Domino Toppling Extravaganza

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center’s (BMAC) annual Domino Toppling Extravaganza returns for the 17th year on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 5:30 p.m. The colorful spectacle is the longest-running domino event in the world, and this year, it will take place before a live audience, in the building next door to the museum (28 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, Vermont), and also livestreamed on Facebook.

Last year, there was a Barbie Dreamhouse, a portrait of Peter Pan, a Minecraft structure, and an ocean wave, all constructed from thousands of dominoes over two and a half days and toppled in a few awe-inspiring minutes.

In-person admission to the event is free for children 8 and under and $5 for all others. Tickets are available in advance or at the door, but because space is limited, advance purchase is advised. Buy tickets at brattleboromuseum.org or call 802-257-0124 x101. There is no admission fee to watch the livestream.

Lily Hevesh and Team

Internationally recognized domino artist and YouTube star Lily Hevesh, along with a team that includes Chris Wright, Michael Fantauzzo, Alex Huang, and Matt VanVleck, will arrive on Friday, Oct. 4, to begin the domino-installation process. Hevesh has been dubbed the “queen” of domino art by Inc. Magazine and “the brightest star in the domino universe” by the Washington Post, and her toppling videos have amassed nearly 2 billion views on social media. She has collaborated on projects with Google, Disney, Marvel, Ford, Honda, and LEGO, and has been featured on NBC, FOX News, Nickelodeon, CNN, and CBS, and in the award-winning 2021 documentary “Lily Topples the World.”

According to Hevesh, BMAC’s domino event is unique, mainly because “zero things are planned ahead of time.” She says, “For an artist, that’s really fulfilling. We just start building and see what happens.”

In 2022, Hevesh and her fellow artists used 26,000 dominoes to fill the museum’s Wolf Kahn & Emily Mason Gallery. Last year, they used approximately 20,000 to cover the floor in the former Marlboro College Graduate School building next door to the museum.

“I love this event, not only because it’s quirky and colorful and dramatic, but also because it draws audience members from all around the country,” says BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld. “It’s always astonishing to see what Lily and the other builders create. Their work expands the meaning of artistry for so many people.”

Doors open to spectators at 5 p.m. on Oct. 6, and the toppling begins at 5:30 p.m. The Facebook link will go live at 5:15 p.m. Members of the in-person audience can win the chance to start the whole chain reaction by guessing the correct number of dominoes used in the building process. Parking is available at 28 Vernon Street. Backpacks and strollers will need to be left at the door.

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents rotating exhibits of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. BMAC is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-4. Admission is free, courtesy of M&T Bank. Located in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro, at the intersection of Main Street and Routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information and accessibility requests, visit brattleboromuseum.org, call 802-257-0124, or send email to office@brattleboromuseum.org.

BMAC is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters.