPLICATION andVENDOR LETTER
Street Closures and Parking Information
NEW!!!  Take a shuttle to the festivities from National Life parking lot


Early in the day enjoy a Pancake Breakfast, a White Elephant Sale, Downtown Fun with street entertainers, Family Fun Day at the Montpelier Pool and the Library Lawn Party.


At 1:00 PM an incredible assortment of activities gets underway on the State House lawn with aerial circus shows, vaudeville and music, plus a dozen fun things for kids to do. Forty food and craft vendors will fill the street with tantalizing goodies of all sorts.


At 6:00 PM the Montpelier Mile Road Race precedes our Giant Annual Parade along Main and State Streets. The Parade will include a dozen bands, plus floats, puppets, drummers, antique vehicles, horses, fire trucks, and numerous community groups.


Following the parade will be lots more fun on the State House Lawn, plus a traditional band concert at 8 PM. Fireworks begin at 9:30 with prime viewing from the lawn.


The Vermont State Employees Credit Union and the City of Montpelier underwrite this favorite community festival. Their generous support, along with sponsorship from dozens of other local businesses, makes the free performances, parade and fireworks possible. 
  

Schedule

All events will happen rain or shine!

Download a printable version (pdf)

MORNING IN MONTPELIER on the 3rd of July! FOOD & FUN!
8:00-10:00 AM Pancake Breakfast Christ Episcopal Church
all day StoryWalk: I Took My Frog to the Library Kellogg-Hubbard Library

9:00 AM Tag Sale & Live Auction plus chicken BBQ at 11:30 Trinity Methodist Church

9:00 AM-1:00 PM Farmers Market with music by Anything Goes Capital City Farmers’ Market

10:00 AM-6:00 PM Explore Vermont history, admission is free! Vermont Historical Society Museum

DOWNTOWN FUN from eleven to one! STREET PERFORMERS!

  • CHALK ART on the sidewalk The Drawing Board
  • Rob Mermin does the Full Three-Card VerMonte The Drawing Board
  • MARKO the Magician Capitol Stationers
  • Nimble Arts juggler City Hall plaza
  • The Junkman's Junk Music re-cycled rhythm workshop City Hall plaza
  • Stephen Kiernan, author of Authentic Patriotism Bear Pond Books
  • - Meet the author and book signing
  • FACE PAINTING Artisans Hand Craft Gallery
  • Nimble Arts juggler Artisans Hand Craft Gallery
  • Skinny Pancake LIVE music! The Skinny Pancake
  • Decorate Your Bikes! Onion River Sports
  • Dave Keller, blues music Onion River Sports
  • Balloon Animals Onion River Kids
  • Nimble Arts juggler Onion River Kids


ALL AROUND TOWN! All day long... LOTS & LOTS TO DO!
11:00 AM-1:00 PM Lawn Party with music, crafts, games and lots more! Kellogg-Hubbard Library
- with water music by Robert Resnik & Marty Morrissey

1:00-4:00 PM Star Spangled Wands workshop for kids Vermont Historical Society Museum

1:30 - 4:00 PM Family Fun Day with free admission! Montpelier Pool

2:00 PM Lost Nation Theater performs "Love Letters Made Easy" City Hall

4:00-5:00 PM Mad Bavarians Brass Band, strolling about 'round town Main & State Streets

6:00 PM Montpelier Mile Road Race State & Main Streets

7:30-Midnight McGillicuddy's Street Dance Party with Native Tongue on Langdon Street

7:30-Midnight Julio's Cantina 60s Dance Party with Mellow Yellow off State Street 

ON THE LAWN from one to six! The State House Lawn... CIRCUS & VAUDEVILLE!
1:00 - 10:00 PM more than 40 food & craft vendors on State Street & Aiken Avenue  plus Bouncy House, Face Painting, Hula Hoops, Zumba, Dunking Booth and ANIMALS!

1:30-1:50 PM Nimble Arts Circus: aerials, jugglers and more!

2-2:45 PM FOOLZ: The Wells & Woodhead Show – feel-good, super-funny Vaudeville

3-3:45 PM Robert Resnik & Marty Morrissey – Songs of Old Vermont Waterways

3:00 PM workshop Constitution Brass Quintet – Songs of the Civil War

4-4:20 PM Nimble Arts Circus: aerials, jugglers and more!

4:30-5:15 PM Stephen Gratto – Juggler Extraordinaire

5:15-6:00 PM Constitution Brass Quintet – Songs of the Civil War
(funded in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts)

THE PARADE AND MORE from six to ten... FOOD, FLOATS & FIREWORKS!
6:00 PM THE PARADE (following Road Race) Main & State Streets

  • after Parade All Together Now Puppet Troupe with Dragon State House Lawn
  • Montpelier Unicyclists - try one! State House sidewalk
  • Stephen Gratto – Juggler Extraordinaire Vaudeville Stage
  • Seth Warner Mt. Independence Day Fife & Drum Corps State House Lawn
  • Mad Bavarians Brass Band on State Street
  • Junk Jam with The Junkman – community rhythm Vaudeville Stage

7:45 PM Announcement of Parade Trophy Winners State House steps

8:00-9:00 PM Green Mountain Youth Symphony - classical pops State House steps

after dark Kerry Kaye Fire & Light on State Street

9:30 PM FIREWORKS by NOR THS TAR FIRE WOR KS - Schedule Subject to Change.

Being in the Parade

We are no longer accepting applications to be in the parade.  Get information on PARADE RULES for participants.  If this does not answer your question, please contact our parade coordinator, Julie Loyd.

Thank You to Our Sponsors Who Make This Festival Possible!

