The Grange Hall is open for rentals
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.
We are asking Grange Hall Renters 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 have 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.
CLOSING CHECK LIST:
Did you use the Kitchen?Use special check-list in green binder located on the counter
Did you change the thermostat? Return it to 45 degrees please.
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Are the WINDOWS closed?
LIGHTS OFF?
INTERIOR DOORS CLOSED?
Double Doors at both entrances
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Closets (“Grange” & “Dance”)
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FIRE DOOR at bottom of Stairs.
Please leave upstairs bathroom OPEN.
EXTERIOR DOORS LOCKED?
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Accessible Entrance Door note: it is balky
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“Near-Stairs” Entrance door
Lower Level Lights
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Back Hall Switches – on wall by emergency exit)
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Cafeteria Switches – on southwest wall by Kitchen entrance
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Kitchen Switches – on the right just inside Kitchen
Main Hall Lights
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(5) Switches near stairs – ALL off?
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Main Hall Switches – flip them all, please
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Stage lights/exhaust fan – left of stage if facing out
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U/S bathroom lights/ fan
MATS-on-the-floor is the default situation in the Main Hall .
Please put them down again if they were folded or rolled up for dancing.
And PLEASE ~ Take ALL LEFTOVERS, TRASH, COMPOST & RECYCLABLES …and your PERSONAL BELONGINGS!
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MAIN HALL: SEASONAL VENTILATION SOLUTIONS to reduce the risk of 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. WINDOWS MUST BE OPENED. Please close them afterwards.
2: IN COLD MONTHS, use “Room Air Filtration Boxes”, which pull air through high-quality MERV-13 filters and circulate it 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.
All kinds of events happen at the Grange, and 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, even proms! Among the features:
- Convenient location, in Berlin VT, just a mile south of Montpelier, with easy access from I-89 and Rt. 2
- Ample, offstreet parking for about 125 cars, with 4 reserved handicap parking spaces adjacent to the ramp entrance.
- 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 at 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 CapCity469 is posted in several locations around the building.
Main HALL:
- A spacious hall with “one of the best dance floors in New England”
- Capacity= 277 standing/dancing; 129 seated.
- Raised stage with a piano and several outlets
- ADA-accessibility to the main floor, including an accessible bathroom on the main floor
- LIFT to the stage and to the LOWER LEVEL
- Folding chairs and tables for meetings, seminars and trainings
Lower Level:
- Kitchen facilities for potluck dinners
- multi-stall, all-genders bathroom
- LIFT to Main Hall & Stage
- Cafeteria-style tables for dining and meeting; CAP = 99
- (Vintage) Dishes, plates, eating utensils for large groups (100+) plus table cloths available
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!”
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
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.
A local wool-spinning group met and set up their spinning wheels on the dance floor, in this picture.
