Friday, November 11, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: River of Light Plans for procession in Waterbury

The streets of Waterbury will once again be filled with music and light with the second River of Light Lantern Procession, planned for Saturday December 3, from 5 to 6 p.m. Starting at the Vermont State Complex, the parade will make its way up Main Street, down Stowe Street and across Railroad Street, ending at Rusty Parker Park for the Waterbury Rotary’s annual Tree Lighting.


This year the procession will feature light and sound with Burlington’s 20-person street samba band, Sambatucada in the lead. Students from Thatcher Brook Primary School and Crossett Brook Middle School along with artists, volunteers, and community members from Stowe, Montpelier and Waterbury will literally form the ‘river of light’ as they walk carrying handmade lanterns.

Aside from the lanterns made in school, Montpelier artists Gowri Savoor and Angelo Arnold will be holding two community lantern-making workshops at the TW Wood Art Gallery, Montpelier, and the Helen Day Art Center, Stowe. In addition, a special two-day workshop was held in Waterbury for artists creating larger-scale luminaries. All will aim to depict the theme of this year’s parade – flight.

Procession sponsors are Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Thatcher Brook Primary School PTO. Organizers hope it will be a particularly festive celebration bringing together the residents of Waterbury and its neighbouring communities after the extensive damage caused by August’s tropical storm.

Spectators are encouraged to line the parade route and join in celebrating the season with this evening of light, music, creative arts and community spirit. For more information, contact Thatcher Brook School art teacher, MK Monley, mmonley@wdsdvt.net or visit our website at: www.ariveroflightinwaterbury.wordpress.com

Photograph by Gordon Miller