by Ashley Witzenberger
Over the years Montpelier has become the place to be the first weekend in May. Downtown will be bustling with folks getting outside to enjoy time as a community after a long winter. This year will be no different. When the Montpelier Business Association made a list of all of the happenings this year, they elected to name the weekend “Montpelier Mayfest”.
It seems just about every business and organization has something happening and this year will be no different. The cornerstone events are always the opening day of the Farmer’s Market, the Onion River bike swap, Three Penny Taproom’s Montbeerlier and Green Up Day.
The fun begins Friday, May 1, with Montpelier Alive’s spring Art Walk. The theme is maple and there will be all kinds of maple goodies and art at venues all over downtown Montpelier. Then head over to the grange for a benefit dance celebrating 100 years of the Capital City Grange.
Saturday, May 2, marks the opening day of the Capital City Farmers’ Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 60 State St., where you’ll find more than 50 farmers, food producers and craftspeople. You can also find the Green Up Day table at the market where volunteers can pick up trash bags, T-shirts and a coupon page before going off to help clean up our city!
Get ready for the Onion River Sports bike swap on Saturday by digging up your old bikes and getting them all cleaned up. They will begin accepting bikes starting Monday, April 27. They will help you price your bike and sell it for you on the day of the swap. They also accept used trailers, tag-a-longs, unicycles, balance bikes and jogging strollers, so there are plenty of opportunities to swap your quality used gear for a check or store credit. This event is a family favorite!
The bike swap is in the Onion River parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. After, the parking lot is transformed for a sixth annual anniversary celebration of Three Penny Taproom and Montbeerlier. From 3-9 p.m. enjoy a beer garden, special and rare cask beers, house-made sausages on the grill, and live music from the Mad Mountain Scramblers and the Full Cleveland.
As always, Lost Nation Theater is working hard and will be performing two shows on May 2; a 2 p.m. matinee of “Treasure Island” and at 8 p.m. enjoy “Eurydice” a show about a woman dying too young on her wedding day. Eurydice journeys to the underworld. She reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love.
Start off Saturday with all-you-can-eat breakfast at the Boutwell Masonic Center; a fundraiser for the Montpelier Kiwanis Club and tickets are available at the door or from any Kiwanian. There is also a fundraiser pie breakfast for the Orchard Valley Waldorf School at a new location, Trinity Church.
The fun continues on Sunday, May 3, with a new event celebrating Independent Bookstore Day at Bear Pond Books marked by a book signing and story time with author Linda Urban and her new book, “Little Red Henry.”
Another Montpelier favorite on Sunday is All Species Day. Beginning at noon in Hubbard Park, calling in the creatures of the four directions, honoring the awakening spring with song, dance and puppet pageantry. Everyone is invited to come dressed as their favorite species and join in the festivities. The parade leaves the park at 1 p.m. and arrives at the State House at 2 p.m. for the Birth of Spring Pageant, maypole dancing and more.
For more information on all Montpelier Mayfest events visit MontpelierAlive.org. See you in Montpelier!
