MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – The golden dome was surrounded by a sea of red hearts as Montpelier’s unknown Valentine phantom struck again Friday night.
The city’s tradition has caught on, and locals woke up to feel the love.
“Oh it’s just magical. It’s like, you know, I think it’s a nice way to bring a little more whimsy into the winter,” said Jenny Sebold, who owns Wildling Flower Shop and Rebel Hearts.
The bustling store was crammed with customers checking out not only Valentine’s Day florals but also the hearts dotting the outside windows. The holiday brings a big boost to business.
“If I didn’t have the floral shop right now with my other concept, it’s very slow this time of year, so it certainly is nice as a shop owner, especially in this economy. It’s been a little tricky,” Sebold said.
Mackie Naylor took some time away from selling books at Bear Pond Books to admire the holiday scenery. She says the city always seems busier on the holiday thanks to the bandit.
“It’s something we’re always excited to see whenever the Valentine bandit strikes again,” Naylor said. “I mean, even though it’s a tradition that’s continued for many years, it still has a lot of turnout I think every time, and it’s something we all just get really excited about.”
This year, local elementary and middle school students also got in on the fun with their handmade hearts on display.
Locals are wondering if other communities have also been struck by the love spree.
“I feel like I’ve started to see this percolate out into the world, so that’s kind of cool too to see it spread throughout Vermont even, because it was a very much localized Montpelier thing,” Sebold said.
The hearts are expected to stay up for a few days. Then people will wait for the bandit to strike again next year.
