Rentals

All kinds of gatherings take place at the Grange Hall

We’d like to host your next event!

Our Hall hosts regular dances of many kinds, plus church services, political meetings, performances, ensemble music rehearsals, seminars, training sessions, potluck dinners, wedding receptions, birthday parties, dance instruction, even proms! Among the features:

Convenient location on Rt. 12 in Berlin VT, just a mile south of Montpelier, with easy access from I-89 and Route 2.
Ample, offstreet parking for about 125 cars.
Accessible:
- 3 handicap parking spaces, by the ramp entrance to the Main Floor.
- Main Floor, Stage and Lower level are accessible with platform (wheelchair) lift.
- ADA accessible bathrooms on both floor levels
Affordable rates: Rates vary depending on day of the week and time of day, and frequency of use. See the “FOR MORE INFORMATION” links below. Then email the rental manager: merrykaysings@gmail.com or leave a message with your email address at our voicemail: (802) 229-9425.
The Hall is an internet “Hot Spot”, with free, fast Wi-Fi throughout the Hall, and even outside! The password for the Capital City Grange Guest network is CapCity469; it is posted in several locations around the building.

Main Hall:

A spacious hall with “one of the best dance floors in New England”.
Fire Marshal capacity = 277 without tables or chairs; 129 with tables and chairs.
Raised stage with a piano and several outlets
Folding chairs and tables for meetings, seminars and trainings
Accessible: Wheelchair lift connects Stage, Main Floor and Lower Level, with accessible bathrooms on both floors

Lower Level:

Our Lower Level was completely renovated in 2020, insulating walls, installing carpet tiles on the floor, all new ceiling tiles and fresh paint on all paintable surfaces! It is a warm, comfortable and versatile space for meetings or potluck meals. There is an alcove for small-scale performances, too.

Kitchen facilities for potluck dinners.
Multi-stall, all-genders bathroom.
Accessible: Wheelchair lift to Main Hall & Stage levels, plus accessible bathroom.
Cafeteria-style tables for dining and meeting; Fire Marshal capacity = 99.
Vintage dishes, plates, eating utensils for large groups (100+) plus table cloths available.

Recently, a memorial service was held at the Grange Hall, and the family told us:

“The hall was perfect. It really met our needs. We had a lunch downstairs and then a ceremony upstairs. The fact that there was a wheelchair lift and bathrooms on each floor helped as well. I loved how everything was labeled in the kitchen. It made it much easier to set up.”

After a recent wedding at the Grange Hall, the groom had this to say:

“After growing up dancing on their beautiful 2000 square foot maple dance floor there wasn’t even a moment of consideration as to whether this was the venue for us. A double set of home appliances outfitted the spacious kitchen and included the use of their plates, forks and rented tablecloths. With a little decoration, lights, pine boughs, etc. we transformed the downstairs. Warm and comfortable in winter, this place has so much history and connection to the community it is surprising there are not more home-grown weddings held here. Every 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturday is reserved for a Contra Dance so plan accordingly!”

Following a recent family event rental of the Grange Hall, JH from Cabot sent us this review:

“I appreciate the opportunity to rent the Hall.

My family has rented the hall for menu occasions over the years including, 2 weddings using both the upstairs and down stairs spaces, multiple family Christmas celebrations and most recently a baby gender reveal party.

We always find the space to be clean and well put together when we arrive to set up the space for our events.

The space is convenient in location and in size, there is plenty of parking and the inside space is big enough for a big group and easily accessible for all ages.

The price for the rental is very fair and affordable and a good price for the space.

I find the space to be great the way it is for what we have used it for.

Rent the space is an easy process we always get a response right away when we reach out to request the space and for any questions we have along the way. the process of making payment for renting the space is made very convenient as I’m usually the one in charge of family events and come over from Cabot.

Our family will most definitely continue to rent the space for family events as long as it’s available. I have and would recommend the space.“

The kitchen in the lower level is well-designed for potluck meals, use by caterers for events,

cooking workshops, and family celebration meals.

A recent user wrote that the “Kitchen was great. We really enjoy doing our Christmas dinner there. Everything clean and neat. Easy to set up and serve the banquet line...”

