Pageant Alumni and Friends to Unite for the Norwich Grange Hall

It’s been a busy two years since The Norwich Community Collaborative (NCC) purchased the historic Norwich Grange Hall. With the simple and powerful mission to restore and reintroduce the hall as a vibrant gathering place for the future, the NCC has been hard at work to raise the vital funds and begin the building restoration.

Lars Blackmore’s photo of angels in 2011.

The organization has moved quickly, with the goal to open up the Norwich Grange Hall as a home for essential community activities and services that benefit the people of Norwich and the Upper Valley by Spring 2027. To date, the NCC has raised over $1.3 million for this multi-phase project, allowing for work to begin on the building’s main block this fall. An additional $450,000 is needed to complete the project and make the building fully ADA accessible, $150,000 of which is expected to come from local donors, with the remainder pursued through pending grants.

To help raise this final amount, the NCC is looking to a familiar group, alumni and friends of the beloved Norwich pageant, to help launch the final fundraising effort.

Introducing: The Angel Fund

2023 pageant.

To help ensure the Grange continues to serve Norwich for generations to come, the NCC proudly introduces The Angel Fund. This special campaign honors one of Norwich’s most beloved traditions: the annual Norwich Pageant, where each December, angels gather on the porch of the Grange to watch from ‘on high’.

A tradition that started in 1961, Norwich high school seniors play the roles in this nativity parade, which travels from Tracy Hall to the Norwich Inn and stops at the Grange, bringing neighbors together in a heartwarming display of unity and joy.

The angels on the porch represent more than a performance; they are a symbol of hope, care, and togetherness, just like the Grange Hall itself.

Reconnecting Pageant Players with Norwich

The NCC hopes to inspire all past pageant members, their families, and friends to give what they can during this campaign and, in doing so, reconnect with the Norwich community. Intending to raise $10,000 through The Angel Fund, the NCC aims to support essential maintenance and improvements during this final phase. The Angel Fund campaign starts on Thanksgiving Day and will conclude at the Norwich Pageant on December 19.

Whether you grew up here, live here now, or simply carry warm memories of the Grange and the Pageant, a donation to The Angel Fund will help restore the Norwich Grange Hall into a vibrant, welcoming place for potlucks, performances, meetings, and memories for years to come.

Donate to the Angel Fund here: norwichgrangehall.org/angelfund.