ArtsFest

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Montpelier will burst with art and creativity during its June 5-6 ArtsFest celebration, with many free events planned for both evenings throughout downtown. There will be broad variety of art for the whole family to enjoy-- including theater, visual arts, live music, a cooking class, guided tours, dance, author talks, and much more. Kick off spring at this exciting event where Central Vermont’s seasoned and emerging artists will display their talents while the capital city’s shops and restaurants showcase their imaginative approaches.

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Schedule of Events

  1. Wednesday, June 5
  2. Thursday, June 6

Way to Go! Awards & Green Mobility Party
10am-2 pm, State House Lawn

Experience how Vermont’s top performing schools, innovative businesses in solar and electric (EV) transportation, and non-profits are advancing low cost pop-up projects for safe streets, moving to electric bikes and buses, and choosing more active transportation.

Art at the Kent Popup & Presentation
12-1:30 pm, The Garage Cultural Center, 58 State Street

The newly-refurbished Garage Cultural Center features a “taste” of what Art at the Kent, a State-owned historic site, offers: contemporary art exhibitions within the walls of an 1837 tavern in rural Calais. David Schutz and Nel Emlen present. Lunch offered for a modest fee beginning at noon.

Creativity Thrives Downtown Reception
5-9 pm, Langdon Street, supported by National Life Group

Musical performances by Bella and the Notables, Chaque Fois, Dana and Sue Robinson, and Two Cents in the Till. Food and drink by Langdon Street Tavern. Free snacks, with additional food available for purchase. Cash bar. Conference attendees will receive one drink ticket. Check out the PinBox 3000 Cardboard Pinball Artcade with Ben t. Matchstick, take part in the Colors of Montpelier Community Mural Project, and enjoy fun for all ages!

  • 5-6 pm: Dana and Sue Robinson are an Americana-roots and folk duo who combine original songwriting with fiddle tunes, banjo grooves, elegant melodies, and rich harmony singing.
  • 6-7 pm: Bella and the Notables play classic jazz standards with panache and style.
  • 7-8 pm: Two Cents in the Till: bluegrass quartet.
  • 8-9 pm: Chaque Fois! performs Cajun music from Southwest Louisiana.

ArtsFest is supported by:  

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The festival is organized by Montpelier Alive and is timed to overlap with the Downtown Conference and CCX. ArtsFest is designed to exhibit the vast and diverse artistic talent in Central Vermont and a chance for seasoned and emerging artists to showcase their talents. In addition to the hundreds of conference goers, ArtsFest will draw visitors from central Vermont and beyond. 

CCX Logo Opens in new windowWhat is CCX? Creative Communities Exchange (CCX), a biennial event of the New England Foundation for the Arts, is a two-day training and professional development convening that supports creative entrepreneurs, city planners, small businesses, and the arts sector to apply successful creative economy strategies in their communities. CCX professional development workshops are for New England leaders who are engaged in creative economy and creative placemaking projects that leverage their local creative sector for the revitalization and growth of their broader community. The CCX is a two-day conference that brings 250-300 economic development, city planners, community development, downtown revitalization, arts administrators, and arts leaders from all over New England and beyond to the event. Previous keynote speakers include Jane Chu, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (2015) and Jonathan Katz, President of the Nationals Assembly of State Art Agencies. CCX is taking place on Thursday and Friday June 6-7, 2019 in downtown Montpelier, VT, and Montpelier Alive is serving as the local host.

CCX Presenting Sponsor

CCX Supporting Sponsors

CCX In-Kind Sponsors

What is the Vermont Historic Preservation and Downtown Conference? The goal of the Historic Preservation and Downtown Conference (Downtown Conference) is to provide training and workshops to educate and raise statewide awareness of policies and programs and tools that help historic preservationists, developers, state and local policy makers, planners, community development professionals, architects and builders to keep Vermont downtowns vibrant places to live, work and play. The conference will be held in Montpelier on June 5, 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the State of Vermont’s Downtown Program. 

Questions? Contact Dan Groberg, Executive Director of Montpelier Alive, at director@montpelieralive.org or 802-223-9604.