Underwriter & FIREWORKS Sponsor:

 

Vaudeville Stage Sponsor:

With Major Support from the City of Montpelier

Platinum Partners:

Chittenden Bank – A division of People’s United Bank
Hunger Mountain Co-op
Minuteman Press
Montpelier Pharmacy
Northfield Savings Bank
Onion River Sports, Onion River Kids & The Shoe Horn
Vermont Mutual Insurance Company

Gold Partners:

AAA Northern New England
Community National Bank
Denis, Ricker & Brown Insurance
Green Mountain Transit Authority
Lake Champlain Chocolates
The Drawing Board
Vermont College of Fine Arts

Silver Partners:

Artisans Hand Craft Gallery
Avalon Tent Company
Bear Pond Books
Capital Plaza Hotel & Conference Center
Capitol Grounds
First In Fitness
Fothergill, Segale & Valley
Julio’s Cantina
Sarducci’s
State Farm Insurance, Dana Polakowski
The Times Argus
Union Mutual of Vermont

Community Partners:

Ad Art America
Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Cody Chevrolet
Connor Contracting
Diamond & Robinson PC
Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC
Kurrle Fuels
Main Street Family Dentistry
Montpelier Kiwanis
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
Noyle W. Johnson Insurance
Rotary Club of Montpelier
The Skinny Pancake
Washington Electric Co-op

Downtown Partners:

Betsy’s Bed & Breakfast
Capitol Stationers
Gossens Bachman Architects
Heney Realtors
McGillicuddy’s Irish Pub
The Johnson Company, Inc.
William Shouldice & Associates

Business Partners:

Allen Lumber Company
Alteris
Barre Granite Association
Beavin & Sons
Black River Design
Bragg Farm Sugar House & Gift Shop
Cabot Creamery Cooperative
Capitol City Auto Mart
Capitol Copy
Comfort Inn & Suites
Concept2
Everett Insurance
Fairpoint Communications
Guy’s Farm & Yard
Inn at Montpelier
Jet Service Envelope Company
Maplewood Ltd Convenience Store
North Country Federal Credit Union
Phyllis E. Rubenstein, Attorney at Law
Poulos Insurance
Tertl Studos LLC
Venus Tattoos
Zalinger, Cameron & Lambek PC
Zutano Inc.

Media Partners:

Frank/Froggy
The Bridge
The POINT
The Times Argus
The World / World Publications, Inc.
Vermont Radio Group

With support from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts

This sponsor list reflects commitments as of June 15, 2010. Some of our loyal sponsors from 2009 are listed as well!

THANK YOU to the Montpelier Alive Board of Directors, all our Community Partners, artists, friends, and especially to our COORDINATORS and VOLUNTEERS!

 

Street Closures & Parking Restrictions

Montpelier’s Independence Day celebration will be taking place throughout downtown on Thursday, July 3rd.  A number of streets will be closed during portions of the day.  Travelers should expect delays or seek alternate routes, especially during the evening hours.  The following is the schedule of street closures and parking restrictions.
State Street--between Governor Davis and Bailey Avenue:  Closed from 12:30 PM until 10 PM for vendors and parade.  Note: Access to Department of Motor Vehicles will be re-routed through state parking lots.
Taylor Street Bridge: Closed for construction.
Main Street between the Roundabout and State Street:  Closed from 6 PM until approximately 7:45 for the Montpelier Mile Road Race followed by the parade.  
State Street: No parking on State Street between 5 -8 PM.  Vehicles remaining on street will be towed.
Langdon Street Closed from 3 PM to 1 AM for McGillicuddy’s and Langdon Street Café street parties.
60 State Street Parking Lot:  Closed from 3 PM to 1 AM for Julio’s Cantina street party.
Capitol Plaza Designated Lot: No parking except for wedding guests.
The Meadow AreaClosed from 4:30 to 6 PM for parade staging area.  All resident vehicles must be removed from the street.
Schools Street—between St. Paul and Main Streets:  Closed from 4:30 to 7:45 PM for parade staging area.  All resident vehicles must be removed from the street.

Special Shuttle Service

 The Green Mountain Transit Agency (GMTA) will be providing two free shuttles open to the general public approximately every 15 minutes on July 3rd in Montpelier. Beginning at 4:00PM-11:00PM, both shuttles will transport to/from the National Life parking lot to the corner of Governor Davis Avenue and State Street.

 All GMTA buses offer ADA Service and are equipped with wheelchair lifts and wheelchair tie-down spaces. GMTA and event organizers encourage individuals with special needs to take advantage of this free service for safe and easy access to the July 3rd celebration.

In addition to the two shuttles provided between the hours of 4:00PM-11:00PM, the Montpelier Hospital Hill route will be automatically scheduled to deviate to National Life inbound to Montpelier at approximately 10min past the hour until the free shuttle service begins at 4:00PM. The MHH will go to National Life outbound by on-board request at 32min past the hour. Anyone at National Life at 32min past the hour may pay the fare and ride the MHH to the Mobile station at the corner of Northfield Street and Berlin Street. Please note that the bus will not return to the downtown area before going to the hospital hill area. The new 50% reduced fares will apply when riding the MHH.

SHUTTLE SCHEDULE:

4:00-11:00PM two shuttles operating on approximately every 15 minutes from:
1. National Life
2. State St./Governor Davis Avenue
3 City Hall from 5-8 pm in lieu of the State Street stop during the parade.

  

 

 

 

Contact:
Jimmy Swift, Festival Coordinator
Phone: 802.238.6888 (mobile) E-Mail

For General inquiries: leave message on Montpelier Alive phone at 223-9604