The City of Winooski - Vermont’s Opportunity City

For 100 years, Winooski has welcomed strivers - people looking to build a better life for themselves and their families. We’re a small city where neighbors know each other. We’re a city where all of our kids learn together, play together, and grow together. We’re a community where everyone can participate in city government, in neighborhood gatherings, and in our lively downtown. We’re always striving to improve our city and to welcome our next new neighbors.

 
 

Legacy Campaign

A few features of Winooski’s people, places, and traditions!

View the features: legacy.winooskivt.gov/features

 

100+ Faces of Winooski

In celebration of Winooski’s 100th birthday, the Centennial Celebration Committee partnered with the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum and local photographer Daniel Schechner to capture 100 portraits of our neighbors. Residents, students, business owners, seniors, and everyone in between - Winooski’s people continue to exemplify our 100-year legacy of welcoming and opportunity. While the goal was 100 photographs, we were delighted that almost 200 individuals participated in this project!

View the gallery: legacy/winooskivt.gov/100faces

 

Historical Walking Tour

This self-guided tour was created in partnership between the Winooski Historical Society and the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum to offer a unique look at Winooski’s past through the lens of welcoming and opportunity. Grab a pamphlet and use the interactive maps and audio descriptions on this site.

Take the tour: legacy.winooskivt.gov/tour

 

Mill to Mall: Historic Space Reimagined

Exhibit Opening: Sunday, March 6th, 2022 - 12 PM - 4 PM @ the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum

Come explore the Champlain Mill’s recent past! This exhibition tells the story of the public-private partnership that enabled the preservation and rebirth of a formerly derelict industrial building as a vibrant shopping center. Visitors are encouraged to add their personal memories of the historic space to the community recollections included in the exhibition. The show opening will kick off Winooski’s Centennial Celebration and be on view through July, 2022.

Learn more: legacy.winooskivt.gov/mall

 

People, Places, and Changing Community Narratives

To celebrate, Dan Higgins (well-known photographer and long-time Winooski resident) has graciously created a special book featuring a curated selection of photographs from Winooski’s 100-year history. “The images in this book cover the years 1922-2022. Show the book around. Ask someone you don’t know if they can tell you something about one of the photographs. Anyone you encounter in Winooski should be able to recognize at least one image they can tell you something about. What makes a community is not just its collection of stories, but how much sharing there is among residents of those stories. Exchanging stories is one of the best ways of getting to know a place.” - Dan Higgins

Purchase a copy: legacy.winooskivt.gov/higgins

 

Vermont's Opportunity City

To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we asked our friends and neighbors in the business community what makes Winooski a place of welcoming and opportunity. What do you love about Winooski's businesses?

Click here to watch: youtube.com/watch?v=_odG0PKkXo4

 

Winooski Dome: Uncovering the Real Story

The Winooski Memorial Library has partnered with the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum for a virtual presentation on one of Winooski’s most controversial topics - the ‘dome’! During the energy crisis of the late 1970s, Winooski attracted international interest for its controversial proposal to build a dome over the city to protect residents from soaring heating costs. Some called the idea innovative, some farfetched. Over the years, the Winooski Dome has become a sensationalized part of local history. Join the Winooski Memorial Library and the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum for a virtual panel discussion to uncover the real story with three of the individuals involved in the dome proposal: Mark Tigan and Brendan Keleher, formerly of the Winooski Community Development Corporation, and Vermont architect John Anderson who was commissioned to create a series of imaginative illustrations depicting this city of the future.

Watch the presentation: legacy.winooskivt.gov/dome

 

Winooski School District Feature by David Klinker

To celebrate, David Klinker, a Winooski High School student, used his amazing videography skills to capture some of the experiences of welcoming and opportunity of his classmates, teachers, and staff at the Winooski School District. Be sure to check out David's other Winooski projects including the Love My City and Winooski Mural videos and visit his website at djkssfilm.com.

Click here to watch: youtu.be/eZ2nEBjlFA8

Winooski School District Birthday Cards

Check out these amazing birthday cards made by Winooski School District students (Kindergarten - 2nd Grade!)

Click here to view: legacy.winooskivt.gov/wsd

 

Happy Centennial Birthday, Winooski

Aymard Math, a Winooski High School student known by his stage name Abizo, is a Congolese rapper, singer, and songwriter. To celebrate the Centennial, Abizo created an amazing tribute to our community.

Click here to watch!

 

Winooski Historical Society Exhibit

Don’t miss one of Winooski’s most important historical exhibits - stop by the Winooski Historical Society Exhibit located at The Champlain Mill (same entrance as Mill Museum) to view an amazing collection of our history. Feel free to visit the Winooski Historical Society Facebook page!

 

Vermont PBS Documentaries

We’ve partnered with Vermont PBS to air two very special Winooski-themed documentaries during the month of March.

 

Centennial Ale

To celebrate the Centennial, Four Quarters Brewing created a very special ‘Centennial Ale’ release!

“We had the great pleasure of collaborating with the city to make a super drinkable 6% IPA, using all Vermont-grown Centennial hops, grown by our friends at Champlain Valley Hops!”

Click here to learn more.

 

This Place in History Features

The This Place in History video program explores historic sites throughout Vermont and is produced in partnership with the Vermont Historical Society and Local 22/Local 44.

Check out these amazing features of Winooski:

 

Winooski City Council Resolution

During the March 7 2022 Winooski City Council meeting, Mayor Kristine Lott led the Council in approving a commemorative Resolution.

 

Centennial Tree Planting

The City of Winooski proudly commemorates our centennial and looks to the next 100 years with a special planting of a red oak tree (Quercus rubra) at Richard's Park!

Learn more: legacy.winooskivt.gov/tree

 

Abenaki Land Acknowledgement and Land Use Rights

To celebrate the Centennial, the City of Winooski has created a Land Acknowledgment and Land Use Rights resolution in partnership with the Abenaki community. In doing so, the City of Winooski sees this milestone as an opportunity to reflect on the shameful history of harm done to indigenous people, to be humbled by the total scope of our history which predates municipal incorporation; and to create a meaningful partnership with the Abenaki people who were the first inhabitants of this land. This resolution was signed and adopted by Winooski City Council on May 2, 2022.

Learn more: legacy.winooskivt.gov/abenaki

 

Centennial Birthday Party

Saturday, June 4, 2022 / 1 - 4 PM @ Rotary Park / Free and open to all

Save the date - enjoy an all-ages, outdoor community birthday party to celebrate Winooski’s 100th birthday, featuring local music, food, drinks, kid’s activities, merchandise, and more!

Full details: legacy.winooskivt.gov/birthday

 

Winooski Trivia Night @ Waterworks Food+Drink

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Waterworks Food+Drink has partnered with the Winooski Historical Society to put together a fun and educational night of trivia! How good is your knowledge of Winooski’s history? Hosted by DJ Craig Mitchell, participants can enjoy an amazing evening of Winooski-themed trivia on the patio on the Winooski River, birthday specials, and Centennial prizes.

Full details: legacy.winooskivt.gov/trivia

 

Learn More about Winooski’s 100 Year History

 

Centennial Celebration Committee