We have a great selection of vintage plates, bowls, serving platters and silverware for use by diners, like these folks at one of the Grange’s monthly potluck dinners!

We also regularly host rehearsals for youth and adult music and drama groups, birthday parties for children and grown-ups, cooking and baking classes, and a tomato canning workshop by the Vermont Department of Agriculture. Dance events have included workshops and performances of a wide array of styles: contra, swing, tango, African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Cuban, waltz, square dances and more.

We welcome inquiries from private and public groups.

The members of Capital City Grange #469 require that renters have personal liability insurance for their own protection. The Grange Hall rental agent can advise on options.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CLICK ON ONE OF THESE LINKS

2023 Grange rental brochure

Grange Hall closing checklist

Special Events Flyer (does NOT include UPDATED rental rates)

Training Meeting Flyer (does NOT include UPDATED rental rates)

For information on rental rates, contact the Rental Agent: merrykaysings@gmail.com

Potluck dinners are sometimes held upstairs, in the Main Hall. In addition some renters use the MAIN HALL for events that do not include dancing. Therefore, we keep the beautiful dance floor covered with vinyl protective mats, except when groups roll them up for dance events.

The Clayfoot Strutters play for a benefit contra dance, on the stage in the Main Hall.

Green Mountain Youth Symphony string sections rehearse in the upstairs Main Hall.

A local wool-spinning group met and set up their spinning wheels on the dance floor, in this picture.

Green Mountain Swing band at the Grange Hall, bringing us the big band sound!

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As noted above, there are lots more pictures of the Grange Hall being used by a huge variety of organizations and families, in the Photo Gallery pages!

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Health considerations for the Grange Hall

We know that the risk of spreading Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses is still present, and we respect the concerns that people have about public gatherings and events, including at the Capital City Grange Hall.

We are asking Grange Hall users to take responsibility for evaluating and reducing risks of transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. during their use of the Hall. We are not (at this time) making specific mandates about wearing masks, collecting contact-tracing information, etc. We do strongly recommend using the ventilation/air-filtration options we installed during the pandemic–see below for more information on these.

We will keep track of the changing public health information, and will implement changes if we decide that they are necessary, as part of our responsibility for events that take place at the Hall.

We are happy to discuss individual events and their risk levels with potential renters. To rent the Hall, to ask questions or discuss your event, contact our volunteer Rental Agent: Merry Shernock: merrykaysings@gmail.com or (802) 229-9425.

MAIN HALL: SEASONAL VENTILATION SOLUTIONS

to reduce the risk of disease transmission

1: IN WARMER MONTHS, use the ceiling vent exhaust fan + open windows to pull fresh air inside. This fan is relatively quiet, but it provides 4 to 7 air-changes-per-hour (ACH). Instructions are posted by the switch on the upstairs stage. It is critical that WINDOWS MUST BE OPENED to provide make-up air whenever the fan is turned on. Please close them afterwards.

2: IN COLD MONTHS, use “Room Air Filtration Boxes”, which pull air through high-quality MERV-13 filters and circulate its throughout the room. Running 4 of these can provide up to the equivalent of about 4 ACH. Running these RAFBs does produce noticeable fan noise, unavoidably. This is the trade-off for providing filtered air circulation without pulling in cold air.

We have hung up 4 “Room Air Filtration Boxes” in the MAIN HALL

These can reduce the risk of virus transmission. Renters must plug in the power cords to run the fans, which are pre-set on the lowest speed. For groups of 20 or less, running 2 fans should provide significant filtering. For larger groups, all 4 fans should be used.

YEAR-ROUND SOLUTION in the Lower level: 4 “Room Air Filtration Boxes”

…including this one over the sink counter. The remaining 3 can be moved around to ventilate the space. These can be individually plugged in and turned on. As described for the upstairs, small groups can reasonably use only 2, but larger groups should use all 4.

In warm weather, it is also possible to open windows on both sides of the Lower Level, and to place box fans blowing outward on one side. This pulls in fresh air from open windows on the other side. Box fans may be borrowed from the “Dance Closet” upstairs, and replaced there. Please remember to close all windows at the end of your use of the Hall, of course!