The Trail of Bears project has officially been approved by the Grafton Selectboard, clearing the way for the project to begin taking shape around town.
The Trail of Bears is a town-wide installation led by Let’s Grow Grafton. Businesses, organizations, and community spaces across Grafton will each host a painted 4×6 bear board at their location. Every bear will be designed by the place hosting it, so each stop along the trail will have its own personality.
Once the bears are installed, visitors will be able to follow a printed map from location to location, exploring different corners of Grafton along the way. Some bears may include face-in-the-hole photo designs, while others may focus more on creative artwork. The idea is for each location to interpret their bear in their own way.
Installation of the first bears is expected to begin in spring 2026, with a goal of having the trail start to appear around town by Memorial Day weekend. Additional bears will be added over time as more locations join the project.
The Trail of Bears is intended to become a long-term feature that encourages visitors to explore Grafton and discover the businesses, organizations, and places that make the town unique.
Let’s Grow Grafton has been quietly working behind the scenes since last autumn. Over the past several months, a group of local business owners, founded by Michelle Riordon, Lynn Paul, Katelyn Coolley, Melodie Martinez, and Mary Ignacio, has been meeting, planning, and building the foundation for something long term.
LGG started with a simple question: What would happen if local businesses stopped doing everything alone and started working together?
We’re a group of Grafton-based small businesses who believe connection matters. Collaboration matters. When one of us succeeds, it helps lift everyone around us.
Despite the name, we’re not trying to “grow Grafton” in some big development kind of way. We’re growing the businesses already here. The farms, shops, makers, artists, rentals, and services that give this town its character. We’re growing relationships between business owners, and with the community that shows up for us day after day and year after year.
Let’s Grow Grafton exists to make those connections easier.
We help neighbors discover local businesses they didn’t even know existed. We create shared marketing and events that bring visitors into town. We cross-promote each other, refer customers, share resources, and sometimes just remind each other that running a small business is hard and you don’t have to do it alone.
We’re building things together too, brochures, websites, fun family events like the upcoming Grafton Games, and even whimsical Bear Trail photo spots around town.
We want to say thank you to the community members who already support local, who stop in, share posts, bring friends, tell neighbors, and choose small whenever they can. Every visit, every recommendation, every familiar face matters more than you probably realize. You’re part of this story too.
If you’re a Grafton business owner and haven’t connected with us yet, we’d love to welcome you. Join our private Facebook group: Business Owners of Let’s Grow Grafton.
If you’re a community member, the best way to support LGG is simple: shop local, share what you love, and keep showing up for the businesses that make this town special.
Local businesses, deeply rooted.
Follow us on Facebook: Let’s Grow Grafton
Let’s Grow Grafton has launched a new interactive community map designed to help residents and visitors discover local businesses, recreation spots, and community projects throughout town.
Let’s Grow Grafton is a network of local businesses working together to strengthen the town’s economy and make it easier for people to find and support what’s happening locally.
The map acts as a central hub for exploring what Grafton has to offer. Visitors can find everything from local landmarks like Ruggles Mine to small businesses, farms, services, and community spaces across the area.
Some locations also include “Showcase Spaces,” where businesses can share photos, specials, upcoming events, and more. These spaces make it easier for the community to discover what local businesses have to offer.
“We kept realizing how many good things are happening in town that people don’t always see,” said Michelle Riordan, co-founder of Let’s Grow Grafton, who built the group’s website. “Putting our businesses, recreation spots, and community projects in one place makes it much easier for people to explore Grafton and discover what’s here.”
The project is part of a broader effort by local businesses to make Grafton easier for visitors to explore and support.
In the coming months, the map will also serve as the official guide for the upcoming Trail of Bears, a town-wide public art installation featuring work by local artists that is expected to debut this spring.
Residents and visitors can explore the map now and discover the many small businesses and attractions that make Grafton unique.
Explore the interactive map here:
Map
This project is part of the broader Let’s Grow Grafton initiative connecting local businesses, community projects, and events like the upcoming Trail of Bears and Grafton Games.
March 6, 2026